Marinating in Murder by Linda Wiken

Jenn McKinlay: One of my very favorite people to see at conferences is Linda Wiken. She always has a sparkle in her eye and she always makes me laugh. Our mutual love of food and books helps, too, so I am thrilled to have her here today to talk about her latest release! 

Linda: Some of the questions I’m asked by writers just starting down the publishing path are: what do you think about using a pen name (I am aka Erika Chase, and soon, as Essie Lang); where do you get your ideas; and, who comes up with the book titles? All good questions but here’s some advice I’ll throw in, without being asked. Think long and hard before writing a foodie mystery!

I know, an odd thing to be saying since the third book in my Dinner Club Mysteries, MARINATING IN MURDER, has just come out.

Jenn: And isn't this cover spectacular?

Oh sure, it’s fun to make and make-up recipes. Pouring over cookbooks and cooking magazines for hours on end is very satisfying – not to mention, they are tax deductible. But the hidden downside in all this becomes evident fairly quickly. The expanding waistline – not your character’s but your own! And then there’s the inability to walk past a chocolate shop without going in to sample. You must! It’s your duty to make sure your characters are eating only the tastiest truffles. And, don’t get me started on the amount of wine that must be consumed, all in the name of matching said wine with a dish or an entire meal.

My main character, J.J. Tanner and I share so much, but not the expanding waistline. That is mine alone. She is the newest member of the Culinary Capers Dinner Club and is easing into the cooking experience. Her main thing is the cookbooks. She has an impressive collection of cookbooks, all with color photos. She loves pouring over them, reading the short notes about far away places, when there are some. And, now that she’s having to actually make a dish a month for their dinners, she’s finding each new success makes her a bit more daring in the kitchen.

That’s me, and my brave family and friends who are my “guinea pigs” and to whom I am eternally grateful. But again, I must point out, her waistline does not grow; only her cooking and sleuthing skills. Because there’s always a body. But since the Culinary Capers use real cookbooks – you can find them in your local bookstore – there’s no poison involved. Spoiler alert, I know.

The calories are all mine but so is the fun in trying out new recipes, watching a whole pile of shows on the Food Network, and landing a spot on the culinary mysteries panels at conferences with other foodies who love talking about eating, cooking…and writing mysteries.

 What about you, Reds and Readers, do you love murder with a side dish? If so, what's your favorite type of foodie mystery?

Want to read all about the latest sleuthing adventure of J.J. Tanner and the Culinary Capers Dinner Club? Just leave a comment and be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of MARINATING IN MURDER.

Linda Wiken writes the Dinner Club Mysteries as herself, is writing the new Castle Bookstore Mysteries as Essie Lang, and has written the Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries as Erika Chase.  She was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel and has also been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada for Best Short Story. She is a former mystery bookstore owner and still loves reading all the mysteries she can get her hands on.  She also loves singing in a choir, which is not always so pleasant for her Siamese cat, Keesha, who must endure hours of practice.