Suzanne Stauffer is a retired librarian and professor of library science turned award-winning author of cozy historical fiction mysteries. Book two in her Courier series, French Toast a la Santa Fe (Artemesia Publishing, October 2026), once again takes readers on an adventure with Prudence Bates, this time as she tries to solve a series of mysteries that occur during a 1929 three-day Fred Harvey Southwestern Indian Detour. Look for Suzanne on her website CouriersSeries1926.com, on Facebook, Goodreads, and Substack, as well as her Amazon author store and Bookshop. Read more about her work in her 2023 interview for SouthWest Writers.
What would you like readers to know about French Toast a la Santa Fe?
I was inspired by the 1939 movie Stagecoach, about a diverse group of characters thrown together for three days while traveling through the Southwest. French Toast a la Santa Fe is a cozy mystery set in 1929, so no outlaws or gunfights or massacres, of course, but the characters do develop an understanding of and feeling for each other.
What challenges did you face in this second book of your Courier series?
The series is inspired by the real Fred Harvey Southwestern Indian Detours that ran from 1926 to the early 1940s. One challenge was discovering what the various locations along the route were like in 1929. Some of them no longer exist, such as the Apache Inn. The building is there, but it’s now Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey. I was lucky to be able to find vintage postcards on eBay.
Prudence Bates, the main character from Fried Chicken Castañeda (book one), returns in this next installment. What makes Prudence the kind of protagonist readers enjoy following as the story unfolds?
She’s curious about and interested in everything and everyone. As a librarian, she has experience working with people from all walks of life, but she’s also meeting people who would never have set foot in the Cleveland Public Library. My publisher also praises her “Midwestern niceness.”
What New Mexico settings do you explore in this book?
It’s set during one of the Detours, a three-day roadtrip along Route 66 from Las Vegas through Santa Fe to Albuquerque. A group of Detourists (tourists) and their Courier (guide) go through Glorieta Pass. They stay at La Fonda in Santa Fe and the Alvarado in Albuquerque. Prudence visits the Indian Room in Santa Fe and the Indian Building in Albuquerque. They explore Pecos Ruins and Puye Cliff dwellings and visit Tesuque, Santo Domingo (Kewa), and Isleta Pueblos. I’m probably forgetting something.
Tell us more about book two and how it came together.
I’d always planned for Prudence to go on the Detour, in preparation for applying for a position as a Courier. As I mentioned in the first answer, the framework for the story came from one of my favorite western movies.
I utilized D.H. Thomas’ Southwest Indian Detours, as well as Indian Detours brochures. I’d already done some of the research for book one for Anita Rose’s presentation on the Detours, but this required getting down to the details.
I do an outline, so that I know where I am going, but that’s really just writing down what I’ve been thinking about, so it’s hard to say how long it takes to create in my mind. I think it takes me about six months to finish a book, once I start writing (now that I’m retired). I edit as I go. I submit each chapter (about 5000 words) to my writers’ groups for feedback. Then I submit the finished work to my publisher, at which point he edits it and sends it back for revisions. It takes about 18 months for the book to come out after I submit it to him, which includes cover design and formatting.
What makes this novel unique in the historical fiction market?
It’s a historical cozy mystery set in 1929 New Mexico and involves the Fred Harvey Indian Detours. There are plenty of historical cozies set in the 1920s, but so far, I haven’t found any set in New Mexico, and while there are several fictional books about the Harvey Girls, I haven’t seen any about the Indian Detours. Oh, and the book includes a recipe for French Toast a la Santa Fe.
What was your favorite part of working on French Toast a la Santa Fe?
Honestly, my characters. I really enjoyed getting to know them. Of course, I had to completely change where I was going with the mystery, because they simply were not the kind of people who would do that kind of thing! I ultimately turned the original ending into a short story with different characters, “Detour to Murder,” that was published in the online magazine Killer Nashville.
Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I don’t really distinguish between creating and editing. Way back in high school, then it was all done by hand (or typewriter) on paper, I would finish the story or essay or whatever and then go back and edit. I’d literally cut and paste (tape or staple), then retype. Now, with word processors, I can write and edit as a single process. I’d rather “write” less in a session if it means that what I have when I finish is pretty much the final version of that segment.
I love historical research. I spent my academic career working in the areas of American public library history and women’s history. Historically accuracy is vital in my writing.
Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
I hadn’t thought about it, but now that I do, I think it’s that people are never who you think they are based on your first impression. We’re far more complex and complicated.
What writing projects are you working on now?
I recently submitted the third Couriers’ work, Cold Vichysoisse Cream, to my publisher, so I’m taking a break from fiction and am working on a non-fiction book about the Couriers. It will include short biographical sketches of as many of the women as I can find information on.
Well, I also made a trip up to Taos in preparation for the fourth novel in the series that will take place on a two-day Detour from Santa Fe to Taos.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
I’ll be at the Libros of Enchantment book fiesta in Albuquerque on October 31, 2026 at the Croak & Dagger table, so stop by!
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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