Death by Design: A DIY Diva Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Cozy Cat Press (June 20, 2019)
Print Length: 184 pages

Synopsis

DIY Diva Laurel McMillan rejoices when her student Jennifer’s peacock pillow wins a design contest; that is, until Jennifer’s husband Matt is smothered with the very same pillow. When the police confiscate her prize-winning pillow, Jennifer freaks out, and Laurel fears that Jennifer may be more upset about losing the pillow than about Matt’s death. But the police arrest disgraced nurse Edna Elkins, not Jennifer. Begging Laurel to find the real killer, Edna insists she’s innocent, but Laurel’s not so sure, and when Laurel encounters Jennifer while walking her lovable Labrador retriever, Bear, she’s left with more questions than answers. Should the crafty DIY Diva play DIY Detective or does Edna really belong in jail?

Includes recipes and pillow project instructions.

Guest Post

Crafting in the DIY Diva Mystery Series

by

Paula Darnell

Most of us cozy mystery readers enjoy trying to solve a puzzle. Although the answer to the whodunit question is at the center of most mysteries, it’s not the only consideration for an author who plans to write a mystery novel. Another major element that authors must take into consideration is the persona of the detective (always an amateur in a cozy), who’s also the main character in the book. In addition to the physical characteristics of the amateur sleuth, the author has to focus on personality, relationships, daily routine, and so on.

One of the first elements I thought of when I was planning the first book in my DIY Diva Mystery series is the occupation of my amateur sleuth, Laurel McMillan. Cozy mysteries often have protagonists who own a small retail business. I like to read these myself because the reader often gets a good idea of the struggles and successes of an individual proprietor, but I wanted Laurel to have more freedom and a more flexible schedule than she would have if she were running a retail business six or seven days a week. Such freedom gives Laurel plenty of time to play DIY Detective when the need arises.

Another factor that played into selecting her occupation resulted from the story’s setting. Since the first book focuses so much on the walled, guard-gated community where she lives (and where the murder takes place), I wanted her to be physically present in the community as much as possible, giving her plenty of opportunity to pick up gossipy tidbits from friends and neighbors.

A work-at-home occupation seemed to fit the bill. Briefly, I considered making her a writer, but then I had a better idea. Why not make her a crafter who has been able to turn her love of crafting into a viable business? Because many people dream about turning a hobby into a business and actually making money and supporting themselves by doing something they love, I liked the idea and decided to go with it.

Another thing I liked about having Laurel making her living from crafting is that I know a lot about several different crafts as well as sewing, which comes in handy when I write about what she’s doing in her business. I also know about writing about a craft or teaching a craft to others, so I was able to add these components to her repertoire.

In the DIY Diva Mystery series, Laurel blogs, writes DIY books on crafts, designs craft projects for manufacturers, teaches various craft and sewing classes at the Hawkeye Haven community center, and sometimes sells some her jewelry wholesale to boutiques. Why so many elements to her crafting business? I believe such variety makes the portrayal of her vocation much more realistic because people who have small crafts-based businesses typically wear many hats, and it’s not unusual to teach, write, design, sell wholesale, sell online, sell at craft fairs, or pursue a combination of these activities.

In each book in the series, Laurel is writing her own book. In Death by Association, the first book in the series, she’s busy researching and writing DIY for Dog Lovers (she has an adorable chocolate Labrador retriever for inspiration). To tie in with the theme, I include four recipes for dog treats in the back of the book. along with two projects for readers’ own favorite canine companions: a reversible, fringed dog scarf and a no-sew dog bed. In Death by Design, the second book in the series, Laurel is teaching a class about how to make pillows and writing her next book, DIY Perfect Pillows. Included at the back of Death by Design are instructions for a suede or leather (faux or real) fringed pillow and a lacy neck roll pillow.

Another tie-in to the craft theme is that, in Death by Design, Jennifer, one of Laurel’s students, wins a design contest with a beautiful peacock pillow she makes. Unfortunately, Jennifer’s prize-winning pillow is used to kill her husband Matt.

Book three in the series features a different craft, but I won’t give it away yet, as it concerns the plot of the book, too. The third book in the series should be out sometime in late fall, if I get back to my computer and finish it soon!

About the Author

An instructor at five colleges over the years, Paula Darnell most often taught the dreaded first-year English composition classes, but she’s also been happy to teach some fun classes, such as fashion design, sewing, and jewelry making. Paula has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and a Master’s degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Like Laurel, the main character in Death by Association, Paula enjoys all kinds of arts and crafts. Some of her memorable projects include making a hat and a cape to wear to Royal Ascot, sewing wedding gowns for both her daughters, exhibiting her textile and mixed-media artwork in juried art shows, and having one of her jewelry projects accepted for inclusion in Leather Jewelry, published by Lark Books. She sells some of her jewelry and hair accessories in her Etsy shop.

Paula’s interest in DIY craft projects and fashion led to her writing hundreds of articles for print and online national publications.

Living in a guard-gated community governed by a homeowners’ association gave Paula the idea for the setting of Death by Association. She finds that residing in an HOA community can be both a blessing and a curse. A Happy-New-Year greeting from her community association called on residents to “start the new year by reviewing your Rules and Regulations booklet,” something unlikely to top anyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions.

Paula lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband Gary and their 110-pound dog Rocky, whose favorite pastime is lurking in the kitchen, hoping for a handout

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