INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Fortune Cookie
by Josi S. Kilpack
Fortune Cookie is the 11th book in the Culinary Mystery series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Fortune Cookie is currently on tour with I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.
With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago.
Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder.
The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.
Excerpt
Review
I have read the whole series and loved each one of them. They have awesome recipes and fun characters. Look forward to reading the last one ... thanks for some great reading ... clean and fun and page turning ...
Interview With the Author
Hi Josi, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, Fortune Cookie.
For what age group do you recommend your book?
Though it's intended for adult women, a fair amount of teenage girls have read and loved it as well. It's clean, but thought provoking.
What sparked the idea for this book?
It is book ten in a series so I needed a new location and fresh story line. I chose San Francisco as the setting because of the diverse culture found there and yummy food. I added a family angle to the story as a reason for Sadie to go to San Francisco in the first place. After that, the story came together bit by bit.
So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
Usually the character is my beginning place and it certainly was for this book as the plot is directly related to Sadie.
What was the hardest part to write in this book?
Keeping it fresh - after ten books in the series it's harder and harder to keep it interesting and different from the others while still including the aspects that readers have liked in the prior books. It's a challenging endeavor.
How do you hope this book affects its readers?
I hope, first, that they enjoy it. I hope the story captures their attention and that they love watching it unfold. I hope, also, that it might serve as a reminder that we will all face challenges within our families and not all of them are resolved as well as we would like.
How long did it take you to write this book?
About five months.
What is your writing routine?
I write three or four days a week, for about six hours at a time. I find it nearly impossible to write at home, so I go to an office my husband and I use for a business we own. It forces me not to get distracted in the kitchen or laundry room or on the couch with someone else's book.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Learn the craft and learn the industry. There have been a lot of changes to the industry in the years since I first published, but craft remains the same and is often the first thing overlooked when a story idea grabs a new writers. Read books on writing, attend conferences, and understand that writing is a skill set that does not come all at once.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I cook, I run, I love to watch movies (usually while I'm cooking or cleaning up afterward) I have kids I'm continually chasing after (even though they are teenagers and young adults now). I am never lacking in things to do :-)
What does your family think of your writing?
They are very supportive, I could not do what I do without their support - especially my husband. I am very blessed.
That's great, Josi. Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
I'm the third of nine children and was raised in an industrious family. My father is an artist who always pursued his talent, my mother was a reader who always had a book on hand. I feel those two examples were a big part of my love of books and confidence in pursuing writing when I discovered how much I loved it.
Did you like reading when you were a child?
I didn't love to read - wasn't very good at it and had many other things I wanted to do instead. I didn't fall in love with reading until I was 13 and read The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I've been a voracious reader every since.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was on bed rest with my third child when I first started writing what I thought was a short story - it was a difficult time and I was starving for distraction. It became a book and only then did it feel 'real.'
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I love getting notes from readers. Usually they are to tell me they enjoyed the books or the recipes. Sometimes I'll get story ideas or recipes or requests for a particular place to be featured in a future book. So far I am able to respond to every note I get - they add oil to my well of inspiration.
Fantastic! What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Fortune Cookie is book 11 in the series, and book 12, Wedding Cake, will be out in the fall of 2014 along with a cumulative cookbook featuring all the recipes from all the books. It is bittersweet to see this series come to an end. I have loved Sadie, but am eager to start on something new.
Sounds good. Thank you for taking the time to visit us today, Josi. Best of luck with your future projects.
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing "education" to the many novels she has "studied" since then.
She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash. Plus everyone can download FREE recipes from Fortune Cookie.
Links
