Since this week is Thanksgiving and, with that, Black Friday, I wanted to highlight Shop Small Saturday for this blog post. Because, after all, my protagonist, Wren Winters, is the owner of the Cardboard Shop, the local board game shop in Hollowโs Way. Like Wren and her friends, I live in a small town. We have lots of local festivals, a walkable Main St., and a sense of community that feels magical, especially this time of year. I grew up in a much larger area and had never felt the kind of close-knit community that I experience here. Whether Iโm going to the local YMCA, taking a walk in the park, or going to an event at the local arts community center, I almost always run into someone I know. But being in a small town does sometimes have its downsides. We have few big stores and limited access to things like specialized healthcare. I often drive over sixty miles one-way to see a doctor, and when I do, I combine trips, going to stores that we donโt have here to make the trip โworth itโ (e.g. Target, Joann Fabrics when it was still around, etc.).ย
In my town, there are a few storefronts that have changed a dozen times over the years Iโve lived here: a toy shop became a fabric store only to become a burger place. The old Woolworthโs (you can still see the Woolworthโs name engraved on the metal door handle) became a karate dojo, and is now a glass-blowing workshop space. Similarly, some restaurants in town have changed palettes and cuisines umpteen times. Bye-bye cute date-night bistro, and hello delicious bakery. Iโm always sad when a beloved place closes, wondering if we had just gone there a few more times, if that could have made a difference. RIP Neptuneโs Diner, a classic chrome-bedecked greasy spoon with a gigantic menu and black-and-white cookies the size of pies. RIP the little corner deli where my husband and I bought subs the day we closed on our house and ate them in our new, empty home to celebrate. RIP the cute toy store where I bought my nephew so many presents before they closed and often chatted with the owner about designing crossword puzzles. These stores and local businesses are more than mere places to shop – they are the heart of our communities, they are part of our family traditions and memories.
This Shop Small Saturday, Iโll visit my cozy local bookstore and game store to start stock-piling Christmas and birthday presents for my nephew. Eight years old, he loves to read and has a vivid imagination. And Iโm happy to play the indulgent aunt card and spoil him with books, science experiment kits, magic sets, and whatever else he might be into this month (it keeps changingโฆ) in order to feed his voracious imagination all the more.
What small, local businesses in your town do you want to celebrate or remember? Is there a go-to store on your list or maybe a place no longer in business that youโll always remember fondly? A yarn shop? A vintage clothing boutique? A funky bookstore cafe?
About the author
Shelly Jones is a professor by trade and a nerd by design. Woefully introverted, their pockets are full of post-it notes and their head is full of (unsaid) witty come-backs and un-won arguments from years past. When they arenโt grading papers or writing new cozy mysteries, Shelly can often be found hiking in the woods or playing a board game while their cats look on. Connect with Shelly on her website:ย shellyjonesauthor.com.
Ever had a relationship you wish you could just delete from your memory? Wouldnโt it be amazing to skip the breakup blues and fast-forward straight to the โWho? Never heard of himโ phase when people ask?
Ever Wish You Could Forget Your Ex? Same!
This is like the Carly Simon song – Youโre So Vain – this sentiment I have otwards exโs, doesnโt actually apply to one particular individual but a combination of all of them!
The ex who thought โNetflix and chillโ meant I cook and clean while he scrolled social media and pointed out hot chicks to me, disguised as outfit ideas for improving my wardrobe
The ex who borrowed my car and returned it on empty. Every. Single. Time.
The ex who gave me workout equipment for Valentineโs Day. (Nothing says romance like unsolicited dumbbells.)
The ex who thought โquality timeโ meant me watching him play video games for six hours
The ex who wore socks to bed and still somehow managed to get cold feet about commitment
Thatโs exactly where The Witch Wears Prada was born. Sakara is a witch done wrong by her ex and she doesnโt want to waste one more second thinking about him. Unfortunately, for Sakara, her forgetting potion works a little too well and she forgets everything, including the fact that sheโs a witch. So when she wakes up and her cat is talking to her, sheโs not sure if sheโs going crazy or hit her head on something!
Of course, because this is Clover Creek and itโs Halloween, forgetting your powers isnโt just inconvenient, itโs dangerous. Thereโs a murder to stop, a would-be assassin to dodge, and only the worldโs sassiest talking cat (plus one cousin and some very skeptical cops) to help.
So yes, The Witch Wears Prada is about witches, small-town murder, and spooky Halloween vibes but at its heart, itโs about that universal fantasy: wouldnโt it be nice to forget the people who werenโt worth your time in the first place?
The Breakup Cure No One Tells You About (Until Now)
Hereโs the exact recipe that Sakara uses to forget her ex!
Ingredients for Root Beer Float Forgetting Potion
โข 2 heaping scoops of French Vanilla Ice Cream
โข Root Beer
โข 4 Maraschino Cherries
โข Frozen glass mug
Directions
1. Scoop ice cream into frozen mug
2. Pour in root beer
3. Add cherries
Incantation
Make sure to repeat this twice: once before drinking and again right after drinking your potion and then close your eyes and count backwards in multiples of 3 from 100 down to one. By the time youโre done, youโll have forgotten all about what troubles you.
Memories that trouble me
Trouble me no more
Be gone
Float away
Far, far away
To a place where you can bother me no more
About the author
Lisa Siefert is a USA Today Bestselling Mystery Author who writes humorous cozy mysteries. She dedicates all of her free time to testing out different latte flavors at every coffee shop she comes across and has never once skimped on dessert because life is too short not to. She lives in San Diego with Lucky, her own devious but adorable Abyssinian kitten. She excels at recounting every Hallmark Movie plot ever conceived and can also whip up a mean batch of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Her books feature amateur women sleuths that always believe in silver linings despite all of the murderous clouds surrounding them. Be sure to check out her website: www.lisasiefert.com.
When the days grow shorter and the nights stretch long, thereโs 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 youโve got the perfect October setting.
Itโs no wonder Halloween feels like it was made for mystery lovers.
Think about itโso many of the tropes we love in cozy mysteries pair perfectly with this spooky season:
The Small Town with Secrets:ย Everyone knows everyoneโฆ or so they think. (And in October, those secrets feel just a little darker.)
The Amateur Sleuth:ย Armed with curiosity, a dash of courage, and maybe a costume party alibi, our sleuth always ends up in the wrong place at the right time.
The Haunted House (or B&B):ย Drafty staircases, unexplained footsteps, and flickering candlelightโwhether the ghosts are real or just rumors, the setting makes you shiver.
The Unlikely Sidekick:ย From nosy neighbors to mischievous pets, someone always seems to dig up a clue right when itโs needed most.
And for those of us who love a paranormal twist? Talking pets, helpful spirits, and haunted heirlooms slip so naturally into the Halloween atmosphere that it feels like they were meant to be here all along. So this October, as youโre lighting pumpkins and dodging candy wrappers, donโt forget to also stock up on cozy mysteriesโthe kind that keep you turning pages while the wind rattles the windows. A special treat from my Haunted Kitchen:
Witchโs Brew Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Every Halloween needs a signature snack. These cookies are soft, spiced, and drizzled with a ghostly glazeโperfect for nibbling while you solve (or create) a little mischief.
๏ท 1 cup granulated sugar ๏ท ยฝ cup brown sugar, packed ๏ท 1 cup pumpkin purรฉe ๏ท 1 large egg ๏ท 1 tsp vanilla extract Ghostly Glaze ๏ท 1 cup powdered sugar ๏ท 2 tbsp milk (plus more if needed) ๏ท ยฝ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (175ยฐC). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
In another bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
Slowly blend dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared sheets. Bake 12โ14 minutes, until edges set.
While cooling, whisk glaze ingredients. Drizzle over cookies like ghostly cobwebs. Serve on a dark plate with a few candy eyeballs scattered aroundโฆ and youโve got a haunted treat worthy of October.
Click here for a printable version of Witchโs Brew Pumpkin Spice Cookies Happy reading!
About the author
Emmie Lyn grew up in a small town in New England, much like the towns where her female characters liveโscenic, quaint and filled with colorful characters. She loves to create mysteries with twists and unexpected turns that draw readers in and capture their imagination.
Emmie lives in rural Massachusetts with her husband, a rescue terrier, and a black cat with a bad attitude. She shares twelve acres with a wide variety of wildlife including deer, bunnies, turkeys, and many songbirds. When sheโs not busy thinking of ways to kill off a character (for a book, of course!) she enjoys a cup of tea and chocolate in her flower garden, hiking, or spending time near the ocean.
Despite being a cozy mystery author and a fan of mysteries and romantic suspense, Iโm not a fan of all things spooky. I scare incredibly easy and I just know Iโd be the first to go if I ever landed in a horror film.
However, I do love the autumn season. I love the changing leaves and the crisp air with the sun shining overhead. I love pulling out my sweaters and having hot chocolate, curling up on the couch with one of my many fleece blankets.
My favorite part of the fall season is pumpkins. I honestly donโt know what my fascination is with them. Weโve always carved pumpkins with our girls and we did the whole traditional trick or treat thing with them but over the years, I wasnโt sorry to see the knocking on strangersโ doors for candy portion of the season end.
Since they were little girls (theyโre grown now), weโve gone to local pumpkin patches and picked more pumpkins than we need. My youngest used to want the biggest and my oldest wanted the cleanest. One of my favorite things to do is stroll through the pumpkin patches looking for the best pumpkins.
A few years ago, while scrolling on Pinterest, I came across painted pumpkins. Iโm now obsessed with painting them. It takes me a while to choose but I often land on Disney themed pumpkins.
I donโt have any pictures of my painted pumpkins (thatโs what I get for tidying up my phone storage) but I do have an awesome picture of my girls then and now enjoying the same traditions.
While Iโm not into jump scares or terrifying costumes, Iโm happy the season to burrow under cozy blankets and scroll through this yearโs pumpkin painting ideas on Pinterest is finally here.ย
About the author
Jody Holford writes sweet romance and cozy mysteries with sweet romance in them. Sheโs published several books including the cozies in The Britton Bay Series. Sheโs unintentionally funny and rarely on time for anything. If sheโs not writing, sheโs reading, hanging out with her family, or doodling. She also writes romcoms under the pen name, Sophie Sullivan.
If my book were a Halloween movieโฆit would be Garfieldโs Halloween Adventure! Wait, wait, I promise it makes sense!
This gem of childrenโs 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 tape into the VCR whenever I wanted to watch it. Fun fact, as a kid one year I dressed up as Garfield for Halloween because I loved this movie so much. Sadly, this show hasnโt been broadcast on tv since 1999, but you can watch it on Youtube. Of course, that version wonโt have the classic Campbellโs soup, McDonaldโs Halloween McBoo Buckets, or Double Mint gum ads that I can also quote by heartโฆ With music sung by Lou Rawls and the typical Garfield hijinks and humor, this movie was a fall staple in my household growing up. To this day, I sometimes find myself singing โThis is the night!โ or quoting random lines from it (โGarfield, you are a genius! I know that.โ).
So, how is Garfieldโs Halloween Adventure anything like Murder, She Rolled? Letโs break it down (without spoilers!):
First, the obvious similarity: both take place in fall with Halloween right around the corner. And while Garfield may be lazy, my protagonist, Wren Winters, is anything but. She and her friends are busily preparing for the Hollowโs Way Harvest Festival, planning out a hay maze and outdoor games for folks to play.
Garfield discovers that, unlike other holidays that might involve him getting pine needles in his paws, if he dresses up in costume on Halloween, he can get candy, candy, candy! In Murder, She Rolled, Wren and her friends are about to play a tabletop roleplaying game, the kind of collaborative storytelling game where you pretend youโre someone else – very Halloween appropriate.
After a montage of trying on different costumes (โWhat should I be? Thereโs so many sides to me.โ) Garfield and Odie go out dressed up as pirates. Itโs all fun and games, but danger lurks when they enter a run-down mansion that they thought was abandoned. Similarly, when Wren and her friends sit down to play a game, one of them collapses, sending the group spiraling and running headlong into danger at every turn.
Ultimately, Garfield and Odie survive because of their friendship and the sacrifices they make for one another. In Murder, She Rolled, Wren and her friends are put to the test, but ultimately they need to rely on one another in order to figure out whodunit and how to put things right before itโs too lateโฆ
About the author
Shelly Jones is a professor by trade and a nerd by design. Woefully introverted, their pockets are full of post-it notes and their head is full of (unsaid) witty come-backs and un-won arguments from years past. When they arenโt grading papers or writing new cozy mysteries, Shelly can often be found hiking in the woods or playing a board game while their cats look on. Connect with Shelly on her website:ย shellyjonesauthor.com.
