Carol Snow
Author Interview - Carol Snow
Author of THE GIRL ON THE BEACH
A missing child tears a family apart in this switchback roller coaster of a psychological thriller that builds to a final, jaw-dropping twist.
On the surface, Sonia and Graham Starr were a glamorous couple: she, the sleek entrepreneur; he, the boyishly handsome painter with an irrepressible zest for life. They had everything money can buy and the one thing it can’t --a precious, precocious four-year-old named Roxie. But when Roxie disappears into the Pacific Ocean on a perfect August afternoon, their world crumbles around them.
Months later, Roxie’s twenty-one-year-old former nanny, plagued by guilt and confusion, returns to the Starrs’ beach house on the “American Riviera,” the stretch of land around Santa Barbara where the mountains meet the sea. Her first night back, she sees a child who bears a striking resemblance to Roxie, but when she calls out, the child runs away.
Colleen never believed that Roxie would run into the ocean on her own. Now, she is determined to get to the truth, even if it means facing her greatest fears.
The Girl on the Beach asks us who we trust, when we can’t trust ourselves.
Author Interview - Carol Snow
Author I draw inspiration from:
Denise Lehane: His writing, characters and plot are all just so, so good. I read SHUTTER ISLAND on a plane -- while sitting in a middle seat, no less -- and it was so gripping that I started to panic when we began our descent. That's how afraid I was of not being able to finish.
Author Interview - Carol Snow | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On the beach (easy answer)
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Bridget Jones! I love reading and writing thrillers, but elevators are small spaces. I imagine Bridget would keep me laughing.
Author Interview - Carol Snow | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
A couple of years after graduating from college, I took an "adult" writing class at Harvard Extension School and was immediately hooked.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback: Best for reading in bed (or on the beach). I love the feel of the pages. Too heavy for an airplane though.
Paperback: Best for traveling (could feel a little more substantial though)
Ebook: I spend too much time on screens already, so I avoid ebooks. They are convenient, though.
Audiobook: I've never listened to one! I'm such a visual processor that even though my hearing is good, I tend to turn on subtitles when watching TV so I can "read" the shows.
The last book I read:
I am currently reading THE COLLECTIVE by Alison Gaylin. Her writing is so crisp and her characters so well drawn.
Author Interview - Carol Snow | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I use composition books to free write ideas, rough out characters, or draft scenes. It keeps the creative juices flowing because the stakes feel so low. I then type notes into Word docs with names like PLOT OUTLINE, PLOT CONTINUATION or PLOT POINTS. I tend to waste time trying to find the plot documents and character outlines I'm looking for since I end up with so many files with near-identical names, but somehow it works!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Kinsey Millhone, from Sue Grafton's alphabet series. She was snappy and brave and practical. Also, she lived and worked in a fictional version of Santa Barbara, where I set THE GIRL ON THE BEACH.
Author Interview - Carol Snow | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
An oil painter! In THE GIRL ON THE BEACH, I made a character an oil painter just so I'd have an excuse to write about painting.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The Roaring Twenties -- it's just fun
Place I’d most like to travel:
I've been lucky enough to travel widely in my life. What often excites me most is returning to a favorite place. Amsterdam is my favorite city in the world, especially on King's Day, which is the Netherlands' national holiday. Everyone dresses in orange, and the city turns into a massive yard sale and street party.
My signature drink:
Wine :)
Favorite artist:
Lois Dodd is my favorite painter.
Number one on my bucket list:
I'd like to take a figure drawing class because I struggle with painting people.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Thanks for having me!
Find more from the author:
Instagram: @CarolSnowBooks
Website: www.carolsnow.com
About Carol Snow:
Carol Snow
Carol Snow is an American author of ten novels, most recently THE GIRL ON THE BEACH, a psychological thriller slated for June 2026 publication. Called “an author to watch” by Booklist, recognition for Snow’s previous titles include: Target Bookmarked Breakout Selection (BEEN THERE, DONE THAT; GETTING WARMER), Amazon UK’s Editors’ Pick: Best Books of the Month (WHAT CAME FIRST), and Readers’ Crown Award Finalist (JUST LIKE ME, ONLY BETTER; HERE TODAY, GONE TO MAUI). Foreign rights to Snow’s books have sold to publishers in Germany, Norway, Poland, Indonesia, and Hungary. A former contributor to Salon’s “Mother’s Who Think” column, her writing has also appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books and Park City Magazine.
Carol Snow holds a BA in psychology from Brown University and a MAT in English from Boston College. A native of New Jersey, she has lived all over the US as well as in Strasbourg, France, and London. Married with two adult children, she now splits her time between Cape Cod and Southern California.
To learn more about Carol Snow and her books, please visit www.carolsnow.com.
