Why Do I Write Cozy Mysteries? Funny Story...

Every so often someone asks me why I write cozy mysteries. Why not romances, historical novels or another genre? It’s a logical question, so I figured I’d better come up with an answer. Oh I just did it one day, didn’t quite seem to cut it.

So why do I write mysteries?

Now being a Christian, I do believe it’s part of God’s plan for my life, but as life is journey how I got there is kind of a funny story. Now do I mean funny, Ha Ha, or funny, strange?

A little of both.

You see until I actually started to write mysteries I didn’t have a clue, pun intended, that I would be good at it. I didn’t grow up reading the classic mysteries like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and such. I did read a few Judy Boltons, but that’s because sister read them, so I to try them out as well. It’s a sister thing. I like puzzles, but I hardly ever solve them completely without jumping to the back to check the solution because inevitably I go wrong somewhere. Also, when trying figure out the solution to some mystery show on TV I get fooled every time.

So you see, I may be able to write mysteries, but I’m really lousy at solving them. Is it just me or is that strange? Oh well, back to the journey.

To add to my being a most unlikely cozy mystery writer, I’m really bad at surprises. Honest, I could never fool anyone, even now, and my whole family knows if they are going to pull off a surprise they’d better not tell me. I don’t mean to give it away, but somehow I always manage to do it.

Not a promising start for a budding cozy mystery writer.

My love of the genre started when I got hooked on the old Scooby Doo cartoons during the 1970’s. Yes I am that old. Aside from being a mystery it also brought in my love of creepy stories. I suppose I should reveal here that my father was a master of telling scary stories. Nothing to give you nightmares, I like mildly scary only, but he was really good at building up the suspense. Then I got into reading cozy mysteries, such as Agatha Christie. After a few years passed, quite a few, I got the urge to write a mystery and decided to draw inspiration from Scooby (who is a cozy just in animated form) and Agatha and write The Mystery of Hurtleberry House where there was a fake haunted house and a mystery to be solved. Much to my delight I discovered I actually could keep a secret and a surprise. How did I do it?

The secret is…I don’t have the mystery figured out until I’m finished writing it.

You know maybe I shouldn’t be admitting to this, it might get me kicked off the blog. By and large, mystery writers are an organized lot, as you can see from the other very talented writers here. I’m just not one of them, but it works out for me.

So the reason I write cozy mysteries is that I love to write cozy mysteries, and do you know what I look forward to the most about The Reboot Files Series? Finding out how the whole things turns out.

 

C.L. Ragsdale was born in California, but does not fit the "California Girl" image as she does not surf, swims enough to keep herself from drowning and she and the "great outdoors" have only a nodding acquaintance. She loves to embroider and knit, with varying degrees of competence, and is a self-admitted internet junkie who loves to research plot details for her books, the more obscure the better. A big fan of the old Scooby Doo cartoons, her mysteries are more fun and humorous than chills and thrills.

THE REBOOT FILES: The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghos.

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