Two determined sleuths. Two remarkable
dogs. One Christmas full of secrets in historic St. Charles, Missouri.
Wild Women Authors
is delighted to feature two authors, one Christmas mystery, and a whole lot of fun
when two award winning, multi-published, authors came together and created the Doggone
Good Mysteries.
In the newest addition to the series, Joanna Campbell
Slan and CB Wilson bring holiday cheer and danger to the St. Charles Christmas
Traditions celebration, where festive crowds and Victorian merrymaking make the
perfect cover for a killer.
About: A Stitch in Time for Christmas: Fans
of Joanna Campbell Slan’s popular Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series will be
delighted to rejoin Kiki and her perceptive Great Dane, Gracie, who get tangled
up in a Christmas murder. Kiki will lie, eavesdrop, and snoop to keep a killer
from walking away singing “Jingle Bells”, even if it means facing the
disapproval of the most judgmental dog in town.
About: The Christmas Diamond: Fans
of CB Wilson’s award-winning Gem Hunters Mystery Series will love Taylor
Hunter’s latest holiday adventure, where Victorian charm meets deadly secrets.
When the legendary Christmas Diamond, a rare green chameleon stone, vanishes
from a locked vault, Hunter and Glimmer, her diamond-sniffing dachshund, follow
the clues through Victorian Christmas celebrations and the town’s smuggling
past, until the Master of Revels is murdered and the race is on to unwrap the
mystery before Christmas Eve.
Recently we sat down to chat with Kiki
Lowenstein-Detweiler, part and parcel of the Kiki Lowenstein Cozy Mystery
Series.
What made you choose crafting for a
profession?—After my husband was murdered, I needed
to find a way to support myself and my daughter. I’d only ever been good at two
things in life: scrapbooking and getting pregnant. I was down to one choice.
Knowing what you know now, if you could do it
over, would you stick with being a crafter or do something different?
Definitely, I’d keep on crafting. I have so much fun with scissors, glue, and
paint. You can’t imagine. Besides, I’m too short and dumpy to be a model, too
ditzy to be a software engineer, and too in love with cookies to work in a
bakery. See? This was meant to be.
What is your biggest fear?
Anything bad happening to one of my three children. They are my life. Sure, I
love my husband, Detective Chad Detweiler, but my children need me in a way no
one else does.
What is the best piece of advice you ever
received? "Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your
backbone ought to be." — Clementine Paddleford. Growing up, I was taught
to put myself last. My first marriage was a disaster because I couldn’t admit
my husband was cheating. After he was killed, I realized my daughter only had
one parent…ME. And I could not afford to be a wimp. I had to stand up for both
of us. So yeah, I grew a backbone. Thank goodness!
Thanks for taking time for us, Joanna. Now it’s CB’s
turn.
Tell us about your style, how you create
the stories you offer your many fans. Writing can be a lonely
business. Day after day, it's just me, my computer, and a cast of fictional
characters who don't always behave. As much as I love creating mysteries,
sometimes it's nice to have someone other than a dog to bounce ideas off!
That's why collaborating with Joanna Campbell Slan on Christmas
Traditions & Wagging Tales has been such a joy. I've long admired
Joanna's writing, and I'm delighted to call her a friend. When we decided to
set our holiday mysteries in a real Christmas town, Joanna suggested St.
Charles, Missouri. I'd never heard of its famous Christmas Traditions festival.
What an adventure that turned out to be!
As you said, writing is often lonely and
solitary. What is it like working with another person? Finding
the right writing partner is everything. Creativity and compatible styles
matter, but trust, mutual respect, and knowing someone has your back are even
more important. Writing comes with its share of challenges, self-doubt, and
unexpected bumps. Having a partner who offers encouragement, honest feedback,
and a good laugh makes all the difference.
Joanna and I bounce ideas off each other, brainstorm
unexpected twists, and occasionally come up with wonderfully wicked ways to
commit murder. The result? Two holiday mysteries filled with Victorian charm,
Christmas magic, and four-legged friends.
Best of all, we'll be celebrating our collaboration in
St. Charles this December! Come join us at Christmas Traditions on December
11-13, 2026. Yes, we’ll be in costume. After all, we are the Scribes of St.
Charles
Joanna, with regard to research, where did
you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths, thereby
changing the original concept? Oh, boy. Poor CB Wilson,
my co-conspirator. We’d agreed to do this. Then I had emergency open-heart
surgery. Then other problems. And I was on painkillers, and I couldn’t think.
CB was wonderful. She kept reminding me that I was alive—and that was what mattered.
She never got cross, and she had every right to. She had done the original
research. I finally produced a draft, but I missed the mark in some areas
because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. You get that, right?
But God bless, CB. She must have called me from every
airport in the country, cheering me on. And of course, as I edit this version,
I have to say…the book is much, much better than it has a right to be. But at
the heart of this book is a theme: women never get enough credit for the work
they do. In this case, I can’t give CB enough credit for being kind to me.
Christmas Traditions & Wagging Tales can be found
at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HN4XLZNT/
To learn more about Joanna Campbell Slan
and the stories she creates, go to: The cardiac rehab lab at
Jupiter Medical Center. (Not kidding!). Or try linktr.ee/jcslan
or JoannaSlan.com
Buy links: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joanna-Campbell-Slan/author/B001IR3DK8
To find more about CB Wilson, go to:
https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B09DXF436G
https://facebook.com/cbwilsonauthor
https://instagram.com@cbwilsonauthor
Finding the right partner is so important, writing and in life. Looks intriguing
ReplyDelete