Tuesday, August 11, 2009

September Fair, by Jess Lourey

The fifth book in my Murder-by-Month series has been released (early), and I am days away from having a new website! How much excitement can one gal take?

The Minnesota State Fair—beloved home of 4H September Fairexhibits, Midway rides, and everything on a stick. The festival fun is riding high until the recently crowned Milkfed Mary, Queen of the Dairy, a Battle Lake native, is brutally murdered while her regal likeness is carved in butter. Can Mira James, covering the fair for the Battle Lake Recall, expose a deadly State Fair secret and win a blue ribbon for caging a killer? You’ll have to read September Fair to find out, but the smart money is on “yes.” :)

I am giving away three free copies of September Fair, and YOU could be a lucky winner. To be eligible, in the "Comments" area of this blog, tell me your three favorite State Fair foods/areas/events/rides. The winner will be chosen based on an empirical formula taking the following into account:

  1. How related to me you are (less is better).
  2. Whether or not I can recycle your answers in future interviews.
  3. Poignancy and/or humor.
  4. Last but not least as long as I am drawing breath, spelling and grammar.

16 comments:

Lisa Bork said...

Let's see. At the NYS fair, we have enjoyed cotton candy, candied apples, caramel apples, fried dough, waffles, ice cream, popcorn--you get the picture--and looking at all the different animals.

Congrats on your early release. Here's hoping every fair lover in the country buys a copy!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Congratulations, Jess!

Fried everything in the South: deep fried candy bars, fried Oreos, fried cookie dough, fried Twinkies, fried banana pudding, fried....

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

Jessica Lourey said...

Thanks, Lisa! That would be something if the book could tap into all the fair lovers across the country. Think they'd be mad that I killed off a dairy princess, though? For the record, she was a milk dud. ;)

Jessica Lourey said...

Thanks, Elizabeth! I still remember my first trip to New Orleans when I was 18. I found out, to my extreme joy, that you southerners even fry (and salt) fat. Yum! Bring on the cracklins!

Lisa Bork said...

Jess, I think the rule is you cannot kill off animals. Dairy princesses are fair game.

Alan Orloff said...

Milk dud. Ha!

Hmm. Do they fry up Milk Duds in the south? Or would that be too mainstream?

Me, I like funnel cakes. With powdered sugar.

Craven said...

I remember the summer after I graduated high school, some friends and I somehow managed to get our hands on a keg of beer. In a staggering state of giddiness, we wandered down to the county fair and filled up on onion burgers and elephant ears.

My buddy Ted, being the reckless sort, decided he wanted to take in some rides. The rest of weren't quite up to it, but kudos to Ted and his interpid nature. We stayed down below to watch, next to the shooting gallery, beside a line of testosterone driven men trying to win plushy animals for their admiring girlfriends.

On the first spin of the Octopus, Ted waved and tried to spot us. By the second spin, he was clearly green around the gills. The third time around, he was projectile vomiting.

He couldn't have hit more targets with laser guided bombs. The stream of chunder pelted the line at the shooting galley, as well as the game booths on either side, and passers-by. No one was spared, including us (and no, they don't give out plushy toys for that kind of accuracy). Ah, I remember the fair well - good times.

G.M. Malliet said...

The memories. I was so ill on the roller coaster I've stayed away forever since. I was only about 8, so no beer involved. Cotton candy was the culprit.

Jeanine said...

Jess, my husband used to live in Minnesota and one of his daughters and her family still live there. When we still had our RV, we made a trip out there especially timed to go to the state fair. We posed for a picture in front of Hiawatha and Minnehaha with my husband holding me in a duplicate fashion. Thereafter, every time we came upon a statue, we posed for our photo in the same Hiawatha/Minnehaha pose. My three favorite foods at the fair were the little onion rings, fried dough and cotton candy. Looking forward to reading your latest.

Jessica Lourey said...

This is a great line, Craven!

"He couldn't have hit more targets with laser guided bombs."

Gin, I'm sorry you had that happen, but you're not missing anything. Rides are scary, and the older you are, the less willing you are to pay to be uncomfortable. That is the definition of wisdom.

Jeanine/Minnehaha, thank you! You're definitely in the running to win a book. :) Go, Team Minnesota!

Julia Buckley said...

Jess, the cover looks great. :)

Jessica Lourey said...

Thanks, Julia! Jeanine, shoot me an email at jesslourey@yahoo.com, 'kay?

Erin said...

Am I too late for the giveaway? If not, my three favorite things about the MN State Fair are the people watching (VERY interesting), all the fried foods (especially the cheese curds and mini donuts) and a short line for the ladies' room (after eatting all that greasy food).

Love the books, Ms. Lourey!

Erin said...

Oops! I meant to type "eating."

Jessica Lourey said...

Cheers to short lines at the ladies' room, Erin! Have you been to the Fair yet this year? Just got back yesterday--it was a blast!

Erin said...

Sadly, we won't be able to make it to the fair this year. One of these nights I'll have to make some sort of "dinner on a stick" to make it up to my kids.