Five Cozy Questions with Author Kelly Brakenhoff
Today we welcome Kelly Brakenhoff, author of the Cassandra Sato mysteries.
Five Cozy Questions
1. Which authors or books have influenced your writing style the most? Before I discovered mysteries like Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, I loved high fantasy like The Lord of the Rings and The Narnia Chronicles. I like to think they shaped my love of the Hero’s Journey and epic battles between light and darkness. Mystery authors I admire include: Sue Grafton for her mystery craft, Janet Evanovich for her ridiculous humor and quirky characters, Agatha Christie for being the OG, John Grisham for his dramatic style, Robert Parker for his friendships and humor, Tonya Kappes for her outrageous plots and everyday characters, Stella Bixby and Eryn Scott for contemporary context.
2. What’s the most unusual source of inspiration you’ve had for a story? Does being stabbed in the chest with a foil count as inspiration? Because that’s what jump-started my murder-y imagination for my most recent book, Death 101: Extra Credit. I took a fencing lesson from a champion fencer who also happened to be an actor in a local Three Musketeers production. We had such a great time, and to my surprise, fencing is way harder than it looks! Which is why I included it in the book — but not before experiencing it firsthand! Another inspirational experience for this book was interpreting a college course called “Death and Dying.” It was quite interesting; undergraduates learned everything there is to know about death and dying, visited mortuaries, even planned out their own funerals! The experience was more enlightening than morbid, and it certainly gave me interesting ideas to include in my book.
3. What’s your favorite setting or location you’ve created in your books? Creating my own small town and private college made me feel like a wizard with a magic wand. I took care researching and naming everything to connect to the Nebraska roots of the area. But I saved the best setting for something more personal. Cassandra Sato’s little Craftsman style three-bedroom bungalow with the detached one-car garage, small backyard, and second floor laundry chute is copied from my grandparents’ home in Omaha where my mom, her five siblings, and her grandmother lived together under one roof! Every detail from the dark wood floors to the tiny galley kitchen, and the spiral staircase of death is replicated in the books. Strangers live there now. But thanks to the magic of storytelling, whenever I write a scene in Cassandra’s house, it’s like I’m transported in time to my childhood.
4. Do you have a favorite secondary character in your books? If so, why? The main character Cassandra Sato works at Morton College with a woman named Cinda Weller who’s the Counseling and Career Center Director. An Arkansas native, Cinda tends to blurt out Southern idioms during the most inappropriate times. She’s one of those friends who doesn’t accept any BS and has no filter, so Cassandra always knows where she stands with Cinda. The language geek in me just loves those Southern sayings and her sassy attitude. I have a couple of friends on speed dial for when I need a choice phrase to fit an awkward situation in one of my books.
5. How do you approach writing about crime and mystery in a “cozy” way? One of my favorite things about Agatha Christie novels or Alfred Hitchcock movies is that they involve some pretty scary, unsavory actions without actually showing the violence on the page or screen. I’m not a big fan of graphic gore or horror without the context. While I believe anyone could become lost enough to commit nearly any crime given drastic circumstances, I also believe in second chances and the power of redemption. I think cozy mysteries are all about the characters and the context involved in the crimes or mysteries. In communities where darkness and even murder can be part of the plot, our sleuths travel paths of growth and self-discovery. The stories may begin with shadows and uncertainties, but in the end, light overcomes the darkness and goodness triumphs over evil. The sleuth’s journey serves as a beacon of hope, reminding us that even when the real world’s messiness feels overwhelming, stories provide an escape of entertainment and optimism.
About Kelly Brakenhoff
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of eleven books and an ASL interpreter. She divides her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and picture books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books because they teach American Sign Language using fun stories. And if you like a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, you’ll enjoy the Cassandra Sato Mystery series. The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.
Author Links
Website: https://kellybrakenhoff.com
Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/48AFMDH
Featured Cozy Mystery
Death 101: Extra Credit
Failure is not an option
About the Book
At Morton College, learning comes with a hefty price. The search committee tasked with hiring a new president is on the brink of chaos. A student production of The Three Musketeers devolves into a bloody sword fight. Join Cassandra Sato and the students in a Death 101 course as they put their detective skills to the test. Unraveling the tangled web of secrets and lies, they must act quickly as the college’s very future hangs in the balance.
