I'm pleased to welcome Moonbeam to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Moonbeam on the pages of the Magical Mystery Book Club series by Elizabeth Pantley. BAKERIES AND BUFFOONERY is the fourth book in the series and was released February 15, 2023.
An interview with Moonbeam
By Elizabeth Pantley
Author of the Magical Mystery Book Club series
Hello, and welcome, Moonbeam. You have such a unique name. With your lovely flowing caftan and psychedelic peace-sign head scarf, it seems to suit you perfectly.
Thank you very much! I chose it myself; you know? I believe that people should be free to choose their own moniker once they realize who they are in this life.
I’ve been told you are an amazing cook, and you use all organic foods. What’s your specialty?
I’m most known for my organic smoothies! Everyone in our book club just loves them. I experiment with whatever produce is in season and have come up with some amazing combinations. A recent club favorite is a strawberry, blueberry, and cauliflower smoothie. It’s got almond butter in it, too, which makes it very creamy. Even the cat loves it.
That sounds very different – and tasty!
It is! It’s sweet and delicious, and so healthy, too. It’s a perfect way to sneak some vegetables into a breakfast drink.
I know you have a teenaged son, Forrest. Does he enjoy making smoothies, too?
He’s just starting to experiment. I’ll tell you a secret. Take a teen to a grocery store and give them free rein to select their own ingredients. If you encourage them to branch out and be creative, they can have so much fun with this.
You and your son are members of a cozy mystery book club together. That sounds like fun.
Oh, dearie, you have no idea! This is no ordinary book club! I’m not sure if I should be telling you this, but it’s too amazing to keep it a secret. We don’t just read these books – we actually travel inside them and become characters in the story! It’s wild and crazy!
Wow! Isn’t it scary to be part of a murder mystery book?
It can be! We’ve certainly had our moments. The worst part is stumbling upon a dead body! Before the club, I’d never seen one before, so that was a bit jarring. But I must say, if you keep in mind that you are actually inside a book, and the victim is an imaginary person, it’s not so bad.
It must feel great when you solve the mystery.
That’s the best part! When you sort through all the suspects and ferret out the red herrings, it’s a rush to get to the end of the book and the big reveal. I’ve never done anything so exciting in my life. You should read the books! They tell you all about our book journeys.
I sure will! They sound fascinating. Thanks for joining us today.
You’re very welcome. It’s fun sharing a bit about our very special, magical book club.
******************************************************************
Review
It's no secret that the book club members love to eat, so when they find a mystery with a baking competition they're all in - literally. Traveling to a town called Frosting they see that the citizens take their cake competition seriously, taking sides and promoting their favorite bakeries. But something's odd. Some of the people wear wispy clothing and odd backpacks and have mesmerizing eyes and unique hair. Oh and someone dies every year. The crew will have to find out who hates cake and try to prevent this year's murder all while nibbling on baked goods and baking themselves.
This is no Great British Baking Show-the competition in Frosting is fierce and the competitors not always pleasant and helpful. In fact, they can be downright mean. Indeed, the town and some of its residents can be quite contradictory, nice one minute, angry the next. I couldn't stand those triplets! And how they treated that poor pie man, er, guy...
The fourth Magical Mystery Book Club book continues to be a festive celebration of food and friendship with murder! I love how the gang goes about enjoying whatever environment they're in, doing fun things and living their best life. I also love how they're growing. Forrest is really coming into his own and Vee shines in this outing as we learn more about her. I also appreciate how we, and they, are learning more about how the club works, the mysterious attic in the library, for instance, as well as getting hints about Frank's origins.
Bakeries and Buffoonery: Magical Mystery Book Club by Elizabeth Pantley
About Bakeries and Buffoonery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Small Midwestern Town
Independently Published (February 15, 2023)
Print length: 310 pages
It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to life, and they find themselves part of the story. To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.
This time, the club chooses a book called The Great Cake Rivalry, because, well … cake! They read the back cover and it’s unanimous. So off they go into another grand adventure into a town aptly named Frosting.
Frosting is a rural town in an idyllic setting. The people live quiet lives most of the year. But in the spring, things change. The Annual Cake Competition becomes the focus of every man, woman, and child. They take this competition seriously. The cakes are spectacular. The festival is fabulous. For a week there are contests featuring all kinds of cakes. The people of the community become official tasters and vote for the winning cakes in each category.
The grand finale is a display of finely decorated cakes, made by the town’s bakeries. The winner of the best design receives a prize package that would make any baker dizzy.
Sadly, this event has been tainted. Once a year, each one different, but all somehow related to this event, a person is murdered. The main investigator is stumped, but that could be because he’s an inept buffoon.
Can the book club help the people of this community figure out who is causing this disturbing pattern of deaths, and stop another murder from happening? Can they figure out why some of the citizens dress so oddly, and why they always wear those unique backpacks? All while they fill themselves to the brim with cake, of course.
About Elizabeth Pantley
Elizabeth Pantley is the internationally bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages. She simultaneously writes the well-loved Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the new Magical Mystery Book Club series. Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books. Visit her and sign up for her newsletter at www.nocrysolution.com
Author Links:
Website: https://www.nocrysolution.com/books/
Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.nocrysolution.com/mailing-list/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinyfallsmystery/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-pantley
Purchase Link - Amazon
Thanks for the great feature! It was fun giving Moonbeam a moment in the spotlight. I have such fun writing about this daring, adventurous magical cozy mystery book club! : - )
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteThis sounds like such a fun series!
ReplyDeleteIt is!
DeleteI can't wait to read it!
ReplyDelete