Author Spotlight – Karen Harbert

In an effort to introduce my readers to other authors and their work, every week I run an Author Spotlight, sharing information about an author, their work, and how they go about writing their books.

Karen Harbert is a long-time breeder and exhibitor of Cardigan Welsh Corgis and her Murder at the Dog Show cozy mystery series sprang from her travel diary of dog show trips There were triumphs, there were disasters; such as the time she and a friend started a multi-day show circuit with five dogs in a sea of mud and had to find a place to clean them before the next show. Or the time that they turned van and trailer rubber-side-up on the way to the Oregon Death March. Karen says her friend challenged her to turn their adventures into fiction and the series was born.

Karen serves on the Board of Directors of the Dog Writers Association of America and has served as a judge for their annual writing contest. Her professional background was in management in mental health, child protective services, and other programs. She has traveled extensively in the US and Canada.

A conversation with Karen:

When did you decide to become an author and why?

In the 1980s a Canadian friend and I began trading vacation time back and forth across the continent, from San Diego to Toronto, ‘As far apart as we can get and still speak the same language,’ we joked. These trips were for dog show circuits and to show each other parts of our country. Unfortunately, he was the original absent-minded professor, and I started keeping a travel diary of our mini-disasters and near-misses. Eventually, friends talked me into turning our misadventures into fiction.

How long have you been writing, and what was your first book?

I began turning the travel diary into fiction in the 90s, sent the first two manuscripts around until I found an agent who then sent them out and brought in some nice rejection letters. I packed them away for several years until one day the science-fantasy author Jennifer Roberson was our house guest and she suggested publishing them independently on Amazon. I dusted them off, brought them up to date and published the first three in 2012. Then I bought myself a t-shirt that read, ‘Be Careful Or You’ll End Up In My Novel!’

The first two were Final Entry, and False Papers. A reader commented that they read like ‘first novels’ and she was right. By the time I wrote Death March, #3 in my series, I finally felt like I knew what I was doing, and when people ask where they should start reading the series, I usually point them to that one.

What genres do you write in?

Cozy mysteries with a hint of romance, and young adult adventures.

How many books do you have out?

There are 23 in the adult series, two in the young adult.

Are you trade published, independent, or a combo?

Independent.

What is your writing style? Panster or plotter or?

I take a hybrid approach. I have a clear idea of the plot line and try to collect as much information about the subject as possible before I start writing.

Do you write more than one book at a time?

Occasionally.

How much research is involved in your writing?

Many of the situations in my books arose from actual events in my life, for example, the motorhome breakdown in Death March or the car through the front of a beauty shop in Calculated Risk. Often a news article – troubled teen rehab facilities in Wagon Wheels, fake service dogs in the current novel in progress. Once I’ve identified a theme, I look for all available background information.

Where do you write? Do you have a home office, write in a coffee shop, or what?

I have a dedicated home office, but often in front of the TV in the evening.

Do you use any programs like ProWriting Aid, Grammarly, or ?

No. Absolutely not.

How do you promote your books?

Poorly. The primary theme of my series is murders connected to dog shows. Word of mouth among fellow dog fanciers, including the international canine community, has been my main promotion tool.

What are your writing goals, long and short term?

Short-term, to keep writing both series as long as I have new ideas, and new people who need killing. (I’ve started taking requests.) Long term, of course I hope my books will outlive me until artificial intelligence takes over all writing. (As an aside, AI still refers to Artificial Insemination among dog fanciers.)

Any advice to new authors or someone who wants to become an author?

Everyone has a story. I’ve said this to every person who has told me they wish they could write a book. A doctor or nurse? Look around your operating room or ward and describe it. An office, a veterinary clinic, a dog show? Create your scene, your background, with sounds and smells, birdsong or rap music, and then bring in your characters and your plot idea. Tell the story and then ask trusted friends to help you with honest critiques. The first book is hard, it’s like one of those awful dreams where you seem to be walking down the middle of Main Street naked. As you progress, storytelling becomes easier until it’s almost second nature.

Please add any other comments you think might be interesting or useful to readers.

I have gained skill in self-publishing over the years. I’m by no means expert, but I can often help with specific problems that I’ve had to overcome in the past.

Be sure to check out Karen’s website http://www.aelwydcwc.com/Aelwyd.htm She says it is the site she used when she was actively breeding. It’s a few years out of date, but she’s still proud of it.

***

Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – Your writing voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are. – Taiha Lee