Adding in 60s activists as the murder victims gives you the opportunity to explore that entire culture. Did you draw on memories of the era or did you research the activist elements?
 
I saw the War on Poverty up close when I was a young newspaper reporter in West Virginia in the late 1960s (which now feels like the dawn of recorded time). The people who joined Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), like the couple in Broken Places, were mostly college students from middle-class or wealthy families, and when they were dropped into the poorest communities in the nation, culture clash and political turmoil were inevitable. The volunteers meant well, but I'm not sure they ever understood what they were up against - gigantic coal and gas companies that owned (and still own) the mineral rights to virtually every inch of Appalachia and control both jobs and politics. Earnest young volunteers from the outside never had a chance of making a dent in the pervasive poverty of the region. But they tried, although their efforts were naïve and idealistic. Like my characters, a few of them remained in Appalachia after leaving VISTA, and they continued trying to help the poor in limited ways. In creating the characters of Cam and Meredith Taylor, I tried to imagine what those idealistic young people would be like after four decades of beating their heads against one of the hardest walls in existence.
 
During your research for the book, what is the most interesting or unusual thing you discovered that might or might not have made it into the book?
 
I had to resist throwing in absolutely everything I know about the War on Poverty. Some of the events of that era are both fascinating and shocking, but they weren't relevant to the present-day story I was telling. I also learned a lot more about guinea pigs and goats than I allowed myself to use. (I did put in an action scene involving a billy goat, though.)
 
Do you see the series as ongoing for as long as you can come up with new mysteries, or do you have a finite ending in mind after a certain number of books?
 
I've seen a kind of series fatigue set in for both writers and their readers when a series has gone on so long that nothing about it feels fresh, and I don't want that to happen. Right now, though, I feel fortunate to be published at all, considering the state of the book business, and I am blessed with readers who want more of Rachel Goddard and Tom Bridger. Some don't hesitate to tell me exactly what they'd like to see happen in Rachel and Tom's personal lives, and it's always a kick to realize that readers feel so involved with characters I created. The funny thing is that when I wrote THE HEAT OF THE MOON I had no thought of making it the beginning of a series. It turned into one, though, and I'll continue to write about Rachel and Tom for a while. At some point I'd like to write a book in which all of Rachel's secrets are exposed in a very public way, in the context of a criminal investigation. I do have other characters and stories in mind that I'd like to explore, and I hope I can move on to them eventually.  
 
Was this plot likewise a "pecan pie" dream like your first book, or are the ideas coming easier nowadays?
 
With the exception of THE HEAT OF THE MOON, plots have never come easily to me. I start with a germ of an idea, then I panic because I can't imagine how I'm going to turn it into a full-fledged book. To be honest, I panic regularly all through the writing of every book because I have little faith in my ability to pull it off.  My husband tells me to re-read the reviews and fan mail for my earlier books to prove to myself that I can do it, but I'm afraid that doesn't help a lot! That was then, this is now. I'm glad to know that writers like Sue Grafton admit to the same self-doubts - but that doesn't help a lot either, in practical terms. I've finally accepted that this is the crazy way I write, in fits and starts, with frequent panic attacks. It's not easy on the psyche, but if the end result is a publishable book, I can't feel sorry for myself.
 
But to answer your question about the plot of BROKEN PLACES, I seem to recall that my husband gave me the initial "what if?" germ of the story. It evolved into something very different, but he posed the question that planted the idea. "Evolved" is the operative word - however much pre-planning and outlining I do, the story develops as I write it. Connections form, characters pop up and start saying things that surprise me, and the need to maintain suspense determines the pace of story events.
 
You're probably learning more about the veterinary trade than you expected by this point. Do you get a lot of fan mail from vets (or corrections to details)?
 
I've never heard from a vet about any mistakes in THE HEAT OF THE MOON or DISTURBING THE DEAD, probably because a veterinarian friend corrected my errors before they got into print. When she read the manuscript of DISTURBING THE DEAD, for example, she pointed out that I had set up a situation that could blow Rachel's vet clinic to bits. I don't have a lot of vet medicine in BROKEN PLACES because of the kind of story it is, but I'll always make sure that what I include in a book is accurate. I'm happy to say that I have some fans at the animal hospital where we take our cats.
 
Will you be doing a signing tour or be at any conventions around the release of the book? Where and when? If not, where can readers get a signed copy?
 
I'll be at the Malice Domestic conference in Arlington, VA, from April 30 to May 2, and I will once again moderate a panel on the use of animals in mysteries, in addition to appearing on another panel (subject unknown at this point). On May 3 I'll be in Oakmont, PA, for the fabulous Festival of Mystery sponsored by the Mystery Lovers Bookshop. I'll also do some appearances in the Washington, DC, area in March and April. A schedule will be posted on my website. Anyone who wants a signed bookplate can e-mail me through my website with a request. 
 
Where can fans find you online?
 
My website is www.sandraparshall.com. I blog on Wednesdays for Poe's Deadly Daughters. 
 
Is there anything you wanted to put in the book, but didn't make the final cut?
 
I wanted to use more of Mrs. Barker, the character who may or may not be psychic (in the southern mountains they call this ability "the sight"), because I know she's popular with my readers, but I couldn't find a way to expand her role. She's back in the book I'm working on now, though, and I hope I can give her more page space. 
 
Anything else you'd like to talk about? 
 
I've been pleased with the reviews so far, because they give equal attention to the suspense elements and the relationships between the characters. I don't believe a fast-paced suspense novel or thriller necessarily has to be set in a big city or on the international stage. Small communities can be lethal, with secrets from the past bubbling under the surface, waiting to erupt and bleed all over the present. Anonymous serial killers are nowhere near as terrifying as the villain who lives next door. 

USA Today bestselling author Cathy Clamp has co-authored over a dozen award winning paranormal romantic thrillers for Tor Books with C.T. Adams, along with multiple short stories and outdoor articles for magazines and anthologies. The duo's latest paranormal thriller, COLD MOON RISING, hit the shelves in August. They will release the first of a new urban fantasy series with Tor, "The Blood Singer" starting with BLOOD SONG, in summer 2010.  She and her husband live in the Texas hill country where they raise goats--which (usually) keeps her out of trouble.