Lucky Secrets
B.T. Polcari
Please welcome B.T. Polcari to the blog today!
The
Pros and Cons of Writing Young Adult Cozy Mysteries
Like almost anything in life, there are pros and cons to
doing something. And, unless you’re an idiot or masochist, if the pros don’t
outweigh the cons then you should be walking away from whatever you’re
considering. When it comes to writing genre fiction, a big decision is the
actual genre you’re going to attempt to write, followed by the point of view
from which to tell the story, which is for another discussion. Since my books
are cross-genre books in the Young Adult (YA), New Adult (NA), and Cozy Mystery
genres, below are what I consider the main pros and cons for writing in these
genres. And although I list five “pros,” the very first “pro” is by far the
biggest and most important one, easily outweighing the cons all by itself.
1. The YA/NA/Cozy genres give me a sense of freedom
to have fun with the writing. I can create over-the-top characters, quirky
characters, funny characters, crazy characters, and more. I can take pets and
humanize them with their antics and traits without getting into talking dogs
and flying cats. Although…hmmm.
2. I can make the protagonist, Sara Donovan in my
Mauzzy & Me Mystery Series, intelligent but imperfect with fun traits that
readers can relate to, such as clumsiness, issues with technology, and
underestimating what it takes to get things done—like studying for an exam,
judging drive times, and setting up a plug-and-play printer. Yet in the end,
Sara is a determined problem-solver who always cracks the case. I liken her to
a modern-day Nancy Drew, with a fun twist. Or two. In fact, the Independent
Book Review writes: “Sara is a classic amateur sleuth ala Veronica Mars or Nacy
Drew. She’s sharp, determined, and at times in over her head, but she isn’t
afraid to ask those around her for help either.”
3.
Speaking of fun twists, I can inject humor into
the story, which is important to me. I want readers to be entertained, to
include laughing as they read. Life has too much drama so I want my books to
allow the reader to put Life aside for a while and escape to a world of
mystery, fun, and laughter. This becomes much more difficult to pull off
outside YA/NA/Cozy.
4.
The genres allow me to develop plots that
stretch the imagination without crossing over into fantasy, which is also huge
in YA but not something I’m going to attempt to write. Fantasy world building
is too daunting a task for me to attempt to tackle. But because YA readers are
incredibly bright and voracious readers, I can craft complex plots that ignite
their imaginations and sense of adventurism with things like treasure hunts,
museum heists, smuggling operations, and high-stakes high-rewards contests with
puzzles and riddles.
5.
YA is one of the fastest-growing genres with
also a large appeal to adults, which is obviously great, although…
1.
Because YA fiction is fast-growing, the young
adult space is becoming flooded and over-populated it can be hard to stand out.
2.
New Adult is a struggling genre that is
misunderstood and consequently not really recognized. Some publishers view the
genre as a failed attempt at bridging the gap between YA and adult fiction,
while others don’t even consider it a genre of its own but rather a subgenre of
YA or adult fiction. A few years ago, it was called a “hot” genre, but I think
that was just the publishing industry attempting to jumpstart the genre’s
marketing and, in the end, since nobody really understands it, NA has kinda
faded away.
3.
Cozy mysteries are not taken seriously, even
though there are many cozy mystery series with quite complex plots, including
Jana DeLeon’s Miss Fortune series and my Mauzzy & Me Mystery series. That
might seem like a shameless plug for my books but Kirkus
Reviews writes about my newest release Lucky
Secrets: “An enjoyable, complexly plotted series installment that
promises more mysteries and thrills to come.” Like the NA genre (or subgenre?),
I think cozy mysteries are misunderstood, possibly because of the “cozy” label
which I suspect is to convey the lightheartedness of the genre. I believe
hardcore mystery enthusiasts can enjoy cozies if they just give the genre a
chance.
4.
Like cozies not being taken seriously, as a
grown man breaking into the YA or cozy mysteries space, I’m not the typical
author in the genre so there is an inherent uphill climb to convince readers my
stories are worth their time. Take James Patterson as a sort of anti-example.
While he does have several YA series out there, he didn’t get his start in the
genre but rather entered with considerable clout.
5.
Although YA fiction cuts across generations and
is enjoyed by older adults of all ages, others underestimate young adult
readers so when they hear “young adult,” they think you write children’s books,
which couldn’t be further from the truth. As noted earlier, YA plots can be
quite complex because the genre’s readers have depth that demand a complexity
to the story.
A big shoutout to Sapphyria’s Books for letting me share my
book and thoughts on writing YA/NA/Cozy Mysteries. It was fun stepping back to
look at the genres from a critical perspective and coming to the same
conclusion I reached over ten years ago—writing books crossing over these three
genres was the right decision as it gives me such freedom and joy during the
writing process. And if you can’t have fun doing something, then don’t do it,
as that’s the biggest con of all.
Lucky Secrets is now available wherever books are
sold!
Genre:
Young Adult Cozy Mystery
Blurb:
College student Sara Donovan is in the homestretch of graduating when a mysterious package arrives with an invitation to an exclusive contest. One that will drastically change the winner’s life. Included are unsettling photographs from forgettable chapters in her life and a threatening note strongly suggesting she participate.
With no good options, Sara enters the contest and finds herself at a fabulous mansion up against eight formidable opponents, each with a dark secret and all racing to solve seven levels of riddles and puzzles.
After a contestant’s body is discovered, Sara contemplates dropping out when another package arrives, its chilling contents making clear she’s at the center of a dangerous game with deadly consequences if she quits. But what it doesn’t say is—what happens if she wins?
Read Excerpt One:
I spent the first two hours of every workday by myself while Finn was off with Bertie drinking his lunch, presumably trying to forget his ex-wife. On my first day way back on the fifth of August, I enthusiastically reported to work. I was stoked, ready to assist the unrenowned yet Majelski-recommended, and sorta sober, Melvin “Finn” Finnegan, with taking down perps, crooks, and degenerates. Instead, I spent that day and most of the last seven months digging up dirt on two-timing husbands, boyfriends, and insurance fraudsters, and tracking down the last location on the Internet for delinquent debtors and the occasional bond jumper. Truth be told, the only time I spent out of the office was walking from my car to the dang building and then back again for the trip home to Sketchville. But working the streets on a high-profile case? Any case?
Not a chance.
A typical weekday for me consisted of business and criminology classes in the morning, then grabbing a quick lunch of fifty-cent noodles and a cola before jumping in my traumatized hatchback more the color of gray primer than its original black and flying up I-59 to one of the more questionable areas of Birmingham for a scintillating five hours as a part-time receptionist and researcher for Finn. And if that wasn’t enough to light up my life each and every fricking day, my drive home was a daily battle-royale with crazed Birmingham commuters reminding this soon-to-be college graduate, hopefully, that I was no match for their unparalleled skill at breaking every traffic law in the book while exhibiting quite the fluency in sign language.
Meet the Author:
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B.T. Polcari is a graduate of Rutgers College of Rutgers University, an award-winning mystery author, and a proud father of two wonderful children. He’s a champion of rescue pups (Mauzzy is a rescue), craves watching football and basketball, and, of course, loves reading mysteries. Among his favorite authors are Richard Osman, D.P. Lyle, Frederick Forsyth, and Michael Connelly. He is also an unapologetic fantasy football addict. He lives with his wife in scenic Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Website:
http://www.btpolcari.com/ Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/btpolcari Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/btpolcari/ X (Twitter):
https://x.com/btpolcari Goodreads Profile:
https://www.goodreads.com/btpolcari Signed Copies:
www.btpolcari.com Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3TtVHxWApple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/lucky-secrets/id6744645288 Barnes & Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lucky-secrets-b-t-polcari/1147214891 Bookshop.org:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/lucky-secrets/41569b963e658847 Enter the Giveaway:
B.T. Polcari will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
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