The support and encouragement I receive from my fellow Sisters in Crime (Sacramento and Northern California) and the authors who belong to Sacramento Valley Rose, California Writer’s Club and NCPA keeps me motivated when my spirits flag.
Thanks to my editor, Baird Nuckolls, and my amazing cover artist, Karen Phillips. I am extremely grateful for the generosity of Rose Margolis who contributed to the Women’s Center. I hope you enjoyed your character.
Thanks also to the people who contributed their tantalizing dessert recipes.
I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. If you’ve never visited Apple Hill in the fall then you need to plan a trip. And while you’re at it, check out some of the local restaurants featured in this book.
A special thanks to those fans from around the world whose emails make this journey so much fun. Your words bring a smile to my face and magic to my fingertips. It’s not easy to wake up each morning and create an entirely new world. Your words of encouragement make it the best job in the world!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cindy Sample is a former mortgage banking CEO who decided plotting murder was more entertaining than plodding through paperwork. She retired to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a mystery author.
Her experiences with online dating sites fueled the concept for Dying for a Date, the first in her national bestselling Laurel McKay mysteries. The sequel, Dying for a Dance, winner of the 2011 NCPA Fiction Award, is based on her adventures in the glamorous world of ballroom dancing. Cindy thought her protagonist, Laurel McKay, needed a vacation in Hawaii, which resulted in Dying for a Daiquiri, a finalist for the 2014 Silver Falchion Award for Best Traditional Mystery.
Laurel returned to Placerville for her wildest ride yet in Dying for a Dude. The West will never be the same. Dying for a Dude was also a 2014 Next Generation Indie Award Finalist in both mystery and humor. Then on to Dying for a Donut, the most lip-smacking mystery of them all.
Cindy is a three-time finalist for the LEFTY Award for best humorous mystery and a past president of the Sacramento chapter of Sisters in Crime. She has served on the boards of the Sacramento Opera and YWCA. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America. Cindy has two wonderful adult children who live too far away. She loves chatting with readers so feel free to contact her on any forum.
Sign up for her newsletter to find out about upcoming events and contests. http://cindysamplebooks.com/contact/
Check out www.cindysamplebooks.com for contests and other events.
Connect with Cindy on Facebook and Twitter
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Email Cindy at cindy@cindysamplebooks.com
Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR CINDY SAMPLE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
CHAPTER SIXTY
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
AUTUMN DESSERT RECIPES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR