Author Guest Post - Abby Collette

The author of the Ice Cream Parlor mysteries has a new series, Books and Biscuits mysteries featuring a bookstore and soulfood cafe.  I will be reviewing the new debut book soon.  Abby Collette is our guest author today.  Please give her a big welcome.

Fiction & Food by Abby Collette

Good food, like good books and good friends is something we savor. All of those make up the stories of our lives and fill the spaces in our memories. We smile whenever we recall them, but the eating of good food often evokes special times and special people.

And good food starts with recipes—those handed down or hand created from the heart. It’s not just peach cobbler, it’s the peach cobbler that your grandmother taught you to make. Or a recipe that you picked up while traveling on a road trip cross country or across the ocean and those for each seasons. The dishes we made to commemorate the good times, milestones and celebrations.

That’s what I love about including recipes in my books.  After all, a good book should offer a reflection of life, and how could I do that without including great food? The recipes are those enjoyed by my characters but are also there for the delight of my readers. I don’t include food just as a social transaction to add beats to my story but to make my characters more real and part of the world you enter when you open one of my books. I put on the page the actions of my characters as they conjure up the recipes and the process—slicing juicy plums, scooping out fresh vanilla. And although I am leading the reader through the clues to solve the murder of my mystery, it is worth stopping the story to share with my readers. I want all to enjoy with my characters the swirling smells inhaled, the pleasures that delight their taste buds and the delectable goodies their eyes take in. Immersing the readers in their five senses and to let them into my characters life to participate in all aspects of my story.

So, the next time you pick up one of my stories, enjoy the good food while your reading and then try out one of the recipes after you’ve done. Then let me know how it all turned out.

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Thank You Ms. Collette for joining us today!  I'm looking forward to your book.  I'm looking forward to your recipes!