The Mystery Blog
Cozy Mysteries and Halloween: A Match Made in Midnight
When the days grow shorter and the nights stretch long, there’s nothing better than curling up with a cozy mystery. Add in a jack-o-lantern glow, a cup of cider, and the sound of leaves scratching at the windows, and you’ve got the perfect October setting. It’s no...
Falling for fall
Despite being a cozy mystery author and a fan of mysteries and romantic suspense, I’m not a fan of all things spooky. I scare incredibly easy and I just know I’d be the first to go if I ever landed in a horror film. However, I do love the autumn season. I love...
If My Book Were a Halloween Movie with Shelly Jones
If my book were a Halloween movie…it would be Garfield’s Halloween Adventure! Wait, wait, I promise it makes sense! This gem of children’s animation first came out in 1985. Back then, my grandmother taped it off of the television and for years I could pop in the VHS...
Monster Mashing in Paradise Springs
Greetings, victims, I mean, friends, and welcome to my not-so-spooky Tule Halloween Festival post. If you’ve read any of my Elmo Simpson Mysteries, you know the town of Paradise Springs, Florida is filled with unusual characters. If you haven’t, there’s no better time...
Mistletoe, Mochas, and Murder: Candy Canes and Crimes Release Day
Mistletoe, mochas, and murder. When a Christmastime killer strikes, can one amateur sleuth save the festivities from chocolate-covered ruin? Ava Decker craves clarity. Stuck in limbo while her maybe-boyfriend takes flight overseas, the sarcastic pastry chef buries her...
Murder, She Taught: Games, Characters, and Costumes in the Classroom with Shelly Jones on Release Day!
When I’m not writing murder mysteries, I’m teaching (or grading…) mostly first generation college students. To keep my classes engaged and interactive, I incorporate a lot of different games into my lessons. Anything from Jenga to Clue to some more obscure games like...
Murder, Mayhem & Maple Leaves: October’s Mystery Book Haul
GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books? We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the September mystery releases. Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The...
Cozy Up with a Good Mystery — It’s Mystery Month at Tule!
There’s a crispness in the air, pumpkins on porches, and just the slightest chill that says: it’s time to curl up with a good book. And what better companion than a cozy mystery full of clever clues, charming towns, and sleuths who always follow their instincts? This...
5 Signs You Might Secretly Be a Phoebe Halliwell Witch (and Just Forgot)
A Halloween checklist for the magically suspicious Waking up with no memory is rough. Waking up with no memory, a talking cat and psychic visions of murder? Your next thought might: Maybe I’m a witch! That’s ✨classic✨ Halloween chaos and exactly what happens to...
The Charm (and Chaos) of Writing a Talking Cat Character
Hi, cozy reader friends! This is DeAnna Drake, author of the Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mysteries, and today is extra special for me—I’m celebrating the release of Whiskers and Ciphers, the sixth book in the series, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be back to share a little...