Murder by Milkshake is the first book in the Sweet Dreams (cozy YA) Series – if you haven’t read the other books by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo, you’ve arrived on scene just in time for this sweet treat!
Murder by Milkshake: A Sweet Dreams Mystery (Sweet Dreams Mysteries Book 1)
Book Summary
Life is sweet for high school senior and ice cream slinger Genevieve Winterland. Her father owns Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour, the cutest confectionery shop in their little town of Pinewood, Arizona. Genevieve loves her job, but when her father hires a broody newcomer with a dark past to provide extra security on her closing shifts, Genevieve bristles. Is this part of her father’s plan to send her away to college, when all she wants is to stay in Pinewood and run the family business?
Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite new teacher at Pinewood High, Miss Love, is receiving death threats, and then she goes missing. Genevieve suspects the crabby substitute, Ms. Pierce, who seems murderous about being passed over for the position. Or is the culprit Mr. Garcia, the longtime instructor who Miss Love replaced after he was fired for assaulting a student? Just when Genevieve thinks she knows the answer, she stumbles across the dead body of another missing faculty member.
Can Genevieve find the killer terrorizing the teachers in her beloved hometown—before someone else gets iced?
Genre: Cozy Mystery
ASIN : B0D94VG7L8
- Publication date : July 15, 2024
- Print length : 220 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #897,102 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
Murder by Milkshake is available in print and as an ebook at Amazon. You can add it to your GoodReads reading list as well.
Guest Post: YA Cozy Mysteries: A Perfect Pairing
As writers, we’re told there are only so many ideas, and very few are original. However, one day in the winter of 2019, I found one. It came out of nowhere in a burst of inspiration and I remember thinking, wait, has no one actually done this before?!
I’d recently discovered a love for cozy mysteries. Everything about them appealed to me—their adorable covers, their punny titles, their humorous plots filled with quirky characters. And let’s not forget the cupcake recipes! Cozies were murder mysteries that didn’t take themselves too seriously, and they always made me laugh.
Once hooked into a cozy mystery series, each book begins to feel like home. A place where you already know the characters, setting, and structure of the story. In fact, waiting for the next cozy mystery reminded me of waiting for the next Sweet Valley High or Cheerleaders book as a teenager.
The fiercely devoted readers of cozy mysteries are mostly middle-aged women. This same demographic makes up a large portion of those who read young adult fiction.
So why were there no young adult cozy mysteries?
Convinced there must be (remember, there are very few original ideas), I began looking for them. But if there are any out there, I couldn’t find them. I found plenty of YA murder mysteries like One of Us Is Lying, and the Truly Devious series, but those books are thrillers. Cozies are very different from thrillers.
What I was looking for was something like Scooby-Doo, but with murder. I knew teens would love a series like that. A beloved cast of characters solving serious crimes in their hometown but with a healthy dose of humor.
So that was my brilliant idea. I’d write a YA cozy mystery series.
After months of preparation, I began the following October. My series featured a spirited teenage heroine, her bookish best friend, and one very charming pet dog. As with all cozies, I knew my MC needed a job or hobby for the series theme, so I gave her a family ice cream shop, and I called it Sweet Dreams.
I firmly decided my MC would be free from romantic subplots, something I was tired of seeing in every YA book. I also knew I wanted my books to be short and in mass market paperback form, a tribute to the pocket paperbacks I grew up with in the 80s and 90s.
Alas, I wasn’t able to convince a literary agent of my vision for short cozy mysteries for teens. But I saw my vision through anyway! The first book in the Sweet Dreams series, Murder by Milkshake, was self-published through Amazon in July, and the next, Pralines and Creamed, is out in October.
I’ve said it before—I have never had as much fun writing a book as I had with Murder by Milkshake. I hope more writers out there consider writing cozy mysteries for young adults; after all, no one needs laughter in their lives more than teenagers.
About the Author, Elizabeth Maria Naranjo:
Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two children.
Elizabeth and Murder by Milkshake can be found online:
https://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8124819.Elizabeth_Maria_Naranjo
https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo
Check out this hashtag to stay up to date with this tour, the book, and it’s author: #murderbymilkshakenaranjo
—-Blog Tour Dates
September 9th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us at the WOW blog to celebrate the launch of author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s Murder by Milkshake. You can read an interview with Elizabeth and enter to win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
September 9th @ StoreyBook Reviews
Leslie Storey reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at StoreyBook Reviews will be dying to learn more about this cozy mystery!
https://www.storeybookreviews.com
September 10th @ Goodreads with Karen Brown Tyson
Stop by Goodreads and find out what Karen Brown Tyson thinks of the latest cozy mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Murder by Milkshake will leave readers wanting more stories by this talented author!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6741483799
September 10th @ Rockin Book Reviews
Lu Ann at Rocking Book Reviews shares her thoughts with readers about Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s Murder by Milkshake – this is a fabulous cozy mystery readers won’t want to miss!
http://www.rockinbookreviews.com
September 11th @ Book Woman Joan
Joan Nienhuis – known at Book Woman Joan reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!
www.bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com
September 11th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
Veronica Joy reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at the Burgeoning Bookshelf won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/
September 12th @ Life According to Jamie
See what Jamie has to say as she reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery!
September 12th @ Writer Advice
Fellow WOW! Author, B. Lynn Goodwin reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Fellow authors leave some of the most helpful reviews – see how many stars Goodwin gives Naranjo!
September 12th @ Just Katherine
Katherine reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Just Katherine won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery so they can add it to their own TBR pile today!
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com
September 13th @ What is that Book About
In the spotlight today at What is that Book About is none other than: Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery by this talented author!
September 14th @ Chapter Break
Today’s guest author at Chapter Break is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: YA Cozy Mysteries: A Perfect Pairing!
September 15th @ Finished Pages
Renee Roberson is a big fan of Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Find out what Renee has to say and how many stars she will give!
September 16th @ Fiona Ingram Author
Today’s guest author at Fiona Ingram’s website is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: 5 Key Ingredients to Creating a Cozy Mystery.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
September 17th @ Bibliotica
Melissa reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Bibliotica won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery so they can add it to their own TBR pile today!
September 18th @ Frugal Freelancer
Sara reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at the Frugal Freelancer won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery; others are raving about this fantastic read!
https://saratrimble.wordpress.com
September 19th @ Knotty Needle Creative
Judy reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Knotty Needle Creative won’t want to miss this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery! Enjoy!
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
September 20th @ Boy’s Mom Reads
Stop by Boy’s Mom Reads and find out what Karen thinks of the latest cozy mystery by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Murder by Milkshake will leave readers wanting more stories by this talented author!
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com
September 21st @ Book Bunnies
Gizem reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers at Book Bunnies will love this opportunity to read more about this cozy mystery! Enjoy!
September 23rd @ One Writer’s Journey
Sue Bradford Edwards at One Writers’ Journey reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery!
September 24th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Fellow author Anthony Avina reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Fellow authors leave some of the best reviews – don’t miss Anthony’s thoughts on this cozy mystery!
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
September 27th @ The Faerie Review
Lily at The Faerie Review reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery and won’t want to miss today’s review!
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
September 28th @ Boots Shoes and Fashion
Short and Sweet: The Joy of Bite-Size Books
Today’s guest author at Boots Shoes and Fashion is Elizabeth Maria Naranjo who is touring with her latest cozy mystery, Murder by Milkshake. Readers will delight with today’s post titled: Short and Sweet: The Joy of Bite-Sized Books!
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com
October 1st @ Words by Webb
Jodi at Words by Webb reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Readers will delight in this cozy mystery and won’t want to miss today’s review!
October 4th @ My Beauty My Books
Nikki at My Beauty My Books reviews Murder by Milkshake by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. Stop by and see what Nikki has to say about Naranjo’s latest!
https://mybeautymybooks.wordpress.com/
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