When Cookies Crumble
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Published by: Howland Press
Release Date: May 1, 2021
ISBN13: 978-1733646048
Synopsis
Researching her past gives her a future she never imagined...
When baking decadent wedding cakes and pastries doesn’t satisfy Emily Vassure’s hunger for knowledge, she seeks the truth from her mother—the only family she’s ever known—but the reality of her mom's failing health leaves her feeling lonely and only more desperate to uncover her father’s identity before it’s too late.
Everything changes when the quirky and musically gifted Duncan Philips comes to town. Duncan prompts Emily to undergo a mission of self-discovery. Emily searches for clues that just might unleash the truth of her past. But will her future crumble when the secrets are revealed?
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Praise
"A wholesome and satisfying mystery, thread through with love. When baker Emily Vassure's mother, Helen, dies, she leaves Emily with the mystery of her paternity, and a mistrust of men--due to Helen's poor choices. Until Duncan Philips comes into Emily's life--a stranger with whom she feels an instant connection. Much like a favorite recipe, the mystery unfolds step by step until it arrives at its satisfying and delicious conclusion."
—Lorrie Thomson, author of What's Left Behind, A Measure of Happiness, Equilibrium
“Karen Coulters has written a bittersweet tale of family and secrets with well-drawn characters and vivid descriptions. Never has York, Maine sounded more appealing. From its deceptively calm beginning to its surprising twist at the end, When Cookies Crumble will keep you wanting more!”
—Ellen H. Reed, author of The Untimely Death of Nettie Belle Douglass
“Karen’s written words paint a beautiful picture. An amazing story by an extremely talented author!”
—Elaine, Goodreads
“I felt transformed into their lives with the descriptive narrative!”
—Anonymous, Goodreads
“Riveting plot and engaging writing.”
—Bonnie C., Goodreads
“A beautifully, well-written novel that is guaranteed to pull at your heart strings.”
—Marissa, Goodreads
Excerpt
It was a bit muggier than she’d thought and there was a haze on the beach that made it hard to see beyond a hundred yards in any direction. She removed her shoes and sweatshirt and lay them on the passenger’s seat, stuffed her keys and cell phone in her pockets and made her way to the coolness of the hard sand near the water’s edge. The thunder storm the night before had washed up seaweed and shells that she maneuvered around; gingerly walking over smooth, rounded rocks that had rolled in and out with the tide. The company of seagulls squawked in search of their breakfast as she stood with her toes sinking into the sand.
A fisherman caught her attention. She watched as he cast three lines out into the sea and set each pole into their stands that were securely screwed into the hardened sand. He plunked down on a bucket waiting for a strike. To her right was an elderly couple, walking along, holding hands. How long have they been together, she wondered? Did they have children, Grand-children? Were they living their best lives or were those days over, she pondered? Emily focused on the fisherman once again. She couldn’t help but think that she was like that lonely fisherman casting out lines in hopes of catching something, anything, that could fill her bucket. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she felt alone and empty. She had a fulfilling career that was going well, but on a personal level, she’d never felt so alone. Perhaps it was her mother that had her feeling…abandoned? Helen was a snippet of who she used to be. She’d become a stranger, in a sense. She was a stranger to her mother and her mother was a stranger to her. She felt like she was cast about, floating on the water, waiting for something or someone to grab ahold of her and say that she was wanted and needed—that she mattered—that she was loved, but no; she continued to float in like a piece of seaweed, waiting to be picked up, only to be swept away again and again.