Author Interview with The Conjurer Author – Harper Carr

Welcome to the author interview with Harper Carr as she shares with us about her book – The Conjurer (The Man in Black Book 2)!

Blurb

A friend jailed for murder in Scotland.
A melancholy lover targeted by a vicious vampire in Canada.
Heartbroken. Betrayed. Deceived.
Can The Conjurer save his friends or will he die trying?

#LGBTQ+ #URBAN FANTASY #MYSTERY/THRILLER #VAMPIRE #CRIME #SUPERNATURAL #SPICY

A vintage bottle of red wine was proffered by an alluring young man in a tuxedo, and a smoking hookah by another. As the wine and hashish found their mark in Michael’s brain, he sank into the opulence and gazed at Christophe.

“Le Château de Vampire. You’re playing with me, my charming boy. There are no vampires here. They do not exist.”

Christophe’s eyes were so dark brown, there was no difference between iris and pupil save a faint circle of flecked gold. With a soft smile, he winked. “Do you like my play, chéri?”

“It’s unorthodox and extravagant. Of course, I do.”

“Such a scene would enhance Club Pegasus, no? A private room for artful play?”

“Perhaps. It’s rather like an elite gay club for only the young and beautiful. Very Dorian Gray.

Ready to learn more about The Conjurer and the author behind it? Keep reading for our interview with author Harper Carr!

Author Carr, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us at Scribble’s about your book, The Conjurer, book two in the Man in Black series.

Q: Author Carr, the second book in your Man in Black series reunites readers with Dylan. For readers who have read the series, he is the more “innocent” of the characters and least experienced in the ways of the world. What made you decide to have him become the focal point of this particular story?

Author Carr: I wanted to write an archaeological mystery because I love them myself. Ellie Griffiths is one of my favorite archaeological mystery authors. Since Dylan is an archaeology student who learned to speak with megaliths when he was a teenager in Tarbert, Scotland, this had to be his story.

Q: How did you decide to settle on the specific artifact that becomes the driving force for The Conjurer?

Author Carr: I ran into a battered paperback in a thrift store (big breath): Kingdom of the Ark: The Startling Story of how the Ancient British Race is Descended from the Pharaohs, written byEgyptologist Lorraine Evans. Egyptians in Scotland seemed the perfect focus for an off-grid archaeologist and jewelry is not only beautiful, but also easy to steal. Meritaten’s broad collar seemed the perfect find.

Inspiration comes in the most unique of places! We love it!

Q: It appears that there is still tension between Sensara and Estrada. Does this tension stem from Estrada’s involvement with Primrose in The Witch Killer? Or is there more to it than we’re seeing?

Author Carr: Indeed. Sensara’s in love with Estrada but he can’t be what she wants him to be. The tension between them is ongoing and really comes to a head in the next book: The Vampire’s Game, when they’re all cooped up on a yacht sailing up the B.C. coast—Estrada, Sensara, Michael, Daphne, Magus Dubh, and a mafioso type named Victor Carvello who has history with Michael. Oh, what a wicked web.

Ooooohh!! Things definitely sound like they’re about to get interesting! Especially with so many characters together at the same time, in the same place! Just the thought of the amount of tension running rampant has us getting chills of excitement! LOL!

Q: We have to ask, because it seems to plague Estrada quite often in The Conjurer, but is Sensara “grooming” Yasu to “replace” Estrada in their coven? Or is it just Estrada feeling insecure because of the tension that exists between them?

Author Carr: Yasu has nothing to do with Estrada. The poor man was payback to Sensara’s mother who keeps trying to set her up with her friend’s sons from the Japanese cultural center. Estrada’s double standard jealousy and insecurity are part of his endearing flaws;)

Oh wow! Really?! Well, that creates quite the revelation that no one will have seen coming!

Q: Compared to The Witch Killer, what was it like writing The Conjurer? Was it easier for you to write this installment to the series? Or was it more complex?

We simply ask, because for us, The Conjurer flows like a river. It kept us engaged in what was transpiring and kept us page-turning to find out what happens next.

Author Carr: Well, thank you. That’s good to hear. I suppose it was easier in that I already knew the major characters—Estrada, Michael, Dylan, Sensara, and Daphne—and they behave accordingly. The others who came into play, Christophe and the vampires in Canada, and the archaeology team in Scotland were a pleasure to get to know. Sorcha and Magus Dubh are two of my all-time favorite people. By the way, Kelly Mackeras was inspired by Cillian Murphy in one of his very early movies, Breakfast on Pluto. If you view images of Cillian playing “Kitty” I think you’ll see Kelly.

Q: Do you feel that the characters are becoming more realistic with each book that you write in the Man in Black series?

Author Carr: More realistic? Not really. In fact, Estrada’s power continues to grow throughout the series. I’m not sure he could have faced off with Don Diego the Vampire in book one, but he does eventually.

Q: When Estrada lands in Scotland he discovers that he’s been flagged by the system. Is it simply based on the fact that he was involved in the situations that took place in Ireland? Or is there more to it?

Author Carr: He’s definitely been flagged because of the deaths in Ireland, but he’s also got a “look” about him that makes him suspicious to police and border guards.

Q: What exactly is the history behind Sorcha’s unique ability? It bears similarities to Dylan’s but is different enough in its own way.

Author Carr: Sorcha is gifted in psychometry, meaning she can pick up things when she touches metal or minerals. I’ve been to psychics who read using jewelry and found it intriguing. It seemed a good fit for an archaeologist who often has her hands in the earth and on metal artifacts.

Q: Is there any particular reason why Sensara holds a double-standard when it comes to Estrada and herself concerning their respective love lives?

Author Carr: That’s just Sensara. The interesting bit is that in book three, Estrada realizes he’s the one with the double standard. He doesn’t want to be in a restrictive relationship with her, but he doesn’t want anyone else to have her either. It’s not fair but it’s true.

Ooph. LOL! Wow. Sensara and Estrada are quite the pair it seems. LOL! That just makes book 3 all the more intriguing. LOL!

Q: Sensara doesn’t play a big role in The Conjurer, but we’re still curious – is there a path forward with Sensara and Estrada? Is there any possibility of a resolution in their future?

Author Carr: Now if I answered that question, I’d be giving it all away, wouldn’t I?

LOL! Touche! Well, we had to ask. LOL!

Q: In The Conjurer, we meet a dynamic cast of new characters as Estrada is in Scotland. One of them being Magus Dubh. Magus Dubh is covered in tattoos, so we’re curious…what do the tattoos mean? Are the tattoos simply meant to identify him as “other”? Or is there more to them?

Author Carr: Magus Dubh is unique in that he’s half human and half fey. The human in him is descended from the Picts—a tribe of fierce warriors who practiced body painting with blue paint made from woad. The tattoos honor his mother and her ancestors. We learn more about Moira Dunbar in book three when Magus comes to Vancouver and visits Club Pegasus.

Oooh! Okay! Yet more to look forward to when it comes to book 3 apparently! So much to get excited about discovering!

Q: Scattered throughout The Conjurer is a lot of Scottish lore and legend. All of it is truly interesting and drives readers to dig deeper into the story. But we’re curious – how much of what is in this book actual lore and legend and how much is fiction created explicitly for the book?

Author Carr: I didn’t fabricate anything that I’m aware of. I research everything before I weave it in. Kilmartin Glen is a real place that’s worth a visit if you’re intrigued by megaliths and the ancient gravestones. The story that Sorcha tells Estrada about everyone coming to Scotland for tin was true as well. Also, the stories about the black dog are true.

Oh wow! Really?! That is so amazing to know that! Okay, readers! If knowing these little tidbits about The Conjurer don’t fuel you to grab this series and dive in…we don’t know what to do about y’all, because this information really takes these books up a notch!

Q: While Michael isn’t the main character of the story, he is given the spotlight to shine and to add to the drama of the storyline in his own moments. How did you come to the decision to give Michael the spotlight at this particular time?

Author Carr: How could I not? Estrada and Michael were inspired by Percy Bysche Shelley and Lord Byron. They were the rock stars of their time and enjoyed an intimate relationship. I didn’t decide to bring Michael in, I just asked, “what happens next” and suddenly, Michael was there doing coke with Christophe and in a funk because Estrada had “abandoned” him yet again. These events play out like a film and I record what happens. That scene where Michael blurts out Estrada’s name to Don Diego, inspired the rest of the series. One of my beta readers said it was “a stupid mistake” on Michael’s part to admit he loved Estrada, but I kept it and ran with it. That was a good choice.

We absolutely agree with you in how this book plays out. These events flow so well that readers can almost see it all playing out exactly like you said – like a film.

Hey! Life is fueled by many a “stupid mistake” but we’re more than excited that you not only kept it, but ran with it! Because it has created next level drama that left this reader eager for what comes next!

Q: Was it stressful writing this particular novel? You’re alternating between three different men throughout this installment to the series. Was it difficult to keep their separate stories straight while also weaving them together to create the bigger overall tapestry?

Author Carr: Not at all. I love multiple points-of-view and for some unknown reason, they work out and come together in the end.

Q: Frequently throughout The Conjurer you mention Scotland’s conservative leanings. Is this part of what inspired you to write this novel? To allow your characters to stand out in a country that has shown its intolerance in the past?

Author Carr: This conservative attitude is something I noticed when I traveled there in 2009. It didn’t inspire me to write the novel, but I thought it made sense to tell it like it was, especially when I’m writing two free spirits like Estrada and Magus Dubh.

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. We appreciate you, as you said “simply made the decision to tell it like it is” when it comes to the conservative attitude of Scotland. It helps to strengthen the understanding towards the characters of what they are facing in a land that isn’t as inclined to let them live “freely.”

(a) Estrada considers this in one scene in The Conjurer. So, we’re curious, is his bisexuality mentioned in his “file”? Essentially, was that a part of the information that was read when he landed at the airport earlier in the book?

Author Carr: I don’t know what kinds of information are kept in police files but it’s possible. Detective Rachel Erskine-Steele certainly knew about it and even dug into it, going into the Pegasus chatroom for more details.

Q: In The Conjurer readers get to witness Estrada being reunited unexpectedly with Primrose. We’re curious – are they connected on a deeper level? Will we be seeing more of her in the future books?

Author Carr: Primrose is fey now and she promised to help Estrada if he ever needed her. The next three books are set in different places—The Vampire’s Game on the Northwest Pacific Coast, The Tortured King in prehistoric Ireland, and The Druid’s Tune back in Vancouver when they time travel home. Primrose doesn’t appear in any of them but that’s not to say she can’t return in an upcoming novel.

In fact, I’m mulling on writing a spin-off from The Witch Killer delving into Maggie’s story now that she’s living in Ireland. I left her there and I’d like to know what happened to her. Maggie’s in Cong, which is within walking distance of Primrose’s cottage so . . .

Really!?! We can absolutely get behind a spin-off and digging deeper into Maggie’s story! She was a character that came to mind several times as we read The Conjurer, and so we’d definitely love to reunite with her when the time is right!

Q: In a scene with Estrada, he’s reading his e-mails and he sees the one from Michael. In this particular scene Estrada muses that he believes Michael might be bipolar. This really piqued our interest, so the question begs to be asked…is Michael in fact bipolar? Or is he just a highly moody character prone to his melodramatic moments?

Author Carr: I’m not a psychologist but I think Estrada could be right. Michael continues to unravel as the story progresses though, to be fair, it’s not entirely his fault and in book three, we’re given a view into his tragic backstory.

We are absolutely loving the teasers that you keep giving us to continue the series. LOL! Another incentive to keep reading The Man in Black series fellow readers, to discover Michael’s backstory and learn more about him! Who wouldn’t want that?!

Q: You write quite a few dramatic and suspenseful scenes throughout The Conjurer. Which scene did you enjoy writing the most? Would you mind explaining why?

Author Carr: I loved the scene on the yacht when Don Diego leaves Christophe in charge and everything falls to pieces. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I just closed my eyes and typed the words and cried my way through it. Those kinds of moments really affect me. I didn’t love Christophe’s character, but it broke my heart.

We have to agree that that particular scene that played out was chaotic and gripping! We didn’t know what to expect, but gradually the sense that things were about to go left…just kept mounting. It was definitely heartbreaking how everything eventually plays out, but well worth reading nonetheless.

Q: Kelly, while a “minor” character in The Conjurer, he has such a tragic story. What was the inspiration behind him?

Author Carr: I mentioned that Kelly was drawn from Cillian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto, but Kelly’s situation came from a story I was told in Scotland. One of our B&B hosts spoke of a man he knew many years ago when he was a child. The man used to dress as a woman on Halloween, then he disappeared for a while and returned as a woman with a new name and all. The village was gobsmacked. That got me thinking what it would be like for a man who preferred woman’s clothing, but who lived in a small conservative village. How would he survive?

Q: In The Conjurer, you write Estrada obtaining a special gift that allows him to save the life of Magus Dubh. We’re curious – how long will this particular gift remain with Estrada?

Author Carr: As long as necessary;)

Lol! We’ll take that response. LOL!

Q: You mention in The Conjurer about a couple of noblemen who were buried in a peat bog and ritually killed. Is this a piece of fact woven into fiction? Or is it just “creative license” to create a truly intriguing element to add to the story?

Author Carr: The bog men are real and the story of Old Croghan Man inspired book four. If you remember, in the epilogue, Cernunnos appears to take Sorcha away to her favorite time and place in history. She’s been in love with this bog man since she first touched his copper mounts and saw his face. In The Tortured King, she meets him. I did reams of research in the National Museum of Ireland and read Dr. Eamonn Kelly’s papers on ritual killings in Ireland. Dr. Kelly curated the Kingship and Sacrifice exhibit in the museum where Old Croghan Man is displayed.

Ah! That is just so amazing how many real elements you use in The Conjurer and in The Man in Black series moving forward! It truly builds the excitement to dive in deeper and rejoin the characters as quickly as possible. LOL! It’s super exciting to know that Sorcha’s story continues in the series and we get to know what happens with her after Cernunnos “whisks” her away.

Q: In this novel, you have Estrada acquire an engagement ring. He believes he’s in love but is ultimately betrayed. Why have him throw away the ring? Why not just have him…return it? LOL!

Author Carr: I never tell Estrada what to do. He does and I write.

LOL! Okay, we can roll with that response.

Q: In this novel, you have Michael endure quite a traumatizing experience, is there going to be any lingering issues behind what he’s been through?

Author Carr: Oh yes. Plenty.

(a) Is Michael’s life going to still be in danger from this particular vampire moving forward? Or do we have to wait and find out in the next installment in the Man in Black series? LOL!

Author Carr: Hah! You’ll have to read book three . . . oh, and book five. Those two books are inspired by Michael and the vampires.

Haha! Well played. Well, that is something that we’re more than willing to do to find the answers to our questions! LOL

Q: What was your favorite part of writing The Conjurer?

Author Carr: My favorite parts are the initial scene with Sorcha and Dylan outside in the beer garden that incites everything. The scene with Estrada and Primrose at Taynish Nature Reserve—I just love her. And I chuckled through the scene when Cernunnos comes to assist Michael when he’s marooned on the island since after all Michael “falls in his portfolio”.

The final chapters of this book are absolutely revealing, heartbreaking and jaw-dropping all at the same time. You weave together such a dynamic story that it kept us page-turning to find out how it would all piece together.

Author Carr: Thank you so much. I appreciate hearing that!

Q: You close The Conjurer with Sorcha and Cernunnos. It feels open-ended, so we’re wondering, will there be more of Sorcha in future books? Is the point of this particular ending that we imagine what will happen with her from there?

Author Carr: Yes, it’s definitely a teaser and this epilogue conjures a spin-off in book four. Sorcha also appears in book five and reunites with the woman she fell in love with at uni.

Super excited to continue the series and see where things go for Sorcha for sure! She’s such an interesting character, and we love that this is not the end of her story and that it continues on!

We wonder especially because of Dylan. Will this become a “summer” fling, or will his feelings linger on for her?

Author Carr: Well, I don’t want to answer that. Dylan has much growing to do and he says in the beginning, he doesn’t want to be “mere fodder” for some woman’s lust. After his time in jail, Dylan goes for it, but he deserves more than to be Sorcha’s plaything or something to assuage her guilt.

Q: Similar to your previous book, The Witch Killer, you reveal that you traveled to Scotland and immersed yourself there as part of your preparation for this novel. What was it like?

(a) What was your favorite part of exploring Scotland?

Author Carr: Oh, I loved all of Scotland, but the Inner Hebrides were the highlight. We actually went to Tarbert, and I photographed a man who could have been Dylan’s grandfather standing and gazing out at the sea from his lawn. Kilmartin Glen is amazing with all the gravestones and megaliths. We also went to Mull, where Magus Dubh spent his childhood summers with his Aunt Jackie, and I found a goat skull on the beach. All of these tiny details find their way into my books.

Scotland sounds like such a beautiful and inspirational place. It sounds like a place that we should all aspire to travel to just to experience a small portion of your book, The Conjurer, and series in real life.

Q: Before we go, is there anything new that you’re working on? Or is there just anything that you’d like to share with our readers? A new book you enjoyed and think readers should check out? Or just anything you feel like sharing?

Author Carr: I have a new book launching in February 2026 called The Shadow Man. It’s YA+ paranormal mystery and inspired by my experiences working as a lighthouse keeper with the Canadian Coast Guard on the West Coast of Canada. It’s available for preorder now. This is the back cover blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Gracelyn Lassiter has been hiding in her aunt’s house for four years—since her mother plunged from the cliffs at Feroz Lighthouse, leaving her without her home, her best friend, or answers. Now, her father’s burned to death in his sailboat and left a confession: “Your mother didn’t jump, I pushed her. “

The trauma triggers Gracelyn’s ability to see spirits so real she can’t tell who’s human and who’s a ghost—except for the gray-veiled Shadow Man who begs her to return to Feroz and find her mother’s journal. When her cruel cousin posts his confession on social media, Feroz seems like a safe place to escape. And if Gracelyn can see ghosts, she can conjure her mother’s spirit and hear the truth from her own lips. But her lighthouse haven is awash withs spirits, secrets, and lies—and the closer Gracelyn gets to the truth, the more she realizes the dead aren’t the only ones desperate to keep the past in the past.

Author Harper Carr, we appreciate you taking the time to share with us here at Scribbles and our readers about the second book in your The Man in Black series, The Conjurer. We appreciate you sharing your world & characters with us. We look forward to reading the next book in your series and seeing where you take your characters from here! Thank you so much for your time today!

Author Carr: Thank you. I appreciate your questions and in-depth reviews. Harper xo

We enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to read and review The Conjurer and you can check out the review here.

About the Author:

Harper loves to read and write about myths and magic. That’s why she’s writing a series about a Wicca priest who works as a magician at a Vancouver Goth club but flies around the world saving his friends and family from evil. The Man in Black combines genres—mystery/thriller, urban fantasy, sci-fi (time-travel), contemporary and historical fiction. Her diverse characters reflect the world in which she lives.

She also writes reviews for any books she comes across that affect her profoundly. At the moment, she’s absorbing James Marsters’ narration of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is much like her Man in Black. She’s a fan of supernatural thrillers, reads constantly, and loves to write edgy fiction.

Harper creates and designs books, inside and outside. She loves to read aloud and present workshops about writing. She’s a fan of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, teaches it, and uses it as a template to write her novels.

Harper feels most at home in Nature, especially surrounded by trees and animals. That’s why she’s drawn to Wicca and Druidry as are most of her characters. And her released therapy dog goes pretty much everywhere she goes.