Today’s featured author is Geri Krotow, whose Kielbasa Queen mysteries are an homage to 1980s upstate New York and Polish-American cuisine. In the interview below, Geri and I chat about the inspiration behind this series, her cozy mystery sleuth, writing in multiple genres, and more.
Connect with Geri on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of The Pierogi Peril from your retailer of choice here.
Hi Geri, it’s great to have you! The Pierogi Peril is the second book in your Kielbasa Queen mystery series, a Polish-American culinary cozy series set in upstate New York in 1982. What do you love about this Polish culinary theme? What sparked the idea for this series?
Hi, Manon—thank you so much for having me at the Cluesletter! Let’s get right to it. I grew up in Western New York surrounded by Polish American culture, and am of at least 50% Polish ancestry according to my DNA. 😊 I’ve always had story ideas around this swirling in my mind’s “idea” compartment, but nowhere to put them. Then the main character, Lydia, showed up (my characters almost always appear before the plot). I knew she was a chef of some sort, then that she was the daughter of a butcher. She knew her way around her father’s butcher shop. The original story line took place in the present day, and I had her being a vegan because I liked the juxtaposition. But I hadn’t lived in Cheektowaga or Buffalo since I left for the Naval Academy (way back in the last century). I had a lot of research to do, and time to catch up on! But my agent posed the best idea ever when she said “unless you set it in the 1980s…” More brainstorming and MANY revisions later, we had a solid proposal that the publisher liked so much, they bought it!
I love a good cozy mystery sleuth. What do you love about your protagonist, Lydia Wienewski? What character traits do you admire about her, and how does she use them to solve mysteries?
I love Lydia’s tenacity. She was raised with a strong—maybe too strong at times—work ethic. Lydia won’t stop until she gets a job done, whether it’s butchering meat and then arranging it appealingly on trays for her father’s butcher shop display cases, making a batch of pierogi—Polish dumplings—for the lunch crowd at her recently opened Lydia’s Lakeside Café and Bakery, or figuring out a killer’s motivation. Her natural curiosity certainly helps her dig up the most obscure clues. And her empathy, for the victim and human beings in general, make her an ideal sleuth. Her devotion to family and friends is admirable to me, too. Lydia will do anything for her family, and her deep bond with Grandma Mary makes their stories so fun to write.
You also write in other genres, like women’s fiction and romantic suspense. What have you learned writing these other books? Are there any interesting overlaps between cozy mystery and the other genres you write?
Thank you for asking this—I have so much to say, but I’ll try to keep it simple. 😊 First, story is story. Characterization and plot are common to all fiction (or… should be).
Strong characters, and by that I mean characters that are fully developed, whether they are the protagonist, the victim of a crime, or a grocery clerk, the characters need to read as real and authentic. No reliance on stereotypes! My characterization bible remains GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon.
Next, plot. Plot has different progressions depending on the genre or subgenre, but again, story is story. There will be a time “before” the current story on the page began, a “call to action” as described by many story guides before us. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (and his presentations with Michael Hague) and On Writing by Stephen King come to mind.
And now, my big reveal. I don’t think I’m telling a different story than I did with my very first book, which falls under women’s fiction by today’s marketing. The vehicle, in this case, the genre I’m using to convey the story, has evolved over several books, series, and—gulp!—decades. The heart of my stories remains authentic characters who have compelling reasons to be together (or not) and who must face their own inner demons in order to achieve their dreams. Lydia has to look at herself, her goal of running her Polish American restaurant and bakery, and weigh it with what she considers her family obligation to keep Pop’s butcher business profitable. When dead bodies show up, as they do in cozy mysteries, Lydia doesn’t balk. She goes after the elixir, which means she has to get the murder solved ASAP in order to keep her family afloat.
After writing so many books (in so many genres!), what advice would you give to new writers? And/or, do you have tips for plotting a mystery in particular?
Welcome all writers, especially those of you who are just beginning this journey! We need your story, your voice. Never give up! Keep going! Attend conferences, connect with other writers—hello, Bouchercon, Sisters in Crime—and read. Read as though your pants are on fire. I’ve been studying Agatha Christie and many contemporary mystery/crime authors for a very long time. While there has always been an element of suspense (and often, a dead body!) in all of my books, including my earliest romances, a cozy mystery requires a variety of suspects to choose from. Mystery readers are savvy and particular. They will forgive many things but are least likely to ignore either an easy puzzle to solve or worse, a large plot hole.
Lastly, what’s next for you? Will there be more Kielbasa Queen books, and/or any other upcoming releases?
No news yet on future Kielbasa Queen mysteries, but my fingers and toes are crossed that I’ll have something to share soon! Lydia and Grandma Mary have so many more adventures to share!
I also write the Shop ’Round the World series, a contemporary cozy mystery series set in a fictionalized version of where I live in Central Pennsylvania. As you can imagine, the characters and sites in this locally set series are constantly reminding me that they have more stories to tell, too.
I’m also playing around with a stand-alone thriller, but that might be more of an exercise in creativity than a publishable novel. Only my muse knows!
Thanks so much to Geri 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.