Melted Clues and Murderous Moods: Fondue or Die with Author Korina Moss

For this lovely month, we’re welcoming Cozy mystery Author Korina Moss and her mystery Fondue or Die (don’t you just love the puny title!?). We met Author Korina Moss a few years ago and quickly fell in love with her sweet personality, the idyllic small towns she writes about, and the fun mysteries found inside her books. She has written her own share of quirky characters in her cheese shop mystery series, and we hope you enjoy getting to know her a little bit better through them.

About Author Korina Moss

An Interview with Author Korina Moss

Willa’s life seems to be filled with curds and whey more than Miss Muffet’s. How does she manage to keep her cool while juggling cheese wheels and dead bodies?

Willa believes most of life’s problems can be solved with cheese. Luckily for her, she’s surrounded by it, so when life gets too stressful, cheese is never far from reach. As she says in Cheddar Off Dead, “Who needs Xanax when you’ve got cheese?” 

Dairy Days sounds like a deliciously fun festival—except for the whole murder part. What inspired you to set a murder mystery against such a unique and cheesy backdrop?

Each book in the series revolves around the theme of cheese in some way, and I absolutely love fairs and festivals. It’s important in a cozy mystery to bring some lightheartedness to the story to balance out the murder. I was able to incorporate so many fun festival elements as the backdrop for their investigation—several of them swiped from the agricultural fair I attend annually.  

Nadine seems like a character who took the ‘fondue or die’ motto a little too seriously. How did you balance her intense personality with the lighthearted elements of the story?

As a pageant director, I gave Nadine the license to be overly dramatic and demanding. Although she scares some of the others involved with the pageant, her intensity reads as a bit outlandish. She’s broken her foot, so she’s riding around on a scooter that she doesn’t know how to drive while barking orders, which adds to the chaos and the humor of the pageant. 

Can you share your journey to becoming an author? What inspired you to pursue a writing career?

I’ve always been a big reader. I wanted to be able to give others that feeling I get when I’m transported into a story I love. But for a long time, because I revered authors so much, I didn’t think I could become one. I started writing books with a modicum of talent but not knowing enough about the craft. I’d write a manuscript, send it to a publisher, and start on the next one. By the time I got the earlier one back, rejected, of course, I could see what it lacked.

Eventually, I learned how to write through years of writing and reading. Life got in the way for a while, even though I always kept my hand in writing and had a few small successes with short stories and a ballet. I didn’t prioritize my dream of becoming a published novelist until I turned fifty and realized “someday” was now. I switched my perspective, and instead of dreaming about becoming a mystery novelist, I made it a goal with a timeline and deadlines. I pivoted when I needed to and invested in myself. Within two years, I acquired an agent and, two years after that, signed a contract with Macmillan Publishers for the Cheese Shop Mystery series. 

Are there any specific authors or books that influenced you early in your writing journey?

The first book I fell in love with and read over and over again (besides picture books) was Little Women. That was the book where I started to think authors were magicians, and it made me wish I could make others feel the same way I felt while reading it. For several years, when I began writing as a young adult, I wanted to write the next Nancy Drew-type series, so I’d also been influenced by reading those books in my elementary school years. The first adult mystery I read was The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie when I was twelve. As soon as I finished it, I went back and read it again because I knew she’d played fair with me, and I should’ve been able to figure it out. I wanted to see how she revealed the clues while distracting me from them. That was the first time I decided I wanted to write mysteries. Lastly, when I was thirteen, I read my first Stephen King book of short stories titled Night Shift. I never wanted to write horror, but that book was influential in making me realize that you can write absolutely anything as long as you make it believable. 

How do you approach the process of generating new ideas and translating them into fully-fledged stories?

With my Cheese Shop Mystery series, I begin with the cheese – what cheese-themed event can the plot revolve around? Once I have that, ideas begin to form around it, and I start making notes of possibilities. What could happen to ruin the event? What types of characters would be fun to write? Once I find an idea I like and characters that support the mystery, I begin to outline the plot. I decide on the victim and the suspects, based on why each would have a motivation to murder the victim. They have to have a connection to at least one of the main characters of the series. I also have to consider the growth of my characters and their relationships. I must be able to incorporate character development without halting the momentum of the mystery, but a mystery is nothing without the reader being invested in the characters. I use the feel of the season, community member side characters, and brief descriptions of the town to help bring the setting alive. I also research cheese and cheese-focused recipes to keep the theme running through the book. I use index cards to complete a timeline. The purpose of my first draft is to ensure the sequence of events makes sense, each chapter flows naturally into the next, and my plot holds together. Then several revisions follow. 

How do you develop and bring your characters to life? Are they ever inspired by real people or experiences?

For my main characters, I decide on the traits I want them to have based on their role in the series. Willa is my protagonist, which means she’s the leader of the group, and has to be believable as such. Thus, her traits of loyalty, confidence, and intelligence work well for her in this role. I also know more backstory about each of my characters than is in the book. Therefore, I know their motivations and their reasoning for acting and reacting the way they do. I don’t usually base my characters on real people, because I feel that might restrict me from diverting from the personality of the real person. However, I’ll use characteristics I’m familiar with. So, I might take a part of someone’s personality I know and exaggerate it to make it a character’s defining trait. I think dialogue and the way characters interact with each other help me envision them. I get inside their heads and see things from their perspective to understand and empathize with them, even the “villains.” This, hopefully, keeps any of them from being one-dimensional. 

What role does research play in your writing? How do you strike a balance between authenticity and creative freedom?

Research plays a big role in my books. My series takes place in the Sonoma Valley, so I have done a lot of research on that area. I researched the history of the area, the architecture, the landscape, the weather, etc. So, when I write about my fictional small town, it feels like it could be an actual town in Sonoma Valley. I was so pleased when I was a virtual guest of a Northern California library book club, and they thought perhaps I’d grown up in the area. My town of Yarrow Glen, being fictional, allows me the creative freedom to make it exactly how I envision it within the confines of what’s expected in Sonoma Valley. I also do a lot of research on cheeses to be able to describe them accurately. I sample a fair amount of cheese—a definite perk! I get guidance and information from cheesemongers and cheese shop owners. I’ve also gotten positive feedback from other cheese shop owners who’ve read my books on the accuracy of cheese terms and how real my cheese shop owner protagonist feels. However, one thing real cheese shop owners don’t contend with that Willa does is having to solve murder mysteries. So, she doesn’t work nearly as much or as hard as her nonfiction counterparts. She also eats cheese from her shop regularly and uses it for the meals she makes for her sleuthing friends. I know cheese shop owners can’t do this, but I think it really adds to Willa’s personality, and I like the coziness of her friends gathering in the shop for a meal, so I’ve taken creative license with that aspect. As long as there’s a foundation of authenticity, readers will suspend their disbelief over points that are expected or desired in a cozy mystery. 

How did you decide what your book cover should look like?

Before the first cover was created, my editor at my publishing house asked what type of cover I wanted. I wanted a cover that would have details so anyone who saw it would immediately get a feel for the setting. Willa’s French-inspired cheese shop was just too pretty not to incorporate into a cover. They also have to have a bit of sinister on each cover too, so there’s always a skull and sometimes even something more obvious, like the knife in Cheddar Off Dead. I always send a short summary of the focus of the plot, the location where most of the story takes place, and the season, so each cover represents the story within. For example, the murder in Curds of Prey takes place at a bridal shower, so the cover shows a wedding. In Case of the Bleus, riddles need to be solved that lead to the secret location of an extremely valuable blue cheese, so the cover has a cheeseboard that looks like a treasure map. Fondue or Die takes place at the Dairy Days Festival in September, so the cover shows a field with colored leaves in the background and festival tents. In the foreground is a picnic table with a fondue pot and the melted cheese in the shape of a skull. My St. Martin’s designer and illustrator, Danielle Christopher and Alan Ayers, respectively, use their creativity and talent to create gorgeous covers that are even better than I could dream up. 

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being an author, and how do you navigate those challenges?

The time constraint is the hardest part. Not only do I have to write each book on deadline, I have to launch new books and do constant marketing, book events, etc. It can sometimes sap my creative energy to rarely get a break. 

Can you recall a specific moment or accomplishment in your writing career that made you particularly proud?

In 2023, when I won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel for Cheddar Off Dead. I was gobsmacked that my book was honored in this way, and being so supported by readers and my fellow authors was an amazing feeling. I am also quite proud to have been a finalist for the 2024 Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel for Case of the Bleus. To be nominated in the first two years that my books were eligible is an incredible feeling. 

What do you hope readers take away from your stories? Is there a particular message or feeling you aim to convey?

My main characters tend to be empathetic and kind, and justice is always served, but I shy away from any type of “message.” I hope readers want to hang out in the town I’ve created with the characters I’ve created. Many readers say reading each book in my series is like returning to old friends, and I love that description. I want them to feel warmth and comfort from my books. I’ve heard from readers who’ve told me my books have gotten them through a difficult time in their lives. To be able to do that for people is an incredible privilege. 

What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting their writing journey?

It’s important to be involved with the writing community and understand what’s involved in getting published, whether traditionally or self-published. However, I would tell writers to tune that out for the most part and just concentrate on their manuscript and learning the craft of storytelling. Naturally, most writers are focused on getting published, however that’s putting the cart before the horse. In order to develop your own voice, you have to be somewhat insular during the writing stage. Focus on the writing. 

How do your personal interests, hobbies, or experiences influence the stories you choose to tell?

I’ve been a cozy mystery reader since the subgenre was first named. I love and respect cozy mysteries, which influenced my decision to begin writing a cozy mystery series. I know what I like and expect in a cozy mystery, so I try to give my readers some of the same. 

Is there a specific genre or writing style that you haven’t yet explored but would like to try in the future?

I enjoy reading domestic suspense, as long as it’s on the lighter side, like books written by Lianne Moriarty and Shari Lapena. I’d like to try my hand at that genre. 

Is there a specific genre or writing style you would never venture into?

I’d never try fantasy. I don’t have the patience for all that world building. 

Looking back on your writing journey, what advice would you give to your younger self when you were just starting out?

You don’t have to be someone special to be a traditionally published author, you just have to work hard at your craft and write often. You don’t start off as a publishable writer – think of your initial efforts as necessary practice. Don’t wait for your muse to show up. Sit down and write, and believe in yourself. 

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Korina Moss is so inspiring! I hope you all enjoy learning a bit more about her and her writing process. If you can please give her some love on social media for her new book release Fondue or Die, on October 22, 2024! You can see all the books in her Cheese Shop Mysteries, so far, below.

The Cheese Shop Mysteries

Book 2: Gone for Gouda

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