I love to start every new year reading a book by an author who’s new to me. Some years, the books have been written by debut authors. Others have involved writers kickstarting a new genre or new series. Yet for the past several years, I’ve found authors who have been out there writing book after incredible book and for some blasted reason, they haven’t hit my radar! I might wonder how that’s possible if I didn’t know how many books were published weekly, the number is truly out of this world. So I thank my stars I found such a fabulous author like I did this January.
A.N. Sage (Inessa) is my fantastic find for 2025. She’s creative, refreshing and just an all-around fabulous writer I had to interview. Luckily, she agreed;)
Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner Inessa and congratulations on your brand-new release in your new series, A VERY FAIRY FUNERAL, Mistbrook Manor Book 1 featuring: “An introverted fairy, a secret society of undertakers, and a talking cat—what a deadly combination!” That is the best tagline! Where in the world did you come up with the idea for a fairy hiding in the guise of being an undertaker, lol?
Inessa: Thank you so much! I’m excited for this spin off. I have always wanted to write a cozy mystery with a fairy so that is essentially where the idea started. When I thought about it more, I realized that a fairy in the Orchard Hollow universe would be quite strange since it is not a paranormal, we have encountered in the world. It would make sense for said fairy to want to stay in the shadows and what better way to do that than to run a funeral home. No one wants to visit one of those. As for the secret society, that was a fun spin I decided to add since I’d been itching to write a society of sorts. I think it all came together naturally, really. As natural as fairies and secret societies and talking cats can fall, at least.
Kym: I want to be a part of this society! The idea is fresh and ghastly in a clean and wholesome way. (Who would ever think I would say that about someone hiding their true identity by being an undertaker?) Add a talking cat, and I’m hooked! Do you make up stories to tell your daughter at night before bedtime and if so, did one start off with a fairy hiding her identity?
Inessa: Actually, she’s got quite a wild imagination for a toddler. She could tell us stories for hours. I should probably start taking notes because I’m sure there are some gems in there!
Kym: LOL, their imaginations are definitely untainted by reality. While researching A VERY FAIRY FUNERAL, did you ever find yourself lost in an internet rabbit hole and if so, what aspect strayed you away from writing? Or do you have an undertaker in your back pocket to ask questions?
Inessa: There were definitely rabbit holes involved. I did quite a lot of research on the book, especially on plants and fairies and all sorts of fun material. As for the undertaker part, I wrote a book before that had a funeral home at its center, so I had quite a bit of knowledge stored away. And I do have a contact in our local funeral home which has been coming in very handy.
Kym: Ha! Keep that research, and those contacts! What aspect of A VERY FAIRY FUNERAL was the hardest part for you to write?
Inessa: Interestingly enough it was working on the tie-ins to Orchard Hollow. I wanted to give some nods to the books in that series without making it entirely about the previous characters. It was hard to find that balance.
Kym: If you had to say which witch, werewolf or vampire shaped your writing career, who would it be? Or was it someone who told stories about those characters that go bump in the night?
Inessa: It would have to be a tie between the sisters in Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus. My books tend to teeter between real-sounding magic and the absolutely ridiculous. Haha!
Kym: Ridiculous is my favorite kind of cozy. In December you released MISTLETOE, MOCHA, AND MURDER: Holiday Novella the 7th book in your Orchard Hallow series. First, how do you write so quickly, and second, how do you stay so focused with a hectic schedule?
Inessa: I have to make time to write and stick to it. It’s hard when you work in the creative field, but I’ve gotten good at discipline and sticking to a tight schedule. I am also a heavy plotter, and I find that really helps keep me on track. I never write myself into a hole and I edit as I go so my first drafts are very clean.
Kym: MISTLETOE, MOCHA, AND MURDER is jammed packed with holiday stressors—I think you left one M out of the title—MOMS! Lol, from being one to having one, life gets complicated during that time of year. Not to mention a raccoon! My cousins had a rescue racoon as a pet, I can’t imagine adding a murder mystery to that cluster! Have you had a pet that you like to model your pet characters after?
Inessa: My parents rescued a racoon too! Small world! I think that’s where the character for Harry Houdini came from for Orchard Hollow. I like to model my pets after people. Odd, I know. But I find it helps solidify their characters better if they read like humans. Especially in Harry and Theo’s case where one had his own POV chapters and the other is a changeling stuck in a cat’s body.
Kym: I knew you had personal experience with a raccoon! Your book covers are gorgeous, and you offer book cover designs on your website. Do you design all of your covers? Are you self-taught or do you have a background in graphic art?
Inessa: I do design my covers! It was one thing I knew I couldn’t let go of when I started working with my publisher. I have a background in photography and visual art which helps a lot. But I never stop learning. The business is constantly changing, and it helps to stay on top of new trends.
Kym: It may not be the season, but I really think every paranormal/fantasy author should be asked if they go all out for Halloween, especially the author who offers a free copy of HAUNT & SEEK on her website to readers! Do you have more spooky decorations than all the other holidays combined?
Inessa: Halloween is basically our main holiday. My toddler loves all things spooky (takes after her mom) and we have a lot of fun decorating. We start very early, and I do keep a lot of the cuter decorations out all year round.
Kym: If you had to choose one character in any of your series to room with for a year, who would it be and why?
Inessa: Probably Sid from KARTEGA. She’s moody and a social outcast but she can get a lot done under pressure. I feel like that would be useful around the house. Lol!
Kym: You also wrote, CRAFTING COZIES, A Writer’s Guide to Bestselling Mysteries. What inspired you to go down the non-fiction path?
Inessa: I’d been running a YouTube channel for authors for a while now and it was the natural next step. I wanted to give aspiring writers in the genre more information without creating a long-winded video or an online course. . . though that is in the works! I have since started a Substack called Fiction Focus where I offer even more advise, tips, and mini-courses.
Kym: That’s awesome. You’ve found your niche in in paranormal, fantasy and cozy mysteries. Without giving away too much of your Crafting Cozies book, what do you think is key to writing a good paranormal mystery that all mystery readers will enjoy?
Inessa: I’d say it’s the balance between the puzzle and the magic. You don’t want to rely on your sleuth’s abilities to solve crimes, but you also don’t want their magic to be a b-plot. Finding a way to root your characters in magic without having it be an easy solution to crime-solving is key. After all, if they could wave a wand and find the villain it wouldn’t be much of a mystery, would it? I try to lay out all my clues before I start writing and see where they fit in. If my sleuth can magic out a solution, the clue goes into one pile. If they can’t, it goes in another. Then I see how many clues are on each side and switch things around until the numbers are fairly equal. That way I can be sure that the sleuth has their work cut out for them.
Kym: Since we’re all about getting cozy, do you have your own favorite cozy corner where you escape to read?
Inessa: I usually read in bed with a cup of tea. I have an e-reader in a stand with a pager turner attached and we just recently upgraded to a very comfy comforter set. It’s absolutely brilliant for reading.
Kym: What are you working on now and when is your next release?
Inessa: I’m currently making my way through FAIRY IN THE MOURNING, the second book in the Mistbrook Manor Cozy Mysteries series. That one is set to release in August, but I am hoping for an earlier date if it can be managed.
Kym: Where can our readers find you on-line?
Inessa: My website is probably the best bet.
Thank you for joining us on Fresh Fiction’s Cozy Corner!
Inessa: Thank you so much for having me. It was great!
Mistbrook Manor #1
An introverted fairy, a secret society of undertakers, and a talking cat—what a deadly combination!
In the Mistbrook Manor Funeral Home, Lyra Moore prefers the company of the dead to the living. As a fairy in hiding and the town’s funeral director, she’s perfected the art of staying out of the spotlight—until an unclaimed body appears on her doorstep under mysterious circumstances. No one knows who the victim is or how he died, but Lyra is determined to leave the case to the authorities. She does not need any more strangers knocking on her door, at least not breathing ones.
Unfortunately, life outside Fairy has other plans. When Lyra returns home to find an odd man lurking in her living room, he claims to be a detective, yet Lyra can see right through his lies. Even without her fairy magic!
Reluctant to leave well enough alone, Lyra stumbles on a secret society of undertakers with a unique calling: solving crimes.
With her own magic to conceal, and a bratty talking cat—who happens to be a changeling stuck in feline form thanks to an administrative slip-up and a foolish feud—Lyra finds herself entangled in the mystery with no way out.
But can she crack the case while keeping her magical secret? Or will the truth refuse to stay buried?
Mystery Amateur Sleuth [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: January 28, 2025, e-Book , / ]
A.N. Sage is a bestselling, award-winning author of mystery and fantasy novels. She has spent most of her life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, she has developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary.
A.N. spends her free time reading and binge-watching television shows in her pajamas. Currently, she resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband who is not a creature of the night and their daughter who just might be.
Kym Roberts writes by day and is a pro-surfer in her dreams by night. Her humor is often raunchy, her jokes are often bad, but her hunger for a story keeps the adventures coming fast. Experience the thrill & catch the wave of passion, mystery, and suspense with her on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
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