Copy of From Across State Lines with Sarah E. Burr!
- PA Cozy Mystery Writers
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Please give a warm welcome to Sarah from New York…
Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, Book Blogger Mysteries, and Court of Mystery series. She co-hosts It’s Bookish Time TV, a cozy web channel featuring live author chats. When she’s not crafting twisty whodunits, Sarah can be found reading mysteries and manga, playing video games, or strolling around with her adorable rescue pups, Eevee and Itto. Want to stay connected and snag free short stories?
Join her newsletter here: https://saraheburrbooks.substack.com/subscribe.
Favorite Way to Unwind After Work: Playing Video Games
Is your book set in the same state that you live in?
The fun thing about writing multiple cozy mystery series is that my fictional worlds are scattered across several states, but they all hold pieces of places I love. My Glenmyre Whim Mysteries are set in Crucible, New York, a charming lakeside town filled with candles, subtle magic, and just enough murder to keep Hazel Wickbury very busy. Crucible is modeled after the small towns surrounding Elmira College, where I attended, and now that I live in New York, it feels especially close to home.
My Book Blogger Mysteries take readers to Copper Bay, Massachusetts, a coastal New England town where book blogger Winnie Lark solves crimes between blog posts, harbor views, and plenty of bookish chaos. I spent several years in Massachusetts after college, and it’s where I met my now-husband, so the state holds a very special place in my heart.
The Trending Topic Mysteries are set in Central Shores, Delaware, where influencer Coco Cline brings glamour, social media savvy, and her loyal Sleuth Squad to every case. Fun story: I chose Delaware for Coco’s adventures because I hadn’t read many cozies set there, and I wanted to give Delaware a little love!
And my completed Court of Mystery series leaves the real world behind entirely for the Realm of Virtues, where Duchess Jax solves royal mysteries with a dash of fantasy flair. I’ve always loved world-building, and that series really allowed me to spread my wings.
So, while not every series is set in my home state, each setting gives me a different kind of cozy playground.
(book collage provided by the author)
Do your characters speak to you as you write? (if so, tell us a little more about it)
Yes, my characters absolutely speak to me as I write, though not always when it’s convenient! I usually begin a book with an outline and a fairly clear sense of where the story is going, but once the characters step onto the page, they have a way of nudging me in new directions. Sometimes it’s a bit of dialogue that reveals more than I expected, or a character making a choice that suddenly feels much more natural than what I’d planned.
I’ve learned to listen when that happens. Hazel, Coco, Winnie, and Jax all have such distinct voices, and part of the joy of writing them is letting their personalities shape the story. They may not always solve the mystery the easy way, but they usually lead me to the most interesting one.
Introduce us to one of the animals in your story.
Miranda Purriestly is one of the new characters readers meet in #Throwback for Murder, book four in the Trending Topic Mysteries. She’s a beautiful, aloof feline with impeccable taste, a sharp stare, and absolutely no interest in anyone’s approval. Naturally, she has accepted Jasper Hastings, Coco Cline’s scene-stealing best friend, as her human, which is possibly the highest honor Jasper has ever received.
Her name is, of course, a playful nod to The Devil Wears Prada, one of Jasper and Coco’s favorite movies. I can only imagine the two of them would be beside themselves over the sequel, likely planning outfits for opening night before the trailer even dropped.
Miranda brings a little extra glamour, sass, and cat-titude to Coco’s world. And purrrrr-haps she won’t be the only cat in Jasper’s future. After all, once a fabulous feline finds you worthy, word tends to get around.
One Silly Thing About You: I am a reformed theater kid who loves belting Broadway showtunes any chance I get!
Fatal Sign-Off: A Book Blogger Mystery #2
A Little Bit About the Book:
When a loathed local podcaster signs off… for good, book blogger Winnie Lark finds herself tangled in the plot of a very real whodunnit—one that’s definitely not on her TBR list.
By day, Arwen “Winnie” Lark is a quiet, introverted bookworm. But online, she’s The Wren, a literary influencer known for her astute reviews and cozy charm. For Winnie, life in Copper Bay, Massachusetts, usually revolves around book club banter, new releases, and good food… until a notoriously nasty podcaster keels over at the local diner, poisoned mid-meal.
The victim made headlines—and enemies—by trashing Copper Bay’s beloved businesses one scathing episode at a time. With suspects as numerous as titles in a bargain bin, Winnie is stunned to find many of her friends in the hot seat. Determined to rewrite this narrative, she teams up with her movie-star brother and her tight-knit crew to crack the case.
As grudges fester and red herrings pile up, Winnie must read between the lines, highlight every clue, and dog-ear suspects as she goes. Because in a mystery this twisted, the killer has no intention of tying up loose plot threads, and the final chapter could end with someone else getting shelved… permanently.
Cozy mystery lovers beware: this book includes real titles to add to your ever-growing TBR pile. You’ve been warned.
What Format Is This Book Available In?
Paperback | Ebook
Sarah's book, Fatal Sign-Off, is available for purchasing through the following links:
Author’s Website
For more information, please visit her website: https://www.saraheburr.com/saraheburrbooks
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