Hi, cozy reader friends! This is DeAnna Drake, author of the Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mysteries, and I’m thrilled to be celebrating the newest book in the series—Blackmail and Kitty Tails!
The confetti’s flying all over my writing room, the celebratory tea is steeping, and Aneksi… well, she’s napping in a cozy corner after graciously allowing me to take center stage today. (She says she’s already famous enough, thank you very much.)
Since this is the fifth book in the Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery series, I thought it was the purr-fect time to answer a question I get a lot:
Why a talking cat? Or, more specifically… Why Aneksi?
The short answer: because cozy mysteries are so much more fun with a little magic and a lot of whiskers.
But the long answer? Let’s dig into it, shall we?
She’s More Than a Sidekick
Aneksi isn’t just there to add charm (though she has that in abundance). She’s a confidante, a protector, and a centuries-old magical being with a surprising amount of wisdom—and sass. She challenges Rebecca when she’s too impulsive, comforts her when the world feels too heavy, and sometimes topples over a statue or two just to keep things interesting.
Let’s be honest: Rebecca couldn’t solve these crimes on her own. She needs Aneksi’s help.
She Sees What Others Don’t
Aneksi has the uncanny ability to sniff out secrets—literal and metaphorical. She notices suspicious behavior, senses cursed artifacts, and has a sixth sense about danger. Plus, her low- to-the-ground perspective means she’s always finding things hidden in shadows, under tables, or inside unsuspecting tote bags.
When you’re hunting down a murderer armed with a cursed Egyptian dagger, having a clever cat at your side isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
She Keeps the Tone Light (Even When the Stakes Are Deadly)
Cozies are all about balance. There’s murder, sure—but there’s also humor, heart, and the comfort of a community that rallies around its own. Aneksi is my favorite way to inject levity into even the tensest scenes. Whether she’s curling up in an ancient sarcophagus or hypnotizing someone into spilling a secret, she keeps things delightfully off-kilter.
She also has a gift for saying what the rest of us are thinking—and with more cattitude.
She’s a Link to the Past—and the Future
Aneksi’s magical roots stretch all the way back to Cleopatra’s court, and while that might sound like ancient history, it means she carries a unique knowledge of the world that helps Rebecca understand the cursed artifacts they face. But she’s not stuck in the past. She’s adjusting to small-town California life just fine—thank you very much—and if she has to help solve a murder or two to protect her new home, so be it.
So, why talking cats?
Because they remind us that friendship can come in unexpected forms. Because they say what we sometimes can’t. And because they make solving crimes a whole lot cozier.
If you haven’t met Aneksi yet, now’s the perfect time. Blackmail and Kitty Tails is out today, and I can’t wait for you to dive into this glitzy, twisty, claw-sharpened mystery.
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With cozy vibes and purring gratitude, DeAnna
About the Author
DeAnna Drake is an award-winning author who writes witty and whimsical cozy mysteries filled with magical animals and feisty heroines who are always striving to balance the scales of justice in an offbeat world.
Under different names, DeAnna writes young-adult fantasy fiction, contemporary romances, and historical novels set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
When she isn’t plotting new adventures for her characters, she’s a craft addict, drinks too much tea, binge watches crime dramas, and escapes to Disneyland whenever she can.
She lives in Southern California with her family, which includes her two favorite people and one ridiculously pampered border collie. Learn more at https://DeAnnaDrake.com.
Engagement rings are much more than shiny jewels; they are symbols of love, commitment, and sometimes, unexpected adventure. In “Vanilla & Vendettas,” amateur sleuth and baker Ava Decker learns this all too well when a diamond ring meant to be a sweet surprise takes center stage in a cupcake caper. Join us as we delve into some of the most bizarre and entertaining places engagement rings have been found: both in real life and fiction.
Lost & Found: Bizarre Places Engagement Rings Have Turned Up 💍🔍
Engagement ring mishaps are more common than you might think.
The Fishy Find 🐟: A fisherman off the coast of Florida reeled in more than just his catch of the day. Inside the belly of a large fish was a long-lost engagement ring. The fisherman’s catch was another couple’s treasure rediscovered!
The Rattling Ride 🚗: After months of an unexplained rattle in her car, one woman finally took the vehicle to a mechanic. Upon inspection, the source of the noise was revealed, a diamond ring her husband had hidden to propose and accidentally dropped behind a panel.
Garden of Glee 🌼: After frantically searching her entire backyard, a gardener finally unearthed her engagement ring while planting new flowers, nearly five years after it had slipped off during a weekend project.
The Emotional Rollercoaster 🎢
Whether hidden in a pie or stashed away in a toolbox, the journey of a missing engagement ring can be an emotional rollercoaster. From panic and worry to relief and humor, these stories transform simple pieces of jewelry into epic adventures.
Conclusion 🔮
In “Vanilla & Vendettas,” Ava finds herself caught up in the whirlwind of tracking down a missing engagement ring, proving that even the sweetest plans can go awry. These tales remind us that while rings may wander, their stories often become some of the most memorable chapters in our lives.
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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.
Hi, friend! I hope you had a great weekend. I also want to thank you for stopping by to join in the celebration of the release of Dead in the Ditch, the latest book in my Elmo Simpson Mysteries series.
Isn’t that a fun cover? I love it.
Anyway, you may be wondering why this post is titled The Magic Number. It’s because Dead in the Ditch is the third book in the series. That got me thinking about the number three.
I grew up in the seventies and spent my Saturday mornings watching Saturday morning cartoons. That included the School House Rock videos, one of which was called “Three Is a Magic Number”. If you haven’t seen it before, or haven’t seen it in a while, go check it out here and enjoy the trip back in time.
Well, that got me thinking about other things related to the number three. So, let’s chat about some of them.
How about the third book in a series? There are some great ones. “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia, a series I first read as a kid. For my money, Voyage is the best book in the series.
The third Hercule Poirot novel by the legendary Agatha Christie is none other than “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”. I think it’s an incredible story. And it happens to be her greatest novel, according to a lot of Christie experts and fans.
Let’s move to music. The third album by U2, my longtime favorite band, is “War”. Featuring the singles “Sunday, Bloody, Sunday” and “New Year’s Day” it’s the album that broke the band into worldwide fame. I think it stands among the band’s finest works.
Other great threes? Baseball legend Babe Ruth wore number three. The Magi, otherwise known as The Three Wise Men, those of the Christian faith may have heard of them. For fans of action adventure, there’s the crime-solving trio “Charlie’s Angels” from both the small screen and big screen.
We can’t forget Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Rice Krispies aren’t Rice Krispies without that fun trio. The younger crowd is represented by The Powerpuff Girls—Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. My kids loved watching that show when they were young.
Will Dead in the Ditch ever rise to the level of a memorable number 3? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, though. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you have fun reading it.
How about you? Are there any favorite threes or trios you think deserve mention? Tell me about them. After all, three is the magic number and we can all use some magic in our lives. Until next time, bubbles up!
About the author
J.C. Kenney is the Agatha Award Nominated and bestselling author of mysteries full of oddball characters in unusual settings. “Panic In the Panhandle,” book 1 of his Elmo Simpson Mysteries series, was named one of the Ten Best Cozy Mysteries of 2024. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour and A Bookish Moment webcasts. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat. You can find him at https://www.jckenney.com/.
With the release of the 9th book in my Little Dog Diner series, Rolling Up Revenge, I’d like to share some interesting facts about Maine, the setting for my fictional series.
Maine, or the Pine Tree State, is a place of breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and unique culinary delights. With its rugged coastline, fresh seafood, and outdoor adventures, Maine offers something for everyone.
An incredible 3,478 miles of coastline, dotted with over 4,000 islands, offers plenty of unspoiled beauty. The charming fishing villages are the perfect destination to enjoy what Maine is famous for—it’s lobster roll or another delicious seafood dish, while enjoying the view of a lighthouses perched on a rocky cliff. It’s hard to beat that!
But Maine isn’t all about its shoreline. Home to miles of rivers and streams, it’s perfect for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. Or, if you love hiking, Mt. Katahdin offers breathtaking views and marks the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. You even might even be lucky and spot a moose, the state animal. But don’t get too close.
After all that activity, you’ll definitely need to make time to indulge in the state dessert—blueberry pie—or the official state treat, the sweet whoopie pie. Both are on the menu at the Little Dog Diner!
Early risers can claim bragging rights for being the first to see the sun rise from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. You can hike or drive to the top.
And for you book lovers? Legendary horror author Stephen King calls Maine his home. I know, his books aren’t cozy but still worth a visit. The state’s eerie landscapes and quiet towns are the perfect inspiration for his books.
Maine is an unforgettable destination waiting to be explored.
If you can’t visit … grab a copy of Rolling Up Revenge and embrace the magic of Maine through my cozy mystery!
About the Author
Emmie Lyn grew up in a small town in New England, much like the towns where her female characters live—scenic, 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 she’s 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.
I’m so excited to be celebrating the release of book two in the Shepherd Sisters Mysteries, Murder On Display! These books found the most perfect publishing home with Tule, with a new book in the series dropping every other month, all year long.
Savanna Shepherd is an accidental sleuth. A former art authenticator whose job it was to detect forgeries from the real thing, Savanna has a knack for spotting clues hiding in plain sight, sometimes without even trying. When she discovers a local politician dead in his locked home, the victim of foul play, and then police arrest a good friend for the murder, Savanna and her sisters race to uncover what really happened. Ratcheting up the stakes are a mysteriously vandalized town monument, a coveted art fair now at risk of being canceled, and a wrench thrown into a budding romance a long time in the making.
So, why three sisters? Who doesn’t love a good bestie trio? I am a sucker for women helping women, girl power, soul sisters, women amplifying women. If a set of sisters, or two friends, seemed like it might be fun to write, three seemed even better. Growing up, I fell in love with Charlie’s Angels—the television series and then the fun and fabulous movies. Those women knew how to team up and kick butt when necessary. I also couldn’t get enough of the gang in Buffy the Vampire slayer—Buffy, Willow, and Xander, and sometimes Cordelia. They were stronger together than alone. And, in a non crime solving example, I also loved the friend group in the show Friends, especially the trio of Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe. They brought out the best in each other.
When Savanna Shepherd first appeared in my mind, fully formed with her own personality traits and back story, I knew she had to be the middle sister. Coming home to her small lakeside town after a decade away, she fits easily back into her family and community. She tends to be the “glue” within her sister trio, and even though Savanna is the primary female protagonist, she relies on her sisters on a daily basis, just as they do her.
Skylar, like me, is the eldest sister. She’s the most serious in the trio, a bit of a perfectionist, her type A personality serving her well in her career as an attorney. Her two younger sisters often have fun poking at serious Skylar, trying to get a laugh out of her but sometimes just causing her exasperation. But Skylar is also the person Savanna and Sydney turn to anytime they’re in need of advice or help with difficult problems—she always comes through.
The youngest sister is Sydney. Free-spirited, laid back, not to be confined by business suits or corporate schedules, Sydney runs a gourmet dog bakery and grooming salon called Fancy Tails and Treats. Sydney delights in finding new ways to tease and joke with her sisters, calms her mind with yoga and meditation, and knows the name of every dog in town. Sydney is the heart of the sister trio, happy-go-lucky, loyal, and quick to act when her sisters need her.
The series of course holds plenty of other intriguing characters: a grumpy but kind detective, a swoon-worthy cardiologist and his bad-boy brother, the sisters’ parents who are relationship-goals to their daughters, and a wealth of intriguing townspeople, some of whom are not to be trusted.
The Shepherd sisters are at the center of this cozy mystery series. They may argue now and then, they don’t always agree, but they love and protect each other fiercely. I can’t imagine a better mystery solving trio!
About the author
Tracy Gardner is an Edgar Award nominated author of two cozy mystery series, one recent novel earning a spot on New York Public Library’s Best 100 Books list. Tracy also writes book club fiction with heart and grit under pen name Jess Sinclair. A Detroit native with one foot in the sand of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tracy is a mother of three, the daughter of two teachers, and works as a nurse when not writing. She lives with her husband and a menagerie of spoiled rescue dogs and cats who inspire every fictional pet she writes. Check out Tracy’s website https://www.tracygardnerbeno.com/.
Old Habits Die Hard includes tropes familiar to any mystery reader. The amateur sleuth can’t stop themself from meddling and helps solve the case. Generation gap. Close-knit community. Eavesdropping, snooping, everyone’s got an axe to grind with everybody else so they’re all suspects. My opening scene tickles me still, Bernie returns to The Abbey: Senior Living one night to discover a body dead in the hallway and the detective called to the scene is her former student. Of course they’ll work together! It’s her turf and his case! Brilliant!
I was in a giddy state of mind writing this book. It was my first time working off a clear outline and knowing exactly how the story ended. Everything slotted into place as neat as you’d like. I sent out my requisite hundred queries to agents and editors and thought I was done. I’d written my first murder mystery, and it wasn’t nearly as challenging as I’d feared. Feeling cocky (and obviously very overconfident) that I’d nailed it in one shot because I am a genius, I got to work on another project involving four women fighting a big corporation from stealing their town’s water. Months later, responses to my queries started coming in: Clever concept, great story, what’s book two about? And three? That’s when I learned a sobering truth. To get this book published, I needed to pitch more Bernie and AJ adventures. Suddenly this project became Much. More. Difficult.
Repeatedly offing the residents at The Abbey: Senior Living is unsustainable for obvious reasons. It was a great idea once, but I’m no Horowitz with Midsomer Murders. Even the great Agatha Christie moved Poirot and Marple around to new settings. I’d foolishly paired the amateur sleuth, a retired nun who lives in senior apartments, with a detective in his late twenties. Any case they work together requires colliding their worlds. AJ’s end of things is easy, as a detective he can take any case I assign to him because solving a crime is literally his job. Bernie’s more challenging because her world must overlap so she has a stake in solving the murder, access to key clues, and a plausible way to be involved in the investigation. Oof. I couldn’t have made this tougher if I’d tried! At least the vicar in Grantchester can help Geordie because of course people will confess their sins to him. There’s a reason most amateur sleuths are writers or reporters because they can always fall back on While I was researching… But a retired nun living in senior apartments? Where do I find her point of entry for the next murder? And the next? And even the next?
Writing Old Habits Die Hard gave me a bigger mystery to solve because I had to figure out whodunnit, how, and why over and over again within very narrow parameters I’d naively set for myself. Thank God I’m a fiction writer, I can make this stuff as I go along, right? Now I’m constantly on the lookout for an idea that would conceivably pull Bernie and AJ back together. In the next book, Dropped Like a Bad Habit, the murder takes place in the neighborhood, down the block from The Abbey. (I confess, I might’ve gotten a little carried away because the bodies kept piling up in that book). In A Regular Habit I send Bernie and AJ out of town where their paths cross as they solve another murder. The Nun the Wiser Mysteries will continue as long as I can keep coming up with credible reasons to bring Bernie and AJ together.
About the author
Melissa Westemeier grew up around the edge of nerd culture, but marriage and motherhood with three sons immersed her in it. She’s fluent in Marvel, DC, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Godzilla, and more thanks to their influence. Her fiction work includes rom-com and a trilogy loosely based on her experience tending bar on the Wolf River in Wisconsin. She’s thrilled to realize her childhood dream of writing murder mysteries. Her books blend her humor and appreciation for nerd culture while tackling serious themes and unpacking the puzzle of whodunnit (and how and why!). In her spare time, Melissa needs to be outside or near a window. Her passions include hiking, swimming, biking, reading, and fantasizing about her next vacation destination.
