Authors Joyce Proell and Brenda Whiteside are joining us today for an interview. Their latest in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Series, Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder, will delight cozy mystery fans.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder (A Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery)
Author: Joyce Proell and Brenda Whiteside
Genre: Cozy Mystery
BLURB:
It’s a rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder.
Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating another birthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement bakes, someone is stirring up trouble for the inn and its employees.
Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashed tires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatens the sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner is caught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiled in a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as a rattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent?
The Chocolate Martini Sisters are primed to find out. First, they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonest restaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and a masseuse with a crush. If they can stay off the radar of the surly chief homicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killer burns them first.
INTERVIEW:
Welcome! It is my pleasure to feature your novel.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release?
Brenda: We came up with the plot for Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder working off our prior two books in the series. The owner of the Dulce Inn blames the sisters for murder in her establishment while they enjoyed their birthday celebrations there…as if they’re bad luck. We thought it would be fun to have her a suspect in murder and need their help to clear her.
Joyce: Murders are puzzles. As the author, you struggle to fit all the pieces together in a cohesive shape—one that surprises but ultimately makes sense to the reader.
Where do you get your ideas?
Brenda: The inspiration for the series started in an historic hotel in Prescott, Arizona. My sister and I celebrate our birthdays in spring and late summer with a chocolate martini in the Peacock Room (bar) at the hotel. We eventually called ourselves the Chocolate Martini Sisters. I thought that would be a great title for a cozy mystery series so I approached Joyce with the idea.
Joyce: Plotting a murder mystery is about focusing on the characters and choosing the one who believes they have the most to gain from murder.
When did you begin writing?
Brenda: I always loved writing as far back as I can remember. For some reason, I didn’t think about it as a career. I didn’t pursue writing until later in life when I took a creative writing class for fun and got hooked.
Joyce: In college I kept a journal in which I’d pen short scenes and character sketches. It wasn’t until I left my job, and with the support of my wonderful husband, had the opportunity to focus full-time on writing.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Brenda: It’s the same challenge I hear most authors complain about—promoting myself. With me, it’s not a case of shyness or fear of public speaking. The hardest thing is finding the right path that leads to the most exposure. Just publishing isn’t enough. Choosing the platform that gets your name and works in front of people is difficult.
Joyce: I second what Brenda said. Self-promotion is often so uncomfortable when one is an introvert like I am. However, we do so because we believe in the book and hope others will hear about it, read it, and love it.
What project are you currently working on?
Brenda: Joyce and I are in the early stages of book four of the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books. We have a great deal of personal commitments this year, so it most likely won’t go to press until early 2025. I am also working on a book of short Christmas stories that I can hopefully publish in November. And then there’s promotion. I’m trying to learn more about the dreaded task so we can share our cozy mysteries with more readers.
Joyce: I am eagerly awaiting my first grandchild and focusing on plotting Book 4.
AUTHOR BIOs:
After hearing countless stories as a mental health professional, Joyce Proell retired to create her own tales. As an award-winning author, she writes historical romance and cozy mystery where all endings are guaranteed happy. She shares her home on the prairie with a husband and a little dog with a big personality. When she isn’t reading or writing, she likes to swim and finds baking almost as relaxing as a day at the spa.
Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. She writes children’s books under the pen name, Brenda Sue. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.
Visit Joyce at her website: https://joyceproell.com/ or at https://www.facebook.com/JoyceProellAuthor
Visit Brenda at https://www.brendawhiteside.com or https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Brenda:
She blogs and has guests: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com
Join her Newsletter Group here: https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac
Jill Piscitello 
Great interview! I took a Creative Writing class, too, Brenda, and never looked back. It’s funny where we find aha moments, isn’t it? Good luck with the series.
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Thank you for stopping by, Liz!
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Good morning, Liz. Yes, life hands us those moments, and if we’re tuned in, we can use them. Thanks for being here.
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