KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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GINGERBREAD AND GUNSHOTS
Maple Lane Mysteries Book 7
BY C.A. PHIPPS
Blurb
What does a bride-to-be and a killer have in common?
When the friend responsible for getting Maddie her first baking job comes to visit, a mess of trouble follows her to town.
It’s going to take all Maddie’s skills, a legacy from her grandad, to solve the crime. While that’s not exactly a new thing, this level of vengeance is worse than anything she’s encountered so far.
Fortunately, she has her team of gal pals and a bossy cat on the case. Big Red, the large Maine coon, senses something is amiss from day one and he’s on a one cat mission to track down the people messing with his family.
Will her involvement in these crimes prove to Ethan yet again that Maddie’s a walking disaster—and not exactly marriage material?
The Maple Lane Mysteries are light, cozy mysteries featuring a quirky cat-loving bakery owner who discovers she’s a talented amateur sleuth.
GINGERBREAD AND GUNSHOTS
Maple Lane Mysteries Book 7
BY C.A. PHIPPS
Madeleine Flynn
Character Interview
Hi. I’m Madeleine Flynn, but everyone calls me Maddie. I’m 30 and living my dream of owning my own bakery in my home town of Maple Falls. It’s a small town in Oregon where everybody knows your name—and business.
It was my Gran who conned me into moving back home by pretending she wasn’t well. I know it’s naughty of her, but I forgave her long ago because I’m just so darn happy here.
Surrounded by my best friends and a community of people who care about me isn’t even the best part. Since moving home, my first ever boyfriend and I got reacquainted. It took a while for us to get over a very traumatic breakup when I move to New York to get a job, but that’s all behind us. In fact, a wedding is imminent. If only we could find the time to set a date and get organized. He’s the local sheriff and don’t tell him I said it, but he’s the handsomest man in uniform ever!
I should also mention my bossy Maine coon is always at my side, and between us we have been known to solve the odd mystery or two. To be honest I think people know me as much for this as for my baking.
Stop by some time and meet my interns. They’re fast becoming great bakers and without them I’m not sure I would be able to follow my other pursuits. (Yes, you can insert crimes and murders right here!)
And don’t believe everything you hear. I truly don’t look for trouble. It just seems to find me. Clearly my late grandad wanted to prepare me for this eventuality because he trained me in many of his secret service ways which have come in handy when confronted by the variety of crimes I’ve had to deal with.
Big Red and my possie of girl pals, called ‘the Girlz’ since our schooldays, make a great team. However, I am careful not to bring this to my husband-to-be’s attention. I’m sure you can appreciate he is not so enamored of our abilities and naturally concerned about my involvement. I like to think he’s slowly coming to terms with it. A girl can hope, right?
Speaking of crimes, things are about to get crazy around here with my friend from Manhattan coming to stay. Apparently there’s an arranged wedding to contend with and a dodgy shipment of some white powder.
If you have some time maybe you should stick around to help me solve the case.
Meet Author C.A. Phipps…
C. A. Phipps is a USA Today best-selling author from beautiful New Zealand. Cheryl lives in a quiet suburb with her wonderful husband, whom she married the moment she left school (yes, they were high school sweethearts). With three married children and seven grandchildren to keep her busy when she’s not writing, there is just enough space for a crazy mixed breed dog who stole her heart! She enjoys family times, baking, rambling walks, and her quest for the perfect latte.
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Links to C.A.’s website, blog, books, #ad, etc.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3U53vFv
Other books in The Maple Lane Mysteries
Sugar and Sliced – The Maple Lane Prequel
Book 1 Apple Pie and Arsenic
Book 2 Bagels and Blackmail
Book 3 Cookies and Chaos
Book 4 Doughnuts and Disaster
Book 5 Eclairs and Extortion
Book 6 Fudge and Frenemies
Book 7 Gingerbread and Gunshots
Website: http://caphipps.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/520308395641756
Cozy Mystery Reader Hangout
https://www.amazon.com/author/caphipps
https://www.facebook.com/authorcaphipps
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-a-phipps
https://www.goodreads.com/caphipps
https://twitter.com/CherylAPhipps
https://www.instagram.com/caphippsauthor/
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**Special Giveaway** C.A. will give away an ebook copy of FUDGE AND FRENEMIES BOOK 6 in the Maple lane Mysteries to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book bench blog.
AND EVERYONE CAN GRAB A COPY of the prequel for #FREE! Sugar and Sliced – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4GTTMLS
Happy Reading!
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Thanks, C.A., for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
This story sounds great! Thanks for sharing.
Don’t forget to pick up the free prequel, Diana. I hope you enjoy small town Maple Falls!
Good morning, C.A., and welcome back to Karen’s Killer Book Bench. I love your book titles. So creative and fun! Loved the interview with Madeleine, too. I’m laying odds her soon-to-be husband is in for a rough ride with her “other interests”. LOL Can’t wait to read this book. Thanks for sharing it with us today!
Good morning, Karen. So glad to be back and thanks for having me here again. It’s such a great place and you always make me feel welcome. The book titles were thought up by my group of fellow authors over a lunch! Best lunch ever.
It’s so much fun to create titles with writer friends. Almost all of my 24 titles in the True Love in Uniform series were brainstormed with a critique partner at 2 AM over wine in our room at a conference. Now to write them all! Of course, your titles are fabulous and fun!
It really is! We laughed so much, and as you can imagine, some weren’t… appropriate. 😉
Your series sounds great. Loved the character interview. Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Thank you, Eileen. Love being here. Don’t forget to pick up your free prequel.
cute cover
Thank you!
I hate to echo another reader’s comments, but nevertheless I shall. As one who has always struggled with titles, I must express my sincerest admiration for the ones you present above.
Thank you, Lenny. As I mentioned to Karen, I was having lunch with my writing group and we were having a lot of fun over them. These were the ones that stuck and the stories were born from there!
An excellent writing group indeed!
Gingerbread And Gunshots sounds like a great read and series. Loved the excerpt. Would like to review in print format. Love books like this.
I Crystal, thanks so much for your offer. I would love that too, but I live in New Zealand and it costs an arm and two legs to send anything from here. 😉
Hi,
I love cozy mysteries and this one sounds like so much fun.
Hi Helen. So glad you love cozy mysteries. Don’t forget to pick up the free prequel.