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Photo of Patricia Harrington and her dog
Have you noticed a pattern this week? I’ve been posting lots of interviews with authors who have some kind of animal connection. Either because they incorporate animals into their writing, have pets who help with their writing, or, has been the case most often, have pets who help with their writing who also appear in it.
I’m very pleased that my next victim –er, I mean subject—agreed to do this interview. She’s been a bit of a role model to me these past eight years. (Ever since I first got serious about writing.)
She’s a talented author and a very generous spirit of a woman. Without further ado, please acquaint yourself with Ms. Patricia Harrington.
Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.)
Patricia Harrington: I love to write mysteries, the old-fashioned kind where justice is served in the end and the reader has the fun of figuring out “whodunit.” I write for adults and children. My adult sleuth is Bridget O’Hern, 48, seeking her bliss after the tragic end of her 23-year marriage. However, she’s finding that the road to bliss is sometimes littered with dead bodies. Because she’s smart and compassionate, she stops and helps the investigating police to find out who committed the murders. I also have a children’s mystery series that has been out in short story form. The Stanley St. Irregulars are a trio of fifth grade, multicultural sleuths, and I have a beginning readers e-book series that I’m seeking a new publisher for as the old one went out of business. The series features Fat Cat and Gray Mouse, a dynamic duo who are friends not adversaries and have fun in adventures such as Fat Cat and the Mystery Next Door.
CM: What kind of pets do you have? (Or have you had.)
PH: Love animals and I must say they seem to find their way to my doorstep. We had a wonderful Norwegian Elkhound, Narvik, for 16 years, while our four children were growing up. And in honor of her, my sleuth Bridget O’Hern has a Norwegian Elkhound named Narvik, too. I found it interesting that Narvik is helping to promote a romance between Interim Police Chief Sam Alpern and Bridget in DEATH COMES TOO SOON. I had not intended that, but you know how it is with your characters. They’re like children and will do their own thing despite their creator’s inclinations otherwise. After my husband died, I vowed not to have anything I’d love and could be hurt by–or had to feed–well, maybe not quite as harsh as that. Famous last words. I’ve ended up with four cats, each one wandering into my yard, looking pitiful and telling very sad stories. So Curious George, AshMan, Pretty Girl and Marley, individually and collectively serve as my creative muses. Oh, yes, then there’s my neighbor’s dog, Mooka, who lives with me four days a week while her “dad” is out of town at work. The lesson learned: Never, say never. And learn to enjoy the results of the lesson learned. And, my animal friends are warm company at night.
CM: Do animals appear in your work? Are they the focus of any of your stories or the main characters?
PH: As I mentioned above, yes, I have Narvik as companion to my amateur sleuth. And darned if Narvik didn’t find a cat in a burned out building, who has joined Bridget’s menagerie. I even ran a contest to see if readers could guess what name I gave this fictional feline addition to the series. But, I repeat, but, they do not talk nor solve the crimes, though they do assist their mistress when she’s in trouble or danger.
I am pleased that I had a cat as a main character in a flash fiction piece, “Secondhand Shoe,” that won a 2006 Derringer Award for best flash fiction story from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. I find that cats make great heroes and villains in stories.
My beginning readers series has Fat Cat and Gray Mouse. I love that duo and my illustrator Ashok Raj, who lives in India, and I had great fun collaborating with him on how the duo should look and act.
CM: Do your pets contribute to your work methods and help with the process?
PH: Yes, my pets–my animal companions–do help. I think their idiosyncrasies help me to flesh out human characters. And there’s something about a cat purring in your lap when your mind has gone south on you that brings comfort and helps to restore balance and creativity, too.
CM: What are you working on now? Any new releases?
PH: I’m working on a Golden Age mystery featuring Aunt Amelia Winthrope, and the setting is on the Caribbean island of Antigua. Yes, I’ve visited Antigua many times, fortunately, and I love history and older settings. Consequently, it was natural to create this work. My working, pre-pub book cover is attached. I’m also starting Death Tours in Ireland with Bridget–of course, that will take on-site research.
CM: Can you please list your works?
PH: Books include Death Stalks the Khmer, Death Comes Too Soon, and Antiguan Memories (an Amazon Short).
Anthologies/Collections: Teacher Miracles; Teacher Laugh; Crime and Suspense Anthology: Year I; The EX-Factor, Justified Endings for Bad Exes.
Also from Double Dragon Publishing, I’m one of the authors in From Hollywood Experts and Published Authors: Words of Wisdom for Starving Artists (available in paper back and e-book).
Covers of some of Pat’s books
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Photo credit: Photo provided by Patricia Harrington and used with her permission.