130. CARA TANAMACHI: Two things at once! Blending romance and true crime podcast vibes

This week on LiteraryHype podcast, I'm chatting with the lovely author Cara Tanamachi aka Cara Lockwood. She's been writing for years, but now she's trying a little twist on her romance: blending in some mystery and murder. Kiss, Marry Kill is her latest release, and it features a shamed true crime podcaster heading home to her small town, only to realize one of the three guys she's dating might be the killer she's been chasing all along.

Join us for a fun conversation about food, romance, mystery, and as a warning, we do touch a little on her battle with breast cancer.

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BUY THE BOOKS:
Bookshop
Kiss, Marry, Kill
The Second You're Single
There's No Good Book For This
Matcha and Matches

Amazon
Kiss, Marry, Kill
The Second You're Single
There's No Good Book For This
Matcha and Matches

LibroFM
Kiss, Marry, Kill
The Second You're Single
Matcha and Matches

Audible
Kiss, Marry, Kill
The Second You're Single
There's No Good Book For This
Matcha and Matches

Transcript

00;00;00;00 - 00;00;22;05
Unknown
Hi and welcome to Literary Hype Podcast. I am Stephanie, your literary hype woman and today's author. Conversation is if and when we laughed so so much. And this has been a long time in the making of us having the idea to do this conversation and just waiting for the perfect time to do it, and that perfect time to talk to Carrie tournament she is now because her new book is Kiss, marry, kill.

00;00;22;05 - 00;00;39;21
Unknown
It just hit shelves and it is a really fun blend of romance and mystery. So if you love True Crime Podcast, you're gonna enjoy this one. So without any further ado, here is my conversation with Cara Tan. I'm actually.

00;00;39;24 - 00;00;43;16
Unknown
Welcome to Literary hype. It's so exciting to have you on to talk about your new book.

00;00;43;17 - 00;00;47;19
Unknown
I know, I'm so excited to be here. It's been a long time coming and I am so excited.

00;00;47;22 - 00;00;57;01
Unknown
Yes, it has been a long time because we, we started talking about doing this at Steamy Lit a couple of years ago. Yes. Yeah, the timing finally worked out. I know, it's great, I love it,

00;00;57;04 - 00;01;11;22
Unknown
Like good things come to those who wait. Oh and this is going to be a good one because you are a podcaster yourself. Yes, yes. A little bit about both sides of things. What have you learned about writing from podcasting and talking to authors? Yes. Well, podcasting is also storytelling.

00;01;11;24 - 00;01;27;20
Unknown
You know, often if you're in a true crime podcast, that's just, you know, real life, but you're still piecing together a story and you're still telling it in a compelling way that want people to listen. So it's just like keeping people, you know, attracted to the pages and turning the pages. You have to keep their attention.

00;01;27;22 - 00;01;31;19
Unknown
The podcasting scene plays a big role in your upcoming book.

00;01;31;19 - 00;01;54;24
Unknown
So tell us a little bit about Kiss Mary Kill. Yes. So kiss, marry kill is all about a failed podcaster, named Ela, and she points the finger at the wrong killer in the Chicagoland area. It's the canceled killer. So he kills people who behave badly and are shamed online, in increasingly ironic ways. But she normally very good at solving as an amateur detective mysteries.

00;01;54;24 - 00;02;15;19
Unknown
She points a finger at the wrong person, has to go home to her small Wisconsin resort town. The killer follows her home. Now she starts to think maybe one of the three men she's dating is the killer. I love that she's dating three men at once. Yes, it's a little. Why choose right? Exactly. Why choose? Why choose so?

00;02;15;19 - 00;02;34;19
Unknown
Why choose any of them? Because they're all a little mess, right? They all have some problems. They're all. Yeah, there's a situationship. There's brother's best friend who's always, you know, a little bit off limits. There's, the steely police detective, you know, who's a swipe right, but may have some, you know, intimacy issues,

00;02;34;23 - 00;02;38;08
Unknown
Oh, they might have some problems, but they had their highs and lows. That's right.

00;02;38;08 - 00;02;56;18
Unknown
And one might be a killer. I'm not saying maybe, maybe, perhaps maybe. So talk a little bit about your process in crafting a story that has so many key characters. Yes. So when I first, wrote this book, I, when I was writing this book, I'm like, why did I say three male main characters?

00;02;56;18 - 00;03;17;25
Unknown
Like, this is a nightmare? Like, well, I have to introduce them all. Everyone has to get to know them. It's a total nightmare, but it actually ended up being a whole lot of fun. Mainly because I get to write the whodunit part as well as the happily ever after part, which, you know, the whodunit is all about confusing the reader, setting up, you know, red herrings, basically lying to the reader the whole time.

00;03;17;27 - 00;03;35;25
Unknown
And so it was very fun for me to sort of keep people guessing, you know, because in romance novels, we all know what's going to happen. The only people that don't know are the characters, that they're going to fall in love, like we all know. Yeah, we're in cahoots. But the cozy feeling that comes with the romance, you know, they're going to end happily ever after if it doesn't have a happily ever after.

00;03;35;25 - 00;03;52;07
Unknown
It's not a romance. Is that correct? Correct. And this one does. So even though the body count tie. Don't worry, it's all fine. I mean, it's all fine for some. For some. Well, romance and mystery and thrillers have such different beats. Yes. And their structure? Yes. Did you find the balance between the two when you're approaching the story?

00;03;52;07 - 00;04;13;14
Unknown
Yes. By hitting my head against the keyboard a lot. So it was a literal. Yes. It was a literal beat. I, I was like, okay, this has to happen in this trope. I have one bed. And also I have to have this clue about what's happening. So it was a juggling act, but I feel like I love exploring new things and challenging myself.

00;04;13;14 - 00;04;20;22
Unknown
And I did challenge myself. This is very different from your past books. Yes. That were more heavily romance? Yes.

00;04;20;22 - 00;04;25;23
Unknown
What made you want to dabble your toe into the crime? You vibes with romance? Yes.

00;04;25;23 - 00;04;35;00
Unknown
My secret love is true crime. So, not secret anymore. Not secret anymore. I. When I relax at home, I'm always. I always have a murder show on.

00;04;35;07 - 00;04;41;07
Unknown
What's fun is that there's a reference to McCormick. McCormick place in this book. Yeah, that's where we are right now.

00;04;41;07 - 00;05;02;18
Unknown
I know, I know, I know, there is a lot of I mean, it mostly takes place in a fictional Wisconsin resort town, like sandwiches. However, Ella's from Chicago, and there's a lot going on. The, the crimes have been happening in Chicago, so there's definitely a lot of Chicago references. I mean, that's where I live. So, you know, has a has a place in my heart.

00;05;02;23 - 00;05;13;17
Unknown
What's it like getting to talk about this book that mentions this place? Yeah, in this place, a weird it's a little weird. It's a little weird, but I'm liking it. We can do it all the time. It's fine.

00;05;13;19 - 00;05;19;24
Unknown
One of my favorite early on notes was that there's a debate about what? Asian cuisine is.

00;05;19;24 - 00;05;45;01
Unknown
The best. Yes, yes. What is your personal ranking for Asian cuisine? Oh, I'm going to get in trouble. Okay, so that's why I. Yeah. Right. Right. Because the main character, Ella Takata, her, her mother is, Chinese and Filipino, and her father is Japanese American. And so there's a big debate going on in her house. And and that family is very much like my family because I'm, half Japanese and my husband is part Chinese.

00;05;45;01 - 00;06;11;22
Unknown
His kids are Filipino and Chinese. So we have we have this debate all the time. I mean, personally, for me, I feel sushi is the best. Don't come for me. The country don't come for me. But also, I mean, I there's really little Asian cuisine. I turned out, in fact, nothing like. Bring me some, bring me, bring it all, like, bring me some Korean bibimbap.

00;06;11;22 - 00;06;12;06
Unknown
Love it.

00;06;12;10 - 00;06;31;22
Unknown
Can't get enough bulgogi I bulgogi I like food, I really enjoy the there food references and the yes, yes of course, of course. Food is such a big part of stories, whether you think about it or not. I know right? We spend a lot of time thinking about eating, eating, eating is wonderful. Eating on dates. Eating on dates?

00;06;31;22 - 00;06;44;01
Unknown
Yes. Did you eat or not? Because if you didn't eat, that might be why you're being hangry. Exactly. Sure. That's right, that's right, that's right. Exactly. It factors in in so many different ways. I know right.

00;06;44;03 - 00;06;47;13
Unknown
so there's a references to like middle child quirk. Oh yes. For her.

00;06;47;13 - 00;07;14;21
Unknown
Yes. Did you do a lot of research into birth order psychology? Yes. I did well, I mean, I did a little research and also, my stepdaughter is a middle daughter and I, I don't know, and one of my best friends is a middle child. And I just love the vibe, quite honestly. Like, you know, you know, I'm the oldest, so we have our whole thing going on, you know, but and the and the youngest are the cute, you know, spoiled ones.

00;07;14;21 - 00;07;36;00
Unknown
But the middles, right. The middles, they have their own thing. And I think Ella is such a strong, independent, character that she had she had to be a middle. Like middles know their minds. They, like, understand the scene. You know, they don't conform in the same way that the oldest and the youngest do. Like they just walk their own path.

00;07;36;00 - 00;07;37;16
Unknown
And I felt like Ella needed to do that.

00;07;37;21 - 00;07;55;29
Unknown
One of these men that she is, playing around with, is a Spider-Man. Yes, yes. And there's a Spider-Man movie coming out right after this book comes out. Was that an intentional plan? Did you not? This is just like. No, it was just luck. I mean,

00;07;56;04 - 00;08;00;09
Unknown
it's so funny because I, I mean, I love the Spider-Man movies.

00;08;00;09 - 00;08;16;09
Unknown
Obviously. I just felt like it'd be hilarious to day to Spider-Man. And, you know, I, I remember when there was a Spider-Man musical in New York, and one of my dear friends and I went to the musical, and there are all of the Spider-Man, of course, because it's New York, so you can't walk through Times Square without five.

00;08;16;09 - 00;08;34;01
Unknown
Spider-Man and some of them were very attractive and some of them weren't. It was a wide array of Spider-Man's. But ever since that time, I was like, maybe I could work that into a book. And I finally did. But this guy doesn't really know how to fight, so he doesn't fight so well. What are you on the other side does crop?

00;08;34;01 - 00;08;54;28
Unknown
Oh my God, yes, yes. So do you do crop Mega. Did you go fully in to learn about. No, I fully went in to learn about it. One of my author friends is a black belt. So which one? Megan Crane is a black belt? Yes, yes. So don't mess with her. She's amazing, amazingly talented, and, you know, deadly with her fists, you know?

00;08;54;28 - 00;09;22;14
Unknown
But I wanted to make Ella so strong because, you know, there's been this. First of all, it's very dangerous to be a woman in America right now. And pretty much anywhere in the world. You know, we're five times more likely to be, you know, assaulted or murdered by our intimate partners. You know, it's there's no, it's no real surprise when you ask a woman like, would you rather be with a bear or a man in the woods like we say bear, we say bear.

00;09;22;14 - 00;09;39;14
Unknown
But I wanted to create a character like Ella who could take the man or the bear. Honestly, like, I think she can handle either way, which is necessary when you're potentially dating a killer. Yes, that you need to be able to hold your own. So talk a little bit about that balance of crafting someone who can hold her own.

00;09;39;16 - 00;10;01;11
Unknown
In the case that she is going out with them. Yes, yes. So she is very confident. She's very strong. She does not have fear either socially or physically, like she's very confident. And honestly, I crafted her really for my daughters. You know, I have two biological daughters, two by marriage. And I just wanted to give them a role model.

00;10;01;11 - 00;10;22;17
Unknown
Someone who, you know, is strong and, isn't afraid to put herself out there. And and only I think, I think what I love so much was flipping the script because, you know, when you have someone who may be dating a serial killer and, oh, no, she's the damsel in distress. Except that maybe the serial killer is the one who should be worried.

00;10;22;20 - 00;10;30;23
Unknown
I loved that part. Just like nobody. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

00;10;30;26 - 00;10;50;29
Unknown
Along with that is that line. There's, like a line of, like, the bad boys are forgiven. And the girl. Yes. Girls should just be gratified that they're getting. Yes, yes, yes. A little bit about having that kind of feminist take on the story. Yes, absolutely. Well, she grew up in a small Midwestern town, and they have certain expectations about how women should behave and the roles of women.

00;10;50;29 - 00;11;08;04
Unknown
And, when she was in high school, there was a very popular, a very wealthy boy who, you know, basically groped her at prom and she broke his nose, that sort of, you know, she was just not having it. She was like, not going to be like, oh, it's my fault. I'm not going to break herself small. She broke her nose.

00;11;08;04 - 00;11;37;17
Unknown
She broke his nose. Unapologetic about it, the town always thinks she's a troublemaker for that. But she never backs down. She's never like, oh, no, I should just let men walk all over me. Or I should just let someone touch me in a way I don't want. She's. She defends her boundaries ruthlessly so that, you know, I, I mean, I feel like we need more, you know, more more role models in fiction, in novels and movies.

00;11;37;17 - 00;11;46;04
Unknown
I mean, the thing about the bear in the woods is the way you scare them off is to be big and loud. And I think we should all be big, make ourselves big and loud

00;11;46;09 - 00;11;58;28
Unknown
When you're crafting this kind of a situation. So you've got these three guys that could be killers. Could be not. You kind of have to walk a fine line when you're developing their character of, like, you want to like them. Yes. Not like that.

00;11;59;00 - 00;12;08;00
Unknown
Yeah. But also she's still going to end up with somebody, so. Right. I know talk a little bit about walking that line in your process. Yeah. It was very challenging because

00;12;08;00 - 00;12;16;05
Unknown
I wanted you to see okay, well she could end up with Spider-Man. She could end up with a detective. She could end up with brother's best friend.

00;12;16;08 - 00;12;34;11
Unknown
But are there red flags? What are the red flags? How serious are they? Because also, I think as women, when we're dating, we're constantly scanning. What are the red flags? What is the problem? How big a problem is it? You know, so I think as people read this book, they're going to do that themselves. Scan like what is the what are the red flags?

00;12;34;11 - 00;12;52;05
Unknown
What are the big ones. What's a problem? What is that like just a quirk. That's fine. You know, and I think those are things that, you know, as women we all think about, you know, as we're dating. So but I did want to, you know, lay a little, you know, lay some clues and, and divert and is this, you know, are you starting suspect the one you liked?

00;12;52;10 - 00;13;17;12
Unknown
Are you starting to suspect the one that you already suspected before? I did one of my beta readers, though, was like, if you make this one the killer, we're never we're never talking again. So maybe, you know, I was, you know, soft handed with with one at least. Did you know who was going to end up being the killer from the first draft, or did you figure it out along the way?

00;13;17;13 - 00;13;38;00
Unknown
Yeah, well, this is funny because I'm a pantser, so I would love to be a plotter, but I just I'm just not a plotter, so, I it was a surprise to me, too. I had it all plotted out as one. And then I'm like, now, and I, I totally rewrote it as I was writing. And then I'm like, okay, now I'm surprised and hopefully you will be too.

00;13;38;01 - 00;13;54;19
Unknown
I don't know exactly. You don't want to be able to figure it out too early, right? Let's make some mysteries. No fun. I agree, I want to like I want to be kept guessing until the end. Like, to be sensical. Like, yeah, just be like some random person that just comes out of the woodwork. Exactly. I feel like you have to have enough,

00;13;54;19 - 00;14;01;15
Unknown
clues laid throughout, enough breadcrumbs through that, you could guess you're just maybe not going to.

00;14;01;18 - 00;14;21;29
Unknown
I did want to touch on the, a new project that you have coming out. Yeah. Why a rom com? Tell us a little bit about that one. Yeah. So that one is super sweet. It's, matcha and matches. So it's about. It takes place in Japan at a matcha tea shop. So, the girl has been raised in California.

00;14;22;01 - 00;14;40;03
Unknown
She goes to her strange dad's tea shop and has an enemies to lovers thing with, you know, her dad's favorite worker at the tea shop. So there's lots of matcha. It's lots of sweetness. It's, there's no murder. There's no murder. It's just all rom com.

00;14;40;08 - 00;14;43;00
Unknown
You also have a nonfiction book that you kind of recently released.

00;14;43;00 - 00;14;56;27
Unknown
Yes. Which was interesting because you previously wrote as Karl Lockwood. Yes. And then switch when you got married. Yes. But now that one came out with Lockwood. Yeah, yeah. Talk a little bit about that book and the decision to use your name.

00;14;56;29 - 00;15;02;18
Unknown
Carol Lockwood is actually my ex married name, and then Carol tournament. She's actually the name I was born with.

00;15;02;20 - 00;15;27;14
Unknown
So, I went back to my maiden name, and then, with Carol Lockwood, I wrote a book called. There's No Good book for this, about my, battle with breast cancer. So I had breast cancer in 2023. Thankfully, I'm now in remission. But I made the decision to go back to Carol Lockwood for that book because breast cancer often hits women over the age of 50.

00;15;27;14 - 00;15;49;20
Unknown
And I felt that the readers who had known me from 20 years ago, you know, might be more affected by breast cancer than perhaps some readers who join me for the second year single, you know, four years ago. So, that's really why I went back to Carol Lockwood for that one. But, you know, my my children still have Lockwood as a name, so, you know, it's still close to my heart.

00;15;49;20 - 00;16;10;17
Unknown
What's it like for you to still be able to write, even after that tough emotional journey that you've been through? Yeah. I mean, I'm actually so grateful for writing because during cancer, the diagnosis, the treatment, the surgeries, the, you know, all the chemo, all the horrible stuff. I just really I went to writing. That was my way of getting out my feelings.

00;16;10;17 - 00;16;24;16
Unknown
That was my way of processing my emotions. And there are so many emotions. And so it was just my way of, like, dealing with it. And, and then after I sort of, you know, took what was basically a diary and turned it into a memoir. So,

00;16;24;20 - 00;16;27;29
Unknown
there was a TikTok that you made around that time.

00;16;27;29 - 00;16;45;25
Unknown
Yeah. I spent a lot of time living in Kansas City. So I really appreciate your Travis. Kelsey. Yes. That one. Yes. Do things at once. Yeah, I got to go to chemo, but also here's a book that I've got. Oh, no. Well, that's the thing about the author life is that it doesn't stop. It just it just keeps going, like those deadlines just keep on going.

00;16;46;02 - 00;17;06;25
Unknown
So I had I literally was starting chemo and had to launch a book like there was no for those who don't know, I mean, the book starts like a year in advance, like they already have reviewers, they have like book events, they have things on the calendar. You don't just say, oh, hey, actually, we postpone this for like two months.

00;17;06;25 - 00;17;21;20
Unknown
Like, you know, don't worry. I'm sure all the book talkers will remember it. And, you know, after it, like I'm sure is fine. You really have to sort of just go, go with the flow. And I wanted to do it as a distraction. I mean, chemo is no fun and, you know, but launching a book is pretty fun.

00;17;21;20 - 00;17;40;00
Unknown
So I wanted that distraction, something to remind me that I'm more than a cancer patient, which, you know, I was just grateful for at the time. So yes, I did the Travis Kelce two things at once. I'm going to go to chemo, I'm gonna do a book signing, I'm going to go to chemo. I'm going to do this marketing like video, like two things at once.

00;17;40;00 - 00;17;51;13
Unknown
so shout out to Travis Kelsey. That's right. Right I know I mean now he's inspiring Taylor Swift. So you just had him first. I know exactly exactly. I must have good taste. I don't know.

00;17;51;16 - 00;17;58;02
Unknown
But you also have a company editing books. Yes. There are people. Yeah. A little bit about that. And how that has helped you improve your own writing.

00;17;58;02 - 00;18;20;08
Unknown
Yes. So I own edit my novel and, I help authors with writing, coaching and editing. And honestly, it's been so I mean, I, I feel like I've helped so many people, but also they've helped me because it's really about learning the craft in a different way, because I think, I think you learn the craft through reading anyway.

00;18;20;10 - 00;18;35;04
Unknown
And when you edit someone's book, you're really looking at it critically, and then you start thinking, oh, this is how it should be structured. This is like, these are these are the things that I used to do when I was a younger writer, you know? So it's really helped me grow as a writer.

00;18;35;06 - 00;18;40;09
Unknown
Anything I miss that you want to talk about I don't I and my wonderful husband.

00;18;40;12 - 00;18;56;12
Unknown
Okay. PJ highlighter man, I mean, yes, PJ highlighter man. So he's on your podcast where you talk about romance. Yes, yes. And I feel like our husbands would get along because like when people give my husband crap for going to, they're like, oh, you're going to go see a rom com. He's like, it was my idea. Yeah, right.

00;18;56;12 - 00;19;13;04
Unknown
I'm like, oh, I'm like, oh, you don't have to go. He's like, I want to. Yeah, like, what do you mean? Yes? More men need to be like that, not be scared of romance. I know I mean, PJ loves going to romance conferences because romance readers are the best. They're just the best. And romance books are like, what's not to love about a romance?

00;19;13;04 - 00;19;30;12
Unknown
Like, two people falling or more falling in love and a happily ever after, or a happily for now. Like, come on, it doesn't get bad, does not tarnish your masculinity. Do you enjoy? I know, I think it shows that you actually are very secure in your masculinity. Yeah, right. I mean, and you're it's research like likes helps, you know.

00;19;30;12 - 00;19;47;11
Unknown
Yes. To better take care of women. Exactly. I honestly think the loneliness epidemic would be solved if more men read romance novels. How do you talk to a woman? Read a romance novel. Read a read a romance novel? Free advice, free advice. How do you connect with one? Well, my right there, right there on the page right there.

00;19;47;14 - 00;20;06;23
Unknown
You know what books she likes? Yeah, yeah. Feeling insecure in the bedroom again? Romance novels. Exactly. Right. I mean, come on. Last question we always ask. Yeah, because this is literary hype. What books are you hyped about right now? Oh my gosh. Okay. There's so many. First of all, I just read Kennedy Ryan score. Amazing. Loved it.

00;20;06;23 - 00;20;18;03
Unknown
Loved it. I also read yester year, which is haunting my dreams. I still need to read it. Everybody's been talking about it. Okay. Yesterday you're like,

00;20;18;05 - 00;20;35;17
Unknown
I guess you can say without spoiling. Yeah, right. Everyone, I really like that one, right? Right. Trad wife. Influencer goes back in time. I think it was so. I mean, talk about, like, a, deconstruction of feminism because it's not just anti-trade wife.

00;20;35;17 - 00;20;54;04
Unknown
It's also where feminism has failed us all. Like, not not failed us. But, you know, the society has failed us by not delivering on the promises. So. But the end I'm still I don't know, it's still haunting my dreams. It is. It's like stuck with me in ways I don't even know.

00;20;54;09 - 00;20;55;22
Unknown
Awesome. I need to bump that up my TBR.

00;20;55;22 - 00;21;09;05
Unknown
Yes yes yes yes, go for it before the movie comes out with, And I away, right? Yeah. Well, thank you so much for hanging out with literary hype and talking about your book, Kiss Merry Kill. Thank you so much.

00;21;09;07 - 00;21;27;06
Unknown
Thanks again to Cara for hanging out with me and talking all about her new book, kiss, marry, kill. If you love romance and you love mystery, then you're going to want to pick this up and have a great time with it. It is so much fun and if you want to get a hold of it, the links to do so are down in the description for you, as well as where to find her on social media.

00;21;27;08 - 00;21;37;03
Unknown
If you enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to subscribe to the Literary Hype Podcast. Give us some stars, leave a comment and share with a friend. Thanks so much for listening to the Literary Hype podcast.