Hello and welcome!
I hope you like the new look of Rosy’s Ramblings.
As you know, I looked at re-branding recently and after a considerable amount of pontificating, I took out my magnifying glass, looked closely at the clues, and discovered something mysterious.
People like Rosy’s Ramblings. It was that simple. After I posted the results (which, I have to admit, was a pretty close run thing) so many of you contacted me saying that you liked the title, Rosy’s Ramblings. After three years, rather than a re-brand, I thought I would re-vamp my blog. Thus, the rather intriguing images at the top and bottom of this e-mail. I hope you like them.
I cannot take all the credit. After some dastardly detective work, I discovered a brilliant writer on here,
, who also helps people like me to Unstack Substack. Which means she is a whizz at all things Substack and I am not.Anyway, I hope you like the new look of Rosy’s Ramblings. Rosy is no longer somebody who rambles, but rather a crime writer whose first book is due for release on 1st July. You can pre-order it at Waterstones, Foyles or WHSmith.
It is also available to pre-order on Amazon.
A whodunnit is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus.
It seems the vast majority of us like puzzles and clue-solving. And aren’t we all intrigued with the mystery of a who dunnit? Our inquisitive natures have us reaching for these books time and time again. Apparently, our appetite for them is insatiable, which is great news for me!
As I begin the mammoth task of marketing my book amongst family, friends and fellow writers, I have been staggered by the number of people (mostly women) who have told me that they love reading crime novels.
So, what is cosy crime?
I found this fascinating article which explains that cosy crime, or cosy mystery, is upbeat, light-hearted and optimistic. Apparently, it is not ‘gritty’ and so after reading in this genre, you shouldn’t be afraid to go to sleep with the lights out. I think that sums up the genre perfectly.
So, how or why did I choose this genre?
I actually stumbled into it, quite by accident. I submitted the first five thousand words of my novel and a synopsis to the Cheshire Novel Prize. There was an entry fee which I happily paid because every entry received a critique. I had (foolishly) categorised my novel as a thriller. Why, I don’t know. I had never written a novel before and choosing a genre for it, or trying to pigeonhole it, felt incredibly difficult at the time. Obviously, I got it spectacularly wrong!
When the long-awaited critique arrived, which was very complimentary, I was told quite firmly that it was not a thriller but clearly came under the genre of cosy crime. And that’s how I pitched it to a publisher and the rest, as they say, is history.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed writing the novel and, to some extent, the editing process, which I found a lot more difficult, I loved the fact that I could pick and choose who were the good guys, who were the bad guys and as a pantser type of writer, even I didn’t know who the protagonist was until near the end. It was, indeed, a complete mystery, even to me.
Leaving a trail of clues along the way wasn’t easy. I hope I did a good job but not too good! I cannot tell you how nervous I am about how the book will be received, whether people will enjoy it and keep turning the pages to the end. More importantly, I hope the reader has no idea what happened to Marsha Boden until right at the very end and they will be shocked and surprised.
Fingers crossed that there will be no Sherlock Holmes types reading it who will unravel the mystery and solve all the clues, thus spoiling a good book. If I have done my job well, then that will not happen.
If you enjoy reading cosy crime or cosy mystery novels, perhaps you would consider buying my book and leaving a review. I will be posting again on publication day as well as popping the cork on a rather special bottle of champagne that I was given for my 65th birthday to celebrate.
I hope you are having a wonderful week and if you fancy penning a novel, whether it be cosy mystery, thriller, book club or any other number of genres currently out there, my advice would be to write, write and write some more. Get it all out on paper/the screen, then edit, edit and edit some more. Slowly, the book will take shape and then you can start pitching it to publishers and/or agents. Don’t give up. It takes a lot of hard work but if I can do it, anybody can. Honestly. It just takes determination, grit and, in my case, a lot of luck.
It’s almost 21:00 hours and as soon as I post this, I will carry on getting my second novel onto the screen. I wrote for two hours this morning before I drove to the office for an eight-hour day, but having my book published by a traditional publisher makes it all worthwhile.
Take care,
Rosy.
Rosy, first thank you for the shout out! I appreciate it.
Your new "vibe" here makes me think of the Clue board game. Very intriguing! I hope you kill it with this new direction (pun fully intended 😁)
Rosy,
Your stories remind me of rivers—constantly flowing, finding unexpected paths. The charm of a mystery is in the curiosity it stirs. Your dedication shines through, and it’s clear your creativity runs deep. Congratulations on the upcoming release of your first novel,
Best,
Aug