To New Beginnings! By Sydney Leigh

LUCY BURDETTE: I love this post from Sydney Leigh, who wraps up the pluses and minuses of the changing season so perfectly. Welcome Sydney!

SYDNEY LEIGH: For me, the new year has always begun in September. Where I’m from, it’s not just the start of the new school year, it’s also the beginning of fall. With it comes the crisp air, the colorful foliage, the best fashion, and a sense of optimism. I don’t love the shorter days and often envy the year-round California sunshine, but the early nights inspire a desire to cozy up around the warm fireplace and dig into a good book.

My second novel, Instagoner, came out at the end of August. It’s a cozy mystery about a social media influencer who crowdsources for clues. I’m thrilled for it to be out in the world and wrapped up the summer celebrating its release. To cap it off, I spent the long weekend at the family cottage where I was able to unwind and unplug.

This fall, as my kids head to their new classroom, I’ll be on my way to the library. It’s my favorite place to write and I’m set to start a new mystery series. I couldn’t be more excited. With a proposal ready to go, it’s time to dig in and write the new book. I have a fresh set of characters, a fun setting, and a plot I ruminated on all summer long.

I don’t always love the season I’m in, but each one has unique elements that make the changing weather a time to celebrate. Autumn is the best time of year for hikes, apple pie, haunted houses, mini chocolate bars, pumpkin patches, and scary movies.

One of the funnest things to do every season? Switch up my To-Be-Read (TBR) pile. As of today, it’s filled with Halloween-themed cozies, chilling thrillers, and heart-warming romances. It’ll take some willpower to hold off on the Christmas-themed books, but I’m strong. I can do it.

Do you live in a multi-season location? What do you look most forward to this fall?

INSTAGONER, A BARK AND BLOG MYSTERY

When lifestyle blogger Emily Dalle comes face-to-face with controversial talk show host, Jackie Hunter, she’s in for the shock of her life. But this time it’s not Jackie’s words that cause a stir—it’s her dead body.

Emily knows the chance of Jackie’s death being a random hit-and-run is about as low as the blows she dished out on her gossip feed. The police are doing their best but with their limited resources, Emily enlists the help of her online audience to figure out what really happened. She gets some great tips, including one from the murderer who tells her to back off.

Will Emily piece together who killed the Queen of Mean or will she fall victim to the same fate?

BIO: Sydney Leigh ran a seasonal business for several years, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the Board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021. PERIL IN PINK (Crooked Lane Books) and INSTAGONER (Level Best Books) are out now. You can find her at www.sydneyleighbooks.com.

Påskekrim aka "Easter crime" by Sydney Leigh

LUCY BURDETTE: We love reading the first book in a new series, so I'm delighted to welcome Sydney Leigh to talk about hers, plus Easter Crime. What's that, you say? Read on to find out about both...

SYDNEY LEIGH: One of the most unusual and fabulous Easter traditions I’ve recently come across is called Påskekrim, or “Easter crime”, the Norwegian custom of reading crime fiction during Easter. It’s widely adopted and celebrated throughout the country. Typically, over half the books sold the week before are in the crime genre—impressive stats. The custom is so widespread in Norway that even milk cartons have crime stories printed on them around that time. And with a cozy mystery coming out soon, I’m always happy to see enthusiastic crime fiction readers!

So where does the Påskrkrim tradition come from? A marketing ploy! In 1923, a local newspaper ran a headline about a train robbery in Bergen. People mistakenly believed it was a real news story and the whole country was gripped. But there was no crime, it was the title of a fictional novel. It created so much attention that once the truth came out, everyone was still invested in the story. People rushed to their local bookstore and bought themselves a copy. And that was it, the tradition was born.

Norway has an extended Easter break, with many people heading to their cabin in the mountains where they enjoy the last days of winter and spend time with family. Cards, board games, and reading are popular pastimes, with folks looking to disconnect from the digital world.

I love to visit the Hudson Valley in New York any time of year. I can’t think of a better way to spend a few days than on a road trip to one of the many vibrant towns. Peril in Pink is set at a modern Bed & Breakfast in a fictional town in the Hudson Valley. It’s such a treat to find a local bookstore with a large cappuccino in hand, or sip on rosé from a local winery while taking in the beauty of the area.

What are some spring traditions that you enjoy? (Reds, Sydney is giving away an ARC of Peril in Pink over at the Reds and Readers Facebook group. Leave a comment in that group to be entered in the drawing.)

BIO: Sydney Leigh spent several years running a seasonal business, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021. Peril in Pink, the first book in the Hudson Valley B&B Mystery Series comes out in March 2024 with Crooked Lane Books. You can find Sydney at www.sydneyleighbooks.com

ABOUT PERIL IN PINK: It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder. With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled.

Amazon: Amazon-PerilinPink

Barnes & Noble: B&N.PerilinPink