Kathy Krevat Interview by E. B. Davis

Colbie Summers has moved back in with her father, a place she left with no intention of ever returning. When her father grows ill, Colbie knows she has no choice but to pack up her 12-year-old son, their cat, Trouble, and her gourmet cat food business and go back to the tiny town of Sunnyside, CA.

While Colbie expected that things might be complicated, she certainly never expected the complications to lead to murder. When police suspect her of murdering one of the other women in the Sunnyside Power Moms trade show, Colbie realizes that in order to save her name, her business, and her son, she needs to find out who the real killer is and that might include getting into a little trouble!

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/34900

Kathy Krevat’s first Gourmet Cat Mystery, The Trouble With Murder, features Colbie Summers who makes people-grade gourmet cat food. The question of whether Colbie can read the mind of her cat, Trouble, or Colbie personifies her own thoughts into her cat’s expressions will keep the reader guessing. Trouble tests Colbie’s recipes for her small business and has Colbie’s back when bad guys come to call. Secondary characters, Colbie’s son, Elliott, her stubborn father, and her best friend, Lani, are memorable as is the next-door neighbor’s doorbell-ringing rooster.   

This is Kathy’s second series. Under the name Kathy Aarons, she writes the Chocolate Covered mystery series for Berkley Crime. Look for my previous interview with Kathy here. Lyrical Underground, an imprint of Kensington, publishes the Gourmet Cat series.

Please welcome Kathy back to WWK.                                                                                E. B. Davis

How did the deal with Lyrical Underground come about? Why another name?

When my agent was in San Diego for a conference, I took her hiking in Torrey Pines State Park, which was probably a mistake since she’s in amazing shape. I let her do all the talking while walking up the steep hills!

I’d had ideas about a single mom moving back in with her grumpy father, living next door to the pretty chickens, and together we came up with the idea of her starting Meowio Batali Gourmet Cat Food. Once I completed the proposal, she sold it to Lyrical Underground.

I wrote the Chocolate Covered Mystery series under the name Kathy Aarons because it was a writer for hire contract. Kathy Krevat is my real name.

The story takes place in the small community of Sunnyside, CA to the east of San Diego. Is Sunnyside a real place or did you model it after another town in a similar location?

It’s a fictional town in a similar location to the real Lakeside, California but is completely made up. I grew up in a small town and used some of those memories to create Sunnyside. I actually avoided visiting Lakeside so that it wouldn’t influence my writing.

Colbie moves back to Sunnyside and her childhood home after her father’s second bout of pneumonia to take care of him. But she and her father don’t have the best relationship after she left home pregnant at age eighteen. How would you characterize their relationship in the intervening thirteen years?

In one word, difficult. They had different views on many issues, but underlying all of that was a genuine love for each other, and a frustration that the other one didn’t understand them and was judging them. Colbie visited regularly once her son was born, so that he would know his grandfather, but he usually left earlier than planned after arguments.

How and why did Colbie develop Meowio Batali Gourmet Cat Food?

When Colbie was the manager of an apartment, she found an abandoned kitten, Trouble, and adopted her. Trouble had digestive issues, so Colbie cooked food for her. Her friends began requesting the food for their own cats, and then their friends, in an ever widening circle. So she started packaging and selling the food, eventually graduating to farmers’ markets. In The Trouble With Murder, she’s hoping to get her products into local health food stores.

Would you say Colbie is in transition?

Absolutely!  She’s on the verge of so many life changes in terms of family, business, life style, and community.

Colbie joins the Sunnyside Power Moms (SPM), who are home-based business owners. What types of services do they provide?

This was such a fun part of writing this book! Besides the “normal” home businesses of Beeswax Candles and Mommy and Me exercise classes, I included Spicy Parties selling lingerie and “adult” products, The Lice Club Lady, and mobile pet grooming.

After a booth show of the SPMs, Colbie finds one of their member’s body—the victim of murder. Why did Colbie become a suspect?

She found the body and then a significant clue was found at her home.

To exonerate herself, she decides to investigate SPM members. Why are they all so reluctant to talk with her?

Besides the fact that she’s the newest member of the group, it’s public knowledge that Colbie herself is a suspect, and they believe she’s trying to get that label off of her onto one of them.

When she questions the life coach member under the guise of seeking help, she finds the coach’s questions very interesting (as did I). Have you ever hired a life coach?

No, but I have friends who did and the process was very helpful to them. 

Horace, one of her dad’s neighbors, makes negative assumptions about Colbie’s thirteen-year-old son, Elliott. Why do people do that?

I don’t know but I really dislike it! For some reason, older generations like to denigrate younger generations. I’m not sure if it’s so they can feel better about themselves, but it’s one of my pet peeves. If someone on social media talks negatively about Gen Xers or millennials, I unfollow them. I volunteer with young people and find them to be actively dedicated to the common good far more than what is portrayed in those kinds of generalizations.

In Horace’s case, he saw a police car in front of their house and drew his own conclusions.

Trouble likes good-cop Norma. Do you think animals can gage people’s character?

Perhaps not all of them, but Trouble can. Growing up, I had a pony who was very gentle with people who were tentative about riding, but if someone got on and started showing off, he’d walk (or gallop) under a branch of a tree (same branch every time) and knock them off.

What’s next, a Gourmet Cat Food novel or a Chocolate Covered novel?

The Trouble With Truth comes out in August 2018!

Awesome questions! Thanks so much for having me visit!

An Interview with Kathy Aarons by E. B. Davis

DOUBLE, DOUBLE-BOIL, AND TROUBLE…
 
Best friends and business partners Michelle and Erica have a monstrous to-do list as they prepare for the annual West Riverdale Halloween Festival. Their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, will have a booth at the event, where Michelle will serve spooky delights while Erica displays an assortment of spine-chilling books. Thank goodness the teenagers from Erica’s comic-book club are chipping in to help. But one of their volunteers winds up in trouble after a woman’s body is found in an abandoned house—with the teen’s superhero key ring close by.

The teen swears he didn’t do it, but he’s obviously hiding something—leaving Michelle and Erica with a witch’s cauldron of questions. Soon they discover that the dead woman was tricking a whole bunch of people out of more than just treats. Now these two friends must go door-to-door if they hope to unmask a killer…

Amazon.com

While reading Kathy Aaron’s new book, Behind Chocolate Bars, the third book in her Chocolate-Covered Mysteries, I found myself at the grocery store sticking bags of chocolate covered candy into my cart. The descriptions of the candy made by main character, Michelle Serrano, drove me to munch those candies as I read. Unfortunately, the grocery candy didn’t match the deliciousness of the MC’s creations. If you can resist “Balsamic Dreams, truffles with dark chocolate ganache that perfectly balanced the rush of balsamic vinegar…” or “Cherry Ambrosia truffles [that] have tangy kirsch and dried cherries in the ganache,” or Wild Huckleberry Milks, Fleur de Sel Caramels, Mayan Warriors, Extra Dark Mochas, Champagne Milks, Raspberry Specials, Mocha Surprises, Black Currant Darks, then you shouldn’t read this book. Me—I popped York Peppermint Patty miniatures as a substitute for the better fictional treats.

Please welcome Kathy Aaron back to WWK. Read my first interview with Kathy, here.

                                                                                                                                    E. B. Davis

What compels you to write cozies?

I love the quirky cast of characters we get to create, the wonderful-but-not-perfect towns, the ultimate triumph of good over evil, and the satisfaction of justice accomplished when we write The End.

The victim in your story (among many things) was a “catfish.” I’d never heard the term. What is it?

A “catfish” is a person pretending to be someone they are not online, and it’s way more common than most people think. This goes beyond fudging details on dating websites – a catfish may use different names, job titles, even photos of other people with the purpose to use the other person. Often it’s just emotional, but sometimes it moves into conning people out of money or gifts.

The book is set in West Riverdale, MD, which is described as being not far from Frederick. I pictured the rolling countryside to the west of Frederick since I’m very familiar with that area. Am I right? Do you live in the area?

You’re right! I don’t live in Maryland, but I have family there. When Berkley asked for the mystery to be set in Maryland, I visited a few times and decided that I wanted West Riverdale to be a combination of Boonsboro and St. Michaels, and that it should be near enough to Frederick for my characters to visit.

Michelle and Erica take their businesses to a new level, as suggested by Phoenix Keogh, their accountant. Since I’ve dealt with many accountants over the years, I was surprised by his questions and information requests of the women. Isn’t he more their business manager?

I talked to accountants about this part of the book, and they noted that since Michelle and Erica are also friends of Phoenix, that he might make business suggestions. He’s also very big on networking, public relations, and doing more than just accounting for his clients.

“I shook my head. “’We only talk about chocolate. Sensitive stuff is your thing.”’

Kindle Location 290

I was surprised by Michelle’s statement. Erica seems like a planner and thinker, analyzing data. Michelle seems like the real-world doer. Is Erica more extroverted than she seems?

Michelle is often uncomfortable with discussions about emotional topics. In the scene you mentioned, they are discussing a high school intern, Dylan, who is a member of Erica’s comic book club.  Erica has hired Dylan to help him deal with the loss of his mother and bullying at school, and she is closer to him than Michelle.

Are you a fan of superhero comic books? Are they still popular?

I’m a fan of superhero movies, but not comic books. My brother-in-law Matthew Krevat and nephew Jacob Krevat have been my go to people regarding comic books throughout the series. And yes, comic books are still very popular!

What’s Bunco?

Bunco is a dice game with very simple rules. Results are based solely on luck, with no actual skills needed, unlike poker, for example. In my very suburban area, it is played by women for the purpose of socializing.

Leo, Michelle’s brother, who served in Afghanistan, lost a leg there, and now suffers from PTSD. After an accident, he becomes obsessed with Michelle’s safety. Are there stressors that set off severe reactions in PTSD patients?

I’m not a professional, but I researched this quite a bit and talked to a psychiatrist about Leo’s journey during this book. The simple answer is yes, but PTSD is a very complicated condition. The Leo scenes in Behind Chocolate Bars are some of the most emotional I’ve ever written—I found great joy in telling his story.

Have you plotted each of your MCs' arcs for the series?

Yes, but they continue to change with each book.

What’s next for Michelle and Erica?

My plan is for Erica to bring a writing conference to West Riverdale, with NYT bestselling author Crista Cornwall providing the keynote address. Michelle can’t stand Crista’s prima donna attitude, or her obvious attraction to Bean. But finding the novelist dead in Chocolates and Chapters’ dumpster was not in the program.

How did your deal with Berkley happen?

I wrote a cozy mystery and sent it to my dream agent. She loved the writing and the humor but didn't think it had enough of a hook to sell. She asked if I'd be interested in writing a new series, and of course I agreed. We settled on a concept, and then a week later she called me with a writer for hire opportunity. Berkley sometimes comes up with ideas for series and looks for authors to write them. They provide a "book bible" –two pages of the set-up—and the author does the rest. I wrote a proposal, and the editor at Berkley really liked it and signed me to write the Chocolate Covered Mystery series as Kathy Aarons.  

I’m delighted to be writing a new series for Kensington’s Lyrical line under the name Kathy Krevat, my real name. The first book in the Gourmet Cat Mystery series is tentatively titled The Trouble with Murder featuring organic cat food chef Colbie Summers and her cat Trouble. It will be out in late 2017.

Thanks so much for the great questions!

Interview With Kathy Aarons

by Grace Topping

Truffled to Death

Two best friends sell books and bonbons—and solve crimes—in this mystery from the author of Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates…

Hoping to sweeten sales for their shop, Chocolates and Chapters, Michelle and Erica host a reception highlighting a new museum display of ancient Mayan pottery curated by Erica’s former mentor, Professor Addison Moody. The evening has a few hiccups, but the ladies soon smooth things over with ample servings of wine and chocolate.

Yet with the sweet comes the bitter. The very next day, the antiquities from the reception are discovered missing. The professor accuses Erica of having sticky fingers, claiming she wants revenge on him. And she’s only in more trouble after he’s found stabbed to death with one of the artifacts. Now Michelle must help Erica track down the real killer before someone else finds themselves in less than mint condition…

http://www.kathyaarons.com/welcome-to-my-blog/#respond

What could be better than eating chocolates and reading a good book? Perhaps becoming a national best selling author with your very first book. That’s exactly what Kathy Aarons did with Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates. In preparation for her Chocolate Covered Mystery series, Kathy subjected herself to some challenging research—tasting a lot of chocolate. As a result, she has written two deliciously entertaining books. To the delight of fans who hungrily awaited the next book in the series, Truffled to Death recently hit bookstores. Although we can’t sample the chocolates that have made these books so popular, unless we try the recipes she’s provided in her books, we can read about Kathy’s recipe for writing.

Grace Topping

Kathy, welcome to Writers Who Kill.

You gave Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell, two store owners in a small town in Maryland, quite a task—bringing down an international art trafficker. What made you highlight art trafficking, and why Maya antiquities?

The story was inspired by a trip to a local museum. I saw a small plain bowl at a History of Chocolate exhibit and, like Michelle, was entranced by the idea that it had held chocolate eight centuries ago. With a little research, I learned that the Maya drank chocolate with every meal, something Michelle would think is a great idea! I started with the idea of Michelle and Erica being suspected in the theft of the bowl, but then I learned about the criminal trafficking of Maya art and knew the book had to highlight that huge problem. Although it doesn’t get as much attention as other fine art theft, the international trafficking of Central and South American antiquities results in wide-scale looting of archeological sites all over those continents, and criminal activity much like drug cartels.

Kathy Aarons

Erica is the town’s girl genius and a Fulbright scholar. Her phenomenal brain helps them in their investigations. Why did she return home to manage a bookstore? 

Truffled to Death reveals some of her reasoning, but besides Erica’s love of family and her hometown, she found that the deeper she moved into her academic studies, the narrower her focus became. Erica has many interests, and her side business providing research for her academic colleagues satisfies this desire to learn more about them. She also finds great satisfaction in matching a customer with the perfect read and finding good homes for her used and rare books.

Erica’s brother, Leo, who returned from Afghanistan after losing a leg, is making progress in his fight against depression and finding happiness in his life with Star. Leo highlights the challenges facing many veterans when they return home. What inspired you to create Leo? Any chance that he will play a bigger role in this series?

I love the character of Leo! I live in San Diego, which has a large military population, so I think including a war hero grew organically from living here. A psychiatrist friend helps me to ensure that his character is authentic. Funny you should ask about Leo playing a bigger role—he is an integral part of the third book, Behind Chocolate Bars, which will be out in March 2016.

In their store, Chocolates and Chapters, Michelle makes and sells chocolates and Erica manages the bookstore side of the business. Were you into making chocolate before selecting this as a hook for your series?

Yes, but my lumpy but tasty chocolates are not the works of art that Michelle makes. I’ve learned quite a bit from a local chocolatier—Isabelle Knack of Dallmann’s Fine Chocolates—about the joy and challenges of running a chocolate shop.

You spend a lot of time writing about chocolate and testing recipes for inclusion in your book. Does this put you off chocolate, or does it tempt you to sample even more?

The only thing that puts me off chocolate is eating too much at one time. But I’ve found that chocolate is addicting. If I have chocolate at three in the afternoon one day, the next day I’m craving it right at three. For the sake of my waistline, I have to moderate how much I allow myself to eat. Luckily, I have friends and family who are happy to help me test the recipes. And I’ve been known to run down to Dallmann’s to buy chocolate for writing inspiration.

You describe some really unusual chocolate flavors, for example, butternut squash squares with cookie crumbles on top, bee pollen and fennel truffles, etc. Are these actually ones you’ve made or tasted?

Yes. If it’s in the book, I probably tasted it. Dallmann’s uses some pretty exotic flavors, and it’s a lot of fun to describe them.

Erica works with the high school to conduct a flash mob to advertise the Maya exhibit at the local museum. You’ve included details about what’s involved with putting on a flash mob, which I found interesting. Have you been involved in a flash mob production?

I haven’t been involved with a flash mob, but my daughters used to be in theater, and I volunteered quite a bit back stage. Some aspects are similar. I also talked to a local event planner who helped with the details.

You’ve given your characters some very interesting names. Michelle’s love interest is nicknamed Bean. Lots of writers find naming characters a challenge. What’s your technique for coming up with names?

Bean’s name was inspired by someone my husband knew years ago, and I always liked its unique quality. When naming important characters, I research the meanings to make sure it fits my view of them. Cozy mysteries have a large cast of characters, so with minor characters, I have to make sure I don’t have too many names that start with “C,” for example, or it’s confusing for the reader. I keep an alphabetical list by first and last name and use online baby name websites to come up with interesting ideas. 

Michelle teases Detective Lockett about his way of speaking and terms he uses, which are frequently used by people from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. I recognized them since I grew up in Central Pennsylvania. How are you so familiar with them? Could Pittsburgh be home?

Yes. I grew up in Pittsburgh and moved north of the city as a child. I attended Mars Area High School and used to love telling people I was from Mars. Since I’ve lived in a few different areas since then, I’ve lost my Pittsburgh accent, but hearing it makes me homesick.

People who enjoy reading about pets in mysteries will be intrigued by Coco (aka Lentil) the cat, his GPS tracker, and how it helps solve the mystery.  Will Coco be a regular in your upcoming books?

Yes. I consider Coco to be another character in the series.

What adventures await Michelle and Erica?

In Behind Chocolate Bars, Michelle and Erica are drawn into another murder investigation when one of Michelle’s comic book kids becomes a suspect. With their tech guru, Zane, they learn that catfishing—pretending to be someone else online—can be deadly.

Thank you, Kathy.

Kathy Aarons grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended Carnegie Mellon University. She moved to New York City, where she built a career in public relations and met her husband. They now live in San Diego with their two daughters. Read more about Kathy and her many activities at http://www.kathyaarons.com.

Kathy Aarons Interview

I read Death Is Like A Box Of Chocolates over two days and enjoyed every page. Kathy Aarons’s main character, Michelle Serrano, a chocolatier, sells her sweet concoctions out of Chocolates and Chapters, the store she shares with her book-loving BFF, Erica Russell, a Fulbright scholar. If you like chocolate, the descriptions of Michelle’s chocolates will drive you out of your chair and straight to the Godiva store. However, the recipes at the back of the book did not prompt me to melt up a batch of chocolates. I’ve had enough bad experiences working with chocolate to know that it scorches easily, tempering is temperamental, and that gray bloom occurs more often than a glossy, silky surface. So don’t say I didn’t warn you. But, it does make me like and admire Kathy’s main character all the more. Berkley released this first book in the series on September 2^nd. Look for it at your favorite retailer and learn more about Kathy at her website.  

Please welcome Kathy Aarons to WWK.                                                                          E. B. Davis   

Kathy, would you provide our readers with a synopsis of your plot?

Whether it’s to satisfy a craving for chocolate or pick up the hottest new bestseller, the locals in charming West Riverdale, Maryland, are heading to Chocolates and Chapters, where everything sold is to die for….
 
Best friends Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell are celebrating the sweet rewards of their combined bookstore and chocolate shop by hosting the Great Fudge Cook-off during the town’s Memorial Day weekend Arts Festival. But success turns bittersweet when Main Street’s portrait photographer is found dead in their store, poisoned by Michelle’s signature truffles.
 
As suspicion mounts against Michelle, her sales begin to crumble and her career seems whipped. With Erica by her side, Michelle must pick through an assortment of suspects before the future of their dream store melts away….

Fleur de Sel Caramel, Amaretto Palle Darks, Mayan Warriors, Bacon-and-Smoked-Salt Truffles, Dark Passion Fruit Truffles, Raspberry Surprise Milks, Banana Toffees, Mocha Supremes, Pistachio Surprises, Spicy Passion Fruits, Black Forest Milks, Acai and Blueberry Chocolate Bars, Lavender Truffles, and Applewood Bacon Truffles are some of the chocolates Michelle makes. Are these real products? Did you gain weight researching them all? Did you make some of them?

Yes – they are all real products, although I may have changed their names. I definitely gained weight but that was more to do with huddling at my computer for so long than eating chocolate. J I did make several of them and even if they didn’t look perfect, they tasted good!

Michelle and Erica seem like the odd couple due to their differences in interests, education, and temperaments. Do opposites attract?

I’m not sure about opposites attracting, but even with their differences, they still have a lot in common – love of family, appreciation for what they bring to their customers, and a strong sense of justice.

Would you explain why West Riverdale, the Maryland setting, has no river and why it is west when there appears to be no east?

The fictional town of West Riverdale was founded by the River family. You’ll learn more about them in Truffled to Death, the second book in the series. There is an area called Riverdale in Maryland, so I added West to the name.

Although Michelle and Erica attended high school together, they only connected two years prior to the book’s timing. Michelle doesn’t seem to know much about Erica’s past. Will you reveal why Erica returned to their hometown and what she did as a Fulbright Scholar in future books?

Good question! And yes, in future books, you’ll learn more about the past of Erica and other characters.

Your plot involves computer cracking, security code breaches, and GPS pinging. Are you a techno-geek?

I am not, but I have a computer programmer daughter, a technical husband, and friends who know current technology. I just like to turn my computer on and have it work!

I’m not sure which secondary character I liked the most. If I had to pick, I’d choose the cat. How many names does the cat have, and will “Coco” ever become Michelle’s cat?

Coco will continue to add names as she adds friends with food. I don’t think Coco will ever belong to someone – she’s pretty independent and has the life she prefers.

What are “covenant weapons” and “CGI special effects?”

Covenant weapons are a gaming term and Computer Generated? Imagery.

Why is Michelle child-resistant?

Because she comes from such a small family, she’s unfamiliar with them.

Do you know any veterans suffering from PTSD?

No. I have a very good friend who works with them and has helped me with Leo’s character.

Michelle often refers to Erica’s communication as “snotty talk.” Do you think readers will agree with Michelle’s assessment? 

It’s said with affection, so I hope that comes through.

Erica starts to reconnect with her high-school boyfriend and now deputy, Bobby. Michelle sparks with Erica’s brother, Bean. Will those relationships develop in future books?

Sorry – you’ll have to read them to see!

Are you a beach or mountain person, Kathy?

Beach! I live in Southern California and walk the beach a few times a week for exercise and to unwind.