Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking by Author Linda Griffin

Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome Author Linda Griffin to the blog today. Her new release, Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking is from The Wild Rose Press. We thought we’d start by asking Linda a few quick questions.

Inquiring (Nosey) Minds Want to Know

Is your book based on real-life experience or a figment of your imagination?

The story is entirely fictional with two exceptions--a few incidents at the zoo really happened, and I borrowed Alyssa's comment about a stranger at the Aurora Ballroom from my sister.


If you couldn't be a writer, what would you be?

Very envious of every writer in the world! I enjoyed being a librarian too, though.

Is the setting for your book real?

The story is set in Carroll City, as was Guilty Knowledge. It's my fictional version of San Diego, with its fine weather and world-famous zoo. Reid's neighborhood of Crown Ridge is loosely based on Hillcrest.

About the Book

Software engineer Reid Lucas loves to cook and has a history of falling in love with married women. When he leaves his complicated past in Chicago for a job in California, he runs into trouble and must call a virtual stranger to bail him out of jail.

Alyssa Knight, a tough street cop waiting for a church annulment from her passive-aggressive husband, is the roommate of the woman Reid calls for help, and she reluctantly provides bail for Reid.

He falls for her immediately, and cooking for her is an act of love. She just wants to be friends, but they keep ending up in bed together. When his boss is murdered, Reid is a suspect—or is he the intended target?

Love, Death and the Art of Cooking Purchase Links

Enjoy an Excerpt

Alyssa was patting down a suspect, checking for weapons, a task that called for her full attention, but she was a little distracted. Last night’s events had seemed natural at the time, but now she couldn’t imagine what she had been thinking. She had taken an enormous leap of faith—or else she had taken leave of her senses.

At first sight she had dismissed Reid as harmless, not sexy, not her type, but he had been a surprisingly physical presence as he escorted Paul out of the apartment. Nothing had changed, but maybe he was a little less harmless than she had thought, a little more interesting? He did have very nice eyes, even if they reminded her of a cocker spaniel’s, and he was a fabulous cook.

She had images of him now that she didn’t want to have, sense memories, as her actor friends would say. His body was not as soft as she had expected. He was pretty fit compared to the skinhead slob she was frisking and other guys she had been seeing all day. She had wanted to direct him and then hadn’t needed to. The way he touched her had made her feel soft and warm, as if her flesh was melting under his hands.

She tugged the suspect’s right hand behind him and snapped on the cuff. She remembered Reid’s mouth on hers. There was more tenderness in his kisses than she would have expected him to show this soon, if ever. Could he honestly feel that…for her?

Meet the Author

I retired from the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on my writing. My stories have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema, The Binnacle, and Nassau Literary Review.

Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking is my fourth romantic suspense novel from The Wild Rose Press, following Seventeen Days (2018), The Rebound Effect (2019), and Guilty Knowledge (2020). In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, visiting museums and galleries, and travel.

Linda's Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest (there are recipes!)

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It’s been my pleasure hosting Linda today. Please come back again tomorrow and Thursday for more authors, books, and even a giveaway.

Nancy