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Barbara Emodi
Barbara Emodi has written sewing how-to books and now writes cozy mysteries set in Nova Scotia, Canada. Gasper’s Cove doesn’t really exist but it will seem awfully familiar to anyone who lives where she does. The community is based all she believes matters in life - extended family, companion animals, good food, and more sewing, crafting, quilting, and knitting projects than any reasonable person would take on.
Barbara writes what she likes to read - whimsical, witty, warm books that reflect her belief that there is nothing ordinary about ordinary people. She also likes clever surprises, important in mysteries, and promises one at the end of each book. To visit Gasper’s Cove yourself you can read Barbara’s novels in her Gasper’s Cove Mysteries series or her Gasper’s Cove Quick Cozies novella series.
Barbara Emodi has written sewing how-to books and now writes cozy mysteries set in Nova Scotia, Canada. Gasper’s Cove doesn’t really exist but it will seem awfully familiar to anyone who lives where she does. The community is based all she believes matters in life - extended family, companion animals, good food, and more sewing, crafting, quilting, and knitting projects than any reasonable person would take on.
A cozy town, a crafty killer, and a murder caught on tape.
Valerie Rankin, manager of the Gasper’s Cove Crafter’s Co-op, is ready for a successful Spring Craft Show, until the lights go out, she falls down the stairs, and a pushy entrepreneur won’t leave her alone. Murray Nunn claims he’s there to help local businesses grow, but when Valerie...
The storm may have passed, but the real danger is just beginning
The long, frigid winters of Nova Scotia are perfect for crafting—but when a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm cuts off Gasper’s Cove Island from the mainland, Valerie Rankin and her group of crafters settle in to weather the isolation with needles, fabric, yarn, and determination. As...
Lies, chaos, and an unexpected death—the hunt for a killer begins.
When a blunder among the senior members threatens to expose secrets they can’t bear to reveal, Valerie Rankin and her crafting group band together to protect their own. But one lie spirals into another and leads to an unexpected murder that leaves everyone stunned.
Barbara Emodi, author of Crafting a Cold Case (C&T Publishing, October 2025)
I write cozy mysteries set in Nova Scotia. I try hard to make the characters and setting real and representative. The best compliment any local reader can give me is “Oh your book made me laugh. So true.”
The funny thing though is that most of my readers live outside the country. Europe, the U.S.,...
The first rule of writing is not to try to sound like a writer. Sound like yourself. I learned this from teaching creative non-fiction at a university. The students who dashed off a quick couple of paragraphs to get an assignment done produced far more authentic work than those who tried hard to do "real writing."
What does that look like?
If you don't use a word in your speech, maybe it is not a natural, and therefore the best choice, for your text.
