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Elizabeth Spann Craig

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Donna F...
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Elizabeth Spann Craig

Goodreads Author


Born
The United States
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences

Member Since
August 2007

URL


Author also writes under Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Find out more about her books and sign up for her newsletter on her website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com . Find her books on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list...
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Popular Answered Questions

Elizabeth Spann Craig Hi Mella! Thanks for the question and for reading my books.

There were a couple of things that influenced that. I first started drafting a book in thi…more
Hi Mella! Thanks for the question and for reading my books.

There were a couple of things that influenced that. I first started drafting a book in this series in 2003ish. A neighbor of mine at the time was *extremely* upset about some "yard art" that another neighbor had. It was actually a very frou-frou wishing well (with no function as a working well) and some small statues.

Soon after, Parade magazine in the Sunday paper featured an elderly couple with a collection of yard gnomes. Something clicked in my head at that point. :) Their collection wasn't as extensive as Myrtle's, but I figured she could put her collection into overdrive.

At the time, my grandmother (my original inspiration for Myrtle's character) was regularly exasperating my father over her antics. It all came together! (less)
Elizabeth Spann Craig Thanks for reading my books, Lacey! I based Myrtle on one of my beloved grandmothers—Mary Ligon Spann, a retired English teacher with a very sharp min…moreThanks for reading my books, Lacey! I based Myrtle on one of my beloved grandmothers—Mary Ligon Spann, a retired English teacher with a very sharp mind and a delicious sense of humor. :)(less)
Average rating: 4.07 · 26,219 ratings · 2,534 reviews · 98 distinct worksSimilar authors
A Body in the Backyard (Myr...

3.76 avg rating — 2,245 ratings — published 2012 — 13 editions
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Checked Out (The Village Li...

4.13 avg rating — 1,717 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions
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A Dyeing Shame (Myrtle Clov...

3.66 avg rating — 1,828 ratings — published 2006 — 16 editions
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Progressive Dinner Deadly (...

3.71 avg rating — 1,628 ratings — published 2011 — 18 editions
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Pretty is as Pretty Dies (M...

3.82 avg rating — 1,357 ratings — published 2009 — 11 editions
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Quilt or Innocence (A South...

3.70 avg rating — 1,066 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions
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Overdue (The Village Librar...

4.17 avg rating — 716 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions
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A Body at Book Club (Myrtle...

4.05 avg rating — 655 ratings — published 2014 — 11 editions
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Borrowed Time (The Village ...

4.32 avg rating — 565 ratings — published 2020 — 6 editions
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Death at a Drop-In (Myrtle ...

4.08 avg rating — 573 ratings — published 2013 — 12 editions
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More books by Elizabeth Spann Craig…

Why Creative Constraints Actually Boost Creativity

Why Creative Constraints Actually Boost Creativity

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It seems counterintuitive, but unlimited creative freedom often leads to making us freeze up, not making us innovate. Those genre guidelines that feel restrictive might actually be keeping creativity sharp.

Sometimes the Workaround Is Better

When the obvious approach isn’t available, you have to dig deeper. If a cozy mystery

Read more of this blog post »
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Published on August 30, 2026 21:01
Pretty is as Pretty Dies Progressive Dinner Deadly A Dyeing Shame A Body in the Backyard Death at a Drop-In A Body at Book Club Death Pays a Visit
(29 books)
by
4.02 avg rating — 13,244 ratings

Checked Out Overdue Borrowed Time Hush-Hush Where There's a Will Frictional Characters Spine-Tingling
(15 books)
by
4.32 avg rating — 6,188 ratings

Quilt or Innocence Knot What It Seams Quilt Trip Shear Trouble Tying the Knot Patch of Trouble Fall to Pieces
(20 books)
by
4.06 avg rating — 5,331 ratings

The Type-A Guide to Solving... The Type-A Guide to Dinner ... The Type-A Guide to Natural... The Type-A Guide to Book Clubs
(4 books)
by
4.22 avg rating — 287 ratings

The Name of the Wind
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Elizabeth’s Recent Updates

Elizabeth Spann Craig wrote a new blog post

Why Creative Constraints Actually Boost Creativity







by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It seems counterintuitive, but unlimited creative freedom often leads to making us freeze up, not Read more of this blog post »
" Hi there,

Could you please add this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

to this series:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/2595... ?

It's #15 in
...more "
" Hi there! Thanks in advance for your help. I have a couple of books that need adding to a long-running series.

The first is: "Murder Sees All": https:/
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" Hi there and happy holidays. :)

Could someone help me connect a pre-order to my series page? Thanks so much in advance!

The book:
https://www.goodreads
...more "
More of Elizabeth's books…
Quotes by Elizabeth Spann Craig  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Literature, sharing a wonderful story, is what brings the world together.”
Elizabeth Spann Craig, Progressive Dinner Deadly

“Noo-Noo would turn into a tummy with feet if she ate as much as she'd like to eat. Knot What it Seams.”
Elizabeth Craig

“just remember that Dorothy Parker quote. ‘If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to,’” said”
Elizabeth Spann Craig, Pretty is as Pretty Dies

220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 337386 members — last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
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