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
Comments
Thank you for your visit and your kind words.