About the Book
When stressed out New York executive
Rosie Hamilton inherits her Aunt Bernice’s run-down cottage, it couldn’t have
come at a better time. With her love life, if she could call it that, exploded in
her face and suspension from her job swinging through the corporate jungle, she
reckons a couple weeks in Devon could be just the escape she needs from the
glamorous, yet trauma-strewn landscape of her life in Manhattan.
But life hidden away in the thatched
lodge is dull and how can she contemplate tackling the jungle of a garden in
her Louboutins and Armani skirt suit? Rosie, uncomfortable with the invasion of
privacy masquerading as community spirit, yearns to return to her old life of
social indifference, until she stumbles upon her aunt’s old, hand-illustrated
recipe book .With no other activity to occupy her time, she bakes, bakes, bakes
as if her life depends on it. With no form of transport either, Rosie takes to
the road on Bernice’s ancient bicycle, warm Devonshire scones in the wicket
basket up front.
She even has time to date! Austin, her
aunt’s handsome, sharp-suited solicitor, is straight from her New York wish list
of boyfriend material; and Charlie, the local luxury Spa Hotel’s general maintenance
guy, definitely not her type, irritatingly chirpy and lacking in life’s
ambition.
With recipes from Aunt Bernice’s own
baking book for you to try at home; Corporate Manhattan or rural Devon? Austin
or Charlie? Stiletto Heels or Bicycles Wheels? Which would you choose?
3.99 ebook
Lindsey says:
What I most love
about the story is that love and romance can be found when, where and with whom
you least expect it. Rosie's life in NYC is so hectic that she has no time for
love or relationships, but even when there is an enforced change of pace, it
takes her some time to realise that happiness can be found in the most
unexpected of places.
I have
always had a herb garden in my back garden. Every recipe in the novel has been
tried and tested and, like Rosie in the novel, they didn't always work out
first time. But if at first you don't succeed......! And I think that adage can
be a writer's resolution, that despite the hurtful rejections and criticisms of
our work we all encounter, we must keep on trying, again and again.
I hope
every reader of Stiletto Heels will feel an affinity with the character of
Rosie, maybe see a little of themselves in her, particularly her desire to make
everyone happy, sometimes at her own expense. Of course, I also hope they
thoroughly enjoy the heart-warming story with an uplifting message and happy
ending
One of the fun things about the novel is that Rosie delves into her Aunt Bernice's illustrated recipe book and attempts
to recreate her recipes with varying degrees of success. My favourite recipe is
for Lavender Shortbread. It has a deliciously subtle aroma of lavender. Here it
is - if you decide to try it out - it would be awesome if you posted a photo of
the finished product to my author page.
(NOTE FROM LISA: While Lindsey is DELIGHTFULLY British, I've Americanized some of her terms, and added the equivalents to the recipe in case you want to try it---WHICH I WILL because I have Lavender Sugar from Canada I bought last summer!!!)
RECIPE
Aunt Bernice’s
Lavender Shortbread
Ingredients
(1 cup) 200g
softened, unsalted butter
(1/2 cup) 100g
lavender sugar
(1 1/2 cup) 200g
plain flour, sieved
(3/4 cup) 100g
semolina (flour)
Instructions
Beat
the butter until smooth, then add the lavender sugar and mix until
incorporated. Mix in the flour and the semolina until a dough is formed. Knead
very lightly. Try not to overwork. Roll gently and cut out 5 cm (2 inch) rounds. Place on
a greased baking tray and chill for an hour. Bake in a preheated oven, Gas Mark
4 for 25-30 mins, taking care not to overbake, like Rosie did. Leave to cool
before transferring to a wire rack. Sprinkle with lavender sugar, or if you
wish, lavender petals.
Home-made
lavender sugar is easy to make. Wrap a tablespoon of fresh lavender flowers in
muslin and tie securely. Place into a sealed jar with 500g of caster sugar (Lisa says: 2 1/2 cups - we talked about this in the group: caster sugar is ground granulated sugar-not quite powdered sugar quality. I make mine in a little coffee grinder; others in a food processor or grinder).
Shake daily and after a week the lavender aroma will have permeated the sugar.
Discard the muslin bag and the sugar is ready for use.
About Lindsey Paley
Lindsey Paley grew up in Yorkshire, UK.
She relocated to Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North East of England where she
lives with her husband and young son and as many books as she can cram into the
four corners of her spare bedroom.
An avid baker, with a willing family and
neighbours as tasters, when she is not scrutinising her fellow human beings for
ideas for her next novel, she is to be found perfecting her swing on the golf
course – a hopelessly over-optimistic ambition.
Stiletto Heels or Bicycle Wheels? –
which would you choose? is Lindsey’s latest romantic comedy. Her first two – The Wish List Addiction and Ugly Paradise are under contract with Prism
Book Group and due to be published in 2014. She is currently hard at work on
her next novel – The Wedding Yarn.
