Traci Andrighetti's Blog, page 8

BURNOUT by Teresa Trent

BURNOUT is on tour with Great Escapes, y’all, and this Texas Hill Country girl is thrilled to be the first stop!

In this fifth installment of the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series, Thanksgiving is just around the corner when Betsy Fitzpatrick, a.k.a. “The Happy Hinter,” sees her newspaper column literally go up in smoke. Someone deliberately burned down The Pecan Bayou Gazette building, quite possibly with her boss, Rocky Whitson, still in it. Against the wishes of her new husband, Leo, Betsy is determined to figure out who may have killed Rocky. But her investigation is hampered by a list of suspects as long as crazy Miss Caroline’s recipe index and by the nasty case of the flu plaguing the town (too bad The Happy Hinter doesn’t have a remedy for that!). Plus, Betsy has pressing problems at home to attend to: a rebellious teenager and a workaholic husband. Will she be able to find out what happened to Rocky before someone else goes missing? Someone near and dear to her heart?

BURNOUT is a fun and easy read. The mystery is a real page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. And the small-town characters are a hoot. One standout is Ruby Green, the owner of The Best Little Hairhouse in Texas, and her trusty can of Final Net (which is a character in itself). Apart from the intriguing mystery and entertaining cast of characters, one notable theme of BURNOUT is the importance of parenting and familial relationships. Regardless of where you’re from, you will fall in love with this fictitious Texas Hill Country community precisely because of the strong sense of family and fellowship it conveys.

RATING 5 Limoncello shots! (But Betsy shouldn’t drink those. At least now right now…)

ABOUT Teresa Trent

Teresa Trent writes her Pecan Bayou Mystery Series from Houston, Texas. With a father in the army, her family moved often finally settling in Colorado. Living in Texas for the last 18 years she loves the people and even the weather. Teresa includes Danny, a character with Down Syndrome in her Pecan Bayou family and in real life is the mother of an adult son with Down Syndrome/PDD. Creating the character of Danny and all of the other inhabitants of Pecan Bayou has been a joy for her. Even though she lives in the big city, her writing is influenced by all of the interesting people she finds in small towns and the sense of family that seems to be woven through them all.

AUTHOR Links

Webpage: www.teresatrent.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresatrentmysterywriter

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5219581.Teresa_Trent

Twitter: @ttrent_cozymys

PURCHASE Links (the Kindle ebook is FREE DURING THE TOUR!)

AMAZON

FOLLOW the BURNOUT tour and sign up to win a $25 Amazon.com Rafflecopter giveaway!

April 14 –  Traci Andrighetti’s Blog

April 15 –  Shelley’s Book Case

April 16 –  Kelly P’s Blog

April 17 –  Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

April 18 –  Books Are Life – Vita Libri

April 19 –  Books-n-Kisses

April 20 – EASTER

April 21 –  Michele Lynn Seigfried’s Blog

April 22 –  Community Bookstop

April 23 –  readalot blog

April 24 –  Back Porchervations

April 25 –  rantin’ ravin’ and reading

April 27 –  Cozy Up With Kathy

April 28 –  My Recent Favorite Books

April 29 –  Deal Sharing Aunt

April 30 –  A Chick Who Reads

May 1 –  Brooke Blogs

May 2 –  Little Whimsy Books

The “My Writing Process” Blog World Tour!

Ciao y’all! Today I’m participating in an international blog tour called “My Writing Process.” I was invited by the fabulous Jodi Linton, who talked about her writing process last week on her blog.

Here are the questions, along with my answers, of course!

What am I working on?

Right now I’m writing Prosecco Pink, the second novel in the Franki Amato Mysteries. I’m on chapter 9, so only 16 more to go! Be sure to check out the blurb on my Books page.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

The Franki Amato Mysteries are different for a couple of reasons. First, there is an Italian slant, and it’s not just Franki’s Italian-American heritage. I sprinkle in words and concepts that are key to the Italian culture. And I always add an Italian twist to the “cocktail of crime” I create in the books.

Also, I make sure that the setting of the Franki Amato Mysteries, the wild and wonderful city of New Orleans, functions as a character in the novels. NOLA’s unique blend of cultures and traditions makes it the perfect place for a mystery, and I want readers to experience the city in the same way that they experience Franki, Veronica, Glenda, David and all the other “characters” in the series.

Why do I write what I do?

That’s easy: passion. I’m completely “innamorata (in love)” with the Italian language and culture, I’m mad about mysteries, and I’m obsessed with the city of New Orleans. So, I decided that combining my three passioni in a series of humorous romantic mysteries would be the ideal way to share what I know and love with the world.

How does my writing process work?

Ideally, I would write for 3 to 4 hours every morning, but my day job definitely gets in my way. So, I have to seize writing time whenever I find it AND whenever I have the mental energy. That typically means an hour or so in the mornings and evenings on weekdays and eight to twelve hours on the weekends.

In case you’re wondering, that’s me in the picture above at my favorite weekend place to write: The Flight Path coffee house in Austin, Texas. It’s just down the street from my house, and it’s quirky like me and my books.

And there you have it. Or should I say, “And that’s all she wrote, folks!”? Either way, if you want to meet some awesome authors and learn about their writing processes, check out the blogs of these lovely ladies on March 24th:

Jennifer Fischetto, National Bestselling author of the adult series, Jamie Bond Mysteries, also writes dead bodies for ages 13 to six-feet under. The first book, I Spy Dead People, in her new YA series, Disturbia Diaries, was released December 1, 2013.

Ellie Ashe is a California-based writer whose first book, tentatively titled Trust Me, I’m a Lawyer, will be published by Gemma Halliday Publishing later this year.

My (Criminal) Culinary Adventure with Nancy Drew

After 84 years on bookshelves around the world, Nancy Drew has inspired generations of girls to think for themselves, face their fears and boldly go where they might not have gone before. But did you know that Nancy also inspired them to cook? Yes, in 1973 Carolyn Keene (whoever that was) released The Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking. And I, for one, was forever changed by it (so, no doubt, were the family members who had to eat my Nancy Drew meals).

Before my mom bought me the cookbook, I’d never had any interest in cooking. I had seen how hard she worked in the kitchen day after day, and it just seemed like pure drudgery to me. But when I found out that Nancy Drew liked to cook, well, that changed everything. Why? Because every girl knew that Nancy only did smart, exciting things.

So, I rolled up my sleeves and thumbed through the cookbook in search of a recipe. With each page, I was drawn deeper and deeper into the enigmatic world of cooking by intriguingly named dishes like “Mysterious Mannequin Casserole,” “Double Jinx Salad” and “Whispering Statue Sherbet.” After doing some serious investigating for a recipe with ingredients that appealed to my then 12-year-old palate, I settled on “A Keene Soup.”

The soup, as I know now, was actually not so “keen.” It called for milk, peanut butter, and either celery salt or cinnamon (naturally, I chose the latter). And you were supposed to top it with whipped cream and paprika (as if the celery salt wasn’t bad enough)! Undaunted by this culinary crime, I followed one of Nancy’s cardinal rules: to “add that secret little touch of hers” or come up with a secret ingredient of your own. So I scratched the paprika and opted for crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth.

After heating the ingredients on the stove and adding the whipped cream, which were basically the only directions, I proudly served the soup to my father. He took a cautious sip (it was hot, after all), choked a little as he swallowed it (on one of the peanut pieces, of course) and nodded wordlessly. I was thrilled because I was certain that he was just too overcome by the flavor to speak (which was true, in a way).

High on my seeming success, I resolved to make every recipe in The Nancy Drew Cookbook. But then my mom reminded me that I had to wash the dishes, and I again became convinced that cooking was pure drudgery. Do I still feel that way? Uh-huh. But thanks to Nancy, I’m not clueless in the kitchen, and I did write my own mystery series.

The (Highly Symbolic) Handbag that Got Away

Those who know me are well aware of my passion for Italian leather handbags. The mere sight of a sleek, supple Gucci, Versace or Fendi gets my heart pounding in a fine leather–induced frenzy. Most of the time, I’m content to simply lust after a bag and then walk regretfully away. But sometimes I see a special bag that imprints in my memory and makes me long for it. Day after day. After day. So, I decided to write about the one that stole my soul: the Dolce & Gabbana Yellow Lemon Print Shopper.

When I first saw the lemon shopper, I had written a grand total of four chapters of my recently published romantic mystery novel, Limoncello Yellow. Because I’m prone to seeing symbolism in the most mundane of objects—and particularly when I want to rationalize spending outrageous sums of money on said objects—I was immediately convinced that the bag’s lemon theme and the D and G label were sure signs that I would finish the remaining twenty-one chapters of my book and get it published. I mean, Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur and D and G are my son’s and husband’s initials. What surer signs could there be?

But here’s the hitch: The symbolism of the lemon shopper would only apply to me if I bought it and made it mine. But I couldn’t. I was at the Leonardo Da Vinci airport waiting to leave my beloved Italy, where I’d just dropped the GDP of a small country on food, wine, clothes and a crapload of books. So I had to leave the bright little bag behind (with my sunny lemon symbolism written all over it) for someone else to buy. As the plane sped down the runway, I was almost certain that I had just doomed my book to an untimely demise.

Obviously, I finished Limoncello Yellow and got it published. And I did it all without the lemon shopper. Nevertheless, I’m still convinced that I need the bag, if for no other reason than as a reward for my achievement. But guess what? It’s no longer for sale! So I have nothing to mark the occasion of publishing my book—unless, of course, you count the book itself. And I do, but it sure would be nice to have a lemon-adorned bag to carry my book in, don’t you agree? So if you see the D&G Yellow Lemon Print Shopper on your travels, please let me know. That bag and I were meant to be together. Forever.

Nerogianduia: Nutella’s Darker, Sexier Side

Today is the release day for the debut novel in my Franki Amato Mystery series, Limoncello Yellow. On this special occasion, I’ve decided to tell you about an awesome new Italian food item I’ve discovered: Nerogianduia, which means “black gianduia.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Huh? What about your book? Why don’t you talk about Limoncello, or something? Well, let’s face it, I can’t always talk about Limoncello Yellow, because that would be incredibly annoying, and I’ve already written a post on Limoncello. Besides, Nerogianduia is an extremely important development on the chocolate-hazelnut scene. I mean, this product is related to Nutella, which is simply the best chocolate pudding-like spread ever. Punto e basta (Italian for “period and enough,” or “enough said”).

Before I talk about Nerogianduia, let’s backtrack a bit. Gianduia (also spelled gianduja), for those of you who aren’t lucky enough to be acquainted with this Piedmontese delicacy, was created in Turin the early 1800s by the chocolatier Pierre Caffarel following the institution of Napoleon’s Continental System—a trade policy that resulted in (gasp!) a shortage of cacao. As a result, Caffarel began blending finely crushed hazelnuts with cacao to stretch his chocolate recipe (and I’m grateful to him each and every day of my life). He named this hazelnut-based chocolate after a popular Piedmontese marionette, Gianduja, in the Italian commedia dell’arte. Following the creation of gianduja came the oh-so-amazing chocolates known as gianduiotti (little gianduias), and then the heavenly Pasta Gianduja, which was renamed Nutella.

So how, exactly, is Nerogianduia Nutella’s darker, sexier side, you ask? Don’t get your napkin in a wad! I’m getting there. Anyway, while on a trip to Rome last January, I was chatting with a taxi driver about my unbridled passion for Nutella (yes, I’m THAT obsessed). Out of nowhere, he turned to me and made an astonishing announcement: Pernigotti, a Turinese chocolatier established in 1860, makes a dark chocolate version of Nutella. You guessed it—Nerogianduia! Once I recovered from the shock and stopped drooling, I got out of that cab and spent what was actually the last day of my Roman holiday searching high and low for this undoubtedly exquisite spread. But alas, we weren’t meant to meet.

At least, we weren’t meant to meet in Italy. Because not two weeks ago, on December 24th, I found Nerogianduia right here in my hometown of Austin, Texas. It was a true Christmas miracle (I seriously heard angels sing). Of course, I rushed straight home to try it (to hell with those last-minute gifts!). And I actually felt giddy as I removed the cap from the divine object and spooned an enormous gob of the creamy dark chocolate-hazelnut goodness into my mouth.

What happened next? You know, I think it’s best if I end the story here. I’ve got a reputation to protect now that I’m a published author, and all.

How Italian Mystery Novels Inspired Limoncello Yellow

For the past two and a half years, I’ve been writing about books I’ve read in Italian on my blog italicissima, which also appears on i-Italy.org. And in that time, two things became really clear to me: first, my favorite Italian books were almost always the mystery novels, and second, I wanted to write my own mystery.

What I love about Italian mysteries is that they tend to be regional. In other words, they introduce the reader to the language and culture of the region in which the crime takes place. So, reading these mysteries is kind of like traveling. The best Italian mysteries I’ve read (and they’re available in English) are those of Andrea Camilleri. By the time you finish any book in his Inspector Montalbano Mystery series, you’ve learned a lot about the language, customs, cuisine and scenery of Sicily.

Besides Camilleri, the Italian author who most inspired me to write my own mystery was Gabriella Genisi. She introduces readers to her native city of Bari through her Inspector Lolita Lobosco Mystery series. According to Genisi, Camilleri’s series got her thinking about what a female version of Montalbano would be like, so she created a busty Sophia Loren lookalike who reflects the color and warmth of the Puglia region. My favorite thing about Genisi’s books, apart from Lolita, are the fruit-themed titles, like La circonferenza delle arance (The Circumference of Oranges) (Sonzogno, 2010).

Following Genisi’s lead, I started thinking about what an American version of Inspectors Montalbano and Lobosco would be like, and ex-cop-turned-private-investigator Francesca “Franki” Amato was born. Of course, she’s of Italian origin, and she’s from Texas but has roots in New Orleans. Like Lolita, she looks like a 1960s Italian movie star: Claudia Cardinale. But unlike her Pugliese muse, she’s not into fruit. Instead, she’s kind of partial to Italian wines and liqueurs.

If you want to get to know Franki, you can read about her when Limoncello Yellow is released on January 4th. And be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the scoop on contests, exclusive reads, and upcoming releases!

Murder on the Rocks: The Coziest of Cozy Mysteries

The day after Thanksgiving, I cleared my calendar so that I could read Murder on the Rocks (Midnight Ink, 2006) by Austin’s own Karen MacInerney. This book is the first in MacInerney’s Gray Whale Inn Mysteries, and it was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Award.

In the novel, thirty-eighty-year-old Texan Natalie Barnstone has cashed in her life savings to buy the Gray Whale Inn on Maine’s Cranberry Island. While Natalie plans to build a cozy new life for herself baking delicious goodies for her guests at the inn, land developer Bernard Katz has other building plans: to raze the inn to make a parking lot for his resort. Unfortunately for Natalie, the town sides with Katz, even though his resort will endanger the black-chinned terns nesting on the island. Not one to give in without a fight, Natalie rallies to save the birds, the quaint fishing community and her livelihood. But then Katz is found dead, and Natalie discovers that she’s not only the main suspect, she’s also a potential victim . . .

The writing in Murder on the Rocks is so crisp and vivid that I could almost smell the sea air and taste the fudgy frosting on Natalie’s Cranberry Island Blackout Brownies. And the entire time I was reading, I found myself wishing that I were curled up in a room at the Gray Whale Inn—even with a murderer on the loose. The best part of the book was that I felt like I was there solving the mystery with Natalie and her friends.

So, whether you’re a reader looking for an intriguing escape or a writer looking for a model of the cozy mystery genre, Murder on the Rocks is the book for you. I mean, there’s murder at an inn in Maine, and the recipes for Natalie’s baked treats are included in the back. So, you can have her Wicked Blueberry Coffee Cake and eat it too. What more could you possibly want?

A Recipe for Limoncello

To celebrate the completion of my first novel, Limoncello Yellow, I’m debuting my blog with a post on Limoncello. This tasty lemon liqueur is one of my favorite imports from Italy, besides pretty much any product from Gucci, of course.

Although it’s often confused with Limoncino (its Northern cousin), Limoncello is its own distinct brand. It’s made from lemons grown in the territory between Sorrento and Amalfi, which includes the stunning islands of Ischia and Capri.

These days, Limoncello is available in most U.S. liquor stores, and there are a lot of American-made brands too. But if you can’t find Limoncello in your area, it’s easy to make. It just takes a while to infuse. Here’s a recipe from Southern Italy:

 

Limoncello

10 medium-sized Meyer lemons (15 if they’re small)

1 quart Everclear

1 ½ quarts water

2 ¾ pounds sugar

Wash and peel the lemons. Soak the lemon peels in ¾ of the Everclear for one to two months. Then store the mixture in a cool, dark place in an airtight container.

Once the Everclear is infused with the oil from the lemon peels, boil the sugar and water until it makes a syrup (about 5 minutes). Let the syrup cool, and then pour it into the lemon peel mixture along with the remaining Everclear.

Store the Limoncello mixture in a cool, dry place for 40 more days. Then strain it using cheesecloth to remove all of the lemon peels. Now, you’re ready to bottle your Limoncello and drink it! Just don’t forget to chill it in the freezer first.

If you’d like to try Limoncello with a Tex-Mex twist, here’s a fun drink recipe:

Limoncello Margarita

2 ounces tequila

1 ounce Grand Mariner

1 ounce Limoncello

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce fresh lime juice

¼ to ½ teaspoon simple syrup or sugar

salt (for the rim of the glass)

So, when life gives you lemons, forget the lemonade and make Limoncello. Or yummy Limoncello margaritas.