Cozy mystery writer and trilogy novelist Valerie Taylor’s new series launched in 2024 after many years in the communication industry.
Her first crime novels, A Whale of a Murder,
and the second, Switched at Death, both feature amateur sleuth Venus Bixby, as well as music, cats, and cookies.
Taylor lives in Connecticut.
Jill: What inspired you to write mysteries?
Valerie: To my surprise quite a few readers of my romantic comedy trilogy suggested I write cozy mysteries. They reasoned that my fluid writing style, relatable characters, true-to-life dialogue, and humour lent themselves to cozies. I embraced their feedback as a challenge and went for it!
Valerie: Oh, how I wish I owned an oldies music store and cookie bakery like my amateur sleuth in the Venus Bixby Mysteries. But such is not the case. I spent most of my career writing serious marketing and communications for financial and investment companies. Thinking back to my early years, my dream was to be a newspaper reporter. Though that didn’t happen, I opened A Whale of a Murder with a breaking news article!
Jill: Do you base your characters on real people?
Valerie: A few of the characters in my romantic comedies were based on real people. By the time I began writing the cozy mystery series, I was done with that. However, I do name people in the cozies after important people in my life. Venus’s sister, Sherrie, is after my best friend since fifth grade. Her significant other, Budd, is after a drummer I had a crush on in high school. There’s a Cecilia in each of the series in honor of my granddaughter.
Jill: Are your settings imaginary?
Valerie: The fictional whaling village in the cozy mystery series was inspired by a visit to New Bedford, MA, a real life whaling town. Because it’s located between Providence, RI, and Cape Cod, I named my town, Chatham Crossing. The murder scene in A Whale of a Murder takes place in a museum, inspired by a day-long tour of the incredible New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Jill : How many mystery series do you write?
Valerie: Since I joined the ranks of cozy mystery authors, I’ve realized that many have published multiple series, each with a different theme. For now, I’ve written one mystery series. It features several themes: music, cookies, and cats.
Valerie: The second book in the Venus Bixby Mystery series, Switched at Death, occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In all honesty, I placed the story at that time of year because an author I admire greatly suggested I do so. The first book, A Whale of a Murder, is set during the summer, particularly the July 4th weekend. Moving the story six months forward from there made sense to me. Until now, I haven’t written short stories. But I predict that’s bound to change. Stay tuned!
Jill: Do you write standalones?
Valerie: While my mysteries form a series, I have attempted to construct each book as a standalone. With sufficient backstory baked in, readers can start wherever they prefer.
Jill: Describe your publishing history.
Valerie: I published my first two books in the romantic comedy trilogy with She Writes Press, a hybrid publisher. As I was about to sign the contract for the third book, I found courage and decided to self-publish. I believed I earned a “master’s degree” in publishing with the first two books that enabled me to navigate the ropes of self-publishing. And along the way I’d assembled a network of resources to tap for key processes, like editing, proofreading, cover and interior design. I have to admit that self-publishing has come a long way in the last several years, which is why there’s an upswing in the number of aspiring writers becoming published authors. And, without a doubt, their books are as good as those that are traditionally published.
Jill: What is your greatest challenge in writing?
Valerie: As I mentioned earlier, I worked in corporate America more than half of my life. When I decided to write What’s Not Said after I retired, my greatest challenge was getting the corporate-speak out of my brain and finding a new voice. I think that’s why I need quiet when I write.
Jill: What obstacles and pitfalls have you encountered as a writer?
Valerie: Unfortunately, I am inflicted by one of the most common obstacles writers face. Distraction. Procrastination. Whatever you want to call it. Even though I get huge satisfaction from my writing sessions, I can always find any number of things to do to avoid putting my butt in the chair, my fingers on the keyboard, my work-in-progress open on my laptop. There’s always a bathroom to clean, a floor to vacuum, oh and the hamper to attend to! Sometimes there are even interview questions to answer! Uh hum.
Jill: How do you promote your books? Blogging?
Valerie: Oh, this is the million dollar question. Really, if only I had a million dollars. I’m probably one of the few authors who haven’t spent thousands on public relations, though I have shelled out quite a bit over the last five years on marketing. For sure, I’ve tried a wide variety of ways to promote (a.k.a., sell) my books: ads (both Facebook and Amazon), giveaways, podcasts, newsletter promotions and so on. My experience is that my eBooks sell well through Facebook ads when priced at a discount. My paperbacks tend to sell quite well when displayed at book and craft fairs. I owe that success to the talented designers who created my book covers that act like magnets
Jill: What is your opinion of social media for writers?
Valerie: Social media is a necessary evil. On the one hand, it opens up doors, providing reach to readers around the world. It promotes community and can provide a source for research and problem solving. On the other hand, it’s a time suck that interferes with my writing time.
Jill: Do you write non-fiction? Easier or more difficult?
Valerie: I’ve never seriously considered writing non-fiction or a memoir. However, early in my writing journey I did attend several webinars about the writing and publishing of non-fiction. It’s a different beast than fiction. I admire memoirists immensely. It takes a lot of courage to share one’s life with the world.
Jill: Do you teach writing?
Valerie: No, I don’t teach writing! However, I did have a strict ninth grade English teacher and attended Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in New York City way back when. Both experiences provided extensive
grammar training. Throughout my marketing career, my colleagues often asked for my help in solving a grammar issue. Is it affect or effect? What about serial commas? I’d try to help, but in all honesty, I wasn’t always right.
Jill: How important is research for a mystery writer?
Valerie: Research is important for every writer, no matter the genre. For me, research fills two critical roles in crafting my stories: getting it right and making it shine. Lucky for all of us writers, besides in-person research, we have resources to help us, like Google at our fingertips, or Alexa that’s just a shout away. For cozy mystery writers, in particular, we can have oodles of fun creating our fictional town. While a personal visit to New Bedford inspired me to breathe life into Chatham Crossing, I rounded out my memory of the city through numerous videos, podcasts, and webinars that focused on the whaling industry, including the ships, the people, and even pirates.
Jill: Do you have hobbies? Are they in your books?
Valerie: If only I could say I raise German shepherds or grow award-winning rose bushes, but that would be a lie. Frankly, the combination of being a “full-time” writer and part-time caregiver to my granddaughter provides me little time to pursue other endeavors. However, I have claimed to be an expert sports spectator, especially when it comes to baseball, football, and basketball. There are references to the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots in my books. Which gives me an idea. Since the next book in the Venus Bixby Mystery series takes place in March, there’ll just have to be a little madness woven in, along with the Boston Celtics!
Jill: What is your typical daily writing process?
Valerie: Mornings work best for me. I’m definitely not a night owl. I just can’t focus after a full day. If I start around 9 a.m., I can usually keep the juices flowing for three hours, with five-minute breaks throughout that time period. I almost always read what I wrote the day before, and I’ll do some editing too. I prefer to write in my sunroom because I can hook my laptop up to a second monitor. That gives me flexibility to easily access programs like One Stop for Writers or Master Writer.
Jill: How do you handle writer’s block?
Valerie: Although I respect others who say they’ve experienced writer’s block, I reject it for myself. To protect myself from such a fate, at the end of each writing session, I try to write a sentence that will serve to jumpstart the next day. I also talk to my characters. A lot. I often ask them “What if?” Fortunately, they are very opinionated and aren’t shy about taking the scene I thought I was going to write down a different path.
Jill: Favourite genres and authors?
Valerie: To answer this question, I’m picturing myself at a bookstore. Which genre would I choose? If there’s a new book by a favourite author, who is that favourite author? Both tough questions. I love a good mystery, of course. Not just because of the intrigue, but also because I’m bound to learn something. But I always love to immerse myself in historical fiction, because I always do learn something. Though not a mystery or historical
fiction writer per se, I’ve read more Stephen King novels than anything else. He satisfies both of my desires to learn. When I look at one of my bookshelves, I see multiple books by Erik Larsen. Now, there’s an author who qualifies as both a mystery and historical fiction writer. In fact, his Issac’s Storm is my all-time favourite book, which apparently is listed as history. Go figure. Needless to say, I would buy the newest release by either of these authors.
Jill: Have you studied forensics?
Valerie: I can’t say I’ve formally studied forensics; however, I have attended several webinars on the topic, which I found exceedingly helpful. I also rely on these two books: Geoff Symon’s Crime Scenes: Forensics for Fiction and Lee Lofland’s Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers.
Jill: What organizations do you belong to?
Valerie: I belong to Sisters in Crime, both at the national and local level; Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association; and Westport Writers Workshop. They all offer superb programs (online and in-person).
Jill: Do you write in the first or third person? Preference?
Valerie: I tend to write in multiple points of view. I’m not sure how it happened, but when I started to write
A Whale of a Murder, I settled into writing Venus Bixby in the first person, and then her supporting cast were in third person. I don’t think I have a preference. I would say, though, that it can be tricky moving back and forth between POVs. Sometimes I found I was writing Venus in the third person, so I had to make some quick edits.
Jill: How do you decide on a theme and organize your plots?
Valerie: In a cozy mystery, theme can mean different things. For example, the Venus Bixby Mysteries embody themes of friendship and sister-as-sidekick, as well as ambition and greed. The way I write, those themes emerged and took shape as the plot evolved. My series also has classic themes like oldies music, cookies, cats, and lots of chaos. I start with a sparse outline of where I think the plot will take me. Then as each scene is developed, I fill out the outline more going forward, and/or tighten up what I’ve already written. Since my characters drive the plot and create the sub-plots, I try to remain flexible. In Switched at Death, I actually switched who the murderer would be halfway through. That took a slight bit of revision, but I was much happier with where the characters’ voices took me.
Jill: Is there anything you dislike about the writing life?
Valerie: Such a profound question! There are so many aspects about being a writer to consider. I absolutely love the creative process. I even look forward to revising and editing. When all of that is said and done, though, the “writing life” takes on a whole new meaning. Even though I’m a marketer by training and experience, it is not fun. Perhaps because there are so many things we’re expected to do to connect with readers. And the platforms keep growing and changing; the goal posts keep moving. Once upon a time it was Facebook and Instagram. Then it became Tiktok. This year it’s Substack. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when you consider book tours, panels, interviews, and so on. What will be the new hot thing for writers next year? And how will AI ultimately impact what we do? When all I really want to do is tell a story.
Jill: Tips for beginning mystery writers?
Valerie: Take notes. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. Especially at home. Whether you’re reading or watching television, be sure to have a notepad and pen (or the notes app on your phone) handy. You never know when an idea will strike you, a solution to how to describe something will pop up, or a word or phrase you’ve been searching for will magically appear.
Jill: What’s next for you?
Valerie: After Switched at Death (was) published on April 22, 2025, I’ll pick up the manuscript of the third book in the series that I started in January. I’m hoping to publish that in the spring of 2026. Beyond that, I’m trying to get some of my author friends interested in compiling an anthology. On reflection, my goal when I retired was to write one novel. With the prospect of having six under my belt in seven years, I’m sensing it’s time for a reboot. I’m leaning toward writing Substack-worthy short pieces. We’ll see what Venus Bixby or her friends have to say about that or if they have other ideas.
She lives in Connecticut USA. Her most recent book is
In Terror's Deadly Clasp,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post. I really enjoyed reading about the storytelling process and how personal experiences influence writing. A friend of mine, who is a crime fiction writer , often talks about similar ideas. I’m definitely going to share this with him because he’ll find it inspiring.
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