Weddings. They bring out the crazy in a person, don’t they? I’ve done more tours
of duty as a bridesmaid and maid of honor than I can count on two hands, and it
never ceases to amaze me how a seemingly normal woman, a person I’ve known for
years, through acne, braces, thin letters from our dream schools, first
boyfriends, bad breakups, and finding true love, can suddenly morph into a
flower, dress, and cake obsessed zombie swathed in organza and tulle with a
tiara on her head. I believe we call her bridezilla.
I’m not really sure how it starts. The guy proposes and everything is all happy
and sparkling and look-at-the-ring-bling and then, about when the couple sets
the date, the whole thing turns into a carnival of curiosities. Brides wearing
aptly named bridal diapers (no, I’m not kidding). Apparently, this is a thing
now so that the bride doesn’t have to use the restroom on her special day. Ew.
Then there are the bridesmaids getting plastic surgery so they are perfect
looking for the bride’s wedding photo op (oh, horror!). And lastly, my personal
favorite, the bride having a life-sized cake replica of herself in all of her
bridal finery (mercy!).
While writing CARAMEL
CRUSH, it was hilarious and horrifying to research the new and different
things happening in the wedding industry. Thankfully, my own wedding, was long
enough ago that the crazy hadn’t really begun to happen. Having a videographer
and a band, which my groom was in, was about as crazy as we got. Nowadays,
wedding parties have to dance down the aisle because it’s not enough to walk and
hold flowers while trying not to trip. At the reception, there has to be a fully
choreographed bump and grind with the groom and all of his groomsmen for the
bride or the bride and her father have to bust out some slick dance moves with
which to wow the crowd. One hopes Dad doesn’t throw his back out.
If no one in the family or wedding party has any sense of rhythm then it’s the
theme wedding extravaganza with the event held in a Scottish castle, where
everyone wears a kilt, even though no one getting married is actually Scottish.
A lesser theme, of course, is the barn wedding, again where no one is actually a
farmer, with the mason jar and burlap accessories to match. Both of those theme
weddings could be spectacular and fun, so I can see the appeal there, but there
is one trend that I simply refuse to accept. Yes, I’m sorry, but I really have
to stomp my foot in protest here, what is up with the naked cake? Yes, you read
that right. Naked -- as in no frosting naked. This makes me wonder what
exactly is the point of having cake anyway? Why not just give everyone a slice
of bread or a muffin? Honestly, it’s wrong on so many levels.
Thankfully, I do not think the naked cake thing really took off. Continued
research assured me that the hot trends are gourmet flavors of heavily frosted
cake (yay!) instead of the plain old vanilla and chocolate. Also, another
favorite trend is that the show stealing kids bearing rings and flowers have
been replaced by the furry kids. Dogs are now in vogue for some sweet aisle
time. Another cool trend is the destination wedding, where whole weekends are
devoted to a couple’s big day. I like this trend. I mean if you’re going to
Scotland for a wedding, you might as well make the most of it and bag your very
own Jamie Fraser, you know, if you’re single.
So, how much of all of this zany research did I use while writing CARAMEL CRUSH? Well, it is
Angie DeLaura, our favorite bakery bestie, planning her wedding so you can
imagine it might get intense. But there’s only one way to find out. Read the
book! Here’s a glimpse at the story so you can see what’s happening to our crazy
cupcake crew this time.
When a breakup via cupcake threatens to crumble their friend’s life for good,
Mel and Angie race to solve the murder as this New York Times bestselling series
continues…
Love is in the air at Fairy Tale Cupcakes as bridezilla Angie prepares for her
wedding, but co-owner, Mel, is preparing for a breakup. Her old friend, Diane
Earnest, is dumping her fiancé after discovering he’s only marrying her for her
money. She wants Mel to personally deliver a batch of caramel breakup cupcakes
to the louse and give her a play-by-play of his reaction.
When Mel finally tracks the man down, the look on his face isn’t the reaction
she was expecting: he’s dead. After the police arrive and see the incriminating
cupcakes, Diane becomes their prime suspect. If she hopes to taste freedom
again, Mel and Angie must make sure the real killer gets their just desserts…
Thanks for letting me visit! Happy Reading!
Jenn
Jenn McKinlay took her first decoupage class when she was twelve years
old. Since then, cutting and pasting have become a way of life. With two small
children at home, she finds decoupage a fun craft as well as a very handy tool,
especially when used to cover up doodles made in permanent marker on otherwise
lovely furniture. And yes, they know her by name at her local Michael’s Craft
Store. She is the author of three previous novels under the name Jennifer
McKinlay and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her musician husband Chris, their
two sons, two cats, one dog and one fish.
Cupcake Bakery
Mystery #9
When a breakup via cupcake threatens to crumble their friend's life for
good, Mel and Angie race to solve the murder as this New York Times bestselling
series continues...
Love is in the air at Fairy Tale Cupcakes as Angie prepares for her wedding,
but co-owner, Mel, is preparing for a breakup. Her old friend, Diane Earnest, is
dumping her fiancé after discovering he's only marrying her for her money. She
wants Mel to personally deliver a batch of caramel breakup cupcakes to the louse
and give her a play-by-play of his reaction.
When Mel finally tracks the man down, the look on his face isn't the
reaction she was expecting: he's dead. After the police arrive and see the
incriminating cupcakes, Diane becomes their prime suspect. If she hopes to taste
freedom again, Mel and Angie must make sure the real killer gets their just
desserts...
Mystery Culinary
[Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: April 4, 2017, Mass
Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780399583810 / eISBN: 9780399583827]
Laugh-out-loud slapstick humor with sinister shenanigans and moral
depravity!
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