Hello and thank you for welcoming me to the Cozy Mystery Book Explorer, Sarah!

My name is Jennifer S. Alderson and I have one series of amateur sleuth mysteries out (the Adventures of Zelda Richardson) and a second cozy mystery series is in the works!

The star of my first series is Zelda Richardson, an American art history student studying in Amsterdam who keeps getting entangled in art-related mysteries while working for Dutch museums, libraries and archives.

Reviewers call my amateur sleuth a cross between Nancy Drew and Robert Langdon. Her research provides the clues needed to solve the mystery, along with her drone flying friend-Fredrick and her forensic anthropologist boyfriend, Jacob. In my latest book, she gets help from a Dutch art detective, as well!

Amsterdam, Netherlands is Zelda's hometown and the main setting for my series. It's also my adopted home! I moved here 16 years ago to study art history and never left. I am now married to a Dutch man and we have a wonderful 7-year-old son.

The settings of my novels are extremely important to me; I want my readers to feel transported to the destination I've described. What's better than a vacation and mystery rolled into in one? :D
The Adventures of Zelda Richardson series are set in Nepal, Thailand, the Netherlands, Papua, Panama, Costa Rica, Italy, Croatia and Turkey.

Have any of you been to any of these wonderful countries?
Down and Out in Kathmandu: A Backpacker Mystery*** 
Holiday Gone Wrong: A Short Mystery Thriller
The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery
Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery
Marked for Revenge: An Art Heist Thriller [out in May 2019!]
(** cozy with an edge – Down and Out in Kathmandu is Pg-13 because of swearing backpackers, the rest of my novels are PG.)

Travel Agency for 50-plussers
​
I also have a fun surprise to share with you – I’m currently developing a new series that will be more traditional cozies! This one features a travel-loving yoga instructor who gets roped into helping her cat-loving landlord (and owner of a travel agency for 50-plussers) out of a bind by helping guide an organized trip to Budapest. Things don’t quite work out as either hopes…

The early draft of book one had my beta readers rolling on the floor in laughter! If the stars align, the first two books will be out before the end of the year.

The setup is that my main character will work as a guide on trips around the world. Right now I have plans for these intrepid travelers to visit Budapest, Tuscany (Italy), Saint Petersburg, Costa Rica, Fiji, the French Riviera, and Normandy (France).

Whereas I try to tie the Zelda Richardson books to a current event in the art and museum world, this series will fall neatly into the ‘vacation cozy’ genre and focus on the interactions between the members of the group as they visit fascinating cities around the world.

Because this new series is still in development, I thought it would be fun to pick your brains about what you enjoy most about the cozy genre. I’ve got a few questions to post throughout the week and look forward to reading your answers!

Why don’t we start with one now? What are some of your favorite cozies (books or authors) that feature tour groups, vacations, cross-country trips, volunteer trips, bed and breakfasts, etc?

Thanks again for having me! My books are available as paperback, audiobook and Kindle Unlimited. If you want to learn more about me, you can check them out here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-S.-Alderson/e/B019H079RA/
Or signup for my newsletter to be kept up-to-date about the new series:http://eepurl.com/cWmc29

​You can also find me on social media:
Website: http://www.jennifersalderson.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSAauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsaauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferSAldersonAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JennifeSAlderson

February is all about animal cozy mysteries and you can download all of the following books and previews for free on Prolifick Reads. This is a great way to try out books by other authors to see if they are your cup of tea.

​If you are an author, why not add your book to one of the future collections. There are even more cozy mystery themed books over in the Cozy Mystery Book Explorer private group on Facebook. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

What will the twins get into next?

On the road down under, the seventeen-year old Warners find a mystery to solve, but they aren’t sleuths. When there is no one to answer their questions, they dig deeply to learn the truth.

When nothing is as it seems, everything is as it should be. Can the twins pull the veil aside and see what lies beneath?

Ghosts of the evil, spirits of the forlorn, and the paranormal unknown. No challenge is too great when the twins apply science and sound reasoning to their study of human nature.

The answers aren’t always what they expect.
​
Join Grace and Henry Warner on their journey through a life of travel and mystery with parents who believe in them, as long as they aren’t completely sure what the twins are up to.

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

Each month there will be a cozy mystery book box giveaway, all you need to do is to follow the instructions on the Giveaway page here. 

This week I've been reading 'Trouble in Mudbug' by Jana DeLeon. It's wonderfully written, very hard to put down, and full of little hints that keep you guessing what will happen next. I'm in love with the two main characters, a ghost of a mother in law, and the long suffering daughter in law. I don't want to write too much and spoil the plot. But the book is permafree on Amazon, so I highly recommend that you download it and give it a try for yourself, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'm hoping to read a second book that's on permafree from the same author, once I've finished this one. 

Hello! So great to meet everyone! My name's Nova Nelson, and Sarah Jane Weldon has been kind enough to let me be the guest author this week.

I write the Eastwind Witches paranormal cozy mystery series. It follows Nora Ashcroft as she settles into her new life as a Fifth Wind witch in the paranormal town of Eastwind, where she gets suckered into using her psychic powers to solve mysteries.

I think a good story has intrigue, humor, and a nice sprinkling of romance, so that's how I write my books.

You'll learn a little more about me and the series through the week, but to start off, I thought I'd introduce you to Grim, Nora's familiar (the goofball in the picture). He used to be a hellhound, but then he died and came back to life as a - you guessed it - grim. He's snarky, eager to rush headlong into danger, and bacon obsessed. (He also loves a good belly rub, but don't tell anyone.)

If you want to check out the series, there are two places to start:
1. Read book 1, Crossing Over Easy: 
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B425B2T
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B425B2T

2: Get a free novella by joining the Cozy Coven, my reader group: www.cozycoven.com

Don't hesitate to say hello and ask me any questions you might have; I believe that's the whole point of this. ☺️
Talk soon!

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

This week's cozy mystery author in residence in our Cozy Mystery Book Explorer Facebook group is Hillary Avis.

Hillary will be taking over the group from Friday 11th January until Friday 18th January, when we'll be joined by a new cozy mystery author in residence. This is a brilliant opportunity for cozy mystery fans to get up close and personal with the author and to ask them any questions you like, about the characters, series, life as an author, and inspiration behind the books, so please don't be shy. ​

Hi! 
I write cozy culinary mysteries and I’m so pleased to be the guest author this week.

A little about me—I live in Eugene, Oregon, with my husband and two daughters, ages almost-13 and just-turned-6. You can imagine the noise levels...especially when you add in two dogs, two cats, and five chickens that just started laying (OMG the egg songs they sing). The fish doesn’t make much noise, luckily.

Oh, and we just signed an adoption contract for a 95-pound Great Pyrenees rescue dog. You know, because we don’t have enough going on.

I’ve been a reader and a writer as long as I can remember. My childhood was full of Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie (and some Narnia and dragon books, too), so I guess I’ve always liked books full of sprawling old mansions with secret rooms and rusty keys that open hidden doors and plucky women who go down into the basement to investigate the strange noise.

In the past, I’ve written historical and fantasy novels, but they’ve never seen the light of day. It wasn’t until I tried my hand at a mystery that I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I started publishing cozy mysteries last spring and I haven’t looked back—once I discovered the genre, it was like everything clicked and I knew what I wanted to BE. It only took me until I turned 40, ha ha. Well, my mom always said our family was full of late bloomers. The real joke here is that my former job was as a career counselor.

Let me tell you a bit about my books. I have two series right now, the Neela Durante farm mysteries and the Death du Jour culinary mysteries.

Neela is the character that I’ll always love the most, because she’s the sleuth who showed me I am a mystery writer at heart. I also drew from my personal experience to write her; I earned my undergraduate degree in biology, and Neela is an geneticist who works for a big corporate seed company. Not the typical cozy profession! But she uses her paycheck to support her family’s small organic farm, including her four sisters. Of course, things aren’t very easy for her in the first book, Kernel of Doubt…her colleague is murdered, her sleuthing jeopardizes her job right when her family needs the money the most, her husband files for divorce, and her sweet beagle, Molly, refuses to use the dog door! Luckily, Neela has some allies to help her solve her many problems, including the quirky tech guy at work and her soon-to-be-ex husband who happens to work in law enforcement, as well as her own PhD-level smarts.

I’ve only written one book in that series so far, but I’m looking forward to writing another one this spring/summer! I already have a story idea and a cover, so it’s definitely going to happen.

The Death du Jour mysteries are a culinary series that follows an aspiring chef as she works toward owning her own restaurant. Her quirky friends are also in the restaurant industry—her best friend and roommate is a sous chef at a French restaurant, and another character runs a bakery called the Honor Roll. “On a roll,” get it? I do love puns. The book titles in this series are all puns based around types of soup…and let me tell you, I have a LOOONG list of punny soups stashed away. I could write this series for YEARS and never run out of titles. #authorproblems

Book 2 in the Death du Jour series, Rest in Split Peas, actually released today!

(If you’d like a taste of soup and suspense by the sea, along with some yummy soup recipes, you can grab it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KYDQ4NG)

To celebrate, Crime Chowder (A Death du Jour Mystery #1) is FREEEEEE today and tomorrow! 
https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Chowder-Death-Jou…/…/B07K4VPLPM
​
So…if you've made it to the bottom of this encyclopedia entry, any questions about what it’s like writing culinary or farm mysteries? Or maybe you have advice about how to introduce a giant dog named Bruno to a houseful of sassy small pets?

Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

This month we're celebrating all things paranormal cozy mystery, kicking off with the best of the mystics. I hope you enjoy them and find a new mystic to keep you company on the year ahead. Happy Reading! (Don't forget to download the free paranormal cozy collection too if you haven't done so already).  

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout. 

As part of our 'New Year, New You' cozy mystery collection, I thought I would share some gluten free and nutritionally rich cozy mysteries to help you along with those New year's resolutions!

​Today's free cozy mystery books can all be found below, but as always, please be sure to double check that the free promo is still running before you complete your purchase. These books can be read using the free Kindle app for your phone, tablet, computer, or dedicated Kindle device. If you love audiobooks and Whispersync, you can often get the heavily discounted audiobook format, once you already own the Kindle book, so look out for the prompt at the Amazon checkout if you want both versions.

Download the Kindle app: US  UK  CA  DE  AU  IT  IN  FR  ES  NL  MX  JA
Treat yourself to a Kindle, this is the one that I have.   

​If you love audiobooks or use the Whispersync for Kindle facility, then you can often download the audiobook versions of the free books for a huge discount once you have the Kindle book, even when you get the Kindle book for free. Below are the audiobook versions of this week's free Kindle books. Amazon will generally ask you if you want to add the audiobook version once you get to the checkout.