1–What is the title of your latest release? COLD LIGHT OF DAY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer and unexplained murders, Police Chief Autumn Long must rely on an outsider for help as she fights to save her job and the small town of Shadow Gap, Alaska. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I had been considering revisiting Southeast Alaska as a novel setting since my six-book Mountain Cove series set in the region. Then during research for Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage 2), I came across a podcast about people missing in Alaska, and I got chills. Ha! I knew it was time. I emailed my editor to ask if she’d be interested in a series set in Alaska, and she was excited about the prospect. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Chief Autumn Long is a tough character with a dangerous job, but she’s also all about her family, and I think it would be fun to hang out at The Lively Moose—the restaurant owned by her grandparents, Ike and Pearl (Birdy) Lively,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A MURDEROUS PERSUASION 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When Professor Phaedra Brighton hosts a Persuasion-themed Jane Austen murder mystery week at her aunt’s B&B, it’s all tea and sunshine…until she finds a guest’s body in the garden. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up in Northern Virginia and lived in Fredericksburg for many years. I visited Charlottesville occasionally and drove up Afton Mountain to Waynesboro to visit my brother. The area is beautiful, with breathtaking mountain overlooks and scenic drives. It’s also home to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, and the University of Virginia. It’s an area rich in history and a perfect setting for an English literature professor and Jane Austen scholar. Phaedra becomes a reluctant amateur sleuth when her best friend’s husband is murdered. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Absolutely! Phaedra is a little quirky (like me) and very astute (unlike me). We’d spend the day talking, browsing bookstores, or visiting museums, and finish with a delicious tea consisting of Earl Grey, strawberry scones, and plenty of clotted cream. 5–What are three words that describe…

1–What is the title of your latest release? PLAYING DEAD 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Molly Madison’s barely had a moment to catch her breath after moving to the sleepy beach town she now calls home. But when a body is found at Playtime Academy where Molly has brought her dogs to train, she puts her ex-police skills to use tracking down the killer. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted to move the story beyond the borders of the fictional town of Pier Point where A DEADLY BONE TO PICK took place. I also wanted this story to include other dog sports in addition to agility and introduce Noodle—the Saint Berdoodle with the amazing nose—to Barn Hunt. To make that happen, I set a dog sports business in the inland area of the county. Molly brings her dogs there to train, and a good portion of the action takes place on site. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Yes! Half the fun of writing these Molly Madison mysteries is spending time with her and her dogs. 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Smart,…

It’s a new year with new authors, new series, and just released killer mysteries! One of those novels hit my library and I am lucky enough to give you the latest scoop on this brand-new gem. I know my recent choices have made readers travel outside the cozy American towns we love so much, and I hope you won’t mind packing your bags once more—to the Emerald Isle with a Rodeo Drive wedding designer who’s looking to the island’s lucky charms to bail her out of a financial nightmare. I mean inheriting the family castle has to be the answer she’s looking for, right? Except the luck of the Irish isn’t exactly running with Rayne McGrath—the success of her upscale bridal shop ran away with her fiancee/business partner who skipped town with all of their funds. Broke, yet determined to help her brides-to-be’s dreams come true, Rayne travels to Ireland hoping her dead uncle’s estate will be her saving grace to get the shop up and running once more—except not only is his death a horrible tragedy, his generosity comes with more problems than Rayne can solve in the twenty-four-hour window she’s given. She may be the new owner of…

O is for Older, on-the-ball, and definitely on-to-the-next-big-adventure! Who says you have to be young to have fun? U is for Uptight, says Zara. U is for Uninhibited, says Lilly! R is definitely for Relatives. As in, are you sure we’re related? And Who the h—is this person claiming to be our relative?   L is for Lilly, of course! Zara’s older sister—by 11 ½ months—taller, buxom, hair still black thanks to an abundance of product, free with her love and her advice! Y is for Yes. As opposed to No. As in, shouldn’t Lilly have said Yes to the Grand Jury, when asked if she had any of the stolen artifacts? I is for Insurance Fraud. Don’t do it, and if you do, don’t get caught! N is for New. A new apartment. A new purported sister. A new problem. And a bunch of New Lies. G is for Generational Trauma. Inherited grief from the suffering of those who went before. And for Grant Deed. Whom did Dad leave this apartment to? Why her? Good Golly!   K is for Kindred Spirits. Zara and Lilly may have been apart for a few years, but nothing can keep them separated…

People really get attached to animals in books.  Some authors even get concerned e-mails from readers, asking if the animals are getting fed enough between chapters or offering advice on how to model better care for the fictional animals, so that other readers have better examples to apply in real life. In some areas of the bookstore, readers get attached to fictional animals, knowing that there is an element of risk.  As Gordon Korman pointed out in his hilarious YA novel, No More Dead Dogs, if there’s an award symbol on the cover of a book and a dog on it, chances are the pooch isn’t going to make it to the end.  That makes it difficult to completely attach to the canine character in question. I think that’s why so many animal companions wind up on the covers of cozy mysteries.  Cozy readers know that the animals are going to be safe, because it’s an un-written rule that you don’t kill the dog – or the cat or the cockatoo – in a cozy.  They can be put in danger, or even cat-napped (as happens in my current release, A Study in Chocolate) but these companions are always going…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DECENT PEOPLE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In the small, segregated town of West Mills, NC in 1976, three enigmatic siblings, the Harmons, are found shot to death in their home. Their half-brother, Olympus “Lymp” Seymore is the community’s prime suspect, but the authorities don’t care who killed them. Lymp’s fiance seeks to prove his innocence. Her investigation unearths many secrets about the townspeople. Decent People is a novel about shame, race, class and healing. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? When I decided to bring back some characters from my first novel, In West Mills, I knew West Mills had to be the setting. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! I enjoy learning from older people who’ve had a variety of life experiences. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Jo Wright is intelligent, determined, and caring. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? While doing a bit of research for Decent People, I learned that gun powder residue tests were widely used in the 70s. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until…

Do you relish the opportunity to solve mysteries? I certainly do. While I’m not a detective, and probably never will be, I am a reader. I love novel that makes me think, untangle clues, and leads me down paths that may or may not point to the solution. But, for me, there’s another element I need to make a story great. I want to know the people involved, peer into their lives, and feel what they feel as the case unfolds. This is why I choose to write novels that weave together mystery or suspense with a contemporary women’s fiction storyline. It gives me the freedom to take my readers deeper into the character’s experience, both internal and external. My next release, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, drops us into the worlds of a popular podcaster and a mother whose daughter has long ago disappeared. While most of the story takes place in a small, present-day Oregon town, we are also swept back to 1987, where we follow three kids with endless possibilities for their futures, until reality steals the easiness of childhood. Readers will take the journey alongside the characters, searching for the truth of what happened to Heather at the…

This is the hardest time of the year. Getting all the decorations perfectly placed, buying the perfect gifts that will last forever, cooking, baking, cleaning (ugh) and trying to figure out which mysteries I’m going to say were the best of 2022! It’s actually the hardest part of the holidays for me, (other than the cleaning) the rest is just icing on my sugar cookies. Choosing which novels are most memorable isn’t easy. I’ve read a lot of impactful mysteries written by incredible authors, each one a gift of love and hard work. (Don’t forget to put them all on your nice list Santa!) But I must choose which ones will make special stocking stuffers, Happy Hanukkah gifts or just a small token to tell someone they are an extraordinary person who has been a gift in your life. No matter what you celebrate, it is the time to share with others. So here is my gift to you, a list of incredible mysteries I’ve read this year. Some have visited the Cozy Corner this year, some have not, but each when has been an absolute joy to read! Happy Holidays everyone! Susanna Shore has created the perfect duo of…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LOWCOUNTRY GETAWAY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When Nate Andrews whisks the entire Talbot clan off for a holiday adventure in the U.S. Virgin Islands, he has no idea his mother-in-law and her new friends will become embroiled in a case involving adultery, junk cars, money laundering, and murder. Liz and Nate scramble to find a killer before three sweet Southern belles wind up in a tropical prison. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? St. John is my favorite vacation spot, so it’s also Liz Talbot’s. I’ve thought about setting a book there for a while. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Liz Talbot is my avatar, or maybe in some ways she’s who I’d like to be. I live vicariously through her, so I guess I’d say we hang out every day. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Fierce, loyal, kind, flawed…okay, yes, that’s four words. Liz is flawed like all the rest of us. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? There are ruins in St. John that date all the way back to…