Josie Sullivan first appeared in Tastes Like Murder and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Josie.

What is your name?
Josie Sullivan. My given name is Josephine but don’t call me that. . .if you expect me to answer, that is.

How old are you?
I’ll be 32 next month but everyone says that I look younger. Hey, it works for me!

What is your profession?
I’m head baker at Sally’s Samples. It’s a novelty cookie shop owned by my best friend, Sal, and located in Colwestern, New York. We’re open every day but Sunday—except when we’re sleuthing, that is.

Do you have a significant other?
Yes.

What is his/her name and profession?
My husband, Robert Sullivan. He’s a supervisor at an automotive manufacturing plant. Rob works nights while I’m at the bakery all day so that someone is always home for the kids. We’ve been married 13 years, but it feels longer. 🙂

Any children?
Yes, we have four boys—Danny, Jeremy, Robbie Jr. and Dylan. Life is never dull in my house.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
Too many to count.

Do your parents live near you?
Near me? Yes. But we’re not exactly close. It’s a long story.

Who is your best friend?
Sal, of course. We’ve been buds for 24 years but we’re as different as day and night. I mean, Sal’s sweet, a bit naïve at times when it comes to people (she always sees the good in them) and has a completely forgiving nature. Then there’s me. My mouth has no filter, and I’m suspicious of everyone. I guess we complement each other in a weird sort of way.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
Goldfish, two hamsters and a snake that’s been missing for a couple of days. I hope Danny didn’t put him in the dishwasher again.

What town do you live in?
Colwestern is in Western New York, the Buffalo region. That means snow for about six months of the year. Sometimes longer.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
We own but need a larger home. I feel like the old woman who lived in a shoe some days.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
The kitchen, of course. Baking is my passion.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
Although I’m a baker by trade, I don’t eat many sweets. But that’s just me. Sal can devour one of her grandmother’s cheesecakes in one sitting. As for a favorite meal? Anything that Sal’s grandmother makes. Her lasagna might be my favorite.

Favorite hobby?
When I’m not working at the bakery or chasing my kids, I enjoy reading but don’t have much time for it.

Favorite color?
Red. It’s loud like me.

Favorite author?
Oh shoot. . .I can never remember author names. Is that important? 🙂 It’s the lady who writes the steamy romance novels. I mean, the steamier the better for me. Sal thinks they’re trashy. She’s so prim and proper about some things. (Sigh).

Favorite vacation spot?
What’s a vacation?

Favorite sports team?
Whatever team my kids are playing on.

Movies or Broadway?
Movies for sure. But give Broadway my regards, please. I hope to see him someday.

Are you a morning or a night person?
I’m definitely a morning person. I’m usually up by five o’clock each day and the one to open the bakery. Sal runs late constantly. . .it’s in her blood, I guess.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur but we’ve been involved in so many murder investigations that I feel like Colwestern should erect a statue in our honor, or at least Sal’s.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Sal, of course. Murder always seems to find her.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
The bakery has been crazy lately. It’s the Christmas season, which is our busiest time of the year. Add in the fact that Sal is going to have a baby any day now and we’re both supposed to be in her sister Gianna’s wedding on Christmas Eve. And did I mention that Sal got carjacked by Santa Claus last night? Or that the cake server I gave Sal was found next to the dead body of a guy she used to know? No, I didn’t think so. . .

Giveaway: Catherine is giving away a copy of one of the first three books (Tastes Like Murder, Baked to Death or Burned to a Crisp) in the “Cookies & Chance” series, either Kindle/Nook (open to everyone) or paperback (U.S. residents only), winner’s choice. Leave comment below for your chance to win. The giveaway ends November 10, 2019. Good luck everyone!

You can read more about Josie in Ginger Snapped to Death, the eighth book in the “Cookies & Chance” cozy mystery series, released November 5th.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . . Unless you’re Sally Muccio.

The full-time baker and sometime sleuth is ready to burst into song. She and her husband are expecting a bundle of joy, her sister’s wedding is just around the corner, and it’s Christmas, her favorite time of year. But when Sal’s the victim of a carjacking by Santa himself and a forgotten item links her to a murder, she doesn’t feel like ho-ho-hoing anymore.

Damian Ruger was a drug user, womanizer and first-class jerk. And unfortunately for Sal, she once had a connection to him in high school. The dough really hits the fan when her bakery’s gingerbread cookies are found next to his dead body, and Sal’s cake server is used as a murder weapon. Someone is trying to frame the expectant mother, but why? Sal has no choice but to try to clear her name. . .before she and the baby are singing Christmas carols in prison!

*Recipes Included!*

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About the author
Catherine is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in English and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. Her latest release, Penne Dreadful, is the first book in the new Italian Chef Mysteries. She also writes the Cindy York real estate and Carrie Jorgenson (Aloha Lagoon) culinary series. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the 2019 Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

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All comments are welcomed.