It’s been a while. . . .I won’t run through all the myriad and crazy reasons why. Just know that I’m back!

Skyler and I have been editing both cozy mysteries, which is taking us longer than usual because we’re such perfectionists. The third book should be in the works now, but it’s not happening until we get home from our two-week getaway. Even though the hands aren’t on the keyboard, I’ve been thinking about the hero’s journey for our librarian hero, Molly Bell. Cozies are, by definition, set in small spaces, small towns, with regular folk who must step up to the plate to solve whatever crime has occurred - be it a stolen bee hive or a body in the coffee shop’s walk-in freezer. Blood and gore are at a minimum. Language is clean. Sexy scenes stop at the door, if they even get that far. I must admit I was feeling caged in by the conventions, until I realized every character still has to have a hero’s journey, even in cozies. What will our brave and intrepid Molly Bell learn about herself, her town, her relationships? Will she bring that knowledge back to her everyday world, or will she keep her cards close to her chest? We have our trickster, our mentor(s), our boon companion, all of whom are quickly becoming some of my favorite characters. These may well become some of my favorite books when we’re finished with the series.

If you haven’t watched ASTRID on PBS Masterpiece, please do. It’s in French, but the subtitles aren’t bad. For a while there, Raphaelle said “merde” a lot, which was translated into “dammit” by the prudish translator, but now it’s given its true meaning in Season 3. Shit. LOL. On y va! The mysteries are original, Astrid’s journey an autistic woman into her much brighter future is wonderful, and her mentor/friend, the cop Raphaelle Coste, is the perfect person to help Astrid succeed.