I'm pleased to welcome Nikki Knight to the blog today. Nikki writes the Vermont Radio Mystery series. She is also one of the authors of THE LITTLE SHOP OF MURDERS anthology that was released last week.
SPIN ME A SONG
by Nikki Knight
“Can you play something for me?”
The first time I heard that question, I was a teenage DJ working the overnight shift in my tiny Western Pennsylvania hometown. Requests are the life blood of small-market radio. Honestly, they’re the main reason local stations still exist.
If you aren’t giving your listeners what they need, in the form of local information and those requests, you might as well turn it over to whatever kind of angry talk show the satellite mongers are offering this week. Small-town radio is all about the listeners.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not easy…and that’s why there isn’t a lot of it any more.
Which is probably part of the reason I enjoy writing the Vermont Radio Mysteries; I get to create an ideal little radio station in the perfect small town. Sure, it’s inspired by the place I worked in my first on-air job many years ago, but in fiction, you can sand off some of the edges and emphasize the warmth and connections of small-town life.
Small towns and small businesses are classic settings for cozy mysteries, of course. There’s something powerfully appealing about the idea of nefarious doings in apparently quiet communities, with a quirky cast coming together to put things right. Those small businesses, too, often offer intriguing windows into what many people consider a dream livelihood.
They’re fun for readers, who get to “live over the store” in some interesting place, without the chores of balancing the books, paying the taxes, and hiring the staff. I can’t be the only reader who follows some series simply because I enjoy spending time in the place where they’re set!
For writers, these small-town settings open up all kinds of plot opportunities. In my stories, I try to set up situations that could only happen to my characters and have them find solutions with their unique skills.
You may have read movie or TV reviews where critics say this or that plot point doesn’t feel “earned,” meaning they don’t think it was set up to suit the characters and the setting, and it’s obviously forced. It’s a point of pride for me to earn everything in my stories and books.
That’s especially true with Jaye Jordan, the main character of my Vermont Radio Mysteries. She’s a former New York City DJ, whose career and marriage hit the skids at roughly the same time. As she puts it, her husband survived cancer but their marriage didn’t, and her big radio station decided the Bully Ballers Show was a better bet than Light Rock at Work. She took her severance and her tween daughter, bought the radio station where she had her first on-air job, and started over in tiny Simpson, Vermont.
All that opens a wide variety of plot possibilities for Jaye. As a longtime DJ, she knows music, radio, and voices. As the ex-wife of a cancer survivor, she knows about medicine, divorce, and complex family relationships. And as a new small-town business owner, she’s learning about running a radio station the fast and hard way.
She also has a wicked sense of humor. That’s from me. A lifetime in newsrooms has given me a finely honed appreciation of slapstick, as well as the wry line. Nothing better than gallows humor when you’re standing on the trap door. (Yes, that is a Jaye comment.)
In “It Was Our Song,” the story in LITTLE SHOP OF MURDERS, all of this comes together. Jaye is alone in the studio, late one night, when she gets a request for a popular anniversary song: You’re the Inspiration. Days later, when she recognizes the voice of the caller, she realizes that was no ordinary spin…and her hard-won emotional intelligence comes into play.
You’ll have to read the story to find out what happens. Let’s just say this is one of my favorite Jaye stories, ever. And that you’ll never think of requests – or You’re the Inspiration – the same way again!
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Nikki Knight describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York City’s #1 all-news station, 1010 WINS Radio, she writes short stories and novels including the upcoming Grace the Hit Mom Mystery WRONG POISON (July 2023, Charade Media). Her stories appear in magazines including the May/June 2023 Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, online, and in anthologies including DEADLY NIGHTSHADE: Best New England Crime Stories 2022. She’s been short-listed for Black Orchid Novella and Derringer Awards. She, her husband, and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat.
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Review
THE LITTLE SHOP of MURDERS (COLLECTED COZY MYSTERIES) By Millie Ravensworth, ACF Bookens, Geraldine Byrne, Rachel McLean, Diane Kelly, Nikki Knight, London Lovett, Lise McClendon, Flora McGowan, Kathryn Mykel, J. New, Eryn Scott, Debbie Young, Victoria Tait, Carlene O’Connor
About The Little Shop of Murders
Cozy Mystery Anthology
Pigeon Park Press (April 1, 2023)
Number of Pages - 260
Book shops, boutiques and small businesses are the lifeblood of small towns but what secrets lie behind those pretty display windows and in the alleyways behind these charming streets?
Step inside for a personal retail experience like no other!
‘The Little Shop of Murders’ collects together fifteen superb cozy mysteries written by some of the finest authors in the genre.
All author and publisher profits from the sale of this book go to children’s charities, helping those most in need.
Stories include: Don’t Toy with Me by Diane Kelly A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait It Was Our Song by Nikki Knight Always and Furever by Eryn Scott Wild Irish Dreams by Lise McClendon Architect of a Murder by Carlene O’Connor Blooms and Blackmail by London Lovett Secondhand Murder by J. New The Lady of the House by Flora McGowan Requiem for a Violin by Geraldine Byrne Nightly Nuisance by Kathryn Mykel The Gift of Dragons by ACF Bookens Nowhere to Hide by Debbie Young Murder in the Bookshop by Rachel McLean
About the Authors
Victoria TaitVictoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. She’s drawn on her experiences following her military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings. Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.
Link to My Dotty Sayers series:- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L
Carlene O’Connor
Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of The Irish Village Mysteries, Home to Ireland Mysteries, and the new County Kerry Mystery series. Her mysteries have been translated into German, Estonia, and UK markets thus far and the Irish Village Mysteries have been optioned for television. Readers are encouraged to get in touch via Facebook, Goodreads, Book Bub, or through the contact form on CarleneOConnor.net. An admitted wanderer, Carlene spends as much time in Ireland as possible while currently residing in California and Chicago. She is always up for joining events via Zoom or in person.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carlene-OConnor/author/B01BJ1KOFY
Eryn Scott
Eryn Scott is the author of heartwarming cozy mysteries. Her Whiskers and Words cozy mystery series features deep friendships, strong families, a tight-knit small town, twisty mysteries, and a whole lot of adorable cats. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest with a handful of beloved animals. She enjoys knitting, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, and reading.
Link to my series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09LTWVPTG?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks
Flora McGowan
Flora McGowan is the author of the Carrie and Keith Mysteries, novels and short stories. Her stories combine a mix of mystery with the mystical and supernatural, often with an historical element as well as a touch of humour and a dash of romance. Flora was born in Dorset and has spent most, but not all, of her life there, and many of her stories are based in this locale. Flora enjoys travelling, taking inspiration from the places she visits. You can catch up with Flora via Goodreads, her blog, Facebook, Instagram or BookBub.
Flora McGowan on Amazon
Nikki Knight
Nikki Knight describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York City's top all-news radio station, 1010 WINS, she writes mysteries including LIVE, LOCAL, AND DEAD, a Vermont Radio Mystery from Crooked Lane, and as Kathleen Marple Kalb, the Ella Shane and Old Stuff series. Her short stories appear online and in anthologies, and have been short-listed for Black Orchid Novella and Derringer Awards. She, her husband and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat.
Book link: Live, Local, and Dead (A Vermont Radio Mystery)
Diane Kelly Diane Kelly writes funny stories that feature feisty female lead characters and their furry, four-footed friends. Diane is the author of over three dozen novels and novellas, including the Death & Taxes white-collar crime series, the Paw Enforcement K-9 series, the House Flipper cozy mystery series, the Busted female motorcycle cop series, the Southern Homebrew moonshine series, and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries series. Find Diane online at DianeKelly.com, on Twitter and Instagram @DianeKellyBooks, and on Facebook at her Author Diane Kelly page. Link to the first book in my House Flipper series - Dead as a Door Knocker: https://amzn.to/2oE3Epb
J New J. New is the author of The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries. Immerse yourself in country house murders, dastardly deeds at English Church fetes, daring escapades in the French Riviera and the secret tunnels under London, in the award-winning series readers call, 'Miss Marple’ meets ‘The Ghost Whisperer.' She also writes two contemporary mystery series: Tea & Sympathy featuring Lilly Tweed, former Agony Aunt now purveyor of fine teas and Finch & Fischer with mobile librarian Penny Finch and her rescue dog Fischer at the helm. Jacquie lives in the North of England with her partner and an assortment of rescue animals.
London Lovett London Lovett is a cozy mystery author and connoisseur of delicious baked goods.
Many readers have called her Port Danby Cozy Mystery series a 'new favorite'. Port Danby features a small town florist with a powerful sense of smell. Lacey 'Pink' Pinkerton uses her impressive nose to help solve crimes as an amateur sleuth alongside her detective boyfriend, James Briggs. Blooms and Blackmail is a Port Danby short story.
You can keep up with London's books and access some delicious recipes on her website: www.londonlovett.com Link to Marigolds and Murder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NB3B54Debbie Young
Debbie Young writes two popular cozy mystery series featuring Sophie Sayers, set in a Cotswold village, and Gemma Lamb, set at a girls’ boarding school. One book in each series was shortlisted for the Bookbrunch Selfies Awards for the best independently-published fiction in the UK. She is founder of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, and a course tutor for Jericho Writers. She writes in the Plotting Shed at the bottom of her cottage garden. Her novels are now published by Boldwood Books and she is represented by the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BBQHC2G1
Here's the Amazon UK link for the whole series (the 8th book is up for preorder and will be published on 15th March): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BGQHG246?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks Here are the links for my website and social media: www.authordebbieyoung.com Facebook: @AuthorDebbieYoung Twitter: @DebbieYoungBN Instagram: @debbieyoungauthor
ACF Bookens ACF Bookens lives in Virginia’s Southwestern Mountains with two hound dogs and a very energetic preschooler. When she’s not writing, she enjoys watching shows with teenagers who are way cooler than she ever was and cross-stitch. You can find her books at acfbookens.com Link to my first book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XVQDQ58/
Kathryn Mykel Kathryn Mykel is the author of the Award-Winning Sewing Suspicion - A Quilting Cozy Mystery. Kathryn is inspired by the laugh-out-loud and fanciful aspects of cozies. Kathryn Mykel aims to write lighthearted, humorous cozies surrounding her passion for the craft of quilting. Born and raised in a small New England town—Kathryn is an avid quilter. Sewing Suspicion - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HVC4K2N
Lise McCLendon Lise McClendon is the author of numerous novels of crime and suspense. Her bestselling Bennett Sisters Mysteries continue to charm readers worldwide. Her first mystery series was set in Jackson, Wyoming, featuring art dealer, Alix Thorssen. When not writing about foreign lands and dastardly criminals, Lise lives in Montana with her husband and has recently become a fan of sunny winters in the desert. She enjoys fly fishing, hiking, picking raspberries in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter. She has served on the national boards of directors of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as the faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference. Books: Bennett Sisters Mysteries: https://amzn.to/3Iyijt8. Alix Thorssen series: https://amzn.to/3W05kmY
Geraldine Byrne
Geraldine Moorkens Byrne is an Irish mystery writer, poet and educator. She lives with her family in Dublin where many of her stories are set, especially The Caroline Jordan series. When not dreaming up modern murder mysteries, she knits, crochets and teaches classes on Irish folk traditions. Until 2021 she owned Ireland’s oldest family owned music shop, the basis for “Requiem for a Violin.” Mrs. O’Brien and friends will return in their own series in 2023, The Music Shop Mysteries.
She also writes a magical cosy mystery series, The Old Bat Chronicles under the pen name Nina Hayes.
Geraldine Moorkens Byrne Author@celebratingwords.com Www.CelebratingWords.com
Millie Ravensworth
Millie Ravensworth has been writing (and sewing!) for years, and it seemed like a natural step to combine the two things in a series of cozy mysteries. She lives in England and has an adorable dog who likes to be at her side when she is sewing / writing, but he'd much rather she played fetch with his favourite toy!
Izzy King and Penny Slipper who appear in the story in this collection can also be found in the Cozy Craft Mystery books that are available to read now.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Millie-Ravensworth/e/B0BP2T4SV3/
Rachel McLean Rachel McLean is an award-winning crime author who writes UK-based police procedurals. She is best known for the Dorset Crime series and the DI Zoe Finch series set in her home city of Birmingham. Book 1 in the Dorset Crime series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the Kindle Storyteller Award 2021. Her new McBride and Tanner series is set around Loch Lomond in Scotland. Link to Zoe books: https://geni.us/zoefinch
A full bibliography and reading order can be found at rachelmclean.com/bibliography
Purchase Link - Amazon - The Little Shop of Murder
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