Author Spotlight: Angela M. Sanders
Author of the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries and the Vintage Clothing Mysteries
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Angela M. Sanders is the author of the Vintage Clothing Mysteries, which features an amateur sleuth who owns a vintage clothing store, and the Witch Way Librarian Mystery Series, which features a witchy librarian and a spoiled alley cat. Both mystery series are set in Oregon.
Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Angela M. Sanders
What attracted you to the cozy mystery genre?
When I read, I want to immerse myself in humor, surprises, a community that feels like family, and a place where good triumphs over evil. I love a book that’s the equivalent of a warm bath with a glass of wine, or an armchair with a toasty mug of hot chocolate and a purring cat (or two). So when I began writing, it was only natural I’d write what I loved most to read. Plus, I’m too shy to write sex scenes and would be too disturbed to write graphic violence. Cozies are my sweet spot!
What are a few of the essential elements that make a cozy stand out to you as a reader?
A cozy's characters are at the top of the list. I want to read about a world with quirky, loving, fascinating characters. For me, the mystery takes a back seat to a story's characters and their evolving relationships with each other. I also loved to be surprised, but at the same time have the surprise—once it’s revealed—feel inevitable. That’s what I aim for when I write a cozy, too.
Do you have a favorite amateur sleuth?
Too many to list! I adore Harriet Vane in Dorothy Sayers’ Peter Wimsey novels for how real she feels to me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Nancy Drew. I adore Phrynne Fisher’s moxie (and dresses, of course). Delano Ames is an obscure Golden Age mystery writer whose books feature a married couple, Jane and Dagobert Brown. I cherish my copies of these books. Oh, and speaking of zany mysteries, I love love love Alice Tilton’s Leonidas Witherall capers from the 1930s and ‘40s. Barbara Neeley’s Blanche White is terrific, too. This is just the tip of the iceberg!
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What inspired your first cozy mystery?
I was happily writing magazine feature articles and had zero desire to write fiction, when a coworker told me a story from his prior life owning a vintage clothing store. Years earlier, he was on his way to meet a friend in Manhattan, when he saw a notice for a sale of costumes at the opera. So he bought a couple of suitcases at the Salvation Army, filled them at the opera sale, then met his friend at a bar. A few hours (and presumably drinks) later, the bar’s patrons were wearing the costumes and dancing through the bar. When I heard this story, I thought, “That would make a terrific scene in a book.” It ended up in The Lanvin Murders, the first in my Vintage Clothing series. After that, I was hooked on writing mysteries.
How do you research and create the "cozy" elements in your books, like the settings and community?
So far, I’ve written about places I know or have invented, so I haven’t had to research them (although if you know anyone wanting a series set in a French chateau, let me know and I’ll get on a plane!). For the Witch Way Librarian mysteries, I met with the head of my library district, then quizzed a few librarians I know, and I met a handful of times with a local priestess and witch to talk about curses, love potions, the ethics of magic, etc. I keep a stack of books of floor plans of old houses to brainstorm settings. As for community and characters, I’m inspired every time I leave the house. Just yesterday I had to buy a part for my car, and the cranky, disheveled sales guy turned out to be an aficionado of scented candles and was burning one called Falling Leaves right there among the carburetors and windshield wipers. I thought, this must go in a book.
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What is one key step in your writing process that helps you transform an idea into a finished book?
Before I plunge into a draft, I lay out a book’s premise, characters, murder victim, means, motive, and, with luck, a good twist in the middle. This gives me enough of an outline to write, but enough latitude for serendipity.
What advice would you give aspiring cozy mystery authors who want to start writing their first novel?
Put your hind end in a chair and your fingers on the keyboard. If you don’t write a novel, you can’t revise it into something you’ll be proud of. There are lots of books and support groups out there—Sisters in Crime is a good one—but nothing replaces the education that comes from actually writing.
How can readers connect with you online?
Sign up for my newsletter at angelamsanders.com and follow me on Instagram at @angela.m.sanders. Don’t hesitate to email me through the contact form on my website! I love to hear from readers.
Cozy Mystery Books by Angela M. Sanders
Use the arrows on either side of the images below to see cozy mystery books by Angela M. Sanders. Click on the images to book descriptions and reviews on Amazon.
Bait and Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 1)
Seven-Year Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 2)
Witch and Famous (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 3)
Witch upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 4)
Gone with the Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 5)
The Witch Is Back (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 6)
Witch and Tell (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries Book 7)
The Lanvin Murders (Vintage Clothing Mysteries Book 1)
Dior or Die (Vintage Clothing Mysteries Book 2)
Slain in Schiaparelli (Vintage Clothing Mysteries Book 3)
The Halston Hit (Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing mysteries Book 4)
Head Case (Joanna Hayworth vintage clothing mysteries Book 5)
Secret of the Blue Lily (Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing Mysteries Book 6)
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