Welcome Back, Author Devon Delaney

by Posted on

by Barb, currently touristing somewhere in New York City

Today, Devon Delaney is here to celebrate her new book, Serving Up Spite, the eighth book in her Cook-Off Mystery series.

Doesn’t that cover look tempting?

Welcome, Devon!

From an early age, I was a firm believer that everything I needed to know to live a productive life, I learned in the kitchen. Wink, wink. I did learn many life skills in the kitchen, thanks to shadowing my father while he cooked. From about age 5, I could manage several skills I’d otherwise be too young to master. Measuring, weights, math, decision-making, common sense applications are just the tip of the culinary skills iceberg. As I got older, I realized kitchen skills can only take you so far in life. The smarts I couldn’t obtain in the kitchen, I researched. That was a life skill I have found invaluable in writing my cooking competition cozy murder mystery series.

For my latest book in the series, Serving Up Spite, I wanted to take the readers on a journey to Iceland and teach them about their people’s cuisine. I researched Icelandic food traditions and culture. What I found was Iceland has a fascinating culinary culture beyond fish and, well, more fish. The results of the research took on a life of their own. As the facts unfolded the concept began to drive the plot. No spoilers, but did you know rotten shark is a delicacy up there? Not a haphazard decision to feature the pungent flesh in my book’s plot, it was a necessity. Can’t tell you why, sorry. When food preparation is more of a survival technique than a choice, I’m on board to dig deeper. I’d struck gold in my search for a captivating addition to my cooking competition mystery. I wove the culture into the plot in order to expose motives, culprits and, most importantly, the layers of my characters’ strengths and weaknesses.

My kitchen life lessons have come full circle. From humble beginnings, playing sous-chef to my father while he prepared dinner, to the studying the world’s kitchens, I continue to be astonished by what can be learned. The world’s kitchens and the home cooks who toil in them are the best classrooms and teachers I can ask for. Browse around the food world and do some research on why the cuisines are what they are, and you’ll agree.

Readers: What would you say is a life skill you learned while cooking in your kitchen?

Happy Holidays, everyone! May the New Year be filled with cozy moments of killer fun!

Barb again: Since this is our last post before Christmas Day, I’ll add my warmest wishes for you and yours as well.

About Serving Up Spite

With international cuisine on the menu for her next cook-off, Sherry Oliveri experiments with one dish after another looking for that perfect killer recipe. But her competitive drive gets put on the back burner when her friend Patti calls in a panic: her new boyfriend has vanished, and signs of foul play suggest he may have been killed. Then the police begin investigating the disappearance as a murder, and they’ve got Patti pegged as the main suspect.

Still, the man’s body has yet to be found. Slipping out of her apron and into her sleuthing cap, she learns that the man had numerous issues. Did he fake his own death to get out of a jam? Determined to find the truth and get her friend off the hook, Sherry follows the clues until one final surprise brings her face-to-face with a killer. 

About Devon Delaney

Devon Delaney is life-long resident of the Northeast and currently resides in coastal Connecticut. She is a wife, mother of three, grandmother of two and accomplished cooking contester. She taught computer education and Lego Robotics for over ten years prior to pursuing writing. Along the way Devon has been handsomely rewarded for her recipe innovation over the last twenty-plus years. Combining Devon’s beloved hobby of cooking contesting with her enthusiasm for writing was inevitable.

When Devon is not preparing for her next cook-off, she may be found pursuing her other hobbies, including playing competitive USTA league tennis, gardening, needlepointing, painting, jarring her produce, and hooking rugs. Her standard poodle, Rocket, is her pride and joy and keeps her on the path of sanity. 

Published by Barbara Ross

Barbara Ross is the author of twelve Maine Clambake Mystery novels and six novellas. Her books have been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and have won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She lives in Portland, Maine. Readers can visit her website at www.maineclambakemysteries.com

23 Thoughts

  1. Welcome back, Devon, and congratulations on the new book! As the youngest of three girls, I learned how to work well with others in the kitchen. As an adult, one of my favorite things to do is cook with my adult sons. And I can’t wait to cook with my new (and first) grandbaby!

    1. Thanks Edith! I’m also the youngest of three girls! My granddaughter is my new fav cooking partner.

  2. Congrats on the new book. I learned to always check how high the flames are and don’t put your face too close to an open flame.

  3. LOVE the cover on “Serving Up Spite”! It’s on my TBR list and I can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review it.

    I think one of the many skills being in the kitchen has taught me is patience. Things can’t be rushed while cooking – everything has to be done in order and precise. It is so true that a watched pot never boils. 🙂 Another is to stay in the moment and pay attention. Nothing like skimming a recipe and missing a step or ingredient or having half your mind somewhere else to teach you this one.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

  5. Big time congratulations on the new release, Devon! Cooking has always been stressful for me, with so many ingredients and so many steps involved in various recipes. Oddly enough, one of the things I’ve learned from that is stress management. I remind myself to take things one step at a time. To not get intimidated by having something in the oven and on the stove at the same time. And, most of all, in the end, it’ll be okay. Cheers!

    1. Hi! Thanks! No stress, only fun allowed in the kitchen. Although, I have pitched a few test recipes in the garbage and maybe said a few unprintables but the good times outweigh the stinky ones definitely.

  6. I’ve learned that you can experiment with measurements in cooking, but not so much in baking. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com

  7. I’ve got to say, I’m not sure I’ve spent enough time in the kitchen to have learned any life skills. Yes, my mom did teach me about cooking when I was growing up, but I guess none of it stuck.

    Congrats on the new book!

  9. DEVON: Yes, I have been to Iceland twice so I knew that fermented shark is a specialty. I am an adventurous eater, but passed on that.

    I have lived on my own since the age of 20 & am an eclectic home cook. I am happy to make several complicated dishes. The most important kitchen lesson is: mise en place. I need to make sure I have organized and arranged all the ingredients I need to make before starting to cook the dish.

    1. Sage words, Grace! How exciting you’ve been to Iceland twice. I was intrigued by their culinary history so that was my incentive to add that portion to my plot. Love to learn new cooking history! Organization in the kitchen is key for sure! thanks for your advise.

  10. I would say patience. Merry Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.

  12. Hubby Dearest is the best cook. HIs brother always said that he should open a restaurant. But that is too much work. So, he does most of the cooking with me as the Sous Chef. I do some though. We make a good team. We eat too well.

    1. My hubby just sets the dinner time. That’s his contribution! hehe. He’s my best taste-tester for any new recipes I come up with.

Comments are closed.