Switched at Death follows a local baker and cat daycare owner who becomes involved in the investigation surrounding the town’s beloved mayor, who collapsed and died at the town’s tree lighting ceremony. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Since Switched at Death is the second book in the Venus Bixby Mystery series, I needed to tap a character from the first book (A Whale of a Murder) as the next victim. Who better to kill off than the beloved long-time mayor of charming Chatham Crossing? His death during the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting creates instant chaos and a falling-out between his wife and Venus Bixby, who are best friends and business partners. Can their relationship and joy in the town be restored by Christmas?

Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?

Actually … Venus Bixby made her literary debut as a minor character in What’s Not Lost, the last book in my romantic comedy trilogy. I loved her so much, I decided to give her own cozy mystery series. Even though her niece, Lexi Moore, had a major role in that romcom, I didn’t bring her into the cozy series until Switched at Death, which takes place a good ten years earlier than What’s Not Lost. So, I faced a dilemma. How do I roll back the ages of two characters and move them into a totally different storyline? Venus was kind of easy, as she’s a mature sleuth, kind of set in her ways. But in Switched at Death, Lexi is a teenager. As the youngest character in the mystery, Lexi brought not only a fresh perspective to the story, but also contemporary cultural references and dialogue only fit for a teen. I loved the challenge, but having a pre-teen granddaughter certainly helped!

How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?

Story comes first. If there’s no story, there can be no plot twists. The story needs characters that drive the plot, and a cozy mystery especially needs a world readers will want to settle into and come back to in future books. For me, I might have a major plot twist in mind when I start writing, but I try to keep an open mind for whatever path the characters take me. I tend to ask them “What if …” Their answers almost always surprise me and add more colorful twists than had I plotted them out initially. In fact, half way through writing the manuscript of Switched at Death, I switched the villain. In doing so, I needed to do some minor edits on the earlier pages, but the twist made for a much more delightful crime.

What is the next book that you’re working on and when can your fans expect it out?

The next installment of the Venus Bixby Mystery series is definitely a work-in-progress. If all goes well, it’ll follow in the footsteps of the first two books and publish in the month of April next year.

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