It is always a pleasure to welcome back author Lauren Carr to Omnimystery News.
Lauren's 11th mystery in her popular Mac Faraday series is Cancelled Vows (Acorn Book Services; January 2016 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we asked her how she decides which characters live to see another chapter, as it were. She responded with an anecdotal story, which she titles, "So Many Murders, So Little Time".
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Photo provided courtesy of
Lauren Carr
The other day, a friend called. I had barely gotten, "Hello," out before she asked me, "Do you think I kill too many people?"
Hmmm. I had to think about that one.
"I killed five people today and I'm about to kill two more," she explained. "Do you think that's too many?"
I had to ask. "Well, why did you kill them?"
She then went on to explain that the main honcho was caught by the mad scientist in the act of going back on their deal with the lovely blonde who he had abducted from the airport. Then there was the private eye who saw too much. And then there was the hooker who he poisoned as a human Guinea pig to see how their secret potent would work. It was a complete failure because the hooker spontaneously combust — causing a fire in the game room which wasn't supposed to happen.
"Now I'm about to gun down the two gunmen they hired to replace to two killed in the buffalo stampede," she said.
"Do you really have to kill those two gunmen?" I asked. "If you feel like you're killing too many people, maybe you should spare them."
"No, they have to die," she said. "But I decided to let the cab driver live."
"That's good," I said. "Who's going to kill the hit men?"
"Johnny," she said. "Right after he cleans up the mess in the study from killing Adrian. Is it just me, or am I killing too many people?"
I had to scratch my head and think. "Not when you compare these killing to those two motorcycle gangs you gunned down last year."
I heard a sigh of relief from the phone. "That's right. There were at least fifty people in that gang and I didn't let even one of them live. Thank you so much, Lauren. Gotta run. Frank's home and I have to fix dinner."
As I hung up the phone it occurred to me that my phone lines are probably being taped by the NSA if, for nothing else, entertainment value.
P.S., Two hours later, my friend emailed to tell me that during dinner she decided to allow the two gunmen to live for another three chapters.
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Lauren Carr is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit the Acorn Book Services website for more information.
Lauren lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at MysteryLady.net and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr
A Mac Faraday Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Police Chief David O'Callaghan and Chelsea Adams' wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can walk down the aisle — divorce his first wife!
Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David's marriage to an old girlfriend — and he's got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David's best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!
— Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr. Click here to take a LookInside the book.
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