Creating the Perfect Apple Pie With Mystery Author Lynn Franklin #Recipes

Today, I welcome mystery author Lynn Franklin to my blog. Lynn is one of the authors featured in the new release: Bake, Love, Write: 105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing. An accredited jewelry professional and freelance journalist, Lynn writes the Amazon five-star Jeweler’s Gemstone Mystery series.

1. What is the name of the recipe you included in Bake, Love, Write? Could you tell us a little about it, and why did you choose that recipe?
When I heard about Bake, Love, Write I knew I had to submit a recipe using apples. Like Kimberley West, the jeweler sleuth in my mysteries, some of my favorite childhood memories include climbing our backyard apple tree and eating the sweet, juicy fruit. I’ve since learned that throughout history, apples have played starring roles in myths from most cultures worldwide. Maybe this is because apples come in an amazing array of colors, sizes and flavors. There are apples that taste like pineapple, strawberries and wine. Lady Apples are golf-ball sized while a single Bramley’s Seedling apple requires two hands to hold. MacIntosh apples cook down to mush while Granny Smith apples hold their shape as they soften in the oven.
With all of this variety available, I started experimenting with the apples used in my pies. The best pies taste both sweet and tart with an underlying spiciness. None of the commercial apples offered in the U.S. combine all of these flavors. So I used a mixture of sweet, tart and aromatic apples. In the end, I created The Comfort Pie, a deep-dish pie topped with a crumb mixture of flour, brown sugar and butter. I’ve made this pie for many special occasions and it always receives rave reviews.

2. Could you give a short quote of the advice you included in the book?

Writers should focus on clarity. Too many of us try to out-Shakespeare Shakespeare. We insert beautiful words, lovely metaphors and deep symbolism. Then we wonder why our readers’ eyes glaze over. Instead, keep the question “Is this clear?” in your mind. Then sit back and enjoy your readers as they gobble up your work and talk about your “fast pace” and “fun, easy writing style.”

3. Use your writerly powers of description to describe your kitchen.
“No, no, no, you are not building my new kitchen. I know you. You’re a perfectionist and you’ll take forever. I don’t want to move into a house with an incomplete kitchen.” My husband looked hurt and I immediately apologized. The strain of designing a new home, dealing with contractors and trying to stay within budget was making me cranky. But, seriously, would you trust your husband to build the kitchen in the first new house you ever owned? The world, however, conspired against me. After spending several weeks prowling home centers, I discovered that none of the standard cabinet dimensions or configurations matched my vision of an ideal kitchen. Nor would the manufacturers guarantee that they’d match the grain in the wood – or even if the wood they used would have decorative veining. And the prices! We were quoted six figures for cabinets alone, never mind the counters, fixtures and appliances. So in the end, husband got his wish. Today, when you walk into my U-shaped kitchen, you’ll notice wide-planked Brazilian cherry floors connecting it to the dining and living rooms. Golden-hued birch cabinets line the upper wall, starting from the custom broom closet on the right and ending at the centrally located window at the base of the U. Beneath the cabinets, custom-sized drawers – their graceful graining carefully matched – stretch down the right wall and completely across the base of the U. The drawers, a practical alternative to base cabinets, support a warm gold, bronze and reddish granite counter. The left wall houses two black refrigerators separated by a black microwave. Double ovens, a five-burner cooktop and dishwasher, also black, are positioned on the right wall.

In the center of the U, two square-shaped islands substitute for the more traditional rectangle, allowing easier travel around the space. The traditional-height island supports a prep sink while the shorter island makes rolling out pastry a breeze.

If you’ve been following this description, then you probably envision a fairly bland color combination of golds, bronze and black. Don’t worry; no self-respecting writer could design a kitchen without a creative surprise. The prep sink and double-basin regular sink in my kitchen are a deep, ruby red. Most visitors comment on the cabinets, the granite and the sinks. Few notice the odd holes beneath the two islands. These will one-day house spice drawers. Yes, you guessed it. Five years after moving into our new house, the kitchen is still unfinished.

4. Tell us about your latest release.
If you like fast-paced mysteries without a lot of blood and gore, then you might enjoy the Jeweler’s Gemstone Mystery Series. While enjoying the stories, you’ll also learn about gemstones and jewelry. In The Pirate’s Ruby, the second in the series, Kimberley West confronts a hurricane, a crumbling cliff top and a killer determined to possess a rare ruby amulet once worn by a famous pirate. When a child disappears, Kim sets off into the storm to save her.
Buy it on: Amazon

Here are more details on Bake, Love, Write below:
What do most authors have in common, no matter what genre they write? They love desserts. Sweets sustain them through pending deadlines and take the sting out of crushing rejection letters and nasty reviews. They also often celebrate their successes—selling a book, winning a writing award, making a bestseller list, or receiving a fabulous review—with decadent indulgences. And when authors chat with each other, they often talk about their writing and their lives. Recipes. Writing. Relationships. In this cookbook 105 authors not only share their favorite recipes for fabulous cakes, pies, cookies, candy, and more, they also share the best advice they’ve ever received on love and writing.

Learn more about the recipes and authors on:
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Stacy Juba

Stacy Juba has written sweet and sassy chick lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and entertaining books for young adults and children. Her books include the Storybook Valley chick lit series and the Hockey Rivals young adult sports novels.

Stacy is also a freelance developmental editor and online course creator. Sign up for her free masterclass, How to Create Your Editing Game Plan. 

Stop by her other websites and blogs: Shortcuts for Writers and Hockey Rivals.

stacyjuba.com/blog/