Wedding Cake Killer Now Available

Wedding bells will be ringing in Weatherford, Texas, this Christmas when Phyllis Newsom opens up her home for her best friend’s wedding. And although the bride is wearing white, no one suspects that she’ll soon be wearing black… 

After all the planning—and the cake tasting—the big day has arrived. Eve Turner, one of Phyllis’s boarders—and her best friend—is moving out and getting married to the affable Roy Porter. While she’s sad to see Eve go, Phyllis is more than happy to host the event in her house and to bake the bride and groom a delicious three-tiered coconut wedding cake. Even though a snowstorm in the forecast seems like a recipe for disaster, the day runs as smoothly as butter cream.

But the marriage doesn’t last long past the honeymoon. When Roy’s found dead at a Weatherford bed-and-breakfast, Eve’s the top suspect. Now Phyllis must find out who iced Roy before her friend finds herself behind bars… 


    

The Gingerbread Bump-off Review

A nice review of The Gingerbread Bump-off here  (Columbus Books Examiner).

The trade paperback is cheaper than the mass market paperback will be right now at Amazon.  Mass market paperback will be coming out on November 6th.

Trade Paperback                  Mass Market Paperback
               

More Nice Reviews

Over on Debbie's Book Bag she has this to say about The Gingerbread Bump-Off

Livia J. Washburn brings readers a great holiday themed cozy just in time for ... Livia J. Washburn has a great sense of community and small town involvement. ...

She is having a giveaway so check it out.

And of all places, you can find a 4 1/2 star review of Witch Got Your Tongue over on Coated Tongue Causes. 

This is a fast, entertaining book, and there's bound to be a sequel along soon.

I just wanted to add that there will be a sequel, A Peck of Pickled Warlocks, but at this time I'm working on the 4th Literary Tour Mystery featuring the man's man Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Funeral Bell Tolls.

If you can't find the books locally, they are available through Amazon.

Kindle       Trade  

Trade       Kindle

Free Books!

I have one autographed copy each of the paperback KILLER CRAB CAKES and the trade paperback of THE PUMPKIN MUFFIN MURDER that I will be giving away, so only two people can win this time. Email me before November 25, 2010 (Thanksgiving) to enter the drawing. washburn@flash.net.

One of my favorite recipes in THE PUMPKIN MUFFIN MURDER:

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
1 egg
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter

Muffin:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Fill any unfilled muffin cups in tin with water.

Filling: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add egg, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until mixed, then set bowl in freezer to set while mixing other ingredients.

Topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Muffin batter: In a large bowl, blend together flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until well mixed.

Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Take the cream cheese mixture out of the freezer then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter in the muffin cups. Having the chilled cream cheese mixture will help you keep the cream cheese from touching the edges. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 18 muffins

Note: If you have dogs, add a heaping tablespoon of the leftover canned pumpkin to their meal. All of my dogs like pumpkin and it’s a healthy treat.

Coming

The Pumpkin Muffin Murder: A Fresh-Baked Mystery. This NAL Trade title will be released on November 2, 2010.

The fifth in a delectable series fans can't wait to sink their teeth into. Includes fifteen recipes! Phyllis loves to spend quality time with her grandson. She'll be taking him to a festival with hopes of winning the baking contest-now that her friendly competitor, Carolyn, is judging and not competing. But when a decorative scarecrow is actually a dead body in disguise, it's Phyllis's sleuthing skills that are needed. The dead body is that of the festival's organizer- and his wife, Carolyn's friend, falls under suspicion. Carolyn turns to Phyllis for help, because who's better at dishing out some justice than a baker extraordinaire who can handle the heat...

More Free Books

I have one autographed copy each of KILLER CRAB CAKES and HUCKLEBERRY FINISHED that I will be giving away, so only two people can win this time. Email me before November 15, 2009 to enter the drawing. washburn@flash.net

HUCKLEBERRY FINISHED (Kensington Hardback)

Delilah Dickinson's literary travel agency is a hit! And now, after an alarmingly lively tour through the Old South of Gone with the Wind, she's ready to embark on a leisurely steamboat trip down the Mississippi, a la Huckleberry Finn. But when one of her passengers winds up dead, Delilah reckons she'll have to get to the bottom of this downright ornery mystery...Ain't no doubt about it.

KILLER CRAB CAKES (Signet Trade Paperback)

When Phyllis’s cousin asks her to look after her Oak Knoll bed-and-breakfast for a few weeks, Phyllis jumps at the chance—mostly because the inn is located close to the annual Rockport, Texas, Just Desserts competition. But Phyllis’s holiday turns bitter when she and Sam discover a dead body—and all signs point to murder.

Another Nice Review

Here is a review of The Christmas Cookie Killer. This third book in the Fresh Baked series will be coming out in paperback November 3, 2009.
Signet Mass Market Paperback $6.99

Killer Crab Cakes Review

There is a great review on the Mystery Reader's blog.

The latest Fresh Baked Mystery by Livia J. Washburn was just released last month. It is called Killer Crab Cakes. I enjoyed getting back to another Texas mystery and this is a fun series.

If you are interested in reading more of the review check out

Mystery Reader Discussion

(Fourth book in Fresh Baked series)Nal Trade, September 29, 2009, ISBN: 978-0451228369 Trade Paperback $14.00.