Sarah E. Burr is…On the Writing Block!

Sherry Ickes
11 hours ago
3 min read

As the sun was shining outside, and the sky was a beautiful tint of blue, it made me think about my next guest’s book, Fatal Sign-Off. Please welcome Sarah E. Burr to the Writing Block…

Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, Book Blogger Mysteries, and Court of Mystery series. She co-hosts It’s Bookish Time TV, a cozy web channel featuring live author chats. When she’s not crafting twisty whodunits, Sarah can be found reading mysteries and manga, playing video games, or strolling around with her adorable rescue pups, Eevee and Itto. Want to stay connected and snag free short stories? Join her newsletter here: https://saraheburrbooks.substack.com/subscribe.

Do you always know who the killer is, or do your characters surprise you in the end?

If you’d asked me this question two years ago, I would’ve answered that I always know who the killer is going into a book; in fact, it’s usually the only thing I know for certain. But with the last few projects I’ve completed, I actually changed who the killer was over the course of the manuscript. I got too attached to the person I introduced to be the “bad guy” and decided to make them a good member of the town. I’m enjoying this new approach to writing because it keeps me on my toes!

Any advice for other authors?

I’ve learned so much over the years…where to begin? Perhaps this is something folks haven’t considered, but I would encourage writers to be very thoughtful when choosing their pen name. Do a bit of research ahead of time: is there another author with that same name? I say this because in the world of marketing, your name recognition is your greatest tool, and if readers Google your name and someone else pops up…you’ve lost a sale or an opportunity to welcome a new reader.

How much is based on real life versus made up?

Winnie Lark is probably the character whose life experiences are least similar to my own. While I did spend time living in Massachusetts, and Copper Bay is very much a love letter to those years, and I share Winnie’s introverted nature, that’s largely where the overlap ends. I don’t have a famous sibling, I’m not a web design prodigy, and I’ve never found myself investigating a murder. That said, a few personal touches did sneak in. Some of the Christmas traditions in Dearly Deleted are inspired by cherished family memories, and the botanical gardens featured in Fatal Sign-Off were inspired by the beautiful gardens I visited in Boothbay, Maine.

Are there any animals in your book? If so, describe them and how involved they are in the investigation.

Langdon is Winnie’s furry feline sidekick, a large orange cat who firmly believes he rules the household. Since Winnie is a devoted booklover, it only made sense to name her pet after a literary character, Robert Langdon from The Da Vinci Code. While Langdon doesn’t take an active role in Winnie’s investigations, he’s always there to provide comfort when she comes home and needs to unwind. And now that Winnie’s movie-star brother has moved in, Langdon is clearly enjoying himself, expertly playing the siblings off one another to determine who loves him most.

What is Fatal Sign-Off about?

When a loathed local podcaster signs off… for good, book blogger Winnie Lark finds herself tangled in the plot of a very real whodunnit—one that’s definitely not on her TBR list.

By day, Arwen “Winnie” Lark is a quiet, introverted bookworm. But online, she’s The Wren, a literary influencer known for her astute reviews and cozy charm. For Winnie, life in Copper Bay, Massachusetts, usually revolves around book club banter, new releases, and good food…until a notoriously nasty podcaster keels over at the local diner, poisoned mid-meal.

The victim made headlines—and enemies—by trashing Copper Bay’s beloved businesses one scathing episode at a time. With suspects as numerous as titles in a bargain bin, Winnie is stunned to find many of her friends in the hot seat. Determined to rewrite this narrative, she teams up with her movie-star brother and her tight-knit crew to crack the case.

As grudges fester and red herrings pile up, Winnie must read between the lines, highlight every clue, and dog-ear suspects as she goes. Because in a mystery this twisted, the killer has no intention of tying up loose plot threads, and the final chapter could end with someone else getting shelved…permanently.