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I take a daily walk around my neighborhood. I like the fresh air and exercise, and I enjoy looking at the different homes and landscaping. The other day, I saw an old blue car parked on the street. Something about it made me suspicious. I’m not sure whether it was how it was parked, where it was parked, or how it looked. Probably a combination of all that.

Then, I questioned myself. As a writer of mysteries, was I just creating a story over a regular old parked car? I turned around and walked...

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Hello and welcome, Sebastian! You’re one of the main characters in the Magical Mystery Book Club series. I can tell it is about a book club. What makes this group so different?

Thank you for inviting me. Our book club is unlike any other! First off, we have a private collection of books in a fabulous library that’s hidden away. It has thousands of books – and they are all cozy mysteries, my favorite genre! The crazy thing is that you don’t just read the books . . . you get absorbed into them...

One of the characters in the Magical Mystery Book Club series is Zelda, Zell to her friends. She’s an octogenarian, and very proud of it. Readers tell me that they love her, and she’s their favorite character in the series. It’s not uncommon to find a senior citizen in a cozy mystery! There are quite a few reasons that they are so popular.

Experience and Wisdom Strengthen the Plot

An older sleuth carries a lifetime of experience that enables them to figure out the nuances of a case. An...

Click on this link to complete the puzzle online:

https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=1b07660ec654

I hope you had a fun Halloween!

Click on the picture to see the full image.

I’m not always being difficult. Okay, wait a minute. Yes, haha. I am always being difficult. But, ask all you want, I’m not telling you my name. You can call me The Witch, since if I told you my name, I’d be giving away a huge book spoiler. And while I may be difficult, I’m no book spoiler!

That’s what everyone calls me now, anyhow. Just The Witch. You’d think someone would be courteous enough to ask my name, but ohhh, no. Just call her The Witch since she doesn’t have any feelings. Oh, I have...

Many cozy mysteries feature cats that communicate in various ways. Both of my cozy mystery series feature cats that talk. There’s just something very possible about this, isn’t there? Let’s talk about why cats are so suitable as a talking animal in a mystery book.

Cats are mysterious and smart.

They always seem to be watching, processing, and scheming. They are clever animals, and it’s great to be able to tap into that cleverness.

Cats do communicate.

They let you know what they’re thinking....

Is your TBR pile as big as mine? That never stops me from buying books. Yes, I have all these books already ... but THIS shiny new one looks great, too! (Click on the picture to see the whole thing.)

Play here: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/8766297/cowboys-and-chaos/

Do you recognize yourself in any (or all!) of these bookworm traits?

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Click the photo to see all 7 things!

Have you ever wondered if you should buy more books?
This handy pie chart will give you the answer.

Click on the picture to see where you land.

~ ~ ~

Now you know!
I believe it may be time for book shopping.

Hi! I'm Elizabeth. I started writing cozy mysteries as my "second career" in 2020 -- and am now writing my 17th cozy mystery novel! Yikes! That's a LOT of books. I just can't help myself - the stories wander around in my mind until I get them down on paper.

I may be new to cozies, but I wrote a whole bunch of books before then - books for parents that are actually published in over 30 languages! When my youngest of four graduated college I shifted my attention to writing fiction.

Now I'm...

Franklin here, like the president, but you can call me Frank. I’m a handsome chocolate point Siamese and I rule the roost and all the ditzy roosters and chickens around here. And believe me, they need all the help they can get. Obviously, I’m not talking about feathered fowl, I’m talking about my human book club members. This book club is heavy on enthusiasm, but light on aptitude. Except for Dr. Dr. Atticus Papadopoulos, he has enough brilliance to bore you to tears.

First thing in the...

I enjoy my TBR pile. They are future promises of great reads ahead.

Okay, l’ll be honest. I can bake a cake. A really, realllly simple cake. I can follow directions on a box cake package and spread frosting from a can. I have even managed to create a simple carrot cake. But I’ve never made a fancy decorated cake from scratch. Bakeries and Buffoonery is set in a town that holds a very serious cake competition once a year. I would lose. I would be so far in last place I’d be a half a block down the street.

The good news is that I have friends who bake! I even...

Enjoy this short interview with the most serious and informative book club member - Professor Atticus Papadopoulos.

Featured Great Escapes Book Tour Post by the Baroness’ Book Trove.

Read it here:
https://baronessbooktrove.com/puzzles-and-premieres-by-elizabeth-pantley-character-interview/

NEW RELEASE - Great Escapes Book Tour - Guest Post

I'm launching Puzzles and Premieres with an online Book Tour - interviews, reviews, some super fun character features, and a giveaway contest!

Today's Guest Post
Read it here:

https://saltyinspirations.com/puzzles-and-premieres-elizabeth-pantley/

Click on this link to complete the puzzle online:

https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3421f3670ff3

Have you ever said to yourself, I read so many cozy mysteries. I wish I could write one! The thought percolates and grows, until you really want to give it a try. But how do you even begin?

There are many articles and books about the technical approach to writing. How to make a plot outline, build characters, create a setting. This article isn’t about any of that. It’s about getting off the ground and beginning to make your dream come true when you’ve never done anything like this before.

...