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FLATHEADBEACON.COM ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MAY 21, 2014 | 45
W

hen Bigfork author Les- How to Write Accurately about Crimi- “Death al Dente” is part of the Food Reference Gallery in Bigfork from 4 p.m.

lie Budewitz is creating nal Law and Courtroom Procedure” Lovers’ Village series, and Berkley Prime to 7 p.m.
worlds for her novels and won in 2011. Crime, a division of Penguin Books, has
It will be a time to interact with her
the people who live in
That work was based on her 30-year signed on to publish three of the Jewel readers and critics, Budewitz said, and
them, a little real-life inspiration can go career as a lawyer, Budewitz said. She’s Bay books, the second of which, entitled
it will give the audience a look into her
a long way.
mindset as she continues to create the been writing since she was 4 years old, “Crime Rib,” will be released in July.
The location for her Food Lovers’ world of Jewel Bay.
but began seriously writing 18 years ago. The same publisher will also put out
Village mystery series is based on the In her writing studio, Budewitz has After forming and joining online groups Budewitz’s upcoming novels, the Seattle
village of Bigfork, with its festivals, bits and pieces of inspiration hanging on for mystery writers, she found that her Spice Shop series.

proximity to the water, and colorful pin boards or sitting on her desk, from fellow writers kept asking her procedur- Food is a big theme in these novels,
characters. And in her upcoming mys- earrings her characters might wear al questions about the law.
which Budewitz classiies as “cozy mys-
tery series based in Seattle, a detective or apron designs they may sport while It made sense to combine her legal teries,” meaning they are lighter hearted
character is based on a non-detective cooking.
knowledge with her passion for mystery, than the traditional mystery novel.
friend.
It’s the little things that give her she said.
“There’s no graphic sex or violence,”
Adding such detail makes these plac- characters life, and Budewitz hopes to Once her non-iction work was pub- Budewitz said, “but there is a lot of
es and people come alive, Budewitz said. keep giving them adventures for many lished, Budewitz realized she needed to graphic food, and some knitting.”

And it would seem the critics and read- books to come.
keep writing, and it had to be stories of “Death al Dente” and “Crime Rib”
ers agree: Budewitz’s book, “Death al “This is iction, and all of us who her own creation.
include recipes from the stories at the
Dente,” recently won the Best First Nov- write it know that it is very near and “I wasn’t through telling my own end of the novel to help make the Jewel
el Agatha Award at the annual Malice dear to us,” she said.
stories, and so I looked around for a way Bay experience more realistic.
Domestic Convention held in Bethesda, “Death al Dente” is available at to get back to mystery,” she said.
“(The recipes) are all easy to do,”
Maryland.
Bookworks in Whiteish; the Bookshelf She penned “Death al Dente,” a sto- Budewitz said. “They are all manageable
The convention draws about 600 at- in Kalispell; at Roma’s and Frame of ry about a mercantile owner in Jewel for the basic home cook; you don’t have
tendees, made up of voracious mystery Reference in Bigfork; and online with Bay, Montana, who must solve a murder to be a gourmet cook to make them.”

readers, critics and authors, who vote on all major e-reader and book retailers. while also trying to pull of a major food “Crime Rib,” which will feature mur-
the Agatha Award categories – named For more information, visit www.lesli- festival.
der at a televised grill-of event, will be
for the preeminent mystery author Ag- ebudewitz.com.
“Jewel Bay is based on Bigfork, and published July 1, and Budewitz will host
atha Christie – while at the convention.
[email protected]
we love our festivals,” she said.
a release party on June 27 at Frame of
During an interview in her writing
studio in the heart of the Swan Moun-
tains last week, Budewitz said she was “I WASN’T THROUGH TELLING MY OWN

thrilled to get nominated in January,
and was excited during the award cer- STORIES, AND SO I LOOKED AROUND FOR A
emony.
“I didn’t think I was nervous, but I
was,” she said.
WAY TO GET BACK TO MYSTERY.” Leslie Budewitz
This is Budewitz’s irst work of ic-
tion to win an Agatha; her non-iction
book “Books, Crooks and Counselors:

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Joy S. Gilbert, Author & Lecturer
IN WHITEFISH
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has lived & studied with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Tibetan Lamas, acquired degrees with academic honors in Psychology, $150 PE

Neuroscience & Counseling & studied all major Religions. She was a Director of a Child Abuse Agency, worked in death
& dying & has taught meditation for 42 years. Joy shares photos of ETs & her Alien Abduction Experiences, since early For information:
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or contact Grace Matheson at 406-871-