Why do you write the genre that you write?
It was originally an offer from my publisher asking if I wanted to write a cozy murder mystery series for him set in England. I told him I did not know enough about England to set a murder mystery there but then I paused and said: “But I could set it in Ireland.” And thus the Irish Village Mysteries were born. There are now 9 books in that series and 2 books in my Home to Ireland Series and some exciting news– a new darker mystery series will begin starting with No Strangers Here set in County Kerry, Ireland. (October 25th release). I have always loved the mystery genre starting with Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys, and even before that Encyclopedia Brown. Mysteries are fun and complex, and compelling!

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Siobhan O’Sullivan can whittle. When she’s in a mood, she takes a knife to wood. She also loves riding her pink Vespa around her walled town.

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
My parents almost named me Carlene. And originally I posited Carlene Collins to my editor. Collins was the surname of my boyfriend at the time. My editor said he wanted it “more Irish” could it be O’Collins. I told him there was no such name as O’Collins and suggested O’Connor. And thus, Carlene O’Connor was born!

Tell us how you got into writing?
It’s always been a part of who I am. When I was 4 years old I wrote my first story: The Boy and the Mouse. I even made it into a little book with illustrations. I’ve been writing ever since. I never officially studied it in college but I did study acting and that has helped tremendously with writing. Otherwise I’m self-taught– read every book on writing there is, and I’ve taken a lot of courses not associated with college, plus I read nearly every book on creative writing that comes out. I’ve also taught creative writing for 10 years with helps with my writing.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
Let’s see. While I was studying to be an actress, I was a waitress, a temp, a tele-marketer, and a retail store worker. Then I studied to become a sign language interpreter. I was a sign language interpreter for 15 years and then I taught a creative writing course for 8 years. I am now a full-time writer.

Where do you write?
Over the years I’ve been pretty eclectic. Writing anywhere and everywhere in between jobs. During the pandemic I bought a desk and it was in my living room. I have now moved to California for a year and in this rental house I have my own office which is where I am sitting now at the desk I bought. I get pretty antsy though and will often move around with my laptop. I used to love writing in coffee shops in Seattle, but I like the cute ones with comfy seats and they’re not always easy to find anymore

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Coffee! I love my nespresso maker.

What is next for you?
I just turned in Murder in an Irish Bakery so there will be edits coming. I will be promoting two fall releases, Christmas Scarf Murder, an anthology with Maddie Day and Peggy Ehrhart, and No Strangers Here the first in a darker mystery series, (I’m so excited about it) and now I am writing the second book in that series: Some of Us Are Looking. Last, I will be writing a Halloween novella for next year’s anthology, Halloween Cupcake Murder.

What are you reading now?
I just finished The Island by Adrian McKinty and next on deck is The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill.

Where can we find you?
My website at carleneoconnor.net, Facebook, Twitter at @marycarterbooks, and Instagram at @writergirlchi.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Vanilla

Ice cream or cake
Cake

Broccoli or squash
Broccoli

Pizza, burger, or pasta
Hard one! Burger

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Dinner

Mountain or beach
Beach

City or country
Used to be city, becoming more country

Introvert or Extrovert
An introvert who presents as an extrovert

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
My dog Penny. Will have to pick a book which will take time—
maybe Hawaii by James Michener since it’s long, a bottle of tequila.

My bio:
Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of The Irish Village Mystery series, and the Home to Ireland Series, and the County Kerry Mystery Series coming in the fall of 2022. She moves a lot but currently resides in Tarzana California.