Tim Brunelle sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we, the readers, can get to know him better. Here’s Tim!

What is your full name?
Timothy Brunelle

How old are you?
I’ll be thirty-four at the end of December.

What is your profession?
I am a baker and own Greta’s Grains. We bake artisinal breads and pastries, and serve hot drinks, too.

Do you have a significant other?
You bet.

What is her name and profession?
Mackenzie Almeida is the love of my life. She owns and ably runs Mac’s Bikes here in town, and solves crimes on the side.

Do you have any children?
Not yet, but we’re hoping to!

Do you have any siblings?
Yes, my sister Jamie lives in Seattle with her three little kids.

Are your parents nearby?
Not really. My mom lives on St. John in the Virgin Islands and Dad is in San Diego.

Who is your best friend?
I’d have to say Mac, but my friend Eli and I are running and drinking buddies, too.

Do you have any pets?
No, but I’m pretty sure Mac’s African gray parrot Belle, who is a total hoot, will be moving in later this year when Mac does.

What town do you live in?
We’re in Westham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

Do you live in a small town or a big city?
Westham is a small coastal town that gets a lot bigger when the summer people and tourists come to stay.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I own a two-bedroom cottage on a hill behind town.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
The kitchen, of course.

Favorite meal and dessert?
I’ve made braised scallops with spinach for Mac, and she’s also fond of my lobster quiche. Because I bake for a living, I keep desserts simple at home. Give me a bowl of a good creamy dark chocolate ice cream after dinner and I’m a happy man.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m a California surfer dude at heart, and I also love going for a long run. I write apps as a side line, and a lucrative one.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I already live in paradise, but I love visiting Mom on her Caribbean island. Total change of pace, and I can’t wait to bring Mac down there.

What music do you listen to?
Anything acoustic, from old-timey bluegrass to alt-country singers like Alison Krause, the late John Prine, and Greg Brown, but I also love Postmodern Jukebox.

Do you have a favorite book?
I’ll go with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I adore children. Hanging out at the beach with Mac and her adorable little niece Cokie is way up there in terms of a fun time. Catching a perfect wave isn’t bad, either.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Baking for My Baby.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
Oh, I’m not the sleuth in the family. That would be Mac and her Cozy Capers book group. Mac has worked with Massachusetts State Police detective Lincoln Haskins on a couple of cases, and reluctantly with WPD chief Victoria Laitinen. Those two women had quite a lot of conflict as competitive high school girls and the chief doesn’t seem to have quite gotten beyond it. Mac tries to stay respectful and polite with her, but I know it’s not easy.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I’m earlier than an early bird, because I’m at the bakery by four every weekday morning. We close at about two in the afternoon. I offer leftover bread from the back door to anybody who needs it while I’m cleaning up. I’ll often go for a run on the beach after that and then cook dinner for Mac. Then you’ll find me yawning and heading for bed well before nine at night.

What does a typical day look like when you are on a case?
All I do is provide support – and meals – for my sweetheart!

Murder at the Lobstah Shack, A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #3
Genre: Cozy
Release: November 2021
Purchase Link

When murder turns out to be the special of the day at her friend’s seafood restaurant, bicycle shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her fellow book club sleuths have to net a killer . . .

From clam chowdahs to oysters on the half-shell, Tulia Peters’ Lobstah Shack offers locals and tourists in Westham, Massachusetts, some of Cape Cod’s most amazing cuisine. But when the body of Annette DiCicero is discovered in the kitchen’s walk-in freezer—with a custom-made claw-handled lobster pick lodged in her neck—spoiled appetites are the least of Tulia’s worries.

After a heated public argument with Annette, Tulia is a person of interest in the police’s homicide investigation. To clear Tulia’s name, Mac and the Cozy Capers Book Group snoop into Annette’s personal life. Between her temperamental husband, his shady business partner, and two women tied to Annette’s past life as “Miss New Bedford”, there are now several suspects and multiple motives. And they’re getting crabby about Mac intruding on their affairs. . .

Includes Recipes!

About the author
Maddie Day pens the bestselling Country Store Mysteries and Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries. As Edith Maxwell, she writes the Agatha Award-winning Quaker Midwife Mysteries and short crime fiction. She’s a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and lives north of Boston with her beau. Find her (and Maddie) at her web site, at Wicked Authors, at Mystery Lovers Kitchen on the second and fourth Fridays, and on social media under both names: Edith M. Maxwell and Maddie Day Author.

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Edith has generously offered to give away one print copy of Murder at the Lobstah Shack. To enter, please leave a comment below. One entry per person and the giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends December 6, 2021. Good luck everyone!

All comments are welcomed.