Cozy Up With Kathy

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer. This book is the seventh in the Jane Wunderly Mystery series and will be released next week.

After an impromptu wedding in Scotland, nearly getting killed on a business trip in India, and becoming bored back in London, Jane Wunderly and Redvers decide to go on an actual honeymoon. Traveling to Italy their romantic trip takes an unexpected turn when Aunt Millie and her husband check into the very same hotel! They have been invited to Venice and a costume party by Millie's new friend, socialite Clara Morton, and insist that Jane and Redvers accompany them to the event. Surprised by the dilapidated looking palazzo they're stunned by what waits for them inside. It's a carnival with acrobats and even a Tarot reader, who just happens to be a young woman Jane met years ago in India. Even more shocking than the half dressed hostess with a boa constrictor draped around her is the dead body of her ex-husband in the garden. With Clara accusing Deanna, the Tarot reader, of murder Jane and Redvers find themselves spending their honeymoon on the hunt for a killer.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

The Well-Hidden Clue - A Review

Review

THE WELL-HIDDEN CLUE by Kari Lee Townsend
The Third Wishville Mystery

Autumn has arrived in Wishville, Vermont and the Fall WishFest is underway. Things are running smoothly, almost too smoothly so Lyra Wells, Festival Chair, and, more importantly Guardian of the Well isn't too surprised when she received a frantic call that leads her to the library. Librarian Clara Winslow has discovered a box hidden behind a wall. A box left by her mother who disappeared forty years ago during a previous library renovation. In 1984 Maggie Winslow discovered a draft that didn't belong and blueprints that didn't match. Town officials called her crazy and after her disappearance police shut down any investigation. Did Maggie discover the underground world of Elarion? Determined to give Clara answers, yet safeguard that secret world Lyra will work with Police Chief Thorn, Elarion Enforcer Calderis, and friend and reporter Lulu. Are humans to blame? Could Rebels be involved? More importantly are there still people who would go to any length to keep their secrets?

The themes of the third Wishville Mystery are control, a mother's love, and deception. These themes are entwined, ensnaring many a victim. Things are not always what they seem. And neither are people. THE WELL-HIDDEN CLUE is a great addition to this unique series. While Lyra, Thorn, and Calderis are the triumvirate, is actually a quartet now, with Lulu becoming a solid addition to the group. Although I would be remiss without adding Vex and Fenrith so what we really have is more of a sextet! I appreciate the way in which they investigate, especially Fenrith and I love how Lyra was able to take Clara's concerns yet still keep her true role quiet. The third Wishville Mystery is decidedly more ominous that the previous two books, especially as we near the end. And the ending itself...a stunner!

Missing mothers, treachery, and a stunning revelation make THE WELL-HIDDEN CLUE a dynamic nail biting entry into a fantastic series.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Death at a Firefly Tea - A Spotlight & Giveaway

Today I'd like to shine a spotlight on the latest Tea Shop Mystery. Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs is the thirtieth book in the series and was released earlier this month.

Death at a Firefly Tea (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

About Death at a Firefly Tea

Death at a Firefly Tea (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 30th in Series
Setting - South Carolina
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ March 10, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 336 pages

A brazen killer sparks Theodosia Browning’s sense of justice in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

As fireflies dazzle like tiny glowing lanterns, tea maven Theodosia hosts an elegant evening tea on the patio of the Tangled Rose B and B. But in this gentle darkness an intruder has made their way in and slipped deadly drugs into the baked Alaska of Mrs. Van Courtland, one of Charleston’s local grande dames. Shocked by this brazen act, urged on by Mrs. V’s grieving son, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. Soon, she finds herself at odds with a greedy developer, the questionable residents of Honey Badger House, a vengeful ex-daughter-in-law, ne’er do well relatives, and a housekeeper who knows all the secrets.

As Theodosia hosts a Moulin Rouge Tea and a Queen Victoria Tea, her tea sommelier Drayton is assaulted by a masked stranger and the fiancé of Mrs. V’s son is kidnapped. It’s only at the Starry Starry Night black tie ball that Theodosia stumbles upon the killer and gets pulled into a dramatic life and death chase.

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are: The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston. The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that takes place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here! The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links: Website – Facebook

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenquinRandomHouse

Friday, March 20, 2026

ZigZag Girl - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

Review

ZIGZAG GIRL
By Ruth Knafo Setton

Lucy Moon is one of THE Moons, the preeminent magician family. With her two best friends, Lucy has created an amazing new show for the Midnight Casino in Atlantic City. But on opening night Van is nowhere to be found. While Lucy and Stormie are able to get through the majority of the show, the finale is a different story. It is a recreation of the illusion of the woman sawed in half, once performed by Cleo, the ghost who haunts the theatre. With no Van, who was supposed to play Cleo, and Stormie too tall to fit inside the original box, it's up to Lucy to perform the illusion, despite her terror of that trick. But when she opens the box to get inside she finds Van-dead. Determined to find justice for her friend Lucy begins a hunt for the person who killed her, but in doing so must confront her own past and a danger she can barely imagine.

Haunted is the theme of ZIGZAG GIRL. Characters are haunted by their past. Little Nick, Cleo, and Lucy are haunted, even tormented, by a past they can't escape. Aside from her Da, Aunt Maize, and Stormie, Lucy can't truly trust anyone. From the sleazy lighting operator to the nightclub owner, fellow magicians, whoever is Van's mysterious new boyfriend, these suspects bring shivers...and not of the good kind. Drawn to fellow magician Elvis Jones, Lucy gets shivers that electrify, but also terrify. Who is he? Could he be the killer?

I loved how the past and present intersected and I loved Bird. The slow reveal of Lucy's background, the horrifying past of Little Nick, combined with the story of Cleo and her loves and tragic death increase the tension turning a murder mystery into a taut suspenseful thriller.

The majority of the novel is written in present tense. This is what I disliked about the book. Present tense writing just sounds wrong, stilted and odd. In many cases I can only read a few pages without giving up. ZIGZAG GIRL had enough dialog and sections not written in that tense that at times it wasn't as jarring. Plus the story was so compelling I had to discover the truth and happily reached the end.

Thrilling storylines and heightened drama with unexpected twists and turns ZIGZAG GIRL is a novel that grabs you and never lets go.

**********************************************************************

ZIGZAG GIRL

by Ruth Knafo Setton

March 2-27, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Zigzag Girl, by Ruth Knafo Setton, is a twisty contemporary mystery with a touch of magic, set in Atlantic City and the eerie New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lucy Moon, a brilliant young magician with a mysterious past, works in the town’s theatre, staging performances of enchantment and conjure. But one night, during the ‘Sawing a Woman in Half’ trick, Lucy discovers her friend’s body in the box, dead. As Lucy digs deeper, she uncovers a trail of murders and suspects. With the help of a fierce group of female magicians and mystics, she must expose the truth before she becomes the final act.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Published by: Black Spring Press
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Number of Pages: 376
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | The Black Spring Press Group

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Atlantic City
Wednesday October 17
24 years later

Nine minutes to the finale.

Hand me a flower and I’ll transform it into a dove. Shoot me from a cannon and I’ll come out smiling. But lock me in the box and saw me in half, I’ll scream bloody murder.

Unheard of for a Moon – a member of America’s most famous magic family – to be terrified of that creaky old standard, the sawing box. But you’re hearing it now.

In exactly nine minutes, Charlie, our production manager, and Van, my friend and co-star, are supposed to reenact the famous Sawing a Woman in Half illusion as it was performed by Magnificent Morelli and his assistant Cleo West in this theatre during World War Two.

The classic poster hangs in the dressing room: a man with slick black hair and a thin moustache gesturing to a pretty strawberry-blonde who holds a Statue of Liberty torch.

Between them is the infamous sawing box. Black letters slash across the top of the poster:

MAGNIFICENT MORELLI! MAN OF MYSTERY

At the bottom:

NIGHTLY IN THE SCARLET ROOM WORLD-FAMOUS ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK

There’s one problem. Van should have been here two hours ago.

My best friend and other co-star, Stormie, and I managed to get through the show to this point because we’re used to working together and because even in the midst of frenzy, Charlie is an oasis of calm. We call it the Charlie effect. He quickly redesigned the order of illusions to make up for Van’s absence.

But Van still hasn’t shown up, so Charlie will saw me in half in Cleo’s original sawing box. This is not the contemporary sleek or transparent sawing box you see on a Vegas stage, but the real thing. Pure old-school; a deep, long wooden container that resembled a coffin. No openings for head or feet. No clamps for neck or ankles. The kind of box in which the magician’s assistant is completely locked inside, head to toe. If that’s not horrifying enough, this is the same box in which Cleo’s murderer placed her body.

Good publicity for a haunted theatre on Halloween, says Charlie.

At five-seven, I’m two inches shorter than the box. Stormie, coming in at a fraction under six feet and 190 pounds, can’t even squeeze inside.

Hanging right next to Morelli is our poster:

HALLOWEEN THRILLS, CHILLS & BLACK MAGICK! REBEL MAGIC
STORMIE, VAN, & LUCY BLACK WIDOW THEATRE, 13TH FLOOR – if you dare! MIDNIGHT CASINO, OCT 17 – NOV 10

Van and I flank Stormie – a magical version of Charlie’s Angels. As if instead of fighting crime, we resolve to change the world, one trick at a time. In the middle, Stormie towers over Van and me in an orange and black dashiki gown, enormous hoop earrings glinting through her copper- black hair that falls in long ropelike locks. On Stormie’s left is Van, a tiny silvery futuristic superhero who sometimes bills herself as ‘Kickass Korean Babe’ – spiked hair, jumpsuit, thigh- high boots with four-inch heels, and a gleaming knife in each hand. On Stormie’s right, I sparkle in my red-hot Miss Scarlett dress and stilettos. That’s me, on the corner of woo-woo and fuggedaboutit – a magic wand in one hand, a cannoli in the other.

Tonight is our opening night, and it means something big to all three of us: our breakthrough as sisters of magic, an opportunity to make our name in the good old boys’ world of magic, and for me, a chance to make my name without the Moons holding me up on stage.

Van wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Her silver jumpsuit is hanging on the wheeled rack, her knives ready for action. She’s not answering her phone, but during the intermission, she left Stormie and me a message: Emergency. Start without me.

Stormie’s golden-brown eyes were huge, her olive skin sallow, making the freckles stand out. ‘Emergency?’ Her voice is shrill. ‘That is not a Van word.’

‘An accident?’ ‘She’d tell us. No, it’s MLD.’

For the past couple weeks, Van has kept her new boyfriend on the lowdown. Boyfriend is normal – Van juggles men like her knives. Keeping him secret is not. Stormie calls him, ‘MLD,’ short for Mysterious Loner Dude.

‘Van would not miss our opening night for a guy, no matter who he is.’ ‘Then where is she?’ Stormie shook her fingers in my face. ‘Look at my hand. The girl’s giving me shpilkes.’ Whenever she’s emotional, Stormie brings out the Yiddish words her Jewish Nana taught her.

‘If by shpilkes, you mean bad vibes, I’ve got ’em too.’

Chapter 2

Seven minutes to the finale.

Backstage, hands trembling, I tug on Cleo West’s very own Stars n’ Stripes gown, slithering into the shimmering satin. Too short for me. Seams fraying – it’s been let out and tightened more than once. Cleo must have gained and lost weight during the war years.

I sit at the vanity, tightly clip my hair and pull on a long reddish-blonde wig. I hate wigs, they suffocate me and give me an instant headache.

Trapped, wrapped and bundled inside the constraints of hair and layers of fabric, my heart staccatos. When did the theatre get so cold? The scent of lavender crawls over my flesh, the sign that the Widow’s resident ghost, Cleo, is in the house. When you grow up with an Irish witch as an aunt, you accept the presence of ghosts. Doesn’t mean you like them, but you come to terms with sharing the space. According to Auntie Maze, ‘Cleo wants us to see the cracks and stains left behind by the past. When she slams doors or turns off lights, she’s saying, “Look! There’s something you’re not seeing!”’

I add final touch-ups to my stage make-up and check my reflection from every angle. I glimpse pinpricks of light in the mirror. Next to my reflection a woman’s face appears, rippling as if she’s underwater. Her fiery-gold hair wavers. Ice-pale eyes meet mine. Two Cleos in the mirror.

I grab the edge of the table. This is the first time she’s shown herself to me! Just in case she’s really there and I’m not losing my mind, I whisper, ‘You’re not real, Cleo. You’re dead. Look, I’m just pretending to be you for an hour, okay? Now please go away.’

She stares at me through the glass. Her lips move. I lean forward, press my face to the mirror, straining to hear.

Cleo disappears, and a large black figure looms in the mirror. Moves closer.

I jolt to my feet and whip around.

A man wearing a black hoodie. At least he’s real, not a ghost. He pushes back the hood. Dark hair falls past his chin.

‘What’s going on here?’ he demands.

Shifting on my feet, I keep my hands low at my sides, ready to punch. ‘You need to leave now.’

He steps closer. He’s half a foot taller, his strong-boned face scowling, his eyes bitter as black coffee. ‘Where’s Van?’

‘Not here.’

‘She said I could come backstage.’

‘Who are you?’ Is he Van’s mysterious guy?

Stormie arrives, breathless. ‘You’re on in five,’ she says to me, and then slits her eyes at the stranger. ‘Elvis Jones! What are you doing here?’

This is Elvis Jones? Definitely not the cheesy overweight Elvis impersonator in a white jumpsuit I imagined when I saw his poster:

Elvis Jones Magic in Hell

Midnight Show No one will be admitted after the door is shut.

I found the blurb pretentious and, on principle, refused to see his show. If I’d known what he looks like, I might have taken a chance. He watches me with a sardonic grin as if he knows what I’m thinking.

‘Hi, Stormie,’ he says. ‘I’m looking for Van.’

‘She hasn’t arrived. Yet.’

He retreats toward the door. ‘I’m outta here.’

Stormie and I watch him leave, and she mutters, ‘What the hell has that girl been up to?’

‘I’m scared for her.’ I hear the words and wish I hadn’t said them.

‘Maybe her phone died, and she’s stuck somewhere. She’s gonna show up.’

***

Author Bio:

Born in Morocco and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Ruth Knafo Setton is the author of the novel, The Road to Fez (Counterpoint Press). Her honors include awards and fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, PEN, CineStory, Nimrod, Cutthroat, Writer’s Digest, and residencies at Hedgebrook, Yaddo, MacDowell, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a multi-genre author whose fiction, creative nonfiction, screenplays, and poetry have won many awards and appeared in journals and anthologies. A former Fiction Editor of Arts & Letters, she has taught Creative Writing and Multicultural Literature at Lehigh University and on Semester at Sea.

Catch Up With Our Author:

RuthSetton.com
Tips, Tricks, & Tea with Ruth (Substack Newsletter)
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @ruthsetton
Instagram - @rksetton
Threads - @rksetton
X - @RuthSetton
Facebook - @ruth.setton

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Thursday, March 19, 2026

A Scoop of Deceit - A Review & Giveaway

Review

A SCOOP OF DECEIT by Lena Gregory
The Seventh Coffee & Cream Café Mystery

Spring is in the air in Watchogue and Danika Delaney is happy to spend the day with her mom. A trip to the garden center should be fun, even with Aunt Miriam tagging along. Their day of fun turns sour after watching a belligerent man yells at the cashier then backs his car into their truck. Not only that he has the audacity to blame her mother! After her mom receives a letter threatening a lawsuit Dani, with her friend Gwen as back up, decides to see if she can reason with him. But when they arrive at his house they find him dead-stabbed in the back! Although her boyfriend Jake is investigating, Dani is happy to let Eli bring out the murder board once more as she and her friends try to figure out who killed the duplicitous deceiver.

One of my favorite things about the Coffee & Cream Café Mystery series is how Dani's family, including the friends that are family too, rally together when one is threatened. Whether the stakes are low or high they will do whatever it takes to protect each other. And this group needs a lot of protecting!

Once again Dani finds herself in outlandish situations that had me laughing out loud. The best thing is that she has the ability to laugh at herself. It's also fine that her friends can laugh at her antics too, because the bottom line is that they love each other and nothing is done out of malice. That can't be said about our victim and even some suspects. Krane is a horrible person whose threats even exist after death. And the more we learn about him, the worse he gets! I love how the team investigates while still scooping up ice cream, pouring coffee, and going to Sunday dinner.

Heartwarming, yet hysterically funny, with a good mystery to boot A SCOOP OF DECEIT is a delightful addition to one of my favorite series.

****************************************************************************

A Scoop of Deceit (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory

About A Scoop of Deceit

A Scoop of Deceit (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery 7th in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher: ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ March 10, 2026

From author Lena Gregory comes another decadently delightful cozy mystery ...

Spring has finally sprung on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York, and Danika Delaney is ready to take a break from running her old-fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, to help her mom start planting for the season. With visions of colorful tulips and delicate daffodils in mind, Danika and her mother browse through the local garden center, where they can’t help but notice a confrontation between out-of-towner Sebastian Krane and the local cashier. Unfortunately, as Krane storms off, aggravated and not paying attention, he hops into his BMW, and crashes right into Mrs. Delaney as she’s backing up in her borrowed pickup truck. As if that weren't enough to put a damper on her sunny mood, Krane then has the nerve to file a lawsuit against her. But when Dani shows up at his mansion to try to straighten things out, she finds him dead, with a knife in his back. Apparently, someone had it out for Sebastian. Someone other than her mother. A fact Dani sets out to prove with the help of her sidekicks, Gwen and Eli, wading through a slew of shady suspects from the victim's stormy past. Can Dani clear her mother's name and find the truth behind Krane's murder? Or will Dani be in danger of pushing up daisies herself this spring?

About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York. Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

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Purchase Links Amazon – Barnes & Noble

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading The Well-Hidden Clue by Kari Lee Townsend. This book is the third in the Wishville Mystery series and was released yesterday.

Autumn has arrived in Wishville, Vermont and the Fall WishFest is underway. Things are running smoothly, almost too smoothly so Lyra Wells, Festival Chair, and, more importantly Guardian of the Well isn't too surprised when she received a frantic call that leads her to the library. Librarian Clara Winslow has discovered a box hidden behind a wall. A box left by her mother who disappeared forty years ago during a library renovation. In 1984 Maggie Winslow discovered a draft that didn't belong and blueprints that didn't match. Town officials called her crazy and after her disappearance police shut down any investigation. Did Maggie discover the underground world of Elarion? Determined to give Clara answers, yet safeguard that secret world Lyra will work with Police Chief Thorn, Elarion Enforcer Calderis, and friend and reporter Lulu. Are humans to blame? Could Rebels be involved? More importantly are there still people who would go to any length to keep their secrets?

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

ZigZag Girl - An Interview. Excerpt, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Ruth Knafo Setton to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Ruth is the author of ZIGZAG GIRL which was released today!

Kathy: In ZIGZAG GIRL we meet Lucy Moon, a stage magician. When I was a kid, my dad took me to a magic store and we bought a few tricks to try. Have you ever tried to practice magic?

RKS: I've been studying magic with master magicians for years—I've been sawed in half, in thirds, and locked in a straitjacket. They encourage me to perform bits of magic when I give readings and talks about Zigzag Girl, but so far I haven't done it—my magic is on the page. But you never know.

Kathy: Do you enjoy watching magicians perform? Do you have a favorite?

RKS: I love watching great magicians—too many favorites to list, but Jeff McBride, Penn & Teller, Derek DelGaudio, Luna Shimada, Carisa Hendrix, and Derren Brown are among them. For a moment we transcend reality, reminded of the wonder and mystery we live in. I like to leave the theater feeling transformed inside.

Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?

RKS: Curiosity—I was so nosy as a kid, I followed strangers and kept a detective notebook full of clues. I always wanted to know what made people tick, who they were behind closed doors, and to me, a writer is just a detective with a pen. My favorite books were mysteries, so it was inevitable I'd write one.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

RKS: My first novel, THE ROAD TO FEZ, is a literary coming-of-age story about an eighteen-year-old girl who returns to Morocco, the land of her birth, to discover who she is. I've also written a YA novel that hasn't been published yet, along with many short stories, essays, and travel writing that have been published. But mystery and secrets find their way into everything I write.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

RKS: A writer needs to be read—to connect with readers, to give back what I was given as a child. When I came to America as a little girl, not speaking the language, I found my first friends in books. Characters and writers opened the world for me, and I wanted to do the same for others.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

RKS: This would change depending on my mood, but today: Colette, because she was the first writer I loved, writing about girls and women with honesty and passion; Kafka, because he woke me up to the possibilities of what a writer can do—and I just want to hug him. I'd also invite Lee Child, because Reacher! And because he's kind. And Karin Slaughter, because I love her books and she's funny as hell.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

RKS: I always have a stack of books next to my bed—friends' books, mysteries, thrillers, literary novels, romances, historical fiction. I belong to two book clubs, and I'm always reading, sometimes three books at once: starting one, in the middle of another, finishing a third. I can't imagine life any other way.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

RKS: Reading and travel are my passions—I've been devouring books since I learned to read, everything from literary fiction to mysteries to cookbooks, no restrictions. I've sailed three times on Semester at Sea, teaching creative writing on a university campus that travels the world. I also love photography and archaeology—in my travels I'm drawn to ruins and ancient sites, walking in the past.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

RKS: Cheese, honey, chocolate, berries.

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

RKS: It's not a series yet, but I have more stories in mind for the characters and magic world of Zigzag Girl. I'm also working on a new book now—a mystery-thriller that roams the Mediterranean. I've been dreaming about this one for years, so I'm excited to finally finish it.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

RKS: Writing takes me into other worlds and lets me live other lives—when I'm writing, anything is possible. I'm free and fearless, exploring the world with my imagination and my pen. Later comes revision and rejection, but in the act of creation, there are no limits to where I can go and what I can do.