📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Yuletide Murder at Sea' Sue Stewart #AuthorInterview

Today we welcome Sue Stewart to The Writer's Life e-Magazine! Sue is the author of the new cozy mystery, Yuletide Murder at Sea: The Lost Treasure Mystery, and this interview is part of her virtual book tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book. Enjoy!

Sue A. Stewart is the author of several children’s books. These include the Otto’s Epic Adventure series, Bannie Bear Repeats a Grade: The Gift of Time, Bannie el Oso Repite un Grado: El Regalo del Tiempo,and Save the Seagull. Yuletide Murder at Sea is her debut adult mystery novel. It is the first book in the Vintage Quest Mysteries series.

Sue has a background in technical writing. She enjoys traveling and exploring unique destinations. She likes observing people and uncovering details that bring places to life. Her stories come from real experiences, family adventures, and the idea that ordinary people can face extraordinary circumstances.

When not writing, Sue enjoys walking, puzzles, traveling, and time with her family in Southport, Connecticut.

Visit www.suestewart.org to learn more about Sue and her books.

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suestewartauthor/

╰┈➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sue_stewart_author/

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22519020.Sue_A_Stewart

What was the initial spark that inspired you to write Yuletide Murder at Sea?

The first Christmas after my father passed away, my mother didn’t want to celebrate at home, so our family decided to take a Caribbean cruise. The cruise line catered primarily to older adults, and gave me plenty of opportunities to people-watch.

That’s when I began to wonder: Wouldn’t it be fun to set a murder mystery on a Christmas cruise, featuring a group of mostly widowed seniors as unlikely sleuths? That question became the seed for Yuletide Murder at Sea.

Writing the story also helped me move forward through a time of profound loss. My father was an excellent chess player and a natural problem-solver. He loved building things, figuring out how they worked, and finding ways to improve them. The mystery’s clues and puzzles are a tribute to him.

I also wanted to create characters who challenge assumptions about aging and disabilities. Older adults and people with disabilities are sometimes underestimated, and I wanted their knowledge, experience, and abilities to take center stage. I loved the idea of giving these characters a new adventure, one where their lifelong talents become the very things that help them solve a centuries-old mystery.

Why did you choose a holiday cruise as the setting for your debut novel?

I've always loved traveling, and I'm naturally drawn to books that take readers to different locations. There's something exciting about taking characters out of their everyday lives and placing them in unfamiliar surroundings, where almost anything can happen.

Although I've only been on three cruises, it was that family Christmas cruise that inspired me to set my debut novel aboard a luxury ship. The holiday setting added a festive contrast to the danger unfolding around the characters.

A Caribbean cruise also offered the perfect opportunity to take the adventure beyond the ship. With different islands to explore, I could introduce new settings, historical discoveries, and unexpected twists along the way. It gave me the freedom to create a mystery that combines my love of travel with history, suspense, and adventure.

How much research did you have to do into the 17th-century Spanish galleon San Cristóbal to weave the historical treasure hunt into the plot?

The seventeenth-century Spanish galleon San Cristóbal in my novel is fictional, however, I wanted the historical elements surrounding the ship and its lost treasure to feel as authentic as possible, so I spent a considerable amount of time researching the period.

I explored the Spanish Empire's maritime history, its conquests, and the valuable cargo carried aboard its ships, including gold, silver, and precious gems. I researched what gold and silver bullion would have looked like during that era so I could describe the treasure realistically.

My research extended to the historical significance of the various clues woven throughout the story, as well as details that helped me develop the fictional island and its mysterious cave. I wanted each discovery to feel believable and connected to a larger historical puzzle.

Your protagonist, Molly St. Clair, is a retired librarian. What made you want to feature a senior amateur sleuth rather than a traditional detective?

Molly’s background as a librarian makes her a natural amateur sleuth. She's spent a lifetime researching information, asking questions, noticing details, and making connections that others might overlook. Those skills become invaluable when she and her friends find themselves drawn into a centuries-old mystery.

I've always been drawn to mysteries featuring ordinary people with extraordinary observational skills. I wanted to create a character who relies on intelligence, curiosity, and a little ingenuity rather than formal detective training.

But Molly is also evolving as a person. After losing her husband, Henry, she's learning to navigate life independently and rediscovering her confidence. As the mystery unfolds, she becomes more assertive and determined to uncover the truth. She's no longer willing to let others intimidate her or discourage her from pursuing answers.

I wanted her age and experience to be strengths, not limitations. Molly has a lifetime of knowledge to draw on, but she also has plenty left to discover about herself.

What I especially enjoy about Molly is that she's not fearless, but she's becoming braver. She's finding her voice, trusting her instincts, and realizing that this chapter of her life may hold more adventure than she ever imagined.

Molly's tight-knit group of senior friends plays a massive role in solving the crime. Are any of these companions based on real people in your life?

Yes! Several characters were inspired by people in my life, although I took plenty of creative liberties along the way.

James Bennett was inspired by my husband, Todd, a retired mail carrier. Like James, he's kindhearted, dependable, and someone you can always count on when it matters most.

Eddie Parker and Kai Zhang were both inspired by my son, Gary, particularly his technical knowledge, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. I divided some of those qualities between the two characters, giving each a different personality and role in the mystery.

The other members of Molly's group are largely fictional, although little details sometimes come from people I've known. For example, Evelyn uses a cane, which reminds me of my great-aunt. We once bought her a leopard-print cane, and I loved the idea of incorporating that kind of personality and flair into a character. Eddie’s knack for recognizing patterns also draws on a strength I’ve observed in a family member who has dyslexia.

Many of the humorous details involving food, clothing, and cruise life came from my mother and aunt, particularly traditions and conversations on their Italian side of the family. Things like the importance of desserts, opinions about what everyone is wearing, and even the practicality of buffet-friendly, stretchy polyester pants found their way into the story!

That’s one of the most enjoyable parts of writing fiction. You can take little pieces of real people, conversations, and experiences, then blend them with your imagination to create characters who take on lives of their own.

What would you say was the most enjoyable aspect about writing your book?

The most enjoyable part was dreaming up puzzles, unexpected plot twists, and funny situations for Molly and her friends. Sometimes I'll be sitting somewhere, minding my own business, when an idea suddenly pops into my head about a particularly clever way to murder someone!

That same creative energy is carrying over into the next book. I’m not certain why, but some of my best ideas come when I'm driving alone. One day, I pictured my group of senior sleuths riding through the streets of Rome on one of those tourist golf carts. Then I thought, wouldn't it be hilarious if they suddenly found themselves being chased through the city in one?

Naturally, a golf cart tour is now on my itinerary for my upcoming research trip to Italy for Book 2! Whether that scene makes it into the next book remains to be seen, but it's a perfect example of how a passing idea can turn into something I want to explore in real life.

I've also loved imagining the destinations ahead for the Vintage Quest Mysteries series. Each book will take Molly and her friends to a new location, where they'll encounter a historical mystery filled with clues, puzzles, and unexpected twists. My plan is to visit each destination personally, researching its history, exploring interesting sites, and discovering details I can weave into the story.

Writing this series lets me bring together my love of travel, history, mysteries, and humor while imagining what kind of trouble this group of friends might stumble into next.

What’s next for you?

I’m planning the second book in the Vintage Quest Mysteries series, which will take Molly and her friends to Rome.

While reading her late husband’s research notes, Molly discovers that Henry may have been investigating something far more dangerous than she ever imagined. His unfinished work leaves tantalizing clues—and questions she can’t ignore.

Following that trail through Rome draws the friends into another centuries-old mystery. When the investigation takes an unexpected turn, they may need help from Kai, their young, tech-savvy friend from the cruise.

I’m looking forward to exploring how their friendships develop now that they’ve been through one adventure together. Of course, knowing this group, they’ll have no trouble finding trouble again!

Retired librarian Molly St. Clair sets out on a Christmas cruise expecting relaxation and holiday celebrations with her close-knit group of friends. Instead, the voyage takes a dark turn when a fellow passenger is found dead under suspicious circumstances.

As Molly and her friends dig deeper, they uncover a connection to the 17th-century Spanish galleon San Cristóbal and a legendary lost treasure protected by a coded message, an intricate maritime chart, and clues hidden in the past. At the center of the mystery is an heirloom pendant given to Molly by her late husband, who had been researching the same historical mystery before his death.

With another group pursuing the treasure—and willing to kill to possess it—Molly must rely on her intelligence, intuition, and the help of her friends to decipher the clues before history repeats itself in deadly fashion.

Yuletide Murder at Sea is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound.

╰┈➤Book Details

Title: Yuletide Murder at Sea

Author: Sue Stewart

Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery

Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth

Language:English

Pages: 257

Paperback ISBN: 979-8996016808

Publisher: Waypoint House Publishing

Publication Date: August 10, 2026

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yuletide-Murder-Sea-Treasure-Mystery/dp/B0HDQWQGVW