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Do you ever wonder what life influences shape an author into who they are today? Every writer carries a mix of quirks, experiences, and unexpected twists that work their way into their stories in the best ways.
Today, cozy mystery author Rebecca Lee Smith is giving us a peek into the little things that helped form her creative world.
10 Things Most People Don’t Know About Rebecca Lee Smith
I’m always curious about authors.
If you are too, here are:
10 THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME
1. I have directed or acted in over 120 plays and musicals.
2. Three weeks after my third birthday, I recited The Night Before Christmas in its entirety for a church congregation. It was the first time anyone had ever applauded in their sanctuary.
3. I can do an excellent imitation of a lighthouse.
4. I wrote three books that never saw the light of day before I got published in 2012. A Murder and Maggie MacGill is my fourth published mystery.
5. While in college, I auditioned for and was accepted to a prestigious acting school in NYC but turned it down because I had a bad feeling about living in New York.
6. I have had several recurring dreams that have come true. Once they come true, I never dream them again.
7. I shared a room with my maternal grandmother until I was fifteen.
8. I grew up in a house that sat across the street from two funeral homes, down the block from two flower shops, next-door to a church, and around the corner from the local fire station. The firemen taught me how to play croquet.
9. King Charlemagne is my 38th grandfather.
10. Over the years, I have had six marriage proposals. (Before you get too excited for me, three of them were from gay men, two of which were drunk.)
In my latest rom-cozy mystery, A Murder and Maggie MacGill, elementary art teacher Maggie MacGill has always prided herself on facing reality. Whether it’s an attic full of seascapes no one wants to buy, a surgery scar on her chest that could clear a kiddie pool, having to be the financial rock her father and brother depend on, or realizing her new haircut makes her look like a hedgehog. When Maggie loses her job due to budget cuts proposed by former crush Eli Grayson, and Eric’s grandmother, the richest, most despised person in town, leaves her fortune to Maggie, and Mrs. Grayson’s housekeeper accuses Maggie of her murder, it’s a little more reality than our girl
bargained for. The fact that Maggie is the green-thumbed volunteer who brought the Grayson House gardens back to life and seems to be the only person who could stand the old woman, is more than a little suspicious to the Grayson heirs.
After a series of unexplained pranks directed at the MacGill family turn nasty, Maggie has no choice but to untangle the web of secrets surrounding Mrs. Grayson’s death and find out who wants her out of the picture before it’s too late. Even if it means accepting help from Eli, a man she’s hated for over twenty years but whose devastating grin and quick wit can still make her heart race. Eli, as it turns out, is pretty good at hiding a few secrets of his own. As the suspects pile up in the sleepy mountain town, and the undeniable attraction between Maggie and Eric grows, can they unmask the killer before he or she strikes again? Can Maggie let down her guard, open her heart, and trust a man she realizes she never really knew?
I love discovering the real-life inspirations and fun surprises that make each author unique. A warm thank-you to Rebecca for sharing this glimpse into her journey.
A Murder and Maggie MacGill by Rebecca Lee SmithAbout A Murder and Maggie MacGill
A Murder and Maggie MacGill
Cozy Mystery
Stand Alone
Setting – A small southern mountain town called Wrenhaven, Tennessee.
Publisher : Wild Rose Press
Publication date : August 27, 2025
Print length : 296 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 : 1509262296
ISBN-13 : 978-1509262298
Digital
ASIN : B0FC238LWX
When elementary art teacher Maggie MacGill finds the richest, most despised woman in town dead, then inherits her estate, life in the sweet mountain town of Wrenhaven, Tennessee, takes a greased ride downhill. No one knows why Mrs. Grayson left her fortune to Maggie, but once her death begins to look like murder, and a series of unexplained pranks directed at the MacGill family turn nasty, Maggie must untangle a web of secrets and discover who has it in for her before it’s too late. Even if it means accepting help from the victim’s grandson, a man she’s loathed since high school but whose devastating grin and quick wit can still make her heart race.
About Rebecca Lee Smith
Rebecca lives with her husband and a dog named Wilbur in the beautiful, misty mountains of East Tennessee, where the people are charming, soulful, and just a little bit crazy. She’s been everything from a tax collector to a stay-at-home-mom to a professional actor and director. She loves to travel the world but her Southern roots and the affectionate appreciation she has for the rural towns she lives near inspire the settings and characters she writes about.
Author Links
Website: http://www.rebeccaleesmith.comFacebook: (Rebecca Lee Smith) http://bit.ly/4lykxcF
Twitter/X: (Rebecca Lee Smith) https://x.com/rbeccaleesmith
Bluesky: http://bit.ly/467y7ih
Author Central on Amazon: https://bit.ly/4lapGr3
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
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If you enjoyed this feature, I’d love for you to stick around and explore more! You’ll find author spotlights, writing tips, cozy inspiration, and plenty of behind-the-scenes fun waiting for you here on the blog.
As always, thanks for stopping by for some Salty Inspirations!
