"Cooking up a Mystery" with Author Gail Pallotta

It is a joy to welcome award-winning author Gail Pallotta to the "World". Gail is a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. She’s published six books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She loves to connect with readers!

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To celebrate the release of Cooking up a Mystery, Gail’s giving away a Kindle copy of her teen novel, Stopped Cold, or a review copy of Cooking up a Mystery.

Stopped Cold was an Amazon Best Seller in Christian Teens and Young Adult Mysteries and Thrillers for one month and finished fourth in the 16th Annual Preditors and Editors Readers Poll.

So, Gail, please tell us a little about Cooking up a Mystery.

GP: It’s my second book about a woman entrepreneur. I wanted to write about women of faith who faced challenging situations and succeeded by putting their trust in God. In Cooking up a Mystery a woman without formal training grasps hold of an opportunity given to her by her mother and father. She not only pulls herself from the jaws of poverty, but turns a start-up tea house into a thriving business. And she does it while dealing with past pain and a criminal.

Tell us a little about the hero and heroine.

GP: Laney, the heroine, is so angry with her ex-husband, she’s doesn’t ever want another relationship. She put him through dental school instead of going to college herself. With her parents gone now and no education, her business is her only means of survival. Pre-occupied with making it succeed, she has no desire for a social life.

GP: Eric, the hero, is a college math professor. Still carrying the pain his father caused when he left Eric and his mother, he doesn’t want to end up in a marriage. People say he’s just like his father. He would never want to hurt anyone as much as the abandonment did him. For that reason, if a relationship gets too serious, he ends it.

Did you learn anything from writing this book?

GP: I learned a lot about commercial kitchen equipment and sanitary guidelines for restaurants. There are differing opinions on wearing gloves. Ideally, the cook would wear gloves, complete a task, remove the gloves and wash his or her hands. However, due to time issues, the cooks are more likely to wash their hands, the most important step, if they don’t wear gloves. Many say the chef should wear gloves when handling food already prepared and ready to serve. However, quite a few suggest not wearing gloves when mixing food or in any situation where the gloves can get pricked. If the gloves are damaged bacteria will spread. In such situations as mixing raw ingredients, it’s better for the cook to wash his or her hands the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” before starting the process. I believe now with the coronavirus scare, it’s preferable to sing “Happy Birthday” two times.

Book Blurb: Laney Eskridge worked to put her husband through dental school. Then he left with another woman. She's on edge from the emotional scars and her parents' deaths. Then she hears unexplained noises in her new tea house, and her anxiety is tripled. Add a budding romance with Eric—a guy with a fear of commitment—and it's all too much to handle. She cuts ties with Eric and plunges into making her business pay off.

When Eric discovers that Laney's in danger, he vows to protect her. But can he make a lasting promise? Will she trust him? . . .and when they overhear a threat that could cause national turmoil, will anyone believe them? There's more brewing than herbal tea in Cooking up a Mystery.

Sharing a brief excerpt:

Eric pointed at the picture of the man riding the huge tricycle. “Is that it?”

The sound of several pots clanking one right after the other drifted into the dining area. Did he not hear the racket? Laney opened her mouth to ask, but snapped it shut. The last thing she wanted to do was say she heard a commotion when there was none. Eric would think she had a bad psychological problem. She put her hand over her mouth. Did she? “Yes, but go ahead and eat your cookie.” She jumped at the sound of more bonks. She would’ve sworn someone ran into the trashcan in her kitchen, not out back. She gazed at Eric. He munched as though nothing distracted him. She had to ask. No! Thuds pounded the floor in the kitchen. Laney was sure of it. Eric had to have heard them. She opened her mouth.

“About the painting, I believe you said one of your customers gave it to you.”

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Buy Cooking up a Mystery on

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-up-Mystery-Gail-Pallotta-ebook/dp/B085LJMH5V/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Cooking+up+a+Mystery+by+gail+pallotta&qid=1584746377&s=books&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cooking-up-a-mystery-gail-pallotta/1136612098?ean=9781522398806

Pelican Book Group - https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1468

Bio:

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner and a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Nominee. She’s published six books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She loves to connect with readers.

Please visit her on any of the following:

Website- https://gailpallotta.com

Blog - https://gailpallotta.blogspot.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorsandMore

Thank you, Gail, for visiting and best of luck with your new release!