Blueberry Cupcakes and an Amish Mystery!! What could be better??? Be Sure to Enter the Giveaway!

     "The Blueberry Cupcake Mystery"
                      By Naomi Miller

 Don't forget to enter the contest !!

Synopsis:
In the small town of Abbott Creek, mystery is as much a part of daily life as The Sweet Shop’s sugar cookies. Katie Chupp spends her days at The Sweet Shop, taking care of customers and baking delicious treats . . . not exactly a profession where one expects to be thrown into the midst of mysteries and mayhem. But when the bakery is broken into, someone has to find the thief . . . besides finding another place to do the baking and get the orders to the customers. Is this a random theft, or is the thief trying to ruin the town’s Independence Day celebration?

My Thoughts: 
Who doesn't love blueberry cupcakes??? The title of this book alone, plus the beautiful cover , immediately grabbed my attention!

The Blueberry Cupcake Mystery is a the first in a series of books entitled "Amish Sweet Shop Mystery".  Although a short read, it has all of the qualities that a good novel should exhibit!! The setting is perfect for a cozy mystery, the Amish town of Abbott Creek, a quiet, calm place where the reader expects to feel at home immediately. Would you ever expect a crime to be committed in this delightful community?? I certainly didn't!

The book captured my attention right from the mysterious burglary until the final pages when the mystery was solved. Thank goodness, this was a rather short read, as I could NOT put this book down. It kept me intrigued from beginning to end. 

The characters are described in such a realistic , detailed way, that I was immediately caught up in their lives. Katie was a favorite, with her eternal optimism and ability to deal with any obstacles that appeared in her path. Regardless of the bumps in her peaceful life, she always remained her sweet self and came up with solutions to solve the problems. Her willingness to forgive is an example that we all need to follow. 

The plot moves steadily with just enough action to keep one engrossed throughout the novel. The underlying message of compassion , forgiveness and faith  clearly appears throughout the story. 

I would highly recommend this book to all readers. It is a cozy mystery with a deeper meaning that shines through, a good example to all of us. 

This book was supplied by the author and CelebrateLit, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Guest Post from Naomi Miller

I want to share with you how the title and cover for my debut book, Blueberry Cupcake Mystery, was chosen. This is a story I haven’t shared with anyone else — yet. The story behind the blueberry cupcake…

I was actually writing an Amish suspense novel last winter, when God placed it on my heart to write a shorter story — a cozy mystery, with no suspense, no danger, but plenty of faith, family, compassion and community.

While thinking of the best way to begin the story, my daughter made a batch of blueberry cupcakes, which happen to be one of my favorite treats. Of course, the idea to use a favorite treat was too good to resist. Then, during the early days of writing, I began experimenting with the idea of baking cupcakes — but adding blueberries before baking. Two favorite treats in one!

And there you have it . . . once we had a picture of a blueberry cupcake, the designer quickly sent back a cover I fell in love with (although there were a few more tweaks before the final cover was approved).

I actually began writing many years ago — 1990 to be exact. But I had just become a single mom and I didn’t have time to pursue it. I wrote notes, letters, articles, short stories, and I occasionally thought about a career as a novelist, but not once did I consider that dream to ever become a reality.

Several years ago, after my children were grown, my daughter challenged me to write a novel. I began a sweet, Amish fiction story about a young girl—but about halfway into the story, someone was almost murdered! Needless to say, I was surprised, but kept going. Once done, I went back to the beginning to do a major re-write on what was now an Amish suspense novel.

And that’s . . . the rest of the story.

I’m also excited to be doing two special giveaways — 1) a gift bag full of treats and 2) an advanced reader digital copy of Christmas Cookie Mystery (but you’ll have to wait for it)!

In the meantime, here’s the recipe for those delicious blueberry cupcakes

Blueberry Cupcakes

Ingredients1 white or yellow cake mix
2 cups fresh blueberries
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cup water
Prepare cake mix according to the directions. Add blueberries and fold into batter. Bake following instructions on cake mix box.

Icing1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp. milk
additional milk as needed
DirectionsPrepare icing, mixing small amounts of confectioner’s sugar with milk to desired consistency. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

About the Author

Naomi Miller mixes up a batch of intrigue, sprinkled with Amish, Mennonite, & English characters, adding a pinch of mystery – and a dash of romance!

Naomi’s day is spent focusing on her writing, editing, and blogging about her experiences with writing. When she’s not working diligently to finish the next book in her Sweet Shop Mystery series, Naomi tries to make time for attending workshops and writers conferences. One of her favorites is the four-day event that the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization holds annually.

Naomi also enjoys traveling with her family, singing inspirational/gospel music, taking a daily walk, and witnessing to others of the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.

Purchase your copy here.

To see other reviews on this Blog Tour:

Blog Stops

August 23: A Baker’s Perspective

August 23: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner

August 23: Blogging With Carol

August 24: cherylbbookblog

August 24: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

August 24: Running Through The Storms

August 25: A Greater Yes

August 25: A Holland Reads

August 25: Mary Hake

August 26: Gypsy Road

August 26: D’s Quilts & Books

August 26: Cassandra M’s Place

August 27: Bigreadersite

August 27: Bibliophile Reviews

August 27: Christian Bookaholic

August 28: Lighthouse Academy

August 28: Book Babble

August 29: Karilyn Putt

August 30: Karen’s Krayons

August 30: Daysong Reflections

August 31: Quiet Quilter

August 31: Blossoms and Blessings

September 1: Lights in a Dark World

September 1: Just Commonly

September 2: Singing Librarian Books

September 2: His Grace is Sufficient

September 3: Bukwurmzzz

September 4: Ashley’s Bookshelf

September 4: just the write escape

September 5: Reading Is My SuperPower

September 5: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses

To celebrate her tour, Naomi is giving away a gift bag full of treats and an advanced copy of her new book Christmas Cookie Mystery! Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/a20c