If you’ve read any of the books in my Quilting Cozy series, you already know that each book centers around a group of friends living in a retirement community in the Midwest. The stories focus on their friendships, their shared hobby (quilting), and each book includes a mystery to be solved.
These books are cozies – light mysteries without explicit sex or violence. Crimes occur ‘off stage’ and are ultimately solved by the group of friends, usually to the chagrin of the local police department.
What makes this series unique is that I, as a retired geriatric social worker, have subtly intertwined issues of aging into each book so that the reader will see the characters facing these issues in a variety of ways. My goal is to show the characters making choices which enable them to make the most of their retirement years. I show the importance of friendship, an active lifestyle, exposure to new experiences, and being open to learning new things.
As I said earlier, I keep it subtle – no preaching. I just allow my characters to teach by example. You’ll get to know Sophie whose sense of humor camouflages her struggles, Sarah’s hesitancy to become romantically involved after years as a widow, and you’ll get to know Charles, the reluctantly retired police detective struggling to accept his changed role in life.
You can’t miss the fact that I’ve woven a few social issues close to my heart such as homelessness, dementia, and animal rescue. But, at the same time, these books are intended to be fun. There are grandchildren and pets, family and adventures. In Moon over the Mountain, Sarah attends a quilt retreat in the mountains of Tennessee, and in Sea Bound her retreat takes place on an island cruise. Sophie volunteers to transport rescued dogs to their forever homes and ends up rescuing one herself.
So whatever your age, I hope you find something about this series that touches your life. I’d love to hear from you either by leaving a message below under ‘comments,’ using the CONTACT ME page, or simply by sending me an email at quiltingcozy@gmail.com. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
My very best wishes,
Carol
my 60-degree equilateral triangle ruler, and 
I’ve ordered Kaffe Fassett’s Lotus Leaf Purple for the border and am considering a plain inner border of turquoise.
Each book explores another aspect of quilting through the eyes of Sarah and her friends. In the first book, Tie Died, Sarah (hoping to preserve her husband’s ties) learns to quilt at the local fabric shop. In later books, she explores the historical aspect of quilts during the civil war, particularly those quilts designed to identify safe houses along the underground trail. At a quilt show, she learns how batiks are made, and on a quilting cruise, she explores paper piecing. Her fun-loving, boisterous friend Sophie resists quilting until she stumbles upon the art of piecing hexagons and then she’s hooked!
A Quilting Cozy Series - Carol Dean Jones 