Interview: Kim Davis (Essentials of Murder) ~ #BookTour

 

Hello and Welcome All!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Kim Davis author of Essentials of Murder.

Hi Kim, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Who are your favorite authors? Why?

Oh goodness, that is such a difficult question 😊 I’m an avid reader (besides writing my own books) and read across a wide variety of genres… from fantasy and lately, non-horror paranormal, to romance, to historical fiction, to suspense, to traditional mysteries, and of course cozy mysteries. And being a cozy mystery blogger as well, I’ve connected with so many wonderful authors that it’s kind of like asking a parent to name their favorite child, lol.

But to answer your question, in the cozy mystery genre, I’d say some of my top favs are Kate Carlisle, Jenn McKinlay, Paige Shelton, Barbara Ross, Daryl Wood Gerber, Ellen Byron, and Donna Andrews. The main thing they have in common is their character development over the course of their series. As you read their books, their characters feel like friends and family. I’m also partial to cozy mysteries with humor and Jenn, Ellen, and Donna all add doses of giggles to their storyline.

What types of scenes are your most favorite to write?

Being a culinary cozy mystery writer for several years and having six books in my Cupcake Catering Mysteries, it was a stretch for me to start a new series that didn’t revolve around baking and eating (which are my favorite scenes to write!). In the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries, I switched my focus on character relationships with aromatherapy and reflexology as a backdrop. I find great joy in writing the scenes that exhibit sweet friendships, a strong father-daughter relationship (probably because I never had that), and becoming friends with the unlikeliest of people.

Give us an insight into your main character. Who are they? What makes them tick?

Carissa Carmichael is kind of a screw up, to put it kindly. She’s made some bad choices in the past, albeit naively, which landed her in handcuffs, and her photo splashed all over national news. Essentials of Murder starts with her back in her hometown, trying to start over, and put the past behind her. But of course, a small town isn’t going to ever let her forget, right? Given the scandal, Carissa has lost her self-confidence, and she’s on a journey to find it while trying to reconnect with her police chief father and long neglected friends.

What does he/she do that is so special?

Carissa is an aromatherapist and reflexologist, having been trained by her elderly mentor, Mari. Carissa knows what essential oils individuals need to soothe a variety of ailments. Because of her profession, I feel like she’s more in tune with people and their emotional and physical states, and as a result is a caregiver, trying to improve their wellbeing. She does have a temper, though, and if she thinks someone is going after her or one of her friends, she won’t put up with it. It definitely gets her in hot water when someone is found murdered in her shop!

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

Carissa has a huge crush on Jasper, the local patisserie owner. It’s hard not to do, especially if you’ve ever had the chance to taste his triple chocolate rolls…yum! (And the recipe is in the book…wink, wink.) Anyway, Carissa finds out Jasper might have information on some of the suspects, so she pops into the patisserie early one Sunday morning for her favorite pastry, some flirting, and some investigating.

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Angela! I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself and my new book to your readers!  

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

 

 

Essentials of Murder: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harbor Lane Books, LLC. (September 24, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 283 pages

After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget. When she finds the man who threatened to drive her out of business murdered in her shop, Carissa becomes the primary suspect, especially when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Despite her father’s position as Oak Creek Valley’s chief of police, most townspeople assume she’s guilty.

Refusing to run again, Carissa knows she must prove her innocence to save her shop and save her father’s career when the investigating detective turns his focus on her. With suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it’s up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it’s too late.

Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.

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Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series, and the middle-grade fantasy adventure The Board Game Chronicles series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines.

Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

Author Links:
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