Blog Tour- Don't Cry Over Killed Milk

It is a pleasure to have Stephen Kaminski with us today. We are talking about his book Don't Cry over Killied Milk. 

I was given this book to read for review on the tour: I thought the book was really good and the characters were likable. The Plot was great and well written. He pulled you in right away and kept you interested through the whole story. 

When Damon's neighbor Jeremiah Milk is killed Damon becomes curious and decides to find out what happened. Damon and his friend Gerry are determined to find out who killed Jeremiah even if that means getting into trouble with his superiors. 

I enjoyed meeting the characters in this book. I look forward to reading more. 

my interview with Stephen Kaminski:

Tell us about yourself.

Thanks for having me. I’m the author of the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series published by Cozy Cat Press. The first two cozy mysteries in the series are "It Takes Two to Strangle" (2012) and "Don't Cry Over Killed Milk" (2013). I’m originally from Michigan, but have lived on the east coast for the past twenty years. I’m a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School and currently serve as Executive Vice President to a national non-profit organization. I live with in Arlington, Virginia and spend my non-writing free time playing with my daughter, cooking, and playing soccer.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was born with a congenital condition known as amniotic band syndrome (ABS). I have a unique perspective into those born with this condition and wanted to work it into one of my books. I decided to have the victim suffers from this physical malformation as means of entrée to the ABS-affected world.

How did you come up with this title of the book?

It’s a play on “Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk” coupled with the recognition (once the motive behind the murder begins to unravel) that I chose not to make the victim, Jeremiah Milk, a saint. Because I’m affected by the same condition, I didn’t feel obliged to be as politically correct as most treat someone who has a physical malformation (i.e., I didn’t feel the need to treat him as a “good guy”).  So while most readers will initially sympathize with Jeremiah Milk, they’ll learn as the book proceeds that he’s not so innocent (and hence, the need to “cry” is significantly diminished).

Can you share a little bit of your current work?

Excerpt from "Don't Cry Over Killed Milk":

Just after the furniture had been rearranged, Mrs. Chenworth arrived with Cynthia. A chorus of “Surprise!” filled the space.

Mrs. Chenworth put her hand to her heart and breathed in deeply. “Oh my! What a surprise, indeed!” She bustled forward like a corpulent Moses parting seas of people. “I had no idea anyone would throw me a party. But just in case, I made a dish for the occasion!”

Mrs. Chenworth pulled foil from the top of a pie tin and set the offering on the table among a crowd of plates laden with food. She turned to Lynne, who was standing beside her. “Apple pie and meatloaf are my two best dishes.”

Lynne looked down at a flaky, lopsided pie crust. “Which is this?” she asked with a wicked grin.

Mrs. Chenworth’s mouth shot open wide, but then she smiled and slugged Lynne’s delicate left shoulder. “Oh, you kidder,” the birthday girl said and turned to a cluster of chattering woman making their way toward her.

Lynne rubbed her shoulder. “That hurt,” she said to Damon.

“You deserved it, Mother.”

What book are you reading now? 

I’m somehow juggling four books: 

“The Burglar Who Counted Spoons” by Lawrence Block,

“The Saint Zita Society” by Ruth Rendell,

“Silken Prey” by John Sandford, and

“The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon” by Alexander McCall Smith.

STEPHEN KAMINSKI is the author of the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series published by Cozy Cat Press. The first two cozy mysteries in the series are “It Takes Two to Strangle” (2012) and “Don’t Cry Over Killed Milk” (2013). Stephen is the winner of the 2012 Reader Views Literary Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region.  He’s a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School, has practiced law for over a decade, and currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel to a national non-profit organization. Stephen is a lifelong lover of all types of mysteries and lives with his wife and daughter in Arlington, Virginia.

Thank you much for joining us here today! Leave a comment for Stephen here.