The seed idea for this book occurred to me when I read about people setting kitchen fires trying to deep-fry their Thanksgiving turkeys—how crazy and dangerous is that? The idea morphed into flambéed turkeys—another dangerous idea, as it turns out—when I realized that, one, the book would be published close to Thanksgiving and, two, Carolyn’s book, Eating Out in the Big Easy, had been in process so long that New Orleans, the setting, had virtually washed away in Hurricane Katrina. A truly heartbreaking event for one of America’s most delightful cities; for its citizens, many displaced and trying to get home; and for all of us who love New Orleans and want to keep visiting—and eating inordinate amounts of wonderful food there.
Then I made a trip to New York City to celebrate a new contract with my longtime agent and friend, Richard Curtis, and my kind-hearted, market-savvy editor, Cindy Hwang, who, when I returned from Italy with nasty cases of bronchitis and identity theft, said, “Don’t worry about the deadline.” Of course, I did and was determined to get this book in on time.
Richard, Cindy, my husband, and I had a great lunch together at Balthazar, to which Bill and I arrived half frozen (desert dwellers that we are) and late, having lost ourselves on the subways and streets of Manhattan. The trip also included a superb performance at the Metropolitan Opera and trips to places I’d never visited, such as Brooklyn and Queens, to sample ethnic foods in ethnic neighborhoods, an experience I highly recommend. All that was research for this book, plus some interesting things my husband found in a book I gave him for Christmas, about immigration from Sicily to New York City, and frequent visits on my part to the Internet.
My thanks to reader Freda Branch of Michigan, who wrote to tell me about the cilantro allergy, to which she is subject, and the delightful website ihatecilantro.com; I’ve included the site in the book. Check it out. Mrs. Terri Christopher in the book is named in memory of Lillian Susan Terriah Christopher, called “Terri” in college, at the request of her daughter Alexis. Alexis was the successful bidder at the 2006 Malice Domestic live auction, the prize being to name a character in my next book. Alexis, I hope you enjoy Mrs. Christopher. As always, thanks to my readers, who buy and read the books and email me. I’ve made wonderful long-distance friends through my website, such as Barbara Gausman of Liverpool, New York, with whom I correspond regularly.
This year I joined the Cozy Armchair Group on the Internet, a collection of cozy mystery writers and readers. We discuss one cozy mystery a month and all sorts of other things, not to mention getting seriously silly on occasion. The site is run by Pamela James and moderated by Terri Parsons and Glenda Stice. If you love cozies and haven’t yet joined, give it a try. It’s a hoot.
Last, I’d like to thank my friends Mary Sarber, retired librarian and book reviewer, and Betty Parker, antiquarian bookseller in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We went to Left Coast Crime in Bristol, England, then traipsed around rural England in March 2006 and had a wonderful time, even if it was cold and windy. They’re wonderful friends and travel companions, and my next book will be set in England and dedicated to them.