Allie first appeared in All Fudged Up and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Allie.

What is your name?
Allie McMurphy

How old are you?
I’m 28 years old

What is your profession?
I own and run my family business – The Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop

Do you have a significant other?
I’m undecided – I think that’s the best way to describe my love life.

What is his name and profession?
Well, there’s Officer Rex Manning who is action hero handsome and Trent Jessop, executive from Chicago whose family owns many properties and businesses on the island.

Any children?
Not yet

Do you have any sibling(s)?
I’m an only child

Do your parents live near you?
I live on Mackinac Island and my parents live in Detroit, Michigan

Who is your best friend?
Jenn Christensen

Cats, dogs or other pets?
Yes, There’s Mal (short for Marshmallow) my Bichon/poodle pup and Mella (short for Caramella) a beautiful Calico cat who adopted me.

What town do you live in?
Mackinac Island, Michigan

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I live in an apartment on the top floor of the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop

What is your favorite spot in your house?
The fudge shop is my favorite spot. I love that it has large glass walls and windows so people can watch me make fudge. I adore the theater of it.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
I love steak salad in the summer and fudge is my favorite dessert, of course.

Favorite hobby?
I wish I had time for a hobby.

Favorite color?
My favorite color is blue.

Favorite author?
My favorite author is Agatha Christie

Favorite vacation spot?
I get to live in my favorite vacation spot – Mackinac Island.

Favorite sports team?
Shhh, don’t tell but I don’t have time for sports so I’m not a fan.

Movies or Broadway?
I’m pretty far from Broadway, but I love a nice movie night.

Are you a morning or a night person?
I’m a morning person. I’m usually up at 4 am to make the fudge.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
I’m an amateur sleuth much to the frustration of Officer Rex Manning.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
I rely on the senior citizens on the island. They always seem to know what is going on and love to help me find a killer.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
On a typical day, I’m up at 4 am and I take my pup out for a short morning walk. Then we get home to meet Mella, the cat, who is waiting for us and everyone gets breakfast, while I make the first pot of coffee in the hotel.

Then I’m off to the fudge shop to make the first round of fudges that will go into the display case for the tourists who arrive at ten a.m. Next, I help my general manager, Frances with the checkouts and room cleaning. After lunch I make a few batches of fudge for people to watch and enjoy. If I have online fudge to ship, then I’m boxing it and taking it down to the shipping store to be overnighted.

Then, I have time for local charities ad chamber of commerce meetings to make sure I’m involved in the local economy. Unfortunately, I usually find myself embroiled in an investigation and it all keeps me crazy busy until bedtime. Whew!

Of course, I’m always thinking about new fudge recipes not to mention the constant remodeling that is necessary to keep a hotel fresh. Luckily I have the energy and the friends to help pull it all off!

You can read about Allie in Fudge Bites, the seventh book in the “Candy-Coated” cozy mystery series, coming September 24, 2019.

Halloween on Mackinac Island is a season of fun tricks, but finding a corpse is no treat for fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy . . .

NIGHT OF THE REALLY DEAD

It’s late October, off-season for tourists, but locals are up and lurching for the annual zombie walk charity event. Though everyone’s living it up, trouble is just a few pawprints away. Allie follows the bloody tracks of her calico cat, Carmella, to a body in the alley behind the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop. Unlike the island’s other walking dead, this one’s flatlined for good. It seems that someone is using the zombie fest as the perfect backdrop for murder. Now amateur sleuth Allie and dreamboat officer Rex Manning must use every trick in their treat bag to unmask a killer in disguise.

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About the author
Nancy Coco is the acclaimed author of the Candy-Coated Mysteries, the Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series, a number of romantic suspense novels, Western historical romances, and four additional mystery series written under the name Nancy J. Parra. An Air Force veteran who rose to the rank of sergeant, Nancy is a member of an online group of female veterans called RomVets: Military Women Who Have Turned Sword to Pen (RomVets.com). She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Nancy lives in Oregon with a Bichonpoo affectionately known as “Little Dog” on Facebook and Twitter.

The author will donate a portion of her earnings from this book to the ASPCA.

To learn more about Nancy, visit her website at nancyjcoco.com.

All comments are welcomed.