Greetings, Noters!
The countdown to Dearly Deleted is really on! With only FOUR more days until Winnie Lark’s next mystery adventure, I’m getting super excited and antsy. No matter how many books I publish, the nerve-wracking feeling never gets old! I cannot wait for you to be able to enjoy Winnie’s Christmas mystery. I had so much fun writing this book, and it makes me wonder why I waited so long to do a Christmas cozy. Let me tell you, it’s a mistake I won’t make again.
In more holiday cheer news, I hope you’ll join the amazing author takeover event happening on the Cozy Mystery Party Facebook Group. The admins, Heather and Shawn, have organized a HUGE event with so many wonderful authors. I’ll be going on at 5 PM EST on Sunday evening (12/17) with an Amazon gift card giveaway opportunity. My lucky winner can scoop up some books before Christmas!
I’m really thrilled to introduce you all to my guest this week, and not just because I’ve found another Psych fan!
Without further ado…
A Bit About the Author: Samara Yew is a cozy mystery author who writes about adorable bookshops and dead bodies. A full-time mom, full-time dog servant, and part-time writer, Samara lives in British Columbia, Canada, where she can often be found watching Psych reruns. Samara loves to travel, especially visiting her husband’s home country of Singapore or donning Mickey ears in Disneyland. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, including her local chapter SinC-Canada West, and International Thriller Writers. To keep up to date with all her bookish news, please visit her website at samarayew.com.
Samara, thank you so much for being here today. I love meeting a fellow Psych aficionado. Shawn and Gus are total friend goals and have very much inspired the friendships I write about in my own books. So tell us, what book made you fall in love with reading?
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. It’s such a great series! One that I often like to reread or listen to on audiobook. Fun fact: The first three books of the series are narrated by Anne Hathaway, who played Mia Thermopolis in the movie adaptation.
I loved reading this series, too. It was the first time I realized how different book-to-movie adaptions can be, as well. How did your love of reading evolve into a love of writing? How did you begin your writing journey?
That’s an excellent question that I honestly am not sure I have an answer to. It just sort of happened. I am not a writer who had always dreamed of writing a book. I tried my hand at it a few years ago just to try out a new hobby without thinking it would necessarily lead somewhere, but it did. And I’ve fallen in love with writing! It’s a lot of work but also a lot of fun to create a stories and twisty-turny mysteries.
Murder by the Seashore is the first book in your California Bookshop Mystery series. Tell us a bit about Scarlett Gardner and her new hometown of Oceanside.
After dreaming and saving up, Scarlett finally opens a bookshop right on the beach in Southern California. The beach has always been her favorite place to be. She starts her adventure alongside her boyfriend/business partner, but he soon ditches her and their Palm Trees and Page Turners Bookshop for a better job offer. Now she’s trying to keep her new business afloat on her own when she stumbles upon a mysterious dead body underneath the pier near her bookshop. Her life becomes even more upturned when Scarlett learns she inherited the stranger’s fortune. Scarlett sets out to find answers as to who this woman was, what their connection may be, and who the killer is.
What made you want to write a cozy mystery?
I’m obsessed with the show Psych, and I wanted to write a lighthearted mystery novel like that. I honestly didn’t even know the term “cozy mystery” when I started writing. I had read cozies before but did not know they were a specific genre. I love focusing on the puzzle solving of a mystery instead of the gory crime itself, plus adding a touch of humor makes it so much fun to both read and write!
How did you go about creating the town of Oceanside and the characters who live there?
Oceanside is a real city near San Diego in Southern California. When I originally wrote Murder by the Seashore, Scarlett lived in a fictional town called Palm Point. My publisher wanted her to live in a non-fictional place, which at first stressed me out thinking I needed to rewrite major portions of the book! Instead, I discovered a beachside town where all I really needed to do was change the name. The story largely focuses around a pier which both Palm Point and Oceanside have.
As Scarlett interacts with friends, family, enemies, and suspects, I wanted there to be a diverse cast of characters. There are characters of all backgrounds, some are humorous, some serious, some play a large role, and others only make a small appearance. But they all play a part in moving the story forward.
What does your workspace look like?
A bit too messy for my usual taste, but (see next answer) I don’t have a ton of time to get writing done, so tidying up my workspace is a low priority. It does have plenty of notebooks, pens, and the Emotional Thesaurus handy.
Is there anything you need for a successful day of writing?
I need my toddler to have a decent nap (it’s my only chance to write) and a large cup of tea. Preferably Earl Grey.
What book have you been recommending to people lately? Any must-reads to share?
The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole. It’s an adorable, easy read, and perfect to get into the Christmas spirit. I actually listened to it on audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job. I loved listening to it while I was baking Christmas cookies and putting up decorations.
Samara, it’s been so great getting to know you more! Thank you so much for sharing your time with me. Noters, make sure you check out Murder by the Seashore below—you’re in for a super cozy treat!
Murder by the Seashore: Southern California is where dreams come true—or so Scarlett Gardner thought. When she moved there and opened the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend and business partner would be part of the story. When he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. That’s not the only thing she has to worry about—she discovers something underneath the pier by her bookshop that she didn’t outline for her life’s story: the dead body of a book-buying customer.
After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual. But when a lawyer, representing someone named Lorelai Knight, tells Scarlett that she now stands to inherit a small fortune, she’s left with more questions than answers. Before she can make sense of any of it, the police bring her in for questioning; the body she found was Lorelai Knight. And the evidence they have against Scarlett doesn’t look good. Business is booming as Scarlett returns to Palm Trees and Page Turners, but for all the wrong reasons – curious tourists don’t want books, they want a glimpse of the Bookshop Killer.
Who could really be behind all of this? And why frame Scarlett? To clear her name, she’s going to have to get creative—and hope she can remain one page ahead of the killer.