In Conversation with Award Winning Canadian Author Cathy Ace

It seems like only a couple of months ago we… Oh wait; it was only a couple of months ago when we met together in The Reading Room where you’re among like minded friends.

The familiar musty scent of books fills the air, the room is softly lit, the walls lined with deep rich mahogany shelves filled with wonderful books waiting to whisk you away to a wonderful land called Imagi-Nation. Looking around you notice there is one empty seat just waiting for you. A low murmur of amiable voices gently greets your ears and immediately you sense you are among friends. Someone hands you a frosty glass of lemonade and the cold droplets of condensation trickle over your fingers. You here the faint squeaks of the rattan as you sink down into the luxuriously thick cushions in a hand crafted classic wicker high back lounge chair.

A hush falls over the room as a well modulated baritone voice begins, “Welcome to the Reading Room, my friends. I see lots of familiar faces and some new ones. We’re glad you could join our conversation.

Our guest today needs no introduction. Cathy won the 2015 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery (for THE CORPSE WITH THE PLATINUM HAIR), was shortlisted again in 2017 (for THE CORPSE WITH THE GARNET FACE) and again in 2018 (for her WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery THE CASE OF THE UNSUITABLE SUITOR). “Steve’s Story”, who appears in The Whole She Bang 3, published by Sisters in Crime Toronto, was shortlisted for Best Short Story in the 2017 Arthur Ellis Awards for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing. Her first novel of psychological suspense, THE WRONG BOY, became an Amazon #1 bestseller shortly after its launch, won the IPPY AWARD Bronze Medal for Best Regional E-Book (All Fiction) in the 2018/2019 competition and was a finalist in the International Book Awards (IBA AWARDS) 2019 in the Suspense/Mystery category.

She was Chair of Crime Writers of Canada from 2016-2018, and a member of Sisters in Crime, the Crime Writers Association (UK), Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Crime Cymru.

Born and raised in Swansea, South Wales and is now a Canadian citizen like her heroine, Cait Morgan. Please help me welcome, our friend, Welsh Canadian, Cathy Ace, author of Cait Morgan Mysteries, which includes The Corpse with the Iron Will, and Wise Enquiries Agency Mysteries.

Good morning Cathy and welcome back to The Reading Room where you’re always among friends. We’re very glad you joined our conversation, for the love of books.

James: Have you started a new writing project?

Cathy: Indeed I have. I’m plotting the next Cait Morgan Mystery, but it’s too early for me to tell you anything about it. Sorry!

James: What's the strangest thing you have ever had to research online for your book?

Cathy: I think, for authors of crime novels, the term “strange” is relative; methods and means of killing people is something I research online with alarming frequency, for example.

James: If you were deserted on an island, which three people would you want to have with you? Why? Criteria:

1. One fictional character from your book

2. One fictional character from any other book

3. One famous person that is not a family member or friend

Cathy: First things first – since you didn’t stipulate what type of island I’m deserted upon, I’ll assume I can gain access to water, food, and the necessities to create some sort of shelter…so I’ll be able to sort most of that for myself, given my years in guiding, scouting, and the associated survival training I undertook.

Thus, the fictional character I’d choose from The Corpse with the Iron Will would be Cait Morgan; I think we’d get along just fine, and the most wonderful thing about sharing an island with Cait would be that she could use her eidetic memory to become a human version of an audio library.

The fictional character from any other book I’d like to have with me would be Gandalf (from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) because he’d be able to do some wonderful wizarding work which would result in my escape back to “my world”, I believe.

One famous person? Bear Grylls, of course!

James: What’s something you are really good at that few people know about?

Cathy: To be perfectly honest I’m not convinced I’m really good at anything…though I can turn my hand to most things, at a push. Recently I’ve been doing a fair bit of redecorating around the house, and have thereby remined myself how very much I enjoy painting; what I lack in finesse I more than make up for in enthusiasm.

James: Give us an interesting fun fact about your book.

Cathy: Every time I write a Cait Morgan Mystery I have Cait consume the food and drink that are local to wherever the book is set…and I, of course, have always tried those items before I get her to consume them. In The Corpse with the Iron Will Cait is at home, with Bud, where she can eat and drink whatever she wants…so I made Cait a fan of Marmite, which I adore. Marmite is such a polarizing product that Brits use the brand name as a descriptor, as in “S/he’s/it’s a bit of a Marmite person/place/situation…” to describe something that folks will absolutely adore, or hate.

James: Once again, thank you, Cathy. It has been fascinating, insightful and as always a pleasure talking with you. We hope you will visit often and share your observations with us.

Mind how you go. Avoid getting overheated, use sunscreen, stay hydrated and remember to monitor small children and pets they need our protection.

Order your copies of Cathy’s cosy mysteries, The Corpse with the Iron Will, and Wise Enquiries Agency Mysteries TODAY!