What I “had” for summer?

By Guest Blogger Avery Aames

I know the theme on this blog has been what I did for summer, but what about what I had? What I ate? What I dreamed of doing?

I’ve recently been published. The Long Quiche Goodbye, the first in A Cheese Shop Mystery series, debuted July 6. So guess what I had/ate/dreamed of doing this summer?

That’s right. Something with cheese! Yummy, delicious, scrumptious cheese. I’m so lucky because I love my research. I shop, I taste, I cook...and then I write. Cheese has become a passion. Many of the cheese shops near me know me by name. I ask what’s new. They offer a taste. I savor. And I write some more.

Here are a few of my favorites for summer…if I could be anywhere I wanted, eating anything I wanted, doing anything I wanted.

Buffalo mozzarella, a creamy cheese, with slices of tomato, leaves of basil, and a light oil and vinegar. Served with a bubbly Proseco wine, laced with hints of lemon zest. Sitting on a patio beneath an umbrella, drinking in the scents of my blossoming garden…and writing.

Pecorino Tartufo, a sheep’s milk cheese, drizzled with honey, accompanied by sourdough crackers. Served with a spicy Zinfandel. Sitting on a lake or by the ocean, taking in a sunset, listening to the sounds of seagulls overhead…and writing.

Humboldt Fog, a goat’s cheese, stuffed into figs or dates. Served with a nutty Chardonnay. (Not too cold; warm is to my liking.) Lying on a picnic blanket in the hills or a forest, the gentle winging of butterflies all around me…and writing.

The beauty of writing fiction is that I can take myself anywhere I want, at any time of the day, and imagine. However, the beauty of writing fiction about cheese is I get to do research!

Avery Aames, author of A Cheese Shop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, likes to read, cook, garden, and do amateur photography. You may visit Avery at http://www.averyaames.com/. She also blogs at Mystery Lovers Kitchen, a blog for foodies who love mysteries, as well as at Killer Characters, a blog overtaken by cozy authors’ characters. You can purchase the first book in the series, The Long Quiche Goodbye, at Avery’s bookseller page by clicking here: