Check out the 2023 Indie Cozy Mystery
Book of the Year Finals!
Behind the Writing of Jingle Bell Justice
Tell us about the background for the theme, what inspired it or why you wanted to write in this setting, or with play with these tropes?
Christmas is my favorite holiday and I was dying (pun intended) to write a Christmas-themed cozy. I was able to fit one into the timeline of my River Sutton Mysteries with a few tweaks. Writing about all the decorations, food, and activities was so much fun.
Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book?
In the original draft, the killer cuts the brake lines to Robin’s car about two-thirds into the book. (Robin Pearce is the amateur sleuth.) Then she runs off the road into pond and the car is totaled. That plot development was too difficult to work into the rest of the book and it took away from what was happening, so I nixed it.
Which of the side characters would you love to explore more, or turn into a main character in another series?
I would love to do a whole series with Jenn and Deb. Jenn is the main character’s sister and Deb is her wife. They’re a lot of fun. Jenn is very snarky and Deb is quick to call her on it. I wrote a short story about them for an anthology and it was a hoot. I think the two of them would make great mystery-solving partners.
Indie Author: Yes
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Publication Date: 10-18-2023
Sub-Genres:
Non-Paranormal
Cozy Mystery
Page Count: 253 Pages
Synopsis:
Christmas chaos is at an all-time high for Robin Pearce, having moved back to the small town of River Sutton, bought a shabby farmhouse, started a new business and a new relationship with handsome Sheriff Chris Payne.
Living in a money pit isn’t a great idea. She’s broke and bills are coming due. With no income and no prospects, Robin agrees to attend her sister Jenn’s Christmas party to welcome socialite guests to her new bed-and-breakfast, Cardinal Cottage, thinking she can drum up leads.
But when a dead body is discovered at the B and B the next morning, her sister’s sugar-plum dream of becoming a travel destination turns into a lump of coal. Robin is reluctant to meddle in the investigation and ruin her relationship with the sheriff.
Until Chris arrests Jenn’s wife for the murder!
Robin must act fast to discover the real killer and prove her sister-in-law’s innocence. With an old nemesis making a reappearance and her relationship with the sheriff at stake, will Robin be able to find the killer before it’s too late?
If you enjoy suspenseful mysteries like Agatha Christie, you’ll love this thrilling Christmas mystery from award-winning author Nancy Basile.
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