I love food. I love to eat food, cook food, and watch chefs make food on TV, so
when I thought of Tessa Lawrence, the protagonist for
COOKING UP TROUBLE, I saw
her in a kitchen. When her grandfather died and her grandmother decided to move
to a ranch house in town, Grams gave her their farm and business.
Tessa grows fresh fruits and produce. During the summer, she runs a farm stand
and a bakery. She and Grams bake together every Thursday and sell their goods
on Fridays and Saturdaysβcookies and specialty cakes and pies. The shopβs
shelves are lined with all things pickled, along with a variety of pestos.
While Tessa and Grams cook together, Grams gladly dispenses advice. Tessaβs
given up on men after finding her fiancΓ©e in the arms of another woman. Grams
wants her to get out there again, to find someone else, so when Ian McGregor
buys the property next to Tessaβs, Grams sees an opportunity to jumpstart
Tessaβs hormones and jolt her back into the world of dating.
Grams just might be on the right track, too. Ianβs happy to drop by Tessaβs for
supper most nights. Heβs good-looking and charmingβ¦and engaged. That pleases
Tessa. Heβs off-limits, safe to have as a friend. Grams isnβt so thrilled, but
the man can be had with a casserole and cookie. Thereβs still hope.
When some people think of Indiana, they think of cornβwhich we have a lot of.
But to me, Indiana is greenβlush, beautiful, vibrant greensβso I use fictional
towns and plunk them in an Indiana setting for a lot of my stories. I love
cooking and gardening, and those sneak into my novels, too. Iβve collected more
strays than I deserve. Iβm a fan of Agatha Christie and urban fantasy, and I
believe in happy ever after.
Tessa Lawrence swore off men when she found her fiancΓ©e in the arms of
another woman. These days, she concentrates on caring for her small farm and
running a bakery and farm stand out of its barn. Ian McGregor moves to Mill
Pond to build a resort on the property next to Tessaβs. Tessaβs fine with that.
Mill Pondβs trying to attract more tourists. The problem is, Ian understands
business, but heβs never changed a tire or pounded a nail. She finds herself
helping him more than she expected, and spending time around Ian is a dangerous
proposition. The manβs far too good-looking and fun to be around.
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