Guest-Winnie Archer

Jessie-In N.H. working away on the sixth Beryl and Edwina mystery.

It is always a pleasure to welcome guests to the Wickeds and Winnie Archer is no exception! I love bread, both baking it and eating it so Winnie’s series caught my eye. Over to you, Winnie!

The Wickeds. What an amazing group of women! They invited me here today to chat about my upcoming book (on April 27th!), Death Gone a-Rye. Thank you, ladies!

So. Death Gone a-Rye. This book is the 6th book in my Bread Shop mysteries. If you haven’t heard about it, here’s a little into to the series (from Kneaded to Death, book 1):

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .

This series is for anybody who loves cozy mysteries, baking, and bread. It’s set in the fictional central California coastal town of Santa Sofia, a place I’d love to live. Seems almost all of my books feature versions of my dream towns. Minus the murders, of course.

As I was writing this post, I got to thinking about why I write mysteries.  What I came up with is that they are close to my heart. Truly all books are close to my heart, but mysteries, in particular. 

The mystery can be large or small.  It can be the central focus of the story, or play a supporting role. It really doesn’t matter to me the scope of the mystery elements, as long as it’s there in one way, shape, or form.

My love of mysteries started, like most young girls of a certain age, with Nancy Drew.  From there I graduated straight to Agatha Christie.  I have a distinct memory of going with my mom to our town’s library so she could check out the last Hercule Poirot novel, Curtain.  She was crushed that it was to be Poirot’s last, and her love of these book intrigued me enough to start reading them.

I spent almost all of my high school lunches in one classroom or another reading, mostly mysteries. I love the deduction and the sense of justice at the end.

So, of course, I when my passion for writing grew, it was no surprise that it manifested itself in the form of mysteries. I began with the Lola Cruz , mystery series. Then I wrote 2 suspense mysteries. They’re based on Mexican legends (see them on my website).

Then came my cozies: A Magical Dressmaking mysteries and the Bread Shop, as well as the brand new Book Magic mysteries, have brought me full circle to the kind of books I love the most.  They are small town, feel good whodunnits.  They are like comfort food.  They just make me want to curl up in front of a fire and escape. 

Mystery, mystery, mystery.  The characters.  The communities.  The crime.  The puzzle.  The deductions.  The justice.  All of makes for such a satisfying read.

I’d love to hear more from all of you! Join me on Facebook or Instagram, or at my online book club, the Book Warriors. 

Happy reading!

Melissa / Winnie

Melissa Bourbon is the national bestselling author of more than twenty mystery books, including the Book Magic mysteries, the Lola Cruz Mysteries, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, and the Bread Shop Mysteries, written as Winnie Archer. She is a former middle school English teacher who gave up the classroom in order to live in her imagination full time. Melissa lives in North Carolina with her educator husband, Carlos, and the youngest of their five children. She is beyond fortunate to be living the life of her dreams. Learn more about Melissa at her website, www.melissabourbon.com, on Facebook @MelissaBourbon/Winnie ArcherBooks, and on Instagram @bookishly_cozy.

Social Media Platforms

Website: http://MelissaBourbon.com

Blog: https://melissabourbon.com/blog/

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

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookWarriors