Blog Tour & Giveaway: Truffled To Death by Kathy Aarons

5 Things I Won’t Leave Home Without

by Kathy Aarons

My critique partner recommended this as a blog topic and my first thought was, “But I have only three.” And then I got it: I’m supposed to go a little deeper than “my purse, my keys and my cell phone. So here goes:

My family – Not my actual family. The idea of my family. My love of my family, both immediate and extended. My husband is most likely at work when I’m leaving the house, and my girls are away at college. I’m an empty nester who takes advantage of Skype, Facebook, and email to keep in touch with her kids. All of which I can do from my phone. Which is with me at all times. Just ask my family.
My friends – Living away from my family means I had to create my own little local family. My friends are very supportive of my writing, but they’d be supportive if I decided to take up knitting kitten-themed coasters and selling them on Etsy. They listen to my frustrations and then remind me that I’m living my dream, so knock off the whining. We text way too much, especially right before movies for some reason. Using my phone.
My music – I love listening to music when I walk and when I drive. I like to say that my music tastes stopped maturing in middle school. I love most of what’s on popular music stations and rarely listen to music from “back in the day.” And just like a preteen, I sometimes fall out of love with my music a few days after I buy it on iTunes. My music? Also on my phone.
Paper for observations – Whenever I get out of the house, I people watch. And 99% of the time, I have paper to write it down. I keep little notebooks in my purse, and larger ones in my car. If I get stuck somewhere, I notice things and write them down. In the rare times I’m stuck without paper, I type my notes into my phone.
Purse/keys/phone – I’m very particular about my purses, but probably not in the way you’d expect. They have to be crossover with a very long strap and must have easy access to my phone. I buy them cheap – usually under $20 at Target. My above-mentioned friends keep buying me “real” purses, which I grudgingly use for nice dinner or special events, but the next day I’m back to my cheapo casual purse, which holds my keys. And my phone.
Coffee – Or at least the buzz from it. I grind almost a cup of beans to make my French press coffee, and drink the whole thing before most people are awake. I made the mistake of trying Yemen pour-over coffee at Bird Rock Roasters – it brings coffee to a whole ‘nother level, like sipping expensive wine. The coffee is so smooth and non-bitter that you can taste the notes of berry and chocolate inside. It’s way too expensive, so I can only have it as a special reward. I have artistic photos of it on my phone.

So I guess I have more than five things!
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…

About the Author:

Kathy Aarons is the author of Truffled to Death, second in the CHOCOLATE COVERED MYSTERY series by Berkley Prime Crime. Her first book, Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates, was a national bestseller.

Research for the series was a hardship: sampling chocolate, making chocolate, sampling more chocolate, and hanging out in bookstores.

Kathy lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters where she wakes up far too early and is currently obsessed with the Broadway Idiot documentary, finding the perfect cup of coffee, and Dallmann’s Sea Salt Caramels.

You can follow Kathy on Facebook or Twitter or visit her at: www.kathyaarons.com.

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…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Truffled To Death

Review (3.5 Stars): This is the second book in the Chocolate Covered Mystery series and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Michelle and Erica are hosting their first event which highlights a new museum display of ancient Mayan pottery.  There are minor issues at the reception but is considered a success until the next day when the Mayan antiquities are discovered missing and Erica is blamed by her former mentor.  Things go from bad to worse when her mentor is found dead and everything points back at Erica as the killer.  It is up to Michelle to find the clues that will lead to the true killer before Erica is put away for a crime that she didn’t commit.

Truffled To Death is the perfect mixture of murder, books and chocolates that is sure to delight cozy readers.  I love Michelle and Erica’s relationship and how they will do anything to protect one another.  The mystery in this one was fun and entertaining and definitely a quick read.  Looking forward to book number three in the series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Truffled To Death. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by June 16th, please leave me a comment below: