Cleo Coyle is the pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. This interview with the New York Times Bestselling team looks at what’s behind the story of “Cleo Coyle’s” latest Coffeehouse Mystery, “Once Upon a Grind.”
Alfonsi and Cerasini have lived in New York for three decades. They said, “We’ve worked in skyscrapers and behind counters; been crime victims and been arrested; ran the marathon and befriended locals running their own businesses. We’ve also interviewed countless New Yorkers from politicians to criminals; gourmet chefs to street vendors. The characters we create are authentic; the settings are either real or based on real places; and our storylines are almost always inspired by actual New York crimes.”
It’s that history and familiarity with New York crimes and the justice system that inspired the couple to write their latest book. Alfonsi said, “One day Marc and I were discussing the way police and prosecuting attorneys use ‘narrative’ to reconstruct a crime and persuade a jury that a particular suspect is guilty. Of course, if you’re a defense attorney, you’re looking for a story that will prove your client’s innocence. But which is the truth? And which is the ‘fairy tale’?
“The moment we said the words ‘fairy tale,’we began to see New York City in a different light—uptown princesses; wolves on Wall Street; girls in red hoodies; and New York Giants. We cast Central Park as a kind of Black Forest, and it became the setting for our first crime scene when a young model is drugged and left to die.”
The writers said that, at its core, “Once Upon a Grind” is defined by the epigram in the beginning of the book. “If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.”
“Story is an incredibly powerful thing,” said the writers. “Not only for our justice system, as we mentioned, but in our own lives. Take our main character, Clare. She has settled herself into a particular narrative, but she’s been playing a role for those around her. Clare wants to leave her story and start another, yet she doesn’t want to let down the people she loves. Clare struggles with this decision throughout the novel.
“Likewise, all of us cast ourselves in our own stories, and many of us are unaware of it. But that’s exactly where the power lies. Because it’s only when we see the truths and falsehoods of the tales we tell ourselves—and others tell about us—that we’re finally able to reshape the thing that shapes our lives.”
We all know that change is inevitable, not only for people, but also for places. “Researching our novels is second nature,” said Alfonsi. “My first job out of college was as a cub reporter for the New York Times. In fact, one of my favorite stories, Pizza Chains’Toughest Turf, was a business piece about the beginning of the NYC pizza wars—the influx of chain pizza shops and their impact on the mom-and-pop pizzerias.”
“Our foodie landscape is a reflection not only of our shifting immigrant populations, but also the ebb and flow of our economy, which is why we’ve gone from high-end gourmet restaurants to burger joints, beer gardens, and street chefs. In the Coffeehouse Mysteries, Marc and I try to chronicle it all.”
Despite all that change on a large scale, some individual things are strong enough to survive. The writers said, “In ‘Once Upon a Grind,’ you’ll hear about New York’s Papaya King, an eighty year-old hot dog stand that began the city’s iconic pairing of tropical fruit drinks with frankfurters. And, yes, with ‘King’ in its title, it seemed an apt culinary reference for a New York story about fairy tale murders.”
The writers said they each lost good friends during the writing process, and they agreed that the pain of those losses was written into the book. However, “Once Upon a Grind” contains a good deal of humor. The couple said, “As usual, we have lots of fun in the writing—with the quirky characters and, at times, crazy-funny situations—but we never treat death lightly.”
Alfonsi and Cerasini have been together for more than twenty years and married for fourteen. They’ve worked not only on books, but also on film and television, and believe that their experience helps them to maintain a professional perspective on storytelling.
Alfonsi said, “When we have creative disagreements—and we do have them—we check our egos at the door and argue things out rationally. In the course of the discussion, one of us can usually persuade the other or we’ll find a middle ground. Neither of us cares whose idea wins, as long as it leads to a good story well told.”
And, speaking of well-told stories, what about that fairy tale? The couple said, “The police quickly make an arrest in the case of ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ but our amateur sleuth, Clare Cosi, is certain of his innocence, and sets out to find the true narrative—the real ‘Once upon a time…’—behind who put Beauty to sleep. Clare’s investigation leads her into a much bigger crime story, including a cold case that’s been unsolved since the Cold War.
“Like any good fairy tale, Once Upon a Grind will take you through secret doors; play with your sense of reality; introduce you to an array of colorful characters; and while the ending may be happy, not everyone survives.”
For more information
The Coffeehouse Mysteries are now celebrating ten years in print. Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini are New York Times bestselling authors who are also bestselling media tie-in writers. Learn more about them at their online home: www.CoffeehouseMystery.com
Winners in the December Book & a Latte Contest:
Two copies of “Once Upon a Grind”: Christine A. and Karin
$5.00 Starbucks gift cards: Sally S. & Rita W.
Congratulations to all 4 winners!
I loved learning about the two of you and how you come up with a story line. Keep up the good work!
I was just wondering and asked in a comment earlier today how did you and Marc come up with this book’s plot? Now I know! So great to see a couple working together and enjoying it!
I’ve read all of the Coffeehouse Mysteries. except for the newest one. Need to get caught up. Love the books.
I love a good fairy tale!
Don’t we all…
I applaud the authors for being able to work together creatively, in a way that strengthens their relationship instead of challenging it. That’s a rare thing! I’m also intrigued by the real-world influence in the Coffee Shop Mysteries (I’m starting the first book in the series after Christmas! yay!). I LOVE when that happens with novels set in Seattle, where I live- I wouldn’t recognize anything set in New York, as I’ve never been there, but I think knowing that influence is there would increase my enjoyment of the book. And probably make me want to visit New York City. But my eyes keep going back to….the authors have been arrested???! There’s a story there…
Based on some the other stories Alice and Marc have, I’ll bet that getting arrested story is a good one, too, Beth!
Thank you, Beth, for your wise words. Yes, working creatively together does have its rewards, and we like to think our relationship is strengthened, not challenged–probably because we have both learned one valuable skill: Conflict Resolution.
Humor is the hardest thing to write. How do you do it and keep the mystery going?
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
Oh Marilyn, I do so agree with you! I’m really interested to see what Alice or Marc have to say about that. For me, I find that writing successful humor all depends on the surprise. it involves setting up the situation, then coming up with a twist that the reader never saw coming. Sometimes it’s being outrageous, sometimes it’s having the character try to get away with something, but then get caught. In the end, though, it’s all about the twist. And, that’s the same for the mystery. I enjoy mysteries with twists I couldn’t have predicted. One of my favorite TV shows (have very few, by the way) is Castle because of they way they’ll take a tense situation then turn it upside down with Castle doing something only he would do. Anyway, I’ll see if we can get an answer from Alice or Marc, too.
Marilyn, thank you for commenting, and you are so right about comedy writing. Though we’ve both written humorous novels (once upon a time we wrote two Pink Panther mysteries featuring the classic Inspector Clouseau character) we’ve found that being funny and keeping the story on track is a balancing act. Terry mentioned that surprise is essential, as well as outrageousness, and you’ll find that the humor in the Coffeehouse series walks a razor’s edge. Sure, it’s funny, but the stakes are high, and there is an underlying sense that things might go wrong for our characters at any time.
Yeah, what she said. 🙂
I love the New York atmosphere in your books, it really comes through. I’ve never been there, but I can feel the vibe.
Thank you so much, Karen. Life in New York City is intense, challenging, and never dull, but we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
I’m so excited to read your new book! I apologize if you’ve answered this (a hundred times) before. Which of your main cast of characters is your favorite? And Marc’s?
The answer is easy, Amanda. We love the character we’re inhabiting that day. That’s because they all speak to us like old friends, and it is easy to love every one of them. It’s a tough love, though, for life is never easy or uncomplicated for Clare and her baristas, and I think you probably wouldn’t want things any other way.
How’d you decide on the pseudonym?
We’d like to say we spilled a Scrabble game and Cleo Coyle was the result, but that would be fibbing. In truth the pseudonym is a combination of other names from our family backgrounds. (And before you ask, neither one of us are related to Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile)
I love this series. How do you come up with the awesome recipes?
kaye.killgore@comcast.net
Many thanks for the lovely compliment. Frankly we both love to cook, bake, and eat so that part came pretty naturally. The rest was trial, error, and serious weight gain.
This is my favorite cozy series. I anxiously await each new entry. Still looking for that next Jack Shephard book too.
Thanks, Dotty. Jack will haunt again, we promise.
Congratulations on 10 years!
Thanks, Colleen. Time sure flies when you’re having fun, and we love writing the Coffeehouse Mysteries. We hope you’re having as much fun reading them.
I love the insight into how you find and develop your characters and stories!
Hi, Jackie. Thanks for posting. We believe that the best stories are those that reveal or expose a protagonist’s flaws or secrets, and the best way to expose those things is through extreme situations. That is why we think mystery–a genre based on finding hidden truths–is perfect for the exploration of character.
Love this series. They are like old friends, each book we catch up!
Thank you for the kind words, Donna. We feel exactly the same way.
Great interview! Can’t wait to read the new book!
Hi Michelle, I’m delighted that you enjoyed the interview and good luck in the contest!
Congratulations on your new release! Once Upon a Grind sounds like a interesting cozy mystery. Who are some of your favorite mystery authors and how have they influenced your writing?
Good question, BookLady, but our answer could take all day. We have both read since childhood, and not only mysteries. We do talk a lot about our favorite mystery authors in our Haunted Bookshop series, so check them out.
Just found this series of books. I am enjoying them. Thanks for the info about the authors. I enjoyed getting to know them.
Thanks for stopping by, Yifat. I glad you liked the interview.
I’ve been a fan since the first book. As soon as I finish one I’m looking forward to the next one. I’ve learned a lot about coffee and your books are my eyes in New York! I live in a small town in PA and big cities intimidate me!
It’s a real treat to meet a reader who has been with from the beginning. Thanks for sticking around, and we hope you loved every book. FYI: Marc and I are both from small towns in Pennsylvania, and there are times when this city still intimidates us. But don’t be afraid to visit NYC. You may discover it’s just a great big small town with an even bigger heart.
Sounds like an intriguing read. I like the fairytale twist of the presentation of the story. need to look for this book.
My daughter and I love your books. Looking forward to many more in the years to com
Thank you for the kind words. We hear from a lot of mothers and daughters who share out books and that makes us feel very proud.
I had no idea Cleo was a duo writing team. I also did not know the series was about food places – I just assumed it was about a coffee place! I will have to get started reading this series now that I know. Congratulations on such a successful series.
Hi Karen, thanks for stopping by. Sounds like you’d love this series!
I am sure that living in New York provides loads of fodder for their books. As they said on the TV show, there are eight million stories in the Naked City… (boy, am I old).
New York City news has formed the basis for many of our mysteries, like the real-life fire disaster that inspired Roast Mortem. But please don’t sweat your age or we will, too. Marc remembers The Naked City fondly (though time marches on and there are more like eight and a half million stories in the Naked City these days).
I PREFER THE BOOKS THAT ARE WRITTEN IN REALITY SEEMS LIKE THIS NEW ONE WILL BE JUST THE RIGHT NUMBER…THANK YOU.
I agree, Sally, I also prefer books where I don’t have to suspend my disbelief to exponential levels!
This series is so much fun—I just love Clare. Hope the stories about her exploits just keep coming.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment. We’ll write them as long as Clare and her baristas help us dream them up.
Great Interview. I eagerly await every new Coffeehouse mystery. I have shared them with a couple friends and they are complete fans as well.
Thanks Carol, I’m glad you liked the interview. This one was great fun to do!
Thank you, Carol. Let me know what you and your friends think about Once Upon a Grind. That’s the only way we know if the book was a success or not. Have a great day.
My daughter tells me about the Coffeehouse Mysteries all the time. She is a walking advertisement that builds interest. After reading your interview, I think now I will start reading this series also. Thank you. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Thanks for stopping by, Rosemary. We hope you give the Coffeehouse series a try. (And tell your daughter the check is in the mail.)
Hi Cleo! I really enjoyed reading the interview. This series has been on my TBR. <3
Great interview. Sounds like an amazing read!
Good interview. The book sounds like a great read.
Hi Cheryl, thanks for stopping by and I’m delighted you liked the interview.
great interview
Great series, but it always makes me crave coffee. I know, not a bad thing!
Thanks, Barbara. Actually new scientific research suggests the caffeine in coffee helps ward off disease–probably because folks are so jittery they can sit still long enough to catch something.
Greetings, everyone. Thank you kindly for stopping by today, and special caffeinated thanks to Terry for his terrific article and his generous offer to host a giveaway for our latest mystery release.
Marc and I will be back early this evening (with cups of coffee in hand, of course) to reply to every one of your comments and questions. See you then.
Like the Terminator, I’ll be back…
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
http://www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Uh oh, talk about scary, the Terminator on too much caffeine! Yikes.
I have read a couple Coffeehouse Mysteries and look forward to reading your latest.
One of the things I like best about your books are the real references to places in New Your, and facts about coffees. I always wondered if you got some of your story lines from real cases. Interesting to now that Alice was a reporter. Guess that’s one reason the books are so strong. I’ve also wondered which shows you all work on. Keep writing this series forever please!!
Thank you for the kind words, Ronna. We love New York, and we really love highlighting the amazing settings in this city. And yes, many of our mysteries really are inspired by real events. Roast Mortem, for instance, was based on a real-life FDNY tragedy, and in our latest (Once Upon a Grind) we look at a disturbing new urban trend: young women seeking out sugar daddies. To paraphrase a vintage television show and an old song, there are eight and a half million stories in this city that never sleeps, and our protagonist Clare finds herself neck deep in a couple of them in every book.
Love the series and the recipes are an added bonus.
Hey Mary, have you seen the photo of the Oatmeal Brittle? OMG. Makes me drool. If you didn’t see it in my newsletter, you can find it at http://eepurl.com/-t2e1
I didn’t know the Coffeehouse Mysteries has been out this long. I thought they were recently new like a few years.
Well Kai, after ten years we learned that time sure flies when you’re having fun, and we think the Coffeehouse Mysteries are a lot of fun. Thanks for stopping by.
It is always exciting to me when I find new authors. This series sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to read them! Thank you for the chance!
Thanks for stopping by, Barbara! A little tour of New York, a little food, a coffee, and murder…what could be better?
I enjoyed the interview. Interesting people. The story sounds like fun!
Thanks Diane, I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. I hope you come back again next month when I’ll have another NYT author!
Congrats on the latest. How closely would you say Clare and Matt mirror the two of you? Obviously, you’re still married so that’s one way you differ.
Thanks, Anne. Clare and Matt are quite their own characters, but there are some similarities. We shall leave it at that.
Loved the interview as I am always interested in something new with Alice and Marc as I have been reading this series since their first book came out. I have found every one of these books to be very educational and I love the subtle humor and the intrigue obviously. My question for Alice/Cleo and Marc is how many more books are possibly planned for the Coffeehouse series. I know it must hinge on finding stories that you find enticing and information about travel and coffee locations in the world too, so I won’t hold you to it, but for a selfish reason of loving this series, I hate to think of it ending anytime soon. I also want to congratulate Alice/Cleo and Marc for the wonderful ways that they make their readers/fans feel so special. Cleo has lots of giveaways and personal messages are especially great to receive. That means SO MUCH to the readers, believe me.
Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season. Thank you so much.
Cynthia Blain
Massachusetts
Hi Cynthia, I’m so happy you liked the interview. I’ll let Alice and Marc answer your questions about the series, but I just wanted to say thanks for following!
Wow, Cynthia, thank you for the too-kind words. To be honest, we never had a numerical goal for the series, which means we’ll write as many Coffeehouse Mysteries as the characters help us dream up. But we do have a very definite arc for our protagonist, and we even know how the series will end. I could say more, of course, but that would be telling…
I love this series and can’t wait to read the latest. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. kuzlin at aol.com
You’re welcome, Linda. I’ve got another good one next month!
Seems like a really interesting book ,and I was interested in how the story came about.What happened to cause both of you to lose friends?
Thank you for asking, Janice. On July 4 Marc lost a friend and fellow writer to cancer. He’d known this man since high school and they both moved here to NYC from Pennsylvania thirty-six years ago to pursue their respective careers. Then, in September, I lost a dear friend who also wrote fiction and worked on many film and television projects. His death was sudden and unexpected, which made the loss all the more painful.
you kind of have me at NY… I miss living there and I miss all the quirks of NYers. Are you sticking to Manhattan only? or are you also going to the boros?
From one New Yorker to another, a Big Apple welcome. Because you’ve lived in this city, too, you know there is no way we could capture its fabulous diversity by sticking only to Manhattan. Over the course of fourteen mysteries we’ve visited all five boroughs, the Hamptons, and in our newest we even cross the river to New Jersey–all without getting stuck in traffic.
Nothing better than a good cup of coffee and a good book.
Sounds like a great read.
I have been reading this series from the beginning. They are lots of fun and I have actually learned something about coffee that was new to me. I really hope this series keeps going!
Sandra – Caffeinated kisses to you for the longtime support. It’s readers like you who’ve kept Marc and I going as writers (not to mention our Con Ed bill paid and our kitties in kibble). No kidding, we appreciate it! We are under contract for several more Coffeehouse Mysteries (and more Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, as well, the second series we write). So as long as you keep reading, we’ll keep writing. Keep in touch and have a great holiday!
Congrats on another terrific release. I also enjoy all the peeks into life in New York through your blog and interviews!
Sally – Thank you, I appreciate that! For anyone curious about where I blog, check my website for updates –
http://www.CoffeehouseMystery.com –
Nearly ever week I post a new recipe and I’m often chatting about how the food relates to one of our books or something in New York or my own heritage. I grew up in a food-loving Italian-American family. My mom and her older sister, who lived with us, were born in Italy, and I learned lots cooking with them in our kitchen. My dad grew his own grapes, made wine, and tended an amazing garden. One of my cousins now runs a fantastic Italian family restaurant in PA and another runs a restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland, with her husband. So the foodie thing is a lifelong thing–it’s in my blood and heart–and I’m only too pleased to share the love with our readers.
Hi Cleo! Congrats on another release. How many books will be in the series? What is your favorite coffee drink? Merry Christmas to you and Marc!
Greetings, Christine, and thanks for dropping in today. Once Upon a Grind is the 14th book in our series (we’ve been writing them for a little over ten years). We are under contract for several more, and as long as we live here in New York City, we doubt we’ll ever run out of ideas for new ones. That means it’s up to our readers. If they keep reading, we’ll keep writing.
Marc and I agree on our favorite coffee drink and that’s coffee–really good quality coffee that’s been sourced and roasted well. The best coffee we ever drank was one we wrote about in Espresso Shot (it’s known as the “champagne of the coffee world”). In ES our amateur sleuth, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi is hired to cater a gourmet coffee and dessert bar for a society wedding at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (two snags–one is the bridezilla and the other is the killer trying to off her). In the course of Clare’s attempting to unravel the mystery, she’s asked to acquire, roast, and serve some of the rarest coffees on earth. Among these is an award-winning coffee from Panama with a great story behind it. We tell the story in the book, and during the research phase, I was thrilled to meet the coffee farmer who re-discovered this varietal and cultivate it on his family’s plantation. OK, I think I’ve geeked out enough for you! But Espresso Shot is a good story and the coffee is, well…amazing.
Wow, sounds like a great book. Sounds like an interesting life.
Sheila – “May you live in interesting times.” We do indeed!
The writing life can be a challenge (challenge…cozy euphemism for anxiety-ridden occupation that has historically led the majority of its practitioners to drink, do drugs, and end up in early graves). Marc and I count ourselves lucky that we have each other to cushion the downs. As for the ups, they mostly come from our readers. We’d be nowhere (economically and mentally) without their support. Cheers for dropping by today, Sheila, and we hope you’ll give our work a try.
~ Cleo
Our daughter lived in New York for several years (not as many as you two) and has run the New York Marathon many times AND she is a lawyer. I think this will be a great Christmas gift for her. Many thanks.
Karin – We hope your daughter enjoys the read. It starts out as a light amateur sleuth mystery, and there are many humorous moment, but the story soon deepens into a more serious crime tale. Our longtime readers tell us our characters make the stories worthwhile, and we can only hope new readers feel the same.
As for New York City, we suspect your daughter finds it as fascinating a place to live as we do. And by now she likely knows that it’s also one helluva *challenging* place to live–crowded, expensive, loud, and (at times) a multi-culti Tower of Babel. We can’t imagine living anywhere else. As writers, we find something new to inspire us daily, and we do our best to layer those gems into our Coffeehouse Mysteries.
Merry Christmas to you and your daughter, and may your New Year be bright!
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
http://www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Karin – I have a reply that is awaiting moderation. Thank you — and check back for a longer reply.
Welcome Cleo, I hope you have a great time here.
Thanks again, Terry, for the terrific interview and for hosting us today. Marc and I have poured cups of joe, and we’re set to reply to the kind comments and questions for us below…
I just started reading this book. It is great! the fairy tale connections are interesting and fun! I love coffeehouse mystery’s!
Thanks for stopping by, Rene. Hope you liked the interview as well. It’s always fun when people are just starting to read a book and find out what was in the writer’s head when they wrote it. Enjoy!
I enjoyed the interview and love the Coffeehouse books. Thank you.
Thanks Vicki! Glad you liked the interview and good luck in the contest!