Ellen Byron's Blog

I had the absolute best time. First up was Krewe of Cork, a walking krewe through the French Quarter. My friend Michael Rigg is a veteran of parading and served as a wonderful mentor. The costumes were fabulous!

Friday, I paraded on my own with Krewe of Freret...

I was supposed to parade with Krewe of King Arthur on Sunday but it got rain-delayed to the day we were leaving. Bummer! But I got to go to the pre-party, which was wonderful. The krewe queen graciously agreed to pose for a photo with me.

Each krewe has a signature throw. For King Arthur, it's grails. People decorate them and they were outstanding.

King Arthur's first float was a memorial to those lost in the January 1st terrorist attack. Deeply moving.

We finished the trip with a stop at the legendary King Cake Hub, a pop-up shop only open during Carnival Season - technically, the only time you're supposed to eat King Cake. They were all out of big cakes by 4 p.m.! But I did snag some delicious Big Boy Gooey Butter slabs.

I'm home now, and living off the memories of a fantastic experience - which I hope to channel into a future mystery!

Kindle - and possibly other eBook platforms who follow their lead - is offering some great deals this week!

Sunday, December 8 - pick up an e-copy of A VERY WOODSY MURDER , which received a starred review from Library Journal, for only $3.99!

On Monday, December 9th, you can grab an e-copy of the Agatha Award-winning Cajun Country Mystery, CAJUN KISS OF DEATH for only $1.99.

And on Thursday, December 12th, celebrate the holidays with a copy of the bestselling Cajun Country holiday mystery, A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING .

I'm excited to share the news that French Quarter Fright Night, my third Vintage Cookbook Mystery is out in the world! You can pick it up wherever you buy books or at bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online sites.

Did I make a video? Oh, you know I did!

I'm thrilled to share that A VERY WOODSY MURDER, my first Golden Motel Mystery is out - and the reviews are wonderful! A starred review from Library Journal, Book of the Week from FirstClue, A 5-star review from Carstairs Considers, a rave from Kirkus reviews and Dru's Book Musings.

In A Very Woodsy Murder, Golden Motel Mystery #1, Dee Stern, a sitcom writer whose career is on the downswing, impulsively quits her job on the Kidz Channel sitcom “DUH!” and buys a rustic motel in a small California Gold Rush town at the foot of a national park. Dee soon finds herself totally out of her element as both a motelier and an amateur sleuth when she discovers the  body of a guest straddling the property line between her motel and the national park.

The Golden Motel Mystery series is inspired by my own career as a television writer on hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents.

I celebrated by making a video - of course! I hope you enjoy it - and the book!

2024 got off to a rocky start, which is one reason this nomination means so, so much to me...

I have a special place in my heart for WINED AND DIED IN NEW ORLEANS. Part of the plot was inspired by my personal experience struggling with whether or stay or evacuate when Hurricane Ida hit and I was in town visiting our daughter, then a student at Loyola University. (I'm a Tulane alum.)

I love Malice and look forward to attending every year. If you're a fan of traditional and cozy mysteries, put it on your bucket list. Here's a graphic with my fellow nominees Annette Dashofy, Tara Laskowski, Korina Moss, and Gigi Pandian. Put them all on your TBR list!

Books make great, affordable gifts! To help you decide which mysteries to buy your beloved friends and family, here's a li'l video.

Not just me... tons of other cozy authors! Visit the pages to see the schedules and decide which authors you'd like to drop in on.

And if you like my t-shirt, visit Be Awesome Read Books for more great book-related merch. A little gift from me... use code ellenbyron for a 10% discount on $20 or more of gifts.

Happy holidays!