COZY MYSTERIES

Writing a cozy mystery is different than writing suspense. I started out with cozies, went to suspense, and now I do both. Is it confusing? No, not if you understand the difference.

Cozies are gentler mysteries. No massive blood loss, no profanity, and no s-e-x. Cozy mystery readers feel safe when they buy books from their favorite authors because they know they won’t be lambasted with graphic elements that make them uncomfortable. Of course, inspirational cozies can be different than secular cozies. A quick look at some of the secular titles and you will find witches, magic and s-e-x. It may not be described in graphic detail on the pages, but it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. If you like your cozies clean and fun, stick to inspirational cozies.

I’m giving away an ebook copy of one of my cozies, MISSING MABEL. Leave a comment below, along with your contact information (this is really important!) and you could be a winner!

Hilde Higgins — One of the Best Hairstylists in Kansas — Can Recognize a Head of Hair… Even When Her Client is Dead!

Watch the tangled mess that Hilde gets herself into when she realizes that Mabel Winnemaker, her latest client at Druther’s Funeral Home, has gone missing. Hilde knows that the body she isasked to work on at the funeral home is not the same person as in her reference photo. Unhappily for Hilde, everyone else doubts that Mabel is missing.

The situation heats up hotter than Hilde’s curling iron — and forces her to answer some tough questions: Is she being silenced when the funeral director accuses her of stealing a diamond ring? Will Hilde Higgins’s former boyfriend help her unravel the issue — or only bring more trouble to her life? And most important of all, what happened to the real Mabel… and why?

 Reviews:

“Hilde Higgins is an adorable eccentric, with maroon-and-black hair, a punkish wardrobe and a weird weakness for SPAM casseroles. Like all good mysteries, the solution to the body-switching proves us with a fine Ah, Ha! moment, but it’s Hilde’s goofily-good character that kept me grinning as I turned the pages.” — Betty Webb, “Mystery Scene.”

“Hilde is a quirky, funny character — and easy to love. While trying to solve the mystery of Mabel, she copes with real-life issues. Making new friends, dealing with a mom who isn’t happy with her career choice, and learning to fall in love. I recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a fun, easy read with Christian characters and a good mystery to solve.” — Heidi Walfoort, “Christian Book Nerd.”

Nancy Mehl lives in Festus, Missouri, with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored twenty-two books and just finished a new series for Bethany House Publishing. The first book in her Finding Sanctuary series, “Gathering Shadows” was released in May of 2014. The second book, “Deadly Echoes” became available in February.  The third book, “Rising Darkness" released in November. Now she’s writing a new series based on the U.S. Marshals. The first book, "Fatal Frost," will release in November of 2016. She is also working on an Amish cozy mystery series for Guideposts. The first book, “Blessings in Disguise” was published in June, 2015. She will write at least three more in this series.   

Readers can learn more about Nancy through her Web site: www.nancymehl.com. She is part of The Suspense Sisters: www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com, along with several other popular suspense authors. She is also very active on Facebook.