I am excited for Peg Cochran to be here today to promote her new book, Steamed to Death, the second novel in her Gourmet De-Lite mystery series. She has been kind enough to answer a few questions for us today.
1. When you’re not writing or editing your own books, what authors or genres do you like to read?
I love mystery and suspense (as long as it’s not too gory). Some favorite authors include Deborah Crombie, Julia Spencer-Fleming, Peter Robinson, PD James.
2. What’s your favorite thing about being a author?
I get to make stuff up! I love dreaming up characters and disappearing into the world I’ve created. It’s the most fun I can think of—except when it’s not—like when you’re stuck in the middle of the book—the hardest part to write. But I always manage to dig myself out.
3. What would you tell new readers to your series about your series, to inspire them to pick them up?
My daughter is in college and I need the money for tuition? Seriously, someone left a review on Amazon that said I really took the time to develop the characters and the mystery. And that is what I try to do—create characters that become your best friends. If you like a small town setting, with plenty of food and cooking thrown in, I think you would like the series.
4. Are the recipes from your books your own tried and true recipes? Do you have a favorite recipe?
They’re recipes I have adapted to be lower calorie and lower fat by making substitutions. Then, I usually have to add a little something…or leave out something we don’t like. Next thing you know, I’ve created an entirely new dish! But hubby had a quintuple bypass last summer, so I have to make sure we eat healthy things. As to a favorite, there are the ones I make over and over—lower fat shepherd’s pie, a smoky chipotle chili (recipe coming in Steamed to Death!), chicken tortilla soup (recipe is in Allergic to Death).
5. Are any of your characters inspired by family or friends?
No. Although my mother is convinced she’s in every book I write.
6. What are you currently reading?
I just finished Gone Girl and was blown away by it. I would love to be able to write like that! I also just finished Laura Lippman’s newest…I’m so bad I never remember titles, but I think it was When She Was Good.
Thank you so much for being here today and I can’t wait to read more from this mystery series.
About the Author:
Peg grew up in a New Jersey suburb about 25 miles outside of New York City. After college, she moved to the city where she managed an art gallery owned by the son of the artist Henri Matisse. When her first daughter, Francesca, arrived, the new family moved back to the New Jersey suburbs where her second daughter, Annabelle, was born.
After her husband died, Peg remarried and her new husband took a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan where they now live (on exile from New Jersey, she likes to joke). Peg managed to segue from the art world to marketing and is now the manager of marketing communications for a company that provides services to seniors.
Her greatest love though has always been writing – particularly mysteries! She has two cozy mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime: The Gourmet De-Lite series set in Connecticut and featuring Gigi Fitzgerald, who provides gourmet diet meals to a select group of clients and the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series, written as Meg London, set in Paris, Tennessee with Emma Taylor who finds murder and mayhem in this quiet country town.
As for pets – she has a schizophrenic cat (really!) named Frazzle and a Westhighland White Terrier, Reggie, who is desperately in need of losing a few pounds. But you know what they say: If your dog is overweight, it means YOU aren’t getting enough exercise!
When she’s not writing, Peg can usually be found cooking, which she loves. When asked to bring a dish to a potluck she invariably opts to bring dessert – partly because she loves making sweet dishes and partly because she and her husband always manage to be late so there’s no point in putting them in charge of appetizers!
Connect with Peg Cochran: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Jennifer’s Review of Steamed to Death
TITLE: Steamed to Death
SERIES #: A Gourmet De-Lite Mystery #2
CHARACTERS: Gigi Fitzgerald, Sienna, Detective Mertz
AUTHOR: Peg Cochran
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/04/13
BOOK SYNOPSIS: Gourmet health food caterer Gigi Fitzgerald is used to helping dieters drop a dress size. But when her clients start dropping dead, she’s ready to switch her chef’s hat for a detective’s cap and track down a killer….
Aging soap star Felicity Davenport is looking to revamp her image, and she’s using Gigi’s Gourmet De-Lite to help her shed a few of those unwanted pounds. Having such a high-profile client is definitely good for business, but when Felicity is found murdered in her sauna, things start getting too hot for Gigi to handle.
The list of suspects is a mile long, and Gigi’s best friend, Sienna, is at the top. Refusing to let her friend get blamed for a crime she didn’t commit, Gigi is determined to hunt down the real killer. But, as the case reaches a boiling point, Gigi will have to be careful or she could be the next one getting burned.
REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Four Stars
REVIEW: I really enjoyed Peg’s first novel, Allergic to Death, so I was excited to read more about Gigi and her booming gourmet catering business. In this book, Gigi’s main customer is a daytime soap star looking to make a comeback and hires Gigi to provide all her meals when tragedy strikes. Felicity is found dead in her sauna and Sienna, Gigi’s best friend, is the prime suspect. Sienna is also several months pregnant and has been helping Felicity with her publicity, so Gigi is desperate to determine the true culprit before Sienna is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit.
Steamed to Death is a very cute mystery and I love the quirky cast of characters in this one. Gigi finally has a possible love interest in this story with the handsome Detective Mertz and the new restaurant owner, Declan McQuaid. This book has the right dash of mystery, humor and romance that will have you entertained until the very last sentence. I loved the recipes and everyone knows that I’m a big fan of books that deal with the culinary world. Steamed to Death is the perfect recipe for a lazy afternoon and I can’t wait to read more about Gigi and the residents of Woodstone, Connecticut.
Jennifer, thanks so much for having me here today. I enjoyed doing the interview, and I’m glad you enjoyed Steamed to Death! Iced to Death will come out in March of 2014 (doesn’t that seem like a million years away?) I also write the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series under my pen name Meg London (meglondon.com) The second in that series, Laced with Poison, debuts on July 2.
Good morning, Jennifer! And hello to Jennifer! I’m so glad I got to “meet” you on this blog, never having read any of your books…and now I’m anxious to read from your list! The idea of food & cooking & mystery sounds great. I’m also glad to know your alter ego, Meg London, which I will try. 🙂 Thanks for being here today. jdh2690@gmail.com