Ann Charles, Mystery Author of Devil Days in Deadwood

For May we welcome USA Today bestselling author Ann Charles from Northern Arizona who writes mixed-genre mystery novels that are character-driven. She has written multiple contemporary, award-winning, novels in multiple series. When she is not writing fiction, she pens writing-themed articles and shares what she has learned through her workshops.

Let’s welcome Ann Charles to the blog!

Hi Ann Charles, thanks for joining us. Can you give us brief intro about yourself?

I write spicy character-driven mysteries full of comedy, adventure, suspense, romance, and paranormal mayhem. When I’m not dabbling in fiction, I’m spending time with my husband, teenagers, and four cats.

Tell us about your latest release, Devil Days in Deadwood, which is part of the Deadwood Mystery series.

This is the eleventh book in the Deadwood Mystery series, which started with book 1, Nearly Departed in Deadwood.

The Deadwood Mystery series stars Violet Parker, a single mom of almost 10-year-old twins who has moved to Deadwood with her small family to live with her aunt and try a new career as a real estate agent. Throughout the series, Violet struggles to carve out a normal life in spite of a whirlwind of problems (both human and supernatural) that keep her days and nights from being anything but “normal.” Included in these stories is a fun cast of characters who all struggle, screw-up, and entertain readers along with Violet, including her crazy best friend, her fun-loving aunt, a self-appointed bodyguard, and a sexy love interest.

Here is the back cover copy for Devil Days in Deadwood (Deadwood Mystery 11):

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” ~William Shakespeare

Violet Parker knows better than to play with devils. They always cheat, especially when lives are at stake. Deadwood’s charming, troublemaking, and soul-sucking devils are no different, and they’re biting at her heels.

But the clock is ticking and Violet has no choice—she must risk her life to save her treasured Aunt Zoe. With any luck, she might be able to trick the devils and beat the old terrors at their own game. If not, Deadwood could end up short one Executioner.

“Executioners don’t duck, they swing.” ~Violet Parker

Currently there are four forthcoming books on the Future Books page, nice! How do you keep organized with multiple novels on the go?

It keeps me busy and out of trouble. I have help from a story worldkeeper who puts detailed notes about each book and series into a document for me to reference as I write. In addition, before I start a new book in any series, I read through all of the past books to reacquaint my old brain with all that happened before and ideas I had in the works. Some series have 5+ books in them, so this process can take a bit, but it helps me to keep the series consistent.

Do you enjoy writing series more or stand-alone novels?

Series, definitely. That way I don’t have to say “goodbye” to characters, and I enjoy the challenge of a longer series timeline. It’s fun to find ways to keep a series fresh and entertaining. I also like to explore character growth, and a series offers more time for that on the page.

Do you have a favourite piece that you’ve written, or are they all different?

All are different and I enjoy taking breaks from one series to dive into another for a few months. Changing series between books keeps the story from growing stale for me.

Did you always intend to be a writer?

No, but I always loved learning about far off places and imagining stories and lives happening within them.

You also feature your illustrations on your site, can you share some more insight into the illustrations?

My brother, C.S. Kunkle, is an artist. From the start of this “going indie” venture, he was interested in helping with the cover art and illustrations. We started back with the first book I published, Nearly Departed in Deadwood, and have continued working together on almost all of my books ever since. My readers enjoy having a few illustrations scattered throughout my books. It makes the stories come alive a little more.

Any advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors?

Perseverance is key. This is not a make-money-quick game anymore. It’s costly on both the financial front and time-wise, and it will also take every bit of energy you throw at it and want more. You have to be able to write books that can compete with best sellers both in story and as a product sitting on the shelf. Today, more than ever, you also have to know how to promote your books on social media or via in-person signings. However, it can be a lot of fun and full of wonderful high points. You just have to stick to it and not give up.