Blog

Since September is National Literacy Month, I want to talk about a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, both as a person and as an author—adult literacy. Since 2022, I have been a volunteer literacy tutor with my local literacy council. Over the last four years, I have served as a one-on-one tutor, performed assessments for new learners, led classes, and trained new tutors.

Many literacy efforts focus on children, and that is wonderful. My love of reading started in childhood, and I...

Today is a very important day for me. June 12th is the one-year anniversary of the publication of my first cozy mystery novel, Rhubarb & Revenge.

There is a part of me that doesn’t believe this is really happening. After years of starting but never finishing a cozy mystery, I sometimes have to remind myself that I have published three novels, with a fourth book on the way at the end of this year.

By far the biggest highlight of the past year is that people are reading my cozy mystery...

I love to read mysteries, especially cozy mysteries. Recently I got to thinking: Would I make a good sleuth in real life?

What would I do well?

I’m nosy. I would be happy to dig around in people’s files or social media accounts, looking for a clue.

I’m observant. I notice little details, such as when items have been rearranged.

I like to come up with reasons for why people do what they do. That would be mighty helpful when coming up with motivations for different suspects.

What would trip me up?

...

Exciting news: I have written my very first guest post on another author’s blog!

Check it out by clicking here.

For this guest post, I had my choice of writing an author interview or a character interview. I chose the character interview for two reasons: 1) I wanted to do a character interview, and the opportunity arose and 2) I think the fact that Rachel Kent, the sleuth in my Tech-Free B&B cozy mystery series, lives without a cell phone or a computer makes her unique, and I wanted to...

I am so excited! Today I am officially revealing the cover for Cabbage & Conspiracy, my latest cozy mystery novel.

It's summer in Hillsville, Michigan, and Rachel Kent, owner of the tech-free Yesteryear B&B, is ready to welcome another group of guests. But then Boyce Bradley, a location scout sniffing out a new spot to build a theme park, offers to buy the family farm. Rachel turns him down, but when he turns up dead, she's the prime suspect. Rachel will have to unravel a tangle of...

This past weekend I had my very first in-person book-selling experience! I sold the first two books in my Tech-Free B&B cozy mystery series at a craft fair in a small town. Hillsville, the fictitious town where my books are set, is based on that area, so I made sure to mention the local angle to those who stopped by my table.

One of the most memorable parts of the day was a little girl who saw the title of one of my books, Rhubarb & Revenge. She was about 8 or 10 years old. Her face...

Used bookstores are my happy place. I love the hodgepodge variety of books available. When I walk through the door, I never know what I am going to get.

I don’t like a used bookstore to be too tidy. I prefer having books organized and alphabetized because that makes it easier to find what I’m looking for. However, I like the charm of a few cobwebs and leaning, slightly cluttered shelves. I see myself as a treasure hunter, and it’s much more fun to hunt for treasure in an ancient cave –...

The Tech-Free B&B is located in Hillsville, Michigan, a rural town with lots of farms and natural beauty. Guests come from all over to enjoy Rachel Kent’s delicious meals and to disconnect from their cell phones.

When I write, I feel like I am transported to Hillsville. I love driving the winding country roads along with my sleuth, Rachel, and hanging out with all of the quirky characters she encounters, from locals to guests.

But what if I really did get the chance to stay at the...

I have always loved to bake. I remember baking chocolate chip cookies when I was about 8 or 10 years old. Way back then I used paper grocery bags to lay the cookies out on, since I didn’t have metal cooling racks. I’ve come a long way since then with my baking skills and my kitchen equipment, but up until the second book in my Tech-Free B&B cozy mystery series, I had never created my own recipe.

I have never been a very adventurous baker. I prefer finding a recipe and re-creating that,...

Welcome, friends, to my little corner of the internet!

My name is Jamie McAllister. I write cozy mysteries filled with small-town settings, characters you want to visit again and again, and lots of secrets. If you enjoy your cozy puzzles wrapped in warm comfort and welcoming characters, you’re in the right place.

I LOVE reading mysteries, especially cozies. My love affair with mysteries started as a child when I read Nancy Drew books. I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, so in addition to the...