WRITING AND READING IN SEASON

by Korina Moss

I took this photo of an early Oct snow 

We were having a heat wave one week in August when I called my friend, who was watching ice skating on TV. She watches it every summer because it keeps her cool. She also reads books that take place in winter. I think it’s brilliant, but I just can’t do it. 

I’m a seasonal reader and TV watcher. In the dead of winter, give me Stephen King’s Storm of the Century. I know lots of friends who do Christmas in July (thanks, Hallmark TV) but my Christmas cozies stay stacked on my bedside table until Thanksgiving. I’m even a seasonal puzzler – my jigsaw puzzles reflect the season. 

My latest autumn jigsaw puzzle

I love summer, but autumn is when the cozy season begins. I was in a TJ Maxx mid-August and went down an aisle that smelled of cinnamon and spice and was instantly pulled into autumn. I thought about the autumn-only foods to come like apple crisps, cider donuts, and everything pumpkin spice. (Okay, I’m not a pumpkin spice fan, but I love others’ enthusiasm for it.) Living in New England, it’s a time to really appreciate Mother Nature. Not only is the weather great, but once the leaves turn, I literally marvel at the brilliant foliage every time I leave my house. 

My neighborhood last fall

I reminisced about everything I love about autumn to write two of my cozy mysteries set in the fall. Cheese Shop Mystery #5, Fondue or Die, takes place at the Dairy Days Festival, which was inspired by my favorite September fair. Cheese Shop Mystery #2, Gone For Gouda, takes place in October. I threw in all the autumnal vibes, including beer cheese soup and a scarecrow contest. Both books include autumn recipes like a cheesy apple pumpkin fondue and Bavarian Beer Cheese dip. 

It's fun to immerse myself in the present season along with my favorite fictional characters. It makes me appreciate each season even more as it comes around. Whether it’s a harvest fair, a Christmas cookie swap, or fireworks on the beach, I get to live out the best parts of the season on screen, through a puzzle, or between the pages of my favorite cozy mystery. 

Readers: Are you a seasonal reader? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

SPRINGING INTO AN EXCITING MONTH by Korina Moss

 Mother Nature wakes everything up in springtime, which invariably rejuvenates me too. And I’ve got an exciting month ahead. 

First up, I’ll be traveling to Bethesda, MD for the Malice Domestic fan convention, which you’ve been hearing about from some of the other Writers Who Kill members. I love getting to spend three days with friends (authors, influencers, and fan-readers alike) who I don’t usually get to see the rest of the year. Meeting writers I admire, seeing so many books for sale and feeling the enthusiasm, particularly of the fan-readers and new writers, is invigorating. It’ll be especially exciting attending the Agatha Awards banquet where my latest book, Fondue or Die, is nominated for Best Contemporary Novel alongside books by fellow nominees Connie Berry of Writers Who Kill, Ellen Byron, Gigi Pandian, and Ann Cleeves. (See Paula Benson’s latest WWK blog post “A Visit with the Authors of the Agatha Nominated Best Contemporary Novels.”) It’s an amazing group of women. Wish me luck! 

I’ll barely be recovered from the long weekend when my next book, Bait and Swiss, releases. (If you’re going to Malice, you’ll get to buy it first!)  This one features cheese and chocolate, so have snacks at the ready! Want to know a little more about Cheese Shop Mystery 6?

It’s been almost two years since Willa Bauer opened Curds & Whey in Yarrow Glen, and both cheesemonger and cheese shop are thriving in the Sonoma Valley. While Willa doesn’t eat chocolate, it’s true that life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, life’s latest curveball is that Willa’s ex-fiancé and ex-best friend—the reason for her chocolate aversion—are opening a chocolate pop-up shop across the street. By the end of the shop’s first day, the town’s newest reporter is the victim of death by chocolate. And it’s not long before tourists are too afraid to shop in town until the killer is caught. Willa’s ex wants her to be Swiss Congeniality, solve the case, and save the day. As much as Willa wants to hit him with the nearest cheese wheel, she can't stop herself from saying yes. To save Yarrow Glen, Willa and Team Cheese have some work to do.

Readers: What fun or exciting things are coming up for you this month? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes multiple Agatha Award nominated books for Best Contemporary Novel and the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

TAKING THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE

 by Korina Moss

When I began writing my fifth Cheese Shop mystery, Fondue or Die, I had one thought – to make things easy on myself. For once, I was going to choose the path of least resistance. You see, I’d just finished writing book 4, Case of the Bleus, which was anything but easy. I’d written it with two mysteries in one book—a murder mystery and a cheese mystery. It was a fun idea, but intersecting the two plotlines for the denouement’s reveal was more difficult than I’d anticipated. Let’s just say, there was a lot of hair-pulling to get it done just right and on deadline. It was worth it when my readers loved it, and it was eventually short-listed for the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel last year. But when I’d turned it into my editor, overwhelmed and burnt out, I was determined that my next mystery was going to be simple, straight forward, and with much less hair pulling. 

My initial sketchy outline for Fondue or Die kept to my promise. However, the more the story took shape, the more that straight line began to curve and twist and circle back again. It quickly became clear that my new project had become my latest problem child. I couldn’t help it – the plot twists and complications that make my books more difficult to develop are the very things that also make them more exciting to write and more satisfying for readers. “YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF!” I repeatedly yelled throughout the eight months of writing, revising, and hair pulling. 

So it was with a great deal of gratification—not to mention astonishment and of course, gratitude— that I received the news that Fondue or Die is a finalist for this year’s Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel. I’m humbled to see it alongside fellow nominees: A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry (who is also a member of Writers Who Kill), A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian, A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron, and The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves.

The awards banquet will take place on April 26th at the Malice Domestic Fan Convention in Bethesda, Maryland. If you’d like to attend, more information can be found here. 

Readers: Have you ever attended a mystery conference or convention? Would you like to? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, California, which includes multiple Agatha Award nominated books for Best Contemporary Novel and the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Listed as one of USA Today’s Best Cozy Mystery Series, her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor and book coach specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

Looking Ahead to My Books and Yours

 by Korina Moss

I’m closing out 2024 with my latest release in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, Fondue or Die. This fifth book in the series takes place at the annual Dairy Days, a weekend festival hosted by Yarrow Glen’s neighboring town of Lockwood. Cheese Shop owner Willa Bauer and her Curds & Whey crew (who are also her Team Cheese sleuthing friends), Archie and Mrs. Schultz along with her best friend Baz, will be working at the festival. Willa’s thrilled to celebrate her favorite thing―she is a cheesemonger after all―and this festival goes all out: butter sculptures, goat races, cheese wheel relays, even a Miss Dairy pageant. Too bad the pageant runner, Nadine, is treating Dairy Days prep like it’s fondue or die and is putting everyone around her on edge. When Willa finds Nadine’s dead body under years’ worth of ceramic milk jugs, the police aren’t sure whether the death was an accident. Willa is convinced it’s murder, but fingers are pointing at Mrs. Schultz, who stepped in to help the pageant after Nadine’s death. Team Cheese needs Yarrow Glen’s Detective Heath on their side, but this crime is outside his jurisdiction. Even though their relationship is rocky, Willa asks the by-the-book detective to team up with her to investigate on the sly. Someone wanted Nadine out of the whey, and Willa is determined to find out who. Fondue or Die is available now everywhere books are sold. 

While you’re catching up on Fondue or Die, get ready for Cheese Shop Mystery #6, Bait and Swiss. It releases April 29, 2025. In Bait and Swiss, Yarrow Glen’s newest business gives one unlucky resident the swiss of death. 

It’s been almost two years since Willa Bauer opened Curds & Whey in Yarrow Glen, and both cheesemonger and cheese shop are thriving in the Sonoma Valley. While Willa doesn’t eat chocolate, it’s true that life is like a box of chocolates. Unfortunately, life’s latest curveball is that Willa’s ex-fiancé and ex-best friend―the reason for her chocolate aversion―are opening a chocolate pop-up shop across the street. By the end of the shop’s first day, the town’s newest reporter is the victim of death by chocolate. Now Willa’s ex wants her to be Swiss Congeniality, solve the case, and save the day. As much as Willa wants to hit him with the nearest cheese wheel, she can’t stop herself from saying yes. There’s more at stake than her ex’s reputation—customers have decided to stay clear of Yarrow Glen’s shops until the killer is caught, and a cryptic note sends Willa to the top of the suspect list. To save herself and her town, Willa enlists her Team Cheese sleuthing friends to help her solve the case before anyone else falls victim to a bitter chocolate ending. You can preorder Bait and Swiss now. 

Are you a cozy mystery writer? Make 2025 the year your writing and publishing dreams come true! As well as writing the Cheese Shop Mystery series, I also offer developmental editing for your manuscript, specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. With my experience writing a cozy mystery series for a Big 5 publisher (St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing), I have the inside track on what editors, agents, and readers are looking for in a cozy mystery.  Whether you're a new writer hoping to be traditionally or independently published, or you're an established writer wanting some guidance with a manuscript, I can help you strengthen your book. 

Having written six books in my series, I know the expectations of a Big 5 editor. One of my strong suits for cozy mystery writers is making sure your manuscript has the cozy elements needed, while still delivering an exciting and well-plotted mystery. As an Agatha Award winner and an Agatha Award finalist, I can help level up your manuscript, so your theme, characters, and setting stand out. I focus on the balance between an exciting murder mystery and the cozy essentials that keep readers loyal to a series and make agents and editors take notice.

For further details and fees, email me at korinamossauthor@gmail.com. 

Readers: Have you ever dreamt of becoming an author? Writers: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer's Digest. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

  

INSPIRATION FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE

 by Korina Moss

Do we inspire you?

I’ve been doing a lot of interviews lately for the upcoming 5th book in my Cheese Shop Mystery series, Fondue or Die. One question that invariably comes up is where do I get my inspiration from? When you’re a writer you truly get your inspiration from everywhere. Especially as a mystery writer, you might take an interest in watching your neighbor dig her new flower garden, eavesdrop in a grocery store line, or take a second look at that rug discarded on the side of the road. And in those situations, you’re likely to ask yourself “what if…?” I also get inspiration from others’ creative endeavors. Art, books, television shows – they all inspire me. Sometimes it’s not even the subject matter, it’s simply the talent and creativity involved. 

Behind the scenes

This is the case every October when my son and I stroll through the 5,000+  carved pumpkins at Roger Williams Park Zoo’s Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular. The talented artists at Passion for Pumpkins from Oxford, MA design the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular and carve the illuminated pumpkins that line the zoo trails and hang in the trees. They change the theme every year, so the majority of pumpkins are always different. Their works of pumpkin art never fail to astound and inspire me. These are just a few photos I took of the carved pumpkins.  

Some are creepy...

Or classically spooky.

Some are cute...

Or beautiful.

Your mind can travel...

All over the world...

To mysterious lands...

Or even back in time.

Perhaps to a cozy mystery story...

Like a Cheese Shop Mystery.

Just look up...

You may be inspired!

Readers: Which one of these is your favorite? Which one might inspire you to write a story? 

PREORDER NOW

Releases October 22, 2024

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, AARP, and Fresh Fiction. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

FAIR DAYS

 by Korina Moss

September always puts me in the mood for a fair. I’ve been going to the Eastern States Exposition, better known as The Big E, in Massachusetts for 20 years. It’s an agricultural fair and then some, celebrating all things New England and takes place for 17 days in mid-September. 

I love the vibe of a fair: Watching happy people carrying large stuffed animal prizes on their shoulders, eating anything on a stick, and buying items that seem like “must buys” in the moment; the rhythm of the crowd noise punctuated by screams of teenagers on thrill rides and the bells and whistles of midway games; the quieter stalls of farm animals, giant pumpkins, and ribbon-winning pies, produce, and quilts; and the comingling aromas of cotton candy, kettle corn, smoked meats, and fried foods. Together, they create the cozy comforts of a fair—a perfect locale for a cozy mystery. 

Thus, it’s no surprise that I took a lot of inspiration from my love of the fair for my fifth Cheese Shop Mystery, Fondue or Die, which takes place at the Dairy Days festival. I pulled some of the dairy aspects of The Big E and incorporated them into my festival— the butter sculpture and the cows, goats, and sheep, as well as foods like milkshakes, poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), and mac and cheese in a bread cone. The Big E’s dairy judging turned into a cow parade for my fictional festival, and I added games like cow chip bingo and a musical udders contest (fake udders, of course). The festival’s Miss Dairy pageant was also my own idea. I think the chaos and slightly farcical nature of an outdated competition like this with, nonetheless, high stakes, make for a good mystery setting. 

Butter sculpture in progress

The best part of writing Fondue or Die was getting to spend so much time in my imagination at the fair. The worst part was no access to fair foods. My imagination apparently cannot adequately satisfy my craving for fried Oreos. 

What’s your favorite part of the fair? Give a shout-out to your favorite fair or festival. 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, AARP, and Fresh Fiction. Her 5th book, Fondue or Die, releases on October 22nd. To learn more and preorder, visit her website korinamossauthor.com. 

WHAT DRIVES YOUR CHARACTERS?

 By Korina Moss

What drives your fictional characters? No, I’m talking literally. What kind of cars do they drive? It’s a simple enough question, but for most writers, there’s nothing standard or automatic about it. The kind of car a person chooses can say quite a bit about them. 

The protagonist of my Cheese Shop Mystery series, Willa Bauer, drives a used second-generation CR-V (a car that came out between 2002-2006). It’s practical, reliable, and not fussy—all qualities that Willa possesses and likes in others. She bought it used years ago, which shows her practicality and her focus on saving her money to open a cheese shop. It’s also quite old, so she probably ought to think about getting a replacement, but she’s going to drive it until the wheels fall off (figuratively, of course). This shows that her life balance may be a little off-kilter sometimes, and that she’s a risk taker who perhaps ought to be more careful. 

All this characterization in just the mention of a car? Not by itself—it’s simply one of the building blocks of your character. More than gobs of backstory, corroborating who they are through the choices they make, as well as their actions and reactions, helps to create fully formed characters to whom readers can connect.  

Writers, tell me the type of car one of your characters drives. (Or do they bike or skateboard, like Mrs. Schultz and Archie, two of my secondary characters?) Readers, what do you think the car you drive says about you?  

PREORDER NOW

COMING OCTOBER 22ND

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, AARP, and Fresh Fiction. To learn more, visit her website korinamossauthor.com where you can subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.