Author Interview & Giveaway ~ BATTERED AND BURIED by Lena Gregory

Battered and Buried (All-Day Breakfast Café, #7)
by: Lena Gregory
Series: All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Beyond the Page

The best-laid plans may go awry, but the best-laid clues could frame a man for murder...

Never one to let a day off work go to waste, café owner Gia Morelli and a friend head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest. But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when they come across Cole, her head cook, standing over a dead body. Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole’s, and clues found on the body point to the cook as the culprit. When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Gia vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence.

As even more incriminating evidence surfaces—including when the murder weapon itself is found hidden at the café—Gia knows she’s up against someone brutal enough to kill and devious enough to frame Cole for the deed. With the police ready to make an official arrest and wrap up what they consider an open-and-shut case, Gia turns for help to an old friend who’s not above breaking the law himself. Because if she can’t find the killer, Cole may go from serving up hot dishes to serving a life sentence...

Hi Lena. Welcome back to Read Your Writes Book Reviews. How are you?
I’m doing well, thank you. Busy, as always. How are you?

I’m good. Thank you so much for asking. So, WOW! Battered and Buried is the seventh book in your All-Day Breakfast Café mystery series. Can you tell a newbie about the series, and is Battered and Buried considered to be a standalone read?
The All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries take place in the small town of Boggy Creek, Florida. Gia Morelli, a native New Yorker, who worked at a deli in New York City, relocated to Florida after her ex was accused of a whole list of crimes. Her best friend, Savannah, helped her buy a small house on the outskirts of the Ocala National Forest and the All-Day Breakfast Café on Main Street. Since moving to Florida, Gia has become involved in more than one murder investigation, including the newest in Battered and Buried, which can be read as a standalone.

Let’s do a character refresher. Can you please give a little glossary of the characters readers will see in the story?

Gia Morelli—Owner, All-Day Breakfast Café

Thor—Gia’s Bernese mountain dog

Klondike—Gia’s black and white kitten

Savannah Mills—Gia’s best friend, former real estate agent

Pepper—Savannah’s gray and white tabby kitten

Captain Hunter Quinn (Hunt)—Gia’s fiancé, Savannah’s cousin, captain of the Boggy Creek PD

Leo Dumont—Savannah’s fiancé, Hunt’s partner

Harley Anderson—homeless man

Earl Dennison—Older man, Gia’s first-ever customer at the All-Day Breakfast Café

Cole Barrister—Retired, full-time cook at All-Day Breakfast Café

Cybil Devane—Mysterious older woman who often walks in the woods

Alfie Todd—Freelance information analyst

Trevor Barnes—Owner of Storm Scoopers, ice cream parlor on Main Street

Brandy—Trevor’s German shepherd

Zeus and Ares—Trevor’s guard dogs, Akitas

Willow Broussard—All-Day Breakfast Café’s full-time waitress

Skyla Broussard—Willow’s mother

Zoe—Owner of the Doggie Daycare Center

Donna Mae Parker—Harley’s ex-girlfriend, flower shop owner

I’m a few books behind on the series. I’m excited to see some new faces. I don’t remember Zeus and Ares. What can readers expect from Battered and Buried?
Never one to let a day off work go to waste, café owner Gia Morelli and a friend head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest. But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when they come across Cole, her head cook, standing over a dead body. Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole’s and clues found on the body point to the cook as the culprit. When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Gia vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence.

I love the covers for this series. Do you have any say so in them?
Thank you so much! I was thrilled with this cover. Usually, I fill out a cover art sheet, just giving details of the story. This time, Bill, my editor at Beyond the Page, had a picture in his head of how he envisioned the cover, and I left it to him. I was so thrilled with his ideas, I kept it just the way it was.

How do you think Gia has changed over the course of the series?
Gia has definitely grown throughout the series. Not only has she become more independent, but she’s found happiness and the ability to trust again. She has even come to accept the critters that are found all over Central Florida.

I am officially, three books behind now…. (Hangs head in shame.) One of the things I love about this series is the all-be-it-slow, budding relationship between Gia and Hunt. Can you tell me if things are progressing well there? I know it’s a spoiler, but I just have to know.
Okay, if you’re sure you want to know. Yes, things are progressing between them, and they recently became engaged. I’m pretty sure there will be a wedding in an upcoming book.

Okay. I’m a little excited. In addition to writing several different cozy mysteries series, you also write in a couple of different genres, under different pen names. How do you keep everything separate and organized?
I don’t always, lol. I once wrote half a book with the wrong dog in it and had to go back to fix it, which is more difficult than it might seem since each of my character’s pets have their own personalities. Other than that, I don’t find the writing too difficult, since the genres I write are very different. I have more of a hard time remembering who I’m supposed to be on social media and sometimes comment from the wrong pen name.

Lena, congratulations on the release of Battered and Buried. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me.
Thank you so much! And thank you for having me and for sharing my new release.

You’re welcome.

Purchase Battered and Buried from:

Amazon | Paperback | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads

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The All-Day Breakfast Café Series:

Scone Cold Killer (Book 1) ~ Review

Murder Made to Order (Book 2) ~ Review

A Cold Brew Killing (Book 3) ~ Review

A Waffle Lot of Murder (Book 4) ~ Review

Whole Latte Murder (Book 5)

Mistletoe Cake Murder (Book 6)

Battered and Buried (Book 7)

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Places to find Lena Gregory:

Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter

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