Creative Alchemy

Solving crime is never easy...even when you're a ghost.

I found the premise for Dick Wybrow's Painter Mann series to be utterly unique and intriguing. Painter is recently deceased and stuck in the InBetween, helping those with unexplained deaths solve the riddle of how they were murdered so they can move on to other realms.

In this podcast episode, Dick reads to us from the first book in the series, The InBetween, and in the interview we discuss building the world he's created for his sleuth, letting the characters tell him what's next, and how Dick himself doesn't necessarily believe in ghosts.

This week's mystery author

Dick Wybrow is a Canadian author. His novels are mainly set in the United States, where he grew up. A former stand-up comedian, Wybrow is a humor writer who crafts thrillers that incorporate elements of suspense, horror, mystery, science fiction and fantasy.

His stuff has been heard on the radio by millions, seen on the TV in 213 countries.

To learn more about Dick and his books visit DickWybrow.wixsite.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from The InBetween

[Language warning: There are a few naughty words in the excerpt Dick reads.]

The living don’t realize how easy they’ve got it.

These days, you can’t get lost anymore, what with GPS telling you where to go. And even if that didn’t work, your map software is likely on your phone. You can just call someone and tell them you got your dumb ass lost.

Hell, you might even come up on that person’s phone as My Dumb Ass Friend Who Calls Me When He’s Lost (mobile).

The dead don’t have the luxury.

It’s not like you’ve got a compass to tell you you’re going north. You can see on the big rest stop map that you’ve got to take County Road 34 to 63, which’ll take you to Interstate 70, then onto 35, but you’d be surprised how fast all them numbers jumble up in your head because you can’t carry a notebook and a pen to write shit down.

Now, there is a bit of a fallback you can half rely on if you get lost: if you just keep going, eventually, you’ll find yourself back home. We are the energy beings of the ether, so we are drawn back to the familiar.

It’s almost like a faint scent that you can’t name. Something vaguely familiar; you just can’t put your finger on it.

After reassuring Bernard the mailman I would loop back to Madison and help him out,

In this Kansas City flower shop, normal is highly overrated.

CL (Clara) Bauer writes about a subject close to her own heart; her protagonist Lily Schmidt owns a flower shop in Kansas City that specializes in weddings, just as Clara's own family business does. But there the overlap ends. In book one, The Poppy Drop, Lily accidentally ends up with drugs in her hydrangeas and the mystery-filled shenanigans take off from there.

This week, Clara has a giveaway offer for It's a Mystery Podcast listeners. If you haven't read any of the books in this series, message Clara on Facebook and let her know you heard the show and she'll send you a personally signed copy of one of the Lily List books. If you have read all the books in the series, you can also message her with the correct answer to the following question and she'll send you a different mystery-related prize: What is Lily's favourite cookie?

This week's mystery author

C.L. (Clara) Bauer is the author of The Lily List Mysteries through Corrugated Sky Publishing.

She’s lived in Kansas City, Missouri all her life which is the location of her first two books. With a background in journalism (including sports reporting), she’s happy to be writing again as a newer published author and enjoys the cozy mystery format. Her current series features comic wedding stories she’s acquired over the years from her family’s flower business.

To learn more about CL Bauer and all her books visit CLBauer.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from The Sweet Pea Secret

“Exactly why did you fire your church wedding coordinator?” Lily was driving Dan and herself to meet Dev at the townhouse. Dev and the realtor were making one last walk through. Besides, Lily had forgotten to hand over her set of keys for the new owners. She seemed to be forgetting a lot of little things lately. Jack called it “baby brain” and claimed that his wife had the same ailment when she was pregnant with both boys. He is such a nice man.

Anytime Lily needed Jack to go to the doctor’s office, he was there. He was probably the greatest living father-in-law on the face of the earth. Anytime she needed her latest food fetish, he was in the car and down to Ben’s, her favorite ice cream drive-thru. Currently, her favorite flavor was peanut butter ribbonfudge with a hint of potato chips. She added the chips as a crunchy accent.

“Do you want the priestly answer, or the real one?”

“Humor me,

What if the mystery you had to solve was your own past?

Heather Slawecki's Elements trilogy dives into her protagonist's mysterious past. Jenny O'Rourke has been haunted by memories of her brother's murder and as the story begins, she's ready to find the truth, even if it means breaking the one rule she's been obeying for 20 years: Never go home.

In our interview, Heather mentions her blog where she shares interesting factual and historical stories about Bucks County, the location for her trilogy.

This week's mystery author

Heather Slawecki has a degree in English Literature and began her writing career as a feature writer for the Bucks County Courier Times. It wasn’t long before she fell in love with the fast-paced world of advertising and has worked as a senior copywriter for ad agencies in Philadelphia area for over twenty-five years.

She launched her debut mystery trilogy series on March 3, 2020. She's already been featured as a top author in Kirkus Magazine for Element of Secrecy and has earned five-star reviews from Indies Today as well as Readers'Favorite.

To learn more about Heather and all her books visit HeatherSlawecki.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from Element of Secrecy

Chapter 1: Escape

I heard them in the barn. They still don’t know it, but I heard them. As a naïve 10-year-old little girl, it was so disturbing that I wet my pants. 

My father, Sean O’Rourke, was once a well-respected and distinguished Manhattan attorney, a good dad, a dedicated husband, and a great provider. But that night I learned he had a dark side. 

As I huddled in the corner of a stall, hoping desperately not to be discovered, I heard his gruff voice in the loft above me. Amid the chatter of strange voices, I heard him discuss plans to kill an enemy. At the end of the meeting, if that’s what it was, he recited a Bible verse before all the voices joined together in a chant. I couldn’t understand a lick of it, but I heard enough to be afraid. I wanted out of the stall and back into the comfort of my canopy bed. ASAP. 

It turns out, that was just a sneak preview of things to come. It’s time to shed some light on his dark secrets. 

* * *

It’s been a mentally exhausting day, one that has taken months of patience, plotting, and scheming to finally arrive. Getting caught could result in months, if not years, of seclusion or some other form of punishment.

Take a transatlantic voyage with Jazz Age sleuth Ginger Gold and enter to win a copy of the Murder on the SS Rosa audiobook.

Audiobook Giveaway!

Lee is generously offering It's a Mystery podcast listeners a chance to win one of 10 copies of the audiobook for Murder on the SS Rosa. Go to this page to submit your entry. Giveaway ends on July 4, 2020.

This week's mystery author

Lee Strauss is a USA TODAY bestselling author of The Ginger Gold Mystery series and The Rosa Reed Mystery series, as well as some young adult and sweet romance. She loves to drink caffè lattes and red wines in exotic places, and eat dark chocolate anywhere.

To learn more about Lee and all her books visit LeeStraussBooks.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from Murder on the SS Rosa

In the dismal autumn of 1918 Ginger Gold had vowed she’d never go back to Europe. Yet here she was, five years later in 1923, aboard the SS Rosa as it traversed the Atlantic from Boston to Liverpool.

“Isn’t a dinner invitation from the captain reserved for very important persons?” Haley Higgins asked.

Ginger propped a hand on her tiny waist and feigned insult. “Are you suggesting that I’m not a very important person?”

“I’d never suggest such a thing,” Haley said lightly. “Only that I’m not aware of your connection to him.”

“Oh, yes. Father used to travel to England once or twice a year for business, and they had made an acquaintance. Of course, this was some years ago, before Father fell ill. Captain Walsh recognised my name on the passenger list. It was nice of him to extend an invitation, was it not?”

Haley nodded. “I expect it to be quite entertaining.”

Ginger chose a billowy, violet dropped-waist frock with a hem that ended near her ankles, nude stockings with seams that ran up the back of her slender legs, and black designer T-strap heels. She clipped on dangling earrings and patted the ends of her bobbed red hair with the palms of her gloved hands. She made a show of presenting herself.

“How do I look?”

“Gorgeous, as always,” Haley said. Long since dressed, she waited patiently in a rose-coloured upholstered chair. She was the sensible type, having only packed a few tweed and linen suits. She wasn’t much for “presentation.” It made getting ready quick and painless. 

Meet globetrotting psychologist and sleuth Cait Morgan.

Cathy Ace had the great good fortune to travel the world during her corporate career. Which is lucky for us because her Cait Morgan mysteries are each set in a different location that Cathy has lived in or spent time in.

The Corpse with the Crystal Skull is set in Jamaica and as we're all mostly confined to barracks these days, it's great to hear about sunny places far away, and vacationing with friends.

In my interview with Cathy she mentions two mystery sites that she blogs for. 7CriminalMinds.blogspot.com features authors, including Cathy and two previous It's a Mystery podcast guests (Frank Zafiro and Terry Shames), answering questions about crime fiction, writing, publishing, and life. And KillerCharacters.com has a focus on cozy mysteries with a different author writing a post each day. Cathy posts on the 22nd of each month.

This week's mystery author

Cathy Ace’s Welsh-Canadian criminal psychologist sleuth Cait Morgan has encountered traditional, closed-circle puzzle plot whodunits in eight books, with a ninth being published in June 2020. This series of books has now been optioned for television by Free@Last TV, a UK production company. The plan is to present each book as a 90 minute made-for-TV movie, the same format used for the international hit ACORN series featuring MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin, which is made my Free@Last TV.

Cathy's other series of books - The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries - feature a quartet of softly-boiled female PIs who solve quintessentially British cases from their stately home-based office in rural Wales. Her standalone novel of psychological suspense, The Wrong Boy, is set in Wales, and became a #1 amazon bestseller. Shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award three times in four years, winning in 2015, she’s also been shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story.

Cathy was born and raised in Wales, though she now lives in Canada. 

To learn more about Cathy and all her books visit CathyAce.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from The Corpse with th...

A dog, a cat and an anglophile walk into an English pub...

In her amateur sleuth, Leta Parker, Kathy Manos Penn has created a character that many of us will envy. Leta not only talks to her miniature Great Pyrenees and her cat...they talk back. But why stop there? Add Leta's friend Wendy and her mum into the mix and you've got a recipe for delightful cozy mysteries set in the Cotswolds.

Like her heroine, Kathy is an Anglophile and in our interview we discuss her trips to England and how her stay in the Cotswolds inspired the Dickens & Christie mysteries.

In the introduction I mention my love for books that feature animals and how much one of the creative events in The 101 Dalmatians still affects me to this day.

This week's mystery author

As a child, Kathy Manos Penn was a shy, introverted bookworm. She shed the shy, introverted traits but is a bookworm to this day, one who especially enjoys British mysteries.

Fast forward through a corporate career and a side job as a newspaper columnist, and today you’ll find her happily retired and writing cozy animal mysteries set in—where else—England.

To learn more about Kathy and all her books visit KathyManosPenn.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from Bells, Tails and Murder

CHAPTER ONE

Early April

I couldn’t believe I’d let Henry talk me into cycling up this hill yet another Saturday. Sure, I improved each time I tackled it, but I could barely keep my bicycle upright. I was in the lowest gear and still, the pedals didn’t want to go ‘round. Thank goodness it was the last leg of the day, and there’d be a cold beer at the end. 

I much preferred the first part of our ride, the flat portion along the scenic Chattahoochee River, where I’d glimpse geese, fishermen, and canoes. Often, the Georgia State Rowing Club would be out in force. All would be well until we came to the dreaded stop sign, where we turned left and started uphill. 

 “I’ll see you at the top, but if you don’t make it by dark, I’ll send out a search party,” Henry sang out as he powered past me in his blue cycling jersey. With his slender 6’2” frame and long legs, my husband made the uphill climb look easy. 

I stuck my tongue out and replied, “By dark, my foot. I’ll be there in 30 minutes,

Meet Erin Price, baker, former foster child, and amateur sleuth.

PD Workman writes in several genres, including YA, but mysteries are her focus. Today she reads to us from her cozy mystery series featuring Erin Price who has inherited her Aunt's bakery and is starting a new life in a small town.

In the intro I mention that Pam has a BookBub deal today for the first three books in this series. The books are bundled together for just $0.99. If you're not a BookBub subscriber, head over to their website to learn more.

This week's mystery author

Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author P.D. Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. 

Workman started publishing in 2013. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She currently has over 50 published titles.

To learn more about Pam and all her books visit PDWorkman.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from Gluten-Free Murder

Chapter 1

“What are you doing here?”

Erin turned around and saw a looming figure in the kitchen doorway at the same time as the clipped male voice interrupted her thoughts. She just about jumped out of her skin.

She put her hand on her thumping chest and breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was a uniformed police officer. But he wasn’t looking terribly welcoming, jaw tight and one hand on his sidearm. There was a German Shepherd at his side.

“Oh, you scared me. I’m Erin Price,” she introduced herself, reaching out her hand and stepping toward him, “and I’m—”

“I asked you what you’re doing here.”

Erin stopped. He made no move to close the distance between them and shake her hand, but remained standing there in a closed, authoritative stance. His tone brooked no nonsense. Erin couldn’t imagine that she looked anything like a burglar. A little rumpled from the car, maybe, but she hadn’t been sleeping in it. Was a slim, white, young woman really the profile of a burglar in Bald Eagle Falls?

“I own this shop.”

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but he did let his hand slide away from the weapon and adopted a more casual stance. Erin allowed herself just one instant to admire his fit physique and his face. He was roguish,

Welcome to a small Texas town with no shortage of big characters.

I loved the performative quality of Terry's reading in this episode. I can hear the Texas characters coming through her voice loud and clear, which made listening to her read very enjoyable.

In the interview we discuss the personal inspiration for Samuel Craddock's character, as well as how the Covid-19 periods of isolation and social distancing have affected Terry's writing.

This episode of It's a Mystery Podcast is sponsored by the brand new mystery novel Lark Underground.

If you like your mystery novels with twists and turns and characters who spring to life you'll love this latest book from award-winning author Alexandra Amor.

Reviewer Sandee said, "This story is an emotional heart-engaging roller-coaster. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I can hardly wait for the next one."

Click here to get your copy of Lark Underground today at Amazon. Available in ebook and paperback.

This week's mystery author

Terry Shames writes the popular Samuel Craddock series, set in small town Texas. She won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel, and the RT Reviews award for Best Contemporary Mystery, 2016. 

The eighth in the series, A Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary came out in 2019. MysteryPeople has twice named Terry one of the top five Texas mystery authors.

Her latest short story, “Inheritance” will appear in Jewish Noir II, in  September. Terry lives in Berkeley, CA and is a member of Sisters in Crime and on the board of Mystery Writers of America.

To learn more about Terry and all her books visit TerryShames.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from A Reckoning in the Back Country

There are a couple of cars in Gloria Hastings’s driveway, next door to Margaret Wilkins’s place. I’d like to have a word with Gloria’s husband before I go to see Margaret. Yesterday talking to him didn’t seem so urgent, but with still no news of Wilkins, I’m increasingly concerned.

Murder on the slopes in British Columbia!

My guest today is Arthur Ellis Unhanged award nominee Kristina Stanley. Kristina has a trilogy of mystery novels set at a fictional ski resort and you'll hear Kristina share how she was inspired to write this series.

The excerpt from Descent that Kristina reads led me to ask about the 'confidence gap' women often encounter when applying for jobs. And we also talk about Kristina's writing process and her business that helps other writers improve their work.

This week's mystery author

Kristina Stanley is the creator of Fictionary, a story editor, and best-selling author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series, the stand-alone mystery Look the Other Way, and the non-fiction titles The Author's Guide to Selling Books to Non-Bookstores and Your Story Editing Journey.

She is a Story Editing Advisor for the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

She’s published by Imajin Books and Luzifer-Verlag (Germany). Her short stories are published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Voices from the Valleys anthology.

Crime Writers of Canada nominated Descent for the Unhanged Arthur award. 

To learn more about Kristina and all her books visit KristinaStanley.com

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from Descent

Chapter 1

“Any security issues with race training today?” Kalin Thompson asked Nick Jones, the director of security at Stone Mountain Resort. 

Nick and his wife sat within the glow of the fireplace in the Powder Hound Restaurant.

Kalin had a few moments before Ben was to meet her, and she stepped close to the crackling flames, warming her legs.

Ginny smiled at Nick and caressed his arm. “Today’s our anniversary. Thirty-four years, so Nick is taking the night off.”

“Congratulations.” Kalin shook his hand. Sweat covered his palm, slippery against her skin. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

Nick clenched her hand,

Mystery author Paty Jager lives and writes about life close to nature.

Paty Jager started out writing romance novels, but then shifted to her true love - writing mysteries. In this episode we discuss her Gabriel Hawke series, featuring a Fish and Wildlife trooper who is an expert tracker. Paty also shares that in an upcoming book, Gabriel travels to Iceland and solves a murder there. (Remember when we could travel?)

In the introduction I mention the successful launch of Lark Underground. The book reached #46 on the Amateur Sleuth list in Canada, which was very exciting! Thank you to everyone who has read or is reading the book. Your support means the world to me.

My next big push is to get honest reviews for the book, so if you have a moment to leave a review I'd appreciate it. Reviews provide social proof so new readers can feel confident about their purchase. And they help me to advertise the book so that I can find new readers who might enjoy it.

Such a good mystery. This story is an emotional heart-engaging roller-coaster. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I can hardly wait for the next one.Sandee L

This week's mystery author

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 44 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. 

Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. 

You can learn more about Paty and all her books at PatyJager.net

Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify.

Excerpt from Murder of Ravens

Chapter One

The threat of potential poachers wouldn’t spoil Hawke’s day. He glanced up through the pine and fir trees at the late August summer sky to appreciate the blue sky and billowy white clouds. Half a dozen shiny black ravens circled above the trees half a mile away. So much for thinking he’d come upon the poachers before they did any damage. 

He and Dog, his mid-sized, wire-haired, motley mutt, had picked up the trail of two people on horseback with a pack horse at sunrise. He’d started the pursuit after finding spent cartridge rounds a...