Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series) by Lucinda Race
About Pleats & Poison
Pleats & Poison: A Craft and Ghost Cozy Mystery (A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting - Coastal Town of Drakes Bay
Publisher : MC Two Press
Publication date : August 6, 2025
Digital Print length : 222 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1966424376
ASIN : B0FBX7PJKS
Enjoy this humorous, small-town, psychic, cozy mystery by best-selling and award-winning Lucinda Race. A fashion-savvy psychic, one haunted Thanksgiving, and a pleated skirt that’s dressed to kill. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for seven guests—and one ghost—is all in a day’s work for Claudia Grant. Between whipping up her famous mac and cheese and debuting her boutique’s latest fall fashion, Claudia’s ready to impress her visiting mom and stylish grandmother. Her cozy coastal town of Drakes Bay is the perfect backdrop for family, food, and fresh starts—especially when Gram falls in love with a pleated skirt and sweater ensemble from Claudia’s shop. But when a spilled glass of orange juice leads to a shocking discovery—a guest at the neighboring Whistlers Inn is found dead, and the very same pleated skirt wrapped around her neck—Claudia's holiday cheer unravels fast. Now, with her best friend Beth and a ghostly sidekick in tow, Claudia must piece together a tangled mystery before the killer skips town... and before the secrets hidden in the folds come back to haunt them all. She’d rather be sewing hemlines than following clues—but if Claudia can’t stitch together the truth in time, someone else might be the next to check out… permanently. Pleats & Poison is the third book in the A Dress Designer Cozy Mystery series from award-winning author Lucinda Race. Cozy up, settle in, and prepare to be haunted… in the best possible way!
About Lucinda Race
Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of fiction who fell in love with cozy mysteries and romance novels as a young girl. While her childhood friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, Lucinda was already dreaming of crafting captivating novels filled with heart, hope, and happily ever afters.
Though her writing journey began with nonfiction, her passion for storytelling never wavered. She returned to her true calling—creating the beloved McKenna Family Romance series and the Paranormal Cozy Nook Bookstore Series—writing the kinds of stories she loves to read. Whether she’s weaving a heartwarming romance or a cozy mystery, her fingers practically fly across the keyboard.
Lucinda lives in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts with her little dog— a shih tzu mix rescue—who is always by her side. When she’s not immersed in writing mystery, suspense, or romance, she’s curled up with a book, devouring everything she can get her hands on.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
* When I first read Nancy Drew books, I wondered if I could write
stories for kids like me. Of course, it took years and a lot of courage to try.
Once I did, I haven’t stopped.
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
Writing a cozy mystery takes about
three weeks, then I let it rest for a few days before editing. I’ve noticed
that with a cozy, I need to stay focused and write faster than I do with
romance, because the clues are crucial and the story has to stay fresh for me
to do my best.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
I take my breakfast to my office, and
by 9, I’m at the keyboard. I write until noon. If I get in more than one chapter,
it’s a great day. But early in the book it takes longer since I don’t plot the
book, the story unravels as I write.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
I develop the titles and the cover
artist does her work first. For me, it starts with the cover, and I look at it
often as I write.
5.
How do books get
published?
I self-publish my books, which means I
write, set them into book format, upload to retailers, market, and plan the
release. I hire cover art and editing to produce the best book I can. With
fingers crossed, I hope readers love my stories. Then repeat!
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
I know it might sound trite, but it
happens everywhere. The book I just finished writing, "Cupcakes &
Murder," set to release in 2026, was difficult to write because I couldn’t
figure out how the murder happened. I didn’t want it to be ordinary. For days,
I researched how a person could die from a particular substance. It was only
when I needed a break from thinking that I noticed a headline about a polo
player dying during a match. BINGO. So, ideas come from everywhere.
7.
When did you write your
first book, and how old were you?
I wrote my first book 12 years ago and
published it 11 years ago. So, I was 50. Now you know my secret, my real age. J
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
I’m an avid reader and I love to
garden, both vegetables and flowers. On Instagram, once the gardens start to
come back to life in early Spring, I post an almost daily picture. That will
continue until late fall. I also cook and bake and at times include recipes in
my newsletters.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing?
My family is proud of my
accomplishments, and they cheer me on with every new release.
10.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That people read and enjoyed them. My
favorite sentence is – I can’t wait for your next book.
11.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written over 45 books. Asking
which is my favorite is like asking which is my favorite child. I’d say I’m
proud of each book I’ve released, as it’s part of my author journey, but the
cozy mysteries I’ve written hold a special place in my heart. I never thought I
could write a good cozy mystery, the red herrings, the crimes, and developing
compelling characters for a longer running series was, at first, daunting. But
with much encouragement I said what the heck. I’ll never know if I don’t try.
So, I did and here we are nineteen cozy mysteries later.
12.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Keep writing and don’t self-edit as you
write. You’ll go back and fix whatever you want to tweak. But also remember that
every book you write, you become a better writer. When you finish your book
send it to your editor and know that it’s the best book you could have written
at this time in your life—and be proud that you did it.
13.
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I’m so fortunate to have found amazing
readers of my cozy and romance books. When I have a question about a character
or who they’d like to read about next, they never fail to email me suggestions
and comments. To have that type of interaction with my readers is a blessing.
14.
Do you like to create
books for adults?
I love writing books for adults. My
cozy mystery books can be read by anyone from early teens to 100+, however, my
romance books are sweet with a touch of heat, so they’re adult-focused.
15.
What do you think makes
a good story?
Emotions are a critical part of any
story for me, and sensory descriptions. I’ve been told I add a lot of detail
when I create a scene. I want the reader to feel that they’re in the room or
space with me.
16.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a writer,but I
never believed it could happen. So, in the back of my mind, I wanted to be a
nurse, but life had other plans and pushed me into corporate marketing, where
interestingly, I had to write. It was during my corporate career that the
writing bug really took hold. I’ve never looked back.
17.
What would you like my
readers to know?
To your readers, thank you for taking
the time to read this post today. I craft stories featuring strong female
characters and equally strong secondary characters. I write books I’d want to
read, and I’m proud of them. At the end of each book, I wonder if,in fifty
years,a reader might pick it up—will I still make them laugh, cry, sigh, and
say, that was a great book? I hope you check out my books, sign up for my
newsletter, and let me know if you laughed, cried, held your breath, and
figured out whodunit!
Thank you again…
Happy reading,
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