Jazzi sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we can learn more about her. Let’s get to know Jazzi.

What is your full name?
My full name is Jasmine (Jazzi) Rosemary Swanson. All the women in my family have flower names.

How old are you?
I am 27. Readers who read my mom’s series—Daisy’s Tea Garden—would have seen me grow up from age fifteen.

What is your profession?
I own a bookshop and tea bar TOMES & TEA with my partner Dawn Fernsby. We met and connected through an adoptees support group in college, eventually becoming roommates. Since Dawn and I wanted to strike out on our own, this venture in Belltower Landing seemed perfect for both of us.

If you have a significant other, what is their name and profession?
Oliver Patel and I took a trip to his hometown in Melbourne, Australia for a month. After facing down a killer, I needed to escape for a while. Oliver owns a gastro pub—The Wild Kangaroo—in Belltower Landing. But his dad fell sick when we were there and Oliver stayed behind. I’m not sure where our relationship is headed.

Do you have any children?
I don’t. But I hope to some day.

Who is your best friend?
My best friend is definitely Dawn. Our friendship goes much deeper than being business partners. As adoptees, we both had and have many of the same questions and insecurities. We also share a love of water sports like SUP paddleboarding and kayaking.

Do you have cats, dogs or other pets?
Dawn and I found and adopted two sibling kittens. Zander is part Maine Coon and a big boy who sometimes chirps instead of meows. He has a white face and ruff accented by dark gray mixed with tan. His fur is growing longer. Freya is all black with longish silky fur.

What town do you live in?
I live in Belltower Landing, Dawn’s hometown. I visited often when we were in college. It’s a lakeside town near the Finger Lakes. It’s population grows every spring and summer as tourists vacation here or attend special event weekends. Its bell tower on the green chimes every hour. When I have a break at Tomes, I often go to the green and sit near the lake’s shore.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
After we bought the building for Tomes & Tea, we renovated the upstairs to suit us. The apartment has two bedrooms and a small kitchen and living room area. We can access downstairs through a door from my bedroom. The stairs lead down to our storeroom and break room. It’s decorated in what we call boho/coastal.

Do you have any hobbies?
Biking is my favorite form of transportation. I bike mostly everywhere I go around town. I do run my MINI Cooper at least once a week. My favorite sport is SUP Paddleboarding though I do like relaxing on Dawn’s family pontoon boat. Of course reading is my favorite past time and I belong to our Tomes & Tea book club. Since we’re a tourist town, anyone can bring a book they’ve read and discuss it.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
How Growing Up With a Sleuth Turned Me into One!

Amateur or professional sleuth and who do you work with?
I’m an amateur sleuth. I often work with my regular book club friends who act as sounding boards. Delaney is a public relations specialist. Erica is my main assistant at Tomes and her daughter Audrey works there too. Audrey is also a pet sitter. And Parker who is an IT specialist with many contacts. He sold a video game when he was in his teens that set up his retirement for life. On the other hand, he’s an ordinary fisherman who likes nothing better than to spend the day on the water.

IF BOOKS COULD KILL
Series Name: A Tomes & Tea Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: March 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Daisy Swanson’s daughter Jazzi has moved away to the lakeside town of Belltower Landing, but the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. Much like Daisy, she’s running a tea bar and bookshop––and has a knack for getting into hot water…

Town librarian Mathilda has a troublesome new employee, and after Jazzi spots the two of them arguing at the ice-sculpture festival, Mathilda asks Jazzi if she’d mind discussing her workplace woes over a cup of tea. During the visit, Jazzi also finds out about Mathilda’s top-secret stash of valuable first editions.

Soon afterward, those rare books have vanished—and Mathilda is dead. As the police check out suspects and a lawyer searches for the next of kin, Jazzi learns that the librarian’s life was as mysterious as any crime thriller. She’d left home and changed her name as a teenager, and always seemed a little lonely. Oddly, it’s her new employee who seems the most distraught.

It’s the off-season, so the upstate New York town is free of the usual swarm of tourists—but the quiet doesn’t last long. The press is descending as the murder makes national news, and rumors start circulating. With Belltower Landing steeped in suspicion, Jazzi must figure out whether the first editions were the real motive for sending Mathilda to her final resting place…

About the author
Karen Rose Smith, USA Today Bestselling Author, is a wife, mom and catmom of five rescued felines. Married for 54 years, she focuses on family relationships in her novels. She has written romances, mysteries and women’s fiction. Her 112th novel, IF BOOKS COULD KILL, (book 3 TOMES & TEA series) was released on March 31, 2026. Her past times include cooking, gardening and listening to Ed Sheeran’s latest. She saw a dream come true when one of her romances was made into a movie for UPTV. She’s a firm believer that dreams can come true at any age.