Thursday, February 06, 2025

Book Blitz - Stupid Carrot, MD: Parenting Children to Independence by Dr. Kenneth J. Cruse, MD

STUPID CARROT, MD

Parenting Children to Independence

by

Dr. Kenneth J. Cruse, MD


NonFiction

Publisher: MindStir Media

Publication Date: January 27, 2025

Page count: 180 pages


SYNOPSIS:

Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys, but it can also feel like an overwhelming journey filled with doubts, challenges, and endless questions. In Stupid Carrot, M.D., pediatrician Dr. Kenneth Cruse draws on over 30 years of experience helping families navigate the ups and downs of raising children—and his own experiences as a father—to create a practical and relatable guide for parents at every stage.

From sleepless newborn nights to the unpredictable teenage years, Dr. Cruse addresses key milestones in child development with warmth, humor, and expert insights. This book dives into today’s cost pressing pediatric challenges, including:


          • Electronic communication and social media
          • Alcohol and substance abuse
          • Sexuality and gender identity
          • Building resilience and independence

Packed with lighthearted anecdotes, real-life stories, and actionable advice, Stupid Carrot, MD. reassures parents that they are not alone in the chaos of raising children. Whether you’re navigating your first diaper change or your teenager’s social life, this book is a trusted companion, helping you empower your kids to become confident, independent adults.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kenneth J. Cruse, MD, FAAP

Dr. Cruse has been a practicing pediatrician in Thibodaux, LA, since 1995. He graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, in 1991. He completed his internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX, in 1994. After practicing as an emergency room pediatrician at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, LA, he opened his private practice in Thibodaux. He has witnessed tremendous changes in medical care for children during his tenure in practice.

During this time, he and his wife, Maria, who is also a physician, reared their three children while working in their respective fields. They have always stressed the importance of instilling solid foundations for their children to allow them to be independent adults. He feels he learned so much from his own children, and this made him a better father and a better pediatrician. Stupid Carrot, M.D. is a culmination of both his personal and professional experiences which he openly shares with readers to assist them on their parenting journey.

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RABT Book Tours & PR

Children's Book Review: The Owls of Wickenden Wood by Shauna Kramer Barnes, illustrated by Leonid Rozenberg

The Owls of Wickenden WoodThe Owls of Wickenden Wood by Shauna Kramer Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A beautifully illustrated and wonderous tale of woodland magic.

The Owls of Wickenden Wood by Shauna Kramer Barnes is a beautifully illustrated children’s picture book of a magical woodland adventure. The cool crispness of the pictures brings to life the mysterious tale of a young visitor suddenly transported to a secret woodland setting where owls talk and rule over the comings and goings in their presence. The suspense builds as the child traveler is asked to tell a story to the owls in exchange for returning to the woods from which he came.

In the drawings, the owls quickly multiply in number, eager to hear a new story, and the young visitor must gather his courage to meet their challenge. As his confidence builds, he is able to please the gathering with his tale and successfully gains permission to return to his home woods. The omission of color from the increasing crowd of owls lends an uneasy edge to the story, and I know that if I had been confronted with the burgeoning mass, I would have been fearful of the situation. The story provides plenty of opportunities for side discussions with young listeners about how they would feel, what they would do, and what they thought would happen next, making this a nice choice for reading aloud to small, intimate groups. For the most part, the illustrations present images of close-up action, with only glimpses of a foot here or there of the young visitor. This may make the visuals less effective when reading aloud to larger groups who may be unable to discern the half-seen evidence of the child’s presence.

Rosenberg’s illustrations match the emotions and vibe of the author’s woods and complement the energy of the story. Very young readers may be a little alarmed by the sudden and growing crowd of owls initially, but once the simple and happy resolution is revealed, all should be satisfied and reassured.

I recommend THE OWLS OF WICKENDEN WOOD for sharing with young listeners in the classroom, in after-school programs, and as a bedtime story.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.




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Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Book Review: No Life but Immortality (Geryon's Code Cycle, #1) by Liudmila Brus

No Life but Immortality: Book 1 of Geryon's Code CycleNo Life but Immortality: Book 1 of Geryon's Code Cycle by Liudmila Brus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Futuristic Martian human colonists search for what has happened to their home planet of Earth.

No Life But Immortality is the first book in author Liudmila Brus’s science fiction series, Geryon’s Code Cycle and it is a densely built tale of a future world with humans populating Mars, Earth, and the moon. When the Mars colonies lose contact with their home planet of Earth, and an exploratory space mission to determine Earth’s status goes missing and presumed lost, the governing council must decide whether or not to follow up with a second attempt. Eventually, armed with additional resources, a new ship goes in search of the lost mission and its crew with unexpected and life-or-death results.

This story, while having moments of action and suspense, is more of a world-building and investigative sci-fi mystery. I enjoyed the individual storylines offered at the start on which the main plot was built. Each main character is engaging in their own way and someone you want to know more about. However, they appear in the story over a number of years, and the author surprised me with how they finally interconnected - most not in life or face-to-face.

The narrative is dense with discussion and description and isn’t one to choose for light reading. At times, I had difficulty staying with the story because of execution issues: unusual wording or even wrong words used entirely. But the end result was worth the little extra effort.

I recommend NO LIFE BUT IMMORTALITY to science fiction readers.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through WOW! Women On Writing Book Tours.


View all my reviews

Tuesday, February 04, 2025

Release Blitz: Bound to Happen (Bound, #2) by Annie R. McEwen


Bound to Happen
Bound, Book Two
by
Annie R. McEwen


Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
Page count: 334 pages


SYNOPSIS:

The women in her family have a history of falling in love with ghosts. Aoife's positive she's the exception to the rule.

She's wrong. 

Aoife 'Fee' Gowdie is exploring a derelict London music hall when she discovers a seventeenth century theatre below. The problem? It's got a seventeenth century ghost in it. And he has a pet-Fee's mouse, the one she buried that morning.

Gilbert 'Gil' Sorley-orphan, thief, actor, playwright-was born in 1613 and died... The jury's still out on that. He remembers the moment. The fight, the blade, the blood. It's been a gray wasteland since then. Until the miracle of her. And the mouse.

The old theatre has protected Gil for centuries, but now it's slated for demolition. To stop time and death, Fee and Gil have nothing except desperate, impossible love. Is it enough?

BOUND TO HAPPEN by Annie R McEwen is perfect for fans of Discovery of Witches and Practical Magic, the A Stitch in Time books, Ghost, and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A career historian, Annie R McEwen has lived in six countries and under every roof from a canvas tent to a Georgian Era manor house, all of which helps her create award-winning romance set in faraway times and places. Annie has novels and series available on every major sales platform. Her publishers are Harbor Lane Books (US), Bloodhound Books (UK), Rowan Prose Publishing, and The Wild Rose Press. When she’s not in her 1920s bungalow in Florida, Annie writes, blogs, and explores castles in Wales, which is just about the most magical place on the planet.

Winner of the 2022 Page Turners Award, Genre (Romance) Category, Annie also garnered both First and Second Place 2022 RTTAs (Romance Through Ages Awards from Romance Writers of America), the 2023 MAGGIE Award, and the 2023 Daphne du Maurier Award. A Finalist for the 2024 Page Turners Writing Award, she was Shortlisted for a Writing Mentorship Award. Her short fiction appears in multiple anthologies.

Annie's got more WIPs than kittens. Here's one: a romantic suspense novel about pirates on the Kentish coast in the late 1700s. In it, her third great-grandad, a 4th Light Dragoon, makes a cameo appearance.

Find out the good stuff, get free, cracking good short fiction, book release dates, an outrageously interesting blog, and a monthly funny paper by visiting her website below and tapping SUBSCRIBE on the Contact page.



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Monday, February 03, 2025

Book Tour: The County by Zane Horowitz


The County
by
 Zane Horowitz

Medical Thriller
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Publication Date: November 7, 2024
Page count: 302 pages

SYNOPSIS:

For Sam Wyatt, his intern year was going to be the hardest year of his life. Profoundly affected by violence and death - and long before it was called PTSD or burnout - Sam and his fellow interns, Wilson Harrison, Gina Bautista, and Harry Martin must find a way to survive in THE COUNTY.

Doubting their choices, working 90 hours a week, lacking sleep, surviving on a diet of bad food and black coffee, each must learn to work in the understaffed, underfunded, and deteriorating hospital taking care of critically ill patients; for a system demanding they be constantly overworked if they want to become the doctors they promised themselves they would be.

Within this brutal system, Sam finds a mentor in Fish - his senior resident and the only one to tell him the actual rules to survive:

• Everyone will try to kill your patient, except you.

• It's OK to be wrong, but never unsure.

• Rebels are shot at dawn.

Fish should know. He had been through it just a year before. But would any of them make it out unscathed?

Set in the 1970's, this raw portrait of the birth of emergency medicine bears the roots of many of the problems underlying our broken medical system and our system of training doctors. Ones that have only progressively worsened since that time. But...

If you can persevere...

If you really follow Fish's rules...

Maybe you too can survive THE COUNTY.


Click to Purchase!

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About the Author

In a career that spanned 5 decades in emergency medicine, Dr. Zane Horowitz was there when the specialty began. He worked predominantly in county hospitals and trauma centers throughout his 45-year career. He has seen the best and the worst of healthcare delivery. Since those early days, he has held many roles in the field of emergency medicine. He directed pre-hospital ambulance systems, supervised a multi-county rural EMS system and an air-medical helicopter service, and worked in community and rural critical access emergency departments. Currently, he is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health Science University, and he practices medical toxicology as the Associate Medical Director with the Oregon Poison Center. With over 100 medical publications Zane Horowitz now has written a novel about the early days of emergency medicine called THE COUNTY.




Review

5 stars!

Absolutely riveting! 

The County by Zane Horowitz is a riveting look at the training doctors receive after they graduate from medical school. This fictionalized version of the lives and experiences of a cohort of four young doctors is set in the 1970s at a county hospital in Central City, California, and reflects the conditions in the community and the state of medicine at that time. The four interns are an engaging and diverse group, each with their unique personalities, hopes, dreams, and private crosses to bear. I found myself completely caught up in their trials, hoping for them to succeed. 

While Dr. Sam Wyatt, one of the four new doctors, is the main character, the story also unfolds from the perspective of his three cohort members and the residents who are maybe a year or two or more down the road from them in their training and critical to their progress through the hospital’s internship program. His characters come alive with their individual backstories and, for some, what they have to handle in their personal lives. The medical cases they face cover a wide range of illnesses and injuries and make for very suspenseful reading, as many of their patients are literally fighting for their lives. The term “medical practice” also took on a whole new meaning for me. In creating the medical scenarios, the author subtly inserts symptoms, diagnostic testing, a variety of possible diagnoses, and little bits of medical history as well. 

The pace of the training and schedule is grueling and unforgettable, with the newly-minted doctors frequently on their feet for much longer than their 24-hour shifts. Also, as the hospital is in a less savory neighborhood, the doctors themselves face dangerous situations involving an often-desperate clientele. 

The author’s writing style is easy to read, comfortable, and immersive. Before I realized it, I was about halfway through the book before looking up and taking a break. I look forward to reading more by this writer. 

I recommend THE COUNTY to fiction readers, especially those who enjoy a medical story or setting.



RABT Book Tours & PR

Sunday, February 02, 2025

Book Review: The Doll from Dunedin (Genealogy Mystery, #2) by M.L. Condike

The Doll from Dunedin (A Genealogy Mystery Book 2)The Doll from Dunedin by ML Condike
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic new adventure in this fascinating genealogical mystery series.

The Doll from Dunedin is the second book in M.L. Condike’s wonderful Genealogy Mystery series featuring forensic genealogist RaeJean Hunter and the search for the missing heir of a wealthy New York woman she’s met while working on a previous assignment. Jill Harriet Hamilton had died earlier in the year. Per her will and the trust guiding her fortune, her attorneys had one year to locate her sole blood relation, purportedly living in New Zealand, before her considerable assets were bequeathed to Columbia University. With six months gone and no closer to locating the man, the firm turns to RaeJean for answers.

RaeJean is back, and this puzzling new case has a startling personal connection for her; she met the deceased client shortly before her death and subsequently rescued her beloved corgi, Eli, from an uncertain future. I love that her corgis have such a fun place in this series. Sam and RaeJean are anxious to start a family, and the timing of the case is a deciding factor on whether or not she even takes it on, especially considering the dangers she encountered on her last one.

The plot is intriguing, with secrecy and litigation-prone members of the deceased extended (and adoptive family) making RaeJean’s work tougher. Still, the high-risk case does offer an incredible payday should she find success. Besides the search into the adopted woman’s bloodline, another cold case from the distant past is wound throughout, and the questions about her runaway father are a recurring factor in the series. As in the series debut, an unusual antique with a mysterious effect on RaeJean embellishes the story.

I recommend THE DOLL FROM DUNEDIN to readers of historical mysteries, especially those with an interest in genealogical research and enjoy a touch of the paranormal in their stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through a Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaign.




View all my reviews

Saturday, February 01, 2025

Cover Reveal: My Grape Crush by Rowan Rossler

My Grape Crush
Rowan Rossler
Publication date: March 23, 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Every woman with a pulse knows who Rhys Trenton is. Influencer sensation. Global icon. A serious piece of man candy living the celebrity dream in his palazzo on Corfu. In no legitimate universe should the golden path of my social media crush ever cross with mine.

Except it does.

I’m Dani Rialto—jobless and vulnerable after a failed workplace romance shattered my confidence. When a prestigious winery offers me a dream marketing gig, there’s just one tiny problem. The new spokesperson for their rosé is none other than the free-spirited Rhys. And he lands in my sleepy wine town for five weeks to do whatever this buttoned-up career girl says.

Listen, I can play it cool. But after an embarrassing start to our working relationship, it turns out more than grapes can thrive in the heat. As a surprisingly complex Rhys melts my inhibitions, his fame sparks unexpected chaos, forcing us both to challenge our guarded hearts, that, like the finest vintages, can only breathe when we open them up.

Add to Goodreads


Author Bio:

Rowan Rossler writes spicy romance tales and is an aficionado of all things Italian—coffee, cars, clothing, and men!

Join my VIP newsletter for giveaways, behind the scenes, and exclusive content: ➡ rowan rossler dot com vip club

Find me on Facebook for all things love, literary & beautiful men: ➡ handle: rowan rossler

Or Tik Tokers, you know who you are! ➡ handle: rowan rossler

A little about me: I am hopeless romantic on a mission to make the world a better place, one love story at a time. I have a soft spot for animals, love to laugh, and never met a glass of champagne I didn't like.



Friday, January 31, 2025

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Soft Serve Sleighing (Coffee & Cream Cafe Mystery, #5) by Lena Gregory


Soft Serve Sleighing

Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, #5
by Lena Gregory

About Soft Serve Sleighing



Soft Serve Sleighing (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Long Island, NY
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing (January 28, 2025)
Number of Pages - 226
Kindle ASIN: B0DLHPWDNT

From author Lena Gregory comes a delightfully delicious cozy mystery...

With most of Eastern Long Island closed down for a blizzard, Danika Delaney and her friends are holed up in her old fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, with ice cream and hot chocolate. However, their plans to wait out the storm in cozy company are interrupted when a popular YouTuber and her two companions show up at the door—they've been trapped by the storm, and Dani generously offers to serve them breakfast. But her generosity isn't rewarded in kind, as the reviewer then tries to extort money from Dani in exchange for a good review! When the storm finally clears, Dani is happy to have seen the last of them.

Or so she thought.

Dani and her friends decide to go sleigh riding the morning after the storm clears, but instead of a winter wonderland, they find the extorting YouTuber...dead! To make matters worse, Dani suddenly finds herself accused of the woman's murder. Intent on restoring her reputation, Dani sets out to prove she didn’t do it. This is one storm she's not sure she can weather...

CLICK TO PURCHASE!



About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory

is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest, the Mini-Meadows Mysteries, set in a community of tiny homes in Central Florida, and the Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, which take place in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.


Review

5 stars!

When a blackmailing TikToker meets an untimely demise in the snow, Dani Delaney is unexpectedly involved in another murder investigation. 

Soft Serve Sleighing is the fifth fun entry in author Lena Gregory’s outstanding, cozy Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries, and, once again, Dani Delaney finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. With its comfortable, familiar Long Island setting and its likable recurring cast of characters, I was quickly drawn into the latest story of murder and intrigue in the little town of Watchogue. 

Dani is the series’s main character and the owner and operator of the local ice cream and coffee café, having taken the business over from her Uncle Jimmie. Now, in the dead of winter, the addition of coffee and pastries to the former “ice cream only” parlor’s offerings is starting to pay off with a clientele of regulars from the local population when a blizzard hits the town and shuts everything down. When three young women appear at the closed café, Dani feels obligated to open up just for them, even after their leader, Brynleigh Star, a TikTok influencer, unjustly bashes the local B&B where they are staying. The three proceed to order numerous items from the menu and demand tastes of all the specialty ice cream dishes, then insinuate they’ll only post a 5-star review of the café if Dani subscribes to one of their outrageously expensive memberships. When Dani fails to take the bait, they walk their check. The next day, when Dani finds the instigator dead in the snow near the B&B on the town’s favorite hill for sledding, she begins to look like suspect number one! 

The plot progresses swiftly from setup to the discovery of the murder, and I didn’t want to put the book down at all as the fun amateurs followed their instincts. I appreciated how Dani has to walk a fine line between definitively clearing her name and staying on the right side of her police detective boyfriend, Jake Barlow, who wants her as far away from the case as possible. However, it was fun watching Dani, Gwen, and Eli dance around the rules and work through the clues they had, many of which had fallen into their laps via some other very talkative suspects. After four previous books in this fun series, I really felt like I knew these characters. There are some good suspects, with everyone having a bone to pick with the very unlikable victim, but the truth isn’t too obvious. It was an entertaining story all the way to the final reveal. 

I recommend SOFT SERVE SLEIGHING to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the previous books in the series.



Tour Participants

January 28 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic - AUTHOR GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW

January 30 – Christy's Cozy Corners - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 31 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

January 31 –  Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – Frugal Freelancer - CHARACTER INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

February 1 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

February 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Angel's Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 3 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 4 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

February 4 – Cassidy's Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

February 5 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

February 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 6 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW

February 6 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 7 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

February 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 8 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 9 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 10 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 10 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – REVIEW


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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Star-Crossed Egg Tarts (Magical Fortune Cookie Mystery, #2) by Jennifer J. Chow

STAR-CROSSED EGG TARTS

by Jennifer J Chow

January 27 - February 21, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J Chow

A MAGICAL FORTUNE COOKIE NOVEL

 

Jin Bakery has been asked to cater the Lum-Wu outdoor wedding at Pixie Park. The day of the ceremony, Felicity is finishing the “cake” of tiered egg tarts as the wedding party arrives for the ceremony. When one of the groomsmen, Miles Wu, doesn’t arrive, Felicity’s best friend and local florist Kelvin generously steps in for him and the wedding goes smoothly―until cake cutting time.

That’s when Felicity finds Miles’ dead body beneath the table with her egg tarts display, stabbed by Kelvin’s gardening shears. With the detective’s sights on Kelvin, Felicity starts sleuthing away to prove his innocence, revealing dark secrets about all the wedding's attendants. They each had something to hide―and a reason to quiet Miles forever. To make matters worse, Felicity’s powers of prediction are on the fritz thanks to the emotional turmoil of a surprise visit from her estranged father.

When the groom gets poisoned at the send-off party and winds up in a coma, the stakes are even higher, not to mention Felicity’s feelings for Kelvin are beginning to feel more than friendly. Will Felicity’s magic return in time to catch the true culprit and rescue her budding relationship with Kelvin?

Praise for the Magical Fortune Cookie series and Jennifer J. Chow:

"A spellbinding whodunit unfolds in the first installment of Jennifer J. Chow’s Magical Fortune Cookie series."
~ Woman's World

"The story itself is light, sweet, and delectable. The ensemble of interesting characters adds a crispy texture to the narrative, and, true to the cozy mystery genre, a central mystery―the ill-fated fortune―keeps readers engaged from start to finish."
~ The Big Thrill

"This first in a new series featuring a likable Chinese American heroine will appeal to fans of Jenn McKinlay, Eve Calder, or Joanne Fluke."
~ Booklist

"Nobody writes cozy mysteries quite like Jennifer J. Chow. No matter what is going wrong in my life, I know that all I need to do for some comfort is turn to one of Chow's books. Chow has done it again with Ill-Fated Fortune. I did not want to leave Felicity's side even for a moment, and you won't want to either."
~ Jesse Q. Sutanto, Edgar Award-winning author of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

"A magical new culinary cozy mystery series filled with family, friendship, and heart―and a pinch of real magic."
~ Gigi Pandian, USA Today bestselling author of the Secret Staircase Mysteries on Ill-Fated Fortune

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Amateur Sleuth, Asian American fiction
Published by: Minotaur
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781250351623 (ISBN10: 1250351626)
Series: The Magical Fortune Cookie series, #2
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Minotaur

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

I put the last egg tart in place on the tiered circular display, stepped back, and admired my handiwork. From a distance, if you squinted and tilted your head just right, you might actually mistake it for a wedding cake made of gold, or Jin. Fitting, since “Jin” was both my surname and the Mandarin word for “gold.” I grinned. Guess I’d been fated for this job.

Happily, I even got to rope in loved ones as other vendors. My best friend, Kelvin Love (who has the most fitting name to cater a wedding), handled the elaborate floral displays. And my godmother, Alma Paz, made the candle arrangements, including the votives for the cake table. She’d even handcrafted bowl-shaped lace holders for each votive candle.

Once the late afternoon dissolved into evening, the small candles would be lit, and the cake made of egg tarts would turn into an enchanting display. Quite literally, because my mom had used her magic to bake joy into every last bite. After all, that’s what we Jins do—pour joy into our signature recipe treats to flow out to others. Except my own brand of magic came with an extra bonus: I made special fortune cookies that provided happiness and accurately predicted future happenings.

I added a stash of business cards to the table. I’d been made official co-owner of Jin Bakery with my mom, and I now had business cards to attest to that exciting fact. Besides, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have my contact info out there. If people were in the area for the wedding, maybe they’d decide to check out our local bakery, too.

Plus, many of the guests were from nearby Fresno, the bride’s hometown, though a fair share hailed from up north, where the groom’s relatives lived. It wasn’t too much of a trek from NorCal to visit Pixie, right? Not for delicious egg tarts, pineapple buns, and fortune cookies, all coated with magic.

“It’s beautiful,” someone whispered from near my shoulder. I would have startled at the interruption, but the voice was so gentle, it didn’t scare me in the least.

A bridesmaid must have snuck into the main tent without my noticing. Maybe the soft grass surrounding the tent had masked her footsteps. Or she’d minced along in those stiletto sandals.

She was a wisp of a young woman, just a few years past twenty. Even though I was twenty-eight, I couldn’t imagine having ever been so bright-eyed and hopeful as the girl before me. The twin honey-colored braids wrapped around her head only added to her youthfulness.

“Haley, was it?” I asked.

She nodded, almost bouncing on her heels. “You remembered my name.”

“It’s distinctive. Very pretty.”

She flushed a sweet shade of pink. “I like your name, too. Felicity is lovely.”

“Is that a rose tucked behind your ear?” I asked, pointing to the blossom, the full pink petals brushing up against a tiny golden ear cuff lined with diamonds.

She widened her green eyes at me. “Uh, is that okay? I mean, do you mind? Are you and Kelvin together—”

“It’s fine,” I said, waving away her concern. “Kelvin and I are just friends.” Best friends, technically. “I take it he’s still working on the flower arch outside?”

“Said he was ‘securing the petals.’” Kelvin was a stickler for floral quality. Guess that’s what made us good entrepreneurs in our little town of Pixie.

I glanced at Haley’s T-shirt and jeans. “What time is it? Do you need to change?”

“Four forty-five,” she said. “I better get ready.”

The wedding guests would show up at six. Right now, only us hired help and the wedding party, plus the parents of the bride and groom, were roaming the surrounding green space.

“Jada’s in our tent doing makeup, and she said she’d help me,” Haley said.

“I should get going, too.” I’d promised the bride, Leanne, that I’d check on the tea ceremony. Not that I’d be super helpful. I’m third-gen Chinese American and had had to google what the traditional tea ritual entailed.

I followed Haley’s bouncing steps out of the larger main tent into the lush green of Pixie Park. Our town’s biggest park definitely had enough space for the Lum-Wu ceremony. The bride and groom had asked to pitch four tents for the event: a reception tent for food, his and her tents for wedding prep, and a tent for the traditional tea serving ritual.

Pixie Park also boasted a large hill, and it was sure to look magnificent with its aerial view for the actual wedding ceremony and exchanging of vows. Kelvin was on the hill now, fussing over the flowers on the custom arch he’d made.

I waved at him. He bobbed his head at me, his fingers still patting petals into place. Kelvin looked good fancied up, in a dress shirt and pressed slacks. His usual go-to was a casual Henley and jeans.

There was a rainbow of beautiful blossoms decorating the immense arch he’d constructed. I didn’t know why Kelvin was so worried. There wasn’t a breeze to be found. It was perfect, and the flowers should stay put.

If anything, the temperature was slightly too warm today. Thankfully, it was dry heat, typical of the San Joaquin Valley. Whoever thought tea was a great idea in July had not factored in the weather. Then again, traditions were important. I headed over to the tea tent, and as soon as I put my head through the flap, Leanne squealed.

“You came to help. Thank goodness,” she said. The bride-to-be wore a red qipao with a golden phoenix trailing down the front. Her hair was pinned up, and pearls were scattered across the hairdo as decoration, matching the dangling pearl earrings she wore.

“How can I assist?” I asked.

“With the hot plate. You’re good in the kitchen. Er, bakery. Can you get it started?”

“I can try.” I mean, I was hired to cater the cake, not the tea. But I’d done the bare minimum online research. Maybe I could fake my way through.

***

Excerpt from Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J Chow. Copyright 2025 by Jennifer J Chow. Reproduced with permission from St. Martin’s Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Jennifer J Chow

Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Award-nominated author. Jennifer J. Chow writes cozy mysteries filled with hope and heritage.

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