Why do you write the genre that you write?
Hi, Dru! First let me say what a pleasure it is to be on your lovely blog. Thanks for the opportunity! Now, to answer your question, the truth is that I sort of fell into writing a cozy mystery. I was writing historical fiction at the time and when I hit a slump in my career my then agent suggested that I write a mystery. I thought about it for a while then embraced the idea. I wrote a funny, modern mystery that was as far from my historical fiction world as I could imagine. I called that mystery, Par for the Corpse, because I loved to read cozy mysteries for fun in the summer, without actually knowing that they were cozy mysteries! It wasn’t until after I wrote this novel, silly title and all, that I was told by my now agent that I had written a cozy mystery. She then educated me a bit on the genre, I made a few key changes to the manuscript, and that first mystery became, Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies, the first book in my Very Cherry Mystery Series.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
The quirkiest character I think I’ve written would be Gifford McGrady (Very Cherry Mystery Series) who has an annoying habit of singing advertising jingles at inappropriate moments. However, my favorite quirky character is Kennedy Kapor, Lindsey Bakewell’s best friend in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series. Not only does Kennedy have a host of humorous mottos that confuse and entertain Lindsey, but she also has a habit of assuming her fake investigative reporter’s name of Lillian Finch whenever she wants to sniff out key information from possible murder suspects.

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
In an industry that’s known for authors writing under multiple pseudonyms, I feel very lucky to be using my own name for as long as I have.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I honestly don’t ever remember wanting to be a writer as a young girl. I loved reading, but I couldn’t imagine anyone spending the amount of time behind a keyboard that’s required to write a novel. It seemed an impossible task to me. It wasn’t until I was a stay-at-home mom with three little sons under the age of four that I got the urge to write. I’ve always had stories swirling around in my head, but I was so sleep-deprived back then that I actually convinced myself that I could write a novel. Crazy, I know, but that’s when I picked up a pen and started writing in my spare time (which wasn’t much back then). It wasn’t until my youngest went to school that I had more time to write, and before I knew it, I had written my first novel. It was The Exile of Sara Stevenson, a historical novel that ended up going into a bidding between Simon & Schuster and Random House. It was one of the most surreal and exciting days of my life! Random House won the bid, and The Exile of Sara Stevenson was published by the Ballantine Books imprint.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I was a very adventurous young woman and spent a lot of time outdoors, skiing, hiking, canoeing, sailing, scuba diving, and I worked as a ski patrol, a camp counselor, and an athletic trainer. That inspired me to study sports science and exercise physiology in college. In college I took creative writing courses to fulfill my English requirements, and really enjoyed them. After college I worked in the physical therapy department at a hospital. Good thing I figured out that I didn’t enjoy working in a hospital setting before going to med school. I soon left the hospital and got a job in the graphic arts industry as a project manager. I really enjoyed working closely with advertising agencies, and creative people, but once I started having kids I decided to stay home. After I decided to write a novel, I worked parttime at a local Barnes & Noble, and then most recently (for the last 10 years) as a reference librarian at my local library.

Where do you write?
Since quite space is at a premium in our house, with my husband and my youngest son still working mostly from home, I currently have my office at the other end of my bedroom. I actually like working there. Aside from a myriad of eclectic knickknacks, I keep a very tidy desk. It’s also cool because I tell myself that if I get tired writing I can just walk across the room and take a nap. But I haven’t done that yet for fear of over-sleeping until somebody realizes that dinner hasn’t been made! Also, my two dogs are in the room with me when I work, and although they’re not “technically” allowed on the bed, it’s their favorite place to sleep. So, I let them!

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Ooo, I’d have to say hot, black coffee and whatever delicious treat I have on hand. If I’m thinking ahead and not in too much of a pinch I make a batch of homemade Puppy Chow aka Muddy Buddies, you know—that disgustingly delicious and highly addictive treat that requires a box of Rice Chex stirred into a bowl of melted butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, then coated in powdered sugar? Yes, your keyboard might get a little messy from the excess powdered sugar, but if you’re looking for the perfect caffeine-sugar buzz to keep you going, there it is!

What is next for you?
I’m so excited and grateful to be writing about the Beacon Bakeshop! It’s just so much fun to visit that mildly haunted lighthouse/bakery on the shores of Lake Michigan while thinking up new mysteries. I just turned in the 4th book in the series, Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant, which will be out in time for Halloween in 2023. And right now, I’m currently working on book #5, which will take place around St. Patrick’s Day and will come out in early 2024. I’m very excited about both upcoming mysteries!

What are you reading now?
I’m reading a cute mystery which takes place in a tea shop in Cornwall, UK, and is titled, To Fetch a Felon. It’s by Jennifer Hawkins, and the series title is A Chatty Corgi Mystery. How can you resist that series title? The author lives in my home state of Michigan, and I love it when I discover a cozy mystery series written by an author from my own state. However, I love reading cozy mysteries from all over, but I think it’s also fun every now and then to read local.

Where can we find you?
At a lighthouse bakery on the shores of lake Michigan. . . I wish! But for now, since I really don’t own a lighthouse, you can find me on Facebook at: Author Darci Hannah.

If you’re on Instagram and would like to see what I’m baking, or what my puppies are up to, (and yes, I talk about books and lighthouse too!) you can follow me at: @authordarcihannah.

If you’d like to drop me a line, or learn more about me, my books, my dogs, my blog, my baking videos, or if you just want to download a recipe or two, please visit my website: darcihannah.com.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Definitely chocolate!

Ice cream or cake
Ice cream on cake!

Broccoli or squash
Love them both, but if my life depended on it, squash.

Pizza, burgers, or pasta
Pasta!!

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Breakfast all the way!

Mountain or beach
I love both, but at the moment sitting on a beach sounds delightful!

City or country
Country!

Introvert or extrovert
Extrovert. I’m not a fan of large crowds, but I love meeting
new people and staying in touch with friends and family!

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
My husband and our two dogs. It sounds like the perfect opportunity for a lovely,
pet-friendly vacation! We’re both very resourceful, love nature, and have spent a lot
of time around water. I’m sure we can scrounge up something to eat fresh from the
ocean. My husband has actually caught lobster for us while snorkeling, so it would be
lobster every night on the island! I’m also counting on a wild island goat or two so I can
wrangle some milk out of the nanny and churn up some butter for that lobster. Is it too
much to hope for a lemon grove on that island? Because a slice of lemon would go
nicely with that buttery lobster! Of course, I’d have to make a lemon cream pie with a
coconut-butter crust for dessert. It’d be delicious and so healthy with all the fresh lemon,
goat milk, and coconut cream! As for my dogs, they’d be in puppy paradise. They love
to run, hunt, and swim, so what could be better for them than being on a deserted
island? Although I sternly frown upon it at home, my dogs are skilled at catching small
game and birds. I’m sure roast duck a’ la lemon would be on the menu too, along with
the lobster. Did I mention that I love cooking over an open fire? I really can make a fire
out of two twigs and some bark shavings. It’s one of the semi-useless skills I possess!
While I preside over the menu for the day, my husband would get busy building us a
luxury island cabin, because he has a gift for that very thing. Of course, I’d design the
layout and the kitchen, but once that’s done, it’s his baby. After about a month of island
bliss we’d undoubtedly be rescued. That’s because nothing good lasts forever. It’d be
back to reality for us, but I’d have some pretty fabulous stories of island life to write
about, and possibly some delicious recipes too!

My bio:
Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series (Kensington Cozies), the Very Cherry Mystery Series (Midnight Ink), and two works of Scottish historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall (Ballantine Books). Darci is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. She is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn’t baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering through picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods and breaking for coffee more often than she should.