Why cozy crime is just the right genre for me
Yesterday I held a reading from my current Cozy Crime YOGA CAN BE DEADLY. the bookseller and some of the listeners wanted to know why I write and why exactly in this genre.
As an author, you should of course have some good answers to these questions, but in my opinion it is even more important that you know your own motivations, and that is exactly what this blog post is about.
But first I would like to emphasize that yoga is basically good for us, and as a small spoiler I can let you know that the murdered protagonist in YOGA CAN KILL didn't die from an overdose of yoga - even if that were conceivable in a cozy crime;)
"Reading strengthens the soul"
The one-dimensional pleasures of the baby boomer generation
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. However, I have to admit that I'm not sure if I could say that a few decades later and not when baby boomers would have been born. As I mentioned yesterday at the reading, people are reading less and less and even my own son says "Mom, if I read, I would read your book too...".
But it's not the case that people have basically become lazy about reading, but rather that there are an incredible number of alternatives to reading. In the 80's, when I started reading and writing seriously, there weren't too many exciting things to do. Sport was probably always an option, but I have to admit that I only discovered the appeal of movement much later;)
Private TV stations and video stores were our highlights back then, but by no means as available as all the offers that keep us from the important things today - Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and the other social media formats, Netflix, Amazon Prime, endless new movies, and, and, and. There are sports and leisure activities that were unimaginable before the turn of the millennium, and I get distracted far too often.
The reasons for writing a book change over the course of life
I'm a cornucopia of stories that take shape and evolve in my head all by themselves, so I'm writing - still...
And yet my motivations change too. When I was very young, I imagined things that I hoped to experience. I dreamed of a love I still wanted to find, of distant places I wanted to travel, of achievements I longed for. In the foreground were my own feelings and an ideal image that I imagined for my life.
Today I write about things that move me, that I have lived through, that I will probably never experience in this form again, and about changes in society that concern me.
It used to be about me and my view of the world, whereas now my stories are more a reflection of personal experiences and our society. Everything has become more multidimensional, which is simply due to life experience.
Today, my characters live from qualities that I perceive in myself and in my fellow human beings. They have rough edges and are polished by the things they have experienced. There are no longer blank slates dreaming of their future. Rather, it is people who question their life issues and are interested in personal development.
What (I) really care about
Deep down, my stories are about pointing out our values and their meaning. It bothers me that respect and tolerance are no longer a matter of course in so many situations. I am concerned with the love and support that parents give their children, with the generosity with which one naturally helps others when they are in need. The simple togetherness, the way we communicate with others and how we treat each other - these are the topics that move me today and about which I would like to report.
But books are like raising children - some have to be subtly applied and packaged to get the job done ;) and finally I still write to entertain others as well as myself.
The genre of cozy crime
That's why my stories are superficially entertaining and hopefully a little amusing, which I've been able to do in recent years, especially in the cozy crime genre.
Under the term Cosy Crime According to Wikipedia, one understands a narrative style that is not about the bloodthirsty or the brutality of a crime. Rather, the characters and a lot of local color are in the foreground, even clichés are allowed - GORGEOUS!
With my crime series about the German-British Dr. Samy Wilde, who plays in tranquil Windsor just outside of London, I have created an ideal framework for conveying the things that are important to me. The backdrop of Windsor around the mighty castle (right under the eyes of the Queen) and my local knowledge, bring so much local color with me that I keep hearing from readers "I have to go there someday".
In addition, Samy always has to deal with her own shortcomings and the behavior of her fellow human beings, while her boyfriend Cornelius gives me ample opportunity to incorporate amusement. Both are lovable protagonists who now like each other family members feel and are often quoted by my daughters ;)
Certainly there are deeper genres that require a lot more research work from an author and are much more demanding overall. But I don't write to promote myself or to educate others. My life is complex and as a mother of three adult children with almost twenty years of experience as an international entrepreneur, I don't have to surpass myself, but simply want to tell stories that my readers enjoy and that occasionally inspire them to to stick to our values.
If this article has piqued your curiosity, you can find my Windsor mysteries wherever you go to buy books can and with a little luck also soon at audible;)
Cozy crime series with Samy Wilde
dr Samantha Wilde has made a fortune and an apartment in tranquil Windsor through the sale of an app and an inheritance. The plan to come to rest and devote oneself to the beautiful things in life does not work out, however, because she keeps tripping over dead bodies.