Welcome Back Sara Rosett!

by Posted on

JHolden is the winner of Sara’s book! Thanks to all of you who entered!

I’m so happy to welcome back Sara Rosett! Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder is the TENTH book in her Ellie Avery Mystery series! I met Sara the same night I met Julie Hennrikus at the banquet at Malice Domestic in 2005. Sara had just sold her series to Kensington and we bonded over both being military wives.

Sara is giving away a copy of Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder! Leave a comment below by midnight Saturday EDT for a chance to win!

Dream vacation destination?

Anywhere in Europe. I’m not picky! I haven’t been to Prague and would loved to go there.

You’ve just won the lottery. What’s the first thing you do/buy?

This isn’t a physical thing, but I think I’d hire someone to clean my house. Having someone else clean for me would be true luxury.

Favorite mystery/thriller movie?

I love classic movies like North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief. A contemporary favorite is RED.

Favorite junk food? Chocolate. The darker, the better.

What’s one food you absolutely can’t stand? Cooked spinach. Raw spinach is great. Love it in salads, I just don’t like the soggy mess that it turns into when it’s cooked.

What’s one talent you wish you had?

I wish I could sing. I’m tone-deaf and clueless about most musical things.

M&Ms or Godiva?

Both please. I never set limits where chocolate is concerned.

Favorite time of Day?

I’m a night owl. I love curling up with a good book and reading past my bedtime.

Tell us a little about your book. Did an event or idea inspire the book?

Mother’s Day, Muffins, and Murder came about because I wanted to write a story set at an elementary school. I’d already explored many aspects of my main character’s life. Ellie is a military spouse, a professional organizer, and a mom. Other books in the series have focused on the military spouse and organizing angles, so I thought it would be fun to center the book on the school. When your kids are in elementary school, there is a high level of involvement—classroom parties, Field Day, and volunteering in the classroom. I wanted to write about those things and weave a mystery into the setting.

What’s your writing style? Outline or no outline?

Writing without an outline of sorts would be terrifying! I always have a plan with the major points the story will hit. Sometimes it stays the same; sometimes it changes a lot. When I’m writing a book, I write every weekday morning for a couple of hours. I start at the beginning and write through to the end before I go back and revise.

What do you wish you’d known about either the craft of writing or the business of publishing when you first started writing?

I wish I’d known how much publishing was going to change! If I’d had a crystal ball I would have been scribbling away, stock-piling stories for when the ebook revolution hit. I’ve learned a lot about being nimble and keeping an eye on the horizon in the last few years.

What’s up next for you? What are you working on now? 

I’m working on the draft of the seventh Murder on Location mystery, Death at an English Wedding, which is another series that I write. It’s set in England–(obviously!)– and I have the best time escaping to the misty green countryside in my mind when it’s blazing hot and humid where I live. It also gives me a reason to travel—research!

Sara Rosett is a bestselling mystery author. She writes the Ellie Avery series, the On The Run series, and the Murder on Location series. Publishers Weekly called Sara’s books “satisfying,” “well-executed,” and “sparkling.”

 Sara teaches what she knows through the How to Outline a Cozy Mystery course. She loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com and sign up to get a free ebook from Sara.

Readers: If you won the lottery what is the first thing you would do/buy?

 

 

Published by Sherry Harris

Sherry Harris is the author of the Agatha Award nominated Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Mystery series.

78 Thoughts

  1. Welcome back to the Wickeds, Sara! I think I would hire a caterer and throw a party. And I would probably purchase a fountain pen I’ve had my eye on for a while. It has a lovely italic nib that I have been coveting. And maybethe OG carry on bag from Lo and Sons that I’ve been considering for ages.

  2. Welcome, Sara. I also write three series. Like you, a housecleaner is absolutely the first thing I would spring for if I won the lottery! Best of luck with the new book and the next book – so much potential in the world of an elementary school – and the parents of the kids.

  4. Dark chocolate is my go to treat as well. You can’t go wrong there. You are a prolific wonder! Reading this is motivating. Your series sound tempting. I’m off to pick up one of your books. Thanks for the introduction.

  5. Great interview, and I love the book’s title, cover, and setting! As for the lottery question, two things come to mind immediately. I’d give to my favorite charities and buy a beach house. (More like a beach estate! I’d love room for lots of visitors!)

  6. What a fun interview. I’m also a military wife like you and Sherry. My first thought for lottery winnings was more stamps for the passport, but then you said a house cleaner and I thought, yes, that’s the way to go! Best wishes with your new book.

    1. It’s always great to meet a fellow military wife, Shari! I’d love new stamps in my passport, too. I suppose if we won the lottery we could do both–spring for a house cleaner and a trip. 😉

  7. Good Quakes don’t DO lotteries, but IF I were to win a lottery I would try to find an actual house at a higher elevation.

      1. Not necessarily for a view: just to stay above the rising sea level! Eastern Shore of Maryland is all relatively low so septic systems are endangered.

  8. Thanks for the interview- I had only read the Ellie Avery series, so now I have a couple more Sara Rosett books to check out! Lottery winnings would go directly into college savings. The peace of mind would be invaluable.

    1. I hear you on the college saving thing, Sarah. That can be a huge expense! Hope you enjoy the other books. Each series is a little bit different and lets me work different creative muscles. 💪

  9. If I won the lottery, I would use the money to do all the things I want to do to fix up my home. Then I’d have to take a vacation to somewhere I’ve never been. Love this book series!

  10. I spend a lot of time thinking about this, which is funny because I never actually play the lottery. I would pay off my mortgage first and then I would go on a fabulous vacation! Most of what is left would be put away for retirement, the kids’ college, stuff like that, but travel is what I would really like to do. Thanks for the contest!

  11. HA! Let me get out my 30 page color-coded Lottery Win Plan.

    Step 1) Hire financial advisor to implement 30 page color-coded Lottery Win plan.

    Step 2) Hand him/her plan.

    Step 3) Hire financial audit to watch financial planner.

    Step 4) Hand him/her Watch Financial Planner plan.

    You can start to see how it’s 30 pages, right?

    Then get back to my regular life because getting to be a writer is my version of winning the lottery already. 😀

  13. Love the sounds of this book.If I won the lottery I would plan a trip to Ireland for our family.

  14. Welcome back, Sarah. Good luck with the book. It sounds wonderful.

    I love the lottery question, because it gives my husband and I a chance to argue about something entirely imaginary. “You’d give money to Aunt Sally! She’s a terrible person!” etc, etc.

  15. Thanks for coming back to visit us, Sarah! And wow ten books in one series plus two other series! I’m so happy for you. I’d buy a beach house in Monterey and one in Maine.

  16. Love the Ellie Avery books, need to look up the rest of the other books.

  17. If I won the lottery? I’d pay off my condo and car, then think about selling the condo and moving to a nicer house. But I love the idea of a cleaning person. Since I don’t clean very often, the place really needs it.

  18. You know, I have no idea what I would do if I actually won the lottery! I’ve been told the first thing you should do is hire an attorney and sneak into the lottery headquarters to claim your winnings — I would probably be doing a happy dance the whole time! I enjoyed the interview with Sara — she is a new author to me, and her books sound wonderful. The skeleton on the cover of Mother’s Day, Muffins and Murder really caught my eye!

    1. I’ve heard that too, Celia–that you don’t want to let the world know you won until you’re set to handle everything. (Another book idea there, I think!) Hope you enjoy the books. The skeletons are on all the recent covers in the series. Some covers you have to look a little harder to see them, but on the Mother’s Day book it’s really obvious!

  19. At 82 I don’t need a lot but would do a family trip to Maui. My 3 grandsons talk about a family trip there 2 years ago and they had so much fun. I’m an navy brat but my mom stayed put after I was born so Sherry and Sara’s story of their moves amaze me. I’m a big fan of both their books..If it was a big win I know that there is a lot I like to do for my sons and my sweet DIL and of course my only grandkids. 26,9 and 6 who live next door to me and they take very good care of me.

  20. Oh, I won!? If I won the lottery, the first thing I’d buy is a house by the beach! My first thought would be somewhere tropical, but I am too comfortable in Northern California. I’d love to buy a house in Carmel, California. Then, it’s trips, voyages, world explorations…

  22. If i won the lottery I would buy tickets to see my kids and grandkids in Ca once i got there i would see my son and then go to See candy and buy myself a lb of dk choc truffles then we would go to dinner in SF somewhere that is nice and easy to get my scooter in. I would then see the grandkids with a convertible that my son would drive i would rent of course. That would be my dream! ptclayton2@aol.com

  23. I agree with you on the cleaning lady and the dark chocolate. Sara is a new author to me and I would enjoy reading her latest book.

  26. A big lottery win would send me on an extended vacation to Egypt, the UK & all of the European countries. I have read & enjoyed 1 book in this series but want to read them all. Thanks for the great post & giveaway!

  27. Oooh! Another new author (to me) to spend money on.

    First expenditure with lottery winnings would be a large donation to my favorite cause. Since I’m retired and have littering the way of bills, I would travel, travel, travel and buy even more cozies (if that is possible!).

  28. First, I would pay off all our bills and donate a large portion to our parish building fund (we have a huge mortgage on the new church). Then, I would build a room to house all my books. Need a huge library for all the books I need to read before I die. At this rate I need to live till at least 120 to read all the books waiting to be read. thanks for the chance to read one of your books.

    1. Exactly what I was thinking! I would pay for my dear friend to get a leave of absence from her job and help me. She’s the only one who can.

  30. If I won the lottery the first thing I would buy would be a series of cabins in the woods for me, my family and friends. Of course it would be in the mountains too. Then I would stockpile it with extra generators, freezers, etc and fill us all up for some time away from the crazies

  32. If I ever won the lottery, I would pay off my mortgage and travel!!

  33. Welcome back! The new book looks fun! Winning the lottery is always a fun dream! I’d pay off and fix up the house first!

  34. Pay off my kids’ and nieces mortgages and set up trusts for my grandchildren. Sara, I am reading the third book in your Murder on Location series. Loving it!

  35. If I won the lottery the first thing would be to move to a quiet place settle & live I would love a paperback

  36. If I won the lottery the VERY FIRST thing I would do is buy computers for my students!! I have taught high school Spanish and English in a low income district for 18 years. We do not have the “luxuries” of having technology at our fingertips, like the more “well to do” surrounding districts. My students deserve to have the same educational benefits that kids in other districts have!!! Some people claim that it shouldn’t matter the amount of technology that kids have access to. I disagree. In our ever-changing world, where kids are using the internet for just about anything from research to global connection, having access to a computer as well as the internet is #1 on my list for my students. If their scores on tests are going to be compared at a state and national level to other students, they should be given the same advantages as those other students to help prepare them for those very tests. Thank you!

  37. Positively, absolutely and most definitely a new house.

  39. The first thing I would do is buy an around the world air ticket (if there is such a thing) for myself, husband and mom and then pay different friends to meet up with us along the journey wherever that takes us (Southern US, Europe, UK DEFINITELY, Bali…)

  40. Great interview and it sounds like an awesome series! If I won a huge lottery, I’d pay off our house and both my brothers’ families houses, fix up my mom’s house (roof mainly) and rip the rest of the carpeting out of this house to put down flooring that looks like wood. Yeah kinda boring but I like practical more than traveling I guess. I’m a homebody and I love reading. Boy could I make a dent in Amazon and bookstores if I had lottery winnings! Oh and I would love to finish the basement too. Nothing terribly huge 😉

Comments are closed.