Today we welcome back
Jodi Rath, author of the Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries. Jodi is one of the ten
authors featured in a new Valentine’s Day anthology. Learn more about her and
her books at her website.
Whodunit versus Howdunit—One
Writer’s Journey in Learning
I was thrilled to be asked to join a cozy Valentine’s Day anthology with
other remarkable authors. I had just released book one, Pineapple Upside Down Murder, in my cozy
culinary series, The Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries. I was already busy
working on book two, Jalapeño Cheddar
Cornbread Murder, which will be available in June, when I got the email
asking if I’d like to join. My immediate question was to ask who else would be
contributing to the anthology. I was told the wonderful CeeCee James, Karin
Kauffman, Stephanie Damore, Donna Walo
Clancy, Patti Benning, Carolyn Q. Hunter, Gretchen Allen, and Summer Prescott. How could I say no?
I had to set Jalapeño Cheddar
Cornbread Murder aside but realized I didn’t have time to write an entire
book by the anthology deadline. So I
opted to write a short story, “Sweet Retreat”. As I began writing, I
immediately realized I couldn’t have as many characters as I did in Pineapple Upside Down Murder. This threw me for a bit of a loop. I had
plotted the story out realizing I wasn’t writing a whodunnit at all.
I had to begin researching if there were other ways to write
mysteries—which was a bit embarrassing seeing that I’ve read mysteries for as
long as I can remember. I found
out there are also howdunnits in the mystery world, and my plot definitely fell under that category. I started
to get a bit nervous writing my first short story for publication while also
writing my first howdunnit. I’m happy to say I did it with the brilliant help
of Rebecca Grubb, one of my editing team members!
Being a teacher for two decades, I can’t help but love to continue
learning. I’ve relished getting reader reviews for Pineapple Upside Down Murder—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I
started a notebook of pointers that my readers have given me, and I use them to
help me as I continue to work on my series.
My grandma gave me her 70-year-old cast iron skillet for Christmas in
2017—she had only ever made upside-down
pineapple cake in it. Thus came the title of the series and Book One!
I’m thrilled to have the honor of working with other incredible women writers
in this anthology. I’m equally excited to be back with Anastasia Pollack—Lois
Winston has been a wonderful inspiration to me in many ways. I hope to have a
long-lasting relationship with all these authors. How lucky can one girl be?
Cast Iron Creation
Valentine’s Day Berry Cake
(Recipe adapted from: https://toasterovenlove.com)
Serves 1 or 2
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon baking
powder
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mini semi-sweet chocolate
chips
1/4 cup frozen
berries (do not thaw)
Optional Toppings:
Ice cream, melted
chocolate chips, whipped cream, yogurt
Preheat toaster oven
to 350 F and lightly oil a 3-1/2 inch cast iron skillet.
In a small bowl mix
together the flour, 1 tablespoon brown
sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in
the milk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until well combined,
and no oil is sitting on the top. Stir in
mini chocolate chips.
Pour batter into
prepared skillet. Top with frozen berries and sprinkle remaining brown sugar
over fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees F
for 17 to 22 minutes (times may vary depending on your oven) until the cake is
lightly golden and the fruit is bubbly.
Allow cake to cool 5
to 8 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Mystery
Murder
Lots and lots of
chocolate
Grab a cup of cocoa and get ready to spend Valentine’s Day
with a heart-warming collection of ten Valentine’s themed cozy mysteries from
some of the most popular authors in the genre. There are short stories,
novellas, and full-length books in the set, all of which are sure to grab you
from the first page and take you on a thrill-filled ride through the sweetest
holiday of the year.
1 comment:
Thanks so much for having me again! I had a blast and hope everyone loves the recipe and gets to try it! Jodi Rath
Post a Comment