Trouble Brewing

October 31, 2021

Trouble Brewing

Trouble Brewing (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
by Heather Day Gilbert

About Trouble Brewing

Trouble Brewing (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ WoodHaven Press (October 18, 2021)
Number of Pages: (not finalized) Approx 200
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0916DR5WL

Convinced that the elderly lady in her care didn’t die of natural causes, Macy’s friend Della determines to look into the broken relationships surrounding the woman. She books a Halloween-themed getaway at a local inn and talks Macy into coming along with her to spy on her prime suspect.

As they join a ghost tour of the candlelit town, Macy and Della feel their guide is a little too fanatical as he shares his spooky tales. He tells the story of the Greenbrier ghost, a newlywed who supposedly came back from the grave to tell her family that her husband murdered her.

When a disturbing apparition makes its presence known, guests at the inn become apprehensive…and for good reason, because soon after, a young bride turns up dead. Although everything points to a copycat killer replicating the historical Greenbrier murder, Macy has her doubts. She’s discovered that the inn harbors secrets of its own, and when she pokes into one darkened corner too many, she might not stand a ghost of a chance.

Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.

The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Book 3: Fair Trade
Book 4: Spilled Milk
Book 5: Trouble Brewing

About Heather Day Gilbert

Award-winning novelist Heather Day Gilbert enjoys writing mysteries and Viking historicals. She brings authentic family relationships to the page, and she particularly delights in heroines who take a stand to protect those they love. Avid readers say Heather’s realistic characters—no matter what century—feel like best friends. When she’s not plotting stories, this native West Virginia gal can often be found hanging out with her husband and four children, playing video games, or reading Agatha Christie novels.

Q&A With The Author

When did you first consider yourself to be a writer?
I've always loved the written word. In my school years, I won several contests, then went on to take a lot of writing and literature classes in college, but it wasn't until I completed my first book (for a NaNoWriMo book-in-a-month competition with friends) that I realized I could actually churn out an entire novel. I haven't looked back since!

What advice do you have for a new writer?
I always say you have to be your own biggest advocate for your books. No one else will believe in your novels as much as you do—not even agents, editors, or publicists. If you keep that attitude, you'll be able to keep pushing until you're published, and later on, your marketing won't be as difficult.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?
Probably writing the book, once I get into a groove. But I have to write daily to get into that groove.

What is your favorite part of this story?
Definitely the fact that my sleuth Macy and her friend Della are staying at an inn that harbors lots of secrets they have to uncover. It's very Nancy Drew, which I grew up reading, even down to the ghostly apparition they see on their Halloween "Spooks and Screams" getaway weekend.

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?
Macy's Great Dane, Coal, is always fun to write. He's just so believable and reminds me of my fave dogs over the years. But specifically in TROUBLE BREWING, I also had fun writing the gardener, Josiah.

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?
At the end of TROUBLE BREWING, Charity, the baker/barista from Macy and her brother Bo's Barks & Beans Cafe, is finally able to adopt her young grandson, Roman. Writing the adoption scene took a lot of time, because we adopted from foster care, so I had to finally process the overload of emotions I'd felt that day. It was cathartic, but definitely also tear-inducing (tears of joy!). Foster care/adoption is a big burden of my heart, and you'll see that theme over and over in the Barks & Beans Cafe series.

Thank you for having me here today!