Carolyn is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes cozy mysteries, thrillers and paranormal women’s fiction. She was a journalist in Atlanta, her work seen in multiple magazines and newspapers. She lives in North Georgia with her husband, and animals. Her series include The Rachel Ryder Thrillers, Chantilly Adair Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, Holiday Hills Witch Cozy Mysteries, Lily Sprayberry Realtor Cozy Mysteries, Pooch Party Cozy Mysteries, The Magical Real Estate Mysteries and the Angela Panther Paranormal Women’s Fiction series. (wow! that’s a lot of books!)

You can find out more about her books from her Website or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub and Amazon.

Now let’s find out about Carolyn’s Witches of Holiday Hills Cozy Mysteries…

What type of witch do you write (think Bewitch, Sabrina, Charmed, Hocus Pocus)?
Abby Odell is a cross between Sabrina and Prue from Charmed. She’s smart but likes to give people a chance. If you make her mad though, all bets are off.

Tell us what time frame your stories are in and what setting or world?
Abby lives in Holiday Hills, a small mixed magical and human town in North Georgia. The magicals (witches, shapeshifters, etc.) live in harmony with humans (except when there is a murder of course) but there’s a catch. The humans know nothing about the magicals. When magic happens, the humans see something different. Except with the werewolves. They see them, but they don’t know they’re supernatural.

Who is your protagonist?
Abby Odell. She’s a divorced woman in her 20s, a ghost writer for a USA Today bestselling author of cozy mysteries. Her best friend is human, and Abby’s kept her witchiness a secret from her. Her cat, Cooper a silky brown Burmese, is her familiar. He loves tuna. LOVES tuna.

Has she/he always known they were a witch? How did they discover their power?
Abby learned of her witch heritage when her mother died. Her mother had bound her powers as a child, but the spell died when she did.

What sets your mysteries apart from other paranormal cozies?
My stories always include strong women who don’t let anyone walk all over them. They’re tough, but they have hearts. Abby is witty, and she’s more mature than people her age. Cooper, her cat, steals the show, and he’s what makes the series so fun. He has no filter, which is okay since only a few people can hear him, and he’d choose a nap or a can of tuna over working every time. He doesn’t, but if it didn’t have to keep Abby safe, he would.

How much research do you do to create your story, and how much do you include in your books? Or your story pure fantasy?
I write entirely by fantasy. I create a chapter by chapter outline and let the story make itself. Magic shouldn’t have to follow a specific process because it’s magic. It can do whatever it wants. My characters have rules though. Holiday Hills couldn’t survive without rules. 

Do you feel the crimes committed in paranormal cozy are very different from a contemporary cozy?
I think their motivations are different, and most of mine have focused on some magical element.

Victoria LK Williams