Why Writing A Book is Like Being on a Diet - Guest Post

I'm celebrating a milestone birthday today so Leslie Budewitz is taking over the blog. Leslie writes the Food Lovers' Village Mystery series. As the Cookie Crumbles is the fifth book in the series and was released just 2 days ago!

 

Why Writing A Book is Like Being on a Diet

by Leslie Budewitz

Reason #1: You can only start on Monday. Everyone knows that. If you start on Tuesday, or heaven forbid, Friday at noon, you’ll just mess up the cosmic calendar. You’ll think it’s a Thursday in December In Real Life, when it’s really a Wednesday in June, because it’s December on the page. You’ll grab your coat before leaving the house when it’s 80 degrees out, because you left your characters shivering in a pickup without heat on the backroads of western Montana in the middle of a snowstorm. You’ll be sure you already made dinner and show up in the kitchen after a full day of work expecting to eat, only to find the cupboards bare. You’ll have to order pizza instead, and you know what that will do for your diet.

Reason #2: You’ve got to deal with the saggy middle. Because of the pizza. And because writers sit a lot. It can be almost impossible to figure out what your characters do next. What new problems to throw at them. By a certain point in the tale, you’ve become fond of them, and we don’t want to make people we like suffer and get mired in the muck. Take them—and yourself—for a walk. Ask them questions and listen to the answers. What are they thinking, who are they upset with, what would they do if cops and calories were no objection. With any luck, while they’re telling you how to track down the killer, they’ll also tell you about a great new invention: the zero-calorie potato.

Reason #3: Both go better if you set realistic goals and keep from comparing yourself to other people. Two pages a day may be your two pounds a week. Alas, some days, you may feel like you’ve gained it all back. Stick to the plan, and before you know it, you’ll have a scene, a chapter, a complete manuscript—and you’ll need new pants!

Reason #4: At the two-thirds mark, you will get a better idea. You will be absolutely certain that the pineapple and brown rice diet is the one for you, and you absolutely must, right this minute, start that novel about the man who sets fires in order to make work for firefighters. Don’t do it! See Reason #3.

Reason #5: Remember why you’re doing this. Because you’ve wanted to tell this story for even longer than you’ve wanted to lose the extra weight and feel better about yourself. Because achieving your goal will lower your blood pressure and lighten your heart and your step. Because we are the stories we tell ourselves.

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As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery) 

 by Leslie Budewitz

About the Book

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers' Village Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 5th in Series  

Midnight Ink (June 8, 2018) 

Paperback: 288 pages 

Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit—and herself—alive till Christmas?

In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy's Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he's been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she's found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Includes delicious recipes!

About the Author

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. She lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician, and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model, and avid bird-watcher.

Connect with her on her website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter.  

Purchase Links Amazon B&N BookBub Kobo

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A Deadly Eclair Recipe, Review, & Giveaway

To celebrate the paperback release of A Deadly Éclair I'd like to welcome Daryl Wood Gerber back to the blog. Daryl will share a wonderful recipe and I'll share my review of this first French Bistro Mystery.

Giveaway below!  Don’t miss out.

Hi, all! I’m so happy to be on the Great Escapes Tour. I’d like to share some of my favorite recipes from A Deadly Éclair, the 1^st French Bistro Mystery. It came out in  hardcover in November, but I’m excited to say it’s out in trade paperback as of June 12. Yay!  And the second in the series, A Soufflé of Suspicion, comes out July 10!

I love brunch. There’s something about the meal that feels so special, and almost decadent if you have a mimosa or bloody Mary with it. As much as I like desserts, I adore eggs. I have to eat gluten-free, so I found a delicious English Muffin online by New Grains that is incredible!

Once I found that, I knew I was able to taste test my Eggs Benedict recipe. I love this recipe. It’s a speedy version, yet consistently good. It is what I consider the perfect comfort food. We all need comfort food, right?

Enjoy the recipe, and please tell a friend about A Deadly Éclair and the giveaway for this tour!

Eggs Benedict

(serves 2)

Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 dash hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco

¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ cup butter (one stick)

In the blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and white pepper. Blend for about 5-10 seconds.

Put the butter into a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and melt completely, about 30-45 seconds.

Set the blender on high speed and add the melted butter to the egg mixture in a thing stream. It will thicken up, fast. 

NEAT TRICK:  You can keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender itself in a pan of hot water.

To make the sandwich:

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 English muffin, sliced in half (using a fork)

2 slices Canadian bacon

2-4 teaspoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to broil.

Meanwhile, to poach the eggs, fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water. Bring the water to a simmer (small bubbles forming around the edges), then add 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  The whites try to get away. Don’t worry. They’ll return. When done, the yolks should be soft in the center.

Remove the eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set the eggs on a warm plate.

While the eggs are poaching, heat a medium skillet on medium-high heat and brown the Canadian bacon, turning once.  Also, set the English muffins on a baking sheet and toast them under the broiler until lightly brown, about 3-4 minutes.

To plate:

Set the 2 halves of English muffins on 2 plates. Butter lightly with 1-2 teaspoons butter, each.  Top with a slice each of the Canadian bacon followed by a poached egg. 

Drizzle warm Hollandaise sauce over each half of the sandwich and sprinkle with chives.

Serve warm.

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Review

A DEADLY ECLAIR by Daryl Wood Gerber

The First French Bistro Mystery

With the help of a benefactor, Mimi Rousseau's restaurant and inn are starting to thrive. When the benefactor, Bryan Baker, suggests she cater to destination weddings, he provides the first one, his niece, a local celebrity. While everything goes smoothly in regard to food and service, fissures in the family start to fracture and tensions run high at the out-of-towners' dinner. Still, nothing could prepare Mimi for the shock when the bride to be wakes her in the early hours of the morning having found Bryan dead. As Mimi copes with another loss she also realizes she's a prime suspect.

Daryl Wood Gerber has set her new series in a prime location, a small enclave in Napa Valley amidst vineyards and upscale shops. Protagonist Mimi Rousseau owns, not only a restaurant, but an inn, both easily providing ample prospects for suspects and murders, as well as wonderful recipes.

Themes of loss and trust are explored in this mystery. While many of the suspects are overdramatic in their reactions to Mimi, the core cast is stable with interesting aspects that I hope will be explored and developed in future installments.

A DEADLY ECLAIR serves up a delicious blend of characters, setting, and mystery in the first French Bistro Mystery.

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Flowers and Foul Play - Review

Review

FLOWERS AND FOUL PLAY by Amanda Flower

The First Magic Garden Mystery

Fiona Knox's life has been turned upside down. Her beloved godfather, Ian, died, her flower shop went out of business, and her fiancee left her for the cake decorator! Fiona arrives in Scotland to Duncreigan, the cottage and garden bequeathed to her only to find more turmoil as she and her godfather's trusted friend and caretaker find the dead body of Ian's lawyer in the withered garden. The lawyer was  disliked by many, primarily due to his selling out the town to developers, but the Chief Inspector has pegged Hamish for the murder. Certain of his innocence, Fiona investigates the town and its residents, but will she find the murderer or will the murderer find her?

The first Magic Garden Mystery ticks all the requirements of a great cozy mystery. There's a sympathetic protagonist to whom we can relate, a quaint setting in a charming town, some adorable scene stealing animals, a possible love interest, and a touch of magic! Not only that, there's a well plotted mystery with lots of suspects along with some excitement.

There's just a hint of magic found here, which grows as the book progresses. Scottish lore plays an important role, both in securing the setting and adding charm and mystical possibilities. I look forward to Fiona discovering her true role as Keeper of the Garden and discovering, along with her, just what that entails. I was enchanted, not only by the mysterious garden, but by my two favorite characters, Duncan and Ivanhoe. The mischievous and fierce little squirrel and the regal and entitled cat are fully developed characters in their own right. I only hope they can declare peace with each other as I want to continue reading about both of them. 

FLOWERS AND FOUL PLAY is a great start to a charming new mystery series sure to delight readers.

Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Tail of the Dragon by Connie di Marco. This book is the third in the Zodiac Mystery series and will be released August 8th.

Office drama is one thing, but people are getting death threats at Meyers, Dade, & Schultz, LLP!

Julia Bonatti gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to help out her former boss by filling in as his secretary for a week. From his astrological chart she knew things at the office were bad, but she never dreamt they were this bad! Her first day on the job one of the lawyers is found murdered in his office. Now Julia's using her skills to discover what exactly is going on and if more people are in danger. Will the stars align to help Julia solve the murder or will she wind up another victim?

This Year - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm so pleased to welcome Carrie Kennersly to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Carrie on the pages of the Barkery and Biscuits Mystery series by Linda O. Johnston. Pick and Chews is the fourth book in the series and was released last month.

This Year

by Carrie Kennersly, veterinary technician and owner of an adjoining barkery and bakery, whose adventures are memorialized in the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries by Linda O. Johnston


Hi, everyone. Thanks for visiting me here at the Cozy Up With Kathy blog.

I'm here because the latest book describing how I've solved a murder, Pick and Chews, has just been published. I guess it's a good thing to help get the word out about that aspect of my life. I'm always glad to help other people, even solving crimes, but I'm much more involved with the other things I do. And having books published about them can help publicize my shops, I suppose.

What are my real careers? Well, for one thing I'm a part-time veterinary technician. I love helping animals. And as a vet tech, I created some fun and healthy dog treats--which I sell in the other portion of my life I particularly enjoy, the part that can use some publicity. I own two bakery shops. One is Icing on the Cake, where I bake and sell people treats. The other is Barkery and Biscuits --my favorite--where I bake and sell some of those special dog treats.

The thing is, both shops are located in the small town of Knobcone Heights, California, which has recently seen several murders. In the first, I was considered a major suspect--Ugh!--so I had to make sure the right solution was found. That situation was described in Bite the Biscuit.

Other murders I got involved with were documented in To Catch a Treat and Bad to the Bone. Yes, two more murders, and since friends were considered suspects I got involved with solving them, too.

And now there's been a fourth. I definitely had to get involved with that one, since the main suspect was Dr. Reed Storme, a vet at the clinic where I work... and a really great guy. Yes, we're in a relationship. Reed's been sweet enough to keep telling me not to try to solve all those murders since it can be dangerous. But this time, now that he's a suspect? Well, he's a lot less vehement about telling me to back off.

Do I succeed? Well, you can find out if you read Pick and Chews. I have to say that, as difficult as it is for me to wind up being an amateur sleuth, I like the way the author Linda O. Johnston reports the stories.

Will there be more? Well, Linda's hinting that there just might be... I think I'll get back to baking. I like that a whole lot better than figuring out whodunit.

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Pick and Chews (A Barkery & Biscuits Mystery) by Linda O. Johnston

About the Book

Pick and Chews (A Barkery & Biscuits Mystery)  

Cozy Mystery 4th in Series  

Midnight Ink (May 8, 2018) Paperback: 288 pages 

Carrie Kennersly tries to help her veterinarian boyfriend when he’s under suspicion of murder...Is he a keeper, or should she let him go off-leash for good?

As a technician for a local vet and the owner of the Barkery & Biscuits dog bakery, Carrie Kennersly is excited to host a rescue animal adoption event. She’s also excited to be in a relationship with veterinarian Dr. Reed Storme, despite his pleas for her to butt out of the murder cases she keeps finding herself involved with. Yet when Reed is accused of killing his former veterinary colleague, he seems a lot more agreeable to having amateur detective Carrie butt back in. Can Carrie clear Reed, or does she care too much for a killer?

Includes recipes for dog treats and people treats!

About the Author

 

Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, currently writes the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery Series for Midnight Ink. She has also written the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Pet Rescue Mystery Series and Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Linda also writes the K-9 Ranch Rescue miniseries for Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as a paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne. And all her current stories involve dogs.

Author Links:  
Website: www.LindaOJohnston.com  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston  

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N BookBub Kobo

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Bear Witness to Murder - A Review & Giveaway

Review

BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER by Meg Macy

The Second Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery

With the town gearing up for Oktobearfest and the Parade of Bears Sasha Silverman and her family have a lot on their plate. They certainly don't need the drama Sasha's high school nemesis brings. But Holly seems to make it her mission to strike out against Sasha by returning to town and opening a store in direct competition with Sasha and her cousin as well as spreading rumors, and generally being nasty. When Holly's assistant is murdered Holly's vindictiveness seems to increase. Sasha also finds herself in the midst of relationship issues between her sister and her new boyfriend, starting a relationship of her own, and her mother's unbelievable attempts to get her back with her cheating ex! Confident that Detective Mason will solve the murder, Sasha nonetheless feels Holly is the catalyst for most of the town's problems and if she has to do some sleuthing of her own to prove it-so be it.

The Second Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery is an enjoyable read. More family creates more drama as Sasha's parents have moved in and appear to be moving back to town. Sparks are flying in multiple directions as Sasha's mom seems determined to get Sasha back with her cheating ex, her divorced aunt and uncle continue to bicker, her sister is continually fighting and making up with her new boyfriend, and Sasha herself is contemplating life as Jay's girlfriend. Plus the sparks that the new nasty villain, Holly, creates are even more dangerous.

Meg Macy creates a delightful world with a close knit family and plenty of adorable stuffed animals. I enjoy the details she provides about the bears and, in this entry, the Bears on Parade. My town has horses and I know several towns with other animals on parade. It was nice to see an artist view of a bit of the process.

BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER is an engaging mystery with enough danger and malice to counteract the shamelessly adorable setting!

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Bear Witness to Murder (A Teddy Bear Mystery) by Meg Macy

About the Book

Bear Witness to Murder (A Teddy Bear Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series  

Kensington (May 29, 2018) Paperback: 288 pages 

As autumn air settles into the quaint small town of Silver Hollow, there’s nothing more popular than Sasha’s teddy bears—and murder in cold blood . . .

Silver Bear Shop and Factory manager Sasha Silverman is cozying up to the fall season by hosting Silver Hollow’s Cranbeary Tea Party, the opening event of the village’s Oktobear Fest—a too-cute celebration themed around teddy bears. She barely has a moment to agonize over the return of her former high school rival, Holly Parker, whose new toy and bookstore in town could spell big trouble for the Silver Bear Shop and her cousin’s small bookstore . . .

But when Sasha discovers Holly’s shop assistant dead with a knife plunged in her body, the unpleasant woman suddenly looks like a real backstabber. So does Sasha’s ex-husband, rumored to have rekindled the fiery extramarital affair he once had with the victim. Now, before a gruesome homicide case takes the fun out of both the Fest and her personal life, Sasha must identify the true culprit from a daunting suspect list—or risk becoming as lifeless as one of her stuffed bears . . .

About the Author

Award-winning mystery author Meg Macy lives in Southeast Michigan, close to Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and Dexter — the area she chose for the setting of her new “Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear” cozy mystery series for Kensington. She is also one-half of the writing team of D.E. Ireland for the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mystery series; two books have been named Agatha Award finalists. Meg’s first published book, Double Crossing, won the 2012 Best First Novel Spur Award from Western Writers of America. She’s a graduate of Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program. Meg loves reading mysteries, historical, and other genre fiction, and also enjoys gardening, crafts, and watercolor painting.

Author Links:
www.megmacy.com
Meg Macy on Facebook
Meg Macy on Twitter  

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play BookBub

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Confessions of a Red Herring - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Dana Dratch to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Dana pens the Red Herring Mystery series. Confessions of a Red Herring, the first book in the series was released this week.

Kathy: In Confessions of a Red Herring we meet reporter Alex Vlodnachek. Have you ever worked as a reporter? Or wanted to?

DD: Yes. And yes.

Kathy: Alex is also known as Vlod the Impaler. Are you a fan of Dracula?

DD: Vlad the Impaler, not so much.  But I wouldn’t mind owning the licensing rights for Bram Stoker’s character.

Alex Vlodnachek’s P.R. co-workers craft the nickname Vlod the Impaler – and a compelling back story -- to frame her for murder. Let’s just say this is one company with a lot to hide. When the boss is murdered, they don’t want the authorities digging too deeply. So they produce an obvious suspect and fabricate an open-and-shut case. Alex, who’s only been there a few months (and who had a very loud, very recent altercation with the boss), is the perfect red herring.

Kathy: As if being a murder suspect isn't enough, Alex also has to deal with her family. Does her family have any resemblance to yours?

DD: No. And I’m grateful for that!

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

DD: Who doesn’t love cozies? When I started writing, the plot was definitely a murder mystery. I also wanted it to be a light, funny read – something that makes you feel good.  I describe Confessions of a Red Herring as part mystery, part chick lit, and part humor. Alex’s life is in free-fall, but she’s smart and resourceful. And she’s not giving up.

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

DD: Not yet. I love writing mysteries. And Alex has a lot going on in her life – so there’s plenty to tell.

Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

DD: Former reporter Alex Vlodnachek is just a few months into a career change to public relations. The money’s great, but the environment is truly toxic. Then her boss is killed, and she’s framed for his murder. So she uses the skills she’s honed as a reporter to find out who really did it. Along the way she gets help from her best friend, Trip, who’s an editor at her former paper. And her family – in the form of her brother Nick, new sister-in-law, Gabby, their rescue dog Lucy, and her grandmother, Baba -- show up “to help.”

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? 

DD: I love each of them for different reasons. Alex thinks for herself. Trip is confident, funny and successful. Easy-going Nick has the charm of a con man. Gabby’s a mess – but she’s all heart. Baba is, as Alex notes, “nobody’s fool.” And Lucy is a puppy, so everything’s new and fascinating – from butterflies to bacon. Crammed into one small house, they get on each other’s nerves. But they also make a surprisingly effective team.

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

DD: I come from a newspaper background, so I wanted a heroine who would have those skills and use them. But not necessarily in the ways they teach you in J-school.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

DD: I wanted to write a book that I’d enjoy reading. When I finished Confessions of a Red Herring, getting it published felt like the natural next step.  My agent, Erin Niumata, of Folio Literary, loved the book. And working with Kensington Publishing has been a dream.

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

DD: Well, I’d stick with the living. The dead are a logistical nightmare. They don’t bring wine, and they refuse to help clear the table.

Seriously, this is a rough one. I have so many questions I want to ask of so many writers. For starters: Neil Gaiman, Louise Penny, Harlan Coben, and J.K. Rowling.  All of them create worlds and characters that pull me in and keep me turning pages – no matter how late it is, or how early I have to get up in the morning.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

DD: I stick with non-fiction when I’m writing (which I am now). I’m reading Stacy Schiff’s The Witches -- a historical account of the Salem witch trials. For me, it’s American history meets true crime: loaded with false accusations, red herrings, and some really craven motives.

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

DD: Right now, I’m spending every minute writing Seeing Red, which follows what happens next with Alex, Trip, rescue-pup Lucy, and the whole crazy Vlodnachek family.

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

DD: Chocolate, coffee creamer, salad-in-a-bag, and a couple of nearly empty take-out cartons. Alex is a better cook than I am – and that’s saying something.

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

DD: Definitely! In the sequel, Seeing Red, Alex gets tangled up with spies, art thieves and a very single-minded killer.  Along the way, she learns a bit more about the enigmatic Ian Sterling, who owns the B&B across the street.

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

DD: Creating characters and watching what they do next. It’s always a surprise. Holding a finished book is pretty nice, too.

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 CONFESSIONS OF A RED HERRING

As a reporter, she’s used to covering the news.

Now she’s the headline.

Alex Vlodnachek has been a reporter for 12 years, a P.R. rep for three months, and a murder suspect for all of 24 hours. When her agency's double-dealing CEO is stabbed, scheming co-workers cast the new redhead as a compelling red herring. The story is media catnip—especially her salacious nickname: Vlod the Impaler.

Even Alex has to admit she looks guilty.

Out of a job and under suspicion, Alex is running low on cash, when she’s visited by a second disaster: her family. Soon her tiny bungalow is bursting with her nearest and not-so-dearest. To keep herself out of jail—and save what’s left of her sanity—Alex returns to her reporting roots. She goes undercover to reclaim her life, break the story

And unmask a murderer. Pretty much in that order.

What she doesn’t know: The killer also has a to-do list. And Alex is on it.

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BIO:

Dana Dratch is the author of CONFESSIONS OF A RED HERRING, out May 29. A former newspaper reporter and current personal finance writer, she’s currently writing the sequel, SEEING RED, which has Alex, rescue-pup Lucy, and the whole crazy Vlodnachek family going up against spies, art thieves and a very determined murderer.


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