Q & A: Simpson Prosecutor Marcia Clark Puts Herself Into New Crime Thriller

She was a household name in 1994, known as the “most famous prosecutor in America.” Her name and face were perennially attached to the “trial of the century."

Marcia Clark's courtroom days may be over but the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial hasn’t entirely closed the doors to the legal profession.

The Calabasas resident just released Guilt by Degrees in May, her second crime thriller in the Rachel Knight series, following the successful release of Guilt by Association in 2011.

It is no surprise that the central character, Rachel Knight, is a strong-willed special trials prosecutor like Clark was.

Shortly after the celebrated trial, Clark collaborated with Teresa Carpenter to write the bestselling book Without a Doubt, a detailed account of the Simpson trial.

These days, Clark, 58, spends her time working on appellate court cases and also lending her legal expertise as a frequent commentator and legal analyst on TV.

Clark obliged Calabasas Patch with an interview in which she talked about her alter ego, her childhood hero and her new preferred means of communication:

Calabasas Patch: How much of Rachel Knight is you or how much of you is Rachel Knight? Would you consider her your alter ego?

Marcia Clark: I’m in there with her but my intent was to make her way better, more fun than me. Yes, we’re both big-mouthed and strong-willed prosecutors, but that’s about it. She gets to live in the Biltmore Hotel. How cool is that? She doesn’t have to do chores or dishes!

Anyway, it wasn’t on purpose. I think I put myself in the other main characters as well, who are Rachel’s best friends. I certainly didn’t want the book to be about me.

CP: When did you know you wanted to become a writer? Who were your early influences?

MC: I always wanted to write books as a child. I loved Nancy Drew! She was my childhood hero.

Even during my prosecutor days, I loved reading James Ellroy and watching “Law and Order.” I know some people think that’s crazy but I couldn’t get enough of murder mysteries and thrillers even with the type of work I did. Some might call it an obsession. Maybe it is. I’ve forced myself to read other genres but I’ve failed miserably.

CP: How has your stint at the DA’s office helped with your books and writing career? Did writing prove to be therapeutic for you?

MC: You know, you read about people all the time who write about professions they’ve never done. It didn’t hurt initially. There’s a certain amount of authenticity because people know I’m telling stories from the inside, so that definitely helped.  I was telling things from a unique perspective which no one else had.

Post-trial, people said writing would be therapeutic and cathartic for me. Sure, writing a book helped as a means of preserving what happened, but it didn’t really make me feel better about the outcome.

CP: What’s in store for you after this second installment in the Rachel Knight series

MC: Well, I am done working on book three, which should be released sometime in 2013. I want the Rachel Knight series to continue for as long as possible. What I like about this series, which I hope most people will also discover is that, you can pick book two or three without feeling lost. They’re not exactly intertwined.

CP: What do most people not know about you?

MC: (Pauses) I don’t really know what people know or still want to know about me which isn’t out there already. (chuckles)

I do enjoy interacting with people on Facebook or Twitter. I was never into social media until towards the end of 2012. I didn’t know what to do with it until my publicist helped me set up my Facebook page. But it’s been so much fun talking to readers and like-minded individuals who like mystery thrillers like me. We have an online book club on Facebook. This month, we’re reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Don’t go on my page if you don’t want to read spoilers.

I guess if they want to find out new things about me, they need to follow me on Facebook or Twitter!