Author Interview: Meet Carolyn Korsmeyer

Feisty Deeds Anthology Author of "The Messenger"

Carolyn Korsmeyer is a member of the editorial committee for Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women and helped shape the direction of the anthology. Carolyn comes from a university career as a professor where she wrote and published books and articles on philosophy. Now that she’s made a change to fiction, we’re the lucky ones.

Her short story, “The Messenger,” delves into spiritualism, particularly as it developed in Western New York in the 19th Century. Carolyn has woven a tale that takes you right into a séance as you read her story of a bereaved woman’s search for an answer from beyond the grave. An alert housemaid’s determination protects a young girl from deception and trickery. This story will whet your appetite for Carolyn’s upcoming novel “Riddle of Spirit and Bone” to be published by Regal House in 2025.

Check out Carolyn’s website, for more information on her other novels, Charlotte’s Story and Little Follies: A Mystery at the Millennium. When you read her story, send her a note and let her know what you thought and let me know if it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Carolyn’s Interview: “The Messenger”

1.    How did this story come to you and how did you get the idea for your Feisty Female Character?

During the many years that I’ve lived in western New York, I’ve gotten interested in the bits of history that occurred here. One of those was the spiritualist movement, which is also a major theme in my forthcoming novel, Riddle of Spirit and Bone. Spiritualism had (and has) many sincere followers, but it also invited fraudsters. In my story, the lead character is a housemaid who becomes suspicious of the medium holding a séance, and she takes measures in order to protect the little girl in her charge.

2.    What’s your writing process/routine?

I’m a little obsessive. I hit the keyboard first thing in the morning when my mind is fresh, and I write for as long as the words flow. Maybe hours, maybe not.

3.    What was the hardest part of writing this story?

The fact that it had to be a story and not a novel! Although I knew that a short story isn’t just a very short novel, I had to discard many drafts before my plot was sufficiently streamlined to make sense in only about 3,000 words. At the same time, I appreciated the word limit. There is a lot to learn when you have to create within a restricted space.

4.    How do you select your character’s names?

I’m not aware of any particular selection process. Once I imagine a time and place, names sort of appear in my head. (Maybe I should rethink the séance thing.)

5.    Describe your writing space.

Luckily, I have a Room of My Own. Unluckily, it isn’t very large. Three walls have bookshelves, but (of course) many books are also on the floor. I tend to work on more than one project at a time, so I “arrange” materials in separate piles so they don’t mingle.

6.    Do you only write only Historical Fiction or do you write other genres?

I like to write in other genres too, although only one of my novels is contemporary. Three are historical fictions—early nineteenth century England, mid-nineteenth century America, early twentieth century Japan and China. (That last one is still a work in progress.)

7.    What question do you wish someone would ask you about yourself and/or your story and no one has?

I can’t think of a question that pertains just to me. But here is one that most writers of historical fiction confront, because authors who place stories in distant times face a challenge of voice. For instance, How do you adjust dialogue to accommodate a time and place that is not your own, and yet flows easily without sounding archaic or stilted? The very first success I had with fiction was winning a contest where one had to complete a hitherto unpublished story by Mark Twain. I won in part because the judges found the style of my submission compatible with Twain’s. So how do you write in a “compatible” style that is still your own? This isn’t a question with a particular or even clear answer, but I think it is worth reflection.

Published novels: Charlotte’s Story (2021), Little Follies: A Mystery at the Millennium (2023), Riddle of Spirit and Bone (forthcoming 2025).

Website: www.carolynkorsmeyer.com

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Carolyn’s interview and her story if you’ve read Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women on NetGalley. Please sign up for our giveaway open June 8-July 8, 2024. It’s available by adding your name to our mailing list at Contact - DW Hogan (She’s collecting the entries.)