by: Michelle Hillen Klump
Series: Cocktails and Catering
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: February 8, 2022
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
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Bad news for Samantha Warren: The plucky Houston, Texas, reporter lost her job and her fiance in rapid succession. But Sam has a way of making lemonade out of the bitterest of lemons. At a meeting of the local historical-homes council, she serves up the homemade bitters that she made as gifts for her wedding party. She intends to use that as her "in" to become an in-demand party mixologist. But the party's over for one of the council members, who keels over dead soon after he sips the bereft bride's bitter brew.
It turns out that the victim, Mark, was poisoned--his drink spiked with oleander. Since Sam mixed the drink that Mark imbibed right before his demise, she finds herself at the front of the suspect line. Now, she'll have to use all of her reporter's wisdom and wiles to clear her name.
Who could have wanted Mark dead? His wife, Gabby? His girlfriend, Darcy? Someone who wanted his seat on the council? Or another citizen of this sweet Texas town that holds some seedy secrets?
Job hunting, building her mixology business, and fending off late-night phone calls from her nearly betrothed don't leave much time for sleuthing. But if Sam can't "pour" over the clues to find the killer, it may soon be last call for her.
I’m great! Thanks so much for having me on the blog.
You’re welcome. You’re a debut author. Tell me about yourself.
I am a debut author, but I have been writing for most of my adult life. Much like Samantha, my protagonist, I’m a former newspaper reporter. I covered everything from crime and courts to government and corruption for communities in Central Texas and Arkansas for about eight years. I loved the job because it was a chance to meet people I otherwise may never have met, and learn something new or interesting every day. These days, I’m still a journalist, but my focus has shifted from general news to specialty news for the business industry.
I live in Houston, Texas, with my husband and young daughter. I’m a fan of craft cocktails, and have tried occasionally to make my own bitters. Unfortunately, I’m nowhere near as skilled as Samantha. In my spare time, I like to garden, go on hikes, and ride my bike around Houston’s many bayou bike trails.
Awesome. Congratulations on your new release, A Dash of Death. What can you tell me about the story?
Thank you! My novel begins at what should be the lowest point in Samantha Warren’s life – she’s lost her job, her fiancé, and her dream house, and is stuck with hundreds of bottles of homemade bitters she had planned to give away to wedding guests. To lift her out of her funk, and to help her get rid of all of those bitters, her best friend, Marisa Lopez, finagles an invitation for her to sell her bitters during the Highlands Historic Association Home Tour, which is one of the premiere social events of the season in the Highlands community. Everything is going great until the newest member of the Historic Association Board dies after drinking one of Samantha’s cocktails. The wife of the dead man sues Samantha for negligence, and now, her reputation is at stake. Samantha uses her reporting skills and plunges in to solve the mystery. The story is full of historic homes, delicious food, great friendships, a little romance, and, of course, murder.
Please tell me more about Samantha.
Samantha Warren is in her late 20s. She’s a former newspaper reporter who covered crime for the Houston Gazette, but lost her job, along with several other reporters in the latest newspaper downsizing. She’d been stringing together enough freelance assignments to get by and planning her wedding, when her fiancé called their relationship quits and moved to New York City to further his career. Samantha is smart, but because of some tragic circumstances in her past, she struggles to trust her own instincts, and usually polls her nearest and dearest before making major decisions. She’s trying to decide her next steps, but is having trouble seeing a clear path for her future. The one area where she feels certain of herself is when she is in the kitchen, experimenting with her “herbs and spices” as her friend Marisa calls them, trying out new combinations for her cocktail bitters and syrups.
I’m a romance girl, and I love my cozy mysteries with a little romance thrown in the mix. I know Samantha has just gotten out of a relationship, but you know, things happen. Do you foresee there a little romance involved in this series?
There is definitely a little romance thrown in the mix in this series. In this first book, Samantha’s ex is having second thoughts about ending their relationship. Meanwhile, Samantha is developing some interest in the handsome lawyer friend who helps her out in her case. There’s no telling what the future might bring!
Oh. I’m even more intrigued now. A Dash of Death is the first book in your Cocktails and Catering Mystery series. Can you tell me a little about some of the secondary characters we’ll see in this book and the series?
Samantha is surrounded by what I hope is a fun cast of characters. Though she lives in an enormous city, she has built a community with a group of friends who stick by her.
- Her best friend, Marisa Lopez, is one of her biggest supporters. They met working at the newspaper when Samantha was a reporter and Marisa was a photographer. Marisa is now in law school. She is protective of Samantha, but knows when to call her out on being indecisive.
- Marisa’s girlfriend, Beth Myerson, is also turning into a good friend. She is a landscape architect but wants to find a new way to pursue her gardening and cooking passions.
- David Dwyer is a lawyer Samantha met through her ex-fiancé, when he interned at David’s law office. David is the first lawyer Samantha can think of to defend her against the lawsuit that has been filed against her. He’s handsome and an artist, and as they work together on her case, a few sparks fly. Though Samantha isn’t in a hurry to jump into another relationship, David intrigues her.
The series takes place in Houston, Texas why did you choose a real city, and have you incorporated actual landmarks into the story?
I chose Houston for a few different reasons. The primary reason is that I live there, and it’s the easiest place for me to write about. But another reason is that I love the idea of cozy mysteries taking place in bigger cities. Kellye Garrett did it so well in her Detective By Day Mystery Series, which was set in Los Angeles. She took an immense city and made it work for a cozy series simply by creating a cast of characters that felt like a small community. I wanted to see if I could do something similar for Houston.
When I tell people where I’m from, so many have preconceived notions about Houston, mostly revolving around crowded freeways and the oil industry. Both are a big part of Houston, but there is so much more. We’ve got fantastic theatre and arts programs, wonderful parks and some of the most diverse cuisine anywhere. I wanted to highlight some of what I love about Houston, and give people at least a slightly different perspective on the city.
The bulk of the story takes place in a fictionalized neighborhood called The Highlands (which bears at least a passing resemblance to the Houston Heights). I definitely incorporate some actual landmarks into the story. I’ve got a scene set at Hermann Park, my favorite park in the city, as well as a few scenes in the Montrose and River Oaks neighborhoods.
I admit, I love reading stories where I can relate to some of the places I’m reading. Houston is definitely more that what people see on tv. What’s your favorite part of a cozy mystery to write?
This is a tough question! I think my favorite part to write is the beginning of the book, when the possibilities are still endless. While I write a basic outline for my books, I am much more of a pantser than a plotter. It’s only the very beginning that is well-defined in my head.
Can you share some fun facts about A Dash of Death?
The story takes place in Houston, where I currently live. The Highlands community, where Samantha lives, is based on the historic Houston Heights community, which was one of Houston’s first ‘streetcar suburbs.’ It is full of beautiful old homes and garage apartments, similar to where Samantha lives. There are plenty of actual places in the book, including Hermann Park, my favorite park in the city, where Samantha and her friends indulge in a pedal boat ride around a small lake. Pinks Pizza is also a real pizza place, and is one of my favorite pizza restaurants in Houston. Boheme, where Samantha sells some of her homemade bitters, is an actual bar in Houston. It’s housed in a refurbished historic building and has an amazing outdoor space. It’s known for its eclectic menu and solid craft cocktails. It’s no wonder Samantha loves to hang out there!
Galveston, a quaint beach town, loaded with Victorian architecture and beachy charm, is another frequent setting in the book. There are a few actual places mentioned in Galveston, including Jimmy’s on the Pier, where Samantha eats fresh seafood and watches the pelicans dive bomb the water for fish.
I’ve seen Pink’s Pizza, but I’ve never been. Michelle, what’s next for you?
I’m hard at work on book two in the series, Murder Served Neat, about a murder that occurs during a Fourth of July festival. It should come out in early 2023!
Michelle, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
It was great fun! Thanks for having me.
Great. You’re very welcome.
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You had me at cocktails. The book sounds really good too.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for having me on the blog today! It was great fun!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome. Thank you for stopping by and for answering my questions. Congratulations on your new release!
DeleteWhat a great interview with Michelle and congrats to her on the new release!
ReplyDeleteI admit to being one of those who first think of oil and traffic when Houston is mentioned, so
Excited to read more about the real place. And Galveston too!
Oh. Houston has traffic. Depending on where you are, it's A LOT. And there's ALWAYS construction happening somewhere.
DeleteFabulous cover
ReplyDelete