Blog Tour & Giveaway: As Gouda As Dead by Avery Aames

ARE YOUR CHARACTERS REAL?

By Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames
(Author of The Cookbook Nook Mysteries & The Cheese Shop Mysteries)

I could protest for hours about how my characters are not based on real people, yet readers will still walk away convinced that my protagonists are thinly veiled versions of myself. As if. I’m not in my thirties. I’ve never run a cheese shop or a cookbook shop. I don’t live in a small town. And I’m definitely not courageous (or curious enough) to figure out whodunit in a local murder. Do I care about friends and family? Yes. Do I cook? Yep. Do I like pets? Certainly. So, in that regard, I guess I’m very much like my protagonists!  J

Now, as for my killers and victims or the other people that populate my fictional towns, um…yes, there might be a few I’ve based on people I know, but I would bet no one could figure it out. Why? Because I take pieces. Perhaps the look; perhaps the attitude; maybe a phrase, or style of speaking, or a rhythm of speech. I was told once that if I simply switched the sex of a character of the person I knew in real life, I could create the person verbatim and the person would never suspect!

Yes, I have started reading friends’ books to find out whether I’m the basis for a character. Is there a type A perfectionist in the bunch? Someone who is rough on herself when she doesn’t get things right? An overachiever who doesn’t know how to say “no”? That might be me. Do I die? Uh-oh. Perhaps I’d better work at being a good friend. J

By the way, major reveal:  In one of my short stories, I kill off a nemesis that used to ride me back in the days when I worked a nine-to-five job. She doesn’t have a clue. I promise you. She wouldn’t deign to read my work. I only changed her name and her career.

So…have you ever tried to tell a story about someone and changed basic facts to protect the identity of the guilty…ahem, I mean, innocent?

About the Author:

DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California.  As AVERY AAMES, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Someone is cheesed off . . .

Providence, Ohio, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with weeklong events, including lovers’ baskets with heart-shaped cheeses at Fromagerie Bessette. Charlotte Bessette is celebrating by finally walking down the aisle with the man of her dreams, handsome artisanal cheese farmer, Jordan Pace. But when a beloved bar owner is discovered murdered on Jordan’s farm, he believes they should reschedule their wedding given the grim turn of events.

Charlotte is heartsick over the postponement. This killer crossed the wrong woman. No one, but no one, is ruining her wedding plans!

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of As Gouda As Dead

Review (4.5 Stars): This is the sixth book in the Cheese Shop mystery series and this is one of my favorite mystery series out there.  In this book, Charlotte is marrying her boyfriend, Jordan and while she is excited to finally be walking down the aisle, things take a dark turn when the body of her friend, Tim, is discovered on Jordan’s farm. I have loved these characters since the beginning and I was very sad to say goodbye to one of them.  As Gouda As Dead is a wonderful addition to this mystery series and each book feels as though you are spending time with good friends.  The mystery was engaging and complex and I have to say that I couldn’t guess who the killer was until Charlotte found out.  The recipes included in this mystery are to die for and I can’t wait to try to recreate some of them myself. Ms. Aames is a master storyteller and I’m looking forward to reading more about Charlotte in the future.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of As Gouda As Dead. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by February 12th, please leave me a comment below: