Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery) by Darci Hannah
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About Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off
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Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe . . .
With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . .
Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!
Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.
Includes Delicious Recipes!
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About Darci Hannah
Cozy mystery author, Darci Hannah, is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn't baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering around picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods and breaking for coffee more often than she should.
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Surviving The Holidays
By Darci Hannah
I love the holidays. That’s why I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to write a Christmas cozy mystery. There were just so many fun holiday ideas swirling around in my head. Since I write a series about a bakeshop in a lighthouse, known collectively as the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, I knew that I wanted to pick the perfect baked good to represent the season while coming up with an entertaining yet meaningful Christmas plot. While there are so many yummy cakes, pies, cookies, candies, and stellar holiday flavored drinks to choose from, it didn’t take me long to settle on Christmas cookies as my baked good of the season.
I have to admit to being a bit of a Christmas cookie fanatic. In fact, much like my protagonist, Lindsey Bakewell, in Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off, I also tend to embrace the holidays with a near lunatic zeal. The day after Thanksgiving my biological holiday clock kicks in, and sugarplum visions of pulling off the perfect Christmas begin swirling in my head. As I make everyone within listening distance binge on Christmas music with me, I pester my husband to set up the outside Christmas lights. We then decorate the tree, decorate the house, write Christmas cards, and make our famous toffee to ship off to family and friends in time for Christmas. Next, I attack my list of Christmas cookie recipes. Since both my mom and my mother-in-law were excellent cooks, I use recipes that have been handed down from both sides of the family, adding a few new cookies to the list every year. There’s also shopping for gifts, wrapping presents, and planning a sugar cookie decorating day for my sons, who are now in their mid-twenties and way too busy to decorate cookies. I have to squeeze that in too, while planning the menus for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Did I happen to mention that I’m the type of person who totally underestimates the passing of time? Well, I do. It’s a terrible habit. Another terrible habit I have is believing that day-to-day obligations and emergencies won’t get in the way of my well thoughtout plans, because they always do. And when they do, stress begins to seep in. I grow frantic. I obsess. And soon the holidays become a mad dash to the finish line!
The good news is that most of this can be avoided if you follow these simple rules.
1. Start early. This year, when we are facing unprecedented supply chain shortages due to the pandemic, it’s a good bet that certain items are going to be in short supply. Therefore, if your child wants a particular gift, try to get it early. If it’s not available, get creative and surprise them with a gift they didn’t even know they wanted until they opened it! Sometimes those are the best surprises.Internet shopping can save time and give you an idea of when gifts will arrive. Also, don’t be afraid to stock up on drinks and baking supplies early!
2. Set a realistic budget. I’ll admit that this is a hard one to adhere to; but adhering to a budget is a must. Holidays can be stressful enough without the added pressure of financial stress in the months to come. No holiday is worth that. Consider homemade gifts and gifts of food. Limit gift-giving to children only. Set a dollar limit on gifts. We do this for our traditional Christmas Eve White Elephant. I’m always amazed at the clever and creative gifts that can be found for under $20. You don’t need to go overboard with decorations either. Simple is often best.
3. Temper your sugarplum visions before they get out of control. We all strive for that perfect Christmas. The key here is to simplify your To Do list. Don’t forget to delegate jobs. If you’re planning on sending Christmas cards, remember that they don’t have to arrive before Christmas. I’ve gotten so derailed with my To Do list before, that I’ve sent my cards out well after the New Year. People still enjoy them, even if they are a little late. If baking twelve varieties of Christmas cookies isn’t for you, throw a cookie exchange for your friends. Remember, most cookies can be baked then frozen for up to three months. Bake early and use the freezer!
4. Make lists. Check them twice. You know what I mean.
5. Practice gratitude. It’s easy to get swept up in the material trappings of the holidays. It can also lead to overblown expectations. I find that being grateful for even the smallest of miracles (for example: At least I didn’t burn ALL of the cookies. At least I had the energy to read the list! The house was actually clean for five minutes…) has a huge impact on one’s holiday spirit. Keeping that spirit bright is essential. We all know that it’s not really about the gifts that make the holidays so special. It’s about the true meaning of the season, and the blessing of the people in our lives we get to share it with.
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Purchase Links: Amazon B & N BAM 2 Dandelions Bookstore
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Hi June! Thank you for being a part of my Great Escapes Book Tour! I really appreciate it! Your blog is delightful, and I can't wait to find out who wins my giveaway! My favorite Christmas tradition is the Swedish feast we have on Christmas Eve, complete with my grandma's Swedish meatball recipe, lingonberries, and a lovely cardamom braid coffee cake. We have pickled herring too, but my Mom, Dad, and me are the only takers on that delicacy.
ReplyDeleteSince Christmas is my very favorite holiday, I'm all about all the activities. Decorating, watching all the Christmas movies I can, listening to all the Christmas music I can, and baking lots of gingerbread cookies to eat while doing the decorating and watching. I would dearly love to win a copy of Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off. 3labsmom(at)gmail(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteMy Holiday tradition is giving the gift of spending time together. I take my two daughters to a holiday play at a dinner theater, I have taken my granddaughter to a holiday "Frozen" tea, my grandson loves to go to Rain Forest Cafe.The activities have changed as their likes change but we always find something exciting and festive.
ReplyDeleteChristmas music is my favorite! Don't tell anybody but I've stated listening to it already! I listen while I'm decorating, while I'm baking, just any time that I can! I fell in love with Darci's 1st Beacon Bakeshop book because of the dog on the cover. He reminds me of my old dog so I bought it. And then I read it and loved it! I'd like to win the 2nd in the series to find out what happens to Lindsey next!
ReplyDeleteNoche Buena when the whole family comes together to roast a pig in a "caja china" and celebrate the night away eating our traditional Cuban dishes and dancing to the sounds of salsa music.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is going to candlelight Christmas Eve services and then when are boys were at home, coming home and they choose one present to open. Miss those times!! I would like to win this giveaway because I have not read any books by this author. Also I enjoy mystery, cooking and Christmas books. And what fun to make cookies and then give them away.
ReplyDeleteDecorating and cooking and of course the giving! Love giving gifts!
ReplyDeleteWhat is my favorite Christmas tradition? For starters,I don't allow Christmas music or decorations in the house until the day after Thanksgiving, and then we go all out!I love having my family here, and have lots of treats for folks dropping by. We celebrate until after New year's and usually leave our tree up until mid January.
ReplyDeleteDecorating is my favorite.
ReplyDelete