Chatting Cozies

Nancy literally wrote the book on cozy mysteries. Let's learn more about her creative writing journey, advice for aspiring authors, and lots more. All the coziness!

🔍 ABOUT NANCY J. COHEN 🔎

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Her books have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine and have won the Readers’ Favorite and FAPA President’s Book Awards, the RONE Award, the Royal Palm Literary Award, and IAN Book of the Year. She’s placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Her nonfiction title, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was also an Agatha Award Finalist. Active in the writing community, she is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter. Currently, she is serving as Vice President of Citrus Crime Writers. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.

Nancy's Website: https://nancyjcohen.com/

Second Edition of Writing the Cozy Mystery: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Cozy-Mystery-Expanded-Second/dp/0998531731/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid&sr 

Angela's Website: https://angelamariahart.com/ 

The Cozy Mystery Book Club's Website: https://thecozymysterybookclub.com/ 

Welcome to Christin Brecher's world of mysteries! Christin is the author of the new Snapshot of NYC Mystery series featuring a millennial sleuther as well as the small-business & hobby cozy mystery series, The Nantucket Candle Maker Mysteries. If you are a cozy mystery reader, be sure to add her books to the TBR!

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTIN BRECHER:

🕯 Christin's Website: https://christinbrecher.com/

🕯 Christin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinbrecherbooks/

🕯 Christin's GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18483379.Christin_Brecher 

WHERE TO FIND ANGELA & THE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB 

ANGELA MARIA HART https://linktr.ee/angelamariahart

THE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB: https://linktr.ee/cozymysteryclub 

SIGN UP FOR THE EMAIL NEWSLETTER: https://mailchi.mp/12736139528e/angelamariahart 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Birthday is May 22nd. Celebrate his literary idol, Sherlock Holmes with Vicki Delany! Vicki is the author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane!

VICKI DELANY: http://vickidelany.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicki.delany/ 

📖 Elementary, She Read Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery 📖

Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop--located at 222 Baker Street-specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Holmes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body. The highly perceptive Gemma is the police's first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare-books expert, the dead woman's suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it's a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213577-elementary-she-read 

Angela Maria Hart: https://linktr.ee/angelamariahart 

The Cozy Mystery Book Club: https://linktr.ee/cozymysteryclub

Welcome to the World of Cozy Mysteries! Today's episode of The Chatting Cozies Podcast was recorded at the May 18, 2024 KensiCon Mystery Event held at the Langley-Adams Library (in Groveland, MA). 

This was a live recording of the New England-Inspired Cozy Mystery Panel Discussion with Kensington authors Leslie Meier, Sally Goldenbaum, Vicki Delany, and New England Sisters in Crime author Nicole Asselin (moderated by Kensington's Larissa Ackerman) 🔎

Leslie Meier: https://www.lesliemeierbooks.com/

Sally Goldenbaum: http://www.sallygoldenbaum.com/

Vicki Delany: http://vickidelany.com/ 

Nicole Asselin: https://nicoleasselinwriter.com/ 

Kensington Contact Info: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/kensingtoncozies/contact/ 

Larissa Ackerman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissaackerman24 

Mystery Book Con Website:  https://langleyadamslib.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/mystery-book-con-thanks-to-kensington-publishing-and-langley-adams-library/ 

Groveland Town HallCommunity LocationsOffsite - Please see description for address, Groveland, MA, 01834

Sign Up for The Cozy Mystery Newsletter and Receive **THREE** Free Cozy Mystery Themed Bingo Boards: https://mailchi.mp/db1e14027b41/xrljkc8sq3 

The Cozy Mystery Book Club:

https://linktr.ee/cozymysteryclub 

Angela Maria Hart:

https://linktr.ee/angelamariahart 

I had the honor of interviewing Colleen Cambridge aka Colleen Gleason at Malice Domestic. We chatted all about our love of Agatha Christie, underrepresented/under appreciated Agatha Christie characters, Monk (tv show), how Colleen wrote over forty books, and so much more.

💻 ABOUT COLLEEN 📖

Colleen Gleason (aka Colleen Cambridge, C.M. Gleason, and Alex Mandon) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who can’t seem to decide what type of book to write…so she writes a lot of different genres! So far, Colleen has written everything from vampire hunters to dystopian romance, to steampunk, historical romance, and mysteries with a supernatural flair or a historical setting. One element, however, that appears in all of her stories, is that of partnership…whether it be professional, romantic, or both. All of Colleen’s books feature strong heroines experiencing fast-paced adventures, danger, mystery, and of course, romance. But at the core of each story is the belief that every woman deserves a partner who accepts her for her strengths as well as her weaknesses—and vice versa. Colleen lives in the midwest United States with her family and two dogs, and is always working on her next book.

🔎 WHERE TO FIND COLLEEN 📚

✨ Website: https://www.colleengleason.com/colleen-cambridge/

✨GoodReads (Colleen Cambridge): https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21145337.Colleen_Cambridge

✨GoodReads (Colleen Gleason): https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21145337.Colleen_Cambridge

✨TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCzo5r7Y8-pf3aXyz0d1bXnw

✨Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleengleason

✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleengleason/

～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*

～ ~ ~ WHERE TO FIND ME (ANGELA) ONLINE ~ ~

♡ Website: http://angelamariahart.com/

♡ Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerahart (@writerahart)

♡ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerahart/?hl=en (@writerahart)

♡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/booksaremyhart (@booksaremyhart) Featuring Classically Cozy Conversations & Chatting Romance

♡ GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/angelamariahart (@angelamariahart)

♡ Newsletter Landing Page: https://mailchi.mp/12736139528e/angelamariahart

linktr.ee/angelamariahart

～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～♥～*～♡～*～

THE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB

✧ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cozymysteryclub (@cozymysteryclub) 

✧ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozymysteryclub/?hl=en (@cozymysteryclub) 

✧ Newsletter Landing Page: https://mailchi.mp/9e1787486d8b/thecozymysterybookclub https://linktr.ee/cozymysteryclub

✧ Complete YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2ywVWROGcKu0hZmA6jGUK6kR8kGAhBb-

** Where to Find Cozy Mystery Book Club Swag **

✦ Zazzle: https://www.zazzle.com/store/booksaremyhart

✦ TeeSpring: https://teespring.com/stores/angela-maria-hart

✦ Society6: https://society6.com/writerahart

Join myself (Angela Maria Hart here!) and Nancy Coco for a cozy conversation. I had the honor of speaking with Nancy Coco at Malice Domestic. She told me all about her past and present cozy mysteries, many pen names, love of bees, creating likable characters, former journalism experience, and, of course, fudge! Nancy graciously offered insight into her world of cozy mysteries and how she creates so many amazing stories.

✨ ABOUT NANCY COCO ✨

USA Today Bestselling Author, Nancy Coco AKA Nell Hampton AKA Nancy Parra is the author of over 35 published novels which include five mystery series: The Oregon Honey-comb Mystery Series (Kensington), The Candy-Coated Mysteries (Kensington), The Kensington Palace Mystery Series (Crooked Lane), The Wine Country Tours Mystery Series (Crooked Lane) The Gluten-free Baker’s Treat Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), and The Perfect Proposal Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime). Her writing has been called witty and her protagonists plucky by reviewers around the world. Nancy is a member of Sisters in Crime, and loves to hear from readers.

Nancy's Website: https://www.nancyjcoco.com/nancy-coco

Throwback to my Malice Domestic interview with award winning cozy mystery author, Ellen Byron!

🔍 ABOUT ELLEN BYRON 🔎

USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won multiple Agatha and Lefty awards. Bayou Book Thief, the first book in her new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, was nominated for  Agatha and Anthony awards, and won the Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery. She writes the Catering Hall Mystery series, (under the name Maria DiRico) and will debut a new series, the Golden Motel Mysteries, in 2024.

Ellen is an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like WINGS, JUST SHOOT ME, and FAIRLY ODD PARENTS. She has written over two hundred articles for national magazines but considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. She blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America, and was the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster.

A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University, hence her love of both cities. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups.

Ellen Byron's Website: https://www.ellenbyron.com/ 

The Original YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVGhrJ0tfmE&t=9s 

Interview Conducted by Angela Maria Hart: https://angelamariahart.com/ 

The Cozy Mystery Book Club's Website: https://thecozymysterybookclub.com/ 

Chatting about all the coziness with mystery writer, Victoria Gilbert. She discusses her writing journey, creative process, and cozy projects. Enjoy the sleuthing awesomeness!

🔍 ABOUT VICTORIA GILBERT 🔎

Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. She writes both traditional and cozy mysteries. She’s also written fantasy and science fiction.

Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films or TV, gardening, or traveling. She loves animals, chocolate, and all the arts.

Victoria is represented by Frances Black of Literary Counsel, NY, NY, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.

Website: https://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/ 

The Original YouTube Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai8POhAZaQ8&t=29s 

Angela's Website: https://angelamariahart.com/ 

The Cozy Mystery Book Club's Website: https://thecozymysterybookclub.com/ 

Hello Readers! I had the honor of speaking with Carlene O'Connor during the San Diego Bouchercon. During our conversation, we discussed writing darker mysteries versus uplifting cozy mysteries, creating different series, visiting Ireland, creating a veterinarian protagonist, reading psychological thrillers for fun, Agatha Christie, Jessica Fletcher, writing likable protagonists, & lots more! 

This Interview is Also Available as Individual YouTube Videos

Interview Part One: https://youtube.com/watch?v=H7NtxARON3A

Interview Part Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4Qw0HPlo8 

Interview Part Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc8OEkPfstQ 

Conversation Topics Include:

💛 Visiting Ireland

💛 Writing Irish Slang

💛 Creating "Big Enough" Problems for Your Characters

💛 Writing Different Subgenres

💛 Darker Mysteries

💛 Word Count Goals

💛 Sneaking Clues Into the Story

💛 Writing TWO Books a Year

💛 Kensington Cozies

💛 Audiobooks

💛 Men Reading Cozy Mysteries

💛 RL Stine

✨ ABOUT CARLENE ✨

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of The Irish Village Mysteries, Home to Ireland Mysteries, and the new County Kerry Mystery series. Her mysteries have been translated into German, Estonia, and UK markets thus far and the Irish Village Mysteries have been optioned for television. Readers are encouraged to get in touch via Facebook, Goodreads, Book Bub, or through the contact form on CarleneOConnor.net. An admitted wanderer, Carlene spends as much time in Ireland as possible while currently residing in California and Chicago. Carlene's Website: https://carleneoconnor.net/ 

✨ MURDER IN AN IRISH VILLAGE ✨

In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi’s Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors, enjoy some brown bread and tea, and get the local gossip. Nowadays twenty-two-year-old Siobhán O’Sullivan runs the family bistro named for her mother, along with her five siblings, after the death of their parents in a car crash almost a year ago. It’s been a rough year for the O’Sullivans, but it’s about to get rougher. One morning, as they’re opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table, dressed in a suit as if for his own funeral, a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest. With the local garda suspecting the O’Sullivans and their business in danger of being shunned—murder tends to spoil the appetite—it’s up to feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.

https://carleneoconnor.net/murder-in-an-irish-village/ 

Where to Find Angela: linktr.ee/angelamariahart

https://angelamariahart.com/ 

Where to Find The Cozy Mystery Book Club: https://linktr.ee/cozymysteryclub 

https://thecozymysterybookclub.com/ 

A few years back, I got to speak with prolific cozy mystery author, Leslie Budewitz (aka Alicia Beckman), before her Malice Domestic Agatha win.

Listen to Leslie discuss her writing process, creative advice, and all sorts of coziness.

This episode of the Chatting Cozies Podcast originally aired over on my YouTube channel, Books Are My Hart. 

🔍 ABOUT LESLIE BUDEWITZ 🔎

Leslie Budewitz blends her passion for food, great mysteries, and the Northwest in two light-hearted mystery series: the Spice Shop Mysteries, set in Seattle, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in northwest Montana. Her books focus on strong women who share her passions, and have a talent for finding trouble!

~~ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED~~ https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/

https://www.sistersincrime.org/

https://mysterywriters.org/

~~WHERE TO FIND LESLIE ONLINE ~~

Website: http://www.lesliebudewitz.com/

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0vCv74UCY8&t=23s 

~~WHERE TO FIND ANGELA AND THE COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB ONLINE ~~

Angela's Website: https://angelamariahart.com/

The Cozy Mystery Book Club's Website: https://thecozymysterybookclub.com/