Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
It is my pleasure today to welcome Nancy to Escape With Dollycas.
Her new Baker’s Treat Mystery Series is off to a wonderful start with
Gluten for Punishment.
Six Things I Learned Writing a Cozy Mystery
by Nancy J Parra
6) You can always find someone to taste test a new recipe.
5) My big, fat, crazy family finally has a useful purpose in that I have a
wealth of characters to choose from when coming up with crazy, cozy characters.
4) All my years of 4H demonstrations and notebooks can be put to good use
when coming up with original recipes for my books.
3) Cozy writers are welcoming, “real” people who see the world slightly tilted.
(Finally I have found my clan.)
2) Cozy bloggers will hunt you down and ask you to write a blog
even when you’re on deadline and haven’t
had time to set up your own cozy blog tour.
(Thank you! Lori/Dollycas)
1) Cozy readers are brilliant, take no guff, puzzle-solvers with baking,
crafting, and hobby skills to die for, who encourage you to tell them a good story
and by gum you’d better have fun doing it.
~And learning this makes me smile and want to write more cozies.
~Nancy
About This Author
Nancy J. Parra’s discovered she had a severe gluten allergy and had to give up her second favorite passed-time, baking. Six months into her forced new diet, she was back in the kitchen figuring out how to make her own gluten-free baked goods and soon posted delicious pictures on the web. When a good friend suggested she mix her two loves-baking and writing, she wrote her first cozy mystery, Gluten for Punishment (A Baker’s Treat Mystery),
On a happy roll, she soon sold a Mackinac Island Fudge Shop mystery series. All Fudged Up
With an MA in Writing Popular Fiction, Ms. Parra has written articles on writing, and has given workshops on writing techniques to various library and writers groups.
Visit her website at www.nancyjparra.com for more information, a list of her books and full reviews.
She can also be found on:
Gluten for Punishment
(A Baker’s Treat Mystery)
Brand New Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (May 7, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Patricia Castelao
Cover Design by Rita Frangie
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425252109
E-Book File Size: 1099 KB
ASIN: B009KUXAPI
With her mother’s death, Toni Ryder returns home to OilTop, Kansas bringing her gluten-free bakery business with her. But Toni has never felt at home in her hometown and cooking wheat-free in the middle of wheat country isn’t making her any less a fish out of water. When Toni becomes a suspect in OilTop’s first homicide investigation in twenty years, she must count on her crazy family and follow the clues to solve the mystery and clear her name.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
A Fine Debut!
Parra has created a very interesting protagonist in Toni. Her gluten free bakery in the heartland adds drama and also informs about an allergy that has come to the forefront in recent years. Celiac Disease (those who are sensitive to gluten) is said to affect 1% of the U.S. Population. Her mystery shines the light in a fun and entertaining way with recipes too!
She also introduces some great supporting characters. Chain smoker Grandma Ruth was my favorite. She really has Toni’s best interests at heart and she constantly butts her way into every situation. Toni’s friend and taste tester Tasha tries to keep Toni calm but she has someone new in her life that is making her a bit crazy. Toni also has not 1 but 2 men who would like to be more than just friends.
The author makes the story current and real by blending in true life issues like farms changing how they do business today and the dangers of foreclosures in the rough economic times. Her plot is believable and has plenty of twists to keep those pages turning.
OilTop seems like a great place full of quirky people. Perfect for a cozy mystery series. I look forward to returning again soon!
Would you like to win a copy of this wonderful book?
Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!
U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.
Leave a comment for Nancy for 5 Bonus Entries !
If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End June 12, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM
For More Information About Celiac Disease Check Out The Celiac Foundation here.
I have heard much about it lately on the television program The View. Co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck has the disease and has written The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Would love to read this book.
Looking forward to getting to know Nancy through her books.
I have this book and it is near the top of my t-b-r pile. Many in our family have Celiac disease or are gluten intolerant. Dee
I’ve been wanting to read this one since it came out. It’s on my TBR. Love the bakery cozies. Can’t wait to read this one. Thanks !!!!
Love finding new cozy series to try – thanks!
Congratulations on your new book, Gluten for Punishment! Love cozy mysteries dealing with food. Thanks for sharing.
Nancy, if you need any more samplers, I’ll step up;) LOL. Can’t wait to read Gluten for Punishment. Sounds hilarious! (I know how crazy big families are!!)
I love reading about authors. This is great!!
By the sounds of it this novel contains some pretty interesting characters. I like meeting interesting characters.
Love the title and the idea of the book. We’re gluten free in our house too and know how challenging it can be.
Thank you for the review. I’m looking forward to reading the book it sounds great.
A food book with a different twist. Sounds like a great read.
I’m going to have to start looking into gluten free desserts for my older daughter. She found that by going gluten free she is finally able to lose weight.
I love the review and am looking forward to reading this book.
Although I don’t require gluten free recipes, I’m more than happy to read about them. I also can’t wait to read about fudge!!!
Sounds like a great read. Love the review and synopsis! Looking forward to reading more
My mom has Celiac Disease, so I look forward to the recipes. I also love a good cooking mystery!
Wish you the best!
With more and more people going Gluten Free, this book is coming out at a perfect time. Add in the cooking part and I am sure that it will be a huge hit. I will be adding it to my TBR list as well.
HA! I THOUGHT you wrote something other than cozies… I love how you stumbled sideways into this. It’s a great theme (though as a Michigander, I have to say I’m REALLY looking forward to the Fudge ones!!!)
I love this title and play on words. Very creative and smart.
this review and book is unique and appealing. Best wishes.
Thanks for the giveaway – we would love to be gluten free but we live in such a small community the resources are not available locally
I love to read books where food plays a big role. I think I would do as you did if I could no longer eat something. I love to make my own recipes.
I stopped in my favorite independent book store and she told me I play a part in a column she wrote for the Wellsboro Gazette about cozies. I have been known to tell her about new ones that come out and order some of them and she orders some for the store. I will have to tell her about your books.
Welcome Nancy! I love your list! I bet 4H has been a huge help in creating recipes! Think Gluten for Punishment looks great! Thanks for the chance to win!
Thank you for the chance to win this book, it looks like a fun one to read.
My favorite kind of cozies feature food! =)
Your series sounds so interesting!
I live in Kansas, love your 4H Kansas photo!
This sounds like a very fun book! Thanks for sharing! And I love recipes and should be doing more gluten-free baking for my daughter-in-law.
Sounds like a great new series. Definitely on my TBR list.
I love to read cozy mysteries and this sounds like a good read one I am going to enjoy. I dont need gluten free foods but I am a fanatic about recipes and cooking.
I would love to win a copy of this book.
Nancy…being a fan of cozy mysteries and having gluten issues my self , I think
your series will be fun, as well as helpful. I am happy to have come across this chance for a book on Dollyca’s. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’m hoping you might have some recipes in this book—then I can cook, eat, and read—my favorite things to do.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I would very much like to win a copy of this book. I would review it even. jrs362 at hotmail dot com
I love a mystery and I love food, so this would be a great summer read.
Looks like a great new mysteries.
I really enjoyed this post. The book sounds awesome!!
I’d love to read your new book, sound like a great read!