Destination Murders: Inside a Cozy Mystery Anthology

Hello, Jungle Red Readers and Writers!


We’re Cathy Wiley and Karen Cantwell, cozy mystery writers and the editors/publishers behind the Destination Murders short story anthology series. Many thanks to the Jungle Red Writers for inviting us to share a peek behind the scenes at how we put a short story anthology together.

Recently, we sat down for a Zoom chat to talk about how the series began, how it’s evolved, and what we’ve enjoyed along the way.

Karen: So Cathy, if memory serves, I pitched you on this idea of partnering up to publish a cozy mystery anthology.

Cathy: That’s right. I loved the idea because I was starting a new cozy mystery series and wanted to find readers. An anthology seemed like the perfect way to do that—something that could help me find new readers while also giving other cozy writers that same opportunity. It’s a win-win: established authors bring their loyal fans to the collection, and those readers get to discover new voices (and hopefully fall in love with them, too).

Karen: It’s been a while now, but I remember sitting at a coffee shop in the hotel where they held Bouchercon that year, and we listed writers we knew who were established authors with one or more series and/or well-known short story authors.

Cathy: Yes. Next came the theme and title. We wanted something that would hit shelves right before Memorial Day—just in time for beach-read season—so Murder on the Beach felt like the perfect fit. Once we had that nailed down, we started inviting authors, and before long, the plan was officially in motion.

Karen: You found the perfect pre-made cover for it!

Cathy: I love our polka-dot diva, though I still don’t know how she could walk on the beach in those high heels! Plus, even though it was pre-made, our designer kindly added a gun and knife to her purse to give it that perfect murderous vibe. I loved the cover so much I wanted to keep the series going just to see where we’d send her next. Since then, our designer has outdone herself: we’ve had her skiing in a polka-dot snowsuit for Murder in the Mountains, sneaking a knife aboard a yacht for Murder at Sea, and—probably not the safest choice—bringing a firearm in a hot-air balloon in Murder in the Air. And of course, she’s right at home among the tombstones (still in polka dots) for Murder in the Graveyard.

Karen: I really love these covers too.

Cathy: What part of the process do you enjoy?

Karen: As time has gone on, I love the editing job more and more. As you know, the authors submit their stories, then we both put in our editorial suggestions for tightening the storylines, improving sentence structure, etc. I’ve found that to be a really fun task. Working with our authors is very rewarding. They’re committed and professional. Can’t ask for more.

Cathy: The authors are great! While I also love editing, I was excited this time to be the one to format the files for both eBook and print using Atticus, since that can be done on a PC (as opposed to Vellum, which was exclusively Mac-based). Now we have to focus on marketing. Thankfully, the other authors help as well, through their individual newsletters, blogs (like this one!), and social media postings.

Karen: I can’t believe that Murder in the Graveyard is already out! It’s now time to think about the next anthology. I’d love to ask everyone here: What should be the next murderous destination? Let us know!