Michele Dunaway's Blog

The Cupcake Recipe

2008-04-30T05:19:00.001-07:00

It’s been a month of fun! If you missed the cupcake recipe, it's below. (And scroll further to see all my upcoming covers.)

So for the last recipe, I’m going to give you an egg-less cupcake recipe that I use. Yep, there are no eggs in these and they are quick and easy to make. This recipe comes directly from Hershey, my all-time favorite company as they make chocolate, my diet staple. I make these and don’t even frost them. You can using the brownie frosting recipe (on my agent’s blog) but I like them just dusted with powdered sugar or left plain.

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt.
1 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375. Line muffin cups (2 ½ inches in diameter) with paper baking cups (I have also used silicon just fine and had them stand alone on a cookie sheet). In medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla, beat with a metal whisk just until batter is smooth and ingredients are well blended. Do not over whisk. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

And for one last really awesome cookbook that I couldn’t live without, find the Hershey’s 100th Anniversary: 100 Years of Hershey Favorites at http://www.amazon.com/Hersheys-100th-Anniversary-Years-Favorites/dp/0785331646

So that’s it! I hope you have fun this month baking with Rachel and that you enjoyed both The Marriage Recipe and the romance. I don’t have any more Harlequin American novels out until January 2009, but don’t forget my two NASCAR books. Out of Line debuts in June.
Michele

The Brownie Recipe

2008-04-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is baking. I love to cook. I have a full set of All Clad pots hanging from the rack in my ceiling. A trip to Williams Sonoma is a trip to nirvana. I always find a pan I must add to my collection. My brother is a chef, and he wishes he had my kitchen, which I sadly don’t use as much as I should.

So what does this have to do with writing? My latest book is about a pastry chef who has to return to her hometown and enlist the help of the boy next door to help her save her recipes. It still amazes me that I made an intellectual property case sexy. I’ll thank a good friend, a media lawyer who once worked with Oprah, for the great media law class I took as part of my MA degree!

When I created Rachel’s character, I had an excuse to cook. As a mother of two with a full time teaching job (who also is on a permanent diet—aren’t most of us?) I don’t dig out the recipe book as much as I used to. I’m not sure why, especially since I’m a firm believer that anything you bake yourself does not go straight to your hips—and it’s all those ingredients with words I can’t pronounce that cause weight gain.

So since I was researching, I pulled out my cookbooks. I made pumpkin bread, cupcakes, cookies, and some of my old favorites like chocolate cake! I also got to think back to college, when I would bake constantly—for the way to a guy’s heart was through his stomach—and my brownies and chocolate chip cookies were legendary.

In the spirit of cooking, since I can’t send you any cookies virtually, here is my brownie recipe:

Four tablespoons butter, melted
One cup sugar
One teaspoon vanilla
Two eggs
One-half cup flour
One-third cup Hershey’s Cocoa
One-fourth teaspoon baking powder
One-fourth of a teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch square pan. In medium bowl, stir butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Add eggs, and with a wooden spoon beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture, beat until well blended. Spread batter into a pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until brownies begin to pull away from the pan. Cool completely in pan. While cooling, make frosting. To make frosting, in a small mixer bowl beat 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey, one-half teaspoon vanilla until blended. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup milk; beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Add additional milk, one half teaspoon at a time, if needed. Spread over cool brownies and cut brownies into squares. (PS—you can add nuts and/or chocolate chips to the batter before baking).

Enjoy the brownies and the romance!

Michele Dunaway

Rachel's recipe #3

2008-04-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of the first post celebrating the release of The Marriage Recipe, I am giving you another yummy recipe that both Rachel and I use, one for sugar cookies. Trust me, these are the world’s greatest and easiest sugar cookies.

By the way, if you go to http://freshfiction.com/blog/ tomorrow, April 21, I am blogging about what food reveals about characters.

This recipe is modified from Just a Matter of Thyme, which is at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Just-Matter-Thyme-Collection-Satisfying/dp/0740765345 (and while you’re there, don’t forget to pick up The Marriage Recipe if you haven’t already).

Sugar Cookies
Main bowl
1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Side bowl
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Using a mixer (stand preferred), cream together 2 sticks butter, 1-cup-powdered sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup cooking oil until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat after each. Add 1-teaspoon vanilla. Set asideIn the side bowl, using a fork or sifter, blend together the flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.Add the ingredients in the side bowl to the main bowl a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then turn mixer to high speed and beat until light and fluffy. Using two teaspoons, spoon out quarter-sized dabs of dough and drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Take a glass, wet the bottom and dip it in a bowl filled with one-quarter inch of sugar. Press each dough blob lightly with the glass (once it has sugar on it, you do not need to rewet each time, just dip in sugar first before each cookie). Feel free to sprinkle on sprinkles or extra sugar at this time once cookies are flat. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until the sides are a light golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Tailspin Cover!

2008-04-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here is my new cover for September!

Rachel's Recipe #2

2008-04-14T05:14:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dump all of the following into a large stainless steel bowl of a stand mixer:

3 and one-half cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and one-half teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup oil (not olive)
1 16-ounce can of pumpkin
two-thirds of a cup of water
4 eggs

Mix together until blended. Be sure to get the stuff at the bottom. Pour into a greased angel food cake pan (the one with the hole in the center but not a bundt pan) and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted comes out clean. (Times may vary; check in 5 minute intervals after 45 minutes.) You may also pour into small or large greased muffin cups, but start checking for doneness after 20 minutes.

Rachel's Recipes part 1

2008-04-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

As you know, the heroine in The Marriage Recipe is a pastry chef. Thus, to entice you to read (and to cook!), today I’m going to whet your appetite with one of Rachel’s favorite recipes. In fact, all month I will be blogging about food. If you follow me around (sort of like a virtual pub crawl), you'll pick up four recipes and one blog on characters and food. I will be at http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on April 14 with the next installment.

So back to that recipe.

Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis tradition and favorite. There are two ways to make it—with the evaporated milk, flour, etc., or the just-as-good cheat/shortcut version using cream cheese. Here is how you make that second gooey butter cake (the easy version).

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter—melted

Blend these together until smooth (it will be thick). Press into the bottom of a 9x13 greased (Pam is fine) cake pan.

8 ounces softened cream cheese (use the bar, not the spread stuff and do not use fat free)
2 eggs beaten
2 cups powdered sugar

Blend softened cream cheese, the 2 eggs and the powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Don’t worry if there are a few cream cheese lumps. Spread this mixture over the first mixture pressed into he pan. Bake for 325 for 40-45 minutes until the cake edges are light brown. There may be a few brown patches on the cream cheese mixture—if there are, you are also done. Do not let the cream cheese mixture get more than a few or it’s overdone The middle will sink a little upon cooling. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. It gets tastier being one day old—so making it the night before is actually recommended.

News!

2008-04-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

I am delighted to announce I've sold 2 more books to Harlequin American Romance!

NC!

2008-04-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Over my spring break I got to leave the rainy and floody weather in St. Louis and fly to North Carolina. As part of my day job as adviser to an NSPA All-American yearbook (that means it's pretty good), I'm also the holder of the purse strings. This year it's bid time--we are seeking a three-year yearbook printing contract. So I've been touring yearbook plants among other things.

On my trip to Winston-Salem, I flew into Charlotte, and got a rental car. That was an experience in itself as first I went to the wrong counter (oops) and then at the correct one, the woman tried to put me first in a car I didn't want. I'd driven that model before and sworn never again. So then she tried to sell me a more expense one. Uh, no thanks, even though I wasn't paying rental, I was paying for gas. Finally I told her to downsize me, and she put me in a Chevy Cobalt. I was fine with that--I averaged 35 miles highway.

I spent the first night in Mooresville, meeting in the hotel lobby happy hour a whole bunch of Lowes project managers. These are the guys who are in charge of opening stores and reconfiguring stores. They live all over the country and this was their two-week corporate meeting. The next morning it was off to PIT: http://www.5off5on.com/welcome.html

I'm a NASCAR fan, but even I didn't know that you can actually attend school to learn how to be a pit crew member. PIT also does a lot of "think inside the box" workshops for business executives. They even put my book cover on the front page of their website.

I also got to go on a shop tour of Red Horse Racing. What impressed me the most was that the race shop owner himself stopped what he was doing and gave us a personal tour. That's me with one of David Starr's trucks above.

I also got to very briefly meet Jeff Hammond, champion crew chief, who is a partner in PIT. He's a very busy guy and extremely nice.

The day was fabulous. I can't thank them enough. The funniest part was at lunch--where everyone found it quite "interesting" that I'd never had hush puppies and didn't even know what they were. Being me, I in turn asked them if they'd ever had toasted ravioli or gooey butter cake--which are local to St. Louis. No one had Ah, see, those regional differences. Since everyone was so wonderful, I've had a bakery ship them a gooey butter cake; they'll get it next week.

And, if you are curious about gooey butter cake I sent them, you can go here: http://www.hollyberrybaking.com/

Happy end of the month!

Michele

Out of Line Cover

2008-01-02T11:25:00.001-08:00

All I can say is wow!

Michele

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T12:54:00.001-08:00

Wishing you and yours a happy new year!

Michele

The Marriage Recipe--Coming April 2008

2007-12-27T09:10:00.001-08:00

Sweet Sensations!

New York loves pastry chef Rachel Palladia’s desserts, and her boss in the A-list Italian restaurant where she works is desperate to make her his wife.

A country girl’s dream come true—untilshe catches her fiancé making love to someone else.

When her ex-fiancé sues her for the rights to her recipes, Rachel heads home to Morrisville, Indiana, to ask Colin Morris—the town’s hotshot lawyer and her former secret crush—for help.

But while they’re working on an ironclad defense, their relationship really heats up!

The two are concocting a recipe for the perfect marriage—except
he’s determined to stay small-town, and she yearns for the big city’s bright lights.

A dilemma, for sure, unless they can cook up a solution…

4 Star RT Review for The Christmas Date

2007-12-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

In Michele Dunaway's The Christmas Date (4) photojournalist Tyler is a love-'em-and-leave-'em guy. When he buys a house, he isn't interested in changing his ways. But he didn't count on being captivated by next-door neighbor Kate, a hard-working paralegal studying to become a lawyer. She doesn't have time for love, but the couple's chemistry is undeniable. Despite the disapproval of Kate's nosy neighbor, and the bewilderment of her best friends, the couple tries to make it work in this sweet, compelling romance. —Whitney Kate Sullivan

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2007-12-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

I just want to take a moment to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2007 has been awesome for me and I appreciate your being part of it. Will write more in 2008. I'm off to finish book #20.

All the best,

Michele

More Press

2007-12-16T08:36:00.001-08:00

I am featured at The Motivated Writer. Com

Use the link below. I'm talking about my creative space.

http://www.themotivatedwriter.com/12december.html

Press Time!

2007-12-08T14:13:00.001-08:00

I received press this weekend. I'm one of the authors featured in a Columbia Missourian article.

Here's the link:http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/12/07/passion-writing/

Another review for Hart's Victory

2007-12-02T13:30:00.001-08:00

By Carol Carson Monk
Michele Dunaway has done it again with another great book. This is her fifteenth for Harlequin, and her first in the NASCAR series. HART’s VICTORy has it all – wonderful, believable characters and an intelligent, emotional story. When single mom kellie Thompson and her teenage son, Charlie, attend a camp for terminally ill kids, they meet NASCAR driver Hart
Hampton, Charlie’s idol.

Because of his illness, Charlie believes he won’t be around forever and thinks Hart would be perfect for his mom. The two of them have had a longstanding joke that the reason she isn’t dating is because she’s holding out for Hart, the heart throb of the NASCAR circuit. Charlie seizes the opportunity and does his best to see that the two of them get together.
Hart has been in a losing slump and is coming off a wreck on the track. Although he wasn’t seriously injured, he’s been told to stay away for the weekend and do a bit of charity work at the children’s camp. To improve his playboy image and repair public relations at the same time, Hart reluctantly agrees.

When he meets Charlie and kellie he instantly falls for both of them.
In spite of her attraction to Hart, kellie rebuffs his attentions. She is one hundred percent focused on getting Charlie healthy. However, Hart doesn’t take no for an answer. He easily wins Charlie over, then he works full time to gain kellie’s affections. His life may have revolved
around auto racing, but now he sees what he’s been missing– a loving family to share it with.
This book works on three levels – the romance, the NASCAR aspect, and the one I found most endearing, Charlie’s fight for his life battling leukemia. This is a heart-wrenching, emotional roller coaster of a read.

You will fall in love with Hart, just as Charlie and kellie do. It doesn’t matter if you are a race fan, this is one character-driven tale of love and devotion that will keep you reading long into the night. keep the tissue box close.

More fan mail

2007-12-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, getting emails from readers makes my day. As an author, we pour our hearts out into our books. We slave over them, crafting every word. We second guess ourselves. We then put the book out there and worry, will the reader like it? Will they think it sucks? Have we done the best job we possibly could have done?

The waiting is sometimes pure torture. Then the reviews come in, and they're good so I feel a little better. Then, if an author is lucky, the emails come in that don't chastize or let you know you screwed up somehow. Instead you get short, sweet little things that make your day, like this one from Melba:

I just read the Christmas Date and I couldn’t put the book down. This book is a keeper. Thank you.

Those type of emails, which means the reader went to my website and used the response form, make my day. Writing is a job. But unlike my teaching job, I don't receive immediate feedback. In my day job I can see my students' reactions. My principals and colleagues stop by and pat me on the back, like they did after the first high school newspaper my students produced this year.

As an author, our only real feedback aside from our sales numbers is reader feedback. To have reader stop by the website and drop you a line makes you feel that all your effort is worth it. It gives that positive push when the muse leaves and you wonder if you can really tell a story at all.

So thanks Melba, and all those other readers who let us authors know we've touched you enough to write. You make our day.

Infield Parking

2007-11-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

I am now parked at http://www.infieldparking.com/MicheleD

Come stop by and see me.

I got fan mail!

2007-11-22T07:25:00.001-08:00

I love fan mail. It's always very uplifting to have someone tell you that your book touched them.

I'm going to share two of them here:

Just finished Harts Victory, what a wonderful story. Charlie is such a strong person and knows what his mom needs. I am glad Hart was so persistent. I go to 10 races a year and am a real NASCAR fan. I have really been enjoying the Harlequin Series. You are a great writer and I am looking forward to Out of Line and Tailspin in the future. Have a Happy Holiday.
Suzanne

Thanks Suzanne! Your email made my day! This book really does have a special place in my heart. I'll be blogging more later on the karma that surrounds this novel but the C.M. it's dedicated to is one of my former students who passed away at age 16 of leukemia in 2006. This is my way to immortalize him a little. It's also a book that I wrote so my daughter could read her first romance--well, my romance. She's been reading the other NASCAR ones as well.

I picked up a copy of 'Capturing the Cop' at the library and can't remember the last time I've laughed so much while reading a romance novel. I love both Olivia and Garrett's character. I'm only on page 71 but I had to write and tell you how much I'm enjoying this novel-it's the kind of book a reader never wants to end. I'll have to track one down for my keeper shelf. I'm a freelance writer--mostly nonfiction--but I did win one of Harlequin's writing round robin contests--which was a real thrill since my heart's desire is to write for Harlequin. I am looking forward to reading more of your books! Sonya

Congrats on winning one of the writing round robin contests! I never won a contest at all. As for Olivia and Garrett, I wanted to end the Grandpa Joe series with a bang, and what a way to do it by setting the book in my quirky city of St. Louis. If you like this one, you may want to search for Olivia's cousin Darci's story in Catching the Corporate Playboy.

Happpy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T07:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all the best on this wonderful (yet chilly where I live) Thanksgiving Day!

I know I am grateful that you, my reader, pick up my books and enjoy them! May you have a fantastic holiday.

Michele

Hart's Victory receives 4 out of 5 stars from RT

2007-11-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

My friend emailed me the review from Romantic Times BookClub Magazine. Both The Christmas Date and Hart's Victory received 4 out of 5 stars, which is fantastic.

Here is the review for Hart's Victory.

The NASCAR circuit almost takes a backseat in Michele Dunaway's hauntingly poignant Hart's Victory (4). Single mom Kellie's NASCAR enthusiast son, Charlie, is battling cancer. When they attend a special NASCAR camp for terminally ill children, they meet Charlie's hero, driver Hart Hampton. Charlie has a longstanding joke that his mother is holding out on remarrying for HART. After meeting them, Hart starts to agree with Charlie that he and Kellie should be together. What follows is not only a great love story but also the heart-wrenching story of Charlie's battle with cancer. Kelly and Charlie are wonderfully written as a mother and son who share a special bond, but Hart, a truly warm, caring man, becomes the real hero of the story.

You should be able to find Hart's Victory in stores starting December 4. It's already doing great at amazon.com and bn.com

Michele

Harriet Klausner reviewed Hart's Victory

2007-10-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hart's Victory
Michele Dunaway
Harlequin NASCAR, Dec 2007, $5.99
ISBN: 9780373217823

Single mom Kellie Thompson’s beloved son Charlie is battling for his life against cancer. Charlie is a rabid NASCAR fan; so when a NASCAR camp for terminally ill children is arranged, Kellie insures her child attends.

Charlie's hero NASCAR driver Hart Hampton has been in a slump so is relegated to the charity event for the terminally ill. After meeting mother and son, Hart agrees with Charlie that he and Kellie are perfect for one another. However, she rejects his attention although she is attracted to him; her focus is Charlie. Hart wants both in his life, but though he won the kid over and the mom recognizes he is a caring soul, she still refuses his overtures; Charlie comes in first, second and third.

The romance places second and NASCAR shows up third as the star of this heart-wrenching tale is Charlie as he fights for his life yet wants the best for his mom whom he believes is his hero Hart. The three prime players are fully developed leading to readers feeling deep emotions almost as if they know the ailing child and care for him as much as Hart does. Michele Dunaway provides an angst-laden five tissue box character driven tale.

For the original post and Harriet's blog, go to http://genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com/

A Guest Post from my Daughter

2007-10-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

So every weekday when my mom and I are driving in the deer-magnet we call our car, as soon as I can see the front porch, I'm craning my neck to see if there is a brown box there. And it's not my birthday just yet! I'm looking for a special box.

A Harlequin Box.

I, of course, am talking about Hart's Victory, aka: my first romance novel. I've never read a romance novel (besides to scratch off those cards in the middle of the book) and I'm pretty excited to actually get to read my first one. And here's the cool thing: anyone can read it!

What? A romance novel anyone can read? Well, yes, anyone can read Hart's Victory. Anyone can read this romance novel because there is absolutely nothing in it. No cursing, no sex on the page, if it was a movie it'd be PG at the very most. My response = cool.

Since anyone can read this, I'm doing a book report on it. We're doing a project where we are literally going to try and sell the book to the students in my class and grade. AND: I'm selling my mom's book. To my class. How many kids get to do that at school?

Anyway, the box has still not arrived yet (and I need the book BEFORE October 31st!) and I'm getting rather impatient. And I have to get to bed soon so I can get up go, to church,and come home so I can watch the race. Also, eventually ruin my vocal chords screaming for Carl Edwards (#99) to win. And hopefully, Monday I'll have my book.

- Alison Dunaway

Final note: Hart's Victory is a Harlequin NASCAR novel.

A guest blog from one of my favorite readers

2007-10-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

Book 172-The Christmas Date by Michele Dunaway (AR Dec 2007)
Reviewed by Julie Picraux
From her post on eharlequin.com

Over the past few months I have lost my job of 4 years, I have been down a
little with not wanting to do much of anything but read. And read some more,
then read some more. I could blog from here (eharlequin) until Christmas and not have all
the books blogged. It was not until Michele gave me an advance copy of her
December book, The Christmas Date , I knew I had to get back in the swing of
things. I started this year blogging and I was going to finish this year by
blogging.

Six years ago, I met Michele at a Girl Scout meeting. We started a
conversion over a book I had been reading. Since then I have had the
wonderful opportunity to watch Michele grow as a writer. I have also had a
chance to watch Michele enjoy the good times and struggle with the bad
times. Plus being friends with Michele I have had a few benefits, such as a
book dedicated to me ( Emergency Engagement- AR February 05 ) and something
stupid I did in a book (I'm not telling this one). And in this case Michele
gave me an advance copy of her new book, The Christmas Date , which is out
in December.

With some of Michele's books I'm there from the beginning,
however, this is one that I had only heard the idea of the book, but not
much else. To me, this book is one of Michele's better books. It's the right
mix of being light and zany but with enough tension. You could not help but
laugh at the secondary characters. At the sometime relate to them as well.
If you only read one American this December, read this one. It will get you
in the Christmas sprint, and lift your mood at the sometime. Awesome book,
Michele next to Emergency Engagement (AR February 05) and Legally Tender (AR
January 06) this goes on my list as one of my favorites.

Weddings, Funerals and Birthdays

2007-09-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

Today is my youngest daughter's birthday. She's already opened all her presents and I don't think we're going to be doing much to celebrate--maybe a trip to Chuck E. Cheese or something for dinner. Her party for her friends will be in a few weeks once things calm down--which really never happens in our life.Last night my oldest daughter and I went to a wedding and reception for Lucy Kate McMenamy while the youngest went on a Girl Scout roller skating outing.

I used to babsit Lucy and her older brother every day after school and over summer break for five years. I started when Lucy was in first grade and left when she was in fifth or sixth. By then she didn't really need a babysitter; I was more the adult to be in the house. Lucy then babysit my two daughters. So I wouldn't have missed the wedding for the world, but my oldest (who is 12) wanted to skip it until her dad called (I'm divorced, btw) and told her that her great-grandmother had died. The funeral is on Monday (tomorrow) and everyone but my children are headed down to Mississippi. We're in St. Louis; the rest in Alabama.

So I went home and picked Alison up between the wedding and the reception as there was about an hour and a half free time. We arrived at the Grand Hall in the Hyatt Union Station and all had a blast. I remember that when I left I really needed this. It's great to watch two young people you know are going to make it get married. It's great to see old friends who knew you long ago--I typed those first books (that will never see the light of day) on their computer during those long summer days. Now they are in awe and thrilled--20 books! Wow!As for my young charges, John is doing his residency and specializing in radiology. He's in Dallas.

Lucy works for the Hyatt hotel chain as a banquet manager and her husband is an executive sous chef. They met at work when they were both in Kansas City--now they are on the east coast. He's eight years older. Sounds a bit like some of the books I've done but probably without the conflict. All was beautiful--the church, the flowers, the 55-pound wedding cake that the Hyatt chef in Austin carried up in boxes (unfrosted) on the plane. She then used the St. Louis kitchen to put it together.Working for the Hyatt and having the reception at the Hyatt meant that everyone pulled out all the stops. In two days Michael and Lucy are off to Hawaii for 10 days.

As for me, this morning, life was back to normal as my two daughters got into a fight before church.However, while I was there last night, parts of my next story wrote themselves in my head. The muse clicked and put the ideas where they were supposed to be. What about my hotel manager Hank being asked to be teacher Jolie's date? He owes her one, and she needs to dig up a guy for a family wedding. I like it.As for the pastry chef idea, I just did that in The Marriage Recipe, out in April 2008.

Michele Dunaway
Hart's Victory (Harlequin NASCAR) Dec. 2007
The Christmas Date (Harlequin American) Dec. 2007