Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!!
I am super excited to Welcome Cozy Author Beverly Allen
to Escape With Dollycas Today!!
It’s time to shake off the doldrums of a long winter and escape to a leisurely stroll in a flower garden. Just for your visit, we’ve even removed the bees. Our guide through the garden is Audrey Bloom.
What? Never heard of her? Maybe it’s because she’s a new kid on the block. Bloom and Doom,
Audrey Bloom has a gift, it seems. Yes, she’s a talented florist who designs and creates gorgeous bridal bouquets, most based on the language of flowers. But at the beginning of Bloom and Doom
That’s quite a record. And the book begins as a local reporter wants to learn the secret of her marriage success rate.
“Marriage success rate?” Audrey says. “Ha!”
Parts of the book grew naturally out of my own life. Audrey grew up spending summers with her beloved Grandma Mae and her cousin Liv. (I have a Grandma Bea–she just turned 90– and a cousin Lisa.) Audrey has had more than one career: dropping out of nursing school to become a florist. I went to school for engineering, but travelled a circuitous route to become a writer.
But other parts of the book took research. I’m a crafty person, but flower arranging was one of the few crafts that was never on my radar, due to some rather severe allergies. Even though I scouted out some wonderful “flower people” to help me with Audrey’s arrangements, I decided that I needed some hands-on training. So I enrolled in a course with a local florist.
Eyes burning and nose running, I wore gloves to protect my skin from the sap and managed to muddle through enough to be able to write the scenes at the florist shop. But it also gave me an idea for a character. The highly allergic Kane Bixby, police chief of Ramble, Virginia, gets more than a little touchy when all his crime scenes are suddenly filled with flowers!
Audrey’s arrangements have an interesting twist. She’s not just concerned about the color, size, and shape of flowers, but also their meaning in the old Victorian language of flowers. Determining flower meanings can be difficult, since modern florists have assigned positive meanings to all the flowers–something the Victorians never did. Probably because they want to sell flowers! But I was able to come upon a lovely reprint which I use extensively. In her attempt to find flowers with the perfect meaning for a given arrangement, Audrey on occasion will use flowers that many modern florists might not. Good thing they have a great local supplier.
All the wedding research went double-duty. At the same time I’ve planned at least one wedding for each book in this series, we’ve also been planning for a wedding in our family: our daughter will be married this June. Together, we’ve scoured through Pinterest and watched hours of reality shows from Four Weddings to Bridezillas to Say Yes to the Dress (and more), gleaning ideas of what to do–and in many cases, what not to do. The difference is that she’s having a lovely, tasteful wedding, while Audrey’s brides seem to plan over-the-top events where things could go awry.
And I love giving it that little push.
My daughter doesn’t want to use any of Audrey’s bouquets, though. Maybe it’s because someone keeps showing up dead?
~Beverly
To find out more about Beverly Allen visit her webpage here.
Bloom and Doom
(A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery)
Brand New Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (April 1, 2014)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Ben Perini
Cover Design by Diana Kolsky
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425264973
E-Book File Size: 2818 KB
ASIN: B00F9F0SXU
As the co-owner of The Rose in Bloom, Audrey Bloom creates magnificent flower arrangements for brides to be. Though helping to plan a wedding can be stressful, it’s nothing compared to the groom turning up dead.
Audrey’s creations are inspired by the language of flowers – their Victorian meanings. She is stunned to realize that every couple married with her flowers is still happily married, not one divorce in the bunch.
Unfortunately her childhood friend Jenny Whitney may break that record. She is set to marry the most eligible bacjelor in town but before she can even walk down the aisle with what Audrey calls a “floral disaster” (a blend of anemone, scabious, and pussy willow) the groom is found dead and Jenny is the prime suspect. Audrey decides to do a little digging on her own hoping her co-workers won’t be making floral arrangements for her funeral next.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
“Marriages and murder…flowers and felonies…cake and catastrophe”…what FUN!!!
Audrey is a treasure as is her cousin Olivia. The rest of the supporting cast is great too. I especially like Kane Bixby, police chief of Ramble, who like me is allergic to flowers, although I must say as I have aged my allergy has lessened so maybe there is hope for Kane. It was quite comical that he had to be surrounded by flowers for the entire investigation. Audrey’s interest in the Victorian meanings of the flowers was very appealing and added that little extra touch to the story.
Throughout the story The Rose in Bloom staff works extra hard to make the many flower arrangements for the funeral of groom who comes from a very important family and another high profile wedding. They even had to call in some extra reinforcements to help get everything done and delivered on time. It was crazy and I loved it!!
Allen also developed a strong mystery with plenty of suspects and twists that kept me guessing right up to the end.
Beverly Allen has found her cozy voice and this story is blooming awesome!! She has laid a great foundation for the series going forward.
Thanks to the people at Penguin I have 1 copy to give away!
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Contest Will End April 30, 2014 at 11:59 PM CST
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and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM
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.”
What a great post! I love all the flowers. This book sounds really great and is one I would just love to read!
This sounds like a great fun series. I am looking forward to reading it. I am allergic to many flowers.
I always like to get in on the ground floor of a new series. This one appeals to me because of the material on flowers, and I like the idea of the extremely allergic police chief. I see some interesting romantic complications coming from that. Plus I’ve watched my fair share of “Say Yes to the Dress.”
Oh, I have not read any for your series yet, I hope I get to, though 🙂 Thank you for the chance to win it.
Love knowing the meaning behind flowers. Can’t wait to get into your series.
I am looking forward to reading this book and so hoping to win a copy. Certain flowers will always bring back memories…..
I love reading about the meaning of flowers. Bloom and Doom sounds like a great spring read.
This series sounds captivating. Enjoyable post. Many thanks.
Sounds like a fun cozy.
Great cover…just in time for spring!
Thanks so much for the interest–and the fine review! (“Blooming awesome.” I love it!) The nice thing about fictional garden tours, is that they never have to be postponed for those evil April snowshowers many of us are getting.
This sounds quite interesting.
I recall that yellow roses were meant to denote infidelity. They can be so beautiful, especially the multicolored ones, that I ignore it. But, then, so does everyone else, it seems.
Oh dear!! I’ve always loved marigolds and peonies. Not especially fond of their meanings though. Flowers and their meanings are great ideas for a mystery!
I love cozies where I can learn something about an art, craft or skill…and that have clever titles! So you KNOW this one is TBR’d on GoodReads! My mother planted marigolds and then would bring them inside in pots for the winter. Always in my bedroom because the sun shined in the window for a good part of the day. I hated the smell. *lol*
I love the sound of this one, I think that it will be fascinating picking up the meaning of flowers. Marigolds, grief and pain, I knew that there was a reason that I was never crazy about them, lol.
I thought the same thing Debbie, I hate marigolds!!
This has been on my wish list for a few weeks now! I love the symbolism of flowers…incorporated into a good cozy mystery and I’m hooked! Thank you so much for sharing!
Everyone keeps raving about this book. I can’t wait to read it.
Ooooh. A new cozy mystery series! So great. I am very excited for the read. Plus I love the research Beverly has put in for the flowers and their meanings…
Now I’m going to have to look up the meaning of flowers before I order them to send to someone for fear I’m saying the wrong thing.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
This sounds like a fun new series. I love that you battled through your allergies to conduct research so you could write appropriately. Best of luck on the rest of the series.
This sounds like a wonderful new series! Love the cover! =)
This sounds like it will b a lot of fun to read. I never give much thought to the meaning of flowers. Daisies have always been my favorites…purity, joy, innocence. Yep, makes sense.
Wow, nice to see all the comments! I wish I could answer them all, but I’m up to my elbows in copy edits for the next book.
But yes, the language of flowers is fascinating research. I wish I could say each flower has a definitive meaning, but that’s not the case, so if you really like a flower, go for it. (Just don’t tell Audrey!) Maybe you could augment the meaning by placing it with another flower. For example,rue means disdain. The hydrangea stands for boastfulness. If you put them together, one might argue they read “A disdain for boastfulness.”
And yes, they did a fantastic job on the cover. People have told me they could almost smell it.
This sounds like a fun read for this summer. I’m looking forward to reading it 🙂
This sounds good! I’m excited!
I love the concept of this new series having the sleuth work at a Bridal Bouquet Shop. I like the flower Lilly of the Valley and the meaning ” Return of Happiness”. The picture on the cover looks just like a shop that would be in a small town. Interested to find out who would kill this groom that comes from a very important family. Sounds like a fun cozy!
What a great book! Love the flowers. Interesting post. Thanks for sharing.
Would love to win.
I like the idea of this series, I love all things wedding related so it appeals to me. I can’t wait to read it.
Congrats to Beverly on the debut of her new series! I really enjoyed the post–waiting patiently for any sign of flowers here this spring! Can’t wait to read it and thanks for the chance to win.
It sounds like a wonderful story. I love the flowers and the twists in it, and also the pretty cover. Just my kind of book. Thanks for having the giveaway.
Great choice for a series. Love all the flowers.
Ann
I love cozies and this sounds like one to put on my TBR list. I feel the same way about marigolds. The smell is dreadful. But I do plant them in my veggie garden. That way they can bring gloom and doom to all the critters that don’t belong there.
This book sounds like something I would pick up and read. I also like flowers.
love the sound of this book.and i love flowers
I love cozies and can’t wait to start reading your series. So excited!! Thanks!
Looks like a great new series!
The book sounds fantastic. I love flowers. Thank you for the opportunity of this giveaway.
can’t wait to add this to my collection