5 Key Ingredients to Creating a Cozy Mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

 

Life is sweet for high school senior and ice cream slinger Genevieve Winterland. Her father owns Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour, the cutest confectionery shop in their little town of Pinewood, Arizona. Genevieve loves her job, but when her father hires a broody newcomer with a dark past to provide extra security on her closing shifts, Genevieve bristles. Is this part of her father’s plan to send her away to college, when all she wants is to stay in Pinewood and run the family business? Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite new teacher at Pinewood High, Miss Love, is receiving death threats, and then she goes missing. Genevieve suspects the crabby substitute, Ms. Pierce, who seems murderous about being passed over for the position. Or is the culprit Mr. Garcia, the longtime instructor who Miss Love replaced after he was fired for assaulting a student? Just when Genevieve thinks she knows the answer, she stumbles across the dead body of another missing faculty member. Can Genevieve find the killer terrorizing the teachers in her beloved hometown—before someone else gets iced?

 

Murder by Milkshake is available in print and as an ebook at Amazon. You can add it to your GoodReads reading list as well.

 

5 Key Ingredients to Creating a Cozy Mystery

 So you want to write a cozy mystery? Good for you! Since jumping into the genre with my dessert-themed YA cozy series, Sweet Dreams Mysteries, I have written with total joy (and often hunger!). The recipe for whipping up a good cozy relies on some key ingredients; if you get these wrong, you’ll risk the wrath of the fiercely devoted readership and trust me—you don’t want to mess with cozy mystery readers.

 Theme: A cozy mystery series has to have a theme. The theme is usually centered on the main character’s occupation or hobby, and you must show your MC engaged in this work or hobby. For example, there are cafe cozies, bookstore cozies, and knitting cozies. I chose ice cream for my theme, because my daughter had recently started working at Baskin-Robbins. I named my fictional ice cream shop Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour.

Amateur Sleuth and Pet: A cozy mystery is not a police procedural; the sleuth is always an amateur. Mysteries are puzzles that are solved by piecing together clues through interviews with several suspects. Additionally, every amateur sleuth has a pet, and pet care must be shown. Bookstore cats are common, but I happen to be a dog person, so the Sweet Dreams pet is a golden retriever. She’s amazing; you’ll love her.

PG rating: In a cozy mystery, there cannot be gratuitous violence, profanity, or sex. Deaths tend to be discovered, often by the main character in sometimes amusing circumstances, and murder scenes are not described in detail. During confrontations or showdowns with the killer(s), the MC is rarely in any real danger for long. Most importantly, there must always be a happy ending.

Motive: The murders in cozies are based on motives like greed and jealousy, and typically the killer commits these murders in a fit of passion. These aren’t serial killers or sociopaths who enjoy the act of killing, but everyday people with relatable motives who are often part of the community. Likewise, when apprehended they tend to explain their crimes in petulant monologues: think Scooby-Doo.

Puns: In cozy mysteries, puns are definitely intended. Titles are clever and cute. Some recent examples are Mocha, She Wrote, Partners in Lime, Thread on Arrival, and Game of Cones. I tossed around several ideas before settling on Murder by Milkshake.

Happy writing!

About the Author

 

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two children.

 

Elizabeth and Murder by Milkshake can be found online:

https://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8124819.Elizabeth_Maria_Naranjo

https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo

Randy C. Dockens' Stele Prophecy Pentalogy

Stele Prophecy Pentalogy Series Description

A series of five stories run the gamut of emotional themes: struggling with anger, the desire to belong, one seeking destiny, complicated love, and being blinded by pride. Each cleverly crafted story demonstrates unbelievable technology where the earthly and divine merge into an amazing and unforgettable future.

Kalem lives through the death of his brother by the hand of the King which occurred when he was very young. Now that he is older and can act, he is emotionally torn between his anger over his brother’s death and the love he is finding in someone who supports the King. Two prophecies stand before him. The one he wholeheartedly believes in places his life in danger just as it had for his brother. The other is safer but requires him to live a lie. How can he choose which direction to take? Yet he must choose before his fate is sealed.

Edvin experiences heartbreak during troubled times as his sister-in-law loses her unborn baby and his girlfriend dies from plane crash injuries. Yet he is not the only one. Thousands around the globe experience the same events happening in their lives and to their loved ones. How can he make sense of the apocalyptic world in which he now lives? Yet an unexpected destiny awaits him.

Ya’akov gets approved for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but he gets caught in a nightmare of manipulation and deceit, which ultimately leaves him abandoned at sea not remembering who he is or how he got there. Despite such a start, he finds a destiny greater than anything he had ever dreamed possible.

Princess Me’ira breaks protocol and falls in love with someone not vetted by prescribed law. Her decision will yield unpreventable heartache to either herself or to those closest to her. While unknown to her, the decision she makes sets a future in motion she could never have anticipated.

Janet discovers how to increase teleporter efficiency to an all-time high, but her work is rejected by the King. Her selfish pride sets in motion a plan of revenge that has devastating consequences far greater than she ever imagined.

Each story is stand-alone, yet they all intertwine into a unique whole that paints a picture of a future time in which we may all find ourselves one day.

The Stele Prophecy Pentalogy Series is available at Amazon.

 

Dr. Randy C. Dockens has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without being enemies of each other. After completing his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been administered (i.e, absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted).

 Through the years, he has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas, including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to seek and develop new and novel medicines in these therapy areas. He has also had his attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon.

 Randy has recently retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian (The Coded Message Trilogy), end-time prophecy (Stele Prophecy Pentalogy), science fiction (Erabon Prophecy Trilogy), and uniquely told Bible stories (The Adversary Chronicles). All his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers.

 He has also written some nonfiction books as well. One is to show how all humans are connected from God’s viewpoint by looking at biblical prophecy (Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?: The Question Everyone Should Ask). This book shows how all scripture is connected and inclusive of everyone. In addition, he and his editor have written two books about writing. The first is on writing techniques themselves and is entitled Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing: Creating Vivid and Colorful Stories that Readers Want to Read. This book not only addresses the techniques of writing, but what makes writing unique to each author. It conveys not only how to better hone one’s craft of writing but also the brand an author wants to portray. This helps an author make their writing unique as well as captivating for his/her audience. The second is a companion book to this one entitled Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Self-Editing: Framing Your Colorful Masterpiece to Keep Readers Engaged in Your Story. This is best used in conjunction with the first one. Yet, self-editing, though intricately connected to writing, is a distinct event. The better the quality of a writer’s draft manuscript when it is delivered to one’s editor, the higher the final quality of the manuscript will be for readers, and that is extremely important.

 Dr Dockens is still not done. He has other creative ideas he is bringing forward as he is currently working on two new futuristic series. So, stay turned!

Website ➜ https://www.randydockens.com/  

X ➜ https://x.com/RandyCDockens

Facebook ➜  www.facebook.com/Randy.C.Dockens

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/randydockens

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16453941 

Author Tracey Lampley Talks About Life With Neo

 

Jinx Curry is a single mom who spends her days spying on cheating wives and husbands, but she aches for more importance. When her boss, Capricorn Hayes, finally assigns Jinx a missing person’s case involving a congressman's missing granddaughter, Jinx jumps at the chance. Not only to solve it, but to earn the fifty-thousand-dollar bonus that would pay her bills and get a menacing creditor off her back. But the investigation proves more dangerous and costly than Jinx believes. After an unknown individual in a black Corvette nearly runs Jinx down and begins stalking her, Jinx has to sacrifice her relationship with her daughter by sending Arielle to live with her father. Can Jinx find the congressman's granddaughter while surviving her stalker? Or will this job be her last?

Purchase a copy of All Money Ain’t Good Money on

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/All-Money-Aint-Good-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CW1DW3SX

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-money-aint-good-money-tracey-lampley/1145537634?ean=2940179752004

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212406184-all-money-ain-t-good-money

 The paperback copy of the book is sold exclusively on Tracey's website. The customer only needs to click on the "SHOP" button. Readers can read the first three chapters of All Money Ain't Good Money by subscribing to Tracey's mailing list. They can unsubscribe at any time. 

Author Tracey Lampley Talks about ‘Life With Neo’

He’s a tan, Shih Tzu/Yorkie mix. Despite being nearly fifteen years old, he still bounds across my living room floor whenever I toss his toy dog bone. He still stands up on his hind legs to take a treat from my extended hand. He still joins me on the sofa when I take an afternoon nap. He’s spoiled. No matter how many times I say, “Get down,” he snuggles close to me and closes his eyes and snores. My life with Neo is a joy. My daughter introduced me to him in September 2010 when I took her back to college. She picked him up from a friend’s home, and Neo’s kept me company ever since. He’s saved my life. While I was embroiled in a harrowing ordeal with two former employers conspiring against me, I considered throwing myself into traffic because I was in a very dark place. I couldn’t escape the hell they were putting me through.

Do you know what stopped me from committing suicide? My darling Neo. I thought: Who’s going to feed my puppy? Who’s going to take care of him? My daughter is away at college. With all that I was going through, Neo is always glad to see me. He dotes on me. He expects me to play with him. So, he is a comfort to me. He is my service animal. I can’t be too far away from him. I can’t be away on vacation too long without missing him. So, I take him everywhere. Neo is much older now. I show more patience with him. He’s slower when I take him for walks, which he insists on frequently throughout the day. But he still stops and smells the flowers and bushes. He bosses younger dogs. His spirits are always up. He never seems sad. After his last vet visit, he checked out fine. It’s my job to make his life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible because he once saved mine.

Tracey with adorable Neo!

About the Author

When she is not writing, Tracey Lampley loves attending and watching sporting events such as WNBA, NBA, college football and NFL football. Currently Tracey is completing her MA in Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. She already holds an MS in Publishing from Pace University and a BA in English/Technical & Scientific Communication from Miami University of Ohio. She resides in the metro Atlanta, Georgia area with her pooch Neo and near her daughter Asia.

You can follow the author at:

Website: https://traceylampley.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracey.lampley.12

X/Twitter: @bookmistress1

Instagram: tralam4156