From the Keys: Her Sugar Cookie Heart

I don't know about you, but I love hearing about stories almost as much as I like hearing the stories themselves. So for a bit, I'm going to chat about the stories I've written. Sometimes it'll be a behind-the-scenes look at research, other posts will cover what inspired me to write the particular story, and still others will touch on even more random things. Like today's story and the recipe I offer to go with it, just in case you've got a mind to bake up a batch of cookies before you settle in to read. 

From the keys, lets chat about Her Sugar Cookie Heart. This historical romance is the story of a second chance at love. The characters have been soulmates for decades, but circumstances and the aftermath of war have impacted their lives. 

Her Sugar Cookie Heart is available here. 

An excerpt: 

“The usIual?”

She held up two fingers. They shook ever-so slightly.

“Ah, a two-cookie kind of day.” He removed two of the bakery’s best-selling heart-shaped cookies and set them on baker’s paper on the counter. After grabbing a white bag, he took first one cookie, then the other, and snapped the frosted hearts in half before placing them in the bag and turning down the top. “Just the way you like ‘em.”

“Thanks.” She pushed two quarters across the glass countertop and took the bag from him with a forced smile. Ignoring the voice behind her didn’t mean that it disappeared. He must still be there, a few steps away and close enough to witness her discomfort. “See you tomorrow.”

“You got it, Liz.” The baker gave her a fast wave.

The moment she avoided couldn’t be put off any longer. She turned to leave and came face to face with the man who’d broken her heart as easily as Bigley snapped sugar cookies.

He stood before her an older man, but she would have recognized him anywhere. The same cornflower-blue eyes, smile that raised one edge of his upper lip higher than the other, and soul-penetrating gaze.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” His voice had grown deeper and held a hint of something she couldn’t put her finger on. Experience, maybe. Who could tell? Tiny wrinkles radiated from the corners of his eyes when he smiled. “Still gorgeous.” 

No-Fail Rolled Sugar Cookies

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 t vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix until dough comes together. Shape into a log, then wrap in clingwrap. Refrigerate. 

Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Slice cookies and bake on ungreased cookie sheets until golden brown.