SPA Girls Podcast – EP133 – Interview With Sara Rosett: Writing Cozy Mysteries
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This episode we are thrilled to talk with USA Today bestseller, Sara Rosett, about the wonderful, (sometimes) wacky and hugely popular sub-genre of Cozy Mysteries. Cozies have a rabid audience, but writers need to be sure that they’re meeting reader expectations and delivering a great puzzle, compelling characters and intriguing setting.
Sara has not only been writing a number of successful cozy-mystery series since 2006, but she also teaches an online How To Outline A Cozy Mystery course – so she’s the perfect person to talk through crafting cozies.
So what defines a cozy versus “normal” mystery?
The elements/tropes of a typical cozy mystery:
- Mystery is the main component, usually a murder
- A female amateur Sleuth
- Usually a small town or a contained setting like a cruise ship or a resort
- A side-kick. Often the same one but not always.
- A vocation like cooking, needlework or something that lends itself to a group.
- A pet, very often a cat
- Quirky friends / community
- A romantic thread
- Covers should reflect the genre. Usually quirky, light, with a mystery element, and the animal.
- Cozies are “clean” – ie no swearing, no sex, no gore, no violence (murder takes place off the page)
- The mystery is solved at the end of the book – no cliffhangers.
- Also very popular are paranormal cozy-mysteries (witches, warlocks, were-creatures)
Sara also talks about her launch process and her advice on wide distribution versus Kindle Unlimited /Amazon exclusive for new writers.
Enjoy the episode!
About Sara
A native Texan, USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett grew up reading and dreaming of writing books. Her stories and essays have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul, Georgia Magazine, The Writer, and Romantic Times Book Review.
She is the author of the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery.
Publishers Weekly called Sara’s books, “satisfying,” “well-executed,” and “sparkling.” Sara is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and NINC. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, or Litsy.
Sara’s Online Course: How To Outline A Cozy Mystery
Sara’s non-fiction books for writers (click on cover to learn more):
May 2, 2018
Great interview! As a new cozy mystery author, it was great to get Sara’s take on writing and publishing cozies. I lived in New Zealand for five years, so it was also nice to hear your ladies’ accents. Made me nostalgic for our time there 🙂
May 23, 2018
Thank you Ellen, so glad you enjoyed it! Sara is just fabulous 🙂