And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to twoofakind12 for winning a copy of Josi S. Kilpack's fourth culinary mystery, Key Lime Pie!

Please email me (Jenn) your mailing address so that we can send the book off to you as soon as possible. Thanks to all of you for participating.

Don't forget all of Ms. Kilpack's recipes are available for download on her website to be found under each book, respectively.

Girls Just Reading uses Random.org to produce the winner.

Giveaway: Key Lime Pie

This week Girls Just Reading has featured two wonderful food-lit books from the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series by Josi S. Kilpack (Devil's Food Cake review & Key Lime Pie review).  Yesterday, the author did a wonderful Q & A with us, and today, as promised, begins our giveaway of culinary mystery, Key Lime Pie (book 4 in the series). 
 

In order to qualify for this fantastic book, you need to fill out this form before midnight October 15th, 2010:

Good Luck!!

Author Interview: Josi S. Kilpack

This week I had my fill of food-lit ~and loved it!  I read and reviewed, Devil's Food Cake and Key Lime Pie by Josi S. Kilpack. Today, Girls Just Reading is thrilled to have a Q&A with the author.

GJR:  WOW! You’ve written more than a dozen books in a plethora of genres, ranging from Women’s Lit, to YA, to a Whitney Award Winning Suspense novel, to non-fiction books on publishing. Isn’t that genre span unusual for an author?

Josi S. Kilpack:  I’m lucky in that I started out writing a variety and therefore didn’t get pigeon holed like many authors do. It is unusual for an author to write multiple genres, and for good reason; a lot of fans aren’t multiple-genres so when it comes to branding yourself it’s best to focus on one thing. Even though I’ve published several books, the first several were in a small regional market and therefore I wasn’t going after a large enough demographic to feel the need to focus like most authors do. Now that I’m branching out into a more mainstream market, however, I’m very much shooting for that stable platform and easily-identified genre.

GJR:  Your last four books have been part of a series of culinary mysteries. What inspired this genre shift?

JSK:  I was in between projects and a fellow writer had a writing contest as part of his latest book’s promotion. The contest was for the first chapter of a mystery novel that involved food. I wrote the chapter as a bit of a break from my other projects and absolutely fell in love with it. For the next couple of years I worked on the story here and there until I decided to make it a focus and see where it took me. It was a good challenge for me in many ways.


GJR:  The recipes in your book sound delicious ~there are several I want to try! Are the recipes your own or did you work with a chef?

JSK: Ah, a chef! That would be awesome; maybe some day. For now, a lot of them are my own, but many of them are provided by my Test Kitchen, or rather Sadie’s test kitchen. It’s a group of 8 home-chefs, like myself, who offer up recipes and then help me try out the ones I want to use. They help me get it just right and have been a lifesaver. It’s one thing to play around with something new at home, it’s a whole other ballgame to put a recipe out to the world with your stamp of approval on it.


GJR:  Who is the hardest character to write for in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series?

JSK:  Sadie. I’ve never written the same main character in more than one book, so I’ve found it particularly challenging to make Sadie remain true to who she is and yet still grow and develop over the course of the series. It was a challenge I hadn’t anticipated and it’s turned out to be far more challenging than I’d have ever expected even if I’d known it would be an issue.


GJR:  Are you working on a new novel? Will it be a sequel to Key Lime Pie, or are you going to switch genres?

JSK:  I’ve JUST sent in the final version of Book five in the series, Blackberry Crumble. It will be out in the spring and will be followed by 3 more books in this series and then a cumulative cookbook that will have all the recipes from all the books. No genre switches just yet, but maybe when I’m done :-)


GJR:  Do you have plans to write sequels to any of your other novels?

JSK:  I do have some ideas, but as time goes on I have more ideas for totally new things as well, so I’m not sure where exactly all this thinking will take me. I suppose time will tell.


GJR:  Who are your favorite authors to read? Why?

JSK:  Even though I already said that most readers have specific genres they prefer, I read in a lot of different genres and can’t think of a particular author that really stands out. I do follow Sue Graphton; I get her books quick after their release, but overall I’m drawn to writers who write strong characterization and keep me guessing—whether that’s in a suspense novel or romance; a good author keeps the plot twisting from beginning to end and writes characters I can’t wait to read about. I love that.


GJR:  What are you currently reading?

JSK:  I have been waiting to read Catching Fire since after I finished The Hunger Games, and now I have Mockingjay to throw in there. I also set a goal to read Pride And Prejudice—I’ve only ever seen the movie (I know, I know, I’m a writing heretic!)


GJR:  What author’s have influenced you?

JSK:  Every author I’ve ever written has left their mark on my writer’s soul. Honestly, good or bad, I think every book I’ve ever read has taught me something, which is why I think it’s so important for writers to read, read, read. You never know when you’ll find yourself in an author’s classroom, learning as the story unfolds.


GJR:  If you had to prepare an impromptu dinner party, which recipe would you grab and why?

JSK:  I have a fabulous White Chicken Chili recipe that although it hasn’t shown up in a book yet, is a crowd pleaser and super easy to make. It’s what I throw together when real life brings me the need to entertain. While I love to cook, my first priority is that it taste awesome and my second priority is that it’s fast because I’m easily distracted :-)

We'd like to thank Josi S. Kilpack for taking time out of her schedule to answer our questions. Her recipes and the first chapter of each book in the series can be found on her website.  (I can't wait for the cookbook! )


If you love food and a good mystery (and quite frankly, who doesn't?) You need to check out the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series!

...and come by the blog again tomorrow for a chance to win Key Lime Pie!

Jenn's Review: Key Lime Pie

Summary:  When Sadie Hoffmiller's new friend, Eric Burton, receives word that his missing daughter's body may have been found in Florida, he immediately packs his bags, but Sade is determined to stay home and prove to everyone that she is not a busybody.

But when she senses Eric is hiding something, Sadie is compelled to take action.  Be fore she knows it, she's in the heart of Miami, trying to piece together a trail littered with broken relationships, mysterious strangers, and forged documents that might just provide Eric the answers he's been desperately searching for - or reveal a truth he may not be ready to face. 

Sadie must also face a difficult question:  Where is her heart leading her?  Onward into Eric's adventurous arms?  Or back home to the stable and steady Pete Cunningham?  If only love was as easy as following a recipe.

Once again, Sadie finds herself in the company of some colorful characters and on the hunt for some good old-fashioned Southern cooking.  But despite the drama and intrigue, all Sadie really wants is to go home ...as soon as she does just one more thing.

Review:  Having just finished Devil's Food Cake, I was quite anxious to read Key Lime Pie (I love Key Lime Pie, or moreover, Key Lime Cheesecake!  Oops, the book, right...) It is an intense installment in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. 

Sadie adores Pete but can't ignore that their is a certain chemistry with Eric, the Clyde to her Bonnie.  So when Pete bows out gracefully, and Eric seems to be in trouble, Sadie flies to Miami to see if she can help.  She walks into a far larger mess than she imagined possible, Eric is in over his head, and drags Sadie in with him. 

Once again, I feel Josi S. Kilpack has left the cozy of culinary cozies far behind... and I like it.  While the mystery unravels a little slower than the last book, it's no less enticing.  The plot is a little more direct, with fewer surprises, but the journey is a good one.

Again, Sadie pushes the envelope with her investigation, going perhaps further than I would, but she stays true to her gutsy self.  She also has learned a bit of a lesson about interfering with a police investigation from her last adventure, but Eric puts her in a bad position and circumstances prevail... however, it's nice to see the character of Sadie growing and learning from her mistakes and from some introspection she was previously lacking. 

I must admit, I love the direction Kilpack is taking this series, while still managing to include her marvelous recipes.  I can't wait for the next addition to the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series! And I recommend that you check them out too...

Final Take: 4.0/5

Jenn's Review: Devil's Food Cake

Summary:  It's been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the committee who invited the bestselling writer to speak at the library fundraising benefit, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect right down to the homemade devils food cake she baked herself. Certainly, murder was not on the menu.

When Thom's manager ends up dead on stage, Sadie jumps in to offer her guidance and expertise to investigators. But when the police refuse to take her seriously, Sadie has no choice but to pursue justice on her own. After all, is Sadie to blame if she keeps stumbling over information? Can Sadie turn her back when people intricately woven into the deception keep crossing her path?

With her son, Shawn, at her side, her reputation on the line, and a full cast of suspicious characters, Sadie Hoffmiller is once again cooking her way through a case that offers far more questions than answers.

Review:  This is the third installment in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series and the most delectable so far.  Devil's Food Cake is a culinary mystery on another level.  Josi S. Kilpack has taken the 'cozy' out of culinary cozy.

Sadie started off as a bit of a caricature back in Lemon Tart, but she has developed into a character with depth.  I'm not sure she's someone I want to know, but only because people she knows have a nasty habit of being murdered.  Is she a bit of a busy body?  Perhaps, but she certainly is useful one.  An active member of her community, Sadie has personal inside knowledge of relationships and people that perhaps are not so obvious to the police force.  She's also very gutsy. (Sadie makes a murder suspect a snack in the home of a woman who just attacked her... could I?  Maybe, but would I?  No way!)  Unfortunately, because she's dating a detective on the force and she has a reputation for interfering in investigations, Sadie is ignored by the police.  But she does find a stranger to aid her investigation, one who just may crumble her relationship that is already on the rocks.

The plot is intricate and compactly woven.  The story moves without lulls and while the reader may question the validity actions of the characters, they are sure of their motivations.  As crazy as the cast is, they all mean well.  As a reader, I never found myself ahead or behind the investigation.  I was right with Sadie every step of the way, and just as shocked as she was by every turn of events.

Kilpack's writing style can go from witty to serious in an instant, and lets not forget about the delicious recipes included! The food is pulled into the story, and the recipes follow the chapter, but they are never forced. 

It is the most complete in character and plot of the three books in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series and I couldn't put it down.  Which is why I'm moving right into book four.  I can't wait to start Key Lime Pie!

Final Take:  4.25/5