The Icing on the Cake

"Her novels are like Agatha Christie's whodunits, but they have a hard, contemporary edge that enhances the fear factor.
They are so addictive, in fact, that her readers would surely suffer withdrawal symptoms unless they kept coming on a regular basis…She is one of the most talented story tellers around."
**Associated Press on Mary Jane Clark

HANK: You don't hear me gush much. I introduce people, I'm laid back, I'm oh-so-casual. But I have to say. I would not be where I am in the world of mystery without Mary Jane Clark. Couple of reasons. One, her books are genuinely wonderful. Before I even consciously thought that I might be able to write mysteries--I devoured her books. Yes, they're about TV. Yes, I was completely carried away.

Yes, I was--okay, I'll say it. Hugely jealous. And a huge fan.

But it was more than the TV part that made her New York Times bestsellers such a must-read for mystery fans. She really knows how to tell a story. A riveting, original, page-turning, compelling story.

Here's a great sound bite from her.

"My aim is lay out all the clues in such a way that you don't even realize that you've been given the answer to the mystery until you get to the end…and then realize "Aha... it was there all the time but I just didn't see it." …Mary Jane Clark

See what I mean?

And when she read PRIME TIME and agreed to give me a blurb--well, lets just say she doesn't know it, but I would have changed the shelf-paper in her kitchen. Still would.

So I am so happy to be able to welcome her to Jungle Red today. And so delighted that she's on the verge of new wild success with a brand new series. Yes, I'm gushing. what can I say.

It's The ICING ON THE CAKE

by Mary Jane Clark

When I was a little girl, my mother bought a set of piping tips and a Wilton cake decorating book. Oh, how I loved looking through the glossy pages of that catalogue! I can still remember the circus cake, the monkey cake and the princess cake with the edible skirt and Barbie doll lookalike upper body.

After she got the hang of making and decorating the cakes for my sister and me, my mother let our playmates go through the book and pick out their favorites which she would then make just for them. It was a big deal to all of us. Everyone looked forward to her turn with excitement.

Today, that’s one of my favorite childhood memories. I had absolutely no idea that I would end up writing about a cake maker who gets involved in mystery and suspense. It’s funny how life works out, isn’t it?

HANK: Well, it is. As I said, after an amazingly successful series, which is still one of the most beloved and iconic ever, Mary Jane Clark is adding another series to her resume.

The Wedding Cake mysteries. (Grr. Why didn't I think of this?)

So, Mary Jane. Tell all!

MARY JANE: To Have and to Kill is the first book in the Wedding Cake Mystery series. Actually, the idea came as I was watching a segment on morning television about decorating wedding cakes. There were multiple gorgeous cakes made for an array of wonderful destination weddings. I started to think, what if a wedding cake maker got involved in a murder case which threatened to prevent the wedding?

Then, I realized it could be a series…each time involving, a different bride and groom, different family and friends, in a different location while the cake maker, Piper Donovan, figures out who is doing the killing.

Piper is a struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement. Reluctantly, she moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. Piper steps tentatively into the family bakery business, and finds herself agreeing to create the wedding cake for the acclaimed star of a daytime television drama. But soon deadly things start happening around the bride-to-be and it seems that somebody is ruthlessly determined to stop the wedding.

I know. Cake decorating is a world away from television news, the backdrop for my twelve previous books, but, the writing style is still the same, with the aim to create chilling suspense. As always, I’ve tried to come up with clever plotting, a driving narrative and lots of surprises. With mystery, romance and family relationships, I hope To Have and to Kill has something for every reader.

Of course, they say you should “ write what you know”. So, I have been taking Wilton cake decorating classes myself. It’s been so much fun, but the professionals don’t have to worry. It will be quite a while before I give them any competition.

ABOUT MARY JANE CLARK

Mary Jane Clark's media thrillers have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and other national bestseller lists. Her books have been published in 23 languages.

Mary Jane spent three decades at CBS News' New York City headquarters... where she began her career as a desk assistant after graduating with degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Rhode Island.... and worked her way through the ranks to become a producer and writer.

Her first books came from that experience. She developed KEY News, a fictional television new world where the characters go out into the world to cover their stories and get involved in mystery and suspense.

Those twelve novels, include Do You Want to Know a Secret? Do You Promise Not to Tell? Let Me Whisper in Your Ear, Close to You, Nobody Knows, Nowhere to Run, Hide Yourself Away, Dancing in the Dark, Lights Out Tonight, When Day Breaks, It Only Takes a Moment and Dying for Mercy.

To Have and to Kill is the first book in The Wedding Cake Mystery series.

Mary Jane is the mother of two grown children and has homes in New Jersey and Florida.

And here's a cool wedding cake slide show! http://www.maryjaneclark.com/weddingslide/weddingcakeslides.html

So what did your wedding cake look like? Or--what would you love it to look like? (Maybe we can get Mary Jane to make it for you.)

And in honor of Mary Jane's new series, Jungle Red will provide a signed copy to one lucky random commenter!