Interviews

Today’s featured author is the lovely Raquel V. Reyes, author of the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series. I had the pleasure of meeting Raquel in person at Bouchercon, and I’m truly thrilled to have her join the Cluesletter to celebrate the launch of book three in her series, Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal.

In the interview below, Raquel and I chat about writing recipes, adding culture to cozies, and taking her sleuth to Puerto Rico.

Connect with Raquel on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and her website. Sign up for her LatinaSleuths newsletter here. Grab a copy of Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal from your retailer of choice here.

Hi Raquel, it’s great to have you! Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal is the third book in your Caribbean Kitchen mystery series, which stars cooking show star turned amateur sleuth Miriam Quiñones. What do you love about Miriam’s character? What elements of her personality make her an ideal amateur sleuth?

I lovingly call Miriam a reluctant sleuth. She doesn’t seek it out—she is not listening to true crime podcasts—but she’s driven to help solve wrongs.

What I love about Miriam is her inner monologue. I know not everyone has an inner voice, but Miriam sure does. She is constantly questioning her motives and reminding herself of the objective.

In this installment, we follow Miriam on a work trip to Puerto Rico. What did you love about taking the series abroad? How did this new setting change the way you approached the story, either when plotting the mystery or cultivating the trademark cozy mystery sense of community?

When I envisioned the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, I had travel in mind. Miriam is a food anthropologist. She loves field research. She wants to taste the food and hear the story behind it. Her area of focus is the Caribbean and the African and European influences that brought produce, animals, and different flavors to the islands and Coastal Latin America.

Pitching the premise of book three to my editor, she had some trepidation about leaving the community I’d built in Coral Shores, a municipality in Miami, saying, “Readers might be jarred by the change in location.” I assured her that I had a plan; I was going to bring her community with her. She is traveling for work. That meant her work family would be with her. And because the series is contemporary, I take advantage of the ubiquitous cell phone. Miriam’s immediate family and friends are just a video call or text message away.

In the first two books, Miriam misses her parents. They’ve moved away for a job opportunity. Book three was my chance to reunite them. Miriam goes to the Dominican Republic to visit them then gets called away to shoot a Three Kings Day special in Puerto Rico.

I lived in Puerto Rico and met my spouse while I was there. I love the island. I spent a lot of time in Old San Juan. This story lets me share the good (the food, people, and culture) and the tragic (historic and current) that make Puerto Rico so unique.

As I recently learned (at Bouchercon!), culinary cozy authors are responsible for writing the recipes in their books. How do you come up with the dishes? Is there a particular dish you’re most proud of in your books?

The recipes are the hardest part. Not only do I have to write them, but I select them with several criteria in mind. Are the ingredients relatively easy to find? Can a home cook successfully execute them? (Meaning, recipes can’t require fancy techniques or expensive equipment.) Does the dish have a story? What would Miriam say about it?

What dish am I most proud of? The Cala-FLAN-za recipe in book two, Calypso, Corpse, and Cooking. I live in Miami. We are 70% Latinx/e. There is no reason to bake a flan when you have so many good options to buy it made. Also, I’d never actually made one by myself. Another layer of fun was that I wanted to make it pumpkin flavored (that is one of the traditional flavors) but without the weird texture that the squash causes. I was thrilled with the way it came out. If you follow the easy recipe and use a flan mold, it will come out velvety perfect!

The Caribbean Kitchen series incorporates Cuban-American heritage and Spanglish dialogue. What do you love about bringing this culture into a cozy mystery series? And/or, what made you choose a culinary angle for these books?

The books that I was drawn to as a young reader always had a big dose of “exploring culture” to them. Writers are often asked what book(s) influenced them. For me it was Elizabeth Peters’s The Seventh Sinner. It has her lesser-known character librarian Jacqueline Kirby. It is set in Rome, Italy and draws heavily on the art, history, and architecture of the city. Languages other than English are sprinkled throughout the story. They are translated either by explanation or by context. I do the same thing. Living amongst multiple languages and cultures is part of life as a citizen of the world. Of course, I was going to bring my culture and the cultures of Miami to my amateur sleuth series.

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can we expect more Caribbean Kitchen mysteries, or do you have any other projects in the works?

Book four is a few weeks from deadline. It will be out in fall of 2024. I am a fan of short stories and have two in soon to be published anthologies. One is inspired by the Elvis Costello song, “Living in Paradise.” That anthology is called Brutal and Strange.

Writers always have stories and projects waiting in the wings. I am no exception. In 2024, I hope to get started on a standalone that has a darker feel, and there is a Latinx anthology I’m curating.

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Thanks so much to Raquel 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.

Today’s interview is with Eliot Pattison, author of Freedom’s Ghost, the latest installment in his Bone Rattler series, a historical mystery series set in pre-Revolutionary War America.

I read Freedom’s Ghost earlier this month. What drew me to the book was the historical setting—I admit I’m a sucker for a history lesson while I solve a mystery, and this one fit the bill perfectly, with rich, immersive historical detail and real-life characters like John Hancock, Crispus Attucks, and John and Samuel Adams.

You can read my full review here, and stay tuned for Eliot’s and my discussion. We talk about the challenges of historical accuracy, his background in international law, and more.

Connect with Eliot on Facebook, X, and his website. Grab a copy of Freedom’s Ghost here.

Hi Eliot, thanks for joining! Freedom’s Ghost is the seventh installment in your Bone Rattler mystery series, set in pre-Revolutionary War America. What drew you to this time period, and how does this setting challenge or enhance elements of traditional mystery? What characteristics make your protagonist, the highlander-turned-patriot Duncan McCallum, an effective investigator?

The years preceding the Revolutionary War were some of the most interesting in all of Western history. This was when the real revolution was occurring, as the colonists began to shed their English identity and evolve toward a new, unprecedented American identity. The cast of colonists, reflected in my novels, was a diverse, colorful company of outcasts, criminals, orphans, renegades and exiles who had fled or been forced out of England. This presents fertile ground for a novelist, as these colonists were experiencing an explosion of scientific discovery (e.g., Ben Franklin’s many inventions), literacy was rapidly increasing (e.g., the colonists read more books than their counterparts across the Atlantic), and philosophical ideas that had been germinating in Europe for generations were taking root in America. Tensions and conflicts were also on the rise with the emergence of the Sons of Liberty and British agents secretly working against them, danger-laden smuggling to support the patriots, and the ruthless military occupation of Boston (four thousand troops in a city of sixteen thousand). 

In Freedom’s Ghost, my resourceful protagonist is thrust into this volatile mix. Trained as a doctor but exiled into servitude for helping an aged Scottish rebel, he has earned a reputation as Deathspeaker among the native tribes for his ability to resolve murders. Drawn now into a series of killings involving the British occupation troops he soon realizes that there can be no resolution of the murders without provoking a violent reaction by either the troops or his friends among the patriots. His careful navigation of this treacherous landscape brings him close to a solution—but then on a snowy March night British troops fire on civilians in the infamous Boston Massacre.

In the Bone Rattler series, you blend intricate detective work with rich historical and cultural details. Can you discuss the research process and the challenges you face when ensuring historical accuracy while crafting an engaging mystery? How do you plot these intricate mysteries, and/or how do you bring historical figures and locations to life?

Historical fiction is a challenging genre since the novelist must assure the authenticity of the historical backdrop while weaving an engaging tale into that factual fabric. Writing such novels becomes a balancing act between fact and fiction—and neither should impinge too far on the other. I devote a lot of time to research both before and during my writing process, building on a love of history I’ve been nurturing since I found my first arrowhead at age seven. I have read countless volumes of history and biography but one of my favorite sources is newspapers of the day, which often surround me as I write. No better source exists for understanding daily life in 1770 than these first-hand, “live” reports of colonial affairs. They help me grasp not just the events but how people spoke, what they ate, how they earned their daily bread, what they sang, and what they gossiped and worried about. I don’t want to instruct my readers about history, I want them to feel history.

To do that I populate actual events with both recognizable figures like John Hancock—an intriguingly complex character—and less conspicuous elements of daily life. When John Adams appears, for example, he is fidgeting with his quill, then serving tea, and worried about his morning porridge. Before breathing life into these characters I do fastidious research through biographies and other sources, just as I research locations and other details. Harbor locations figure often in the new novel, and they likewise acquire an 18th century atmosphere by integrating images of  sailing ships, odors of fish and shipwright sawdust, and fish drying racks as well as authentic figures from the Marblehead fishing fleet.

Authenticity is critical. Done well, the historical novel brings us closer to our past than any number of sterile history texts. As Rudyard Kipling observed, “if history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” By offering such stories, historical fiction breathes life into the past. If I have done my job well, my readers will realize that the past lives depicted in my tale are separated from our own lives not so much by aspirations, appetites, and ambitions, but merely by technology and time.

You also write the now-complete Inspector Shan mysteries, set in Tibet. Like the Bone Rattler series, these books incorporate significant social and political themes into the mysteries. What drew you to mystery as a genre through which to illustrate these themes?

I have always loved the mystery genre which in recent years has significantly gained in respect as more literary mysteries have appeared. I consider the genre a powerful vehicle for social and political messages. The mystery reader is a very engaged reader, one who devotedly turns pages, joining the characters in solving the subsidiary conundrums that all add up to resolve the ultimate mystery. Overlay a good mystery with sympathetic characters and the reader is committed to seeing them through their dilemmas. Overlay the characters with a deeper political backdrop (e.g., the repression of Tibetans) and the reader also assimilates that backdrop as part of the journey. Feeling that character’s pain, the reader thus begins to feel the pain of the repression. More than a few readers, for example, have told me that they had never understood the persecution of Tibetans until they read my Skull Mantra series.

Certainly there are other genres that can convey political themes, but many of those entries are dark and painful with no promise of a hopeful, or at least humane, resolution; not all readers finish those books. Mystery readers commit to reach the finish line.

How has your background as an international lawyer impacted your writing career? Are there any surprising overlaps between fiction writing and law?

An international lawyer has to have strong communication and cross-cultural skills, strengths which transfer well into the novelist’s world. Getting immersed in Chinese affairs for several years provided a deep background, and impetus, for my Skull Mantra series. A good lawyer also has an instinct for problem solving, another quality that serves the mystery writer well. Both lawyers and mystery writers aim to find the truth, the lawyer in an objective sense, the novelist using more subjective approaches. Sometimes the novelist’s quest gets closer to the truth. 

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can we expect more books in the Bone Rattler series, or do you have any other projects in the works?

I look forward to taking my characters further into the turbulent years leading to the Revolution. I also have an interest in a more contemporary treatment of the painful dilemmas facing historians and cultural custodians due to the devaluing of our past and national borders. Opportunities abound for intriguing characters among disenchanted professors, antiquity thieves, and post-modern, disenfranchised intelligence agents.

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Thanks so much to Eliot 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.

Today’s featured author is Nicole Gardner, whose Rosemary Mountain Mystery series blends mystery, family secrets, the paranormal, and a hint of romance into an atmospheric rural setting. I enjoyed book one, Secrets in the Cottage, for the cozy characters and Twin Peaks vibes.

In the interview below, Nicole and I talk about the inspiration for her books, her new romantic suspense series, her experience as a new self-publisher, and plenty more. Settle in with a cup of tea and enjoy!

Connect with Nicole on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Sign up for her newsletter here. Grab a copy of Danger in the Darkness, book three in the Rosemary Mountain Mystery series, here.

Hi Nicole, thanks so much for joining! Your Rosemary Mountain Mystery series follows Daphne Sullivan as she returns to her childhood hometown and seeks justice for her mother’s murder. There is also a paranormal element to the series, with Daphne inheriting her mother’s gift of second sight. What inspired you to write this story, including Daphne’s character, and the small town setting of Rosemary Mountain?

Thank you so much for having me, Manon! I love your Cluesletter!

The idea for this series really started with what I consider to be one of the main “characters” of the story: the cottage. A few years ago, my husband and I moved across the country for a job opportunity. It was a very last minute, chaotic move and we ended up renting a small cottage to live in for a few months while we searched for a permanent home. The cottage was older, and frankly, felt haunted—in the very best way. My imagination went crazy there, dreaming up stories about the people who had lived in the cottage before us.

The town of Rosemary Mountain was inspired by a town where my husband and I have been camping and hiking ever since we were kids. It’s a touristy mountain town in Arkansas, full of local flavor and real life quirky characters. We both adore it, and have always wanted to move there someday. So when I decided to write my cottage story, I wanted to put it in a town very much like that one.

Daphne’s story came once the town of Rosemary Mountain lived inside my head. I wanted a character who had a strong connection she wasn’t even aware of with the cottage specifically, and I wanted a paranormal element because of my own experiences in our rental. So the storyline was born from that.

Your latest release, Mountain Shadows, kicks off your Rosemary Mountain Romantic Suspense series. What elements do you love about the romantic suspense genre? Did you approach writing this book any differently than you did your mysteries?

Mountain Shadows is actually a mystery as well, with all the clues, plot twists, and red herrings I love to write. Genre wise, the series as a whole fits better in romantic suspense, because each book is a standalone romance and not every book in the series will be a mystery. But Mountain Shadows definitely is, so the writing approach was actually very similar! The biggest difference in writing it was that the primary investigator is the town sheriff instead of an amateur sleuth, so I had to rely heavily on interviewing my law enforcement contacts in order to plot that aspect of the story. The other difference, obviously, is a stronger emphasis on the development of the romantic relationship. But I was already writing a strong romance subplot into the mystery series, so that was simply a difference of degree rather than a complete change.

Romantic suspense has always been one of my favorite genres, because I’m a total romantic at heart and love watching two characters fall in love. It was a lot of fun to dive fully into that in Mountain Shadows!

I love that you have a background in psychology—how do you use your knowledge of psychology while writing your characters and stories?

That’s a great question! I think my background in psychology helps me create characters with depth, and has allowed me to explore themes that are important to me. For example, as we went further into Daphne’s story in the mystery series, I dove into the wound and subsequent abandonment issues she struggled with as a result of having been separated from her mother (and also, eventually, her stepmother). That’s an issue that resonates deeply with me both as an adoptive parent, and because of the work I did with children in the foster care system. So while my books aren’t particularly heavy—they are written to be a fun ride!—I still explore some of those deeper layers of our humanity. As a reader, I like knowing what makes my characters feel and act the way they do. I bring that to my writing as well.

One thing I really enjoyed while writing my newest, Mountain Shadows, was showing that sometimes the “villain” in our own lives is really just another wounded human with their own side of the story. In the original series, Daphne struggles quite a bit with her stepmother Janet, an overly critical person who seemingly abandoned her. Daphne’s wounds in that relationship are legitimate and genuine, and readers understandably disliked Janet because of it.

But in Mountain Shadows, we get to read Janet’s point of view and learn what was going on in her world during that same time period. It completely changes the story.

People are rarely all good or all bad. We’re simply way too complicated for that. I enjoy exploring that complexity in my writing.

As a self-published author, what have you learned during your publishing career? What advice would you offer writers hoping to self-publish?

Honestly, I don’t even feel qualified to answer this question yet! I’m only one year into this, so I’m still very much learning this industry.

But from my current perspective, my biggest advice is to learn early to prioritize your writing, and to stay focused on why you love it in the first place. Deciding to self-publish means you’re starting a business and wearing all the hats associated with it. The business side of this can easily become all-consuming, but if you don’t have time to write, what’s the point? For me, writing is the main thing, so I prioritize that and set strict boundaries for myself as far as how much time I will spend marketing, creating content for social media, or handling other business tasks. I don’t take shortcuts on the writing. It’s the focus and will always get the vast majority of my time.

I went into this believing that if I focused on honing my craft and delivering books that readers genuinely enjoyed, most of the marketing would take care of itself. A year in, I feel good about where that mindset has gotten me, and I hope it continues proving true.

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Are you staying in the mystery space, or can we expect more books in the Rosemary Mountain Romantic Suspense series?

I’m currently working on two projects. The first is the next Rosemary Mountain Romantic Suspense novel. It’s the first non-mystery I’ve written. The bad guy is named and known on page one, which is very different from what I’ve done in the past! It’s been so much fun to write though. I’m finishing up the last few chapters of that one, and will be moving into edits soon, with plans to publish it in 2024. After that, there will be at least one more book in that series. There’s another beloved character that deserves a happy ending, so there has to be at least one more!

The other story I’ve been working on has been a side project for the last year. It’s a twisty standalone mystery that takes place at a mountain resort. My lips are sealed beyond that, but I’m hoping to have it wrapped up and out by spooky season 2024.

Beyond that, I still have about a million other books I’d like to write, including a cozy mystery featuring Fiona, the elderly herbalist in Rosemary Mountain. She’s always been my favorite character and I’m not ready to let go of her!

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Thanks so much to Nicole 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.

Today’s featured author is Cayce Osborne, whose debut novel, I Know What You Did, is a tantalizing thriller about a woman accused, via a book dedication, of the murder of her childhood best friend.

In the interview below, Cayce and I talk about finding inspiration, writing thrillers, and finding your own path to publishing.

Connect with Cayce on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Sign up for her newsletter here. Grab a copy of I Know What You Did here.

Hi Cayce, thank you for joining! Your debut novel, I Know What You Did is a thriller starring Petal Woznewski, whose past comes back to haunt her after an anonymously written thriller accuses her of a decades-old crime. What was your inspiration for this story, and for Petal’s character?

I love reading books about books and have always wanted to write one. I read Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders and was captivated by how he integrated a fictional book into the narrative. I wanted to do that! What I ended up writing is nothing like his novel, but that’s the great thing about reading as a writer. It gets your brain going in all sorts of interesting directions.

For Petal, reading novels like Sara Gran’s Claire DeWitt series and Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here got me thinking about writing a rough-edged female character—someone who sometimes rubs people the wrong way but doesn’t waste time worrying about whether people like her or not. That’s where Petal came from.

How do you approach writing a thriller? What are your favorite elements of this genre, and what aspects do you find the most challenging to write?

I’ve found that “thriller” is a tough label to live up to because different readers will expect different types of thrills. Some want non-stop action. Others want a breathtaking twist. Thrillers set up certain expectations as far as pace, and because I write character-driven stories, sometimes my books don’t fit neatly into the genre. I think psychological suspense probably most accurately describes my book. But my favorite ingredient in any crime/mystery subgenre is that elusive un-put-downable quality—whatever magic that keeps people turning pages, desperate to figure out whodunnit and solve the mystery. That’s my kind of thrill.

You have a background in other types of writing, such as news, feature writing, and editing. How does writing fiction compare to other work you have done?

I suppose I wanted to start writing fiction because of the constraints of that type of writing. I wanted to write for me—not on assignment, not to please an editor or a news audience. I wanted to bring more creativity into the writing than news or science writing (I currently work in science communication) allow. So far there haven’t been too many crossovers. I have written short stories with science elements. But I have a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin, and that background has certainly helped me with story structure.

I’d love to hear about your publishing experience, especially since this is your debut novel. Can you share any insights into your publishing path, and/or anything you’ve learned as you’ve navigated this process? Do you have any advice for authors looking to publish?

It’s been a six-year journey of ups and downs and everything in between. I’ve had two different agents, went on submission with several manuscripts, and in the end it was the wonderful Sara J. Henry at Crooked Lane Books who pulled my debut novel out of the slush pile, unagented. I’ve learned way more than I could ever put into a single answer, but when I’m giving advice to people looking to publish, I say: Don’t give up.

There are so many different paths to publication, but rarely are any of them quick and easy (and if they are, maybe make sure you’re not being scammed). It takes hard work, yes, but you also need the luck of good timing—sending the right book to the right agent/publisher at the right time. When in doubt, keep writing, and keep reading.

Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Do you have other novels in the works, or anything else you’re excited about?

I have one novel finished, and one in the works. They are both Wisconsin-set mystery novels that are heavy on character and voice. I think that’s my sweet spot. I love writing characters who solve a mystery, yes, but also figure something out about themselves in the process.

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Thanks so much to Cayce 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.

Today’s featured author is a highly anticipated one for me: G. T. Karber joins the Cluesletter to talk about Murdle: Volume 2.

For newbies, Murdle is a murder-mystery themed logic puzzle where you’re given a murder to solve using clues and evidence. Think a one-person version of Clue, or an elevated version of the traditional logic puzzles you may already be familiar with. You can play a free daily puzzle online, or grab the books to play more. I recommend doing both. 🤓

It’s no secret that I’m a big Murdle fan (in fact, my Murdle TikTok recently hit 1 million views! What?!) so it was a real pleasure to interview Greg. Read on for our chat, which covers Murdle, murder, and everything in between.

Connect with Greg on Instagram, TikTok, and his website, where you can play daily Murdles and sign up to join the Detective Club. Grab a copy of Murdle: Volume 2 here.

Hi Greg, it’s so great to have you! Murdle: Volume 1 is a book of murder mystery-themed logic puzzles based on the online daily Murdle puzzle. Can you share a little bit about how Murdle came into existence? Why do you think murder mysteries and logic puzzles work so well together?

It’s great to be on the Cluesletter! I made the first Murdle on a coffee shop napkin for a friend of mine who loves puzzles and murder mysteries, and he loved it. So, I made a program that generated them, and I put it online, and other people liked them, too! One of those people was my now agent, Melissa Edwards at Stonesong. She called me up and said she saw the potential for a book, and she was right! But I think it only worked because I made it for a friend first. If I had tried to reverse-engineer a puzzle that could become a bestselling book series, it would have been impossible. But because I made it for a friend, and he liked it, other people liked it, too.

I think murder mysteries and logic puzzles work well together because mysteries—particularly fair-play whodunits—are already a kind of logic puzzle. You’re trying to deduce the killer with a limited number of clues. One of the great experiences in mysteries is when a small clue implies a great number of consequences. And that mirrors the experience of checking off those boxes in Murdle—“If this is true, then that must be true, and then this must be true, too!”—so I think they harmonize well together.

What I love most about the Murdle book is the storyline, which develops as you solve each puzzle. There’s humor, intrigue, and even a little romance! How did you approach writing the story? What elements of producing the book were most challenging, and what were the most exciting pieces to work on?

Aw, thank you so much! My editor at St. Martin’s, Courtney Littler, really helped me figure out the basic structure of it. We wanted to provide the same experience of the online daily puzzle, while also providing an ongoing story that would be compelling to people who had already done the daily puzzle a thousand times.

I spent most of my time on the narrative. First, I traced out a general arc using a story-wheel structure of the different moods of each section. Then, I tried to fill in the major story beats and twists. And finally, I generated the puzzles. But it was a real challenge to translate it from an overarching outline to 100 unique murder-mysteries! Often, I would let it randomly generate aspects, and then write around that. Sometimes that would lead me in a different direction that was more interesting or unique.

The hardest part of making Murdle: Volume 1 was the timeline. I had to turn it in a draft only a few months after I sold the book. So that was a real sprint! But I had a huge advantage in that the daily website already existed, and people had already told me which parts they liked and wanted more of. And that helped enormously.

As for my favorite parts, I had so many. I made it so fast that I’m only now really beginning to appreciate it. Designing the exhibits was a lot of fun. Discovering Logico and Irratino’s relationship. One thing I liked doing was re-using icons in playful ways; for example, the statue of an ancient god is the same icon as the Oscar. So that was fun, too.

Murdle’s protagonist is Deductive Logico, a logically-minded investigator, who has an ongoing rivalry with the esoteric Inspector Irratino. In your opinion, what makes a good detective duo? What do you love about pairing Logico and Irratino together?

I think contrast is what makes a good pairing, but there’s also some kind of indefinable chemistry that you need. And that is something you just have to discover. When I first made Murdle, Irratino was Logico’s arch-enemy—the opposite of him in every way. But quickly, some of the daily players picked up on their chemistry, and so I started to write them together more often and develop their relationship.

One thing they have going for them is that I believe in both perspectives: I don’t see them as opposites, but as complementary halves of a whole. I think you need to be analytical and methodical, but you also need to be intuitive and impulsive. So, I really like bringing them together.

As part of the Hollywood Mystery Society, you also host a live murder mystery theater performance, called “Murder at Tara’s,” at a local restaurant. What do you love about this live theater experience? What has producing these performances taught you about plotting murder mysteries?

Murder at Tara’s is great. My favorite part is the meal. Tara, who owns the place, is usually the one cooking for the show, and I think she makes the best samosas in Los Angeles. I also get to do the show with some of my best friends, and that’s really a delight. We’ve sold out every performance! Which is something we get to claim because we only sell 25 tickets a show.

The biggest thing I’ve learned from live shows is a sense of what people find funny. It’s easy to think a joke is great until you hear it in front of a crowd. So when you do a bunch of shows, you start to develop an intuition about how and where you can get laughs. Hearing silence after a joke is a horrible feeling, so you learn quickly.

Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Can you share insights to future volumes of Murdle, updates to the daily puzzle, and/or anything else you’re currently working on?

I thought about these first three Murdle books very much as a trilogy, and the second volume is very much the weird, spooky Empire Strikes Back one.  Murdle: Volume 2’s influences are intentionally strange: the ancient cult of Pythagoras, G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Isaac Deutscher’s three-volume biography of Leon Trotsky, and a bunch more touchstones that I think people have never seen be combined. So, I hope it makes a fun, off-kilter follow-up.

I have been working so hard on these books that it has been hard to find the time to do all that I want to do on the website. I have a lot of updates that I want to release. But one thing that I am very excited about is a collection of crossover Murdles with a bunch of other mystery writers. I’m getting to collaborate with some truly unbelievable talents, and it’s just a surreal experience.

Greg—any final thoughts?

Thanks again for having me on the Cluesletter, Manon! I always love reading it. It makes me excited for Tuesdays. (And then disappointed every other Tuesday because it’s the wrong Tuesday and I forgot.)

And finally, to all the detectives out there, a message: GSZMP BLF ULI IVZWRMT!

(A clue from Manon: Visit Murdle.com to decode!)

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Thanks so much to Greg 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.

Today’s featured author is Lucinda Race, whose latest release, Tea & Talismans, continues her witchy series, the Book Store Cozy Mysteries.

In the interview below, Lucinda offers up insights into her writing and publishing—from her favorite cozy mystery heroine traits to two great tips to aspiring indie authors.

Connect with Lucinda on Instagram, Facebook, BookBub, and her website. Subscribe to her newsletters (either mystery or romance themed!) here. Grab a copy of Tea & Trouble here.

Hi Lucinda, thank you for joining! Tea & Trouble is the most recent book in your Book Store Cozy Mystery series, which follows beginner witch Lily and her feline familiar Milo in small town Maine. In your opinion, what makes a great cozy heroine? What qualities do you like to see in an amateur sleuth? 

I like heroines to be self-assured, smart, and have a of bit sass, and I’m excited to read and write their story. The supporting characters need to match her courage and tenacity for solving the crime. But more importantly I want to get that connection with the heroine, someone I would want to be friends with in real life, that enhances the story for me.

In my Bookstore Cozy Mystery Series, I adore Lily Michaels and would love to share a cinnamon bun and a cup of coffee with her relaxing in the wingback chair at her bookstore while we chatted about books, Milo and her hometown of Pembroke Cove.

I love the witchy theme of this series, and the fact that Lily is a novice witch still working to understand her powers. What made you decide to write a paranormal cozy mystery series? What are some aspects of the genre that you love, and/or are there any you find difficult to write?

I’ve been hooked on cozy mysteries since I read Nancy Drew as a child and then Agatha Christie when I got a little older. When I first started to write and publish, I wrote romance and then romantic suspense. When I was talking to an editor, who is also a friend, I shared my dream of writing cozies. She told me to believe in myself and take the plunge, so I did. When I decided to add the paranormal element to this series, I felt it added a bit of humor and depth to the characters. Ongoing learning is important to me and I wanted Lily to challenge herself. And who doesn’t love a snarky, talking cat? They already have so much character in the “real” world. 

I had to chuckle when you asked what I find difficult about this genre to write. Most cozy mystery writers are plotters and I can’t plot a book to save my soul. I’m what is known as a “pantser,” and if you are unfamiliar with the term, it means I write organically with zero preplanning. Each story weaves its own kind of magic as it reveals itself to me. When I start writing a cozy, I know the name of the victim, how they died, and the names of the suspects. One of those must have committed the crime. With Tea & Trouble, I didn’t know until almost the very end who was the murderer and when I realized it, I was gob-smacked—but it made perfect sense.

With a mystery you must leave clues to help the reader join in the investigation and try to determine “whodunit.” As a pantser, I’m writing more circular. Something will pop up and I’ll need to go back into previous chapters and drop in a clue or a red herring. Writing cozy keeps me on my toes.

In addition, I wanted this series to be in first person, since I find those are the cozies I enjoy the most. However, when I started writing I realized Lily’s best friend and secret love interest needed to have a voice. So, every third chapter in the book is in Gage’s point of view.

As an indie author, you publish under your own imprint, MC Two Press. What do you love about indie publishing? Do you have any advice to give to writers hoping to publish independently?

I love the challenge of indie publishing. There are so many hats I need to wear and some aren’t always comfortable but ultimately, I’m in charge of my indie business. Writing is the creative outlet I crave, and the actual publishing side is hard work. 

The two bits of advice I have for new indie authors: invest in a great editor who excels in your genre, and purchase a cover that meets the readers’ expectations. Unless you are a graphic artist in the book cover business, please don’t create your own. Competition is fierce on every virtual or literal store shelf. Don’t give the potential buyer, AKA a reader, a reason to scroll past your book. This is money well spent and if you can’t afford these two critical items, try to barter with someone for exchange of services or save until you can.

The old saying, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” is true in indie publishing, too.

Besides cozy mystery, you also write romance and women’s fiction. What do you love about each of these genres? How has writing in other genres improved your mystery writing?

I love reading and when I was a kid I read every book on the family book shelves. It exposed me to so much variety. When I started writing I leaned into romance in part because I was comfortable writing a love story. I needed to develop confidence in myself. After writing and publishing the McKenna Family Romance series, I expanded into later in life stories with characters who need to start over. This was a perfect outlet for women’s fiction. The Matchmaker and The Marine is one example of that. A woman becomes a matchmaker after her husband is killed and a Marine who left part of himself in the war zone. They were both broken, and become friends long before they drift into a romance.

But, of course, since I longed to write mystery, romantic suspense storylines began seeping into my work it was clear that is what my heart was nudging me to do. After writing several romantic suspense books my typing fingers flew over the keys on my laptop and, as of today, I’ve written seven books in the Book Store Cozy Mystery series.

Lastly, what’s on the horizon for you? Are you preparing for any new releases, new series, or anything else you’re excited about?

I have a new series that I’m working on which links back to the Book Store Cozy Mystery series, The Witches of Robin’s Pointe. One of my characters in the Bookstore Cozy series will be relocating up the road to Robin’s Pointe. Although these two series are connected, they will be independent, but I hope readers fall in love with both series. I actually have the first book written but it needs editing and more books written and ready before I release it in late 2024. I will also continue on with Lily and the gang from Pembroke Cove too. There are so many more crimes that will occur in that quaint seaside town.

I will also release another book in the Cowboys of River Junction and toying with a couple more ideas. But trust me, Miss Muse constantly reminds me there are a lot more books in my brain just waiting to be written.

And for nonfiction, I’m writing a book, Writing to Publishing: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing, that will be released in early 2024 about new indie authors entering the self-publishing arena. Basically, it’s everything I did wrong in the early days and how to avoid them.

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Thanks so much to Lucinda 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.

Today I’m delighted to welcome CJ Connor, whose debut whodunnit, Board to Death, kicks off a brand-new series set in a board game shop. If you like “quozy” (queer + cozy) mysteries, nerdy humor, and a dash of romance, don’t miss this one.

In the interview below, CJ and I talk about board games, humor, publishing, and more. Enjoy!

Connect with CJ on Instagram and their website. Subscribe to their newsletter here. Grab a copy of Board to Death here.

Hi CJ, it’s great to have you! Board to Death kicks off your new “quozy” (queer + cozy) mystery series, the Board Game Shop series, in which English professor Ben Rosencrantz returns home to Salt Lake City to run his family’s board game shop—but things turn deadly when a shady collector turns up dead on his doorstep. What inspired this fun theme of board games?

I started reading cozy mysteries during the pandemic and really appreciated the escapism its characters and puzzles brought me but at the time, I had a hard time finding ones with queer characters. There really weren’t many back then. So I thought I’d write one of my own. I had a concept for the main character Ben early on—I liked the idea of this shy, bookish guy having to solve a murder that really pushes him out of his comfort zone—but I didn’t have a setting for him.I thought about what settings felt cozy to me in my own life, and I kept coming about the board game shops my husband and I would visit before the pandemic. They are an avid board game fan and so we’d spend a lot of time at local shops. Something I think board game shops do well is making all people feel welcome and bringing them together even if they wouldn’t naturally gravitate to each other in real life. Between the community that builds around these shops and the comforting memories people associate with board games, I decided that theme would lend itself well to a cozy mystery.

There’s also an adorable romance in the book: Ben and Ezra, a flower shop owner, make a great pair in both love and sleuthing. What do you love about this couple, and/or what do you like about blending mystery with romance?

Writing Ben and Ezra’s relationship is one of my favorite parts of the series. I think they bring out the best in each other. Ezra helps Ben come out of his shell and gain confidence in his ability to get through hard things. Ben opens Ezra up to a world of queer community and openness he wasn’t able to access in his Southern Utah hometown. They’re both at a turning point in their lives and are able to get through the challenges that come with that together.Something I enjoy about blending romance and mystery (both in cozies and in romantic suspense) is that the high stakes give two characters opportunities to see a more vulnerable side of their love interest. I think that’s true for Ben and Ezra. Ben recently went through a painful divorce and, while he has feelings for Ezra, he’s not initially sure he’s willing to open himself up again. The murder investigation makes him reevaluate what’s more important: protecting his heart or growing closer with someone who makes him happy.

I was especially charmed by your sense of humor, which often references pop culture, fandoms, and games—both board and computer. In your opinion, why is it important to have humor in a cozy mystery? Do you have some quick tips for adding humor to a story?

That is really kind of you! I read a lot of humor writers growing up and I admired the way they used comedy to address serious issues and open people’s minds to a new perspective without them shutting down because they feel threatened. I think that’s a clever way to get readers thinking and try to use humor as a similar tool in my own work.Cozy mysteries draw in readers who may have sensitivities to graphic violence or are looking for escapism from troubles they’re facing in their real life. Humor can be a great way to keep the story from getting too gruesome or heavy.Humor can be a tough element of writing to give advice on because it’s so subjective. What’s funny to me might not always be to you, and vice versa. To add humor into your own writing, I would recommend thinking about the styles of comedy that you like and what you enjoy about it. For example, I love absurdist humor—like Monty Python or, more recently, Chris Fleming—and find a lot of joy in writing stories about characters thrust into situations that really push their comfort zones and disrupt their understanding of the world.As you write, think about plot points or actions a character could take that would make you laugh. Have fun with it! Humor can feel forced if the author is including it because they feel compelled to and not because they’re enjoying themselves. It’s really one of those elements where you have to write for yourself first because that’s how you’ll give your work an authentic sense of humor.

With Board to Death as your debut novel, what have you learned during the writing and publishing process? Can you share any advice or tips on writing, and specifically, writing a cozy mystery?

Like one of my writing heroes, the late Douglas Adams, I struggle with procrastination on my first drafts. The messiness of early drafts can be intimidating for me, and I struggle to get that first one on the page without getting discouraged and starting over. Not so much a problem when you’re preparing to query and have no specific deadline but important to get a reign on when you’re a contracted writer. The biggest lesson I’ve had to learn as a debut author is to be okay with that messiness at the beginning and trust that you’ll be able to refine your work later on.For aspiring cozy mystery writers, I’d recommend letting your own passions and interests guide you to a topic for your series. My favorite part of reading cozies is learning all about a niche community, the insider facts about what makes it interesting and the quirky cast of characters surrounding it. Zac Bissonnette’s A Killing in Costumes and Korina Moss’s Cheddar Off Dead do that especially well with the Hollywood antiques and cheesemaking communities, respectively.If you’re struggling to think of a theme, bring your own passions into the setting. You’ll be giving your story a sense of realism and joy by including a topic you already know a ton about and that excites you. You’ll get your readers excited about it, too!

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Can you share what’s next with your Board Game Shop mystery series, and/or do you have anything else in the works?

Right now I’m working on the sequel to Board to Death, Killer Cube. As you might guess from the title, it takes place at a Rubik’s Cube speedsolving competition. In it, Ben comes to his own a little further as an amateur sleuth and deepens his relationship with Ezra.I’m also drafting a romantic comedy—a marriage of convenience between two queer graduate students—that delves a little further into what it’s like to not fit the usual “Utahn” mold.

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Thanks so much to CJ 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.

Today’s featured author is Elle Cosimano—of Finlay Donovan fame! If you keep up with my reviews, you may know I absolutely love this series about a single mom who (in the first book) gets mistaken for a hitwoman. Hilarious, edge-of-your-seat suspense ensues.

In today’s interview, Elle and I chat about her latest adventure, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, which features the series’ beloved characters and trademark humor.

Sleuths, connect with Elle on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. Grab a copy of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun here, plus preorder book four here, and the recently-announced (!) Veronica Ruiz short story here.

Hi Elle, thanks so much for joining! Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third—and most recent—book in your Finlay Donovan series, which stars a single mom and struggling novelist who, after being mistaken for a hitwoman, becomes entrenched in illicit activity. What inspired you to create a series centered around a flawed and relatable heroine like Finlay? What makes a mother an interesting character for a sleuth/accidental hitwoman?

The inspiration for the story came to me while I was brainstorming the plot of one of my own books during a working lunch with my critique partners, when it became apparent that the woman at the table beside us had been eavesdropping. She’d looked deeply uncomfortable as she’d left the restaurant, likely thinking we had been planning a real murder, and we’d all laughed as we’d considered some of the assumptions she must have been making about us. That lunch meeting was the seed of inspiration for the story, and it felt right to me that the character came from that same authentic place.

As a mother of two and a novelist struggling with my own career, this seemed the perfect foundation from which to create her. These two elements of Finlay’s voice very closely mirror my own, and I think that’s part of what makes these books work so well—how often do we get to read about such deeply real, relatable heroines taking center-stage in larger-than-life plots?

The Finlay Donovan series is a fan-favorite for its blend of mystery, humor, and romance. How do you strike a balance between the serious and lighthearted elements in your storytelling? Has this balance evolved or changed over the course of the series?

Comedy can be a natural balance to the more serious elements of life. It’s how many people cope with stress, using humor to break tension. Suspense is built upon steady increases in tension, so I’ve always felt these two elements naturally work in harmony. For me, the trick isn’t balancing what side of the line my feet fall on as I’m writing, it’s about maintaining a certain pacing, keeping my feet moving forward, same as I would when writing a tense thriller. 

In writing this series, I’ve learned that I bring the same toolbox to each comedic scene as I would to any dark, suspenseful one. The key is in the pacing. It’s about shaving away anything inessential to move the story forward while drawing it tightly, so we feel that snap when a comedic moment hits and that tension finally breaks. It’s about keeping the reader moving briskly through the story, so that when I do slow down to let them linger in a more serious moment, they’re ready—maybe even eager—to let that moment breathe.

One of my favorite characters in the series is Vero, Finlay’s nanny-turned-partner in crime. How did you approach crafting their partnership and the evolution of their friendship? What do you love about this pair?

I had no idea Vero was going to be such a central character in this story until I wrote her into the first scene, the moment we first meet her on the page. I had only intended to introduce her as a passing character, an obstacle my heroine would need to overcome, someone to catch her in the act of committing a crime—or at least, appearing to—but then I began writing the dialog, and these two women were electric together! Their voices clicked in this really beautiful, compelling way, and suddenly, I realized where this story was heading, that it was going to be the story of a budding friendship. I love that they are two completely different personalities, two women at different stages of their lives with completely different backstories, both deeply flawed and yet somehow more perfect together. I love that at its heart, this is a story about the power and importance of unconditional friendship.

You also write young adult novels in both fantasy and thriller genres. How does writing young adult compare to adult mysteries? Are there challenges unique to either age range, and/or aspects of either that you prefer?

I think there’s a common misconception that the process of writing adult novels and young adult novels is vastly different. For me, the process of writing these stories is exactly the same. The only thing that changes is the lens of the lived experience of the narrator. I’m still asking the same questions of my protagonist, whether they are a young adult or the mother of a young adult—who are you at the beginning of the story? Who will you be by the end of it? And how will you get there? That said, one thing I’ve always loved about writing young adult stories is the lack of genre boundaries—all YA books are typically shelved together in a single TEEN section, making genre categorization less important, giving authors more freedom to move between those lines as we bend and experiment with them. Now, as we’re beginning to see publishers embrace more genre-bending adult books too, I get to enjoy that same freedom with my grownup stories.

Lastly, what are you currently working on? When can we expect more Finlay adventures, and/or do you have anything else in the works?

The fourth book in the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, will release in the US on March 5, 2023, with an additional three installments scheduled beyond that! I’ll also be sharing some very exciting Finlay Donovan book news this summer, so keep an eye on my social media pages—we’ll be making an announcement very soon!

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Thanks so much to Elle 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.

I am so excited to welcome fan-favorite cozy author Vivien Chien as today’s featured author. Misfortune Cookie, the latest installment in Vivien’s Noodle Shop Mystery series, is out now. In the interview below, we discuss plotting a mystery, yummy food, connecting with readers, and more.

Connect with Vivien on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and her website. Grab a copy of Misfortune Cookie here.

Hi Vivien, it’s great to have you! Misfortune Cookie is book 9 in your Noodle Shop Mystery series, starring restaurateur Lana Lee. In this installment, Lana leaves the Ho-Lee Noodle House behind, traveling from Ohio to California to attend a restaurant convention. What did you love about putting Lana’s character in a new place? After nine books in the series, how have Lana’s detective skills developed?

Hi! Thanks for having me! Misfortune Cookie was an absolute joy to write, and a very important part of my recovery after chemo and immunotherapy. The change in location was intentional long before I knew how things would play out in my personal life. But it ended up being the perfect getaway and allowed me to revisit some fond memories of my time in Irvine, California.

Some great advice I read from another cozy series author, Nancy Cohen, mentioned in her book, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was that a great way to spice up a long-standing series is to take the characters on vacation or some type of break from the usual setting. I’d kept that advice in the back of my mind, and once I reached books seven through nine, it felt like the right time to take Lana on a little trip of her own.

I think her being away from home and having to truly depend on her own instincts and skills that she picked up along the way, really showcase the fact that she’s developed from the beginning of the series. In the first book, Death by Dumpling, she is sorta fumbling around, unsure and apprehensive to get involved. Here in book 9, we see her more at the ready and pulling from her previous experiences. Lana has become more unapologetic for being who she is throughout the series and I love to see her development.

What are your favorite parts of a cozy mystery to write? What specific challenges do you face when plotting a mystery, and how do you overcome them to create an engaging and compelling mystery story?

My favorite parts of writing a cozy are the same favorite parts that I have about writing in general. At its core, it is the exploration of self and allowing yourself to play freely in creative thinking. I never know what is going to happen at any given moment, and a lot of times, the story will change drastically from what I originally thought. And that really ties into the next part of your question about the difficulties of writing. Some good advice I’ve received in the past is that you have to get out of your own way and let your characters take over. How would they act? What would they say? Overcoming that can be difficult simply because you want to dictate what “should” happen. Usually how I get over that hurdle is to realize that I’m putting too much of myself into the story. You tend to notice this when all of your writing dead-ends and something “feels” off about what you’ve typed/written. Once you have that realization you gain the ability to scale yourself back and really let the characters shine on their own. The rest takes care of itself. And coffee definitely helps ease the process.

With the series centered around Lana’s family restaurant, food plays a big role in the books. How do you incorporate the culinary elements into the stories, and do you have any personal favorite recipes that you’ve shared with readers?

It’s now become a running joke in my series that Lana can’t cook Asian food. And that helps me play off the fact that I don’t cook Chinese food in real life. In Fatal Fried Rice, you see Lana secretly take a cooking class behind her family’s back, thinking she will finally have her day and show them what a talented cook she is. But as we soon find out, her plans are foiled and personally I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Because I am such a food lover, I believe the food descriptions are where I excel. It becomes a sensory experience, which I think is what every author wants for their reader. We want you to be there with us. And I can’t tell you how many people tell me (almost daily) that they had the extreme urge to order Chinese food while reading my books. And for anyone that’s wondering . . . I do it too!

You’ve built an engaged and active fan base on social media. Do you have a particular strategy when posting online? What do you love about connecting with readers online, or in person at bookstore events?

My strategy for social media is basically my life strategy. I don’t have one. LOL. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely tried. I do take some tips from things I’ve seen or heard along the way, but ultimately, I’m more inclined to just be me. Based on my own feelings of how I want to view other authors or anybody for that matter, is…I want to see authenticity. Not everything has to be a hustle or an advertisement. I’ve found that readers (myself included) love to hear about who you are as a person and what kind of stuff you’re into that doesn’t necessarily have anything at all to do with your craft.

I am, by nature, an open book—some might say to a fault—but I appreciate nothing more than being real and for others to be real with me. I talk a lot about my cancer journey, my struggles with anxiety, and my obsession with paper crafts . . . amongst a variety of other things. And what I’ve found through opening myself up to people, is that they return this in kind. We find that there is a lot more commonalities than just the books we read.

I absolutely love meeting my readers in person and online. They’re such a wonderful bunch of amazing humans and I enjoy hearing their viewpoints on my writing or how something made them feel. The greatest honor I have received is hearing from readers who had their own health struggles and took my books with them to their treatments or procedures because it helped make them feel less alone. I know that feeling because I take books with me everywhere, especially when I’m scared, and to know that I can give that to others is truly the greatest gift. (Mind you, I wish none of us had to go through things like that, but I’m glad we at least have something to comfort us through the tough times.)

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Are you planning future books in the Noodle Shop series, and/or do you have anything else in the works?

Yes! I am happy to say that I just recently signed another three-book contract with St. Martin’s Press. I’m now working on the next book, Peking Duck and Cover, which will release in 2024. I don’t have a specific date as of right now, but it should be around summer. In the meantime, my editor and I are hoping to release an e-short—an “in-between-y” book, if you will.

I’m also gearing up to start another series with an amazing Asian female lead. She’s a little bit older than Lana and the series will be less cozy and more traditional. That’s all I’ll say for now though. I’m being pretty tight lipped about that one at the moment, but there is something in the works.

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Thanks so much to Vivien 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.

Today’s interviewee is Krysti Meyer, whom you may be familiar with as the host of the Get Cozy Podcast, which features cozy mystery authors and readers. As of today, Krysti is also officially a published author—her YA rom com Not If I Date You First is out now!

In the interview below, Krysti and I chat about cozy mysteries, podcasting, indie publishing, and more.

Connect with Krysti on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and her website. Subscribe to her newsletter here, and listen to the Get Cozy Podcast here. Grab a copy of Not If I Date You First here.

Hi Krysti, thanks so much for joining! Let’s start by talking about your podcast, the Get Cozy Podcast, which is filled with book recommendations and author interviews. Why are mystery authors and books so exciting to speak about? What do you love about hosting this podcast, and what have you learned while producing it?

Thank you for having me! Your Cluesletter is so much fun, and I’m honored to be a part of it. For me, mysteries—particularly cozy mysteries—are the perfect balance of light and dark, of puzzle solving and literary escapism. I love doing work for a genre that is largely dominated by women and really represents and celebrates the female experience in such a fun and unique way.

I learn something new from every single author who takes the time to participate in the podcast. They all have a unique take on the genre or the process of writing, and it’s always a joy to speak with them and learn from them.

Having covered so many cozy mystery authors and their books, I have to ask—what are your top mystery recommendations? What elements do you think make a strong cozy mystery?

My go-to cozy mystery recommendations are the Sloan Kraus Mysteries by Ellie Alexander, The Shady Hollow series by Juneau Black, and the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries by Mia P. Manansala.

I like to immerse myself in a cozy that is well-written and includes modern social themes while still being a delightful, cozy escape from the world. Cozies feel like a safe way to experience the crime genre, and there is truly nothing better than getting hooked on a long-running series that you can enjoy for years to come.

Your debut novel, the YA romance Not If I Date You First, is out now. What have you learned during the writing and publishing process? Is there any strategy in particular that you recommend to first-time indie authors, and/or anything you would do differently?

Oooh, this is such a great question! I feel like I learn something new every day as an indie author. It’s such a steep learning curve. I think the most important thing for aspiring indie authors to know going into the process is that indie publishing truly is a pay-to-play world. It can get very expensive very quickly. It’s essential to create your budget going into it, talk to other indie authors who are willing to be open about how much different parts of the process cost, and then set your priorities accordingly.

Indie publishing is so cool in that you really can make your own dreams come true yourself! I find that so empowering. But unless you have an unlimited budget, you’re likely going to have to prioritize your dreams for each book, and choose the ones that are the most meaningful for you.

I’ve always admired your social media presence and how you engage with your audience. How do you plan your marketing and other outreach? What kind of content do you like to post, and how do you engage your online community?

Oh, thank you so much! I really enjoy participating in the online book community. I’ve met so many incredible people in that space, like yourself! I love posting about the kinds of books I love to read, so cozies, rom coms, thrillers, and books that are written by my friends and local authors.

I feel like Instagram is my wheelhouse. I love using apps like Lightroom and Canva to make fun photos and graphics. I think the most important thing about any social media platform is to figure out what you enjoy creating in that space and being your authentic self. If any specific platform isn’t fun for you, then it just isn’t worth doing. I like to look at social media as a way to create a different type of art. It’s all about creative expression and meeting friends who enjoy some of the same things you do.

Lastly, what are you currently working on? Are you planning future books, exciting podcast episodes, and/or do you have anything else in the works?

I do have another book coming out in December. It’s called Never Getting Back Together. It’s a small-town, second-chance romance that will release on 12/12. I’ve had to slow down on the podcast a little bit in the past month to focus on getting through my book launch, but I have some fun episodes scheduled for August, including Rektok Ross, who wrote the YA thriller Summer Rental, Bradeigh Godfrey, whose adult thriller The Followers releases on 08/29, and C.J. Connor, whose queer cozy mystery (quozy mystery) Board to Death releases on 08/22.

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Thanks so much to Krysti 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.