Sweet Escape: Living Vicariously Through Your Fiction
Today I’m excited to welcome author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo to the blog! She has written a series of cozy YA mysteries that I absolutely love, and would make great gifts for teens in your life or, honestly, anyone who enjoys the genre. I’ve hosted her for the first two books in the Sweet Dreams series and you can check those reviews out here and here.
Elizabeth offered to share a guest post on living vicariously through your fiction, something I can wholeheartedly relate to. Learn more about the book below and visit WOW! Women on Writing as she kicks off her blog tour for your chance to win a copy of the book!
Living Vicariously Through Your Fiction
One of my favorite parts of writing the Sweet Dreams cozy mystery series has been dreaming up the decadent desserts. My main character, Genevieve Winterland, runs an ice cream shop, and her passion for creating custom frozen treats is reflected in a rotating menu of classics, like the Buttercream Dream Layered Sundae, and seasonal flavors, like Gingerbread Cocoa Spice and Lemon Chess Love.
Genevieve’s not the only character who specializes in sugar-infused creations. Her best friend’s parents own a bookstore with a cafe, and Brandon’s mom bakes all of the treats herself, from frosted cookies to cinnamon rolls to Halloween-themed, blood-red velvet cupcakes. Rarely is there a Sweet Dreams chapter that doesn’t involve characters luxuriating in sweet confections. I quit sugar at exactly the same time I started writing the Sweet Dreams books, so crafting make-believe desserts has been particularly fun.
Every reader knows the satisfaction of getting to live vicariously through fictional characters. Who hasn’t at one time been Bilbo Baggins, embarking on a dangerous and thrilling adventure to the Lonely Mountains, or Elizabeth Bennet, exploring Pemberley for the first time while slowly falling in love?
As writers, those imaginary lives are even more gratifying. My time spent in the fictional mountain town of Pinewood, Arizona, hanging out in an adorable ice cream shop and indulging in double scoops of Chocolate Cherry Crush, is one of my favorite fantasies, which is why I go back again and again.
About the Book: Christmas is around thecorner, and Genevieve Winterland is taking a break from slinging scoops at Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Parlour to enjoy Pinewood’s Winter Spectacular. She can’t wait to sip cocoa on the snowy downtown streets and watch the tree lighting ceremony with BFF, BrandonSummers, and her dog, Butterscotch.
But Genevieve’s Christmas cheer begins to melt when an unwelcome visitor comes to town. Harlan Freed is the cantankerous owner of Cheezie’s Pizza, a chain of fast-food restaurants. His ambition to open one of his low-quality pie joints on Main Street threatens to put beloved staple Bradshaw’s Pizzeria out of business. Following a heated public argument with Mr. Bradshaw that nearly comes to blows, the bullish Freed turns up dead–strangled with a string of Christmas lights.
Genevieve feels compelled to investigate; after all, the body was discovered behind her family’s shop. But her history of amateur sleuthing has her on this ice with Detective Christie. Can she stay off the detective’s Naughty List and solve the crime before the trail goes cold?
Product details
ASIN : B0H85TXVK7
Publisher : Independently published
Publication date : July 15, 2026
Language : English
Print length : 248 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8181154568
Item Weight : 8.8 ounces
Dimensions : 4.12 x 0.59 x 6.75 inches
Book 3 of 3 : Sweet Dreams Mysteries
About the Author:
Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and the Sweet Dreams series. Her work has been published in Brevity Magazine, Superstition Review, Reservoir Road, Fractured Lit, Literary Mama, Hospital Drive, The Portland Review, and a few other places. Her stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essay, and Best of the Net, and her short story “Windows” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023.
Elizabeth can be found at http://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com/.
You can also connect with Elizabeth on her social networks:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/elizabethmarianaranjo
Next week I’ll share my review of “Double-Dip Demise” so be sure to check back on Nov. 18!