Meet Leslie Budewitz
Bestselling author Leslie Budewitz tells “stories about women’s lives, seasoned with friendship, food, a dash of history, and a spoonful of mystery.”
In her youth, Leslie enjoyed writing but chose to pursue a career in another field. “I started writing at four-years-old, on my father’s desk. Literally. I did not understand the concept of paper. Happily, my parents were amused. They kept me well supplied in paper and pens—and stories.
“Although I’d worked in a bookstore in high school and college, I didn’t really think I could be a writer,” the multi-award-winner explained. “So, I went to law school and practiced for forty-one years, a number that still astonishes me. That creative urge was hidden, but still there.”
A serious personal problem inspired Leslie to begin her career as an author. “Not until my mid-thirties, in the midst of a personal crisis, did I start writing other than in my journal, and that’s when I began to think seriously about being an author—that is, a published writer. I wrote and published poems and articles, then started working on a novel. I think that’s not uncommon—during difficult times. Our creativity can become not only our path through the darkness but our path forward.
“It was always clear to me that I wanted to share my work, to be published. To tell stories that reflect on women’s lives and the things that matter to me, stories that would mean something to readers, as the books, poems, and other work I loved had meant so much to me.
“So, I started learning more about writing, taking classes from a writers’ group in the nearest college town, reading books and magazines on writing, in addition to joining Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.”
Leslie has an impressive list of short fiction and mystery novels. “Eventually, I focused on fiction. My first short story, ‘Driving to the Warhouse,’ was published in the Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine in 1999. Since then, my stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines, Suspense, and other national publications, as well as in several anthologies.
“My first book, Books, Crooks and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure, grew out of questions other writers asked me,” she said. “My debut novel, Death al Dente, the first in my Food Lovers’ Village mysteries, is set in Northwest Montana, where I live. It came out in 2013, followed by four more novels and a short story collection. I drew on my love of Seattle, where I went to college, and the Pike Place Market, for the Spice Shop mysteries, which launched in 2015 with Assault & Pepper.”
Writing as Alicia Beckman, Leslie has penned two standalone suspense novels, Bitterroot Lake and Blind Faith; both have received high praise. “I also love history, often weaving it into my contemporary novels and stories, and am delighted with the response to my latest book, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, featuring a remarkable real-life Montana woman.”
Pets have played an important part in Leslie’s crime fiction.
“Three of our cats, all now gone, have been cover models and book characters. Ruff, the sable Burmese, appeared as Mr. Sandburg, followed by Autumn, our orange tabby, as Pumpkin—both in the Food Lovers’ Village mysteries. I was determined to put our nineteen-year-old gray tuxedo in a book before he died. He makes a cameo appearance in the standalone Blind Faith, and takes a turn in Lavender Lies Bleeding, in the story and on the cover. Sadly, he left us in December, but he’ll live on in the pages.” She’s not sure how other characters arrive. “Where Arf the Airedale in the Spice Shop mysteries came from, I have no idea! We’ve had many dogs over the years, but never an Airedale or its Welsh cousin.”
In addition to her crime fiction, Leslie has made many contributions to the writing community. “In 1996, a friend spotted a newspaper article that mentioned Sisters in Crime (SinC) and Mystery Writers of America. I joined. Not long after, I became one of the original members of the Sisters in Crime group for unpublished writers that later became the Guppies chapter. In those days before email, we shared articles, drafts, dreams, and aspirations through round-robin letters.
“Later, we switched to email, started a newsletter, and grew like crazy. I served on the first Steering Committee. The chapter eventually became the largest within the Sisters in Crime organization. I’m still a member, and don’t think I’d be published without it.”
She’s grateful for the support, education and opportunities the crime writing community affords aspiring and published authors. “In 2014, I was asked to join the SinC National Board of Directors, serving as vice-president, president, and immediate past president over the next three years. It was an honor to lead the organization that gave me so much, helping other writers find and follow their path. It’s truly amazing to see how the SinC leadership has guided the organization the last few years, establishing an amazing archive of online seminars on every aspect of the craft and business, growing during the pandemic when other groups were shrinking, and creating other programs to expand opportunities within publishing and live out our organizational values.
“I also served two years on the Rocky Mountain chapter board and four years on the national board of Mystery Writers of America. My local-ish writers’ group, the Authors of the Flathead based in Kalispell, Montana, has been a mainstay of my writing life for twenty-five years, and I am happy to now be in the position to share what I’ve learned through presentations to the group and at its annual conference. The mystery community has been very good to me.”
The three-time Agatha Award-winning author (in 2011 for Best Non-Fiction, the Best First Novel in 2013, followed in 2018 by Best Short Story) has been honored for a variety of work. In addition to the Agatha Awards, Leslie’s books and stories have been nominated for, or won, the Anthony, the Macavity, the Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Spur Award given by the Western Writers of America.
She enjoys sharing her love of good food and Montana’s history. “I am a happier, healthier person because I spend most of my time with people who only exist because I made them up. The double good fortune is that readers enjoy them, too! I’m a serious foodie, and blog at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen (www.MysteryLoversKitchen.com), where the cozy authors cook up crime and recipes. Join me on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays, of the month. I’m embarking on Leslie’s Excellent but Crazy Tour of Montana this spring, giving my presentation “Mary Fields: At the Junction of History and Myth” to libraries and museums in towns small and large. The schedule is on my website.”
In 2025, readers can look forward to another installment in Leslie’s Spice Shop Series. “Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the ninth Spice Shop mystery, coming in paperback,
e-book, and audio in July 2025, and available for pre-order now. While preparing to put on a lavender festival in the Market, Pepper discovers that the sweet smell of success can be deadly.” More about Lavender Lies Bleeding, along with links to buy her acclaimed books are on Lelsie’s website.
Leslie is also working on her third standalone psychological suspense novel, written as Alicia Beckman, set in Seattle and in Kalispell, MT. “Two young women discover the hidden family secrets that tie them to each other in surprising—and dangerous—ways.”
To learn more about Leslie, she invites you to log on to her website at www.LeslieBudewitz.com to “read excerpts of each of my books and find out more about them and me. While you’re there, I hope you’ll join my newsletter community. Subscribers get monthly book news, a peek inside the writing life, and two free short stories.”
