Taylor O’Brian first appeared in A Case of Syrah, Syrah and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Taylor.
What is your name?
Taylor O’Brian.
How old are you?
I’m 28 which I’ve been told is a pivotal year.
What is your profession?
I run an off-beat tour company in California wine company.
Do you have a significant other?
I’m afraid my dating life is as dead as a door knob. But a girl can hope. Also, I might have a thing for the hot Sheriff Hennessey.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
I was an only child.
Do your parents live near you?
My mother is dead and my father is out of my life. But I have my Aunt Jemma to care for and she is enough family for me.
Who is your best friend?
My best friend is Holly and she works at an art gallery.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
I have a kitty names Clemmie and a pup named Milly. They are my hearts.
What town do you live in?
I live in Sonoma, California.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I stay in my Aunt Jemma’s pool house.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
I have to say my bed. I have one that adjusts so you can sit up and read and Clemmie and Milly can sit with me.
Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
My favorite meal is steak and baked potatoes. My favorite desert is a dessert wine, like a Riesling and cheese.
Favorite hobby? Favorite color?
I’m too busy working and helping Aunt Jemma to have a hobby, although I might start painting. Holly wants to teach me. My favorite color is yellow.
Favorite author?
My favorite author is Agatha Christie.
Favorite vacation spot?
I love to vacation in Cabo. We used to go there all the time when I was a kid.
Favorite sports team?
I have to be a 49er’s fan, of course.
Movies or Broadway?
Oh, I love both, but get to see movies more often.
Are you a morning or a night person?
I’m a night person, definitely.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Amateur. I sort of slipped into it you might say.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Holly and Aunt Jemma and our friend Chelsea. Chelsea is a journalist and can research circles around us, while Aunt Jemma is connected to the local gossip and Holly and I bravely ask questions of suspects.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I get up and feed my pets and walk Millie around the winery. Did I mention Aunt Jemma has a winery? Anyway, the grapes are lovely in all seasons and Millie loves to run. Then I make coffee and get straight to work on my next tour. On a tour day, I will usually take them out at ten a.m. and we will tour for up to five hours. Then I’m home to have dinner with my Aunt and sometimes Holly comes and we sit under the stars and watch the fog roll in. It’s quite lovely. Really. Thanks for asking.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Seven Deadly Zins. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends January 9, 2019. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Taylor in Seven Deadly Zins, the second book in the “Sonoma Wine Country” cozy mystery series, coming January 8, 2019.
Which suspect drowned an inspector in the Zinfandel? Sonoma tour guide Taylor O’Brian uncorks another intoxicating Sonoma Wine Country mystery.
Taylor O’Brian, founder of “Off the Beaten Path”, takes small groups on wine country tours of romantic Sonoma County. Friends are everything in the tour business, so Taylor is happy to guide investors to the winery owned by her friend Tim Slade. But vintage turns to vinegar when an FDA inspector is found floating face down in one of Tim’s vats of squished grapes.
Tim is arrested on suspicion of murder, and Taylor and her friends rally to prove his innocence. But it’s not an easy task, especially since the winery proprietor’s acidic sense of humor tends to reap a harvest of sour grapes. Taylor’s investigation is withering on the vine until she discovers that Tim’s girlfriend, Mandy, is having an affair with a self-help guru. But before she has a chance to confront Mandy, Taylor finds Tim standing over the body of the dead guru.
This tart turn of events sends a bottle shock through Sonoma. Might Taylor’s friend really be a Zin-ful killer? If so, could Taylor be the next victim? The tour guide and her friends come to realize that the true murderer’s scent is obscured by an unsavory bouquet of red herrings.
A complex mystery designed to delight the palate of wine and cozy mystery enthusiasts alike, Seven Deadly Zins is the second quirky installment in Nancy J. Parra’s Sonoma Wine Country mysteries.
Purchase Link
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About the author
Nancy J Parra AKA Nancy Coco AKA Nell Hampton is the author of over 26 published novels which include five mystery series: The Candy Coated Mysteries (Kensington), The Kensington Palace Mystery Series (Crooked Lane), The Wine Country Tours Mystery Series (Crooked Lane) The Gluten-free Baker’s Treat Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), and The Perfect Proposal Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime). Her writing has been called witty and her protagonists plucky by reviewers around the world. Nancy is a member of Sisters in Crime, and Romvets (A group of military vets who write) and writes for the Killer Characters Blog on the 8th of every month. Nancy loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at nancyjcoco.com for more information.
All comments are welcomed.
This looks like a must read!
I have not read the first book in the series, so I will remedy that soon! I love the look on Clemmie’s face!
Love The Cover & The Title
Looks like a Great Read 👍 📖 👍
Thanks for the chance
💗🍯🐝 and For Sharing this book with us.
Shared on Twitter 😍❤😍
https://mobile.twitter.com/LindaMoffitt02/status/1082258337499095040
WOW! What an awesome cover of this new book! I love 💕 Nancy Parra’s books, and this one sounds like a really super duper exciting read! Thanks for the chance to win sweet Dru and Nancy!
I really want to read this one! Thank you for this chance.
This looks good
There is actually a wine called 7 Deadly Zins that is really good. Thanks for featuring Taylor and Seven Deadly Zins on your blog ~
Taylor sounds like she has an interesting life – and I would love to tour the winery! Thanks for the chance!
Love the cover. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
Sounds like a fun series and a chance to learn about the wine industry.
A unique series which I would enjoy very much.
I have read Nancy Parra’s books before and found the characters well developed and fitting to their role in each book. Thanks for the interview and information on this latest book.
I really enjoy Nancy Parra’s books! Looking forward to reading this newest title.
I have not read this author, but the book sounds like a fun mystery. Love the wine country setting!
Please, I love books with wine involved — even tangentially.
Yes please Dru, I want in on the giveaway. I’m definitely an Oenophile.
Wine should have body, but not that kind!
The write up in certainly full of wine puns!
Love the cover of this book and the setting in the wine country. Winning this book would be reading for the first time a book by this author. Thanks for a chance to win.
Love the cover and would love to read this series. Thanks for the chance to win!
Great cover – love the wine country setting.
Aww. My mom’s cat was named Clem & I used to call him Clemmie.
I like mysteries set in wine country and this one looks like an interesting read..
Love Nancy Parra’s books, but I haven’t read this series yet. Sounds like another great series, looking forward to reading the series.
This a great series! I’m looking forward to reading the book…
I really love this book cover. It makes me want to read it! Thanks for the chance to win it!!
Yes, please!!!!!
Thank you for the giveaway….
Would love to win!! Thank you!!
**** WINNER ****
Seven Deadly Zins is Carolyn Theriot
Congratulations!