Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Currently Reading...
I'm currently reading Trudy, Madly, Deeply by Wendy Delaney. This book is the first in the Working Stiffs Mystery Series. Charmaine Digby is a human lie detector, which comes in handy in her new job as deputy coroner. Several senior citizens have died recently. Some would think it's not that unusual for elders to pass on-but something fishy seems to be going on. Could there actually be a serial killer at work? Charmaine does more sleuthing than she probably should, but she's determines to find out what's really going on...even if she has to attend Tango Tuesdays at the senior center! The book is a fun read!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Super September with Amanda Flower and Contest
I'd like to welcome Amanda Flower to the blog today. September is a super busy month for this author-she has 3 different mysteries being released this month! Amanda writes two cozy mysteries, the Appleseed Creek Mysteries and the Quilt Shop Mysteries as well as a mystery series for children!
Kathy: You write the Appleseed Creek
Mysteries as Amanda Flower and the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries as Isabella Alan. How did you come to write 2
different Amish mysteries under 2 different names?
AF: When
my Amish mystery proposal was circulating to publishers, I got two offers very
quickly, and I wanted to and felt I could do both. For both publishers to
agree, I had to change my name for one of them. Thankfully, my contracts say I
can tell people that I am both Amanda and Isabella. ;)
Kathy: What sparked your interest in the
Amish?
AF: I
grew up in Ohio, so I’ve always seen and known about Amish people. My first
interest in them was as a child when my family visited Amish Country every year
the Saturday before Easter. It was a favorite tradition and one that holds
great memories of my dad, who passed away when I was in my twenties. He loved
it there and would be so excited that I’m writing about it now.
Kathy: What made you decide to write
mysteries about the Amish?
AF: In
addition to being an author, I am a college librarian. The first job I took
after grad school was for a small college in the middle of Ohio’s Amish
country. Years later after I moved back to the city, I thought it would be a
good setting for a cozy mystery series.
Kathy: Do you have any Amish friends? If
so, what do they think of these mysteries?
AF: I
have many Amish acquaintances but no close Amish friends. However, I think most
of them think it is funny, especially since I write murder mysteries. I do have
a conservative Mennonite friend, which is one step away from Amish. She dresses
like the Amish, but she can use electricity in her home and drive a car. She
runs Swiss Village Quilts in Sugarcreek, Ohio. She is super excited about the
books. She was a HUGE help to me while I was working on the Amish Quilt Shop
Series. The quilt I am giving away this month is from her shop.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy
mysteries?
AF: Cozies
have been my favorite books since I was in middle school. I always knew I was
going to write those.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
AF: I
also write middle grade mysteries for children. My first middle grade, ANDI
UNEXPECTED, releases on September 24th. It’s the first of the three
books series. I’m thrilled to be writing mystery for children and adults.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
AF: The
Appleseed Creek Mystery Series
An
unlikely friendship between a high-tech woman and a runaway Amish girl leads to
murder.
The
Amish Quilt Shop Series
A
recently dumped Texan inherits her Amish aunt’s quilt shop in Ohio and stumbles
into murder.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character?
If so, who and why?
AF: From
Appleseed Creek, my favorite character is Grandfather Zook. I like him because
he’s funny, level-headed, and takes life’s challenges in
stride. Chief Rose comes in at a close second because she super sarcastic.
From
the Amish Quilt Shop Series my favorite character is Oliver, the French
bulldog. He’s cute, and I’ve always wanted to have my Frenchie. Now, I have a
fictional one.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration
for your series?
AF: For
both of my Amish series, my main inspiration has been my own experience in
Amish Country.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish
your work?
AF: I’ve
always wanted to be a published author since I was a little girl. It’s hard to
remember a time when I didn’t have that dream.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party
and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
AF: Jane
Austen, E.B. White, Elizabeth Peters, and Mary Ellis
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
AF: Mayhem
on the Orient Express by Kylie Logan. It is excellent!
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies
or interests with us?
AF: I
love arts and crafts. When I was a child I wanted to be a fine art painter when
I grew up. I still dabble in painting some, but my favorite forms of art now is
jewelry making and knitting on a loom. I wish I had more time to do more.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in
your fridge or pantry.
AF: French
bread pizza, Kraft American cheese, Iced Tea, and Spaghetti O’s
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books
either in your current series or a new series?
AF: The
Amish Quilt Shop Series will have at least two more novels. Murder, Simply
Stitched, book two, releases in June 2014. It takes place at an Amish auction.
There’s an awesome goat character in that book, and it’s great fun!
The
Appleseed Creek Series will live on as well. I don’t have a firm date for the
next book in that series though, but it is called A Plain Malice.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about
being an author?
AF: Connect with readers
online and meeting them in person. I have the world’s best fans!
***********************
It’s SUPER SEPTEMBER! Amanda
Flower (also writing as Isabella Alan)
has three novels releasing in September 2013. To celebrate, she is giving away
an authentic Amish Quilt hand-stitched by Amish in Holmes County, Ohio.
Enter to Win an
Authentic Amish Quilt from author Amanda Flower! Click here to Enter!
Follow Amanda’s alter
ego Isabella on Facebook
Friday, September 6, 2013
A Trip To South Carolina With Jesse Giles Christiansen
I'd like to welcome Jesse Giles Christiansen to Cozy Up With Kathy today.
Kathy: Setting can play a vital role in a story. It can influence the ambiance, the characters, even becoming a character unto itself. What made you choose South Carolina as the setting for Pelican Bay?
JGC: Great question! The dream that I had that originally inspired PELICAN BAY centered on the Atlantic Ocean. I live in Atlanta on a beginning author’s budget, so just drove to the east coast, starting around Savannah, for an economic research book trip. When I meandered north to South Carolina, I fell in love with the environment that you can only find in that area. The beautifully haunting chorus of oaks at bass, moss at tenor, dunes at alto, and wild grass at soprano, dove into my heart and has never left. Add in an audience of fetid marsh and sun-baked oysters and you have a writer’s banquet.
Kathy: Do you consider Pelican Bay a mystery at heart, or something else?
JGC: Certainly a mystery at its core, but it is so much more. The mystery is just a plot structure, a dinosaur’s bones. But as the reader clears away Carolina sand, their imaginations will fill in the muscle and sinew of a meaningful scary gorgeous beast roaming the countryside of human experience. Captain Shelby is the great grandfather not just of the sea, but of all the father figures that can come and go for us. And the love story between Ethan and Morgan stems from a semi-autobiographical suffering that transcends into a metaphor for how we all want what we can’t have. Finally, the mystery itself speaks to that big question all mystery lovers must ask themselves, eventually. Are some things better left alone?
Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?
JGC: I’ve always been fascinated by the big mysteries. Why are we here? What can human experience teach us? What answers does the sea still hold for us? And so I may be writing mysteries for a while, likely encapsulated by the ocean.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
JGC: Genre is such a funny animal, like driving in Tennessee. One minute you’re in one genre, the next minute you’re in another. My novels encompass the genres of magical realism, literary fiction, and historical fiction, in addition to mystery suspense, the genre my publisher has given me. Perhaps genre is just the main face the novel puts on in the morning. I can see my novel’s main face very possibly changing in future novels.
Kathy: Tell us about your book.
JGC: PELICAN BAY is about a very old fisherman and the mysterious events that occur when a nosy, sea-battered beach town starts investigating him. The reader must answer the question, “are some things better left alone?”
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
JGC: Captain Shelby, hands down. He is the biggest, most complicated, volatile, and fun character of my author career to date.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your book?
JGC: PELICAN BAY actually came from a strange dream where I was standing with an ex-girlfriend peering out to sea at dark rocks lurking beneath the surf. I awoke quite disturbed, and my fingers did the rest. Captain Shelby was birthed magically from the bare pages of the novel by the end of the first chapter.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
JGC: This is an excellent question. For me it’s about finishing my life without regret. I hope this doesn’t come across as even remotely morose, but I’m very in touch with the reality that life can take one at any moment for any reason. I feel that I need to leave some kind of legacy behind. It’s a sort of fascinating relief I feel now that PELICAN BAY is with Imajin Books and has been a list bestseller for a month running now. I know without a doubt that Cheryl Kaye Tardif, owner and acquisitions editor, is passionate about the novel as well and would keep promoting it for some time to come. I’m actually a very positive person, but I live very much in the moment. Always been that way.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
JGC: Tough one. Definitely Hemingway, whose haunting, athletic prose in OLD MAN AND THE SEA and his other novels certainly inspired PELICAN BAY. I’ve sat next to him a few times on Amazon, and it is a little eerie. Annie Proulx, beyond a doubt. When I read THE SHIPPING NEWS, I think that’s when I first really learned how much a simile can arrow a reader’s heart. Also, her literary work teaches author’s to break boundaries. Truman Capote for the way he stretches words like exotic, beautifully bold saltwater taffies. And finally, Jack London, who taught me about the rhythm and self-reflectiveness of good writing.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
JGC: Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge and Song of the Sea God by Chris Hill. I always read at least one classic book and one contemporary book at the same time.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
JGC: I’m also a singer/songwriter and one of my goals is to record and promote songs for each of my books. I’m a gigantic movie buff as well. I only own movies with spectacular scripts and premises, and gain many of my novel plot directions from my “mental movie idea library.”
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
JGC: Peanut butter, Cheerios, apples, and southwest mustard. Delicious combo, eh?!
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either related to Pelican Bay or not?
JGC: A prequel about the origins of Captain Shelby and the settlers of Pelican Bay is a very strong possibility. I also plan to write an historical fiction/mystery/suspense about a famous sunken ship. Geez, I’m really seeing a theme here. Perhaps it will be a while before I write the sea out of me.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
JGC: Getting into that mysterious sweetly painful exhilarating creative space, especially those days when great words magically appear on the screen, lingering literary emotions spawn of nouns and adjectives and verbs. What a miracle. I’ve dedicated the remainder of my life to it.
JGC: Great question! The dream that I had that originally inspired PELICAN BAY centered on the Atlantic Ocean. I live in Atlanta on a beginning author’s budget, so just drove to the east coast, starting around Savannah, for an economic research book trip. When I meandered north to South Carolina, I fell in love with the environment that you can only find in that area. The beautifully haunting chorus of oaks at bass, moss at tenor, dunes at alto, and wild grass at soprano, dove into my heart and has never left. Add in an audience of fetid marsh and sun-baked oysters and you have a writer’s banquet.
Kathy: Do you consider Pelican Bay a mystery at heart, or something else?
JGC: Certainly a mystery at its core, but it is so much more. The mystery is just a plot structure, a dinosaur’s bones. But as the reader clears away Carolina sand, their imaginations will fill in the muscle and sinew of a meaningful scary gorgeous beast roaming the countryside of human experience. Captain Shelby is the great grandfather not just of the sea, but of all the father figures that can come and go for us. And the love story between Ethan and Morgan stems from a semi-autobiographical suffering that transcends into a metaphor for how we all want what we can’t have. Finally, the mystery itself speaks to that big question all mystery lovers must ask themselves, eventually. Are some things better left alone?
Kathy: What first drew you to mysteries?
JGC: I’ve always been fascinated by the big mysteries. Why are we here? What can human experience teach us? What answers does the sea still hold for us? And so I may be writing mysteries for a while, likely encapsulated by the ocean.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
JGC: Genre is such a funny animal, like driving in Tennessee. One minute you’re in one genre, the next minute you’re in another. My novels encompass the genres of magical realism, literary fiction, and historical fiction, in addition to mystery suspense, the genre my publisher has given me. Perhaps genre is just the main face the novel puts on in the morning. I can see my novel’s main face very possibly changing in future novels.
Kathy: Tell us about your book.
JGC: PELICAN BAY is about a very old fisherman and the mysterious events that occur when a nosy, sea-battered beach town starts investigating him. The reader must answer the question, “are some things better left alone?”
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
JGC: Captain Shelby, hands down. He is the biggest, most complicated, volatile, and fun character of my author career to date.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your book?
JGC: PELICAN BAY actually came from a strange dream where I was standing with an ex-girlfriend peering out to sea at dark rocks lurking beneath the surf. I awoke quite disturbed, and my fingers did the rest. Captain Shelby was birthed magically from the bare pages of the novel by the end of the first chapter.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
JGC: This is an excellent question. For me it’s about finishing my life without regret. I hope this doesn’t come across as even remotely morose, but I’m very in touch with the reality that life can take one at any moment for any reason. I feel that I need to leave some kind of legacy behind. It’s a sort of fascinating relief I feel now that PELICAN BAY is with Imajin Books and has been a list bestseller for a month running now. I know without a doubt that Cheryl Kaye Tardif, owner and acquisitions editor, is passionate about the novel as well and would keep promoting it for some time to come. I’m actually a very positive person, but I live very much in the moment. Always been that way.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
JGC: Tough one. Definitely Hemingway, whose haunting, athletic prose in OLD MAN AND THE SEA and his other novels certainly inspired PELICAN BAY. I’ve sat next to him a few times on Amazon, and it is a little eerie. Annie Proulx, beyond a doubt. When I read THE SHIPPING NEWS, I think that’s when I first really learned how much a simile can arrow a reader’s heart. Also, her literary work teaches author’s to break boundaries. Truman Capote for the way he stretches words like exotic, beautifully bold saltwater taffies. And finally, Jack London, who taught me about the rhythm and self-reflectiveness of good writing.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
JGC: Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge and Song of the Sea God by Chris Hill. I always read at least one classic book and one contemporary book at the same time.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
JGC: I’m also a singer/songwriter and one of my goals is to record and promote songs for each of my books. I’m a gigantic movie buff as well. I only own movies with spectacular scripts and premises, and gain many of my novel plot directions from my “mental movie idea library.”
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
JGC: Peanut butter, Cheerios, apples, and southwest mustard. Delicious combo, eh?!
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either related to Pelican Bay or not?
JGC: A prequel about the origins of Captain Shelby and the settlers of Pelican Bay is a very strong possibility. I also plan to write an historical fiction/mystery/suspense about a famous sunken ship. Geez, I’m really seeing a theme here. Perhaps it will be a while before I write the sea out of me.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
JGC: Getting into that mysterious sweetly painful exhilarating creative space, especially those days when great words magically appear on the screen, lingering literary emotions spawn of nouns and adjectives and verbs. What a miracle. I’ve dedicated the remainder of my life to it.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Currently Reading...
I'm currently reading Death of a Schoolgirl by Joanna Campbell Slan. This book is the first mystery in the Jane Eyre Chronicles. Remember reading about Jane Eyre? It's been a very long time since I first read about her, but that novel was one of my favorite "classics". Now author Joanna Campbell Slan continues Jane's story. She married Rochester and has given birth to a son. There are problems however. Rochester is dealing with the severe injuries from the fire and both are vilified by the nasty gossip of the ton. When Rochester's ward appears to be threatened at her boarding school, Jane decides to go herself to see if there is truly a problem, or simply the histrionics of a young girl. What she finds, however, is murder! Jane is now about to go undercover, posing as a German teacher, to protect, not only her ward, but all of the girls.
I'm enjoying my reunion with Jane Eyre and am intrigued by the goings on!
I'm enjoying my reunion with Jane Eyre and am intrigued by the goings on!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Writing a Pie Shop Mystery - Guest Post & Contest
Today I hand the blog over to Ellie Grant, author of Plum Deadly, the first in the new Pie in the Sky Mystery series. Leave a comment on this post and you are entered in a random giveaway of a print copy of this book!
Writing a pie shop mystery
By Ellie Grant
I never thought that someday I’d be writing a mystery series set in a pie shop!
I enjoy making and eating pie. My mother and grandmother were both great cooks. I learned from the best. But writing a mystery series set in a pie shop sounds a little strange.
Or at least it DID at one time. Now there are mysteries set in beauty salons, retirement homes, zoos and cemeteries. Basically, you could have a cozy mystery set anywhere!
That’s one thing that I love about writing cozy mysteries—not much blood or sex—is that you can do anything with them. Under one name or another, I have written Renaissance Faire Mysteries, mysteries set in Duck, North Carolina with a woman who finds lost things, a garden mystery series, and a mystery series about a lawyer who became a sheriff. Oh, and a mystery series about a fire fighter who finds herself living with a ghost in a small town in Tennessee.
There is truly no end to the possibilities!
One thing I really enjoy about writing these mysteries is the people. I love the main characters and the quirky side characters that inhabit these worlds. Because that’s what they are to me: worlds of my making with people I love. I get to visit with them each day when I sit down to write.
That’s where Pie in the Sky, the little pie shop in Durham, North Carolina, comes in. Maggie, Aunt Clara, and Ryan are almost as real as my kids, grandkids, and friends sometimes. When they’re making Dangerously Damson plum pie and Pumpkin Pizzazz, it’s like they’re baking right here in my kitchen.
I can smell the aromas coming from the oven right now! Yum! And no calories!
Bio:
Ellie Grant writes award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Joyce and Jim Lavene. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.elliegrant.net
Writing a pie shop mystery
By Ellie Grant
I never thought that someday I’d be writing a mystery series set in a pie shop!
I enjoy making and eating pie. My mother and grandmother were both great cooks. I learned from the best. But writing a mystery series set in a pie shop sounds a little strange.
Or at least it DID at one time. Now there are mysteries set in beauty salons, retirement homes, zoos and cemeteries. Basically, you could have a cozy mystery set anywhere!
That’s one thing that I love about writing cozy mysteries—not much blood or sex—is that you can do anything with them. Under one name or another, I have written Renaissance Faire Mysteries, mysteries set in Duck, North Carolina with a woman who finds lost things, a garden mystery series, and a mystery series about a lawyer who became a sheriff. Oh, and a mystery series about a fire fighter who finds herself living with a ghost in a small town in Tennessee.
There is truly no end to the possibilities!
One thing I really enjoy about writing these mysteries is the people. I love the main characters and the quirky side characters that inhabit these worlds. Because that’s what they are to me: worlds of my making with people I love. I get to visit with them each day when I sit down to write.
That’s where Pie in the Sky, the little pie shop in Durham, North Carolina, comes in. Maggie, Aunt Clara, and Ryan are almost as real as my kids, grandkids, and friends sometimes. When they’re making Dangerously Damson plum pie and Pumpkin Pizzazz, it’s like they’re baking right here in my kitchen.
I can smell the aromas coming from the oven right now! Yum! And no calories!
Bio:
Ellie Grant writes award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Joyce and Jim Lavene. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.elliegrant.net
Monday, September 2, 2013
Bran New Death Interview, Review, & Contest
I'd like to welcome Victoria Hamilton back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Victoria originally visited back in May. If you haven't read that post go back and check out Get Bowled Over by Victoria Hamilton, especially if you want to find out what she has in her fridge/pantry and which authors she'd invite to dinner.
Review
After dealing with the devastating loss of her husband and the backlash of a nasty fashion world incident Merry Wynter decides to flee New York City and head to Upstate New York to finally see the castle she has inherited. Her plan is to make the castle ready for sale, but there are problems. Autumn Vale is an odd town with odd residents. After a cool reception Merry discovers one of the reasons the castle hasn't sold-gaping holes have been dug around the property. Who would be doing this and why? Merry finds out the who soon enough, and after a confrontation the digger is found dead in one of the holes!
I found this book captivating, charming, and I want to read more! Filled with unique characters Bran New Death opens a world of possibilities. Things aren't what they seem, from Uncle Melvyn's death, the missing business partner, even the residents of Autumn Vale and the town itself. Along with Merry we learn we have to question everything and see the possibilities that exist.
Author Victoria Hamilton manages to create many layers to this book. It starts as a simple escape, then mystery and evolves into many mysteries with an excellent promise of more to come at the end. The characters have many layers as well, and not just our protagonist. We see glimpses of the complex man that is Sheriff Virgil Grace. Shilo is not just a model with a mysterious past, but a true friends who picks up and leaves her life to help her friend. She also brings the loveable Magic.
And don't forget the muffins!!! Sweet and savory, Merry makes them and I want to eat them. I'd love to spend an afternoon in that wonderful castle kitchen, sitting by the fireplace, and munching on muffins with these characters, my new friends.
Bran New Death * * * * *
Merry Muffin Mystery Series Too early to rate
My rating system:
To me a 5 star book is an amazing read that swept me away and left me changed. A 4 star review is a great book that I really loved. 3 stars is still a solid good read, positive and enjoyable. Reviews will cease to be that positive at the 2 star rating-an OK book with serious flaws. And a 1 star-don't bother.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Kathy - As a proud resident of Western New York I love reading
books set in this area. I was excited to see that Bran New Death is set
in Upstate New York and Wynter Castle would probably only be an hour drive away
from my house. How did you decide upon this location?
VH – First, can I come visit?? LOL. I have certain criteria
for settings. 1 – It has to be reasonably close to where I live; I am not a
traveler, so I haven’t really seen a lot of the world or the continent, even,
so I feel more comfortable setting my books someplace I understand based on
photos and other info. 2 - The place has to be beautiful; I love nature and
adore the seasons, especially fall. Upstate New York attracts me: the
landscape, the scenery… I could imagine living there, so I set the series
there!
Kathy - People may be unaware that there actually are castles in
this part of the country. Belhurst Castle is now a winery which also offers
accommodations, fine dining, and spa facilities overlooking Seneca Lake in the
Finger Lakes. Then there's the abandoned Dundas Castle in the Catskills. Is
Wynter Castle based on a real castle?
VH – I was inspired by Beardslee Castle (http://beardsleecastle.com/about/history/) and that helped me decide on the setting and the Wynter
family backstory. Like the Beardslee family, the Wynters were mill barons,
making their fortune building mills in the Great Lakes/Finger Lakes region.
Beardslee is also an event venue, and I have a feeling Wynter Castle may be
headed in that direction, at least temporarily, if Merry can’t sell.
Kathy - Merry Wynter's name reminds me of Christmas. Was this a
conscious decision?
VH – Oh, yes! Every
character name is a conscious decision. I love the last name Wynter, and
thought something normal and yet with a different spelling was called for.
Merry popped into my head, and it worked! Can you guess where Shilo came from?
Kathy - Merry was a model and then worked in the modeling world.
Did you ever work in that environment, or want to?
VH – No, I’ve never been a model, nor could I. However… I do love clothes! I’m a girlie girl in
that way; I like makeup, and adore jewelry, especially. I won’t leave the house
without earrings on. I have to say, I completely enjoy the online ‘shopping’ I
do for Merry, and would wear every last thing I give her. It’s like clothing
virtual paper dolls, you know?
Kathy - I love animals and am always happy to see the many dogs
and cats who play a part in mysteries. I'm even more excited when other types
of animals appear. Needless to say, I was thrilled to meet Magic, the bunny.
How did you decide to bring a rabbit into the story?
VH – LOL!! Shilo is such an interesting character, and when I
wanted a pet for her to tote around, I knew it wouldn’t be a dog or cat. And
so, Magic was born! I’ve never owned a rabbit, but I think they’re so cute.
Maybe I was inspired by a strip comic I used to read in the newspaper. Check
out Lynn Johnston’s For Better or for
Worse strip! http://www.fborfw.com/char_pgs/interactive/index.php?character=pets
Kathy - I enjoy muffins, but how did you decide that
muffins would be the focus of this series?
VH – I’m not a great baker. I don’t do pies, nor scratch
cakes, nor scratch brownies. I can do a cookie in a pinch, but muffins and
quick breads? Love ‘em and love to bake them! I was confused by the popularity
of cupcake related everything, including mysteries, and thought, well, why not
muffins? Everybody loves muffins,
right? And unlike cupcakes you can make savory
muffins, too! I like cheddar muffins with soup. I knew that coming up with
recipes would be fun, not daunting.
Kathy - Merry and Binny love and collect teapots. I know you
collect vintage kitchenware. Do you share an attraction for teapots as well.
VH – Oh, yes! However… space limitations mean I can do little
more than gawk at photos and dream. When I go antiquing, I stop at teapots and
teacups all the time. I do have a largish collection of teacups, and actually use
them often.
Kathy - Autumn Vale has an odd vibe to it. While not necessarily
paranormal, and discounting Shilo's gypsy/Traveler heritage and experience with
seances, would you consider writing a paranormal mystery?
VH – Would I consider it? Weeeelll… little known fact: I
wrote a series of historical werewolf romances under my real name, Donna Lea
Simpson (Awaiting the Moon). I had a blast doing it. I got to set the novels in
Germany, with which I’m besotted, and I made the werewolves real wolves, not
stand-up-on-their-hind-legs pretend wolfies. But I’m not sure I could do a
contemporary paranormal mystery. My next series after the paranormal
historicals was a kind of anti-paranormal series, the Lady Anne Mysteries, in
which she, the daughter of an earl, debunks paranormal mysterious goings-on. So
I don’t think I would do paranormal.
Kathy - Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my
questions and for visiting again. You're always welcome at Cozy Up With Kathy.
VH – Thank you so much, Kathy! I really had a blast answering
your thoughtful questions! I hope folks enjoy Bran New Death, and the next in the series, Muffin But Murder, coming out next August! And I hope you’ll have
me back in November when my 3rd Vintage Kitchen Mystery, Freezer I’ll Shoot, comes out!
~::~
Bran New Death, Book 1 of the Merry
Muffin Mystery series by Victoria Hamilton, (Berkley Prime Crime) is out tomorrow,
September 3rd!
Bran New Death: When Merry
Wynter discovered that she inherited a genuine American Castle in the ‘wilds’
of upstate New York, her first reaction was to contact a real estate agent to
sell it, sight unseen. Things were a little complicated, what with a lunatic
employer making her life miserable. But after losing her job and with the
castle not sold, Merry decides to trek to Wynter Castle to see what the problem
is.
One barrier to selling is immediately
evident; someone is digging giant holes on the property! Merry accuses local
Tom Turner of being her late night gopher and warns him to stay off her
property, or else, but it happens again.
Merry storms out to confront whomever is doing the damage, but doesn’t count on
finding a dead man at the bottom of the hole.
What is going on at Wynter Castle and in
Autumn Vale? How can Merry convince hunky sheriff Virgil Grace that she is not
the one who bashed the victim over the head?
Check out Bran New Death and Victoria
Hamilton’s other series, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries.
Website & Purchase Links: Victoria Hamilton Mysteries
Merry Muffin Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MerrysMuffinsMysterySeries
Twitter: @MysteryVictoria
~::~
Victoria Hamilton,
nationally bestselling author of the Vintage Kitchen Mystery series, is the
pseudonym of Donna Lea Simpson, bestselling author of romance and historical
mystery novels.
Victoria starting
reading mystery novels at the age of 12 and devoured Agatha Christie mysteries,
as well as those of Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. She still adores
mysteries, especially the cozy mysteries of Janet Bolin, Krista Davis, and
others.
She loves to cook,
and collects teapots and teacups, as well as vintage kitchen utensils and
bowls. She also enjoys crafts, especially cross-stitching and crocheting, and
spends summer days in the garden, drinking tea or wine. Besides the Merry
Muffin Mystery series (Bran New Death – September 3rd) Victoria
writes two other mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, the Vintage Kitchen
Mystery series (Book 3, Freezer I’ll Shoot debuts November 5th) and
the Teapot Collector Mystery series which debuts with Tempest in a Teapot, out
June 3rd, 2014.
Bran New Death
Pub. Date: September 3rd,
2013
Book 1 – Merry Muffin Mysteries
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Author: Victoria Hamilton
Review
After dealing with the devastating loss of her husband and the backlash of a nasty fashion world incident Merry Wynter decides to flee New York City and head to Upstate New York to finally see the castle she has inherited. Her plan is to make the castle ready for sale, but there are problems. Autumn Vale is an odd town with odd residents. After a cool reception Merry discovers one of the reasons the castle hasn't sold-gaping holes have been dug around the property. Who would be doing this and why? Merry finds out the who soon enough, and after a confrontation the digger is found dead in one of the holes!
I found this book captivating, charming, and I want to read more! Filled with unique characters Bran New Death opens a world of possibilities. Things aren't what they seem, from Uncle Melvyn's death, the missing business partner, even the residents of Autumn Vale and the town itself. Along with Merry we learn we have to question everything and see the possibilities that exist.
Author Victoria Hamilton manages to create many layers to this book. It starts as a simple escape, then mystery and evolves into many mysteries with an excellent promise of more to come at the end. The characters have many layers as well, and not just our protagonist. We see glimpses of the complex man that is Sheriff Virgil Grace. Shilo is not just a model with a mysterious past, but a true friends who picks up and leaves her life to help her friend. She also brings the loveable Magic.
And don't forget the muffins!!! Sweet and savory, Merry makes them and I want to eat them. I'd love to spend an afternoon in that wonderful castle kitchen, sitting by the fireplace, and munching on muffins with these characters, my new friends.
Bran New Death * * * * *
Merry Muffin Mystery Series Too early to rate
My rating system:
To me a 5 star book is an amazing read that swept me away and left me changed. A 4 star review is a great book that I really loved. 3 stars is still a solid good read, positive and enjoyable. Reviews will cease to be that positive at the 2 star rating-an OK book with serious flaws. And a 1 star-don't bother.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Spotlight: Murder, Plain and Simple
I'd like to spotlight a book today. Murder, Plain and Simple by Isabella Alan will be released September 3rd. It is the first of the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries. Angie Braddock decides to leave Texas and her former fiance to move to Ohio to take over late aunt's quilt shop, which she has inherited. Quilting tips are included.
From the back cover:
When Angela Braddock inherits her late aunt's beautiful Amish quilt shop, she is welcomed to Holmes County, Ohio, with intricate patchwork, delicious fry pies-and murder.
With her snazzy cowboy boots and her ornithophobic French bulldog, Angie doesn't exactly fit in with the predominately Amish community in Rolling Brook, but her aunt's quilting circle makes her feel at home as she prepares for the reopening of Running Stitch.
On the big day, Angie gets a taste of success as the locals and Englisch tourists browse the stores wares while the quilters stitch away. But when Angie finds the body of ornery Amish woodworker Joseph in her storeroom, the future of Running Stitch looks bleak.
With evidence mounting against her, Angie is determines to find the culprit before the local sheriff can make an arrest. Rolling Brook appears to be a simple place, but the closer Angie gets to the killer, the more she realizes that nothing in the small Amish community is as plain as it seems. . .
Stay tuned for more about this series. I'll be posting a review and Isabella Alan will be here with a guest post on September 22. In addition, Isabella Alan is the pen name of Amanda Flower. Amanda will be here on September 8th for an interview. She writes another Amish mystery series (The Appleseed Creek Mysteries) under that name, the third of which, A Plain Disappearance, is being released today. She has also started a children's series the first of which is also being released this month!
From the back cover:
When Angela Braddock inherits her late aunt's beautiful Amish quilt shop, she is welcomed to Holmes County, Ohio, with intricate patchwork, delicious fry pies-and murder.
With her snazzy cowboy boots and her ornithophobic French bulldog, Angie doesn't exactly fit in with the predominately Amish community in Rolling Brook, but her aunt's quilting circle makes her feel at home as she prepares for the reopening of Running Stitch.
On the big day, Angie gets a taste of success as the locals and Englisch tourists browse the stores wares while the quilters stitch away. But when Angie finds the body of ornery Amish woodworker Joseph in her storeroom, the future of Running Stitch looks bleak.
With evidence mounting against her, Angie is determines to find the culprit before the local sheriff can make an arrest. Rolling Brook appears to be a simple place, but the closer Angie gets to the killer, the more she realizes that nothing in the small Amish community is as plain as it seems. . .
Stay tuned for more about this series. I'll be posting a review and Isabella Alan will be here with a guest post on September 22. In addition, Isabella Alan is the pen name of Amanda Flower. Amanda will be here on September 8th for an interview. She writes another Amish mystery series (The Appleseed Creek Mysteries) under that name, the third of which, A Plain Disappearance, is being released today. She has also started a children's series the first of which is also being released this month!
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