Today’s featured author is Annie McEwen, who is celebrating not one, but two launches this year! The first two books in her Northwoods Mysteries series, Resort to Murder and Dead, White, and Blue, are out now.
She joins us to chat about the series, social media strategy, and her perspective as a debut author. Read our joyful interview below.
Connect with Annie on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of Dead, White, and Blue here. Plus, join the Murder, They Write Facebook group here!
Welcome, Annie! It’s so great to have you. 2024 has been a busy year for you: two books in your debut cozy mystery series, the Northwoods Mysteries, are out now. Set in northern Wisconsin, the series stars an interior designer moving home to her family’s lake cottage resort. What do you love about this setting, especially for a cozy mystery series?
Hello, Manon! Thank you for having me. It has been a whirlwind, for sure, but I’m soaking it all in. Northern Wisconsin is not only beautiful, but you feel refreshed when you’re up there among the lakes and trees. It’s the ideal setting for a cozy series because of all the opportunities for storylines with the changing seasons, tourist industry, the landscape, and the inspiration of the interesting characters I’ve met there over the last forty years.
Your sleuth’s career as an interior designer mirrors your own. What do you love about Emmy’s career? Are there any other parts of Emmy’s character that are personal to you, or that you admire? (I’m also curious about your current career as an x-ray technician—do you think that will ever be reflected in your writing?)
Emmy’s and my design careers were different in that she worked for an elite architectural firm while I had my own little business. She’s a designer while I was a decorator. (Believe me, designers will make sure you know the difference! LOL!) Emmy mirrors so much of my personality that friends and family will text or call me as they read the books and say, “Emmy is you!” or “That’s exactly what you say! I can hear your voice.” I think the part of Emmy I love the most is that even though she has trouble standing up for herself, she will fight for those she loves. As for the X-ray tech part, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can work that into another series or even a fun character in this one. Stay tuned!
I admire your social media presence! It seems like you’ve really built a community around your books—can you talk about your approach to social media and your marketing strategy in general?
Aww! Thanks! The mystery community, cozy in particular, is so incredibly lovely—readers and authors alike. Being a brand-new author, it’s been tough to get followers. That’s where fellow authors and wonderful people like you have come in and shared my pages and books. BookTubers asking me for interviews . . . what?! So kind! I return the favor by promoting them. We all have to lift each other up. Honestly, I don’t post as much as I should or want to. I go through phases depending on what’s going on in my life. But when I do, I reply to every comment and try to let people know I appreciate them.
As for marketing, it’s social media, newsletters, hitting my local bookstores, attending conferences, being involved in Facebook groups . . . anything to get my books out there without spending a lot of money. My newest adventure, which I’m proud to be a part of, is a cozy mystery Facebook group called “Murder, They Write.” It’s a group of ten of us cozy authors who met through our literary agency, Blue Ridge Literary Agency. We all bonded, and now we have this fun gang!
As a new author, what have you learned so far about the writing and publishing journey? Is there any wisdom you’d like to give to aspiring authors, and/or anything you might do differently?
There’s a lot more to it than just putting those words to paper! Do your homework and research about the publishing industry. Take a class, whether it be from your local community college or library, or an online masterclass like I did through Ellie Alexander. The information I gleaned from it was invaluable. Make connections with other readers and authors. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions of fellow authors. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve found everyone to be absolutely lovely.
Lastly, what’s on your horizon? Can we expect more Northwoods Mysteries, and/or is there anything else in the works that you’re excited to share?
My third book is set to be released in January . . . get ready for a snowy Wisconsin murder! I have several ideas for more adventures with Emmy Cooper and her buddies, so hopefully, my fabulous publisher, Gemma Halliday Publishing, will want to keep the Northwoods Mysteries going. I’ve been jotting down some storylines for a couple of other series ideas: another modern-day cozy and a historic cozy set in the 1880s. I’m a huge history buff and have always wanted to write something in that time period.
Thanks so much to Annie for the interview. Sleuths, I hope you enjoyed it! If you aren’t already subscribed, please be sure to sign up for the Cluesletter and get author features like this alongside other mystery goodies, delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday.