Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Lucy.
What is your name?
Lucy Anahid Berberian
How old are you?
I’m thirty-two.
What is your profession?
I’m the manager of Kebab Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant at the Jersey Shore.
Do you have a significant other?
Well, this is a tricky question. After a romance life that was as dry as the Sahara, there are two tall, dark haired and handsome men interested in me. Exciting, but nerve-wracking!
What are their names?
Their names are Azad and Michael. Azad is my ex-boyfriend who broke my heart years ago. He’s changed now and wants a second chance to make things right. Michael is a business neighbor.
What are their professions?
Azad is the new head chef of Kebab Kitchen and technically works for me. Michael Citteroni manages the bicycle rental shop next door to the restaurant.
Any children?
No. Please don’t remind my mother who’s desperate for me to marry and produce a grandchild.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
Emma is my older sister.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
We’ve adopted an outdoor restaurant cat named Gadoo. He’s orange and black and feisty, and I always stock his favorite treats from the local grocery store.
What town do you live in?
Ocean Crest. A small beach town at the Jersey shore. Of course, the population triples during the summer season with tourists.
House or building complex?
Since I’ve returned home to Ocean Crest, I’m staying in the guest room of my best friend’s home. Katie and her husband, Bill, are the best and very welcoming.
Do you rent or own?
Neither yet. But I’m looking! Rent is crazy expensive at the Jersey shore.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
I love Katie’s kitchen. It’s cozy and we share a pot of coffee and chat every morning.
Who is your best friend?
Katie Watson has been my best friend since grade school.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Sleuth! The word makes me nervous. I didn’t set out to solve crime, but I have an inquisitive mind. Other’s say I’m nosy. I blame it on my law school education.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Katie Watson. She’s a great sidekick and it helps that her husband is an Ocean Crest beat cop. Katie has a way of weaseling info out of him.
Favorite meal?
Shish kebab and hummus. I do manage a Mediterranean restaurant.
Favorite dessert?
Baklava, of course!
Favorite hobby?
Jogging the Ocean Crest boardwalk.
Favorite vacation spot?
I live at the Jersey shore. It’s a vacation destination. But if I had a chance to fly somewhere? I’d say Paris.
Favorite color?
Blue like the sky on a perfect July day at the shore.
Favorite author?
Hmm. This is a tough one. I’d have to pick Jane Austen. I read Pride and Prejudice as a teen and fell in love. I guess I am a romantic at heart. If only my real love life was that simple.
Favorite sports team?
The Eagles! I worked at a Philadelphia law firm for eight years before coming home.
Movies or Broadway?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Broadway play. I miss it!
Are you a morning or a night person?
Morning. I wake up early to jog. I work in a restaurant and I’m surrounded by delicious food all day. Burning calories is a daily struggle!
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Wake up early. Share a pot of coffee with Katie in her kitchen and chat like long-lost girlfriends. Jog the boardwalk and say hello to all my shopkeeper friends. Arrive at Kebab Kitchen and manage a successful day at the restaurant. Say hello to all the locals and tourists who come to eat. Try not to stare at Azad’s muscles while he prepares the daily specials. Sample those daily specials. Stop by the bicycle rental shop next door and go for a ride on Michael’s Harley-Davidson. Stop by the coffee shop with Katie after work, and whatever I do, I must not stumble upon another dead body!
Thanks for reading!
Lucy Berberian
Giveaway: Where is your favorite vacation spot? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a digital copy (Kindle or Nook) of Stabbed In The Baklava. The giveaway will end August 29, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Lucy in Stabbed In The Baklava, the second book in the “Kebab Kitchen” mystery series, coming August 28, 2018. The first book in the series is Hummus and Homicide.
Lucy Berberian has taken over her family’s Mediterranean restaurant on the Jersey Shore after an unsatisfying stint at a Philadelphia law firm. It’s great to be back in her old beach town, even if she’s turning into a seasoned sleuth . . .
Catering a high-society wedding should bring in some big income for Kebab Kitchen—and raise its profile too. But it’s not exactly good publicity when the best man winds up skewered like a shish kebab. Worse yet, Lucy’s ex, Azad—who’s the restaurant’s new head chef—is the prime suspect. But she doesn’t give a fig what the cops think. He may have killer looks, but he’s no murderer. She just needs to prove his innocence, before he has to go on the lamb . . .
Recipes included!
Purchase Link
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About the author
Tina Kashian is an attorney and a former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit her website at tinakashian.com to join her newsletter, receive delicious recipes, enter contests, and more!
You can also connect with Tina on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram.
All comments are welcomed.
This book sounds perfect for me with the coastal theme and the restaurant and food concepts, (and of course the sleuthing) all things I’m quite fond of reading about in cozies. I don’t know how I missed book one in this series but I’d love to win a copy of this second book and I’ll order book one as well so I’ll be up to date on this series.
My favorite vacation spots are at the coast with a hotel or rental house right on the beach. The sound of the waves and the gulls and the ocean air is my kind of heaven even though I can’t get onto the sand and to the water’s edge anymore. But I love going to the beach locations so much and this book appeals to me in this and other ways.
Thank you for the chance to win a cooy and Congratulations to the author on her release.
Sincerely
Cynthia B
Hi Cynthia. I love the coast as well. Anything to do with the beach and the ocean. Thanks for commenting!
I love to explore new places on vacation. Probably my favorite place I’ve been is the Galapagos.
Hi Sharon. I’d love to visit the Galapagos and take the kids. The wildlife/sea life is supposed to be amazing.
Sedona, AZ is my favorite if I can’t go to England. But right now I would just love to get in the car and go anywhere.
Thank you for interviewing Lucy Berberian today!
My favorite vacation is actually a staycation. We have many things to do and see around Ohio and the northern coast has the beautiful Lake Erie. The Cleveland Indians, Cedar Point, Stan Hewitt Hall, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and many more things to see and do make us very rich in things to see and do. Thanks for including Tina Kashian’s book on your blog.
I like to mix it up, so no favorites. I think I’m looking for the perfect place to move to someday! Beaches are great. The mountains are beautiful. I like hills. The Black Hills of South Dakota are gorgeous. The high desert is also appealing. I loved what I saw of Spain, Ireland, and Scotland and need to explore those more.
We drove cross country in a motor home when I was a teenager and I thought it was a great vacation. The Black Hills of South Dakota are fabulous!
Our favorite place is Ellsworth, Maine. A lovely town, conveniently located near lots of nice things.
Maine is on my list of places to visit, Libby. We like nature and I hear it is lovely there.
Charleston, South Carolina
A beach….with clear water, small waves…like Florida’s gulf coast…
The beach is always a wonderful getaway, Renee!
My favorite vacation spot is near water, the ocean, a lake, a stream, a pond – as long as there is a place to hear the water and read a good book. Love this series!!
You sound like me, Lori! I like a vacation that involves the ocean or a pool. I’m happy to hear you like the series!
I can’t recall my last vacation, but I have been to Hawaii twice and loved it both times. I would love to take my adult kids there for a special family vacation!
Favorite dessert? Baklava drizzled with chocolate! Good for breakfast, too!
Baklava and chocolate? I love it! And to eat it for breakfast is just decadent and perfect. Thank you, Barbara!
My favorite vacation spot is the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Hi Peggy! I was recently in Colorado for a writer’s conference. It is a beautiful state. I want to return soon.
I love the coast in Northern California.
NYC- love the theaters and museums.
Hi Mary. It’s been a while since we took the kids to see a NYC play. We hope to see one this Christmas. Thank you!
My favorite vacation spot is Charleston SC.
my favorite vacation spot is anywhere away from Real Life…
but really, Orlando is my go-to place!!!
Who doesn’t love Orlando and Disney World! Thank you!
I love to vacation in the Texas Hill Country. It’s beautiful and there are lots of small towns to explore.
Tina, I bought a copy of Hummus and Homicide and enjoyed reading it so much! As a result, I bought an additional copy to send to my 93 year old aunt in Ohio (an avid reader!) who is in an Assisted Living facility–and she, too, loved it. However, she had to share it with not only fellow residents , but also some of the staff members asked to also be put on a list to read the book! I bought another copy for my daughter’s birthday, and she, too, loved it. We are all looking forward to Stabbed in the Baklava! Keep the stories coming!!
Hi Violet! Your message made my day! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed “Hummus and Homicide.” I’m very impressed about your 93 year old aunt too. It also means a lot to me that a fellow Armenian likes the series. Thank you!
My favorite vacation spot is wherever my family is. I’d love to visit Iceland tho. Maybe it could be a new favorite.
**** WINNER ****
Stabbed in the Baklava is Cynthia Blain
Congratulations!