Liz here, welcoming Lynn Cahoon back to the blog to talk about writing the Kitchen Witch series. The latest is THREE TAINTED TEAS, about which Kirkus said “This witchy tale is a hoot.” Awesome Lynn! Welcome and take it away!
So why a paranormal cozy mystery?
I was a Dark Shadows girl. I would run as soon as I got off the bus, swing open the door and sit in front of the television. If there was a commercial, my mom would fill me in on what had already happened. If not, I’d watch and then get the update a few minutes later. It was our thing. That memory still makes me smile. Mom’s been gone six years now, but those afternoons of watching Dark Shadows together is one of my favorite memories.
But my love of paranormal started in second grade. With a story told in verse. Mark was in the park, in the dark. They went to a lake where there was a shark, but the owl save them and they got away. Not a chilling story by today’s measure, but it’s stayed with me all these years.
I got the idea for the Kitchen Witch when I was in the hospital during my chemo treatments. I had a fever and went in on a Sunday night. They kept me three days. There wasn’t much on TV, but there was a few hours of Charmed I could watch. Then I could change the channel and watch a couple more on a different station. It kept me sane. But it also put a nugget of a new main character and what type of witch she’d be.
The Kitchen Witch series is a mix between the Good Witch meets Jessica Fletcher. I try to keep a balance between the magic and the mystery. And of course, there’s a bit of romance. Nothing graphic, but people have relationships in real life and in my books, they have friends and people who are more than friends. And of course, there’s food.
My main character, Mia opened her catering business in the first book, ONE POISON PIE, but in a small town, she had to do more. Even though Magic Springs is an upscale small town, a lot of business have to have more than one specialty to keep the doors open. So she caters, teaches cooking classes, delivers home meals, has food on site for drop ins to pick up, and, in this book, she tries her hand at wedding planning.
What could go wrong?
Comment below with what job you’d like to do if you could start over with your career. Or maybe what job you had that you loved or still love. Or just say hi. One random winner will be chosen to get a signed print copy of THREE TAINTED TEAS. (Non-US mailing addresses will win a digital replacement of a similar item.)
Here’s a blurb about Three Tainted Teas (Kitchen Witch #3)
Aspiring witch and culinary entrepreneur, Mia Malone, must dispel a deadly plot to wreck her clients’ wedding in this charming continuation of New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch Mystery series.
Business is bubbling at Mia’s catering service and cooking school, Mia’s Morsels, but toil and trouble are not far behind. Mia just accepted her toughest gig yet: last-minute wedding planner for Magic Springs’ own Romeo and Juliet. Though the small town is fairly accepting of magic, two families have been locked in a vicious feud spanning generations. Unfortunately for both families, they’re about to become in-laws! Amethyst and Tok are excited to wed in a few weeks and somehow Mia must ensure the event is flawless.
But when she goes to pick up paperwork from the couple’s previous wedding planner, Mia discovers the woman murdered in an apparent attempt to stop the contentious union. Now, not only is Mia a prime suspect, as the new planner she may also be the killer’s next target. Backed by her squad, her charms—literal and figurative—and a protective amulet from her Grans, it’s up to Mia to save the star-crossed couple’s wedding, her professional reputation…and maybe even her life!
Lynn Cahoon is a NYT and USA Today author of the best-selling Tourist Trap, Kitchen Witch, Cat Latimer, Farm-to-Fork, and soon to release, Survivors’ Book Club mystery series. No matter where the mystery is set, readers can expect a fun ride. Find out more at her website http://www.lynncahoon.com. You can find Lynn at http://lynncahoon.com/ or on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.