I donโt write books in a specific genre.
Rather, I write what touches me deeply enough that Iโm inspired to spend years imagining characters, developing storylines, and undertaking endless edits to craft a book worthy of a readerโs money, time, and support.
That said, I do have one constant in all of my booksโfood.
I actually became fascinated by the idea of elevating food to character status when I started reading the work of award-winning author and prolific mystery writer Lawrence Sanders. While Sanders wrote and co-authored 46 books, my favorites were his Deadly Sin seriesโprimarily because of the main character, Frances X. Delaney.
Delaney was a retired NYC cop who did some of his best detective work while putting together unimaginable sandwich combinations in his kitchenโwhich generally required him to lean over the sink to safely consume.
Not only were his layered creations outrageously imaginative, they provided readers a breather from whatever violent and disturbing murder case Delaney was trying to solve. It was brilliant!
Iโd never read a book where food played such an unmistakable part in a storyline. Yet from the first oversized sandwich Delaney layered and inhaled, I was hooked. And why not? Whatโs more essential to any of us than food?
Perhaps, on some level, thatโs one of the reasons my first bookโChicken Wing Wisdomโwas focused on food. Yet as Iโve continued to write, food experiences have become part of my six subsequent books: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, prepared and enjoyed in fine-dining restaurants, diners, and home kitchens.
I wonโt lie. Most of my book/food passages are based on my insatiable hunger for chocolate, cookies, ice cream, and cakeโmy four basic food groups! However, with age comes wisdom. In The Secret Sand Circle, I made sure that the main character, Dr. Jo Harkins, indulges in healthier food options.
Interestingly, last week a fan of my books wrote to me about one of The Secret Sand Circleโs โhealthyโ food passages. Itโs a section where Jo enjoys a midday treat of yogurt and homemade granola mixed together.
โI am loving this book. Iโve never had granola for lunch. I have never bought granola for lunch, but like Jo, I am now eating granola and yogurt for lunch!โ โ Diane D.
Itโs wonderful to know that readers are enjoying The Secret Sand Circle and benefiting from trying out the bookโs healthier food offerings. Now if I could just write a story that would help me realign my major food groups into fruits and vegetables!