Striving for Perfection by Victoria Chatham

 

COMING IN SEPTEMBER 2025

Yes, Winnie Hatherall has solved the crime in this, my first cosy mystery. 

However, while hammering my way through the last chapter, I began to slow down as I realised - shock, horror - that I had a major plot hole. Once I started filling that one in, I found another and then another. I don't know how many drafts of a new novel are too many, but I am now on the home stretch. I think.

Reading through my manuscript is more than checking that my I's are dotted and my T's crossed. Have I left red herrings dangling, or have I given them a logical conclusion? Have I created a worthy sleuth, and is my villain too obvious or not obvious enough? Are my characters sufficiently fleshed out to be believable?  Is the plot strong enough? Ah, the aim for perfection.

Perfection is akin to flawlessness, and how often do we achieve that? I once had a lengthy discussion with a well-known Harlequin editor regarding instances of errors in a particular book. Considering how many pairs of eyes would have reviewed it, I was surprised by the number. Her answer was a gentle reminder that we are all human. So, where do I see perfection? Always in nature and especially in a garden.

Of all the flowers I have grown, I have enjoyed roses the best. They weren't always the easiest to cultivate, but I had this lovely deep pink rose that grew prolifically in my garden at Ivy Cottage. Another rose that grew well there was a vivid yellow cabbage rose that rambled over my garage like a weed and frequently bloomed right up until Christmas. 

 

  

It doesn't matter where I go, gardens are a delight to wander through. This year, I again visited Victoria, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and although I had missed the cherry blossom, I was in time for the blaze of rhododendrons. These were so prolific in a range of colours from scarlet to various shades of pink, and this lovely shade of lilac. Originating from eastern Asia, particularly the Himalayan region, rhododendrons have thrived in other parts of the world.

One of my favourite gardens to visit is the Botanical Gardens, just south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The garden spans over seventy-nine acres, comprising some manicured and precise flower beds, as well as winding trails through the jungle environment. It is also known for its orchid conservation and propagation, and this yellow orchid was only one of the many varieties on display. 

Leaving the scents, colours, and profusion of perfection behind me, I am now going to step back into the imperfect world of Winnie Hatherall, senior sleuth. Watch out for her in September!

Victoria Chatham

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NB: photographs shown here are from this author's collection.

Changing Horses by Victoria Chatham

 

AVAILABLE HERE

After writing ten historical romance novels and three contemporary western romances, I am itching to try my hand at writing a cozy mystery.

So why change horses in mid-stream? Much sage advice has been written about whether an author should change genres. Although I have enjoyed every bored lord and feisty heroine in my historical romances and sexy ranchers and their ladies in my contemporary westerns, my go-to reading for light relief has always been mysteries and, more recently, cozy mysteries.  

Part of building an author brand is promising your readers sure-fire content and delivering it, so for an author, changing genres might be the kiss of death as there is a chance of losing readers. In the past, it was almost a must-do to have a pen name for a separate genre—think Nora Roberts writing mysteries as J.D. Robb—which might mean a workload that would daunt many authors. Two names might require two websites, newsletters, e-mail addresses or whatever media platform the author prefers.

However, this isn’t always the case. Jude Devereux writes historical romance with a side of paranormal and mystery under her name. Carolyn Brown and Alyssa Cole both write historical and contemporary romances. In these instances, and I’m sure there are many more, the author is the brand. If readers like your work, I think they will follow you out of curiosity, if nothing else.

Whether romance, paranormal, YA, sci-fi and more, every story contains the who, what, why, where, and when writing principle of journalism, which carries over into all fiction. Who are the leading characters? What are they doing, specifically what is being done to whom? Why is it being done? Where does that old road lead, or where will the spaceship land? When did XYZ become a vampire, or did ABC know FGH was a werewolf?

The classic cozy mystery format is that a body is found, often on the first page but usually in the first chapter, an amateur sleuth investigates and reveals the murderer. 

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It sounds simple, but starting with the problem is like working backwards compared to my previous books. What I like most about cozy mysteries is that there is no bloody description of gunshot or knife wounds or other causes of death. Sometimes, there is no description at all, only the information that someone has been found dead. This cuts out much research into weapons and the feasible wounds they produce—likewise, any police or legal protocols. A cozy mystery is not a police procedural, so there is little need for more than a detective on hand or a detective inspector and his sergeant, as in the Midsomer Murders TV series.

I have several more historical romances that I could write, but thankfully, my publisher has accepted my proposal for three cozy mysteries. I have my characters, the victims, and the plots, and I've created the village where all the stories take place. Now, I'm ready to start writing. It remains to be seen if my readers will enjoy them. I could lose some, but on the other hand, I could gain a new following. Time will tell.  

Victoria Chatham

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 MY WEBSITE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Playing with a Full Deck -- Gypsy Magic 101 by Connie Vines #BWLAuthor # MFRWAuthor

My current release: Gumbo Ya Ya: an anthology for women who like romance Cajun Style, the final story in the novel, features a Gypsy heroine is named Enza.  Enza is also a Fortune Teller.

While I have no firsthand experience with such a gift, I have interviewed ‘fortune-tellers and astrologers’ with a reputation for the read-deal.

So, for fun, I thought I’d share what I learned.

While most prefer the Tarot Deck of Cards, a simple deck of cards will also suffice.

The Prediction Spread:

Use this spread when you want to ask a specific question as to whether something will come to pass and its outcome.

The querent shuffles the cards, concentrating on the question about his/her future. The querent then pulls 15 cards at random.

The reader takes these 15 cards and lays them out, face down, in the sequence indicated:

The Prediction Spread

Present Environment: Cards: 1, 2, 3: Ace of Cups, Eight of Wands, XXI The World.

Elements of Question: 4, 5, 6: Three of Wands, Nine of Swords (Reversed), Ace of Pentacles

Obstacles to be Surmounted: King of Cups, Seven of Pentacles, Queen of Swords (me).

What will come to the querent unbidden: Three of Swords, Eight of Pentacles, Knight of Swords

What the querent can expect to achieve: XIX The Sun, Queen of Cups, Ten of Pentacles

Cups - represent human emotions; spring; days.

Pentacles- represent money matters, psychic powers, and creative talents; winter; years.

Swords - represent conflicts and idealism; summer; months.

Wands - represent earthly matters and things; fall; weeks.

My Reading

The results of my reading:

Fulfillment, haste/speed/suddenest. Success through outer influences. (my current environment).

Enterprising nature, practical knowledge.  Separation through incompatibility (R) and Wealth, success, joy. (elements of my question.)

A professional person (male) will interact with me and a woman (also). resulting in character growth. And since I often get in my own way, I'm assuming I'm the obstacle.   (obstacles to surmount.)

Sorrow. Ability to use one's hands well. Strength skill and bravery (Knight of Swords.)

(to come unbidden.)

Success desires are achieved. Compassion, fairness.  Gains in family matters.

(what querent can expect to achieve.)

I'm happy to see there is only one reversed card. My question was simple and uncomplicated so the result was easy to read.

Result: my question will come true suddenly because of my enterprising nature and practical knowledge and character growth (isn't there ALWAYS painful character growth?). 

Separation through incompatibility? (I haven't a clue).

An interesting way to spend part of my evening, anyway.

Will my question come true?  

Only time will tell.

Or, perhaps...the answer can be found in the palm of my hand.

Pinterest photo no source noted

I hope you enjoyed my post.

Happy Reading,

Connie


Book Movie! I love book movies!!

My book trailer: Gumbo Ya Ya!

My Places:

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Make Believe World by Roseanne Dowell

I live in a make-believe world. Okay, not literally, but vicariously through my characters.  I decide where they live, name their towns, or sometimes I let them live in a real city/town.  I prefer small towns, maybe because I’ve always wanted to live in one. I especially like towns with Victorian houses and apparently so do my characters, because I use them a lot.  I often say I must have lived during the Victorian area, probably as a mean old nanny. I’m sure I wasn’t the lady of the house, and by house, I mean mansion. Queen Anne Victorian homes are my favorite. I love the round turrets, all the gingerbread, and wrap-around porches. It was always my dream to buy one and restore it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be and I’m past the point of wanting one now.  

Back to my make-believe world. I’d like to say I choose my characters, but truthfully, they choose me.  Sometimes I even get to name them, but if they don’t like the name, well, believe me, they misbehave until I change it. And, yes, that’s happened several times. Just because I like a name doesn’t mean they do. The last time it happened it wasn’t even a main character. She was only in the story for a short time, but boy was she stubborn. She refused to talk to me and anything I wrote was garbage, better known as dreck in the writing world.  

As I’ve said previously, I write many different genres, from Women’s Fiction to Romance to Mystery and even Paranormal. Most of my books are a combination of romance and another genre. As a reader, I’ve always favored mystery and romance, so it only made sense to combine them.  Mine would be classified as cozy mysteries; the gory stuff takes place off-scene. 

 I also love ghost stories – not evil mean ghosts though. One such story is Shadows in the Attic and another Time to Love Again. I’ve always been fascinated by ESP, hence my story Entangled Minds – previously published as Connection of the Minds.  

My character’s ages range from their mid-twenties to middle age and into their seventies. Yes, seniors need love, too. Geriatric Rebels is a favorite.  It’s fun working with different characters, and I especially like when they add a bit of humor. I really form an attachment to them. Once a character chooses me, I make a character worksheet so I know everything about them, not just what they look like.  

I love creating my characters, picking their careers, anything from housewives, authors, teachers, floral designers, and interior designers. Sometimes their careers play a part in the story, sometimes not. The character in my work in progress (WIP in the writer’s world) is a former teacher. It’s not a big part of the story, but it’s something I needed to know. She’s a real character in the true sense of the word. She came into being in a previous story, All in the Family. It started out with her having a small part, but Aunt Beatrice Lulu (ABLL) grew into a big part of the story. Once I finished that book, she popped up again and demanded her own book. Problem is, she takes fits and goes into hiding every so often, which is where she’s at right now and has been for some time. Sometimes she pops up for days of writing. Other times, I get a paragraph or two. I’ve never had a character do that before.  Oh, I’ve had writer’s block a time or two, but once I’m over it the writing flows. Not so with ABLL.

  

  It’s also fun describing my characters, their hair and eye color, height, even their weight. I’m often asked if I’m a plotter or punster. I tried plotting once and ended up blocked for almost two years. For me, plotting doesn’t work. I usually know the beginning and end of my stories. What happens in the middle is as much a surprise to me as it is to my readers. ABLL is full of surprises. What that woman doesn’t get into. So even though she goes into hiding, it’s generally worth it when she reappears. I’m not sure where she came from, but I’m sure enjoying working with her. Okay, I’ll be honest, a little bit of her is me, a little bit my sisters, and even my mother. She’s a combination of all the people I love and it’s so much fun living in her make-believe world.  I've enjoyed working with her in three books of the Family Affair Series. Now she's hiding in the fourth book, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished or Live And Learn - working titles. I won't know until the book is finished what the title will be. I hope she reappears soon so I can finish the book.  Here's the first paragraph: 

"You think you're so smart! I'm warning you Ethel Mae Capony, don't do it. If you do, I'll never speak to you again." Beatrice Lulu slammed the door, stomped down the steps, and slammed her car door so hard, I'm surprised the window didn't break.  The car screeched out of the driveway.  I'd never seen her so angry. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our differences, even arguments, but we’ve always gotten over them. This time was different.  

You can find my books on  BWL

Meet Beatrice Lulu

I’m Beatrice Lulu Eberhardt. Some of you know me from my niece, Callie Johnson. Callie’s the police chief of our little town, and I first appeared in her book, All in the Family. 

Callie’s my favorite niece, but she doesn’t know it. I’ve annoyed her sometimes because I tried to fix her up with a nice young man, well several nice young men, over the years. I didn’t want her ending up an old maid like I almost was. I say almost, because Ed came along and saved me that fate – I shudder to think what my life would have been like without him.  

Callie didn’t care for any of the men I introduced her to. Picky little thing in my opinion. Praise God, she finally met a nice young man on her own. 

But that’s neither here nor there. This story isn’t about Callie. It’s about me. That’s right, ME, and pretty much no one else. I consider myself a bit of a sleuth. Some call me nosy or a busy body, but honestly, I’m only trying to help. I don’t mean to interfere. I can’t help if I have a curious nature. I’ve always been that way, but got worse as I got older. 

It actually all started when Ed and I bought a cabin. It’s a beautiful place with its own lake because Ed loves to fish. We thought it would be fun to have a place just for us, away from everyone. You may not remember I’m from a large, crazy family. Crazy in a fun-loving way, of course. So Ed and I wanted a place to relax away from it all, not that it’s turned out that way. We’re seldom alone. Guess it’s because we genuinely like people. So now days when we go up there, someone always comes along. Usually Ethel and her husband, Greg. Ethel’s my sister, by the way. I have two other sisters, also – Charlotte, we call her Lottie, and Lillian. Lillian is Callie’s mother, and not as much fun as the rest of us. We also have a brother, Clyde, but we don’t see him as often. 

Anyway, we bought the cabin, and Ed and I went up there to clean it up. No one had been in it for years. Cobwebs filled more than the corners, I’ll tell you that. It was going to take days, if not weeks, to clean it. But Ed promised we could fix it up and Ed never breaks a promise. That’s one of the things I love about him. 

So there we were looking around, figuring out what to do, and Ed decided to build a fire to take the chill and damp out of the air. The place smelled musty, the way empty houses smell after being locked up for a long time. 

Well there I was, thinking about where to start when I heard a strange clattering noise. I thought Ed fell or something. I turned around and lying on the fireplace hearth was an arm – well what was left of the arm, bones and tattered flannel from a shirt, I assume. Although I’ve been told never to assume anything. 

If you want to know what happens next you’ll have to read about it in All’s Well That Ends Well 

If you haven’t read All in the Family – Book 1 of the Family Affair series, you can find it and all my books at Books We Love

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   . Justclick on the book and it’ll take you to the buy page

A World Without Alzheimer's Disease by J.Q. Rose

Cozy mystery author by J.Q. Rose

Dangerous Sanctuary available at the Books We Love bookstore

📚 📚 📚 📚

A World Without Alzheimer's Disease by J.Q. Rose

Can you envision our world without Alzheimer's in it? The Alzheimer's Association can. They are researching and supporting families and caregivers, not in the hope of stamping out Alzheimer's but in their belief it can be eradicated so no one will ever have to deal with the devastation of this disease.

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness month. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. 

Wear purple on June 21, the Longest Day of the Year,
for Alzheimer's Disease Awareness.

I bet Alzheimer's has invaded your life because you know someone whom you care about has disappeared into the darkness of this disease. We have not experienced it in our family, but I have friends who have. 

When my friend and mentor, Bernie, discovered she had it, she told me one afternoon after inviting me for dessert and coffee. I will never forget the sadness in her eyes as we talked about the diagnosis. Knowing this awful disease is lurking in the future shadows a person every day, waiting for the next degree of losing a piece of oneself.

I dedicated my book, Deadly Undertaking to Bernie, and I included a character suffering with Alzheimer's in the story. This was my way of trying to bring awareness to readers about this debilitating disease.

Today, I am using facts from the Alzheimer's Association site to help spread the word and marshal an army to fight against Alzheimer's.  If we don't take steps to fight and win the battle against AD, the result will be a world-wide epidemic by 2050.

• The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease is growing — and growing fast. An estimated 5.5 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease. Currently, there are 44 million people suffering from dementia globally. That number is up 22% over the past three years when there were 35.6 million people suffering from the disease.
• Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It is the fifth-leading cause of death among those age 65 and older and a leading cause of disability and poor health. 
• As the population of the United States ages, Alzheimer's is becoming a more common cause of death. It is the only top 10 cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
• Although deaths from other major causes have decreased significantly, official records indicate that deaths from Alzheimer's disease have increased significantly. Between 2000 and 2014, deaths from Alzheimer's disease as recorded on death certificates increased 89 percent, while deaths from the number one cause of death (heart disease) decreased 14 percent.
• It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
• The costs of health care and long-term care for individuals with Alzheimer's or other dementias are substantial. Dementia is one of the costliest conditions to society.

Alzheimers.net suggests these 7 Things You Can Do to Stop Alzheimer’s by 2025

1. Join a clinical trial
2. Get genetic testing
3. Email, call, and tweet your Congressmen
4. Get educated about Alzheimer’s & Dementia
5. Speak up if you see symptoms
6. Sign the Alzheimer’s petition
7. Volunteer or donate to an Alzheimer’s research or awareness organization

To learn more about AD, visit the following articles.
Alzheimer's Association
Alzheimers.net

What's a Cozy Mystery? by J.Q. Rose

Cozy mystery author J.Q. Rose
Dangerous Sanctuary available at the Books We Love bookstore

What's a Cozy Mystery? by J.Q. Rose

When my romantic suspense novel, Dangerous Sanctuary, was first released, I received this review from Susan B. "It was a delightful cozy, with some romance, some religion, and lots of mystery. This novel has an interesting cast of characters, humorous situations, and was filled with surprises."

As I read the review, I wondered how many readers had heard of a cozy mystery. How many writers? For sure, when I began writing Dangerous Sanctuary, formerly published as Coda to Murder, I wasn't thinking "cozy mystery." I just wanted to write what I like to read. 

I like stories with 
▶ a mystery and some humor, 
▶ a strong female protagonist, 
▶ not a lot of blood and gore, 
▶ and some sweet romance. 

I had to research police procedures for my novel, Dangerous Sanctuary.

I didn't choose a main character who was in law enforcement mainly because I have no experience with police methods.  Because there was a crime committed in my story, I had to research a few procedures. Thank goodness my neighbor was a policeman and a valuable resource.

Until I received Susan's review I never even considered I had written a cozy mystery! I definitely began looking into the elements needed to fit the qualifications for a cozy mystery and discovered my novel did fit into the cozy mystery genre. Most authors and readers agree on the following points:

1. The investigator is not a professional in law enforcement In Dangerous Sanctuary the female pastor is the sleuth.
2. The main character's vocation is different and interesting. I thought a female minister fit the vocation requirement very well
3. The crime is usually murder, but not a lot of gory description
4. Quite often the story takes place in a small town.or a place where the investigator has contact with many people e.g. the church members. 
5.  Romance, but no explicit sex.

Abraham the pig has become quite a star in the cozy mystery, Dangerous Sanctuary.

Do you read cozy mysteries? What do you like about this genre? Please leave a comment below. If you have other elements to define a cozy mystery, please add them in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you. Thanks.

Find several talented cozy mystery authors at the BWL bookstore.

Connect online with JQ Rose
J.Q. Rose blog