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.

THE MODES OF A MYSTERY WRITER

 By Korina Moss

I can’t help myself – I’m one of those people who always makes at least one New Year’s resolution. Wishful thinking, perhaps? I prefer the term hopeful thinking. This year, one of my resolutions is to have more work-life balance. 

Now that my son is a college student, it’s just me at home, so the only schedule I have to adhere to is my own. Sounds divine, except it allows me to get into my modes. Yes, I meant to write modes, not moods (although they can be pesky too). I have work mode and relax mode and I have a hard time transitioning between the two. (This doesn’t include veg out mode, which happens pretty much every night.) When I’m working on a book, which has (thankfully) been continuous over the past three years, it’s mentally all-encompassing for me. I’m always thinking about it, even if I have to push it to the back of my mind. I’ve been mentally living in my series’ fictional town of Yarrow Glen with my protagonist Willa and her Curds & Whey cheese shop crew since the spring of 2020, and it’s not easy to pull myself out. 

This is especially true when I’m in crunch mode, as I was just a couple of months ago when my deadline for Fondue or Die, book 5 in my Cheese Shop Mystery series, was fast approaching. I’d been in a concentrated writing mode for the four months prior, trying to turn my sketchy outline and underwritten first draft into a worthy manuscript. As the deadline got closer, I was also in heavy publicity mode for my newly released book 4, Case of the Bleus. Last fall, I had three out-of-state appearances, plus book signings, and all the extra online marketing that comes with a new release (blogs, interviews, and podcasts). So, I was in crunch mode squared. 

Signing books at the St Louis Cozy Con

Once my manuscript was submitted and the publicity machine wound down, I immediately turned to thinking about book 6, wanting to get an outline done before the Fondue or Die revision suggestions would come back from my editor in mid-January. I had a couple of weeks to brainstorm and outline before my son came home for his college semester break. Then I promised myself (and him) I’d take a break for the holidays. I even took time off from my early morning part-time job. 

Book 5 in my Cheese Shop Mystery series

The first few days of switching off work mode, I felt mentally restless. I was so used to the constant thoughts of my books or my social media marketing, it was a tougher transition than I’d expected. I made an effort to post and scroll on social media significantly less frequently. I told myself it was okay if I didn’t keep up with everything that was happening in the mystery writing community. Although the habits were hard to break, what a relief it was! I was so much more mentally present. I stayed up late and slept in! (Not compared to my 19-year-old son, but both times were later for me.) I fell into a happy relax mode. My son and I made some short overnight trips and had a great holiday break, and when he left for his ski trip with his dad, I felt rejuvenated and ready to get back to work! 

Macy's in Herald Square, NYC

Alas, my relax mode was no less stubborn to leave behind than work mode had been two weeks prior. My alarm clock was waking me up at 5:45 AM, but I was not ready to relinquish my newfound mode. The book I’d been outlining was tapping me on the shoulder to come up with those final chapters, but my muse was also in no hurry to get back to work. Now that it’s been a couple of weeks, slowly but surely, I’m easing back into it. My New Year’s resolution for more work-life balance may be a little harder to achieve than anticipated, but then again, I’ve always done too much hopeful thinking. 

Did you make any New Year's resolutions for this year? 

NAME THAT SHOP!

by Korina Moss

I’m in the final stages of writing the fourth book in my Cheese Shop Mystery series. Each book continues with the core cast of characters and introduces new ones, most of whom then become regular characters in the series (if they’re not the culprit or the victim, of course). These characters, original and new, live and work in my fictional town of Yarrow Glen. When I created my small Sonoma Valley town, I made a drawing of what it looked like and the shops and businesses it would encompass. The town center is only a few square blocks with wide brick-lined sidewalks dotted with crepe myrtle trees, a large park, and a sole traffic light.

This photo of Paso Robles, CA comes close to
how I envision part of downtown Yarrow Glen 

Main Street includes the major buildings: town hall, the library, post office, church, and the new security complex (the police and fire stations). There’s also Ron’s Service Station where you can pick up an old-fashioned curvy glass bottle of Coca-Cola for a dollar while getting your car fueled, washed, and serviced. The turn-of-the-century Inn at Yarrow Glen is where visitors stay. My protagonist Willa can usually find the latest newcomer she wants to question in the attached pub, The Cellar. The former wine cellar is also where the locals regularly gather, including Willa and her friends. It’s only a few buildings down from Apricot Grille, the only fancy restaurant in town. However, when Willa’s not making one of her cheese-filled dishes, she and her friends prefer to grab a quick bite while on a case at the Let’s Talk Taco truck, which is parked across from the Glen Gazette newspaper building.  

The Inn at Yarrow Glen was inspired by the
Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake, CA. 

The last block of Pleasant Avenue is where Willa’s cheese shop, Curds & Whey, is located. The street is a hodgepodge of mostly older flat-roofed buildings, which were renovated into shops and cafés with second-story cozy apartments where the shop owners reside. Willa lives above Curds & Whey across the street from perpetual flirt, Roman, owner of the Golden Glen Meadery. Her best friend Baz, the handyman, lives next door above Carl’s Hardware. Lou’s Market and Read More Bookstore complete her side of the street. At the end of the block is Rise and Shine Bakery where Willa gets her daily fresh breads for customer cheese sampling.

As you might be able to tell from that description, not every business in the town center is mentioned. This was done purposely, as I wanted to leave myself the creative freedom to add certain shops for future storylines. One of these new businesses is a bicycle shop and it needs a name. I decided to do something different and involve cozy mystery readers in the creative process. I thought it would be fun to allow you the opportunity to name the shop. From your suggestions, I will choose the bicycle shop name I like best and use it in my cheese shop mysteries series. The person whose name I choose will receive a signed copy of Book 4 when it releases and will be credited in the acknowledgements. 

If you’d like to suggest a fictional bicycle shop name for consideration in my book, go to my Facebook author page here and find the pinned post with the photo of this bicycle. 

Leave your suggestion in the comments section under the post. Be sure to hit the follow button on my page so you’ll be notified if your bicycle shop name was chosen. You can suggest as many names as you like, as this is not a random drawing. If more than one person has suggested the same name, the person who commented first will be credited. If you don’t have social media, you can email me at korinamossauthor@gmail.com. I’m taking bicycle shop name suggestions through this Wednesday, January 12th. Have fun and good luck! 

If you'd like to learn more about my Cheese Shop Mystery series, please visit my website at korinamossauthor.com

MY NUMBER ONE AUTHOR MARKETING TIP

by Korina Moss 

Let me preface this blog post by saying I’m not a marketing expert. My first book came out last March and I’m in the early stages of growing my “brand.” (Gosh, I hate that word.) So my number one marketing tip is my number one, not the number one. It’s the one that I go by when I decide how I’ll spend my time on social media. But hear me out because I think my tip can work for you and make your marketing life more enjoyable. 

So what is my number one author marketing tip? Be yourself. I know it sounds simplistic but, ironically, it may not be intuitive. 

When we think of marketing, we immediately think ‘sell your books’. We transform from multi-faceted creators into one-dimensional salespeople. My social media has plenty of posts promoting my books and other authors’ books, especially around the time of their release. Book promotion is necessary, and it can be a lot of fun. It can also be exhausting for the author and for readers who follow us on social media. 

Because I’ve been a reader for a lot longer than I’ve been a published author, I look at author marketing through a reader’s lens. The books I love to read the most tend to be the ones where I feel a connection. So as an author, I want to forge a rapport with my readers beyond the pages of my books. We’re already connected through our love of cozy mysteries, but I can use social media to strengthen that bond. And by using the various platforms, I can show different facets of myself. 

 

My recent Instagram feed

On my Instagram page, I lean toward posting nature photos of where I live, trip pics, throwback photos of my son, and food snapshots (which, of course, include cheese!). My Facebook author page feels more like a daily chat, so I like to talk about routine things that are happening in my life and pose questions to get to know my followers and those who stop by. My Twitter account is almost solely about reality television. I live-tweet humorous takes about the shows I watch. I’ve made a great bunch of friends on there who do the same. This is the one platform which is rarely book related. Frankly, I was a little nervous that my publisher would frown upon my gossipy banter, but they were supportive of me being me. I’ve also since discovered that many reality TV tweeters are cozy mystery readers and have bought my books. 

Last week, one of my Twitter friends contacted me. She co-hosts a podcast that discusses a franchise of reality shows called Below Deck that we watch on Bravo TV. Having seen my tweets and knowing I’m a super fan of the franchise, she invited me to be a guest on the podcast to talk about the show. We recorded the podcast and I had a blast. She asked me questions about my cheese shop mystery series (which she’s read), and we talked about which annoying reality show member I might fictionally “bump off.” I wasn’t expecting it, but my cozy mysteries ended up getting quite a bit of airtime on the podcast, and I reached a whole new audience who might not have known about me or my books. Being myself and sharing an interest outside of books on Twitter ended up affording me a new opportunity as an author. 

 

Instead of dreading marketing, by being yourself on social media you may find that the best part is the connection—the same as can be found in a good book.

Readers: What’s your favorite social media platform to use? 

To connect through social media, you can find me at: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or my website korinamossauthor.com

To listen to the Gangplank Report podcast mentioned in this post, go to: The Gangplank Report

The Challenge and Reward of Writing a Standalone Series

by Korina Moss

 

Cozy mysteries are my favorite kinds of books to read because they are generally standalone series. I know standalone series sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s really the best of both worlds. Although the series is a continuation of the same characters in the same town, each book’s mystery is complete--it stands alone without plot cliffhangers. I love these types of mysteries because even when I’m racing to finish and find out whodunnit, I don’t want it to end. I always want to continue to follow the characters, even doing their routine things. Just give me a few more chapters of them eating breakfast… working together… doing anything so I don’t have to leave them yet! 

I always start with the first book in a series. Being a writer of a standalone series, however, I’m aware that the first book a reader may pick up may not be Cheddar Off Dead, the first book in my cheese shop mystery series. The challenge comes in writing descriptions that draw new readers in but don’t bore those who are well-versed in my fictional town of Yarrow Glen. A friend of mine who’s an avid cozy mystery reader was put off by an author whose long-running series she loves, but who describes the town and characters the same, verbatim, in every book. As an author, I understand the temptation—it’s difficult to find new ways to describe people and places when you want new readers to know the same things that old readers know. Unfortunately, we can’t all be Sue Grafton in how cleverly she not only made her recapped descriptions work but made them comforting to return to in each book. 

The best part of writing this kind of series is being able to develop my characters and their relationships over many books. I was thrilled when my publisher offered me a second contract to write three more books in my cheese shop mystery series, for a total of six books thus far. It means I can think more long-term about my characters, and it allows them more room to grow. My readers can get to know them even better and see how their personalities and relationships change over time. When readers open another cheese shop mystery, I want them to immediately feel they’re back among old friends. 

The second cheese shop mystery, Gone For Gouda, releases on September 27th and is available for pre-order. Cheddar Off Dead is available wherever books are sold. You can go to korinamossauthor.com for more information. 

Are you like me and always start a series from the first book or do you pick up the latest book? 

VACATIONING WITH MY MUSE

by Korina Moss

Recently, one of my yet-to-be published writer friends asked me what the biggest difference was in my writing life since getting published. The answer came to me while I was on vacation… and working on my book.

I used to wait for my muse to show up before even opening my laptop. Was I feeling creative that day? Did I have several free hours in front of me to write? Sometimes I’d get started, but if the words weren’t flowing from my fingertips, I’d find myself playing virtual solitaire or scrolling through social media. Hence, it took me years to finish a book. The quickest I'd finished a manuscript before starting this series was ten months, and that was only because my agent was expecting it.

Being under contract, I no longer have the luxury of waiting for my muse. Now I summon her, even if I only have thirty minutes and not the whole afternoon. Still, she doesn’t always show up, but I can no longer let writer’s block stop me in my tracks. I must climb over it and put words on the page. They are usually very awful words that look like I’m writing a first grade primer—SEE SPOT RUN. But I’ve found even clumsy thoughts contribute to my progress by advancing the plot and keeping the story in the forefront of my mind. And they invariably turn into better words on another day when my muse has decided to make an appearance. She’s fickle that way.  

Since I’d handed in my third book in May and my editor gave me a date when I’d get it back with suggested revisions, I booked a last-minute trip for my son and me to celebrate his high school graduation. With only three weeks until our cruise, I was certain I’d have no impending deadlines – it would be smooth sailing! 

But as I’d written about in a post last September, “The Juggling Act of Being an Author,” there are many stages in a book’s production. And sure enough, I received the ‘first pass’ pages for my second book, Gone For Gouda, which would be due while I was away. ‘First pass’ pages are when your book has gone through the copy editing and proofreading stages and is now formatted. It’s the last chance to spot any errors—not something I could rush through in the week of chaos between my son’s graduation and our trip. Hence, Gone For Gouda was not gone for good—it came with me. Luckily, a cruise vacation has plenty of down time and I was able to finish it days early and without much interruption of our fun. I even started outlining my next project while onboard.

Not every writer is the same. Many can write more quickly than I can or have better organizational skills or have found a better work-life balance than I have thus far. However, something we all have in common is deadlines, which means if you become a published author, your muse just might have to go on vacation with you.  

  

Readers: Are you able to successfully leave your cares behind when you go away on a trip?