Eve Calder is the author of the Cookie House mysteries, a fun cozy mystery series set in the island town of Coral Cay, Florida. I can never resist cookies or cozy mysteries so I was really excited when Eve agreed to do a Q&A for book frolic!
A Tale of Two Cookies, the third book in the series comes out tomorrow and I’ll have a review for it (I’ll link to my review once it’s ready). In the meantime, you can check out my review of the second book, Sugar and Vice here.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Someone once said that writers are the people who never gave up their imaginary childhood friends. And that’s a pretty good description of what it’s like to write a book.
When I’m really cooking on my latest plot and my characters are jumping up and down and demanding attention and space on the page — there’s nothing better.
Writing the Cookie House books allows me to combine three things I love: mysteries, beach towns, and cookies. (And this book includes a couple of killer cookie recipes, too.)
I had fun writing this one. An old pal of Kate’s is visiting from New York. In her fifties, Desiree Goldsmith has found the love of her life: a marine biologist named Judson Cooper. After a whirlwind courtship, they decide to get married on the beach in Coral Cay.
But just before the ceremony, the groom vanishes. Was he just stringing her along, or did something really happen to him? Was it simply a case of cold feet, or could his disappearance have something to do with the eco-criminals he suspected were on the island? Everyone has a different take, and Kate is determined to help her friend discover the truth. (While baking lots of yummy desserts, of course!)
List three fun facts about yourself that we wouldn’t read in your ‘official’ bio.
- I graduated college, but not high school.
- I was expelled from music school (for a profound lack of talent).
- I landed the plane. Long story.
When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?
Pretty much from the time I could hold a crayon, I was making up stories. And my parents read to us kids a lot. Books have always been a big part of our lives. And my dad could invent bedtime stories on the spot. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now I realize that was pretty amazing.
Why did you choose to write cosy mysteries (and not police-driven mysteries or more hard-boiled crime thrillers)?
Cozies are pure puzzle — all the fun of a murder mystery, minus the gore. Who did it, how, and — most of all — why? For a writer, that’s a great playground.
The main puzzle in “A Tale of Two Cookies” is something I find fascinating: Everyone in our lives sees us differently. And not everyone is completely honest, either. So what happens if someone disappears and all you’re left with are the stories that other people tell about them? How do you decide what’s true, and who do you believe?
Another reason I get a kick out of cozies is the small town setting. I grew up in the ‘burbs, but my folks both came from small towns. And the stories live on! So I enjoy writing about a place like Coral Cay — a village where people from different backgrounds and ethnicities come from across the country and all over the world to enjoy the water and the beach. Everyone knows just about everyone and, in a pinch, they know they can rely on each other.
I know this will be a tough one, but which of your characters is your ‘favourite’? If you can’t answer that one, then which one do you identify with the most?
Well, the Cookie House mysteries are told from Kate’s point of view, so I spend the most time inside her head. I love cookies as much as she does (especially chocolate chip and peanut butter chocolate chip!), but she’s a lot more organized and together than I am.
And I love Maxi. We share a sense of humor and a love of coffee, bright flowers, and jewelry. But she has a magical green thumb, while my efforts are more hit-and-miss.
And Oliver! I have a definite soft spot for the town pup who’s now adopted Kate as his person. And he has a yet-to-be-revealed mystery of his own …
Who are your favourite mystery writers?
It’s a pretty eclectic bunch: M.C. Beaton, Vaseem Khan, Harlan Coben, Ruth Ware, Tim Dorsey, Carl Hiaasen, Keigo Higashino, Stephen King, Edna Buchanan, Kevin Kwan (family is always a mystery!), Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha Christie for a start. And I’m always adding new ones to the list.
What do you like to do for fun?
Writing is fun. And I read a lot — everything from biographies and history to mysteries and thrillers. I also do a little baking, but I’m not in Kate’s league. I love growing veggies and flowers. I run, and I bike. And I like to get out and go for a long ramble — alone or with friends and family. (I always carry a notebook, and it’s when I get some of my best ideas.) And, especially lately, movie night at home with family keeps me sane!
In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing or being an author?
I’m always learning something new. (Which is a nice way of saying there’s still a lot I don’t know.) One example: I didn’t realize initially how important recipes were to cozy readers — they absolutely love them. And with the first two books, my readers were very vocal — they wanted cookie recipes!
With A Tale of Two Cookies, I was lucky that two kitchen pros — Nina Simonds and Duff Goldman — each allowed me to include one of their delicious recipes. So this time around, along with a twisty mystery, we have two great cookie recipes for readers to sample.
Do you have any writing projects coming up that you’d like to share with us?
I’m working on a stand-alone mystery thriller, and I’m plotting the next Cookie House mystery. Kate’s sister Jeanine pops up in Coral Cay and let’s just say it’s quite the reunion!
Make sure you visit Eve’s website and follow her on Twitter where she shares recipes, news about her books, and tidbits about other cozies and writing in general:
WEBSITE | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS | TWITTER
And make sure to pick up her latest Cookie House mystery book at your favourite bookseller or local library. Thank you! My latest cozy mystery is “A Tale of Two Cookies.” You can pick it up at your favorite bookseller, local library or visit the publisher for purchase info.
I’m looking for black authors who write Childrens books, specifically this time about cookies. Is Eve black?
I was just wondering if Ms. Calder will be writing another entry into this series.