Paula Charles's Blog

5 Cozy Mysteries to Give You All the Autumn Feels

There’s nothing like a good cozy mystery to immerse yourself in all the best things about Autumn.

September's Featured Author - Adrian Andover

Adrian Andover is the debut cozy mystery author of Whiskey Business.

5 Fun Cozy Mysteries with Unique Animal Sidekicks

While dogs and cats are more than lovely, there are a handful of unique furry, feathered, and scaled creatures that also add a great deal of fun to the cozy mystery series they inhabit.

10 Great First Books in Series by Murder, They Write Authors

Find your next cozy read!

March's Featured Author - K. B. Jackson

Fellow Pacific Northwesterner, K. B. Jackson is known as the "Sasquatch Lady" in some circles. Kate is in no way big, hairy, and stinky,...

February's Featured Author - Heather Weidner

I'm pleased to have Heather Weidner here as the February Author of the month. Heather is one of the kindest people I've ever met. Not only is she a prolific author, she is always willing to lend a hand to uplift our cozy community. She is a true blessing to all of us!

Heather writes FOUR cozy mystery series, and I'm fairly certain she has more in the works. Today, we're going to talk about Murder Strikes a Chord, which is the first book in her Pearly Girl Mystery series. This book will be out on March 18th, but is up for preorder right now.

Here's what to expect:

Veronica Mars meets The Golden Girls as event planner Cassidy Jamison and her four sixty-year-old employees race to solve a rocker's murder before the curtains close on their show and their business.

When Cassidy inherited her late grandmother's event planning business, she also inherited her grandmother's friends- four women known around town as the Pearly Girls-as part-time employees. Now Cassidy barely has time to breathe between spending every waking hour trying to keep her business afloat and the Pearly Girls out of trouble and focused on event planning.

So when she lands a three-weekend event complete with a chart-topping band, she's thrilled. Until she and her chihuahua mix Elvis find the body of the Weathermen's lead singer in her venue's koi pond. With the help of the not-so-helpful Pearly Girls, Cassidy must stave off the bad publicity, navigate the prying questions of the local police department, and solve the murder before the media frenzy shutters her business for good, and takes one of the Pearly Girls with it.

I asked Heather if she would share her inspiration for this new series with us.

Thanks so much for letting me visit with your readers! I am so excited about my new series, The Pearly Girls Mysteries.

When I'm starting a new series, I always think about what kind of job I would like to have if I had taken a completely different career path, and that's how Cassidy ended up as an event planner in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Planning parties and decorating special events sounded like fun.

The stories feature Millennial Cassidy and how she interacts with her team of Boomers as she tries to navigate keeping her business afloat (which is not all flowers and bows) and single life in a small town. I love how the differences between the generations often turn into similarities. No matter what our situation, we're not as different as we often think we are. And the Pearly Girls are named for some special women in my life who taught me all kinds of life lessons, but most importantly, how to have fun.

Thank you for the insight into your new series, Heather! I love multi-generational stories like this and can't wait to dig in!

Readers - You can preorder Murder Strikes a Chord at your favorite retailers now. Go! Get your copy!

Here's a little more about Heather and where you can find her:

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop's kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

Pop over to Heather's website and blog to find all of her social media links!

November's Featured Author - Rose Kerr

I'm delighted to feature Canandian author Rose Kerr and her new cozy mystery series this month. Rose, Annie McEwen, and I got to spend some good quality time together this past April during the Malice Domestic convention. We talked, laughed, and ate, and I'm so honored to call her my friend. 

Rose's first book in her new Mia Reid, Archaeologist, Mystery series recently hit the shelves. I was lucky enough to read an early copy of Death at the Scottish Broch and absolutely loved it! 

From the back cover:

Dr. Mia Reid arrives on the Isle of Skye for a summer dig. She learns her friend and trusted colleague, Dr. Ethan Carter, is dead and valuable artifacts are missing. Interpol agent and Mia’s former lover, Luke Forbes, is working the case with the police. They suspect murder and a smuggling ring. Mia and her team uncover a treasure with ties to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Then two students are kidnapped, forcing Mia to trade the treasure for their release. During the rescue, she finds a collection of missing artifacts. Are the smugglers and kidnappers the same people? Can she dig up the truth before someone else dies?

I asked Rose how she learned about ancient Scottish Brochs. Here's what she had to say:

Well, when I was researching Scotland for possible archaeological sites, I found an article about a broch. It sounded interesting... A round, dry-stone structure that could have been used to defend against enemies or it could have been used as a residence for the chieftain of a clan and his family. More research led me to learn that brochs are only found in Scotland, they date back to the Iron Age (2,300 years ago!), and there are more than 500 brochs still standing. I also learned that Bonnie Prince Charlie was on the Isle of Skye in 1745 and I let my imagination fly. What if he'd taken refuge in a broch? And what if he'd left some treasure behind?

That's so fascinating! Thank you for sharing with us, Rose!

Readers, you can find Death at the Scottish Broch at all your favorite book retailers! Follow Rose on Facebook to keep up on all of her latest news!

September's Featured Author - Kara Lacey

I'm so pleased to feature Kara Lacey as September's author of the month! Kara and I "met" on Instagram several years ago and became friends while we were both writing our first mysteries. We ended up signing with the same agent, and met face-to-face for the first time at the Malice Domestic Mystery Convention in the spring of 2023. I'm so happy to call her friend. 

Kara's debut novel, Caught on Camera, released earlier this week. I was honored to be able to read an early copy and can say with complete confidence that cozy mystery readers are going to love this new series. 

 Here's what to expect:

Blue skies and wildflowers signal the start of summer in southern Vermont, and the Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Camera Club lenses are zoomed in on…murder.    

It's been more than a year since the sudden death of her husband, and photographer Bobbie Brooks wants nothing more than to escape her grief. Fleeing her life in the city, she seeks a fresh start in the serenity of the Green Mountains. But Bobbie’s new beginning comes to a halt when she finds a member of her camera club dead beneath the village’s idyllic covered bridge. Tragic accident or something sinister? With a keen photographer’s eye, Bobbie suspects murder.     As if transitioning to small-town life wasn’t challenging enough, Bobbie’s missing scarf is found at the murder scene, making her the primary focus. Scorned by local gossips, she enlists the help of her camera club and shifts her lens from photographer to amateur sleuth. Using photos found on the victim’s camera, they waste no time setting out to catch the killer—and discover no shortage of suspects. Secrets, lies, and blackmail…Danger abounds as they close in on the killer. Her camera holds the answers… But can she develop the clues in time to stop the killer?

I asked Kara if she would share her inspiration for Bobbie and her passion for photography. 

Thanks so much, Paula, for you interest in Bobbie and her passion for photography. I’ve always had characters rattling around in my head in various forms. Mostly, they were little more than vague sketches in my mind—until I met Bobbie.

Twelve years ago, my husband and I, stressed out from our 12-plus hour work days, bought a weekend home in Vermont. On Friday evenings, we’d escape from the city and head straight for the Green Mountains. Inspired by Vermont’s charming farms and villages, I bought myself a camera and spent the better part of every weekend snapping photos. My talent for photography is limited, but I wasn’t about to let that dampen my enthusiasm. Before I knew it, I’d joined online photography challenges, groups, and workshops, and I became part of a supportive community of amateur photographers. Then, one weekend, I walked into my village’s country market with my ever-present camera hanging on its strap, and a man approached me, curious about the pictures I was taking. He said to me, “You should start a photography club.”

Fast-forward several years. One rainy afternoon, shortly after quitting my job and moving to Vermont full time, my cozy mystery-loving mom and I sat down to chat over a cup of tea. “I’m going to write a mystery,” I said. “My main character will be a middle-aged Bostonian who moves to Vermont and starts a photography club.” Sure, many times I’d toyed with the idea of writing a book. But to this day, I don’t know where any of that came from.

My mom sipped her tea and nodded. “I’d read that,” she said, without the slightest hint of surprise in her voice.

I never started that photography club, but Bobbie did. (She’s a much better photographer, anyway.) And I’m having so much fun bringing Bobbie and her camera club sidekicks to life!

Well, I'm glad Bobbie started the camera club, and you wrote the book about it, Kara! 

Readers, you can find Caught on Camera at your favorite book retailers!

Pop over to Kara's website to learn more about her and her books, and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter! You'll get a link to download an absolutely gorgeous recipe booklet that you're going to want!

Kara Lacey is the author of the Camera Club Mysteries. Along with her husband, she lives in a tiny village nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont—the inspiration for her novels. Kara is a photography enthusiast who also enjoys hiking, skiing, and getting cozy with a good book. When she’s not at her laptop creating havoc for her characters, you can find her rambling through the forest with her husband and spirited Labrador retriever, camera in hand.

Kara is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime-New England, and Mystery Writers of America. She is also a co-Member at Large for Vermont SinC NE writers.

August's Featured Author - Courtny Bradley

Courtny Bradley needs no introduction to those of us in the cozy mystery world. She's the incredibly talented Courtagonist on YouTube with a booktube channel that celebrates all things cozy mystery. She has a done bucketloads for lifting up our genre. On top of that, Courtny is the warmest, kindest human being you could hope to meet, and I'm lucky to call her my friend. 

To top off all the good work she does everywhere else, Death on Deck is Courtny's very own debut cozy mystery. I read an early copy and can highly recommend this adventure on the high seas! 

 Here's what to expect:

Embark on a thrilling nautical adventure in "Death on Deck," a captivating cozy mystery by Courtny Bradley. Meet Lisa-May Midé and her Cruising Crew-a spirited group of women in their 60s facing retirement head-on. 

When a lifeless body is discovered, their leisurely cruise takes a sinister turn. Lisa-May finds herself entangled in a web of mystery and murder. Battling ageist suspicions and navigating the waters of friendship, the group of women unravel the secrets hidden beneath the ship's glimmering surface. With humor, resilience, and a bond forged through decades, the Cruising Crew proves that the journey to solving a mystery is just as exciting as the destination.

I asked Courtny to share with us a little about the inspiration for her main character, Lisa-May, and why she chose to write about a group of vivacious older characters. 

Lisa-May is loosely inspired by my maternal grandmother, Nonnie. Her name is Connie, and she is the feistiest, most stubborn, and most independent woman you will ever meet. She has never needed a man to complete her, and she has married three...or was it four times? I can't remember, ha! She taught me what it means to depend on myself first. She would teach herself how to do something when she wanted it done. I would walk into her house growing up, and a wall would be gone where there was one, and another would be erected where there wasn't one. I wanted Lisa-May to show that kind of tenacity while also showing that it can be lonely to never ask for help or be open for more.

As I write this, I am lucky to have all three of my grandmothers still alive. That is who I have dedicated Death on Deck to. They are all a hoot in a half. The stories I could tell you about my Nonnie, Nannie, and Grandma Janet would have you gripping your ribs, laughing, or shaking your head in bewilderment. I love vivacious older characters because I think that is a time in our lives when we truly can be ourselves 100 percent. We don't have to worry about the latest fashion, the food we eat (as much), or keeping with the it crowd. We can be ourselves. My friends and family will tell you that I am eager for the day that I get my first grey hair and when I can be a snuggly grandma. Until then, I'll write about them in The Cruising Crew. I hope I do my ladies justice.

I want to meet all of your grandmothers, Courtny! They sound amazing!

As for you, lovely reader, you can preorder Death on Deck now, ahead of its September 30th release date! Click here -- Wild Rose Press -- to find purchase links!

July's Featured Author - Annie McEwen

Annie McEwen and I hadn't even met in person yet when we already knew we were bosom buddies. We're weirdly similar in bunches of different ways. Our first time meeting in person, we shared a hotel room for four nights at Malice Domestic and talked all night long EVERY one of those nights as if we were twelve years old. Our other writing friends thought we'd known each other for years, and honestly, that's how it feels. She's my people.  

 

On that note, you've got to read her books! Dead, White and Blue is the second in Annie's Northwoods Mystery series and is a spectacular second act! 

 Here's what to expect:

It's the 4th of July in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and no one is more excited than Emmy Cooper. She's happy to be back in her hometown, settling once again into small-town living and helping her family run Cooper's Cove, their lake cottage resort. Emmy and her teen crush, police officer Dean Erickson, are enjoying getting reacquainted, while she and bestie Whitney are closer than ever.

Lake Covington and its quaint namesake town are bustling with visitors celebrating during the annual three-day Independence Day Freedom Fest. Everything is Yankee Doodle Dandy until a local man with a reputation for trouble starts fireworks of his own. And the explosions just keep on coming when Emmy stumbles over a dead body at the celebrations.

The dead man is Jordan James, and as Emmy soon finds out, there are not shortage of people who might want him dead. From a jealous jerk to a conniving cousin and even a former friend from his past, suspects are more plentiful than ants at a July picnic! Despite promises to stay out of the investigation, Emmy finds herself smack in the middle of it. Can she and Whitney figure out the truth and find liberty and justice for all?

It's a great read! I asked Annie if she would tell us a little about Emmy's crafty side:

In Dead, White and Blue, Emmy is working at her family's resort in Wisconsin and also expanding her Trash to Treasure business. Do you do trash-to-treasure projects? If so, what is one of your favorite pieces you've restored?

"Yes, I LOVE doing these projects! My parents were creating beautiful, creative treasures out of "junk" way back when, and of course, I wanted to be right there with a little hammer and paintbrush helping. It's hard to pick a favorite project, but I guess one that sticks out in my mind was for my son when he was little. He wanted a "log cabin" room. After painting faux logs and fieldstones on his walls, I had a blast coming up with inexpensive decorations. In my closet, I had one of those cheap particleboard bookcases that had seen better days...scratched, dented, and just plain ugly. So, I lightly sanded the whole thing and painted a camo pattern all over the three-shelved unit. After a couple of coats of sealer, Caleb had the perfect place to stash his many army vehicles and tin buckets of G.I. Joe guys. So, for the cost of a couple of dollars of craft paint and sealer, Caleb had a custom shelf that looked pretty cool. His friends loved it so much that their moms asked me to paint some shelves for their rooms! Those are the projects I love the most - the ones that bring joy to people!"

I imagine that shelf was adorable, Annie! Now we know where Emmy gets her talent!

You can get Dead, White and Blue, as well as the first book in the Northwoods Mysteries here! 

Annie McEwen is the author of the Northwoods Mystery Series, set amongst the tall pines and sparkling lakes of Northern Wisconsin where she spent vacations as a kid. Annie and her husband are empty nesters with two grown kids and two adorable grandsons. They also have four fur babies who think they're pretty adorable, too! When Annie isn't writing or playing with her grandsons, she works as a radiological technologist, aka, she takes pictures of bones...you can't hide much from her! Writing, though, is her first love. 

 Learn more about Annie at her website.