R.J. Koreto joins us for this week’s The Cozy 52 interview. Read on to find out more about what inspires his cozy mysteries, what the protagonist of his Historic Homes series does for a living (it sounds really interesting!) and what he has coming up next.
Who or What is The Cozy 52? Each week I will be sharing an interview with someone involved with Cozy Mysteries – an author, blogger, Facebook Group host, podcaster, cover designer – so that we can showcase this amazing community! I hope you’ll discover some new authors, plus learn more about what goes on behind the scenes with the people who write, publish and promote cozy mysteries!
Introducing R.J. Koreto
NAME: R.J. Koreto
LIST ALL YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES:
- The Lady Frances Ffolkes Series
- The Alice Roosevelt Series
- The Historic Homes Series
HOW ARE YOUR COZY MYSTERIES PUBLISHED? Traditional
The Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
R.J. Koreto is the author of seven mystery novels and has published stories in EQMM, AHMM and multiple anthologies. He’s also an award-winning financial journalist. He and his wife have two grown daughters and divide their time between Rockland County, N.Y. and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
LIST THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE WOULDN’T READ IN YOUR ‘OFFICIAL’ BIO.
- I went to the same high school as Robert Oppenheimer.
- I coined the term “Robo Advisor.”
- As a teenager, I went to a Star Trek convention and met James Doohan, who played Scotty.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START WRITING? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE COZY MYSTERIES?
English class was always my favorite and I read everything from Charles Dickens to Sinclair Lewis to Ray Bradbury. In my 20’s I became especially interested in Agatha Christie for her extraordinary plotting. When I finally got around to try my hand at writing novels, that’s what stayed with me.
WHAT SUBGENRE(S) OR THEMES OF COZY MYSTERIES DO YOU WRITE?
Historical cozies.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR COZY MYSTERY SERIES. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR SERIES?
My Historic Homes series features Wren Fontaine, an architect who specializes in renovating classic houses. This is an actual profession—something I learned while editing a newsletter for real estate agents. I’ve always thought old houses make such a great setting! I call this series a “semi-historical,” taking place in the present, but closely tied to past incidents.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO READ COZY MYSTERIES?
A sense of completeness: Cozies end with justice served. And cozies have minimal violence, so they are comforting. Cozy series, in particular, contain a welcoming community. For example, one of my favorite cozy series is Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries. Her plots are taut and engaging. However, what really keeps me and so many other readers coming back is the wonderful setting and the family-like characters. That’s what I always go for!
ASIDE FROM BEING AN AUTHOR, ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE COZY COMMUNITY IN ANY OTHER WAY?
I participate in a number of FB groups and have worked with the MWA’s mentor program. I’ve also served on Edgar Award committees.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS?
For this, I only list deceased writers to avoid inadvertently insulting any of my writer friends! My favorite authors include Agatha Christie, John le Carre, Ernest Hemingway, Tony Hillerman, Dorothy Sayers, JRR Tolkien.
IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT 3 BOOKS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?
The Hound of the Baskervilles, Great Expectations, Rebecca.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS COMING UP THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
Coming out on September 12 is the second book in my Historic Homes series, The Turnbull Murders. It takes place on a private island off of New York. My heroine, Wren Fontaine, must connect a 200-year-old murder in a classic mansion with modern murders eerily connected with the movie star who just bought the house. I’m also well into the third book, The Cadieux Murders. This will take place in a fantastical modernist mansion that was abandoned in the 1950s after a murder. Now, as Wren works on it, she finds that death still haunts the owners’ descendants, and she must get into the mind of the house’s architect—who was an important mentor to her brilliant architect father.
The Quickie 5
- FAVOURITE FOOD: Pizza
- BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Diet “Arnold Palmer”
- MOST PRIZED POSSESSION: My wedding ring
- FAVOURITE SEASON? Autumn
- FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT? Martha’s Vineyard
To keep up to date with R.J. Koreto online, you can connect with him on:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
Excellent Cozy 52! I agree with R.J. about how cozies end with justice served. They make for satisfying reads. Pretty cool about R.J. setting his Historic Homes series being set around, well, historic homes.