Today’s Cluesetter interview is with Camilla Chafer. Camilla has several mystery series under her belt: the Lexi Graves series and its spinoff, the Deadlines Mystery Trilogy, as well as the Calendar Murder Mysteries. She also has some dark urban fantasy books, the (completed) Stella Mayweather series.
I reached out to Camilla after browsing the new mystery releases on Amazon (as one does) and noticing that her newest book, Pied Sniper, was a bestseller, more than a week before its release. I chatted with her about this huge accomplishment and more in the interview below.
Connect with Camilla on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Bookbub. Plus, visit her website to sign up for her newsletter and learn more about her books.
Grab Camilla’s books, available from various retailers: Pied Sniper (Lexi Graves, book 15); Curated Murder (Calendar Mysteries, book 5).
Hi, Camilla! Thanks so much for joining me. Your Lexi Graves mystery series is now in its fifteenth installment (Pied Sniper hit shelves March 24—congrats!). What do you like about writing a long series? Do you have tips for authors looking to write a longer series?
Hi, thanks for having me! When I started writing Lexi, I never envisaged the series would get to fifteen books with still more to come. I love that I can write an individual mystery for each book but develop the character arcs over time. We get to see Lexi start as a temp worker and very unmotivated in life, to learning so much and developing her skills as she finds her calling as a PI. Writing a series gives me the breadth to do that.
My number one tip is if you’re going to write more, be that a sequel, trilogy or a long-running series, is start a spreadsheet and keep all your character and location info in that so you can refer back to it. I might not remember how my characters take their coffee in a book I wrote ten years ago, but you can be sure my readers will know!
Your other series include the Deadlines Mystery Trilogy (a Lexi Graves spinoff) and the Calendar Murder Mysteries, a series of standalone but connected books. How does writing the Lexi Graves books compare with the more traditionally “cozy” Calendar mysteries?
There’s definitely a difference in styles. Lexi and the Deadlines books feature racier conversations, crazier situations and I take more liberties with them. The Calendar mysteries are traditionally cozy. It’s small, quaint, idealistic living . . . so long as you don’t mind the murders! Lexi starts off as a young, single woman, but I’m trying to get a breadth of Calendar heroines to reflect my audience—from the single woman, to the mom, to the woman not living the life she really wants.
You have a background in writing traditionally-published nonfiction and working as a freelance journalist. How would you compare those two careers/writing styles with what you do now?
Writing comes with a lot of transferable skills. As a journalist I was used to writing to deadline, researching, creating a structure, keeping my audience engaged, and adapting styles to the publication. These are all skills I use now as an author, even if novels can be 90 times longer than your typical article. When I pitched my first nonfiction book, I could point to my solid resume as one of the reasons I was perfect to write the book. Being able to write a nonfiction book made me sure I could write a novel too.
You’ve built a loyal fan base that loves your books—so much so that Pied Sniper hit the bestselling mystery chart on Amazon during its preorder! How do you like to connect with your readers? What marketing strategies do you find most effective?
I was thrilled when Pied Sniper hit the mystery charts, especially as I hadn’t published for a year due to issues arising from the pandemic (homeschooling, amirite?). That showed to me how loyal my readers are and how worth it it is to build up that fanbase.
Marketing has never been my strength but early on I added an email subscribe button to my website to capture those enthusiastic readers. They’re my primary sales base and I can reach them directly. (I’ve just switched to MadMimi for my sign-up button and emails as it’s a good value and great to look at.) I have a presence on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Bookbub, and my readers can connect with me there. I love it when they take the time to reach out. It’s such a boost to have a conversation and know people are enjoying your work.
Marketing involves pre-order emails, Insta teases such as a cover or first-line reveal, and tweeting. Periodically I offer a freebie; it’s good to reward loyalty! It’s fair to say I’m a work in progress.
What can your readers expect in the future? Are you planning more books in the Lexi Graves and Calendar Murder Mystery series, or perhaps starting something new?
I’m currently writing the next Calendar Murder Mystery and then I’ll either write another Calendar or the next Lexi. I have a novel planned featuring Maddox from the Lexi novels—it’s going to be wild! I always have a list of ideas for novels I think I, and my readers, will find compelling.
Thanks so much to Camilla for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.