Liz Lipperman joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to find out more about her cozy mysteries, the other mysteries that she writes, and how she got started.
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 Liz Lipperman
NAME: Liz Lipperman
LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:
- Jordan McAllister Mysteries, which includes:
- Liver Let Die
- Beef Stolen-Off
- Murder for the Halibut
- Chicken Caccia-Killer
- Smothered, Covered & Dead
- Enchi-Lotta Bodies
HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? I started off with traditional publishing (Berkley) then went to self pub, then signed with Oliver Heber Books for all my published books plus all my new ones (Die Once More and Enchi-Lotta Bodies.)
The Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
I started writing many years ago, even before I retired from the medical field. Although I thought I was writing romances, my stories always had pesky villains and mysterious deaths. I finally gave up and decided since I read mysteries and obviously wrote them, why fight it? Although I signed my first contract to write a cozy mystery series, I like to call my genre Romantic Mysteries since you will find a heavy dose of boy meets girl and a happily “at least for now” in every story.
Born and raised in a small town in Ohio, number eight of nine children, I graduated from nursing school and worked as a registered nurse for many years. When I could no longer ignore the characters talking in my head, I went back to school and got a professional arts degree. Then I started my first novel.
Eight years after completing my first book, I got an agent and finally sold.
My debut cozy series, published first as The Clueless Cook series and then later as the Jordan McAllister Mysteries, tells the story of a wannabe sports writer who ends up in a small town in Texas as the culinary expert despite the fact that her skills in the kitchen stop at fried bologna sandwiches. Liver Let Die was followed by Beef Stolen Off, Murder for the Halibut, Chicken Caccia-Killer, Smothered, Covered & Dead, a novella, and Enchi-Lotta Bodies.
The Garcia Girls Mysteries, a soft-boiled mystery series written as Lizbeth Lipperman and earlier titled Dead Sister Talking, debuted later with Heard it Through the Grapevine, Jailhouse Glock, Mission to Kill, and Rock Around the Corpse.
Writing as Lizbeth Lipperman I published Mortal Deception and Shattered, both Romantic Mysteries. I also have a new Romantic Military Thriller titled SWEEPERS.: Die Once More with a 5 chapter prequel titled Sweepers: A Kiss to Die For.
LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.
- I play co-ed water volleyball twice a week.
- I am a rabid sports fan – Go Cowboys.
- I am a pretty good cook. Most of the recipes in the back of my cozy mysteries are my own.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?
I am a registered nurse by profession. When my kids were teenagers, I decided to go back and get a degree in nursing but ended up with a professional arts degree instead. I took a creative writing class as an elective and on the final exam, the professor wrote “You should pursue a career in fiction writing.” So I did.
WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?
The Clueless Cook/Jordan McAllister Mysteries are foodies. I do have a paranormal series out there originally titled Dead Sister Talking and later as The Garcia Girls Mysteries, that is not really a cozy since it has language and on-screen murders, but it was marketed as one. It’s really a soft-boiled series that was originally published by the now defunct Midnight Ink. It’s a four-book series about 5 sisters and when one of them is murdered, they band together to find her killer –along with the dead sister, of course, who BTW, my agent still calls my potty-mouthed ghost since she says the most outrageous things. There are 4 books in this series with each sister getting her own story. I grew up with 4 sisters, and most of the inspiration for these books came from my own relationships with them as they have always been my best friends. Tessa, the ghost, is nothing like my sister Theresa who died way too early. She married right out of high school and had 4 wonderful children—way too boring to write about!
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?
My agent sent off my paranormal ghost story (Heard it Through the Grapevine) to the editor at Berkley, who said she loved the story and my voice, but she’d have to cut out all the good parts to make it a cozy. She asked if I could write a cozy series for her.
“Absolutely,” I said. “What’s a cozy?”
I almost passed on that opportunity after I researched cozies and discovered they were usually about gourmet wine and gourmet food. First of all, I am one of nine children as I mentioned above, and growing up, we never ate gourmet food, nor do I eat it now. And wine gives me a headache. I am strictly a margarita girl. My agent, who I firmly believe is the best in the business as well as a dear friend, encouraged me to sleep on it and give her my answer in the morning.
That night, I lay awake in bed thinking what if I made the heroine a sports journalist who ends up in a small town in Texas writing the Personals for the local newspaper after being dumped by her fiancé? What if when the food critic/reporter goes to rehab after a Jet Ski accident, my girl is asked to take over temporarily? And despite the fact that she only eats casseroles, bologna sandwiches, and fast food, she agrees. Then what if when she tells her wacky group of apartment friends about the job offer, they band together and come up with a plan where one of the residents, a seventies flower child who loves to cook, offers up the recipes, and the gang slaps on fancy names. And lastly, what if the column becomes an immediate success when the readers fall for the gourmet farce.
Three chapters and a proposal later, I signed a contract with Berkley for three books. And later, my ghost story, Heard it Through the Grapevine, sold to Midnight Ink in a two-book deal.
And as they say, that’s how it all began.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?
According to Google, “Today’s cozy mysteries are popular because readers feel connected to the characters who seem like someone they would want to have as a friend. The situations are never overly done and all is usually neatly tied up by book’s end.” I couldn’t agree more. A lot of my reviewers mention how he/she wishes they had a group of friends like the ones in my series.
ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?
Other than going to conferences and connecting with a group of local authors who help each other plot books, no. I belong to several cozy mystery/mystery groups on Facebook and try to stay as active as I can.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
Ooh! There are way too many to mention all of them, but I would have to say that Cleo Coyle is my favourite cozy author. Alice and her husband Marc write the Coffee House series that I love. My critique partner, Joni Sauer-Folger writes really good cozies as well. I love legal dramas and thrillers, so I would have to include Grisham, Flynn, Patterson, and James Lee Burke to this list.
IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?
A good romantic suspense, a Vince Flynn story, and a joke book as I love to laugh and be around people who are funny.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
Currently, I am working on Book 7 of the Jordan McAllister series, scheduled for release in November. I also have the first of a new mystery series (Deadly Triangle) started that makes me laugh. Not sure when I can get to that one. And I’d also like to do another Sweepers book.
The Quickie 5
- FAVOURITE FOOD: chips and salsa
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Margaritas
- MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: my grandchildren
- SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
- FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? Hawaii
To keep up to date with Liz Lipperman online, you can connect with her on:
I’m back from running errands and am ready to answer any questions.
this was fun. Liz do you have a release date for the next Jordan book?
Where do you get your inspiration from for the plot of the books?
Dru, Steak Through the heart is scheduled for a November 22 release date. Thanks for asking.
Vee, I am a big TV person. I watch dramas and try to put a twist on them for a new plot. Tanks for showing up. Love you both.