Leslie Karst
Author Interview - Leslie Karst
Author of Molten Death (an Orchid Isle Mystery, book one)
Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have come to the Big Island of Hawai‘i to treat themselves to a well-earned tropical vacation. After the recent loss of her brother, Valerie is in sore need of a distraction from her troubles and is looking forward to enjoying the delicious food and vibrant culture the state has to offer.
Early one morning, the couple and their friend—tattooed local boy, Isaac—set out to see an active lava flow, and Valerie is mesmerized by the shape-shifting mass of orange and red creeping over the field of black rock. Spying a boot in the distance, she strides off alone, pondering how it could have gotten there, only to realize to her horror that the boot is still attached to a leg—a leg which is slowly being engulfed by the hot lava.
Valerie’s convinced a murder has been committed—but as she's the only witness to the now-vanished corpse, who’s going to believe her? Determined to prove what she saw and get justice for the unknown victim, Valerie launches her own investigation. But, thrown into a Hawaiian culture far from the luaus and tiki bars of glossy tourist magazines, she soon begins to fear she may be the next one to end up entombed in shiny black rock . . .
Author Interview - Leslie Karst
Author I draw inspiration from:
By the time I came upon Sue Grafton’s "A is for Alibi," I’d read plenty of mysteries, but they’d all been either Golden Age traditional/cozies written by women or hard-boiled/noirs by men.
So Grafton’s debut came as an awakening. Here was a book in the traditional “weary PI” style, yet written by and featuring a woman. And as I read on, I realized she’d created a sort of hybrid between the hard-boiled and the cozy—the story of a private investigator with no strings attached (“My apartment is small.... I don’t have pets. I don’t have houseplants.”) yet with a big heart (“I’m a nice person and I have a lot of friends.”). But most important, the novel was full of humor—a tad on the snarky side, yes, but who doesn’t love that?
I drew great inspiration from Grafton's books, and it was largely because of her that I felt able to write what I like to term my “snarky cozies.”
Author Interview - Leslie Karst | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed after dinner, cozied up with my Jack Russell mix, Ziggy.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Goldy Schulz, the caterer protagonist of Diane Mott Davidson's mystery series.
The elevator jolts to a stop between the fifth and sixth floor of a swank apartment building, and I press the button again for the eighth floor. Nothing. Goldy sets down the large box she's carrying and presses the button for the eleventh floor. Nothing.
The delicious aroma of garlic and onions is wafting up from the box. "Pizza?" I ask.
"Baby quiches and brioche bites," she replies. "I'm catering a cocktail party upstairs for the Browns.
We chat about the merits of Gouda versus Edam cheese, but after a full ten minutes, the elevator has still not budged. Goldy reaches into the box and offers me a baby quiche. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. You want one?"
Author Interview - Leslie Karst | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
When I first read Walter Farley's "Black Stallion" and realized that you could invent your own story where you really did have that horse your parents wouldn't get you and let you keep under your bed.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback: I love the feel of the paper and hard binding in my hands, and they last for years and years.
Paperback: Still nice to hold, and they take up less room on the shelf.
Ebook: Not a fan. I like to be able to flip back through the pages, and c'mon--more screen time?
Audiobook: Only for road trips.
The last book I read:
Richard Osman's "The Last Devil To Die." I absolutely adored it--as well as the previous three in the series. This last book, though, manages to simultaneously tug at your heartstrings and make you laugh out loud. It's brilliant, as the Brits would say.
Author Interview - Leslie Karst | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Pen & paper for scribbled notes and a calendar of when things happen in the story; computer for the outline and manuscript. I'm still in awe of the ability to cut-and-paste! And thank goodness for that junior high school typing class I took.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Ratty, in "The Wind in the Willows," by Kenneth Grahame. He's smart and organized, but also good fun and loves an elaborate picnic!
Author Interview - Leslie Karst | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Well, I was an attorney before becoming an author. But it was never my dream career. I suppose if I had it to do all over again, I'd become a foreign language teacher. I love words and language, and teaching pays far more than being an author, lol.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 1930s and '40s. I love the men's suits and can't get enough of those fedoras!
Place I’d most like to travel:
Paris, France. I've been there many times, and nothing's better than spending the day walking all over the glorious city, then stopping at a café for an aperitif, and then finally dining on steak au poivre served with crispy, thin frites to finish out the evening.
My signature drink:
Anything with gin--the more perfumy the better!
Favorite artist:
The Beatles. Yes, I'm a child of the '60s.
Number one on my bucket list:
Trying my hand one day at writing a stand-alone mystery novel.
Anything else you'd like to add:
A huge thank you to all those who read the books we authors write. We need you as much as you need us!
Find more from the author:
http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lesliekarstauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/lesliekarst/
https://chicksonthecase.com/
https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/
About Leslie Karst:
In addition to "Molten Death," Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and “Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG.” After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife split their time between Santa Cruz, California and Hilo, Hawai‘i.
