What is the title of your latest release?
HOMETOWN HALLOWEEN HOMICIDE, book 7 in the Hometown Mysteries.
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Retired Army Officer Tessa Treslow and her Aunt Edna just want to enjoy handing out treats at New Oslo's Trunk or Treat when Tessa and her boyfriend come across a murdered clown. Or rather, a murdered man dressed as a clown. This happens on the heels of finding a note in a deceased woman's hair, asking Tessa to solve her murder – and then the body goes missing. Add to that a second apparently ambulatory dead body, a boxer dog dressed as a hotdog complete with condiments, and a bunch of Grim Reapers wandering around. (Can you see them, or is it just me?)
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
New Oslo is the fictionalized version of the small Idaho town I was born in. It's the perfect setting for a cozy mystery – just don't tell the residents that, they might move!
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! I mean… we already do. A lot.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Tough, smart, good with a wrench.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Not technically during the writing – but the idea for this book came during a visit to the hair salon. My stylist stepped away to take a call, and when she came back she apologized and said it was the funeral home. I expressed my condolences and she laughed and said I misunderstood. Doing hair for funeral home clients was her side gig and they had someone ready for her. Before that moment, it never occurred to me to wonder how the departed got their hair done. And now I know! And I already had Becky Baker, the owner of Becky's Good Hair, on "staff," so it was easy to get the plot idea rolling.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I review what I wrote last when I get started each day by having the computer program read it to me. I catch a lot of missed or wrong words that way plus get caught up and in the mindset to continue the story. I try not to spend too much time editing until I am done. I let it rest while my Betas are reading, then edit with fresh eyes while looking at their comments. But, a caveat – as a panster, it is imperative to go back to adjust and add clues, red herrings, etc. So maybe not "editing" but adding to the work.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I think, right now it's the dark chocolate-covered almonds from Aldi.
Describe your writing space/office!
It's a separate room with French doors, both aspects I am grateful for. It's small, just enough room for a narrow bookcase, big squishy chair, TV stand with TV, printer, small file cabinet, and a sit-stand desk. I guess it's actually a lot… but it's still the smallest room in the house. Oh and a large whiteboard! It's a new addition and I don't know what I did without it!
Who is an author you admire?
Amanda Flower. She's moved from cozies to historical mysteries seamlessly, not to mention is a wonderful, warm, kind individual.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Cliché, but the first Harry Potter opened my eyes to world-building.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I'll never forget that it was snowing when my agent called me with the news. That first one is unforgettable! Nowadays it's just an email between me and my publisher, still thrilling nonetheless.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I read a lot of mystery, of course, but when I want a break from it, I read cozy fantasy or magical realism.
What’s your favorite movie?
Not sure I have a favorite. I'd have to say the modern, quotable holiday classics in the winter. Plus, the first Harry Potter movie usually plays around then too and I will never not watch it if it's on.
What is your favorite season?
Fall! Love, love, love Fall.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
A quiet dinner with family – as long as I am not the one cooking or cleaning up.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
My husband saw a few episodes of Plur1bus on a plane and wanted me to see it. We binged the season in a couple nights and can't believe we have to wait til next year for the next season. It was great, really made me think.
As for books, I recently read ASK FOR ANDREA (Noelle Ihli). I usually don't read thrillers, but couldn't put it down.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian.
What do you do when you have free time?
Go on walks, read, or cross stitch. I usually "watch" (meaning listen) to true crime, historical shows, or baking competitions while I stitch.
What can readers expect from you next?
Book 8 in the Hometown Mysteries, HOME-COOKED HOMICIDE, comes out in the early Spring 2027, and I'm working on book 9 as we speak.
From author Rosalie Spielman comes hilarious haunt in a heartwarming hometown...
It’s the spookiest time of year in New Oslo, Idaho, and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tessa Treslow is looking forward to spending time with her aunt and their friends as they give away candy at the New Oslo community Trunk-or-Treat event. But first she agrees to accompany local salon owner, Becky Baker, to a funeral home to style the hair of a recently deceased woman—where they are both in for a surprise! There’s a note addressed to Tessa in the decedent's bouffant do, asking Tessa to solve her murder. But was her death even a murder?
As odd as that is, things get weirder when the woman's body disappears...and then another body disappears from the funeral home as well! Where did they go? Who would take them? Tessa has barely has time to wonder before she and boyfriend, Nick, stumble upon yet another body—only this one is fresh, wearing a creepy clown mask, and has clearly been murdered. As Tessa realizes she knows the victim, she also realizes Becky's husband has a connection to all three of the recently deceased. Is it a coincidence or something more sinister? It's up to Tessa to find out before more any more bodies pop up...or wander off.
Between a trio of “Grim Reapers” haunting the town, a glowing orb floating in the fields, a mysterious skeleton left on Tessa’s front porch, and a pup dressed like a hot dog, Tessa's hometown Halloween could not be wackier. Will Tessa and her friends find the murderer...before the killer makes clowns out of them all?
Mystery Cozy [ Gemma Halliday Publishing, On Sale: October 6, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book, / ]
Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. She writes cozy mysteries for the multi-author Aloha Lagoon mystery series and her own Hometown Mystery series, both with Gemma Halliday Publishing.
She currently lives in Maryland with her husband in a rapidly emptying nest. For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to her website, follow her Facebook page (Rosalie Spielman author), or join her Facebook group. Rosalie strives to provide you a cozy escape...one page at a time.
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