COZY & CO. – The Importance of Surrounding Yourself With Kindred Souls by S. C. Merritt
When I began my author adventure in 2020 at the ripe, old age of 58, I decided I may have been ripe, but I wasn’t expired. But I was clueless. And when I say that, I mean I was winging it in every aspect of my newfound, late-in-life passion. Starting out totally self-taught has a few advantages, but I quickly realized that this old dog was going to have to learn some new tricks.
Fast forward to 2025, two series and 14 books later. I’m slightly better at the ins and outs of self-publishing and a much better writer. Some of that is due to seminars and online courses, but mostly, I attribute it to spending time with others in the writing community who have been doing it much longer (and more successfully) than me. Their wealth of knowledge about the craft in general has kept me going. We’ve shared marketing ideas and discussed everything from our pet peeves to Oxford commas. I’ve been encouraged out of that deep dark hole of writer’s block when they shared what helped them jumpstart creativity again. I’ve picked their brains and hugged their necks. I consider many of them wonderful, personal friends even though we don’t see each other often. They are inspirations to me.
A great way to start is to join your local author groups. Because I’m certainly not a household name in the cozy mystery world, I’m always very honored and humbled when I’m asked to speak to a group of readers and especially other authors. When our local Sisters in Crime (ATL Chapter) asked to interview me for our monthly feature, “Off the Shelf,” of course, I jumped at the chance. Also attending that meeting, was award-winning, cozy mystery author, Deborah Malone, whom I had heard speak at Christian Author’s Guild in late 2024.
A few weeks later, Deborah called and asked if I had ever considered collaborating on a cozy series. Honestly, I had never thought about it, but we began exploring the options on how to go about the project. We had similar styles and characters in our cozies, but our voices were just different enough that sharing the writing duties and alternating chapters would come off sounding like a split personality. Since we both prefer to write in first person, we ultimately decided that with regular brainstorming sessions on plot and character development, I would write, and she would edit. She also agreed to take on the task of keeping up with all the details, our series bible, if you will.
Three years prior, I had purchased a set of premade covers for a series idea bouncing around in my head. Only two novellas with a new lead character had made it to paper and I planned to use those to jump start that series. After Deborah read the novellas, we agreed on an island setting and Paradise Cove Mystery Series was born.
The 2020 newbie version of S.C. Merritt would never have dreamed of co-writing a series
with an award-winning author. How did this happen? Networking. By making connections with other authors through groups, organizations and conferences, I am excited to be in this process of co-creating “A Wedding to Die For,” Book One in the Paradise Cove Mystery Series.
Building a network of fellow authors is invaluable to any writer. No matter how much of an introvert you feel that you are or how inexperienced a writer, time spent getting to know other authors, especially in your genre, is never, ever wasted.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Kate Kennedy left her high-pressure job managing a ski resort and bought Paradise Cove Bungalows, she had no idea what awaited her on the beautiful island of San Cabela. The cozy island getaway would be the start of a new chapter for Kate, a small-town girl with big dreams. With her first guests all checked in for their destination wedding, celebration turns to devastation when the groom is found dead before he can say “I do”. If that isn’t enough to worry about, Kate’s cousin shows up for a surprise visit and finds herself at the top of the suspect list!
With tensions rising and accusations flying, Kate must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again—because at this wedding, “til death do us part” might come sooner than expected.
Release date: November 4, 2025
Meanwhile, you can get to know Kate Kennedy in these prequel novellas:
Caramelized Casualty (available in ebook or paperback)
https://www.amazon.com/Caramelized-Casualty-Holiday-S-C-Merritt-ebook/dp/B09HY51PDT
Killer Vacation (now available in ebook or paperback)
https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Vacation-Paradise-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0FDQDCRCD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S.C. Merritt is an indie author of cozy mysteries featuring strong, female sleuths, southern humor, a little bit of romance, and a whole lot of murder.
When not writing, she’s traveling, binge-watching British mysteries, and collecting flamingos. She lives with her husband, Vic, and miniature schnauzer, Izzy, in the north Georgia mountains and dreams of living in a tropical locale someday.
Find S.C. and all her books here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B082YHPMB5
Facebook: SCMerritt, Author
Instagram: @scmerrittauthor
The post COZY & CO. – The Importance of Surrounding Yourself With Kindred Souls by S. C. Merritt appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.
