BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR PATRICIA HALE'S P.I., BRITT CALLAHAN

Today we’re joined by Britt Callahan from author Patricia Hale’s Cole and Callahan PI.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

Before I became a PI, I worked as an attorney specializing in family law. When I was singled out for my role as Britt Callahan in Patricia Hale’s Cole and Callahan series, I’d just left my law practice. The grisly aftermath of a case left me questioning my capability and I slipped into a black hole. Griff Cole put me back on my feet, then swept me off of them, leading to a partnership, personally and professionally. It’s been a whirlwind ride, but I’ve never looked back. I’m still out for justice, but my tactics have changed.

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I can give you a longer list of things I don’t like about myself. But if I have to come up with one good trait… I guess I’d say I know how to persevere. I’m what you might describe as a fighter. A Dachshund/Beagle mix. Tenacious, until I get what I’m after.

What do you like least about yourself?

My lack of faith. I second-guess myself. Even as I plow forward through the muck and obstacles, I’m sure I’ll fail. Somehow, I always get what I’m after and no one is more surprised than me.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

Not strange, but frightening. In Durable Goods, I infiltrated a religious refuge for women, which turned out to be a trafficking ring. Maintaining my cover was the only hope I had of staying alive. It’s also what made me want to die. Acting as “one of the girls” threatened my relationship with Griff and created an ethical dilemma. Lines blurred until I couldn’t recognize myself. Am I hero or victim?

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

Like I said, I’m not overly confident, and Hale pushes me beyond what I think I can do. I always come through okay, but it’s a hell of a journey. I have to admit that I’ve come a long way from where I started in The Church of the Holy Child. The strength I develop in Durable Goods leads to an atrocious act I carry out in Scar Tissue, the third book in the series. I’d never have believed I was capable of that. Patricia Hale likes to push my limits. Because of her, I’ve grown. I guess I should be more trusting… and grateful.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is something happening to my sister, Amy. I love Griff, but Amy is blood. My parents had more interesting things to do with their time, like cocktails and grad students. Amy’s the closest thing I’ve known to a mother. And while Amy’s straight A’s and cheerleader fame did occasionally catch my mother’s bleary eye, I was told I should never have been born. I already mentioned my lack of confidence, didn’t I?

What makes you happy?

Griff, Griff and more Griff. Oh… and a Honeyberry cigar.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

In Durable Goods, I’d rewrite the time I spent at Oracles of the Kingdom under the rule of Isaac Bennett. I know now that he was a coward and a hypocrite. Ruthless, yes, but weak at heart. At the time, I was afraid of him. He got the best of me. But as my search for Kira continued, I met much worse and found my strength. I’d like to go back now and make Isaac pay for what he did to me… for what he did to all the girls.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

Rose was cruel and cold. She was, what you might think of as a Madam, overseeing all of the working girls. She was loyal to Isaac to a fault, afraid he’d lose his use for her.  She let nothing slide and reported the slightest indiscretion, like whispers behind his back or ingratitude for what was deemed his generosity. She was a bitter old woman past her prime. I hated her.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

I like being me, but once in a while I’d trade places with my office diva, Katie Nightingale. She’s funny and confident and runs an impeccable ship. She’s also a marathon runner and a size six. I, on the other hand, have been known to sip a margarita while on the treadmill and can’t refuse anything with frosting.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Patricia Hale lives in NH with her husband and two dogs. When she’s not on her computer or at work at a holistic veterinary clinic, she’s on the trails near her home hiking or snowshoeing. Patricia published her first novel, In the Shadow of Revenge, in 2013. She started her Cole and Callahan series with The Church of the Holy Child in September 2017. Durable Goods is the second book in the series, and Scar Tissue will be released later this year.  You can find out more on her website. 

What's next for you?

Griff and I will be back in the Fall of 2018 in Scar Tissue, the third book in the Cole and Callahan series. When a student/athlete jumps to her death, we’re hired to find out why. But the truth opens one family’s Pandora's Box. Lines are crossed and risks are taken… all in the name of (twisted) love.

Durable Goods

Detective John Stark approaches the PI team of Griff Cole and Britt Callahan with a postcard he’s sure is from his estranged daughter, Kira. She’s been listed as a runaway for three years by Portland, Maine police, but John isn’t convinced that her continued absence is by choice. As Stark’s long-time friends, Cole and Callahan agree to look into the postcard marked only with the letters O.K. 

The postmark leads them to Oracles of the Kingdom, a farm where women sell fresh produce in return for a fresh start with God. But nothing seems right about the town or the farm and Britt goes undercover to look for Kira. Once inside, she realizes Oracles of the Kingdom is not the refuge it appears. And when she's trafficked over the Canadian border, she’s on her own, over her head and losing clarity between hero and victim.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR PATRICIA HALE

Patricia Hale writes mystery and suspense. Today she sits down with us for an interview. Learn more about her at her website. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

As a child, I wanted to write biographies. Then as an adolescent, I began writing poetry. I even sent one (handwritten in pencil) to the New Yorker. I received a very professional rejection letter. I was devastated and threw it away. Now, I wish I had framed it. When I had kids in my twenties, I wrote a few children’s stories, but I never sought-out publication. I didn’t try my hand at a novel until I was in my forties.

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

After completing an MFA at the age of forty-two, I wrote two novels. I tried to get an agent, but never had any luck. They are both in the drawer of my desk. I read a lot of mysteries and decided I would give the genre a try. My first book, In the Shadow of Revenge, was published in 2013.

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

I am traditionally published. In the Shadow of Revenge, was with Carina Press. The Cole and Callahan PI series is with Intrigue Publishing. The Church of the Holy Child is the first book of the series.

Where do you write?

I write at home in my office.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

Silence is golden while I write. But I do keep my windows open (whenever possible in New England). I like the everyday background noise; a breeze rustling the leaves, the birds at the feeder and the neighborhood dogs barking (usually my own).

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

I don’t get plots from my own life. (My life isn’t nearly that exciting.) I do sometimes play with something I see in the newspaper. And I pull from friends and family for character traits or quirks. Since I write in first person, I guess you could say that many of Britt Callahan’s opinions are my own.

Describe your process for naming your character?

It’s not very complex…. I sit quietly and think about the character, their looks and personality, and I almost always take the first name that comes to mind. I like to go with my gut.

Real settings or fictional towns?

I tend to use both. My series is set in Portland, Maine and since I lived in Maine for 20 years, I know the area. I enjoy reading a book that describes places I’m familiar with. I think others do, too.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

Britt Callahan smokes honeyberry cigars, a quirk I stole from a coworker.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

Maybe my dogs… I tend to fawn over them with the best of everything. We never miss our walks and I can’t leave them for too long, even a weekend away makes me anxious. People say, “They’re just dogs.” But they’re so much more than that.

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

This might have to be a list instead of just one. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn comes to mind as does My Big Brother and We Have to Talk About Kevin, both by Lionel Shriver. The reason is the same for all three. The writing is excellent.

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

I would have gone to college right out of high school instead of waiting twenty years. And I would have gone for a journalism degree instead of an MFA. More marketability.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People who say, “Yeah, I’m gonna write a book someday.” Like it’s on their to-do list along with painting the kitchen and losing 10 pounds.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

My dogs, my computer and books.

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Packing strawberries. I stood on a cement floor with twenty other women for 8 hours a day with a half-hour break. I didn’t have a car at the time and rode my bike 10 miles each way. The ride in the morning wasn’t bad, but the ride home was killer. I only lasted two weeks.  

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

That’s like saying which of my children do I like the best? Impossible to answer, but here are a few that come to mind. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard, Plague Dogs, by Richard Adams, A Prayer for Owen Meaney, by John Irving and We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver

Ocean or mountains?

Definitely mountains. I have always lived on the coast, but travel to the woods and mountains as frequently as possible. It’s where I rejuvenate.

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

I’m a country girl, without a doubt. I visit the city and enjoy it while I’m there, but I can’t tolerate the noise and so many people for longer than a day or two.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m anxious to take the two novels I wrote ten years ago out of my desk drawer. I am committed to the stories and believe I can bring them both to fruition with some re-writing.

The Church of the Holy Child

A woman with a history of domestic abuse is missing. Her sister hires private investigators Cole and Callahan.

When the woman is found dead, her husband is charged, but when a second body appears showing the same wounds, questions arise and what looked like a slam-dunk becomes anyone’s guess. The case goes to John Stark, a veteran cop and close friend of Griff Cole.

The bodies are piling up, and one person knows where the killer is. Father Francis, a priest at The Church of the Holy Child, listens to the killer’s disturbed account of each murder and wrestles with the holy orders that bind him to secrecy.

The case takes an unexpected and personal turn when Cole’s ex-wife goes missing and a connection to his past points to the killer.

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