Hello from TINA KASHIAN! I’m honored to be part of Mystery Lovers Kitchen and to be spotlighted today. It’s a chance to talk about how I began writing and what inspired my Kebab Kitchen cozy series.
Before I talk about me, I want to thank our Mystery Lovers Kitchen followers. I value each one! I enjoy cooking (much more than baking) and I have discovered great recipes from this blog. I hope you have as well.
People ask me how I started writing. I wrote my first book when I was sixteen years old on my family’s electric typewriter. Remember those? I thought it was a bestseller. How little did I know? It is now under the bed and will never see the light of day. Fast forward many years. I received an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a law degree from Rutgers University. I enjoyed writing the appellate briefs that no one else liked writing. Then I got married and had two girls. Life was hectic! But always, in the back of my mind during my long commutes, I wanted to write fiction.
I started writing a Regency historical romance on a notepad. Write Regency? I loved the time period. The gowns, carriages and manners. I went to a writing conference and pitched to an agent. It was speed dating for writers! Stressful but successful. I got my first agent this way and she sold that historical to Kensington Publishing. I write these books under the pen name Tina Gabrielle.
How did I go from historicals to cozies? I found that all my books included mystery elements. My Regency Barrister series featured a barrister and the daughter of a master barrister who solves murders. It was a romance so it had to include some romance. I enjoyed the historical legal research and included my own experiences as a woman lawyer in the courtroom.
Then I began reading cozies before I realized what a “cozy mystery” was. Not only was I reading cozies, but they brought back great memories of watching “Murder She Wrote” with my mother. I didn’t realize it was the cozy trope until much later. I enjoyed so many things: the amateur sleuth solving the crime: no blood or violence; small towns where everyone knows your name; and a wonderful cast of characters. What’s there not to love?
As for my Kebab Kitchen series, it’s a series straight from my heart. The title, HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE, came to me first. My Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years in South Jersey. (Sadly, they have both passed away). But I grew up in the restaurant business. My mother used to carry me around greeting customers as a baby. My mother was a talented cook and spoke five languages. Yes, five! English is my second language.
As a tween, I rolled silverware in napkins. As a teenager, I worked as a hostess and waitress. The tips paid for my prom gown. There’s a hummus bar in the book with different varieties of hummus–traditional, lemon pucker, jalapeno, and basil. I included my family’s treasured recipes in the book including baklava, Greek shish kebab, Greek salad, and more. Coming up with the titles was loads of fun. “Stabbed in the Baklava, “One Feta in the Grave,” and “On the Lamb,” all made me chuckle. I also share my family’s treasured recipes on MLK!
It wasn’t always fun as a teenager having a diverse family. Hummus wasn’t as popular as it was now. My mother used to pack me hummus and pita for lunch when all I wanted was peanut butter and jelly. But I’ve grown to value my own roots and my own colorful cast of family members. In contrast, my husband can almost trace his roots back to the Mayflower. We have two daughters who have the best of both worlds, and yes, they know how to make hummus and like it.
Here’s a picture of me with my homemade hummus.
As for setting the series at the Jersey Shore, we live close and I spent childhood summers building sandcastles, boogie boarding and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. I think of the Jersey shore as its own character in the series and it’s a lot of fun to write.
Here's a picture of us on the beach in Wildwood Crest, NJ.
Here I am parasailing at the Jersey shore with my one daughter. We were high in the air!
What’s next for me? I have two new books coming up, one in each genre. “HOW NOT TO MARRY A DUKE,” will release on April 25, 2023 in mass market paperback and ebook.
On May 23, 2023, MURDER AT SEA releases, which is an anthology with eight cozy authors (including fellow MLK author Leslie Budewitz). My story, “A Sail of Two Continents”, features my Kebab Kitchen sleuth, Lucy Berberian. This story is especially interesting because it takes place in the Straits of Bosphorus in Istanbul and sails to the Aegean Sea in Greece. The story was not originally set there, it was set at the Jersey shore. But a reader who won our contest got to pick the location, and she picked me out of the eight authors. She chose the Straits of Bosphorus which begins in Europe and ends up in Asia. The two continents are separated by the straits, a 19 mile naturally occurring waterway that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marma. As a writer, I had to pivot my story and change the setting to a very different location. I did it and the story is even better for it. I hope readers enjoy “Murder at Sea.”
Both books are currently up for preorder here:
Pre-Order Now!
https://books2read.com/mas2023
Two unlikely allies make for one scandalous courtship…
From the moment her pet
pig attacks him, Adeline Foster knows she does not care at all for the Duke of
Warwick. Certainly the man is handsome, but such an
arrogant arse. But when her scoundrel half brother demands she marry a stranger
over a failed investment, the duke does something shocking…he announces he’s courting her.
One moment, Daniel Millstone is enjoying
tinkering with his inventions in his quiet country home with relative
anonymity. The next, he’s courting the willful Miss Adeline. It might have
begun as a way to vex her half brother—his childhood nemesis—but her striking
beauty and kissable lips prove an irresistible temptation.
Now Adeline and her faux beau must convince
the ton and their families that they’re an item. It
doesn’t matter if they can barely tolerate each other. It doesn’t matter that
scandal is only a touch away. Because if this charade doesn’t work, Adeline
will find herself in dangerous hands…
Thanks for reading a bit about me! To celebrate, I’m giving away two signed, print copies of the first book in my Kebab Kitchen series, “Hummus and Homicide” to get a reader started. (U.S. Only for print). To enter, just comment with an email address. Do you like hummus? What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ADDHqr
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2ABPfKX
iBooks: http://apple.co/2iTLwBj
Google Books:
http://bit.ly/2zzlE84
When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu…
Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.
She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school…and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect…
Recipes Included!
Thank you for reading our first Spotlight Sunday. I love my MLK family!
Tina
My puppy, Joy.
Tina Kashian
writes the Kebab Kitchen Mediterranean mystery series,
and her first book, Hummus and Homicide,
spent six weeks on the B&N bestseller list. Tina is an attorney and a
mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through
years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore
building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel.
She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a
restaurant for thirty years. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive
husband and two daughters.
You can also connect with Tina at:
Website:
www.tinakashian.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaKashianAuthor/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TinaKashian1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinakashian/
I love hummus and the Jersey Shore! Your puppy Joy is gorgeous! I love trying new foods, and I have many favorite cuisines.Thank you for this chance! areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHi Robyn! Thanks for stopping by. I also like a variety of cuisines. We enjoy Mexican, Chinese, and Italian in my house.
DeleteTina, I actually had no idea you also write historical romance novels! What a lovely spotlight. Do you still work as a lawyer?
ReplyDeleteHi Edith! Thanks for commenting. I do work per diem work. I work full-time in a school now. But writing is my true love!
DeleteWhat a wonderful story Tina! We had no idea you have another identity. I grew up visiting the Jersey shore--maybe we even crossed paths. xox
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy. We love the Jersey shore because it is close by and visit in the winter and a lot during the summer season. I especially love the candy stores on the boardwalk. Fudge is a favorite.
DeleteAs an old Army brat raised on a base with every nationality in the same neighborhood and Mom's that not only shared recipes but gave cooking lessons to help carry them out, I was raised eating all sorts of food that most my age never got to taste. I would say the one that has remained my favorite has to be Italian. Oh how I can remember the neighbor who was direct from Italy and how her house smelled and how I loved the dished she showed to my Mom. I still have a recipe for lasagna that I got from Mom when I was much younger. Of course, there was no written recipe since it was all by the use of hands, a regular spoon and taste. I had to stand beside my Mom and as she put a spice in her hand, I would measure it before it went into the pot. After I had something written down, I would cook it to which Mom would tweak me on. Once I had written down and fixed it to Mom's approval did I feel like I had successfully gotten it right. I did a lot of recipes like that and put them all in my families tried and true recipe book. The fun part is when I fix a recipe from that book, it evokes lots of fun memories of my childhood living on base, the friendships we made and cooking side by side with my Mom.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy eating hummus and all the different flavors.
Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy of “Hummus and Homicide”. I would love the opportunity to read and review it.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Hi Kay. Italian is a favorite in our house, too. I have to say my husband loves it. He always orders lasagna when we go to the family-owned Italian restaurants near us.
DeleteGreat post, Tina! I knew you'd written romances, but not that you were still writing them. Congratulations on your new historical romance! I began eating hummus only in the last decade when my vegetarian son and daughter-in-law introduced me to it. I particularly like hummus with pine nuts. I also love the titles of all your kebab series books.
ReplyDeleteHi MaryAnn. I also like the variety of hummus with pine nuts. It adds that extra crunch. For snacking, I'm trying to eat more nuts in general as a healthy snack. Thank you!
DeleteI like hummus. I enjoy many different cuisines and tend to favor the Asian ones.
ReplyDeleteWskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
One night a week we make Asian stir fry and my girls like it. We also have a fabulous family-owned Chinese restaurant nearby and often order from it.
DeleteHow wonderful to get to know you a bit better Tina! Since I was born in Chile, and have traveled around the world with my job, I do so appreciate other cultures. I am fascinated by your great recipes, and the fact that your delicious mysteries are full of world flavors!!!! As a matter of fact, we had some friend over on Friday, and one of the dips we served was Thai Chili Hummus, with Naan and a variety of very interesting cheeses, including Dulce de Leche infused Brie...Thank you so much for sharing your brilliant writing skills and even blessing a few readers with signed copies!!!...PLUS also sharing your delicious recipes with us eager readers. luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteThe Tai Chili Hummus sounds great! I used to enjoy very spicy foods. Now I can't eat too spicy, but this is something I would like to try. My bookclub had Brie the other night and I liked it with a fig jab. Delicious!
DeleteI like hummus with red pepper in it. My favorite cuisine is probably Mexican. Thank you for the chance to win! aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteThe puppy's name is "Joy"? How perfect is that?!
ReplyDeleteYou've reminded me that I haven't had shish kebab in ages. I need to rectify that.
libbydodd at comcast dot net
Yes, to the shish kebab. It's tasty! As for my dog, my girls helped named her. She's a sweetie.
DeleteOh my goodness, what a variety of interests and background you have! I enjoy most ethnic cuisines, but have to say Italian is my go-to when I am stuck. Also enjoy Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean. Hummus, especially garlic or olive tapenade with pita chips are as a former co-worker of mine used to say "obligatory" whenever we had a potluck. Enjoy the Kebab Kitchen series so thanks for the chance to win a copy of Hummus and Homicide! makennedyinaz(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHi Marcia. I've noticed more and more people bringing hummus to potluck lunches at work. I chuckle about it, of course. Italian and Chinese are also favorites in our house.
DeleteTina ~ Wonderful spotlight! Congrats on your upcoming Regency romance and your cozy short story in MURDER AT SEA (both sound like terrific reads). Thank you for sharing your personal journey with us. What a rich, multi-layered life! I can just see your mother carrying you as a baby, greeting customers in your family's restaurant. I also love your family photos. (I do love hummus! And one day I would like to try parasailing. It looks so exhilarating!) ~ Cleo
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Cleo. Parasailing is fun as long as you are not afraid of heights. I thought it would be windy so far up in the air, but it was actually peaceful. I'd do it again.
DeleteI have eaten hummus and I do like it mostly the red pepper one but I will have to try the lemon one too. Thank you deborahortega229@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI used to like the red pepper, but I'm having a harder time with anything spice are with too much pepper lately. The traditional variety is still my favorite and what I can make well.
DeleteSo fun to read about you and your background! I love Greek food--my favorite for dining out or getting take-out. Now I'm hungry! :-)
ReplyDeletedonnascott@pullman.com
Yay! Thank you!
DeleteHummus has become a go to snack for me this year! I figure it must be healthier (by a LOT) than the cookies I used to grab! Our family loves all cuisines, especially when we make them ourselves! Betcei@aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHello! Hummus is healthier than mayo or potato chips. I like it with veggies as well as pita. Glad you like it too!
DeleteWhat a lovely post today. Hummus is my favorite snack and I love all flavors. So healthy and tasty. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Thank you
DeleteI'm in!!! I can't wait to give your Kebab Kitchen Series a try! I can't wait to meet a whole new cast of characters but to also check out the recipes. Copies are THE BESTl
ReplyDeleteAww. This made my day. Thank you.
DeleteYour snack is delectable. Hummus has been my go to snack for many years. I can eat it anytime and even in the evening. I service it when visitors are here. I enjoy Greek. Italian and all Mediterranean cuisine. I love all the flavors and veggies. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteIt has grown in popularity over the last couple years and I'm happy for it. I do this it's healthy. Thank you for commenting!
DeleteWhat a fascinating post, Tina. I had no idea you wrote Regency romances--how fun! Or that you were an appellate attorney--as was I! We'll have to talk res judicata and collateral estoppel next time we meet (not--let's talk food, instead). I love your Kebab Kitchen mysteries, and am so glad you're a part of the MLK family!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Leslie! Happy to chat anytime and hope to see you at Malice!
DeleteI think that hummus - homemade would be quite different than store bought. My first love is cozy mysteries, my second is historical romances. I did not know you wrote both. I will be checking in with the historicals in the very near future. Thank you for the lovely article. It is fun to know the author's background.
ReplyDeletelindalou64(@)live(dot)com
Hi Linda. I do think homemade tastes much better than the store purchased one. I guess I'm biased. You can add or take out whatever ingredients you prefer and that makes it tastes better.
DeleteThank you for the contest! I didn't know that you write historical romance too; I will look for them. Murder At Sea is on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteLaura Nason
dlcnason1@msn.com
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy Murder at Sea
DeleteI love all varieties of hummus! I enjoy reading all your books!
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Thank you, Nancy!
DeleteI enjoy all types of hummus and so do my grandsons, ages 3 and 16 months. They dip pretzels or their fingers in it and eat up. kkertes@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThat's so great to hear, especially your three your old. A lot of little ones are picky. He must be a good eater.
DeleteI like hummus and I wish there was good Greek options where I live. My favorite eating out locations have been Chinese. awanstrom(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWe have wonderful Chinese and Italian restaurants near us and often eat at both. We also get take out from both as well. My husband loves Italian food.
DeleteHi and welcome!! So excited to have you here! I love your books! My daughter and I are the only ones who like hummus. Yum!
ReplyDeletejarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com
I'm happy to hear you and your daughter like hummus and that you like the books, too. Thanks!
DeleteI love hummus with garlic in the center. I love a variety of cuisines. A few of my favorites are Italian, Japanese, and Greek, cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI need to try more varieties of hummus to decide how I feel about it. I love Chinese and Italian food. egoehner(at)roadrunner(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Mystery Lovers Kitchen I was excited that it was you as I have read many of your books and done reviews on them. I really enjoy the Greek kick in them. My deceased husband was greek so going to his family get together was always a challange for me as I am a pure California girl eater. Bad I know and I am not one who likes hummus. In fact now that I live in eastern iowa my friends don't care for it either. I love ribs and Italian food and my California chinese which uses bean sprouts more than here in eastern Iowa they use more cabbage in everything even the egg roll. So when I go to the bay area to see my grandgirls and my son I do eat chinese and try to be really full of it before I return to Iowa. peggy clayton ptclayton2@aol.com and again Welcome!
ReplyDeleteThat's great that when you visit California you get to eat anything you'd like. I think I'd do the same thing.
DeleteWelcome Tina. Thanks for sharing a bit about your self. I love to learn where/how authors get where they are today. I tried hummus several times years ago and honestly didnt like it. Could very well be the ones I bought. Will try it again soon. I know my taste buds have changed. LOL quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
ReplyDeleteHi Lori! There are some foods I don't prefer either. That's okay and keep eating the cuisine you love. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteI love hummus on pita bread, would like to be included in the giveaway! tWarner419@aol.com
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI have read all your Kebab Kitchen series books. I’ll have to read your romance books. I love hummus with different spices & have made some myself. The cuisines I like are Home cooking, Mexican, Italian, and Mediterranean. sqbradshaw@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteLove hummus! And enjoy the series. thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteJess
Maceoindo(at)Yahoo(Dot)Com
I love Indian cuisine.
DeleteI like hummus with red pepper in it the best! My favorite cuisine is Mexican.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy hummus. Its the only way I will eat garbanzo beans, LOL! As for favorite cuisine, I enjoy a bit of it all. I think if I had to make a choice, it would be Italian. mslizah@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love hummus, and plain hummus is probably my favorite. My favorite cuisine would be Mediterranean: Greek, Italian, and North African. I loved reading this, thanks for sharing your family memories.
ReplyDeleteI love Italian, Mexican and Asian food! almajean61(at)gmail(dot)com Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds interesting and fun to read Thank you for the chance
ReplyDelete