Something Deadly on Desert Drive

When you were growing up, what did you think your profession would be? Why?

I really had no idea. My mom thought I would have to be a librarian, since my main interest was reading. In high school, I got interested in photography, so I went to college for that. If I hadn’t gotten into the one art school I applied to, I might have trained to be an EMT. I got interested in emergency medicine when I was in junior ski patrol in high school.

What made you want to write?

In college, I quickly learned I didn’t want to be a professional photographer and switched to writing. I wrote my first novel shortly after finishing grad school, while I was looking for work as a magazine editor.

I loved books such as Julie of the Wolves and Island of the Blue Dolphins growing up and wanted to do a similar young adventure story. The Well of Sacrifice is set in Mayan times, inspired by a summer I spent traveling through Mexico and Central America. Astonishingly, I sold the book (published under the name Chris Eboch)! This gave me the mistaken impression that having a writing career wasn’t that hard. It is, but I got involved in educational publishing, which is where I make most of my money. Eventually I sold a three-book series about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show.

Around 2008, I wanted a change. I had mostly been reading adult romantic suspense novels, so I started writing those under the name Kris Bock. Then I moved to sweet romance novels, with a series set around a cat café. After six books in that series, I sold this mystery series.

So I have over 120 published books now, but that includes fiction and nonfiction, for children and adults, with a lot of short work for hire texts. The variety keeps me interested!

Does your real life show up in your writing? In what ways?

My historical novels for children don’t use a lot of real-life experience, since they are set in different cultures, hundreds or thousands of years ago. Of course, I assume that people haven’t changed that much. For example, in The Well of Sacrifice, the main character idolizes her older brother and is envious of her prettier sister. She’s at an age where she thinks the adults should take care of things but is realizing that they don’t always do what’s right. I think those aspects resonate with kids today, even if you’re talking about a pre-Columbian Mayan setting with a very different culture and lifestyle.

Real experiences often give me ideas for my adult novels, written as Kris Bock. What We Foundis a romantic mystery inspired by finding a dead body while hiking. Someone in law enforcement said that people often don’t report crimes they stumbled across. That got me thinking – Why? What reasons would you have for not calling the police? The book also includes falconry, based on experiences I’ve had hanging out with a falconer.

Whispers in the Dark follows a young archaeologist who stumbles into danger as mysteries unfold among ancient Southwest ruins. That was inspired by a trip to Hovenweep National Monument some years ago. I loved that setting and had to use it in a book!

I had an idea for a series about treasure hunting adventures in the Southwest, so I read up on some lost treasures. In Desert Gold, two friends search for the Victorio Peak treasure. Their experiences in the desert are based on my experiences hiking in New Mexico, though they get far more danger and drama.

What gave you the idea for The Accidental Detective series?

I wanted to write a series of amateur detective mysteries where the main character has a reason to get involved in a murder investigation. I made Kate a war correspondent, so she’s used to danger, and also because it makes sense for people to ask for her help. She knows how to investigate, and she’ll tackle problems that don’t interest the police yet. 

I set the series in Arizona because it provides so many mystery opportunities. The large senior population attracts scammers. Inpatient family members might kill to get an inheritance sooner. Kate is far from “elderly,” but now that she has silver hair and walks with a cane, she blends in with those older women who often get ignored by society. She also has parents in their seventies, so she has a reason to learn about their concerns, and she sympathizes.

Finally, to lighten those serious subjects, Kate has a witty way of looking at the world. This lets might peculiar sense of humor shine through. She also collects eccentric sidekicks as the series progresses.

Learn more about Kris Bock at KrisBock.com. Want more author news? If so, click here to read my Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.