Tracy Farnsworth:  Hi, and welcome to TRRC.  I am thrilled to have you join us as our January Inspirational Author of the Month.  Can you tell readers a little more about yourself? 

Mindy Starns Clark:  Certainly! I'm so happy to be selected!  My name is Mindy Starns Clark, and I'm the author of the Million Dollar Mysteries series from Harvest House Publishers, including A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, DON'T TAKE ANY WOODEN NICKELS, and, coming in July 2003, A DIME A DOZEN. 

When I was a little girl, I used to love playing with my Barbie Dolls.  But when I was finished playing with the dolls, I would put them away then take out a pencil and paper and write down the adventure they had just had!  So I guess you could say I've been writing ever since I could write. 

I grew up in Hammond, LA, went to Clemson University in South Carolina, and now live in Valley Forge, PA, with my sweet husband John and my two fabulous daughters, Lauren (10) and Emily (13).  I've been working as writer for years, producing more than 50 computer software manuals, several textbooks, a bunch of plays and musicals, and lots of public relations and marketing features.  But it was always my dream to write novels-mystery novels specifically, and now with the Million Dollar Mysteries series, I've had my biggest writing dreams come true! 

TF:  A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS was not only your first published fiction book, but also the story to introduce Private Investigator Callie Webber.  How did you dream up Callie’s wonderful character? 

MSC:  Actually, the idea for the whole series started several years ago when I was doing some writing for a number of nonprofit organizations.  Through that work, I was able to see, up close, the way many charities operate.  To tell the truth, I saw some wonderful people do great things with very little money; but I also saw some people do some terribly questionable things with lots and lots of money.  (I'm afraid that there are some people out there who really don't hear the NON in nonprofit!)  One day I commented to my husband, "You'd almost have to be a detective to know which charities are on the up and up and which ones aren't." 

Voila, Callie was born!  She's an investigator who gets right to the heart of things and finds out who the bad guys and good guys are in the nonprofit world.  Since she investigates for a foundation, the real fun comes in when she gets to present the good charities with substantial amounts of grant money.  I've heard the books compared to that old TV show The Millionaire, and I think are some similarities there.  Beyond that, I can't really say how I came up with the person that Callie is, other than Divine Inspiration!  I had tried writing several other mystery novels but nothing ever gelled until I tried two things.  One, I stopped trying to create a character that was like a fictional version of me.  Instead, Callie is totally her own person, with many traits that I don't have at all (like neatness, punctuality, organization.)  The other thing that made a difference with Callie is that I made her a Christian. I didn't start out to do it as a witness; I really did it because that was the only way I could get inside her head.  With the Lord as the center of my life, it was very difficult to create a believable protagonist until I made the Lord the center of her life as well.  After that, the rest just seemed to fall into place. 

TF:  After reading DON’T TAKE ANY WOODEN NICKELS, I immediately though that “Advancing Attire” should be a charity everywhere, yet I am pretty certain nothing of that nature exists here in Northern Vermont.  Did you base it on a charity you had heard of or is it completely fictitious? 

MSC:  "Advancing Attire" is fictitious, but there are plenty of similar type organizations out there, groups that collect quality used business clothing, which they then donate to indigent women who are job hunting but don't have decent enough clothing to get them in the door. 

I think it would be a fun charity to be involved with, and in NICKELS I give a full makeover to each client, including hair, clothes, and makeup-because then the transformation really is complete.  Callie prides herself on helping these women learn how to look professional, because she knows that then they can be on equal footing as they enter the workforce. 

TF:  Even though I have not read the first story yet, I am totally intrigued with the connection between Callie and Tom.  It’s almost reminiscent of Charlie and Charlie’s Angels, but on a more personal tone.  What’s up next for these two? 

MSC:  Yes, I've heard that comparison a lot.  The difference here is that Tom and Callie do eventually meet.  When?  Where?  I'm not saying, but it does happen-though they will have some major stumbling blocks to overcome if they want to stay together. 

That's the fun of doing a series.  Each book has its own individual mystery, but there is also the overriding story arc of Callie and Tom and their relationship that develops over time across all of the books in the series.  In the end, the biggest mystery of all may end up being just who is Tom and why has he kept his identity a secret? 

TF:  Will you be doing a book signing for DON’T TAKE ANY WOODEN NICKELS?  If so, where can readers expect to find you? 

MSC:  Yes, we're currently putting together a book tour for 2003. Since I don't have exact dates/places/times yet, I guess I should refer you to my website, (www.mindystarnsclark.com) which will be updated once that information becomes available. 

I will also be at a number of conventions, including Malice Domestic in Alexandria, VA, May 2-4; the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference in Philadelphia, PA, August 14-16, and Bouchercon in Las Vegas, NV, October 16-19. 

TF:  You have a neat website (www.mindystarnsclark.com) and are currently running a “Name That Charity” contest.  How is the response so far with this latest contest? 

MSC:  The response has been great!  I really stink at coming up with names and titles, so the contest was created in an act of desperation.  I really DO need help naming these charities.  And people are so creative.  For this latest contest, I've narrowed the suggestions down to my favorite two or three charity names, and I'm trying each of them in turn as I write the book to get a feel for which ones work best in the narrative. 

The next contest will be even more fun since I need help naming book number four.  We've got A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, DON’T TAKE ANY WOODEN NICKELS, A DIME A DOZEN... but what for a quarter?  I've had a lot of people make suggestions, but so far I haven't hit on one I really love. So that's the next challenge: Name the QUARTER book! 

TF:  Thanks so much for spending a little time with us.  If there is anything I have missed that you would like to mention, please don’t hesitate! 

MSC:  I guess I'd just like to say a word about timing - the Lord's perfect timing, that is.  I've dreamed of being a novelist all of my life, and it's something I prayed for many, many times over the years.  Yet God chose to wait and bless me with this opportunity when I was old enough to truly enjoy and appreciate it.  To have my first book published at the age of 42 is such fun, and it makes it so much more precious than if it had happened at the age of 22 (when I didn't have my wonderful husband to share it with) or even at 32 (when I was very busy raising two small children!)  Now I can see God's wonderful wisdom in waiting, and I hope I can be an inspiration to other people with big dreams that don't seem to be coming true.  Have faith... keep trying... and be patient.  Trust me, God's got it all under control!

(Click here for a review of DON'T TAKE ANY WOODEN NICKELS)