File under: behind-the-scenes, writing life, cozy-mystery craft, fall books to read

Pull up a chair at the Bean Hive, darlin’. Today I’m pouring a big mug of story fuel and taking you behind the counter—er, behind the pages—of Brewing Up Bones, my newest Southern cozy mystery set in sweet Honey Springs, Kentucky. If you’ve ever wondered how a steaming idea turns into a finished book that smells faintly of pumpkin spice and trouble, this is your VIP tour.

Where Honey Springs Comes From (and why it’s always fall in my heart)

Honey Springs is a blend of so many small Kentucky towns that live rent-free in my memories: walkable squares, gossip that travels faster than a pecan pie vanishes from a church supper, and the kind of people who will bring you soup when you’re sick and also (with love) examine your recycling bin if they think you’re hiding a secret. I write small-town mysteries because community is the beating heart of a cozy: the crime is the problem, but the people are the point.

For Brewing Up Bones, I wanted the town to feel extra autumnal—fiddle music down Main Street, chilly mornings around Lake Honey Springs, and the scent of cinnamon sugar following you like a friendly ghost. The Neewollah Festival (Halloween spelled backward, of course) gave me the perfect canvas for jack-o’-lanterns, pet “paw-rades,” caramel apples, and… murder.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Tonya Kappes’s descriptive writing makes you feel the crunch of leaves and smell the pumpkin spice, all wrapped up in small-town charm.” — Amanda Reads Cozies

The “What If” that started it all

Every book begins with a curiosity itch. This one started when I thought about influencer culture—the glossy photos, the curated life, the pressure to perform—and asked: What happens when that shiny world collides with a town where nothing can be filtered?
Answer: sparks fly. And sometimes those sparks light the fuse of a very cozy crime.

So three social-media celebrities arrive to film at Neewollah and compete for a major tourism contract. Cameras roll. Smiles sparkle. And then—because we read cozies to watch calm waters ripple—one influencer is found dead. Suddenly the comments section is real life, stakes and all.

Casting the Bean Hive crew

Roxy Bloom is our anchor. She’s quick with a latte and quicker with a clue, and she keeps her sense of humor even when life throws pumpkin-spiced chaos at her. Roxy’s arc in this book is about responsibility and identity—how to be the protector of a community without losing yourself in the swirl.

Birdie Bebe, our fashion-forward barista, stepped right into the storm this time, and I loved writing her vulnerability under the sparkle. She’s the kind of friend who will beadazzle a tragedy if she thinks it’ll help you smile, but she’s also tender-hearted—and when suspicion lands on her, Roxy refuses to sit back and “wait for updates.”

Pepper the schnauzer? He continues to be the four-legged Watson of Honey Springs. If he could talk, the Bean Hive would close early because he’d solve the case by mid-afternoon.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This dynamic mystery series is appetizing in so many ways… I could almost smell the coffee and feel the autumn breeze.” — Tammy Lunsford, Escape to Books by Tammy

Building a mystery you can taste

My job is to braid three strands: setting, suspects, and snacks (it’s a Tonya book—we’re feeding you).

1. Setting as character.
   Lake mist at dawn. Screen doors thwacking. The scrape of metal café chairs on the sidewalk. I layer sound + scent + texture on the page until a place feels touchable. If you can hear the milk steamer hiss and taste a sugar-crusted muffin when you read, I’ve done my job.

2. Suspects you’d chat with in line.
   Cozy villains often look like neighbors: a too-helpful organizer, a brittle smile that never reaches the eyes, an outsider who learns your weak spots too fast. In Brewing Up Bones, every suspect has a public face and a private ache—ambition, envy, fear, need. That tension (and the lies it births) is the engine of a good whodunit.

3. Snacks that belong to the story.
   Honey Springs is delicious on purpose. Food is culture and comfort, yes, but it’s also clue delivery. People talk over pie. Secrets crack like brittle sugar. And when Roxy bakes Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, someone inevitably tastes guilt.

Research you can do in an apron

Cozy research isn’t a dusty library (though I love those). It’s phone calls with small-town festival coordinators, videos on latte art, and shadowing a friend behind a café counter to learn exactly how a steam wand feels in your hand. For the influencer angle, I studied content calendars, sponsorship decks, and the subtle ways a camera changes behavior—helpful when a suspect says one thing on-screen and another in a back-room whisper.

The whiteboard nobody sees

My office wall looks like a hen-party met a crime lab. I map motive webs, color-code alibis, and pin “red string” notes between people who would never admit how closely they’re connected. I track three arcs:

• Crime arc: what happened off-page before page one

• Investigation arc: what Roxy thinks happened, step by step

• Emotional arc: what the truth costs everyone who touches it

Only when those three braid tight do I know the ending will click for readers.

What makes a mystery “cozy” (to me)

There’s a gentle promise in this genre: yes, we’ll walk through the shadow; no, we won’t lose our light. You’ll laugh with familiar faces, pet the dog, sip something warm, and still get that delicious puzzle-solving satisfaction. Kindness is the superpower here; the big twist is often that community wins.

That’s why I place Roxy’s toughest choices right in public—on Main Street, in the Bean Hive, at the festival—so the town bears witness and participates. You help carry what you see. Honey Springs does, too.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “An awesome addition to the Killer Coffee series… secrets, betrayal, deception, lies, and more.” — Barbara, Goodreads Reviewer

My writing day, in case you’re nosy (I would be)

• 5:30 AM: Coffee. (Obviously.) Candle lit. Phone away. I reread yesterday’s pages and make line edits until the story starts “breathing” again.

• 7:00 AM: New words with a timer. I sprint in 25-minute chunks and don’t let myself “research the color of a late-October lake” until the sprint is over. (Answer: pewter with a stubborn glint.)

• 10:30 AM: Plot check. I ask three questions: Did we earn today’s emotion? Did a clue move? Did someone reveal who they are?

• Afternoon: Business (hello, you delightful readers).

• Evening: Walk. I solve more plot knots on a trail than at a desk.

Easter eggs & series threads

If you’ve been with the Killer Coffee Mysteries from the start, you’ll spot a few winks: a cameo recipe card that wasn’t in the newsletter, a throwback to an early Bean Hive regular, and a tiny clue tucked into a pumpkin-spice garnish. I love rewarding longtime readers without confusing new ones. Every book stands alone, but the “Honey Springs feeling” grows if you read them all.

Why reviews matter (and make me misty)

In a big internet ocean, reviews are lighthouses. When you post a line or two on Amazon or Goodreads, you help the next cozy reader find a safe harbor. You also tell retailers, “Hey, keep showing this to people who like fall books, small-town mysteries, and dog sidekicks.” It’s practical magic—and I’m endlessly grateful.

Ready to sip and sleuth?

If you haven’t visited Honey Springs yet, I’d love to pour you a cup and hand you a clue.

Buy Brewing Up Bones on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0965KHXMW
Add & review on Goodreads: (search “Brewing Up Bones Tonya Kappes”)
❤️ Follow on BookBub for new-release pings
☕ Join my Patreon for recipes, extras, and signed goodies

See you at the Bean Hive, friend. I’ll save you a seat by the window.
—xo, Tonya

Grab your favorite mug and settle in, darlin’. We’re heading back to Honey Springs, Kentucky — where the coffee’s strong, the gossip’s stronger, and the leaves crunch underfoot like nature’s applause.

Every time I sit down to write another Killer Coffee Mystery, it feels like coming home. The Bean Hive is open for business, the scent of caramel and roasted beans fills the air, and our favorite barista-turned-sleuth, Roxy Bloom, is once again trying to keep caffeine levels high and crime rates low.

But this time? Things in Honey Springs are heating up faster than a pot of fresh-brewed espresso.

The Neewollah Festival Returns

If you’ve been following Roxy’s adventures, you already know Honey Springs loves a festival — and Neewollah (that’s “Halloween” spelled backward) might be its most beloved. It’s the kind of small-town celebration that makes you want to pull out your coziest sweater and dance under the twinkle lights.

Picture this: the smell of pumpkin spice drifting from bakery windows, the sound of fiddles floating through the crisp mountain air, and Main Street lined with scarecrows and pet-friendly booths.

Now imagine all that — with a murder thrown in.

In Brewing Up Bones, Honey Springs is hosting a Kentucky Influencer Showcase. Three high-profile social-media stars roll into town to judge the festival and film content for their millions of followers. They’re glamorous, camera-ready, and totally out of place in our quaint lakeside town.

At first, the locals are star-struck — who doesn’t love a selfie with someone “famous”? But fame fades fast when one of the influencers turns up dead.

Suddenly, the Bean Hive isn’t just serving lattes; it’s serving up suspects.

☕ Roxy Bloom, Back in the Thick of It

Roxy’s been through her fair share of Honey Springs chaos, but this case hits closer to home than ever.

When her barista and dear friend Birdie Bebe becomes the prime suspect — accused of being involved in the influencer’s suspicious death — Roxy has no choice but to put down her coffee scoop and pick up her sleuthing hat again.

Birdie’s always been the town’s bright spark: bold, fashionable, and maybe a little dramatic (in the best Southern way). But in this story, her big heart gets tangled in a web of jealousy, lies, and deception.

Here’s what one early reviewer said:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This time Birdie is in hot water and Roxy will do all in her power to exonerate her… All Birdie wanted to do was apologize to the influencer but says she never got the chance. As clues stack up, Roxy’s looking for answers. She knows Birdie would never hurt anyone.” — Julia David, Goodreads Reviewer

Those are the stakes that make a cozy mystery so much fun: no high-tech forensic teams or big-city detectives, just a clever woman, her loyal dog, and her small-town intuition.

Pepper the Schnauzer: The Real MVP

If you’ve read the Killer Coffee series before, you know Pepper’s not just Roxy’s pet — he’s her pint-sized partner in crime-solving.

There’s something about writing a dog like Pepper that makes the whole story feel alive. He’s always sniffing out trouble (literally), and he has this way of being in the right place at the wrong time that keeps readers laughing and turning pages.

And yes — he’s based on my own love for animal sidekicks. I mean, what’s a cozy mystery without a furry companion who knows more than he lets on?

One reviewer put it best:

“Fall in Honey Springs, Kentucky — crunch of leaves underfoot, the wonderful smell of pumpkin spice in the air… Roxy and her dog Pepper find one of the influencers dead in Lake Honey Springs and things take an interesting turn.” — Amy, Goodreads Reviewer

✍️ How Brewing Up Bones Was Born

Read | Buy

Every book I write starts with a spark — a what if? moment.

For this one, it hit me while scrolling through social media and seeing how much people curate their lives online. I thought, What if those picture-perfect influencers had to spend a week in a town where nothing can be filtered — not the smells, not the gossip, not the truth?

Honey Springs is the perfect backdrop for that contrast. It’s genuine, grounded, and bursting with character — the exact opposite of viral fame.

I loved playing with that tension: the shiny, edited influencer world bumping up against the raw, real warmth of small-town Kentucky. It let me explore not just murder motives, but also human ones — envy, pride, pressure, and the desperate need to be seen.

That’s the magic of a cozy mystery: beneath all the cinnamon rolls and small-town sweetness, there’s always something deeper brewing.

☕ Why Readers Love Coming Back

I think Brewing Up Bones has resonated because it feels like fall — comforting, a little nostalgic, and just twisty enough to keep you guessing.

Readers have said:

“Tonya Kappes’s descriptive writing makes you feel the crunch of leaves and smell the pumpkin spice, all wrapped up in small-town charm. The mystery is fun and twisty, but it’s the storytelling voice that makes this book feel like heart.” — Amanda Reads Cozies

“The dynamic mystery series is appetizing in so many ways. The descriptive narrative, from the town’s scenery to the scrumptious coffee offerings of the Bean Hive, makes reading this book so enjoyable. I could almost smell the coffee and feel the autumn breeze.” — Tammy Lunsford, Escape to Books by Tammy

Those quotes mean the world because they tell me the heart of the story landed — that Honey Springs feels real enough for readers to want to visit (and maybe order a latte while they’re there).

The Cozy Mystery Comfort Formula

Writing and reading cozy mysteries has always been about more than solving crimes. It’s about connection — neighbors helping neighbors, communities healing after tragedy, and finding humor in the chaos.

When readers come to my books, I want them to feel what I feel sitting in my she-shed with a cup of coffee: safe, inspired, and just a little mischievous.

Cozy mysteries give us a safe space to face danger from the comfort of our couch. We get to solve the puzzle, restore justice, and then close the book knowing the world is right again — all without leaving our blanket fort.

And yes, there’s always plenty of coffee.

What’s Next for Roxy Bloom

Without spoiling too much — because I know y’all hate that as much as I do — Roxy’s journey in Brewing Up Bones brings her closer than ever to figuring out who she is outside of the Bean Hive.

She’s learning to balance her love for her community with her determination to protect it — even when it means stepping on the wrong toes (and maybe crossing the sheriff).

Let’s just say… Honey Springs has more secrets per square mile than most big cities, and Roxy’s not done uncovering them.

A Note of Thanks

I’ll never stop being grateful for every reader who takes the time to review, recommend, or even just message me about a favorite scene. This book, and this series, exist because you’ve made Honey Springs feel alive.

“An awesome addition to the Killer Coffee series! Roxy uncovers several suspects besides Birdie — secrets, betrayal, deception, lies, and more. Who knew being an influencer was such a cutthroat business?” — Barbara, Goodreads Reviewer

Your reviews help more cozy readers discover Honey Springs. They’re the lifeblood of a small-town author — the “word of mouth” that keeps the coffee brewing and the mysteries coming.

☕ Ready to Visit Honey Springs?

If you haven’t picked up Brewing Up Bones yet, here’s your invitation to come sip, sleuth, and stay awhile:

Buy Brewing Up Bones on Amazon
Add & review on Goodreads
❤️ Follow me on BookBub for new release alerts
☕ Join my Patreon for exclusive extras, recipes, and signed goodies

Thanks for keeping the Bean Hive open, y’all. Here’s to cozy reads, crunchy leaves, and a good mystery to curl up with.

Until next time —
xo, Tonya