Blog Tour With Daphne Martin by Gayle Trent

Aug 16, 2015 | A Day In My Life

Killer Wedding CakeYum! Smell that chocolate pound cake baking! It’s a tier of my wedding cake. The cake is going to be five tiers, and I’m alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla pound cake. You see, my niece and nephew, Leslie and Lucas—they’re twins, you know—absolutely love chocolate. Then again, who doesn’t, right? But that’s why my kitchen smells like chocolate today.

Yesterday, the house smelled like vanilla cake combined with chocolate chip cookies. I made the cookies for the Save-A-Buck. Since the grocery store doesn’t have a bakery, I supply cakes, cookies, brownies, and sometimes pies for the store to sell on consignment.

Given the bakery items I sell at the Save-A-Buck as well as my regular cake orders, you can understand how vital my oven is to my livelihood and what a panic I was in when it stopped working the other day. Fortunately, I was able to use my neighbor Myra’s oven—and later my sister’s oven—to get my required baking done. And I was also lucky that the problem was just the heating element—a relatively inexpensive and simple fix.

Having the oven break down would be a stressor for any baker. But I’m not known for doing anything halfway. Why have simply one stressor when you can pile those things up like falling dominoes and steamroll straight toward a total meltdown?

Prior to the oven quitting on me, my sister and two friends staged a wedding cake intervention to force me into finally choosing a design I felt both Ben—my groom-to-be—and I would enjoy. Granted, he’d left all the wedding plans up to me while he planned the honeymoon, but I wanted him to be happy with everything.

The intervention party and I had chosen the “perfect cake,” and I was eager to get started on it after making some brownies for the Save-A-Buck. That’s when I realized my oven wasn’t working. I took the brownies to Myra’s house, came back home, and found my previously-incarcerated ex-husband standing in my kitchen. I realize that stress and anxiety is common for brides, but this is getting ridiculous!

You can read more about Daphne in Killer Wedding Cake, the fifth book in the “Daphne Martin” mystery series, published by Grace Abraham. The first book in the series is Battered to Death.

About Killer Wedding Cake

Daphne Martin’s wedding to Ben Jacobs is only a couple of weeks away. An award-winning cake decorator, Daphne is busy designing their wedding cake. Her twin nephew and niece, Lucas and Leslie, are excited about being in the wedding party. And Daphne’s brother-in-law Jason is planning a bachelor party for Ben. Everything is going beautifully until Daphne’s ex-husband Todd shows up. Just released from prison after serving a sentence based on his shooting a gun at Daphne, Todd comes to Brea Ridge to profess his undying love for her.

Despite Daphne’s attempts to make Todd leave town, he insists on hanging around to reconnect with people he used to know. When he’s found murdered, Daphne finds herself at the center of the investigation. Now she must track down Todd’s killer before she becomes the next victim. Can she still make it to the church on time?

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GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on August 21 for the chance to win a kindle version of Killer Wedding Cake. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be notified within 48 hours after giveaway closes and you will have three days to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected.

About the author
Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the GayleTEmbroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. You can visit Gayle at www.gayletrent.com, on Facebook, on Twitter or on Pinterest.

50 Comments

  1. Barbara Landrum
    Barbara Landrum on August 16, 2015 at 1:11 am

    This sounds looks interesting.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:42 am

      Thanks so much, Barbara!

  2. Jen
    Jen on August 16, 2015 at 3:03 am

    Killer Wedding Cake sounds like a great book. I am looking forward to reading it. Thank you for the giveaway.
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:43 am

      Thanks so much, Jen!

  3. Nancy Funkhouser
    Nancy Funkhouser on August 16, 2015 at 4:29 am

    This looks like a must read. There must be humor along with excitement. Would love to win a copy.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:43 am

      Thanks so much, Nancy!

  4. Lisa Wine
    Lisa Wine on August 16, 2015 at 5:20 am

    This looks very interesting. Thanks for the giveaway.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:47 am

      Thanks so much, Lisa!

  5. Marilyn Watson
    Marilyn Watson on August 16, 2015 at 5:51 am

    I sense a little humor with the mystery…sounds great..
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:48 am

      Thanks so much, Marilyn!

  6. Kathy Dunn
    Kathy Dunn on August 16, 2015 at 6:40 am

    Can’t wait to read this!

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:49 am

      Thanks so much, Kathy!

  7. Gram
    Gram on August 16, 2015 at 6:52 am

    Just what you need when things are going wrong – an X who just got out of jail!!!

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:51 am

      Ain’t it the truth, Gram?! 🙂

  8. jane chizmar
    jane chizmar on August 16, 2015 at 7:12 am

    This series sounds like fun.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:52 am

      Thanks so much, Jane!

  9. Amy Gill
    Amy Gill on August 16, 2015 at 7:21 am

    Yum! This one should be a real tasty treat — and another author I have yet to read.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:53 am

      Thanks so much, Amy!

  10. Debbie Carnes
    Debbie Carnes on August 16, 2015 at 7:48 am

    Sounds like a fun read

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:54 am

      Thanks so much, Debbie!

  11. Sheryl Booth
    Sheryl Booth on August 16, 2015 at 8:17 am

    Thanks for thw giveaways. This cozy looks delicious. Nothing like wedding drama.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:56 am

      Thanks so much, Sheryl!

  12. robeader
    robeader on August 16, 2015 at 9:28 am

    Looking forward to reading this book in the series. Remembering the hectic time around my wedding will allow me to relive this period of my life. Thanks so much for the review. robeader53@yahoo.com

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:57 am

      Thanks so much!

  13. Barbara Hackel
    Barbara Hackel on August 16, 2015 at 9:53 am

    I read this within days of the release, and I must say Gayle, it was the best Daphne Martin book yet! Without giving anything away, I was pleased to be done with a certain someone! Great mystery and only makes me wish you would write faster! 🙂 Thanks Dru for sharing this book!

  14. Kim Hobbs
    Kim Hobbs on August 16, 2015 at 10:49 am

    Looking forward to reading the latest Daphne Martin book.

  15. Gayle Trent
    Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Thank you so very much, Barbara! Your comment has made my day!!! 🙂

  16. elainehroberson
    elainehroberson on August 16, 2015 at 11:06 am

    Always glad to find new-to-me authors. Book sounds great. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 11:24 am

      Thanks so much, Elaine!

  17. Rita Wray
    Rita Wray on August 16, 2015 at 11:20 am

    Sounds like a great read.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 11:25 am

      Thanks so much, Rita!

  18. sallycootie
    sallycootie on August 16, 2015 at 11:58 am

    I am so ready to read this. From all the reviews I feel like I know all the characters already. Thanks for the giveaway.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 12:07 pm

      Thanks so much, Sally!

  19. Celia Fowler
    Celia Fowler on August 16, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    Sounds like a great book, and I would love to win a copy! Thanks Gayle and Dru for the giveaway!

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      Thanks so much, Celia!

  20. hayes2014
    hayes2014 on August 16, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I’d love a copy, sounds like I’d get right into it.

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 3:47 pm

      Thanks so much!

  21. suekey12
    suekey12 on August 16, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    Wedding cake choices can be trying—we ended up with 2 cakes because the hubby and I couldn’t agree. Thanks for the chance to win the book.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    • Gayle Trent
      Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 3:48 pm

      Thanks so much, Sue!

  22. Celest Mattis
    Celest Mattis on August 16, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    I love the sound of this mystery. Would love to win a copy. Thanks for the opportunity. Can’t wait to read it.

  23. Gayle Trent
    Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    Thanks so much, Celest!

  24. Peggy
    Peggy on August 16, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    Killer Wedding Cake sounds like a great book and I’m looking forward to reading it. Thank you for the giveaway.

  25. Gayle Trent
    Gayle Trent on August 16, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks so much, Peggy!

  26. Brenda Tucker
    Brenda Tucker on August 16, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    Killer Wedding Cake sounds like a great read, can’t wait to get it. Super giveaway, thanks.

  27. Kari
    Kari on August 16, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    This is a fun series. Happy to see a one.

  28. ktbeeblog
    ktbeeblog on August 17, 2015 at 4:34 am

    Yum. I love a food mystery. Thanks for the giveaway.

  29. rochf
    rochf on August 17, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Just reading this made me want to run to the nearest bakery for a cake fix. Can’t wait to read this.

  30. Donna Gantt
    Donna Gantt on August 17, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Killer Wedding Cake sounds like a good book. I would love to read it. Thanks for the giveaway!

  31. Cynthia E. Blain
    Cynthia E. Blain on August 18, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    This series has a lot of appeal to me. First of all, the writing has been great from this author and my interest in cake decorating which I did for many years for fun got me hooked on this series. Looking forward to ordering Killer Wedding Cake, unless of course, I am lucky enough to win a copy of it. 🙂

    Cynthia

  32. Dru
    Dru on August 21, 2015 at 5:07 am

    Thanks Gayle for commenting and interacting with my readers.

    Contest is closed.