Cozy Wednesday with Special Guest Kim Davis – Author of Muddled Matrimonial Murder (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series) #GuestPost #Review #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour @Kookiesandbooks

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!

I am thrilled to welcome Kim Davis to Escape With Dollycas today
as part of her Great Escapes Book Tour!

Muddled Matrimonial Murder
(Cupcake Catering Mystery Series)
by Kim Davis

Hi Kim,

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Lori! It’s an honor to share a bit about my writing process and talk about my new release, Muddled Matrimonial Murder.

There are, in a nutshell, two kinds of writers: the plotters and the pantsers… that is, those who write by the seat of their pants with little idea where the story is going and often, no idea who the killer will be or even the motivation. I fall firmly into the pantser camp.

From the time I started writing novels, my engineer husband was practically appalled that I didn’t outline first. And meeting other authors who plot and outline made me decide perhaps I should research how to do it and give it a try. Well, after buying several books on how to plot and outline plus reading a multitude of blog posts on how to do it… I’m still writing by the seat of my pants. You see, I didn’t write at all when faced with having to come up with an outline. It overwhelmed me. But, with a blank page on my laptop and giving my characters free rein to take me for a ride, the words come (mostly) easy, albeit slowly. The downside is it takes several re-writes to make sure the threads of the story all make sense. And I have to fill in a few extra clues while making sure everything is addressed by the end of the story.

That method has worked well for me until I got about four chapters written on Muddled Matrimonial Murder. It was about at that point I realized I had NO suspects (aside from my core characters). Zero, nada, zilch, none whatsoever. 🤦‍♀️I was already invested in the storyline and didn’t want to scratch the entire thing and start over.

So what did I do? For starters, every time I got stuck, I’d take my dog, Missy, for a short walk to clear my head. (And yes, Missy is one of the dogs on the cover. The other dog is my granddaughters’ rescue, Piper.) And then I let my characters—imaginary friends if you will—talk to me… I evidently have a very active imagination. Bit by bit, the solution unfolded. Still, it wasn’t easy since no one but Brad, Emory’s best friend, even knew the victim. It’s much simpler to eventually settle on a killer (from a writer’s perspective) when there are lots of suspects to choose from.

You might ask if I plan to change my writing methods and try to outline again… and my answer would be, naw… I’m hopeful that my characters will continue to talk me through all my plot holes and help me build a coherent mystery in future books. I hope you enjoy the new book and how Emory and her friends helped me find the killer!

Thank you, Kim, for visiting today!

Keep reading for information about Kim’s new book and my thoughts about it. 

About Muddled Matrimonial Murder

Muddled Matrimonial Murder (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Cinnamon & Sugar Press (June 13, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8223497615
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C1THMWZJ

With only two weeks left to finalize the nuptial ceremony and reception for her best friend, Brad, and a Thanksgiving feast to plan, Emory Martinez has enough to keep her busy. But when Emory and Brad stumble across the body of his former stalker, with a wedding gift marble muddler lying next to the body, it soon becomes apparent someone is intent on framing the groom before vows can be exchanged.

How did the victim locate Brad and how did she end up murdered at the scene of the impending nuptials? Was someone so desperate to stop the wedding that they’d resort to murder? Or was she killed for revenge? As the countdown to the wedding speeds by, it’ll take Emory and her family and friends to pull together to pick through the muddled clues to clear the groom’s name.

Includes recipes.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

It’s just days away from Emory’s best friend Brad and hunky detective Gabe O’Neill’s wedding. Emory has taken on the task of wedding planner and she and Brad have gone to the venue, Gabe’s grandparents’ lush home, to take care of some final details. Instead, they find a dead body. They identify her as Brad’s stalker who he hasn’t seen in years. The murder weapon is a marble muddler that was a wedding gift and will surely have Brad’s fingerprints on it. With Brad being the prime suspect, Gabe is sidelined from the case but he was acting strangely before that. Is it a case of cold feet or something else?

Emory gathers her friends and family together as they try to find the real killer while trying to get Gabe and Brad back on the right track. Right now, it’s a muddled mess with many more questions than answers.

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This is such a wonderful series!

Kim Davis has created such great characters with layers. They are true to life, genuine, and caring and they continue to grow with each new story. Emory is a fantastic protagonist and the relationship she has built with Tillie is heartwarming. They both have huge hearts and are so welcoming. Together they have built a huge “family”, some by blood others through the heart. It is these characters that bring me back, time and time again.

The mystery in Muddled Matrimonial Murder is complicated with all the evidence pointing at the grooms. Knowing they are innocent it is all hands on deck to untangle the clues. I was surprised to have Brad’s stalker make a reappearance but it made perfect sense. With her the victim that loose end it all tied up but how she came to be back in the area was a very interesting plotline that came to light as Emory tried to track down her killer. Things get crazy and exciting as the clues come together and the guilty party is cornered. I was scrunched right up to the edge of my seat as the events played out. The author did an excellent job of detailing what was happening. It was like watching the final events of a movie.

As always, each book in this story is filled with food and cupcakes. Emory is always baking and others like to cook too. The family dinners and Thanksgiving this time set up the opportunity for all kinds of tasty treats. There is a complete Thanksgiving Day Menu and 12 recipes at the back of the book, most featuring cranberries for readers to enjoy.

I anxiously await each new book in this series and devour the whole thing in one sitting. I totally escape into the book and the rest of the world falls away. Like many others in this series, you will find Muddled Matrimonial Murder on my Best Reads list for the year. Each book in this series is a fantastic treat for cozy lovers and each one tops the last.

Note – You will want to have a cupcake or two available while reading any story in this series because I guarantee you will be craving them as soon as you start to read about Emory baking them. 

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About Kim Davis

Kim Davis lives in Southern California with her husband. When she’s not chasing her puppy or spending time with her granddaughters she can be found either writing stories or working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats.  She has published the suspense novel, A GAME OF DECEIT, the Cupcake Catering Mystery series, and the Aromatherapy Mystery series. She also has had several children’s articles published in Cricket, Nature Friend, Skipping Stones, and the Seed of Truth magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Author Links

Website  – Facebook  – Twitter – Goodreads  – Pinterest – Blog – Bookbub 

Be sure to check out Kim’s Blog for all kinds of recipes and cozy reads!

Purchase Links:

Amazon

The Rest of the Series

Also by this author 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS – Please visit all the stops.
June 12 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
June 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 13 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – My Reading Journeys – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
June 15 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
June 16 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
June 16 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and/or believe my readers will appreciate. 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.