Ted Carr sits down for a Q&A with dru’s book musings responding to twenty or more questions so we can learn more about him. Are you ready? Let’s get to know Ted.

What is your full name?
Theodore Howard Carr

How old are you?
Thirty

What is your profession?
I’m an Executive Chef and sometimes bartender.

Do you have a significant other?
Yes.

What is their name and profession?
Her name is Maureen Doherty. She’s the owner/manager of the Haven House Inn and my boss!

Do you have any children?
No.

Do you have any siblings?
I have one sister.

Are your parents nearby?
No. They live in Miami.

Who is your best friend?
Besides Maureen, my fellow bartender Lennie is my best friend.

Do you have cats, dogs or other pets?
Not of my own, but I make sure that the hotel cats, Bogie and Bacall are fed and safe and I help care for Maureen’s dog, Finn.

What town do you live in?
Haven, Florida.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I have a room in the hotel in exchange for my work there.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
The front porch of the hotel.

What is your favorite meal or dessert?
My favorite meal is breakfast. Especially waffles.

Do you have any hobbies?
I enjoy running on the beach.

What music do you listen to?
I like piano music.

What is your favorite color?
Blue.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Key West, Florida.

Are you a morning or night person?
Morning.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Cooking for friends at the outdoor Barbeque pit.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Fish, Fun, Food and Florida.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Strictly amateur and I help Maureen who is also amateur when I can.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I get up very early in the morning and get things started for breakfast in the hotel kitchen, then go for a run on the beach with Maureen and her dog Finn. Back to the hotel, shower and put on chef’s uniform and serve breakfast to the guests. Order supplies, set up lunch menu, make sure dining area and bar are neat and clean. Supervise lunch prep, make sure we have enough servers. Tend bar if needed. Walk Finn. Supervise dinner prep. Man the buffet table, carve roast beef. Make sure kitchen is immaculate. Do breakfast prep for next day. Meet Maureen at the bar for “late date.”

The Spirit Moves – A Haunted Haven Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 2025
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Innkeeper Maureen Doherty is well aware that no one—when asked why they come to Florida—says, “For the ghosts.” But her historic Haven House Inn has spirits to spare, and just when she thinks she’s met every ghost in town—a new one pops up to help solve a murder. Or so it seems . . .

When the body of “how-to” book writer Terry Holiday is found by Aster Paterson in her flower garden, the townspeople of Haven are shocked. But they’re even more surprised when the beloved bookshop owner insists that the spirit of her late husband Peter Paterson led her to the grim discovery. Only Aster seems unsurprised—she’s been baking his favorite shortbread cookies every day, hoping to lure his ghost back home . . .

Even Maureen is a little skeptical—until Peter’s ghost appears in the bookshop window for all to see. Haven’s hard-headed realist cop Frank Hubbard is determined to unveil whatever trickery led to the apparition, as he suspects the answer to who killed Terry Holiday may be connected to the illusion.

If Maureen’s learned anything since she moved from New England and inherited her haunted inn, it’s that 1) ghosts are real (at least some of them), and 2) so are murderers. She doesn’t need a how-to manual to solve a murder; she’s done it before. But with suspects ranging from a mystery writers group to a ghostwriter who just checked in at the inn, she will need a little help from her spirited sleuths . . .

About the author
Cozy mystery author Carol J. Perry, Salem Massachusetts born, and now happily living on the west coast of Florida with husband Dan, uses the scariest parts of each home state in her two mystery series—Witch City Mysteries and Haunted Haven Mysteries.