The Cozy 52: Q&A with author Helen Golden

Helen Golden joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to find out more about her books, what inspired her to start writing, and don’t miss the ADORABLE photo of her dogs!

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 Helen Golden

NAME: Helen Golden

LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:

A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series:
- Spruced Up For Murder
- For Richer, For Deader
- Not Mushroom For Death
- An Early Death
- A Dead Herring
- I Spy With My Little Die
- Dying to Bake (Pre-order for Feb 2024)

HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? Self-Published (except audio which is traditional)

The Q&A

Helen Golden — *Helen at a book signing for Spruced Up For Murder*

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

I live in Lincolnshire with my husband, our two dogs, my tortoise, my stepdaughter, and her two cats. I came to writing quite late in life (I’m the wrong side of 50!), and I released my first book, Spruced Up For Murder, a year ago.

LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.

I’m a qualified accountant
I’m a stepmother of four
I can drive a (small) tank

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?

After the death of a significant influence in my life, I arrived at a crossroads and had to choose between carrying on doing what I was doing or taking a risk and trying something I’d always wanted to do. I realised that it’s never too late to follow your dreams, so I choose the later option.

It’s a genre I love reading, so it made sense to write a whodunnitt.

WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?

My main character, Lady Beatrice, has a cute West Highland terrier called Daisy who is great at unburying/trying to eat clues!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?

In the A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series readers follow amateur sleuth Lady Beatrice, the Countess of Rossex, who is 17th in line to the British throne, as she puts the past behind her and starts a career in interior design, working mainly on projects in royal palaces and large stately homes in the UK. The only spanner in the works is that she’s a trouble magnet when it comes to murder! Aided and abetted by her cute dog Daisy, her flamboyant business partner Perry and his crime-writing, ex-CID, other-half Simon, she constantly butts heads with Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam (who she has an antagonist past with) as she tries to solve the crimes before him.

Initially my love of stately homes gave me the inspiration my books. Francis Court, where Lady Beatrice lives, is a combination of Belton House in Lincolnshire and Holkham House in Norfolk. Then it was a question of figuring out how I could use these settings in a cozy murder mystery. Now that I’m 6 books into the series, I find my characters are inspiring me. I want to see them grow and develop and, ultimately, I want to give them their happy endings.

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?

They are pure escapism and I think we need that sometimes. I also think we all secretly think we’d make a great Miss Marple/Father Brown/Sherlock Holmes (replace with your favourite detective) so we like the challenge of solving a mystery ourselves.

ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?

I’m a member of several facebook groups of cozy authors and I find them a tremendous support, but I’m not sufficiently experienced to lead others.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?

M. C. Beaton; Simon Brett; Agatha Christie; Anthony Horowitz; Josephine Tey; Dorothy L Sayers; P.G. Woodhouse: Evelyn Waugh; Jane Austen

*Helen says: “Alfie & Margot, my little monsters who keep me company while I write. I also have to work to feed them!”*

IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?

The Complete Works of Shakespeare; The Complete Works of Jane Austen; The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?

My latest release I Spy With My Little Die came out on 27 September. As well as being an investigation into two murders, it also ties up all the loose ends regarding Lady Beatrice’s husband’s death fifteen years ago. Hopefully after this she can move on.