There are quite a few mystery authors who started out as journalists. Perhaps this is the reason that there are so many mystery authors who have reporters / journalists as their sleuths. What better profession for your main character to have than something with which you are very knowledgeable. Also, a journalist/reporter is someone who is paid to seek out a story, solve a mystery (of sorts), delve into areas into which others may not feel comfortable doing so. Here is a list of authors (with lasts names beginning with A - G) who are on the Cozy Mystery Site and who happen to write series which feature reporter / journalist sleuths :

Sheryl J. Anderson: Molly Forrester Mystery Series features a "Dear Abby" type of columnist in New York City…

Jo Bannister: Primrose Holland Mystery Series has, as it's main character, an English advice columnist AND Mickey Flynn Series features a North American photojournalist…

K.K. Beck: Iris Cooper & Jack Clancy Mystery Series takes place during the 1920s…

Lilian Jackson Braun: The Cat Who *** Mystery Series features Koko, Yum Yum, and Jim Qwilleran…

Edna Buchanan: Britt Montero Mystery Series features one tough Miami reporter…

Jan Burke: Irene Kelly Mystery Series is about a reporter in California…

Ellen Byerrum: Crime of Fashion Mystery Series features a fashion columnist…

Helen Chappell: Sam & Hollis Mystery Series features a very much "alive" reporter and her very dead ex-husband…

Edie Claire: Leigh Koslow Mystery Series features an advertising copywriter…

Margaret Coel: Catherine McLeod Mystery Series is set in Denver…

Jeffrey Cohen: Aaron Tucker Mystery Series revolves around a screenwriter…

Susan Conant: Dog Lover's Mystery Series features a writer for a dog magazine…

Barbara D’Amato: Cat Marsala Mystery Series is set in Chicago…

Mary Daheim: Emma Lord Alpine Mystery Series features the editor/owner of a Washington (state) newspaper…

Carola Dunn: Daisy Dalrymple Mystery Series is set in 1920s' England…

Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes: Full Mystery Series has, as its protagonist, a newspaper editor….

Antonia Fraser: Jemima Shore Mystery Series features a British TV journalist…

Shelly Fredman: Brandy Alexander Mystery Series is set in Philadelphia…

If I have missed any other Cozy Mystery Site Authors whose last names begin with A - G, and who have reporter/journalist sleuths, please post a comment so that I can add the omission…

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So, it's that time again >>> I am adding four new authors to the Cozy Mystery Site who were recommended by you, the Cozy Mystery Site Readers. I haven't read any of these authors, but think that they look interesting. (As you will notice, not all of the new authors who I add to the site are Cozy.)

Casey Daniels: Pepper Martin Mystery Series... Daniels has her degree in English and loves cemeteries. Her main sleuth (Pepper Martin) lives in Ohio and is a cemetery tour guide. Pepper solves her mysteries with the help of a very dead mob boss.     

Clare Langley-Hawthorne: Ursula Marlowe Mystery Series... Langley-Hawthorne is a commercial lawyer who also has her Master's in international trade law and economics. Her main sleuth (Ursula Marlowe) is a suffragette who lives in London.

Gail Lukasik: Leigh Girard Mystery Series... Lukasik has taught writing and literature in Chicago (college level) and is a survivor of breast cancer. Her main character (Lee Girard) is also a breast cancer survivor, as well as a journalist.

Archer Mayor: Joe Gunther Mystery Series... Mayor is a deputy for a New England county sheriff's department and also a death investigator for the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner. He writes the very popular Joe Gunther police procedural which features a police detective in Vermont.

Here are some Fun Maryland Facts:

Maryland got its name from Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. The largest city is Baltimore, and the state capital is Annapolis. State motto is "Manly Deeds, Womanly Words." State bird is the Baltimore Oriole. State flower is the Black-eyed Susan.

Authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site and who feature Maryland locations in their books:

Ron & Janet Benrey: Pippa Hunnechurch Mystery Series…

Helen Chappell: Sam & Hollis Mystery Series…

Janet Evanovich: Barney Barnaby Mystery Series…

Mary Ellen Hughes: Craft Corner Mystery Series AND Maggie Olenski Mystery Series…

Laura Lippman: Tess Monaghan Mystery Series…

Marcia Talley: Hannah Ives Mystery Series…

Maggie Toussaint: Cleopatra Jones Mystery Series…

Please feel free to contact me if you see an author from the Cozy Mystery Site who belongs on this list, or if you have any comments.

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Here are some Fun Iowa Facts:

State capital is Des Moines. State bird is the Eastern Goldfinch State flower is the Wild Prairie Rose. State motto is "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain." Iowa gets its name from the French word that was used to describe the region's Bah-kho-je Indian tribe.

Authors who are found on the Cozy Mystery Site and who feature Iowa locations in their books:

Barbara Allan (aka Barbara & Max Allan Collins): Trash 'n'Treasures Mystery Series…

Kathleen Bacus: Tressa Jayne Turner Mystery Series…

Shirley Damsgaard: Ophelia & Abby Mystery Series…

Maddy Hunter: Passport to Peril Mystery Series…

Please feel free to contact me if you see an author from the Cozy Mystery Site who belongs on this list, or if you have any comments.

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Hi Cozy Mystery Site Readers!

I just received a question from a site reader who also writes mysteries. So far, she has published short stories and is working on a cozy mystery. She would really appreciate our help. Here is her question:

"Do cozies need dead bodies?  Are the stories more exciting when they do have dead bodies or have you never really noticed?

I know there are a couple of cozies that come to mind that don't have a dead body (there are some in the series, but not necessarily in every book.)  Sometimes that works for me, sometimes, not.  Usually it seems to have more to do with how entertaining the characters and story are overall.

Anyway, I was hoping you'd have an opinion–or maybe even knew of some additional cozies without dead bodies that I could read for reference!!!

If you have any insight, I'd love to hear it!!!

Thanks!"

I must tell you all, as a follow-up with the above author, she said:

"Now just know–there's a character in my book… her LIFE depends on the answer we get!!!!!"

How is that for motivation?!?

So, please don't be shy. If you have an opinion, a recommendation, or a thought on this particular query, we'd love to hear from you!

Where to begin?

Both my son and daughter are back in the nest for what might be our last summer together. Our son is looking for an accounting job, and our daughter is taking a much needed break from summer internships… getting ready to go "back east" to law school.

We have been living in San Antonio for the last sixteen years… Both of our children attended elementary, middle, and high school right here. They both went to college in Austin (less than 70 miles away), so we have been very lucky to have them close enough that we could see them on a regular basis.

What a shock it was when I heard that my son is applying for jobs as far away as California!!! And our daughter will be moving east in just two months. Where has the time gone?!?

I didn't really think about this possibly being our last summer together until last night, when my husband "announced" this bit of information. I don't know if I was living in a time warp, dream land, or just not facing reality >>> I just hadn't "put it all together."

I don't want to dwell on the negative (which I am inclined to do), rather embrace the time we have to enjoy each other. But, with the "help" of my husband's one little phrase, I am already dreading the time when our two children will go their own ways, and our time together will be limited to holiday visits and phone calls.

At least it isn't like "the olden days" when phone calls were limited… more than 35¢  per minute made them a costly event. It seemed to me that whenever I talked to my parents on the phone, my father would say hello and pretty quickly lapse into how much the phone call was going to cost. I am pretty sure that some of our phone calls consisted solely of how much we were going to pay Ma Belle per minute!

So, I am armed for this brave new world, which I will be exploring in a short while: We are on the "family plan" of T-Mobile… an answer to every parent's empty nest syndrome, and perhaps not such a great joy for sons and daughters of new Empty Nesters…

The following mystery books will be released in July 2009:

Madelyn Alt: Where There’s a Witch (This will be the 5th in the Bewitching Mystery Series…)

Donna Andrews: Swan for the Money (This will be the 11th in the Meg Langslow Mystery Series…)

Juliet Blackwell (aka Hailey Lind) Secondhand Spirits (This will be the 1st in the NEW Witchcraft Mystery Series…)

Rhys Bowen: Royal Flush (This will be the 3rd in the Lady Georgiana Mystery Series…)

Simon Brett: Blotto, Twinks, and the Ex-King’s Daughter (This will be a Stand Alone…) (Actually released in very late May 2009…)

James Lee Burke: Rain Gods (This will be the 5th in the Billy Bob Holland Mystery Series…)

Chris Cavender (aka Elizabeth Bright, Melissa Glazer, & Tim Myers): A Slice of Murder (This will be the 1st in the Pizza Mystery Series…)

Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell): Rotten to the Core (This will be the 2nd in the Orchard Mystery Series…)

Elizabeth George:: Two of the Deadliest: New Tales of Lust, Greed, and Murder from Outstanding Women of Mystery (This will be a Stand Alone Anthology…)

Lee Goldberg: Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop (This will be the 8th in the Mr. Monk Mystery Series…)

Kerry Greenwood: Murder on a Midsummer Night (This will be the 18th in the Phryne Fisher Mystery Series…)

Susanna Gregory: A Vein of Deceit (This will be the 15th in the Chronicles of Matthew Bartholomew Mystery Series…)

Carolyn Haines: Greedy Bones (This will be the 9th in the Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery Series…

Dorothy Howell: Purses and Poison (This will be the 2nd in the Haley Randolph Mystery Series…) (Actually June 30…)

J. A. Jance: Fire and Ice (This will be the 20th in the J. P. Beaumont & Brady Mystery Series…)

Kaye Morgan: Killer Sudoku (This will be the 4th in the Sudoku Mystery Series…#3)

Karen E. Olson: The Missing Ink (This will be the 1st in the NEW Tattoo Shop Mystery Series…)

Deborah Sharp: Mama Rides Shotgun (This will be the 2nd in the Mace Bauer Mystery Series…)

Alexander McCall Smith: Corduroy Mansions (This will be a Stand Alone… or the 1st in a NEW Series…)

Jennifer Sturman: And Then Everything Unraveled (This will be a Stand Alone…)

Laura Wilson: The Innocent Spy (aka Stratton's War) (This will be a Stand Alone…)

♦To go back to the Cozy Mystery Book New Releases page click here♦

OK, everyone!!! Don't forget that PBS will be airing Six by Agatha starting this weekend! Poirot starts out the fun:

June 21….. Cat among the Pigeons

June 28….. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

followed by Miss Marple:

July 5….. A Pocket Full Of Rye

July 12…..  Murder is Easy

July 19….. They Do It with Mirrors

July 26….. Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

On another note: Shirley just wrote to tell me about some Crimes of Fashion which will be taking place on the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN).  (As in Ellen Byerrum's Crime of Fashion mysteries…)

Here is the last part of the three-part theme which includes Cozy Mystery Site Authors whose last names begin with M - W. These Cozy Mystery Authors write mystery series which have sleuths who happen to be authors. The three parts of this theme only include authors who are on the Cozy Mystery Site…

Anna Maclean (aka Jeanne Mackin): Louisa May Alcott Mystery Series is one of the series that feature a real person (in this case an author) as its sleuth…

Mary Jane Maffini: Fiona Silk Mystery Series has a romance novelist…

Valerie Malmont: Tori Miracle is an author of horror in the Tori Miracle Mystery Series…

Sharyn McCrumb: Jay Omega Mystery Series features an author of science fiction…

Hope McIntyre: Lee Bartholomew Mystery Series features a London ghostwriter…

Annette Meyers (aka "1/2 of" Maan Meyers): Olivia Brown Mystery Series has a 1920s poet…

Kasey Michaels: Maggie Kelly Mystery Series features a romance turned mystery author…

Kris Neri: Tracy Eaton Mystery Series has an author of mysteries…

Robin Paige (aka Susan Wittig Albert & Bill Albert): Kate Ardleigh Sheridan & Sir Charles Sheridan Mystery Series is a Victorian mystery series…

Linda Palmer: Daytime Mystery Series features a soap opera writer…     

Orania Papazoglou (aka Jane Haddam): Patience Campbell McKenna Mystery Series features a crime author…

Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Mertz & Barbara Michaels): Jacqueline Kirby Mystery Series features an author of  romances…

Nancy Pickard: Marie Lightfoot Mystery Series features an author of true crime…

Ellery Queen: Ellery Queen Mystery Series features a New York author…

Lora Roberts: Liz Sullivan Mystery Series features a freelance author who lives out of her VW van…

Betty Rowlands: Melissa Craig Mystery Series features an author of crime…

Beth Sherman: Jersey Shore Mystery Series features a ghostwriter…

Clea Simon: Theda Krakow Mystery Series features a music writer and her cat…

Barbara Burnett Smith: Purple Sage Mystery Series features an author/reporter for a radio station…

Julie Smith: Talba Wallis Mystery Series AND Paul McDonald Mystery Series, one features a poet and the other a reporter/mystery author…

Veronica Stallwood: Kate Ivory Mystery Series features a history novelist…

J.B. Stanley: Collectibles Mystery Series has a writer for a magazine…

Noreen Wald (aka Nora Charles): Jake O'Hara Mystery Series features a ghostwriter…

If I have missed any other Cozy Mystery Site Authors whose last names begin with M - Z, who belong on this list, please post a comment so that I can add the omission…

♦ Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦

Here is the second list (of three) of Cozy Mystery Authors whose last names begin with E - L, who write mystery series which feature sleuths who are authors. Remember, these are only the authors who can be found on the the Cozy Mystery Site.

Nancy Fairbanks (aka Nancy Herndon): Culinary Food Writer Mystery Series features an author of the subject of food…

Marnette Falley: Queen Bees Quilt Mystery Series features a quilting writer… (The series was started by Sally Goldenbaum)

Judy Fitzwater: Jennifer Marsh Mystery Series features a murder/mystery author…

Anthea Fraser: Rona Parish Mystery Series has, as its sleuth, a British writer of biographies…

Sally Goldenbaum: Queen Bees Quilt Mystery Series features a quilting writer…

David Handler: Stewart Hoag & Lulu Mystery Series features a Basset Hound and his ghostwriting owner…

L.C. Hayden: Dan Springer Mystery Series features a magazine writer…

Dean James (aka Jimmie Ruth Evans & Honor Hartman): Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery Series features a vampire author…

P.D. James: Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series has a Scotland Yard poet…

Julie Kaewert: Booklover's Mystery Series features a British book publisher…

Susan Kandel: Cece Caruso Mystery Series is an author of biographies…

Nina Killham: Jasmine March Mystery Series has a cookbook author…

Peter King: Jack London Mystery Series features the author…

Kathryn Lasky Knight: Calista Jacobs Mystery Series features a children's book illustrator…

Rochelle Krich: Molly Blume Mystery Series features an author of true crime…

Mary Kruger: Gilded Age Mystery Series features Brooke Cassidy, a mystery book writer…

Janet Laurence: Darina Lisle Mystery Series has a caterer/writer as its sleuth…

Laura Levine: Jaine Austin Mystery Series features a writer…

Richard & Frances Lockridge: Mr. & Mrs. North Mystery Series features a book publisher…

If I have missed any other Cozy Mystery Site Authors whose last names begin with E - L, who belong on this list, please post a comment so that I can add the omission…

♦ To access more Cozy Mysteries by Theme click on this link.♦