Friday, November 30, 2018

ROCCO's guest....Laura Childs!


A Guest Blog with Laura Childs, New York Times
bestselling cozy writer and author of EGGS ON ICE,
a Cackleberry Club Mystery.


Thank you so much, ROCCO, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog. Though there are no cats with starring roles in Eggs on Ice, I do have a couple of dogs. (I think you’re okay with that, because Baxter and Scruff are rather sweet canines.) And then there’s Mocha Gent the horse and Grommet the mule.

While these critters aren’t exactly crime-fighters, they do reflect greatly on my main character Suzanne’s true nature. A rescue dog like Scruff speaks volumes to Suzanne’s kindness and compassion. An older dog like Baxter, who’s been with Suzanne all his life, shows her loyalty and understanding.

Whenever Suzanne and her Cackleberry Club friends are in trouble, these creatures are there to provide a soft, furry coat to cry on or offer up a brave understanding of their struggles. Baxter and Scruff’s actions sometimes even mirror Suzanne’s turmoil and their companionable silence often results in Suzanne reaching a conclusion and taking decisive action.

In this regard, Baxter and Scruff are extremely helpful when the Kindred Players hold their first dress rehearsal for A Christmas Carol. A strange ghost wafts onstage and murders the star of the show. Shocked from her perch in the wings, Suzanne chases this spooky specter through the shadowy backstage of the theatre, but loses him when he escapes into a snowstorm. Feeling angry and threatened, Suzanne returns home to where her dogs lend their silent comfort and she ultimately decides to run her own shadow investigation. From there she attempts to juggle a multitude of suspects that include the mayor of small town Kindred, a strange visiting minister, a former female employee of the victim, and the play’s director.

When things go from bad to worse, Suzanne pays a visit to Mocha and Grommet where she does some quiet reflection in the solitude and safety of their old red barn. Feeling renewed, Suzanne goes on to deal with holiday tea parties, a second murder, a devastating fire, and a terrifying car crash.

Besides sympathetic animal characters, Eggs on Ice also offers plenty of outrageous humor, cozy moments, and recipes that include Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork, Elvis French Toast, Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole, and Church Basement Funeral Bars.

Eggs on Ice is one of the most exciting, heartwarming, and personally enthralling books that I’ve ever written. And I’m equally delighted that every single chapter features a scary, shivery scene, outrageous humor, and delicious food descriptions. Best of all, there’s no filler, it’s all thriller, and a delightful pre-Holiday read!

Love,

Laura


Church Basement Funeral Bars,
a bonus recipe from Eggs on Ice

1/3 cup melted butter
1 ½ cups graham crackers, crushed
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup dates, cut up
1 cup candied cherries, cut up
1 cup candied pineapple, cut up
1 cup pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In bowl, combine melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs. Pat crumb mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Then press each ingredient, in a single layer, on top of the crumbs, starting with the coconut flakes. Then press on the dates, then cherries, then pineapple, then pecans. Cover the entire dessert with the sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Yields 15 to 18 bars.



BIO


Laura Childs is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of the Scrapbooking Mysteries, Tea Shop Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

 GIVEAWAY TIME!

Laura will give away an autographed copy of EGGS ON ICE to one lucky commenter!

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:



* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/
* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. US entries only please. Contest ends midnight, December 6. Good luck!


11 comments:

  1. I think Rocco is a pretty mellow fellow and will understand dogs and a horse and a mule rather than cats.
    We are FB friends and I've linked this to my page
    I visit regularly
    I don't tweet or have a blog
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love cat sidekicks in cozy mysteries! lindaherold999(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. This sounds like a fun read. Thanks for the opportunity.
    browninggloria@hotmail.com
    Gloria Browning

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sure Rocco is in the Christmas spirit and will extend it to Baxter and Scruff.
    I love the description of this book - going right on my TBR list. And all the recipes sound great - I need to know more about Elvis French Toast.

    I follow this blog and we are FB friends.
    Thanks!
    sallycootie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really love Laura Childs' books and "Eggs On Ice" sounds like another great book. Rocco, I'm sure you would prefer cats in the story, but can make an exception for this book.
    Rocco, I follow your blog and on Twitter and we are friends on Facebook. Post shared on Facebook and Twitter.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Cackleberry Club cracks me up (pun possibly intended). Thanks for the chance to win the latest!
    I follow your blog by email: crs(at)codedivasites(dot)com, and on Twitter: @carlrscott . I have tweeted a link: https://twitter.com/carlrscott/status/1069271853640773632, and we are Feacebook friends as well (Carl Scott).
    Thanks again, have a great December!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those bars sound yummy.
    Jana - turtle6422 at gmail dot com
    Following your blog
    Following on Twitter
    Friends on Facebook
    Mentioned the contest on Facebook

    ReplyDelete
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