Posts Tagged ‘after-him’

Truth and Consequences

Dear Readers,

As you have supported me and my books since the beginning, I owe you the truth behind my pen name.

Through so many of your lovely messages, I’ve gotten acquainted with some of you. A few of you already know that Carolina Carter is my author name, but in reality, my name is Catherine Hooper.

A few years ago, I cooperated on a family memoir with journalist Laurie Sandell, called TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES: LIFE INSIDE THE MADOFF FAMILY. It was the story of my real life, as the fiancée of a man named Andrew Madoff.

Andrew was the son of the Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. Andrew, along with his brother, turned his father in the FBI following his father’s confession of the scheme. My future father-in-law’s fraud was the largest crime in the history of finance, and it turned our lives upside down. In the terrible aftermath, Andrew’s brother committed suicide. Andrew lost his own life while fighting cancer in 2014.

As much as I wish this story was only a novel of romantic suspense, it’s not. It’s the true story.

Robert DeNiro optioned two books to make a film of this tragedy, including TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES. Mr. DeNiro’s film, which premieres tonight on HBO, contains some of the most emotional and dramatic moments of my life. It is called THE WIZARD OF LIES. In it, I am played by actress Lily Rabe, a star of the FX series, American Horror Story.

While I haven’t answered any requests for interviews before the movie premiere, readers who have supported me like you deserve to know. You’re a part of my story. Despite what the newspapers say, I didn’t inherit a fortune, so I write not just for love but also to sustain myself! Your encouragement over the last year has literally paid my bills. You know I respond to every email, so do write me if there is anything you want to say or ask. I’m may be a private person, but to my readers I am an open book.

I have two other small announcements. The first is that I have commissioned new covers for all the books in the series A SECRET SHE KEEPS. You can see the beautiful new designs in the picture above.

The second announcement is that my next book, AFTER HIM, is up for pre-order and will be available in just a few weeks.

I still remember the terror of sending my first book out in the world, and wondering if anyone would ever read it. Well, you did! Your support has humbled and inspired me. When I wanted to quit writing, I didn’t do it. I kept at it for a very good reason: you need something to read when you can’t sleep, just as I do. I was put on earth to write the kind of books that provide escape and refuge. Thank you for the honor of putting those books in your hands.

Love,

Carolina (Catherine)

Story Happens

I keep a food-and-exercise diary. The Google calendar for my household is carefully color-coded. I had to design my own planner after searching the globe for the kind of granular detail I need to feel good about my day.

This isn’t so much because I loathe spontaneity as it is that I want to be ready when life surprises me—whether it’s with an unforeseeable obstacle or an unanticipated delight. I just find that I’m better able to cope with or luxuriate in the unexpected if I know that my world is organized enough to take care of itself for a little while.

Anyway, I mention this because, since I started writing my first novel, I have tried to bring order to the process of telling a tale. I create notecards and outlines and spreadsheets. I want a plan for my fiction that’s as carefully calibrated as an itinerary that I create before I travel.

But, you know what? Just like life happens, story happens. I have reached the stage with my third novel where it’s all kind of a mess—or, at least, that’s how it feels to me. But, because this is my third novel, I know enough to recognize this as a good sign. It means that the characters I thought I was creating have revealed their true selves. It means that the world I thought I could shape is now a real place running by its own rules. It means that there are notecards I’m going to have to toss, and that’s all right.

I am so close to finishing After Him. I can’t wait to share it with you.