I'm very excited that Frannie's second adventure is now available on Amazon for Kindle. It will soon be in paperback and other formats. Watch this space for further updates!

This seems to be an appropriate topic considering our non-spring. But actually, I've been asked from time to time what a cozy mystery is and why I'm writing them.

The generally spouted definition includes several criteria:

• an amateur sleuth, often a woman
• a somewhat confined setting (a village, small town, a cruise ship, a hotel)
• a cast of recurring characters, perhaps slightly eccentric, but likeable
• a mystery that can be solved more with logic and wit than high-tech police procedures
• a premise or theme such as a hobby, occupation, or age group. There are cozies centered around quilting, bookshops, B & Bs, cooking, fly fishing, golf and even NASCAR.
  
• enough clues and red herrings that the reader can try to solve the crime along with the main character

Generally, cozies do not include graphic violence or sex or dark themes. Of course, there has to be a murder or some crime, but it usually takes place off-stage. Not every cozy adheres to all of these criteria, but at least to most of them.

Cozy mysteries have been around for years starting with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, and more recently in TV shows like Murder She Wrote and Monk. The number of series has mushroomed in the last twenty years to include, in addition to the interests listed above, horse vets, basketball coaches, genealogists, antique buffs, house appraisers, scrapbookers, and now Rvers! As a bonus, many writers include information pertinent to the theme such as recipes, needlework patterns, or antiquing hints.

Several websites list cozy mysteries by author, hobby, occupation, holiday, and location. So, until spring arrives, grab an afghan, a cup of tea or cocoa, and hunker down with a cozy mystery.

http://www.cozy-mystery.com/
http://cozy-mysteries-unlimited.com/
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/GenreCats/Cozy_Traditional.html

Saw a photo on Facebook today of Punxsutawney Phil dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound due to his inaccurate forecast. That's too bad, because if he had forecast six more weeks of winter on February 2, it still should be spring, right?

I mean, when it snowed the first week of March, it was no surprise. When it snowed the second week, it was disappointing, but you know it won't last. This week, I'm taking it personally.

We plugged our camper in in order to restock the fridge, do some cleaning, etc. and haven't even been inside it yet. We met with our camping cronies to plan some outings and talked about a shakedown trip the first weekend in April. Sure. We entered a contest for a free weekend of camping on the Iowa DNR site, but what if it never warms up enough to turn the water on in Iowa parks?

The TV weather chick talked about the possibility of setting a new record low today. Some honors I am willing to forego. How about this: at a given time today, say 3:00 p.m., everyone in Iowa yells "Uncle!"

Not just mine--everybody's. Several writers, much better known than I, have pointed out lately how important reviews, posted on places like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads, are to the success of a book. Say you are looking for a historical romance or a book on repairing plumbing or a self-help book on parenting teenagers--whatever. The suggested titles that come up will be based not only on sales, but also on the number of reviews. A good summary of the process can be found on this blog:
http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3820969-what-friends-can-do-for-authors

The point is, if you read something you like, the best way you can help the author is to post a review. It doesn't have to be lengthy, but can just state what you like best about the book and what you didn't like if that applies.

Unfortunately, like every other field on the Internet, scams have developed. There are sites where authors can buy positive reviews and have them posted. But Amazon and others have been working to combat this by purchasing reviews for fake books and then searching their own sites for other items by that reviewer and removing them. And there are writers who actually open several accounts with different email addresses so they can put up several reviews of their own work.

So, the more real readers who post reviews, the more obvious these fake attempts will be. All ethical writers will thank you.

A first glimpse of the rough draft of the cover for The Blue Coyote. My sisters have done it again--I love it!

I am still shooting for an April publishing date. Frannie and Larry are camping with their friends and two grandchildren at a park based on Ledges State Park. The story involves flea markets, storytellers, marshmallow guns and abduction. How can one go wrong?

How often do you get that offer? But on Thursday, March 14 the Kindle version of Bats and Bones will be available for free download. I was going to do it Friday but I bewared the Ides of March. So especially if you are a camper, and looking forward to warmer weather, here's a chance to get in the mood...cheap!

 For those who are on Pinterest, if you do a search for RV storage, there are an incredible number of great suggestions there. For example, there are spice containers out of Tic-Tac boxes that take up very little room, from doityourselfrv.com. Some of the ideas are homemade; some purchased. Check it out!