The interview has been posted at Wauktown Radio . Diana gives a behind-the-scenes look at being a book reviewer.
Looking for a good book to read? Want to see what others think of the book you’ve written? If cozy is your thing, head off to the Cozy Library.Com web site run by Diana Vickery.
Once a sub category of mystery books, “cozy” originally was used to signal that the sleuth is an amateur, the setting is in their neighborhood, and the ending is generally a happy one. Now the definition is looser since books cross genres.
Diana began reviewing mystery books for Mystery News. The Cozy Library web site has mystery reviews, as well as cozy, not quite cozy, links to author blogs, fiction and non- fiction. Diana and her crew of “cozy librarians” have also compiled webpages with information on over 275 authors plus contests and drawings currently available.
Reading someone’s book to review is much different than reading for enjoyment, Diana says. There’s no quick skim or speed reading involved. She takes her responsibility seriously and writes copious notes on characters, plot, and location for each book she reviews.
Diana began reviewing with mystery books. “I started by writing a note to the editor of Mystery News, telling her I was interested in reviewing, giving her a bit of my background, telling her what kinds of books I liked to read, and the volume of them I’d read,” Diana explained after our interview when I emailed her to for advise to others on how she got started. “About six months later, she lost her cozy reviewer and gave me a tryout. I passed 
.”
The terrific opportunity does come with a caution, according to Diana. “Just remind folks they won’t get rich reviewing (and may not even be paid).”
Diana said Don’t Murder Your Mystery by Chris Roerden was instrumental in helping her decide, as a reviewer, what a good mystery novel needs to be effective. The book’s author is a manuscript editor and geared to mystery writers with excellent tips for all genres. It’s part of my bedside reading materials for nightly inspirational reading!
Cozy Library. Com is an inviting site that welcomes visitors with reviews, information, and a plethora of links. You’ll find plenty of connections for your cozy reading (and writing!) needs. But no pink splashed across the pages. “That would be too obvious,” says Diana.
