Dear Readers,
When I first pictured Temperance Matthews, she was holding a whisk, but I had no idea what her background involved. I sat with the idea of this new series and let ideas simmer in my mind. I was still deeply involved in writing the Dress Designer books, and while I love writing paranormal cozy mysteries, taking on a new challenge was the next step. In that sense, the Temperance Matthews Cozy Mystery Series is a stretch.
You might be asking why it was challenging. Great question!
When Lily or Claudia gets into a jam, I can pull out a spell or ghost to help them. With a non-paranormal cozy, it was going to be Temperance relying on her wits to get herself out of trouble.
Temperance decided to leave behind her unpredictable, established life and embrace the fish-out-of-water lifestyle. Starting fresh in Oak Hollow and opening a bakery achieved that, but what was she leaving behind? As an FBI data analyst, she spent her days immersed in data, criminal patterns, late nights, and the relentless task of analyzing details most of us would rather ignore.
And yet, when we meet her in Just Desserts & Murder, she’s standing on the street watching her dream turn to ash.
The Temperance Matthews Cozy Mystery Series was born from a question—could I write a cozy mystery with a main character who has spent her life studying darkness and now chooses light instead?
Temperance inherits her Aunt Penny’s Victorian home. She spent many happy hours during summer vacations at her aunt’s elbow, learning how to bake. Temperance used baking as a way to get through each day until one day she was ready to enjoy life at a slower, sweeter pace with sugar and spice, for everything nice.
But life, as we all know, doesn’t always cooperate.
In Just Desserts & Murder, Temperance’s bakery is reduced to ashes, and the fire has consequences far-reaching in Oak Hollow. The very symbol of her new life is up in smoke. When it’s revealed that a person was murdered, she begins to wonder how she can help. Will the skills she’s honed over the years with the bureau help find the guilty person?
Just Desserts & Murder and subsequent books in the series aren’t just about solving a crime. It’s about resilience and friendship, trust, and forging ahead even when the future looks bleak.
Temperance’s strength and tenacity are qualities in a character that click with me. She’s the kind of heroine I love to root for and read.While writing the story, I discovered that Temperance’s background as an FBI data analyst never fully left her. Patterns others miss? A tremor in someone’s voice? Inconsistencies that become a flashing neon sign? These are data points Temperance provides to local authorities. She’s not looking to be a super sleuth, just offering support for justice.
To Temperance, friendships matter. Josie Shaw, her loyal, sweets-fueled best friend, reminds her to look outside the box and pivot. Officer Casey Butler respects her instincts. The relationship these women forge is something special.
Then there’s Hank, her adorable dachshund. Even amateur sleuths need someone who simply wants a walk, a one-way conversation, and at the end of the day, a cuddle.
When I began writing this series, the mystery had to rely on intelligent, carefully placed clues, and of course, a few red herrings. Even without paranormal elements, one thing remains constant in my writing: strong female characters, while ensuring the culprit will be caught.
In writing this book, I made a pivot—a new chapter in my craft. I hope Temperance’s quiet courage reflects a bit of myself.
When readers tell me they couldn’t put _Just Desserts & Murder down or that Temperance feels like a friend they’d enjoy having coffee with, it makes me smile. That’s the connection I aimed to create.
The Temperance Matthews Cozy Mystery Series is a mystery, but it’s also about friendships, new and old.
Thank you for embracing Temperance Matthew’s new adventure with me.
Now, like Temperance, I’m off to bake a loaf of bread.
Wishing you a mug of steaming coffee, a sweet treat, and a great book to curl up with.
Lucinda
