Why do you write the genre that you write?
In a cozy mystery, I love the idea of a regular person willing to put everything on the line to see justice served. My characters are everyday superheroes, and they’re a joy to write. I think if the world were filled with more cozy mystery main characters, it would be a much better place.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Hmm, quirkiest quirk… I think it would have to be Poppy Glenmyre’s ability to see colorful auras around a person, revealing their emotions and mood. Her quirk, which I call a “whim” in the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, is really helpful when she and Hazel Wickbury, the series’ main character, are out solving mysteries. Hazel’s whim is definitely not quirky. She can see when someone is going to die. Yikes!

Tell us how you got into writing?
I’ve always tinkered with writing Chapter Ones and Twos my whole life, but it wasn’t until college that I really applied myself to write a book. I wrote a fantasy trilogy—which has yet to see the light of day—and after working several years in corporate America, when the opportunity came for me to take some time to focus solely on my writing, the words just began flowing out. I left my prior career at the end of 2016. Since then, I’ve written sixteen books and counting!

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
After studying political science and philosophy & religion during college, I went in the opposite direction and began a career in healthcare technology. I worked with doctors and nurses to optimize their electronic health records workflows and troubleshoot issues that popped up with their software. While I absolutely loved the people I worked with, I was not passionate about the field at all. Troubleshooting other people’s issues gives me such anxiety—it feels like there’s too much on the line. However, I did enjoy teaching and training people, so I eventually left a large corporation to begin working at a startup. The startup helped trained nurses and doctors to maintain their obstetrics certifications, but I was also doing a lot of project and tech management. I love technology, but boy, do I hate troubleshooting it. So, when the startup was acquired, I had the chance to follow my dreams of writing, and I haven’t looked back since.

In addition to writing, I also help authors enhance their social media presence, much like my character Coco Cline. There’s a lot of online marketing work required from authors today, and since I enjoy creating digital content so much, I decided to offer my skills to others who may be struggling. That’s how my content creation service BookstaBundles was born!

Where do you write?
In the winter, I write at a desk covered in Funko Pops and candles. When it’s warm outside, I write on my porch. It’s so much easier for me to write when I have the sun on my skin. Vitamin D for the win!

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Cheddar-blasted Goldfish. I need that extra cheese dust to make it across the finish line.

Who is an author you admire?
There are so many to choose from! I admire Terry Goodkind because of the incredible world he built in his Sword of Truth series. I admire Denise Swanson and Julia Buckley for their amazing heroines who made me fall in love with cozies. And I greatly appreciate J.C. Kenney, Kellye Garrett, and Ellen Byron for all they do to support and promote the mystery community.

What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love a good mystery, but I really enjoy historical action thrillers, too. James Rollins’s Sigma Force series has been such a blast to read, and I’ll devour anything by Dan Brown.

What are you reading now?
I’m listening to Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss on audiobook. Korina is one of my blogging buddies from the Writers Who Kill mystery author blog, and she’s celebrating her debut novel being nominated for an Agatha award! How exciting is that?

What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
On a regular day, I keep hydrated with water, coffee, and tea. If I’m looking to treat myself at the end of really rough day, I will break out a can of Black Widow Original Sin Cider—isn’t that name just too fun?

What is next for you?
2023 is going to be a busy year, and everything kicks into high gear in April. Not only will I be attending the Malice Domestic conference, but I’ll be celebrating the launch of book two in the Trending Topic Mysteries, #TagMe for Murder. I can’t wait for social media influencer Coco Cline to tackle her next case. Also, I’m currently writing book three in the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, which will be out later this year, and I have another series in the works called the Book Blogger Mysteries. I’ll be sharing more about that soon!

Where can we find you?
Like my character Coco Cline, I love social media, and I love connecting with readers. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Author J.C. Kenney and I host a live-streamed podcast twice a month called The Bookish Hour, where we interview fabulous authors and talk all things bookish. Since we stream live, we can take questions from the audience, and we always have a great time.

Now to have some fun . . .

Chocolate or vanilla
Chocolate

Cake or ice cream
Cake, all day, every day

Fruits or vegetables
Fruits (although celery is one of my favorite snacks)

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
All of them!

Dining in or dining out
I like dining in on takeout LOL

City life or country living
Country living. I need trees around me.

Beach or mountain
Beach

Summer or winter
Summer

Short story or full-length novel
Full-length novel

Extrovert or introvert
Introvert who’s really good at pretending to be extroverted

Early bird or night owl
Neither – my brain functions best from 11 AM until 3 PM LOL

And even more fun . . .

What’s your favorite movie?
It’s a tie between Return of the King and Moulin Rouge. The musical performances in Moulin Rouge are incredible, and I truly believe Return of the King (with all its 11 Oscars) is the best movie ever made.

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Assuming that essentials like food and water are somehow available, I’d like my dog, Eevee, and my fiancé, George, with me to keep me company and my phone with my Kindle & Audible accounts connected.

My bio:
Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, and Court of Mystery series. She currently serves as the social media manager for the New York/Tri-State chapter of Sisters in Crime and is the creative mind behind BookstaBundles, a content creation service for authors. Sarah is the co-host of The Bookish Hour, a live-streamed YouTube series featuring author interviews and book discussions. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah is singing show tunes, reading everything from mystery to manga, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee. Stay connected with Sarah via her newsletter: saraheburrsignup.