SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Carol A. Guy!

Joining me today in The Loft is award-winning author Carol A. Guy. Carol writes paranormal romance, romantic suspense, true crime, and mystery novels. Her true crime novel, "A Picture-Perfect Kid," was a 2004 EPPIE Award finalist and a cozy mystery she co-authored, "Murder at the Ice Cream Parlor," was a finalist in 2003 Treble Hearts Books contest. A former journalist, Carol left the Midwest to move to the Sunshine state. The mother of two, with two grandchildren and one great-grandchild, Carol lives in Fort Lauderdale with her two mischievous felines, Sherlock and Charlie.

Author Carol A. Guy

S: Good morning, Carol. Thanks for joining me today.

As a writer, has the pandemic worked to your benefit or detriment?

C: Having to stay at home a lot certainly gave me more time to write. I wasn’t happy about the circumstances, though, and I’m so sorry we’re still having to deal with this awful situation.

S: I was naive enough to believe that COVID was a "one and done" situation. It's hard to believe we are still fighting it.

What is the best/worst thing that has ever happened to you as a writer?

C: The best thing was having two of my manuscripts--a true crime book and a mystery novel– accepted for publication within a day of each other. The worst thing was a period of time a few years ago when I had a prolonged period of what is often referred to as writer’s block. Personal issues got in the way, as well as some health problems, but once those were resolved, I finally rekindled the spark and was able to make a comeback.

S: Writer's block is a challenge. I'm so glad you were able to overcome it.

If you had it to do all over again, would you still choose to write books?

C: Definitely. It was my dream since high school to be a writer. I can’t imagine not writing. It’s not just what I do, it’s a big part of who I am.

S: What inspires your stories?

C: I find inspiration everywhere. In the news, in events going on around me, in the people I meet. I also pay attention to the experiences that friends tell me about and those often spark an idea in my mind. Once that happens, I let my imagination run free. That usually results in a plot idea.

S: I'm inspired in the same way. Unfortunately, that makes some of my friends nervous. They are never sure what may pop up in my books!

Complete this sentence. “When one of my books is released..."

C: ...I breathe a sigh of relief!

S: What inspired your book, "Spirit Lake?"

C: Several years ago, I began having a recurring dream. It included a fog-shrouded dock and lake. I got the sense it was located in Pennsylvania, which is where my ancestors settled when they came to the United States from Germany in the 1700s. In the dream, I was running away from something and ended up on the dock, which was dimly lit by something resembling an old-fashioned looking street lamp. A man’s deep voice came out of the fog. "Do you know why they call it Spirit Lake?” he asked. Startled, I turned to see who was speaking, only to discover I was alone. At that point, I woke up. After having the dream three more times, I began researching to see if there really was a town by that name. I found a couple but neither was in Pennsylvania. In the meantime, a story began to form in my mind so I ran with it and the result was a novel called, “Spirit Lake,” which turned out to be the first in a five-book series. Oh, by the way, as soon as I started writing the first book, the dreams stopped.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Spirit Lake?"

C: I think the way it was conceived is special. I’ve always thought of it as a book I was meant to write. I decided to make it into a series because I felt there was a lot more of the story that should be told.

Here's the blurb--

Nestled near the base of Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest is the small town of Spirit Lake. Rich in folklore, it has become a tourist attraction due to its quaint atmosphere and unique antique shops. When Erica Parkhurst flees New York City in the wake of a marital split and accidentally discovers the little hamlet, she is intrigued by the ghost stories surrounding the local inn where she is staying and the mist-shrouded lake nearby. One night she encounters a mysterious man on the dock, who asked her, “Do you know why they call it Spirit Lake?” Before she can reply or find out his name, he disappears into the fog. Did she imagine him? During a trip into town the next day she sees the man again and follows him into a dead-end alley, where he vanishes once more!

Hot on the trail of his soon-to-be ex-wife, Grant Parkhurst shows up unexpectedly at the inn and Erica flees out the back door into the surrounding woods to avoid a confrontation. Lost and frightened, she is rescued by the elusive stranger from the dock, Joe Lakota, and his trusty wolf/dog, Mingo.

Soon Erica finds herself involved in a murder case when a skeleton washes up at the edge of the lake and Joe becomes the prime suspect. Can she risk falling in love with a man who may be a murderer? And what other secrets are hidden beneath the glassy surface of Spirit Lake?