Secrets Never Lie

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Susan Boles, author of Secrets Never Lie, the first novel in the Pickwick Bend Murder Club series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Susan.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Secrets Never Lie is the first book in a new murder club mystery series. It features an ensemble set of characters rather than having one main character. Shelby Rae, Trixie, Janelle and Curtis formed a book club at the local library where they read and discuss new release mystery books and try to guess who the killer is before they finish reading the book.

In this book, a murder takes place in a gated community outside town where homes are mostly summer vacation homes owned by out-of-towners. The book club decides they are the perfect people to solve the murder and set about gathering information and clues.

The closer they get the more they discover that the murder is more home grown than anyone had anticipated and that the past has come home to roost in the present.

The series title is The Pickwick Bend Murder Club.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I live in one of the small towns near Pickwick Lake and have always been interested in history. Since I love the lake, history and a good mystery, it seemed like the trifecta to create a series that incorporates all three in Secrets Never Lie.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

The theme in this book is the past and how actions and decisions made not only by ourselves, but by those that came before us can impact our lives in a big way. Having grown up in this area and being a descendant of one of the first families to settle the area, I have quite a bit of experience in knowing what it feels like to live in a place where people know not only who you are but your family for several generations in the past.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

My characters tend to be a conglomeration of multiple people I know along with a big dash of total make believe. I love all of my characters for many different reason so I don’t have a favorite. Each character is crafted on a tiny seed of something special about someone I care for in real life.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I tend to use sensory information to bring my places to life. Like the sunlight glinting on the lake. The sound of cicadas. The scent of honeysuckle. Or the smell of rain coming on the wind. Descriptions of the places in the town that make them more easy to visualize.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

For this one, I didn’t need to do a lot of research as I’m a native of the area and am already familiar with the historical elements and place I write about in the book. For the next book, I did more research as it’s centered on fishing tournaments and lakes and I wasn’t as familiar with how fishing tournaments work.

Thank you for answering my questions, Susan, and good luck with Secrets Never Lie, the first book in the Pickwick Bend Murder Club series.

Readers can learn more about Susan Boles by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Pinterest pages. You can also follow her on Threads and Substack.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon – B&N –  Bookshop.org

About Susan Boles: USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Susan Boles writes novels that make each character vivid, while highlighting small-town southern communities where life may be slow but never boring. Whether the novel is a cozy mystery, romance, or romantic suspense, she brings real life to characters and towns alike.

Susan has received multiple awards for her Lily Gayle Lambert cozy mystery series, along with accolades for her romance and romantic suspense novels. When she isn’t writing, Susan enjoys genealogy, reading, gardening, knitting, and crocheting (all the granny hobbies), which she squeezes in whenever possible. Susan, her husband, and their dog, Krissy, live in West Tennessee near the area where Susan’s family settled in the early 1800s.

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Death Hits the High Notes

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

G. G. Calpo, author of Death Hits the High Notes, the latest novel in the Sweet Tooth murder mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, G. G..

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

DEATH HITS THE HIGH NOTES is the second book in my Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series. The series follows five retired teachers who investigate murders as they look for clues to help Meg solve the mysterious deaths of her husband and son. This time, though, murder hits a little too close to home when someone tries to kill Stefan, the former band and choir teacher of the group. Naturally, his friends take this personally.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I wanted this story to revolve around Stefan, and I thought making him the murder target would work well with his personality. After that, it was a matter of figuring out who wanted him dead and why.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

I wanted to make murder personal. My sleuths are quite willing to poke around in other people’s murders, but hearts beat wildly when one of your own is in the killer’s crosshairs. Nothing like a killer gunning for your BFF to send your blood pressure rocketing.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

I start with a general idea of what kind of character I need for the story I’m telling. Prim and proper? Flamboyant? Martinet? I give the character a name that evokes the personality and a voice to match. Then I let them loose and see what happens. Somewhere along the way, they develop quirks and opinions I hadn’t planned on, and before I know it, they’re going off the rails.

As for a favorite, I refuse to answer. My characters are like my children. Enough said.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

The North Shore of Long Island was my home for over thirty years. I lived there, shopped there, met friends and hung out in restaurants and bars. It’s an area I know well. Borrowing bits and pieces from familiar places was easy. Mixing them all up to make a fictional town was magical.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

Whatever the story demands. One day I’m researching poisons, the next I’m looking up police procedures, autopsies, or how long it takes someone to die from a particular injury. Then there are the perfectly innocent searches for restaurants, boats, musical instruments, or whatever else I’ve managed to write myself into. Put them all together, though, and my search history is probably best erased.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

My characters spent most of their lives being needed. As did we when we were younger. And like them, we may think retirement takes that away. Finding a dead body, oddly enough, reminds my sleuths they’re still useful. There’s a mystery to solve, someone needs answers, and the skills and experience they’ve gained through a lifetime are valuable again. I want my readers to feel as alive as my sleuths. Solving a murder is optional.

Thank you for answering my questions, G. G. and good luck with Death Hits the High Notes, the latest book in the Sweet Tooth murder mystery series.

Readers can learn more about G. G. Calpo by visiting the author’s Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads pages.

The novel is available online at Amazon

About GG Calpo: G G is a retired lawyer and accountant who traded contracts and numbers for the far more enjoyable chaos of fictional crime. Now she writes cozy whodunits featuring warm-hearted golden-aged sleuths who’ve seen it all, heard it all and will investigate a murder with zero hesitation. She loves stories where the stakes are personal, family and friendships are paramount, with characters who refuse to follow the outline and endings that pull the rug out. When not plotting twisty crimes—on paper only, of course—she spends her time reading, crocheting blankets and sweaters for her five grandchildren, watching mystery TV shows and taking long walks in her neighborhood. She lives in Central New Jersey with her husband and two corgis, Whiskey and Nugget.

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Murder on Flesher Pass

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

K. L. Borges, author of Murder on Flesher Pass, the latest novel in the Montana Animal Rescue mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, K. L.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

MURDER ON FLESHER PASS is indeed part of a series; it is the second book in the Montana Animal Rescue Mysteries. These books are realistic, cozy mysteries set in modern-day Montana, where the action is set around a fictional dog rescue in Helena, Montana. The stories are both suspenseful and humorous, and, rest assured, no dogs ever die in my books.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I volunteer in several animal rescues in my area of Montana and am familiar with the “transport” of animals around the USA, some even coming from foreign countries. Transport is done either by motor vehicle or airlifts. While doing background research for Book One: MURDER IN THE CRAZY MOUNTAINS, I came across an online newspaper article about an airlift of fifty dogs (none died) that crashed in a field in Wisconsin. Local people rushed to help, carrying crated dogs away to their personal vets, and the rescue organizations had a hard time tracking them all down. Some of the local people adopted a dog on the spot and refused to return them! This wasn’t material that made it into Book One at all, but remained lodged in my mind, eventually germinating into the central idea of MURDER ON FLESHER PASS.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

Animal rescue is the underlying subject for my books. I started volunteering in local Montana rescues after I retired from teaching math and was unprepared for how overwhelming the need is, both locally and across the country. Early on, I saw a post about a lost and wounded hound dog that led me to imagining the events that became the story of Book One, MURDER IN THE CRAZY MOUNTAINS. Book Two, MURDER ON FLESHER PASS and Book Three, MURDER AT BAD MOON CANYON, continue with the fictional RogerDog Rescue and its cast of characters.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

Mostly, the characters show up and demand to take part in the story, sometimes catching me completely by surprise. Coming up with names is one of the harder parts of character development: names should be easy to remember and keep separate from others characters, and should be unique to my books (as much as possible).

I have to admit a partiality for the no-nonsense, rough-around-the-edges proprietor of RogerDog Rescue, Betty Mills. I have been privileged to know people in my life who were similar to her and they have sure added a lot of flavour to my days.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

I write about Montana and dog rescue as I actually experience them in my life. I stick with writing what I know, aiming for realism in my fictional stories. I try to describe scenes well enough to evoke the sights, sounds and emotions for my readers, so it’s as if they had lived them.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

I research everything that I don’t know already from first hand knowledge. This gives me a chance to learn new things through my writing; this is enormously fun! The internet can provide a lot of answers but sometimes you have to track down a real person to teach you what you the author need to know, which means making new friends, another bonus.

If travel to visit places that I will use as settings in my books, so that I see them firsthand for veracity.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

If you like dogs, Montana and mysteries, you will love this book. I hope to share it with you. Thank you for reading this interview!

Thank you for answering my questions, K. L., and good luck with Murder on Flesher Pass, the latest book in the Montana Animal Rescue mystery series.

Readers can learn more about K. L. Borges by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

 Amazon       B&N        This House of Books

About K. L. Borges: K.L. Borges, an Agatha Award-nominated author, moved to Montana thirty-five years ago with her husband to raise their three children alongside a series of herding dogs. Prior to becoming an author, she taught math at a private Billings high school (Go, Rams!). Borges is a member of the Billings Gem and Mineral Club and Sisters in Crime. She and her husband are often found enjoying the Montana outdoors with their two blue heelers.

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French Toast a la Santa Fe

Posted on October 13, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Suzanne Stauffer, author of French Toast a la Santa Fe (Couriers Book 2), is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share with us how she created the characters in her novel.

Welcome, Suzanne. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

Thank you for inviting me. I’m Suzanne Stauffer, author of the newly released French Toast a la Santa Fe and Fried Chicken Castañeda, the first book in the Couriers Series. Friends who have read FTSF (as we call it) wanted to know how I managed to create more than 14 diverse characters and make it easy to keep them straight.

It is an ongoing process, believe me! In FTSF, Prudence goes on a Detour with 10 other passengers, the Courier, and the driver from the Castañeda Hotel in Las Vegas to the Alvarado in Albuquerque via the La Fonda in Santa Fe.

I began by deciding who those other passengers would be, in very broad terms – a middle-aged retired couple and a floozy to flirt with the husband, a retired single woman, two sisters on a ‘gap year’ trip (not that they called it a ‘gap year’ in 1929, but that’s what it was).

I still needed four more passengers. It would be interesting to include two young men, around the same age as the sisters, so there we’re down to two. What if the retired couple’s party included the wife’s single – no, not single, widowed – sisters? I was thinking about my grandmother after my grandfather died. She moved in with two of her sisters – all three were widows – and they traveled all over. They even went to China!

I also assigned roles to the characters – I mentioned “the floozy.” There was also the “bitter old woman.” The “peacemaker.” The “good ol’ boy,” etc. I’ll let you discover the rest.

What about the Courier and the driver? They had to be more than just “the Courier” and “the driver.” They needed names and personalities and some kind of backstory. Then I had an idea : Why not use real people? I’ve done some research on the Indian Detours and I know the names of some and a little about them. I picked Marcella Matson because I like the name and her photo appears in some of the articles I’ve read, so she felt real to me. I chose Tom Dozier because he was the only Native American driver that the Detours hired. I also found a biography of his younger brother which included information about the whole family, including a photo of Tom.

Then I started fleshing out their backgrounds and developing a mental image of each one. I searched for common names of that time period and chose ones that fit that mental image. I developed wardrobes for them that reflected their personality, age, and social status. As you might guess, it’s a circular process, and sometimes I had to change something because of a later development.

Once I started writing, the characters started taking on a life of their own. The two young men turned out to be gay German college students, and the single woman was a retired schoolteacher from Australia, in part because that was one of the few jobs that women could hold at that time. The sisters were Jewish, and their father was a jeweler in Chicago. The floozy was a manicurist from Kansas City who just liked a good time. She reminded me of a Judy Holliday character.

Their personalities developed and deepened. I started to understand their motivations. They stopped doing what I wanted them to do and started acting according to who they were. I felt like Prudence, coming to know these people through our interactions over the course of the three-day excursion. My impressions of them changed, just as Prudence’s did. The floozy made it clear that she didn’t mess with married men. The married man – he’d never cheat on his wife. There went … well … the entire murder plot. (If you want to know what it was, I wrote it as a short story with slightly different characters that was published in Killer Nashville as “Detour to Murder” https://www.killernashville.com/short-stories/detour-to-murder).

So, I had to rethink the ending. And, suddenly, I needed two law enforcement officers. The revised plot required them. What about Bob, from the first book? He had returned to Santa Fe at the end of that book, so he was on the scene and he already knew Prudence. It would tie the two books together and I wouldn’t have to develop another character. Now, he just needed a partner. That partner should be a native New Mexican, though, preferably either Hispanic or Native or both. Why not both? And so Javier was born.

Thinking of Bob reminded me. The Harvey Girl whom Prudence met on the train on her way to Las Vegas, Sally Johnson, was working at the La Fonda in Santa Fe. It would be rather strange if they didn’t run into each other. And there she was, taking orders for dinner.

Of course, Bob, Javier, and Sally are all secondary characters. They only appear in specific settings, so their characters don’t need to be as well-developed, but they do need to be something more than just cardboard cut-outs. They have names and personalities. I enjoyed getting to know Bob and Sally better, seeing them in these new circumstances, so much so that Sally becomes a main character in the third novel.

Other secondary characters are more two-dimensional. They are given names or titles, as well as roles, but make essentially cameo appearances. We may wonder about them and want to know more, but they just aren’t around long enough. And then, there are the characters who are known only by their role. They don’t get names, I’m afraid, or if they do, it’s just a first or last name. They are “the desk clerk” and “the Harvey Girl” and “the maid.” I have a sort of hazy idea of what they look like, but it’s mainly the uniform.

So, now you know as much as I do! Characters develop as much for the author as they do for the reader and keeping them real sometimes requires changing the plot. Decide for yourself whether I’ve created more than 15 distinct characters by reading French Toast a la Santa Fe. It’s available on Bookshop.org and Amazon.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Suzanne, and good luck with French Toast a la Santa Fe (Couriers Book 2). Readers can learn more about Suzanne Stauffer by visiting the author’s blog and her Facebook and Substack newsletter pages.

The book is available online at Amazon and Bookshop.org.

About Suzanne Stauffer: After 20 years as a librarian and 20 as a professor of library science and library historian, Suzanne Stauffer has moved on to a third career as a mystery novelist. She currently lives in Albuquerque with her Australian husband and brown and white spotted rat terrier dogter, Treme. Her debut novel, Fried Chicken Castañeda (Artemesia Publishing, May 2025), won the CIPA EVVY Bronze Medal in Mystery/Crime/Detection and the New Mexico Book Award for Cozy Mystery.

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Murder on Mulberry Lane

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Lori Soard, author of Murder on Mulberry Lane, the first novel in the Mildred Wiggns mysteries series, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Lori.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Murder on Mulberry Lane is the first in the Mildred Wiggins cozy mystery series. The first book throws Mildred into an investigation when her neighbor winds up dead. He isn’t someone she particularly liked, but even he deserves for the truth to come out. It also sets off an overarching mystery about a missing teen that will span the entire ten books in the series.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

I had a neighbor years ago that was sketchy. There were always weird goings-on at their house. It sparked the idea of what if everything went wrong? Why did it go wrong? The story was born from there.

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

Truth always has a way of coming out. It might not be today, or even tomorrow, but light will be shed and truth will be revealed.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

It varies, but Mildred came to me fully developed. She would not leave me alone. I had other commitments and books, but she kept poking at me to tell her story. She’s quite blunt and strong-willed, and I love her for it. Mildred is a part of me, but also nothing like me. She doesn’t have the polite limitations I live with. Instead, she’s blunt and forceful. She is who I’d be if I didn’t worry about offending people. LOL

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

Maple Hollow is a compilation of dozens of Indiana small towns I’ve grown up around. It has bits and pieces from different locations. Every small town I’ve been to has some similarities. There is always the town diner, a good coffee shop and certain personality types.

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

For this book, I researched things like how a small police station would handle a potential homicide investigation, where they might make a mistake and how annoying someone like Mildred might be. I’m fortunate to have a lot of law enforcement contacts, who can answer my endless questions.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

Mildred Wiggins is more than a book. She is a force. I’ve also started a cozy mystery mailed series based on Mildred. Readers get 24 letters over 12 months. Each letter offers clues and goodies until the reader unravels the answer to everything. You can check out my epistolary stories at MailboxMonologues.com.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Mildred. She still has a lot to say, and my next book in this series will release shortly.

Thank you for answering my questions, Lori, and good luck with Murder on Mulberry Lane, the first book in the Mildred Wiggins mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Lori Soard by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook page. You can also sign up for her newsletter.

The novel is available online at Amazon  

About Lori Soard:  Lori has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing, but she’s hardly the stuffy professor type. She loves nothing better than a good romantic comedy and thinks the good guy should always win, and the ending should always be happy.

From an early age, Lori started honing her storytelling skills. As a kid, she was rarely seen without a  book in her hand, even walking and reading at the same time. Her first stories were about the world around her. At twenty she wrote her first novel, which she admits was horrible. At twenty-one, she sold her first article to a local newspaper. Once she got that taste of having others read her work and realizing that she could reach others and touch their hearts, there was no turning back for this natural-born writer.

“If I can make someone’s day just a tiny bit better,” Lori says, “if I can make them smile even though they are sad, make them think things could be better, make them understand how much God loves them, then I have accomplished something. I write my stories, articles, and  books with that one person in mind who really needs the message. If I can change one person’s perspective, then I’ve succeeded.”

Lori is a lifelong Hoosier and lives in southern Indiana with her high school sweetheart turned husband. They have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. She always has her critters surrounding her, including a couple of miniature dachshunds and several rescue cats. “During the extreme low points in life, it has been my animals that have seen me through. There is nothing like the deep devotion of a dog or the unconditional love of a cat.” Lori adores animals, and while some of her dear friends have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, she will always stand by her belief that animals make the world a better place.

She loves to hear from her readers and blogs regularly.

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A Killer for Christmas

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Kim Harrington, author of A Killer for Christmas, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today.

Welcome, Kim.

Tell us about your novel. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

A KILLER FOR CHRISTMAS is about a woman who moves to a Christmas-themed tourist town for a fresh start, and the picture-perfect charm is chipped away by a series of murders. I like to say it’s what would happen if a Hallmark Christmas movie had a serial killer, except cozy in tone. And with humor too! Right now, it’s a standalone. But I’d love to return to this town for more books if there is demand from readers.

Where did the idea for the mystery that is central to the story come from?

One night, I told my husband I was heading upstairs to watch TV in bed and he asked, “What will it be tonight, a Hallmark Christmas movie or a murder show? Because it’s always one or the other.” And suddenly I wanted to write something that combined both!

Is there a theme or subject that underlies the story? If so, what prompted you to write about it?

My main character, Kelsey, has been through a life upheaval. A lot of people make a change in their life when something like this happens—like coloring their hair or getting bangs. Kelsey decided to uproot her entire life and move to the town that always made her happy when she was a child. Though she doesn’t know anyone there! Themes that come into play are fresh start, fish out of water, and eventually, found family.

How do you create your characters? Do you have favourite ones? If so, why are you partial to them?

I definitely play favorites. Either because I empathize with them or find them fun to write. In this book, my favorite is my main character Kelsey because she has a great sense of humor and it was fun to write in her lightly sarcastic tone.

How do you bring to life the place you are writing about?

The setting of Christmasville was extremely fun to create in this book. I wanted to take a tourist town but push its boundaries. So I really leaned into the Christmas vibe and the quirkiness of its traditions and eccentric characters. I also thought…if this town was real, what would I want it to look like? What would I want it to have?

What research do you do to provide background information to help you write the novel?

It depends on the book. In this book, I wanted Kelsey’s career (social media manager) to ring true. I’m in marketing myself, but I did do further research to make sure I was getting some of the details right.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about the book?

I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you have fun reading it. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and settle in for the ride!

Thanks so much for having me!

You’re welcome, Kim, and good luck with A Killer for Christmas.

Readers can learn more about Kim Harrington by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram pages. You can also follow her on BlueSky.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

PenguinRandomHouse    Amazon      B&N      Bookshop.org

About Kim Harrington: Kim is the author of A Killer for Christmas, her debut adult mystery, as well as Clarity, Perception, The Dead and Buried, and Forget Me for teens and Revenge of the Red Club, the Sleuth or Dare series, and Gamer Squad series for younger readers. Her  books have been sold to ten countries and optioned for television. She lives in Massachusetts with her family, where she’s hard at work on her next mystery novel.

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Crime and Croissants

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Emmie Lyn, author of the Cooking Club Murder mysteries, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share with us how she gets her ideas for her novels.

Welcome, Emmie. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

One of the questions writers are often asked is: Where do you get your ideas?

I wish I had a clever answer, but the truth is, they come from everywhere.

A conversation I overhear. A place I visit. Something strange I notice while I’m out walking. A dog doing something that makes me laugh. A meal. A garden. A family story. Sometimes it’s nothing more than a random what if? that refuses to go away.

Then my imagination takes over which can be a little dangerous when you write murder mysteries.

A perfectly innocent situation can quickly become suspicious. An interesting house makes me wonder what secrets are hidden inside. A quiet little town looks like the perfect setting for a murder. Put a group of people around a table and I start wondering which one of them has something to hide.

Fortunately, most of this stays inside my head.

Writing a book, however, isn’t quite as magical as having the idea for one.

There’s a lot of staring at the computer screen. Writing something I love one day and wondering what on earth I was thinking when I reread it the next. Moving scenes around. Discovering a clue appeared before I actually planted it. Realizing a character knows something she couldn’t possibly know yet.

And then there are the characters themselves.

They don’t always cooperate.

Sometimes a character I intended to have a small role wanders onto the page and refuses to leave. Other times someone who seemed perfectly innocent starts acting suspicious.

And occasionally characters like Ivy and Nadine appear.

I’m not sure anyone could control those two.

Tango is easier.

Usually.

One of my favorite things about writing cozy mysteries is creating the community around the mystery. Of course, I want readers to wonder who committed the crime and why, but I also want to create a place they enjoy visiting.

That’s where the food, friendships, pets, humor, and everyday moments come in.

I love writing about people sitting around a table together. Neighbors helping one another. Friends teasing each other. A dog noticing something the humans missed. Those quieter moments are just as important to me as the clues and suspects.

Maybe more important.

Because when I finish a mystery, I don’t want readers to remember only who did it. I hope they remember the people.

That’s one reason I enjoy writing a series. I get to go back. Characters grow and relationships change. A fictional town begins to develop its own history. Someone who was a stranger in one book becomes part of the community in another.

And somehow, while I’m busy figuring out murders, these fictional people start to feel very real to me.

Writing also makes me look at ordinary life a little differently.

I garden, hike, watch birds, spend time with my family, and do plenty of everyday things that have nothing to do with books. But there’s always a tiny part of my brain paying attention.

Could I use that?

Would that make a good setting?

What if…?

I’ve learned not to ignore those little thoughts.

Some of them go nowhere.

Some become a scene.

And every once in a while, one becomes an entire book.

That’s part of what keeps writing interesting for me. At the beginning, I may know where I’m headed, but I don’t know exactly what I’ll discover along the way.

It’s a little like my garden, which I affectionately call my chaos garden. I plant things, move things, occasionally wonder what I’ve done, and watch as everything grows together in ways I didn’t necessarily plan.

Eventually, somehow, it works.

Writing is a lot like that.

Only with more murder.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Emmie, and good luck with Crime and Croissants, a Cooking Club murder mystery. Readers can learn more about Emmie Lyn by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, and Goodreads pages. You can also join her Mystery on the Menu newsletter.

The book is available online at Amazon 

About Emmie Lyn: She has written several cozy mystery series and a romantic suspense series.

Emmie lives in a small New England town, the kind where everyone knows your name—and your secrets. It’s no surprise that her fictional worlds are filled with the same charm: scenic, close-knit communities full of quirky, unforgettable characters. She loves crafting mysteries laced with clever twists and turns, the kind that keep readers guessing and turning pages well into the night.

She lives with her husband and a black cat who rules the house with a velvet paw and a terrible attitude. Their twelve-acre homestead is a haven for deer, bunnies, turkeys, and a chorus of songbirds. When she’s not plotting fictional murders, she’s out hiking wooded trails, or spending time with her grandchildren.

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Murder at the Agency

Posted on September 18, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Cassidy Blayne, from Murder at the Agency, a Cassidy Blayne mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to share a morning in her life with us.

Welcome, Cassidy. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

I heard the low rumble of my alarm clock before I even opened my eyes and reached my hand out for the culprit. My gray Scottish Fold, Cleo, wasted no time rubbing his sweet face against the palm of my hand. His purring intensified as I stroked his soft fur. “Well, good morning. Is someone ready for breakfast?” He mewed in response.

Blinking the sleep away, I slid out of my warm cocoon and into fuzzy slippers. The day was just beginning to peek through the blinds. Perfect. Running as the sun came up was one of my favorite things. Especially here, in the beautiful town of Brighton Lake. Sometimes I still couldn’t believe that my favorite lakeside town, one I’d only ever escaped to occasionally with my childhood best friend, Hope, was my new home. After the low blows life had dealt me, fate had brought me here. Things were looking up.

I padded to the kitchen to feed a grateful Cleo, who did circles around my feet in anticipation. I moved quietly so I didn’t wake my roommate, Lexi. She was off today, which meant we wouldn’t be carpooling to work. After checking my weather app, I bundled up for the chill that awaited. Running always helps when my mind is puzzling something out, and I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.

I’m Cassidy Blayne, Creative Marketing Director (Pinch me!), passionate coffee connoisseur, live music lover, ultimate foodie, and a woman embracing a fresh start and new chapter in her life. My stomach rumbled as I jogged the few blocks to the lake, compelling me to add a stop at Sacred Grounds for a pumpkin spice latte and cinnamon bagel before work to my mental to do list for the day. I quickly fell into an easy rhythm, my feet hitting the trail in tandem to the beat of my newest playlist.

The sun grew higher, its rays glittering off the smooth surface of the lake where boats, tethered to long docks, dotted the shoreline. Trees, bursting with the vividness of fall, adorned the path. Beyond them, like sentries, stood elegant mansions and manors, all filled to the brim with history. I relished in the beauty as I hit my mile mark and turned around. It was going to be another busy day.

To my surprise, Lexi was awake when I returned. She shook her head at me over her steaming mug, a twinkle in her eye. “Girl, I’m cold just looking at you.”

I laughed. “This, coming from someone who actually enjoys hot yoga. It wasn’t too bad. Plus, I needed to mentally prepare for the Meadowvale pitch today. It’s a big one.”

“I know, but you’ve been preparing for weeks. You’ve got this. And tonight we’ll whip up some delicious pasta, then go out to the brewery and celebrate. Blacklist is playing.”

“Thanks, Lex. I can’t wait.” I gathered my shoes and went to get ready. I could do this.

Thanks for sharing this with us, Cassidy and good luck to you and your author with Murder at the Agency, the first book in the Cassidy Blayne mystery series. Readers can learn more about Cassidy and her author, Kylie Forsythe, by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub and Instagram pages.

The book is available online at the following retailers:

 Books2Read    Amazon    B&N    Bookshop.org

About Kylie Forsythe: Kylie writes cozy mysteries with smart amateur sleuths, close-knit groups of friends, and a touch of romance. Kylie is also a fourth-grade teacher and resides in Illinois with her husband, two daughters, and a rambunctious Weimaraner. When she’s not teaching, you can find her spending time with the wonderful family and friends she’s been blessed with, cooking, enjoying a good  book or Hallmark Mystery movie, or crafting her next story.

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Holmes Away from Home

Posted on September 16, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Miss Althea Adler and Lord William Sheffield are visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Holmes Away from Home, the first novel in the Althea Adler mystery trilogy.

Welcome to you both. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too.

Althea: Holmes Away from Home is the first book in a trilogy set in London, 1911. Book two is set in 1912 and the third in 1913. And like every opera company, there can only be one diva in this book. And that is me: Miss Althea Adler. I am a student, a singer, and a thief.

William: Just wait a moment, Miss Adler. I am Lord Sheffield, but you can call me William. This story is just as much about me as it is about you.

Althea: You’re only a side-character that gets in my way.

William: I could say the same thing about you. I’m trying to investigate an anarchist group and a lovely American girl keeps popping up at the most unexpected and unwanted moments. And then an earl is murdered.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too?

Althea: The writer is nothing more than a chorus girl.

William: The writer is nothing more than a secretary who types.

How did you evolve as the main character?

Althea: There is no need for evolution. I am already beautiful, intelligent and talented; with a side of petty.  

William: Against my better judgment, I ask Althea for help in solving the murder of an earl.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them?

Althea: My school nemesis is Miss Rosie Watson, daughter of Doctor Watson. I love serving her humble pie with a slice of friendship.

William: My mentor and employer have shaped my career and made me the man I am today.

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story?

Althea: I have just broken into Sherlock Holmes’s safe and found the most extraordinary thing: a picture of my mother from twenty years ago!

William: I am tailing my mark in a department store when he meets a Pocket Venus. I use Slough’s interest in her to secure myself an invitation to a weekend party at his house.

Althea: I am the Pocket Venus.

William: It could have been Rosie.

Althea: Not a chance. She was making eyes at Slough.

William: Or Lady Sarah.

Althea: Now you’re being insulting.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book?

William: If you’ll allow me to go first for once.

Althea: By all means.

William: I can never tell if Althea is trying to kiss me or kill me.

Althea: And my mother always taught me, “Never fall for your mark.”

Thank you for answering my questions, Althea and William, and good luck to you and your author, Samantha Larsen, with Holmes Away from Home, the first book in the Althea Adler mystery trilogy.

Readers can learn more about Althea and William and their author, Samantha Larsen by visiting the author’s website and her Facebook, Instagram and BookBub pages. You can also follow her on Twitter/X.

The novel is available to pre-order at the following online retailers:

 Amazon – B&N

About Samantha Larsen: Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She’s the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise.

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Eat, Drink and Get Buried

Posted on September 10, 2026 by Dianne Ascroft

Cleo Coyle, author of Eat, Drink and Get Buried, a Coffeehouse mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to introduce us to Clare Cosi and her world in New York’s Greenwich Village.

Welcome, Cleo. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

If you’re new to our Coffeehouse Mysteries, we are happy to introduce you to our amateur sleuth. Clare Cosi is a single mom in her forties who manages the Village Blend, a charming, century-old coffeehouse in New York’s historic Greenwich Village.

The Village is one of New York’s coziest communities with quiet, tree-lined streets, beautifully preserved landmark townhouses, intimate pubs, and darling bistros. This picturesque neighborhood is also world-famous. It’s the place where legendary artists, musicians, and actors got their start; and, thanks to Clare’s elegant octogenarian employer (affectionately known around the Village as “Madame”), our Coffeehouse Mysteries often relate stories of what these legends were like when they were first starting out, usually because they frequented the Village Blend back when Madame was running the place.

Given our shop’s Village history, Clare and her crew of baristas often know more than the police about the creative community they serve. So, when crime happens, and the professionals hit dead ends, Clare and her crew go to work—and they have their work cut out for them in our newest release, EAT, DRINK, AND BET BURIED.

Clare and her staff are hired to cater a glittering rooftop party at a popular boutique hotel, but the stunning view from the balcony ends in a shocking murder and the person framed for this horrible crime is one of Clare’s favorite customers, a sweet young man—and exceptionally talented musician—whom she knows from his frequent visits to her coffeehouse. Clare’s staff knows Ryan, too, and they all agree that he could never hurt (let along kill) another human being. So, Clare and her crew set out to find the truth of what happened on the night of the party, stop a heartless killer, and save their innocent friend from life in prison.

Like the rest of the titles in our Coffeehouse series, EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED can be read as a stand-alone story because we always take care to introduce characters and explain relationships. If you’re a new reader, you won’t be lost. And, if you like our latest, you’ll have twenty-one more Coffeehouse Mysteries to enjoy!

From what our longtime readers have told us (in emails and messages), one of the reasons they’ve enjoyed our books so much is because they are more than simple whodunits. For more than 20 years (and 22 books) our Coffeehouse characters have faced down cold-blooded criminals, fought past personal failures, and survived the dazzling lights and dark alleys of New York City with the strength of camaraderie and good strong coffee.

Our series also explores the ups and downs of relationships among three generations of women (a mother, a daughter, and a grandmother), along with a loyal group of co-workers and friends. Together, they make a loving family, one that our wonderful readers tell us they also love—and we hope you will, too.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Cleo, and good luck with Eat, Drink and Get Buried, the latest book in the Coffeehouse mysteries series. Readers can learn more about Cleo Coyle by visiting the author’s website and their Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and BookBub pages. You can also follow them on BlueSky and Twitter/X.

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon Barnes & Noble   Kobo   Google Play    Apple    Bookshop.org

Cleo Coyle Author Photo

About Cleo Coyle: Cleo Coyle is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating more than 20 years in print, and the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. With more than one million  books sold, their works have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; received multiple Best of Year selection honors from reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, wrangle their rescue cats, drink a lot of java, and cook like crazy.

Posted in Archives, September 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments