From Journalist to “Contemporary Cozy” Author: Gerri Lewis Talks About Her Latest Mystery and Her Writing Journey
Having made the transition from writing nonfiction to fiction, I’m always fascinated by the experiences of other writers who’ve done the same. For award-winning journalist Gerri Lewis, it turns out that making up stories has been something she’s done all her life. Below, she talks about her latest release and her writing journey:
First off, congratulations on the release of GRAVE WORDS, Book Two in your Deadly Deadlines Mysteries series. Can you share with our readers a bit about the series and your latest release?
Thank you, especially for what you do to promote your fellow authors. My series is about obituary writer Winter Snow who solves mysteries in her Hallmark worthy small town of Ridgefield, Connecticut. The cast of characters includes her Uncle Richard, her octogenarian neighbor Horace, her best buddy and newspaper reporter Scoop and her love interest, Kip, a Ridgefield cop. Oh, and I can’t leave out the funeral home director, Carla, a friend whose life story is told in the tattoos that cover her body like a long sleeve turtleneck. Different characters emerge more prominently in each book. Both THE LAST WORD and GRAVE WORDS are set in my hometown, so I like to think that all the historical references, the quirky things about our town and the types of people you might find here are rolled into my mysteries. I call my books contemporary cozies because I’ve utilized thriller techniques to keep the pages turning while still sticking to what makes a cozy so special. The characters, the setting and the mystery are important—all without overly graphic visuals and F-bombs dropping on every page! 
Winter Snow is an obituary writer dedicated to writing meaningful obituaries that will comfort the family and friends of the deceased. I know that you are known for your skills and sensitivity as an obituary writer. To what extent is Winter’s character similar and/or different from you?
Having written so many obituaries myself, I knew that my character would have to have the same sensitivity and desire to make the last words said about a person memorable. She would want to know ahead if this was a tragic death or a long-life tribute. And she would have to love memorializing people. In that way, Winter is like me. In other ways, like when she is making decisions about sneaking back into that creepy house, we aren’t alike at all. I might write about it, but I’m definitely not going in there!!
Some series authors keep their protagonists very consistent from book to book, while others create an overriding character arc in which readers see the protagonist growing and changing. How are you approaching the character of Winter? 
Definitely growing and changing. We meet Winter at the age of 29 and see all her hang-ups and wince at some of her poor decisions. Six months later in book two, she still has some of the same hang-ups, but she is more self-aware. I’m writing book three now and I like how she is “growing up” to gradually emerge into a better version of her original self.
You’ve created several colorful secondary characters. Have they been inspired by the folks you’ve worked with over the years in your community of Ridgefield, Connecticut?
Uncle Richard was originally inspired by my brother, Rick, although after many drafts, Richard is very different from his namesake. Unless you count the fact that my brother is brilliant and a very messy cook. Scoop is a compilation of people I knew in my reporter days. There was no-one there like him, but working at a small paper gave me insight into how a reporter might operate. The characters were really inspired by my imagination—which can get pretty wild at times.
A related question: You’ve lived in Ridgefield all of your life. Do you ever worry that someone in your community might assume that you’ve based a character on them and take offense?
I wasn’t worried until you mentioned it!! Actually, I had a woman tell me that she knew exactly who the Nosy Parkers (the town gossips) were because she said she lived next door to them. That made me laugh. None of my characters are based on real people, but I think they have similarities to many people who might be found in a small town.
You’re an award-winning writer, reporter, and newspaper columnist. What led you to try your hand at fiction writing?
From the time I was a little girl reading books in the library, I told myself stories. My brother and I even made up stories to tell each other in our cribs. I’ve dabbled before but with three kids, a corporate husband, lots of travel and a writing job, I didn’t have a lot of time. Time is still scarce although with the kids grown, I can manage it differently. It was one of my grandchildren who said I should write down the Mirabel & Jonathan stories I always told them, which got me thinking—if I’m ever going to write fiction, what am I waiting for? An added bonus of writing fiction in this chapter of my life is that my grandkids decided to follow in my footsteps. They launched Mystery of Grandma Camp in August.
Did you find the transition from nonfiction to fiction writing relatively seamless or were there some challenges?
When I decided to write a novel, I thought—I’m a writer and I love mysteries—how hard can it be? When I signed with my agent I went into a panic. This is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. You have to keep the plot plausible and yet keep the readers guessing. You can’t give a character blue eyes in one chapter and brown eyes in the next. A particular challenge is that you can’t depend on blood, guts and gore to keep readers turning the pages. Cozies are plot and character driven and I think they are one of the most difficult and rewarding genres to write.
What is your writing process like?
I’m a deadline pusher so until I get that target date, I do a lot of thinking without doing a lot of writing. Once I have my deadline, I write every day for a good part of the day. Even when I’m taking my walk, I’m writing in my head. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I get in the head of one of my characters and go through the scene with them. In the morning, I reread what I wrote the day before and then I write what came to me in the wee hours. I also listen to the audible version of my books to keep my characters “in character.”
What’s next for you writing-wise?
I’m working on the third in the series and I’m also working on a standalone mystery. And I’m almost done with some of my crazy travel experiences (like getting kidnapped on a camel in Egypt or stranded while on safari in Tanzania). I’m writing those for my family because I want them to know me through my experiences. I also still write magazine feature stories.
Anything else you’d like to add, or wish I’d asked you that I didn’t?
People ask how it felt to get an agent, a publisher and to see my book in the window of our local bookstore. “It feels like I won the lottery!”
BIO:
GERRI LEWIS is the author of The Last Word (2024) and Grave Words (June 10, 2025), the first two books in her Deadly Deadlines Mystery series published by Crooked Lane Books. Set in her Hallmark worthy hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut, this contemporary cozy mystery is about obituary writer Winter Snow who solves murders along with a cast of lovable characters. During her career as an award-winning reporter, columnist and feature writer, Gerri has become a go-to person in her community for obituaries. When she is not helping her protagonist solve mysteries, she writes magazine features and volunteers as the Public Information Officer for the Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management. She lives with her husband in Ridgefield, Connecticut, the picture-perfect setting for her books.
CONTACT: GERRI LEWIS directly
Follow Gerri on Facebook and Instagram: gerrilewisauthor
Additional contact: Adam Chromy 646-431-6134
AChromy@MovableTM.com