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“Life is great; cheese makes it better.” ~ Avery Aames
A few months ago, I wrote “Life is great; cheese makes it better” in one of my newsletters. Lo and behold, suddenly people are tweeting the saying and posting it on websites. Why did I write it? For a variety of reasons.
I love cheese. I adore the flavors, the aromas, the texture, and the variety of choices. Over the past year, I have tasted at least two hundred cheeses. There are thousands more, worldwide, with enticing names like Honeybee Goat Gouda, Bayley Hazen Blue, Tuscan Tartuffo, and Devil’s Gulch. Don’t those names make you curious? Do they make your mouth water?
Before writing A Cheese Shop Mystery series, I didn’t know how much I loved cheese. I had tasted the typical cheeses—Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss—but I had never paid attention to exotic cheeses or cheeses that I thought were exotic. I had not frequented cheese shops like I do now. Why do I? Because my publisher knew of a niche in the foodie mystery market and gave me the chance to fictionalize it. Sometimes, making a change in one’s future is all about seizing an opportunity, isn’t it?
So, other than a publishing contract, in what other ways has writing about cheese made my life better? I have met so many wonderful people, including Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. We are foodie mystery authors—now lifelong friends—who share recipes. Each week, I test out new recipes. Suffice it to say, my husband is delighted because I always have something new brewing in the kitchen.
In addition, I hear from people from all over the world. They share a cheese they love or recipes they treasure. Many thank me for information that I have imparted in my books or blog posts. [Side note: I’m celiac, meaning I have to eat gluten-free, and scrumptious cheeses—most of which are gluten-free—have been a wonderful addition to my diet.]
As a thriller writer, I often researched topics that were more global in scope than cheese. I scoured science magazines for cutting-edge information that I could incorporate into my end-of-the-world scenarios. When I started writing about cheese, I began to think in a smaller scope: quaint town, localized problems, nuclear family…instead of nuclear war. Now, instead of reading science magazines, I read Culture [a fabulous cheese lover’s magazine] and I write about thrilling cheeses.
How lucky am I?
Share tales of your favorite cheeses in the comments below!
Avery Aames is the Agatha-award-winning, nationally bestselling author of The Cheese Shop Mystery series, which launched in 2010 with THE LONG QUICHE GOOBYE. The latest Cheese Shop Mystery is CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT (Cheese Shop Mystery book 3).
The Cheese Shop Mystery series follows cheese shop owner Charlotte Bessette as she dishes up tasty morsels of goodness while solving the murders that threaten to the peace and charm of the quaint fictional town of Providence, Ohio.
