AN INTERVIEW WITH COZY MYSTERY AUTHOR LYNN McPHERSON

Today we sit down for a chat with cozy mystery author Lynn McPherson. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

When my daughter was first born. I had long stretches of little sleep. My imagination took hold and a story formed. Once I started, I never stopped.

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication? 

5 years

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Traditionally

 

Where do you write?

At the library, the coffee shop, or at the kitchen table

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind? 

Coffee shop buzz is great, but I find music distracting. 

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular? 

Inspiration comes from day-to-day life, but by the time it’s in a book, a lot has changed.

 

Describe your process for naming your character?

That takes me days of ruminating about it. It’s a slow process.

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

Fictional

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has? 

Ava, best friend to protagonist Izzy, is not good at sticking to one thing. In this book, she’s on a fitness kick, yet has a habit of turning each exercise into a near-death experience. 

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I talk to my dog like she’s a person (although I’m pretty sure she understands everything I say!) She’s a great listener.

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why? 

Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown. I’m a huge fan of the series and it was the first cozy I ever read.

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours? 

I wish I spent more time noting details about some of the places I’ve traveled, like Paris and London, so I could use more international settings. A reason to return, I guess!

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve? 

Running out of coffee

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves? 

Other than my family and basic necessities? Books, coffee, a radio.

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held? 

In a kitchen, lasted one day. Let’s just say I’m not a chef.

 

Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why? 

Jessica Fletcher, on screen and in books. Smart, confident, and has a fabulous writing career.

 

Ocean or mountains? 

Mountains

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

City girl

 

What’s on the horizon for you? 

I have two new book series, starting out next year. One about an amateur sleuth social media influencer. The other is a cozy mystery set in a B&B.

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

I love modern cozy mysteries that incorporate technology and current trends. And humor is a must!

 

The Girls Dressed for Murder

An Izzy Walsh Mystery

 

When Izzy gets a killer dress for her birthday, she isn’t expecting to accessorize it with murder…

 

It’s 1958 in the cozy coastal town of Twin Oaks and amateur sleuth Isabelle (Izzy) Walsh is armed with a fresh perspective, four years after tragedy strikes. The first stop on her journey back to joy is the best little dress shop in town—introduced to her by best friend and fashion fiend, Ava Russell. Izzy falls in love with the store and its style. So when the boutique is marred by murder, Izzy wants to help. But with more suspects to choose from than a spring collection, she isn’t sure where to start. 

 

Can Izzy unravel the twisted truth or will she become the victim of a deadly trend?

 

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