I'm pleased to welcome Laura Cavanagh and Colin Vaughan to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Together, as L. C. Winters, they write the Half Moon Bay Mystery series. Mystery at an Irish Wedding is the first book in the series.
Kathy: In Mystery at an Irish Wedding, Clementine Moriarty returns to Half Moon Bay only to discover her ex-fiancé is getting married to her best friend, Charlotte. Have either of you faced a similar betrayal?
LCW: Thankfully, no! While we’ve both had our fair share of heartbreak and complicated friendships, we haven’t lived through that particular soap opera. But betrayal — whether romantic or platonic— is such a universal sting that it’s rich territory for a cozy mystery. Writing it gave us the perfect outlet for all those what-if scenarios and “I would have said…” moments.
Kathy: Many cultures have specific wedding traditions. What makes an Irish wedding special?
LCW: Irish weddings are warm, wild, and full of character. There’s a blend of tradition and mischief —handfasting ceremonies, Claddagh rings, and speeches that teeter between hilarity and heartfelt emotion. And of course, there’s always music. A proper Irish wedding isn’t complete without a bit of dancing and a few songs belted out in the wee hours. Sometimes the party continues through the night and most of the next day!
Kathy: Clementine's parents have a seaside art gallery. Do you like art? What types of paintings would you choose?
LCW: We love art, especially the kind that tells a story or captures a place’s soul. Coastal landscapes, folk art, and slightly quirky portraits tend to draw us in. If it’s something you could imagine in a cozy seaside town, it’s probably right up our alley. Much like Mason we are fascinated by the originality of conceptual art and its ability to place the audience in the creation.
Kathy: You write as a team. How does that work? Does one person work more on the plot while the other writes the actual words?
LCW: Yes — Laura is the main writer, and I (Colin) act as editor-in-chief, sounding board, and occasional plot wrangler. We talk through everything from murder motives to what Clementine’s wearing in chapter three. It’s a true collaboration and one we both treasure. Sometimes it’s tea and brainstorming; other times, it’s coffee and “Wait, does this make any sense?”
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
LCW: There’s something comforting about justice being served in a charming village with colourful characters. We grew up loving whodunnits — Agatha Christie, Murder, She Wrote, all of it. Cozy mysteries are the literary equivalent of a cuppa on a rainy day.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
LCW: Yes! We’ve also dipped into fantasy and folklore, blending myth and modern life. But no matter the genre, there’s always a mystery at the heart of the story. We just can’t resist a good puzzle.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
LCW: The Half Moon Bay Mysteries follow Clementine Moriarty, an amateur sleuth with a flair for fashion and a knack for stumbling into trouble in her hometown on the Irish coast. It’s full of charm, humour, small-town secrets — and a few unexpected murders. We also have other books in the works that mix mystery with fantasy, folklore, and even a touch of the supernatural.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
LCW: Mason Hughes, the local detective, is a favourite. He’s stoic but secretly funny, and his loyalty to Clementine makes him a rock in the storm. Plus, he has a pet fox named Mulder, and that kind of says it all.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
LCW: Yes, we wanted to write the kind of mystery we love to read: character-driven, slightly eccentric, with a strong sense of place. Ireland’s west coast was a big inspiration. There’s something both timeless and mysterious about a seaside village where everyone knows your name (and your secrets).
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
LCW: We’d been writing stories for ourselves for years, but at some point, we thought — why not share them? Life’s too short to keep your sleuths to yourself. Self-publishing gave us the freedom to tell the stories exactly the way we wanted to.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
LCW: Agatha Christie (for the mystery), Terry Pratchett (for the wit), Maeve Binchy (for the warmth), and Tana French (for the atmosphere). It would be an unforgettable night.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
LCW: Right now, we’re reading The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. Witty, heartfelt, and clever — the perfect cozy crime with a twist.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
LCW: Aside from writing and reading? We love beach walks, puzzles, and creating games with our daughter. We have a background in coding and app development so it’s good to keep those skills active!
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
LCW: Tea (we’re Irish — it’s non-negotiable), oat milk, pasta, and something sweet, usually chocolate.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
LCW: Absolutely. The next Half Moon Bay mystery is due for release in July, and we have another three in the works. We’re developing a new series with a supernatural twist which will be released later in the summer.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
LCW: Hearing from readers who connected with a character, laughed at a line, or couldn’t put the book down. There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing your story brought someone joy — or kept them guessing until the last page.
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Mystery at an Irish Wedding: Half Moon Bay Mysteries by L.C. Winters
About Mystery at an Irish Wedding
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - Ireland
Independently Published (January 13, 2025)
Print length: 378 pages
"Wedding dresses, ex-fiancés, and a whole lot of murder—just another day in Half Moon Bay"Therapist Clementine Moriarty thought her return to the whimsical seaside town of Half Moon Bay, nestled in cozy Donegal - would be a chance to reconnect with her roots, spend time at her parents' charming little seaside art gallery and heal from heartbreak. But her homecoming is anything but peaceful when she stumbles upon an unwelcome surprise—her ex-fiancé, Greg, is getting married to her best friend, Charlotte, on the very beach where Clementine was supposed to say "I do."
Through a series of unexpected twists and turns, what starts as a personal nightmare soon spirals into an intriguing mystery. An anonymous email had lured Clementine back home, but who sent it and why? As the wedding unfolds, tensions simmer, secrets surface, and Half Moon Bay’s picturesque façade begins to crack. When someone turns up dead with a series of baffling clues and puzzles, Clementine finds herself the role of unlikely detective as she becomes the prime suspect.
With the help of a heartwarming, blue-haired artist and her sharp intuition, Clementine must navigate a maze of jealous exes, local gossip, and buried betrayals to uncover the truth amid the charming and Whimsical backdrop of Donegal. But in a village where everyone has something to hide, will this quirky crime-solving team be able to unmask the killer before it's too late?
Perfect for fans of small-town mysteries, vibrant characters, clever clues, and a touch of romance, Murder at an Irish Wedding will keep you guessing until the final page.
About L. C. Winters
L.C. Winters is the pen name for Laura Cavanagh & Colin Vaughan. We are from Ireland, and we aim to bring our culture, cozy Irish atmosphere, legends and history into our stories. We write cozy mystery romance novels. Our focus is on creating a set of clever clues with twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. Our first series is called 'Half Moon Bay Mysteries and it is set in a small, seaside village in Ireland. Our stories promote a romanticised view of small-town life with a host of eccentric, lovable characters.
As avid mystery fans (we love the classics like Agatha Christie as well as modern cozy authors like Richard Osman), we love deciphering clues and trying to beat the detective to figure out who commited the crime. So we decided to create mysteries with a complex set of interrelated clues which are delivered in an easy to follow story. We hope that the ending of each of our mysteries is both a surprise and, at the same time, feels inevitable and 'right'.
Laura has a degree in Psychology and this is reflected in our protagonist Clementine who uses her Psychology know-how to figure out the motives, secrets and inconsistencies in each suspect.
With our cozy fiction, we aim to create heartwarming stories with lovable, quirky characters in a nice, soothing environment. Wherever you are when you are reading our stories, we hope to whisk you away to beautiful, picturesque Ireland to the seaside county of Donegal!
Author Links:
Webpage - lcwinters.com
Blog - https://lcwinters.com/blog-home/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LCWinters/
Twitter/X - https://x.com/L_C_Winters
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lcwinters_author/
BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/lc-winters.bsky.social
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53784435.L_C_Winters
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