Tea Cups and Carnage by Lynn Cahoon
A Tourist Trap Mystery #7
The kettle’s about to boil over . . .
The quaint coastal town of South Cove, California, is all abuzz about the opening of a new specialty shop, Tea Hee. But as Coffee, Books, and More owner Jill Gardner is about to find out, there’s nothing cozy about murder . . .
Shop owner Kathi Corbin says she came to South Cove to get away from her estranged family. But is she telling the truth? And did a sinister someone from her past follow her to South Cove? When a woman claiming to be Kathi’s sister starts making waves and a dead body is found in a local motel, Jill must step in to clear Kathi’s name—without getting herself in hot water.
Honoring the past.
One of the things I loved about writing Tea Cups and Carnage was Kathi Corbin, new South Cove resident and owner of Tea Hee, an all things tea shop. Kathi, like me, loves old china. She talks about how she loved going through her grandmother’s china cabinet, looking for old mish-mashed cups and saucers and tea pots.
I’ve got my ‘family’ china hidden in the top cabinets in my kitchen since I don’t have an official china hutch. Or even an official dining room in this house. Somehow, we’re losing the purpose of the formal dining room. A place to focus on gathering as a family for at least one meal a day. A place to share and enjoy food and conversation.
Now, I have a nook off my kitchen where my husband and I eat dinner probably at least once a week. Since he works out of the house, he’s typically still on his computer by the time dinner rolls around.
I’m trying to squeeze in some writing time so I’m in front of my own computer. The good news is we’re in the same room.
That’s also the bad news, but I have earphones I use to pump Pandora (my Fleetwood Mac channel) into my ears and block out his conversations with his employees about technical things I don’t want to hear. Let’s just say I know more about underground utility locating than I ever wanted to know.
I’m a huge fan of flea markets and antique stores. Finding a piece of history that brings your personal story to light is amazing and wandering through the stores also gets my mind wandering through stories.
Walking into Tea Hee is like walking into an adult tea party. We need to do this more. Sit in the afternoon with a few of your closest friends and just sip tea, eat treats, and enjoy each other’s company.
Yes, it’s a theme. We need to come together over food and drink and lovely china that makes us happy.
And if you’re new to my stories, that’s what I write about. Living, loving, and being happy. With a murder or two thrown in.
-Lynn
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies.
Thanks for hosting me today.
I love this series!
Who are some of your favorite authors; what strikes you about their work?
Good question Peggy! I love Stephen King, especially when he writes fantasy. Or fantasy in our world. For reality, I adore Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series. I’m a big fan of the Discovery of Witches series too. And Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters.
Mostly, I like to get lost in a good story.
Love the setting of the book.and the name of the shop Tea Hee. Sounds like a great read.
Thanks for the chance to win 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com