A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery) by Christina Romeril | Author Interview

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A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)

by Christina Romeril

A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Montana
Crooked Lane Books (October 17, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs, when twin sisters Hanna and Alex help out at the local high school reunion, volunteering takes a turn when they find a former classmate’s dead body.

Hanna and Alex, owners of the Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are busy preparing for the Harriston High School’s reunion weekend. Neighbors will connect with old friends and perhaps try to avoid old foes. One person no one can avoid is Kyle, the former star quarterback, who is busy using his entire playbook to try and score with Hanna, even threatening her if she doesn’t play nice. At the reunion, Alex glimpses more drama than nostalgia as insults are flung around like a football at a Friday night game. The party is put on hold when Alex finds the dead body of none other than Kyle himself, bludgeoned to death by a nutcracker that the sisters admired earlier in the night.

Hanna quickly becomes the prime suspect—someone saw her slap Kyle in the face at the reunion dance. She’ll need her sister, their sleuthing canine, Watson, and their old friends and colleagues to help break this case wide open. While looking through old yearbooks and taking a stroll down memory lane, Alex uncovers a few secrets about Kyle, now, it seems like everyone had a motive to kill him.

But when the suspects start becoming the victims, Alex and Hanna know that they can’t melt under the pressure—they must find the killer before they become just another yearbook memory.

Interview with Christina Romeril

Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!

Tell us a little about yourself.

How long have you been writing?

I started dabbling in creative writing about sixteen years ago. It wasn’t until April 2019 when my part-time job at the local library ended due to the pandemic that I decided it was time to make a serious effort at writing the book that I’d been casually working on. I started querying agents in September of that year and that manuscript became A CHRISTMAS CANDY KILLING, the first in the Killer Chocolate Mysteries.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

I remember thinking when I was thirteen that I wanted to write books. It took several decades, before I actually put pen to paper, but it was always the dream. I love a good, classic whodunit and the cozy mystery genre fits that perfectly. Cozies allow you to create a great mystery, while also developing characters, and setting. Creating a strong mystery with lots of suspects, clues, and red herrings is so much fun, it seemed the logical choice for my first real foray into writing.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

Cozies are definitely my favorite genre. I love finding cozies that have a good mystery and some humor. For this reason, I also like cross over mysteries like the Finlay Donovan series. Thrillers are also a favorite, though if I had to choose I’d say domestic suspense is my least favorite type of thriller. I’m currently reading an advance reader copy of Paula Charles, HAMMERS AND HOMICIDE, a cozy mystery coming out in January 2024.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

In my backyard I have a she shed that is my writing office from about March until October. I love it in there. I feature it occasionally on my social media. During the winter I have an office in my house, but it doesn’t compare to the she shed.

What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?

On my she shed office desk, right now, I have my computer, large monitor, fun blue keyboard, a timer for writing sprints, a notepad, two containers for pens and pencils, some scrap paper, sticky notes, a lamp, my Stanley water bottle, a picture of my husband,
a fake plant, an onyx and blue opal turtle from Mexico, and a non-alcoholic beer.

What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?

The first book I actually remember reading was a Trixie Belden mystery in third grade. That series became a favorite and I read many of them. I also really enjoyed the Anne of Green Gables books.

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

While my books are on audio, and I have great narrators, I actually can’t stand being read to. My favorite way to consume books is with a physical book in my hands. Second would be e-books. When I read, I am immersed in that world, and I find I can’t have that happen if someone else is doing the reading. That’s why I never listen to audio books. E-books are okay, but there’s just something magical about the smell and feel of a paper book in my hands, physically turning the pages.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

I acutally travel to Mexico frequently and do write there, though my books are set in Montana. But if I could choose the setting and write in that place, it would be along the East Coast, I’m waffling between Maine and Washington D.C. I was in Washington for the Malice Domestic conference in April and I had some great ideas for books set there. I’d definitely consider that for a year, but I love the thought of less populated areas in Maine.

What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?

I have read voraciously since third grade. I’ve read literary fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance, women’s fiction, commercial fiction, and even some fantasy. All that reading probably had the most influence on me as a writer. Even before I started really studying creative writing many things came to me intuitively, like story structure. If I had to pick a writer who’s influenced my writing, I’d pick two and say Agatha Christie and Jane Austen.

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

I belong to two critique groups made up of amazing writers. I only joined these groups this year and am so grateful to finally have such wonderful, supportive friends helping me on this journey. It’s incredible to get their feedback and to be able to discuss all the nitty gritty details of writing life from social media to finding time to write.

Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?

My editor has my proposal for the third installment of the Killer Chocolate Mysteries. That book will be much more Christmas focused than the previous two. While I wait to see if my publisher, Crooked Lane Books, will purchase it, I’ve been working on a cross over mystery in the vein of Finlay Donovan.

I find books develop a life of their own, so we will see if that’s how it turns out, but it will definitely be a mystery of some kind. It’s a story that explores some darker themes, murder included, but an infusion of humor will keep it on the lighter side. It also explores female relationships between mothers and daughters and old and new friends. I’m having lots of fun writing it.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!

About Christina Romeril

Christina Romeril is the author of the Killer Chocolate Mystery series. The series is set in Montana at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, one of her favourite places to visit. She and her husband live a few hours away in a small village in Southern Alberta. When Christina isn’t writing she loves to hike in Waterton Lakes National Park, or just hang out there eating gourmet hot dogs and ice cream. When the former banker isn’t enjoying nature, she loves to create and consume chocolate confections. Not necessarily in that order.

Webpage https://christinaromeril.com/

Blog https://christinaromeril.com/blog/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christinaromerilwriter

Twitter https://Twitter.com/romerilchris

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christinaromerilwriter

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22222730.Christina_Romeril

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org