The publishing world can be EXTREMELY hard to navigate. Many authors, especially when they’re starting out, feel like they need to fit neatly in a box and meet traditional expectations with their work in order to get published at all.
But not today’s guest.
I am so excited to bring you Rob Osler, a fellow mystery author who you are just going to adore. Rob writes the contemporary comedic series Hayden & Friends Mysteries, featuring a gay and lesbian amateur sleuth duo. He calls these books “comedic romps” and let me tell you - they really are.
Book one, DEVIL’S CHEW TOY, was a 2023 Best Debut Mystery Finalist for the Anthony, Macavity, Agatha, and Lefty Awards and was a 2022 Year’s Best by Crime Reads, BOLO Books, Book Riot, and POPSUGAR. Rob coined the term “quozy” as a way to highlight queer characters in the cozy world.
His new book, THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID, the first in the new historical series, Harriet Morrow Investigates,” featuring a Chicago-based queer female detective in America s Progressive Era is out in late December.
He’s also a short story writer, and his story MISS DIRECTION is a 2024 finalist for mysteries most prestigious prize, the Edgar Allan Poe Award from Mystery Writers of America. His debut mystery short story, ANALOGUE, won the Mystery Writers of America 2022 Robert L Fish Award for best debut short story by an American Author.
We talked about everything from:
• Turning the traditional cozy on its head
• Rob’s wild path to publication - a story I just love because as I’ve said often on the show,
there is no one path to publication and often things happen in ways you could just never anticipate
• How to create secondary characters your reader loves just as much as your protagonist
• What the future holds for the cozy genre
I had so much fun chatting with Rob - I hope you love our conversation!
You can find out more about Rob and his books here, and check out his free short story:
https://robosler.com/
And make sure you’re following me on IG @lizmugavero for the latest episodes!