Cozy up to a new family of writers!

by Julie Obermiller

The vast selection of reading material in the cozy genre has something for every taste. Purists will say that Miss Marple sipping tea with the villagers is the true cozy style, but others will beg to differ. Whatever your definition, you are sure to find something unique and likable about the books coming out of Midnight Ink, an offshoot of Llewellyn Publications. Lest this sound like a commercial, let me assure you that it is really an unabashed fan letter to the folks who have rounded up a cadre of good mysteries that anyone would love to curl up with.

For me, a cozy is a book that invites you in with a cast of memorable characters and relationships; one that paints a picture of a place you might visit often. The clues must be fair and challenging; after all, we are mystery fans! Adult as we are, cozy fans by and large see no need for violent bloodletting or gratuitous “sexing up” of a good story. We would rather be startled by stealthy footsteps than grossed out of our socks by blood and guts. A really good mystery needs no sensationalism; it can stand on characters, setting and plot quite easily. Each of the cozies I have read from Midnight Ink's catalogue has been refreshingly unique and delightful. I ventured away from the cozy corner to sample a few of their other mystery offerings and quite enjoyed them as well, despite a marked difference in style.

My first peek at Midnight Ink came with Karen MacInerney's “Murder on the Rocks.” You'll find an author interview and review elsewhere in this issue. I was so taken with Natalie Barnes and friends that I had to check out the rest of the offerings by this new company. I opened up the MI door and loads of mystery, mayhem and charm fell out. Readers of any genre often wonder how a particular book or author gets into print, and who does the selecting. Cozy fans hit the jackpot with the selection team at Midnight Ink. I can't wait to see which new author they find for me next! Those who like more hard-boiled mysteries and thrillers will find a great read here as well. The MI plans to span the genre are great news for all readers and there is something for everyone.

I love leather bound books. I also love the portability of a soft cover tome that causes less of a lump on my forehead if I doze off while reading in bed! Seriously, a voracious reader looks to quantity of reading material and the affordability of soft covers is a huge plus. Midnight Ink books have rich, wonderful covers and lots of style while being pocketbook friendly. The more books, the merrier I am!

The MI website sports a “Mystery Field Guide” that gives some great definitions of the various mystery genres. It's definitely worth a look at http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/info.php?content=guid and will surely become a keeper.

Midnight Ink Editor Barbara Moore was kind enough to answer some questions about the new mystery venture and I'm sure readers will be interested in her responses.

Q. Fictional mysteries are quite a departure for Llewellyn. Why mysteries?

Llewellyn has always published a few novels every now and then. But yes, a specific imprint is new. There were lots of reasons. The publisher, Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, and our VP, Gabe Weschcke, are big fiction fans and have always been interested in pursuing fiction. A non-fiction imprint doing random fiction isn't usually the most efficient way to do things. So pursuing fiction in a formal way allows some of us to pursue some personal loves while growing the company in a new and exciting way.

Why mysteries? Well, Llewellyn has always provided practical books that help people make sense of the world. People also find meaning by exploring themes, archetypes, and world views through stories. Publishing great fiction, with all sorts of protagonists facing all sorts of puzzles, is another way helping people find their own beliefs. As our Marketing Manager, Jerry Rogers said, our books move from solving the Great Mystery to solving any good mystery.

 Q. When did it start? How many authors did you start with?

We formally started the line in June 2004. We do three catalogs a year. Our first catalog featured five authors. Our second catalog has six; our third will seven; and then each catalog after that will feature 10 new titles.

Q. What do you look for when selecting stories; are there things you will NOT publish? (Graphic violence, sex, etc.).

We do publish all types of mysteries, except for Noir. We look for writing style that is appropriate to the type; we look for well-plotted stories filled with real and interesting characters. For thriller types, pacing is very important. As for graphic violence and sex, it's not so much that we won't publish things like that, but that for most types of mysteries those aspects just aren't part of the experience. We do have a few hard-boiled novels with some incredibly graphic violence. We have a sprinkling of sex, but mostly just sprinkles (hints, allusions). We have some lovely cozies and hilarious chick lit types and some very disturbing novels that explore the minds of mad men. Disturbing, but fascinating.

Q. The mystery genre spans so many styles from gothic romance to hard-boiled police procedurals, and individual reader tastes vary greatly. Does it take a panel of readers to actually pass judgment on a new manuscript submission, or is it the luck of the draw?

Well, you're right, there is a lot of variance in taste. As the acquiring editor, I have to be aware of the all the different types and make sure we represent an appropriate balance. I am the first reader of any mystery that comes in to Midnight Ink. If I think we should consider it, then I bring it to an acquisitions committee where I make a case for it and we discuss it and come to a consensus. Sometimes there are manuscripts that I'm not sure about for whatever reason…like they have a great hook but aren't that great of a story or conversely, it's a great book but there is nothing that really sets it apart from other mysteries on the very crowded book shelves…which I will also bring to the committee for discussion.

You ask if the luck of the draw is involved. I'd like to say “no.” But if I'm being honest, I think maybe it is a little bit. I've come to think of acquiring as dating. You know when you meet someone, you can usually tell in just a few minutes if there is any connection at all? If there is, after getting to know the person it may or may not work. But if there is no connection, then it'll never work and why waste your time? When I'm reading a manuscript, I can usually tell very quickly if there is a connection. So, is that the luck of the draw or something else? Whatever it is, it is a factor.

Q. Have you considered the growing group of Young Adult mystery readers?

Not really, not YA mystery readers. We have, though, considered YA readers in general. This year we are launching Flux, our new imprint for YA novels. These are not mysteries but literary novels. Since I am on the acquisitions committee, I have read some of these. They are really great stories and the writing…some of the writing is amazing. And the covers…these books are going to have great covers.

Q. What is the hardest challenge you have faced in trying to get MI off the ground?

I think we are facing the hardest challenge right now—getting consumer interest. Everything else has gone amazingly well. Forming relationships with new agents and authors has been particularly satisfying. Our sales managers also seem to be having great success with the mystery buyers. So, we've got great books with great covers on the shelves in the stores. Now I want to help make these books be as commercially successful as they deserve to be. That's why I was so happy to hear about this article. It's the perfect “next stage” in the development of Midnight Ink.

Can I mention how wonderful I think our Art Department is? They all worked hard to learn about the mystery genre, layout, design, and artistic styles for each type, and all sorts of other things that are different from the non-fiction they'd been designing for up till now. They've all stepped up and made, I think, some of the most interesting and creative covers on the shelves.

Our Publicity department, as you know, has also stepped up. Fiction is so different than non-fiction in so many ways. All of our publicists are going above and beyond, thinking outside the box, and getting very creative with all our titles.

And I cannot say enough about our authors. So far each and every one of them has been great to work with: talented, easy going, creative. A lot of them have blogs and some of them are very funny; like Jess Lourey ( http://jesslourey.blogspot.com/ ). Karen MacInerney has one, too, with recipes and such: http://karenmacinerney.blogspot.com/ she sent us some of her Killer Brownies and they really were…killer as in “tasty,” no one died or anything!

Q. Do you plan to stick to the mystery market or is this a stepping stone to a broader fiction market?

This year, as I mentioned, we are launching Flux, so we've had two imprints in as many years. But, Llewellyn is continually growing. I'm actually not sure what direction we'll explore next.

Look for more reviews of MI books in the future! I hope you'll get to know the “new kids on the block” and welcome them into your imagination. Visit the web site at www.midnightinkbooks.com You'll feel right at home. Their slogan is “It's always midnight somewhere” and it's always time for a good read!

Have a favorite cozy or author? I'm always interested in sharing cozy views. Contact me at juliechatterbox@msn.com .