Saint Vandal's Day Cozy Mystery Author Interview

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Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Saint Vandal’s Day: A Humorous Culinary Cozy Mystery Short Read (Death by Cupcake) by D.E. Haggerty. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

St. Valentine’s Day is THE perfect day for a wedding. Unless a vandal is trying to ruin your life that is.

Saint Vandal’s Day: A Humorous Culinary Cozy Mystery Short Read (Death by Cupcake)

by D.E. Haggerty

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Saint Vandal’s Day: A Humorous Culinary Cozy Mystery Short Read (Death by Cupcake)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Independently Published (January 1, 2021)
Print length: 104 pages

Callie is finally getting her dream wedding. On St. Valentine’s Day no less. Only a vandal is determined to destroy her bakery before the wedding can occur. Anna, self-proclaimed best cupcake baker this side of the Mississippi, is not letting anything happen to the cupcake bakery. No way. Barista extraordinaire Kristie jumps at the chance to help as well. Together the three women launch a mission to find the jerk who thinks it’s okay to attack the bakery.

Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes find the vandal and save the cupcake bakery before Callie’s dream wedding is ruined?

Cupcakes not included, although recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes are.

Author interview

Hi, Dena! Thanks for taking the time to share a little about yourself with my readers and me.

Have you always wanted to be an author? What made you decide to start writing this cozy mystery series?

I’ve always loved making up stories. I didn’t actually decide to be an author, though, until I’d exhausted a ton of other possibilities. The Death by Cupcake series is my second cozy mystery series. I had just discovered the culinary cozy genre and was excited to combine my love of cupcakes with mysteries.

What is your favorite genre to read? And what are you reading now?

I read cozy mysteries – of course! Although I haven’t tried to write a paranormal cozy yet, I’m currently bingeing The Happily Everlasting Series. I love the quirky town of Everlasting, and I like that each book in the series is written by a different author.

What was your favorite type of book to read when you were a child? Is there a particular book that was a favorite?

Like now, I loved reading just about anything. In particular, though, I was obsessed with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

What has influenced you the most as a writer?

Probably being a huge reader has been my biggest influence. I read just about anything and this has helped me immensely in learning how to form a story and figure out what readers want.

Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing?

I’m still building an author friend network. As I live in a non-English speaking country, it’s a bit difficult. I do have one close friend who is a non-fiction writer. She’s great support.

What does your day look like when you are working on a book?

I try to write two to three chapters a day first thing in the morning. Because the news in 2020 is nothing short of terrifying, I’ve started writing without turning on the internet or checking my phone first. I can usually get about 5,000 words written before early afternoon. Then, it’s time to work on marketing and social media.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

I prefer e-books. With my kindle or the kindle app on my phone, I have a library at my fingertips at all times. I’m not sure how we survived before e-books. (I agree!)

If you have pictures on your writing desk, who or what are they of?

I don’t have any pictures. I prefer motivational sayings instead.

Are there any special snacks or drinks you eat or drink when you’re writing?

Coffee, of course! I’m trying to eat healthy, so my snacks are apples or carrots. Boring stuff really until you add hummus.

If you could go anyplace in the world, and write a novel based upon that place, where would you go?

I’m going with Russia. I love writing historical mysteries and I’ve been obsessed with Russia since a high school teacher placed a copy of The Brothers Karamazov in my hands.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing some novellas in another one of my cozy mystery series, The Gray-Haired Knitting Detectives. I’m also in the middle of a romantic comedy series.

Is there anything else that you’d like to share?

Just thanks for having me!

You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing with us!

About D.E. Haggerty

D.E. Haggerty is actually just plain old Dena, but she thinks using initials makes her sound sophisticated and maybe even grown up. She was born and raised in the U.S. but considers herself a Dutchie and not only because it sounds way cooler. After a stint in the U.S. Army, she escaped the US to join her husband in Holland. She fled Holland over ten years ago when she couldn’t stand the idea of being a lawyer for one single second more. Turns out Bed & Breakfast owner in Germany didn’t do it for her either. When the hubby got a job in Istanbul, she jumped ship and decided to give this whole writer thing a go. She’s now back in Holland, which she considers home. Sorry, Mom.