Emily is the author of the Career Crisis Cafe Mystery Series, Seaside Bookshop Mysteries, and her new series, The Paper Crafts Club Mystery. She is a craft lover and cozy mystery reader when she isn’t writing.

Cards, Capers and Christmas Miracles                    by Emily Selby

It’s almost Christmas and Julia, age 10 and 9 months has a big worry: will her dad come to collect her so that she could spend the holidays with him, as planned?

But Dad has to work longer and gets delayed again, and Julia is in need of a serious miracle, just like another 10-y.o girl, T, who is visiting the vicarage. Both girls hope for a happy Christmas spend with their loving parents, but they get involved in a suspicious activity: someone steals a money box with a charity collection and empties Sunnyvale’s residents’ bank cards.

Will Julia and T discover who the thief is before he steals Christmas? But more importantly, will the girls’ fathers realise that all their daughters want for Christmas is time spent with their loving parents?

What quirky Christmas tradition does your character do every year?

Julia and her mum, Katie, always make their own Christmas cards, often combining materials and techniques. They have a special jar for various small objects (such as buttons, bottle caps, ribbons, etc.) that they collect over the months and use while making cards. The jar is called “Finders-Keepers”. Both, Julia and Katie, love looking through its contents in search for the ideas for their crafts.

What was your favorite or most memorable gift you got as a child?

When I was 9, my parents got a piano as a Christmas present for the entire family.

Speaking as your character, what is your (their) favorite thing about Christmas?

For Julia, it’s spending time with her nearest and dearest, eating yummy food and watching Christmas lights.

If you had to describe your character in three words, what would those three words be?

Julia is creative, sensitive, and observant

How does this story connect with your other books or series?

Cards, Capers, and Christmas Miracles is story which belongs to Paper Crafts Club Mysteries series, set in a fictional town Sunnyvale in the North-East of England. The main character, Katie is Julia’s mum. Julia often features in other books in the series, sometimes helping with the investigations, sometimes–not. In this story, it’s Julia’s turn to show off her detective skills and figure out who tries to steal Christmas.

Daisy lives in Maine with her husband, but she comes from Australia. Daisy is the author of the Barossa Valley Cozy Mystery Series.

Malbec and Mistletoe                                                by Daisy Linh
It’s been a long 12 months for Jasmine Mai, but Christmas is looming, and nothing’s going to ruin the party she’s had planned at her winery, Simpatico Wine Estate. So when her groundskeeper collapses in the middle of her cooking class and is rushed to hospital, closely followed by a slew of other mysterious similar illnesses in the community, something doesn’t feel as Christmas-y as she wishes. While everyone else is juggling Christmas puddings and parties, Jasmine finds herself on a one woman mission to catch what evil is lurking in her town. That is…if it doesn’t catch her first. Join Jasmine in this stand alone Christmas novella set in the world of the Barossa Valley Mysteries and meet the chaotic but loavable charaters who live there.

Can you share an enticing (50 words or less) snippet that isn’t in the blurb?

“Ms Mai,” he moaned, his face ghostly white.

“Wayne, are you okay?” I asked, kneeling beside him, scared to hear his answer.

He did not look okay.

“Ms Mai,” he reached out and touched my wrist, his fingers just as clammy as his face. “Call the doctor,” he groaned. “Now.”

If you had to describe your character in three words, what would those three words be?

The three words I would use to describe my main character is: good hearted, curious and a FOODIE!

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

My female sleuth would definitely by played by Lara Condor – who plays the lead in To All The Boys I Loved Before. She’s a little young, but definitely the fun, quirky, clumsy but cute vibe that Jasmine is. AND she’s half Vietnamese which is perfect! Riley Hansen the Senior Detective would be played by Liam Hemsworth, of course

Why did you choose the setting for your book?

Malbec and Mistletoe is set in Barossa Valley, South Australia’s premier wine country. Upuntil three years ag, I lived about an hour from Barossa Valley (currently living in Maine, USA for a few years) and it is one of my favourite places on earth. Full of good food, amazing restaurants and gorgeous vineyards.

How does this story connect with your other books or series? This book can be read as a standalone but falls in the Barossa Valley Mysteries world about a year after Jasmine Mai has returned home after her divorce. All the quirky town characters make an appearance…including a few new ones.

Cathy is the author of the Dr. Susannah Shine ChiroCozy Mystery Series. But she is also a chiropractor in “real-life” too! She lives in a small Georgia town with her husband and rescue cats.

The Purloined Poinsettia                                           by Cathy Tully

Christmas is coming, and office manager Larraine Moore is looking forward to her duties on the Decorating Committee at her church when the order of poinsettias is cancelled. Together with her boss, Dr. Susannah Shine, they follow the trail of purloined poinsettias down a candy cane lane of clues that leads to murder.

What was your favorite or most memorable gift you got as a child?

My most memorable gift I got as a child was a scarecrow target game. I found a picture of it online and I remember it a little differently, but who am I to contradict the Google machine.

If you had to describe your character in three words, what would those three words be?

My main character, Dr. Susannah Shine is determined, loyal and single-minded.

 Why did you choose that as the setting for your book?

My story is set in small-town Peach Grove Georgia. I’m originally from New York and the whole series is a kind of ‘fish out of water’ story. Most cozies have a protagonist who comes home to inherit a business, but in my life, I had the opposite experience. I opened a business in a new place far from where I grew up, and a lot of the elements in my first book came from what I did to get the business up and running. I joined a business association and went to the town craft fair, not knowing that those are very common elements in cozies. I also had to build secondary characters that were able to feed the MC information, so my side-kicks were born. One of whom is described as having family members all around the county.

Can you share an enticing (50 words or less) snippet that isn’t in the blurb.

“Girl,” Iris said, “I saw you slip some of those Krispy Kreme donuts in your purse when you thought no one was looking. Pony up and share.”

“So long as you take those chocolate covered Oreos out of yours.”

Iris winked and purred. “I didn’t think you noticed.”

What’s your favorite Christmas movie? My Favorite Christmas movie is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. I love the story because George Baily is such a steadfast character, and if you see how I describe Dr. Susannah, I could have used the word steadfast for her. I love the idea that we all influence each other’s lives but don’t realize it. Also Mr. Potter is a great villain, very easy to dislike him.

Claus of Death                                                            by Moira Bates

Deep in the heart of Texas, where mayhem and mysteries roam—spend the holidays with the people of Baseless. Julia Jane Melvin is forty-something and fierce, and she’s throwing the party of the year in an attempt to get Baseless on the map—literally. She’s even hired “Santa to the Stars,” Ike Cumberland of Muleshoe, Texas. Poppy Price is a rising food-star, so she easily won the bid to cater. People come from miles around for her creations—and she is best friends with Julia’s son—no one else would do. When they promise attendees it will be an evening to remember, they mean it.

You can read more about Julia and Poppy in their respective series: MidLife Mysteries and Poppy’s Food Truck Mysteries, by Moira Bates. Moira resides in Texas with her husband and a menagerie of four-legged creatures. A long-time teller of tales, she finally decided to start writing them down.

What quirky Christmas tradition does your character do every year?

Julia Jane Melvin dresses the whole family—young adult children, cats, everyone—in matching pajamas. She is fond of flannel and fleece, which isn’t always a great fit with Christmas in Central Texas. But those who love her sweat it out (literally) and carry on the tradition. Poppy doesn’t have her own traditions—yet. That might change after this year.

What was your favorite or most memorable gift you got as a child?

When I was eight, my parents dropped me off at my grandparents’ house at Thanksgiving and told me I couldn’t come home until Christmas. (I still saw them every day, I just didn’t go to our house.) On Christmas Eve, my dad and uncles carried a mammoth package into the room. I wanted the Charlie’s Angels Townhouse for Christmas, but it was unavailable. Instead, my parents had spent weeks creating one for me—including handmade furniture, quilts to match the wallpaper in each bedroom, and a fireplace built from rocks and mortar. The gift I asked for would have been destroyed and forgotten in a few months; the one I got was played with by generations and still lives at my house.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

I have celeb inspo on my social media feed—Julia is definitely Kim Cattrall, and Poppy is Janine Turner, circa 1997.

Can you share an enticing (50 words or less) snippet that isn’t in the blurb?

Ben knocked gently on the door to Robby’s home office, but I pushed around him and rushed into the room. I don’t know what I expected to see, but it was not Santa reclining on the loveseat, scratching his… um… jingle bells… with chocolate staining his white beard.

How does this story connect with your other books or series? Claus of Death is a crossover story that takes place a few months after the first books in each series. My intention was to give readers a feel for the characters in Baseless and the kind of crazy shenanigans they get up to. The mystery itself is pretty easy to solve, but the people are hard to forget.

Brook Peterson writes delightful cozy mysteries that I really have enjoyed! You can find her ebooks in the major wide stores and get signed copies from her Etsy Shop. Her print books can be found on Amazon. You can follow Brook on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

A word from Brook:

For as long as I can remember I have been reading mysteries. By the time I was about ten, I was writing my own and turning them into little stapled paperbacks for my family to read.

I’m thrilled to be writing and publishing real books to share with all of you mystery lovers out there. My stories are sure to include long-held secrets, an antique or two, and a little bit of romance.

What is your favorite holiday/season (fall, Halloween, winter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s)?

My favorite season is spring. I love when the trees start to get their leaves and all the flowering bushes are in full show.

Is there a special way you celebrate the holidays?

I’m lucky to live close to my extended family, so we’re able to be together on most holidays for good food and conversation.

Do you write holiday or seasonal books? If so, please give an example

I currently have one holiday book, “The Present Predicament” is a Christmas Novella and is a companion story to my Jericho Falls Cozy Mysteries. It’s available for free when subscribing to my newsletter, https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/fde6d1ee-4ebf-11eb-b968-cb381dcb659d

and also for sale as an ebook on all major retailers and in print via Amazon.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

            Yes! I was a voracious reader as a kid and by the time I was about ten I knew I wanted to write my own. I started by writing and illustrating (really horrible) stories and making little stapled paperbacks for my family.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

            It’s a back and forth process for me, but I’d say I first start to explore a character and see where he/she takes me.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

            I wrote for my college newspaper. When I was given the assignment to interview the Chief of Police about an on-campus death and later learned that he revealed more to me in the interview than he intended, I was very proud.

What tools of the trade do you use the most?

            I write primarily in GoogleDocs because I love the ease of writing in bed on my laptop, in my office on my desktop, in my car on my phone, etc. It’s always backed up and easy to share with beta readers.

            I’m old school in that I typically keep a spiral notebook going on each story where I write down ideas.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

            I love Grandma Lily from the Jericho Falls Cozy Mysteries. I had close relationships with my grandmothers and now get the pleasure of seeing the special connection my daughter has with my mom and mother-in-law. Grandma Lily is a composite of all these special women.

How did you choose the setting for your book?

I absolutely love gold-mining era history and have visited “ghost towns” such as Virginia City, NV, Silver City, ID, and Idaho City, ID. When I wanted to start a cozy series I decided there wasn’t a better place to set it than an old town with lots of history and lots of secrets. Jericho Falls was born!

What books or authors have most influenced your writing?

            My biggest mystery-writer influence is Sue Grafton. I started her alphabet series featuring P.I. Kinsey Millhone when I was in middle school and impatiently awaited the release of each book in the series. I love her storytelling style, the loveable recurring characters, and the tight mysteries.

There are so many talented authors who share their love of Christmas through their books. If you’re like me, you can’t get enough. Meeting each of these authors and the authors from the Cozy Mystery Christmas Anthology should make your selection a bit easier, I hope!