Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .

Why do you write the genre that you write?
I call the Hayden & Friends Mystery Series “Quozy Mysteries”—if you couldn’t guess, a mashup of Queer and Cozy. I didn’t set out to write a cozy series per se. However, I intentionally wrote a light-hearted and humorous amateur sleuth whodunit with gay main characters who were not the villains, the victims, or mean and nasty to each other. As it happened, the type of story and vibe I was going for overlapped with the genre sensibilities of cozies.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Oh, you’re going to make me choose just one? I must pick Burley as the character. Although she is a literal giant, acclaimed baker, has a ganja farm in the basement, does a killer Bruce Springsteen, and hosts karaoke night at the local gay bar, I must choose her raising a mob of emus in the backyard. (Did I cheat right there? You be the judge.)

Tell us how you got into writing?
After decades of work as a corporate branding consultant, I took time off and started my first story (buried as it should be deep in the drawer). Over the next several years, I kept at it, pushing stories through critique groups and reading and self-study.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I’ve had two long-time jobs. First, out of college, I was an advertising copywriter. Among other claims to fame (that is sarcasm), I introduced America to Coco the Monkey (that is true). Following that triumph, I worked in corporate brand strategy at places like Microsoft.

How many books do you have published?
Two.

Where do you write?
I move around the house depending on the light and the temperature in the room.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
I’m not really much of snacker. But I suppose cheese—Emmenthaler is my favorite—and thin crackers.

Who is an author you admire?
Another cheat coming. Amy Stewart for keeping her Kopp Sisters series terrifically good from book to book. Catriona McPherson for checking all boxes: stellar storyteller, hilarious and warm human being, and the consummate professional author.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Traditional amateur sleuth.

What are you reading now?
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey. Should there be any surprise to my five-stars.

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
Pinot Noir

What is next for you?
Very excited to say that I have a new historical series coming with Kensington, “Harriet Morrow Investigates,” which features a queer female detective solving crimes in Chicago in America’s Progressive Era. Book one, The Case of the Missing Maid, arrives in January 2025.

Where can we find you?
Robosler.com and on all the socials. Just search for my name.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate, vanilla, or another flavor:
Chocolate

Ice cream or cake:
Cake

Fruits or vegetables:
Vegetables.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner:
Dinner

Dining in or dining out:
In

City life or country living:
City

Beach or mountain:
Mountain

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall:
Fall

Extrovert or introvert:
Introvert

Early bird or night owl:
Neither

And even more fun . . .

What’s your favorite movie?
Harold and Maude

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
My husband, my cat, and a good boat.

My bio:
Rob Osler writes mysteries featuring LGBTQ+ main characters. His short story, Miss Direction (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Sept/Oct ‘23), is a 2024 MWA Edgar Allan Poe Awards finalist. His debut novel, Devil’s Chew Toy, predecessor to Cirque du Slay (March 5, 2024), was a 2023 Anthony, Macavity, Agatha, and Lefty Awards finalist. His first short story, Analogue (EQMM), won the MWA 2022 Robert L Fish Award.