Author Spotlight: Marc Jedel
Author of the Silicon Valley Mystery Series, the Ozarks Lake Mystery Series, and the Redwoods Country Mystery Series
Author Marc Jedel with three of his cozy mysteries. Image credit: Marc Jedel
Marc Jedel writes several different cozy mystery series, including the Silicon Valley Mystery Series, the Ozarks Lake Mystery Series, and Redwoods Country Mystery Series. All three series are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook and can be read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Fish Out of Water is the first book in the Ozarks Lake Mystery series; Rivers and Creaks is the first book in the Redwoods Country Mystery series; and Uncle and Ants is the first book in the Silicon Valley Mystery series.
Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Marc Jedel
What inspired your first cozy mystery?
I wanted to write a novel forever, ever since finishing the first book I read by myself—Go Dog Go. I mean, what’s not to love about a story that has fun dialogue all about awesome party hats?
For the longest time, I couldn’t come up with a good plot. Yet my research clearly demonstrated that having a plot is critical to a successful novel. One day, I received this awesome birthday drawing from my young nieces. And my kids, or nieces, or one of our friends’ kids had done some crazy things. Probably all of the above. One thing led to another while I was brainstorming with my wife on an evening walk and the idea formed to loosely base a humorous murder mystery with a self-absorbed, fashion-backward software engineer, his sister, and his nieces on my life.
That first novel, Uncle and Ants: A Silicon Valley Mystery #1, is clearly fiction. I mean, I’m not a software engineer.
What attracted you to the cozy mystery genre?
I feel there’s enough serious, intense, and scary things already going on in people’s lives so reading should be an escape to enjoy yourself. My novels are designed to be a simple pleasure. If you’re looking for deep introspection, intense psychological thrillers, or dense, wordy prose where nothing much happens, my novels aren’t the right fit for you.
I wasn’t originally planning to write cozy mysteries. However a few years ago, I picked up my wife’s copy of a Janet Evanovich novel. She got mad when I didn’t return it until I’d finished. My wife that is, not Janet. Janet would probably be happy because I’ve purchased many of her other books and even consulted her How I Write book when I started my first book. I wouldn’t even mind if Janet decided to tell all her readers that they should try my books too (in case you’re reading this, Hi Janet!) Since then, I’ve read many other mysteries and cozy mysteries and enjoy the good light and humorous ones.
What are a few of the essential elements that make a cozy stand out to you as a reader?
Like most readers, I enjoy good cozies for their humor, quirky characters, and clever plots. Too many cozies these days are boring and repetitive, such as nearly all of them seeming to have happy protagonists who run a bakery, bookstore, or bed & breakfast and manage to get the police to violate all their standards and practices by sharing detailed investigative information with the amateur sleuth. So I make sure my characters don’t get any help from the police. I’ve got a male protagonist in all my series (even though the Ozarks Lake Mystery series has a female protagonist alternating chapters with the male one) and this is fairly rare in cozies. In my latest, Whine and Dine, Andy Shirley is a grumpy, retired man who misses his deceased wife. Although he acts like Walter Matthau in the movie, Grumpy Old Men, and daydreams about becoming a recluse, Andy surprises himself by caring about his neighbors and making new friends even though he believes he doesn’t want to.
Do you have a favorite amateur sleuth?
I’ve enjoyed a wide range of amateur sleuths, although I’ve typically found my favorites among those who are competent, quirky, and humorous. Hercule Poirot, Stephanie Plum, Mr. Monk, Shawn Spencer from Psych, Elizabeth Danniher from Patricia McLinn’s Caught in Wyoming series are a few that come to mind.
Cozy mystery books by Marc Jedel
How do you research and create the "cozy" elements in your books, like the settings and community?
I describe Whine and Dine (and its predecessor Rivers and Creaks) as Grumpy Old Men meets Schitt’s Creek. While enjoying that show, I was thinking about setting a new series in a small town full of quirky people. My family went on a vacation to Monte Rio, California to visit the redwoods, wineries, and play on the river. While my wife and I were walking our dog through the small town, we started discussing what kind of interesting people might live there and what kind of humorous mysteries could be based in the area. Although the novel is set in this real town, all of the people or businesses in the story are completely made up. Go visit and decide for yourself how much is real and how much is fiction.
What is one key step in your writing process that helps you transform an idea into a finished book?
In the age-old writer’s debate of “pantser” vs “outliner”, I come down hard on the side of outlining. I admit to it. If I didn’t, I’d still be trying to figure out how my first book would end, or who was the killer. Once I thought I could wing it from a partial outline and I wound up changing the killer halfway through the story. Fortunately I caught and fixed this before it got published.
Creating an outline with each scene on one line of a spreadsheet helps me to look at holes, try to spread out when different side characters show up, and make sure the action keeps moving forward at a good clip. Then I go through all my notes and put them into the relevant scenes so I can include the right amount of humor as well as balance tension vs wacky situations. Once that’s done, there are no more excuses. It’s time to write.
The outlining helps me stay on track and gives me the flexibility to see where the characters will take me without going too far astray. Unless I decide to go astray because I’ve got a funny idea. Then all bets are off.
What advice would you give aspiring cozy mystery authors who want to start writing their first novel?
Read more and read widely—cozies and other books too. Reading different authors and genres is the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t. And, start writing. It’s easier than ever to become a writer, but just as difficult as always to be a good one. Practice with a diary or use some of the writing prompts you can find on the internet. Nearly no one is a great writer from their first attempt, but practice makes you better.
How can readers connect with you online?
You can find all my cozy mysteries on Amazon or on my website, www.marcjedel.com. They’re available in e-book, paperback, and audiobook formats. My novels are free to read by Kindle Unlimited members.
I love hearing from readers as that motivates me to keep going on the next blank page. Let me know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you’d want to see more of in the next book.
Marc Jedel’s Cozy Mystery Books
Use the arrows on either side of the images below to see cozy mysteries written by Marc Jedel.
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