Val Harris first appeared in The Quiche and the Dead and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Val.
What is your name?
Hi, I’m Val Harris! The Val is short for Valentine, so you can now probably guess which day I was born on. . .
How old are you?
Let’s just say late twenties and leave it at that, shall we? In the past I was more upfront with my age, but I’ve learned a thing or two from my cryptogenarian best friend, Charlene McCree.
What is your profession?
I bake pies! I own and manage Pie Town, in the lovely coastal town of San Nicholas, California. Pie Town is still in the start-up phase, so it’s keeping me busy.
Do you have a significant other?
If “significant” includes exclusive but non-marital relationships, then yes, I’m seeing an incredibly smart, brave, and handsome detective on the SNPD.
What is his/her name and profession?
Ooops! I already answered part of that question, but his name is Gordon Carmichael.
Any children?
Nope.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
Not to my knowledge, but my family history is a little murky.
Do your parents live near you?
My mother passed on not that long ago, and my father. . . I haven’t seen him since I was three. It’s complicated.
Who is your best friend?
My pie crust specialist, Charlene McCree. She’s become a true friend, and I couldn’t imagine life in San Nicholas without her, even if she does drag me to way too many Bigfoot hunts.
Cats, dogs or other pets?
Being the owner/operator of a pie shop makes it tough to be a good pet owner. I work really long hours, so no. But I’ve been spending a lot of time with Charlene’s cat, Frederick. She takes him everywhere (except inside the kitchen, where cat hair is definitely off limits). That said, he’s easy to get along with since he sleeps most of the time. Charlene claims he has narcolepsy, but I can’t say for sure. Do cats get narcolepsy?
What town do you live in?
San Nicholas, California. It’s on the coast in Silicon Valley, so Pie Town gets a mix of surfers and engineering types.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I rent an adorable tiny house/shipping container from Charlene. Housing prices are sky-high in Silicon Valley, so I consider myself lucky, even if I do bump into things when I turn around. Also, it’s got an amazing view of the ocean.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
Did I mention it’s a tiny house? The whole thing is sort of in one spot. But I spend a lot of time at the picnic table outside on warm days, and being in California, most days are warm enough to enjoy the outdoors.
Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
Pie for dinner, pie for dessert! Pie Town offers a wide selection of sweet and savory, and we also have breakfast pies, aka quiches available in the mornings.
Favorite hobby? Favorite color?
Running a pie shop doesn’t leave me much time for hobbies, but Charlene and I are co-chairs of the Baker Street Bakers, an amateur detecting club which keeps expanding in spite of our best efforts to keep it small. Everyone wants to be an amateur detective! I’m not sure I have a favorite color, but Pie Town has a lot of pink in it, and you can often find me wearing one of our pink t-shirts.
Favorite vacation spot?
Julia Childs.
Favorite author?
I’ll tell you when I find time to take a vacation.
Favorite sports team?
I have to say the Giants, or I’ll lose half my customers. So, go Giants!
Movies or Broadway?
Movies. See above re: lack of vacation time and add to that a lack of extra funds.
Are you a morning or a night person?
I keep baker’s hours, which means I’m up ruthlessly early. But I’m a morning person by necessity rather than by nature. I love to sleep in on Mondays, when Pie Town is closed.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
I guess technically you have to be paid to call yourself a professional, so we’re amateurs. But Charlene and I have solved quite a few crimes!
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
My pie crust specialist, Charlene, is my partner in crime-solving, though occasionally other San Nicholas denizens lend a hand. Though you have to be an actual baker to be a full member of the Baker Street Bakers, we do offer associate status.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I wake up at an ungodly hour, drive to Pie Town, and prep for the day’s baking. Most of the baking happens in the mornings, while most of the serving happens in the afternoons. However, we do keep Pie Town open while we’re baking for our early morning regulars – mostly senior citizens who don’t mind serving themselves from the coffee urn. And then at the end of the day, I might go out with Gordon or Charlene, or just relax in my teeny tiny home.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Pie Hard. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends February 28, 2019. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Val in Pie Hard, the third book in the “Pie Town” cozy mystery series, released February 26, 2019.
Will Val pie hard on national TV?
Business at the bakery may have slowed down, but Val Harris isn’t about to eat humble pie—not until a reality cooking show decides to whip the struggling Pie Town into shape. If Val can tolerate criticism from an abrasive pastry chef during filming, the free publicity might turn the unusual opportunity into the sweetest deal she didn’t know she needed.
Except no one in San Nicholas has an appetite for dessert once murder steals the spotlight. When the show’s bossy producer gets pushed to her death, Val and her flaky, septuagenarian pie crust expert, Charlene, follow crumbs in hopes of finding the killer. But with cameras still rolling and the shocking identity of the victim’s replacement a guaranteed recipe for disaster, Val needs to stay cool long enough to solve the crime and keep Pie Town from falling apart—or else she just might go up in smoke before she ever graces the small screen.
Purchase Link
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About the author
Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.
Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.
Visit Kirsten at kirstenweiss.com.
All comments are welcomed.
Sounds like my kind of read….
Thank you for the giveaway……
I love 💕 Kirsten Weiss’s books 📚 and this one sounds really exciting! Love 💗 the awesome cover too! Thanks for the chance to win dear Dru and Kirsten! 😊😻💜
Since I enjoy her other series I’m sure I will enjoy this one as well.
This sounds like such a fun series, and I’d like to win a copy of Pie Hard!
I love pie! Cherry being my favorite!😋 sounds like a good series to start reading. Would love to win! Thank you Dru! 😀
I really like the sound of “Pie Hard”. Can’t wait to read.
I loved the first book in this series, recently acquired the second, and would love to win the third to complete my collection. Thanks for the chance, DruAnn!
Sounds like a ‘tasty’ cozy! Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
I love pie. Sounds like a fun series.
Sounds like a fun book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
If Pie Hard is anything like Kirsten Weiss’s books in her Pie Town series it will be very enjoyable. Thank you for providing the interview with Val on your blog.
Pie Hard would be delightful. This series is special. Thanks.
This sounds like a fun series. Thanks for the contest.
Pie Hard is a great title, and I love the book’s cover. I enjoyed getting to know Val — thanks Dru Ann and Kirsten!
Would enjoy “meeting” Val & Charlene. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of Pie Hard.
I would love to read this book! Thank you for this chance.
Thanks for hosting me today, Dru!
Sounds like a fun read. good review!!
Sounds like a great read.
Sounds like my kind of book!
Love this series and cannot wait to read this book!! Thanks for the chance.
Yes please Dru. I’d love to add this to my home library. Please add my name to the Magic Contest Hat.
The cover of the new book reminds me of the bakeries we had in my old neighborhood when I was very young. One of them specialized in Charlotte Russe
Sounds like a fun read.
Sounds interesting. Thanks for the chance to win!
This is a fun series. I’m looking forward to reading Val’s next adventure.
I come from a family of pie makers and eaters. My brother would often have it for his breakfast.
I’d love to read this book.
Love the book cover! It really caught my eye! Thanks for the chance to win this!
What a gorgeous cover — puuuuuurple is my fave color! and a great premise. Best wishes on your series!
Looks Great 👍 Thanks for Sharing this book with us 😍❤😍
Shared on Twitter
😍❤😍
https://mobile.twitter.com/LindaMoffitt02/status/1101592497795543040
I am so looking forward to reading this book! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love this series, especially the Baker Street REgulars. And what’s not to like about pie, cats and handsome detectives?
I like title.
**** WINNER ****
Pie Hard is Gram
Congratulations!