I'm pleased to welcome Vanessa Westermann to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Vanessa writes the Charley Scott Mystery series. SHUDDER PULP is the second book in the series and will be released May 3, 2025.
Kathy: In SHUDDER PULP Charley Scott is creating an immersive pulp art installation based on the local lake monster legend. I love learning about local legends! We have several near me and not too terribly far from me is Champ-the lake monster who lives in Lake Champlain. Do you have any legends local to you?
VW: The local legends that inspired SHUDDER PULP are historical rather than recent. While researching the cottage country setting, I learned about Kingstie, the 175-foot serpent in the water near Kingston Harbour, and the monster that was seen in the Bay in Belleville, Ontario. Sightings of both lake monsters were reported in local newspapers in the 19th century.
It’s hard to entirely dismiss these legends as fiction and that’s wonderfully eerie. Marine biologists acknowledge that the Great Lakes do harbour mysteries: prehistoric fish and reptiles that have adapted to the waters and thrived for centuries. I couldn’t help but wonder what might lurk under the surface of Charley’s lake…
Kathy: Charley teams up again with chocolatier Matt Thorn to investigate the murder of the newcomer who previously she had been attacked by the monster. I wouldn't mind teaming up with a chocolatier for many reasons...including chocolate. I love handmade specialty chocolate. Sponge candy is a local treat here and a favorite chocolate shop made raspberry flavored sponge candy this year! Do you have any favorite types of chocolate?
VW: Dark chocolate is my weakness! The chocolates in the Charley Scott mysteries are inspired by Centre & Main Chocolate Co’s flavours. The Gin & Tonic chocolate bar from Cover Art can be purchased from them, and so can the chocolate-coated maple sponge toffee from SHUDDER PULP. Researching the chocolate flavours is, as you can probably imagine, a real hardship!
Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?
VW: The title and general plot were inspired by Shudder Pulp dime magazine stories. The ‘shudder pulp’ formula of horror stories had one rule: All supernatural events had to be explained away in the end as nothing more than tricks played by the villain to cover his or her tracks. Although these original pulp stories were gruesome and menacing, I thought the idea would work well for a cozy mystery. Why not have the killer try to cover their tracks with supernatural elements, and blame the murder on a legendary lake monster?
Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Charley?
VW: I’m currently working on book three of the Charley Scott mysteries, which is set in winter. The murder is a death by polar plunge. Charley gets drawn into a series of cottage country winter adventures that become increasingly dangerous. She must brave the elements to figure out whodunnit.
Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?
VW: I’m a plotter, but I like to leave myself some freedom to discover the story as a draft. I normally flesh out my characters and come up with key plot points before writing. The magic happens, however, when characters react to challenges. Their responses often surprise me and take the story in new directions that I couldn’t have planned in advance. One of my favourite writing quotes is from Ray Bradbury: “Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?
VW: I actually enjoy all aspects of marketing because I get to finally share the story I’ve been working on for so long. I have the most fun creating Instagram posts that invite readers into the characters’ world. For example, I recently posted a glimpse into Charley’s sketchbook, sharing two pages she might have created to plan her Shudder Pulp art exhibit.
Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?
VW: Cormorant Books is republishing my first mystery, titled AN EXCUSE FOR MURDER, along with the sequel, TURNING THE PAGE ON MURDER, in 2026. The series is set in England and features amateur sleuth and bookstore owner, Kate Rowan. This series combines elements of the cozy mystery genre with romantic suspense. In TURNING THE PAGE ON MURDER, Kate has given up on crime fiction after falling for a killer when she finds her great-aunt holding a bloody knife at a murder scene. Kate reluctantly teams up with Gary, the man who broke her heart, to find out whodunnit. Their search for the truth sends them on a high stakes treasure hunt through downtown London, from the safe deposit boxes in Selfridges department store to the Reading Rooms of the British Library.
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Author Links:
Website: www.vanessa-westermann.info
Instagram: @vanessawestermann_
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