Guest- Kate Young

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ANNOUNCEMENT! The winner in the giveaway for Kate Young’s book is Gloria Browning! Jessie will be in touch with her to make arrangements to send her the prize.

Jessie: In New Hampshire where summer is in full swing!

With all the events in real life cancelled recently it is not as easy as it has been in the past to attend author events. So it is with real pleasure that the Wickeds have been hosting guests here on the blog. I am delighted to have Kate here visiting today and to be able to visit her charming fictional town through her post! Kate is offering a signed paperback to one commenter residing in the U.S.

Welcome, Kate!

Hey, y’all! I’m so happy to be here today, and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. 

At this moment, I should be in Seaside, Florida, beachside with a frosty adult beverage relaxing after my signing at The Sun Dog, one of my favorite independent bookstores. Sadly, all my signings are canceled this year. While composing this post, I’m in my cozy little mountain town, sitting on the back deck dreaming of the day when I can return to my beloved beach and plunge my toes into the grainy depths and feel the caress of the waves against my skin. 

The setting of my mystery series, Peach Cove Island, is loosely based upon the little coastal towns of Seaside, Florida, and historic Savannah, Georgia. Peach Cove has everything, a slower pace of life, beautiful beaches, a historic downtown with hosts of unique family-owned shops, and boutiques. And of course, right in the middle of Main Street is The Peach Diner, owned and operated by my protagonist, Marygene Brown, who is always serving up the most sought-after comfort food. 

When I decided to begin writing cozy mysteries several years ago, I knew that I’d be writing a culinary cozy. Coming from a background of catering and wedding cake design, it just made sense. Marygene Brown, like me, is a foodie through in through. And, also like me, she bakes when she’s stressed, eats too. But she’s so much more. Marygene has a problematic past. She made a bad decision that altered the course of her life. She’s had to struggle to become the woman she is, and to thrive despite her troubles. And I love her for it! 

When writing this series, I sought to create an immersive experience. To ignite a reader’s senses, you can smell the salty air and feel the heat on your skin while relishing in the coolness of the surf. While in the diner, you’ll hear the audible sounds of the clattering dishes, scrapes of silverware on the plates, and experience the aroma of all the food being fried, scattered, and smothered. Yum! 

The small island has a host of quirky characters you’ll love to hang out with. The dose of realism within the stories, I hope, will remind us that sometimes life is messy yet not completely defining, and your near and dear will always have your back. 

Peach Cove is a beautiful place that, despite all the dead bodies dropping, I hope you’ll wish to visit again and again. 

A word to wise: while on your next visit, you might want to steer clear of early morning swims, they have proven precarious and have been known to send Marygene running to the diner for the comfort of a crispy potato waffle and a sweet pastry. 

Readers, When you’re having a bad day, what’s your favorite comfort food? To celebrate the release of Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, Kate is giving away a signed paperback. Just leave a comment to enter.

Bio: Kate Young writes Southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzus. When she is not writing her own books, she’s reading or cooking. 

Website: https://www.kateyoungbooks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayoungbooks

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateyoungbooks/

 Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKateYoung/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kate-young-b3339e9c-d2e4-482d-a637-5afd7b064d73

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527572.Kate_Young

Published by Jessie Crockett

Jessie Crockett wears a lot of hats, both literally and literarily. As Jessie Crockett she is the Daphne Award winning author of Live Free or Die and the nationally bestselling Sugar Grove series. As Jessica Ellicott she has received starred reivews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal for her historical mystery Murder in an English Village. As Jessica Estevao she writes the Agatha Award nominated Change of Fortune Mysteries. She loves the beach, fountain pens, Mini Coopers and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.

41 Thoughts

  2. Potatoes in any form are my comfort food. Mashed, fried, it doesn’t matter. I have never had a crispy potato waffle, but it sounds right up my alley!

  3. We, also, live in the mountains which we love. However, it is nice to take a break and visit some place completely opposite – like the beach. Hope you get to go soon!

    “Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse” sounds absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait for the opportunity to read this book on my TBR list. Peach Cove is exactly the type of town I’d love to visit. The The Peach Diner I’m sure would be a place I’d have to visit a few times if I were to travel there too. Love the old time diners that serve delicious food and treat you like family instead of just a ring on the cash register.

    When I’m stressed, I love to head to the kitchen. Since hubby and I both love to bake, it would most likely be something yummy like homemade cinnamon rolls from a recipe we came up with using a recipe he had before we were married and my Mom’s recipe she made the years I was growing up. The best of two worlds so to speak. There is nothing more delicious smelling than something made from yeast be it sweet bread or regular bread. To me the whole process emits wonderful relaxing smells throughout the house. Then when it comes out of the oven, there is no way to resist eating some while still hot from the oven.

    Thank you for the chance to win a copy of “Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse”! Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.

    Please be safe, stay healthy and have a little adventure along the way – even if through the pages of a good book.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    1. Nice to meet you, Kay! Sounds like you and I have a lot in common. I adore a good batch of cinnamon rolls. I could bake them for the delightful aroma alone. Best wishes.

  4. Welcome, Kate! Congratulations on the new book. Do you have experience working in a diner?

    Like Liz and Marla, I’ll seek comfort in any form of potato, or warm bread and butter. There’s just something about starch…

    1. Morning, Edith and thanks for having me! No, I’ve never worked in a diner. The closest I’ve come was the couple of years span I waited tables at Cracker Barrel in my teens.

  6. Cheers to the new book, Kate! My go to comfort food is probably a plate of nachos. Way too many carbs, but I tell myself I’m getting my veggies when I add salsa. 😅

    1. Thanks, Jim! Make it fajita nachos and you’re golden. Lots of peppers and onions count as a full serving of vegetables in my book. 😉

  7. Ice cream is my favorite comfort food, although pasta and fried oysters are right there too.

  8. This sounds so interesting, I don’t think I have run across your books before. Chocolate is my go to comfort food, doesn’t matter the form, I am adaptable!!!!

  9. I love Seaside! My new series is loosely based on the original premise of Seaside and Grayton Beach. I was hoping to do an event this summer at The Sun Dog too. Congratulations on the new book and my comfort food is chips.

    1. I love all the beaches along 30A. I’ll add your new series to my to-read list! Reading books with gulf coast settings feels like going home.

  10. Oh, I want to hop in my car and drive to the Peach Diner right now. I love diners,and Peach Cove sounds right up my alley. I”m looking forward to getting a copy of this book and adding it to my TBR pile. Hope there are many more adventures for Marygene Brown.

  11. I’m with you – some serious time at the beach sounds so appealing right now. However, I don’t need to worry about early morning swims. I’m still in bed in the early morning.

  14. Cozy Mystery is one of my favorite genres. Island living makes for quirky stubborn characters. I’m interested in the baking especially if recipes are included. I’ve been doing a lot of baking and eating my daughter’s cooking nowadays.

    1. Hi, Sunnymay! There are recipes included in the back of each book in the series. I had such fun testing them out. Being in the kitchen makes my heart sing.

  16. I love simple homemade pizza. Can’t wait to read the book and try the recipes.

  17. Best wishes on your new book! Peach Cove Island sounds like a great place to visit.
    Chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven are my go-to comfort food…and I like the dark chocolate chips best.

  19. My favorite comfort food is a good olive cheeseburger and fries. Looking forward to visiting Peach Cove Island.

  20. Pretty much what everyone else said! I just love food. Sounds like a great new series with recipes! Yea! Stay safe and well.

  21. If I need a comfort snack it’s almonds. If it’s a meal comfort food it’s mashed potatoes!

  24. Hi! I’m so glad to meet you! I love mysteries and yours sound terrific 😁 You’ve asked about my go-to for stressful eating and I’d say it would be pizza. Pizza makes a lot of things better! But the pictures you posted above look like the perfect vacation getaway and that would definitely help get rid of any stress I would have. Thank you so much for this chance 😊

  25. Coffee and coffeecake! Thanks for the chance to win a signed copy!

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