A snarky park ranger-turned-amateur sleuth, a free spirit with magical hair and a pet pig–the world of mystery author Stella Bixby is never lacking in excitement. Stella is the author of two popular series: the Rylie Cooper Mystery series and the Magical Mane Mystery series.
In the interview below, Stella shares details about her new release as well as some great tips for authors looking to engage more with their audience. My favorite takeaway? Stella asked her followers and newsletter subscribers to pick elements of her book, such as the strawberry festival theme, characters’ names, and even the cover art for her sleuth’s pet pig!
Connect with Stella on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and her website. You can also find her on Goodreads and BookBub.
Hi, Stella! Thanks for joining me. Your new book, Festival Fiasco, is the sixth installment in your Magical Mane Mystery series, which features sleuth Ellie Vanderwick and a dash of paranormal humor—Ellie’s hair goes crazy depending on her mood. Where did you get the inspiration for this series?
Thank you so much for having me! The idea for Ellie’s story came to me as I sat in the hairdresser’s chair. My normal trim and highlights were great, but on a whim, I decided I wanted pink hair. As she added pink to my blonde locks, we joked about how funny it would be if hair changed color and shape based on our moods. This sparked the idea for the Magical Mane Mystery series and Ellie Vanderwick was born.
When it comes to Festival Fiasco specifically, my readers really helped me shape the book. On my Instagram stories, they chose a strawberry festival as the theme of the book. Through my newsletter, they helped me name five of the characters. I even had readers help me choose what Penelope—Ellie’s pet pig—would look like on the cover.
You also write the Rylie Cooper Mystery series, starring park ranger Rylie as she solves mysteries and finds a bit of romance. How does writing this series compare with your Magical Mane series?
The Rylie Cooper series was the first series I published and was my attempt to add more books to the market like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells Mystery series. In both of these series, the authors not only give the reader a satisfying mystery, but romance and humor as well. When I tried to decide what I should write—after trying and failing to write a good young adult fantasy novel—my heart landed on light-hearted mysteries. As I’ve continued to write, I’ve really enjoyed writing in the paranormal cozy genre as well.
The biggest difference between the two series is that the Magical Mane series has magical elements, whereas the Rylie Cooper series does not. Ellie is an orphan who grew up in foster homes then moves from Colorado to Iowa when she inherits her deceased grandmother’s farm. Rylie has a very supportive—even slightly overbearing—family who happily takes her in when she finds her boyfriend in a compromising position with another woman.
You are very active online, from social media to your newsletter. What tips do you have for authors looking to expand their platform?
Be consistent. Whatever you decide to do, be consistent. If you plan on sending a newsletter every week, do it. If you decide to post on Instagram every day, do it. Don’t overwhelm yourself by being everywhere, but if you make a promise to your readers—whether in your book or in your social media posting—follow through with that promise. Find your readers and go to them. Sure, TikTok is fun, but if your readers are primarily on Facebook, use both platforms.
I also LOVE to give things away. I don’t even know how many different short story freebies I have, but there are a lot. Some of them are prequels I use to generate interest in my series, and some are bonuses that come between books in each series. I love adding a small Easter egg in a book and then at the end having a link for a free short story about that little Easter egg. I utilize BookFunnel to gather email subscribers with these freebies.
Just for fun, can you share some of your writing traditions? Do you have a special writing spot, maybe a coffee or tea drink, or any furry companions that keep you company while you write?
I need three things when I write—coffee, a candle (my favorites being from Chalk Full of Love), and Brain.fm, which helps me concentrate on the task at hand. I have an office with a treadmill desk and a regular desk, but sometimes it’s easier to write in my living room on the couch with one of my four golden retrievers cuddled up next to me.
Lastly, let’s talk future releases! You have a couple books on the way: Wasted, book 8 in the Rylie Cooper series launches this Fall, and after that comes Jamboree Justice, book 7 in your Magical Mane series. What can we expect with these books? Do you have plans for future books, or perhaps a future series?
I’m currently working on Wasted. Though Amazon says it’ll release this fall, I’m hoping to move that release up to this spring! I’ve just outlined the book and it’s so exciting. If you’ve been following the series, you know Rylie is at a turning point in her life. I think Wasted will be a great transitional book.
After that, Justice Jamboree will release—hopefully this spring or summer. And I have plans to release a few more books in the Magical Mane Mystery series this year too.
As for other series, I have some ideas. I haven’t quite decided how long Rylie and Ellie’s series will continue, but they can’t go on forever—which means I’ll have to move on. This past December, I released Mistletoe Malarkey—a spin-off of the Rylie Cooper series starring Rylie’s best friend, Shayla, and set in Ireland at Christmastime. That book was meant to be a standalone, but it lends well to the possibility of Shayla getting her own series. I also have another idea for a spin-off of the Rylie Cooper series with Rylie’s friend, Logan. You’ll see more of Logan in Wasted when it releases!
Thank you again for having me!
Thanks so much to Stella 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.
Thanks for a great interview with the popular and very busy author, Stella Bixby.
Glad you enjoyed it, Deb!