Rhonda lives in Texan with her family and lots of animals, even wildlife! She is a write of young adult cozy mystery, paranormal/fantasy and romance. She has also written apocalyptic/dystopian. She has also been involved with several anthologies. Be sure to stop by her website and subscribe to her newsletter and pick up a free short story. You can follow Rhonda on BookBub, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Now, let’s ask Rhonda a few questions…

What type of witch do you write (think Bewitch, Sabrina, Charmed, Hocus Pocus)?
The witches in my Witches of Whispering Pines series are all good witches. Mostly. Grandma Ruby and one of the teen witches tend to cause some mischief with their magic at times which can lead to some interesting situations.

Tell us what time frame your stories are in and what setting or world?
This current series is set in the modern world in a small town in East Texas. Witches and other supernaturals live amongst the human population who aren’t aware of their existence.

Who is your protagonist?
Charley Cooper is a sixteen-year-old who has a close-knit family, friends, and works on the school newspaper. As many teen girls do, she has some angst when it comes to boys in general but especially toward the boy she’s been crushing on who just happens to be one of her best friends. And while it keeps her family and friends’ anxiety levels high, she’s always loved a good mystery and finds it hard not to jump into the middle of the action.

Has she/he always known they were a witch? How did they discover their power?
Most witches in her family have their powers by thirteen, but three years later, Charley had given up on ever getting hers. She chalked it up to her dad being human.

But magic pours out of her one day when she and loved ones are attacked while walking through the forest. Seeing her sister and best friend in danger unleashes a tidal wave of power that is a surprise to even her family.

What sets your mysteries apart from other paranormal cozies?
There aren’t many young adult paracozies out there and I thought there should be more. 😄 As a young adult author I like to show my characters overcoming adversity and finding out who they are and what they stand for. Of course, in this series I like doing it in a fun way and with quirky characters.

How much research do you do to create your story, and how much do you include in your books? Or your story pure fantasy?
It depends on the series. For Witches of Whispering Pines, I lived in East Texas for a while so I didn’t need to do a lot of research for the area. I did look up a little about the trees and flora for the Piney Woods and I sprinkle it in where it’s needed. Mostly though I make it up as I go along as Whispering Pines is fictional town.

Do you feel the crimes committed in paranormal cozy are very different from a contemporary cozy?
It depends. Some are crimes you’d find in the human world. While others can have a supernatural origin. I think the main difference is how the crimes are solved in paranormal cozy mysteries. A witch can use her unique powers, and a familiar if she’s lucky, to help her out if needed. Plus, there are the other supernatural creatures that may lend a helping hand at times.

Writing Witchy Cozy Mysteries is fun and I love the light-heartedness of the genre. I enjoy writing about all the elements of small towns and the people who live there. And the quirky characters. I’ve lived in small towns most of my life, so I’m well-versed in the quirkiness. 🤣Rhonda Hopkins

Victoria LK Williams

I can’t think of a better way to start fall than with this new author interview series! Each of these authors writes paranormal cozy mysteries with WITCHES!! So hang on to your pointed hat, we’re in for some exciting times ahead as we race with our brooms to meet each of these magical authors. Starting with…

Jane is an Aussie writer of fun paranormal cozies. She lives with her “Non-paranormal man”, two cats and a turtle. Jane also writes as Sahra Stone. She has several series, The Ghost Detective and The Gravestone Mysteries and of course her Witch Way Paranormal Cozy Mysteries. Her books are available in ebook, print, and audible. Be sure to sign up for her Newsletter and follow her on Facebook.

Now lets find out a bit more about Jane’s witch, Harper Jones…

What type of witch do you write (think Bewitch, Sabrina, Charmed, Hocus Pocus)?
I would say, my witches are an older version of Sabrina, with a little of Charmed thrown in to mix things up.

Tell us what time frame your stories are in and what setting or world?
My stories are set in the present age in a fictional setting in the USA—people often ask what town my cozies are based on and honestly, they are just made up in my head. I’m an Aussie, I haven’t been to America (yet!) so rather than doing an actual town a disservice, I literally just make it up in my head. Whitefall Cove is a town full of witches, vampires, shifters who live together in harmony… sort of.

Who is your protagonist?
Harper Jones is my witch extraordinaire in the Witch Way series. She’s so much fun, but I think, just between you and me, that everyone loves her Gran a little bit more. Harper has returned to her hometown after breaking up with her fiancée and losing her job in the city. So she’s back home, living with her Gran, when she winds up buying a bookstore. Just when she thinks things are looking up, the day she gets the keys to the bookstore, the realtor turns up dead.

Has she/he always known they were a witch? How did they discover their power?
Harper has always known she was a witch and grew up practicing magic. The twist in this series is that Harper broke the witches’ rules and had her power taken away (her witch’s license) and she needs to undergo training to get it back.

What sets your mysteries apart from other paranormal cozies?
I have a certain snark and sarcasm that my readers tell me is not only funny, but they can pick my books a mile off from that alone.

How much research do you do to create your story, and how much do you include in your books? Or your story pure fantasy?
Research is such a rabbit hole activity. I’ll research certain things (like how long does it take you to fly from Australia to the USA on a private jet) and three hours later you’re looking at something entirely different. So it can be a slippery slope. Because I write paranormal, there’s a certain leeway and you can make a lot up, but I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to use US terminology because, well basically we Australians speak differently and call things by different names, so I try to make my stories as American as possible.

Do you feel the crimes committed in paranormal cozy are very different from a contemporary cozy?
I have to say a lot of my crimes are pretty common and you’d definitely find them in a contemporary cozy. I have poisoning, whacking on the head with a rock, that sort of thing. But I also have magic crimes too, murder by hex for example.

So, that is our first in a great lineup of “Witchy Writers”. Are you ready to pull out your cauldron and cast a spell? I bet you will be soon! Happy Fall.

Victoria LK Williams

Melrose McFadden is a pen name used by writing duo Beth Thomas and Leslie Thwaits.

I saved this one for this weekend, somehow it seems perfect for the holiday weekend! Happy Labor Day.

This is a first for us — a writing team! I took their info from their website (with permission) so you could read more about the woman behind Melrose McFadden…

Beth has been a professional writer/editor for 25 years, and has a master’s degree in Creative Writing. She has previously leaned more toward shorter writing, such as short stories and flash fiction.

Leslie has been a professional writer/editor for 25 years, with a natural leaning toward journalism, public relations, and marketing. She has written a middle school paranormal novel and previously written romance under another pen name.

The authors write fun beach series set in the 1980s. To our younger readers, this sounds historical; to me it sounds like a few years ago. But if cars can be considered antique after 25 years, then 1980 I can consider their books historical. Their series, Major Bummer Murders, is set on Wahoo Beach with Tiffany Sloan as the protagonist. The titles, Maga Gnarly Wipeout and Gag Me with a Spoon, along with the series title just scream 1980s and I can’t wait to read them and go back in time that I can remember so well.

You can follow the authors on Instagram@melrosecozies and Tiktok@melrosecoziesauthor. And check out their other books/series on their Website. You can find the series to buy books on Amazon. Now lets find out a bit more about our writing dual and their cozy series, through the voice of Melrose McFadden…

What made you decide to write a Historical Cozy?
I was a kid/teen in the 1980s and just really wanted to write something set in that time period. The colors, the music, the language, the clothes, the non-existence of the internet and cell phones… the time period was just begging for a series of fun and clean murders. 

Tell us what time frame your stories are in and what setting or world?
My series Major Bummer Murders is set in 1986 in the fictional seaside town of Wahoo Beach, Florida. Most of the action takes place along the boardwalk, where many of the local businesses are located and all the main characters like to hang out. The day-to-day world includes an arcade, mini-golf, amusement park, pizza joint, and the sunny sand and warm tides that make up Wahoo Beach. 

Who is your protagonist? Tell us a bit about them and why they were chosen
My protagonist is Tiffany Sloan. She runs the Putts & Stuff arcade and mini-golf complex on the boardwalk, which she inherited from her father when he moved to Costa Rica. She is a 30-something redhead who knows her way around a Space Invaders video game and a windmill mini-golf obstacle, but she has found herself isolated and lonely due to her long hours at work after her dad skipped town. The series is about Tiffany solving mysteries that pop up around Wahoo Beach but also learning to take care of herself and finding friendship and love along the way.

What sets your mysteries apart from other cozies?
I think what sets my mysteries apart is the vibrant, neon, 1980s world that they exist in. It’s historical (1986 was 36 years ago at the time of this writing), but also involves pop culture references that many of us remember happening and music on the radio that we still sing along to. I’ve seen many historical mystery series existing in eras all the way up to the 1920s, but not much in the recent past. I really like writing history with details that don’t just convey facts and events that happened, but might also tug at the threads of memory.

I wanted to write something unique and fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I think I’ve accomplished that with Major Bummer Murders. Take for example the novel titles: Gag Me with a Spoon, Mega Gnarly Wipeout, Members Only Murder, Barf Me Out to the Max (fall 2022), and Bag Your Face (late 2022). I think they set the tone for the stories I’m trying to tell – lighthearted cozy mysteries that should be a fun ride into the past.

How much research do you do to create your story, and how much do you include in your books?
I do a ton of research! My books include a lot of pop culture references, to ground the reader in the timeline. You should see my browser search history. “When did Sweatin’ to the Oldies come out? Best songs on OutRun video game? What years was Miami Vice on the air? What Apple computer came out in 1986? Top 100 arcade games of 1986. Billboard Top 100 1986. How to clean and wax a pinball machine.” Luckily, the answers are all just a few clicks away. And luckily, I think this kind of research is really fun!

Do you feel the crimes committed in historical cozy are very different from a contemporary cozy?
For my 1986 series, I think the crimes themselves are fairly similar to a contemporary cozy. The motives and research to find the killer are where things get a little trickier. For example, in 1986 you couldn’t just hop on your laptop and do an internet search for “art heists of the past decade” but you could go to the library and scan through old newspaper microfilm for hours. You couldn’t just pull out your phone and call the police, but you could hunt down a payphone and put in a quarter. Finding these differences and writing them until they work is half the fun! 

Feel free to add any comments you’d like about writing Historical Cozy Mysteries!
I absolutely LOVE writing this series set in 1986. I love my weird cast of characters and the predicaments and relationships they find themselves in. I also love taking a little break from the fast-paced and vibrant crime-solving to give them moments of introspection about things like family, friendship, responsibilities, love, and finding purpose in their lives.

The 1980s time period is so fresh in my memory and so ripe for a revival! The colors, the music, the Aqua Net… it’s what the world needs right now. Next year, I am planning to write a new series set in the 1990s, so that will be a new and unique challenge, which I am really looking forward to!

I hope you enjoyed this interview. Do you feel inspired to head to the nearest beach or pool and chill for the rest of the Labor Day weekend? I do!