The Cozy 52: Interview with author K.D Upton

K.D. Upton joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to learn more about her cozy mystery series, her new cozy Facebook Group, and what genre of cozies she enjoys the most.

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!

banner for author interview with KD Upton

Introducing K.D. Upton

NAME: K.D. Upton

LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:

The Kaitlynn Dahl Mysteries
The Daisy Day Mysteries

The Q&A

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

Hi, I’m K.D. Upton, and I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school. I love, and read, all sorts of genres, but my favorites are Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Fantasy with dragons, witches, etc…, and Romance. I started publishing in 2016, and I’ll continue until my last breath. Life isn’t the same without books, family, and my beloved pets Duchess and Harvey!

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

I am a military brat (Navy), both of my parents were in the U.S. Navy. I’ve lived all over the country.
I love to travel.
I’m related to Robert the Brus of Scotland through an extensive ancestry search/documentation.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?

I chose cozy mystery in 2019 because I fell in love with a book that I’d picked up. I’ve always loved a whodunnit, and the lack of anything remotely violent was a breath of fresh air. It stuck, and I’ve had loads of ideas ever since.

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

I absolutely adore paranormal cozies, and I use it in all of my cozies. Ghosts, second sight, mediums, you name it, and I write it. Although, I include pets, too.

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

The Kaitlynn Dahl Mysteries is a series about a young woman on the brink of college/uni graduation that is finding her way in life when an unfortunate death of a close friend sends her on a wild goose chase to find the killer. Katilynn has a wonderful relationship with her father, but when it comes to her mother, tensions flare. This series is about Kaitlynn deciding her life’s path without the intrusion of her mother, teachers, or anyone else. It’s a point in her life that she finally figures out how to stand on her own two feet, and in so doing, she discovers a knack for solving murders.

This series is inspired by, in part, my own life of finding my way and that of my daughter, who is a determined, wonderful human being that I adore beyond all measure. Her outlook is truly unique, and I desired to capture a tiny bit of it in this series. Every one of us is a unique individual that strives to find our way in life. In doing so, we run into bumps in the road. It’s what we do at those times that shape our character and our futures that I love to delve into, and with The Kaitlynn Dahl Mysteries, I explore that and the love of a good mystery.

*The fictional town of Silverthorne, Oregon where The Kaitlynn Dahl Mysteries takes place*

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?

Cozy mysteries are wonderful to read because we get to use our sleuthing skills without all the gore. It’s the hunt for clues, red herrings, and figuring it out before the main character, the thrill of the hunt so to speak, that draws one to read them. It’s a fascinating genre that is fit for everyone. No exclusions, which is a rarity in life.

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

As for the cozy community, I have a FB group called Cryptic Clues that I’ve just started. It’s for all sleuth-loving people that want a safe place to interact and promote cozies/mysteries.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?

My favorite writers are M.C. Beaton, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton, Cleo Coyle, and Susan Penner to name a few.

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

If I were marooned on a deserted island, I’d pick a book of M.C. Beaton’s, which she has a slew, but let’s say Hot to Trot, one from Cleo Coyle (again it’s difficult to pick just one) On What Grounds, and The Lost Apothecary by Susan Penner.

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

I have an upcoming launch of Murder in the Orkneys, which is the first book in The Daisy Day Mysteries. It will launch September 6, 2022, and it’s already up for preorder on all major platforms. I’m also writing the second in the series called Mystery of the Charred Bones, and I’ve outlined the fourth book in The Kaitlynn Dahl Mysteries, too.