by: Lena Gregory
Series: Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new series that will warm your heart and leave you guessing until the very end…
When twenty-five-year-old Danika Delaney, black sheep of the Delaney clan, returns home to Long Island to take over Jimmie’s, her eccentric uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island, she’s not exactly thrilled. But things start to look up when her uncle tells her she can do whatever she’d like with the shop, and it seems she might realize her dream of a small trendy café. That is, until she discovers the body of her ex-boyfriend’s estranged wife in a melted puddle of rocky road in the malt shop basement. With her two sidekicks, her sister and a good childhood friend, in tow, Dani searches for–or stumbles upon—one clue after another. But as she narrows down the suspect list, she realizes if she’s not careful she may end up in a puddle of her own…
I’m doing well, thank you! It’s great to be here. How are you?
I’m good. Thank you for asking. Before we get started, can you please introduce yourself to readers?
Of course! Hi everyone. I’m Danika Delaney, twenty-five years old, from a small town on eastern Long Island, New York. After going away to college and earning a degree in marketing, then subletting an apartment in New York City from a friend and working as a waitress while awaiting my big break, my entire world just turned to chaos. Within a twenty-four-hour period, I lost my apartment, the man I expected a proposal from dumped me, and my family decided I was most suited to take over my Uncle Jimmie’s failing mom and pop ice cream shop, despite having no skills or interest in the ice cream business. As far as love interests, after my last relationship imploded, who do I run into my first day in the shop? Luca Martinelli, the boy I dated all through high school right up through prom when I returned from the restroom to find him lip locked with Heather Teague—cheerleader extraordinaire!
Oh. I’m sorry. All of that sounds really bad. Can you please tell us about some of the people we’ll meet in your story?
You’ll meet Uncle Jimmie, my favorite uncle who used to slip me cookies before dinner whenever my mom wasn’t looking, and his best friend, Harry Martinelli, Luca’s uncle. You’ll meet Luca, who grabs my wrist in an effort to apologize for the aforementioned prom incident just as his wife (did I mention he ended up marrying good ole Heather the cheerleader?) walks in and gets the wrong impression. And you’ll meet my best friend from childhood, Gwen, who hasn’t changed a bit and, according to Detective Jake Barlow (a.k.a. Detective Steamy), is the Ethel to my Lucy.
I can’t wait to learn more about Detective Steamy, I mean, Detective Barlow. We'll come back to the topic of him later. Tell me about a defining moment in your life.
I’ve had two defining moments. The first was prom night, when I walked in and found my boyfriend with Heather in his lap. It’s bad enough when something like that happens, but when you live in a small town it’s even worse. Thanks to Watchogue’s overactive gossip mill, everyone knew what happened by morning. So, I ran—all the way to New York City, to reinvent myself. Unfortunately, I ended up right back in Watchogue. Which brings me to my second defining moment—finding cheerleader extraordinaire dead in the basement of Uncle Jimmie’s shop the morning after her confrontation with Luca over me.
Oh no. Let’s do a subtle, not-so-subtle transition…What’s your most prized possession?
At the moment, my most prized possession is my new navy blue sundress, not because I love the dress (though I really do) but because my sister, Meghan, bought it for me so I would look good if I wanted to snag Luca Martinelli again—which I don’t—probably.
Luca?! Uhm. Okay. Let's come back to him in a second. Why do you feel the need to put on your sleuthing hat and investigate murders?
If I don’t clear my name of all suspicion, I will never become successful in Watchogue, and after Uncle Jimmie gave his blessing for me to turn his ice cream parlor into a trendy café, I really want to stay and give it my best shot.
When you aren’t investigating and trying to clear your name of murders, what do you like to do?
I enjoy walking on the beach with my sister, hanging out with Gwen, and shopping. I really enjoy shopping, though my budget would disagree.
I’m a romance girl. Is there any chance of a budding romance in your future?
At the moment, I’m still recovering from my last relationship. I was kind of hoping Luca and I might hit it off again, after I found out he was divorcing Heather, but after finding me snooping through his bedroom when no one was home, I think I might have blown that. Of course, Detective Barlow is a real hottie, so…
I would have loved to have seen Luca’s face when he walked into his bedroom and saw you there. I haven't met the guys yet, but I think I'm team Jake. What do you think about your creator Lena Gregory?
I love Lena, but she is a professional procrastinator. There are times I’m begging her to get my story written, but she’s usually got about a hundred other things on her plate.
What’s next for you?
If Heather’s murder gets solved, I plan to re-open Jimmie’s as the Coffee & Cream Café. I’m thinking of signing a mystery author to do an event for the grand re-opening. Hopefully, that won’t end up with a murder.
That sounds fun. Not the murder part. The mystery author part. Good luck. Danika, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you so much for having me! I’ve enjoyed visiting.
Purchase Murder A La Mode from:
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The Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries Series:
Grounds for Murder releases November 21, 2023
Places to find Lena Gregory:
Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter
You can follow the Murder A La Mode Blog Tour here.
Thank you for sharing this character interview, the author's bio and the book details, I am looking forward to meeting Danika and to reading Murder A La Mode!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Bea! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteThank you so much for having me! I always enjoy visiting with you. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Lena. I definitely need to check this story out.
DeleteSounds like a book I would really enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dianne!
DeleteThis sounds very good!! I also like the cover
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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