Laura Elizabeth and Kaya Vineyard pair her island mystery with fine estate wines
In 16 years of publishing, our authors have had events in bookstores, libraries, public schools, major universities, hospitals, houses of worship, coffee shops, museums, theaters, clubhouses and waterfront parks. But Laura Elizabeth, author of the new cozy mystery All Is Now Lost, broke new ground when she and Kaya Vineyard co-owner Tom Higgins paired this debut volume in her new Island Mysteries series with fine wines.
“Our winery is unique in this region, because 70 percent of our wines are estate wines,” Higgins explains. “That means the grapes used to make our wines are grown right here. We bottle our wine on the premisses. We sell through events and our tasting rooms.”
That also means Kaya Vineyard and Winery’s livelihood depends on bringing people to their picture-perfect location in Dahlonega, Georgia. That’s an area Higgins describes as “in the foothills of the Appalachians”—and a region known as “the heart of the North Georgia Wine Country.”
“So, on a Saturday,” he said, “we may have 500 to 1,000 people coming through the winery for tours, to taste our wines, to enjoy the mountain atmosphere and to enjoy the other things we offer like live music or, on this Saturday in August, an event with Laura, a chance to meet her, to hear her give a reading and to get one of her books.”
“One reason we were happy to host her is that we feel a pretty strong connection with Daufuskie Island, the island Laura cares so much about. So, it was a great fit for all of us to host this event.”
Laura agreed.
As she sent us the photographs for this story, she told us:
“Today was such an amazing day. To be in the Georgia hills, surrounded by beautiful scenery, fantastic people, amazing wine and delicious food, was a dream! I met so many people interested in All Is Now Lost, the writing process, my characters and the island I love so dearly. It was a day I will treasure. Many thanks to the team at Kaya Vineyard and the Dahlonega Resort for all of their efforts to make this day truly unforgettable.”
Care to learn more about Laura’s connections with historic Daufuskie?
You’ll enjoy these earlier stories:
And: As Babson College tells us, Laura Elizabeth’s cozy mystery is about much more than suspenseful fun
