Writing Prompts: Cozy Mysteries
One of my favorite genres is cozy mysteries. They’re great for a low-key read on an airplane or road trip or before turning out the light at night. But writing them can be a little tedious and challenging, because, well, let’s be honest — there are only so many kinds of mysteries to solve.
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Morning. Noon. And night. The sleeves and legs ride high — a regular fit for an irregular frame. Still, it’s keen-o, he thinks. He hollers for a mirror and is obliged. Father D. should’ve seen these threads when he met me this morning.
Forgotten Veterans
A veterans’ home where aging grandmas tell their tales of serving when they thought women should have been at home preserving.
Music as Character: The Soundtrack of Cowboy Bebop
Kanno takes this concept and runs wild with it, creating one of the most original soundtracks in anime history and sparking the production of eight CD’s worth of music and a five disc boxset that is a must for any fans.
Thank You for Being a Friend: Celebrating 40 Years of The Golden Girls
It’s a reminder that friendship is a safe haven, where we can be ourselves in the company of those who understand and care about us, flaws and all.
Quarterly & Special Issues
Submissions next open from June 1 to August 31 2024
April 5, 2025
The author tossed well-crafted twists that awakened me from complacency for the characters and set them to spinning out of control, recapturing my vigilance.
April 4, 2025
Running was always my second-greatest dread; only a visit to the dentist outclassed running. In the most extreme of circumstances, I could perhaps have envisioned myself running from a dentist. If when Anubis weighs my soul I am found wanting, my personal hell will surely involve spending an endlessly repeating Sisyphean eternity running to a dental procedure.
April 3, 2025
At her interview, encouraged by Henry’s heart-stopping smile, Clarissa had lied about her experience. With no idea where to begin, she tousled her pink hair as data surged down the screen. “That’s a mess of numbers, sweetheart.”
April 2, 2025
An excellent resource book designed for both novice and experienced dog owners who are wanting to add a more holistic routine to their dog’s life.
April 1, 2025
During one of our previous commissioning periods, we met Alyxander LaBranche and absolutely adored his artwork. We opted to publish some of his works in our […]
March 31, 2025
Commitment used to mean something in America. A promise was a promise. Where I come from you don’t renege on a deal and cast someone aside the minute something better comes along.
March 30, 2025
Mrs. and Mr. Goode were dentists and rarely home. They’d try to compensate the kids by giving them everything they asked for. That is how the kids got a cat. Being spoiled as they were, the children expected the cat to obey their every word and when their parents were around, the two little angels were nothing but good…
March 29, 2025
The Book is as much a history lesson as it is a mystery, revealing more than it conceals, but always leaving a few things a little unraveled for our imagination to wonder at — for so history itself, with its often patchy evidence, demands.
March 28, 2025
Mesu Andrews’ 2022 release, Potiphar’s Wife, takes the reader back to ancient Egypt with the Biblical story of Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife. We meet Potiphar’s wife […]
March 27, 2025
For those unfamiliar with the term, “breaking character” refers to any time a performing artist stops embodying the role they’re playing and reverts back to themselves while on stage.
March 26, 2025
I now highly recommend this to anyone with chronic pain or illness, chronic fatigue, or a body that’s just plain aging (i.e., anyone who tells me they’ve got stiffness or pain).
March 25, 2025
Issy Jinarmo is the creative brain child of playwright and author Jill Baggett, author Narelle Noppert, and journalist and author Maureen Kelly OAM. The three long-distance friends, who have rarely met in person, found their passion and a similar writing style during online forums with the Fellowship of Australian Writers during the Covid shutdown.
March 24, 2025
"Argh! Still life. All still!" Sandra tells, Robed in her dark-brown frock, as cool winds blow the welcome bells and strike the marble rock.
March 23, 2025
Maureen regarded this with mixed feelings. She thought she ought to want to see her oldest friend, May, but things…had changed.
March 22, 2025
March 21, 2025
As much as I love fantasy, and I do adore it, Science Fiction (SF) holds a special place in my heart no other genre can replace. Look up to the stars or to the center of the Earth, far into the future or a few years hence: in milieus distant and near at hand SF lives and transforms lives, written into almost-reality by more authors than one article can attempt to name.
March 18, 2025
For me, a Lenten practice isn’t about bondage, rules, or any form of rebellion against the “powers that be.” Lent has become a period of reflection, prayer, and fasting from things that harm instead of help.
March 17, 2025
Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Slowly sipping a delightful cuppa tea on a cold morning – or lazy afternoon – is one of the best feelings I can think of. That little touch of comfort, rich with sweet, natural flavors, fruit, and spices. And every time I take a sip of Harney & Sons Celebration Tea, that’s exactly what I'm doing: Celebrating existence.
March 16, 2025
Looking for my friendin a blue dress, you smiledthen turned away. Whenyou were gone, my daywas less. But, I know wehad so much more to say.Traveling […]
March 15, 2025
Who doesn't love a a good whodunnit? We love mysteries, particularly cozy mysteries, and so we've gathered some fabulously fun short fiction in the genre. Read tales of intrigue and curiosity in our short special issue: Elementary, My Dear Marple.