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I love DK Coutant’s description of her second Cleo Cooper mystery as an “edgy-cozy” and am delighted to get to interview her again as she releases ELEGANCE AND EVIL:

First off, congratulations on the release of the second Cleo Cooper Mystery, ELEGANCE AND EVIL. Can you share with our readers a bit about the novel?

I think of this as an edgy-cozy. Little or no on-page violence or sex, but it takes on real-world challenges that people face. In this book, Cleo left ocean-dipping weekends as a psychology professor in Hawaii to sample life in the high desert of Santa Fe for her sabbatical. With her romantic relationship on the rocks in Hawaii, Cleo falls for Luc, a charming international expert in her field, and is tempted to make the change permanent. She enjoys the people, the work, and the sparkling conversations, even if they come with a bite.

But, when a wealthy backer of her project is killed, the snarky scientists, artists, and a Saudi ex-pat, that Cleo thought were her new friends find themselves at the top of a suspect list. And with a killer on the loose, Cleo finds her life, and her love, in danger.

I’d love to know more about the personality and background of your main character, Cleo Cooper, and how you see her growing and changing in the first two books in your series.

I see Cleo as a free spirit. She doesn’t mind putting in the hard work, but she wants to live her best life, enjoying life’s adventures, but also be able to put down roots and start a family, like her parents. In Evil Alice and the Borzoi she realizes that sometimes those goals can come into conflict.  In the second book, she realizes she will have to make a decision. Her choices begin to become clear in Elegance and Evil, but won’t be resolved (as if our life choices ever become completely resolved, LOL) until Book 3.                 

Since the most common question we get as authors is “Where do you get your ideas?” of course, I have to ask you that! Where did the idea for ELEGANCE AND EVIL come from?

We moved to Santa Fe, NM, and the setting inspired me. The city has a magical, mysterious ambiance. Between the flamboyant sunsets, rugged environment, and the art and beauty created by the multi-cultural people of Santa Fe, it completely captured my imagination.

When I interviewed you about your first novel in the series, EVIL ALICE AND THE BORZOI, you mentioned that it was more of a traditional mystery rather than a cozy. What do you see as the differences between the two?     

I believe Cozy readers expect no profanity, on-page violence, or graphic sex scenes. And one of the best descriptions I’ve heard of a cozy is a murder when no one minds that the victim is dead. But, I like to make my victims sympathetic if not perfect.

I classify Elegance and Evil as an Edgy-Cozy somewhere in that gray area in between.

You are not only a mystery author but a geopolitical forecaster.  How do you manage your writing time and balance it with your other work and pursuits?

Not very well sometimes. I had a nice writing rhythm last year, but recent events have led to a spike in my forecasting work. My current “extra” contracts are wrapping up in the next two weeks and I should be able to balance them again. For me, that means I try to both write and forecast at least a little bit, most days.

After a long career in academia as a psychologist, you now live and work internationally. How has the experience of living and working both here and abroad enriched your work as an author?

I believe it has helped tremendously. I’ve met a wide variety of people who have taken a much different approach to life than me. As I’ve traveled not only around the USA and Europe, but to Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, I’ve found that people cope with common dilemmas in a myriad of ways. I love building secondary characters based on some of those lovely people I have encountered. And sometimes those secondary characters take on a life of their own and play a larger role in my next book. And my environment inspires me. Observing nature, or animals, relaxes me for writing and gives me insight into the little dramas that occur around us that often go unnoticed. I’ve been fortunate to spend time in beautiful places. I get some of my best ideas exploring a foreign city, or a strange, exotic, natural environment.

What is the best piece of writing advice that you ever received?

It relates to that frustratingly messy first draft. I was told to remember that the first draft is the author telling the story to themselves. And that writing the first draft is like driving through fog. You have to go very slowly and carefully and hope you are going in the right direction and don’t have to backtrack to a missed turnoff too often. I’m halfway through my first draft of Book 3, and I still have to recite that mantra to myself.

Do you think your old English Sheepdog, Miss Beasley, will ever play a role in your novels?

I know all dogs are good dogs, and everyone thinks their dog is special, but our Miss Beasley’s ability to draw people is amazing. She has never met a person she didn’t like, and she assumes everyone will like her. An angry dog barks at her, and she turns her head and ignores them. I’ve learned a lot from Miss Beas. In Elegance and Evil, a dog character based on her makes a cameo appearance, and she will absolutely be in Book 3.  Though I might change her name.

What’s next for you writing-wise?

As I mentioned, I’m writing Cleo’s third adventure, and my original plan was for the series to be a trilogy. However, as I work on this one, new ideas have popped up. So perhaps there will be a fourth Cleo Cooper mystery. But if not, I think I’d like to start a new series with maybe a little paranormal mixed in. I won’t make that decision until I finish Book 3, though.

Anything else you’d like to add, or wish I’d asked that I didn’t?

I would encourage others to write and to read. The more one reads, the more it expands horizons.  Writing does the same thing, in my opinion. My first book was an exploration into writing, and I found how much I enjoyed it.  And I encourage anyone else who is considering writing, to give it a try.

Thanks for visiting today, DK! 

BIO:

DK Coutant spent many happy years as a professor of Cross-Cultural Psychology in Hawaii. But, her wanderlust led her to leave academia behind. She can usually be found in  Olympia, WA, Santa Fe, NM, Switzerland, or France, with her husband and an Old English Sheepdog named Beasley. Evil Alice and Borzoi was released by the Wild Rose Press in 2023. Her new release, Elegance and Evil is the second in the Cleo Cooper Mysteries. To find out more, check out her website or stay connected on her new monthly blog:

BUY LINKS: https://linktr.ee/dkcoutant