And for another special evening, join author Lois Winston on Monday evening, January 27th at 7pm ET (6pm CT, 5pm MT, and 4pm PT), where she'll be the guest of the Cozy Mystery Party Facebook Group, hosted by Heather Harrisson and Shawn Stevens. If you'd like to join in for a fun hour + of all things murder, mayhem, and cozy mysteries (there will be prizes and surprises!), join the group ahead of time at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozymysteryparty. Hope to see you there!
‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, getting together with friends and family, festive parties, and exchanging gifts. I love this time of year because my author, Lois Winston, is too busy with holiday festivities to dream up new ways to torment me with assorted murder and mayhem. She says it’s her holiday gift to me.
But this year she’s also got a gift for all our blog readers.
Back in August, Lois attended the Killer Nashville Mystery Conference. One of the workshops she went to was about how to grow your newsletter subscribers list through Reader Magnets. Lois decided to give Reader Magnets a try.
What’s a Reader Magnet, you ask? It’s a freebie, usually a short story or novella, that readers receive as a thank-you for subscribing to an author’s newsletter. If you subscribe to Lois’s newsletter, you’ll receive a free e-copy of Mosaic Mayhem, one of the three Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini Mysteries that are connected to the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series (otherwise known as those books Lois writes about me.)
A reluctant Amateur sleuth, bumbling kidnappers, mistaken identity. What could go wrong?
So much for a romantic getaway...When cash-strapped mom and reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack is offered an all-expense paid three-day trip to Barcelona, her only worries are whether her passport is still valid and arranging care for her semi-invalid mother-in-law during her absence. However, within hours of landing in Europe, she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun and needing to convince a Spanish crime syndicate they’ve kidnapped the wrong person. Why do people on both sides of the Atlantic keep trying to kill this pear-shaped, middle-aged single mom, and magazine crafts editor?
Click here to join Lois’s newsletter and get your free copy of Mosaic Mayhem.
Dianne Ascroft writes the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries, set in rural Canada during the 1980s, as well as The Yankee Years, an historical fiction series set in WWII Northern Ireland. She has a passion for Ireland and Canada, past and present. An ex-pat Canadian, Dianne lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong-willed animals. Learn more about her and her books at her website.
Fenwater’s Big Night
Thanks for letting me drop in, Anastasia. I’m Lois Stone and I’m the main character in the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries series. The books are set in Fenwater, a fictional small town in rural Ontario, Canada that was founded by immigrants from Scotland during the early 1800s. The residents of our town have a strong connection with its Scottish heritage so the annual Burns Night supper is the biggest event on our calendar.
I’m a bit conflicted about it, though. I moved to town about six months ago. My friends want me to celebrate my Scottish ancestry since I live in a really Scottish-Canadian town, but I don’t want to acknowledge my Scottish roots. You see, my grandfather was a bit of a scoundrel and my mother refused to talk about him. My Scottish roots come from his side of the family so I don’t want to explore them and upset my mother. I’m also kind of scared of what I might discover. But I can’t seem to get away from my ancestry here in Fenwater. Everyone around me is excited that Burns Night is coming and they want me to delve into my ancestry.
I might have been able to avoid all the fuss about the Burns supper if I didn’t play the bagpipes. As The Snow Job opens, our pipe band is practising for the supper. I’m actually looking forward to that part as this is the first Burns supper that I’ve played at with this band. I’ve learned all the tunes we’re playing and I’ll even know lots of people at the supper. Though I’m still new in town, it will make me feel like I’m part of the community.
Oh, excuse me, I’m rambling. Do you even know what a Burns supper is? If you have any Scottish ancestry, you may have attended one. But for those who haven’t, a Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of Robert - or Rabbie as he is more commonly known - Burns. Rabbie Burns was a poet and song lyricist from Scotland. Born on January 25, 1759, he was only 37 when he died in 1796. He is regarded as the most prominent poet to have written in Scots, a UK regional dialect that is recognised as a minority language. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is one of his works.
Burns Night is celebrated annually in Scotland, in Scottish communities worldwide, and especially for those abroad, it has also become a chance to celebrate all things Scottish – sort of like St. Patrick’s Day without the green beer. The first supper was organised by nine of Burns's friends on July 21, 1801, the anniversary of his death. The suppers have become an annual occurrence and are now normally held on January 25th, the poet's birthdate.
Burns suppers are respectful and fun. There’s a traditional meal which consists of tatties (potatoes), neeps (turnips), and haggis, which was a favourite dish of the poet. What is haggis? Haggis is made from a sheep’s liver, lungs, and heart and mixed with suet and oatmeal. Believe it or not, it really is tasty – sort of like a spicier minced beef. Guests are piped in to the dining room, and a Scottish grace is said. The haggis is then piped in with great ceremony, and before the meal commences, a guest recites Burns’ poem the 'Address to a Haggis', which extols how wonderful haggis is.
After the meal there are several toasts and speeches, including the ‘Immortal Memory’, a tribute to the poet. At our supper, Dave Stewart, who has an antique stall in our market, is giving ‘The Address to the Lassies’, a humorous thank you to the women who prepared the meal. My friend Marge will ‘Reply to the Laddies’, rebutting any comments Dave might make about women. I’m rather nervous about that as you never know what she’ll come out with.
Preparations for our supper were going well until one of the Burns Night committee members died in suspicious circumstances the week before the event. I didn’t know him but I was sad to hear of his death. Marge worked with him at the museum, and she asked me to help her find his killer. I’ve promised my partner Bruce that I’d stay out of police matters, but Marge is very persuasive. So, I turned my thoughts from getting ready for the Burns Night supper to helping Marge find the killer. What could possibly go wrong?
A Century Cottage Cozy Mystery, Book 3
A Scottish shindig, a pretty pin, a cold corpse.
When a well-liked and respected townsman is murdered on a snowy street in Fenwater, it’s up to Lois Stone to sift through a multitude of motives to find the killer.
Middle-aged widow Lois is beginning to feel part of the Fenwater community, and as winter sets in, she is getting ready for the town’s biggest Scottish event, the annual Burns Night supper. But when one of the committee members dies in suspicious circumstances, Lois has more to worry about than the fate of this year’s celebration. She tried unsuccessfully to revive the man and her friend Marge worked with him. So, they want to find his killer even though Lois promised her partner Bruce that she would stay out of police matters.
But, what’s the harm in asking a few questions? Such as does someone want to safeguard their inheritance or give their business a boost? Will finding the motive for the murder lead them to the killer or maybe more?
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What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?
Before Mary and began collaborating, I’d been trying to get a job. I met the man of my dreams while attending the Royal Holloway in London, earned a degree in Mathematical Cryptanalysis with plans to work in encryption and decryption for the NSA (National Security Agency), but life got in the way. I found out Charles wasn’t who I thought he was. He had a title--Baron. I ran from him, but Charles had better sense and followed me home. We married. Seventeen days later, he was shot and killed, trying to protect me. I gave up those dreams and felt called to teaching high school mathematics instead, a nice safe, boring profession, I thought. Unfortunately, Mary set me up to find a body while walking my dog, and now I feel like a corpse magnet.
What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?
Because I’m good at deciphering puzzles and riddles, I’ve been able to help solve a few crimes, even when law enforcement would rather I stay out of their hair. But my favorite attribute is my ability to make math more fun than expected for my students. A few of them have even thanked me, so I’ll put that in the win column.
What do you like least about yourself?
At times I’m too serious. In my mind, everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I’d like to be able to just let it go. (Wouldn’t that make a great song?) I’m not sure that will happen, but I can hope. I think I’ve fallen in love again, and I have to work at not pushing him away. Pete Erickson is the kindest, sweetest, handsomest, smartest … you get what I mean. He keeps dropping wedding hints to Mary, but she hasn’t picked up on them yet.
What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?
I hate the cold. Then, you ask, why stay in Minnesota? I love the change in seasons and am mesmerized by our trees budding and flowering in the spring, shading through the warm summer, painting the horizon with oranges, yellow, reds, and browns in the fall, and drifting to the ground before cleaning the world canvas with white snow and beginning again. Therefore, the strangest thing Mary has had me do is ICE FISH!
Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?
I wouldn’t say we argue, but we definitely have some heated discussions. Some of the characters I meet have a vicious streak and I have no tolerance for them. She also clearly colors within the lines. She’s a firstborn and tries to follow all the rules. I bend them whenever I can.
What is your greatest fear?
My dad has nearly recovered from his traumatic brain injury but I’m sure he was shot and Charles died, because of me. I haven’t figured out why and no one has yet discovered the shooter, but I’m afraid anyone I get close to might become a target. I’m careful, but I’ve noticed my guard has been slipping as I get more comfortable in my surroundings. I need to remind myself to stay alert but not hide away from life.
What makes you happy?
First and foremost, being written into stories with my friends and family makes me smile. I have Dad, a great landlady, a reliable best friend, an adorable, loving, hardworking, intelligent, handsome boyfriend, and Maverick, the best dog ever, who has put himself in harm’s way for me more times than I care to count. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for him.
If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?
If I could have rewritten the Katie and Maverick Cozies without Charles dying, I would be happy, but then my story wouldn’t exist.
Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?
ZaZa Lavigne began as a student at the Royal Holloway six months earlier than me and, unbeknown to me, fell deeply in love with Charles before I arrived. She never said anything, and he never knew. We lost touch and I didn’t hear from her for years, but a teaching position opened up at my school, and she applied. I don’t know why she gave up a job in security in Paris to come here, but she was hired and now is a thorn in my side, reminding me if he hadn’t married me, Charles might still be alive.
Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?
If I couldn’t be me, I’d trade places with my crazy landlady who knows how to shake up life. She dances for exercise (winning competitions with her fabulous partner) and can cook like a chef at a Michelin Star restaurant. She’s a true artist with her head in the clouds and her feet planted firmly on the ground. She can pick up any craft with a snap of her fingers. She knows how to knit and tried to teach me but I’m still fumbling with the cast-on stitch. She lends me wonderful items to make even my wardrobe passable and I don’t know what we’d do without her. Everyone in town knows who she is, and most love her.
Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
Mary loves making trouble for me. When she’s not writing, she’s making incredible memories with family and friends, walking her dog, whose only speed is faster, carefully deleting reference to murder from her web-browser, and pretending to cook. You can find her nibbling chocolate and sipping wine, both of which sometimes occur WHILE writing and reading. Find more about her at maryseifertauthor.com.
What's next for you?
The chronicle of my latest adventure, Creeps, Cache & Corpses, a spring break fiasco, is now available. But end-of-the-year activities are culminating at school, and I’ve discovered I have a younger half-sister, Ellen, which means my mother didn’t die as I’d thought; she’d left and started a new family. I’m trying to reconcile my definition of family with my new reality. In addition, my landlady, Ida Clemashevski, confesses to bouts of melancholia and forgetfulness, and we’ve witnessed her unexpected mood swings. I worry the symptoms are a prelude to dementia. Ellen hasn’t seen our long-lost mother in almost a decade, and I found out she’s begun a search for her, but her drive is blinding her good judgement, so Mary and I are trying to work out the next story.
A Katie & Maverick Cozy Mystery, Book 7
When Katie’s spring break plans for a romantic getaway with Pete fall apart, she skips the chance to go skiing with her dad and the sister she’s very recently met. Instead, she and Maverick and a group of friends travel to attend the memorial service for a student’s mother, but it is spring break so there will also be salon treatments, shopping, and sightseeing. But, from the moment they arrive, tension fills the air, as Edith Farthington, the oddball innkeeper, and her nephew appear to be harboring secrets and a few unwanted visitors.
The group is in town less than 24 hours when, during a geocache outing, Katie and her students discover a dead body concealed in a remote area of an area park. Unfortunately, the victim just happens to be one of the few people in town they’ve already met, and Katie’s group is getting the side-eye from the local cops.
The suspects are numerous, the motives tricky, but there’s a shock for Katie and those close to her when the sheriff leaps ahead to arrest one of their own. How can Katie find enough evidence to convince him otherwise, especially when she’s been warned to leave it to the professionals—many times?
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Also, like my author, Sam’s author gave her a carrot in the form of a romantic interest. I have Zachary Barnes, and Sam has Carter Chapman. However, just like Lois, Gay couldn’t leave well enough alone. Like Zack, Carter may possibly be involved in clandestine government operations. The truth is on a need-to-know basis, and neither Lois nor Gay feel Sam and I need to know. Which, of course, creates all sorts of tension between us and our authors, not to mention between us and the men in our lives.
But it’s Valentine’s Day. I really don’t want to think about covert ops and alphabet agencies. Sam has decided likewise. So, we thought we’d share our perfect Valentine’s Day with you. Hopefully, our guys are reading this and will take the hint.
I’m thinking a private island resort with individual bungalows, free of interruptions from teenagers or a communist mother-in-law and her minions, and where we wouldn’t stumble over a dead body between the main course and desert.
Once we arrive, we’d partake in a couple’s massage before a candlelight champagne dinner prepared and served by a private chef on our secluded patio. A string quartet would serenade us, and we’d slow-dance in the moonlight between courses. Dinner would begin with a Crab Louie salad served over a bed of bib lettuce, followed by escargot stuffed mushrooms. For an entrée we’d dine on pan seared scallops in a lemon-caper beurre blanc with roasted asparagus and truffle mashed potatoes. The meal would end with raspberry crème brûlée and hand-dipped chocolate truffles.
After dinner, we’ll curl up in bed to watch Singing in the Rain (because unlike most of my other favorite movies—Casablanca, Shakespeare in Love, Same Time Next Year, and La La Land—it has a happy ending), before turning out the lights. You’ll have to imagine what happens next since we live within the pages of cozy mysteries.
So, Sam. What’s your idea of a perfect Valentine celebration?
Wow, Anastasia, a private island is the perfect romantic escape from your wacky family! I’ll keep it in mind for another time. After my last scrape with a killer, I feel the need to be cocooning with Carter at his ranch in the hill country. Whenever he’s around, he loves to pamper me, so he’d cook, of course. A creamy vichyssoise to start—it tastes like something they eat in heaven. Maybe a gorgeous steak to follow, with lobster tails and a bottle of wine from the neighboring vineyard. Afterward, we’d sit by the fire drinking port in the library and listening to Miles Davis or Samara Joy. At some point, he’d start to massage my shoulder, and then we’d...oops, almost forgot that we’re in cozy land... Let’s just say, we’d get cozy!
In the morning, he’d make coffee and pancakes with maple syrup and fresh blueberries. We’d go for a horseback ride in the rolling hills around the ranch. Just when I start feeling that life could always be like this, he gets a message, heads off to who-knows-where, and another perfect Valentine’s Day bites the dust. Good thing I’m used to it by now.
Well, that sounds lovely, Sam (except for Carter rushing off, of course!) But since Zack is the gourmet chef in our family, and I’m more the microwave or oven-baked casserole queen, having him whip up our Valentine dinner wouldn’t be much of a holiday for him. Besides, he might get some ideas from the private chef and surprise me once we’re home. ;-)
My biggest worry, though, is knowing my author as I do, we’ll wake up the next morning and find the body of the private chef or one of the string quartet dead on the patio—and not from natural causes! Lois has a way of throwing a monkey wrench into any romantic interlude she allows me. We both know Gay is the same way with you.
On second thought, maybe we’d just better stay home and order a heart-shaped pizza.
Oh well, pizza’s good. But what if the delivery guy is a serial killer?
All Samantha Newman wants is a good job, a place to call her own, and a chance at love. But in her rollercoaster life, things don’t come easy. Just when success seems possible, a dead body show up and Samantha's in the hot seat. If she didn’t have a sense of humor, she’d really go crazy. In the Samantha Newman Mysteries—The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News—you’ll laugh and maybe shed a tear as she wades through minefields in search of the life she wants to live.
The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries
Crafts and murder don’t normally go hand-in-hand. However, normal deserted magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack’s world the day her husband permanently cashed in his chips in Las Vegas. That’s when her comfortable middle-class life crapped out. Now she's dealing with debt greater than the GNP of Uzbekistan, her husband’s mob-connected loan shark is demanding fifty G’s—or else, and she's stuck with her communist mother-in-law as a permanent houseguest. Life then leaps from how-do-I-dig-myself-out-of-this-hole? to how-do-I-keep-from-getting-killed? when the first dead body shows up.
There are now twelve books and three novellas in this humorous, critically acclaimed, and bestselling mystery series.
And now for the surprise!
For those of you who haven't read Assault with A Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, it's currently on sale for a limited time for only .99 cents at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Apple.
What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?
Before my author made me her marionette, I was the poster child for academic introversion. A shy hermit crab, I studiously avoided any form of social interaction. College at sixteen? Check. Dating? Not until I had three diplomas.
What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?
I have the tenacity of a bulldog on a bone. No setback can knock me down permanently. And when I get to know someone, I relax into humorous banter and the warmth of commitment.
What do you like least about yourself?
I'm a certified member of the "What If" club. I spend more time imagining worst-case scenarios than a conspiracy theorist on a caffeine bender. I majored in Catastrophizing 101, and I graduated with honors.
What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you? Crawling around in the dirt with Portuguese pigs. Forget swanky adventures; I get down and dirty with farm animals. It was like my author thought, "Why not add a touch of Eau de Pigsty to the protagonist's journey?"
Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?
Oh, we have our tussles. My author wants me to be this kick-ass dynamo, but I'm like, "Let me navigate life at my own GPS-guided pace, okay?" It's a constant tug-of-war between Dr. Millie’s plot twists and my roller coaster ride through character development.
What is your greatest fear?
I’m phobic about failing as a veterinarian in public health. I wasn't ready to be the James Herriot of clinical animal care. Instead, all creatures great and small are my global responsibility, and the fear of microbial mayhem keeps me up at night.
What makes you happy?
Family, friends, and close colleagues are my rock stars. And nature is my Zen garden. Who knew investigating diseases could be so uplifting? I get to solve microbial mysteries, one exotic locale after another.
If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?
I’d rewrite my personal losses, but those are the price we pay for deep relationships. At work, I had this toxic colleague and instead of reporting him, I tried to suck it up. In hindsight, I should've let the higher-ups deal with him. Lesson learned: not all doctors are heroes.
Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?
Same guy, Dr. Toxic Arrogance himself. His lack of boundaries was like a mosquito in a quiet room—annoying, persistent, and impossible to ignore. A confidence-crusher deluxe.
Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?
Dr. Faye Simpson, the older public health vet in New York City, is a ball of fire. She takes no prisoners, and I love her experimental spirit. But a lifetime focused mostly on work? I'd need more than a coffee IV to survive that. Pass on the all-work, little-love gig.
Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?
My puppet master, Dr. Millie (Millicent Eidson), is also a veterinary epidemiologist and travel addict. She adopted a kiddo from China around the same time as my parents adopted me. Check her out at https://drmayamaguire.com/about and you can see a picture of my real-life “sister.”
What's next for you?
In the magical MayaVerse, microbes emerge alphabetically, so stay tuned for “Dengue” which drops me into Hawaii battling deadly mosquitoes. Dr. Millie promises me a “Happy for Now” ending in every book, which is a relief given all the suspense and thrilling adventures she puts me through.
A Microbial Mystery, Book 3
Veterinarian Maya Maguire approaches the end of her training as one of CDC’s elite shock troops for investigating disease epidemics. Despite unfinished business with a toxic colleague, her work and personal life fall into place. Until COVID, and its impact on loved ones. After investigating the first human case in Arizona, her focus shifts to coronavirus in animals. As a Chinese American adoptee, her origin story comes full circle like an ouroboros—a dragon eating its tail.
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The first eight books of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series are now available in audiobook format. Put Anastasia on the case, and she’ll figure out which reindeer was the culprit in grandma’s demise as she reluctantly stumbles her way through murder and mayhem but always figures out whodunit in the end.
And speaking of last minute baking, here’s a bar cookie you can whip up in no time. You don’t even need to lug out the stand mixer!
Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients:
2-3/4 cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar, either light or dark
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 room temperature lg. eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup each mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch or caramel chips
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts.
Christmas sprinkles
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for lifting bars from the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together.
Melt the butter and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together with large spoon or spatula. Fold in the chips and nuts.
Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer. Add sprinkles, pressing lightly onto dough.
Bake for 25–30 minutes or until lightly browned on sides and top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean. Don’t over-bake.
Place pan on wire rack and allow bars to cool at least an hour. Lift bars from pan and cut into squares. (Note: a pizza cutter works well for cutting.)
Remember, along with cookies, if you’re pressed for last minute gifts, don’t forget that an audiobook subscription or a gift card for ebooks or print make great gifts.
Happy holidays from author Lois Winston, her reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, and all the other characters swimming around in Lois's brain.
Growing Older, Writing Older
I can tell I’m getting older. Not only do birthdays begin with higher numbers, but the body has a way of informing me with aches and pains that the years are going by. For authors who write series books, aging of a protagonist faces the same issue. How does the writer age the main character? Slowly by months, less slowly by years, or not at all. The latter is difficult especially with the intrusiveness of technology changes and world events. For example, does the writer ignore the pandemic or insert it into the book? Cozy writers like me prefer to keep our work light—mine includes quite a bit of humor. I’m not quite up to the task of making the pandemic funny. I don’t really know how to do that, and I really don’t think I want to.
One author who managed the aging protagonist issue was Sue Grafton who didn’t age Kinsey. However, characters’ arcs found in most cozy mysteries often include experiences that take place over time such as a divorce, marriage, changes in relationships, births, deaths, or just the daily happenings humans confront. So our characters age. It’s just a matter of how fast.
I have begun a new cozy mystery series. My last one (the Eve Appel mysteries) featured a protagonist who, at the end of the series, was in her late thirties. That was several years ago. My new series (the Maddie Sparks series) features a woman who is on the far side of seventy, closer in age to me. Maddie and I may not survive a ten-book series because I only write one book a year (like I said, I’m old!), but I’ve decided to set each book in a season. The first of the series, Spiked Punch, takes place during a typical Upstate New York summer. The weather is, as usual, changeable with hot humid days and nights, periods of torrential downpour and massive thunderstorms. The fall to come is the setting for the second book. Six books or so in, Maddie will only be a year and a half older, and I think she and I can manage that.
One might think that with an older protagonist, the action would be slower, but I’ve discovered it gets speeded up. Maddie meets a retired county sheriff, and they quickly fall in love. I make that happen in a few weeks. Too fast? Perhaps. We shall see in the second book, but as Maddie suggests, there’s not a lot of time available for putting off action. By the end of the book Maddie and her sheriff have moved in together, Maddie has adopted a rescue cat, one son has been accused of murder, Maddie has begun a new writing project in a new genre and developed a new friendship. It leaves you breathless to see how much ground Maddie has covered. I hope it leaves the reader breathless and yearning for more also.
Because I write cozy mysteries with humor in them, I set myself the task of not only developing a good mystery with intricate plotting and complex characters, but I have the additional undertaking of providing laughs along the way. Humor is not easy to write. Sometimes it seems to simply emerge from the situation, or I use it as a tension reducer where needed. In other cases, it’s really work. What I find easier with Maddie is that I know her well, understand her experiences because I’ve lived many of them myself, and instinctively know a humorous quip I might engage in would be what Maddie might also say. As with humor, Maddie and I are on the same wavelength with respect to what we like. We’ve lived the same social, political and, oftentimes, emotional history. You could call the humor in the book, “seasoned humor.” As such, it should appeal to any age.
The question that arises is will younger readers find Maddie interesting? Will they want to follow her through the series? One reviewer of Spiked Punch mentioned that the book would be for those readers who enjoyed a mature sleuth. Frankly, I like all my sleuths to be mature, up to using their life experiences to sort through clues and solve the crime. Flighty protagonists do not appeal, and I assume readers will love Maddie’s nosy and adventuresome nature and respect what aging brings to the sleuthing process. I hope you enjoy Maddie and her sleuthing team of Zack, the retired sheriff, and Spike, the brilliant rescue cat.
A Maddie Sparks Mystery, Book 1
On the other side of seventy, Maddie Sparks decides to spice up her life by changing her writing interests from cozy mysteries to romance. She also determines her appearance should reflect this transformation in her writing career. A sassy new haircut and more fashionable clothes complete the newer Maddie Sparks. Before she can begin this new chapter in her life, a stabbing death in the quiet country village she has made her home shocks the town's residents.
When her son is accused of the murder, Maddie and the acting county sheriff come together to find the real killer. Their relationship soon blooms into more than one of shared determination to solve the murder. As they enjoy a hike in a nearby park, someone shoots the sheriff, barely missing Maddie. Another killer could be loose in the area, and the person may be closer to Maddie than she realizes. Maddie discovers parts of herself she didn't know existed: real life romance with the sheriff, a talent for sleuthing and room in her life for a fuzzy, orange cat named "Spike." This recent lease on life may be more exciting and more dangerous than Maddie expects.
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The premise for the series (if you’ve stumbled across this blog for the first time and don’t know who I am) is that when my gambling-addicted husband permanently cashed in his chips in Las Vegas, my life crapped out. I was left with two teenage sons, a mountain of debt, and a loan shark demanding fifty thousand dollars.
Over the course of the series, Lois has me look for ways to whittle down the massive debt I’ve inherited, a task made more difficult by my spend-thrift mother, a self-proclaimed descendant of Russian royalty, and my curmudgeonly mother-in-law, a card-carrying communist, both of whom live with me.
And did I mention the dead bodies? It’s not like I work in law enforcement. However, ever since Karl Marx Pollack’s death, I keep stumbling across murder victims, which is definitely not something found in the job description for any women’s magazine crafts editor, even ones working in New Jersey.
Lois has always been drawn to quirky characters. They make her laugh. It’s the reason she writes humorous amateur sleuth mysteries. She firmly believes we need more laughter in the world. We all get enough of the grim and gritty from the realities of real life, especially these days. I can’t say that I disagree. I just wish she wouldn’t do it at my expense. I can use the laughs, but I can do with fewer dead bodies.
Lois often bases her characters on people she’s known. Usually, she takes traits from various people, exaggerates them, and blends them together to create the unique characters that fill the pages of her books. That’s because most people aren’t as quirky in real life as they are on the printed page.
The exception is Lucille, my mother-in-law. With a few minor differences, Lucille’s personality (along with her communist leanings) mirrors that of my author’s deceased mother-in-law. In the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, Lucille is the character readers love to hate. Some readers have wanted Lois to kill her off, but most love her, probably because they see some of their own mothers-in-law in her. I chalk this up to misery loving company.
Some people think Lucille is a witch. Others use stronger language. Love her or hate her, Lucille pushes readers’ buttons. Lois tells me that’s a good thing because you always want the characters in a book to stir a reader’s emotions. So, in honor of Halloween and the witch (or the stronger word that rhymes with it) the two e-book bundle of A Stitch to Die For and Scrapbook of Murder is on sale throughout October for only .99 cents.
Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, Books 5-6
