Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates

Jenn McKinlay: I remember when I was lucky enough to read the very first Magical Bakery Mystery - Brownies and Broomsticks - I loved it and all of the volumes that have followed! And now, here we are celebrating number NINE! Congrats on your recent release, Bailey, and thanks for visiting us today. 

Bailey Cates: Hello everyone! I’m so delighted to be here (thanks, Jenn!) and to talk a little about the latest Magical Bakery Mystery (#9!), Witches and Wedding Cake. As you might guess from the title, this is the one where Katie Lightfoot and Declan McCarthy finally get married – though there are a few hiccups along the way. 

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Like when his little sister finds the dead body of her ex-husband in a seedy motel room.
This is the second fictional wedding I’ve planned, and those are the only weddings I’ve planned. While I have a long-time partner, I’ve never been married, and at this point in my life don’t plan on it. The first wedding I wrote about was based on a lovely, simple ceremony I attended some twenty-five years ago. This time around, I researched carefully, asked for suggestions from friends (so many opinions!), and free-wrote a kind of interview with Katie to see what would best fit her character. She’s a bit of a free spirit, and it turns out she’s not too worried about tradition. 
Enter her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Eliza McCarthy. She’s the oldest of the five McCarthy offspring, all of whom are women except for Declan, who falls right in the middle. She’s a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, a strictly by-the-book sort, and right from the beginning, she takes issue with Katie’s plans. She doesn’t like that the bridesmaids are anything but “maids”, if you know what I mean, since all are either partnered, married, or divorced. They range from a very pregnant twenty-something to a spritely octogenarian. She doesn’t care for the mismatched vintage furniture supplied by the event rental company. (It’s a real company, and I fell in love with the dreamy pictures of distressed, white-painted tables and chairs on their website.) She’s upset that there isn’t a rehearsal or a rehearsal dinner planned. Eliza also doesn’t care for Katie’s plan to start the party – the wedding is in the backyard of her and Declan’s newly renovated carriage house – then pause it for the ceremony, and start it back up again after they’re officially hitched. Even the wedding cake, a tiered stand covered with seven different kinds of yummy cupcakes, isn’t traditional enough for her.
Katie is an only child, and she finds navigating the complexities of suddenly having four sisters thrust upon her somewhat challenging. As it happens, I’m an only child, so it’s not hard for me to imagine this. Perhaps because I have such a small family of origin, family is really important to me – both extended and made. Like Katie, I have a cadre of close friends I consider to be family, as well as cousins and my partner’s sisters. In the end, Katie manages just fine. Oh, and she also finds a murderer. 
Next up, I’m planning a fictional baby shower. This is another thing I’ve never done in real life, and I have to admit I don’t love attending baby showers where there are lots of games and such. Any suggestions for how to make this one unique and fun? I’d love to hear them!

Bailey Cates Cattrell 

Like many of her cozy characters, Bailey Cates believes magic is all around us if we take the time to look for it. She lives in Colorado with her guy and Cheesecat the Orange, a tabby who looks an awful lot like the one in her books. When not writing, she loves to cook, garden, hike and bike the gorgeous terrain outside her door, and occasionally play a round of mediocre golf. She’s currently working on the 10th Magical Bakery Mystery, Spirits and Sourdough. You can find out more about Bailey and her books at www.baileycates.com.

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Special event notices: 


Please join Lucy Burdette and Deborah Crombie *tonight* in 

conversation about Lucy's new book, THE KEY LIME CRIME. 

6 pm at Books and Books Key West. The event is free, but you'll 

need to register here...

Lucy Burdette and Deborah Crombie




44 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Bailey, on your newest book. I’m looking forward to discovering all those wedding hiccups on the way to happily ever after.

    As for the baby shower, maybe you could skip the silly games . . . maybe have all the guests jot down some helpful mom hints and sweet baby sentiments in a book you’ve decorated just for the shower?

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    1. Oh, I love those ideas, Joan! Yeah, baby shower games always seem weird to me.

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    2. Love the idea of a book of helpful hints for the new mom!

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  2. I didn’t make it to the baby shower as it was in a different state but the mom-to-be requested children’s books rather than the usual baby gifts. I thought that was pretty cool! I sent a book with my regrets. Congratulations on book #9 Bailey!

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  3. Congrats on book #9!

    Sorry, not much experience with baby showers. Best of luck to you in figuring all of that out.

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  4. Happy book birthday! Congratulations on book #9.

    Afraid I can't help with baby showers, Joan' suggestions get my vote - and books for gifts - spectacular.

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  5. The wedding sounds like a perfect setup for murder!

    My bestie and I threw a baby shower for her daughter, my goddaughter in the garden in August. We bought white onesies in many sizes and set out tables, and fabric paint, and a clothesline. Everyone there was invited to paint one, and the line full of creatively decorated onesies was a fun decoration. My niece-in-law requested a book for the baby instead of a card. Lots of fun ideas.

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    1. I bet that clothesline was adorable!

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    2. Oh that’s a fabulous idea - and crafty. Tucking it into my research file.

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  6. Welcome to JRW Bailey, this sounds like such a fun book!

    My daughter's baby shower included books too--and they could be gently used and deeply loved! Cupcakes of course!

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  7. Congratulations on book #9, Bailey. It sounds like a fun read.

    As for showers -- wedding or baby, I cannot say I'm a big fan. Not that I've been to many of either, but when I have, I find the games silly and all that gift opening while others watch so uncomfortable -- it's not for me. Sorry. No help here!

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    1. I think there is a consensus on not loving shower games here!

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    2. Thanks, Amanda! Definitely a consensus.

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  8. Sounds like my kind of wedding! And please, no games at the baby shower!

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    1. Who thought up the idea of games at showers anyway?

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  9. Your books sound like fun and I'm guessing it was (more or less) fun for you to write. I really don't care for showers, maybe because I have been to too many where the guest of honor did not know how to behave. That said, I do like games though, especially at baby showers. I mean the kind of pen and pencil games. One I am thinking of is sort of a Bingo-type with baby-related terms in the squares. Leave me out of physical games where people have to diaper each other or some such! Will the shower be for both the mom and the dad? That will make a big difference with your activities.

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    1. Yeah, it’s the physical games that make me feel awkward. I like the bingo idea.

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  10. Congratulations on your new release!

    Baby showers? Books are a great idea. Jotting down ONE tip for the new mother on a file card is fine.

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    1. Thank you, Margaret! Books and mom tips are winning so far.

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  11. Bailey, congratulations on the new book--I seem to have missed this series, but I do enjoy a bit of magic with my mysteries! Will be searching out the first books before I get this one.

    We seem to be on the same page in terms of showers. Stilted, not so fun traditional ones with games etc just make me wish I'd mailed my gift. Books are good--and there is some great music too--I love when people read parts of their favorite books.

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    1. Thank you! I’m adding music into the mix of perfect baby gifts.

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  12. Congratulations on the new book, Bailey! Baby showers... I'm a fan of baby showers where the suggested gift is a favorite book from the person's own childhood. You never have too many books but it's very easy to exceed your quota of onesies. Plus they're something for the baby to grow INTO, not out of.

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    1. I agree, Hallie. Books to grow into. I recently gave one I’ve been saving from my own childhood. Never Tease a Weasel. Can’t wait for the little one to be old enough for it.

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  13. Bailey, your books sounds like such fun!! Not a fan of baby showers, especially with games, but books are a great idea. How about an afternoon tea--with books!

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  14. Bailey, congratulations on your new release and welcome to Jungle Reds! I love the cover of witches and weddings.

    I'm an only child too. I was reminded that when a friend got married, her grandmother was the matron of honor. I was a bridesmaid and I remember crying because the dress was too small (I had a growth spurt). Eventually, we found a dress that fit me.

    Diana

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    1. Glad you found the dress in time, Diana! Katie’s aunt Lucy is her matron of honor. Eliza didn’t like that either lol.

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    2. Glad I found the dress in time :)

      Sounds like Eliza is always looking for something to criticize. LOL.

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  15. p.s. I love baby showers. The camaderie is always wonderful. But then I have been to a few. There is always good food. I even hosted a baby shower for a dear friend who is like a sister to me.

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  16. Thanks so much for stopping by today, Bailey! What about a gender reveal party? Those things seem to have taken on a life of their own. I haven't been to one but there are lots of hilarious gender reveal parties gone wrong on YouTube and such. Just sayin'

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    1. That's a great idea, Jenn. There was the gender reveal party where the participants set part of a wildlife refuge (IIRC) aflame, and I'm pretty sure there was one where the rocket (there was supposed to be a pink or blue firework) actually killed a member of the party. Lots to work with, there.

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    2. Thanks for having me, Jenn! Those videos are hilarious in a cringeworthy kind of way. A friend had a gender reveal party with a volcano that spewed pink or blue (pink, it turned out). It was just like those papier mache volcanos we did as kids, with the vinegar and baking soda to make the lava. A bit of a mess, but no one died or started a fire...

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  17. Bailey, weddings are only next to funerals for stirring up family issues, so they're a terrific setting for a mystery! As for baby showers, I have to admit, even when I was young and went to a lot of them I always found them kind of boring - of course, back then, they were very traditional: all women, no booze, and weird games. Of course, by custom, the expectant mother NEVER throws the shower for herself - it's done by a mother/aunt/grandma - or in Katie's case, maybe a sister-in-law who's a stickler for tradition?

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  18. The baby shower will be for Cookie Rios, one of Katie's witchy friends in the spellbook club. Thanks to everyone for the fantastic ideas!

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