Dani Delaney is visiting Ascroft, eh? to tell us about Soft Serve Sleighing, the latest novel in the Coffee & Cream Cafe mystery series.

Welcome, Dani. Let’s get started, shall we?

Tell us about the novel that you live inside. Is it part of a series? If so, please tell us about the series too. Soft Serve Sleighing is the fifth book in the Coffee & Cream Café Mystery series, which take place in the small town of Watchogue on Eastern Long Island’s south shore. At this point, things are looking up for my café. At least, they were until recently. When a blizzard hit town, I was looking forward to a snow day with my friends. Unfortunately, it was interrupted by a popular YouTuber and her friends searching for somewhere to eat. Out of the goodness of my heart, and a good way to put off shoveling, I let them in for breakfast even though I was closed. And what did that good deed get me? An extortion attempt.

Does the writer control what happens in the story or do you get a say too? Oh, I definitely get a say. If Lena starts to go off course, I harass her until she gets herself together and goes back to fix whatever she got wrong, even if it keeps her up all night long.

How did you evolve as the main character? I have definitely grown throughout the series. Not only have I become more independent since moving back home from New York, but I’ve finally found happiness. I’m even starting to discover the ability to trust again.

Do you have any other characters you like sharing the story with? If so, why are you partial to them? I love sharing my stories with Uncle Jimmie, who trusted me enough to ask me to run his business so he could retire, even though he spends as much time in the café now as he did when he was running it. My best friend Gwen is amazing and always has my back, no matter how much trouble I drag her into. And Eli, my new barista, is not only adorable but one of my best friends and a ton of fun. And then there’s Detective Dreamy…

What’s the place like where you find yourself in this story? I find myself in a very content place in this story. At least, until Brynleigh tries to extort money from me in exchange for a good review. And even that might have been okay, if I didn’t stumble over her body the very next morning. Now, I’m in a bit of a mess. And to top it all off, Detective Jake Barlow hits me with a doozy (as Uncle Jimmie would say).

Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers about you and the book? I would just like to say, if you decide to give Soft Serve Sleighing a chance, I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you so much for having me!

You’re welcome, Dani, and good luck to you and your author, Lena Gregory, with Soft Serve Sleighing, the latest book in the Coffee & Cream Cafe mystery series.

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

The novel is available at the following online retailers:

Amazon    B&N    Kobo

About Lena Gregory: Lena is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.

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.