Geri Krotow stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the first book in the Shop ‘Round the World series, A Santa Stabbing!
Where did you get the inspiration for A Santa Stabbing?
I find inspiration everywhere, and I never know where it’s coming from next. I knew I wanted to write about a woman who’d seen a lot of life but still had so much of it to live and enjoy, no matter what tragedies may have occurred earlier in her life. The town we live in, in Pennsylvania, is a constant source of story ideas for me. Add in my military background, and it seemed a natural progression for Angel Warren to be a retired Navy pilot. This is my very first mystery novel after 30+ romances and I feel right at home in my new genre of cozy (ish) mystery.
Welcome to Tule! Can you share a fun fact about yourself to help us get to know you?
Thank you! I love being a Tule author! I was a Naval Intelligence officer for 9 years, and then was a Navy spouse to my husband who served for 27 years. We moved all over the planet and are now happy to be in the same place.
How do you relate your heroine, Angel, and how do you hope readers will relate to her?
Like Angel, I moved to a small Pennsylvania town after being overseas and out of the mainstream of American life for decades. I totally identify with her empty-nest syndrome, as I went through that after my chicks left the nest (a decade ago now). As for her inquisitiveness, that’s natural for a writer and an intelligence professional!
The Shop ‘Round the World series is your first foray into the cozy mystery genre. What is different about writing mysteries vs romances? Which one do you enjoy more?
What I love about Mystery is the same thing I treasure in Romance; the characters and sense of community. The biggest difference is that I feel I need to write more tightly, to keep the focus on the mystery plot of each particular book. But fleshing out the characters, their strengths as well as foibles, remains the same and as satisfying as ever. I also like that my sense of humor has shown up more in my mysteries.
Do you have any favorite Christmas or holiday traditions?
Decorating for the holidays is always fun for me. I never know what I’ll do year-to-year. I don’t feel as compelled to put out every last decoration as I used to when the kids were tiny. Instead, I go with the flow and try to incorporate some more contemporary trends into our otherwise very eclectically traditional Christmas. I’ve enjoyed decorating for Thanksgiving more and more, too.
What are you currently reading?
I’m in the midst of EverGreen Chase by Juneau Black and I just downloaded A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
About the Author
Geri Krotow is the bestselling author of over 25 novels of romantic suspense, contemporary romance and women’s fiction. A US Naval Academy graduate and Navy veteran, Geri’s strong heroines are reader favorites. Geri’s Shop ‘Round the World series with Tule is her cozy mystery debut.
Welcome to A Mid-Summer Murder, book two in my Shop ‘Round the World series. This often humorous, with a good dose of warm fuzzy, cozy mystery series takes place in fictional Stonebridge, Pennsylvania, and I’m delighted to take you on a mini “tour” of retired Navy helicopter pilot Angel Warren’s hometown today.
Fun author fact: Stonebridge is loosely based on the south central PA town I live in.
Angel hung up her Navy flight suit and moved back to her native town to open a very special international curio shop, where she strives to share some of the joy she’s experienced while living a global Navy lifestyle for over twenty years. Stonebridge is a quaint town that was founded by Jacob Stoner back in the eighteenth century. Here’s a Christmas time shot. You can imagine the fun shops, cafes, and restaurants that occupy each historical building. An added bonus: spectacular sunsets!
Next up, the building that Angel purchased (and um, finds her first dead body in). The main floor is where Shop ’Round the World is located, and the second and third floors are where Angel and her twin daughters live when the girls aren’t away at university. I picture it next to the building with the belltower in the downtown pic above. You can see Angel’s building’s top floors, from across the street in where I imagine Eloise’s yoga studio. It offers a great view for any dead bodies that show up on Main Street. This loft is actually where I had the A Santa Stabbing book release party!
There is no shortage of hiking and outdoor activities in Stonebridge, including a spooky old cemetery.
Perhaps these next two aren’t part of a tour, but they are big parts of the Shop ‘Round the World series. Meet Machiatto aka Mach, Nate the silver fox barista’s big Shiloh Shepherd doggie, and Ralph, Angel’s yellow nape Amazon parrot. Because, what’s a cozy mystery without beloved pets?
Thanks for coming along on this tour with Angel! Please connect with me at my website, where you can sign up for my newsletter and site news. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Bookbub while you’re at it—I have so much fun cozy mystery coming your way in 2023!
Let’s keep the fun quaint town vibe going—what’s your favorite historical town that you’ve ever read about, been to, lived in, or want to visit?
About the Author
Geri Krotow is the bestselling author of over 25 novels of romantic suspense, contemporary romance and women’s fiction. A US Naval Academy graduate and Navy veteran, Geri’s strong heroines are reader favorites. Geri’s Shop ‘Round the World series with Tule is her cozy mystery debut.
Kaz Delaney stopped by the Tule blog to discuss the third book in the Hart of Texas Murder Mysteries series, Candy-Coated Conspiracy!
Where did you get the inspiration for Candy-Coated Conspiracy?
Initial inspiration came from two things. The first was location – well, specific location. It was always going to be set in a small town, as all the Hart of Texas Mysteries are, but I’ve always loved covers that featured candy stores – they’re so pretty – and real ones smell so good, so I knew one day I’d write about a mystery linked to a candy store. And secondly, I was drawn to a trope I’ve played around with a few times now and absolutely love, and that’s when someone is not who they’re pretending to be. I adore secret identity stories and once I’d hooked these two up, I had to work to find the story behind.
The hardest part was discovering what dastardly secret the town was hiding. I mean, how can a whole town keep something secret? My husband always says that the moment you tell one person—no matter how trusted they are—your secret is no longer a secret, so I knew if a whole town was keeping it secret it had to be big. And bad…
If you went to The Sweet Treat candy store featured in Candy-Coated Conspiracy, what candies would you be leaving with?
I’d probably need a truck to get me home with my load, but anything with nuts and caramel, preferably hard caramel. I’d love to try the sisters’ eggnog caramels and their marshmallow fudge. Um, oh yes! Tropical creams… They’d be delicious with their rich pineapple filling. And I probably couldn’t leave without some Rocky Road.
If you could spend the day with your heroine, Rosie Hart, what would you two get up to?
It’s a no brainer that we’d first bake. It’s a passion we both share and I can imagine the hours whiling away as we baked and chatted. She’s way more talented than I am so I’d be also watching and learning. I know her home almost as well as I know my own, but I’d still love to walk through those rooms, and chat with Rosie and Fiona about the color palette they chose.
Then we’d have to go into town so she could introduce me around. First stop would have to be to see the Fab Four out at the retirement village—those gorgeous, yet scandalous, rascally and irreverent nonagenarians—ensuring we didn’t come between them and a meal or food break; nor distract them from cheating their way through yet another hand of Texas Holdem’. We’d drop in on Miz Brenda and pick up some of her amazing preserves, say hi to Janet while we popped in to meet Sheriff Frank Kinnead, who, like Rosie, I see as a father-figure. Naturally I’d have to go to that iconic newspaper office to see Midge and inhale all the history held within those walls. We’d meet the other townspeople, and then hopefully have dinner with Jonah and his family, Fiona and Clay.
Although, if she was embroiled in a mystery, we’d have that famous whiteboard out and we’d be brainstorming while I helped her solve whatever needed solving. How much fun would that be!!
I’d probably roll home after having consumed too many sweet treats, and be wishing I could do it all again the next day.
What was your favorite scene to write and why? (include a snippet)
Oh gosh, this is a tricky one and I’ve really struggled for an answer—and also one that’s relatively short enough to be a snippet. Any scene with the Fab Four from Riverside Retirement Village is usually a hoot to write, and always so much fun. Then there are some really poignant scenes that still make me cry no matter how often I’ve read them—a final scene between Katya and Lester Jackson is beautiful; the scene with 103 year old Rita Wiley-Hannaford as she recounts her lost love story is as inspiring as it is sad as it offers up answers to this mystery. Speaking of the mystery, I liked the scene with Dwayne Morris’ sister where she explains to Midge and Rosie why her brother may have been not only pretending to be someone else, but why he was tearing up the house of his supposed elderly aunts. Here’s a teeny bit of it.
The set up is that Gabrielle, Dwayne’s sister, has been recounting a story passed from her grandparents; a story that had obsessed a young Dwayne from a young boy. It’s about a letter given to her grandfather’s cellmate that through misfortune never reached its destination – the cellmate’s family. The uncle of the two elderly women suspected of Dwayne’s murder.
——
Gabrielle closed her eyes momentarily, maybe trying to block out memories. Maybe trying to block out the horror of what her brother had done. Maybe trying to block out this day… And us.
“But why take so long?” Midge pondered. “He’d known this story all his life.”
“Mom had an idea about that as well. Obviously, the letter had been passed down and when my grandparents passed away it was in their papers. Mom had them, intending to go through them. The last time Evan was at her house, my mom was sorting those papers. She came across the letter, but later that evening after he’d left, the letter was gone.” Gabrielle was looking very tired now. “She said she’s been praying he wouldn’t do something stupid. But I guess it was too late. He did.”
For long moments we all sat in silence, I guess all pondering that statement. Well, I’m assuming they were. My thoughts were very personal and becoming more urgent. I’d been hanging on to go the bathroom for a while, not wanting to miss a moment but we seemed to be at a break point—an impasse of sorts, and as the situation was becoming grave, I asked for directions and excused myself. I always say I get my best creative ideas in the shower or bath so I guess it was no surprise that even releasing water raised another question we needed to ask.
Back out with the others, Gabrielle was rinsing cups in the kitchen sink, and Midge had our bags, ready to leave as soon as I’d made my return. But I couldn’t go just yet. Just one more question. Maybe two…
“Gabrielle, did you ever see the letter? Read it with your own eyes?”
When she shook her head, my heart sank. But I still had one more. “So, do you have any idea why your great-grandmother thought the whole thing was fictitious? Vivid imagination?”
At that, she smiled. It was wan and half-hearted, but it was a smile. “That I do know and I agreed with her.” She shook her head “Oh, come on… Diamonds hidden in a wall? And he hadn’t told anyone? The man was a pauper and he had diamonds supposedly hidden in a wall? Crazy!”
And there it was…
Diamonds.
My breath stalled at the mention of that word. Diamonds.
Don’t ask me how I knew, I just did. It was a gut thing. But it was significant.
And unlike Gabrielle’s great-grandmother, I believed the story.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading a novel entitled Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. It’s a spoof on mystery novels, with its own mystery of course. Snow isn’t something that’s immediately associated with Australia but we do have a couple of snowfield areas in the mountains down south and this is the setting for this novel which plays into the locked room scenario as they’re cut off from the rest of the world by heavy falls. Given that I’m reading it in one of our coldest winters in a hundred years, I’ll be looking for a warmer setting for the next book I choose. I have just the titles in mind on my TBR (To be Read) pile. Six Days of Spring by Charlee James next on my Kindle list and I’m looking forward to that, but I’m also so keen to start on Tule’s Outback Babies series. It features some of my favorite people – and authors: Barb Hannay, Trish Morey, Fiona McArthur and Kelly Hunter – and I think it will be huge fun. And besides, I’m such a pushover for babies and little people. When I’m not indulging myself and want to pretend I’m working instead, I want to re-read The Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque
About the Author
Award winning YA & children’s author, Kaz Delaney, and her alter ego, have currently sold 73 titles between them over a 26 year career.
Her books have won many awards, among them the prestigious Aurealis Award for best paranormal and ARRA (Australian Romance Readers Association) awards. Her novel ‘Dead, Actually’ (Allen & Unwin) was nominated for a Davitt Award, (Best crime novel, Sisters In Crime) in the YA section. Dividing her time between teaching and writing, Kaz formerly tutored Creative Writing for CSU’s Enrichment Program as well as teaching and creating courses for the Australian College of Journalism.
Having always had a love of cozy mysteries, Kaz is having so much fun writing her Hart of Texas Mystery Series for TULE Publishing, that she worries it’s not legal!
With their family grown and gone, Kaz lives with her wonderful husband at beautiful Lake Macquarie, Australia, a place she describes as a strip of land between the ocean and lake. Like Rosie, Kaz loves to bake and grow vegetables and unlike Rosie, manages to make a mess of every crochet task she undertakes.
Maddie and Jenna are such a fun mother-daughter pair. Where did you get the inspiration for their relationship?
I’m blessed to have a very close relationship with my daughter. Now that she’s an adult, she’s my best friend. Naturally, our relationship had a big influence on my choice of mother/daughter sleuths. Added to that, I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan. I devoured the show when it was on TV. I own the complete collection and watch episodes often. Stars Hollow, with its small-town charm and quirky cast of characters, is my happy place. I wanted to create a similar feeling of community in The Wedding Bell Mysteries. The Wedding Bell Mysteries are set in the fictional town of Hemlock, NC, which, it seems, is experiencing it’s a spike in crime. So, rather than straight Gilmore Girls, I’d say the series is more Gilmore Girls meets Murder She Wrote.
A Crime of Fashion is a cozy mystery, but you also write contemporary romance and women’s fiction. What is different about writing cozy mysteries vs contemporary romance and women’s fiction? Which one do you enjoy more?
The plot of a cozy mystery usually revolves around a murder or another crime. Usually, the murder happens “off stage,” so there’s not a lot of blood and gore. The violence is “implied,” if that makes sense. A cozy might have a sweet romantic thread (mine do), but the romance is not central to the plot. In other words, you could remove the romantic bits and still have a story. Oh, and if there’s a romance in a cozy, it’s usually sweet and chaste.
In a romance novel, the story revolves around the romance and features two people falling in love. It’s a couple’s journey toward happily ever after.
Women’s fiction stories chronicle the journey or life experience of at least one woman (sometimes there’s two or three) as she moves toward a goal. Her objective might involve falling in love or it might simply be about learning to love herself and being content with her own company. She might make these changes willingly, but often change is thrust upon her. While women’s fiction novels can have a traditional happy ending, it’s not uncommon for the story to have a “satisfying” ending. The main character might not get what she wants, but she will grow and change as she faces challenges.
You can see, all three are distinctly different. Choosing my favorite is like choosing a favorite child (though, I only have one), or maybe selecting a favorite food is a better example. One day you’re in the mood for a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs, another day you might crave the homey comfort of a chicken dinner, and another you might want a spicy curry. It’s all about variety, and I feel so blessed to write all three genres. Though, I must admit, once I finish a book, I’m eager to write something different and I’m excited for the change of pace the other genres offer.
How do you relate to Maddie and Jenna, and how do you hope readers will relate to them?
Maddie and Jenna have a close mother and daughter relationship. Because of my daughter and I are so close, I relate to the pair in that regard. Maddie and I are kindred spirits since we both write cozy mysteries and live in a small town.
I think readers will relate to the Wedding Bell Mysteries heroines for many of the same reasons that I do, and because – solving murders aside – their experiences with love, family, and community are universal.
What was your favorite scene to write and why?
In the first Wedding Bell Mystery, SLAY BELLS RING, Maddie found herself attracted to Hemlock’s new Police chief, Jackson Bradley. Jackson is a widower and Maddie is in limbo because her Navy pilot husband – the only man she’s ever loved – has been missing in action for several years. She can’t bring herself to move on because if she does, it means she’s given up hope and he’s never coming back. However, she can’t deny the fact that she’s attracted to Hemlock’s new chief of police. In book two, A CRIME OF FASHION, Maddie and Jackson have their first date. That scene was not only fun to write, but emotional, too.
What are you currently reading?
Currently, I’m enjoying Kristan Higgins’s new book, ALWAYS THE LAST TO KNOW.
About the Author
Award-winning author Nancy Robards Thompson has worked as a newspaper reporter, television show stand-in, production and casting assistant for movies, and in fashion and public relations. She started writing fiction seriously in 1997. Five years and four completed manuscripts later, she won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award for unpublished writers and sold her first book the following year. Since then, Nancy has sold 30 books and found her calling doing what she loves most – writing romance and women’s fiction full-time.
Tell us all about the crime-sniffing Great Dane, George Clooney!
He’s based on an amalgamation of Great Danes we’ve rescued through the years. I’ve always wanted to name one of our dogs George Clooney and my husband and kids wouldn’t let me. Oh, and Great Danes are extremely curious dogs and always getting into trouble for it. He just seemed like the perfect crime-solving partner.
What is the most difficult part about writing a mystery book/series?
Keeping track of all the suspects and weaving it all together so it makes sense. In the last book, the killer turned out not to be the killer––it made more sense for it to be someone else. But I didn’t know that until the end. (Laughs). And it’s hard to just focus on just a few characters when there are so many fun, quirky ones in Sweet River.
If you could spend the day with Ainsley McGregor, your heroine, what would you two do?
Well, I’d spend a ton of time in her shop and beg for a discount. It’s like the coolest shop ever in my head.
What was your favorite scene to write and why?
So I don’t want to get too specific, but Jake has a tough time expressing his feelings. Like my husband, he chooses to show his caring side by doing things for Ainsley. I think one of the cutest/sweetest scenes I’ve ever written is toward the end, when he gets creative with that idea.
What are you currently reading?
I don’t usually read a lot of self-help, but I attended The Rise Conference with Rachel Hollis and her team. I’m reading her book I Didn’t See that Coming. And Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk. I’m all about trying to find the zen these days.
About the Author
Bestselling and award-winning author Candace Havens has had more than thirty novels published. She is one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. She does film reviews on Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS.
