Avoid the April rains...try a cozy mystery in April

I love Spring! The air is finally warmer, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the swing in the garden is calling my name to come on out, bring a book, and sit a while!

I know that “cozy mysteries” invoke the mental image of curling up by the fire on a winter day, being cozy with a good book and a cup of cocoa. But you can grab a lively story and plop into a swing or front porch chair with a glass of raspberry lemonade and enjoy the same “cozy” feeling during the spring and summer!

April finds us with a wide variety of mysteries to choose from by some new authors, and some favorite authors. So take a few minutes this beautiful spring to savor the finer things in life – a cool drink, a comfy chair, and a delightful mystery – what could be better?

Three top authors in the mystery genre have new books out this month.

One of my favorite authors, Susan Wittig Albert continues her tales of herbalist/amateur sleuth China Bayles with her new book, HOLLY BLUES.

It’s a battle of the current wife vs. the ex-wife when China’s husband, Mike McQuaid’s first wife Sally shows up right before Christmas with nowhere else to turn. And since China is a goodhearted lady, and Sally is the mother of McQuaid’s son, Brian, she has no option but to invite Sally to stay for the holidays.

But it seems Sally has a few secrets of her own, and when menacing phone calls begin, it’s up to China to figure out who is threatening to turn Sally into the Ghost of Christmas Present, not to mention ruining Christmas for everyone.

This is Albert’s eighteenth book in the China Bayles series, and it is as intriguing and thrill-filled as the other books. Although it is set during the Christmas season, think of it as a headstart on the holidays to come!

Author Carolyn Hart’s new book, LAUGHED ‘TIL HE DIED, the 20th book in her “Death On Demand” series, takes her readers back to her beloved Low Country of South Carolina to visit with favorite sleuths/bookstore owners Max and Annie Darling.

In this story, Max and Annie are asked to help their friend, youth center director Jean Hughes who has been accused of killing her former lover, wealthy businessman Booth Wagner. It’s up to the Darlings to discover which of Wagner’s many enemies snuffed out the obnoxious fellow.

Hart’s stories in the “Death On Demand” series can be considered stand-alones in that each story is unique and fresh, but always feature the loving couple of Max and Annie.

Mary Higgins Clark is the grand dame of mysteries, and while her books can’t really be considered cozy, it would be thoughtless of me to not mention her new book, THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE. Clark has influenced so many writers during her amazing career, and this new book is sure to be among the top mysteries of the year.

In THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE, intrigue swirls around family secrets, medical miracles, and the beatification of a beloved nun, and if she is true to form, Clark will give her dedicated readers the thrilling suspense they love her for.

Now, on to the cozies!

I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but most of the covers of our beloved cozy mysteries this month feature colors of green and blue, just right for inspiring spring time thoughts. (Just had to point that out!)

Lobsters, knitting and murder can be found among the pages of MOON SPINNERS: A Seaside Knitting Mystery by Sally Goldenbaum. The gals of the Seaside Knitters are taking a break from their stitching to help their friend Gracie open her new restaurant, The Lazy Lobster and Soup Café. But when Gracie’s rich aunt Sophie is killed in a freak car accident, and Gracie’s mother Julianne is arrested for her sister’s death, well you know the knitters are going to get involved in solving the mystery of who killed Sophie.

The third book in the Seaside Knitting Mystery series, MOON SPINNERS is as quirky and delightful as its characters. Goldenbaum includes a cute pattern for a knitted Fish Hat with her story.

I’ve never played Bunco, but I have heard that it is a lot of fun. In her book, TIL DICE DO US PART: A Bunco Babes Mystery, author Gail Oust gives readers a look into a group of feisty, lively retirees with a passion for Bunco and for mystery solving as well.

In the 2nd book of the hilarious series, Bunco Babe Claudia has returned from Vegas with new husband and the other babes wonder if she hit the jackpot or not. And when the new hubby turns up dead, and all clues lead to Claudia being the prime suspect, it’s up to her pals to find the real killer. Maybe what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas, including new husbands!

It’s Bridezillas and murder in Denise Swanson’s 12th installment of the Scrumble River Mystery series, MURDER OF A WEDDING BELLE.

Skye Denison is talked into to not only being a maid of honor, but also helping her cousin Riley with her extravagant wedding plans, which means running interference with her controlling and obnoxious wedding planner, Belle Canfield. But when Belle is found dead just days before the wedding, it’s up to Skye to solve the murder and get the bride to the church on time.

My mother read this mystery, and said it was one of the most enjoyable she had read in a long time, and if Momma likes it, well, you know it’s got to be good.

Hobbies are a popular subject among cozy mysteries, and this month finds decoupage and miniatures the focus of two new books.

CUT TO THE CORPSE: A Decoupage Mystery by Lucy Lawrence features Brenna Miller, the co-owner of Vintage Papers and expert decoupage teacher.

Brenna has been talked into helping with Tara Montgomery’s wedding favors, but has vowed to keep her nose out of the wedding gossip. But when she finds Tara in bed with her fiance’s best friend, his recently deceased best friend, and Tara is holding the murder weapon, it’s up to Brenna to find out who is putting the brakes on the wedding with murder on their mind.

Lawrence includes directions for making a darling decoupaged votive holder and a cute block puzzle for her readers.

Little bitty stuff is the focus of Margaret Grace’s Miniature Mystery series, and her latest book, MONSTER IN MINIATURE, finds Geraldine Porter and her ten year old granddaughter Maddie excited about the upcoming Halloween holidays. But when a decorative scarecrow turns out to be a dead body, Geraldine and Maddy once again find themselves searching for clues to the murder that somehow reconnects to Geraldine’s late husband.

This is a delightful, multi-generational mystery that has plenty of twists and turns, albeit in miniature size! There are even a few crafty miniature tips included.

Food mystery lovers haven’t been left out this month! A mystery for wine lovers and lovers of good food are on bookstore shelves just waiting to be devoured. (ok, bad pun!)

A TOAST TO MURDER: A Wine Lovers Mystery by Michele Scott finds Nikki Sands and her fiancé, winery owner Derek Malveaux finally tying the knot. But when Nikki’s best friend Simon is shot as he walks her down the aisle, Nikki has to uncork a murderer before she can complete her “I dos.”

Scott’s lively characters, fascinating locale, and thrilling story pairing suggestions and recipes to boot.

I love a good Farmer’s Market, and was thrilled to find FARM FRESH MURDER: A Farmer’s Market Mystery by Paige Shelton. The first in Shelton’s series, readers will be introduced to Becca Robins, a young gal who is a whiz at making jellies and jams to sell at the Bailey Farmer’s Market. When Matt Simonsen, a fellow vendor who sold peaches, is killed, and the clues point to Abner Justen as the prime suspect, Becca jumps in to find out who killed the peach farmer, and why her buddy was being framed for his murder.

Set in South Carolina, FARM FRESH MURDER is a breath of summer freshness that is an absolute delight to read and savor. Add in the recipes for Strawberry Jam and Lemon Meringue Pie, to name a couple, and you have a feast of a mystery to enjoy.

Unusual jobs are also great topics for mysteries, and Christy Evan’s character Georgiana Neverall, the murder solving plumber’s apprentice, has one of the most unique jobs and set of sleuthing skills in the cozy mystery market today. In her latest book, “LEAD- PIPE CINCH: A Georginana Neverall Mystery, Evans has Georgiana building a moat for a castle in the middle of Oregon. When her nemesis Blake Weston, the man who stole her security company from her, is found dead in the moat, Georgiana finds herself knee deep in mucking herself out of a murder charge.

Always lively, Evans once again delivers a fun mystery full of puzzling secrets, and stimulating clues along with a plethora of plumbing tips.

And if you like your mysteries tied up in knots, check out Diana Killian’s MURDER ON THE EIGHTFOLD PATH: A Mantra For Murder Mystery which features A.J. Alexander, owner of the Sacred Balance Yoga Studio.

A.J. has a talent for stumbling upon murders, and this time, she literally trips over the body of her mother’s boyfriend in the garden. When her mom becomes the prime suspect, A.J. is determined to find out who had poor Dicky in the last downward dog position of his life.

Killian’s yoga-inspired mystery is sassy and smart, with organic recipes and yoga facts to inspire the reader as they puzzle out A.J.’s unusual life.

Well, there you have a lively lineup of mysteries to keep you occupied for the beautiful lazy days of spring. Come back by on April 15th when I’ll be interviewing Elizabeth Lynn Casey about her upcoming release, DEATH THREADS, that comes out next month!

Until then, cozy reading ya’ll!

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Sharon Chance has been a freelance entertainment journalist for the past fourteen years. As a regular contributor to the Wichita Falls Times Record News, she has written well over 1,600 articles covering everything from concert and movie reviews to museum openings to interviewing some of the top musicians performing today, including members of Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses.

But her true love lies in the world of books. A voracious reader from a young age, Sharon began reviewing books at the urging of her sister-in-law, who was a big fan of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. What began as a simple fun attempt at sharing her views of books she enjoyed has developed into a work of passion for Sharon. In addition to being a senior book reviewer for the Times Record News, Sharon is also a regular guest contributor for the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Book Nook, as well as having written for several other publications.

A distant relative of the great Edgar Allan Poe, Sharon has a fondness for mysteries, especially those of the cozy kind. In her new column, Sharon’s Cozy Corner, Sharon hopes to bring news of the latest in the cozy mystery genre, as well as insightful interviews with the authors who write them.

Interview with Sue Ann Jaffarian | Sharon's Cozy Corner

Sharon's Cozy Corner
All about the cozy mysteries: interviews, reviews, books

I’ve always been a curvy-kind of girl, and proud of it! God blessed this Irish gal with an abundant figure, and I learned long ago to accept them for better or worse!

So I was delighted to learn about Sue Ann Jaffarian’s mystery series which featured a big, beautiful amateur sleuth, Odelia Grey! Odelia is a paralegal from California, and seems to have a knack for stumbling into murder after murder. Confident, sassy and smart, Odelia is a charming lady that readers are sure to love and admire.

Sue Ann has written four delightful mysteries involving Odelia (TOO BIG TO MISS, THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL, THUGS AND KISSES and BOOBY TRAP,) with the fifth in the series, CORPSE ON THE COB, due out in February.

She also has another series, The Ghost of Granny Apples, with the first book, GHOST ALA MODE debuting in September 2009, and another one on the way.

And if Sue Ann wasn’t busy enough, she is working on a third series, with an adorable vampire couple as the main characters!

This is one productive gal! So I was happy that she could spare some time to answer a few questions about her hectic writing career.

Sharon: At what age did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Sue: It was as young as 11 or 12. I remember reading books and thinking “I want to write a book when I grow up.” I also used to go to the library and find where my name would go in the card catalogue (remember those?) and separate the cards where my name and books would one day be.

Sharon: How did you get interested in writing "cozy" mysteries?

Sue: I really didn’t realize I was writing a “cozy” until after TOO BIG TO MISS was written. Although I’d read mysteries, when I first started writing TOO BIG TO MISS, my first Odelia Grey mystery, I had no idea they were separated into sub-genres. I just wrote the book I wanted to write.

Sharon: What inspired the theme of your series, and is Odelia based on anyone you know?

Sue: Odelia is loosely (very very loosely) based on me, even though there are a lot of differences. Like Odelia, I am a middle-aged plus size paralegal, so I decided to write a mystery based on what I already knew. The whole idea of the series was simply me thinking what would happen if someone similar to me started stumbling over bodies and solving crimes.

Sharon: What appealed to you about the genre of cozy mysteries as opposed to hardcore mysteries or suspense stories?

Sue: As I said, I never realized I was writing a “cozy” but I knew I didn’t want to write graphic violence or a police procedural. And since Odelia is an amateur sleuth and the series humorous, I guess I sort of backed into the whole cozy-soft boiled thing.

Sharon: How do you come up with the various plotlines for each book, and do you ever take any from "real" life?

Sue: So far I’ve never taken any plots from real life, and especially from situations that have happened in my work place. The plots just sort of come to me after I decide I want to use something specific in a book. For example, in THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL, I wanted to feature a vintage lunch box. And in CORPSE ON THE COB, coming out in the next few weeks, I wanted the murder to occur in a corn maze. Although in THUGS AND KISSES, the plot did come first. After attending one of my own high school reunions, I knew I wanted to write a book about someone nasty from Odelia’s past being murdered at a reunion. Not that anyone at my reunion annoyed me that much, but I remember sitting there thinking what a wonderful plot it could be.

Sharon: With more and more series coming out in the cozy genre, do you see the competition for readership becoming more fierce? What do you do to keep your readers coming back for more?

Sue: I believe there are plenty of readers for all of our books. What decides who reads what is really personal taste more than competition. There are books out there that appeal to just about every fancy. Someone may like culinary mysteries, but not knitting mysteries. Another may read animal mysteries but would never touch ghost mysteries. There’s something for everyone. As for enticing readers to come back for more, the only way to do that is to provide them with well defined characters, a solid plot, quality writing, and entertainment value for their consumer dollar. I strive to hit all of those with each book.

Sharon: The cover art on your books is just charming - very eye- catching! Who does the artwork for each book, and are you consulted as to how it will look?

Sue: Thank you! I’m rather fond of my covers. So far all of the covers for all of my series have been created by Ellen Dahl at Midnight Ink/Llewellyn Worldwide. Usually my editor asks if I have any suggestions. Then down the line I’m sent a draft and asked for comments. Ellen has hit the nail on the head with every single cover.

Sharon: Who are some of your favorite authors? Who inspires you?

Sue: Everyone inspires me! My favorite reads include Walter Mosely, Jan Burke, John Morgan Wilson, Lisa Scottoline, Terry McMillan, Naomi Hirahara, Lee Child, Amy Tan. But if I had to pinpoint one author whose books set me on the path to write humorous mysteries, that would be the late Anne George.

Sharon: What do you have coming up in the future?

Sue: Lots of exciting stuff! A new series and a change in my release schedule. CORPSE ON THE COB, the 5th book in the Odelia Grey series is coming out February 1, 2010. After this book, the next Odelia Grey novel will be released June 2011. GHOST IN THE POLKA DOT BIKINI, the 2nd book in The Ghost of Granny Apples series will be out February 2011. But the big news is I have a new series coming out September 2010. It’s a vampire mystery series and the first book is titled MURDER IN VEIN.

Sharon: What advice would you have for anyone wanting to break into the "cozy mystery" genre?

Sue: Have a “hook” or something that makes your book stand out from the others. That’s what grabs a publisher’s attention. Don’t try to write like anyone else. Write like yourself. Follow your own voice. As for trends, be mindful that if you are writing a book that falls under a currently hot trend, that trend might very well be cooled off by the time you finish your manuscript and find a publisher for it. So have something else to offer in your story other than it’s hot right now.

Many thanks to Sue Ann Jaffarian for taking time to chat with us about her writing. Be sure to come back in February, when I’ll be chatting with Joanne Fluke about her Hannah Swensen mysteries. Until then, cozy reading, ya’ll!

A short review of CORPSE ON THE COB:

In Sue Ann Jaffarian's fifth cozy mystery featuring Odelia Grey, CORPSE ON THE COB, Odelia sets out to find her estranged mother, not bargaining for the shock of finding her elderly mother bent over a dead body in the middle of a corn maze! As the police arrive, Odelia finds that the chief of police and another of the officers are actually her half-brothers! Will the surprises ever stop? Not when Odelia is involved!

As she noses around, attempting to find out what’s going on in the small Massachusetts town and how her mother is involved, Odelia may find herself well over her head as she tries to clear her mother’s name. With help from her dear friend Willie and her loving husband Greg, the threesome roam the countryside turning up clues and harvesting a good crop of suspects.

Suspenseful and thrilling, with just the right dash of humor and romance, CORPSE ON THE COB is a charming entertaining mystery. In bookstores February 2010.

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Sharon Chance has been a freelance entertainment journalist for the past fourteen years. As a regular contributor to the Wichita Falls Times Record News, she has written well over 1,600 articles covering everything from concert and movie reviews to museum openings to interviewing some of the top musicians performing today, including members of Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses.

But her true love lies in the world of books. A voracious reader from a young age, Sharon began reviewing books at the urging of her sister-in-law, who was a big fan of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. What began as a simple fun attempt at sharing her views of books she enjoyed has developed into a work of passion for Sharon. In addition to being a senior book reviewer for the Times Record News, Sharon is also a regular guest contributor for the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Book Nook, as well as having written for several other publications.

A distant relative of the great Edgar Allan Poe, Sharon has a fondness for mysteries, especially those of the cozy kind. In her new column, Sharon’s Cozy Corner, Sharon hopes to bring news of the latest in the cozy mystery genre, as well as insightful interviews with the authors who write them.

Sharon's Cozy Corner | Celebrate the holidays with a Christmas-themed cozy mystery!

Sharon's Cozy Corner
All about the cozy mysteries: interviews, reviews, books

The holiday spirits are warm, but the winter weather is as chilling as the mysteries on tap as we venture into December.

With Christmas upon us, I thought we’d take a look at the lineup of cozy mysteries with a holiday theme to them. Nether snow, ice, or murder weapons of choice will keep the following authors from dishing up an exciting batch of cozy mysteries sure to entertain us this festive season.


I mentioned Cleo Coyle’s HOLIDAY GRIND: A Coffeehouse Mystery (Berkley Prime Crime, Nov. 3rd) last month, and I include it here again because it is just a delightful holiday offering. The mouthwatering recipes alone makes this novel worth reading, but Coyle also delivers a delicious thriller with a side order of romance that will warm reader’s hearts while it tickles their minds and appetites.

The holidays are coming and that means more than just eggnog lattes and gingerbread biscotti to Clare Cosi, owner of the Village Blend coffeehouse. But when she finds her friend Alfred Glockner, the part-time comic and genuinely jolly charity Santa, brutally gunned down in a nearby alley, a few subtle clues convince Clare that Alfred's death was something more than the tragic result of a random mugging. Much to Clare’s boyfriend Detective Mike Quinn’s chagrin, Clare decides to find out who made the naughty list when they knocked off ol’ St. Nick.

In Kate Kingbury’s latest mystery, DECKED WITH FOLLY: A SPECIAL PENNYFOOT HOTEL MYSTERY, her 17th installment in the wonderful pre-World War I series, readers will be transported back to pre-World War I England in a pleasant mystery that is thrilling to the very last page.

Despite Cecily’s prayers, the busy Christmas season is disrupted when the body of Ian Rossiter is found floating in the pond. A former employee of the hotel, Ian had been lurking around, trying to have a word with Gertie McBride, the mother of his twin children, but no one was a witness to his watery demise. It’s up to Cecily, her good friend Madeline, and the staff of The Pennyfoot to set out to clear Gertie’s name, and find out who really murdered Ian.

DECKED WITH FOLLY is Kingbury’s fifth holiday-themed mystery set at the Pennyfoot. Other titles include NO CLUE AT THE INN, SLAY BELLS, SHROUDS OF HOLLY, and RINGING IN MURDER.


Chocolate and Christmas just go hand in and, and apparently JoAnna Carl agreed when she penned THE CHOCOLATE SNOWMAN MURDERS: A CHOCOHOLIC MYSTERY, (Obsidian Mystery, 2008) her 8th installment of her fan-favorite chocolate series. Although this book came out last year, it is still readily available and is a charming mystery to enjoy during the holidays. (Note: Carl’s latest book in this series, the Valentine themed THE CHOCOLATE CUPID KILLINGS, came out this past October just in time for Halloween – you got me, I don’t know why...)

The much anticipated Winter Arts Festival is about to begin in Warner Pier, Michigan, and as treasurer of the event, chocolate shop owner Lee McKinney Woodyard is up to her elbows in mix-ups behind the scenes. When the art show's guest juror shows up drunk, Lee lets him sleep it off at his motel, only to find out later that someone's put the visiting dignitary into a permanent state of repose. Since Lee and her husband, Joe, were the last people spotted with the deceased, it’s up to Lee to put her sleuthing talents to work to find the real killer before someone else comes to a bitter end.


Readers will get double their murder mystery fun with the two mystery tales found in MURDER SHE WROTE: MURDER NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY. (Obsidian Mystery, Nov. 09)

Legendary and much beloved mystery author and sleuth Jessica Fletcher finds that the holidays are prime mystery-solving opportunities in two Christmas-themed stories guaranteed to delight her legions of fans.

In Manhattans & Murder, Jessica's new book tour brings her to New York for Christmas, where she sees notorious Cabot Cove crook Waldo Morse dressed as a sidewalk Santa. She agrees to meet with Waldo, but ends up witnessing a murder. With the police slow on their feet, and the victim's wife on the run, Jessica decides to do whatever it takes to stop a killer from spoiling the season.

And in A Little Yuletide Murder, Cabot Cove local Rory Brent is found shot to death on his farm, and everyone assumes the culprit is Brent's longtime enemy, Jake Walther, the meanest man in town. But Jessica thinks otherwise, and she's determined to deliver the real killer before Christmas. The trouble is, the next sound she hears this silent night may be her own screams!


Christmas means lots of holiday goodies, and cookies are right up there with some of the most anticipated treats of the season. But a cookie contest turns deadly in Livia J. Washburn’s latest Fresh Baked Mystery, THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE KILLER.

Retired teacher cum amateur sleuth Phyllis Newsom is more than ready for her unlucky year to be over. But she won’t be hanging up her apron just yet—because this year’s Christmas bake-off is going to be cutthroat.

Phyllis would like to think she’s entering the Christmas cookie contest for the fun of it—but that’s not exactly true. She can’t imagine anyone beating her snowflake-shaped lime sugar cookies. Then, during her annual Christmas cookie exchange, Phyllis heads over to the elderly Mrs. Simmons’s home and finds her dead, in a pile of lime sugar cookies. But with a number of names on Santa’s naughty list, this case may be a hard cookie to crumble.


I always look forward to Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen Mystery series, but there is always something special about her cozy mystery tales when they are set during the Christmas Season. Her latest book, PLUM PUDDING MURDER, (Kensington Mystery, Sept. 09) does not disappoint! As usual, Fluke includes a bevy of wonderful recipes, with a complete holiday dinner included this time around.

The Cookie Jar's busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time...for Christmas cookies, Hannah's own special plum pudding—and romance! Holiday orders are high, and Hannah's slated to provide dessert at the Reverend Knudsen's upcoming wedding. She's busy as can be and loving it. She also gets a kick out of "Lunatic Larry Jaeger's Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot," a kitschy carnival taking place smack-dab in the middle of the village green.

Larry thinks he's crazy like a fox with his wild business schemes, but this time, the entrepreneur may have bitten off more than he can chew. Rumor has it that Larry's in the red—an idea that takes a sinister turn when Hannah discovers the man himself dead as a doornail in his own office. It seems quite a few people would have liked to fill Larry's stocking with coal and then bash him with it. With the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah's running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn't want her to see the New Year.

A few other Christmas-themed mysteries worth checking out include:

SIX GEESE A-SLAYING: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews (MacMillian Books)

MERRY, MERRY GHOST: A Bailey Ruth Raeburn Mystery by Carolyn Hart (Wm. Morrow Books)

HOLLY AND HOMICIDE: A Domestic Bliss Mystery by Leslie Caine (Dell Books)

THE BODY IN THE SLEIGH: A Faith Fairchild Mystery by Katherine Hall Page (Wm. Morrow Books)

A WEE CHRISTMAS HOMICIDE: A Liss Maccrimmon Mystery by Kaitlyn Dunnett (Kensington Books)

So, there you go! A list of just a few of the great cozy mysteries to make your holiday’s merry and bright. Take a few minutes from the hectic pace that surrounds the season and enjoy a good book and a nice cup of spiced cider – A Christmas treat for yourself!

I hope that you come back by on December 15th, when I’ll be interviewing Joanne Fluke, author of the Hannah Swensen Mystery series.

Until then, cozy reading everyone!

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Sharon Chance has been a freelance entertainment journalist for the past fourteen years. As a regular contributor to the Wichita Falls Times Record News, she has written well over 1,600 articles covering everything from concert and movie reviews to museum openings to interviewing some of the top musicians performing today, including members of Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses.

But her true love lies in the world of books. A voracious reader from a young age, Sharon began reviewing books at the urging of her sister-in-law, who was a big fan of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. What began as a simple fun attempt at sharing her views of books she enjoyed has developed into a work of passion for Sharon. In addition to being a senior book reviewer for the Times Record News, Sharon is also a regular guest contributor for the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Book Nook, as well as having written for several other publications.

A distant relative of the great Edgar Allan Poe, Sharon has a fondness for mysteries, especially those of the cozy kind. In her new column, Sharon’s Cozy Corner, Sharon hopes to bring news of the latest in the cozy mystery genre, as well as insightful interviews with the authors who write them.

Read more of Sharon's Cozy Corner