Brenda Strickland joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to find out more about her cozy mystery, what (or better yet, who) inspires her, and the divine cake she created for a Bake-Off.
Who or What is The Cozy 52? Each week I will be sharing an interview with someone involved with Cozy Mysteries – an author, blogger, Facebook Group host, podcaster, cover designer – so that we can showcase this amazing community! I hope you’ll discover some new authors, plus learn more about what goes on behind the scenes with the people who write, publish and promote cozy mysteries!
Introducing Brenda Strickland
NAME: Brenda Strickland
LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:
- Moonshine and Salteens
HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? Xlibris is the publisher. I am self-published.
The Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
I am a retired teacher with a BS, MS, and CAS degree in education and have authored nine non-fiction teacher resource books. I won the district Teacher of the Year award in 2002. I have been a board member for a district reading council and the United Way. I am active in theater and have created puppet shows. I have also volunteered at a local hospital, mental health association, Operation Smile, and a music venue.
LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.
- I owned a singing telegram business at one time.
- I was Quiser Boudreaux, the cursing curmudgeon, in Steel Magnolias.
- I love to bake. I love the science of it. I won a bake-off contest for my Toasted Coconut Cake with a key lime pie layer.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?
I never thought that a year ago I would have to take a helicopter ride to a trauma center, be in a wheelchair for several months, and end up with PTSD. I knew I would either need to dig my grave or dig myself out of the depression. I needed a purpose so I decided to write a book. This was my first try at fiction. I prefer cozy mysteries, because I no longer have the stamina for War and Peace or anything that makes me cry or scares me to death. I want something that is a fast read with lots of humor and a little mystery.
WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?
There is a theme of friendship, music, and history. It is mystery with history.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?
Moonshine and Salteens is an exciting tale about a group of retirees on a weekend seaside getaway who embark on a salty mission to find a murderer after one of the women finds a hand in the sand dune. They use the ingenuity of the moonshiners to help find the murderer. For example, I befriended the funeral home director and talked him into letting me use the hearse. Hearses were used to transport moonshine and the law would not suspect it. If the Salteens thought they knew who did the crime, we would follow them on the hearse and they wouldn’t suspect us following them. There is a lot of sunshine in this book with a little bit of hurricane!
My inspiration came from a lot of things I already knew. I was on the board of the United Way in Franklin County when we had a Moonshine Festival. My job was to interview moonshiners and their families for a play that we wrote for the festival. I heard the most fascinating stories. I met the Salteens volunteering at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount. (I changed the spelling in case Nabisco had reciprocity.) We named ourselves that because we love to go to the beach and the salt caves.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?
A lot of cozy mysteries have humor in them. With all of the crazy in the world, it is great to laugh.
ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?
I am not part of this community at all, because all of this is new to me. I used to do workshops on my teacher resource books.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
Growing up, I loved Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene. The Salteens are kind of like geriatric Nancy Drews. As I got older, I loved Ernest Hemingway and Pearl Buck.
IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?
I would take any books written by Robert Parker, Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
The Salteens want me to write the next book and call it: Tennessee and CBD.
The Quickie 5
- FAVOURITE FOOD: any kind of dessert
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Ginger Ale
- MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: I am not materialistic so it would have to be my granddaughter.
- FAVOURITE SEASON? Spring – a time of growth and possibilities
- FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? anywhere tropical
To keep up to date with Brenda Strickland online, you can connect with her on:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | LINKTREE
