Monica asked Kate Carlisle:

I love the idea of book repair. So different from the other mysteries. How did you decide to have Brooklyn be a Bibliophile ?

Kate Carlisle Hi, Monica! Thanks for dropping by. I'm a lifelong lover of the book arts. Since I was a child, I've taken classes in bookbinding and papermaking and everything related to the process of making books. I love books as objects, not just for the words and images on the pages. (As an aside, can I just say I do *not* understand the home decorating shows that put books on the shelves backwards so all you can see are the pages???? Wouldn't that drive you crazy, not knowing which book was which????)

I'm certainly not a pro, but I consider myself to be a serious amateur. It's more than a hobby for me; it's an avocation.

I've also been a traditional mystery fan ever since I first discovered Nancy Drew and Hercule Poirot. So the idea of writing a mystery series had great appeal to me, but I wanted my heroine to be in a nontraditional occupation, not a hard-boiled detective.

That's how I came up with the idea for Brooklyn Wainwright, world-class bookbinder and amateur sleuth. I've been delighted by reader reaction to the series, especially to the scenes that show Brooklyn at work, bringing classic books to their full potential. They're a lot of fun for me to write, and reader enthusiasm means the world to me.

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