Lena Gregory, author of Murder a la Mode, a Coffee & Cream mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us about the inspiration for her series.

Welcome, Lena. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

My first job was working early mornings in my grandfather’s deli in a small town on eastern Long Island. I can still remember getting up at four in the morning to go in and stock shelves, the scent of kaiser rolls with butter and bacon frying, and the gossip. Boy was there gossip. I have such fond memories of my grandfather standing behind the counter, leaning forward, enjoying shooting the breeze with customers. My grandmother knew everyone by name, and assumed everyone else did too. She used to start off a conversation with, “Can you believe Jeremy did this, or did you hear Katrina did that?” As if you would automatically know who those people were.

When I decided to write a small café themed cozy, one that took place in a town similar to the one I grew up in, I wanted to capture that feel, to share that sense of community, of knowing your neighbors. But there’s a down side to that too. Not only do you know what all of your neighbors are doing, they are all aware of your deepest, darkest secrets as well.

When Murder a la Mode starts off, Danika Delaney is returning to her home town after fleeing the gossip surrounding her boyfriend cheating on her at prom and seeking the anonymity of New York City to go to college and begin her career. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and she ended up returning home, only to endure a new stint on the gossip mill when her ex-boyfriend’s wife ends up dead in the basement of her new café. Now, she’ll have to solve Heather’s murder if she ever hopes for her business venture to succeed.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Lena, and good luck with Murder a la Mode, a Coffee & Cream mystery.

Readers can learn more about Lena Gregory by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest pages. Readers can also follow her on Twitter.

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Kobo

About Lena Gregory: Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of Central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.