A warm welcome back to Laura Bradford!

Meow, help me welcome author Laura Bradford!

As a child, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do or be anything else. Today, Laura is the national bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries written as Elizabeth Lynn Casey, and the upcoming Tobi Tobias Mystery Series. She is a former Agatha Award nominee, and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. A graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, baking, and being an advocate for those living with Multiple Sclerosis.

• Welcome back Laura!  Tell us a little about your new series, the Emergency Dessert Squad. How did that come about?

The concept for the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries came to me while trying to encourage a former Girl Scout of mine. Emily loves to bake and I was throwing out creative ways she could frame a business around her talent. I threw out the idea of an Emergency Dessert Squad and, lo and behold, I realized I had the makings of a super fun cozy mystery.

As for the series, it follows my main character, Winnie Johnson, a young woman who, like Emily, has always loved to bake. When Éclair and Present Danger (book # 1) opens, Winnie is in her final day as a bakery owner thanks to an inability to keep up with the rising cost of rent. For a moment, she thinks she has a reprieve when she learns she’s been names in her late friend’s will. At the attorney’s office, Winnie learns the specifics of her bequest—a cat (who hates her), and an old vintage ambulance.  Neither of which can save her bakery.

Or so she thought…

• What’s your favorite dessert?

Oh my, I love all things sweet. But if I had to pick an absolute favorite, I’d say my white chocolate mousse pastry puffs.  I make them during the holiday season in December and they’re always a huge hit.

• Do you have any dessert recipes you’d like to share?

Sure!  I’ll share one of my kids’ favorites. It’s for Gooey Butter Cake (a St. Louis tradition).

*1 package yellow cake mix
*1 stick butter
*1 egg

Combine. This will be dry. Press into greased 9 x 13 pan. Set aside.

Then, in a bowl, combine the following:

*1 16-ounch package of powdered sugar.
*8 ounce cream cheese
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pour mixture on top of crust.

Bake at 350 for 32 minutes.  Cool completely or it will be runny.

Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Enjoy!!!

• You also write the Amish mysteries for BPC.  Is it difficult doing two series and how do you keep the characters separate?

I actually write three series for BPC—the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries and the Amish Mysteries under my own name, and the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries under my pen name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey.  

As for how I keep the characters from the various series separate, they’re real people in my head so that makes it easier.

• Do you have a favorite character/series?

Of my own?  That’s tough. I love them all for different reasons.

The Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries are special because that’s how I broke into a big NY publishing house. My favorite characters in that series are Rose (the 80-something matriarch of the sewing circle) and Margaret Louise (the kind of friend everyone wants).

The Amish Mysteries speak to my heart. I love the characters, the setting, and the pace.   My favorite characters in that series have to be Aunt Diane (you can’t not love this woman) and Detective Jakob Fisher (there’s so much still to be unearthed in him and I find that appealing).

The Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries simply make me smile. They’re fun and they’re light and littered with fun characters. If I have to pick a favorite among those characters, I’d have to say Mr. Nelson, Winnie’s downstairs neighbor. He makes me laugh.

• What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

I’m currently wrapping up book # 12 for the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries. 

After that, I’m on to book # 6 for my Amish Mysteries, and a new E-series I’ll be doing with Kensington that’s set in the world of advertising. I also have a top secret project (new genre) that I’m working on, as well.

• What’s one thing your readers would be surprised to find out about you?

I can recite the old Big Mac ingredient list backward. J

 What question do you wish interviewers would ask? (And what’s the answer?)

Tell us about a few of your most special author moments…

1)     Having grown up reading Mary Higgins Clark, I’ll never ever forget the moment I got to speak to her on the telephone—Harlan Coben’s phone, to be exact.  A completely surreal experience, I must say.

2)     I’ll never forget walking through the stocking stuffer section at my local K-Mart one December morning when my agent’s phone number showed up on my cell. I thought maybe she was calling to wish me a happy holiday. However, when I answered, she said, “we have a deal.”  My answer back to her was, “but we don’t have anything on submission right now.”  Her response? “Well, on your Facebook page this morning, you mentioned wondering what the Sweet Briar crew (from the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries) is doing for Christmas and now your editor is wondering, too. So we have a Christmas book.”  J

3)     Learning that someone drove 5 hours just to meet me at a signing.  Me.  Five hours.  Total pinch-me moment, that’s for sure.

•  Where can we learn more about you?

My website is the best place to find information on my books:  www.laurabradford.com

My Facebook page is the best place to find day-to-day me:  https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor/

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  .Day 

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)   Cat

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Steak or salad?  Steak

Favorite Drink?  A vanilla milkshake

Favorite Book?  A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark

Favorite TV Series?  Current? I’ll go with The Middle

Favorite Movie?  The Intern

Favorite Actor: James Marsden (because he’s completely adorable)

Favorite Actress:  Meryl Streep

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?  Neither

Hawaii or Alaska?  Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Walt Disney. I’d like to thank him for creating a place that has made me (and my children) so incredibly happy.

If I had just one wish, it would be for good health for my loved ones.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be no one. Because if I did, I wouldn’t have my children.

Laura will give away ONE copy of Éclair and Present Danger.

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

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Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Contest ends midnight, June 10!