by Blanche Day Manos Don’t tell me they are gone, for I can see them still The house, the spring, the burr oak tree, the barn beneath the hill. I smell the sausage sizzling, I hear the rooster crow, The sounds and scents of each new day that woke me long ago. I feel […]

The Amazing Mystery of Change
·Sometimes change happens suddenly. Sometimes, it’s gradual, but whichever it is, it is a mystery. When I went to bed last night, the maple tree in front of my window was basically green. This morning, orange leaves adorn the tree–not altogether but a good sight more than were there last night. More and more of […]

What Are Cozy Mysteries Made Of?
·Cozy mysteries are a partial reflection of the life of the author. Each person–you, I, everyone, is a part of so many other people, of our own experiences and the experiences of others, of hopes and failures, of good and bad, of the past, the present and yes, even the future. We are all that […]

A Cup of Conversation on a Cozy Morning
·Yesterday, my son and I shared a good conversation over a couple of cups of Starbucks. It was the highlight of my day. If I were a doctor, along with each prescription for medicine, I’d prescribed a quiet talk with a trusted friend. A cozy conversation works wonders. Our ears are bombarded with sound. We […]

Out of the Shadows, The Cemetery Club
·The Cemetery Club, the first Darcy and Flora cozy mystery, was written as a joint effort between my friend Barbara Burgess and me. You see, it happened this way: Barbara and I had a mutual friend, Levern, who introduced us. We three were in Rogers one beautiful Arkansas day, in an upstairs tea room in […]

Why On Earth Do You Read (or Write) Cozy Mysteries?
So many books from which to choose. The world is awash with books, rooms overflow with them, including mine. So, with all the fiction and non-fiction at your fingertips, why do you choose to read cozy mysteries? Is it the appeal of the name, sort of contradictory. How can a mystery be cozy? Or is […]