Tag: Joanna Campbell Slan

Die, Die, Birdie (Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)
by Joanna Campbell Slan

I am happy to welcome Joanna Campbell Slan
to Escape With Dollycas today!

Like Fine Wine: How Age and Experience Fuel Better Writing

A Guest Post by Joanna Campbell Slan, Author of Die, Die, Birdie

Dear Great Escapes readers,

I’m thrilled to be here with Dollycas today to talk about my latest Kiki Lowenstein mystery, Die, Die, Birdie (Book #19 in the series). But more than that, I want to share something I’ve discovered about the writing life that might surprise you: I’m getting better at this craft with every book I write.

You might think that sounds backwards. Don’t most writers burn out as a series progresses? Don’t we run out of steam somewhere around book seven or eight? I used to worry about that myself. But here’s what I’ve learned after nearly two decades of writing mysteries—age and experience are a writer’s secret weapons.

The Gift of Life Experience

When I was younger, I had imagination and enthusiasm. Now, at 72, I have something even more valuable: a treasure trove of real-life experiences to draw from. Every job I’ve held, every place I’ve lived, every unexpected moment has become potential material for my mysteries.

Take the scene in Die, Die, Birdie where a boa constrictor swallows a lovebird. I didn’t have to make that up or research it online. I lived it. Years ago, when I was working in a pet shop while juggling a 40-hour work week with a 40-hour-per-semester class load (yes, you read that right—I was exhausted!), I walked into work one morning to discover our boa constrictor had gone missing from its cage. We found it eventually, too swollen to slip back through the bars, having devoured one half of a pair of lovebirds.

At the time, it was traumatic. The surviving lovebird mourned visibly for its mate. It was my first management job, and I felt responsible for the tragedy. But decades later, that painful memory became the perfect plot point for a mystery novel. The raw emotions, the shock of discovery, the guilt and responsibility—all authentic because I’d lived through it.

Drawing from Place and Memory

My St. Louis setting for the Kiki Lowenstein series isn’t just picked from a map. I lived there, near the Mississippi River, where eagles actually nest and where people gather around computers to watch nest cameras live-stream the hatching of eggs. These aren’t details I researched; they’re memories woven into my bones.

When I write about the changing seasons along the river, the way the light hits the water at different times of day, or how the community comes together for local events, I’m not creating fiction—I’m sharing lived experience. That authenticity resonates with readers because it’s real.

The Wisdom of Years

There’s something else that comes with age: perspective. I understand people better now. I’ve seen enough marriages, friendships, and families to know how they work—and how they break apart. I’ve witnessed enough grief, joy, betrayal, and redemption to write about human nature with authority.

When I create characters facing middle-aged dilemmas—like Kiki dealing with teenagers, managing a business, or navigating the complexities of dating after widowhood—I’m not guessing at what that feels like. I’m drawing from decades of observation and experience.

Every Story Gets Richer

With each book in the series, I discover new layers to my characters. Kiki isn’t the same person she was in Paper, Scissors, Death (Book #1). She’s grown, and so have I. The craft skills I’ve honed over nineteen books allow me to explore deeper themes while still delivering the cozy mystery elements readers love.

The relationships in Die, Die, Birdie (Book #19 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series) are more complex because I understand relationships more deeply. The mystery is more intricate because I’ve learned to weave clues more skillfully. The emotions are more authentic because I’ve lived longer and felt more.

The Creative Process Evolves

My writing process has also matured. I used to panic about whether I’d have enough material for the next book. Now I realize that life keeps providing stories faster than I can write them. Every conversation overheard in a coffee shop, every family drama, every news story becomes potential inspiration.

I also trust my instincts more. When my characters want to go in a direction I hadn’t planned, I let them. When a scene calls for a specific emotion or memory, I dig deeper into my own experience to find the truth of it.

Looking Forward

At 72, I’m not slowing down—I’m hitting my stride. Each new book in the Kiki Lowenstein series benefits from everything I’ve learned, everywhere I’ve been, and everyone I’ve known. The series isn’t getting stale; it’s getting richer, deeper, and more authentic with every installment.

Die, Die, Birdie represents not just another mystery for Kiki to solve, but another step in my evolution as a storyteller. The scared young woman who worked in that pet shop all those years ago probably never imagined her traumatic experience with a boa constrictor would one day become part of a cozy mystery that brings her readers joy.

That’s the magic of being a writer who’s lived a full life: every experience, no matter how difficult at the time, has the potential to become part of a story that matters.

Thank you, Dollycas, for letting me share this journey with your wonderful readers. I hope when you pick up Die, Die, Birdie, you’ll feel the difference that comes from stories told by someone who’s not just imagining life—but has truly lived it.

Happy reading!

Joanna Campbell Slan

Thank you, Joanna, for visiting today!

Keep reading to find out more about Joanna and her new book.

About Die, Die, Birdie

Die, Die, Birdie (Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
19th in the Series
Setting – Missouri
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spot On Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 230 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8289334954
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8349429880
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FDT3Q8C9

When her son’s new pet becomes evidence in a murder case, scrapbook store owner Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler discovers that some family secrets are worth killing for.

All eight-year-old Erik wanted for his birthday was a bird. What he got was Solo-a traumatized lovebird whose mate was recently devoured by a boa constrictor at a local pet shop.

But when Kiki learns that Solo originally belonged to Ruthie Goldman, a beloved member of their temple community who died after a brutal home invasion, she realizes this is no ordinary rescue pet.

Solo may be small, but he’s carrying big secrets-literally. X-rays reveal the tiny bird has swallowed several diamonds from the robbery that killed his previous owner. Now someone is desperately trying to track down Erik’s feathered friend, and Kiki’s family is in danger.

As Detective Chad Detweiler investigates the diamond theft that triggered Ruthie’s fatal stroke, Kiki uncovers a web of family betrayals, frozen embryos, and twisted ideas about genetic purity.

With her trademark blend of humor, heart, and small-town Missouri charm, Kiki must protect her family while helping to solve a murder that hits frighteningly close to home. Because when inheritance, infertility, and identity collide, even the most loving families can harbor deadly secrets.

“Fans of cozy mysteries will delight in this charming blend of family drama, small-town secrets, and feathered friends. Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler proves once again that the most dangerous mysteries often begin with the most innocent questions.”

About Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Currently, she writes six fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (featuring a mature female amateur sleuth!) and the Friday Night Mystery Series (set in Decatur, IL in 1986 with a spunky female heroine.)

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida. You can email her at jcslan@joannaslan.com or visit her website at https://linktr.ee/jcslan

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS – Please visit all the stops. 
August 25 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 25 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 26 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
August 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
August 28 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 28 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 29 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 29 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 31 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 31 – Infinite House of Books – SPOTLIGHT

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