Edith here, so happy to welcome today’s guest. Kim Davis is a brilliant baker (and food stager) and has featured recipes by several of the Wickeds on her Cinnamon, Sugar, & a Little Bit of Murder blog over the years. Now she has her own cozy foodie mystery out, Sprinkles of Suspicion.
Here’s the blurb:
One glass of cheap California chardonnay cost Emory Gosser Martinez her husband, her job, and her best friend. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of her troubles.
Distraught after discovering the betrayal by her husband and best friend, Tori, cupcake caterer Emory Martinez allows her temper to flare. Several people witness her very public altercation with her ex-friend. To make matters worse, Tori exacts her revenge by posting a fake photo of Emory in a compromising situation, which goes viral on social media. When Tori is found murdered, all signs point to Emory being the prime suspect.
With the police investigation focused on gathering evidence to convict her, Emory must prove her innocence while whipping up batches of cupcakes and buttercream. Delving into the past of her murdered ex-friend, she finds other people had reasons to want Tori dead, including Emory’s own husband. Can she find the killer, or will the clues sprinkled around the investigation point the police back to her? Includes recipes!
Take it away, Kim!
It truly is an honor being a guest at The Wickeds, so thank you for hosting me! I might have gone a little “fan girl” when Edith invited me to participate with a guest post!
5-1/2 years ago I started my blog, Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder, as a way to procrastinate finishing a suspense novel I had been working on for years. My blog started out with a twice a week post featuring a recipe I’d created, along with a short review of whatever mystery book I was reading at the time. And then I started noticing cozy mysteries and how many of the books included recipes! It didn’t take long for me to connect with the authors of the culinary cozy mysteries I devoured and start sharing those recipes along with my reviews.
I’m a huge fan of food bloggers and love to drool over their photos. As my blog started gaining more followers I became more disgruntled with my own photos using a cheapie point-and-shoot camera. Thanks to a generous birthday gift from my husband and some lessons (and many books on the subject) my photos started appearing more appealing.
I still have a long way to go to reach a professional level but I like to think that the dishes I prepare and photograph will tempt people to try them.
I also make YouTube videos with each recipe but I’ll be the first to admit I need to do some serious research and invest in a good lighting system to make those better. [Edith: I think the videos look great – check out this one of the Pumpkin Twists dog treats!]
As my blog expanded and as I developed my creativity in food styling, photography, and videography, I found my writing became easier and a lot less stressful. I finally finished that suspense novel and since then, started writing two cozy mystery series. One is being shopped for a publisher and the other is my Cupcake Catering Mysteries with the first book, Sprinkles of Suspicion just released in June. Maybe it’s the calming way baking settles my mind so while my hands are busy creating delicious dishes to share with family and friends, my brain has a chance to think of murder and mayhem for my protagonists to get involved in.
Readers: do you try the recipes included in cozy mysteries and have you found favorites that you make over and over again? (To celebrate the release of Sprinkles of Suspicion I’m offering a signed print copy, limited to U.S. residents. If outside the U.S. I can provide an e-book via BookFunnel. I’ll pick a winner on 7/9.)
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Sprinkles-Suspicion-Cupcake-Catering-Mystery-ebook/dp/B086XKRCJH/
Kim Davis lives in Southern California with her husband. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters she can be found either writing cozy mystery stories or working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats. She has published the suspense novel, A Game of Deceit, and has had several children’s articles published in Cricket, Nature Friend, Skipping Stones, and the Seed of Truth magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.