Helping Me Grow - Guest Post!

S.A. Kazlo, author of the Samantha Davies Mystery series

I'm thrilled to host this guest post from S.A. Kazlo, author of the delightful Samantha Davies Mystery series. After a successful career as a teacher, she embarked on a new journey as an author. While the way forward wasn't always easy, she had the help of her writing group. As she tells it, their feedback enabled her to further develop in her craft, and their insights and experiences helped enrich her stories--including her next release targeted for 2026. You can get more information by following her and her lovable dachshund on Facebook and Instagram.

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I owe my being a published author to my writer’s group--Glen’s Falls Writer’s

Group or GFWG for short. It all started about twenty years ago when I retired from

teaching and moved to upstate New York with my husband. I began my writing career

by penning children’s books and articles for children’s magazines. While I enjoyed this

genre, I soon became enthralled with cozy mysteries.

Writing can be a solitary career, and I knew I needed a lot of guidance if I wanted to improve. Yes, I took online classes, but I still craved real flesh and blood feedback. I checked out my local library and eureka, they had a writer’s group that met on the first and third Thursday of the month.

We’re a diverse group consisting of two men and six women. Our ages range from the

early thirties to the late seventies. We write in a variety of genres from poetry, which I

appreciate but have forgotten all my high school knowledge about stanzas and the like.

One person writes for young adults, another paranormal, one picture books and still

another, like me, writes cozy mysteries. The guys, they write horror and war stories.

While not my preferred late-night reading material, I’ve managed to get through a few

blood and guts stories.

Each person’s style is unique, but we all learn from the suggestions contributed by each person. No one is there to slam a person’s writing but to help them improve. Sometimes, I’ve had to have a thick skin like the time one member thought the chapter I’d submitted “stunk”. I nodded, took a big swallow and let the person’s comment sink in. I realize that not all my writing will be “brilliant”. Afterall, I’m there to learn and improve my writing.

People have come and gone through the years I’ve been a member. We’ve celebrated holidays and weddings together, and supported each other with words of encouragement and contributed ideas for our latest work in progress.

I’ve received invaluable help from the group for my latest book, Muskets, Mutts and Murder, number 8 in my Samantha Davies Mystery series that will release in March of 2026. The story revolves around a soldier being murdered during a reenactment at a local prerevolutionary war fort. Lucky for me, a member of my group was a reenactor for many years. I’ve picked her brain to add authenticity to my story.

A character in my book is Porkchop, the lovable dachshund of my protagonist,

Samantha Davies. Another groupmate sent me an article about a doggie/people bar

opening near her. I loved the idea, hence I added it to Muskets, Mutts and Murder.

My critique group, I couldn’t have done it without them. As I’m always telling them—they’ve helped me grow as a writer.

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S.A. Kazlo (Syrl), a retired teacher, lives in upstate New York with her husband and one lively dachshund plus a wannabe dachshund (he’s a story for another day). She writes the Samantha Davies Mystery series, featuring Samantha Davies and her lovable dachshund, Porkchop. When not writing she is busy hooking, rug hooking that is, and enjoying her family. Her newest book, number seven in the series is A Pawsome Summer for Murder. Book eight--Muskets, Mutts and Murder--will be released in Spring 2026.

Purchase her latest book (and all her books) in the format that suits your reading style: