1. I hear you have pets in your current novels. Tell us about the books.

My current release is Black Diamond, a paranormal romantic suspense novel with a contemporary setting. It includes a shaggy Golden Lab named Monty as a very minor character, but he provides a bit of comic relief in an otherwise intense novel.

Blurb: An ancient gem wreaks havoc on the lives and families of the men who’ve owned it.

Melissa Kinelly’s normal life shatters when her brother comes home with a diamond ear stud that transforms him from normal college student to a raging human volcano always on the verge of a violent eruption. After the private investigator she hires to research the diamond’s history is murdered, she takes on the investigation herself, with the reluctant help of the manager of the pawn shop where her brother bought the diamond. Pitting herself against a group of monstrous creatures connected to the gem, she grapples with the dark history of the diamond to find a way to destroy it before it destroys her and everything she holds dear.

I’m trying something new with this book. I’m giving it away free, serializing it on Substack. Half of the book is now available and the rest will be posted in pieces, finishing up just in time for Halloween! Everyone is invited to sign up to receive each new chapter as it comes out, but you can also read it just by going here: https://mcculloughblackdiamond.substack.com/

I will also release the entire thing for sale on most ebook outlets around the middle of October.

Pets are a central feature in my previous release, the fourth book in my Market Center Mysteries series. Unleashed for Murder is a mystery set at a pet products trade show, which means lots of pet references and even a few cameos for various furry (and a few non-furry) friends.

Blurb: Murder crashes the pet products trade show…

The Pet Palace booth is the undisputed crown jewel of the pet products trade show, and its owners, two retired pro football players, bring their own brand of star power to the sale of high-end, luxury gear. When one of them dies at the show, however, he leaves behind jealous competitors, angry suppliers, a line of women he pumped for information and then ghosted, and a fiancée he may not even have known about.

Heather McNeil’s job as assistant to the director of the D.C. Market and Commerce Center is mostly about keeping events running smoothly, dealing with disputes, accidents, and conflict. She never signed on for solving murders, but sometimes it’s part of the job, too.

Amidst the plethora of cozy canine couture, upscale pet feeding stations, slick kitty litter boxes, and unmentionable lizard foods, Heather has to sort through the human emotions at play and follow the clues to a killer, all while dealing with her own personal heartbreak.

Ebook: Amazon Kindle   Nook   Other Electronic Formats
Trade Paperback 

Gremlin. The pictures are old and somewhat faded, I’m afraid.

2. Why did you add pets to these books?

Until recently my family has always had pets. We’ve had a dog, cat, rabbit, parakeet, and more hamsters than I can count. I think pets bring out the best in people and lighten bad situations. They can even provide a bit of comic relief in the midst of tense encounters.

3. What other books have you written?

Lots of them. Unleashed for Murder is the fourth book in the Market Center Mysteries series. I’ve written three books as part of the No Brides Club series of romances – No Time for Surprises, No Time for Regrets, and No Time for Mistakes.  I currently have 18 novels and two novellas in print, and numerous short stories in a variety of anthologies.  All of my work ranges over a number of genres, including mystery, romance, paranormal, suspense, and fantasy.

4. Tell us about your typical writing day

I’m not sure there is a typical day. Since I’m still doing some web site development and maintenance, though I’m technically retired, I frequently spend at least some of my morning on that work. If there is no current project, I write in the mornings. I always have to struggle to tear myself away from social media and doomscrolling, so it takes some self-discipline. I try to add two to three hours of writing time in the afternoon. My word count goal varies, depending on where I am in a project.  Since I don’t start with an outline or any clear idea where a story will go, the first half is slower since I have to make lots of decisions and try different things. I try to do 500 words a day then. Once the plot starts coming together in my head, it gains momentum and I can generally do 1,000 words a day. Some days I make it, some days I don’t, and some days it just doesn’t go that way.

5. What do you have in the pipeline?

Glad you asked!  I have releases of various sorts coming up.  I currently have three short stories under contract that should be coming out in magazines or anthologies in the upcoming months, but I don’t yet have definite dates or buy links as yet. Two of those are holiday stories, so I hope to have more info soon.  I will be putting Black Diamond up for sale in mid-October.  I am also working on a collection of some of my Christmas short stories, including reprints of some of the published ones and at least one never-before published novella. I really want to get that one up and ready in time for the Christmas gift-giving season. And now I’ve started writing the fifth (and final) book in the Market Center Mysteries series, tentatively titled A Holiday for Murder.

6. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?

It all pretty much revolves around my website at https://www.kmccullough.com. I try to keep it updated with all the current information. You can sign up for my irregular newsletter there, which is where I announce things first. It also has links to my social media sites.

Links:
Website: https://www.kmccullough.com
Blog: https://www.kmccullough.com/kblog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kgmccullough
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenMcCulloughAuthor
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/karenmccullough.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgmccullough12/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kgmccullough/
Amazon Author Site: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karen-McCullough/author/B0043TJ870
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-mccullough

MARCIA: Thank you, Karen, for being my October interviewee! I’ve enjoyed reading your books!

MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks!

Each month, I’ll randomly pick one blog commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!