The Beauty of our Everyday World . . . and of Reading.

It is no new news that many of us deal with daily depression and anxiety. Those of you who know me personally are aware of my own struggles with these minor disorders--and I've been working to find ways to bring more light, happiness, and meaning to my life.

This past weekend, my husband and I went out for a lovely day together at the Henry Doorly Zoo. We keep a yearly membership to the zoo because we live in downtown Omaha, right close to where so many cultural things are--including the zoo. Going to see the animals is always a therapeutic experience for me. It's relaxing, eye-opening, and even enlightening every visit.

As our stay at the zoo was coming to a close, we were heading through the main building containing the Lozier Imax Theater. We noticed that a move was about to start soon, and seeing as we get free tickets as members, we decided to stick around for the showing.

The movie in question was Backyard Wilderness 3D.

I was expecting the usual array of cute animals interacting with one another in their natural environment. While I certainly did get my fill of that, I also had my eyes opened to so much more.

The story of the movie revolves around an average suburban family in upstate New York going about their day to day lives and how they eventually discover the wonder and beauty of the animals, plants, and wilderness right there in their backyard.

We see cute mice, deer, coyotes, frogs, salamanders, and so much more.

For me, however, it caused me to slow down and remember just how remarkable the day to day, in and out of life, really can be.

With everything that seems to be difficult, hard, or evil in our world, there are equal parts of beauty and goodness that go overlooked day after day--and that is the real evil. Missing the good that is always there.

Nature and all its animals keep growing and changing and adapting and moving without ever once stopping to think about politics, war, crime, or religion. They live their lives and do their part to keep the natural world moving.

So, why should we do anything different?

As the film ever so simply states, "In nature, there is no good and bad." How true that is. Everything strives to thrive, to eat, to live.

As I come back to what I said at the beginning, I deal with daily depression. I wake up staring at the blank white ceiling and often wonder what the point of living is. I get on the computer for work and see post after post of sad, depressing, or downright angering news--both real and contrived. I see people act meanly and spitefully in their comments and opinions when there is no reason to. Chronic illness and sickness only push me down further until I can barely stand it any longer.

Well, the truth is, none of us have to or should wander through life in a haze of constant depression. Instead of looking down we can look up and see the wonders that the world does offer--and choose to stop being afraid.

Finally, finally, I realize what drew me to reading and eventually writing cozy mystery fiction years back. It wasn't only the close relationship with my mother, sitting together and watching Masterpiece Theater Mystery, Miss Marple, Agatha Christine, and Sherlock Holmes. It was also the realization that murder mysteries, despite being about one of the worst crime a human can commit, actually focus light on the best and most beautiful parts of our world and our lives.

All the main characters in cozies are people who find joy in life. Either through cooking, knitting, writing, or any other assortment of daily activities, these women (and sometimes men) know how to love themselves, their family (included fur babies), and life in general. Not even something has scary as murder can remove that from their lives.

Best of all, the crime is always solved and safety restored.

Over the past six or so months, I've struggled to write much of anything, finding it pointless. I often find myself wondering what the point is, if any, to writing these stories. All of the negative comments, thoughts, and opinions from a career full of struggling to defend genre fiction come back and weigh down on me.

Then, as I've had all these thoughts and feelings today, the realization dawned. I write these stories not only to remind myself of the goodness and happiness in the world but to share that with you--the readers. If I can help remind you that life is good, give a moment to relax and unwind, or even just a second to escape a hard day . . . then I realize how important my job actually is.

I don't have to be Jane Austen or even the next Joanne Fluke or Leslie Meier (two favorite authors of mine who inspired me to write) to have my work be meaningful. All I need is readers who buy the books and receive something worthwhile from them in their lives--even if it is small.

And all of that just from watching a cute documentary? Life trully is wonderful! And I hope to remember that each morning I wake up to remind myself there is something lovely worth living for.

Combating the Ho-Ho-Holiday Blues With Something a Little Cozy

 Ho-ho-ho, and Merry Christmas, readers! Nothing quite says Happy Holidays like a delicious and comfortable cozy mystery. A little cheer, and little food, and a little murder all mix together so well during the chilliest season of the year.

Personally, I love nothing more than curling up in front of a roaring fire (or in my case this year, a warm radiator) having some hot chocolate and a little popcorn while reading a good Christmas cozy mystery.

As many of you know, I spend my life writing cozies. I constantly am thinking up new ways for people to die as well as new ways to solve said murders. It is a fun if not daunting process.

However, something many of you might not know about me is my constant struggle with depression. Yes, yes, I know. Isn't it so cliche for the writer to fight their inner demons while trying to get their words on the page? Still, it is a real daily struggle that many people have to deal with, including myself. It is as real as fighting off daily migraines, gal bladder pain, back troubles or any other chronic condition.

I'm usually the sort of person who is against sharing personal trauma or struggle online, finding it a hollow attempt at a cry for help most of the time. However, seeing as I consider many of you friends, it seemed okay to do it this time of year--when the season is at its brightest.

As it is for many, this struggle becomes more acute during the holiday season--and this year has been one of the hardest holiday seasons of my life. Hubby is so darn supportive through all of this and I can't thank him enough. He is the light of my life and something to be happy about.

To make sure we get plenty of Christmas cheer together, we've attended the Nutcracker Ballet, gone hiking in the local forest that they string with Christmas lights each year, gone out for festive coffees, tried some seasonal beers, did Christmas shopping together, and so much more. In many ways, it has been an amazing time of happiness for us.

Still, having these struggles also means I write a little slower, my drafts aren't as clean, and the whole process of getting books out to you takes more time than usual. First and foremost, my apologies for that. I prefer to give you guys at least two or three new Christmas books a year, but this time around it looks like I'll only be able to manage one.

Ultimately, I wanted to write this little blog post as a way to say thank you. This is my Christmas card to you. I'm grateful for all the constant support you have given me this year by buying my cozy mysteries. I want to thank you for your patience during this time where I may not be writing as many books as usual. Know that I am never not working. I always have something new in the works--even if it comes a little slower.

Finally, I also want to thank my publisher, Summer Prescott who is always flexible and patient. She always treats me as capable and hard working (things I don't always believe about myself) and that gives me a big boost to get better and better stories out. Also, to my editor Gretchen Allen, who puts up with my minor gripes over edits and is always honest.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and I hope to put out many new books in the new year. 

Spicy Christmas Murder

Merry Christmas to one and all! Do you enjoy dark chocolate? How about spicy food? How about spicy hot chocolate on a chilly winter's night? If so, you're in luck. My stand alone Christmas murder mystery is a perfect item to warm you up on a cold evening.

Spicy Christmas Murder is a stand alone reprinting of my cozy mystery contribution to last year's Summer Prescott Books Publishing Christmas collection (which is no longer available). Therefore, I'm thrilled to announce the solo release of this wonderful title!

The main character and business are based off a real woman and her hot sauce company. It is called Crazy Gringa's Hot Sauce. So, go check that out for the inside scoop!

Here is the book blurb:

You'll feel the burn in this exciting Christmas Cozy Mystery!

Hot sauce shop owner, Margo, never expected to find herself having to hide out for her own safety during the Christmas season. When it comes to homicide, however, Sheriff Carlsbad isn't taking any chances. Will Margo be able to help determine just exactly who is trying to hunt her down before Christmas Day, or will she and the sheriff be too late? 

Find out in this intense holiday Cozy Mystery!

Pick up your copy of the book on Kindle for only 99 cents!

One Cozy Christmas

Get into the Christmas spirit this holiday season with all of us at Summer Prescott Books Publishing by picking up your copy of the One Cozy Christmas box set, featuring new stand alone cozy mysteries by myself, Gretchen, Summer, and Patti. It's out today!

My story is something a littler different than I've tried before and is inspired by the Miss Marple short stories by Agatha Christie which I've been reading in the evenings with my husband. In my new tale, an elderly woman must recall the past few evenings following up to a murder in her local retirement community in order to gather enough clues to pin down the real killer. 

Time in the story jumps from the present, with our main character talking to the police detective, to the past where she interacts with the victim and suspects. As she completes her statement to the police, she begins to solve the case on her own.

Here is the book blurb:

The spirit of Christmas is in the air at Sweet Hills Retirement Community . . . but so is murder.
 
Seventy-nine year-old Agatha Reiner is determined to enjoy this Christmas season. Despite the fact that her only daughter is on the other side of the country, Agatha is making the best of the holiday cheer by eating Christmas cookies, listening to carols, snuggling up with her dog Aki, and crocheting doilies for all her neighbors in the retirement community.
 
Unfortunately, it seems that not everyone is in a festive mood. When Agatha stumbles upon a body, police suspicions turn toward her. It doesn't help that she was presumably the last one to see the victim alive and the detective on the case seems to think she's nothing more than a dotty old woman with a jealous streak.
 
Agatha realizes it is up to her to recount her time with the victim, step-by-step, clue-by-clue, to solve this mystery before she finds herself behind bars for the holidays.

You can pick up your copy of One Cozy Christmas for a limited time on Kindle for only 99 cents! Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Killer Acorn Pie

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my readers in America (and anyone else getting into the holiday spirit whether it be Christmas, Yule, or any other special occasion to help light up these chilly winter months)! In my house, this weeks kicks off the official beginning of the holiday season. Already, my hubby and I are thawing our bird and preparing the ingredients for wild rice stuffing, home made cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and even an English Walnut Pie! Yummy! We will also be putting up our tree this week the help light up the snowy month ahead.

Another great way I love to celebrate the holiday season is with a tasty murder mystery! So, those of you who get an extra long weekend this week, I have a treat for you. My latest holiday themed cozy mystery is hitting Kindle today for only 99 cents!

This latest one combines the traditions of Thanksgiving with a phenomenon that seems to be popular among so many families right now. Escape Rooms! One friend of mine in particular even ran a home made escape room for Halloween this last month. This book is dedicated to her! (You know who you are 😁)

I also took inspiration and ideas from my college days and sprinkled them into this book, since much of the story takes place on a chilly campus during the quiet week of Thanksgiving when most of the students are off seeing family. For me, Thanksgiving week in college was one of my favorites because I usually stayed behind. I loved walking around campus and seeing just how silent it was in the snow. The quad in the book as well as the layout of the buildings is lifted right from my own campus experience.

Here is a picture to give you an idea of the winter wonderland Idaho could turn into during the cold months. Those were good and happy days for me, especially when I was married to my hubby.

All in all, this is one of my favorite and most nostalgic books I've written, and I truly hope you find it an enjoyable read this holiday week. I'm also very excited about my next book set during the week of Christmas as well.

To learn more, check out this book blurb from Amazon:

Ever make a misguided decision?

Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year at Pies and Pages, and shop owner Bertha Hannah is trying to bring in even more customers by offering free tickets to a local holiday themed escape room put on by the community college. While not exactly sure how escape rooms work, Bert knows that teens, college students, and families especially seem to love them.

However, when one of Bert’s employees comes in telling of how her friend died in the same escape room they’re promoting, the sale backfires. Worse yet, Bert’s detective boyfriend Harry Mannor seems to think Bert’s employee may have had something to do with it.

With sales on the decline and a murderer on the move, Bert rushes to prove her young friend’s innocence before it’s too late.

This book will spice up your holiday, buy now, while it’s hot!

You can pick up your copy of Killer Acorn Pie on Amazon for only 99 cents or Kindle Unlimited for Free. 

Perfectly Pumpkin Killer

TRICK-OR-TREAT! Do I have a treat for you! The latest book in my Pies and Pages cozy mystery series is out now on Amazon Kindle for only 99 cents and for free on Kindle Unlimited!

Those of you who follow me on social media will know all of my recent woes about visiting the dentist. Many of you jokingly said I should include a dentist in one of my books . . . and so I have, thanks to all of your advice. And what better time to include a dentist than in a spooky Halloween mystery (at least I find visiting the dentist a little scary).

When I was at the dentist this past month, I laid there with my mouth wide open while the dentist and his assistant worked away. Meanwhile, they chatted it up about the local Haunted Houses they were going to visit and what they might dress up as for Halloween.

Well, that got me thinking about tons of story ideas, and I dressed up the dentist in my story as a vampire! Of course, as luck would have it, there is a murder with a "vampiric" touch.

How much torturous pain can you stand?

Pie shop owner Bertha Hannah loves Halloween, but not when she has a toothache. Forced to stop eating candy, pie, and all her other favorite sweets, Bert finally gives into one her her biggest fears . . . and goes to see a dentist. Too add to her already skyrocketing stress level, she has committed to making a batch of pies for the Halloween Charity Carnival being held at the local amusement park.

Bert’s excruciating holiday goes from bad to worse when she stumbles upon a body, the murder of which seems to be somehow oddly connected to her visit to the dentist and she begins to wonder what sort of fiend is running around the streets of Culver's Hood this Halloween.

Will she be able put together the clues and solve the case, or will she be next to ‘donate’ blood?

You can pick up Perfectly Pumpkin Killer for only 99 cents right now on Amazon Kindle. Please enjoy it and Happy Halloween!

Halloween Waffle Murder

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I am proud to announce my latest cozy mystery novella--Halloween Waffle Murder, the tenth and final book in the Wicked Waffle Cozy Mystery series.

Yes, it's true. The waffle series is coming to an end. For those of you who have been reading the books since the first entry in Diner of the Dead, this will be a bitter sweet moment to be sure.  I know it was for me.

As I wrote the final words of this book, I couldn’t help but feel a great sense of overwhelming gratitude. This series, along with the Diner of the Dead books before it, was my first excursion into professional full-time writing. I’d worked in the publishing industry before this as a publicist and editor, but my passion had always been as a creative writer. (After all, that was what I studied so intently in college, how to make it as a career writer.)

Ultimately, this success and the ability to write thirty books staring diner owner Sonja and her boyfriend/husband Frank is thanks to you the readers. You have supported me through this long learning process.  I can’t thank you enough. Additionally, my publisher Summer Prescott has been a patient and enthusiastic teacher to this novice apprentice. Thanks, are in order for Gretchen Allen as well, who was with me during much of this writing process as a top-notch editor and publicist. 

In the end, finishing this book was bittersweet. In some ways, I’m sad to see Sonja’s adventures end. However, I feel like it is time for a change, time for Sonja and her crew to step into the shadows, and for me to take a break as well to concentrate on other projects. 

And don’t worry, you never know what future stories Frank and Sonja might surprisingly pop up in, even if it’s in different roles or capacities. Also, get ready for some bigger spooky surprises in store in the coming months. I've had a lot of exciting project ideas swimming around my notebook for nearly two years and I'm ready to jump right in. 

 You can pick up Halloween Waffle Murder for only 99 cents right now on Amazon Kindle. Please enjoy it and Happy Halloween!

Scary Movie Night With Carolyn (Week #2)

The Bat (1959)

Happy Halloween,  weekend #2! In case you missed last week's announcement, throughout the whole month of October 2018, I will be sharing some of my all time favorite FREE public domain horror movies with you--my readers! 

What does that mean, exactly? That means that you can watch the movie right here, right now on the internet! 

Join me for "scary movie night" by watching a spooky classic each weekend! Then, throughout the weekend you can feel free to chat with me about the movie either here on the blog or on my Facebook page! 

This week's movie is The Bat from 1959. It stars two of the greatest stars of their time, Vincent Price (the ultimate master of macabre horror) and Agnes Moorehead (whom many of you may recognize from the beloved television classic Bewitched!) 

The Bat falls into one of my favorite sub-genres of horror movies: The Old Dark House theme. Basically, it's a story about a creepy old manor home filled with cobwebs, creaking doors, secret passageways, murderers, and maybe even a ghost or two. 

This movie, while still being spooky fun, has much more of a cozy mystery vibe than many other movies in this genre. Agnes Moorehead's character is a mystery writer who moves into the creepy home to get some writing done--but makes it her personal goal to solve a real mystery of The Bat, a local serial killer who uses claws as his weapon of choice. 

This movie is really great fun and fantastic for fans of cozy mysteries. 

So, without further ado, enjoy with me this weekend: The Bat.

A Harvest of Murder

Nothing quite says Autumn like brewing your favorite hot drink (coffee, tea, cider), cuddling up in a toasty sweater of blanket, and reading a good murder mystery. At least, I know that is how I feel.

This last week since Autumn began has been a crazy one. On the Autumnal Equinox, my husband and I went hiking in the forest near our home. It was chilly and the leaves had just begun to turn. We encountered many wonderful creatures including a frog, a toad, snails, and even . . . a snake! Eek!

Throughout this past week, I've been running errands and doing chores like crazy. I've hardly had a free moment to write! Going to the dentist twice, recovering from said dental procedure, going to the DMV twice, and more. I even got a new pet fish named Blue, who I adore. So, imagine how grateful and excited I was to end this week on a high note by having my first book of the season released! (It really has been a wonderful week, all things considered.)

Therefore, it is my pleasure and joy to announce the release of A Harvest of Murder, the fourteenth book in the Pies and Pages cozy mystery series staring Bert, my favorite character to write!

This time, Bert is volunteering for a historic autumn festival that features all sorts of wild west facts, foods, and games. Of course, as always, a body turns up to ruin the weekend and it falls on Bert's shoulders to get to the bottom of things. Add in a stolen antique saddle and a autumn rain storm and you've got quite the mystery!

You can pick up A Harvest of Murder now on Amazon Kindle for only 99 cents! Please enjoy the book and leave a review! 

-Carolyn

Zombie Waffle Murder is Out Now on Kindle!

They're coming to get you . . . With a fantastic new book!

I'm excited to announce the release of my latest paranormal cozy mystery in the Wicked Waffle series: Zombie Waffle Murder. 

What would summertime be without good books? From a young age, I've always associated reading with summer--mostly thanks to the local library's summer reading program. For me, that program was like gold. My family didn't have a whole lot of money growing up, so getting books from the library was a real treat. On top of that, at the end of the program I was able to pick a brand new book to keep!

They were good times.

Most of the books I checked out and read back then were either spooky kid's mysteries, ghost stories, or children's renditions of classics like Dracula and Frankenstien. So, it shouldn't be too much of a leap to say that I also associate summer time--with its cook outs, swimming, and outdoor play--with all things scary.

That's why I'm so thrilled with my latest cozy mystery offering. Zombie Waffle Murder sees diner owner Sonja and her sheriff husband Frank trying to solve another mysterious murder that happens at a zombie themed marathon!

Check out this number one new release on Kindle for only 99 cents!

Description from Amazon:

Get ready for some spooky, crime-solving fun!

Sonja loves Halloween, but sometimes the notoriously spooky holiday is too far away. So, when a local zombie themed marathon is announced, she jumps at the chance to whip up some Zombie Waffles with Zombie Juice. She even looks forward to getting all dressed up in gruesome makeup for the event, despite regretting signing up to run alongside her fit and athletic husband, Frank.

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, the event is interrupted when one of the runners is found dead. Not only does her death seem like foul play has been involved, but the girl's group of friends all seem to have deep rooted secrets of their own, which they seem to desperately want to keep hidden.

Sonja tries to stay out of solving the mystery, but her ghostly powers end up pushing her right into the thick of things. Running in circles to figure out how all the disjointed clues fit together, will Sonja be able to pin down an answer before she becomes the next victim?