The Cozy 52: Q&A with author Maggie Toussaint a.k.a. Valona Jones

Maggie Toussaint, who also writes under the pen name Valona Jones, joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to find out more about her books, her favourite authors, and what inspired her to start writing cozy mysteries.

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 Maggie Toussaint a.k.a. Valona Jones

NAME: Maggie Toussaint

LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:

• Magic Candle Shop Mystery series, paranormal cozies
  • Snuffed Out (writing as Valona Jones)
  • In the Wick of Time (writing as Valona Jones)
• Seafood Caper Mystery series, culinary cozies
  • Seas the Day
  • Spawning Suspicion
  • Shrimply Dead
• Dreamwalker Mystery series, paranormal cozies
  • Gone and Done It
  • Bubba Done It
  • Doggone It
  • Dadgummit
  • Confound It
  • Dreamed It
  • All Done with It
• Lindsey & Ike Romantic Mystery Novella series, cozy mysteries
  • “Really, Truly Dead”
  • “Turtle Tribbles”
  • “Dead Men Tell No Tales”
• Cleopatra Jones Mystery series
  • In for a Penny
  • On the Nickel
  • Dime If I Know
  • “No Quarter” (novella)
• Single Title Mysteries
  • Death, Island Style
  • Murder in the Buff
• Mossy Bog Romantic Suspense series
  • Muddy Waters
  • Hot Water
  • Rough Waters
• Single Title Romantic Suspense
  • House of Lies
  • No Second Chance
  • Seeing Red
• The Guardian of Earth Futuristic Mystery series
  • G-1 (writing as Rigel Carson)
  • G-2 (writing as Rigel Carson)
  • G-3 (writing as Rigel Carson)
• Short Stories
  • “High Noon at Dollar Central” (a Dreamwalker story)
  • “Sand Dollar Secrets” (a Cleopatra Jones story)
  • “The Trouble with Horses” (a Seafood Caper story)

HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? I am a hybrid author. Some books have come out from traditional publishers including Crooked Lane Books and Epicenter Press, and some I have issued myself.

The Q&A

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

I am a mystery writer. I got here by first detouring through romantic suspense and science fiction. I enjoy cozy mysteries of all kinds and that’s what I write as well. After one of my sisters passed away, I used that loss and the need to still talk with her to fuel my passion for the paranormal genre. Currently I have two paranormal cozy series: the Dreamwalker mysteries that I wrote under Maggie Toussaint and the Magic Candle Shop mysteries that I write as Valona Jones.

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

1. I accidentally became a yoga teacher and love it.
2. I can never settle on a favourite color. Red and Green are both huge favs of mine.
3. I’ve watched every season of Survivor on TV. I’ve always thought the people on the show were good models for what happens to people under pressure.

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

I have always written letters. Then I tried some short stories. While that was fun, I didn’t know how to market them, so I turned to book writing. They say write what you know, so I decided to write a historical mystery about how my grandparents fell in love and married. This trilogy turned out to be very terrible despite my family’s reassurances. Finally, I joined professional groups and realized what I had to do if publication was a goal. Now at 27 published books, I still enjoy the process.

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

I’ve written in all the ones you listed. My culinary cozy series is the Seafood Caper Mysteries. Paranormal series are Dreamwalker Mysteries and Magic Candle Shop Mysteries. Every cozy I’ve ever written has either a dog or cat included, sometimes multiple pets. I like all these genres and more.

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

I first came across the term “energy vampire” while I was researching the Dreamwalker series. Turns out I had met many energy vamps and didn’t know why I felt so drained after being around them. I had a nest of energy vamps up to no good in one book of the seven-book series. But after finishing that series and working on the culinary cozy series, I realized I wanted to explore the idea of twin sisters who have been raised to believe they are energetics. They’ve never heard the term energy vamps before. The series shows the twins coming to terms with their abilities and having the choice to use them for good or evil purposes. Each twin goes a different route, which fuels a lot of conflict in the series.

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?

I love to read them because of the puzzle aspect of solving the whodunnit. I like to see if I can figure it out before the amateur sleuth does. In addition, I like reading books that don’t have graphic sex and violence on the page. I can’t speak for all cozy readers, but I assume that most love this genre for the same reasons I do.

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

I am active in many of the Facebook groups for cozies, but I don’t have a Facebook page devoted exclusively to cozies. I attend Malice Domestic conference most years, and that is a conference for cozy mystery readers.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?

I read widely across genres. I love Jayne Ann Krentz (also writes as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle), Lindsay Buroker, Michael Anderle, Craig Johnson, Amanda Flower, Nancy J Cohen, Marilyn Levinson (also writes as Allison Brook), Gigi Pandian, and many more. My very first favourite writer and book as a pre-teen were Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. This book has mystery and supernatural elements.

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

The Bible, a book of blank paper, and a thesaurus. And let’s cross our fingers that my reading glasses are on that island as well!

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

My latest release is In the Wick of Time, a paranormal cozy series, that I write under the pen name of Valona Jones. This book is the second of the series and five books are planned. It’s in hardback, digital, and audiobook formats. Book three has been submitted, while book four just finished rough draft status.

The Quickie 5

• FAVOURITE FOOD: shrimp
• BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: iced tea
• MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: Kindle
• FAVOURITE SEASON? Fall
• FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? the beach

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To keep up to date with Maggie Toussaint / Valona Jones online, you can connect with her on:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | LINKEDIN

BOOKLOVER’S BENCH | AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL | BOOKBUB