An Interview with Author Carol Cox

Carol Cox is the author of nearly 30 novels and novellas. A third-generation Arizonan, Carol has a lifelong fascination with the Old West and hopes to make it live again in the hearts of her readers. She makes her home in northern Arizona, where the deer and the antelope really do play—often within view of the family’s front porch.

Carol will be giving one of our visitors a copy of her latest novel, Love in Disguise, in a special drawing held Friday morning.

Remember, readers: To be eligible for the drawing on Friday, July 27 at 8 a.m. Eastern, you must leave a comment with your email address and an answer to the following question from Carol:

If you had the opportunity to create a whole new identity for yourself—either a historical figure who inspires you, or a brand-new character of your own making—who would you choose to be?

Good luck, we look forward to hearing what kinds of identities you’ll share! Now, on with our interview …

Congratulations, Carol, on your latest release, Love in Disguise. Tell us a bit about the story and your main characters.

I’ve always been intrigued by stories that feature a master of disguise, but in order to write one of my own, I needed a character who had just the right combination of skills and personality. When Ellie Moore took shape in my mind, with her background in the theater and thirst for adventure, I knew I’d found a heroine who had all the qualifications to carry it off.

Along the way, Ellie becomes so caught up in playing the roles of her undercover characters that she sometimes finds it hard to remember who she is . . .and even begins to wish she could take on one of those personalities as her own.

Here’s what the back cover has to say:

Can she solve the crime before they uncover her true identity?

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it’s the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.

Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can’t figure out who’s stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow . . . or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.

Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn’t safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he’s falling in love with doesn’t really exist?

Sounds like a great story with lots of interesting characters! We dusted off the ice cream maker a few weeks ago and were glad it still worked since we’ve had super high temps in Georgia. If you had to choose a flavor to represent Ellie and Steven from Love in Disguise, what would they be? And why? Would Lavinia and Jessie have different flavors?

What a great question!

Ellie sees herself as plain vanilla—ordinary and uninteresting (with apologies to all the vanilla lovers out there!)—although Neapolitan might be a better choice, since she’s playing the roles of two other women at the same time.

Rocky Road would be the obvious choice for Steven, the mine owner who is facing one difficulty after another.

Chocolate chip would suit Lavinia perfectly. At first glance, people see the plain, unassuming appearance of a harmless older woman . . . but there’s more to Lavinia than meets the eye!

For Jessie, I can’t think of a better flavor than ginger—and not only because of her red hair. Ginger ice cream goes down sweet and smooth, but that spicy aftertaste has quite a kick to it . . . very much like Jessie!

Your website says that you write for people who love history, mystery, and romance. How did you arrive at that combination? Does writing one angle of the storyline come easier than the others?

The first chapter book I read as a child was a mystery, and I’ve been hooked on them ever since. My love of history came quite a bit later, since history was my least favorite subject all the way through high school. Then I took a class with a college professor who had a gift for making the past come alive, and it became so much more than a dry list of names, dates, and places! His teaching opened up a whole new world for me, and I love having the chance to share my love of history with my readers. And who doesn’t enjoy a good romance, with a threefold connection between a man, a woman, and the Lord?

Being able to create stories featuring all three of these aspects makes me feel like I’m living in the best of all possible writing worlds!

You certainly write what you know, since you’re a lifelong Arizonan and write about the Old West. What are some of your favorite things about Arizona?

Arizona’s never-ending variety would have to top the list. It always makes me laugh when I talk about having to stoke up the woodstove or shovel snow in the winter, and get responses like: “How can it be cold? You live in Arizona!”

Many people think of Arizona as nothing but one vast desert, but there’s so much more to it than the stereotypical cactus-studded scenery. Roughly half the state is well over 4,000’ in elevation, giving us plenty of snow-capped mountains and cooler temperatures in contrast with the blistering heat of the lower altitudes. In fact, Northern Arizona is home to the largest Ponderosa pine forest in the world. Then there’s the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River, the Painted Desert . . . well, you get the idea!

Your husband does some interesting work that can compliment your writing and research. Tell us a bit about that.

I’d love to! In addition to pastoring two churches, my husband is the owner of Davis Leather Company, where he makes custom-made Western holsters and gunbelts using designs he has created from his vast store of knowledge about the guns and leather gear of the Old West.

He’s also a long-time student of Arizona history and is a life member of the Cowboy Fast Draw Association. Being able to tap into his expertise on guns and gunfighters, saddles and holsters, as well as Arizona lore has been a huge benefit to my writing!

You’ve said that you sometimes enjoy dressing up like one of your characters for special events. What kinds of things have you learned from those experiences? 

Come back tomorrow for the answer to this question and more. Plus, don't forget to leave a comment with your email address and an answer to Carol's question so you can be eligible for our book drawing on Friday. Here's the question again: 

If you had the opportunity to create a whole new identity for yourself—either a historical figure who inspires you, or a brand-new character of your own making—who would you choose to be?

See you tomorrow!