Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Die, Die, Birdie - A Guest Post and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Kiki Lowenstein to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Kiki on the pages of the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery series by Joanna Campbell Slan. Die, Die, Birdie is the nineteenth book in the series and was released 

 

Hello from Time in a Bottle!
A Guest Post by Kiki Lowenstein

Hi, Kathy, and all you wonderful cozy mystery readers!

When Joanna asked if I'd like to write something for your blog, I jumped at the chance. As someone who's found herself in the middle of more mysteries than I ever bargained for, I've become quite the cozy mystery fan myself. There's something so comforting about curling up with a good mystery where you know justice will prevail and the amateur sleuth will figure things out—even when that amateur sleuth happens to be me!

My name is Kiki Lowenstein, and I own Time in a Bottle, a craft store here in a St. Louis suburb. A few years ago, if someone had told me I'd be solving murders between organizing cardstock, freezing glue sticks, and teaching classes, I would have laughed. (You do know that freezing glue sticks eliminates those pesky stray strands, don’t you?) But life has a funny way of surprising us.

It all started when my husband George died suddenly, leaving me nearly broke with an eleven-year-old daughter to raise. I desperately needed work, and Dodie Goldfader took a chance on hiring me at her store. I thought I'd be selling supplies and helping customers preserve their memories. I never expected to be preserving evidence and tracking down killers!

What I've learned is … crafters make excellent detectives. We're detail-oriented by nature—we notice when something's even slightly out of place. We're used to figuring out how all the pieces fit together perfectly. And we're persistent! Anyone who's spent hours getting a piece of fabric or ribbon or felt cut just right knows about not giving up when things get tricky.

My crafting background has helped me solve cases in ways the police never expected. I can spot when someone's handwriting doesn't match their usual style, notice if supplies have been tampered with, or recognize when a "perfect" scene has been staged. Plus, working in the crafting community means I hear all the local gossip. Sometimes that gossip contains crucial clues.

The best part about my unexpected detective career is that it's brought wonderful people into my life, including Detective Chad Detweiler, who is now my husband. My coworkers have become like family, and even my daughter Anya has learned to roll with her mom's tendency to stumble into mysteries.

In my latest adventure, Die, Die, Birdie, things get particularly interesting. Without giving too much away, let's say that my child’s request for a new pet turns seriously strange. Yes, he gets the bird he wanted. But he also gets more than he bargained for. Turns out the bird was a witness to a crime and even swallowed some of the evidence. Did you know a small parrot can swallow tiny diamonds and use them to grind up his food? (Hey, I didn’t know that either!)

I hope you'll join me for this new mystery. Like all cozy mysteries, it has that perfect blend of puzzle-solving, community, and characters you'll want to spend time with. Plus, I promise you a lot of laughter and warm fuzzies along the way!

Thanks for letting me visit your wonderful blog, Kathy. Keep reading those cozies—they remind us that even in the darkest mysteries, there's always hope for a happy ending.

Warmly, Kiki Lowenstein

P.S. - Die, Die, Birdie https://amzn.to/46PkAMN is available now, and I promise no crafting supplies were permanently harmed in the making of this mystery!

P.P.S.—Oh, and about those diamonds. Everything comes out in the end. (LOL)
 
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 Die, Die, Birdie (Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series) by Joanna Campbell Slan

About Die, Die, Birdie

Die, Die, Birdie (Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery 19th in the Series
Setting - Missouri
Publisher: ‎ Spot On Publishing
Publication date: ‎ July 1, 2025
Print length: ‎ 230 pages

When her son's new pet becomes evidence in a murder case, scrapbook store owner Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler discovers that some family secrets are worth killing for.

All eight-year-old Erik wanted for his birthday was a bird. What he got was Solo-a traumatized lovebird whose mate was recently devoured by a boa constrictor at a local pet shop.

But when Kiki learns that Solo originally belonged to Ruthie Goldman, a beloved member of their temple community who died after a brutal home invasion, she realizes this is no ordinary rescue pet.

Solo may be small, but he's carrying big secrets-literally. X-rays reveal the tiny bird has swallowed several diamonds from the robbery that killed his previous owner. Now someone is desperately trying to track down Erik's feathered friend, and Kiki's family is in danger.

As Detective Chad Detweiler investigates the diamond theft that triggered Ruthie's fatal stroke, Kiki uncovers a web of family betrayals, frozen embryos, and twisted ideas about genetic purity.

With her trademark blend of humor, heart, and small-town Missouri charm, Kiki must protect her family while helping to solve a murder that hits frighteningly close to home. Because when inheritance, infertility, and identity collide, even the most loving families can harbor deadly secrets.

"Fans of cozy mysteries will delight in this charming blend of family drama, small-town secrets, and feathered friends. Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler proves once again that the most dangerous mysteries often begin with the most innocent questions."

About Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author

who has written more than 70 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Currently, she writes four ongoing mystery series: the Kiki Lowenstein cozy mysteries (Agatha Award finalist/first novel/contemporary); the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award for Literary Excellence winner/historical); the Cara Mia Delgatto mysteries (contemporary); and the Friday Night Mystery Club mysteries (set in 1980s). She’s also the editor and co-author of the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy books.

Her publication career began as one of the earliest Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors, and her stories appear in five of those New York Times bestselling books. Joanna’s first non-fiction book, Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience (Simon & Schuster/Pearson), was endorsed by Toastmasters International and lauded by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter. Her books on scrapbooking have won fans all over the world, and she has taught scrapbooking techniques in Europe and on cruise ships, as well as in the United States.

When she isn’t writing, Joanna is an avid crafter. Contact Joanna at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com.

Follow her on social media by going here https://www.linktr.ee/JCSlan Purchase Link - Amazon -
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