It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Dianne Freeman!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Dianne Freeman, the author of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries!

Would you please tell us a little about the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries?

This are Victorian mysteries with a light touch. My sleuth is Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, whose mother got caught up in the American heiress craze and traded her daughter for the prestige of a gaining title in the family. The first book in the series begins nine years after the wedding. Frances is now a widow yearning for independence. With her young daughter, she moves away from the family home to live on her own for the first time in her life. From that point, everything that can go wrong, does—including a shortage of funds, a series of burglaries, a visit from her marriage mad sister, and a murder. Though she has no idea what she’s doing, Frances faces these problems with aplomb, calling on all her resources, including gossipy friends and a handsome neighbor to flush out the killer.

The next book in the series, A NEWLYWED’S GUIDE TO FORTUNE AND MURDER, releases June 27th! Can you tell us a little about it?

Frances is thrown into a dastardly intrigue surrounding the elderly and wealthy Lady Wingate. Since her husband’s death several months earlier, Lady Wingate hasn’t left the house. Her friend, Lady Esther, is convinced one of the woman’s step-children is drugging her and tapping into her fortune. Her niece, Kate, is about to enter high society and stands to gain an inheritance upon her aunt’s death. Is she trying to hasten that death? Frances teams up with Aunt Hetty, Lady Esther, and Lady Wingate to prove it’s never wise to underestimate the power and cunning of a woman, whatever her age.

Random Question! Who is your favorite fictional detective?

It’s a team! I love the partnership of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt written by Anne Perry. It held up for 32 books, so they’re doing something right!

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m working on the 7th book in the series, An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder. Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris. One is an impromptu holiday to visit the Paris Exposition. The other is personal. George’s Aunt Julia has requested her nephew’s help in looking into the suspicious death of renowned artist Paul Ducasse. Though Julia is not entirely forthcoming about her reasons, she is clearly a woman mourning a lost love.

 At the exposition, swarming with tourists, tragedy casts a pall on the festivities. A footbridge collapses. Julia is among the casualties. However, she was not just another fateful victim. Julia was stabbed to death amid the chaos. With an official investigation at a standstill, George and Frances realize that to solve the case they must dig into Julia’s life—as well as Paul’s—and question everything and everyone in Julia’s coterie of artists and secrets.

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

Way too many to name them all, but I do favor historical cozies. I love Colleen Cambridge’s Phyllida Bright series. (She’s the fictional housekeeper to Agatha Christie when she’s not solving crimes.) I enjoyed A Socialite’s Guide to Murder by S.K. Golden. (Set in a glamorous NYC hotel in the 50s.) Allison Montclair writes the wonderful Sparks and Bainbridge series where two unlikely friends run The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in post WWII London. All three of these authors will release a new book later this year. I’m also looking forward to Celeste Connally’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. 

Thank you so much to Dianne Freeman for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award winner, as well as a finalist for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. After thirty years of working in corporate accounting and finance, she now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at www.DiFreeman.com.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Katie Oliver!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Katie Oliver, the author of the Jane Austen Tea Society Mysteries!

Would you please tell us a little about the Jane Austen Tea Society Mysteries?

Phaedra Brighton is a Jane Austen scholar and a professor of English Literature at Somerset University. She’s thirty-four, single, and definitely not in want of a husband. When murder rears its ugly head in the small Virginia town of Laurel Springs, her best friend becomes a prime suspect. Phaedra follows the clues to find the killer...without getting in the way of homicide detective Matteo Morelli.

She enlists faculty colleagues Lucy Liang and Marisol Dubois—the Jane Austen Tea Society—to help solve the crime and clear her friend’s name. As if investigating her first murder isn’t enough, a new English professor arrives at Somerset, Oxford-educated Mark Selden. He’s as aloof as Mr. Darcy… and every bit as maddening. She tries to ignore him. But his charm (and British accent) proves hard to resist. 

Phaedra shares a cozy carriage house with her Himalayan cat, Wickham. Her aunt Wendy runs the local bed and breakfast, and her younger sister, Hannah, is pastry chef and owner of Tout de Sweet patisserie. Phaedra and her father Malcolm are close, but her relationship with her mother Nan is another story. Like Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Nan wants only one thing – to see her two daughters happily married. 

The next book releases in December! Can you tell us a little about CYANIDE AND SENSIBILITY?

It’s the grand opening of Tout de Sweet, Laurel Springs’s first patisserie. Phaedra’s younger sister Hannah has worked hard to make her sweetest dream come true. 

When lifestyles diva Rachel Brandon shows up to feature Hannah in her magazine, it’s the icing on the gateau. Until Rachel’s assistant helps herself to the last dark chocolate cupcake—a cupcake meant for Phaedra and her father to share—and ends up dead. 

Was the poisoned treat intended for Phaedra? Or her father? Who on earth would do such a thing? And why? It’s up to Phaedra and the Jane Austen Tea Society to find the answers. 

Random Question! What’s your favorite color?

I love turquoise! Turquoise makes me think of tranquil Caribbean waters, the deepening night sky in summer, and one of those gorgeous little Tiffany boxes. 

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m working on the fourth Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery, in which Phaedra finds a body in a most unexpected place…and fears her missing mother may be involved. 

In addition, Phaedra’s sister Hannah is having second thoughts about marrying Charles Dalton. He wants her to join him in Washington DC, where he works as a consul at the British embassy. She refuses to leave her hard-earned new bakery behind. 

Can Phaedra find her mother, solve the latest murder, and persuade Hannah that marriage involves a certain amount of compromise?

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

A few of my favorite series are the Lucy Stone mysteries by Leslie Meier; Maine Clambake mysteries by Barbara Ross; Noodle House mysteries by Vivien Chien; Tradd Street mysteries by Karen White; the Marlowe Murder Club by Robert Thorogood; and Laura Childs’ Tea Shop series, as well as the New Orleans Scrapbooking mysteries. I also enjoy anything by Jenn McKinlay. 

I can’t wait to read the latest Tradd Street book, The House on Prytania.

Thank you so much to Katie Oliver for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Katie Oliver is the Amazon bestselling author of the romantic comedy, Prada and Prejudice, book one in the Dating Mr. Darcy series. After completing a second series, Marrying Mr. Darcy, she decided to switch genres and write a cozy mystery. The first book in the Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series, Pride, Prejudice, and Peril, was published by Berkley in December 2021. A Murderous Persuasion followed in January 2022, and Cyanide and Sensibility will be published in December 2023.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Marjorie McCown!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Marjorie McCown, the author of the Joey Jessop Mysteries, including the first book, Final Cut, which is out now!

Would you please tell us a little about your book, FINAL CUT?

First of all, I want to say thank you for having me here today, Jessica! 

FINAL CUT is a murder mystery set behind-the-scenes of a big budget Hollywood movie in production. The protagonist, Joey Jessop, is a film key costumer, and on the first day of principal photography, she finds the body of a murdered coworker on the beach in Malibu where the company has been shooting. The dead woman was seeing Joey's ex and because of that, along with the fact she found the body, she immediately becomes a suspect. Right away, because it's Hollywood, the story blows up in the press and social media, so Joey suddenly finds herself the target of a lot of negative publicity, too. That's when her problems really begin.

What was the inspiration for the series?

The inspiration for the series came from all the amazing experiences I've had working on movies like FORREST GUMP, APOLLO 13, HAIRSPRAY, ANGELS & DEMONS, and X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. I've thought for a long time that a big movie in production would be an interesting setting for a mystery because a movie company is its own unique community, like a very specific kind of small town, with its own set of relationships and drama brewing. The film industry offers such a huge variety of people, activities, and locations that are just part of the normal moviemaking process, there's always plenty of raw material to inspire an endless number of stories!

Random Question: What's your favorite time of year?

This is a hard question to answer because there's a lot to love about every time of year! But if I have to pick, I'd say autumn, right around Halloween. I guess that's maybe a little on-the-nose for a costume designer, but I've always loved the pageantry and fun -- and the costumes of course -- at Halloween. It just feels like the big kickoff for the whole holiday season. 

If you're able to talk about it, what are you working on now?

I've just handed in the second mystery in the Joey Jessop series to my publisher, Crooked Lane Books. The working title is STARSTRUCK, and the story follows Joey to another job on a movie that's set in 1930s Hollywood. Joey is thrilled about working with all those glamorous costumes, but there are (of course) problems on the job -- such as a hit-and-run accident that happens near the location where the movie company is filming -- that may or may not be linked to one of the movie's stars. 

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries?  And what are some you're looking forward to reading?

Oh, my gosh -- so many answers to both!

Some of my favorites:

The Cajun Country Mystery Series (all 7 books) by Ellen Byron

These books are full of heart and humor, set in the fascinating Cajun community in Louisiana. Ellen always tells a great story!

The Maine Clambake Series (10 books and counting!) by Barbara Ross

These books will sweep you away to picturesque coastal Maine, but it's Barbara's twisty mysteries that will keep you turning the pages. 

The Blue Ridge Library Series (7 books and counting!) by Victoria Gilbert

Victoria's characters feel like real people you're getting to know over the course of the series. The setting in the Blue Ridge mountains is charming, and the mysteries are all quite interesting. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself eagerly looking forward to the next book. 

The Jane Wunderly Mystery Series (4 books and counting!) by Erica Ruth Neubauer

These books are set in the 1920s, and each mystery takes the reader to a different country and adventure with Jane Wunderly, who is a resourceful amateur sleuth. The stories are so vivid you can almost smell the exotic aromas of Istanbul or feel the Egyptian sun on your shoulders. 

Cozy mysteries I'm looking forward to reading:

1) PLAYING IT SAFE by Ashley Weaver

2) DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA by Jennifer Chow

3) HIDDEN BENEATH by Barbara Ross

4) A CRYPTIC CLUE by Victoria Gilbert (this is a brand new series, and I'm really looking forward to the first book!)

Thank you again, Jessica, for the opportunity to be part of the conversation on your wonderful blog!  

Thank you so much to Marjorie McCown for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Marjorie McCown has worked on the costume design teams for a string of movies that includes Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Firm, A Bronx Tale, Wag the Dog, The Aviator, Angels & Demons,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and X-Men Days of Future Past. Her debut murder

mystery, FINAL CUT, is set behind-the-scenes of a blockbuster Hollywood movie in production.

She lives in Southern California with her cats Monkey and Max.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Auralee Wallace!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Auralee Wallace, the author of the Evenfall Witches Mysteries!

Would you please tell us a little about the Evenfall Witches Mysteries?

The Evenfall Witches B&B Mysteries center around a family of witches running a bed & breakfast – who just so happen to solve the occasional murder. For nearly four hundred years, the family has used their magic to quietly help the citizens of their sleepy New England town thrive. Every witch in the family has their own magical specialty, including the youngest member, Brynn, who has been gifted with the power to commune with restless spirits. Ghosts never remember much about their passings, but Brynn can usually piece together a picture of their lives - and their deaths - to get them the answers they need to find peace.

What was the inspiration for the books?

This will come as no surprise to those who have read In the Company of Witches, but I was deeply inspired by Practical Magic, Gilmore Girls, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Ghostwhisper. Also, by every witch-based picture book and fairy tale I read as a child, and I read a lot of them. And Halloween! I love Halloween.

Random Question! What's your favorite mystery TV series?

That’s a tough one. Hmm, even though they are very different from what I write, I’m a sucker for BBC mysteries. About ten years ago I caught my husband watching a new show without me. (I know. I couldn’t believe it either. He was already halfway through episode three!) It looked like something I might like, so I made him go back to the beginning. That show was Happy Valley…which led to Broadchurch (tough one to watch), then Luther and Marcella. Recently, we got into Lupin. 

Oh! But I really want to check out the new Nancy Drew series. I think I’d like the paranormal element.

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

So, this one is a bit complicated. My editor at Berkley started another career which left The Evenfall Witches without a home. That being said, Berkley was happy with the sales of the books (as was I!) and proposed I work on a new series along the lines of The Maid and Thursday Murder Club. All that being said, I’m not sure if I’m ready to give up on the Evenfall Witches just yet, and I am pondering some other avenues.

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

I do like Juliet Blackwell’s Witchcraft Mysteries and Heather Blake’s Wishcraft Mysteries for obvious paranormal reasons, but I’m also really looking forward to checking out C.J. Connor’s Board to Death. I think it will be a good one.

Thank you so much to Auralee Wallace for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Auralee Wallace is the author of multiple novels, including the Otter Lake mystery series and the Evenfall Witches B&B Mysteries. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in English literature, and she worked in the publishing industry for a number of years before teaching at the college level.

When this perpetually sleep-deprived mother of three children and one rescue cat isn’t writing, reading, or playing soccer, she can be found watching BBC mysteries and warring with a family of peregrine falcons for the rights to her backyard.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Mary Winters!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Mary Winters, the author of the Lady Of Letters Mysteries!

The first book in the Lady of Letters Mysteries, MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT, released in March! Would you please tell us a little about it?

Sure! I’d love to. Thanks for the opportunity to visit your blog!

MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT is set in Victorian London and features widow Amelia Amesbury, a countess and secret author of the popular Lady Agony advice column. Amelia wasn’t born into the aristocracy, and she finds the posh life rather dull. So she jumps at the chance to secretly pen an agony column for a penny paper when her childhood friend and editor approaches her. After one of her readers witnesses a murder, however, the work turns dangerous. She sets off to meet the woman only to find her murdered also. She is determined to find justice and enlists the help of her dear friend Kitty Hamsted and the dashing marquis Simon Bainbridge. Together, they chase leads all over London, trying to avert danger, detection, and demise. 

Can you tell us anything about the next book?

The second book in the Lady of Letters series is MURDER IN MASQUERADE and will release in February of 2024. Simon Bainbridge’s sister, Marielle, has written to Lady Agony for advice. She desires to run away and marry lifelong horse trainer—and scoundrel—George Davies. Simon does not want that to happen and asks Amelia to help prevent it. They follow the pair to the opera, where murder ensues. Amelia and Simon must untangle the dastardly deeds performed that night if they are to help Marielle. In the process, they uncover secrets that some would rather leave buried.

Random Question! What’s your favorite color? 

Aqua/ocean blue

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m editing MURDER AND MASQUERADE as well as finishing a short story. 

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

So many great cozies! It’s hard to choose favorites. In general, I enjoy cozies that explore an occupation or a location that is new to me. Right now, I’m reading A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR by Catherine Bruns. One book that I’m looking forward to reading this summer is HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry. It’s not a cozy—it’s a romance!—but I think it will be the perfect poolside read.

Thank you so much to Mary Winters for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Mary Winters is the author of the Lady of Letters mystery series. A longtime reader of historical fiction and an author of two other mystery series, Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip! Find out more about Mary and her writing at marywintersauthor.com.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Lauren Elliott!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Lauren Elliott, the author of the Beyond The Page Mysteries, and the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mysteries!

The newest book in your Beyond the Page series, DEDICATION TO MURDER, released in April! Would you like to tell everyone a little about it?

I’ll warn you that reviewers are calling this book a roller coaster ride of emotions, so grab a box of tissues and hang on tight. In Dedication to Murder, a first edition of The Velveteen Rabbit provides bookshop owner Addie Greyborne a telling clue to a cold case in her family’s past . . . To her surprise, a handwritten inscription on the title page provides a clue to unraveling a complex mystery in Addie’s family . . . But that’s not the only surprise in a series of shocking twists that will turn Addie’s vision of where her life is going and where she’s come from upside down—including a suspicious death in the present that suggests foul play. 

So, if you love cozies that are centered on bookstores and rare books, then you’re going to want to read this latest adventure of Addie Greyborne’s, her best friend Serena, the local tea merchant, along with the many other quirky characters found in the quaint seaside, fictional town of Greyborne Harbor Massachusetts. 

The next book in your series, Crystals & CuriosiTEAS, releases in November! Can you tell us a little about MURDER IN A CUP?

Since Murder in a Cup won’t be released until November 28, 2023, I think the best way to tell you something about the next book in the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS series is to let you read the cover blurb that has been provided by Kensington Publishing. 

As an eclectic tea shop owner descended from an Irish witch, intuitive Shay Myers has been living her most authentic life since moving home to California’s scenic Monterey Peninsula. Yet not even her heightened senses can predict how to run a business—or catch a killer . . .

Self-taught “seer” Shay has much to learn as autumn hits the quaint coastal town of Bray Harbor. Since attempting the art of blending herbs at her popular shop, Crystals & CuriosiTeas, she’s set on growing ingredients in the mysterious greenhouse on the second floor—if only she can separate the medicinal plants from the deadly ones. Her new skills are put to the test when she meets pub owner and ex-detective Liam Madigan’s Gran. A psychic from Ireland known for interpreting tea leaves and people, Gran encourages Shay to build upon her natural talents and hold her own group reading . . . 

Despite Shay’s reservations about putting herself in the spotlight, the evening goes off without a hitch. At least, until she does a reading and a customer goes from chatty to dead in a flash, poisoned after sipping a toxic substance recently grown in the greenhouse. Worse, Shay’s assistant is suspected of intentionally serving the lethal brew and committing cold-blooded murder. Now, aided only by Liam and her dog Spirit, Shay must exonerate her employee and save the future of Crystals & CuriosiTeas. But when clues start lining up like leaves in a teacup, she’ll need to understand the signs right in front of her to catch the manipulative murderer before it’s too late . . .

Random Question! What’s your favorite time of year?

I guess I’d have to say that I actually have two favorite times of the year. I love spring, the longer days and the time of birth and renewal with the smells of fresh grass and flowers in the air. Then again, there is Christmas, and let it be known that I’m a six-year-old at heart. I love everything about that holiday season. The lights, the sounds, families brought together, the giving and receiving of gifts shared between loved ones and friends and the food… yes, don’t let me forget about the food! 

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

Currently, I am in the process of writing A Limited Edition Murder, book ten in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. In this book, Addie is putting the pieces of her life back together after her life alternating experiences in book nine, while solving a couple of murders along the way of course. 

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading? 

With back to back deadlines I don’t get a lot of time to read for enjoyment these days, my reading usually revolves around research for my books. However, when I do have some down time, I generally read whodunit classics like Agatha Christie or my other go to escapism genre, gothic suspense.  

Thank you so much to Lauren Elliott for participating in this event!

Author Bio:  USA Today Best-Selling author Lauren Elliott grew up devouring the entire Nancy Drew series and then graduated to Victoria Holt, Agatha Christie, Barbara Erskine, Lynn Kurland, and Michael Crichton to name a few of her favorite authors. When it came time for post-secondary education, journalism seemed like the logical choice as she had written for as long as she could remember. Soon after graduation, while working for a small publication, she discovered that reporting wasn’t what fueled her writing passions.  As someone with an additionally strong background in professional theatre who had the love of storytelling and captivating and holding an audience, her fiction-writing career began to take centre stage.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Sarah Fox!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Sarah Fox, the author of the True Confections mysteries!

Would you please tell us a little about the True Confections Mysteries?

The True Confections mysteries follow the sleuthing adventures of Becca Ransom, who left behind her Hollywood acting career to return home to Larch Haven, Vermont. Known as the Venice of North America, Larch Haven has canals instead of roads and gondolas instead of cars. Becca, now a chocolatier, works in the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops. Becca’s lifelong best friend, Desiree “Dizzy” Bautista, is often her sleuthing partner, and Becca has also reconnected with another lifelong friend, Sawyer Maguire, who’s now a local police officer. I’ve had so much fun with the setting for the series and with the characters. The first book in the series, Six Sweets Under, is out now, and I hope readers will enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The second book in the series releases in October! Can you tell us a little about BAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT?

I’m super excited about the upcoming release of Baking Spirits Bright! This book takes place in December and I loved writing about Larch Haven in the winter. The canals are frozen and all the cute cottages and timber frame buildings are topped with snow. In the midst of the holiday rush at her family’s chocolate shop, True Confections, Becca signs up for a baking competition. She thinks it’ll be good publicity for the shop, but then one of the competitors gets killed with Becca’s chocolate chipper. This book also features a visit to a Christmas tree farm, skating on the canals, and the recipe for Becca’s candy cane truffles.

Random Question! Who is your favorite fictional detective?

I don’t know if I can pick just one! I’m a big fan of Jessica Fletcher, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys so it’s probably a tie between all of them. I love including references to them in my books!

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m finishing up the first draft of a cozy mystery that will kick off a new series. There’s no series title yet, but the book is currently called Murder Most Owl. It’s set in Twilight Cove, a coastal town in Oregon, where the protagonist’s aunt runs an animal sanctuary on her farm. This series is a little different for me in that it has a slight paranormal angle to it. Georgie Johansson (the main character) ends up adopting two dogs who have unusual abilities. There’s also a friendly owl who hangs around and likes to lend a wing now and then when Georgie is investigating a murder. The first book will be released by Severn House in 2024, possibly in the summer.

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

I have so many favourites! To name a few, I love Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cat Mysteries, Jody Holford’s Britton Bay Mysteries and Wannabe Sleuth Mysteries, Lynn Calhoun’s Tourist Trap series, and Sherry Harris’ Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mysteries. I’ve also fallen in love with Dorothy St. James’ Beloved Bookroom series and I’m looking forward to reading the third book in that series as well as Rum and Choke by Sherry Harris.

Thank you so much to Sarah Fox for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Sarah Fox, writer of cozy mysteries, was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English Springer Spaniel.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It's Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Darci Hannah!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Darci Hannah, the author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries!

Would you please tell us about the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries?

The Beacon Bakeshop mystery series revolves around my protagonist, Lindsey Bakewell. Lindsey was a former Wall Street investment banker and was very happy with her life… until the night she found her up-and-coming celebrity chef fiancé, Jeffery Plank, in a compromising position with his pastry chef, Mia Long. The engagement ended, and Lindsey went home to drown her sorrows with cupcakes, wine, and late-night internet shopping! The next morning she found out that she bought an old lighthouse in a place called Beacon Harbor, MI. (Fun fact: you really can buy a Michigan lighthouse online!). 

The lighthouse intrigues her, and soon Lindsey is ready to make the move to Beacon Harbor with her fluffy Newfoundland dog, Wellington, to open her dream bakery and start a new life in a small, picturesque vacation town. Everything is going great for Lindsey as she prepares to open the bakery. She’s making new friends. She’s met her hunky neighbor, Rory Campbell, who she takes an instant liking to. And her best friend, Kennedy Kapoor, has flown in from NYC to help promote the opening of the Beacon Bakeshop. However, on opening day, Lindsey gets a visit from her ex-fiancé and his girlfriend. They’ve come to ruin her new business. Things get pretty heated up, and soon Mia drops dead on the lawn after eating one of Lindsey’s donuts. That’s when Lindsey and her friends have no choice but to find Mia’s true killer. Oh, did I mention that the lighthouse is haunted? It is, and that just adds to the fun of this mystery series.

With every book in the Beacon Bakeshop series readers will find a fun, adventurous, and often suspenseful mystery, with plenty of intrigue, humor, and, of course, yummy recipes in the back of the book for you to try at home. 

The next book in the series is released in July! Can you tell us a little about Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant?

Can I just say how excited I am for this book to come out? I had so much fun writing a Halloween mystery, not only because I got to do a lot of fall baking for this book (think pumpkin spice everything!) but Lindsey’s lighthouse is rumored to be haunted. What a great opportunity it was for me to get to delve into the mystery of Lindsey’s haunted lighthouse! 

This mystery starts on the run-up to Halloween, where every morning Lindsey wakes up only to find life-sized ghouls hanging from her tree. Also, some intrepid teens have tried to break into her haunted lighthouse. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost-hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover. However, during the investigation the team gets spooked and clamors to get out of the haunted lighthouse. As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like just another prankster teens’ creepy clown hanging from the tree. However, Kennedy, and everyone watching her livestream podcast, soon realize that the clown is no dummy, but a corpse. Soon Lindsey and her friends find themselves in a mad dash to solve this puzzling Halloween murder.  

Random question! What’s your favorite time of year?

Oh, wow! This is a hard one because I truly believe that every season brings a special beauty with it. I truly enjoy all four seasons… well, maybe not early spring so much. That’s the gloomiest season we have here in Michigan. However, I must confess that a perfect fall day, when the leaves are at their peak color, might be my favorite. I find it positively breathtaking. I also love fall baking. So, I guess fall is my favorite season of all! 

If you are able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

Well, earlier this year I turned in the manuscript for my 5th Beacon Bakeshop mystery. It’s going to come out just in time for St. Patrick’s Day next year and is titled, MURDER AT THE BLARNEY BASH. I absolutely loved writing about a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Beacon Harbor, MI. All I’m going to say for now is that a new Irish imports shop and micro pub comes to town, and with it comes a bit of a leprechaun problem. That mystery will be out next January. I’m also working on an entirely new mystery series that will debut next fall. I don’t want to say too much about it yet, but I will share more once I see the cover. Getting the cover from the publisher makes it all start to feel real for me. For now, I’m just having a ball writing it. So please stay tuned. There’s lots more to come!

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

The first cozy mystery series that I ever read (I didn’t even know they were cozy mysteries at the time) was the Hamish Macbeth Mysteries by M. C. Beaton. This series is set in the Scottish Highlands, and at the time I was writing historical fiction set in Scotland. I fell in love with those novels, and then read the Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton as well. I love ‘em and am still reading them!

I’ve been reading so many great cozy mysteries lately, by so many great authors. I love them all. It’s a very rich genre and there’s so many great series to delve into! However, I must confess that I’m a huge fan of Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva mysteries. As I write this, I’m anxiously awaiting her latest mystery, THE DIVA DELIVERS ON A PROMISE. It comes out in a few days, (May 23!), and I already have it on preorder. So, by the time you read this, I’ll be reading that!   

Thank you so much to Darci Hannah for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Darci Hannah is the internationally acclaimed author of humorous cozy mysteries and exciting historical fiction. She has the unique privilege of being a Chicagoan, a Hoosier, a summertime Wisconsinite and a Michigander. In fact, along with the black-and-white springer spaniel, Darci considers Lake Michigan to be her spirit animal, both dog breed and lake being a faithful source of inspiration in her busy life. While she attributes her remarkable patience to her thirty-two years of marriage (and counting!) to husband John, her ridiculous sense of humor is primarily the fault her three millennial sons. When Darci’s not engaged in a rollicking family adventure, walking her pups or working at the historic Howell Carnegie District Library, she’s either baking a cherry-tastic treat, drinking coffee or hard at work on her next novel. In fact, it’s a safe bet to assume she’s doing all three.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Instagram

Her Facebook

It’s Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Vicki Delany!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Vicki Delany, the author of multiple cozy series, including the Tea by the Sea Mysteries, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries, and the Year Round Christmas Mysteries! She also writes the Lighthouse Library Mysteries under the name Eva Gates.

The next book in your Tea by the Sea Mysteries, STEEPED IN MALICE, releases in July! Would you like to tell everyone a little about it?

I’d be happy to.  This is the fourth book in the series, set on Cape Cod in a traditional afternoon tea room. The protagonist is Lily Roberts, culinary trained pastry chef, who has come to Cape Cod to fufill her dream of having her own restaurant, and to help her Grandmother, Rose, with her B&B. In Steeped in Malice, Lily buys a charming set of a Peter Rabbit tea service in a wicker hamper to use for her children’s tea. It turns out that two sisters are desperately searching for the tea set and will do just about anything to get it. 

You write the Lighthouse Library Mysteries under the name Eva Gates, and the newest book in the series, DEATH KNELLS AND WEDDING BELLS, released June 6th! Can you tell us a little about it?

The series is set in Nags head, North Carolina, at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. This is the tenth book in the series and it begins at the wedding of series protagonist Lucy Richardson to her love Connor McNeil. The wedding is wonderful, and it goes off without a hitch, aside from some inter-family bickering. But the next morning, one of the wedding guests has disappeared and another is found murdered and stuffed in a closet. It’s up to the curious and brave Lucy to figure out what’s going on. 

3 Random Question! Do you listen to music while you write?

Always. And always very soft classical, instrumental only.  

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

Today I finished the next Lighthouse Library mystery, still untitled.  I write four books a year, so next on my desk is final edits to the 9th Sherlock Holmes Bookshop book, The Sign of Four Spirits, and after that I’ll begin the next Year Round Christmas mystery (to follow the sixth book, Have Yourself A Deadly Little Christmas coming in September). 

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading?

I’m a member of the Facebook group, Cozy Mystery Crew, and I love everything my crew-mates write. In particular I love the hilarious Catering Hall series from Ellen Byron and the Poppy McAlister books from Libby Klein. I was at Malice Domestic recently and heard about plenty of cozies that are getting good buzz. I plan to start the Caribbean Kitchen mysteries from Raquel V. Reyes soon. For some reason, I overlooked them, but I plan to catch up. 

Thank you so much to Vicki Delany for participating in this event!

Author Bio: Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than forty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the Tea by the Sea mysteries for Kensington, the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series for Crooked Lane Books, the Catskill Resort mysteries for Penguin Random House, and the Lighthouse Library series (as Eva Gates) for Crooked Lane. 

Vicki is a past president of the Crime Writers of Canada and co-founder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards. Vicki is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. She lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario. 

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Facebook

It’s Locked! A Cozy Mystery Celebration: Interview With Korina Moss!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Korina Moss, the author of the Cheese Shop Mysteries! 

The newest book in the Cheese Shop Mysteries, CURDS OF PREY, released in March! Would you like to tell us a little about it?

I’d love to! CURDS OF PREY is the third book in my series, so this one focuses on some of the growing relationships of my main characters, particularly between my protagonist, Willa, and meadery owner, Roman. Love is in the air, as the Yarrow Glen decorating committee gets ready for a town-wide dance and Willa prepares an extensive cheese bar for the wedding shower of socialite Summer Harrington. When a murder occurs at the wedding shower and reveals Roman’s hidden history with the Harringtons, Willa’s budding relationship is rocked. She wants to steer clear of the whole thing, but someone she cannot refuse asks her to find out the truth. Soon, she’s caught between two powerful families—one of which might be protecting a killer. I think this book will be satisfying to my series readers who’ve been wanting to see Willa and Roman’s relationship progress, for better or worse. The dance decorating committee introduces some fun, new series characters, and love interests begin to form for each of Willa’s sleuthing friends, Archie, Mrs. Schultz, and Baz. 

The next book, CASE OF THE BLEUS, releases in September! Can you tell us anything about it?

Yes! CASE OF THE BLEUS centers around a valuable and highly sought-after custom blue cheese created by Willa’s former employer, the recently deceased Max Dumas. Willa’s former colleagues, who also worked for Max, arrive in Yarrow Glen for the popular cheese invitational where Max and his cheese will be honored. Only Max knew the recipe and the location where his beloved cheese was made and aged, and those who were closest to Max are eager to have these secrets revealed at his will reading. But instead of naming someone to inherit his cheese and its secrets, Max stuns everyone with one cryptic clue. When a fellow cheesemonger dies under mysterious circumstances––the woman they all thought would get the secrets to Max's prized possession––everyone falls under suspicion. I think readers will find this one to be a lot of fun, because there are riddles in the book that must be solved to figure out Max’s secret, so readers have the opportunity to solve them alongside Willa and her sleuthing friends.

Random Question! What’s your favorite type of cheese? 

That’s a really hard question because there are so many delicious cheeses and they’re all so different that it’s hard to compare. One of my favorites that I can eat any time is Brabander Gouda. I mention it in the first chapter of CHEDDAR OFF DEAD. It’s creamy and sort of sweet and so delicious, it’s hard to stop eating it. 

If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m working on the fifth book (currently untitled) in my Cheese Shop Mystery series. It takes place at the district-wide Dairy Days festival in the town next to Yarrow Glen, so when a suspicious accident occurs, killing the Miss Dairy pageant director, Willa can’t count on Detective Heath to investigate—this case is outside his jurisdiction. However, the town’s mayor is more concerned about keeping it hush-hush so Dairy Days will be a success than in having the police conduct an investigation. When another “accident” occurs, this time involving one of Willa’s friends, she and Heath team up to discover the killer. I think readers will enjoy this one, because Heath won’t be asking Willa not to investigate for the first time—they’ll be working together. He won’t be constricted by his role as a police detective, since he’s not officially on the case, so readers will get to see more of his personality.  

What are some of your favorite cozy mysteries? And what are some you’re looking forward to reading? 

There are so many cozies I enjoy, I can’t even begin to name them. I’ll tell you the cozies I read early on that got me hooked on the genre and made me want to write cozy mysteries: M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series, Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Bear Catering series, Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series, and Nancy Pickard’s Jenny Cain series, to name a few. I love the culturally diverse culinary cozies out today from authors like Raquel V. Reyes, Mia P. Manansala, Olivia Matthews, Vivian Chien, and Jennifer Chow. I also like the quozies (queer cozy mysteries) from authors like Rob Osler (a fellow Agatha award nominee), C.J. Connor, Frank Anthony Polito, and Zac Bissonnette. I’m looking forward to reading Libby Klein’s first book in her forthcoming series, Vice and Virtue, because her Poppy McAllister Mysteries are so funny. I’m super excited about Olivia Blacke’s forthcoming humorous supernatural mystery, Afterlife—it feels fresh and different. I also can’t wait to read Celeste Connally’s upcoming historical cozy mystery, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, which meshes the genre with all the romantic fun of Bridgerton. And, of course, I’m looking forward to reading all the cozies in my TBR pile… someday.

Thank you so much to Korina Moss for participating in this event!

Author Bio: KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop cozy mystery series set in Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner of the Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Her books have been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World Magazine, AARP Magazine, and Fresh Fiction. She loves creating quirky characters who live in idyllic small towns. She grew up on a healthy dose of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie novels, which developed her passion for solving mysteries and eventually writing her own. She lives in a small New England town with its own share of quirky characters.

Here Are A Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram