Today we’re joined by Christy Carlyle! She’s here to answer a few questions alongside the release of A Grave Gift, book 1 in the Electra Poole Mysteries.

Welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into writing?

Hi. Thanks for having me! From the time I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer. I was a huge bookworm, and I think wanting to tell stories was a natural progression. I remember banging away on my mom’s typewriter and starting lots of stories that I never finished. Then I got busy with life and writing sort of fell by the wayside, but as I approached 40, I decided to try to finish a historical romance and submitting it to my dream publisher: Avon Books. I was lucky enough to get my first contract with them based on that submission, and I’ve written fifteen Victorian-era historical romance for them over the last decade, as well as indie-publishing historical romance too. I’m very excited to be branching out into writing historical mysteries. It’s a genre I love and read widely.

Are there any books that have really influenced you as a writer?

When I was a teen, I read Pride and Prejudice, and I remember feeling things viscerally as I was reading it. My heart ached when Lizzie refuses Darcy’s proposal. It was the first time I realized the power of romance in a story, and I always see that as a big influence on my determination to write romance. I had a similar experience when reading Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. They made me love mysteries, and I always hoped to write in that genre.

What do you enjoy most about writing historical mystery?

I love the twists and turns of writing mysteries. I enjoy developing a cast of characters and interesting settings, and I’m really looking forward to developing my protagonists and seeing them grow as the series progresses.

What inspired this book/series in particular?

During the Victorian era, there was a fascination with the paranormal. Séances were extremely popular. The Victorians had a preoccupation with death and what came after. I knew of that aspect of the era from researching for my romance novels, and I always wanted to explore it. I also love the gothic aspects of writing Victorian era historical mystery. Shows like Penny Dreadful and Ripper Street, both of which I loved, reminded me how atmospheric a historical mystery set in the late Victorian era could be.

Can you tell us a bit about your inspiration when it comes to Electra’s gifts and using them to investigate?

I’ve always been fascinated with psychic abilities, and I wanted Electra to have a variety of them, but we also initially meet her when she’s unsure of her own gifts or how to control them. She’s suppressed them for most of her life and is only beginning to explore how they work and what she can offer to others. For A Grave Gift, she uses psychometry, meaning she gets visions and extrasensory knowledge from touching people and objects. She also has precognition unexpectedly, which allows her to foresee the death of a noblewoman. Her failure to warn that lady, and the noblewoman’s subsequent murder, are what set off the events of A Grave Gift.

Can you tell us about your writing space? Where do you do most of your writing?

I’m lucky to have a dedicated office in my home to use as my writing space. Occasionally, if I’m feeling stuck, I’ll try writing in another spot—the dining room table or a local coffee shop—but I mostly write at my desk in my office.

What helps you when you have writers block?

Strangely, setting a timer really helps me. Especially a fifteen-minute interval in which I tell myself I’ll try for 250 words. Somehow, that allows me to turn off my inner critic for just long enough to make some progress. When that tactic is not working, I know I probably need to go back to thinking through the story more. Prep and research time can feel like they’re taking over my writing time, but they really are essential to me.

What are some things you are really enjoying reading right now? Books, TV, foods, etc.?

I am currently obsessed with AMC’s Interview with the Vampire series. I’d read the first few books by Anne Rice as a teen and loved them, but I’d somehow missed seeing the series until watching its first two seasons for the first time last month. It’s one of the best TV series I’ve ever seen. Just gorgeous gothic vampire romance. I also love the recent adaptations of Agatha Christie’s stories, like Towards Zero. I’m reading a lot of thrillers at the moment too. I love Noelle Ihli’s work and also Riley Sager and Simone St. James.

Want to know more about A Grave Gift?

London, 1878. A secret gift. A deadly vision. A relentless hunt for the truth.

Electra Poole has spent much of her life hiding her abilities, fearing the same fate as her mother, who was labeled mad and locked away. But in order to survive on her own, she plays into London’s obsession with spiritualism, offering carefully crafted séances to those desperate for answers. Yet when she foresees the death of a wealthy noblewoman and chooses to stay silent, the guilt is suffocating, and the danger is very real.

Lady Becknell is murdered that very night. And someone might know what Electra saw. While Scotland Yard’s Detective Inspector Gideon Pierce, a man tied to her past and to the father she’s never forgiven, is tasked with solving the case of Lady Becknell’s murder, Electra can’t help but do a bit of investigation of her own. She feels guilty for not warning Lady Becknell. But the killer is watching, and with each step closer to the truth, Electra fears that more lives hang in the balance.

To outwit a murderer, she must embrace the very gift she’s always feared…before the killer claims their next victim.

Meet Christy Carlyle:

Fueled by Pacific Northwest coffee and inspired by multiple viewings of every British costume drama she can get her hands on, USA Today bestselling author Christy Carlyle writes sensual historical romance set in the Victorian era. She loves heroes who struggle against all odds and heroines who are ahead of their time. A former teacher with a degree in history, she finds there’s nothing better than being able to combine her love of the past with a die-hard belief in happy endings.

Contact Christy at christy@christycarlyle.com or find out more at www.christycarlyle.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram, not to mention, you can sign up for her newsletter here to keep up with everything happening with Christy!