Sunday, April 25, 2010

Guest Blogger: Maddy Hunter!

Greetings, everyone!

I’m Maddy Hunter, and to my great delight,
I’ve just had the dust blown off my
Passport to Peril travel mysteries.
The series was cancelled in 2007 after book
six (NORWAY TO HIDE) was published,
but last January, Midnight Ink Books offered
me a two book contract (yeah!!!) to continue
the adventures of tour escort Emily and her
zany band of globetrotting seniors from Iowa,
so look for DEAD DUTCH in the winter of 2012.




My characters have already packed their bags and are presently in
Amsterdam, where they’re about to wander into the red light district
after feasting on some strange tasting brownies in a local coffee house.
Unfortunately, they’ve forgotten Emily’s warning that a Dutch brownie
is not the same as your garden variety Duncan Hines brownie.
But hey, they were hungry!


As a child, I never seemed to get hungry, but when I was,
I liked to eat cream cheese and olive sandwiches, wagon wheel
macaroni with tomatoes, and fish sticks drenched with lemon juice.
Since I was small and scrawny, my mom was always trying to fatten
me up with sweets, but much to her dismay, I preferred my
grandfather’s Italian salad to chocolate cake and hated ice cream
because it felt too cold in my mouth.


When I began traveling to other countries in search of unusual places
to whack fictional characters, I vowed to expand my palate. So while
Emily’s seniors sightsee, fall over dead bodies, and run each other down
in their quest to be first into the dining room, *I* have been discovering
new taste sensations. Though the seniors’ idea of the perfect meal is an
Iowa chop, they have sampled more exotic fare vicariously through me:
kangaroo in Australia (tasted like beef), reindeer in Lapland (tasted like
beef), black pudding in Ireland (tasted like… I don’t want to talk about it),
cornflakes in Switzerland (tasted like cornflakes), boar in Italy (tasted like
kangaroo), Hawaiian pizza in Norway (?????), and cinnamon ice cream in
Holland (ice cream is still too cold for my mouth), but the cinnamon part
allows me segue into my recipe.


My husband is the real cook in our family. I prepare meals; he actually
cooks. On Easter morning this year he surprised me with warm cinnamon
rolls that were to die for. The only thing that could have made them better
is if he’d been able to suck out all the calories.



So I give you Ring Pan Sweet Rolls. Enjoy!
Warning: These rolls are extremely dangerous. If they’re in your
house, you will eat them. So if you want to avoid a killer carbohydrate
high, give half of them to your next door neighbor. Your waistline will
love you for it, and your neighbor might offer to cut your grass while
you’re traipsing around Scotland this summer, searching for the
Loch Ness monster, and sampling haggis.


Yup, haggis. The pudding that’s boiled in the stomach of a sheep.
I suspect I may soon be altering my opinion of ice cream.


Please check out my “in desperate need of updating” website at http://www.maddyhunter.com/, and come join me on Facebook for
the latest scoop on the new book.

RING PAN SWEET ROLLS


Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls (36/pkg)
Thaw 18 rolls on a cookie sheet and cut into
thirds or quarters before they start to rise.
Make *Syrup* (See Below). Place small
amount in bottom of well-greased bundt pan.
Layer rolls and drizzle with syrup.
Sit covered overnight for rolls to rise.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
on lower rack.
Stand for 10 minutes.
Invert on cookie sheet and remove from
bundt pan.

*SYRUP*
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon milk
Heat syrup and blend together




"A debut with more than a few chuckles... Sit back in your
comfy chair and enjoy the madcap adventures of Emily Andrew
who joins her grandmother and other senior citizens on a
tour of Switzerland replete with cuckoo clocks, lost luggage,
and a few stiffs... One to cheer the gloomy winter days."
Mystery Lovers Bookshop (Alpine For You)




Thanks for joining us today, Maddy! I can't wait to read DEAD DUTCH.
It sounds hilarious!!! And I love this roll recipe -- I'm going to try it today!

New April Contest!!!!

The first book in the Memphis Barbeque series, Delicious and Suspicious, will be released July 6. To celebrate its upcoming release, I’m throwing a giveaway! :)Are you interested in winning Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate Grilling Rub Collection? It’s easy to enter! Just send an email to MysteryLoversKitchen@gmail.com with
“Contest” in the subject line.
Really, really want to up your chances?You’ll get one extra entry if you follow us on Twitter, one extra if you subscribe to our posts (in the right hand sidebar under “Subscribe”), and one extra for becoming a follower (by clicking the “follow” button in the right hand column under our book covers and blog roll.) Just send us an extra email at MysteryLoversKitchen@gmail.com and let us know what you’ve signed up for. If you’re already a follower or subscriber, let us know that, too!

13 comments:

  1. I was thinking about making some cinnamon rolls since my dad is coming to visit for a couple of days. I think I'll give these a try instead. They look easy and yummy!

    BTW ... When I read "Alpine for You", I laughed so hard I cried. I love Nana and the other old folks!

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  2. Oooh...this sounds like breakfast~!

    I write for MI too! Glad you could come by the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, Maddy. Congratulations on having your series picked back up.

    Riley/Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder

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  3. So glad your travels will continue! People, like me, have been wondering what the heck happened to such fun characters. Now we know and we're glad they will be back!

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  4. A new author to check out, a wonderful series to catch up on and a great recipe. What could be better?

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  5. Maddy, I'm so glad that that Emily and the gang will continue to explore the world. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

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  6. Maddy! Thanks for the wonderful recipe
    and for stopping in today. I'm delighted that
    your series will be returning!

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  7. Hi Maddy, so nice to have you here on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen! I absolutely loved your post - so much fun! I can't wait to pick up your books and meet Emily and her senior travelers. Congrats on the Midnight Ink contract!

    Julie

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  8. Maddy, thanks for joining us on MLK and sharing your fun travels and recipe, too! Congratulations on the Midnight Ink contract. May you sell through!
    ~Avery

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  9. Amsterdam -- what fun! You have such a great excuse to travel.

    What a lovely husband you have. Any man who bakes cinnamon rolls is worth hanging onto! ; )

    Thanks for sharing with us today, Maddy!

    ~ Krista

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  10. Hi Maddy - apologies for chiming in so late. (Like Emily, I'm on the road!) But I had to tell you that I think your Passport to Peril books are among the most entertaining reads in print. I'm so glad to hear that you'll be continuing to "ink" the misadventures of Emily and the gang with Midnight Ink. Long may she tour! :)

    (And God bless husbands who cook!)

    ~Cleo

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  11. I am so glad this series will continue. Love the characters and the funny and interesting things that happen to them .

    Cheryl Grimes

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  12. I am sooo excited to hear Passport to Peril will be back. You have midwestern Sr. Citizens down to a T!

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