Interview with Meg London, author of Laced With Poison

Meg London writes the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie Mystery series (she also writes under he real name of Peg Cochran, The Gourmet De-Lite Mystery Series). Read on to find out why you should be reading her cozy books!

Interview with Meg London

1. Meg, how would you describe the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series?

It’s set in Paris, Tennessee, and I’d like to think it’s full of Southern charm :). The series revolves around Arabella and her niece Emma. They have renovated Arabella’s lingerie shop (ripped out the pea green shag from the 1970s and it’s now pale pink with black and white toile accents) and found their niche in vintage lingerie. There’s mystery and murder (of course) but romance, too. Emma realizes she’s in love with her best friend, Liz’s, brother. Arabella has several men interested in her and Sylvia, the crusty ex-New Yorker they’ve hired as a bra fitter, finds love in the Laced with Poison. Oh, and I won’t tell you what Pierre, Arabella’s French bulldog, gets up to!

2. Emma Taylor, the main character in the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series, how would you describe her? How did you create the character of Emma?

She crystalized for me when I saw a picture of Carey Mulligan with short, dark hair. I thought, “that’s Emma!” Emma is a bit of a wounded bird at first—her ex-boyfriend was cheating on her with several high profile models—but she’s tough, too. She’s the sort who makes the best of things and tries to remain cheerful no matter what comes her way.

3. What is the best thing about writing cozy mysteries?

Being able to create my own world and then lose myself in it! I love cozies because they’re all about the people, their secrets, the gossip they spread, their relationships. I’m not as interested in the forensics and the grooves on a bullet leading to the killer but rather the analysis of personalities and putting the pieces together through what people say and do.

4. Meg, do you have a street team to help promote your books? If you don’t, is this something that you might consider?
I don’t have a street team. I’ve only recently heard of the term. I think I could use one!
5. Meg- you have 2 series- one, the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series and the other written by you as Peg Cochran- the Gourmet De-Lite Mystery series. Emma and Gigi are the main characters- which character is more like you?

I think Gigi is probably a little more like me—she’s a bit older than Emma, has been married and loves to cook (which I do, too.) She also went to Catholic school (same here). I suppose writers put a little bit of themselves in every character, but I view Emma and Gigi as people in their own right. Sometimes I have to remind myself that they don’t really exist.

6. What can readers of the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series expect from Emma next?

Well…I don’t want to give away too much about the next book, but she faces some family issues, and her romance with Brian heats up nicely!

*Thanks to Meg London for the interview!

Meg London, also known as Peg Cochran, writes 2 different cozy mystery series. One is the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series by Meg London and the other is the Gourmet De-Lite Mystery series written by Peg Cochran. Both Meg and Peg can be found on her website!

To see my review of Steamed to Death by Peg Cochran- read HERE.

Literary Friday ya’ll…

Friday- Friday -Friday!

Deep South Magazine and their #literaryfriday goodness: Carl Hiassen’s Most Memorable Characters, Wiley Cash news, and more. Plus, the Author Spotlight that was featured yesterday on Erika Marks on my blog, Traveling With T, made the #literaryfriday news!

Literary New England is getting “chatty” during the month of July- 2 author chats lined up: Nichole Bernier, The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D, chats with @litnewengland July 2nd from 8-9PM EST. There will be a #giveaway! Then July 10, Erika Marks chats from 8-9pmEST- there will be a #giveaway for her chat as well. Use #LNEchat to participate.

Anita Loves Books is giving away a copy of Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman. #giveaway ends June 16th.

She Reads as part of their Books of Summer series features Meg Donohue. Read her Tell Me Something True: A Visit with Meg Donohue to find out some about All The Summer Girls.

Today, I reviewed Steamed to Death by Peg Cochran for Cozy Mystery Reviews!

The #giveaway is still going on for Erika Marks The Guest House. Comment on Erika Marks: Author Spotlight for a chance to win!

What are you reading for #fridayreads? I’m reading The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan, The Wishing Tree by Marybeth Whalen, Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight and hoping to get in Time Flies by Claire Cook.

Speaking of The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan- it is mentioned in OBSESSED- The 20 Next Big Things in Glamour’s July 2013 magazine.

Happy reading!

Steamed to Death by Peg Cochran (Plus RECIPE!)

Steamed to Death

ISBN:978-0425252208

Series: Gourmet De-Lite Mystery

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Cozy Mystery Review

Gigi Fitzgerald has signed soap-star, Felicity Davenport, as one of her clients for Gigi’s Gourmet De-Lite. Gigi is pretty excited as she hopes that this will help put her business on the road to success. Gigi is also excited because her and her best friend, Sienna, will be working together some to help Felicity re-brand her image (Gigi with weight loss and healthier living, and Sienna with public relations). All seems to be going well until Gigi sees an article in the paper questioning if Felicity has a new boy-toy and the boy-toy in question is Sienna’s husband.

Later, when Felicity’s body is found- the police question Sienna about her work relationship with Felicity. Gigi, being no fool, knows that Sienna could not have killed Felicity- and also knows that the police are considering her a suspect. So Gigi, Sienna and Alice team up to find who could have killed Felicity. The list is long- and each person has a motive. Could it be Felicity’s husband? Or her manager? Or the actress, Vanessa, that wanted more air-time on the soap opera where her and Felicity were actresses?

Gigi’s hands are pretty busy with trying to figure out who had the most to gain by Felicity’s death- but to add more to her plate- she has 2 men in her life. One is an incurable flirt, Declan, owner of a restaurant in town. The other is Detective Mertz, who Gigi would like to get to know better; but work seems to get in the way.

Does Gigi solve the mystery? We, as readers, need to hope so- or it’ll be the end of delicious recipes from Gourmet De-Lite!

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

This is my first Gourmet De-Lite mystery. Enjoyable. Characters that are interesting. Romance. Good plot. Funny at times. I would definitely consider reading more of Gigi!

Ice Cream Novelties

This is a fun, extremely versatile dessert that you can whip up on the fly for unexpected guests. It takes plain ice cream to a new level. It can be adapted in a myriad of ways—if you are serving children instead of adults, use Oreo cookies mixed with sprinkles or chocolate chips or whatever comes to mind. If you don’t care for Amaretto, you can substitute another liqueur or leave it out. Same with the nuts—try chopped pecans, pistachios or peanuts.

Vanilla ice cream

Approximately 3 handfuls of vanilla wafers

1/3 cup sliced almonds

2 – 3 TBL Amaretto

Put vanilla wafers in a plastic zip-lock baggie. Crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Spread out on a cookie sheet and mix in sliced almonds. Sprinkle with Amaretto if using.

Roll individual scoops of ice cream in mixture. Place coated ice cream scoops on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer for at least an hour to harden.

Peg Cochran writes Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries featuring Gigi Fitzgerald. She also writes as Meg London. To find out more about Peg, please visit her website.

Game Drive by Marie Moore

Title: Game Drive

Author: Marie Moore

Series: Sidney Marsh Murder Series

Publisher: Camel Press

ISBN: 978-1603819619

Sidney Marsh, born a Mississippi girl, but moved to the Big Apple- where she is now a travel agent for Itchy Feet Travel (don’t blame Sidney- she didn’t pick the name!) Sidney likes her work and loves her friend, Jay, who is a fun friend at the travel agency. One day Sidney walks in Itchy Feet late, and realizes the normal decor is gone and everything is different- more African safari like decorations. Turns out as she walks in the meeting, that this is the owner’s plan- safari’s for the groups as a way to drum up new business. Sidney and Jay get chosen to go on a “fam trip” to Africa (to familarize themselves with what to expect before they take a group on a safari). After the debacle of the last trip that Sidney and Jay were on- it’s made clear to both of them that this trip to Africa needs to go smoothly.

Of course, best laid plans and all- the trip to Africa starts out ok; but slowly begins to disintegrate. Jay’s nervous about the animals, Sidney’s pocket gets picked, and one of the travel agents has a terrible habit of making everyone wait! As Sidney listens and learns more about each travel agent- she becomes suspicious that someone on the “fam trip” is an imposter. Still, for the most part, Jay and Sidney are happy on the trip- until a body is found. Was it an accident? Did one of the animals attack? Or was it something more sinister? The “fam trip” continues, but Sidney and Jay are growing more suspicious as the days go by- and they aren’t the only ones. Before this trip is over, more things will have went wrong, true identities will be revealed, and Sidney will learn that in Africa- it’s not only the wild animals that need to be feared- sometimes the humans are the most dangerous.

With danger, intrigue, romance, and more- Sidney Marsh takes the readers on a ride that is fun and interesting!

Blogger’s opinion: This is my first Marie Moore book, and I found the story enjoyable. The story flowed fairly well for the most part. Sidney is an interesting character, and I liked the character Jay. With it being a book that had a travel angle- I did expect some travel agent talk; and while some was needed- perhaps it had just a bit too much. However, the book has more positive than negative about it. I do believe that I’ll be checking out the first book in the Sidney Marsh series- and look forward to reading more about Sidney.

*BIG HUGE GIVEAWAY! Cozy Mystery Reviews is offering a GREAT giveaway! Details HERE!

Deadly Policy by Mitzi Kelly

Deadly Policy

ISBN:978-1611097740

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Author: Mitzi Kelly

Series: Silver Sleuths Mystery

Reviewed by: Traveling With T

*Note: This is the 2nd book in the Silver Sleuths series. While Deadly Policy does make some references to the previous book (Classic Revenge) in the series, it’s not necessary to read in order.

Millie, Trish, and Edna- to the outside world- a 80 year old, a 45 year old, and a 65 year old might not appear to have much in common- but these ladies have a friendship that is strong and will last to the end of time. Neighbors and friends, Millie, Trish and Edna share a spirit about life that’s hard to beat!

In Deadly Policy, Millie gathers Trish and Edna together to discuss her daughter, Michelle. Millie is worried that Michelle may find herself in some trouble- there has been a sudden increase in stolen cars and all were insured by the company Michelle works for. At first, it appeared to be a coincidence- but with each vehicle stolen- it seems to point to an inside job. Or does it? Millie decides that she, Trish and Edna will get to the bottom of this mystery before anyone can accuse Michelle of being part of an inside job.

Millie, Trish and Edna set about to find if there is a pattern to the stolen cars, clues, and other things to help solve the mystery. Millie is convinced that Michelle’s ex-husband, Tony, is the bad guy- but both Trish and Edna caution her to keep an open mind until they have more facts. Michelle and Richard (her boss) are trying to stay positive, but with Richard’s ex, Barbara, floating around and disgruntled customers wanting their insurance money, it’s hard. Then, when a dead body is found outside of the insurance office, the ladies are really worried for Michelle and know they must get to the bottom of this mystery quickly.

When clues begin to surface because of the hard work of Millie, Trish and Edna- the women hope that the mystery is close to being solved and that Michelle will not be part of an internal investigation. However, this particular villian has other plans in mind. Will the Silver Sleuths solve the mystery? Read Deadly Policy to find out.

*Blogger note: This is my first Silver Sleuth Series book to read, and while I enjoyed the characters, the setting and the mystery- I did find one character a bit annoying at times. However, the actions of the other 2 work well as a balance. Each character has something that is relatable, a sense of spirit that is enjoyable.These women, especially Millie, show that life does not end at 40.

Recommended for: cozy fans, readers looking for characters over 40, readers wanting stories of friendship.

GIVEAWAY: Mitzi Kelly has generously offered each tour stop on the DEADLY POLICY blog tour sponsored by Cozy Mystery Book Reviews a copy of BOTH Classic Revenge and Deadly Policy to give to a lucky person (sorry! US only). For a chance to win the 2 books in the Silver Sleuths Mystery series- comment and tell your favorite cozy mystery series. Be sure and include your email in the comment as well (use the AT and DOT- ex: email name AT service (gmail, yahoo, hotmail) DOT com). The giveaway will be open to April 30th, and the winner will be annouced May 1. Winner will be emailed- so be sure and check your emails May 1!

Literary Friday ya’ll…

Before I begin my #literaryfriday talk- riddle me this: Why do people want to follow you on Twitter that don’t really care for you in real life? Seriously, looking at my follower list this morning- and I was like “How did you find me?!!” “Why are you following me?” “Why me?!” Ok drama over.

1.Deep South Magazine is taking today off from #literaryfriday- because they are traveling to Arkansas- so no Deep South news.

2. What are your #fridayreads? Mine is American Ghost by Janis Owens.

3. Looking for book tours + giveaways? Cozy Mystery Review has an upcoming one!

4. My review of Malicious Masquerade has been posted to Cozy Mystery Reviews!

Blog Posts to read from She Reads:

Tell Me Something True- A Visit with Tanis Rideout

Literary First Love- Julie Kibler

Book Club News:

Looking for a book to read in March? Rebecca- Love at First Book and Allison- The Book Wheel are teaming up- they’ve picked Tana French’s In The Woods as their March book club pick and would love for you to join along. Read HERE for more info on how to join along!

March #gr8Books Book Club Selection is Wife 22. Join in the discussion of the book on Twitter March 5,2013 from 8-9pm CST. Read HERE for more info!

And don’t forget: I’m hosting a Twitter chat with Julie Kibler about her debut novel, Calling Me Home, on Feb 20 from 2-3pm EST. Use #srchat to join in. Can’t come? Don’t worry. The online book club discussion will begin on Feb 25 and will go on all week long. Go to She Reads to join in!

Happy Reading!

Random thoughts….

It’s Tuesday- and I’ve got a few things to say, but nothing that fits under one cute title- hence the random thoughts!

Giveaways:

Cozy Mystery Book Reviews is still doing the 31 days of giveaways for January. If you are a cozy reader- check it out!

Hallie Sawyer is giving away a copy of The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro- just read the post to find out how to enter- and take some time to look at Hallie’s blog (it’s great!) and check out Great New Books (another great website to help readers find books and book chatter!)

Other news:

MVB Club is celebrating their 1 year Anniversary as bloggers! Join me in extending them congratulations to a great first year- and to many more!

Am I the only one who does not watch Downton Abbey? You’ll be happy to know that I’m downloading the first season 🙂

I’m reading A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano. Really enjoying it. However, I’m also reading The End Of Your Life Book Club– and honestly, I’m not enjoying it that much. Perhaps, my expectations were too high as everyone I know was raving about book. Thoughts?