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…

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…