Welcome back to another episode of great writing advice on the CRAFT OF WRITING blog. This year we’re focusing on Genres. We’ll be looking at approaches to writing thrillers, mysteries, romances, and more. Each month I’ll interview an accomplished author who writes in a particular genre, so get ready to learn from the experts!

Today, I’m posting an interview with my friend and colleague Terry Odell. Terry has carved out a lane for herself in a genre that blends police procedural with cozy mystery.

Terry’s latest book, now available for pre-order at this link: https://terryodell.com/danger-abroad

So read, enjoy, and engage in Blended Genre.

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Good news! In recognition of my Lady Pilot-in-Command series, my good friend and master craftsman Dr. Steve Hooley has provided me with this unique and fabulous “Wilbur and Orville 1903” propeller pen. Hand crafted by Steve, the pen is made from Ash, one of the woods the Wright brothers used to build their first aircraft. The market value of this beautiful creation is around $80.00.

The name of each person who enters a comment will be put into the drawing for the pen. So join the conversation and earn a chance to win. I’ll post the name of the winner after 9 PM Central Time tonight. (Previous 2025 winners are not eligible to win.)

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Welcome, Terry, and thank you for being on the Craft of Writing blog!

Thanks so much for having me, Kay. I’m delighted to be here.

You write police procedural / cozy mystery novels. Define that blended genre for us.

When I wrote my first Mapleton Mystery, Deadly Secrets, I had no idea it was a “blended genre.” I simply told the story I wanted to tell. A police chief who had accepted the job reluctantly. I tested him by creating the first homicide in the town’s collective memory—and let things unfold.

I also realized that the mystery books I enjoyed most were those where the protagonist had a life beyond the job. I was reading many of them twice: once for the private life and again for the mystery. So, I gave Gordon, my police chief, a life outside the office as well. He’s very private when it comes to his outside relationships—almost shy—so in the first book, we meet Angie, the owner of the town café, the woman he has a personal interest in, but he’s reluctant to pursue it. He feels it’s inappropriate to be seen in any kind of relationship. (Angie puts him straight.)

And that was about it. I let things play out, and now, with 8 novels and 3 novellas, their relationship has grown.

Once I’d finished the book, I pursued the at-the-time process for finding a publisher. I met one editor at a conference, and she requested the manuscript. When she responded, her comment was, “I don’t know if this is a police procedural or a cozy.” She gave me the option of rewriting it, one way or the other, and resubmitting, or writing a new book which she said she’d be happy to look at.

After talking to the editor. I realized then that publishing was all about the marketing. Where would that book, as written, fit on the bookstore shelves? But I liked the book the way it was. Indie publishing was still in its infancy, but it seemed to me there must be other readers out there who like things a little different.

So, I guess to answer your question, a blended genre novel has elements of more than one genre.

How are police procedural / cozy mystery books different from other forms of fiction?

I would say they’re different the same way any other fiction genres are. People gravitate toward the genres that appeal to them, be they mystery, romance, science fiction, paranormal—the list goes on. As long as you meet reader expectations, such as making sure the crime is solved at the end of the book in a mystery, I think there’s plenty of room to include aspects of other genres.

Why did you decide to write in a blended genre?

An early reviewer praised the book as a police procedural with a cozy feel, so I accepted that and ran with it. Until then, I thought I was writing a straight police procedural with characters with lives beyond solving a crime. However, I don’t follow the ‘rules’ of the cozy genre. My protagonist is a cop, not an amateur sleuth. He’s in a relationship with someone who doesn’t solve crimes, but she’s a good sounding board and has helped Gordon from time to time. She doesn’t go off trying to solve crimes on her own. And, sorry, but there are no pets, talking or otherwise. Animals appear from time to time, but they’re on the periphery.

For the record, the Mapleton series is only a little different from traditional mysteries. When I read mysteries, I liked seeing what the cops did off the job, so there was more to the book than Gordon showing up at work every day. I preferred to put his personal life on the page, not between chapters.

Can you give us a brief outline of the process—from concept to completion—that you use to write your blended genre novel?

I’m not a plotter, so I don’t have an outline or a ‘formula’ when I set out to write one of my Mapleton Mystery books. For me, the process with the first book, Deadly Secrets, was basically the same as my process for any book. I follow the case, and I follow Gordon and Angie’s relationship as the story moves along. Some books might be more about the case, others might put more emphasis on Gordon and Angie’s home life, but I don’t track that. I let it unfold organically.

Note: for me, any book is all about the characters, so that’s where I focus.

What advice would you give an author who decides to write a blended genre novel?

If you’re looking to be traditionally published, it might be a harder sell than a single-genre, for the marketing reasons stated above. If you’re going to publish the book yourself, you’ll have to work at marketing—but then, unless you’re a Big Name Author, it doesn’t matter how you’re published. You’re going to have to do some—or a lot—of the heavy lifting.

Besides your own books, what other BG books would you recommend?

I’d recommend any romantic suspense. Those were the first books I had published, and they’re definitely  blended genres, even though they’re not marketed that way. There’s a mystery/crime/suspense element and a relationship element, and both have to be resolved to fulfill reader expectations by the end of the book.

Are you working on a book now?

Yes, I have my 12^th Blackthorne, Inc. novel, Danger Abroad, coming out next month. It also qualified, in my mind at least, as a blended genre, since there’s some suspense, a mystery, and a relationship. In fact, I call ALL my books “Mysteries With Relationships.”

Where can we find out more about you and your writing?

My website

My Facebook Page

My blog

My Substack https://terryodellauthor812.substack.com

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Meet Terry Odell

I was born in Los Angeles and now make my home in Divide, Colorado. An avid reader (my parents tell everyone they had to move from our first home because I finished the local library), I always wanted to “fix” stories so the characters did what I wanted, in books, television, and the movies. Once I began writing, I found this wasn’t always possible, as evidenced when the mystery I intended to write rapidly became a romance.

However, my entry into the world of writing can be attributed to a “mistake” when my son mentioned the Highlander television series on a visit home. Being the “good mother” I began watching the show and soon connected with the world of fan fiction, first as a reader, then as a critique giver, and then, one brave weekend, I wrote my first short story.

Things snowballed and soon I was writing my first original novel. Much later, I mentioned something about a recent Highlander episode to my son, and he said, “Oh, I’ve never actually watched the show, I just thought the concept was cool.” Little did he know what he’d started.

I love getting into the minds of my characters, turning them loose in tight spots and seeing what they do. Too often, they surprise me.

My published works include the Pine Hills Police Series, the Blackthorne, Inc. covert ops series, the Triple-D Ranch series and the stand alone, What’s in a Name? — all Romantic Suspense, as well as the Mapleton Mystery series, which have been described as a blend of police procedural and cozy mysteries. Heather’s Chase is a stand alone International Mystery Romance, which I had a blast researching on a trip through the British Isles. My mystery short story collection, Seeing Red, is a Silver Falchion award winner. I also have a collection of contemporary romance short stories.

When I’m not writing, or watching wildlife from my window, I’m probably reading.

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“a spectacular tale of decades-old murder mystery, human drama, and a hint of romance…” —Prairie Book Reviews

Available at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or Apple Books.