Announcing My New Series!!!

If you’re friends with me on Facebook, Twitter, or if you follow my FB Author Page, you’ve probably noticed me posting teasers from a new book in the last week. And you’ve probably wondered what in the world it is since I haven’t said much else about it. Well, the secret cap is coming off! I am so excited to announce the first book in my new funny mystery series called…

The Devil Drinks Coffee!!! 

The Devil Drinks Coffee will be available in May! This book is an adult mystery with romantic elements and my beta readers think it’s hilarious. I love the main character, Kate, and the men in her life are definitely crush-worthy. :) I love this series, and I hope you’ll like it as much as I do!

Read on for the book summary, then a Q and A.

The Devil Drinks Coffee
By Destiny Ford (Yes, that’s me! Destiny Ford is my pen name)

A cow suicide, a revolving door rescue, and the birth of a bright purple pig are starting to make Kate Saxee wonder if taking a job in her small hometown of Branson Falls, Utah, was such a great idea. As The Branson Tribune editor, Kate covers local news, which, more often than not, involves her accident-prone mom. Nothing truly newsworthy has ever happened in the quiet town until local teen Chelsea Bradford turns up dead in a Branson Falls lake. 

The police rule Chelsea’s death an accident, but Kate suspects there’s more to the story—and she’s not the only one. Two of Branson’s most eligible bachelors are determined to help her solve the crime—among other things. But the small town social network is faster than Twitter, and gossip about Kate’s love-life is quickly branding her the Branson Falls hussy. 

As Kate learns more about Chelsea, she discovers that plenty of people are trying to cover up the real story behind the girl’s death—including Chelsea’s parents. Now Kate has to juggle work, men, her mom’s most recent disaster involving a low-speed John Deere Combine chase on the freeway, and fend off the Mormons heaven-bent on saving her soul—all while solving Chelsea’s murder. Dealing with this is going to require a lot of coffee, chocolate frosted donuts, Neil Diamond's greatest hits, and a slew of words not on the town approved imitation swear list.

I’m sure you have questions, so I’m going to try to answer them here, and if you have others, feel free to post them in the comments and I’ll reply.

Question: Hey! You grew up in a small Utah town, and I grew up with you! Is this book about me?

Answer: While some things were inspired by the town we grew up in (note my nod to the cement factory, Pizza Plus breadsticks, and Kent’s doughnuts) I tried to include things I’ve seen in a variety of small Utah towns. I was also careful not to base characters or situations on anyone I know…except for my mom. Her adventures are the inspiration for the catastrophes Kate’s mom instigates. Though, my mom insists I tell you (in caps) she NEVER hit a cow…just a Canadian duck—look for that in book 2.

Question: This book is about a small Utah town where most residents are members of the Mormon Church. I’m Mormon! Will this book make me want to tell you to go to heck?

Answer: I hope not! I was raised a member of the Mormon Church, and though I’ve since left the religion, I tried to be sensitive to members and make light of Utah culture without being offensive. I made sure to have Mormon beta readers give me feedback, and some of those readers even grew up in small Mormon towns. So, while you won’t find The Devil Drinks Coffee sold in a Mormon bookstore, it’s not Book of Mormon the Musical either. That said, I realize books are subjective, and everyone has a different level of comfort when it comes to someone making light of something important to them. So if you’re not comfortable with the content, I totally understand.

Question: I’m not Mormon and don’t know anything about the culture. Will I still like this book?

Answer: I hope so! I also had beta readers who were not Mormon and had never been to Utah before, let alone a small Utah town. They still really enjoyed the book and thought the setting and cultural descriptions were entertaining.

Question: Are there swear words in this book?

Answer: Realizing that a lot of my readers will be crossover fans from my other Young Adult/New Adult titles, I tried to be sensitive to my readers. There is swearing. It’s not as light as it was in my other books, but I was careful not to use what most people consider the REALLY BAD words.

Question: What about sex?

Answer: More than anything else, I consider myself a romance author. Every book I write is going to have sexy bits on some level. This series is a mystery, but romance figures into it, and the romance will become heavier as the series goes on. Again, it’s about your comfort level.

Question: Why did you call it The Devil Drinks Coffee?

Answer: Growing up in religious Utah, I often heard the phrase, “The Devil (does something scandalous, like drink coffee…or Coke).”  I thought it would be funny to start each book title with “The Devil” and have the thing the devil does be referenced in the book.

Question: Who the heck is Destiny Ford, and why the heck are you using her name to write this book instead of Angela Corbett?

Answer: The Devil Drinks Coffee is an adult mystery, a different genre from my young adult/new adult books. Many authors stick with one genre and only write in that genre. Authors who write in multiple genres often write under different names in each genre so it’s easier for readers to know what type of book they’ll be getting from that author. Some authors keep their pen names a secret, others are open about it. I decided to be open…mostly because I have enough people living in my head, I don’t need to pretend to be two people as well.

Question: Wait a darn minute! Did you just say this book is ADULT?!?!?!?!

Answer: Yes, but not like you’re thinking. This is a book, not an adult film. (Side note: Go ahead and breathe again, Mom.) In books, genres are usually categorized by character age, and who the recommended audience is. If the main character is 14-18, the book is young adult. If the character is 19-25, the book is new adult. If the character is 25 or older, the book is considered adult. My main character, Kate, is 25, and the other main characters are all 25 or older so this book is considered adult. Don’t worry, you won’t find it listed with adult titles at the video store…though there is a scene with ice cream…and I’ll leave it at that. :)

To help you decide if this book is for you or not, I’m posting an excerpt on my website! I think this will give you a good idea of the tone, mystery, and some of the characters. Click here to read the chapters!

The Devil Drinks Coffee is on Goodreads!

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