Why do you write the genre that you write?
I’ve always been a reader of mysteries. When I’d finished all the Agatha Christie books in my local library, I found my first cozy mystery, which started my love affair with the genre. I write them for the same reasons I read them—the intrigue of puzzling out a murder mystery while still being “feel-good” books. I also like that I get to grow the characters and their relationships over many books in the series.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Willa’s best friend, Baz (full name: Basil) uses the word huckleberry in place of any curse word, i.e., “Holy huckleberry!” Growing up with 4 siblings, his British mother wanted a way to stem the cursing that she was sure they’d pick up, so she pretended huckleberry was the worst British curse word possible, and making the children promise not to ever use it. The reverse psychology did the trick and now, even as an adult who’s not as gullible, Baz still uses huckleberry when he feels the need to curse. Willa has picked it up, too, and used it on occasion.

Tell us how you got into writing?
Because I loved reading so much as a child, it naturally led to writing my own stories at a very young age. However, I didn’t work toward becoming a published author until I was in graduate school (for psychology), and I met a fellow grad student whose major was creative writing. She wanted to be a novelist and I remember thinking, If I had the guts, that’s what I would do. Not long after, I quit grad school and started writing (not very good) mysteries.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
So many. I worked in restaurants—Friendly’s, Olive Garden, Denny’s, McDonalds, Wendy’s. I worked at a museum gift shop to pay my way through college. I pierced ears. I worked in the home office of a chain of stores selling kitchen housewares, where one of my jobs was to write flavor descriptions of the coffee they sold. I was an assistant event planner for a university alumni center. These days, I teach English as a Second Language to Chinese students.

Where do you write?
Anywhere in my home with a chair. Sometimes I have to get out of the quiet house and be surrounded by activity, so I’ll go to the local McDonald’s ($1 diet coke, free refills!) or to my favorite Mexican restaurant (all those tortilla chips!). During the pandemic when restaurants weren’t an option, I got in the habit of parking my car someplace quiet but with surrounding activity and writing in it. It’s like being in a bright cubicle and I find it a very productive place to work.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Tortilla chips.

Who is an author you admire?
There are so many. Stephen King for having a boundless imagination. Agatha Christie for her clever plotting; Sue Grafton for her writing voice; Daphne Du Maurier, Ann Patchett, and Tina deBellegarde for their atmospheric writing… I could go on.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Cozy mysteries and domestic suspense.

What are you reading now?
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
Always water to end the day because I’ve spent all day drinking Coke Zero/Diet Coke.

What is next for you?
I’ve just finished writing Book 4 in my Cheese Shop Mystery series, Case of the Bleus, so I’m starting on Book 5. My current contract has 6 books, and we’ll see what happens after that.

Where can we find you?
On my website korinamossauthor.com. I’m also on Instagram and have a Facebook author page.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate or vanilla
Vanilla

Cake or ice cream
Ice cream in summer, cake the rest of the year, both if I can get it!

Fruits or vegetables
Vegetables. I’m a big on salads.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Lunch. It’s my biggest meal of the day.

Dining in or dining out
Dining out

City life or country living
Country living

Beach or mountain
Beach

Summer or winter
Summer

Short story or full-length novel
Full-length novel

Extrovert or introvert
Extrovert who also loves her solitude

Early bird or night owl
My body says night owl, but my job says early bird.

And even more fun . . .

What is your favorite movie?
Jaws

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Notebooks, pens, and sunscreen, with hopes that this chapter of my life has been misspelled, and I’ve landed on a desserted island instead, where banquets of cake, cookies, and ice cream await me.

My bio:
Korina Moss is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award nominated first book, Cheddar Off Dead. Other puntastic titles in this cozy mystery series include Gone For Gouda, Curds Of Prey, and Case Of The Bleus, with more books forthcoming. Korina is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and blogs on Writers Who Kill. You’re invited to visit her website and subscribe to her free newsletter at korinamossauthor.com.