Book Title:             BAKE, BATTER, AND ROLL Character Name:  Sally Muccio Donovan   How would you describe your family or your childhood?  My parents are a bit on the strange side. I love them to death (excuse the pun), but they’re not your typical parents. They march to the beat of their own drummer. My father has a weird obsession with death and owns a funeral home. It’s been his lifelong dream. My mother, at the age of 55, still shops at Forever 21. When people see us together, they automatically think that she’s my sister. My younger sister. It’s a little hard to take at times.   What was your greatest talent? I’m proud to say that I have turned into a good baker. I still can’t cook, but at least I can bake.   Significant other? My husband, Michael Donovan. We’ve been married for four glorious years. Biggest challenge in relationships? Hmmm….well, based on past experiences, I’d say stop and listen to each other. You can avoid years of problems by doing that. Trust me.   Where do you live? Colwestern, New York. It’s in Western New York which means that we get about 50,000 feet of snow every…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A DOOMFUL OF SUGAR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After the shocking murder of her father, Leila Khoury returns to her hometown, Sugar Ridge, Vermont, to fulfill his wish and take over the family business. Can she run the maple syrup farm, mend her strained relationship with her mother, and find a killer? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I live in Upstate New York, about a half hour from the Vermont border. I’ve been dying to set a mystery in the Green Mountains for a long time (yes, pun intended.) 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Leila never pulls any punches. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, headstrong, and loyal. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? When the idea for this series first came into my head, I took a private tour of a maple farm in Vermont, and the owners were wonderful about answering all my questions. It was so interesting to learn how maple syrup is made. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?…

Staying home means more time to read. Right? To help pass the time between books, we asked six of our cozy mystery authors to share what they’re doing during their time at home! We hope you’ll cozy up at home with these first in the cozy mystery series: Can’t Judge a Book by Its Murder by Amy Lillard, a Main Street Book Club Mystery Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker, a Seaside Cafe Mystery Death on Windmill Way by Carrie Doyle, a Hampton’s Murder Mystery Penne Dreadful by Catherine Bruns, an Italian Chef Mystery Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson, a Welcome Back to Scumble River mystery Last Pen Standing by Vivian Conroy, a Stationery Shop Mystery Keep reading to cozy up with our authors and check out the books over here! You’re trapped in a remote cabin with one character from your series for one week. Who would it be and why? Amy Lillard: Hands down-Fern. She might not have Helen’s cooking skills or Camille’s bottomless handbag or even Arlo’s practical side, but being stranded definitely wouldn’t be boring with Fern! Bree Baker: I would definitely spend the week with Everly Swan, the heroine of my Seaside Cafe Mysteries!…

Tessa Esposito, the protagonist featured in Penne Dreadful (on sale July 30th), lives in the charming town of Harvest Park, located in Upstate New York. A talented chef, Tessa would feed the entire world if possible. As with most cozy mysteries, Harvest Park has a gossip grapevine the size of Italy and she soon finds herself in the center of it. Cooking helps Tessa to deal with the stress in her life, which is currently at an all-time high. Fortunately, her close-knit Italian family is supportive and always there to lend a hand. They are passionate about most things in life, with food at the top of the list. The beginning of the story finds Tessa dealing with a personal tragedy—specifically, her husband Dylan’s recent death. Her grief quickly turns to anger when she discovers it was no accident—finding he was murdered instead. Who would do such a thing? Was Dylan in some type of trouble? And why didn’t he tell Tessa about it? The questions pile up as she struggles to understand. Tessa uses the other love of her life—cooking—to uncover Dylan’s killer. Her quest leads her to accept a job working “undercover” at a local pizza parlor called…