Interview with C.L. Shore

1. What is your release called and what is it about?

Seeker of Truth, a mystery/suspense novel has just been released by Eternal Press. The story also contains some romantic themes, including paranormal romance.

2. Could you give me a short sample passage?

In this passage, Sister Lucie is up late, working on aspects of the mystery.

Sister Lucie decided to take a walk around the apartment. Her neck was a little stiff, probably from nervous tension. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times. I guess I was so tense that I didn’t move much while reading those first pages. A book fell from the bookcase onto the floor with a soft thud. She scrambled over quickly to its resting place and picked it up, Look Homeward, Angel. Maybe Mark was agreeing with her.

She opened the volume’s front cover, and an old Polaroid photograph fell to the floor. She picked it up and cautiously fingered the edges. Mark’s gaze met hers. She lay on the edge of the bed and held the photo in her hand, just below the level of the mattress. The picture had been taken on a trip to Michigan about six years ago. Mark stood with his back to a grove of trees. The glint of sunshine sparkling on blue water was in the background. Mark gazed into the camera with his beautiful smoky-gray eyes. “Thank you, Mark,” Sister Lucie said, looking down at the photograph. “I’m so lucky to have known you, let alone love you and have the experience of being loved by you. I’m so lucky.” She rolled over on her back. Dusk had fallen long ago, but every light in the apartment was on. She held the picture above her head, and then pressed it to her heart. “Thank you, Mark,” she said again. She closed her eyes.

Here’s the cover blurb

Detective Jed McCracken is tempted to dismiss his first phone call of the week as a prank, until he realizes he's talking to his late partner's widow, Sarah. Jed hasn’t spoken to her since her husband’s death and is shocked to discover that Sarah is now Sister Lucie. She’s distraught over breaking news about the murder of a former fellow nun and intent on finding her killer. Together, they rekindle their lost friendship while untangling a network of deception, lust and greed. Although they appear to be closing in, the killer proves elusive, prompting Jed to persuade Sister Lucie to bait a trap.

Will Sister Lucie outwit the murderer…or become his next victim?

3. Whom do you consider your writing influences?

That’s a great question. I think I’ve been influenced by some of my own favorite authors. There was a time when I read a lot of Andrew Greeley’s work. Like a lot of writers, I read the works of many authors and try to note what is good or effective about their writing.

4. Where are you from?

I grew up in Wisconsin and have lived in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. I consider Indianapolis my home.

5. How experienced are you as an author?

I’ve done quite a bit of professional (nonfiction) writing, but Seeker of Truth is my second novel and the first to be published.

6. Is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

Seeker of Truth started out as a novel about running. Originally, I planned to do a series of mysteries that took place near major running events. Then, I came up with the idea of a psychic nun as my protagonist. I made her a widow, because I wanted her to have had the experiences of being in love in a committed relationship. The story took off from there. Now, the running premise is no longer that important. I’ve started working on the prequel to Seeker of Truth. In the prequel, the amateur detective’s husband is still alive. He actually is a police detective..

7. If I lived in an enormous mansion where you were welcome to stay, what would you want your guest room to be like?

At the moment, I would want the room to be very plain. I think this would be most conducive to writing. I would ask room to allow me to stay in the room for hours at a time, so I could concentrate on my writing.