Author Spotlight: Megan Gerig

Megan Gerig is an author, editor, and candlemaker. Beatrice Ophelia Is Flickering Out is the first book in her Lake Erie Mysteries. The amateur sleuth is Beatrice, a down-on-her-luck twenty-something who is trying to figure out what to do with her life and how to get out of her parents’ basement. She gets wrapped up in a mystery when she stumbles upon her estranged aunt dragging away the marina owner's body during her hometown’s inaugural Smallmouth Bass Festival.

Cozy Crime Reads Interview with Megan Gerig

What attracted you to the cozy mystery genre?

My husband was the first to introduce me to the cozy mystery genre, actually! He’d been reading it for years since his grandmother gave him his first cozy mystery book, but I’d always stuck to more fantasy and sci-fi. But after my first child was born, I found myself needing something lighter than fantasy and sci-fi. Life was crazy enough without having to keep track of worldbuilding and remember new words and terminology. So my husband recommended the Donna Andrews Meg Langslow books on audio, and I was hooked from page one. Now I’ve binged more cozy mystery series than I can count and have begun writing my own series!

What are a few of the essential elements that make a cozy stand out to you as a reader?

I love cozies that really emphasize the relationships between characters. Especially between family members. Families can be so messy sometimes, and I feel like cozies are the perfect opportunity to show that and also show families working through that mess. I really love Olivia Matthews’ Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries for that reason. The sibling dynamic between Lyndsay and her brother is so sweet yet also realistic, and I so appreciated that!

Do you have a favorite amateur sleuth?

Can I name more than one? Meg Langslow from Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series will always be a favorite, but also Willa from Korina Moss’ Cheese Shop Mysteries and Nora from Elizabeth Penney’s Ravensea Castle Mysteries! I’ve recently started Benjamin Stevenson’s Ernest Cunningham books as well, and I’m really enjoying Ernest’s snark!

What inspired your first cozy mystery?

My first cozy series follows a young Gen Z amateur sleuth named Beatrice who was recently laid off from her job and is trying to figure out what she should do next in life. She decides to join her grandfather for his town’s summer kickoff festival in hopes of finding clarity while enjoying life for once. What she doesn’t expect is becoming entangled in a murder investigation might just fix a lot of her problems—if she can stop the killer before they go after her.

Having started reading cozy mysteries in my early twenties, I quickly realized that there weren’t very many amateur sleuths like me—who were teetering between Gen Z and Millennial. So I set out to write one myself. Beatrice feels like a younger version of myself. She’s an overthinker, she’s struggling with making that leap from young adult to adult, and she wants to do what she’s passionate about but isn’t sure what that is. I wanted to explore that journey through a cozy setting and I’ve never had so much fun writing a book as I did with Beatrice Ophelia is Flickering Out!

How do you research and create the "cozy" elements in your books, like the settings and community?

Thisbe Harbor, where Beatrice Ophelia is Flickering Out is set, is based off the very real and charming town of Vermilion, OH. I took several research trips up to Vermilion and explored the town, taking lots of notes on the atmosphere, life, and different shops in the town to use for my books. It was such a hardship having to take trips to the beach 😉.

I also love cozies for the small-town community feel, so this was important for me to get right. I mean, who doesn’t love a good town gossip, a nutty mayor, and a too-flirty barista (all of which are found in my book!)? Several of these characters were based off people I’ve met or know in real life whose names shall remain anonymous, but it was quite a lot of fun bringing them to life on the page!

What is one key step in your writing process that helps you transform an idea into a finished book?

Having someone to cheer me on. Someone who doesn’t let me give up when the writing gets hard and doesn’t let me forget why I’m writing in the first place. For me, that’s my husband. He’s my biggest cheerleader and supporter, and I couldn’t be a writer without him. I almost threw in the towel several times while working on Beatrice, but he never let me quit. For that, I am extremely grateful!

What advice would you give aspiring cozy mystery authors who want to start writing their first novel?

Have fun with it. Especially in your first draft, be a little crazy or a little exaggerated or whatever you’d like. Make the joke you worry someone might think stupid. Write the cute little scene that might not make it to the final draft. Find the wonder and the joy in your story and hang on to that even when it gets hard. Because if you let yourself have fun, your readers will be able to sense that and have fun too!

How can readers connect with you online?

Chatting with readers is one of my favorite things to do! You can grab the first three chapters of Beatrice Ophelia is Flickering Out on my website at megangerig.com and also sign-up for my newsletter there! I also post all sorts of writing and reading updates and videos and just real-life thoughts on my Instagram @megangerigauthor. I like to think of my Instagram like a cozy café where I’m sitting across from a friend and we’re sharing our hearts. So if that sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d love to see you there!