Andrea J. Johnson - Craft Killer Fiction - ajthenovelist

Killer Courthouse Cozies Guaranteed to Renew Your Faith in Justice

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Poetic Justice – New Format

Poetic Justice will be coming out in a new format on February 1, 2022: Paperback! That’s right. Fans of the series will be able to add a soft cover copy of the first book in the Victoria Justice Mysteries to their collection. But don’t worry, we are still keeping the same vibrant colors for this new version. Pre-order your copy HERE.

And for those who are still wondering if this series will ever become available in audio, I have some great news. The publishers at Polis Books are in talks have the Poetic Justice audiobook release November 9, 2021. Stay tuned here for more details! And PREORDER your copy on Audible today.

Aug. 25 – Author Event

Join me online on August 25, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. for a FREE author meet-and-greet sponsored by Browesabout Books and the Lewes Public Library. Both organizations have tapped me to host a discussion on crime fiction with fellow Polis Books mystery writers Johnny Shaw (author of The Southland) and Zhanna Slor (author of At the End of the World, Turn Left).

Johnny Shaw has been nominated for the Anthony Award three times, winning for Best Paperback Original in 2013 for the comedic adventure novel Big Maria. He has also won the Spotted Owl Award twice for his Jimmy Veeder Fiasco border novels, which include Dove Season, Plaster City, and Imperial Valley. His most recent release is The Southland, an American crime story about the dangers that migrants face when being forced to live in the shadows.

At the End of the World, Turn Left, is Zhanna Slor’s debut novel about identity and how one defines “home.” Upon its release in April of this year, the novel was heralded as a must-read by CrimeReads and named by Booklist as one of the “Top Ten Crime Debuts of 2021.” Her work is a literary mystery set in Milwaukee’s eclectic Riverwest neighborhood during the 2008 recession and weaves together the tale of two immigrant sisters with vastly different definitions of home. Zhanna has also been published in several literary magazines, including Ninth Letter, Another Chicago Magazine, and Michigan Quarterly Review, and she is a frequent contributor to The Forward.

To learn more, visit Browesabout Books. To register for this event, visit the Lewes Public Library.

See you there!

xoxo AJ

I Just Published My First Writer Advice Book

Hey there, lovers of literature and all things cozy! I am proud to announce the release of my very first book on writer success and productivity: How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery. This book was inspired by the whodunit history research paper I had to write in the culminating course for my MFA. This work is also an expansion of the 2019 article I wrote for Litreactor, “Craft a Killer Cozy in Three Simple Steps.”

I first announced a commitment to write this book when I was asked to teach at the 9th Annual Savvy Authors Online Writing Conference on September 11, 2020—I’ll be back to teach again this year, so stay tuned for an upcoming blog about how you can sign up for the FREE event.

At that time, I had no idea what would become of our world’s health and subsequently had a hard time sticking to my original deadline of early 2021. But I think that readers will benefit from the extra time spent on getting the work just right because not only does the book cover the “13 key must-haves for every cozy,” I also go deep on a number of topics such as…

How to create compelling characters and vivid settings

How to create a twisty puzzle that will encourage your readers to play along

How to differentiate between cozies, thrillers, capers, detective stories, and police procedurals

How to brainstorm the perfect premise

How to tackle the classic four-act mystery structure

How to effectively hide clues and create plot twists

…and so much more!

Grab your copy today and get on the fast track to starting (and finishing!) your novel. Then join my mailing list since this is just the first of several writer success and productivity novels. Future books will cover legal thrillers, self-editing, comedy in fiction, writing action, and writing faster, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, buy your ebook or print copy (out 8/15/21) of How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery everywhere books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

Happy hunting and keep reading!

xoxo AJ

“Murder by the Book” YouTube Event

Join me on Monday, May 17, at 7:00 p.m. CENTRAL for a virtual event sponsored by Murder by the Book, one of the nation’s oldest and largest indie bookstores specializing in mystery fiction. I’ll be talking with my editor, Chantelle Aimee Osman of the Agora Imprint at Polis Books, and fellow mystery writer, Sung J. Woo. His new novel, Skin Deep, is the first in the Siobhan O’Brien private detective series, which introduces a whip smart female sleuth in the tradition of classic female detectives like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone.

I am also excited to talk about the crime genre and will answer any questions fans may have about my two books about a court stenographer turned sleuth, Poetic Justice and its upcoming sequel Deceptive Justice.

To learn out more about the virtual event click HERE. No special software is required to log onto the session as this event will occur LIVE on the Murder by the Book YouTube page. When it’s time for the event to begin (remember, CENTRAL time), refresh the page until the live video shows up as a new post. Channel subscribers will receive a notification as the event goes live. 

If you miss the part or all of the chat, the event will appear on Murder by the Book’s YouTube channel once the initial recording wraps.

Mark your calendar! I look forward to answering your questions and hope to see you there.

I’m Talking POWER EDITING w/Kevin O’Brien at 2021 Virtual X-Treme Craftfest!

Want to learn how to edit thrillers? Perfect! Because I have been tapped to take part in an exciting event created by the International Thriller Writers—the 2021 VIRTUAL X-TREME CRAFTFEST! Top thriller authors discuss a specific area of the writing craft in brand new videos that you can access via Vimeo, at any time, for up to six months. Over 100 conversations are included in the event with big name authors like James S. Murray, Danny Gardner, Rebecca Drake, Alexia Gordon, and many more.

I have been lucky enough to have been asked to speak on the issue of POWER EDITING with New York Times bestselling thriller writer Kevin O’Brien. To hear us and many other artists discuss the craft of writing, register for the event HERE today!

Cover Reveal for Deceptive Justice out April 5, 2022

Deceptive Justice, the second book in the Victoria Justice Mysteries, has a confirmed release date of April 5, 2022, and a NEW COVER. You can pre-order Deceptive Justice TODAY on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indie Bound.

Join my mailing list to learn more about upcoming giveaways to celebrate this new release. Then order a copy of Poetic Justice, the first book in the series, to share with your family and friends. Fans will be happy to know Poetic Justice is currently available in hardback and ebook and will be available in paperback on August 31, 2021.

Fans of Knives Out, Law & Order, and Murder, She Wrote will love this killer courtroom cozy series with its unexpected twists and turns.

Deceptive Justice Book Cover

When Victoria Justice finds herself on the phone with a mad bomber, she doesn’t think twice about springing into action to diffuse the situation. After all, the Bickerton Superior Courthouse is no stranger to all manner of crimes. However, a mysterious package found in the lobby a few minutes later leads to a building evacuation that has everyone pointing fingers, that is, until a car explodes in the parking lot killing a government official. Authorities search the area for clues and determine a recently vindicated arsonist is to blame, but the arrest sparks an alternate theory for Victoria who believes the real culprit is still at large and that she may have been the true target.

With no leads but a manuscript of the initial bomb threat and a faint audio recording of the caller’s scrambled voice, Victoria recruits former State Trooper Ashton North and local newsman Mike Slocum to help her weather the firestorm of community outrage. But can the two men refrain from killing each other long enough to keep Victoria alive and capture the murderer?