Some Enchanted Éclair {+ Giveaway}

Author Bailey Cates is on tour with her recent release, SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR, and I’m delighted to welcome here back to Thoughts in Progress.

Bailey will talk about doing research for her book and in celebration of the release, is giving away one copy of SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR to a lucky visitor. Please see the end of the post for more details.

Here’s a brief description of the book:

FLOUR POWER
      When Hollywood invades Savannah’s historic district to film a Revolutionary War movie, magical baker Katie Lightfoot, and her witches’ coven, the Spellbook Club, take a break from casting spells for casting calls. One of the witches snags a part as an extra, while Katie’s firefighter boyfriend, Declan, acts as on-set security. Katie and her aunt Lucy decide to stay out of the action, but after the movie’s “fixer” fires the caterer, the Honeybee Bakery comes to the rescue, working their magic to keep the hungry crew happy.
      But when someone fixes the fixer—permanently—and a spooky psychic predicts Katie will find the killer, the charming baker and her fellow conjurers step in to sift through the suspects…before someone else winds up on the cutting room floor….

Please join me in welcoming Bailey as she talks research.

SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR is the fourth Katie Lightfoot adventure in Savannah, Georgia. She's still a relatively new witch, but in her first year since moving to the South from Akron, Ohio, she's learned a lot. Like her aunt Lucy, Katie is a hedgewitch, sometimes called a natural or green witch, whose talents lie in kitchen and garden magic. She and Lucy use their knowledge of herbs and spices to infuse the yummy pastries at the Honeybee Bakery with good intentions for love, prosperity, health, peace and more.

The other members of the spellbook club have been teaching Katie their own specialties, too: moon magic and tarot magic, flower and color magic, along with basic spell casting and divination. Katie has also learned that she's a catalyst, which adds a little kick to the others' spells, and Detective Franklin Taite also revealed to her in Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti that she's something called a lightwitch. However, Taite seems to have disappeared, so she's still trying to find out just what a lightwitch is. In part it seems to mean that she finds more than her share of dead bodies -- specifically murder victims that have some kind of connection to the paranormal.

In SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR, Katie and Lucy are staying clear of the historical movie being filmed on Reynolds Square -- at least until the production coordinator asks them to feed the cast and crew. Sure enough, the first time Katie ventures onto the set there's a fatal stabbing. The more she looks into the circumstances surrounding the victim, the more it becomes evident that some kind of dark magic is involved.

At first she thinks the paranormal connection might involve the psychic who travels with the lead actress. Ursula Banford can contact spirits who have passed to the other side, and in the course of Katie's investigation she passes on messages from some surprising sources. But can they be trusted? Since moving to Savannah, Katie has come to believe in things she never dreamed could be real, but she's not naive enough to simply take someone at their word when they say they can talk to dead people. Whether or not Ursula is the genuine article, there are plenty of other suspects for Katie and the spellbook club to ferret out.

Researching SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR was, quite frankly, a blast. Along with the research I usually do for this series regarding Savannah, other settings, food, weather, and gardening in the South, I took the chance to read up on the Revolutionary War and consulted with an independent filmmaker. Plus, for the first time in my life, I went to not one, but two psychics.
 
I love my job.

Another aspect of writing the Magical Bakery Mysteries is ... the baking, of course! In other books I've researched some classic Southern recipes (like Coca Cola Cake) and come up with my own version to offer in the back of the books. 

For ÉCLAIR, I learned how to make choux pastry, and boy am I glad I did because it's not only delicious but incredibly versatile. Éclairs can be both savory and sweet, and the pastry can be used for cream puffs and even fried into something like a donut. However, it can be a bit tricky (unlike Katie, I failed the first time I tried it), so rather than try to tell readers how to make choux, I fell back on some of my everyday favorites -- which just happen to be on the Honeybee menu. One is a gluten-free peanut butter cookie recipe that I've made for years -- fast, easy, and great for sudden cravings. The other is a carrot and apple cake recipe I've honed to my personal idea of perfection. I do so hope others love it as much as I do.

Next up is the fifth Magical Bakery Mystery. It's currently untitled, but I can tell you it involves pie, voodoo ... and a sprinkling of romance!

Bailey, thanks for joining us and giving us a look at your research. I think I’d like the baking research aspect the best.

Now let me tell you a bit of background about Bailey.

New York Times bestselling author Bailey Cates believes magic is all around us if we only look for it. She studied philosophy, English and history and has held a variety of positions ranging from driver's license examiner to soap maker. She traveled the world as a localization program manager for Microsoft, but now sticks close to home where she writes two mystery series, tends to a dozen garden beds, bakes up a storm and plays the occasional round of golf.

Having apprenticed with a master herbalist for a year, she's prone to concocting teas and tinctures for family and friends from the stash of herbs stored in the corner cabinet in her office. She owns a working spinning wheel and is on a first name basis with several alpacas and two sheep with questionable dispositions.

The author of the Magical Bakery Mysteries, she also writes the Home Crafting Mysteries as Cricket McRae.

For more on Bailey (aka Cricket), visit her website and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:


This giveaway is for one print copy of SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Wednesday, July 30. 

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Bailey Cate’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by today and visiting with Bailey. Do you think you’d enjoy doing research on baking and/or research on historic sites?

*This post contains affiliate links. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Cricket McRae: ‘Wined And Died’ Released Today

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Cricket McRae back to Thoughts in Progress as she launches her mini-blog tour for the latest installment in her Home Crafting Mystery series, WINED AND DIED.

I’ve asked Cricket to share a bit about her current release and about mead making. Cricket will be stopping by periodically today to respond to your comments and answer any questions you might have.

Thanks for hosting me on the first stop in my blog mini-tour, Mason! I’m delighted to guest on Thoughts in Progress.

 

The fifth Home Crafting Mystery, WINED AND DIED, officially releases today. I’ve included soap making, food preservation, spinning and cheese making in previous books in the series. This time the colonial home craft that serves as the backdrop to murder and mayhem is mead making.

“Something is brewing in Cadyville, and it's not only dandelion wine. Sophie Mae is intrigued by a recently discovered cassette recording in which a therapist fearfully contemplates her client's murderous threats. When the same therapist ends up dead, Sophie Mae is lured into another intoxicating investigation, one that explores the age-old art of mead and wine making.”

In this book, Meghan is visiting her long-distance beau in New Jersey, and Barr and Sophie Mae are caring for Erin. As a result, the precocious almost twelve-year-old takes on a larger role in the investigation than usual. Add in a little soap making, a big business contract, a new employee for Sophie Mae, a bit of drug dealing and a family of oddballs who own the local meadery and let the games begin!

Mead is honey wine, the most simple of which is a fermented combination of honey and water. Some say it was the first recorded alcoholic beverage, though others argue beer came first. However, honey could ferment without the help of any human interaction. 

Hives in the hollows of trees, especially certain species in Africa, would flood during torrential rains and then the sweetened water would ferment due to the natural yeasts in the air. Indeed, I found a recipe for mead that consists of basically mixing honey and water and leaving it on the kitchen counter to ferment. It’s much the same recipe that I give in the back of WINED AND DIED for making homemade ginger beer using sugar, water, and ginger.

Though Paleolithic peoples may have accidentally discovered the mood-altering gift of the gods, the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks developed hive systems and harvested honey specifically for mead production – the nectar of the gods and high-born alike.

There are many sub-varieties of mead, and the primary one in WINED AND DIED is a methaglin. A methaglin is a mead brewed with spices and herbs. The term is a combination of the Latin word for medicine with the Old Irish word for liquor. The alcohol extracts herbal constituents better than plain water or oil, and in the past the sweet taste of mead would have masked unpleasant tastes from medicinal herbs. Nowadays, however, the herbs and spices are added more to enhance the flavor of honey wine.

The idea for incorporating mead into this book came from my friends Bob and Amy who, one evening after dinner, brought two small bottles up from the basement, popped them open, and reverently poured the contents into four champagne flutes. Elixir of the gods, indeed. They brewed it using champagne yeast, and brut dry, sparkling and light, it tasted like no other mead I’d ever tried. I had to find out more, and then, of course, I had to write about it.

Kirkus says of WINED AND DIED, “…a tutorial on mead and a dash of soapmaking, all wrapped around a credible mystery.”

Thanks again for hosting me, Mason!

Cricket, thank you for guest blogging. It’s always fun to find out what Sophie Mae is up to while learning new recipes and tips I can use. Mead making sounds like fun, I may have to give it a try.

Now for a bit of background on Cricket. Her books are available in trade paperback and as downloads for Kindle and Nook. In honor of the recent release of WINED AND DIED, you can enter to win a free Author Website ($900 value!) from the creative folks at Bizango Websites for Writers until July 29, 2011. For more details and information on how to enter, please visit her blog at  www.hearthcricket.com . For more information about Cricket or her books, check out www.cricketmcrae.com .

Have you ever tried your hand at wine or beer making? If so, what was the outcome? Remember if you have any questions, Cricket will be dropping by off and on today. I appreciate each and everyone of y’all. Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to check out the 5th installment in Cricket’s Home Crafting Mystery series. 

Sunday Salon: Something Borrowed, Something Bleu by Cricket McRae

When I first read the blurb for Something Borrowed, Something Bleu I was  intrigued. A cryptic suicide note delivered two decades late and a mission to find what had happened. Who wouldn't want to know more?

Sophie Mae Reynolds is busy with her homemade bath  product business and preparing to marry the love of her life, Det. Barr Armbrose. Her biggest worry is trying to keep her mother, Anna Belle Watson, from interfering in the wedding arrangements. Sophie wants simple, Anna Belle has other plans.

A frantic early morning call from Anna Belle has Sophie returning to her hometown of Spring Creek, CO. Seems Anna Belle has just received a suicide note from Sophie’s brother, Bobby Lee, who hung himself 18 years ago. The letter had been addressed to Bobby Lee’s girlfriend at the time, Tabby Atwood. Sophie’s Mom received it marked “Return to Sender.”

When Sophie arrives in Spring Creek she goes to visit Tabby, who is now married to Joe Bines, Bobby Lee’s best friend. The Bines operate a dairy and Tabby gives cheese making lessons.

As Sophie begins to make inquires about the events prior to her brother’s death, she uncovers more questions than answers. A murder occurs and Sophie believes it’s related to her brother’s death or at least the events surrounding his suicide, as well as two cold case deaths.

There are just enough surprises along the way to keep you guessing until the truth is revealed in a climatic heart-pounding conclusion. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as Sophie comes face to face with the killer and finally finds why her brother killed himself.

Something Borrowed, Something Bleu is the fourth installment in the Home Crafting Mystery Series, but is a stand alone book. Having not read the previous books in the series I wasn’t left out in the dark wondering about something that had happened in the other books. But after discovering Sophie and her trait for solving mysteries, I’ll be looking for the other three books in the series.

Author Cricket McRae gives readers a fast pace, smooth flowing story filled with helpful cheese making tips and delicious menus. For those bitten by the cheese bug, there are complete cheese making recipes on the author’s website (http://www.cricketmcrae.com)

Once you begin reading Something Borrowed, Something Bleu, it’ll be hard to put it down, except maybe to reach for a piece of cheese and a cracker, and quickly return to see what Sophie’s got herself into now.

Cricket McRae blogs at Hearth Cricket and her website is www.cricketmcrae.com

Something Borrowed, Something Bleu by Cricket McRae, Midnight Ink, @2010, ISBN: 978-0-7387-1996-2, Paperback, 278 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Guest Blogger, Cricket McRae

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Cricket McRae as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Cricket joins us today to celebrate her latest release. I ask her to tell us about her new book and the Home Crafting Mystery Series. Cricket will be dropping back by during the day to answer any questions you might have and respond to your comments.

Thanks for inviting me to Thoughts in Progress, Mason. How awesome that I get to be here on the release day for Something Borrowed, Something Bleu!

In the book, Sophie Mae returns to her home town of Spring Creek, Colorado (which bears an eerie resemblance to the town I live in now) when her brother's suicide note turns up after eighteen years. The violence of the past rears its head in the present as she delves into his life and death, juggles a cranky eleven-year-old, a Zenned-out father and a mother who is determined to plan a fancy wedding rather than allowing Sophie Mae and Barr to make a quick trip down to the courthouse. 

The impetus behind this fourth Home Crafting Mystery was threefold. I wanted to feature cheese making, bring Sophie Mae back to Colorado for one book, and finally address her brother's suicide.
 
The backdrops for my mysteries are colonial home crafts or pioneer skills. I couldn't write effectively about them if I weren't a bit crazily obsessed with them myself. So far I've written about soap making, food preservation, and spinning, and there's a story behind every one of those activities. There's a story behind the cheese making in Something Borrowed, Something Bleu, too.

When I lived in the Seattle area and still worked for That Big Software Company, I often spent my weekends getting back to basics and making things from scratch. Dipping candles, growing vegetables, putting up pickles and jams, that sort of thing. It wasn't until after I left that job that I began my handmade toiletries business (now defunct -- I'd rather write about it). But while I was still working I came across the section in Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living about cheese making. It was pretty basic, but it sparked a memory from Little House in the Big Woods where they make huge rounds of cheese and store them in the attic.

Online I discovered The New England Cheese Making Supply

Company. Fifteen minutes and a few dollars later I'd placed my order. The cultures, rennet and an instruction pamphlet arrived within the week. Fresh cheeses? Bah -- too easy. Much like I began writing novels rather than short stories, I plunged into the hard stuff that takes a lot of time and patience. I made Cheddar and Monterrey jack, which were actually quite easy, though tedious. They aged for months and finally I had my first taste. Pretty good, actually, and satisfying because I'd made them myself.
 
Since then I've taken classes on how to make mozzarella, feta, paneer, queso fresco, fromage blanc, etc. and still make those on a regular basis, as well as yogurt and piima-cultured butter. I just couldn't resist teaching Sophie Mae -- and maybe a reader or two -- how to do the same things.
 
As for setting the mystery where I live now, Sophie Mae's hometown is mentioned as being in Colorado in the very first book in the series, Lye in Wait. I'd lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost twenty years by then, and had no idea I'd move back to Colorado. But I did, and that provided me with the perfect opportunity to bring her home for one book.
 
In addition, her brother's suicide years before was one of the driving reasons Sophie Mae felt compelled to investigate the life -- and death -- of the neighborhood handyman who drank lye in her workroom in Lye in Wait. So the first book in the series set up the fourth. Yes, it was a way to avoid the dreaded Jessica Fletcher Syndrome, where more people are murdered in one small town than is remotely feasible. But as I wrote books two and three, I really wanted to know more about Sophie Mae's background, her family, and what happened to her brother. Something Borrowed, Something Bleu was the answer.
 
If you want to know more about the Home Crafting Mystery Series my website is www.cricketmcrae.com . And on my blog, www.hearthcricket.com , I talk about writing, food, gardening, and various domestic arts.

~Cricket

Cricket, thanks so much for blogging here today on the release of Something Borrowed, Something Bleu. Learning additional background on Sophie and the series has been interesting. Remember, Cricket will be available to answer any questions you might have about her latest release, the series or her writing.