Cozy Up With Kathy: September 2025

I'm pleased to welcome Lucinda Race to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Lucinda writes the Dress Designer Cozy Mystery series. PLEATS AND POISON is the third book in the series and was released last month.

Kathy: In PLEATS AND POISON Claudia Grant is hosting Thanksgiving dinner for seven guests—and one ghost, making her famous mac and cheese. Mac and cheese was never part of my Thanksgiving Day dinners. Was it on your Turkey Day menu? What's your Thanksgiving specialty?

LR: It wasn’t a part of mine either, but my son-in-law said it was on his table every year, so I thought it’d be fun to incorporate that into this story. Also I plan on making macaroni and cheese next Thanksgiving. I love traditions.

Kathy: Claudia is a fashion-savvy psychic. Do you believe in psychics and mediums? Have you met any?

LR: I have talked with a medium. She seemed to know a lot about me and my future, most of which came true. But I guess Claudia is more of a ghost whisperer and less psychic in that sense.

Kathy: I am decidedly not fashion savvy? Are you? Do you follow fashion trends or even sew yourself?

LR: I have sewn a lot in my life, from tailored jackets to Halloween costumes and Christmas stockings. As far as fashion is concerned, I don’t follow the trends, but I love classic looks and comfortable clothes. Give me a great pair of jeans, a soft blouse and blazer and comfortable cowboy boots and I’m happy.

Kathy: Claudia has a best friend and a ghostly sidekick. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a ghostly encounter?

LR: I do believe in ghosts and angels. When I purchased my current home, my daughter was home alone and swore she heard heels clicking on the living room floor. It popped out of my mouth that it was George making sure she was doing her homework, and it stuck.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

LR: I’ve devoured mystery books since I could read. I’ve loved Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and of course Agatha Christie books are a perennial favorite. I never thought I could write one. I don’t plot books, I’m what’s called a pantser and I thought to write a great cozy I’d have to change how I write. But I gave it a try and found a method that works for me. It’s a blast!

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

LR: I write small town contemporary romance and I have three connected series.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

LR: The McKenna Family Romance Series” Strong Women and the Strong Men who love them.

The Price Family Romance Series: Family, wine and second chances—the perfect vintage for happily ever afters.

The Cowboys of River Junction: Welcome to the small-town cowboy romance series where fans call these sweet romances: "stories chock-full of emotion.".

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

LR: Having a favorite character is like asking if I have a favorite kid. I love them all, but each main female characters in my books have snippets of my daughters.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

LR: Life inspires me. My favorite pastime is to sit and observe the smallest action or detail while people and daily activities swirl around me. It’s from those experiences that my stories are crafted.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

LR: I love a challenge, and my husband asked, Why not? So I did and now 45+ books later, here I am.

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

LR: Agatha Christie: Mystery

Nora Roberts: Romance and Suspense

Jane Austen: Romance/ Literary Realism

Dan Brown: Suspense

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

LR: The Vampire Knitting Club Mystery Series and a book on golf.

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

LR: I adore gardening, flowers and veggies. I love to read and my TBR list is HUGE and I love cooking and baking for family and friends. Oh and I just took up golf again after 2- years away from the links.

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

LR: Light cream, Coke, Salsa, and chocolate in the meat keeper. J

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

LR: For the Craft and Ghost Cozy Mysteries series, there will be more books, if I had to say now, at least 9 more. I also have a non-paranormal series I’m writing and another spin- off to the Bookstore Cozy Mystery Series, the Witches of Robins Pointe.

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

LR: Meeting and talking with readers who may have enjoyed my books or who are interested in trying one for the first time. I love talking books with others, it makes me very happy.

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Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series) by Lucinda Race

About Pleats & Poison

Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - Coastal Town of Drakes Bay
Publisher: ‎ MC Two Press
Publication Date: ‎ August 6, 2025
Digital Print length: ‎ 222 pages

Enjoy this humorous, small-town, psychic, cozy mystery by best-selling and award-winning Lucinda Race. A fashion-savvy psychic, one haunted Thanksgiving, and a pleated skirt that’s dressed to kill. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for seven guests—and one ghost—is all in a day’s work for Claudia Grant. Between whipping up her famous mac and cheese and debuting her boutique’s latest fall fashion, Claudia’s ready to impress her visiting mom and stylish grandmother. Her cozy coastal town of Drakes Bay is the perfect backdrop for family, food, and fresh starts—especially when Gram falls in love with a pleated skirt and sweater ensemble from Claudia’s shop. But when a spilled glass of orange juice leads to a shocking discovery—a guest at the neighboring Whistlers Inn is found dead, and the very same pleated skirt wrapped around her neck—Claudia's holiday cheer unravels fast. Now, with her best friend Beth and a ghostly sidekick in tow, Claudia must piece together a tangled mystery before the killer skips town... and before the secrets hidden in the folds come back to haunt them all. She’d rather be sewing hemlines than following clues—but if Claudia can’t stitch together the truth in time, someone else might be the next to check out… permanently. Pleats & Poison is the third book in the A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery series from award-winning author Lucinda Race. Cozy up, settle in, and prepare to be haunted… in the best possible way!

About Lucinda Race

Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of fiction who fell in love with cozy mysteries and romance novels as a young girl. While her childhood friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, Lucinda was already dreaming of crafting captivating novels filled with heart, hope, and happily ever afters.

Though her writing journey began with nonfiction, her passion for storytelling never wavered. She returned to her true calling—creating the beloved McKenna Family Romance series and the Paranormal Cozy Nook Bookstore Series—writing the kinds of stories she loves to read. Whether she’s weaving a heartwarming romance or a cozy mystery, her fingers practically fly across the keyboard.

Lucinda lives in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts with her little dog— a shih tzu mix rescue—who is always by her side. When she’s not immersed in writing mystery, suspense, or romance, she’s curled up with a book, devouring everything she can get her hands on.

Social Media Links: https://twitter.com/LucindaRace

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Goodreads – Lucinda Race- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10174985.Lucinda_Race

YouTube Lucinda Race https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lucinda+race+author

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lucindaraceauthor/

BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/lucindaraceauthor.bsky.social

Universal Link https://books2read.com/ap/xyYO2g/Lucinda-Race

Bookbub Lucinda Race https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucinda-race

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Lucinda-Race/e/B00Q0MMNUM

Lucinda’s Heart Racers Reader Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/118597305361578