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.
Spring is here, and so are some exciting new book releases! From thrilling mysteries to heartwarming cozies, this month’s lineup has something for every reader. Whether you’re in the mood for a page-turning suspense or a cozy read to enjoy in the sunshine, April’s books are ready to captivate your imagination. To kick off the season of fresh starts, we’re also hosting a giveaway! Keep reading to discover your next favorite read and enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of one of our new releases!
Giveaway Question: What’s your favorite cozy mystery or thriller setting — a small town, a quirky café, or maybe an old mansion? Let us know for a chance to win!
Readers and editors alike have been befuddled by some of the things that appear in my Pecan, Texas Dog Groomer Mysteries. My latest addition to the series, A Wiener Dog Wedding released today so I figured I should give y’all some insight into my Texas madness.
The Stetson Stallion cowboy hat
Worn by Mr. Williams when he was found dead in his hot tub, this is a Texas older gentleman staple. The first hats were actually created by a man traveling west from Pennsylvania but soon the cowboys of Texas took hold, with the ten gallon hat and now if you ask about Stetson Stallions to a life long Texan man, they may have a collection to show you for winter and summer wear.
Bunco
This has become a rising popular past time of women in the last few years, but no greater than church women, bringing pot luck meals and gabbing over this game. Yes the author is a frequenter to the Lutheran church round up of this dice game. It’s a simple, rolling the dice with partners to get to a certain number but it’s more about meeting about with other women and trying to beat them to 21 for the prize.
FFA or Future Farmers of America
This is more than a Texas thing but a group that focuses on agriculture. Our local chapter is also affiliated with the school and agriculture classes that aren’t just about animals but included horticulture as well.
Dr Pepper
All of the characters drink it and it’s available everywhere. That’s because Dr Pepper originated in Texas and you can still visit the Dr Pepper museum in Waco! Most restaurants will serve Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper around here, which is always very upsetting when this author visits her parents in IL and can’t get said Dr Pepper.
Clay soil
It was a big thing in A Corgi Conundrum and how Texas soil is harder to grow certain crops in. Texas has clay, not red dirt clay, but this is like muddy play-doh that takes an art to growing certain things in (which is why we use fertilizer and container gardens). It’s also why houses are built more with bricks, because if you’ve ever been to Texas during a draught, you may find big holes and craters in the yard. That’s the separation of the clay and you don’t want your house separating with it! (Which is also why, yes, we do have a soaker house, to water our house every six months. You heard that right, watering our gardens and our houses).
What other Texas things from the Pecan, Texas Dog Groomer Mystery series have you been confused about? Happy to answer in the comments!
About the author
M. Alfano is a crazy dog lady from a small town in Texas. When not writing cozy mysteries you can find her as the substitute elementary school music teacher or writing contemporary romance under Magan Vernon.
Okay, confession time! In the name of research, I’m addicted to True Crime books, shows and podcasts. I’ve gone down some pretty wild rabbit holes in the name of research. And let me tell you, the history of dessert-related crimes is WAY more bonkers than anything I could make up! 🍫
In my latest mystery, “Fudge and Felonies,” my amateur sleuth Ava finds a beauty pageant contestant dead next to a plate of chocolate cupcakes (because apparently, some people will literally die for my recipes 😅). But while Ava’s adventures are purely fictional, history serves up some seriously dark dessert drama that would make even my mischievous Lucky’s fur stand on end! 🐱
1 | The Chocolate Cream Killer (AKA The Original Mean Girl) 🍬
Picture this: Brighton, England, 1871. Christiana Edmunds (who clearly needed a better hobby) decided the best way to deal with her past relationship drama was to poison a box of chocolates and send them to her ex-lover’s wife. When that didn’t work out (shocker!), she thought, “Hey, why not poison ALL the chocolates?” Classic overachiever move, right?
She started buying chocolates, adding strychnine (because apparently arsenic was too basic), and returning them to the shop. Several people got sick, and sadly, a four-year-old died. Not cool, Christiana. Not cool at all. 😔
2 | The Bradford Sweets Disaster (Or Why We Have Food Labels Now) ⚠️
In 1858, a candy maker in Bradford made the mother of all oopsies when he grabbed arsenic instead of plaster of Paris as a sugar substitute. I mean, we’ve all mixed up ingredients before (like that time I used salt instead of sugar in my first batch of cupcakes), but this mistake was next level! Twenty people died, and over 200 got sick. Talk about a bad Yelp review waiting to happen!
The 1930s Australian Norman Pether apparently thought regular Easter eggs weren’t exciting enough, so he added arsenic to his recipe. Spoiler alert: This did not end well. This case is basically why we can’t just walk into stores and buy arsenic anymore. Thanks a lot, Norman! 🙄
Modern Food Safety (Because We’re Not Savages Anymore) 📋
These days, bakeries like my Frosted have more rules than a beauty pageant contestant’s diet plan. Temperature checks, ingredient tracking, proper storage – the works! Though between us, Lucky the cat occasionally thinks these rules are more like suggestions. But hey, at least he’s not adding arsenic to the mix!
Why We’re Still Obsessed 🤔
Let’s be real – there’s something deliciously ironic about murder-by-dessert. It’s like finding out the head cheerleader is secretly a math nerd, or discovering your high school nemesis became a “kindness coach” (looking at you, Brittany Westerheide!). The contrast is just too good to resist!
When I’m writing the Frosted Misfortunes series, I love playing with this sweet-and-sinister contrast. Though unlike these historical cases, my heroine Ava solves crimes instead of baking them into her cupcakes. And her only partner in crime is a slightly chaotic Abyssinian cat who thinks red ribbons are his personal play toys!
So next time you’re enjoying one of my cupcake recipes, rest assured the only thing killer about it is the taste! Unless you’re a character in my books – then all bets are off! 😉
Want to dive into a world where the cupcakes are sweet but the crimes are sweeter? Grab Fudge and Felonies today! I promise the only thing you’ll die from is laughter (and maybe a sugar rush). 🧁✨
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.
Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes an exciting lineup of books you won’t want to miss! Whether you’re in the mood for heart-pounding thrillers, warm and charming cozies, or twisty mysteries that will keep you guessing, these upcoming titles are sure to keep you turning pages well into the season.
To celebrate these new releases, we’re hosting a giveaway! One lucky winner will receive an eBook of one of the upcoming releases. To enter, simply comment below and let us know: What’s your favorite mystery or thriller trope?
We can’t wait to see your answers, and good luck!
She just wants to share her delicious sweets. But a sticky surprise has this amateur detective dusting off her snooping skills.
Now, more than ever, women are “carrying” films based on their perceived value in the industry. More are considered “box-office-valuable” and are carrying more wight in the film industry. Women have been contributing to the film industry for decades, but it is most recently that they are finally recognized as having the box office power that men have had.
Women authors have made themselves known in all genres. Women write about women, and a better description cannot be found. Of course, women authors write about many things, but most show us as strong women in challenging circumstances, also known as a day in the life of most women.
When I write, the idea or inspiration usually comes from something a woman has said or done, or both. It’s as if I hear a call to arms—come on, tell my story. Then, having heard it, I must. The main character is soon joined by her friends, and maybe an enemy, and I have to write it all down because they are getting to be too many to carry around in my head. This is my process, and it works for me.
Women, in whatever role in life they find themselves, are finally being recognized, whether in the creative arts or medicine, science, education, and so on. They are being judged on their abilities, and that was/is a welcome change.
I will continue to do my part by writing to represent women as we are, and with all of our talents, and yes, even human flaws, and I hope to do it with the respect that women deserve. Because women are, in fact—main characters.
In my most recent series, I have more women in “starring roles” than men. When I introduced a man, Ted, into a relationship with Helen, I tried to make them equals, real partners in life as well as at work. I tried to show their faults, their humanness, along with their talents, and how, with a little help from our friends, we can all be main characters.
Congrats on your release of Retirement Can Be Deadly,Vickie! As for the rest of you, be sure and mark your calendars for Retirement Can Be Deadly book 3, A Wedding and A Murder, releasing May 12th!
Vickie is a published author of over two dozen books, from cozy mystery to paranormal, and a recent jump into romantic suspense, with a new release coming out in July (Savannah Heat). She has published many short stories and articles and has won various awards and commendations over the years. Vickie has been a fulltime writer for the last eight years. She is working on a new blog site, Sweet Tea and Sympathy now, and plans to have it up and running this summer. The blog will focus on the writer’s life, but in particular, the life of a Southern writer. You can find her books on Amazon and sign up to follow her there: Amazon.com/author/vickiecarroll or on Facebook.
