Fiona Leitch joins us this week on The Cozy 52 and I couldn’t be more excited! I discovered Fiona’s Jodie Parker Cozy Mysteries when the first book came out and I’ve been a fan ever since. They’re a perfect mix of mystery and humour, with charming characters and a fantastic protagonist. Read on to learn more about Fiona, what inspires her books, and what new writing projects she has coming up. Oh, and don’t miss her “Three Fun Facts” – it’s one of the most interesting set of the year!
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 Fiona Leitch
NAME: Fiona Leitch
LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:
- The Jodie Parker series – The Cornish Wedding Murder; The Cornish Village Murder; The Perfect Cornish Murder; A Cornish Christmas Murder; A Cornish Recipe For Murder; A Cornish Seaside Murder (coming June 2023)
- The Bella Tyson series – sort of cosy but with swearing, so if you don’t like strong language avoid!!! Dead in Venice; Murder Ahoy!
HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? The Jodie Parker series is published by HarperCollins/One More Chapter. The Bella Tyson series is self published.
The Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
I’m a novelist and screenwriter, currently living in Auckland, New Zealand, although I’m originally from London. I have a son, a husband, and two cats. I’m a keen cook and secretly dream of being on Great British Bake Off, but (like Jodie in the books) I’m a great baker, just not so hot at actually decorating the cakes or doing anything fancy…
LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.
- I have moved house over twenty times! I have moved hemisphere three times (to NZ, back to the UK, then back to NZ) and am about to do it a fourth time, as we’re moving back to the UK again.
- I used to organise and DJ at illegal raves, and played keyboards and guitar in a band.
- And I once took a well known UK TV actor shoplifting (long story) during a break in filming, when I was working as a film production manager.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?
I’ve always written. I wrote my first ever chapter book at the age of 9. It was about ponies. I was probably completely insufferable! Then I decided I wanted to be a rock star or an actor, but neither of those worked out… So I decided I would write and perform my own material. Did one (big!) stand up gig at a theatre in London and it was terrifying, so I decided to stick with writing. After having screenplays optioned but never produced, and constantly coming in second in screenplay contests, I decided to turn one of my scripts into a novel. That novel, Dead in Venice, was bought by Audible, so I decided to stick with writing prose! I never even knew cosy mystery as a genre existed until I started writing it. I enjoy writing crime and mystery, I’ve just never been a fan of reading or writing anything too gory. I’d say that my books are kind of on the edge of the cosy genre.
WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?
I suppose the nearest sub-genre would be culinary, because Jodie is a caterer, but the books aren’t really about food. Making her a caterer was really just a device to get her into different situations! It gives her a reason to meet new characters and solve crimes in different locations.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?
The series is inspired by the location, Cornwall. I lived in St Ives in Cornwall for almost two years, my husband and son were both born there and we still have family in the area. It’s a beautiful place, but it’s actually quite a difficult place to live. It relies so heavily on tourism that out of season finding work is really hard. Many areas of Cornwall are quite poor, and the traditional industries outside of tourism (fishing and mining) are dying, so people are struggling to survive or moving away.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?
Justice is always served in a cosy. You know the bad guys will get their comeuppance, which sadly doesn’t always happen in real life. There also tends to be a lot of character development in cosies, so you get to know the characters and (hopefully) they become like old friends.
ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?
I did used to design covers – I’ve done a whole series for fellow cosy writer, Carmen Radtke – but to be honest the series has taken off so well that I have to spend most of my time writing!
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
My absolute favourite writer isn’t a cosy one. Terry Pratchett was an absolute master, so funny. He was a genius at pointing out injustice and inequity, just by using humour. I’d call it gentle satire. I also love Alexander McCall Smith, his books are warm and funny, and you can tell he loves his characters. I recently discovered the work of Jane Harper and I really want to be her when I grow up!! They’re not cosy, but I love the fact that despite her most famous books being about a police officer (the Aaron Falks books), they’re less police procedural and more about the characters. And she creates a real sense of place. I’m also enjoying the Richard Osman books.
IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?
The Lost Man by Jane Harper, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, and Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
Book 6 in the Jodie Parker series, A Cornish Seaside Murder, is out next June. I’ve also just started working on a new series, about three wealthy but very bored women who end up investigating murders together, plus I have a quirky Outback thriller that I’m hoping to find an Australian publisher for.
The Quickie 5
- FAVOURITE FOOD: Chocolate!
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Tea, with milk, no sugar.
- MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: Photo albums – photos of my wedding day, and my son when he was a baby.
- SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer, because I love walking along the beach.
- FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? Venice.
To keep up to date with Fiona Leitch online, you can connect with her on:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
