Christa Bakker's Blog: Writer's blog

The Mister as inspiration

All right, are you in for a bit of swooning? On my part, not necessarily on yours. When I posted this video, my husband, who doesn't read my books but is subscribed to my Instagram, reacted with, 'Your feet? What about me?' And to be honest, he has quite a substantial influence on me and my writing, so here's one for the Mister!

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Me: I need an interesting character trait.

Mi...

The cozy process

I always wanted a useful job. Something with which I could help people. Some people get to be nurses or teachers, which I consider two of the absolute top jobs when it comes to usefulness. I, however, am not someone you want at your bedside or in front of the class. That I'm a terrible teacher is something I learned trying to homeschool during COVID lockdowns. And nursing is better done by stronger people than me. After a week of illness around me, I'd need therapy.

No, I'll have to make do with...

I was on a podcast!

The lovely ladies from the Pen to Paycheck authors' podcast had me on to talk all things writing, and launching specifically. Check it out if you're into the nitty-gritty of the writing and publishing business!

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No, I did not need another hobby. What I needed was a new pillow. So why are you looking at a bunch of sheep's wool? That's because I'm thrifty, a word I prefer over miserly, which I might actually be.

You may remember me talking about neck and shoulder pain? Fortunately, that's cleared up, but I still wanted a new pillow. I'd always slept on down, but that was giving me these neck pains, so I'd gone for an old, lumpy pillow instead. It helped get rid of the pain, but it was... well, lumpy. So...

11 Myths and Legends of the Beaujolais Region

If only they hadn’t invented phone lines…

How about a list for a change? Writing about fictional crime in the Beaujolais region is what fills most of my days. But since this blog is filled with legendary tales, I thought I’d combine the two and give you an insight into some of ‘my’ local legends.

11. Jassans-Riottier

Across the river Saône from Villefranche-sur-Saône, the capital of the Beaujolais, lies Jassans-Riottier. I’m sure they would not be grateful to me for saying they’re not the mos...

When Life Gives You Lemons

As it’s summer and the kids are home from school, I didn’t want to spend too much time researching and writing blog posts. Instead, you’re getting a piece of flash fiction I wrote years ago. Hope you like it!

So there we were in the kitchen, me in my pink summer skirt and him in his yellow suit. Why he insisted on wearing it, I never did find out. I suppose it was to brighten up his character or something, because fashion had nothing to do with it. 

But he wasn’t too bright to begin with. He was...

Interview with the cozy mystery author. By her main characters.

While I’m working hard on the revisions of books 1 and 2 of the Saint-Maurice Mysteries, ‘Death by Naked Ladies’ and ‘Beaujolais Blood’, I thought you might like to know why I’m doing what I’m doing. And since me telling you about me seems extremely boring, why not read between the lines while my characters ask me what they want to know?

Julie, raising a finger to her assistant to shut him up: First question, will you please tell him that I’m the boss, and he does not get to ask the first ques...

Mother's Day

If you’ve seen my Instagram post, you know the last few months have been busy for me. Since May holds both my birthday and Mother’s Day (for the US and The Netherlands), though, I wanted to get back to the blog.

My Mum with Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands.
There are more flattering pictures of her, but this one clearly demonstrates one of the reasons why I’m so proud of her 😊

Why cozy mysteries? It’s one of the first questions people ask me when I tell them what I write. so what got me st...

Dutch apple pie

The best comfort food out thereWarning: if you don’t have any spijs (a kind of marzipan) ready, you might want to make some a week up front. Or you can just go ahead and use it immediately.Ingredients:For the spijs:125 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almond125 g (1/2 cup) sugarzest of 1 lemon and a little juice1-4 tbsp water1 egg yolkFor the dough:400 g (3 1/4 cups) flour300 g (1 3/4 cups) butter200 g (1 cup) sugar1/2 egg, lightly whiskedFor the ...

Pommes de Terre Vigneronnes (Wine Maker’s Potatoes)

Ingredients:1 kg / 2.2 lbs floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edwards, or Russet)150 g / 5 oz lardons or smoked bacon cut into matches50 g / 3.5 tbsp butter3 tbsp vegetable oil2 big onions, sliced1 tbsp all-purpose flour400 ml / 14 fl oz beef stock200 ml / 7 fl oz red Beaujolais wine2 bay leaves1 branch of thymesalt and pepperStepsPeel the potatoes and slice them into 3 mm / 1/8 inch thick discsMelt the butter with the oil in a pan a...