How She Blew Up Her Life

...and gave me my next book.

“Where do your ideas come from?”

I get asked that all the time. The honest answer? From eavesdropping, four-year-olds, and Amazon packaging.

Let me explain.

My husband and I were sitting in a coffee shop when two women nearby slipped into one of those conversations you can’t ignore. One of them said, very calmly, that she had just “blown up her life.” She’d asked her husband to leave—right before Thanksgiving. No plan. No safety net. Just… boom.

That phrase stuck with me.

A couple of days later, I watched my grandson Landon and his best friend Phillip tackle gingerbread houses. If you’ve never observed two four-year-olds “decorate,” it’s less HGTV and more demolition derby. Candy disappeared faster than it could be applied. Walls collapsed. Frosting became a structural and edible glue.

It was chaos. Joyful, sticky chaos.

Then—because the universe loves a third beat—Amazon delivered a package in one of their new padded mailers. Smooth. Sturdy. Weirdly inspiring. I found myself thinking, You could make something with this…

And just like that, the pieces clicked.

A woman who “blew up her life.”
Gingerbread houses (and the people who build—and destroy—them).
A crafty, slightly offbeat project using everyday materials.

Stories don’t always arrive fully formed. Sometimes they collide.

✨ The result?
Gingerbread, Dead, Man — Book #22 in the Kiki Lowenstein Cozy Mystery series.

This time, I wanted more than a mystery. I wanted to explore something deeper:

👉 What really makes a parent?
👉 When does someone become a mother… or a father?
👉 And what happens when that identity is threatened?

Of course, there’s still plenty of fun:

• Gingerbread houses (with all the sugary chaos you’d expect)

• Creative crafts—including a gingerbread man made from a recycled Amazon mailer

• And yes… a crime that pulls Kiki right into the middle of things

But this story cuts closer to the heart. Because while Kiki is solving a mystery, she’s also facing something far more personal—a threat that could tear her adopted son, Erik, from her life.

And that’s a different kind of “blowing everything up,” isn’t it?

💌 If you love cozy mysteries with heart, humor, and a dash of craftiness, I think you’ll love this one.

Gingerbread, Dead, Man releases November 24.
Pre-order your copy here: https://amzn.to/4sOPdt0

And tell me—have you ever had a moment that changed everything? Or watched a “perfect plan” crumble like a gingerbread wall?

I’d love to hear your stories. Or overhear them. Note to self: Don’t say anything in a coffee shop that you don’t want to put in a book.

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Mystery Mondays

Tonight at 7 p.m. ET at Joanna’s Readers, my guest will be Korina Moss. Please join us! Her cheese shop mysteries have been praised as one of USA Today’s “best cozy mystery series.” And yes, she’ll be giving away a book! (But not necessarily the one I’m showing below!) Here’s the link to Joanna’s Readers: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10229962199815376&set=gm.3835917133370971&idorvanity=1602372550058785

Love to you all—and remember—I’m always listening! — Joanna

PS I’m going to Malice Domestic next week. Stay tuned!