Friday, December 3, 2021

A Murder Yule Regret - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Winnie Archer back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Winnie writes the Bread Shop Mystery series. A MURDER YULE REGRET is the seventh book in the series and was released earlier this week.

Kathy: In A MURDER YULE REGRET Ivy attends a Victorian costume party attended by a variety of Dicken's characters. There are so many wonderful versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Do you have a favorite version?

WA: What a great question! I LOVE the Patrick Stewart version. Our family went to see Patrick Stewart perform A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Apparently, it was written to be performed solo. He narrated it, and acted the parts, but alone on stage. He was incredible!


Kathy: Ivy Culpepper is working to boost her fledgling photography business. Do you enjoy taking pictures at the holidays? What are some of your favorite subjects to photograph?

WA: I do love taking pictures. I went through a huge scrapbooking phase when my kids were little. With the advent of the cell phone camera, that all changed. My youngest son doesn’t have the same level of scrapbooks as my other kids, as a result.

We have an annual tamalada (tamale making party). I really enjoy capturing this party for posterity. It is all friends and family having such a great time. The event really captures the joy of the season for our family. It’s my favorite tradition.


Kathy: I'm sure Olaya had some special bakes coming up for the holidays. Do you have anything special that you make for the holidays?

WA: We’re fairly traditional, although I try to add new things now and then. I make the same caramel corn recipe I learned in 10th grade home ec. I make sausage bread, which is a family favorite (https://melissabourbon.com/sausage-bread/). We make dinner rolls, but don’t usually get more adventurous than that.


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

WA: I was so excited to be able to write a holiday-themed story for this series! DEADLY PATTERNS, a Magical Dressmaking Mystery, is also a holiday story. In that book, there’s a strong Santa element. I knew I wanted to go in a different direction with this one.

Since I do love A CHRISTMAS CAROL, that was the first thing that came to mind and stuck. When thinking about a holiday party Olaya could cater, a celebrity party felt right. And Santa Sofia is fairly close to the Los Angeles/Hollywood area, so a starlet fit the bill. Those elements all came together perfectly!


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Ivy?

WA: Of course! Book #8 releases late in 2022. There’s a nice moment at the end of A MURDER YULE REGRET that leads into part of the storyline for that book, BREAD OVER TROUBLED WATER. The trouble begins when a Yeast of Eden customer meets an unfortunate demise. And Ivy is invested in getting to the truth because some people think Olaya’s bread is to blame.


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

WA: Definitely in between. I generally know who the victim is, a few possible scenarios as to who could have done it, and why, and the overall arc of the story.

It’s the in-between stuff that I can’t plot. So much comes to me as I write. I call it ‘brain writing’. The actual process triggers new ideas, and, dare I say, moments of brilliance?!

Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

WA: Marketing is a necessary evil! I formed Book Warriors with fellow mystery writer, Diane Kelly, on Facebook. It’s a group focused on mysteries. We have a monthly book club and, of course, when our books release, we feature them!

The other HUGE thing I’m doing is taking me away from actual writing just a little bit. I’m tapping into my teaching roots and have created WriterSpark Writing Academy. It could end up as a way to market my books, sort of indirectly, but the focus is on teaching creative writing courses The first course is up for pre-sale and officially launches on January 1, 2022. https://writersparkwritingacademy.simvoly.com/

The best part of marketing boils down to the connections I get to make with other writers, and writing events we get to do.


Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

WA: Yes! My Book Magic series has the next book in the series, MURDER THROUGH AN OPEN DOOR, releasing on Feb.1, 2022. I love this series, so I’m super excited about it! (https://bit.ly/MTAOpenDoor)

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Review

A MURDER YULE REGRET by Winnie Archer
The Seventh Bread Shop Mystery
 
Ivy Culpepper is surprised when bread maven Olaya accepts a last-minute request to provide Yeast of Eden breads for a holiday party. Hollywood star Eliza Fox, who recently moved to Santa Sofia, is hosting a Dickensian celebration and not only will Yeast of Eden be providing plenty of carbohydrates for the event, but Ivy will also be its official photographer. Even with gossips and guests only there for the free food and drink, the party seems to be a success, until a scream pierces the night. A body has gone over the edge of the cliffside home. Who had the temerity to push a man to his death in the middle of a Christmas party? Eliza seems to be a genuine and down to earth young woman, but is it just an act?  
 
Celebrity gossip, unscrupulous people, a hint of past abuse, and a desire to reinvent oneself are at the heart of the seventh Bread Shop Mystery. The writing is as crisp as a December evening in Santa Sophia and I enjoyed every word. Lush descriptions made me feel as if I was there. Serious subjects are raised and dealt with in a mature and respectful manner making the book, not only more realistic, but more pertinent, especially in today's world.

In addition to stimulating your mind with a well plotted mystery, A MURDER YULE REGRET will ignite your desire to attend a holiday party in order to indulge in scrumptious appetizers and holiday beverages. Descriptions of food may me long for some of Olaya's creations. I'll have some star bread, please, and though I'm not sure about the combination, I'll try Mrs. Bradford's Sparkling Peppermint Swirl!

A MURDER YULE REGRET is a festive holiday mystery pitting celebrity dreams against reality with unsavory characters quietly driving the action. Filled with bright and shining stars and mouthwatering carbs A MURDER YULE REGRET makes for a perfect holiday read.
 
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 A Murder Yule Regret (A Bread Shop Mystery) by Winnie Archer

About A Murder Yule Regret

A Murder Yule Regret (A Bread Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 7th in Series
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies (November 30, 2021)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

Freelance photographer and Yeast of Eden bakery assistant Ivy Culpepper has just scored the job of a lifetime shooting the Dickensian dress-up X-mas party thrown by It Girl film actress Eliza Fox . . . until an unwanted guest appears.

A holiday costume party in the sleepy coastal town of Santa Sofia could be just the boost Ivy needs for her fledgling photography business. At the party, Ivy enters a Victorian fantasy come to life, all courtesy of the fabulous Ms. Fox. Ivy gets to play shutterbug while hanging with Scrooge, Marley, the Cratchits, and more classic Dickens characters. But what begins as the best of times turns out to be the very worst for one of the party guests—a tabloid journalist with more enemies than Ebenezer himself.

When the man’s body is found sprawled across the jagged rocks below the house, the fingers begin pointing at Eliza. Meanwhile, Ivy gets roped into helping prove the starlet’s innocence. Her festive photos are now official evidence—and the Ghosts of Christmas Present could mean the party for Eliza is over, once and for all.ance photographer and Yeast of Eden bakery assistant Ivy Culpepper has just scored the job of a lifetime shooting the Dickensian dress-up X-mas party thrown by It Girl film actress Eliza Fox . . . until an unwanted guest appears.

A holiday costume party in the sleepy coastal town of Santa Sofia could be just the boost Ivy needs for her fledgling photography business. At the party, Ivy enters a Victorian fantasy come to life, all courtesy of the fabulous Ms. Fox. Ivy gets to play shutterbug while hanging with Scrooge, Marley, the Cratchits, and more classic Dickens characters. But what begins as the best of times turns out to be the very worst for one of the party guests—a tabloid journalist with more enemies than Ebenezer himself.

When the man’s body is found sprawled across the jagged rocks below the house, the fingers begin pointing at Eliza. Meanwhile, Ivy gets roped into helping prove the starlet’s innocence. Her festive photos are now official evidence—and the Ghosts of Christmas Present could mean the party for Eliza is over, once and for all.

 

About Winner Archer

Winnie Archer is the nationally bestselling author of the Bread Shop Mystery series, as well as the Magical Dressmaking Mystery series written as Melissa Bourbon. A former middle school English teacher, lives in North Carolina with her educator husband, Carlos, and the youngest of their five children. She can be found online at MelissaBourbon.com.

Author Links: 

Kensington: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496724410/dough-or-die/  

Website: https://melissabourbon.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBourbonWinnieArcherBooks  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound

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2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great book.
    MarilynDKC[at]aol[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like a wonderful book and I love the cover.

    ReplyDelete