Together they appear on Studio 5 to talk about their books and lives.
About Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgins Clark is the author of 28 suspense novels, three collections of short stories; a children’s book; Ghost Ship; a historical novel, Mount Vernon Love Story, and a memoir, Kitchen Privileges. She is co-author with Carol Higgins Clark of five holiday suspense novels including Deck the Halls, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, the Christmas Thief, Santa Cruise and Dashing Through the Snow. Her books are world-wide bestsellers, with more than one hundred million copies in print in the United States alone.
Two of her novels were made into feature films, Where Are the Children and A Stranger is Watching. Many of her other works, novels and short stories, were made into television films.
She is the #1 fiction best-selling author in France, where she received the Grand Prix de Literature Policiere in 1980 and the Literary Award at the 1998 Deauville Film Festival. In 2000 she was named by the French Minister of Culture “Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters”.
She was chosen by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. An annual Mary Higgins Clark Award, sponsored by Simon & Shuster, to be given to authors of suspense fiction writing in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition, was launched by Mystery Writers of American during Edgars Week in April 2001. She was 1987 President of Mystery Writers of American and for many years served on their board of Directors.
Mary Higgins Clark’s first suspense novel, Where Are the Children was published in 1975. It became a bestseller and marked a turning point in her life and career. It is currently in its 75th edition in paperback and was re-issued in hardcover as a Simon & Schuster classic. She entered Fordham University graduating summa cum laude in 1979 with a BA in philosophy and awarded an honorary doctorate from the university in 1998. She is a past trustee of Fordham and has received 19 honorary doctorates.
Active in Catholic affairs, Mary Higgins Clark was made a Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, a papal honor. She is also a Dame of Malta and a Lady of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. She received the Graymoor Award from the Franciscan Friars in 1999.
In 1996 Mary Higgins Clark married John Conheeney, after she was left a young widow in 1964. Mr. Conheeney is the retired Chairman and CEO of Merrill-Lynch Futures. They live in Saddle River, New Jersey. Between them, they have 17 grandchildren … Mary’s six and John’s eleven.
About Carol Higgins Clark
Carol Higgins Clark is the author of eleven previous bestselling Regan Reilly mysteries. She has coauthored with her mother, Mary Higgins Clark, five bestselling holiday suspense novels, the most recent of which is Dashing Through the Snow. Also an actress, Carol has studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and has recorded several of her mother’s works as well as her own novels. She received AudioFile’s Earphones Award of Excellence for her reading of Jinxed. Carol lives in New York city and Los Angeles.
Born in New York Carol Higgins Clark obtained her BA from Mt. Holyoke College. She then studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She starred in Who Killed Amy Lang?, a mini-mystery aired on “Good Morning America” and performed in new York’s Carnegie Hall.
According to Ben Fulton with the Salt Lake Tribune, as a child, Carol Higgins Clark loved reading Nancy Drew, but her mother was really the biggest influence on her. Part of what she’s inherited is a legacy of sheer iron will and tenacity. After the death of her father when she was young, Carol and Mary’s family struggled to make ends meet. During those days, Carol learned a lot from her mother by typing out her manuscripts. Other than that, it was trial and error.
Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark will be at Northridge High School, 240 North Hill Field Road, in Layton at 7 PM April 21 to read from and discuss their latest works. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Admission is free but seating is limited. And check your nearest book store for Mary Higgins Clark’s newest novel, Just Take My Heart and Carol Higgins Clark’s, Cursed.
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