I'm pleased to welcome Jackie Layton to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Jackie writes the Organized Crime Cozy Mystery series. The Con is the second book in the series.
Kathy: Kate Sloan is a professional organizer. I could sure use her help. What about you? Are you an organized person?
JL: I am not naturally organized, and I work hard to have an organized home and office.
Kathy: In The Con Kate is hired to organize an office at Seaside Hideaway Resort. The problem is that her client is a con man. Have you ever had to deal with a con man-or a shady salesperson?
JL: We have dealt with a conman, and it was a confusing time. I learned a lot from that experience.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
JL: I’ve enjoyed cozy mysteries before I even knew the term. I like the relationships between characters, and I like trying to solve the mystery.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
JL: No, I only write cozy mysteries.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
JL: In An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series, Kate Sloan has returned to Fox Island after becoming an empty nester. She’s in her early fifties, she’s a widow, and she is starting a professional organizing business with her best friend. She soon learns that she can use her organizing skills to solve mysteries.
In A Texas Flower Farmer series, Emma Justice, has lived in Lutz, Texas all her life. She knows the people, and when she discovers a murder victim, she feels like she can use her people skills to solve the murder.
In A Low Country Dog Walker series, Andi Grace Scott finds her mentor’s body. When she was younger, her parents were killed by a hit-and-run driver, and the driver was never caught. Because there was never justice for their deaths, she’s determined to solve the murder of her mentor.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
JL: I don’t have a favorite character. I love them all in different ways. Andi Grace was my first, Emma loves flowers, and Kate is closest to my age.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
JL: When we moved to South Carolina, we had to downsize. During this time, I watched organizing shows, and I studied books on home organization skills. This inspired me to create Kate Sloan, a professional organizer. The Con is set on the fictional town of Fox Island, Georgia, and it’s near Savannah. My husband and I used to live in Georgia, and this area is very special to us.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
JL: It was always a dream, and I feel blessed to have my stories published.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
JL: Agatha Christie, Diane Mott Davidson, Cara Black, and Carolyn Keene.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
JL: The Confidence Game by Maria Konnikova and The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
JL: I enjoy reading, traveling, walking on the beach, playing cards, and gardening.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
JL: Coffee, creamer, tea, and popcorn.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
JL: Yes, in 2025, the third book in A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery Series, and An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series will release.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
JL: I love meeting other authors and readers.
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The Con: An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery by Jackie Layton
About The Con
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Georgia
Publisher: Level Best Books (August 27, 2024)
Paperback: 280 pages
Professional organizer Kate Sloan is hired by Ben Houser to organize his office at Seaside Hideaway Resort on Fox Island. Ben tells everybody he’s planning to revamp the resort. Ben throws money around and convinces people to invest with him. The first problem is, Ben’s a con man. The second problem is, Kate finds his dead body.
The killer believes Kate has incriminating evidence, and she must solve the mystery before she’s next on the hitman’s list.
About Jackie Layton
Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina, where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies.
Jackie always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Dateline and American Greed are two ways she gets ideas. She’s also a people watcher, and that can giver her ideas for stories or even a thread in a book.
Author Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JackieLaytonAuthor Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jackielaytonauthor/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/joyfuljel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcom Threads: Jackie Layton (@jackielaytonauthor) on Threads Goodreads: https://bit.ly/49XTfpf BookBub: https://bit.ly/37RqGQ8 Website: https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/- Purchase Links
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