“Off the Page” with The Wren and Coco Cline by Sarah E. Burr

 A Note from Sarah: For this month’s post, I’m handing the blogging reins to Winnie Lark, the main character in my Book Blogger Mysteries. Winnie runs a popular bookish website called What Spine is Yours (think Metacritic for the literary world). However, she manages it anonymously, and the online community only knows her as “The Wren.” She often interviews authors through their characters, and that’s the focus of today’s feature. Enjoy!

 

Hi, everyone. The Wren, here. I’m delighted to be guest blogging today for Sarah E. Burr. I had the pleasure of reading her latest novel, DM Me for Murder, which features crime-solving influencer Coco Cline. I love the concept of a modern, millennial heroine taking front and center of a cozy mystery. The way Coco uses technology almost makes me believe I could solve a murder myself if ever put in the situation. There’s a certain kinship I feel with Coco, so I’ve invited her character to participate in one of my “Off the Page” interviews.

Coco, welcome! It’s great to connect with a fellow blogger. How did you get into the blogging space? I’m curious to hear your origin story.

You make me sound like a superhero, LOL. Well, I started Trending Topic several years ago after graduating college. My friends and I were developing an app to curate all our social media newsfeeds into one place. We were so tired of hopping from Facebook to Instagram to Twitter, etcetera, that we decided to see if we could make life easier for ourselves. And while my techie friends spun up the code, I was busy building our “brand.” We had such a cool piece of technology to share, but I knew we needed some original content to make us stand out in the online world, and thus, Trending Topic was born.

Trending Topic features a lot of different subjects. Home décor, entertainment news, and fashion, just to name a few. I can barely keep up with blogging solely about books. How do you juggle all these topics? Is there one you prefer more than others?

I think having so many choices actually makes it easier for me to post weekly. With everything I cover, there’s always something for me to write about. I rarely struggle to come up with a post topic. As for preferred subjects, I enjoy using my platform to feature organizations doing good out in the world. The Internet can be such a twisted place; I do my best to promote whatever good I can and bring some happiness to my followers’ timelines.

However, I definitely have a topic I don’t prefer. I’m absolutely hopeless in the kitchen, and often, whenever I share a recipe, it’s to showcase my disastrous attempts. So much of social media consists of retouched images of people living “their best lives,” and I like reminding my followers that influencers are real people just like them who make mistakes and have their bad days. I’m not perfect. I’m just heavily filtered!

So, the big, burning question we cozy mystery readers all want to know: how does a lifestyle blogger get tangled up in a murder mystery?

By being a nosy busybody, LOL. In all seriousness, I get involved in these investigations because I believe I can help attain justice in some way. Justice for my clients, justice for my friends, or justice for the victim. When someone you love or respect is accused of murder, there’s a crippling fear so deep inside you that you cannot turn away. The same goes for when the victim is someone you know or admire.

How did your involvement come about in DM Me for Murder?

There were a lot of factors at play in this one. In addition to the work I do with my blog and social media, I also run an online marketing consulting firm. My newest client, LaTàge, an influencer a million times more popular than me, came to my hometown of Central Shores for a business meeting. When I went to her rental property to talk about her rebrand, I ended up finding her dead. It was terrible, and it still haunts me to this day.

Now, with regard to the official homicide investigation, the police quickly ruled me out as a suspect, but the Internet did not. Since I’d been involved with some high-profile cases before, people on X started calling me an angel of death. Even though I knew it was irrational, I couldn’t help but feel responsible for LaTàge’s murder. She’d come to Central Shores to see me, after all. Because of that weight, I wanted to bring her killer to justice. I also wanted to show the Internet I wasn’t at fault.

That must have been hard, having all that hate trending your way.

I think online trolls believe their hateful words don’t matter, but they do. I’ve yet to figure out why people feel the need to be mean and angry on the Internet. But as difficult as it was to have my name trending for all the wrong reasons, I’d rather be attacked by social media than experience the pain LaTàge’s friends and family had to deal with.

DM Me for Murder is the third mystery you’ve had a hand in solving. For all the armchair detectives out there, what are some words of wisdom you can share?

Never sleuth alone. Bad things always seem to happen when you go off by yourself. I always have either my boyfriend, Hudson, or my besties, Jasper and Charlotte, at my side when puzzling through a case. It’s also smart to keep your investigation under wraps. It keeps small-town gossip to a minimum so your suspects don’t clam up. It also keeps you safe from the killer.

I’m surprised you didn’t answer, “Just don’t get involved.”

Well, that would be a little hypocritical of me, don’t you think? If a person is determined enough to become an amateur sleuth, I’d rather they do it safely than try and discourage them.

Does that mean your crime-fighting days aren’t over?

Right now, I plan to focus on my work, my family, and my friends. But if someone close to me ever needed their name cleared, I’d be ready to help them in an instant.

We’d all be lucky to have Coco Cline in our corner! It’s been a pleasure getting to learn more about you and your latest adventure. Thanks for taking the time to come “Off the Page” with me, Coco. Happy Sleuthing!

DM Me for Murder is available on eBook, paperback, and audio at your favorite online retailer. Learn more about The Wren, Winnie, and the Book Blogger Mysteries at www.saraheburr.com.