Make Note of Amy M. Reade
Greetings, Noters!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year 🥰 I hope this post finds you and your family enjoying the holiday season. I can’t believe the end of 2022 is upon us. Ever since I began writing full-time, December has been a month of reflection, both of the year behind us and the year ahead. 2022 has certainly been very generous to me. #FollowMe for Murder and Too Much to Candle were released, and You Can’t Candle the Truth was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the Silver Falchion Awards. Innocence Imprisoned and #FollowMe for Murder also came out on audiobook, and the next Court of Mystery novel, Ardent Ascension, will be launching soon. I feel very grateful and proud of all I was able to accomplish this year.
I’m beginning to prepare for what 2023 has in store (the launch of the next Glenmyre Whim Mystery and Trending Topic Mystery, for sure) and thinking about what’s next. And, of course, I’m also taking the time to enjoy holiday traditions with friends and family.
Speaking of the holidays, this week, I am joined by an author who definitely knows the power of the spirit of Christmas.
Without further ado…
A Bit About the Author: Amy M. Reade is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of cozy, historical, and Gothic mysteries. A former practicing attorney, Amy discovered a passion for fiction writing and has never looked back. She has so far penned three standalone Gothic mysteries, the Malice series of Gothic novels, the Juniper Junction Holiday Cozy Mystery series, the Libraries of the World Mystery Series, and the Cape May Historical Mystery Collection. In addition to writing, she loves to read, cook and travel. Amy lives in New Jersey and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. You can find out more on her website at www.amymreade.com.
Amy, it is so wonderful to have you here on the blog. Your timing could not be more perfect, as your first Juniper Junction Holiday Cozy Mystery is sure to spread some holiday cheer among cozy mystery lovers. What drew you to holidays as your “hook” for the Juniper Junction series?
I was invited to be part of a Christmas-themed cozy mystery anthology, so that’s how the idea of The Worst Noel was born. After the anthology was released, readers asked for more. I loved writing the story around the subject of Christmas, so I decided to keep the holiday theme going.
I’ve recently started setting some of my cozies around holidays, and it’s amazing how it changes the writing experience. It instills such joy in me as a writer. I’ve grown to love it, and so do my characters. What trait do you admire most about your protagonist, Lilly Carlsen?
I admire Lilly’s imperfections. She makes mistakes and does stupid things, but she owns it. She does her best as a mom and as a daughter, but sometimes she just wants to be left alone (then she feels guilty for wanting to be left alone). She uses humor to deal with the hard stuff and the crazy stuff, and she gets frustrated like the rest of us. She’s relatable and down-to-earth, and I like that about her.
Relatable characters are the best because they allow the reader to feel like they are beside the MC on their journey. That’s what makes a book truly magical. Tell us, what book made you first fall in love with reading?
My parents read to me from the time I was born, so my love of reading began long before I was able to read on my own. Some of my favorite stories as a child were There’s a Monster at the End of this Book (Jon Stone); Down, Down the Mountain (Ellis Credle); Heidi (Johanna Spyri); Goodnight, Little Bear (Richard Scarry); and a book featuring a character named Puddle Duck that was not Jemima Puddle-Duck. I remember falling in love with the Nancy Drew series (Carolyn Keene) when I was eight years old, and my lifelong fascination with all things mystery started there.
Ah, Nancy Drew…she will forever be my idol. How did you begin your writing journey?
The first thing I remember working really hard on was an essay. I don’t even remember the topic, but I worked on it so hard because it was for a contest, and the winner, as I recall, got to go to Europe with Nancy McKeon (from “The Facts of Life”—remember that??).
P.S., I didn’t get to Europe until I was in my forties, so you do the math on that one.
Then I wrote a children’s story that was never published, but a radio personality from northern New York read it on the air; later, she went to China on a literacy trip and used the story to help teach English to young Chinese students. Then I went to law school, which was all writing, all the time. Then I became a lawyer … and same, except with more stress. I loved the writing part of the job far more than the lawyering part. Eventually, I turned my hand to fiction, and I’ve never considered going back.
I love your anecdote about the contest! I remember the first essay contest I entered. I was either ten or eleven. I had to write 100 words about electricity. It was sponsored by our local power company, and I wrote something about Ben Franklin (shocking). The prize was a boombox, and I used it endlessly until I went to college. It was the first perk I ever got from writing 😂 You’ve pointed out how integral writing has been in your life and how glad you are that you transitioned to writing fiction. What’s one piece of advice you wish you knew back when you started your publishing journey?
I wish I had known that advertising was an important piece of the getting-your-name-out-there puzzle. It took me a shocking and embarrassing length of time to realize that.
Advertising is so important, yet so incredibly complicated to figure out and do well. Definitely one of the most challenging things, beyond actually writing an entire book. Amy, when it comes to writing, what is the most challenging part of writing a first draft? How do you tend to tackle it?
I don’t even need to think about this one: the middle third of the book is the hardest part. Act Two, if you will. I tackle it the best way I know how: sitting in my chair every day and writing until I have words and ideas that start to gel and point me in a direction. Any direction will do. I always know how the story is going to end, so I just need to figure out exactly how my characters are going to get there.
It’s always so rewarding to get over the trickiest obstacle in a manuscript. How do you celebrate a big professional accomplishment?
This will make me the lamest person on the planet, but I celebrate with a glass of wine and by cleaning the house (not at the same time, of course, though maybe that would be more fun).
Nothing wrong with that! What’s been your favorite “research” moment or activity?
My favorite research for the Juniper Junction books is the recipe- and taste-testing I do for the recipes in the back of each book.
Yum, I bet that is super fun. And I’m sure your readers appreciate the effort that goes into the recipe-creation process. Tell us three things that are always on your writing desk/writing space.
1. My cell phone
2. Spiral-bound Sierra Club engagement calendar
3. My dog
I, too, love keeping my dog, Eevee, close by. What is your favorite, can’t-live-without writing tool?
Can I name three things? The first is a kitchen timer. I use that to do Pomodoro sprints. The second and third are a pad of college-ruled paper and a pencil. Whenever I find that I’ve written myself into a corner or I’ve got a particularly thorny plot point, I use good, old-fashioned paper and pencil to work it out. There’s something about the connection between my brain and the pencil point that helps me solve the problems I can’t blame on my characters.
A kitchen timer — that’s a Noteworthy first. It’s amazing all the tools out there to help us write. All right, for the final question, Amy: You stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?
Let’s bring this full circle. I alert Nancy Drew immediately. She will arrive in her convertible, her titian-blonde hair perfectly coiffed. She’ll be wearing tailored clothes and comfortable but stylish shoes that can go from daytime in River Heights to nighttime in the woods as she spies on the perp. She’s got a small circle of good friends and, of course, Ned Nickerson, the original book boyfriend. Together, the gang will solve the mystery and nab the villain in exactly 20 chapters.
This. EXACTLY. Nancy Drew, always. Amy, thank you so much for spending time with us this holiday season. Readers, if you’re looking to get into the Christmas spirit, make sure to check out Amy’s Juniper Junction Holiday Cozy Mystery, The Worst Noel, available wherever books are sold!
The Worst Noel: On the busiest shopping day of the year, Lilly opens her jewelry store to discover it's been burgled. Then she trips over a body. Talk about a Black Friday.
When a second victim is murdered, Lilly finds herself squarely in the crosshairs of suspicion. The clock is ticking as Lilly tries to unwrap the mystery of the real killer’s identity. As the bodies pile up like so much snow, Lilly is shocked to discover her ex-husband has returned to town after a fifteen-year absence. Could his reappearance have anything to do with the murders? One thing is sure: Lilly doesn't want him anywhere near their two teenage kids, neither of whom remember him, or her mom, whose mental health is declining. Can she figure out who killed the victims before she becomes one herself?
Find out if Lilly is about to have herself a merry or scary little Christmas in this cozy, small-town mystery. Recipes included!
Buy Links
Readers can purchase all the Juniper Junction Cozy Holiday Mysteries from Amy directly or from their favorite retailers by visiting this page on her website: https://www.amymreade.com/juniper-junction-holiday-mysteries.