KISS THE (COOK) BRIDE - MY BRAND NEW BOOK

WIN A FREE LOVE STORY (NOVEL)

By commenting on my blog anytime this week, Monday through Friday, you'll have a chance to win a free love story (novel). I'll draw a name and let the winner know next Monday. The more you comment, the more times your name goes in the hat. Let the comments begin!

Now, for today's post:

My brand new book, Kiss the (Cook) Bride, is about to hit the shelves! It's a 4-in-1 novella collection by Barbour Publishing, and the coauthors are: Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Vickie McDonough, and Carrie Turansky. The cover is absolutely beautiful. It shows a bride in a lace wedding gown holding her bouquet with oven mitts! Is that cute or what? We enjoyed writing Kiss the (Cook) Bride, and we hope you enjoy reading it. You can purchase it in stores and at amazon.com and christianbook.com. Because the book has a traveling apron as a sub-theme, we four coauthors are having aprons made with our book cover printed on them. We plan to wear them in Dallas in September for a massive book signing at American Christian Fiction Writers conference.

How did I come up with the idea for Kiss the (Cook) Bride? I was raised in the Deep South and bred on Jesus and Nana's layer cakes. Good eating was the norm around our house and Nana's. I "caught" cooking and entertaining (as opposed to "was taught"). As a pastor's wife whose hobby has been cooking and entertaining, I've often felt like I've run a B&B with all the people I've hosted, such as missionaries, evangelists, singing groups, etc. When I worked for a New York Times subsidiary, the editor said one day they needed a story about cooking.

"I cooked for 100 people in my home one time," I told her, just making conversation.

Her eyebrows shot to the ceiling (almost).

"I love to cook," I said. "Last week, I had a dinner party for 22 people and had a ball."

"Write me a story," she said. "By tomorrow."

The nex day, a weekly column entitled "Kristy's Kitchen" was born.

When I dreamed up Kiss the (Cook) Bride, I envisioned four young women in the food business. They all own restaurants, they meet at a restaurant convention, and they bemoan the lack of men in their lives (Mr. Right). Then, each novella tells each of their love stories. During the entire book, they pass around an apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" written on the front. The last groom crosses out "Cook" and writes "Bride" because the girls have all become brides by the end of the book.

I love writing Christian love stories!

Here's a blurb that describes Kiss the Bride:

When four restaurant owners meet at a restaurant convention, they have more than just good food and their faith in common--the lack of Mr. Right in their lives. They discover a dash of hope, a dollop of longing, and a plateful of faith are the recipe for romance. Thrown into the mix is a traveling apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" across the front.

The collection contains:

"Angel Food" by Kristy Dykes: In order to find love, a restaurant owner needs a recipe for soul food.

"Just Desserts" by Aisha Ford: A family feud stands in the way of love...and the perfect slice of pie.

"A Recipe for Romance" by Vickie McDonough: Will a carpenter's remodeling job mean a refurbished restaurant and a new romance?

"Tea for Two" by Carrie Turansky: A financially strapped tea shop owner must find a way to save her business and straighten out her tangled love life.

A fun touch: at the end of each novella is the recipe that's at the heart of each story .