Cooking Up a Mystery: A Cozy Mystery

Book Giveaway May 5 - 20: To celebrate the release of Cooking up a Mystery, Gail will give away a Kindle copy of Stopped Cold, a previous Amazon Best Seller in Christian Teen and Young Adult Mysteries and Thrillers.

Welcome, Gail, to my blog. I always enjoy it when you stop by to visit. Gail has a Guest Post all about her new book that was just released. Please tell us about your book, Gail.

My publisher asked how much of my life I put into Cooking up a Mystery, and I couldn’t help but smile. The story’s about a young woman, Laney, running a tea house and catering business. She and her mother started it in her mother’s kitchen after Laney’s husband left her for another woman. After both of Laney’s parents succumb to an untimely death, Laney fears she can’t run the restaurant without her mother’s help. However, George, her assistant tells her she has him and God, who knows her needs. Then he adds, “You ... have your mom’s wonderful recipes and you whip them up like a pro.”

That’s where I come in with my real life experience. I learned to cook when I was ten years old. The reason, according to my father—I’d know how when I got married. I didn’t marry until I was thirty. By then, I’d received lots of instruction, so I knew how to prepare some pretty good dinners. After we were married my husband said, “You could start a restaurant.” I wanted to do other things instead, such as write, but I started one in this book.

Book 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.

Reviews:

From the delicious first paragraph until the sweet final scene, Cooking Up a Mystery by Gail Pallotta is a treat on every level. The author creates fantastic scenes, her characters are realistic and well-developed, her prose sparkles like polished silverware and her plotting is imaginative and impeccable. The author has written a book with all of the ingredients that will completely satisfy her readers. A bonus section of reader’s recipes at the end (each one named after a character in the book!) is the perfect finishing touch to make this delectable mystery an irresistible indulgence. I can't wait for the next book from this talented author. --Regina Andrews, Family-Friendly Romance Writer, author of Destiny’s Designs, In Good Faith, and more.

***

A wounded but determined chef and a commitment-phobic university professor fight their attraction. When they decide to take on an overheard terrorist plot, they must decide what’s more important—their personal hangups or the fate of the nation.

Laney finally landed on both feet and set off running. She’s got a great business, an assistant whose loyal and trustworthy, and a burgeoning catering clientele. She’s done the marriage thing and it didn’t work for her. That’s okay. Laney’s got enough on her plate and counting on only herself is a refreshing change, even though the weird noises coming from the other side of the wall creep her out. Then she meets Eric and his avant-garde taste in art.

Bachelor Eric’s broken-footed helplessness tugs at Laney’s heartstrings. He only needs dinner for a few weeks, thank you. Or does he? Na… Maybe… Could he? Could they? Every relationship has a few hiccups, and when these two souls accidentally overhear some truly frightening threats, they realize life is bigger than their issues. Besides, they make a pretty good team investigating things that go bump in the night. What happens after they save the world…well, you’ll just have to read the book.

Told from both sides of the oven, Laney and Eric’s humorous and poignant story of modern-day romance among the faith-filled set will leave Christian romantic mystery lovers smiling. --Author and Reviewer Lisa Lickel.

***

A wounded but determined chef and a commitment-phobic university professor fight their attraction. When they decide to take on an overheard terrorist plot, they must decide what’s more important—their personal hangups or the fate of the nation.

Laney finally landed on both feet and set off running. She’s got a great business, an assistant whose loyal and trustworthy, and a burgeoning catering clientele. She’s done the marriage thing and it didn’t work for her. That’s okay. Laney’s got enough on her plate and counting on only herself is a refreshing change, even though the weird noises coming from the other side of the wall creep her out. Then she meets Eric and his avant-garde taste in art.

Bachelor Eric’s broken-footed helplessness tugs at Laney’s heartstrings. He only needs dinner for a few weeks, thank you. Or does he? Na… Maybe… Could he? Could they? Every relationship has a few hiccups, and when these two souls accidentally overhear some truly frightening threats, they realize life is bigger than their issues. Besides, they make a pretty good team investigating things that go bump in the night. What happens after they save the world…well, you’ll just have to read the book.

The recipes in the back of the book are authored by my friend, Pam Nichols Griffin, as a fundraiser for Mission Love Seeds, a charity that helps children throughout the world and responds locally after disasters to demonstrate God’s love. They’re online at missionloveseeds.org and on Facebook.

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Brief Bio: Gail’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 Nominee. She loves to connect with readers. Visit her website at https://gailpallotta.com.