I am happy for Books-n-Kisses to host Victoria Hamilton as part of the Cozy Mystery Book  Tour for her new novel Bowled Over. This is the second novel in A Vintage Kitchen Mystery and I am delighted to have Victoria Hamilton here with us today.

Interview with Victoria Hamilton

1 – Tell us about your new release.
Bowled Over is Book 2 in my Vintage Kitchen Mystery series. Jaymie Leighton, the main character, tries to solve a decades old feud between her and her best friend from high school. Things don’t quite turn out how she hoped, and something of hers turns out to be the weapon in another murder in Queensville, Michigan.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries?
You could say it was right in front of me the whole time! I was casting about for a hook for a cozy series, something to tie it all up together, and one thing I love is collecting vintage kitchen utensils and bowls, etc. It suddenly occurred to me, what is more cozy than the kitchen? And so Jaymie Leighton, vintage kitchenware and old cookbook collector, was born.

3. Is there one character in your series that has a similar personality to you or that you can relate to the most? Or are there characters that remind you of people in your real life?
Hmm… you know, I’ve heard it said that every character you create has a piece of you inside them. I think that’s true to some extent. Jaymie certainly is as compulsive about buying vintage as I am. But her sister, Becca, is kind of a know-it-all, and I have to severely curtail that characteristic in me! LOL. Her best friend Valetta is based on someone I knew a long time ago: kindly, spinsterish and fond of odd sweaters and clothes.

4. What are you working on next?
I’ve got a million things on the go! Book 3 of Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, entitled Freezer I’ll Shoot, comes out in November 5th, 2013, but before then I’m really excited for the first book of another cozy series, the Merry Muffin Mysteries. Book One is Bran New Death, out September 3rd 2013. Merry Wynter inherits a castle in Upstate New York and so begins her journey among the quirky residents of Autumn Vale, New York, as she tries to figure out why someone is digging deep holes all over her property… until she finds a body at the bottom of one of them!
I’m also excited about the book I’ve just finished, the first book in another new cozy series, The Teapot Collector Mysteries. Tempest in a Teapot will be out in 2014.

5. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Believe in yourself and keep trying. I didn’t get the first book I wrote published. Nor the second. Nor the third. If you really want to get published, study the market and write for it. And no, I don’t mean become a hack; I mean find a way to inject your own unique style and personality into something that the market will find sellable. Also, perfect your writing. Good spelling, grammar and punctuation usage will make you appear more the professional, and agents and editors will take you more seriously.

6. Is there any kind of food/drink that you absolutely have to have while writing?
Oh, tea… definitely tea! I drink coffee in the morning, but there usually comes a time about mid-afternoon when I absolutely need… wait, I have to go turn the Keurig on. Okay, I’m back. I need a cup of tea. Sometimes a cookie with the tea will not go amiss!

7. I always like to do a fun question with authors so what is your favorite kind of pizza?
Oh sure, now you get to the really tough question! Kind of deluxe, I guess… I like pepperoni and ham and Italian sausage, but I like mushrooms, onions, green peppers and olives, too!

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us today.

Thank you so much for having me at Books ‘n Kisses! I’ve enjoyed it so much.

Meet the author:
Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym for author Donna Lea Simpson. As Victoria she writes the bestselling Vintage Kitchen Mystery series (Book 2 – Bowled Over – March 2013) and the upcoming Merry Muffin Mysteries, also from Berkley (Book 1 – Bran New Murder – September 3rd, 2013)  Victoria loves cooking and collecting vintage kitchen utensils, as well as reading and writing mysteries.

Check out her webpage for all the latest: http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com and find her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaHamilton

Jennifer’s review of  Bowled Over

SERIES #: A Vintage Kitchen Mystery #2

CHARACTERS: Jaymie Leighton, Valetta Nibley

AUTHOR:  Victoria Hamilton

PUBLICATION DATE:  03/5/13

ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Stirring up trouble…Vintage kitchenware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton has been estranged from her high school best friend Kathy Cooper since they were teenagers, but she never knew what turned Kathy against her.  After fireworks at a Fourth of July picnic, Jaymie discovers the body of her former friend in the park.  On the ground nearby is Jaymie’s own Depression-era glass bowl, broken in two.

With her fingerprints all over the bowl and a troubled history with the victim, Jaymie suddenly finds herself at the top of the list of suspects. Did the killer intend to frame her for the murder? If so, she is ready to mix it up, because solving crimes is vintage Jaymie Leighton…

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer             NUMBER OF STARS: Four Stars

REVIEW: I really enjoyed Victoria Hamilton’s first novel, A Deadly Grind, and was very excited to read her new book. Jaymie Leighton has finally settled back into her life after helping to solve a murder involving one of her precious antiques and is taking things slow with her new beau, Daniel Collins.  When a recent trip to the Queensville Emporium puts Jaymie face to face with her ex-best friend Kathy Cooper, tempers fly, leaving Jaymie wondering what happened to destroy their once strong childhood friendship. On the Fourth of July, Jaymie makes the decision to confront her former friend and mend their relationship but before she can do this, she discovers Kathy’s body in the park.  To make matters worse, Jaymie also finds her glass bowl broken by the dead body. I felt so bad for Jaymie when this happens because she wanted so badly to make amends and find out why her old friend hated her so much.  She had no clue what happened and now she would never have that opportunity to patch things up.

I loved this book so much more than Victoria’s first one because I got to learn more about Jaymie and her character is really starting to grow on me.  I love small town mysteries, especially ones that deal with cooking and antique collectibles so this was a very enjoyable book for me.  The secondary characters were delightful and definitely brought this book to life for me. The mystery was well written and had me guessing until the very end.  I can’t wait to read more from Victoria Hamilton and her charming Vintage Kitchen Mysteries because this is a series that can’t be missed.

*****

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