During my Welcome to Winter Online Book Party I offered an opportunity to interview me. Reader Hilary Flanagan took up the challenge.
Hilary: For those of us who are not as familiar with your origin story, what first drew you to cozy mysteries and how did that evolve into Cozy Up with Kathy?
Kathy: I've always been a reader, probably inevitable as an only child with parents who loved to read! My dad collected Hardy Boys mysteries, so I was introduced to them...it didn't hurt when the Hardy Boys TV series came out in the 1970s! I was a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock so was thrilled to discover Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators, yes Hitch was originally in those books! Fast forward several decades in which I never stopped reading. I was living in Austin, Texas and working as a police officer when I learned about Sisters in Crime. I joined the local chapter and the rest is history. I started the Cozy Up With Kathy blog and corresponding Facebook after I moved back to Western New York. I knew some authors and wanted to work on my writing. The rest, as they say, is history.
Hilary: What types of discussions or events in the group have generated the most
excitement and participation? How do you see that/those evolving in
the new year?
Kathy: The Cozy Up With Kathy Party Page is a bit
different than other groups. Several years ago Facebook started to
target live events on pages, people who commented "too much" were placed
in Facebook jail and were banned from posting or commenting for a
while. This was destroying parties. I had the idea to hold parties on a
group page, rather than a regular page, as I noticed lots of posts from
people in groups weren't being targeted. Si I created the Cozy Up With Kathy Party Page. My idea worked! That being
said, I never intended the group page to be a big thing, it was just a
location to host the few parties I held each year. I also offer it to
the authors with whom I work to use for their own promotions. If I had
more time in the day I would expand it, but for now I have the 2 big
parties: My Halloween Spooktacular and my Welcome to Winter. If I have
time I will sometimes host small parties in the spring and summer.
Hilary: What do you value most about the Cozy up with Kathy group, and what do you think makes the group uniquely special?
Kathy: I think The Party Page is special in that it's focus is just parties. It is not active at other times so members aren't inundated with posts. We also have the direct interaction with a variety of authors.
Hilary: Are there any specific themes or subgenres you see on the rise for cozy mysteries and any recent releases in those subgenres you encourage readers to check out to test those waters?
Kathy: In general certain subgenres remain prevalent, the Culinary Cozy and the Paranormal. Culinary mysteries are probably the most common and even books that I wouldn't classify as cozies sometimes include recipes! I appreciate that some books are adding more mature themes. I'm not talking mature as it comes to increased sex or violence, but mature as in thoughtful, pertinent to today's world, more thought provoking.
Hilary: Any emerging authors or hidden gems from the community that are worth highlighting to readers with all levels of cozy experience and all heights of TBR piles?
Kathy: Most of the authors I read are considered mid-listers. They may be popular in the cozy community and their books sell well-but they're not well known to the casual reader. In fact, although I real a lot of mysteries, the books I read are rarely even nominated for awards. I don't think I read one that was nominated in Bouchercon. I do slightly better with Malice Domestic and the Lefties, but not much. This is one of the main goals of Cozy Up With Kathy-getting the word out about great books by wonderful authors. That being said, here are some authors I love who may not be as well known as others: Maureen Klovers, Jeanne Quigley, Kate Parker, L. A. Chandlar, Lissa Redmond, and Eleanor Kuhns.
Hilary: What feedback do you think matters most to writers, and what is the best way for us readers to offer it?
Kathy: I think the best feedback for writers is to leave reviews and talk up their books. Recommend them to friends, family, and co-workers. Buy their books, check them out at libraries and request them if libraries don't offer them already!
Hilary: If you could host one live cozy event (virtual or in person) - what would it look like and who would be on your surprise panel/guest list?
Kathy: I would love to host a live cozy event. But as a former President of Murder on Ice I know that is no easy task. So I would love for someone else to organize a huge mystery party in Western New York! I would happily moderate a panel or two. There would be food and goodie bags for all-including me! What's more likely would be a virtual panel, especially as friends and favorite authors live all over...including in Tasmania! It would be hard to choose authors, so I'd have to invite via panel. I'd love a historical panel with L. A. Chandlar, Kate Parker, Clara McKenna, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Colleen Cambridge, Eleanor Kuhns, Mary Winters. Heather Redmond...uh oh, that panel is getting big. Can you tell I love historicals? I'd love a humorous group with Ellen Byron, Vivien Chien, A. J. Devlin, and Michele Pariza Wacek, I couldn't forget the authors who are my actual friends in real life, Lissa Redmond and L. J. M. Owen. And I'd hate to forget favorite authors such as Cleo Coyle, Gigi Pandian, Daryl Wood Gerber, Maureen Klovers. Oh there are so many. It would have to be a multiday event at a hugs place!
Hilary: Is there any particular group tradition or engagement pathway that you would love to see every member participate in at least once?
Kathy: I would love to have readers leave comments on my blog: https://cozyupwithkathy.blogspot.com/. It would also be nice to have more interaction on my Cozy Up With Kathy page, not the Party Page, but the regular page: https://www.facebook.com/CozyUpWithKathy.
Hilary: Is there a book or series you wish more cozy readers talked about and why?
Kathy: There are a lot of fantastic series out there and I'd love to get the word spread about a few of them. I'll start with the Rita Calabresa Mystery series by Maureen Klovers, the Ella Shane Mystery series by Kathleen Marple Kalb, two series by Jeanne Quigley- the Veronica Walsh Mysteries and the Robyn Cavanagh Mystery series, and the Deadly Series by Kate Parker...for starters! These are all fantastic mysteries that don't get a lot of promotion and a lot of people are simply unaware that they exist!
Hilary: What 2026 releases are you most excited about for the cozy community?
Kathy: So many! I'll start with Vivien Chien's CRIME RANGOON, the next Mrs. Claus Mystery by Liz Ireland, VENGEANCE IN VENICE by Erica Ruth Neubauer, the next books in multiple series by Daryl Wood Gerber, and the same with Cleo Coyle. I could go on, but you get the idea.
Hilary: If you could wave a magic wand and change any one thing about the cozy mystery community, what would it be and why?
Kathy: That we'd have time to read all of the wonderful books out there!
