Interview with Cozy Cat Press Author Paula Darnell by Aliza Byrlinsky

Do you personally believe that teaching or writing novels is harder?

Both teaching and writing can be difficult at times, but the challenges are different. Teaching involves interacting with students, administrators, and other staff, while writing is an entirely solitary activity, which makes it easier because the writer has complete control, at least during the actual writing itself.

Did your interest in hands-on projects influence you to write “Hawkeye Haven Recipes”? If not, what did?

I put together “Hawkeye Haven Recipes” as a perk for subscribers to my Cozy Mystery Newsletter. Everybody who subscribes gets a free copy. Readers can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking HERE, and they will receive a downloadable copy of the recipe booklet in their choice of PDF, MOBI, or ePub formats.

What inspired the setting of a guard-gated community governed by a powerful HOA for the DIY Diva Mysteries? I live in a walled, guard-gated community, which has two homeowners' associations, and I observed that actions the HOA took sparked a lot of resentment among residents. I also read news reports about abusive actions on the part of various HOAs around the country, and I thought such a hotbed of controversy could make a great setting for a murder mystery novel with conflicts between HOA bigwigs and residents. That's exactly what happens in Death by Association, the first book in the DIY Diva Mysteries, as disgruntled residents become suspects in the murder of the unpopular president of the Hawkeye Haven HOA. The main character in the DIY Diva Mysteries is Laurel McMillan.

What makes her a character readers can relate to? Readers have said Laurel is a likable character, and that's always good for an author to hear. One reader said she liked the fact that Laurel is crafty but that she can't cook or bake. After all, nobody's perfect! Laurel's love for her family, friends, and her chocolate Labrador retriever helps make her a character with whom readers can identify. Also, many readers like the idea that Laurel has been able to make a living from turning her crafty DIY hobby into a full-time business. That's something a lot of people would like to do, if not full-time, then perhaps part-time.

Each book in the DIY Diva Mysteries has project instructions in the back. How do the projects in each book relate to its theme? In each book in the series, Laurel is writing a DIY book, and the projects are related to the book she's working on. In Death by Association, it's DIY for Dog Lovers. Although making DIY projects is no problem for her, developing recipes for dog treats is a bit more of a challenge, but she gets help from friends and even manages to invent a recipe of her own. The projects include a reversible two-tone, fringed dog scarf and a no-sew bed for pampered pooches. Dog treat recipes are included, too. In Death by Design, Laurel's involved in teaching a pillow-making class and writing DIY Perfect Pillows; projects in the back include a fringed leather pillow and a lacy neck roll pillow. In Death by Proxy, Laurel's preparing for her wedding to handsome police detective Wes Wesson, teaching a DIY bridal crafts class, and writing her next book, DIY Bridal Crafts. Projects are a birdcage veil and a bow tie for dogs, inspired by the bow tie Laurel makes for Bear, her lovable Labrador retriever, so that he can dress up for her bridal shower and wedding.

Why did you decide to write cozy mysteries? I've always enjoyed reading mysteries and watching mystery movies and mystery series on television. I like the puzzle-solving aspect, and doing it from an armchair, rather than being a real detective, eliminates any danger that might be involved. I gravitated to the cozy mystery sub-genre because I dislike the gore and clinical detail that some mysteries concentrate on. With cozies, there's a more Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher vibe to crime-solving. These smart women pick up clues just by living their lives, without having to resort to hours in a laboratory examining forensic evidence.

Although 2020 has been a tough year, is there any high point of the year that you'd like to share? Yes! I'm happy to report that I won an award (second in the at-large category) from the National Federation of Press Women for a novel over 40,000 words in NFPW's annual communication contest for Death by Association. Also, I received an award (second in the published fiction book category) from the Public Safety Writers Association in the organization's annual writing competition for my historical mystery novel The Six-Week Solution.