Kathy Manos Penn lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia with her husband and her four-legged office assistants. When she dreamed of retiring from corporate America, she envisioned indulging in her favorite pastimes—reading, traveling, and writing columns for the Dunwoody Crier. Taking her bucket list trip to England was a top priority. A second career as an author was never part of the plan—until someone uttered the fateful words, “You should write a cozy mystery.”

Nine books later, readers can’t get enough of the Dickens & Christie mystery series. Kathy adheres to the adage to write what you know and populates her mysteries with well-read, witty senior women, a loyal dog, and a sassy cat.

Her two four-legged office assistants inspire the personalities of Dickens & Christie. Why is Dickens a fiend for belly rubs? Because Kathy’s real-life dog is. The same goes for Christie’s finicky eating habits and penchant for lolling on top of the desk or in the file drawer. She gets it from the calico cat who rules the roost.

How does Kathy describe her life? “I’m living a dream I never knew I had.”

Book I in the series, Bells, Tails & Murder, won a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award, and Pets, Pens & Murder, Book VII, garnered a 2023 Georgia Author of the Year nomination. Find out more about Kathy HERE.

Kathy will be a panelist for Turning a New Page Book Festival in Perry, GA on January 27, 2024 at First Baptist Church, Perry, Ga.