Andrea J. Johnson - Craft Killer Fiction - ajthenovelist

Killer Courthouse Cozies Guaranteed to Renew Your Faith in Justice

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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?

My Books Are More Than “Black Fiction”

I recently had a self-described “white” fan contact me through this website to tell me how much they enjoyed my book and to ask me why the book was labeled “Black Fiction” by her local librarian. The idea confused me as well because although I am a Black author who enjoys the benefits of being included on must-read lists that support POC writers, my first instinct wouldn’t be to label my books “Black Fiction.” Why? Well, the phrase doesn’t indicate anything about the books’ content. Yes, I am Black, and my novels contain Black characters, but the book isn’t meant just for Black people any more than science fiction is solely meant for white cisgender men.

To put it mildly, I was upset and unsure how to respond to my new fan. I wanted to be encouraging, but I needed to let her (and her librarian) know that by putting my book in that singular box my novels fail to reach the intended audience–> COZY MYSTERY LOVERS of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

If you want to read my full fan response, keep scrolling and leave me a comment with your thoughts. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. Besides, I am sure it is difficult for you, dear reader, to tell if my reaction is appropriate without having read the initial letter, but I made a conscious decision to keep the fan’s name private.

Dear Fan, thank you for reaching out. I am honored that you thought well enough of my book to share your experience and that you’ve added the series to your list of authors to watch.

While I am heartbroken to hear that libraries are still labeling fiction by author ethnicity rather than genre—especially after all this country has been through over the past nine months—the practice (unfortunately) is not new. Considering you’re on my side in this, I doubt you wrote me to hear a rant…but I can’t help myself.

First, let me confirm that your instincts about the egregiousness of this practice are correct and that I appreciate your efforts to question the premise (as it is one that authors of color have been railing against for decades). 

Even though the librarian is correct in stating that I don’t get a say in such distinctions once the book reaches its distribution hub, she or he is incorrect when stating that readers of color enter libraries looking for those ethnic labels and that such stickers are “necessary.” I assure you we do not and they are not.

By rattling off that tiresome adage, the librarian is perpetuating the stereotype that people of color are some ignorant breed of (non)reader who can’t make distinctions for themselves and thus must be cattle-prodded into a specific direction and that POCs never read anything written by people outside their culture—a doubly ridiculous statement when we note how few new Black authors there are in the current marketplace and how small a POC’s reading pool would be if the librarian’s assumptions were true. 

The label “Black Fiction” is especially disheartening since this distinction doesn’t actually reflect content (i.e. the moniker doesn’t have a clear-cut definition) but is rather a catchall for books with a POC on the cover or those with a POC author. Sadly, this bias cuts into the potential readership for the work and my overall revenue. To put it plainly, I wrote Poetic Justice for the masses. The story reflects Americana right down to its fictional location. However, that dubious label means my work is only being marketed to 13 percent of the population, so I get put on the shelf beside a hodge-podge of unrelated books when I should be next to Kate Carlisle, Joanna Fluke, and Vicki Delany, who all share my readership and could help widen my fanbase. 

As you so aptly stated, many White readers have been mislead to believe “Black Fiction” is code for some secret content to that excludes them. Even if that were the case (which I can’t stress enough it isn’t), how is anybody ever going to learn about their neighbors’ struggles? We should encourage everyone to discover these stories–that’s how societies grow into a unified collective. I could send your librarian dozens of high-profile articles listing the detriment of this practice. Hint. Hint. But at the end of the day, I have to presume the librarian meant well and that as the popularity of my series grows, so will my chance of emerging from purgatory.

If you read this far, THANKS! I appreciate you seeking out the book and bringing this to my attention. The sequel, Deceptive Justice, releases November 9, 2021. My website and Goodreads page include a description if you’re interested. Join my mailing list for a reminder of the new release. In the meantime, stay cozy!

Let me end by encapsulating this rant with a quote from Michelle Obama’s Netflix Documentary, Becoming: “If we can open up a little bit more to each other and share our stories, our real stories, that’s what breaks down barriers.” This statement is exactly why I don’t simply want to be labeled “Black Fiction.” How can I possibly reach one and teach one if I’m only preaching to the choir?