cozy mystery

Everyone loves a Christmas murder, right?

Okay, maybe not everyone. But cozy mystery readers do for sure. 😉

Today, we’re featuring Kathryn Dionne’s entry into the 12 Slays of Christmas box set collection.

Have you picked up your copy of this amazing deal yet? If not, purchase links are listed below. The collection is an amazing deal, and the proceeds are going to an animal rescue shelter. You can’t get more warm and fuzzy than that!

Let’s hear from Kathryn.

Author Bio

From an early age, Kathryn’s love of treasure hunting sparked an interest in archaeology. As an amateur archaeologist, she’s been fortunate enough to uncover some very unique artifacts in different parts of the globe. However, she’s still searching for that very special scroll.

In addition to writing, she manages their five-acre property and their grove of Italian olive trees. Her husband has lovingly named their business; Saint Kathryn’s Olive Oil.

In her spare time, she makes cookie jars and throws pottery in her studio. She also creates mosaics from discarded objects and sells them under the category of Found Art.

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

My favorite character in Murder at the Holiday Bazaar would have to be my main character, Stevie Elliott. She’s been able to make a successful career out of traveling and eating, two of my favorite things. But even as a busy traveling chef, she still finds time to help those in need. In this case, it’s the two residents living in the alley next to the Quapaw Liquor Store – a homeless man and an abandoned young dog. Both are in need of a helping hand. And Stevie’s the one to offer it.

What is something unexpected that occurred while you were writing this book?

While writing Murder at the Holiday Bazaar, I got an unexpected addition to our family. His name is Mojo, and he’s an eight-week old shar pei puppy. I had been looking on and off for a playmate for my other dog, a rescue shar pei named Bodie. After several unsuccessful attempts, Mojo magically appeared. And I am happy to report that Bodie and Mojo (aka “Bojo”) instantly bonded and are doing marvelous!

What is your sleuth’s favorite holiday?

It depends on what country she’s traveling to. I would have to say that Stevie’s favorite holiday was Christmastime in Budapest, Hungary, when she got to cook for the American Embassy. Or it could have been New Year’s Day in New Delhi cooking for the president of India.

If you wrote about any holiday other than Christmas, what would it be and why?

I think I would like to write about Halloween because I love watching horror movies. I think it takes quite a talent to write a scary book, one that pulls you in and makes you feel the anxiety and tension the author is trying to convey.

The 12 Slays of Christmas is available now at all online retailers. The set includes twelve new, never-before published, Christmas-themed cozy mysteries in a boxed set from twelve cozy authors! Holiday murder and mischief abound, but not to worry we’ve got our share of amateur sleuths!

Buy now at Amazon
Buy now at Kobo
Buy now at iTunes

And to make everyone’s holidays bright and merry, the authors of The 12 Slays of Christmas, in addition to sharing our Christmas whodunit stories with our readers, are donating the proceeds from our boxed set to an animal rescue shelter. C’mon! Buy a book, rescue a dog! (or cat!)

Can’t you just feel Christmas in the air? So, put on your winter mittens, dust off your holiday recipes, start humming those carols, and have yourself a Merry Christmas with a little murder, a whole lot of fun, and a gift of love to our cozy pet partners in crime solving!

Ready for more cozy mystery goodness for the holiday season?

We’re back with more yummy cozy mystery goodness from the brand new 12 Slays of Christmas box set. For the next few days I’ll be featuring one of the authors from the set. Today we get to hear from best-selling author Colleen Helme.

Take it away, Colleen!

Author Bio:

Colleen Helme is the author of the best-selling Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, a wildly entertaining and highly humorous series about Shelby Nichols, a woman with the ability to read minds. When asked if reading minds is something Colleen wishes she could do she says, “No way! It gets Shelby into so much trouble that I would never want that ability.”

Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. Besides writing, she loves reading, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.

Story Title

Devil In a Black Suit

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

My favorite character in this book is Ramos because he is such a complicated character and even though he’s a hitman for the mob, he’s figuring out what he wants in his life, and how this will change things.

What is something unexpected that occurred while you were writing this book?

This book was so exciting for me to write because this is a spin-off from my other books, The Shelby Nichols Adventures. They are written from Shelby Nichols’s point of view, which made this book from Ramos’s point of view a different experience. I enjoyed getting to know Ramos even better than I already did as a secondary character!

What is your favorite Christmas story and why?

My favorite Christmas story is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. We have read this book every Christmas Eve with our children for years and continue to enjoy it each year. It’s become a Christmas tradition!

In a Christmas mystery are the clues more festive or just stickier?

It’s hard to balance the happiness of Christmas with murder, so I think it’s important to have plenty of humor involved so it doesn’t get too serious!

What is your sleuth’s favorite holiday?

Shelby loves Christmas, but lately it’s been hard for her to be surprised because now that she has the ability to read minds, she usually knows what she’s getting before she ever opens up the presents!

If you wrote about any holiday other than Christmas, what would it be and why?

It would definitely be Halloween because for a sleuth like Shelby who can read minds, it can get pretty scary – and now she’s beginning to hear thoughts from the departed. She may not be able to see them, but hearing them and sensing them can be just as frightening!

The 12 Slays of Christmas is available now at all online retailers. The set includes twelve new, never-before published, Christmas-themed cozy mysteries in a boxed set from twelve cozy authors! Holiday murder and mischief abound, but not to worry we’ve got our share of amateur sleuths!

Buy now at Amazon
Buy now at Kobo
Buy now at iTunes

And to make everyone’s holidays bright and merry, the authors of The 12 Slays of Christmas, in addition to sharing our Christmas whodunit stories with our readers, are donating the proceeds from our boxed set to an animal rescue shelter. C’mon! Buy a book, rescue a dog! (or cat!)

Can’t you just feel Christmas in the air? So, put on your winter mittens, dust off your holiday recipes, start humming those carols, and have yourself a Merry Christmas with a little murder, a whole lot of fun, and a gift of love to our cozy pet partners in crime solving!

Got cozy mystery reading for the holidays?

For several days in Decemeber, I’ll be featuring posts from some of the authors of the brand new mystery box set, The 12 Slays of Christmas. Several authors from the set are going to share with us a bit about their book and their character(s).

Today I’m thrilled to welcome It’s a Mystery podcast guest, from episode 32, Kim Hunt Harris. I am a huge fan of Kim’s delightfully flawed, kind-hearted and well-meaning amateur sleuth, Salem Grimes.

Take it away Kim!

Author Bio:

Kim Hunt Harris is the award-winning author of the Trailer Park Princess cozy mystery comedy series.

Kim knew she wanted to be a writer before she even knew how to write. When her parents read bedtime stories to her, she knew she wanted to be a part of the story world. She started out writing children’s stories, and her stories grew as she did. She discovered a gift for humor and a love for making people laugh with her tales, and the Trailer Park Princess series was born.

Kim loves to not only make her readers laugh and entertain them with a good mystery, but also to examine the issues the everyday people face…well, every day. Issues like faith and forgiveness, perseverance and tolerance. Set in Lubbock, Texas, the fun books feature a cast of quirky characters, outrageous situations, a drama queen of a dog, and from time to time, a tear or two.

Kim lives with her husband of more than thirty years and two teenage kids in Texas.

Story Title:

Frankincense, Gold, and Murder

Synopsis:

Salem Grimes is celebrating Christmas in true Trailertopian style, complete with caroling, Pancho Clos, and tamales, but her festivities take a downturn when she finds a murdered neighbor. It won’t be a jolly Christmas if her hunt for the killer leads to her becoming the next victim.

My favorite character and why?

This is such a difficult question because of course I love all my characters, but for different reasons. Salem is my protagonist and in so many ways she is me (in some ways she’s not at all like me, of course—I’ll leave it to the readers to figure out which parts are which) and at this point (after 4.5 completed novels and numerous short stories) we’ve spent a lot of time together. I love her for her earnest heart and her honesty. I love Viv because that woman has no filter and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She says whatever she thinks, and she gets away with it because she has no malice in any of it. But I think if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Tony. Tony is the Christian I aim to be. Plus, he’s pretty dreamy. And he’s nice to Salem’s dog, so there are all kinds of points with that.

What is something unexpected that occurred while you were writing this book?

I don’t know why, in 2017, this would be a surprise to me, but it was. YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET. I decided to include an a capella choir in my story, and needed a catchy name for it. I decided to Google that and, lo and behold, there is a choir name generator website, and Out On A Hymn was born. I know there are pitfalls with this new technological world we’re living in, but I kind of love how the average Joe’s quirky talents now can be accessed by anyone at any time.

If you wrote about another holiday other than Christmas, what would it be and why?

I’m actually putting together a box set of different holiday-themed stories, because I have this one and I have an Easter one already written. Halloween should definitely be in the works, I think, because that’s the perfect setting for a mystery, right? I also have an idea for a Valentine’s Day story that I plan to work on next. It involves a jewelry store robbery where the bad guy escapes on a bicycle.

The 12 Slays of Christmas is available now at all online retailers. The set includes twelve new, never-before published, Christmas-themed cozy mysteries in a boxed set from twelve cozy authors! Holiday murder and mischief abound, but not to worry we’ve got our share of amateur sleuths!

Buy now at Amazon
Buy now at Kobo
Buy now at iTunes

And to make everyone’s holidays bright and merry, the authors of The 12 Slays of Christmas, in addition to sharing our Christmas whodunit stories with our readers, are donating the proceeds from our boxed set to an animal rescue shelter. C’mon! Buy a book, rescue a dog! (or cat!)

Can’t you just feel Christmas in the air? So, put on your winter mittens, dust off your holiday recipes, start humming those carols, and have yourself a Merry Christmas with a little murder, a whole lot of fun, and a gift of love to our cozy pet partners in crime solving!