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How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery)
by Debra Sennefelder
About How the Murder Crumbles
How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Crooked Lane Books (June 20, 2023)
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639102809
ISBN-13 : 978-1639102808
Digital ASIN : B0BG13HTC6
Debra Sennefelder whips up cookies and crime in a delicious new cozy series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Peg Cochran.
Wingate, Connecticut, is famed as one of the top ten shopping destinations in the state, and home to Mallory Monroe’s beloved Cookie Shop—a place where patrons are greeted with the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies that are as beautifully decorated as they are insanely delicious.
But things aren’t going so smoothly for Mallory. Her two employees are a disaster in the kitchen, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and she’s seen having a fierce argument with food blogger Beatrice Wright, who accuses Mallory of stealing her cookie recipe. Then Beatrice turns up dead in her kitchen, flour outlining her body and a bloodied marble rolling pin nearby. Mallory immediately becomes suspect number one, her sales plummet, and she desperately tries to clear her name—but that’s not the only murder the killer is baking up.
Debra Sennefelder has cooked up a perfect recipe—endearing characters, a picture-perfect evocation of small-town life, and a quaint sweets shop. And just when things get a little too comfy, there’s always a murder or two for good measure.
A Look Behind The Scenes of Writing a Book by Debra Sennefelder
I’m thrilled to be here today to share my new release, HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES. It’s the first book in the Cookie Shop Mystery series. My love of cookies and my appreciation of cookie art inspired me. Add in a little murder and I had the recipe for a delicious new mystery.
As a published author, I get asked often what goes into writing a book. Today I thought I share with you a behind the scenes look at the making of HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES.
It started with brainstorming after I settled on the idea of the protagonist being a cookie baker. I had to create the town, the business, the supporting characters and motives for murder for not only the killer but also the other suspects. This took a couple of weeks.
Once the brainstorming period ended, the next part of the process was to write the outline. The more detailed the better. My outlines can range up to forty pages. They can include not only scene-by-scene summaries but also snippets of dialogue, descriptions of settings and any other relevant information I’d need to write the story. This process can also take a couple of weeks.
After my outline is completed, I’ll begin writing the first draft. I set a word count goal for my writing days. I’ve written a first draft in as a fast as a month, but recently it took three months to write a first draft. I’m finding that it all depends on upon what’s going on in life. No matter how long it takes, it’s always a juggling act to balance everything.
When the first draft is finished, I’ll set the manuscript aside for two weeks. This gives me some distance from the story and allows me to come up with some more ideas, maybe some snappier dialogue, or maybe a twist I hadn’t planned on. It’s during the second draft I dig into the story and flesh it out more. I love this part of my writing process.
During the third draft, I have my computer read back the manuscript to me. Having the story read to me allows me to catch typos and awkward sentences. When that is complete, I’ll print the manuscript and do a final reading before I send it to my editor.
Once the manuscript is in the hands of my publisher, I wait for a round of line edits and then copy edits. Those are followed by page proofs, which is the final step before the book goes to printing.
There you have it. A look behind the scenes of how I write my books. Oh, there are copious amounts of coffee, and I always make sure to squeeze in exercise into my daily routine. I find that movement helps with creativity.
Thank you so much for visiting with me today. Please feel free to leave any questions you have about the book writing process. And don’t forget to check out HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES.
About Debra Sennefelder
Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series, the Resale Boutique Mystery series, and the Cookie Shop mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.
Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie, and Billy.
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An entertaining and captivating story which would be enjoyed.
This sounds very good, the cover looks great!
Sounds like a book I would enjoy reading. Love the cover. On my TBR list.
looks like a fun one
Thanks for the book info Brooke!