Cafe Au Slay - An Interview, Review & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome A. N. Sage to Cozy Up With Kathy today. A. N. writes the Orchard Hollow Mystery series. CAFE AU SLAY is the second book in the series and was released this past week.

Kathy: In CAFE AU SLAY Orchard Hollow’s biggest secret is about to be revealed. Have you ever had to deal with keeping a big secret? 

ANS: I tend to be an open book for the most part. The only big secrets I keep are surprise releases and it's always so difficult to stay quiet!

Kathy: Piper Addison is a resident witch and coffee shop owner. If you were to visit her shop what kind of coffee would you get? 

ANS: Definitely the Mocha a la Joe from book one. I test out all the recipes I put in the books and this caramel mocha was absolutely delicious.

Kathy: The Orchard Hollow Mystery series features a feisty raccoon. I love raccoons. What made you decide to add one to your series? 

ANS: My family rescued a baby raccoon a long time ago and to this day, I still think about how much I wished we could have kept him. They are such clever little creatures and their need to get into everything makes them the perfect additions to a cozy mystery.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

ANS: I have always written mysteries in one way or another. Something about solving clues and puzzles really draws me in. When I decided to switch to writing in the adult space (I wrote young adult prior to this), I knew it had to be a mystery. And I also knew it had to have magic. Put those two together and a perfect cozy setting is born.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

ANS: Young adult fantasy.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

ANS: Orchard Hollow is a paranormal cozy mystery that follows an unlucky witch and her ghost familiar as they try to solve murders. It has a lot of humor, even more magic, and twists that will keep you guessing until the end. My other long-running series is Shadowhurst Mysteries. It features a spunky heroine, forbidden love stories, power-hungry covens and magic you won't be able to get enough of! If you like witchy stories full of twists and turns, you'll love this one. The final book comes out this year!

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why? 

ANS: Stella Rutherford. Her attitude has been a favorite to write and I love that she is unapologetically herself.
 

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series? 

ANS: The characters are what inspired this series. One day, I had an image in my head of a witch arguing with her ghost familiar and the first book grew from there.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

ANS: I have been writing for decades, but it wasn't until I started writing in the young adult space that I decided to publish. Indie publishing was really taking off and I knew I had stories that others would want to read.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite? 

ANS: Victoria Schwab, Christopher Moore, Charles Dickens, and Edgar Allen Poe.

Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

ANS: BELLADONNA by Adalyn Grace. It's great!

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us? 

ANS: I love to draw. I am actually about to open an Etsy shop called Glitter Fritter where I will be selling my pastel goth kawaii art as stickers and art prints.
 

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry. 

ANS: Olives, pickles, cheese, turkey bacon.

 

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series? 

ANS: KILLING GROUNDS, book 3 in Orchard Hollow is scheduled to be released in early fall of this year. And book 8 of Shadowhurst Mysteries, PORTAL OF RUIN, will be out in the summer.

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author? 

ANS: Using my creativity to inspire people. I love writing stories that fuel people's imaginations.

***********************************************************************

Review

CAFE AU SLAY by A. N. Sage

The Second Orchard Hollow Mystery

When famed paranormal investigator Archer Lee comes to Orchard Hollow Piper Addison knows that nothing good will come of it. After all, the paranormals who inhabit the town enjoy a quiet life, not broadcasting who they really are. They have no desire to be exposed, let alone hunted. Even so, she agrees to let the pompous man film in her café, Bean Me Up. A decision she regrets when his assistant drops dead, poisoned, and murder finds itself at her door once more.  Piper will need copious amounts of coffee and a little bit of magic if she’s going to deal with her recalcitrant teenaged employee, rambunctious raccoon, and snarky ghost of a familiar, let alone uncover a killer.

 

Friendship and self discovery are at the core of CAFE AU SLAY. I appreciate how Piper is coming into her own in the second Orchard Hollow Mystery. Yes, she still has issues, but she's developing better relationships. While she has a lot to sort out with Joe, she may be gaining a friend, who is also a witch. Her relationships with Stella and Harry are becoming more meaningful and she's even started a positive working relationship with Sheriff Romero. What's even more exciting is that she's starting to get a clue on what's behind her wonky powers and discovering who she really is. I enjoyed realizing clues from the first book that intimated these things!

 

The mystery was ingenious, with red herrings, intertwining motives, and lots of plausibility muddying the waters. Surprises, lots of humor, and heartfelt moments kept me captivated. Unfortunately, there were some glaring grammatical errors that truly threw me out of the story. I also want more than one chapter a book told from Harry's point of view!

Unique characters make CAFE AU SLAY a funny and inventive paranormal mystery.

 

***************************************************************************

 Cafe au Slay: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Orchard Hollow) by A.N. Sage

About Cafe au Slay

Cafe au Slay: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Orchard Hollow) 
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Cauldron Press (April 24, 2023)
Paperback: ‎ 384 pages

Piper Addison is not a normal witch. If she’s even a witch at all…

Life after the big four-oh isn’t so bad. Piper Addison, resident witch and coffee shop owner, finally found her groove. Business is flourishing, her ghost familiar is miraculously supportive, and she might even have a date for the weekend.  

There’s only one small catch… A dead body puts Piper in an impossible situation.

Orchard Hollow’s biggest secret is about to be revealed, and Piper might be the only one who can save the town’s paranormal residents. If only she can get a handle on her strange magic.

If that wasn’t enough, the town sheriff trusts Piper to solve the case. Can she help catch the killer before the whole world finds out about magic?

Cafe au Slay is a paranormal cozy mystery, complete with an unlucky witch, a ghost familiar, and a feisty raccoon with a talent for getting into sticky situations.

About A.N. Sage

 

A.N. Sage is a bestselling, award-winning author of young adult fantasy and mystery. She has spent most of her life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, she has developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary. A.N. spends her free time reading and binge-watching television shows in her pajamas. Currently, she resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband who is not a creature of the night and their daughter who just might be. A.N. Sage is a Scorpio and a massive advocate of leggings for pants.  

Author Links: 

Website https://ansage.ca/  

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/a.n.sage/  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/945090619339423  

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ANSageWrites  

Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@ansagewrites  

Purchase Link – Amazon 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway