Monday 4 October 2021

New Publication Spotlight & Author Guest Post: Add Cyanide To Taste by Karmen Špiljak



Add Cyanide to Taste by Karmen Špiljak

AUTHOR GUEST POST

A taste of culinary noir

If the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, then the path to their mind must be through stories. The stories that have stuck with me were related to food. Famous Five? Picnics with pie, sandwiches and ginger beer. Hercule Poirot? A foodie detective who can’t go without his tisane. What about those apples? They seem to be a rather popular item in storytelling as they pop up in classic fairytales like ‘Snow White’, but also in contemporary young adult fiction like ‘The Girl Who…’

For me, food and stories have always been connected. Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t resist the temptation of bringing the two together. Admittedly, my early attempts weren’t successful. In my first novel attempt, the sleuth and her sidekick were too busy eating to solve any crimes. Then again, I was only ten years old when I wrote this.

Food kept on sneaking into my stories, though, so a few decades later I decided to give it another go. This time, I’d keep the stories short and perky. Coming up with the ideas was easy. I got one while listening to an interview with a famous author who talked about calming down ghosts with food. Another one popped up in the most convenient place for such stories: in a restaurant. There were podcasts, too, and the more I thought about food stories, the easier it was to write them.

A cursed cake? You got it. A restaurant with a bizarre business model? Definitely, and what about all those foodie influencers with super-healthy lifestyles?

To add a bit of variety, I repurposed some of my old stories and gave them a fresh glaze. All the stories were dark and twisted and would come with recipes for some of the dishes featured in them.

When I shared this with my husband, he was enthusiastic, especially about the recipes part.

‘What kind of recipes?’

‘Pancakes, pasta, cookies and such.’

‘And you’d try them out?’

‘I guess so. Probably more than once.’

‘Who would eat them?

‘I don’t know. Us?’

‘If you insist.’

‘I’ve got a great title for the book, too.’

‘Oh? What is it?’

‘Add Cyanide to Taste.’

‘Cyanide?’

‘It’s only a title.’

‘But the food…’

‘Won’t contain any cyanide.’

‘Phew.’

A couple of months later, I had fourteen short stories and thirteen recipes. Since almost all food books have pictures, I asked my friend, Luka Rejec, a Slovenian artist and writer, to do illustrations. He read the stories before putting his talent to work and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

The ultimate test for ‘Add Cyanide to Taste’ is yet to come. I’m keen to hear whether reading culinary noir will make readers hungry and will lurk on #Cyanide2Taste for their photos of snacks and dishes they make. Preferably without the cyanide.

BLURB

A sinister cook, a cursed cake, and a casual dinner between neighbours that goes murderously wrong.

This debut collection of dark tales and recipes by Karmen Špiljak ascends the jagged culinary heights you’ve hungered to explore but could never find on a map. As the characters swoon over every unforgettable mouthful, and sometimes bite off more than they can chew, you’ll find yourself asking: What would I be willing to pay for the meal of a lifetime?

If feasting on culinary noir leaves you hungry, extend your pleasure by preparing the dishes featured in the stories. All recipes provided are cyanide-free.

Karmen Špiljak writes across different genres. Her short fiction has been awarded and anthologised.

More on www.karmenspiljak.com

PURCHASE LINKS





General purchase link (all the other links are here): https://www.karmens.net/books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karmen Špiljak is a Slovenian-Belgian writer with a taste for dark and twisty tales.

Her short fiction has been awarded and anthologised. Her as yet unpublished thriller was shortlisted and received an honourable mention on 'The Black Spring Crime Fiction Prize 2020'. She writes across different genres, from suspense to horror and science fiction.

She currently lives in Brazil with her husband and two cats.



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Publication Day Push & Review: A Little Piece Of Paradise by T.A. Williams


A Little Piece of Paradise by T.A. Williams


BLURB

The inheritance of a lifetime... with a catch

When Sophie’s uncle leaves her a castle in the Italian Riviera in his will, she can’t believe her luck. The catch? She and her estranged sister, Rachel, must live there together for three months in order to inherit it.

Having worked in Rome for four years, Sophie’s excited to revisit to Italy, even if it reignites memories of a cheating ex who soon learns of her return and wants to rekindle their spark. Sophie realises that distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder – but for her friend back home, Chris, who she discovers is more to her than just a friend.

With the clock ticking, can Sophie and Rachel stick it out and heal old wounds, or are the sisters destined to go their own way at the end of the three months? And does Chris feel the same way about Sophie as she does for him?

A beautiful story of romance and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Alex Brown and Lucy Coleman.


PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon UK                Amazon US 

REVIEW

If you enjoy dreaming of far off places with a stunning Mediterranean backdrop, T.A.Williams' delightful new novel is just for you!

Sophie and Rachel are reunited after their late uncle's will stipulates they must live together for three months, so they can inherit a castle in Paradiso, Italy. Much has happened to the estranged sisters since they last saw each other, so can they put the past behind them and rebuild their relationship long enough to claim what's bequeathed to them?

Fans of the author will delight in this new story, set along the North Italian Riviera coast. You'll love Sophie’s delightful dog, Jeeves, a black Labrador along with all the characters she encounters. This is a romance, yet, the focal point is how these two sisters mend their fractured relationship. Set against a stunning backdrop, the two young women work side by side to try to complete the tasks they have been set within the allotted time frame. It's an opportunity for them both to embrace life in the small village and to appreciate the magnitude of what could belong to them...

The author paints a vivid picture of the scenes within the narrative; The castle, history and culture of the small town come to life, courtesy of the insightful details. There are surprises along the way, as both young women have to come to terms with past events before moving forward with their lives. It's also an opportunity to forge new friendships and build plans for the future, although nothing is as easy as it seems as emotions run high.

Overall, another highly entertaining novel with a happy sunny ending from a favourite author.

***arc generously received courtesy of Canelo Escape***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only seven years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

The fact that I am now writing escapist romance is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations, even if travel to them is currently difficult.

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