A Waffle Lot of Murder

Author Interview / Book Review / Giveaway

For diner owner Gia Morelli, her seasonal fall menu calls for two main ingredients—maple syrup and murder . . .

While the first hints of autumn grace Boggy Creek, Florida, Gia misses the colorful harvest traditions she left behind in New York. On a scramble to make new fall memories—and promote her irresistible pumpkin spice waffles—things take a dark turn when she gets roped into the Haunted Town Festival, a spooky celebration held on deserted farmlands. The desolate area conjures plenty of eerie vibes at night, but Gia and her best friend, Savannah, are nearly frightened to death upon the discovery of the event organizer’s body buried in the nearby woods. More alarming, the local rumor mill says the woman’s shady dealings may have egged someone into sending her to an early grave. Now, there’s no shortage of creepy clues to feast on as Gia and her pals try to stop a killer with a very scary appetite . . .

Includes recipes from the All-Day Breakfast Café!

About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island. She recently relocated to Clermont, Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Interview

With everything going on in the world right now, are you finding more inspiration and reasons to write, or less want than normal?

With everything going on right now, I am pretty much stuck home most of the time, which seems like it would be a good thing and give me a lot of time to write. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I have ton of ideas, and I would love to sit down and write them all, but I am also home schooling my nine-year-old son, and that takes up a good part of my day. In addition to that, my little guy and my twenty-one-year-old son, who is on the autistic spectrum, are also stuck in the house, so I try to give them as much attention as possible. I love doing fun things with them, and we have a great time, but my writing time does suffer. The inspiration is there, but the time is not.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure this is interesting, but my biggest writing quirk is zoning out. I tend to lose myself completely in the world I’m writing. If someone interrupts, I often glance up while I’m still typing. It totally freaks my daughter out, because she says my expression is completely blank.

Why do you enjoy creating books in this genre?

I absolutely love writing cozy mysteries. I enjoy planning out the puzzle in each book, adding just a bit of a sweet romance, and I especially love writing a series. Each time I sit down to write a new book in my series, it’s like spending time with old friends. I really enjoy creating extensive back stories for my secondary characters and including them in the mystery.

Have you had a writer’s itch to expand past mystery/cozy mystery genres?

I have, and I do. When I first started writing, I wrote urban fantasy and then YA fantasy. Then I switched to sweet romance before finally finding my niche with cozies. But I am also now writing Inspirational Romantic Suspense. Though my main focus remains on my cozies, I do enjoy writing something different now and then too.

Who is your favorite character in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series and why?

I think Savannah Mills, my main character Gia Morelli’s best friend, is my favorite character. She has all of the qualities I find important in a friend. Above all else, she’s loyal, and she stands by Gia’s side no matter what. She’s also not afraid to stand her ground if she disagrees with Gia, but she’s always there to pick up the pieces without a single “I told you so.” And, she’s fun!

Thank you so much for having me!

A Waffle Lot of Murder Review

On that ending note with Lena:

Friendship

That is the main running theme as we follow Gia and Savannah through the days leading up to the Haunted Town Festival in Boggy Creek, Florida.

A Waffle Lot of Murder is Book 4 of 5: All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery so I went all the way back and re-read Scone Cold Killer which is the first book in the series to get back into their character development because I noted that was the one part lacking in book 4. Yes, this can be read as a standalone because there is enough information to fill in some historical points, however with the basis of book 4 being friendship, I wanted to see it build from the ground up. Hence, why I went back to book 1.

A Waffle Lot of Murder brings in the main characters, but also introduces us to some new characters. I enjoyed seeing the dynamic friendships emerge from these new characters, but all the friendships revolve around one particular pointed question:

How far are you willing to go for a friend?

Gia continuously puts herself on the line and in-between her dangerous sleuthing habits, but I noted she was exceptionally clumsy this time around while she is normally quite lithe and quick witted.

This is the perfect cozy mystery book to “fall” into as we prep for spooky times this month.

Whip up some of the Autumn goodies that are included recipes:

Gia’s Pumpkin Spice Waffles

Gia’s Homemade Vanilla Cinnamon Creamer

Breakfast Pie

Look for the next book in the series, Whole Latte Murder, which centers on Gia’s best friend and real estate agent, Savannah, who mysteriously vanishes after showing a mansion to a bigwig client.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Links

Newsletter: http://lenagregory.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9765d0711ed4fab4fa31b16ac&id=49d42335d1.

Website: http://www.lenagregory.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lena.gregory.986

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/LenaGregory03

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14956514.Lena_Gregory?from_search=true

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lenagregoryauth/

A Waffle Lot of Murder (All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in the Series
Publisher: Lyrical Press (October 6, 2020)
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 151611048X
ISBN-13: 978-1516110483
Digital ASIN : B082WR2ZHJ

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play

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