I’m very excited to have one of the leading historical cozy mystery writers here at the Cozy Corner. She’s polite and funny, hard-working and talented and vastly loved throughout the world of mystery writing. Please welcome Rhys Bowen! Kym: Hi, Rhys, welcome to the Cozy Corner! Rhys: Hi Kym. Nice to be here! Kym: You started your career writing children’s picture books and then young adult books under the name Janet Quin-Harkin. What did you like most about those two genres? Rhys: I’ve always loved children’s books. I suppose I like the playfulness, silliness and the complete belief in a world of good and evil with no gray areas. YA books, when I wrote them, were not so dark and mine were usually funny high school stories, similar in many ways to Lady Georgie’s adventures. Kym: Do you have a favorite picture book or young adult book that has more meaning to you? Or one that was more popular with your own children? Rhys: Well, I wrote a book called Ten Boy Summer, a spoof on romance that sold half a million copies, so I’d have to like that one. And one of my picture books, Septimus Bean and His…

Halloween doesn’t have to mean adding inches to your waistline, although that certainly is a delicious way to celebrate the holiday;) Our cozy authors, however, have given you another outlet for that addictive gene dying to take over—and it’s better for your weight, better for your teeth, and much better for your mind! Skip the sugar, and the corn syrup, and possibly the Hershey’s all together this Halloween, or at least limit it to one, and binge on mystery reading instead! For those readers who have already purchased their treats and have bags of candy sitting on the upper self of their pantry, I have two mysteries you can sink your teeth into right away. And for after Halloween, when the kid’s candy is scattered across the kitchen counter—calling your name like someone from beyond the grave, I have two more releases to keep the spirits at bay. Dig in—the tricks are deadly, and the treats are wrapped in delightful covers! PUTTING ON THE WITCH by Joyce and Jim Lavene Retired Witches #3 In the latest mystery from the bestselling authors of Looking for Mr. Good Witch, the retired witches of Wilmington, North Carolina, are ready to kick up their…

There are a few things that are an absolute must in the world of cozy mysteries, but first and foremost are the animals. A quirky, troublesome pet defines the genre—at least for me it does. I look for the image on the cover, a hint of a fur baby in the title or the series, and absolutely eat up the pages where the characters spend time with their ever loyal pet(s). Whether it’s a cat on the prowl, or a mischievous dog digging up trouble, the animals add a dimension to the story that you don’t normally find in other genres. They define cozy and keep me coming back for more. Watch for these new pet-tastic mysteries this month! NO FARM, NO FOUL by Peg Cochran Farmer’s Daughter First in the Farmer’s Daughter mystery series set on a picturesque farm in Michigan, where Shelby McDonald runs a popular lifestyle and cooking blog, from the national bestselling author of the Cranberry Cove Mysteries. On her blog, The Farmer’s Daughter, Shelby McDonald is growing her audience as she posts recipes, gardening tips, and her experiences raising two kids and running Love Blossom Farm in the small western Michigan town of Lovett. Working…

When Char Hawthorn’s husband dies unexpectedly, she is left questioning everything she once knew to be true: from the cozy small town life they built together to her relationship with her stepdaughter, who is suddenly not bound to Char in any real way. UNTETHERED explores what bonds truly form a family and how those bonds can be tested and strained. Char, a college professor, wife and stepmother to a spirited fifteen-year-old daughter, loves her family and the joyful rhythms of work and parenting. But once her husband is gone, the “step” in Char’s title suddenly matters a great deal. In the eyes of the law, all rights to daughter Allie belong to Lindy, Allie’s self-absorbed biological mother, who wants to girl to move to her home in California. While Allie begins to struggle in school and tensions mount between her and Char, Allie’s connection to young Morgan, a ten-year-old-girl she tutors, seems to keep her grounded. But then Morgan, who was adopted out of foster care, suddenly disappears, and Char is left to wonder about a possible future without Allie and what to do about Morgan, a child caught up in a terrible crack in the system, and causes Char…

Fall is almost here, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it! The summer heat has dug in its heels and driven me to a cozy air-conditioned corner with a cold brew, a little spice and a honeymoon to boot—all of them, of course, fictional. I enjoyed all three of this week’s feature mysteries that took me on a tour from Monticello, to Seattle, to Pittsburgh, PA. And all three authors included recipes you don’t want to miss! Put them on your reading list, you won’t be disappointed. KILLING THYME by Leslie Budewitz Spice Shop #3 In Seattle’s Pike Place Market, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is savoring her business success, but soon finds her plans disrupted by a killer in the latest from the national bestselling author of Guilty as Cinnamon. Pepper Reece’s to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she’s got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a…

From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house. Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel. During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them? This is the question that Marybeth Whalen poses in her moving new novel, and she talks to Writing a Woman’s Life columnist Yona Zeldis McDonough all about how her moving new novel attempts to answer it. About Marybeth Mayhew Whalen Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of five previous novels and speaks to women’s groups around the United States. She is the cofounder of the popular women’s fiction site She Reads and is active in a local writers’ group. Marybeth and her husband, Curt,…

Erika Kelly is best known for her sexy Rock Star Romance series, but in October she launches a brand new series about hot and bothered brothers. Back in April Fresh Fiction critic Miranda Owen chatted with Kelly about her Rock Star Romance series, her favorite rock bands, and whether she plans to come back to band books in the future. Miranda Owen: What inspired you to write about a rock band? Erika Kelly: It’s funny because I’m originally from Los Angeles, which means I spent the first half of my life in the entertainment industry. And yet I’ve never written a book set in that world. I didn’t set out to write a rocker book. I was more interested in writing about a bad boy. I liked the idea of supremely hot, talented, charismatic man who was perfectly unattainable. Women could offer their bodies, men could offer their companionship, but no one would breach the wall he’d erected around his heart. And the idea that one woman–the one and only woman–could inspire such lust and need and yearning and desire that he’d bust through all this barriers to win her. That was my starting point. The setting came after, when…

I must be dreaming; otherwise Mary Kennedy wouldn’t be sitting in the Cozy Corner answering all my questions. Yet a pinch of my arms proves I’m not in lala land, but rather sitting at my computer absolutely thrilled to meet my long time Facebook buddy, bestselling author of A PREMONITION OF MURDER, Mary Kennedy. About Mary Kennedy Mary Kennedy is the national best-selling author of two mystery series for Penguin-Random House, The Dream Club Mysteries and the Talk Radio Mysteries. She has written over forty novels, including a young-adult fiction series called The Hollywood Nights. Dr. Kennedy is a psychologist in private practice on the East Coast where she lives with her husband and six neurotic cats. She has tried unsuccessfully to psychoanalyze both husband and cats but remains optimistic. Talk Radio Mystery | Dream Club Mystery WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | BLOG Kym: Hi, Mary! Welcome to the Cozy Corner! Mary: Thanks, I’m thrilled to be here and am a fan of your books! Plus I envy your background. As a detective, you will have some terrific stories to tell. Kym: Thank you! Mary, can you tell us a little bit about your Dream Club Mysteries? Mary: Yes,…

It doesn’t matter where you are, what century you live in, or what culture you embrace, you will always find a woman on a mission—to better her life, help loved ones accomplish goals, or improve her community; she is driven to make a difference. This week I have three women ready to put evil in it’s place. After all, crime cannot be solved by man alone—but maybe, a woman hell-bent on finding the truth will do. IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY by Jane Jensen Elizabeth Harris With its peaceful, hardworking Amish population, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a rural paradise. But former NYPD homicide detective Elizabeth Harris knows that evil lurks there—it’s just easier to hide… By solving the murders of two local girls, Elizabeth has gained some trust in the Amish community. So, she’s the first person its members turn to when a fast and fatal illness takes hold, though many believe that the sickness stems from a hexerei—a curse placed by a practitioner of old-world folk magic. Elizabeth doesn’t believe in curses, and when an entire Amish family is found dead, she begins to suspect something far more sinister… As the CDC is called in to investigate,…

At the moment of the Emperor’s death, everything changes in the palace. Mei, his former concubine, is free, and Pheasant, the heir and Mei’s lover, is proclaimed as the new Emperor, heralding a new era in China. But just when Mei believes she’s closer to her dream, Pheasant’s chief evil wife, Lady Wang, turns against Mei and takes unthinkable measures to stop her. The power struggle that ensues will determine Mei’s fate–and that of China. First banished to a Buddhist monastery, Mei is then threatened with death for her daring escape. Back at the palace and living in secret, she is surrounded by enemies. Only by fighting back against those who wish her harm will Mei be able to realize her destiny as the most powerful woman in China. This fascinating story is part of a duology that includes THE MOON IN THE PALACE. Writing a Woman’s Life columnist Yona Zeldis McDonough chats with Randel about her background and the path that led her to write these richly imagined and compelling tales. YZM: When did you start writing? WDR: I published my first short story when I was in fourth grade. So I guess I can say I started to…