Greetings, Noters!
Summer is in full swing in this part of New York. With searing temperatures, it’s been great working outside on the porch, safe in the shade. I’m returning to revisions after a short hiatus—George and I visited family in Maine and traveled to California this past week for a friend’s wedding. I’ve shared some pictures at the end of this post. I did a lot of reading, swimming, and playing card games; it was so nice to unwind and prepare for the (hopefully) productive summer ahead.
Book Three in the Trending Topic Mysteries is due to my editor in August, so I am deep into revisions with the goal of making Coco’s latest adventure the most wild & entertaining yet!
J.C. Kenney and I are also getting ready to wrap up our second season of The Bookish Hour. The finale will air on Wednesday, July 19th at 8 PM EST, and we will be joined by the fantastic Leslie Budewitz. Make sure to subscribe to our channel to stay connected.
My featured guest this week on Noteworthy is also someone who helps promote authors through her blog.
Without further ado…
A Bit About the Author: Kim Davis lives in Southern California with her husband and mini Goldendoodle, Missy. When she's not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, or working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.
She writes the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series, and a suspense novel, A Game of Deceit, written under K. A. Davis. She’s also written several children’s nature articles in a variety of magazines.
Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. To learn more, please visit http://kimdavisauthor.com/
Kim, I’ve had the honor of being featured on your blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, so I’m beyond happy to host you here on Noteworthy. Let’s dive right in. What book made you first fall in love with reading?
It was the Little Golden Book, The Poky Little Puppy. My parents got sick of reading it to me over and over, and were very happy once I could read it myself. I think it was the mischievous puppy along with the repeated rhymes that kept me coming back and made me want to check out oodles of other books from the library every week. In early elementary school, I discovered fairy tales and then Nancy Drew, which sealed my love for mysteries.
I had a collection of Little Golden Books growing up, and I definitely broke some of those golden spines because I read them so much. And, of course, Nancy Drew, my ultimate love. How did your love of reading evolve into a love of writing? How did you begin your writing journey?
In elementary school, I was happiest when we could write our own stories in English classes, and I usually gravitated toward writing fairy tales. As I grew older, I was one of the few who enjoyed essay tests. I never really considered writing for others until my husband retired at an early age and wanted me to quit my job so we could travel. Left with time on my hands, I started writing a suspense novel, then took a class on writing children’s articles. I ended up having several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines, but the siren call of writing a novel called. It took me a LONG time to finish my suspense, A GAME OF DECEIT. In the meantime, I’d started my blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, where I share my review of culinary cozy mysteries along with a recipe from the book featured. My blog gave me the courage to try my hand at writing cozy mysteries, and I fell in love with the genre.
Can you tell us more about your fabulous blog, Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder?
I started my blog in early 2015. I knew I wanted to create recipes for it and occasionally share reviews on the mysteries I’d been reading. It hadn’t escaped my notice that several of the cozy mysteries I’d been reading all had recipes, but I had no idea how to go about getting permission to share them. Then, in November 2015, I had a chance meeting with Sparkle Abbey (authors of the Pampered Pet Mysteries) at Bouchercon (a huge mystery conference). The two friends who write the series together were kind and welcoming to me and I felt like I could ask if I could share one of their pet treat recipes on the blog. They were so enthusiastic and appreciative that I got up my nerve to email other authors, and soon I had more blog posts lined up. Today, you’ll find a review, the recipe (along with photos I’ve taken of it after preparing it), and a giveaway copy of the book I’m reviewing. Feel free to stop by and find a new recipe to try or a new book to read! https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/
Your blog is such a wonderful place to pick up new recipes and new book recommendations. Thank you for all you do to support your fellow authors. Now, let’s chat about your latest mystery! Muddled Matrimonial Murder is the sixth book in your Cupcake Catering Mystery Series. How did it feel to reunite with Emory Martinez and all your characters? What challenges do you find yourself facing as your series grows?
Emory, her family and pals, all have a special place in my heart and they feel like they’ve kind of become family to me, especially octogenarian Tillie. Even when I’m writing other projects, I’m often thinking about what should happen in the next book. Probably my biggest challenge is keeping past book details straight when I’m writing a new book. I’m constantly having to refer to my character lists and hunt through the books for previous details. I’m in the process of creating a series “bible” to help me keep track, but it’s a tedious process. As a fun side note, while looking through my early character lists, I found a character that only had a mention in book one. I ended up using that character in Muddled Matrimonial Murder as the victim.
Tell us more about Emory. What makes her the perfect amateur sleuth for the job?
Since Emory is always baking cupcakes and cookies, most suspects are happy to see her coming around for a “chat” if she’s bearing yummy goodies to eat.
What is a random fact about Emory that readers might not know?
A couple years after Emory’s dad abandoned the family, her mom started dating Lars (who turned out to be the best stepdad a young girl could hope for). But, back then, Emory felt like her mom was betraying her dad and if she moved on, it meant there wouldn’t be any hope that her dad would return. One day after Lars had dropped by to have lunch, Emory caught a bee and put it in his car. Did she want Lars to get stung? Maybe a little, but she thought a good scare would be just as good. It was a warm day and by the time Lars got into his car, that poor bee was dead on the dashboard. Lars gently picked it up with a tissue and nestled it beneath a bush in the yard. He was so kind when explaining that a dead bee could still sting and that other insects would use it for food. He also explained how important bees are for the environment and food chain. Emory never told a soul what she did and to this day has a great respect for her stepdad and for bees.
What a beautiful, poignant peek behind the curtain. Thank you for sharing that story from Emory’s childhood! Isn’t it so amazing to craft these incredible backstories for our characters? Yet, it also takes a lot of work. What does your workspace look like? Is there anything you need for a successful day of writing?
When I’m super busy and know I can’t write during the day, I’ll set my alarm an hour early and write in bed, with the lights off. The problem is that if I get up to write, Missy (my mini goldendoodle) will insist it’s time to go for a walk no matter how dark it is outside. On the rare days I have completely free, I’ll plan a full day of binge writing. I’ll start writing at the kitchen table while sipping a smoothie. Then I’ll move my laptop to my office upstairs with a cup of coffee. I love my office! It’s colorful with a hot pink ceiling, a chandelier-style ceiling fan, and colorful yards of fabric rolled up and stuffed into built-in cubby holes. On part of one wall, I have a countertop to ceiling wine corkboard and the remaining portion of the wall has been painted with magnetic paint, where I keep lots of photos of my granddaughters. On another wall, in between the countertop and the built-in upper cabinets, is a painted-on whiteboard that honestly doesn’t get much use. Missy enjoys hanging out on the balcony attached to my office to watch for “friends” walking by the house (like the mailman, who’s her favorite!). When I get stuck on a plot point, a short walk with Missy usually helps me figure it out. And when afternoon munchies hit, I eat popcorn.
Missy! I tell you, walking the dog is one of the best ways to work through a problem plot point. My mid-day walk with Eevee is when I do my best troubleshooting, and I often think she’s my best writing helper. What is your favorite, can’t-live-without writing tool?
It’s definitely Pinterest. It’s been invaluable for helping me with settings, character descriptions and styles, along with inspiration for creating the recipes I always include in my books. I also have a very thick book of names, broken down by ethnicity and alphabetically, which gets used frequently when I start a new series.
I used to spend hours and hours on Pinterest, so much so, one year, I gave it up for Lent. It’s such a fun place and super helpful when it comes to storyboarding.
Kim, it’s been an absolute delight learning more about you, your books, and your blog. Thank you so much for being here. My final question for you is: You stumble across a crime scene. What book character are you alerting first? Why?
Emory would be my first call. Her best friend is Brad, who is married to a detective. Between the three of them, they’d know how to handle the crime and would tell me what to do… as long as they don’t make me the prime suspect!
I LOVE a good sleuthing trio. They are my favorite to write about and an ode to the original dream team, Nancy, Bess, and George!
Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog, Sarah! If your readers would like to find out more about me and my books, please feel free to visit me on any of these sites:
https://cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com/
Connect with Kim on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Davis-Author-1532277473479031
https://www.facebook.com/Cinnamon-Sugar-and-a-Little-Bit-of-Murder-187400864778608
Muddled Matrimonial Murder is available on Amazon: https://bit.ly/3MVnEeF
With only two weeks left to finalize the arrangements for the nuptial ceremony and reception for Emory Martinez’s best friend, Brad, and a Thanksgiving feast to plan, she has enough to keep her busy. But when Emory and Brad stumble across the body of his former stalker, with a wedding gift marble muddler lying next to the body, it soon becomes apparent someone is intent on framing the groom before vows can be exchanged.
How did the victim locate Brad, and how did she end up being murdered at the scene of the impending nuptials? Was someone so desperate to stop the wedding that they’d resort to murder? Or was she killed for revenge? As the countdown to the wedding speeds by, it’ll take Emory and her family and friends pulling together to pick through the muddled clues to clear the groom’s name.
Noters, what is your favorite recipe to bake? Let us know in the comments!
And here are some pictures from my vacation!
