Additional menu

Terry Ambrose

Home of Mysteries with Character

You are here: Home / Author Interviews / Behind the story with Kate Carlisle

Behind the story with Kate Carlisle

By

Kate Carlisle - Ripped from the PagesKate Carlisle is the author of the popular Bibliophile Mysteries and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. She’s a lover of wines, books, and laughter. In this behind-the-story interview, Kate Carlisle describes how she blended all three for her new release, “Ripped from the Pages.”

“My books aren’t usually ‘issue’ books,” said Carlisle. “They’re entertaining whodunits that will engage your brain. I use a tagline on my website: ‘Smart. Funny. Murder!’ That’s my promise to readers with both the Bibliophile Mysteries and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. That said, my readers like to learn, so I do try to make sure the story includes interesting information presented in a dynamic way.”

In “Ripped from the Pages,” bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright discovers a perfectly mummified body in a hidden room at the back of a wine cave. Priceless treasures were walled in with the body, including a first edition of the Jules Verne classic “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” Carlisle hopes readers will learn something new about the rare book and the wine caves as Brooklyn tracks down the clues in search of the villain.

Kate Carlisle said she has two reasons for planting those clues as she does. “Part of my plotting process for each book involves asking the question, ‘What will readers learn?’ I’ll let you in on a little secret—it’s one of the methods I use to try to keep the reader from realizing I’ve just planted a clue. I try to distract them with a ‘Huh. I didn’t know that.’ moment.”

“Ripped from the Pages” was inspired by Carlisle’s love of the California wine country. She said, “On a weekend getaway a couple years ago, I visited several great wine caves in Napa and Sonoma. As soon as I got underground, my mind began spinning nefarious plots and characters with dastardly intentions. There are certain places that just seem like they were made for murder. I had the same reaction the first time I visited the underground city in Edinburgh, Scotland, which led me to write ‘If Books Could Kill.’”

For those who subscribe to the maxim, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” try visiting Kate Carlisle’s Facebook page, where she has a photo album titled “Kate Carlisle’s Most Arduous Wine Country Research Tour: For the Love of Readers.” Carlisle joked, “That’s just the kind of writer I am, willing to sacrifice my personal time in order to get the details right . . . even if that means visiting every wine cave in Sonoma and Napa! I’ll be adding pictures to this photo album through June, so readers can get a glimpse at the inspiration behind ‘Ripped from the Pages.’

“With all this wine talk over the next couple months,” Carlisle said, “I’m a little concerned that readers are going to think I’m a lush! Especially readers who are new to my books. But each Bibliophile Mystery has a different theme that goes along with the rare book at the center of the action. With ‘Ripped from the Pages,’ that theme happened to be wine—or more specifically, wine caves.”

Carlisle hopes that readers won’t get the wrong idea and think her books are only about wines. In “The Book Stops Here,” the setting was completely different and she offered readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a working television show similar to Antiques Roadshow. She said, “I worked in television production for many years, and I thought readers would enjoy seeing what goes on after the cameras are turned off.”

A veteran of television production, Kate Carlisle’s credits include game shows, music videos, concerts, and variety shows. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and appeared on The Gong Show as a member of the girl group, “The Whispers.” Carlisle said, “They didn’t sing, exactly, but spit water on the host of the show.”

Those unfamiliar with Hollywood might call Carlisle’s an unusual career, but it’s all a part of the wacky LA lifestyle, where abnormal seems perfectly normal and writers draw on the unusual to create what the rest of us call entertainment. One of those experiences occurred when Carlisle was young and living in a commune for a short time.

“People look at me strangely when I admit that, but in truth, it was much less bizarre than you might guess. We were a group of earnest, hardworking people who imagined a better way of life. We were mildly successful.

“I have so many odd and funny memories of my time there: working in the vineyards until I was covered in dirt and mud; sampling wines straight from the barrels; coveting the beautiful bindings of the community’s master bookbinder; assisting the cooks in the surprisingly well-appointed kitchen—usually peeling carrots—and enjoying some of the most phenomenal meals I’ve ever experienced. Life in those days was admittedly rustic. We might have occasionally dined on boeuf en croute and sipped extraordinary Cabernets while discussing philosophy and higher consciousness, but we did it all in an Airstream camper!”

Kate Carlisle said she used those experiences as inspiration for Dharma, the commune where Brooklyn Wainwright grew up and where her parents still live. “Dharma is my vision of what the real-life commune might have become. The winery in Dharma is very successful. Brooklyn’s parents and the other members live very well, in beautiful homes overlooking the vine-studded hills. Their winery is very successful, and the town attracts lots of weekend visitors from San Francisco and beyond.”

While that background for her protagonist seems idyllic, it’s helped Carlisle build a bestselling series that readers love. Her success, however, didn’t come quickly. Carlisle said it took her twenty years to publish her first book. “That’s why I’m determined to always have fun and to tell stories that make readers laugh, think, cheer, and sigh with contentment when the book is done.”

Book & a Latte Contest

Kate Carlisle – Ripped from the Pages

What: This month, Kate is giving away two copies of “Ripped from the Pages” and I’m adding two $5.00 Starbucks gift cards. Two random entries will be chosen as winners. Each winner will receive a book and a gift card.

How to enter: Choose one or more of the options below. Each option gives you an additional chance to win.

Who can enter: This contest is only open to continental US residents over 18 years of age.

When: Contest closes at 12:00 a.m., June 14. Winners will be selected on Sunday, June 14.

Verification of entries: All winning entries are subject to verification.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tell a Friend

If you liked this post, please be sure to share it with a friend! Send an email or share with Facebook, X, or LinkedIn.

About Terry

I started out as a skip tracer. Just in case you don’t know, that’s the guy who finds the people who don’t want to be found. It was the little things—getting paid to lie—that made skip tracing the fun part of the job.

Those years of chasing deadbeats taught me many valuable life lessons, such as liars come from all walks of life, and always keep your car in the garage.

Find me on: Amazon Bookbub Instagram Facebook

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Earlene Gillespie says

    I have been a fan of Kate’s for awhile now and have only recently became on of yours. I look forward to a long and happy relationship. 🙂

  9. mel says

    Love the title and the cover (including the kitty, of course, because kitties love cheese)! Even more interesting, the wine caves sound so intriguing. I remember The Dating Game and The Gong Show. If you were a fan, when you’re shopping for Ripped from the Pages or another Kate Carlisle mystery, don’t forget to check out Confessions of a Dangerous Mind for another entertaining read.

  10. Lois Imel says

    Thanks for the chance to win. Love reading Kate Carlisle books & all the other authors on this newsletter. Thanks, Terry for doing this newsletter with all of your author friends.

  13. BookLady says

    Congratulations to Kate on her new release! The Bibliophile Mysteries series sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing the inspiration for Ripped From the Pages. Since I also enjoyed visiting the wineries in Napa and Sonoma, I will definitely add this book to my TBR list.

    • admin says

      The wineries are such a cool place. We never did much exploring in the caves, though. And that sounds fascinating.

  15. susan beamon says

    Love the scam columns. Hard to understand why anyone would fall for some of them, but I hear that they do. Bad people are so sneaky.

    • admin says

      I know, Susan. It seems pretty obvious when things are amiss, but so many people get taken in when they’re desperate or not thinking clearly. I like to keep these things top-of-the-mind so people think twice before making a mistake they’ll regret later.

  19. Marcia Berbeza says

    I love Kate’s books! Would love to own a new one! Thanks so much for the opportunity! Please keep loading them into audible!!

    • Kate Carlisle says

      RIPPED FROM THE PAGES should be available at Audible next week! There was a slight delay. The audio CDs are available at Amazon, but there was a technical glitch with the download version.

  21. KarenM says

    I assigned Kate as our mystery author for May. Everyone loved her bibliophile series! No books were destroyed or restored in the course of our discussion…

  22. Libby Dodd says

    Being a book lover and married to a collector of antique illustrated children’s books, I love this series. The fact that it’s well written and engaging is the icing on the cake!

  26. Cynthia E. Blain says

    I have loved every one of Kate’s books and just to think about how long it took for her to become the success that she now has is totally inspiring. Wish Kate much more fame and happiness in her writing world; she deserves it. She is one of the authors that I would love to meet and talk with someday too. Thank you for the wonderful write up and the offer to win a book. Love your work as well, Terry.

    Sincerely,
    Cynthia B

  28. Kai W. says

    Called me shallow, Terry but the first Kate Carlisle’s book I saw caught my eye by the book cover. I have been reading her books since. Love your interview. Yours is a newsletter which I look forward to with the scam alert, books, and recipes.

    • Kate Carlisle says

      Terry’s newsletter is terrific! I <3 the Snitch. And by the way, I'm very visual, too, so I'm with you all the way in judging a book by its cover.

      • admin says

        Thanks Kate, I love feedback on the newsletter. (Especially when it’s positive! LOL)

  30. Teresa Motz says

    Anyone who’s a lover of wine, books and laughter is someone I can relate to!
    Can’t wait to read Ripped From the Pages!

  31. C Culp says

    Thanks for the review, sounds like a wonderful book in the series. This is one I would read…

  34. Robin L. Coxon says

    Kate Carlisle’s series is a enjoyable read. I’ve read her last one and am looking forward to reading this new one. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.

  37. Karen B says

    Great review/interview! Kate is a favorite author and this series is the best. Thanks for featuring her.

  39. Betty Jo English says

    Thanks for the review of Ripped from the Pages. Also for the giveaway.

  40. Pamela Johnson says

    I love your books, Kate and I have read two before this so I know everything is centered on that book.

  42. kuzlin says

    I love reading the tips on how Brooklyn repairs valuable books. I would really enjoy seeing something like this in person because while ebooks are great and convenient, nothing beats holding (and smelling) a leather bound book in your hand. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

  43. Lola Donnelley says

    Really enjoyed this interview. Showing how Kate comes across her ideas and researches her books was very interesting.

  46. sallycootie says

    Always love your posts, Terry, and really enjoy all of Kate’s stories. Thanks for the giveaway.

  47. Laura says

    I am not big on wine but I love caves. We do have some wineries near me in Wisconsin that do have fun tours.
    It is amazing the tidbits I have learned or checked into more because of mention in a cozy mystery.

  48. Mary Holshouser says

    Love this series. Will be fun to get more information about Dharma.
    thanks.

  49. Sandra M says

    Love Kate’s books including her other series, the Fixer-Upper mysteries.
    Didn’t know it took her twenty years to publish her first book. That’s good inspiration for us aspiring writers facing rejections.

    • admin says

      Indeed, Sandra, so many of the “overnight successes” took a VERY long time to achieve! 🙂

      • Kate Carlisle says

        I don’t think anyone has ever described me as an “overnight success.” LOL!!! Of if they did, they were sadly mistaken. 🙂 But success hard-won is all the sweeter.

  51. peggy clayton says

    Terry you have an interview from one of my fav authors. Her books are so good from cover to cover and I thank you for the chance to win this one!

    • admin says

      Thanks Peggy. If you have other suggestions, feel free to let me know. I’m always looking for new guests!