Caroline Cleveland
Author Interview - Caroline Cleveland
Author of When Cicadas Cry
Set in the same town as the now-infamous Murdaugh murder trial, When Cicadas Cry is a gripping and unforgettable Southern Gothic thriller:
A HIGH PROFILE MURDER CASE: A white woman has been bludgeoned to death with an altar cross in a rural church on Cicada Road in Walterboro, South Carolina. Sam Jenkins, a Black man is found covered in blood, kneeling over the body. In a state roiling with racial tension, this murder case is a powder keg rolling through fire.
A HAUNTING COLD CASE: Two young women are murdered on nearby Edisto Beach, and the killer disappears without a trace. Thirty-four years later, the mystery remains unsolved. Could there be a connection?
A KILLER WHO'S WATCHING: Attorney Zach Stander takes on Jenkins’s defense, but he’s up against a formidable solicitor with powerful allies. Worse, his own client is hiding a bombshell secret. When private investigator, Addie Stone, Stander’s partner and lover, reopens the cold case, long-buried secrets being coming to light. Would someone kill again to keep them?
Author Interview - Caroline Cleveland
Author I draw inspiration from:
There are too many to list them all, but, for this novel, I was inspired by Grisham's "A Time to Kill" and Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." It must show, because a blurb for the book by Hank Phillippi Ryan (USA Today Bestselling author of "One Wrong Word") starts with the phrase "John Grisham meets Harper Lee..."
Author Interview - Caroline Cleveland | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On the beach.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Probably Lee Childs's Jack Reacher (Jack Reacher series) because he would get us out of that elevator in mere seconds. I do not like small spaces.
Author Interview - Caroline Cleveland | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
There wasn't a single moment for me. I have practiced law for over thirty years, and that has put me on the inside of many different private and public companies and organizations, including law enforcement. As my experience became more layered and multi-faceted, I realized that I, too, had stories to tell. My pleasure-reading interests gravitate toward thrillers and mysteries, so that was the direction my writing took me.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
My favorites are either Hardbacks or trade paperbacks. I find mass market paperbacks irritating because they are so small and difficult to hold open. I don't use ebooks because I like to feel the book in my hands. I prefer to read rather than listen to books because sometimes the voices don't match the voices in my head.
The last book I read:
The most recent book I have finished was Never Lie, by Frieda McFadden. I had not read any of her other books, but this one was nothing short of fun. She had so many twists that I did not guess the ending. Right now I am reading Stacy Willingham's newest book, "Only if You're Lucky."
Author Interview - Caroline Cleveland | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I create the MS on a computer, but I usually have a lot of pen & paper lists and notes scattered all around me that help me keep up with details about the characters and their story.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
This one is easy for me. I am a practicing attorney at Cleveland & Conley, LLC, in Charleston, South Carolina.
My signature drink:
Give me a cold beer and a cheeseburger, and we will be friends for life.
Number one on my bucket list:
My second novel
Anything else you'd like to add:
As I have become more involved in the writing community, I have been overwhelmed by the welcoming and supportive attitude of other authors.
Find more from the author:
https://carolineclevelandauthor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/caroline.cleveland.author/
About Caroline Cleveland:
Author Interview - Caroline Cleveland
CAROLINE CLEVELAND is a labor and employment lawyer representing public employers, including law enforcement. Caroline grew up in Walterboro, South Carolina, and earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1991. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina. This is her first novel.
