Meet Jane, the writer behind the Mystery

How does a Southern journalist turn game night into a murder spree (fictionally speaking)?

It started with a weekly game of dominoes with four close friends, some very silly gossip, and one outrageous “WHAT IF?”

I spent years writing stories as a journalist before realizing I would rather make them up. I’ve always been a mystery reader, so it seemed a natural progression to go from real life drama to creative crime. I love the undercurrent that flows beneath the mystery plot and our need to solve it. 

They always say write what you know.  So, I write Southern humorous mysteries about friendship, rivalry, and the women who think justice and a good laugh is the best revenge. Although a Florida native, I have lived in Arkansas for more than 30 years. Different "South." Same Southerner. I love my Arkansas writing studio surrounded by lap cats, green mountains, and a notebook full of mischievous ideas.  

The Cardboard Cottage Mystery series came about on a writer retreat in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. So, what was this outrageous WHAT IF?  

Only this. What would happen if one of your best friends wanted husband number four gone, and then he is. Did she mean gone as in divorced? Or gone as in dead? What if the conversation was misunderstood and her friends launch a plan for murder? Or so you think. How far does friendship and loyalty go?

That’s the premise and the bug in my brain that compelled me to write Dying for Dominoes, the first book in the series. After years of writing and rewriting, I finally got up enough courage to put it in readers’ hands. One good mystery deserves another, and here I am working on book six, with an entirely new series about to launch. 

Readers seemed to connect with these four women who are a most unlikely clutch of friends with a ride or die attitude. I think everyone knows someone like them. Maybe even see themselves in them. This is the best part of writing about the Cardboard Cottage sleuths. I enjoy writing about independent women, their friendships, and mischievous lifestyles. If you have a sisterhood like this, it’s something you cherish. If you don’t have a sisterhood like this, it’s something you hope to find. I love that the characters of the Cardboard Cottage are now entrenched so deeply in my psyche that when they are ready to live their next adventure, they invite me over, lay out the dominoes, and start chattering.

Pull up a comfy chair, grab a throw, and pour a libation. Come along for the ride with the Cardboard Cottage sleuths. They’re proof that life, laughter, and revenge after fifty makes for a great cozy with a bite.