“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” my Aunt Cricket is fond of saying. Great advice, right? But everybody can’t leave, can they? Someone has to stay in the kitchen and take the heat. Well, wouldn’t you know it – today that person was me.
Hi there, my name is Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway, but my friends have always called me “Sugar.” I guess it’s an appropriate moniker because I was raised by three strong Southern Sugarbaker sisters, my Aunt Cricket, my Aunt Celia, and my mother, Cate. Talk about steel magnolias – these three could’ve written the book on toughness wrapped in southern charm. I love them with all my heart. I do. But if you’ve ever dealt with family members who have every blessed bit of your life planned out for you, you might just understand why I took a job at a few thousand miles away.
It was a great job, too, with a well-known glossy food magazine. All was going well until my employer downsized and I found myself with a nice severance but no prospects. So when I got a call from Dixie Spicer, an award-winning baker I’d done a feature on, and she was looking to start a cookbook business, I jumped at the chance to partner with her. And Sugar & Spice Cookbook Publishing was born. We do community cookbooks, the kind used by local groups as fundraisers.
I relocated to the small town where Dixie grew up. I love St. Ignatius, love working with Dixie, and most days I love the cookbook business. But back to that “heat” I mentioned earlier. The truth is today we had a bit of the problem when a disagreement over competing scone recipes turned into all-out scone wars.
It fell to me to try to make peace and to figure out which of the recipes would go into the St. Ignatius Founders’ Day Commemorative Cookbook. Would it be Bertie Sparks’ Proper English Scones or Elsie Famer’s Irish Scones? I decided I’d just talk to each of them and get them to see reason, but one of them was in no shape to discuss recipes. One of them was dead.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win copy of Game of Scones, either Kindle/Nook (open to everyone) or print (U.S. residents only), winner’s choice. The giveaway will end December 6, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read more about Sugar in Game of Scones, the first book in the NEW “Sugar & Spice” mystery series.
After losing her job as food editor at a glossy magazine, Rosetta Sugarbaker Calloway—aka “Sugar” to her friends—isn’t sweet on accepting defeat and crawling back to her gossipy southern hometown. So when she has an opportunity to launch a community cookbook business with blue-ribbon baker Dixie Spicer in peaceful St. Ignatius, Iowa, she jumps at the chance to start over from scratch . . .
But as Sugar assembles recipes for the local centennial celebration, it’s not long before she’s up to her oven mitts in explosive threats, too-hot-to-handle scandals, and a dead body belonging to the moody matriarch of the town’s first family. With suspicions running wild, Sugar and Spice must solve the murder before someone innocent takes the heat—and the real culprit gathers enough ingredients to strike again.
Purchase Link
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About the author
Mary Lee Ashford writes the Sugar and Spice series for Kensington Books, and also writes as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a current board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death the RWA Mystery Suspense chapter, Sisters in Crime, and the SinC Internet group, Guppies. She teaches a university level class on Creative Management and also blogs about creativity on Unleash Your Creativity. Her delights are encouraging other writers, reading, and enjoying her family, especially her six grandchildren.
More info here: maryleeashford.com
Love the book title and cover. It really makes me want to read the book and see what happens!!
I love new series! I like ones about food and this one sounds very good! The cover makes me want to make up a batch of scones!
Thank you for giving away a copy of the book.
I enjoy cookbooks from various organizations and know how hard it is to determine who gets their recipe included and who doesn’t. I would love to have the chance to read this book.
The beginning of a new series is always exciting. This book has been on my “Coming Soon” TBR list for a while…I can’t wait to read it.
Sounds like a fun new series. Hopefully with some scone recipes!
Sounds good to me. Thanks.
I love “scone wars”.This sounds like a fun new series – and that cover is yummy looking!
That cover is making me hungry, and the title made me chuckle!! I plan to give this one a try.
Thanks for the chance to win a print copy.
Thanks for the chance. I like scones so the title caught my interest
Thanks for this delightful book which look delectable. Print copy would be wonderful.
Great title! I think the book sounds wonderful and would love to win a copy. I especially like Sugar’s Aunt’s names ~
Sounds like a sweet cozy, thank you for the chance to win a print copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
What a fun story, am sure it would be interesting to see bits and pieces of what is entailed in the publishing of those cookbooks. And, I can just imagine the rivalry between some people on getting their recipe included.
What an interesting new series! I am sure many of us have been involved with this type of cookbook project. I will enjoy reading about the behind the scenes projects and of course how she solves the murder!
Thanks for the chance to win a copy.😊
This sounds really fun. I’ll definitely be adding it to my TBR list!
I can’t wait to read this one.
Sugar & Spice sounds like a fun new series. Thank you for this chance.
This sounds so good. Can’t wait to read it
This sounds like a fun new series! Can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the chance to win!
Love the title and the picture makes me hungry. Love the sound of this one.
“Game of Scones”! Too clever.
Game of Scones? Of course I want to win a book with such a clever title. Yes, please!
Love the title! And scones are one of my favorites. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
I can’t wait to read this one.
I’d say include both scones recipes, but since one of the creators has been murdered, I guess that’s really not possible.
Sounds like a fun read. Great title and cover.
Certainly looking forward to reading this book! Thanks for the giveaway
Scones!!!!!
Thank you for the giveaway……
Can’t wait to read it – downloaded already!!! Love the premise, Mary Lee!! Best wishes on your new book!!!
Great title!
**** WINNER ****
Game of Scones is sharon
Congratulations!