Kim Fielding on Coffee and her new release ‘The Spy’s Love Song (Stars from Peril #1) (author guest blog)

The Spy’s Love Song (Stars from Peril #1) by Kim Fielding
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Bree Archer

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

 

 

 

Hi! Kim Fielding here, and I have a new book out. Yay! The Spy’s Love Song is the tale of a jaded rock star and a State Department operative who end up in deep trouble in a country with a repressive totalitarian government. And there’s romance.

Today I’d like to discuss a topic beloved to many an author’s heart: coffee. Otherwise known as Writing Fuel and, on particularly tough mornings, Nectar of the Gods. Now, generally speaking, my favorite way to consume coffee is as espresso—unsweetened—preferably while sitting at a sidewalk café and gathering plot bunnies from passersby. During the summer, I also like iced coffee with sugar. Or better yet, eiskaffee as served in Vienna, which is cold coffee topped by vanilla ice cream and unsweetened whipped cream.

My other favorite is Bosnian coffee. This strong drink is served in a decorated copper pot called a džezva (that z with a hat on it is pronounced like the second g in garage). The pot comes on a tray—usually also copper—with a small ceramic cup and some sugar cubes. There’s always a glass of water on the side, and usually a piece of rahat lokum (Turkish delight) as well. Although I’ve heard variations on how to drink this, the easiest way is to put the sugar into the cup and carefully pour in the coffee. I say carefully because the džezva contains the fine coffee grounds. Basically, Bosnian coffee is like Turkish coffee, which makes sense since Bosnia was part of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years. But in Bosnia, it’s always called Bosnian coffee. [4409]

In Sarajevo, a cup of Bosnian coffee will run you two marks, which is about US$1.30. Sitting with friends and enjoying this beverage is an intrinsic part of the culture. During my recent visit there, not only did I drink plenty of the stuff, but of course so did the locals. I particularly enjoyed wandering the old part of the city and watching the coppersmiths chatting with each other outside their shops, a džezva and cups always close at hand. Their ancestors were probably doing exactly the same thing four centuries ago.

The Spy’s Love Song takes place not in Bosnia but in a fictional Eastern European country, but coffee is still important. A critical plot point centers on a café called the Black Cat. Do you have favorite coffee memories or associations?

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The Spy’s Love Song by Kim Fielding

For a singer and a spy, love might be mission impossible.

Jaxon Powers has what most only dream of. Fame. Fortune. Gold records and Grammy awards. Lavish hotel suites and an endless parade of eager bedmates. He’s adored all over the world—even in the remote, repressive country of Vasnytsia, where the tyrannical dictator is a big fan. The State Department hopes a performance might improve US relations with a dangerous enemy. But it means Jaxon’s going in alone… with one exception.

Secret agent Reid Stanfill has a covert agenda with global ramifications. Duty means everything to him, even when it involves protecting a jaded rock star. Jaxon and Reid’s mutual attraction is dangerous under Vasnytsia’s harsh laws—and matters get even worse when they’re trapped inside the borders. Romance will have to wait… assuming they make it out alive.

Dreamspinner:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-spys-love-song-by-kim-fielding-9882-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spys-Love-Song-Dreamspun-Desires/dp/1641080558/

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Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

Follow Kim:

Website: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Email: Kim@KFieldingWrites.com