by Kathleen Costa
Laura Howcroft is struggling as a new resident of Millerfield Village and with her new job at the Woodend Cottage Hotel. She’s only from Cambridge, less than 100 miles away, but many villagers think of her as just another ‘Foreigner,’ which will be hard to overcome. She is slowly making friends: Janet Lister, energetic co-employee and the very handsome Dr. Howard Lucas, the village’s only doctor, but oddly Monty is still her closest confident. Monty is not your normal BFF…he is a cat.
by Cynthia Chow
Upon seeing her friend Laurel Hobbs, Oyster Bay’s five-star restaurant owner Olivia Limoges can’t help but be shocked. The normally perfectly put-together Laurel is completely fraught, disheveled, and jittery. She is being pulled apart from all sides, as Laurel is attempting to raise twin sons, work full time, care for the house and yard, and visit her ailing mother-in-law.
by Kathleen Costa
Everything is coming up ‘roses’ for Sally Muccio (Mooch-EE-o) and her bakery, Sally’s Samples. A recent fire caused Sally to relocate, but regulars are back, business is booming, and the fortune cookies continue to be…cryptic. The very long awaited wedding between Sally and Mike is only a week away, and Sally’s mother didn’t take “we only want a small family gathering” for an answer, so Sally is very stressed and resigned to deal with all the per-wedding arrangements, including a last minute wedding cake tasting.
by Sandra Murphy
Ellie Avery’s schedule is always busy. Her husband is deployed on a mission, due back in a couple of weeks. Her kids are at an age that there are tons of extra activities. She’s got to be organized. In fact, she’s made a part time job of it.
by Cynthia Chow
It should be impossible that an American chef, just three years out of culinary school, could ever be the family chef for the future rulers of England. What makes it possible for Carrie Ann Cole is a caterer friend getting sick, replacing her as the chef at a New York City charity event, and so impressing the duchess of Cambridge that she hires Carrie to be a chef at Kensington Palace.
by Terrance Mc Arthur
Sometimes, it’s new. Sometimes, it’s been there a while, and you just haven’t had a good reason to go there. Sometimes, you never noticed it, before, and you wonder if it popped up overnight, and will magically disappear tomorrow. I tried some of those, lately. Here’s what happened.
by Sandra Murphy
& Cynthia Chow
This week we have a fun group of food mysteries from Penguin authors-Town in a Maple Madness: A Candy Holliday Mystery by B. B. Haywood, A Frying Shame: A Deep Fried Mystery by Linda Reilly, and Silence of the Jams: A Down South Café Mystery by Gayle Leeson.
by Tom Sims
“What’s Cooking Fresno?” is about building culture, community, cuisines, and dreams.
It was a two-day event that took place on Sunday, March 12 and Sunday, April 2 at Manchester Mall. It was an event, but much more than an event. It was part of a larger process.
by Kathleen Costa
Early morning in Hawaii is so peaceful…the colorful sunrise, swaying palms, gentle movement of the ocean waves, but…Shhhark! Kailani Pope decides to get a couple of surfing runs in before heading off to work at the Dolphin Bay Resort, but one shark fin leads to another, leads to a dozen. Quietly she watches the early morning breakfast frenzy near shore, and so does Sandy, her barking dog. When the sharks head off, Lani slowly heads into shore, but Sandy leaps into the surf and drags in…an arm! The tattoo is unique to a food truck vendor, Blaze Whitmore, whose undercutting the competition may have gotten him served up as lunch!
by Cynthia Chow
The path towards love often is a rocky one, and as evidence one needs only to look within the doors of Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. Melanie Cooper’s best friend and business partner Tate Harper is finally marrying Angie DeLaura, but her uncharacteristic transformation into a bridezilla has everyone ducking for cover. Even more unsettling is the demand by Mel’s former UCLA roommate, Diane Earnest, to create and deliver engagement breakup cupcakes to her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend.
by Shawn Reilly Simmons
Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Not only is it a fun day with the family, usually accompanied by a great meal, it also signals that winter is definitely done and spring is upon us.
by Kathleen Costa
Lily Gayle Lambert is enjoying her afternoon gossiping with Miss Edna. She gets an earful about her great niece Harley Ann, opinions on touristy shop names popping up around town, and learns the new Bed and Breakfast, The Midnight Dragonfly, is opening next weekend. However, the identity of the new B&B owners is a mystery, but Miss Edna surmises it’s “probably some damn Yankees.”
by Sandra Murphy
& Cynthia Chow
This week we have reviews & giveaways of a bunch of fun food mysteries-Cold Pressed Murder: An Olive Grove Mystery by Kelly Lane, Kneaded to Death: A Bread Shop Mystery By Winnie Archer, Roux the Day: A Dinner Club Mystery by Linda Wiken, and When the Grits Hit the Fan: A Country Store Mystery by Maddie Day. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 4 books, along with links you can use to purchase them.
by Cynthia Chow
Although a drastic hike in rent forced Winnie Johnson to give up her beloved bakery, an unexpected inheritance allowed her to create the Emergency Dessert Squad, where on-demand customized delicacies are delivered by a vintage ambulance. Less welcome is the gift that came in the form of hissing feline Lovey, who seems to love everyone except Winnie. Otherwise, prospects for the business look to be on an upswing; at least right until the recipient of one of the Emergency Dessert Squad’s latest deliveries is found poisoned to death by pastry.
by Kathleen Costa
Our bewitching story begins with Caitlyn Le Fey sitting with her cousin, Pamona, savoring her tea and scones and pondering the somewhat shocking revelations of her birth. Her mother recently died in a tragic accident, and surrounded by her mother’s lawyers she was handed a letter—a letter that announced she was adopted, well, it turns out she was really found abandoned on the side of the road near a little Cotswold village called Tillyhenge with an unusual runestone around her neck.
by Janet Elizabeth Lynn
I grew up on Long Island, New York. I’m half Irish and half Italian, the two big I’s of the world!
In honor of my Irish heritage, the Italian side of my family celebrated St. Patrick’s Day for my father. Every, and I mean every, St. Paddy’s Day we had corned beef and cabbage, boiled potatoes and Potato Seedy Cake.
