Interview with Carol Cox

Today we welcome Carol Cox,
author of many books and novellas. Her
most recent title is Fair Game,
Book Two of her A Fair to Remember
series. Carol lives with her family in
rural northern Arizona.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your writing, and your publishing journey.

My mother sparked a lifelong interest in the written word by teaching me to read at a very early age. Immersing myself in books as I was growing up led to the desire to write stories of my own. I dabbled for years, then finally buckled down and promised myself I would complete a novel.



The book I wrote as a result of that promise was published in the spring of 1998. I’m currently working on my twenty-third title, the final book in a series set at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893.

What is the greatest historical novel you’ve ever read and why?

There are so many wonderful titles, I wouldn’t know how to choose just one as the greatest ever. But I can point to one specific reading experience that had a lasting impact on me. In eighth grade, I read a trilogy by Gwen Bristow that told the stories of two Louisiana families from pre-Revolutionary days to World War I. These books played a significant part in my transition from junior high fare to adult-level reading. I was captivated by the characters and the historical background, and could hardly tear myself away from the stories. Maybe the time spent reading those books helped set the tone for the fiction I would one day write myself.

Did you have any experiences that prompted your love of fiction and historical fiction in particular?

I’ve always been enthralled by fiction. I am amazed by the power a story has to draw readers in and let them experience other places and times as if they were really there.


It seems odd for a writer of historical fiction to admit this, but history was my least favorite subject all through grade school and high school. Then in college, I was blessed to have a professor who knew how to make history come alive in a way that made it seem exciting and real, instead of a list of dry-as-dust facts. I got married a couple of years later, while my husband was in the army, and we spent the first year and a half of our marriage in Germany. Visiting the places I’d only read about in history books was a real eye-opener that made me feel a strong connection with the people and events of those times. I’ve been hooked on history ever since! One of my goals in writing is to bring the past to life and create that same excitement and sense of connection in my readers.

How much time does it take to research your stories – what balance would you say there is between research and actual writing?

It would be difficult to say, since I don’t set aside a specific segment of time for research. While I’m working on any given project, I’m usually casting about for ideas for future books. When I come across an idea that excites me, I begin by getting a general overview of the setting and related events from that time period. If the idea continues to intrigue me, I start gathering more research materials and read bits and pieces as time is available. By the time I’m ready to start work on the new project, I have already done quite a bit of research—enough to know the setting well and have a good idea of the characters and the direction the story will take. I’ll continue to pick up new information and search out answers to specific questions all through the writing and editing phases.

For me, the hardest part of balancing writing and research is tearing myself away from the research materials so I can focus on the story. I could easily spend way too much time poring over old books and references and tracking down information on the Internet!

Please come back tomorrow for the rest of our interview with Carol Cox.