March 2009On Sale: March 1, 2009416 pages ISBN: 0060837373EAN: 9780060837372Paperback (reprint)$14.99 Women’s Fiction Buy at Amazon.com Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews After years of hard work, Gina Foxton, chef extraordinaire and former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion, is hosting her own show, Fresh Start, on Georgia public television. She’s also dating the producer. But when Fresh Start goes bad—and her boyfriend is caught in flagrante delicto with the boss’s wife—Gina decides it’s time to pursue bigger dreams. Namely a gig on national television. Gina knows she’s destined to be the Cooking Channel’s next superstar. But the execs also have their eyes on Tate Moody, Mr. “Kill It and Grill It” himself, host of the hunting, fishing, and cooking show Vittles. The ultimate man’s man, Tate is a tasty side of beef with a large, swooning female fan base. Gina’s loyal devotees consist of her free-spirited college-dropout sister and her mother . . . who calls every single day. When the smoke clears there can be only one TV chef standing, and Gina and Tate are ready for the cook-off of their lives. Previous Picks Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.
‘Tis 12:03 a.m. and I am still awake, sitting in front of my computer. I have tried the bed this evening, but it is not very inviting at the moment. I am tired and in need of rest, but she does not beckon me tonight. I chipped away at several freelance projects and my own second novel today, so I must admit that I have been removed from myself by Khaled Hosseini. I saw the movie first, The Kite Runner, and afterward I was compelled to read the book. As I finished the last page just before bed last night, I cried. I marveled at the idea that a stranger could move me and change who I am, even if just by a tiny bit. I experienced some of the sadness and sorrow that must have resided deep within him to allow such a beautiful yet tragic work to come forth. Strangely, I connected pieces of the story with J. California Cooper’s Some People Some Other Place. However, the sadness of the two stories was the only correlation I made. Sadness all over the world, I suppose—sadness that if revealed in literature or art, period, can inject change in humanity….
Hannah Swensen #11 March 2009On Sale: March 1, 2009Featuring: Mike Kingston; Hannah Swensen288 pages ISBN: 0758210221EAN: 9780758210227Hardcover$24.00 Mystery Woman Sleuth Buy at Amazon.com Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke Winter in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is the perfect time to curl up by a cozy fire with something-and someone-sweet. But while bakery owner Hannah Swensen can provide herself with the confections, cuddling will have to take a back seat to sleuthing when her sometime-squeeze becomes a murder suspect… With the launch party of her mother’s novel around the corner, Hannah has a dress to fit into and a date with her sister, Andrea, at Lake Eden’s new health club, Heavenly Bodies. Dragging herself out of bed on a frigid Minnesota morning for exercise, of all things, is bad enough. Discovering a dead body floating in the gym’s jacuzzi? Okay, that’s worse. Nor does it help that there’s a plate of The Cookie Jar’s very own cream puffs garnishing the murder scene. The fact that they were purchased by none other than Hannah’s part-time flame, Detective Mike Kingston, is simply the icing on what’s shaping up to be one very messy cake… Mike may be the prime suspect in the murder of…
Coffeehouse Mystery #7 October 2009 On Sale: October 6, 2009 Featuring: Clare Cosi 368 pages ISBN: 0425230767EAN: 9780425230763Paperback (reprint)$7.99 Mystery Woman Sleuth Buy at Amazon.com Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle Coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi rarely gets steamed. But ever since her ex-husband announced his plans to remarry, she’s been making some vows of her own . . . Roped into creating a gourmet coffee and dessert bar for her ex-husband’s wedding, Clare faces off with the bride-to- be. Wealthy and sophisticated, the snarky Breanne has never been a low maintenance kind of gal, and now she’s in full- blown bridezilla mode. The only way Clare can possibly deal with her is to focus on business. But murder is Clare’s business, too, and when fatal accidents begin befalling people close to Breanne, Clare becomes suspicious. Is someone trying to sabotage this wedding? Kill Breanne? Clare decides to investigate. But what she uncovers, between steaming cappuccinos and roasting the world’s rarest coffee beans, may just get her burned. Now in paperback, this starred reviewed entry in the nationally bestselling coffeehouse mystery series also features delicious bonus recipes, including Italian wedding cookies, and coffee-making tips. Previous Picks Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about…
And then…and then…and then… After writing 18 stand-alone books under my real name, Tina Wainscott, I embarked on a totally new adventure—a series under a pseudonym. Never in most of those many years did I even consider writing a series. I did read some series and enjoyed them, but I just didn’t get hooked for the most part. A couple of years ago I needed a change. A serious change. So I let loose my muse and told her to pick whatever she wanted, no limits. (Not that she listens to me anyway) It was a surprise when she came back (like a panting dog with a bone) with a series idea. The more I chewed that bone, the more I liked the idea. First, I know the appeal of seeing your favorite characters grow over a longer period of time, revisiting friends from past books, continuing a thread. I didn’t want to focus on one character but instead, a group, and each book would feature a new romantic lead. The first lead, from A PERFECT DARKNESS (book 1 of the Offspring series) became my Luke and Laura from General Hospital fame (waaay back in the 80’s). Torn apart, connected…
I was sitting here thinking, trying to decide what wisdom I wanted to impart in this blog. I finally decided that there is a bit of advice that more experienced writers are always giving to budding authors trying to break into the business. You’ve probably heard it already. “Write what you know.” I think-particularly in these days of internet access-that this needs to be revised. I think the advice now should be “write what you want to know”-particularly if you write in the speculative genres. To me, there’s always been a problem with “write what you know.” It’s so limiting. I have always considered myself fairly educated, but if I stuck to only the things that I have direct knowledge of, I would never have written any of the novels I’ve had published. I’ve never seen a dragon, met an elf, traveled to fairyland, or played a lute. But I can imagine them. I can, in other words, “speculate” about what would happen if I were to do any of those things. To read more of Rie’s blog please click here. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.
April 2009On Sale: April 7, 2009Featuring: Augusta Simpson384 pages ISBN: 0425226204EAN: 9780425226209Trade Size$15.00 Women’s Fiction Buy at Amazon.com Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs Now in paperback from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Friday Night Knitting Club Shortly before turning 50, TV cooking show personality Augusta “Gus” Simpson discovers that the network wants to boost her ratings by teaming her with a beautiful, young new co-host. But Gus isn’t going without a fight—whether it’s off-set with her two demanding daughters, on-camera with the ambitious new diva herself, or after-hours with Oliver, the new culinary producer who’s raising Gus’s temperature beyond the comfort zone. Now, in pursuit of higher ratings and culinary delights, Gus might be able to rejuvenate more than just her career. Excerpt Chapter 1 February, 2006 Gus Simpson adored birthday cake. Chocolate, coconut, lemon, strawberry, vanilla– she had a particular fondness for the classics. Even though she experimented with new flavors and frostings, drizzling with syrups and artfully arranging hibiscus petals, Gus more often took the retro route with piped-on flowers or a flash of candy sprinkles across the iced top. Because birthday cake was really about nostalgia, she knew, about reaching in and using…
A question I hear a lot is: “Where do you get your inspiration for your characters?” Adam Temple, the hero of Can’t Stand the Heat, is a chef-imagine Anthony Bourdain (for the hotness) crossed with Jamie Oliver (for the sweetness), and a pinch of Gordon Ramsay (for the perfectionism). When Adam is in the kitchen, he’s in charge. And he loves every second of it. In fact, that’s the key to Adam’s personality-he loves a lot of things. He loves his life, his job, his friends…it’s not hard or frightening for him to fall in love with the heroine, Miranda. He brings passion and enthusiasm to everything he does. To read more of Louisa’s blog please click here. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.
Stephanie Plum Novels #15 July 2009 On Sale: June 23, 2009 Featuring: Stephanie Plum; Lulu 320 pages ISBN: 0312383282EAN: 9780312383282Hardcover$27.95 Mystery Woman Sleuth Buy at Amazon.com Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich The next Stephanie Plum novel, in which complications arise, loyalties are tested, cliffhangers are resolved, and donuts are eaten. Unbuckle Your Belt And Pull Up A Chair. It’s The Spiciest, Sauciest, Most Rib-Sticking Plum Yet. Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head –literally. Throw in some spice: Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she’ll talk to is Trenton cop, Joe Morelli. Pump up the heat: Chipotle’s sponsor is offering a million dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers. Stir the pot: Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah. Add a secret ingredient: Stephanie Plum’s Grandma Mazur. Enough said. Bring to a boil: Stephanie Plum is working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, A.K.A. Ranger, during the day. Can Stephanie hunt…
Recipe for Love #1 September 2009On Sale: September 1, 2009Featuring: Adam Temple; Miranda Wake368 pages ISBN: 0312356498EAN: 9780312356491Mass Market Paperback$6.99 Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com Can’t Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards For sharp-tongued food critic Miranda Wake, the chance to spend a month in Adam Temple’s kitchen to write an exposé is a journalistic dream come true. Surely Miranda can find a way to cut the hotshot chef down to size once she learns what really goes on at his trendy Manhattan restaurant. Trouble is, she never expected Adam to uncover her most embarrassing secret: she has no idea how to cook. As for Adam, well, he’s not about to have his reputation burned by a critic who doesn’t even know the difference between poaching and paring. He’ll just have to give the tempting redhead a few private lessons of his own . . . teaching her what it means to cook with passion. Seduction reaches a boiling point when two unlikely people find themselves thrown together. Excerpt What’s your name?” he asked her. She tossed her head again, the motion making her sway a little. Adam looked more closely. Her pupils were blown wide and dark, and her…