In today's author spotlight, 

I shine my light on an author who is a mystery to me,

Virginia Lowell

I say Virginia is a mystery to me, because I haven't been able to find out anything about her. Yesterday I found out the first bit of information I've ever found on her. The photo above, and a short bio.

"As far back as I can remember, I've been in love with stories." ~ Virginia Lowell

THE COOKIE CUTTER MYSTERIES

 

 

 

Olivia Greyson is the proud owner of The Gingerbread House-a quaint shop that specializes in all things cookie-and her best friend, Maddie, is her sidekick, baking up scrumptious treats for their cookie-themed parties. ~ from COOKIE DOUGH OR DIE

  

My sister, Darlene and I loved this series! 

We were both bummed when it ended. 

I went on a search for more books by Ms. Lowell. Nothing. 😟

 

Please trust me when I say, you'll love this series. 

It's true cozy all the way!

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been in love with stories. My mother once told me that I didn’t nap like a normal child. Every afternoon she plunked me down in my crib, hoping for some quiet time, but I spent each nap babbling stories to my doll. At least, Mom assumed they were stories, despite the lack of any recognizable plot… or ending.

Nothing changed in Kindergarten. My teacher reported to my parents that I loved story telling time so much I couldn’t seem to find a place to stop. My first grade teacher was less diplomatic. I  really can’t blame her. Interminable stories with no plot can be tiresome. My fascination with stories stuck with me through high school and beyond, though not always in a helpful way. I wrote stories during math class, which did not go well. Apparently, I missed something called long division. It became obvious, as my school years passed by, that whatever career path I chose to follow had better involve words, not numbers.

One of the unexpected joys of writing The Cookie Cutter Shop mysteries has been the opportunity to spend time with many types of characters and watch them evolve (or disintegrate) over time. I might have gotten carried away in DEAD MEN DON’T EAT COOKIES. So many characters appeared that I had to make a chart to keep track of them. Because you never know what sort of mischief your characters might be planning when you aren’t looking. After all, at least one of them was a murderer.

Even though I’m the one writing the stories, Livie and Maddie, my sleuthing duo, often surprise me. Livie has a business degree, and she can do math, but over time she has demonstrated strong powers of observation and more insight into human behavior than I had anticipated. (I suspect she inherited that ability from her mom, Ellie.) I’d wanted Maddie to be the fun sidekick, yet she has evolved, as well, into an intrepid investigator with impressive computer skills. Livie and Maddie pursue murderers with far more daring than I see in myself. I cringe when they sneak into a building at night, not knowing what they will find. And Maddie’s boundless energy makes me think about curling up for a nap. But that’s part of the fun of writing the series—I get to go along on their adventures without wondering if I should update my will. However, if Livie and Maddie start using math to solve murders, they’re on their own. ~ Virginia Lowell

  

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