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Cooking up a mystery by Gail Pallotta

 


Why I wrote Cooking up a Mystery

I planned Cooking up a Mystery because I wanted to write a series of books about women entrepreneurs who started their own businesses and succeeded while depending on their faith. I enjoy reading and writing about mysteries, so I knew I wanted a mystery, but my main character still needed a business. Searching my thoughts for a skill I knew well took me back to my mother, grandmother and aunts’ kitchens. They created gourmet Southern U.S. dishes from scratch and made it look easy. I can’t replicate a lot of their delicacies, but I have most of their recipes and the advantage of watching them prepare them for many, many years, so I decided my entrepreneur would cook.

 From then on, I could see Laney Eskridge, my heroine, in the commercial kitchen at her tea house. Laney needed a reason to start her own catering service and tea house, and what better than having her husband leave. Starting a business requires expertise, determination and hard work. In addition Laney needed the motivation to persevere in spite of grief over her parents’ deaths, disappointment, financial difficulties and a mysterious noise she hears in the kitchen late at night. How about sending her husband through dental school instead of going to college herself? Oh, that motivated her all right. She intended to make a go of her little tea house and catering service no matter what.

I had discussed working with my friend, Pam Nichols Griffin, Faith Editor at the Destin Log in Florida, U.S., and she liked this project. She supplied yummy recipes for the back of the book from her cookbook, Heavenly Delights, which she compiled and edited to raise money for Mission Love Seeds, a charity supporting children in need.

Blurb: Laney Eskridge worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left with another woman. She's on edge from the emotional scars and her parents' deaths. Then she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house, and her anxiety is tripled. Add a budding romance with Eric—a guy with a fear of commitment—and it's all too much to handle. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business pay off.

When Eric discovers that Laney's in danger, he vows to protect her. But can he make a lasting promise? Will she trust him? . . .and when they overhear a threat that could cause national turmoil, will anyone believe them? There's more brewing than herbal tea in Cooking up a Mystery.

Excerpt: Laney Eskridge took a breather from polishing the bakery display case and surveyed the dining area in her small tea house. A soft glow from the lamppost out front shone through the large window and danced on the blue flowered curtains. She rubbed the fabric of a tie back between her thumb and forefinger. Sometimes in the quiet moments after the customers and George, her assistant, left, she gazed around and marveled that the place belonged to her. Mom had named it Laney’s Delectable Delights. She would’ve loved the decor.

Pot and pans clanged in the kitchen.

Laney jumped. Was the rolling worktable bashing into the wall? Not by itself. Horror that an intruder wrecked the new appliances buckled Laney’s knees. She leaned against the counter and slid to the floor.

Clanks, bonks, and crashes reverberated. Laney buried her head between her legs and trembled like a leaf in a storm. Rattling and slamming resounded. Tears cascaded down Laney’s face. Had she lost everything? Silence fell as suddenly as the commotion had started, and the aroma of her bread baking tickled her nostrils. She raised her head and wiped her cheeks. Calling on all the strength she had left inside, she stood. Would her wobbly legs take her to the kitchen?

Buy links: Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooking-up-Mystery-Gail-Pallotta-ebook/dp/B085LJMH5V/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Cooking+up+a+mystery+by+gail+pallotta&qid=1606827700&s=books&sr=1-1

Amazon U.S. - https://amzn.to/3dfKATd

Barnes and noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cooking-up-a-mystery-gail-pallotta/1136612098?ean=9781522398806

Books a Million - https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Cooking-up-Mystery/Gail-Pallotta/9781522398813?id=8248990640083#

Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/cooking-up-a-mystery-by-gail-pallotta

Kobo -https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cooking-up-a-mystery

Google https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gail_Pallotta_Cooking_up_a_Mystery?id=Z-TUDwAAQBAJ

Apple - https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1501903072?mt=11&app=itunes&id=1501903072



Bio: Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner and a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Finalist. She’s published six books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She enjoys connecting with readers. Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.gailpallotta.com/mainphp.html and visit her website at gailpallotta.com

Comments

Gail Pallotta said…
Thanks for having me.
Lisa Lickel said…
Very fun whole series of stories!
Gail Pallotta said…
Hi Lisa,

Thank you for your visit and your kind words.

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