A Few Lessons, by Randy Overbeck

A FEW LESSONS LEARNED After five published novels and eleven national awards, what have I learned about writing?             This past fall the Wild Rose Press released CRUEL LESSONS, my fifth novel published in a little over a decade. During that time, I’ve had the good fortune to see two of my books, BLOOD ON…

Book in the Spotlight: The Gardener’s Secret, by S. Hansberger

Let’s give a warm welcome to author, S. Hansberger. Her new release, The Gardener's Secret is a perfect pick for mystery/suspense readers. AUTHOR: S. Hansberger TITLE: The Gardener's Secret GENRE: Mystery/Suspense BLURB: Loyalty to a stranger opens her to more danger than she’d ever imagined. Believing she’ll get to report gritty news, Callie accepts a…

Walking off Writer’s Block, by Jill Piscitello

A Sour Note was written with the full intention of representing Book 1 in the Music Box Mystery series. The general plot for Book 2 took shape months ago. But the first two roadblocks popped up when I found out that (a) my planned title had already been used, and (b) despite a full cast…

Interview with Lawrence E. Rothstein, Author of Venetian Bind

Let’s give a warm welcome to author, Lawrence E. Rothstein. Be sure to read on for photos of delicious meals shared in his book. Thank you for joining us today! How long have you been writing? As an academic, I have written many published scholarly pieces including a book and book chapters. I have been…

An Interview with a Few of Marla A. White’s Characters from The The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder

Let's give a warm welcome to the newest contributing author at Reading Between the Crimes, Marla White! Since the holiday season is here once again, I thought I’d sit down with the characters from my first cozy mystery, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder,” and ask about their holiday traditions.  If you don’t know them, let…

Book in the Spotlight: Accidental Allies, by Karina Bartow

We are thrilled to feature Karina Bartow's latest book in the Unde(a)feted Detective Series, Accidental Allies. Author: Karina Bartow Title: Accidental Allies Genre: Mystery Blurb: Everybody’s experienced a rocky start to a new job, but few can top Minka Avery's return to Orlando PD. After six years as a stay-at-home mom, Minka’s nervous but excited…

In Purse-Suit ~ with Wendy Kendall

What are you carrying? Clues about a person are laced within the bags they carry. Observe those around you, and you may start creating fun stories and theories about them. You may even solve a mystery. Some things about the bag a person carries give visual indications of their work. A briefcase hints at some…

An Interview with Mark Reutlinger, Author of Oy Vey, Maria!

Let’s give a warm welcome to author, Mark Reutlinger. Thank you for joining us today! How long have you been writing? It seems I’ve been writing all my life, and as a lawyer and law professor I wrote constantly. But I wrote my first novel, “Made in China,” in 2012. I’ve been writing fiction ever…

An Interview with Terry Segan, Author of Manatee Soul

Let’s give a warm welcome to author, Terry Segan. Thank you for joining us today! How long have you been writing? I got a late start on writing and began about fifteen years ago. Since I’m considering Social Security in the next couple of years, I’ll let you do the math. What was the inspiration…

Old is New, by Randy Overbeck

“Sooner or later, everything old is new again.” This quote from Stephen King came to mind when I thought about my newest work. In October, the Wild Rose Press will release my newest fiction, CRUEL LESSONS, an atmospheric amateur sleuth mystery and the first in a new series called “Lessons in Peril” stories set in…

Interview with Tammy D. Walker, Author of Venus Rising

Let's give a warm welcome to author, Tammy D. Walker. Thank you for joining us today! What was the inspiration behind your latest release?During the pandemic, my family and I watched a lot of travel videos.  In one video for a luxury cruise line, a ship's library was featured, and I loved the idea of…

An Interview with Meg Benjamin, Author of The Pumpkin Butter Murder

Let's give a warm welcome to author, Meg Benjamin. Thank you for joining us today! How long have you been writing? I used to write as part of my job (I taught technical communication to university students, and publish or perish is definitely a thing). But I started writing fiction around fifteen years ago. My…

Writing a Series, by Susie Black

Hello, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Susie Black, author of The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. I am going to share what writing cozy mystery series entails. Like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery series, I am a ladies’ swimwear sales exec. From the beginning of my career, I have kept a…

An 1894 NYC Mystery, by Diana Rubino

New York City’s history always fascinated me—how it became the most powerful hub in the world from a sprawling wilderness in exchange for $24 with Native Americans by the Dutch in 1626. Growing up in Jersey City, I could see the Statue of Liberty from our living room window if I leaned way over (luckily…

When a Hobby Leads to Writing Inspiration, by Sandra Young

Acting and singing in more than 75 community theater shows awakened a passion for vintage clothing, the inspiration for my 2022 Divine Vintage debut. I delighted in the costumes, including authentic pieces and others that were sewn or repurposed. Three decades ago, I began to gather my own collection, first to costume myself, and then…

Writing Inspiration, by Diana Rubino

I created the New York Saga because New York City history fascinates me—from the 17th century New Amsterdam to the Greenwich Village hippie era. My great grandmother was the inspiration for Vita Caputo, my heroine of FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET. She became a successful businesswoman, small-time bootlegger, and local politician, as well as wife…

Interview with M. A. Monnin, Author of Death on the Grand Canal

It's my pleasure to welcome author, M. A. Monnin. Thank you for joining us for today's interview! How long have you been writing? I wrote my first story when I was in 5th grade. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I started writing seriously as an adult…

Interview with Lucinda Race, Author of Books & Bribes

Let's give a warm welcome to author, Lucinda Race. Thank you for joining us today! How long have you been writing? Since 2017 Why did you decide to write a mystery? I’ve been reading mystery since I opened my first Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, and I was hooked for life Where do you…

Inspiration Behind Fried Chicken Castañeda, by Suzanne Stauffer

This is my first work of fiction. As a professor of library science, I’ve written about 25 scholarly articles and one non-fiction book, but in terms of fiction, I’m a neophyte! I guess most people want to know “What was the inspiration for your book?” And “Why should I read it?” So – the inspiration…

It All Began With The Word Window, by Vicki Batman

That's the truth. My friends and I were returning from a girlfriend road trip when one decided to play her version of car games. She would ask questions, and the other three of us would answer. For example: Pick one-Tom Jones or Englebert Humperdink. Two picked Tom because he is wild. I went with the…

Mystery on My Mind, by Corinne LaBalme

I was ten years old when the next-door neighbor – who was cleaning out her adult daughter’s closets – passed a cardboard treasure chest over the fence between our gardens. “Treasure” was not an overstatement. Buried amid smudged bottles of opalescent nail polish and hair doodads was a battered volume that would have a lasting…

Interview with Mark M. Bello, Author of The Final Steps

Let's give a warm welcome to author, Mark M. Bello. Thank you for joining us today! How long have you been writing? Seven Years. What was the inspiration behind your latest release?  I wanted to try a new genre and a new character. My last Zachary Blake Legal Thriller was a “whodunnit,” I enjoyed writing…

Release Day

It's Release Day for A Sour Note, by Jill Piscitello! Kick off your summer reading with a cozy mystery beach read. When murder provides a welcome distraction… On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother's…

A Blend of Cozy and Traditional Mystery, by Karen A. Phillips

Have you ever read a story that is a blend of both cozy and traditional mystery genres? My debut novel “A Deadly Combo” is such a book. Some call it a “cozy-noir.” When I first started writing, I intended it to be a solid cozy, but my reading tastes vary and soon I found the…

The Genre-Blending Appeal of Historical Mysteries, by Tessa Floreano

If you appreciate a story set in the past, at least fifty years from current time, and page-turning thrills led by clues and suspects that beg to be uncovered, then historical mysteries might just be up your reading alley. Historical and mystery are two genres that standalone, but blended together, could prove irresistible to any…

Let’s Give a Warm Welcome to Lori L. Robinett

Hi! So glad you’ve joined us here! Since this is the first time we’ve “met” I thought you might want to know a little about me (and then I want to know a little about you!) I write cozy mysteries, domestic thrillers, and western romance. My newest series kicked off late last year with Gingerbread…

Deadly Betrayal: Mystery or Suspense, by Sheila Kell

Can a book be a mystery and a suspense?  Deadly Betrayal, my latest novel published with The Wild Rose Press, was released earlier this year. It is labeled a Romantic Suspense, but many have asked if it should be a mystery. I’m open-minded, so I decided to research. To determine, let’s look over the differences…

Calling Mystery Authors

If you’re a mystery author and would like to be featured on Reading Between the Crimes, please click the link below. This is a cozy mystery site at heart. No graphic violence, etc. please. SignUp Genius

Why do so many people love a good mystery??

Year after year, mystery and crime novels are among the top sellers in the U. S. and around the world. More readers pick up a crime novel than any other kind of book, except romance, and in some surveys, the mystery genre even outranks the romance. Romance is hardly surprising. I mean who doesn’t want…