The Juicy Scoop on "A Murder in Zion"
🎙️ New episode: Nicole Maggi shares how her latest novel came to be
Hi Bleeders!
Big congratulations to Nicole Maggi—her latest novel, A Murder in Zion, dropped on Tuesday! Nicole is our guest on the podcast this week, and I couldn’t be more excited. We go way back to our theatre days—we performed in Richard III together over a decade ago—so it was a blast catching up and learning the origin story of this book. If you love true crime, national parks, and behind-the-scenes publishing drama, you’re going to love this one!
Nicole’s inspiration for the book came from the Hulu docuseries Wild Crime, which dives into real-life murders in national parks. As a longtime true crime aficionado and a nature lover who had a deeply emotional experience at Zion National Park, Nicole knew she had something special brewing. Her idea? A mystery series featuring elite investigators solving crimes in breathtaking national park settings.
But, of course, writing and publishing a book—even one with a killer premise—is never a straight path. At the time, Nicole had been working on a fantasy novel, but a close writer-friend (who later became her agent) encouraged her to pivot to the mystery idea. She took the leap, shelved the fantasy project, and started drafting A Murder in Zion in late 2021.
Cue the rollercoaster ride.
The years that followed were tough—personally and professionally. There was the pandemic, plus Nicole battled breast cancer, lost close friends, and faced the brutal reality of publishing: rejection after rejection. Even with an agent who believed in the book, selling it proved challenging.
Then, in a cinematic twist, Nicole was in Paris (!!!) when she got the news: an offer from Oceanview Publishing. The perfect way to kick off 2024? Oui, oui!
Now, A Murder in Zion is officially out in the world, and I couldn’t be happier for Nicole. The publishing world often feels impossible, so it’s always inspiring to hear about an old pal getting their well-earned happy ending.
📚 Order A Murder in Zion now or pick up a copy from your favorite indie bookstore!
🎧 And don’t miss our convo on The Bleeders! (I’ll be dropping the full interview in the coming months, but this minisode gives you all the juicy details about how the book came to life.)
XO,
Courtney
I’m teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:
Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast (STARTS SUNDAY!)
How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought
Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network and Business
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Who else is writing true crime? Where do YOU find inspiration?