Thursday, January 26, 2017

FOODFIC: Please Welcome Bernadette Marie, Author of The Three Wives of Adam Monroe



I had never been asked to write about the food in my books before. Quite a unique twist, I thought. When an author works on a story, character development is crucial. We think about their eyes, their hair, how they walk, and what they do for a living. However, a key element in who they are is building the world around them—including what they eat and how.

Each of the books in my The Three Mrs. Monroes series is titled after the character followed in the story—Amelia, Penelope, and Vivian.

Amelia Monroe, a martial artist who trains soldiers, is fit and loves a good meal. When she meets Sam, a lawyer, they find comfort in sharing meals. For a woman who loves to eat, and is very fit, a huge steak (on the rare side!) with all the fixin’s is just her style. Part of the fun with Amelia was her no excuses attitude. Sam watches her devour the steak and wash it down with beer. No dainty manners there, okay, not that she was disgusting, just comfortable with herself. When they meet for breakfast, she’s enticed by the promise of huge cinnamon rolls, but let’s be clear, she’s going to run that off with a six-mile run.

Penelope Monroe is the polar opposite of Amelia. Fragile in personality and pregnant to boot, she’s been lucky to survive on carry-out and frozen dinners. However, when she meets Brock, who comes from a solid family and homemade meals, she pours herself into a meal of spaghetti and meatballs to impress him. After all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and it’s a fairly hard meal to mess up.

Vivian Monroe has been playing happy homemaker for years. The mother of two young girls, food is made to appease her children. When she becomes involved with Clayton, who also has two young daughters, you can bet they bond over pizza and chicken nuggets. When the girls are not present, an adult beverage is in order. Of course, the promise of biscuits and gravy is sometimes the surefire way to a man’s heart. It doesn’t have to be homemade to be a comfort food either.

Throughout the trilogy, as Amelia, Penelope, and Vivian bond and solidify their friendship, food and drink play a huge roll. There are many meals shared between the strangers who become friends, but drinks might be a better guide through their bonding. Drink is a fantastic way for people to enjoy the company of others. Coffee plays a huge roll in the formation of the relationship between the women. Everyone is calmer when there’s a hot beverage in their hands, right? From coffee when presented with bad news, to meeting at a coffee house, or the warm cup of Joe in a friend’s kitchen, coffee can bring people together.

When friendships are developed, wine certainly plays a roll. Women who have bonded are comfortable around each other sit and sip wine, and that was key in showing their relationship grow. Of course, celebrations call for a little bubbly as well, and each book certainly spotlights a celebration as each woman grows as a person on her own.

Food and drink will forever bond people. It is a great way to introduce characters and their special characteristics to readers, as it is a common bond we can have with them.

Thanks for hanging out with me today. And thank you Shelley for having me. So here’s me lifting my coffee mug to you all, cheers! I hope you’ll visit Amelia, Penelope, and Vivian with your favorite beverage and bond with them as well.



Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Bernadette!



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