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NILES — Alyn Troy did not set out to become an author.

A photojournalist by trade, Troy spent more than 30 years behind the lens of a camera before discovering his passion for writing fantasy-laced “cozy mysteries.”

Troy met with readers at the Niles Brewing Co., 206 E. Main St., Tuesday for a discussion and book signing of his series of cozy mystery books. There, he discussed his inspirations and writing methods, answered questions from the audience and signed books.

Since 2020, Troy has created three mystery series – Mystic Brews, Pixie Twist and Eerie Falls.

According to Troy, cozy mystery is a subgenre of crime fiction where sex, violence and cursing are kept to a minimum and often happen off-stage.

Troy’s cozy mystery books all feature female sleuths, talking cats and mysteries with clues and red herrings to challenge readers’ detective skills. He is currently putting the finishing touches on his 19th book. According to Troy, the cozy mystery and young adult demographics can often overlap.

“The main audience for cozy mysteries, as well as young adult, believe it or not, is 50-plus-year-old women,” Troy said. “YA also has limited gore, limited sexual activity and no cussing, so the crossover between the two is pretty solid. Whenever I ask my reader base what it is reading, YA is always up there.”

Growing up in Elkhart, Troy’s early reading habits included The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. Scooby Doo was also an influence for Troy.

After spending more than 30 years in the photography field, Troy finally decided to put pen to paper and published his first book, a photography book, in 2016. Inspired by his youthful love for mystery and fantasy, Troy set out to create the world found in his Mystic Brews, Pixie Twist, and Eerie Falls series of Cozy Mystery stories. The three series share the same universe and several characters and settings are inspired by real-life people and places.

While Troy enjoys writing fiction, consuming fiction is something he is working on.

“I have a real tough time doing it because I sit there and start breaking it down,” he said. “I’m not looking at the wordcraft, I’m looking for the clues. I’m better off watching something on TV.”

A fan of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, Troy hopes to one day write his own Holmes story and join the Baker Street Irregulars. Founded in 1934, the BSI was the first Sherlockian literary society in the world.

“That’s something I would like to have to figure out how to write Sherlock in a fantasy setting,” he said. 

When asked what advice he would give to aspiring writers, Troy had a simple response.

“Butt in chair, fingers on keyboard,” he said. “Figure out what works for you. It’s possible, you just have to come up with an idea and go for it.”

Troy’s works can be found wherever books are sold and online at alyntroy.com.