A Scoop of Deceit (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory
About A Scoop of Deceit
A Scoop of Deceit (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher : Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication date : March 10, 2026
Digital ASIN : B0GHZMWLBV
From author Lena Gregory comes another decadently delightful cozy mystery ...
Spring has finally sprung on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York, and Danika Delaney is ready to take a break from running her old-fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, to help her mom start planting for the season. With visions of colorful tulips and delicate daffodils in mind, Danika and her mother browse through the local garden center, where they can’t help but notice a confrontation between out-of-towner Sebastian Krane and the local cashier. Unfortunately, as Krane storms off, aggravated and not paying attention, he hops into his BMW, and crashes right into Mrs. Delaney as she’s backing up in her borrowed pickup truck. As if that weren't enough to put a damper on her sunny mood, Krane then has the nerve to file a lawsuit against her. But when Dani shows up at his mansion to try to straighten things out, she finds him dead, with a knife in his back. Apparently, someone had it out for Sebastian. Someone other than her mother. A fact Dani sets out to prove with the help of her sidekicks, Gwen and Eli, wading through a slew of shady suspects from the victim's stormy past. Can Dani clear her mother's name and find the truth behind Krane's murder? Or will Dani be in danger of pushing up daisies herself this spring?
About Lena Gregory
INTERVIEW
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer? I’ve always loved to read, but when my
youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night, I decided to give
writing a try. And I loved crafting my own stories. I wish I’d done it years sooner!
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book? It takes at least two months for me to write and edit a
book, if I’m working at a comfortable pace. Unfortunately, more often than not,
I’m behind and rushing to meet a deadline, so then it goes faster.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing? Hectic! I also homeschool my son, so it’s a
constant balancing act between keeping him on pace and meeting my own
deadlines. I usually like to spend a few hours a day writing, though it doesn’t
always work out that way. Then I have to allow time for editing, advertising,
and research.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk? I don’t know if a lot of other authors do this,
but I try not to know who my killer will turn out to be until the very end.
Once I’ve laid out all of the suspects and their motives, then I discover the
killer.
5.
How do books get
published? Since I am traditionally published, my books are contracted with a
publisher by my agent. Once I have a set schedule for the books that are
contracted, I have to hand the books in to my editor by the agreed upon deadline(no
easy task). After that, they will do a developmental edit, which sometimes
involves a lot of rewrites, and send it back to me. I’ll usually have a week or
two to make the changes and send the book back. After that, I’ll receive the line
edits, for typos, grammar problems, stuff like that. At which time I’ll read
the book again and make the requested changes. Then I get it back once more to
proofread so we can try to catch as many mistakes as possible. While that’s all
going on, I also have to fill out an art fact sheet with information and
pictures I feel might be important for the cover artist. One of my favorite
parts of the writing process is getting my cover art!
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books? I get ideas everywhere! The slightest
thing can give me an idea for an entire series of books. As for information, my
research usually begins with a Google search, if I don’t know someone with the
expertise to answer my questions. If anyone ever looked at my search
history—like how to kill someone with one blow, or if an RPG can make a gas
tank explode—I’d probably have some explaining to do.
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you? I started my first book, a fantasy novel that
was published with a small press, fifteen years ago, right after my youngest
son was born. I was forty-five when I started it.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing? My favorite thing is spending time with my husband and
kids, doing anything or nothing. I also love to walk and take pictures of the
scenery. Since moving to Florida, I’ve discovered a ton of wildlife (some
scary) to take pictures of as well.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing? My husband and kids are extremely supportive. I started
my first book in a looseleaf notebook. And when he realized I was serious about
writing, my husband went out and got me a laptop and a desk and set me up a
small office. My kids cook all the time so I have time to write. They also help
me with creating graphics and marketing. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive
family.
10.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books? I was surprised to learn
how much goes into getting a book published. When I first started writing, I
had no idea what was involved in the process of querying and contracting a book,
never mind publishing.
11.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite? I have written around forty novels and six
novellas that have been published under a variety of pen names. Some of my favorites
are my Love Inspired Suspense books and my cozy mysteries. Of those, I think myCoffee
& Cream Café Mysteriesare my favorite series, though it’s difficult to
choose since I enjoy writing them all.
12.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they? My best
suggestion for writers is to read everything you can get your hands on in the
genre you’d like to write in. It truly does help improve your writing, at
least, I feel like it does for me.
13.
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say? I do hear from readers often,
and I love it. My fondest memory was a woman who reached out to let me know
that she’d lost her brother and had dedicated an entire series of my books to
the library in his name. I was so sad for her, but honored, and especially
touched, because I lost my own brother to lung cancer fifteen years ago.
14.
Do you like to create
books for adults? I love creating books for adults. I’ve tried writing for kids
a few times, and have published a young adult fantasy series and a middle grade
fantasy novel, but I seem to do better with adult books.
15.
What do you think makes
a good story? I enjoy stories that are character driven. If I’m interested in
the characters, I feel invested in what happens to them. I especially enjoy
long-running series’ where I can get to know the characters and see how they
grow over time.
16.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up? I wanted to be a wife and mother, a dance teacher,
and a writer, all of which I’ve done.
17.
What would you like my
readers to know? I would like your readers to know how much I appreciate
everyone who reads one of my books. Reading has gotten me through some of the
most difficult times in my life, and I’m thrilled to know that I’ve given that
back to even one person.
Thank
you so much for having me!
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