Nadishka Aloysius is this week’s interviewee for The Cozy 52. I’m so excited to learn more about Nadishka – an author from Sri Lanka who has set her cozy mystery series in a Sri Lankan village.
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 Nadishka Aloysius
NAME: Nadishka Aloysius
LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES: I have written one series which is set in my country Sri Lanka – A Sri Lankan Mystery Series
HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? Self-published
The Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
I am a teacher, actor, and author from the tropical island nation of Sri Lanka. I started teaching Drama and English Language over twenty years ago, and I have worked with both children and adults. That one-on-one with the literary world encouraged me to start a career in writing about six years ago. I write for a variety of age groups: picture books, middle grade, and adults. I find inspiration in the little everyday details of life, and I try to include as much Sri Lankan culture in my books as I can. Yet the stories are generic enough for an international audience.
I love reading crime fiction and fantasy and this is reflected in my writing. I love to conduct creative writing workshops and school visits to share my love of literature. As an actor I prefer to play the antagonist since it allows me to explore the darker sides of human nature. I have been nominated for many awards and finally won the award for Best Children’s Literature at the State Literary Awards in 2021 for my middle grade novel That Easter Sunday.
LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.
- I can’t survive without chocolate.
- I’m addicted to my kindle.
- My eyesight is so bad I can’t function without my spectacles.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?
It’s my favourite genre to read. I especially like those set in unusual places so during the Covid lockdown I thought “Hey, how about writing a cozy set in a Sri Lankan village?”
WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?
I guess my series goes under exotic locations. I introduced a pet cat in book three so that and the rest of the series (yet to be written) will also go under the sub-genre of pets. There’s the theme of LGBTQ+ as well which is present from the beginning but most obvious in Book three.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?
I’m inspired by the wacky and weird things that go on in my country and you will come across many socio-political references in my books from a loudmouthed and bossy daily help to sinister underworld characters. I know my Sri Lankan readers appreciate the subtext much more than those who are unfamiliar with the setting but believe me there’s a lot to enjoy even if you have never visited Sri Lanka. You just need to be open to immersing yourself in a new culture.
The story revolves around two friends Kiyama Fernando (a former English literature teacher who is separated from her husband) and Vinodhini Dias (who is the new owner of a rubber estate). They find themselves in various scrapes and fall into an amicable relationship with the local police over the course of the series as they solve various mysteries. They need to fight social bias, patriarchal ideas, and prejudice as contemporary women living in a small town in a developing country.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?
What’s there not to like? There are so many subgenres now there’s something for everyone. I personally like the ability to forget reality in a quaint setting with quirky characters and weird mysteries.
ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?
No
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
For mystery – Lee Strauss, Angie Fox, Maureen Klovers, Irina Shapiro, Adriana Licio… I stumble across something new every day on Amazon. And of course Agatha Christie. I also read fantasy so Terry Pratchett, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, JRR Tolkien, David Eddings, J.K. Rowling
IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in one book
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- And Then There Were None
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
I’m working on book four of my cozy mystery series as well as a couple of picture books
The Quickie 5
- FAVOURITE FOOD: chocolate
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: coffee
- MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: kindle paperwhite
- SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
- FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? Anything up in the hills
To keep up to date with Nadishka Aloysius online, you can connect with her on:
