I don’t think I missed much yesterday by going to Wooster to the Buckeye Book Fair instead of watching the Ohio State Buckeyes’ football game. Instead, I was able to spend some time with mystery authors. Oh, the fair wasn’t all mystery authors. There were about 100 writers/illustrators, but I went to talk with mystery authors.

I spoke with some of them, and then I went to a panel with six of them. First, photos and a note or two, and then the panel summary.

Amanda Flower is the first author I found. I first met her in Cleveland at Bouchercon, and she was still working as a librarian while writing mysteries. And, she’s a cat lover! Amanda’s latest books are Blueberry Blunder, Because I Could Not Stop for Death, and Dating Can Be Deadly. Her website is AmandaFlower.com.

Amanda sent me to meet Anna Lee Huber, one of her best friends. I’ve read and reviewed some of Huber’s Verity Kent mysteries. She’s also the author of the Lady Darby historical mysteries, and has a historical fiction novel due out in February, Sisters of Fortune: A Novel of the Titanic. Her latest Lady Darby mystery is A Fatal Illusion, and her most recent Verity Kent mystery is A Certain Darkness. Huber’s website is AnnaLeeHuber.com.

Alex Erickson is the author of the Bookstore Cafe mysteries. Yes, I bought a copy of his latest one, Death by Peppermint Cappuccino because it’s a holiday mystery, and could become a giveaway. He’s on Facebook at AlexEricksonBooks.

Olivia Matthews is the cozy mystery pseudonym of Patricia Sargeant. Hard Dough Homicide is her most recent Spice Isle Bakery Mystery. Murder Out of Character is a Peach Coast Library Mystery. You can find more information at PatriciaSargeant.com.

Andrew Welsh-Huggins has been kind to me since I moved to Ohio, introducing me to several people in the book community. He’s the author of the Andy Hayes Private Eye series, and Fourth Down and Out is the most recent one. He’s the editor of Columbus Noir. And, I read and reviewed his standalone, The End of the Road. Visit his website at AndrewWelshHuggins.com.

I have to admit I drove almost two hours to the Buckeye Book Fair when I learned Linda Castillo was going to be there. I’ve read all of her Kate Burkholder mysteries set in Amish country in Holmes County in Ohio, but I’d never met her. She was so kind, and said she felt as if she already knew me because we do follow each other on Twitter. And, as I said, I’ve read all of her books, including the most recent one, An Evil Heart. Linda Castillo’s website is http://LindaCastillo.com.

I went to two of the “Book Bits” panels. Mystery author Julie Ann Lindsey was on Writers Unveiled. She also writes as Bree Baker. That panel was followed by Whodunnit & Why with Linda Castillo, Shelley Costa, Amanda Flower, Anastasia Hastings, Anna Lee Huber, and Katheryn Long.

It was a fun and humorous panel, although it was only a half an hour. The moderator introduced each author, asked one question, and then turned questions over to the audience. Questions involved plot twists, people who inspired characters, and AI.

But, I loved one of the questions, and may use it sometime. There are lots of tropes in cozies, expectations that must be met. How do you work with that, and still make the mystery unique? Of course, there’s a formula. They’re set in small towns. Everyone knows everybody else. The amateur sleuth has an occupation that allows them time to solve the mystery. Amanda Flower said she puts in small twists. The amateur sleuth often dates a policeman. Instead, she made him a fireman. She also has unusual pets, such as a potbellied pig, in one series.

Asked if their characters surprise them, Linda Castillo said after sixteen books, Kate Burkholder doesn’t surprise her. She knows her well. But, Tomasetti. She said it feels as if Tomasetti is keeping secrets from her.

How do the authors handle deadlines and multiple series? Amanda Flower answered with a lot of tears. She said in 2019, she quit her job as a librarian, and panicked, telling her agent to accept everything. She ended up with nine books with five publishers, and a lot of tears. She wouldn’t recommend it.

As I said, there were a number of other authors, but we all know I’m a mystery fan, so they’re the ones I sought.