Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway - Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander

Welcome to my blog tour stop for Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander. This is a cozy mystery that released December 30th.

Be sure to check out the schedule for the list of reviews, interviews and guest posts by the author! The tour starts January 5th and runs through the 16th.

Meet Your Baker

by Ellie Alexander

Book Description:

Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it’s criminal…

After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte’s customers turns up dead, there’s much ado about murder…

"Sure to satisfy both dedicated foodies and ardent mystery lovers alike."

―Jessie Crockett, author of Drizzled with Death

The victim is Nancy Hudson, the festival’s newest board member. A modern-day Lady Macbeth, Nancy has given more than a few actors and artists enough reasons to kill her…but still. The silver lining? Jules’s high school sweetheart, Thomas, is the investigator on the case. His flirtations are as delicious as ever, and Jules can’t help but want to have her cake and eat it too. But will she have her just desserts? Murder might be bad for business, but love is the sweetest treat of all…

"Alexander weaves a tasty tale of deceit, family ties, delicious pastries, and murder.” ―Edith Maxwell, author of A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Book Depository | Kobo

GUEST POST

A Day in the Life of Ellie Alexander

I have to admit that sometimes when I think about my daily routine it almost seems surreal. My days revolve around two things—writing and baking! Seriously, writing and baking! It doesn’t get much better than that.

Meet Your Baker is the first book in my new Bakeshop Mystery Series featuring the quaint Shakespearean town of Ashland, Oregon and a family bakeshop. When I first started writing Meet Your Baker, I couldn’t believe I had the opportunity to combine all the things that I love into a book.

I’ve been a fan of cozy mysteries for as long as I can remember. My mom got me hooked on the genre with Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. My dad taught honors English and introduced me Shakespeare at a young age. It made for an eclectic reading list. I would dabble in sonnets and then swap to some of the mystery greats like Agatha Christie and P.D. James.

When I discovered culinary mysteries in high school, I was hooked. My kitchen pantry looks more like a bookstore. I keep copies of my favorite culinary mysteries tucked between my cookbooks. Their pages are dog-eared and splattered from years of use.

In addition to reading, I grew up baking beside my parents. There were always homemade cookies, cakes and pastries at our house. My mom was in charge of all things sweet from chocolate puddings to lattice-topped pies. My dad was a consummate chef. He would spend weekends simmering sauces on the stove and pan searing roasts. The kitchen was where everyone gathered. It wasn’t particularly large, but it was always warm, cheery, and filled with the most enticing smells.

Today my kitchen is the gathering place for our family and friends. It’s also my test kitchen for Meet Your Baker.

Typically my mornings start early with a steaming mug of strong coffee. I write in a converted sun porch that lets in tons of light, even on gloomy Pacific Northwest winter days. My office walls are littered with pictures of Ashland, actors in Shakespearean garb, and mouth-watering pastries. Juliet (Jules) Capshaw, the book’s heroine, has just returned home to Ashland after years at sea. She’s mending a broken heart and trying to decide what’s next. She’s a romantic. It might be due to the fact that she’s named after Shakespeare’s most famous leading lady. I listen to a lot of power ballads and unrequited love songs to get in her head.

After I finish my word count for the day, I lace up my shoes and go for a long walk. I find that getting outside helps give me a little distance from the story and it also helps burn off the calories I consume in the name of “research.”

And speaking of calories, my afternoons are usually reserved for baking. All of the recipes in Meet Your Baker are original family recipes. Many have been passed down from my mom, dad and grandparents. Even my sister has a recipe in the book. It really is a family affair. Plus baking gives me an excuse to gather everyone together for tasting parties. Most of the time everything gets devoured in one sitting, but there have been a few flops. For example, a fig and olive oil cake that tasted more like a savory bread. Only the best recipes made the final cut. Recipes like a chocolate hazelnut torte, raspberry Danish and sweet heat espresso. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is! That means it’s time to get back into the kitchen.

I can’t wait for readers to discover Jules and the entire team at Torte, the family bakeshop. I have a feeling they’re going to fall in love with Ashland as much as I have.

Happy reading and baking!

~Ellie

About the Author:
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to learn more.

Author Links: 
Twitter | Facebook

***GIVEAWAY***

2 winners will get a paperback copy of Meet Your Baker, Chai Tea, designer baking liners and a Starbucks gift card.
Open to US addresses only.
Ends Jan. 21, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organised by CBB Book Promotions.