Tonya Kappes Inspires Readers Worldwide With Her Southern Charm And Over 180 Heartwarming Cozy Mysteries

PHOTO: Tonya Kappes, beloved southern cozy mystery author, shares a laugh while crafting unforgettable tales of quirky characters and heartwarming intrigue.

Discover The Heartwarming Journey Of Southern Cozy Mystery Icon Kappes

In this interview, Tonya Kappes shares her inspiring journey, her creative process, and how her southern roots shaped her beloved mysteries, creating immersive escapes for readers everywhere.

Tonya Kappes is a name that resonates with charm, wit, and a down-home southern flavour that readers simply can’t resist. Known for her ability to transport readers into quirky small towns filled with eccentric characters and laugh-out-loud humour, Tonya’s repertoire of over 180 southern cozy mysteries has firmly established her as one of the most prolific and beloved authors of the genre. A two-time Woman’s World Book Club pick and an Amazon All Star Author, her works continually find their way onto bestseller lists, including the prestigious USA Today list—a testament to her talent and the millions of dedicated fans she’s touched around the globe.

Tonya’s stories not only deliver enthralling mysteries but do so with a unique voice that sparkles with warmth, authenticity, and a hearty dose of southern spirit. From the delightful “Camper & Criminals” series set in the fictitious town of Normal, Kentucky, to other equally memorable tales brimming with loveable characters and rich southern colloquialisms, Tonya has a remarkable ability to craft worlds that readers never want to leave. Her books are more than stories—they’re experiences.

But behind her literary success lies an inspiring journey of resilience, determination, and discovering passion later in life. As someone who confesses to disliking reading for much of her early years, Tonya’s transition from a reluctant reader to a bestselling author is both remarkable and uplifting. Her candidness about these beginnings, as well as the path that led her to pick up a pen (or in her case, a spiral notebook from the local drugstore), only adds to the charm that readers have come to adore in both her books and herself.

With a strong connection to her Kentucky roots, her works are infused with the landscapes, culture, and people she knows so well. Whether she’s drawing inspiration from the southern foods she grew up with, the sayings and quirks of rural townsfolk, or even her own childhood escapades in a Winnebago, Tonya creates stories that are equally relatable and escapist—a fine balance few can master.

In this exclusive interview for Reader’s House Magazine, Tonya takes us through her journey of becoming a writer, shares the origins of fan-favourite characters like Mae West, and lets us in on how she balances her creative process while working from her camper or her writing cabin in the woods. She also gives us a glimpse into her upcoming projects, revealing there’s no slowing down for this powerhouse of a writer.  

Get ready to meet the queen of southern cozy mysteries, and prepare to laugh, be charmed, and feel inspired by her incredible story and passion for writing. Ladies and gentlemen, the inimitable Tonya Kappes!

Tonya Kappes masterfully blends humor, authenticity, and southern charm, crafting stories that delight readers and provide a perfect escape from everyday life.

Tonya, you’ve written over 180 southern cozy mysteries. What inspired you to start writing in this genre?

Thank you so much for having me! I’m excited to be here and talk to your readers of Reader’s House Magazine. 

I’m the most unlikely person to ever become a writer, much less a published author. I grew up in a small rural town in Kentucky and as you can see from one of my report cards that I didn’t even turn in book reports. I joke that if it wasn’t a party invitation- I wasn’t reading it. If it wasn’t a party invitation from me- I wasn’t writing anything. Plus I’m a huge extrovert. Unusual for writers. 

But I grew up and graduated from the University of Kentucky in education. After that I did what most people my age at that time did and met a man, moved off to his town and got married. We had one son and before long I found myself in a divorce. 

“I wanted to help readers escape—something funny and entertaining to ease this hard, heavy world.” – Tonya Kappes

In the state of Kentucky everything in a divorce is spilt equally and that meant my son was going to be going to his dad’s. That left me broken. I’d mentioned how I was a huge extrovert but this took me under. I went to my Dr and asked for medication for the depression I was feeling. She refused saying I needed a habit. To spare your readers of all the things I tried to no avail, I finally decided to go back to college, which I was able to do on the days and nights my son was at his father’s, and get a therapist degree. 

That’s what changed my life! By this time I was in my thirties and the young women in college were much younger than me. I met one young woman who invited me to her book club. Remember I do not read because it’s not fun for me. 

I politely declined her offer but she followed up with ‘we have wine and chocolate.’ I asked her what time I should be there. 

Just going gave me a way to get out of my house and not be so depressed when my son was at his dad’s. Don’t get me wrong, I still didn’t read the book. Nor did I buy them. I went for the wine and chocolate. 

And of course the friendship. 

About six months later when my son was gone but going to be home that night, I found myself sad. I had actually bought the book the book club had picked and it was sitting on a table next to my bed. I gave it a few side eye glances before I finally picked it up. 

I cracked the spine. 

This was around noon and I started to read the book. It was a romantic comedy. I heard a knock at the door and looked at my clock. It was seven at night. 

It was my son coming home. 

I had sat there for seven hours and read this book without realizing time had just flown by because I had gotten so invested in the story. 

I escaped. The book helped me escape. 

Fast forward years later, remarried and now four boys later, still in book club, it was my night to host my friends. I had gone to the book store and picked out four books to introduce to them the next book for reading. My husband’s eyes were as big as saucers when I came home with four books. 

He reminded me how we have four growing boys, two dogs, a cat and we had a lot of mouths to feed. I ignored him and caught him looking at one of the books. When he noticed me watching him, he looked up and said to me, “you can tell a story better than this.” 

I laughed. 

I had book club with my friends and as always we started to catch up with everyone before it was over. I found myself telling yet another funny story to them about something in my past. 

One of them said, “Tonya, you should write a book!”

Now…that’s two people in a few hours who mentioned writing a book. 

After my friends left, I ended up going upstairs to wake up my husband because it was after midnight at this point and I asked him if he thought I could help someone escape if I wrote a book just like books had done for me. He responded ‘yes. Go to bed.’

The next day two of my boys played pee-wee football and you couldn’t leave them in case they got hurt or just needed you. Before practice I went by the store and bought a pad of paper and an ink pen and sat at their practice under an oak tree where I started my first novel. 

 Your books are known for their southern charm and humor. How does your own background and environment influence your writing?

YES! Of course. Growing up in rural Kentucky you have a lot of fun and whacky folks. We had an eighty year old woman moonshiner who supplied everyone with potent drink. You know she found her way into my books. I also grew up with so many southern phrases that is a language in its own. Those also find their way into my writing. 

I get a lot of messages saying I have spelling mistakes in my works, but they are not. They are spelled they way we say them. For example one of my characters might say ‘git over here.’ They are saying get over here, but in Kentucky it sounds like git. 

Also I describe a lot of southern rich foods as well as the small and very cute towns. These two items alone in my books are characters on their own outside of the talking characters. 

The “Camper & Criminals” series has become quite popular. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Mae West and the town of Normal, Kentucky?

Thank you for asking about this series. I had no idea this was going to take off like it did. You asked me about my past and growing up in the south, well we had a Winnebago. 

My parents would pack me and my sister up in that thing and drive us to the forest where there are streams and lakes for a long weekend.

I loved it. I loved getting to know the other kids in the campgrounds, running around in our bare feet, wading in the streams, campfires stories the adults would tell, the twangy music and it was a way of life for me. 

I always remembered looking out into the woods and being a little creeped out. Scared. 

When I decided to start a new series I knew I wanted it to be set in a campground but not real sure what I’d call it. My cover artist has a pre-made book cover event every year and she had three pre-made covers with campers on them. Immediately I knew they had to be mine because it fit the story in my head. Also during that time the Bernie Madolf case was going on in New York City. 

I didn’t care so much about him but I wondered what on earth happened to his wife? 

That’s when I knew Mae West’s history and how I bet his wife wanted to just strangle him. I put Mae in that world as her backstory and continue to play the what if game. What if she had no idea she wasn’t really financially broke and there was a campground in her name, she couldn’t keep her fancy car but there was a run down campervan she could drive to the campground because she wants her life back and she’s got it in her mind that she’s going to sell that campground, make millions and get her life back. 

As we know, the campground isn’t worth a penny and I needed to get her husband who was now in prison there so he could show up dead. What better way than have him escape and when the FBI come to find her at the campground because they feel like she is hiding him, the husband bubbles up to the top making Mae the number on suspect. 

You’ve mentioned that you write full-time in your camper. How does this mobile lifestyle impact your writing process and creativity?

Well, full time isn’t entirely correct. We have a home in the middle of the Kentucky forest and my four boys are men now so I keep a house for when they come home for holidays or just to visit. 

I do take the camper out at least once a month. When I’m not traveling, I keep it parked at my home and I go out there daily to write. My husband now works for our book publishing company so we go out a lot more since we both can work on the road. 

I love to go to national parks and camp. I love the small campground where I’m surrounded by nature. This really inspires me and makes my soul happy. It definitely impacts my creative process of writing and feeds the creativity. 

But I can also write at my home, I have a writing cabin in the woods I will go in and write as well. 

Your books have been featured on numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today. How has this recognition impacted your career and writing?

None of the bigger titles like USA Today etc. has really impacted the career at all or even made any sort of difference. 

I started this career with one purpose in mind and that is to help readers escape. This world is soooo hard and heavy at times and I wanted to give them something funny and entertaining to help them escape. 

With that said, my books do stay up in the top one hundred at Amazon which I do believe help impact recognition. 

I’ve found when readers see my name or book covers over and over again, they finally click on the book and buy. After they read it and laugh, escape as I have promised, then I see the read through of each book, get emails, see them join my Patreon, and become super fans. 

Can you share a bit about your upcoming projects or what readers can expect next from you?

I’d love to! 

More books! And more! I am currently writing in five series, so there are the next books in those series as well as audiobooks. 

Keeping with my purpose I only focus on writing and publishing books for readers to escape. 

I have a few more book signings coming up this year. I also have my tenth annual Two Dames on a Mystery Train reader weekend where I rent a real train, mystery trope while we have supper with a limited ticketed event for my readers. Over the past ten years it’s become a full weekend and located somewhere different every year. 

Thank you so much for having me!