Author Q&A: CC Trace

Today we're interviewing cozy mystery author CC Trace.

Trace is the author of the Carolina Teal Cozy Mysteries, a series that blends cozy charm, clever whodunits, loyal sidekicks, small-town secrets, and lighthearted humor. Her stories invite readers to the welcoming world of Pine Haven, where mystery and warmth go hand in hand.

When she isn’t writing, Trace enjoys spending time with her family, including her three grown children and four energetic grandchildren, and can often be found outdoors, on the golf course, or making memories at the family cabin. 

SADYE: Tell us something about your writing process that’s unusual or that you haven’t revealed before.

CC: One thing that may be a little unusual about my writing process is that I write in bursts rather than by a strict schedule.

After retiring as a school principal, my life filled right back up again with family, outdoor adventures, and even the occasional work as an interim principal.

Family always comes first, so I’ve learned to gather my writing time in happy little bunches between all the other good things in life. 

SADYE: Which of your characters would you most and least like to trade places with?

CC: Without question, I’d most love to trade places with Goldie Finch. Goldie is a seventy-year-old retired teacher with the energy of someone half her age and the confidence of someone who never once doubted she could crack a case.

She’s lovable, unstoppable, and always ready to try something outrageous if it helps solve a mystery. She has almost convinced the Teal sisters to open a detective agency, and I suspect life in Goldie’s shoes would be equal parts chaos and delight.

The character I’d least like to trade places with is Stanley Ridley, Pine Haven’s longtime historian and resident curmudgeon. Stanley sees it as his personal duty to keep the town in order, usually with a frown and a sharp comment.

Since I tend to look on the bright side, I’m not sure I’d last very long carrying around quite that much grumbling. But to be fair, beneath Stanley’s rough edges is a loyal heart and a deep love for the town he watches over.

SADYE: What have been the most surprising, rewarding, and challenging parts of your writing career?

CC: One of the most surprising and rewarding parts of writing has been seeing how real life can spark a story. My latest book, Dead Men Don’t Conduct, was inspired by a real family discovery.

My sister-in-law showed us a conductor’s baton from the New England Conservatory of Music, inscribed with their great-great-grandfather’s name and the year 1847. As the family shared stories and research, we learned he had been a beloved violin teacher and a possible peer of Richard Wagner.

That moment was so exciting that it immediately set my imagination in motion. The hardest part is turning that first spark into a full mystery, but that challenge is also part of the fun. 

SADYE: What has been the most touching or memorable piece of reader feedback you’ve received?

CC: I tend to share my personal life craziness in my newsletters and I just love hearing about how my readers are so real and share their crazy stories as well.

One time I added a quick note about how my hubby had taken to squirting whipped cream “shots” into the waiting mouths of our little grandkids. I was totally embarrassed, but they were having the best time of their lives with “Ampie.” 

So a reader wrote back to me and relieved my awkwardness with a very funny story of her dad doing the same thing! I laughed so hard. The best part of the exchange was knowing that we all have so much in common. I am truly humbled and inspired by the community of cozy mystery readers.

SADYE: What experience in your past or general aspect of your life has most affected your writing? 

CC: The biggest influence on my writing goes all the way back to childhood summers at my grandparents’ family camp in upstate New York.

My siblings, cousins, and I spent our days hiking trails, learning to canoe, swimming, and running wild in the outdoors — without realizing at the time just how magical it all was. Those summers filled me with a lifelong love of family adventure, nature, and the kind of places that feel both comforting and full of possibility.

And then there was mandatory reading-and-nap time, when I’d happily disappear into a mystery book in the hammock instead of sleeping. Looking back, that may have been the true beginning of the Carolina Teal series with sunshine, family, outdoor adventure, and a good mystery always waiting just around the corner.

It’s exactly why my books are filled with charming inn life, lovable characters, and plenty of trails, lakes, secrets, and surprises. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with heart, humor, and a strong sense of place, you’ll feel right at home in Pine Haven.

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Learn more about CC Trace on her Goodreads page and follow her on Facebook.

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