Guest Blogger....LAURA CHILDS!!!!!!!!!

Meow!

I’m thrilled to have as my guest blogger this week, NYTimes Bestselling author Laura Childs!

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of 17 Tea Shop Mysteries, 13 Scrapbooking Mysteries, and 6 Cackleberry Club Mysteries.  On July 5 she will release Little Girl Gone, the first book in her Afton Tangler Thriller Series written by Gerry Schmitt.  In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays.  She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Shar-Pei dogs. (But we love her anyway LOL)

What’s a Tea Shop Mystery without

steaming pots of tea and delicious food!

A guest blog by Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of

Devonshire Scream, the newest Tea Shop Mystery.

Ah, food.  Lucky me.  Since my Tea Shop Mysteries distinctly fall into the category of culinary mystery, my main characters always seem to be caught in a dizzying aray of tea and food.  Theodosia, my beloved tea shop owner and protagonist, is constantly sipping new teas from Ceylon and India.  While Haley, her young wunderkind baker, dances about the kitchen creating tasty new sandwiches and savories.  And there’s Drayton, too, tea sommelier and arbiter of good taste at the Indigo Tea Shop.  When these three characters aren’t kicking dead bodies out of the way, they’re focused on serving tea and staging events such as a Full Monty Tea, Lady Devonshire Tea, and Lavender Dreams Tea.

And, oh yes, they do catering, too.  In Devonshire Scream, Theodosia caters a fancy soiree at Heart’s Desire Fine Jewelry in Charleston, SC.  But when  

a gang of jewel thieves stage a daring “smash and grab” raid, she gets yanked into a bizarre mystery.  Could the robbers have been led by a wealthy yacht broker, transplanted European, motorcycle tough guy, or mild-mannered professor?  The FBI thinks international jewel thieves are at work, but when the Heritage Society decides to put a priceless Faberge Egg on display, Theodosia takes matters into her own hands and investigates.

Lots of excitement ensues as Devonshire Scream delivers a gripping, realistic murder that also includes tea tips and recipes for Cranberry Cream Scones, Shortbread Squares, and Waldorf Tea Sandwiches.

And if your taste buds are suddenly craving a special tea treat, why not try my favorite recipe for scones: 

Chocolate Sour Cream Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup butter

1 beaten egg yolk

8 oz. sour cream

½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Mix together flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in butter.  Add egg yolk and sour cream and mix.  Add chocolate chips and stir until soft.  Spoon dough (about 2 Tbsp worth for each scone) onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Even Laura's dogs love 'em!!!!!!!

Reader Giveaway!

Win one of two hardcover copies of DEVONSHIRE SCREAM, inscribed and signed by Laura Childs.

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

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Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Good luck! Contest closes midnight, March 6!