So, I wasn't planning to participate in Top Ten Tuesday this week because I already posted a review today, plus this week's TTT topic is, well, tough.  Some of the topics inspire dozens of answers to pop into my head, others just ... don't.  Still, I didn't want to miss out on the fun, so I just twisted the prompt to suit my needs a little better.  If you want to liven up your Tuesday a little, click on over to The Broke and the Bookish to get the skinny on how to participate.  It's easy!  It's fun!  It will give you clear skin and firm thighs!  Well, maybe not that last bit ...

Anyway, this week's topic is: Top Ten Characters You'd Like to Check In With.  Since I could only think of ones I figured would be on everyone's lists (Scout Finch, Scarlett O'Hara, etc.), I decided to focus my list on characters whom I can check in with, but whom I've been neglecting of late.


1.  "Bloody" Jacky Faber (Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer)—You've heard me rave on and on about how much I love Jacky.  She's a fantastic, larger-than-life heroine who makes me laugh.  As much as I adore her, though, I've only read half of the books in the series.  I need to pick up My Bonny Light Horseman soon and see what crazy adventure Jacky's on this time!


2.  Amelia Peabody (Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters)—Amelia Peabody is more understated than Jacky Faber, but she's also a heroine who has great adventures.  Her shocking actions/demeanor make me laugh.  I haven't read a Peabody mystery in some time and might have to re-start the series so I can remember who's who and what's what.  Or, I might just start where I left off (Book 5?  Book 6?).


3.  Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan)—Percy Jackson is one of my kids' favorite heroes.  I enjoyed The Lightning Thief, but never moved on with the series.  I think I need to drop back in and see what the young demi-god is up to these days.


4.  Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis)—I loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I read it in elementary school.  Why I never read the rest of the series, I really don't know.  I've regretted it ever since and should really finish it up.  I have at least two sets of the books on my shelf, so I have no excuses ...  




5.  Mel, Jack, Preacher & Co. (Virgin River series by Robyn Carr); Hank Cooper & Co. (Thunder Point series by Robyn Carr)—I love Carr's romance novels with their small-town settings and big-hearted people.  I've read over half of the former series, but only the first of the latter.  I've got some catching up to do, for sure!


6.  Hannah Swensen (Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke)—Yes, I realize these are the silliest murder mysteries in the history of murder mysteries.  I blame my friend Tara for turning me on to them.  She's right, though, they're useful when you want to read a light, easy mystery that won't turn your stomach or tax your brain.  Also, there are the recipes.  So, yeah, I definitely need to pop back into this series to see what's going down with the cookie baker turned amateur sleuth.


7.  Cammie Morgan & Co. (Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter)—I love this outlandish, warm-hearted series.  It's just fun.  The girls always have something crazy going on, so visiting them is a guaranteed good time.  I need to start Number Three, Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover, soon.


8.  Don Tillman & Rosie Jarman (Rosie series by Graeme Simsion)—The Rosie Project made me laugh out loud (many times) and root for this unlikely pair.  I'm curious to see what happens to them next.  Good thing I'm already on the library's waiting list for The Rosie Effect.


9.  Odd Thomas (Odd series by Dean Koontz)—Although I was not happy with the ending of Odd Thomas, the first installment in this popular series, I enjoyed the book.  Considering what happened to poor Odd in the first novel, I definitely need to check in with him and see if he's okay.


10.  Ruth Galloway (Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths)—Okay, so I just barely left this English archaeologist, but I'm ready for another visit to the salt marshes she loves so much.  Especially since the first novel ends not in a cliffhanger, but in an intriguing twist.  I definitely want to see where it leads!

So, there you have it.  I'm obviously horrendous at completing series.  The worst thing is, I feel like I've left all these characters hanging, like they've just been suspended in time until I open their books and release them.  When will I stop neglecting these poor story people?  Hopefully soon.  Which fictional characters have you been ignoring?  Which are you still wondering about?  Who would you like to catch up with?  I'd love to see your TTT list.

Happy reading!

*All book images from Barnes & Noble

Happy Tuesday!  If you haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday before, you really should join in the fun.  It's always a good time.  Promise!  Click on over to our hostesses' blog, The Broke and the Bookish, for the details about this always delightful weekly event.

Today's TTT topic is a freebie and don't we all love those?  I debated which subject to choose (Top Ten Books that Scare the Snot Out of Me?  Top Ten Books that Make Me Cry Like a Baby?  Top Ten Books You Couldn't Pay Me to Read Again?), finally settling on Top Ten Books that Make Me Want to Change My Profession.  First, a true confession:  I don't actually have a profession.  I mean, I do have the most important job in the world, but it's not like I get paid to raise my children (darn it!).  And, although motherhood definitely has its drama, suspense, action/adventure and horror, it's not the kind of sexy, book-worthy career that makes readers shout, "Now, that's what I want to be when I grow up."  Just so I'm clear, there's nothing I'd rather be right now than a stay-at-home mom, but these books definitely offer some intriguing career possibilities ...


1.  The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer—After Captain Jack Sparrow appeared on the big screen in all his strange, but incredibly attractive glory, every female on the planet wanted to be romanced by a pirate.  L.A. Meyer's books, though, make me want to be a pirate.  I mean, the series' heroine, Jacky Faber, makes swinging through the rigging, sailing the open sea, and sword fighting with bloodthirsty savages look like the adventure of a lifetime.  Why she longs to be a proper young lady, I'll never know!


2.  The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter—I've never had any desire to be a female OO7, but I gotta admit, these middle grade books almost change my mind about becoming a spy.  Attending a super exclusive boarding school, going on intense, secret training missions and playing with the newest, coolest tech toys—well, it looks like loads of fun.


3.  The Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke—I'm not the greatest baker in the world, but I do love me some warm, gooey cookies.  So, being a cookie maker doesn't sound bad at all!  I can totally see myself bustling around a warm, bright cookie shop filling display cases with scrumptious goodies, chatting with customers, and baking up a storm in my shiny professional kitchen.  I'd give Hannah Swensen a run for her money, that's for sure!



4.  The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling—Okay, I don't know if wizard (or witch, I guess) counts as a profession, so I'm going to choose Hogwarts professor instead.  Because, aside from the constant presence of that pesky Voldemort (not to mention bratty Draco Malfoy), it looks like a pretty nice gig!



5.  The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare—I'm a huge wimp, but c'mon, doesn't Clare's crew make demon hunting look pretty darn sexy?  I could totally be a kick-butt demon hunter.  Okay, I couldn't, but it's a fun daydream.


6.  Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys—Lots of novels feature bookshop owners and that's a profession I think I'd totally rock at in the real (unlike pirate or spy or demon hunter).  One of my favorite parts of this book is the descriptions of how Josie and Patrick size up potential customers, bet on what kind of book they're looking for, then compete with each other to find the perfect tome for that person.  It reminds me of playing "Guess the Major" when I worked at the BYU Creamery!


7.  The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters—While lots of people find archaeology endlessly fascinating, I'm really not one of them.  Discovering ancient artifacts does sound cool, I agree, but nothing about digging for days and days under a sweltering desert sun sounds all that appealing.  Enter Amelia Peabody.  She's an average Jane who does the whole Egyptologist thing in style.  She makes slipping down the Nile in a houseboat and solving mysteries sound like the perfect profession for an average Jane like me.


8.  Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper—After watching my mom slave away as a passionate, but vastly underpaid teacher, I knew that was one thing I did not want to be when I grew up.  Even when it made a lot of sense for me to earn a teaching degree along with my B.A. in English, I resisted.  And, truthfully, it's probably for the best—I don't think I would have had the patience for it, especially not to be a special education teacher, which is what my mom did before she retired from the profession.  Still, when I hear my mom's stories about touching children's lives as well as reading books like Out of My Mind, it makes me realize how important teachers are, especially those who work so diligently and patiently to help those with special needs receive the best education they can get.



9.  That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard—Truth is, I find the whole circus thing a little creepy.  Still, Howard made me reconsider (for a second, at least) running off to join up as a trapeze artist or a palm reader.  I would have to pass on the pooper scooper job, even though I actually have some experience in that arena (thank you, summer job at the vet's office when I was 16).


10.  Misery by Stephen King—Okay, so a story about a fiction writer held captive by a psychotic fan should not make one want to be a novelist.  And yet, how cool would it be to know the words you wrote had that much power over someone else?  Very cool, indeed.              

How about you?  Which books make you want to pursue a whole new profession?  Or, which make you proud to be working the job you are?  I'd love to know.  

* Book images are from Barnes & Noble and Fantastic Fiction

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic (Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light and Fun) should be a simple one, but I had to really wrack my brain to come up with six books/authors that fit the category, let alone ten.  I guess it's because I don't actually read this genre often.  Maybe I should?  It would at least offset all those dark, depressing dystopians I like so much ...

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that this always popular meme is hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish.  If you haven't joined in the fun yet, give it a try.  It's a good time, I promise!

So, okay, here's what I came up with:

1.  Ally Carter—I recently read the first book in Carter's middle grade spy school series (I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You) and it was totally fun.  Heist Society, her YA series, is similar.  They're light, funny, enjoyable books that are perfect when you need a fast, breezy story to take your mind off the weighty things of the world!

2.  Melanie Jacobson—If you're into LDS fiction (and I'm not talking the so-cheesy-it-hurts kind), Jacobson is your new best friend.  Her new adult romances are contemporary, fun and better written than just about anything else you'll find at an LDS bookstore.

3.  Lindsey Leavitt—Leavitt's middle grade Princess for Hire series offers a lot of good, clean fun.  I also really liked Sean Griswold's Head, although it's a little more serious.  I've got Leavitt's newest, a YA novel called Going Vintage, on my Kindle, I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet ... better get on that!

4.  Janette Rallison—Fun, easy reads are Rallison's trademark.  Her Fairy Godmother books are especially charming (a little princess joke—hee hee).

5.  Meg Cabot—Okay, so I haven't actually read anything by Cabot, but I'm totally planning to.  I've heard her books fit this category super well ...

6.  Joanne Fluke—I'm not going to lie, Fluke's culinary mysteries are TERRIBLE.  But, if I'm in the mood for something that's entertaining while requiring very little from my always overtaxed brain cells, these books do the trick every time.

Since I obviously need lots of help in this category, throw out some suggestions.  Which light, fun books should I be reading?

Since Hannah is, primarily, a cookie baker, the majority of "her" recipes are for just that. From drop cookies to bar cookies to cut-out cookies to a cookie pizza, the variety is dazzling. Hannah's specialty might be cookies, but that's not all she does - "her" cookbook includes instructions for making several different types of candy, muffins, cakes, cupcakes, pies, even soups and salads. All of the recipes look delicious, are clearly worded and seem to be doable even for newbie bakers. Oh, and did I mention the substitutions list that starts on Page 323? I've never seen the like - who knew there were substitutes for brown sugar, self-rising flour, even eggs? I didn't.

Those bakers who also love the Hannah Swenson books will enjoy the story that runs through the cookbook. It's nothing terribly exciting (no one gets killed anyway) and you won't miss any important plot developments by ignoring it, but it's kind of fun to read about Hannah's catering woes during an oncoming snowstorm. Also, on the inside book covers is a quaint, colorful map of Lake Eden - something I, at least, have never seen before. It's a fun visual that helps bring Fluke's stories to life.

My complaints about the cookbook are few. I would have liked a bigger, spiral-bound version, which would make the book much more kitchen-friendly. As is, it's formatted like another volume in the series - hardbound, with no color (except on the map). Also, it would have been really nice to see color photos of each of the finished products, since, without a picture, I'm never sure if what I baked looks like it's supposed to look. Additionally, the recipes do not include any nutritional info at all. Considering how much fat and sugar are in many of them, maybe it's better that I not know!

Despite those little annoyances, I've been really pleased with Lake Eden Cookbook: Hannah Swensen's Recipes From The Cookie Jar. I can't wait to try more of the recipes, since they all look fantastic. If you've got a Fluke fan or a baker or both on your Christmas list this year, search this one out. Seriously. Just thinking about baking more of Hannah's sweet treats makes me salivate. Mmm, mmm, mmm. I hope Fluke's coming out with a diet cookbook next - I'm definitely going to need it!

(Readalikes: All the books in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series, including Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Strawberry Shortcake Murder, Blueberry Muffin Murder and Lemon Meringue Pie Murder)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for very mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I bought The Lake Eden Cookbook from Amazon with some of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.)

I must have been really overloaded on Halloween candy when I selected the recipes I wanted to make for this blog post. Usually, I go straight for the chocolate, but the two treats I selected both involve fruit (which totally makes them healthy, right?). Enjoy!

Oh, and in the recipes, comments in parantheses are Fluke's/Swensen's, comments in brackets are mine.

3 cups orange juice (you'll need 6 cups in all)

Pour the 3 cups of orange juice into a blender. Add the envelope of dry Dream Whip and the dry pudding mix. Blend for one minute on LOW and then for another minute on MEDIUM speed.

Pour the mixture into a 2-quart pitcher. Add the remaining 3 cups of orange juice and stir well.

Yield: Makes almost 2 quarts

When you've finished forming and coating all your lime balls and placing them in the cake pan, cover them with another sheet of wax paper and refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours before serving. If you're not serving them for several days, place a sheet of foil over the cake pan and secure it tightly. keep the cake pan in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

2 c. melted butter (4 sticks)
2 c. brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 c. white sugar (granulated)
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)
2 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cream of tartar (critical!)
1 t. salt
4 1/4 c. white flour (not sifted)

Dough-ball rolling mixture:

1/2 c. white sugar
1 t. cinnamon

Melt the butter. Add the sugars and mix. Let the mixture cool to room temperature while you beat the eggs, and then stir them in. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sat. Mix well. Add flour in increments, mixing after each addition.

Use your hands to roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. (If dough is too sticky, chill for an hour before rolling.)

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl to make the dough-ball rolling mixture. (Mixing it with a fork works nicely.) Roll the dough balls in the mixture, then place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten the dough balls with a greased or floured spatula.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (They should have a touch of gold around the edges.) Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.

Yield: Approximately 8 dozen, depending on cookie size.

Hannah's note: Lisa loves these cookies - it's the only time I've seen her eat a half-dozen of anything at one sitting.

My thoughts on the recipe: If you love Snickerdoodles (and I do), you're going to enjoy this recipe since Cinnamon Crisps are basically crispy Snickerdoodles. They're not crispy like hard, but crispy like delicate, and only around the edges. The centers are all moist, buttery yum-ness. I loved these, as did my children, at least one of whom said, "These are the best cookies you've ever made, Mom!" They're easy to make and always turn out nicely - what's not to love?

(Note: This recipe was used by permission from Joanne Fluke. The photo was snapped by yours truly.)

(Note: Although the books in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series work quite well as standalones, I'm reading them in order. Thus, while this review will not contain spoilers for Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier books. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

In order to enjoy Fluke's cozy, culinary mysteries, there's a little mantra I have to repeat to myself before opening one:

• Even though our cookie-baking heroine talks, acts and dresses like a frumpy 65-year-old, Hannah Swensen is supposed to be in her late 20s. So what if she doesn't own a cell phone, wears elastic-waisted slacks to work, and dates a guy named Norman? She's not even 30! Just accept it already.


• No small town has as many murders as Lake Eden, Minnesota. Nor do real cops allow ordinary citizens to interview witnesses, creep around crime scenes, and chase down killers. Just sayin'.


• Lake Eden's finest are the naivest, most bumbling police officers on Earth - if Hannah Swensen wasn't around to guide them toward clues, motives and possible suspects, they would never solve a crime.


• Just because I have the mysteries figured out by Chapter 2 doesn't mean I can't enjoy Fluke's books for their light, fun, mostly clean content.

Tiny Lake Eden's quickly becoming murder central, and much to her mother's chagrin, Hannah Swensen seems to be finding all the bodies. In Strawberry Shortcake Murder, it's Boyd Watson, the high school basketball coach, who's taken the bullet (actually the hammer). He's no one's favorite person - in fact, his snide comments during last night's stint as a cooking contest judge earned him even more enemies. No one blames Danielle for offing her unpleasant husband, especially since he'd used her as a punching bag on more than one occasion, but the battered wife claims innocence. She says she took a large dose of cold medicine, went to bed, and woke up to find Boyd laying in a pool of blood in their garage. As to who else would have motive to kill him - well, really, who wouldn't?


Although the town cops - Mike (one of Hannah's steady dates) and Bill (her brother-in-law) -warn her to let the professionals handle this one, the cookie chef's not about to back down. While she's pondering how to clear Danielle's name, another mystery saunters right into her cookie shop: Lucy Richards, Lake Eden's sad excuse for a cub reporter, decked out in expensive clothes and driving a new Grand Am. The newspaper hardly pays enough to keep her in steno notepads, let alone her pricey new wheels and wardrobe. She hints at an upcoming book deal, but Hannah knows Lucy can barely write her own name. What kind of publisher pays big bucks for an expose by an unknown, and not very talented writer? Hannah smells a lie. But, if Lucy's not collecting a big advance, where did she get the money?


With her sister playing Watson to her Sherlock Holmes, Hannah uncovers some disturbing truths about Lucy. The more she investigates, the more she realizes that Lucy's windfall and Boyd Watson's murder might be connected. But, just when she's about to confront the reporter, she finds that Lucy's up and skipped town. Desperate to free Danielle from suspicion, Hannah chases down clues until she knows exacty what happened to Boyd Watson. The trouble is she needs to confront an absent Lucy (the reporter's nowhere to be found), share her evidence with the police (which would mean admitting she broke into Lucy's apartment), and keep her own neck out of harm's way (which is getting increasingly difficult since she knows who the killer is and the killer knows she knows). Can Hannah expose Boyd's murderer in time? Or will hers be the next body to make an appearance at the town morgue? With Hannah on the case, one thing's for sure - it's bound to be one interesting (and delicious) investigation.

Preheat oven to 350. Rack in middle position.

2 c. flour (no need to sift)
1 c. cold butter (2 sticks; 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 c. powdered (confectioner's) sugar (no need to sift, unless it's got big lumps)

4 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)
2 c. white (granulated) sugar
8 T. lemon juice (1/2 c.)
1 t. or so of zest (opt.) (zest is finely grated lemon peel)
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
4 T. flour (that's 1/4 c. - don't bother to sift)

Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces. Zoop it up with the flour and the powdered sugar in a food processor until it looks like coarse cornmeal (just like the first step in making a piecrust). Spread it out in a greased 9 x 13" pan (that's a standard sheet cake pan) and pat it down with your hands.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Remove from oven (Don't turn off the oven!).

Mix eggs with white sugar. Add lemon juice (and zest, if you want to use it). Add salt and baking powder and mix. Then add flour and mix thoroughly (This will be runny - it's supposed to be).

Pour this mixture on top of the pan you just baked and stick it back in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F. for another 30 to 35 minutes. Then remove from the oven and sprinkle on additional powdered sugar.

Let cool thoroughly and cut into brownie-sized bars.

Susan's note: All of the recipes in Fluke's books include a note from Hannah Swensen. I omitted it in this case as it contains spoilers.

My thoughts on the recipe: Well, I'm not the world's greatest baker, so it's not surprising that I had a few problems when making these. Nothing big, though. I don't have a food processor, so I tried blending up the crust ingredients in my 12-year-old blender. It wasn't exactly up to the task, so I ended up just mashing it together with a fork. A bit of a pain since the butter was cold, but not a big deal. I also ended up baking it about 5 minutes too long, which resulted in burnt edges. That was my fault - I didn't check it when I should have.

The good news is, the lemon bars still turned out wonderfully. They have a nice, flaky crust, and the filling has just the right consistency - not too runny, not too firm. I also liked that these aren't sickenly sweet or too sour. They're perfect. Just delish.

A funny - As I was sampling these lemon bars, I kept thinking they were a lot less sweet than the bars I usually make. Curious, I pulled out my recipe (which comes from an old LDS cookbook), and guess what? The recipes are exactly the same! I guess that means it's a winner.

Another note: This recipe was used with permission from Joanne Fluke (actually, from her husband "for Herself"). I copied it directly from the book, then returned the book to the library, so any errors are my own. Oh, and I have no idea why these are identified as "cookies" - they're definitely bars. Bar cookies, I guess? Who cares? They're yummy.

I feel like I've been reading some "heavy" stuff lately, what with After Etan, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Hunger Games, etc. Then, because After Etan didn't freak me out quite enough, I watched Changeling (which is actually very similar to After Etan). What I'm trying to say is that I felt like I needed something a little lighter to even out my "heavier" reading. I immediately thought of Joanne Fluke's culinary mysteries starring Hannah Swensen.

Now, this series is not completely new to me. A few years ago, a copy of Sugar Cookie Murder was circulating through my family. I read it, thought, "silly, predictable, and why does the 30ish main character talk and act like a 60-year-old?" I set the book aside, vowing not to bother with the rest of the series. Fast forward a few years. A few months ago, my friend called asking if I wanted to go with her to The Poisoned Pen (a cozy little indie bookshop, which specializes in mysteries) in nearby Scottsdale to meet one of her favorite authors. Guess who? Joanne Fluke. I told my friend about my experience with Sugar Cookie Murder; she replied, "Oh, I know they're the cheesiest mysteries ever, but they're fun, clean and the recipes are sooo good." Duly convinced, I accepted the invite. And had a great time. Joanne was interesting, gracious and very personable (Don't believe me? You can check out the video of her interview at The Poisoned Pen's blog. Click on the video player on the right sidebar, then click "On Demand" and scroll down until you see Joanne's name. BTW: My friend is the one who asks Joanne why she decided to write "clean" mysteries.) Because I'm all about supporting indie stores, I bought a copy of the newest book - The Creampuff Murder - and had the author sign it.


You know me and series' - I can't start with the last book, or even one in the middle, I have to begin at the beginning. So, I decided why not make this into a reading challenge? It's going to be a personal reading challenge, although you can join me if you'd like. The best part about it is this - you can win prizes just for following along. This is how it's going to work: I'm going to read each book; write a review; then do a "Cookin' the Books" feature, where I make one recipe from each story. Here's where you come in: If you comment on the posts, you will receive one entry (even if you comment on one book review multiple times, you will only receive one entry/review) into my giveaways, of which there will be two. I will draw one name when I reach the halfway point (Book 7) in my Hannah Swenson adventure, and one when I complete the challenge. The first prize will be a new (unsigned) copy of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder; the second will be my signed, hardcover, brand-spankin'-new copy of Cream Puff Murder. I can't give you a deadline for the challenge's end, because it will depend on the availability of the books at my local library as well as how fast I can read. Here's a rundown of the books in the Hannah Swensen series (which I will post on my sidebar, so you can follow my progress):

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

2. Candy for Christmas (a novella that appears inside special editions of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.)

3. Strawberry Shortcake Murder

4. Blueberry Muffin Murder

5. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder

6. Fudge Cupcake Murder

7. Sugar Cookie Murder (this will be a re-read)

8. Peach Cobbler Murder

9. Sugar and Spice (novella/short story - part of a collection)

10. Key Lime Pie Murder

11. Carrot Cake Murder

12. Candy Cane Murder

13. Cream Puff Murder

14. Plum Pudding Murder (to be released October 2009)

Easy Cheesy, as my 7-year-old likes to say. I call it "Light & Fluffy." Any way you describe it, it should be fun. And who couldn't use a little lightheartedness these days, eh?/