Blog Tour Character Interview, Review, & Giveaway for Mulberry Mischief by Sharon Farrow

Character Name: MARLEE JACOB

1)      Tell us a little bit about yourself--both something we learn from [the story] and something that readers might not guess? 

I was born and raised in Oriole Point, Michigan, a scenic resort town on the shores of Lake Michigan. Although the Jacob family have grown fruit in the area since the 19^th century, my dad and aunt did not inherit the agricultural gene. Instead, they mismanaged the business and ended up losing everything to the bank when I was a child. Years later when I opened The Berry Basket, I felt as though I were once again connecting to my family’s past. Because this part of Michigan is known as the “Fruit Belt”, I also feel a deep connection to the land itself. I may not grow the berries, but I honor them the best way I can.

Readers might not guess that I briefly entertained fantasies of being on Broadway. I blame this on my successful appearance as Chava in a high school performance of Fiddler on the Roof. When I moved to New York to attend college, I even auditioned for a part in Mamma Mia, where I quickly realized I did not have the singing or dancing abilities to be on Broadway. Lesson learned. Thankfully, I learned it early.

2)      How did you first meet your writer?

I met my writer soon after she moved to the west side of Michigan and began to explore the beautiful Lake Michigan coastal towns. One of her favorite shops was The Blueberry Store in South Haven, which sells every sort of blueberry product imaginable. Although she was in the midst of writing a mystery series set in 1913 London, she also had a desire to try her hand at a contemporary cozy. And a berry themed shop set in a beach town in Michigan seemed ideal. It also gives her an excuse to shop at The Blueberry Store on a frequent basis.

3)      Want to dish about him/her?

My writer does not have a predictable schedule and I find myself being written about at all hours of the day and night. And she often writes with the TV on! I don’t know how she concentrates while a Bravo reality show is playing in the background. She also seems to know whenever one of the Hunger Games, Twilight, or Harry Potter movies is on TV; at this point all of the Berry Basket characters can probably recite lines from those films. However, she is diligent, and I’ve known her to write more than twelve hours at a stretch. Also I do like her taste in snacks: Dove dark chocolate accompanied by lots of Scottish Afternoon Tea.

4)      Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?

I probably called attention to myself when I was a producer in New York City. After graduating from NYU with a marketing degree, I worked for the Gourmet Living Network producing cooking shows. The peak of my success came when I produced Sugar & Spice starring John and Evangeline Chaplin, a husband and wife pastry chef duo. For a time, I was the proud producer of the most successful show on the network – until Evangeline caught John cheating with an intern and baked him an anniversary cake laced with arsenic. Our fame turned into notoriety during the nationally covered trial that followed. After Evangeline headed off to prison, I returned to the beauty and relative sanity of Oriole Point. But my brush with murder has clearly put me on the radar. The next thing I knew, I was an amateur sleuth.

5)      Who's your favorite character? Why?

Just one favorite character? Hmmm. This past summer I became romantically involved with Kit Holt, an investigative detective with the sheriff’s department. Our relationship came on the heels of my broken engagement to Ryan Zellar, and I will always be grateful to Kit for being there. Especially after I surprised myself by falling in love with him. He’s the most endearing beta male I have ever known. If I decide to consider marriage again, it would be with Kit - but I’m not in any hurry. Aside from Kit, there’s Tess Nakamura, who has been my best friend since fifth grade when we tied for first place in a spelling bee contest. I cannot imagine my life without Tess in it. Because I tend to be rather spontaneous and impulsive, Tess is the calm and steady rock I need. Although I’m an only child, I look on Tess as my sister. No one could have a more supportive sibling.

6)      Who's your least favorite character? Why? 

Janelle Davenport. Aside from our police chief, Gene Hitchcock, Janelle is the only full-time member of the Oriole Point police department. Janelle moved to our small resort town eight years ago from Wisconsin. Unfortunately, she brought her big-city cynicism and wary attitude with her. I don’t think she’s a good fit here, not least because she seems to have taken an immediate dislike to me. Of course, I don’t care for her either. With luck, we’ll manage to stay clear of each other, which is not easy to do with the murders I’ve found myself involved in. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Janelle would have enjoyed arresting me for one of them. 

7)      What's next for you? 

Oriole Point has an endless parade of festivals year round, thanks largely to Piper Lyall-Pierce, the head of our Visitors Bureau. I’ve been drafted to take part in her week-long Halloween Holistic Health Fair, as has most of the town. But everything should end well at the big Halloween parade for adults, which is our version of Mardi Gras. Here’s hoping this is one festival that won’t be marred by murder.  Especially since we’ll barely have time to catch our breaths before the Christmas holidays are here and town festivities hit their peak. And I may even indulge my theatrical fantasies one last time by taking part in our annual production of A Christmas Carol.

About the Book

Mulberry Mischief (A Berry Basket Mystery)  

Cozy Mystery 4th in Series  

Kensington (August 27, 2019)  

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages 

 ISBN-10: 1496722612 

 ISBN-13: 978-1496722614 

Kindle ASIN: B07L2FVR11 

 

Autumn has arrived on the shores of Lake Michigan, but Marlee Jacob, proprietor of The Berry Basket, is feeling a chill for other reasons …

With the Harvest Health Fair in full swing, Marlee makes sure to stock up on elderberry products for cold and flu season. But this year there's also a run on mulberry when an eccentric customer wants to use the dried berries to ward off evil forces. True, it's almost Halloween, but something else seems to be spooking Leticia the Lake Lady, Oriole Point's oddest resident. She believes someone plans to kill her—and the ghost. Only mulberries can protect them. Marlee doesn't take her fears seriously until a man named Felix Bonaventure arrives in the village, asking questions about a mysterious woman.

The next day, Marlee finds Bonaventure dead on Leticia's property—shot through the heart with an arrow made of mulberry wood. And Leticia has disappeared. Marlee soon learns the Lake Lady has a deadly past that is connected to the famous Sable family who are in town for the health fair. A bunch of clues start to come together—and figuring out what's going on puts Marlee in a real jam …

Includes Berry Recipes!

REVIEW

 *I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

What a fantastic cozy!! Marlee runs an adorable berry themed shop in a small town in Michigan. Halloween is coming with lots of festivities. While going about her business the town's eccentric lady approaches her with a crazy story as well as a request to purchase lots of mulberries. Once they arrive the delivery goes array when she finds a dead body with a mystery all its own and the lady nowhere to be found. This leads to a berry themed investigations which I found to be a hoot. Totally enthralling with lots of surprises mixed with berry details making for a fantastic read. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

About Sharon Farrow

Sharon Farrow is the latest pen name of award-winning author Sharon Pisacreta. A freelance writer since her twenties, she has been published in mystery, fantasy, and romance. Sharon currently writes The Berry Basket cozy mystery series for Kensington. The series debuted in 2016 and is set along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline where she now lives. She is also one half of the writing team D.E. Ireland, who co-author the Agatha nominated Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mysteries.

Author Links -  

WEB PAGE http://sharonfarrowauthor.com/  
FACEBOOK @SharonFarrowAuthor  
TWITTER @SharonFarrowBB  
BOOKBUB @SharonFarrow  

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