by Julie, sipping a London Fog in Somerville
I’m delighted to welcome Lynn Cahoon back to the blog to celebrate the sixth, and last, book in her Farm to Fork series.
A Fatal Family Feast – Farm to Fork book #6
Hi Wickeds! Big thanks to Julie Hennrikus who invited me to come play with you all today.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lynn Cahoon, cozy mystery author. I’ve been writing in my cozy worlds since the release of the Tourist Trap mystery series in July of 2014. My publisher asked for three books in the cozy coastal California town of South Cove in this bookstore set series and we release them in what they considered a fast release. Now Tourist Trap is up to lucky number 13 (WEDDING BELL BLUES) releasing this year.

I also write the Cat Latimer mystery series, set in Colorado with a paranormal author sleuth who opens a writers retreat in an old Victorian. Although my publisher has stopped the series, I’ve been given the rights to continue these stories, so number 8 will release this fall.
Last year I started a new series, set in the magical mountains of Idaho around a catering director who’s also a kitchen witch (THREE TAINTED TEAS will release in April in The Kitchen Witch mysteries.)
And later in 2022, a new series set in a new age Sedona bookstore will start with an owner who is a cancer survivor and her new book club that likes to solve murders. (TUESDAY NIGHT SURVIVORS’ CLUB, part of the Survivors’ Book Club mysteries.)
Whew, that’s a lot, right? Well, when some things start, others must end to make room for the new. And that’s what’s happening with my Idaho set Farm to Fork series. A FATAL FAMILY FEAST, came out this month and is the last book featuring the farm to table restaurant, The County Seat, and it’s owners and kitchen crew. I loved writing these books (and the three novellas that fill out the series.) It was like going home.
Angie and Felicia open The County Seat in an old building in fictional River Vista which is right across the street from the city park. A park, in the real town where I grew up, that held the town’s founding festival each year. From the street dance that Friday night, a parade on Saturday, and a carnival that set up outside the park where the city now has built a greenbelt, the town and all the surrounding farm residents celebrated the bounty of summer and the coming of fall and the harvest.
The festival was where I met my first boyfriend who was from a totally different ‘group’ than I hung out with. I was the good kid – a book worm who cared if I aced the test or not. Kirk. on the other hand, was one of the guys who hung out across the street before school started because they could smoke there without getting in trouble. But love blooms like a flower in a crack of a sidewalk, not in the right place all the time. And Lynn has a thing for bad boys.
When I was planning out this last book, I knew I had to marry off at least one of my Scooby Do couples. And Angie wasn’t there yet. So it had to be Felicia and the County Seat’s kitchen second in command, Estebe. Felicia is from back east and although we hadn’t talked a lot about her background, she was raised with money. Estebe made his own fortune and, although he’s rich now, you wouldn’t know it. He’s a hard worker with a history of having short temper that can get him in trouble.
The bar hopping scene for the bachelor/bachelorette party is based on what I imagine Boise is like now. The places may change names and locations, but the feel of a big, small town, is Boise’s claim to fame.
Now that I’m not writing in the Farm to Fork series anymore, I’ll have to take my Kitchen Witch crew down to the valley to get my Boise visit fix. Maybe a dinner theater is on the menu. Or maybe a visit to a farm to fork restaurant that isn’t part of a current series anymore. And just so happens to have a St. Bernard mascot sitting outside near the front door.
It’s hard to give up writing a series for the author. Especially in the cozy world where we get so involved in the town and characters. I’m that way when my favorite television shows get cancelled. Especially when there are loose ends.
Readers, what’s one series that you wish had run longer? I’m giving away an e-copy of A FATAL FAMILY FEAST to one lucky commenter.
A FATAL FAMILY FEAST.
Angie Turner’s Idaho restaurant, the County Seat, is the perfect site for a picturesque country wedding, but the party planning skids to a halt when the groom-to-be is implicated in a murder investigation…
When Angie’s best friend and business partner, Felicia Williams, picks the County Seat to host her upcoming nuptials, Angie wants it to feel like a family affair–especially since Felicia is set to marry the farm-to-fork restaurant’s talented sous chef, Estebe Blackstone. Unfortunately, the bride’s actual family is far less enthusiastic about the union. They’re pulling out all the stops to cancel the couple’s wedding, even arranging for a surprise visit from Felicia’s ex-fiancé (and her father’s current lackey). But when her ex is killed days before the ceremony and Estebe is framed for the crime, Angie and the County Seat crew must scramble to solve the murder and save the wedding . . .
BIO:

Lynn Cahoon, author of A Killer Christmas Wish, a Cat Latimer mystery, is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the Tourist Trap, Kitchen Witch, Cat Latimer, Survivors’ Book Club, and Farm-to-Fork mystery series. No matter where the mystery is set, readers can expect a fun ride. Find out more at her website www.lynncahoon.com
Goodness, Lynn, and I thought I wrote a lot! I hope you felt you were able to tie up the loose ends with this last, delightful book. Best of luck with all the new ones!
You DO write a tremendous amount, and beautifully so.
Thank you Ginny!
Thanks Edith – I just love my characters.
WOW, what a great list of books! Giving up a series must be so hard. Like losing dear friends. You have my condolences.
I do wish that Shelia Connolly’s series could all have gone on longer as it would mean she was still with us. The one in particular that I would have loved to see continue was her glass blower series. It stopped after three an as a reader – I wanted more.
So true about Sheila’s series, Kait. I also loved the glassblower books she wrote as Sarah Atwell. And the County Cork series, too.
I miss Sheila’s Orchard series.
It’s hard to lose not only a great author, but a lovely person. I t puts my loss in perspective, right?
Indeed, Lynn.
Congratulations Lynn on your book release. I’m looking forward to reading the first book in your new series. I will miss the gang in the Farm to Fork series.
I miss Leann Sweeney’s Cats In Trouble series
Thanks Dru! I love the fact that my new characters (Rarity Cole and her book club) have some scars and bumps to deal with. Like the rest of us. 🙂
Sorry to hear about the series ending, Lynn. But it sounds like you have a lot to keep you busy!
Thanks Liz! There’s always something else around the corner, right?
Congratulations on your new books! You are a very busy lady! I always liked reading the Hannah Swensen series, which I believe has ended.
Nice to meet you Kathy!
You are amazing! Congratulations on the new series and a sweet goodbye to this one!
Thanks Sherry.
Welcome back to the Wickeds, Lynn! Ending a series in the right place and time is quite tricky, but as you say the old must make room for the new! Best of luck balancing it all, not that you’ll need it!
Hi Barbara! Thanks for having me back!
Hi Lynn, Ending a series is tough, but it sounds like you have plenty of other wonderful books to keep you busy. I miss Hailey Lind’s (Juliet Blackwell) Annie Kinkaid mysteries.
There are so many series I want to read.
Sheila Connolly’s County Cork mysteries was the first thing I thought of. Followed by Laura Bradford’s Amish Mysteries series. I had invested so much of me into both series. Sheila is sorely missed. Laura keeps writing interesting series.
In books first one to come to mind that I miss very much and wish had continued longer is the Quaker Midwife Mysteries by Edith Maxwell.
The TV series I wish had run longer is Hawaii 5-O ( The 2010 reboot )
Thank you so much, Laurie! I have a Rose Carroll short story out on submission. Fingers crossed for news.
Oooh, if we’re talking television shows, please more Magicians! LOL
Congratulations Lynn. Happy for the new book but said that it will be ending a great series. Wish it could have gone on a little longer.
Me too. It’s been hard for me to even say it was ending.
I wish the Cajun Country series by Ellen Byron and The Tradd Street series by Karen White are series that I would have liked to see continue. I’m looking forward to new series from both authors.
I just ordered one of the books in the Tradd series.
congrats
Love book cover, title excerpt/review. Love long books like this.
Would love to read & review in print format. love your books.
Can’t wait to see how book ends.
Thanks Crystal!
It can be hard to see a favorite series end, but with all the series you have going, it would be hard not to end something to have time to focus on others. I don’t see how you keep all those series going. My hat is definitely off to you.
Thanks Mark – it’s below zero (with the wind chill) here, so I’m dreaming of California right now.
I’m going to miss Farm-to-Fork and would love to win this last book. I really liked the characters. Your question about missing TV shows reminded me of one that was on quite awhile ago with that cutie pie, Dominic Purcell. It was called John Doe and it ended with such a big cliffhanger that to this day I wonder what happened. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
It seems like they’re all doing such big cliffhangers at the end to woo the studios into giving them one more season. Like Manifest. I’ll miss my County Seat crew too.
Sheila’s Orchard series. Congratulations on your new book!! How exciting. Thanks for the chance!!
Thanks B!
I’m sorry The Farm To Fork series is ending! One series I wish was still around is The Amish series by Laura Bradford. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks Christi. It was really fun to write.
Not sure why I haven’t found any of these series; I’ve had dogs in my various homes for 78 years and counting. I’ll look them up.
I love my dogs. (And cats – right now I’m catless. I just lost my Thor late last year.)
Oh my goodness, you certainly have a lot on your plate, looking forward to all of them! I really miss Sheila Connolly’s Orchard series. There are so many news one starting that it seems there is always something new to look forward to. As the Irish say “Good Luck”
It is always hard for readers to see a series come to an end but all good things must come to an end. I think it is somewhat risky to have a series last so long it starts becoming stale. I would rather see it come to an end and leave me with positive memories and anticipation for the next series.
I would like Rizzoli and Isles would continue. The author is Tess Gerrison. Thank you for the opportunity.