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The buoyant mood at Bistro Rousseau deflates when Chef Camille’s sister, Renee, turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen, and Mimi Rousseau must tease the real killer out of a mélange of menacing characters.
Crush Week in Nouvelle Vie is a madhouse—in a good way. Tourists pour into town for the pressing of the Napa Valley’s world-renowned grapes and all the town’s businesses get a nice lift, including Bistro and Maison Rousseau. Mimi is raising the ante this year with a Sweet Treats Festival, a wonderland of croissants, cakes, tarts, and soufflés crafted with expert care by the area’s top talents.
Chef Camille’s sister Renee is managing the festival with a cast-iron fist, upsetting everyone, including her sister. Which is bad for Camille when Renee turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen. Mimi is still building her business, so her first course of action is to whip up answers and catch the unsavory perpetrator before Camille takes a dusting and gets burned.
About The Author
Agatha Award-winning Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries and CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES, which she pens as Avery Aames. She will soon debut the new French Bistro Mysteries. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense: DAYS OF SECRETS and GIRL ON THE RUN. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!
It’s always been Mimi Rousseau’s dream to open her own bistro, but it seems beyond her grasp since she’s been chased back home to Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley by her late husband’s tremendous debt.
Until her best friend Jorianne James introduces her to entrepreneur Bryan Baker who invests in promising prospects. Now, working the bistro and inn until she’s able to pay it off and call it her own, Mimi is throwing the inn’s first wedding ever.The wedding will be the talk of the town, as famous talk show host Angelica Edmonton, daughter of Bryan’s half-brother, Edison, has chosen the inn as her perfect venue. Anxious, Mimi is sure things are going to turn south, especially when Edison gets drunk and rowdy at the out-of-towners’ dinner, but by the evening, things begin to look up again. That is until six AM rolls around, and Bryan is found dead at the bistro with an éclair stuffed in his mouth. And the fingers point at Mimi, whose entire loan is forgiven in Bryan’s will.Now it’s up to Mimi to clear her name and get to the bottom of things before the killer turns up the heat again in A Deadly Éclair, the scrumptious series debut by Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber.
About the Author
Agatha Award-winning Daryl Wood Gerber writes the brand new French Bistro Mysteries as well as the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she pens the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. A DEADLY ÊCLAIR, the first French Bistro Mystery, comes out November 2017. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense: DAY OF SECRETS and GIRL ON THE RUN. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line
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!
Leslie, thanks for stopping by Island Confidential! Can you tell us about your protagonist, Erin?
Erin Murphy runs the Merc, a local foods shop in her family’s hundred-year-old grocery in the heart of the village of Jewel Bay, Montana. She’s half Italian, as you can tell by her name, and deeply committed to the village, local business, her friends and family, and justice. Like a lot of Montana kids, she left the state for a few years, then returned. It still surprises her to realize that while she was gone, her hometown changed. But then, so did she.
In AS THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CRUMBLES, Erin meets another woman returning to her hometown after years away and feels an instant connection. She’s determined to forge a friendship, despite what some locals, and the woman’s own parents, say about her. She’s busy at the Merc, village headquarters for holiday food and gifts. And she’s getting married on Christmas Eve.
What could go wrong?
How much alike are you and Erin?
Like Erin, I grew up in Montana, left, and returned. I’m enjoying exploring that theme, a common one, through the experiences of a younger woman. Like her, I’m obsessed with food and enjoy cooking and entertaining. Erin shares my habit of spouting odd lines of poetry or from a play, my love of cats and cookies, and my commitment to my community. Although her mother Fresca and I aren’t much alike, I suspect that if I met Erin, she would feel like a daughter to me.
Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
Oh, definitely! That’s part of their appeal to me as a writer, and I hope, part of their appeal to the reader.
Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
I’ve thought of it, but never done it because if I disliked someone that much, I wouldn’t want to spend six months and 300 pages with them!
How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
The village of Jewel Bay, Montana is closely based on the town where I live, though I’ve changed the street names and most of the businesses. A few are simply too cozy, too iconic, to mess with, so I’ve kept them alive, with the owners’ permission—Red’s Bar, the Playhouse, and the Jewel Inn would all be easy to identify if you strolled the streets with me. There’s a touch of wish fulfillment in my fictional town—a lovely green belt we lack around the bay, which we do have, a library and community center we hope to get soon, and a bakery I’m glad doesn’t exist because I would drop in far too often!
When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
Honestly, I don’t know! I don’t use actors as models for my story people, and couldn’t begin to cast the finished project! Occasionally, I picture someone I know when I start creating a character, but they evolve so much as the story unfolds that no one would ever recognize them on the page.
What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
It’s actually the same piece of advice: Do whatever works. It’s the best because it gives a writer permission to find her own way, and the worst because it can give her an excuse to stay stuck in a rut. Writers are often told they must write every day. When I started, I was practicing law full-time, sometimes more. I just didn’t have the brain power to write every day, so I wrote on Fridays and Saturday mornings—and finished three manuscripts that way. But when my work schedule changed, I chose to develop new writing habits and now I do write nearly every day. I’ve always been a planner, but when I couldn’t see the middle of a book in advance, despite knowing the ending, I let myself start anyway, trusting that I would discover what happened in those chapters along the way. Following a radically different process was terrifying, but for that book, it worked. And now, because I’ve been willing to explore other processes, other options, I’ve got more writerly tools in my box.
Thank you for letting me introduce myself to your readers. It is such a gift to be trusted with someone’s most valuable assets: their time and attention. I am grateful to be able to explore the world through storytelling—and it’s the readers who make that possible.
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. AmazonB&NBookBubKobo
In the debut of a delightful cozy mystery series, Sarah Fox introduces a charming new heroine who finds herself in a sticky situation: stacking pancakes, pouring coffee, and investigating murder.
Bonus content: includes original recipes inspired by the Flip Side Pancake House menu!
When Marley McKinney’s aging cousin, Jimmy, is hospitalized with pneumonia, she agrees to help run his pancake house while he recovers. With its rustic interior and syrupy scent, the Flip Side Pancake House is just as she pictured it—and the surly chef is a wizard with crêpes.
Marley expects to spend a leisurely week or two in Wildwood Cove, the quaint, coastal community where she used to spend her summers, but then Cousin Jimmy is found murdered, sprawled on the rocks beneath a nearby cliff.
After she stumbles across evidence of stolen goods in Jimmy’s workshop, Marley is determined to find out what’s really going on in the not-so-quiet town of Wildwood Cove. With help from her childhood crush and her adopted cat, Flapjack, Marley sinks her teeth into the investigation. But if she’s not careful, she’s going to get burned by a killer who’s only interested in serving up trouble.
A dead boss, a sexy spy living next door – Lizzie’s in BIG trouble!
After Lizzie’s new boss, celebrity chef Armand, is stabbed in his own kitchen, Lizzie finds herself at the top of the suspect list.
Determined to clear her name she’s forced to enlist the services of her new neighbour, Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency (CCIA) special agent Jack Mathis, who’s been suspended from his duties for reasons unknown.
Can Lizzie save herself from getting arrested and manage to resist her special agent sidekick’s considerable charms and gorgeous smile? Will they solve the culinary murder mystery or will she end up in a prison cell?
Q: Zanna, thanks for stopping by! Tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Lizzie.
A: In Murder On The Menu, Lizzie Carter thought she’d got her life all sorted – great job in the city, lovely boyfriend – but then her life is turned upside down. Desperate for a new start she finds herself living in the country and waitressing to make ends meet. Things are finally beginning to look up for her but then her celebrity chef boss is stabbed in his own kitchen and Lizzie finds herself at the top of the list of suspects. I’d describe Lizzie as resilient, nosy and stubborn. She’s determined to clear her name and catch the real killer even though she’s never sleuthed before in her life! Q: How much of you is in Lizzie? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A: Hmm, interesting question. Yes, I think Lizzie and I do share some traits, though she’s far more outgoing than me (I’m quite shy). I guess I can be stubborn too sometimes, as I’m sure my husband will agree! If I met Lizzie in real life then yes, I’d like her. I’d probably think she’s fun, friendly and easy to chat with. Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: Absolutely. Lizzie’s life keeps changing and there are lots of challenges for her to face. From tracking down murderers through to battling to make a living and attempting to bake a cake that’s actually edible. She’s inherited a recipe book from her Aunt Molly and is keen to learn to bake to the same amazing standard as her beloved aunt but she has an awful lot to learn and the farmhouse has an Aga with a mind of its own which is her nemesis!
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: LOL! I can’t honestly say that I have. I’ve never based a character on a real life person so that helps. I tend to create my characters from star sign personalities and traits and build them up layer by layer – education, mannerisms, family background, looks, job etc. I usually pick a suitable celebrity to visually inspire the height/looks/clothing side of a character in a book using photos I find online or in films/TV shows, so nothing is based on people that I actually know in real life. Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: I normally make up the actual village/town in my books but it is in a real life location and inspired by places I have visited or seen photos of online via sites like Pinterest. For example, in the Celebrity Mystery series, the books are all set in Cumbria’s Lake District in the UK, a place I love and have taken holidays in many a time. The actual village in the books is entirely fictitious though but very similar in looks to real villages in Cumbria. Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Well, Jack (Lizzie’s love interest in the series) was visually inspired by the gorgeous actor Andrew W. Walker, so it would make sense for him to take on that role. As for Lizzie, she’s a mix of a few female actresses in my head, but I’d probably choose Jennifer Morrison, who stars in the fabulous Once Upon A Time TV series, to play her. Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: Oh, that’s tough. Best advice, I’d say, was write what you’d want to read yourself and in a genre you’re very familiar with. Worst advice, there has been lots! Probably to write in a way that ticks all of the ‘formula’ boxes, such as structuring sentences in specific ways – this totally stifled my own writing when I tried it back in the early days.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I write romantic comedy mysteries and when I’m not writing I can be found gardening (trying to grow tomatoes in the British climate is a major challenge!) walking the dogs or reading.
I’m a former therapist, a fan of the great outdoors – especially Scotland, the Lake District and Derbyshire’s Peak district – and also something of a dreamer!
Home is a village on the Derbyshire / Leicestershire border in the UK with my husband, our 4 Labrador dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read.
At every opportunity I can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel I’m working on and I love it when the characters in my work in progress novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!
The first book in the delicious new Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series from national bestselling author Laura Bradford.
With her rent rising faster than her pie crust, bakery owner Winnie Johnson had hoped to be rescued by an inheritance from her wealthy friend and neighbor Gertrude Redenbacher. Instead all she inherits is the widow’s hostile hissing tabby, Lovey, and a vintage ambulance, restored by Gertrude’s late husband. As her dream crumbles, Winnie makes her final delivery—a peach pie to an elderly widower. But she finds Bart Wagner lying on his kitchen floor, smothered by a pillow.
To comfort her frightened and grieving neighbors, Winnie comes to the rescue with her baked goods—and an idea is born: dessert delivery via her ambulance and a new business called the Emergency Dessert Squad. When she’s not speeding to the scenes of dessert emergencies, Winnie is also racing to track down Bart’s killer—before she needs to call a real ambulance for the next victim…
Winnie Johnson herself stopped by Island Confidential to talk about her life and adventures, and to dish (ahem) on some of the other characters. Q: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself–maybe something readers might not guess? My name is Winnie Johnson. When you hear that name, you probably think I’m an elderly person, but I’m not. I’m actually 34. What’s interesting is that most of my friends—my true friends—are elderly. I enjoy their wisdom and their candor, though, between you and me, I wish they’d show a little less candor about my love life (or lack, thereof). My biggest passion in life is baking. It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. I get a kick out of turning a person’s day around with something I’ve baked. I’ll never forget the day I opened my bakery, Delectable Delights. It was a dream come true. People hired me to bake their children’s birthday cakes, their book club’s pastries, their office party’s treats, you name it. But now, just a few years later, that dream has turned into a nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to bake. And I still love my bakery. But the landlord has raised my rent so high, I can’t stay open any longer. I thought I had a shot when I got word I was named in Gertrude Redenbacher’s will, but, sadly, a vintage ambulance and a cat that hisses non-stop (at me) wasn’t exactly the bequest I needed. But hey…I’ll figure it out. One way or the other. Q: Who’s the character you get along with the best? Why? Don’t tell Renee, my best friend and employee (or, rather, my soon to be let go employee), but I think I’m going to have to say Mr. Nelson for this one. Mr. Nelson is the elderly man who lives downstairs. He’s virtually deaf (though somehow he can always hear the sound of Renee’s stilettos on the front porch) and has a penchant for playing tricks on people (I can’t tell you how many times he’s gotten me with the old whoopee cushion gag), but he’s also the best listener I’ve ever known. Q: Which other character do you have a conflict with? Why? Right now, I’d have to say my biggest issue is with Nick Batkas, the man who is so hell bent on turning downtown Silver Lake into some sort of happening area, he’s pulled the proverbial rug right out from under my bakery. Q: Just between you and me: What do you really think of your author? Laura Bradford? She’s okay, actually. She lets me do my thing without getting in the way and she’s not amused by Renee’s repeated innuendos regarding my checkered pet-owning past. It helps, of course, that she’s responsible for the demise of a few goldfish in her past, as well… Q: What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to make my Emergency Dessert Squad the talk of not only Silver Lake, but the surrounding towns, as well. And I’m hoping this thing with Jay Morgan (the oh so cute business professor at Silver Lake College) is real. Mr. Nelson and Renee are sure it is. But Jay’s teenage daughter, Caroline, is determined it’s not…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a child, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do or be anything else. Today, Laura is the national bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, and the upcoming Tobi Tobias Mystery Series. She is a former Agatha Award nominee, and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. A graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, baking, and being an advocate for those living with Multiple Sclerosis. Author Links
Website: www.laurabradford.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor
Twitter: @bradfordauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laurabrad4d/ Purchase Links: Barnes & Noble IndieBound Amazon
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