Dead Pan by Gayle Trent

DEAD PAN

by Gayle Trent

Mystery/Fiction
www.GayleTrent.com

5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, November 13, 2009





About the Book:

For the second time in as many months, Daphne Martin finds herself telling a police officer, “I just delivered the cake.”

Several people became sick at Brea Ridge Pharmaceuticals’ annual holiday party for its employees, and one–Fred Duncan–died. Fred’s mother insists on Daphne’s help in learning why Fred died; and since none of the food has yet been exonorated, Daphne feels compelled to find out what made everyone so ill. She’s pretty sure it wasn’t her cake, but she can’t be certain until the police complete the lab results. Was this an accident? Or did someone set out to kill Fred?

Exclusive Interview with the Author!

1) What inspired you to write mysteries centered around a cake decorator?

My daughter and I took a cake decorating class, and we had so much fun. I'm certainly not a professional by any means, but Daphne Martin lets me pretend!

2) I hear there are actual recipes in your books. How cool! Which recipe is your favorite? What about your favorite type of cake?

Oh, man, I love chocolate cake. In fact, last Halloween I made a huge 10-inch round cake for a Halloween party. We had the party at a pizza parlor, and when we got home much of the cake (chocolate with buttercream icing) remained. I demanded that my husband take it to work with him because I could not be trusted alone with that thing! As far as recipes in Dead Pan go, Holly Clegg's Apple, Brie and Brown Sugar Pizza sounds wonderful!

3) Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I went through the singer/actress phase like every little girl, and I also went through a detective phase! I know I'm not cut out to be an actual detective, but once again, writing lets me live vicariously. I took creative writing classes in high school, and they were my favorite parts of the day. I think that's where I found and developed my true love of writing.

4) It sounds like you have a lot of stuff going on (writer, editor, mom, wife, cook)! How do you organize your day? Are you very structured or is every day a new adventure?

I have to say every day is an adventure. Although I try to be organized, and I have a checklist on almost every day of my calendar, I have to be able to back up and regroup. For example, I might have my day planned around freelance writing, but my editor will send edits to a book I'm working on or a fantastic marketing opportunity will present itself. Or the school nurse will call, etc., etc.

5) What’s up next for you? Will there be more books in the Daphne Martin mystery series?

Yes. The next book in the series is Killer Sweets. In the excerpt included at the back of Dead Pan, Daphne's friend and neighbor Myra comes over and is eating cashew brittle. Myra loses a filling, and Daphne calls the dentist. Even though it's late at night, the dentist knows Myra and agrees to meet her at the office to fix her tooth. Daphne and Myra arrive to find the dentist dead. Number one (and two) suspects? You guessed it! :-)

About the Author:

Gayle Trent is a cozy mystery author. She's currently working on the Daphne Martin Mystery series featuring a cake-decorating sleuth, and The Seven-Year Itch mystery series featuring Marcy Singer, an embroidery shop owner living on the Oregon Coast with her Irish Wolfhound Angus. The series is written under the pseudonym Amanda Lee, and the first book in the series is The Quick and The Thread. Visit Gayle online at: Fea

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