Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Aphrodisiac Brownies and a Favorite Character Contest from Cleo Coyle!






I am thrilled to report that my new Coffeehouse Mystery, MURDER BY MOCHA, is off and running as an official bestseller. The book claimed the #9 spot on Barnes and Noble’s Top-10 hardcover mystery list and the #7 spot on the even bigger Nielsen BookScan list. 

The paperback edition of Roast Mortem 
even clocked in as a #8 BookScan mystery bestseller!

I didn't make this happen, readers did, and if you’re one of them, I have two words for you: 


Thank You!



Cleo Coyle, coffee geek,
is author of The Coffeehouse
Mysteries. To learn more,
visit Cleo's website by
clicking here.
Now for the food!

If you are considering making some of the chocolate treats (and other dishes) in the Recipe Section of Murder by Mocha, but aren't sure what the end results should look like, today's post should help. You can also click my PDF link here, print out a copy, and tuck it into your book's pages so you'll always have the reference!

To download a free PDF of the
Murder by Mocha 
recipe photos in the slideshow below, CLICK HERE. 




You can also watch the BIG SCREEN
version of this show
with my personal captions, by 
clicking here. 



Now for 

Today's Recipe!


Cleo Coyle's 
APHRODISIAC 
BROWNIES

The crimes in MURDER BY MOCHA (and there are plenty) are sparked by the launch of a new beverage product—a mocha drink called Mocha Magic Coffee, on which a powerhouse Website, "Aphrodite’s Village," plans to make a mint.

This chocolate coffee is laced with herbal aphrodisiacs. The formula is top secret, but it workstoo well. The mocha drives half the Coffeehouse cast loco!

In keeping with the loco mocha theme, my brownies include three ingredients that have long been considered aphrodisiacs (all of them legal, I assure you)! 

Chocolate, of course, is Cupid’s classic consumable. Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that is believed to be a perk in the area of romantic desires. Cinnamon is a fragrant spice that was prized by the Romans. (Cleopatra famously used it to arouse her many lovers.)

In these delicious brownies, the cinnamon works with the brown sugar to layer in a subtle yet intriguing flavor—perfect for a murder mystery. I hope you enjoy them, too. 




To download a free PDF of the recipe
for my 
Aphrodisiac Brownies, a featured recipe from Murder by Mocha,
click here.


And now...
Contest Fun!




"Guess who's coming
to dinner?" 

Your favorite Coffeehouse 
Mystery character!

For the past eight years, the Coffeehouse readers have written to me about the characters they love (and hate)! Now it's time to put those opinions in writing and possibly win some lovely prizes for your effort. What prizes?


CHOCOLATES! 
In Murder by Mocha, Clare Cosi travels to a candy and chocolate trade show to track down clues. While trolling the convention center aisles, she pauses at the booth of Valrhona (French gourmet chocolatiers) to indulge in a dark, little square of transcendent joy. Now that  joy can be yours, if you enter the contest.

The Prize: A “Grand Crus” Gift Box of 52 Fine Chocolate Tasting Squares (4 Flavors) Tanariva 33%, Taïnori 64%, Caraïbe 66%, and Guanaja 70%. The box includes the Tasting Wheel, a tool that helps lovers of fine chocolates eat with joy. :) To read more about this prize, click here.





Murder by Mocha
signed copies!
 

To learn more or buy
the book, click here
or here or here!








Gimme Coffee 
Cappuccino Cups, 
(Made in Italy) To see, click here.


HOW TO ENTER: Simply leave a comment on this blog** (any sort of comment) AND send an e-mail to CleoContest@gmail.com with an answer to this question: 

If you could go to dinner with one of my Coffeehouse Mystery characters (other than Clare Cosi) who would it be and why? Remember, it cannot be Clare!

Would you choose Matt, Madame, Mike, Joy, Bree, Franco? One of the baristas? You can make your answer as long or as brief as you like. No right or wrong answer, just your opinion! 

One entry per person. Two winners will be chosen by random number generator--a grand prize (chocolate, signed book, and cup) and a runner up (signed book and cup). Contest Ends: Monday, September 26, 12 Midnight.

**NOTE: If you have trouble leaving a comment on this blog, then leave one on my Coffeehouse Mystery message board by clicking here.


EXTRA WAY TO WIN: For big fans of my series, listen up! If you elaborate on your answer, AND I choose to share it on my Web site, facebook page or on this blog, then a special "thank you" prize is coming your way, too! An adorable gimme coffee espresso cup and a signed book plate

How many of these winners will there be? That's up to you! I may select three or a dozen, depending on how enthusiastic you are with your answers. Prizes will be awarded throughout August, September, and October!

Just tell me more about why you like the character. Maybe share how my character would take you to dinner. Where, for example, would you eat? What would you eat? I hope you have fun with this. I know I will!  

Read with joy!  
~ Cleo






To learn more about Cleo's bestselling
mysteries, visit her online coffeehouse at www.CoffeehouseMystery.com,
where you can also get more of her recipes
and sign up for her newsletter.



**NOTE: If you have trouble leaving a comment on this blog, you can leave one on
Cleo's Coffeehouse Mystery message board
by clicking here.




25 comments:

  1. Chocolate... I am in!!! Just give me till the weekend to finish (in case you kill her off)

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  2. only one??? Holy Smokin' Rockets, girl!!! Though there is one barista I am especially fond of....

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  3. now who can pass up a contest with chocolate as a prize? I best get ready for a scandalous dinner out with....

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  4. OK, I'm in! I am heading off to answer the question...I knew right away what or should I say who my answer would be...
    Kim

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  5. Congratulations on your #9 place at Barnes and Noble! Wonderful news, Cleo!

    ~ Krista

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  6. Chocolate, Clare and Cleo- the three fabulous C's. I can not wait to read this new book, maybe while eating the chocolates ;-)

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  7. Wow! A triple header. What a recipe, Cleo. Cool contest too! Congrats on Murder by Mocha!

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  8. Congratulations to you, Cleo! And...mmm...chocolate!

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  9. It is possible to gain weight simply by looking at your recipes and prizes.
    Thank you for the fun books and great contests.

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  10. These brownies are making my mouth water! You have such a way with chocolate, Cleo!

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  11. WOW so glad I happened across your website! I haven't read any of your books but I will! I'm addicted to coffee and chocolate, so these books sound liks just my thing!!
    thanks!

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  12. Wow, Cleo. What a contest and what a brownie. Congrats on hitting #9 on B&N list. That's fabulous!!!!!

    Hugs,

    ~Avery

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  13. I love this website and brownies! Congratulations Cleo on hitting #9!

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  14. Madame Dreyfus-Allegro-Dubois


    I would invite Madame because she is a woman of the world, but doesn't act completely snooty about it. She has so much knowledge and a big heart. She obviously has good taste in people and accessories (I love the description of her coffeehouse and apartment in book 1). I'm a huge history buff, and would really enjoy talking about the Coffeehouse origins and transformations. PLUS, she owns a coffeehouse! I LOVE coffee. I would ask her if she had any tricks to making a good cup of coffee. I know Clare is the real expert, her and Matt, but Madame has to know something because she owned it for years. I'm sure she has her own personal preference. It would be really close to having dinner with Clare without having dinner with Clare.

    Kathryn Laughlin

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  15. Sorry, my google account wouldn't let me sign in, so I had to post as something. It said Anonymous, but I signed my name. :D

    Kathryn

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  16. I'm in the middle of reading "Through the grinder" So far I really love this one, it's very good and can't wait to find out what happens. Thanks for these books

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  17. I just sent my reply to the contest hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your books

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  18. thanks for another fantastic book Cleo! You keep them coming and we'll keep rushing out to the bookstore to buy them! Murder by Mocha is another winner!

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  19. Can't wait to read this one - I've emailed my dinner companion!
    Alicia

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  20. I'm going to make the brownies tomorow to take to work on Monday (If I make them today I'm sure there won't be any left to take to work on Monday ;) And, I'm sending my entry for the "evening with" contest now :)
    Nicole L.

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  21. Congrats on the new book! I'm going to have a hard time deciding which character to hang out with because there are several I like! :-)

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  22. I think Madame--just because she seems worldly to me and I think we could have a good conversation.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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