What made you decide to write a book? By Kathy Manos Penn

Do other authors get this question? I hear it from friends, former co-workers, and folks I meet out and about. People who’ve known me for years learned long ago that I could write and were accustomed to my crafting corporate presentations and training manuals along with, in later years, weekly newspaper columns.

It’s the shift to writing fiction that surprised people. Heck, it surprised me. When I retired, it was an easy decision to publish a collection of my newspaper columns, and, with the encouragement of a former boss, a fun book based on blogs I co-wrote with my dog. He’s quite the wordsmith. Never in my wildest dreams, however, did I think of writing a “real” book.

Until … with the dog hard at work on book two, I met a marketing consultant. She interviewed me, read fifty pages of the dog book, and very politely told me it wasn’t worth the effort. She had a different idea. “Why don’t you write a cozy mystery?” she asked. My reaction?  “A cozy mystery? What on earth do I know about writing fiction, about coming up with characters, much less a plot?”

But I loved writing my columns and writing blogs with my dog, so I convinced myself a mystery could be fun—something to try in retirement. If it turns out I’m awful at this, then no harm done. Who was I kidding? I’m pretty much a type-A personality. I don’t do things in half measures nor take failure well, so it was never a lark. Thus began my cozy mystery journey.

I considered my likes and dislikes as I pondered where to start. As an Anglophile who had just taken a 3-week bucket list trip to England, choosing the Cotswolds as the setting was a no-brainer. My new consultant friend knew the cozy mystery tropes inside and out. I, on the other hand, had to look up the word trope.

Armed with the superficial knowledge she spoonfed me, I came up with the main character— Leta Petkas Parker, a career woman in her fifties, who loses her husband in a tragic accident. A year later, in a carpe diem moment, she decides to retire early and follow her life-long dream to move to the Cotswolds. She’s an avid reader who takes yoga, walks daily with Dickens the dog, and is known for her Greek cooking.

I based her and the other female characters on the smart, mature women I know, and I added the twist of Leta being able to converse with her pets. Writing the dialogue for Christie, the sassy cat, and Dickens, the happy-go-lucky dog, may be the best part of crafting this series.

I was halfway through book one when my friend asked, “So, have you thought about book two?” Of course, I hadn’t. And now I pinch myself daily because I can’t believe book five came out in September, and book six is with my editor.

The other question I get is, “How do you come up with ideas?” I struggled to answer that until finally, I had an aha moment and realized that I loosely follow the 5W+H method I learned in my corporate days. Who knew it would come in handy for writing fiction? Over and over again, I ask who, what, where, when, why, and how as I work through several steps.

Step 1: Jot down random ideas that flit through my mind while I’m driving, reading, watching TV, or waking up in the morning. At this point, I don’t force it. I just let things come to me. Those ideas lead to research and often a tumble down the internet rabbit hole. Trust me, I had no idea my first book—Bells, Tails & Murder—would involve a J.M. Barrie manuscript. I was simply researching something I’d heard about the Peter Pan playwright, and one thing led to another.

Step 2: Settle on the surround—my word for the setting. Will it involve a literary festival? Or a yoga retreat in Cornwall, as it does in Book V, Castles, Catnip & Murder? Because a book club meeting is always included, a book that connects to the plot is a must. The Once and Future King, for example, was the choice for Castles, and I had a grand time weaving bits of Arthurian legend into the story.

It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. Now, this legendary location could be 

hiding a killer in its battlements.

Steps 3 & 4: Choose a victim and a killer.    

Step 5: Envision the confrontation scene.

By the time I write the first line, my story may have nothing to do with the random thoughts I started with. And, because I’m a pantser, not a plotter, there’s no telling where my characters will lead me before  I get to the end.

No matter where I wind up, the one thing I’m sure of is that I’ll have a ball along the way. Ten years ago when I wrote my first column, I realized I’d discovered my passion. Little did I know that writing mysteries would be even more fulfilling—so much so that it’s difficult for me to take a day away from writing. Dickens, Christie, Leta, and the rest of the gang seem like old friends, and my readers tell me they feel the same way.  I guess that means I better start pondering the next plot!

As a corporate escapee, Kathy Manos Penn went from crafting change communications to plotting page-turners. Adhering to the adage to "write what you know," she populates her Dickens & Christie cozy mysteries with well-read, witty senior women, a sassy cat, and a loyal dog. The murders and talking pets, however, exist only in her imagination.

 

Dogs in Mystery by E. B. Davis

 

My fellow bloggers know I recently became a grandparent to a dog. I’ve always enjoyed pets in mysteries, perhaps living vicariously through those main characters and their relationships with their animals. I’ve never had pets so I’ve avoided using them as characters in my manuscripts. My fear is that my lack of experience with dogs would be apparent to pet-owner readers. But now, after six weeks of caring for a dog, I know why so many cozy mysteries include pets, especially dogs. Pets not only add a dimension to the coziness of those mysteries, but the pets can help their owners investigate. I want to enumerate my findings, but like any grandparent, I must first tell you a bit about my grand-dog, Rocky.

 

Two months ago, my daughter, Audrey, rescued Rocky, a Corgi/Beagle mix, from foster care. Rocky’s former owners had two dogs. When the mother of the family died, Rocky was put into foster care with a rescue operation. He is seven-years-old and very well trained. His stay in foster care lasted for only a few days when Audrey adopted him. We believe Rocky was the mother’s dog. He loves women over men and hangs out in the kitchen watching my every move while preparing and cooking meals. He has separation anxiety when left alone, which we now understand from other owners of rescued dogs is a common problem. We also believe the mother was at home full-time, and he had the companionship of the other dog. Although he was crate trained, the dogs shared a large crate. But without the other dog, crate training isn’t very effective. When left alone, he becomes morose and woeful.

 

When he first came to our Hatteras beach house a month after Audrey took ownership of him, I think Rocky was still in mourning. I don’t think he understood his abandonment was not his fault—he didn’t do anything wrong (at least that’s what we think is his perception). I’ve always had the idea that dogs could be smart and soulfully empathetic. Rocky has confirmed those notions. But not all dogs are so smart or as astute to their owners as Rocky.

 

From what I’ve learned from Rocky, I’ve compiled a list of ways that dogs and their needs can aid amateur sleuths. For those of you who are experienced with dogs, most of my observations will probably be no-brainers.

 

1.     People have discussions with their dogs. No matter how nuts, people talk to their dogs. Thinking out loud enables the main character to express his/her impression of people and use their logic to try out theories of the crime all the while including the reader. It doesn’t matter that the dog can’t contribute. Although they can nod or change their facial expressions. Readers can decide if they agree or disagree with the main character’s findings and logic.

2.     Dogs do have opinions of people. They can react to someone in a positive or negative way so taking the dog along in the investigation can be helpful. Owners know by how the dog reacts whether or not the dog likes or trust the new person.

3.     Due to a dog’s need to walk/exercise and use the facilities, dog owners are thrown together in the neighborhood or in dog parks. People talk to each other while tending to their dog’s outdoor needs. There are also those times when walking the dog allows for snooping. While I was walking Rocky, I noticed no one around. The neighbors had gone out for the day. All was quiet. We ducked under an unoccupied rental house to explore its sound-side views. I looked back into the neighborhood and caught our jerkwad neighbor on someone else’s property pulling out utility flags that had been place by a surveyor, something the homeowner had paid for. Like I said, he’s a jerkwad hatwack—not just my opinion. The jerkwad has become notorious. In a small place like Hatteras Island, reputations are important. So, you can also observe as well as interact with others while dog walking.

4.     The nose knows. Dogs noses can find evidence. Rocky unearths stuff we’d rather he didn’t, but in a mystery, his ability would be awesome.

5.     More commercial places are allowing dogs. Pet stores, ACE Hardware, the beach, and many bars and restaurants, especially if they have outdoor seating, are becoming pet friendly. People are curious about dogs. Many people come up to Rocky and extend their hands. They want to learn about him. Through their curiosity, asking questions, main characters can in turn ask people questions. Since they started the questioning, they can’t very well object.

6.     Protection—I’ve unfortunately had run-ins with bad dogs. I even wrote a short story about one terrible experience. A few summers ago, the brother of a beach friend of mine and his family came for vacation with their dog. They always violated the leash laws. When they were in the ocean, I was sitting in my low beach chair. Their dog came up to me, he was at the level of my throat since I was sitting, leaned into me, and growled. Luckily, my friend’s husband was sitting nearby. He yelled and took hold of the dog. Since then, I’ve avoided the dog, opting not to sit with them on the beach when they visit.

This summer, my friend reassured me that the dog had matured, settled down, and mellowed. I decided to trust her judgment. Rocky was sitting next to me when the dog charged. I’m unsure if the dog was lunging at me or Rocky. Even though Rocky was the smaller dog, he didn’t back down. Rocky doesn’t bark. I’ve never heard him growl—until then! That little dog howled and growled. The dog lunged for a second time. Rocky, the middle-age male that he is, wouldn’t put up with the designer dog and kept his defensive stance. Finally, the dog’s owner grabbed his collar. Like my neighbor, the dog is a jerkwad, at best. Mighty Rocky is my hero!

7.     Comic relief—dogs’ antics never end. We have Rocky on a long leach attached to a sand spike so he can roam. He’s quite good at tying us all up in his leash while we are sitting on the beach. The chairs, umbrellas, and tables become bound up. We’ve taken to moving the tables and chairs once the leash makes a Cat’s Cradle of our beach settlement. It’s easier than winding the dog back through his path.

 

In my next manuscript, look for Rocky as a character. We didn’t know what we were missing, even if they are a lot of work! Do you include your pets in your manuscripts?

Rocky can play peekaboo! I put that at 12-18 month child intelligence!

P.S. The Caroline Crimes Anthology, for which I wrote three stories before submitting one--I got into the anthology!! Look for "Stevie and Keith for the Save."

The Power of Pets by V. M. Burns

 Recently, I participated in a panel discussion with four other cozy authors. The moderator asked if we felt pets in cozy mysteries were an industry expectation or a reader expectation? If you’ve read any of my books, you already know that I love dogs, especially poodles. If in doubt, check out the covers of my Mystery Bookshop series. Those are my dogs (Coco and Cash). So, my inclusion of dogs in my books is because they are a big part of my life, not because the publishing industry expects cozy mysteries to include a pet. However, this question set my gears in motion.

There are quite a number of rules or expectations when it comes to cozy mysteries. Cozies typically feature a female protagonist who is an amateur sleuth. They are almost always set in a small town or village rather than big cities (although this is changing). Cozies can’t have graphic violence, explicit sex, or bad language. When I was discussing covers for my first book, The Plot is Murder, my editor asked for my ideas. To be completely honest, I didn’t have many ideas. I’m not good at covers or titles. I know what I like when I see it, but I’m not one of those authors who has a picture of their covers in their minds. I suggested books (it’s set in a bookstore) and maybe a dead body because…well, you know. This was my first rodeo, but thankfully, it wasn’t my publisher’s. My editor reached out and asked if I’d mind if they included my dogs. Apparently, the art department said that books with pets sell better. Imagine that. Who knew? Did I mind? Are you kidding? Of course not. Those are my fur babies. So, that’s how Coco and Cash (aka Snickers and Oreo) became the models on the covers of the series.

Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot of emails from readers who share pictures, comments, funny, and sad stories of their poodles (dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, etc.). That’s when I learned the power of pets. No one ever told me to include a pet in my books. Even when I was asked to write a second series, the topic of pets never came up. I chose to include dogs in my second series, Dog Club Mysteries, because I used to belong to a dog club and thought it would be fun. Did I mention that I love dogs? The idea of writing a cozy mystery that revolved around a dog club appealed to me because it would enable me to include lots of different breeds without the hassle or expense.

My current dogs, Kensington and Chloe are a part of my family. We’ve weathered a lot (especially over this past year). Based on the responses I hear from readers, pets are one thing that many people have in common. Regardless of race, age, or religion, humans share a bond with their pets. So, back to my panel discussion question. Are pets a reader expectation or an industry requirement? I don’t believe pets are a requirement for cozy mysteries. However, I do believe that pets have the power to bridge gaps and bring people together in books as well as in our real lives.

 

While visiting the land of Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes, bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Samantha Washington finds herself on a tragical mystery tour . . .

Sam joins Nana Jo and her Shady Acres Retirement Village friends Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae on a weeklong trip to London, England, to experience the Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour. The chance to see the sights and walk the streets that inspired Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle is a dream come true for Sam—and a perfect way to celebrate her new publishing contract as a mystery author.

But between visits to Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel district and 221B Baker Street, Major Horace Peabody is found dead, supposedly of natural causes. Despite his employer’s unfortunate demise, the tour guide insists on keeping calm and carrying on—until another tourist on their trip also dies under mysterious circumstances. Now it’s up to Sam and the Shady Acres ladies to mix and mingle among their fellow mystery lovers, find a motive, and turn up a murderer . . .

Buy Links: Amazon, Apple, BAM, Bookshop.org, Google Play, Hudson, IndieBound, Kobo, Nook

About the author
V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers Association of America, Thriller Writers International, and Sisters in Crime. V.M. Burns is the author of the Dog Club Mystery series, the RJ Franklin Mystery series, and the Agatha Award nominated author of Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. She currently resides in East Tennessee with her two poodles. Readers can keep up with new releases by following her on social media.

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vmburnsbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vmburns

Website: vmburns.com

Animals in Cozies by Gloria Alden

Animals in Cozies by Gloria Alden

It seems like most cozy books include animals. I know mine do, probably because I'm an animal lover with a dog, cat, and ponies, too. Although pets aren't just in cozies by any means, they are more likely to appear there. Readers of this genre are looking for something a little less threatening than a police procedural or thriller.

One of my fictional female police officers has a large malamute that can take on any criminal. Since the officer is tough, she can handle most criminals, too. My protagonist, Catherine Jewell has a cat and acquired a dog at the end of the second book. She ends up giving the dog to a little girl who is grieving, but acquires another dog in the fifth or sixth book. Her romantic interest, the police chief of Portage Falls, her small home town, also has a cat and then ends up with a dog of a murder victim at the end of the first book.

In my opinion there are several reasons why authors include animals in their books.

       

One: Writing is a solitary life. The writers need to isolate themselves as much as possible to

write, and unless the writer has another job with social interactions or an active family living

with them it could be a lonely life.

Two: Pets humanize the protagonist, showing a tender side to them. Because both cats and dogs are popular pets, many readers can relate to them. Of course, children can soften a

protagonist, too, but children create problems. It's hard for a sleuth, especially an amateur

sleuth to take off sleuthing on a whim when they have children to consider. Not that it's

impossible, but it's much easier to leave a cat or dog at home than a child.

As I mentioned above, my protagonist has a cat, and after giving away the first dog she acquired, she ends up with another dog (a collie who looks like my Maggie). Because I've had cats and dogs for years, I find them easy and natural to write about. 

Do you enjoy reading books with animals? Does your main character own a pet?