Guest Post

Guest Chick: Korina Moss

[We have a winner! Congrats to Kim Thorn, winner of Korina’s new book Bait and Swiss!]

Today we are pleased to welcome into the Coop the Queen of All Things Cheese, Korina Moss, author of the marvelous (and mouth-watering) Cheese Shop Mysteries, with a Very Big Question for you all. Not only that, but she’s doing a giveaway of her newest title, Bait and Swiss! Take it away, Korina:

A WORTHY CHEESE RIVAL?

As a cheesemonger and a cheese shop owner, my protagonist Willa Bauer believes most of life’s problems can be solved with cheese. I tend to agree with her. I’m guilty of eating more than my fair share of cheese, especially when stressed. Many readers have suggested my books ought to come with a warning: Cheese cravings within.

Readers often ask what made me choose cheese as the theme to my Cheese Shop Mystery series. My reply is that I’ve never known anyone who didn’t have a strong opinion about cheese. Go to a party and get people talking about cheese—their favorites or the smelly ones (I’m talking about the cheese, not the party guests)—and you won’t be at a loss for conversation. There’s likely to be a cheese platter at that party too. Cheese is almost everyone’s favorite… except if you ask about chocolate.

Chocolate is a considerable rival to cheese, especially for those with a sweet tooth. It’s also the rival in my Cheese Shop Mystery series—Willa has an aversion to chocolate. She actually doesn’t mind the taste but can’t stand the sight of it. Blame it on her ex-fiancé and her ex-best friend (who became his girlfriend) when they used her returned engagement ring to help finance their new chocolate shop. This tidbit of backstory remained in Willa’s long-ago past throughout the series until it was brought to the forefront in the latest Cheese Shop Mystery, Bait and Swiss. The exes surprise Willa by showing up in her Sonoma Valley town of Yarrow Glen to open a pop-up Chocolate Bliss franchise across the street from her cheese shop, Curds & Whey. When she’s caught up in the middle of a death by chocolate, she and Team Cheese must try to solve the mystery.

Readers: Which team are you on, #team cheese or #team chocolate? Please comment below, and I’ll randomly choose one winner (sorry, US address only) to receive a signed copy of Bait and Swiss.

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes multiple Agatha Award nominated books for Best Contemporary Novel and the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

In Korina Moss’s Bait and Swiss, Yarrow Glen’s newest business gives one unlucky resident the swiss of death.

It’s been almost two years since Willa Bauer opened Curds & Whey in Yarrow Glen, and both cheesemonger and cheese shop are thriving in the Sonoma Valley. While Willa doesn’t eat chocolate, it’s true that life is like a box of chocolates. Unfortunately, life’s latest curveball is that Willa’s ex fiancé and ex-best friend—the reason for her chocolate aversion—are opening a chocolate pop-up shop across the street. By the end of the shop’s first day, the town’s newest reporter is the victim of death by chocolate. Now Willa’s ex wants her to be Swiss Congeniality, solve the case, and save the day. As much as Willa wants to hit him with the nearest cheese wheel, she can’t stop herself from saying yes. And it’s not long before tourists decide to stay clear of town until the killer is caught. To save Yarrow Glen, Willa and Team Cheese have some work to do.

43 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Korina Moss”

  1. Oh, I love this series! I eat both cheese and dark chocolate every day, so how to choose between them … if I had to give up one of them, I would give up chocolate. I must have my cheese! I like so many different kinds of cheese, and luckily for me, so do my husband and our younger son who still lives with us! One way or another, I will get Bait and Swiss! Thanks so much for the chance!

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    1. Thank you so much! I appreciate that you enjoy the series so much. And I agree — I love chocolate but I think I eat cheese when I’m not even thinking about eating cheese, lol. It’s in so much of what I cook!

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  2. Hi Korina! Congrats on your newest release. ColbyJack is my favorite cheese, but I will always be #TeamChocolate over most anything else. M&M’s are a must while I’m reading.

    barbiefan(@)comcast(.)net

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    2. I’m a peanut m-n-m girl. Right now I have a jar of dark chocolate covered almonds that I’m convincing myself are healthier than peanut m-n-ms. LOL.

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  4. Korina!!! I love your Cheese Shop Mysteries! So fun! I’m afraid I can’t choose between chocolate and cheese, though. I love both too much. Ha! Can’t wait to read Bait and Swiss. Congratulations!

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  5. While I love chocolate, I must have my daily fix of gouda, so Team Cheese all the way! Congrats on the newest entry in the Cheese Shop Mysteries!

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  14. Wow! That is tough to choose since I love both. If I have to choose one, then I will choose #teamchocolate since I have a sweet tooth.

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  15. I’m #teamboth, all the way! Two of my friends got married at a cheese shop, which almost sounds like it could be a Very Special Crossover Episode between your series and mine. By the way, I love your titles! They’re so fun. Anyway, so glad to have you on the blog today and excited to hear about your *delicious* series!

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  17. Korina, thanks so much for being our guest on Chicks today! I am thrilled that you have a new title–can’t wait to read Bait and Swiss! I was raised on individually-wrapped Krafts slices and…Velveeta! (Is that, um, cheese?) I spent some time living with a family in France when I was 15, so I did finally get a crash course in cheese. My favorite was a soft yellow cheese that was orange on the outside. I have no idea what it was, ha. I am a huge chocolate fan, but I usually have cheese afterward to “balance.”

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  19. Do I have to choose? I truly do love both. I tend to eat more chocolate, so I guess I’m on that team. But I truly do love cheese.

    (No need to enter me in the giveaway. I’ve already read my autographed copy of the book.)

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  20. #teamcheese my favorite cheeses are Trader Joe’s Sharp cheddar cheese and when I traveled to Switzerland Le Gruyere from Brienz. I absolutely love all types of cheese and love your books. Can’t wait for the next one!

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  21. Congratulations on your new release, Korina! I have all your Cheese Shop Mystery books except one…. and I am heartbroken that this series has come to an end. I am not a big chocolate person, nor am I a big cheese person, but I lean more toward cheese – I enjoy cheddar and asiago cheese. So, I consider myself #teamcheese. – Emily

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  23. I don’t want to choose! Forever #teamcheese but chocolate might be the winner of my heart! Hope I’m not disqualified 😂

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