Peeking Between the Pages

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The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor: Spotlight & Giveaway (US only)

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The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor released yesterday on February 5 and oh my is this ever one I’d like to read.  I know many of us are very intrigued by  books that have diaries that date back in time and this is one of them.  I’ll definitely be making time for this one in the near future.  In the meantime I’m going to share it with all of you with a little information on the book and the author as well as a giveaway for a chance to win your own copy.  Love, love, love this cover!  Wish I was there instead of here with all my snow!

 

bakery

 

The Union Street Bakery (from Penguin)

Life can turn on a dime. It’s a common cliché, and I’d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us…Stuff happens.

Daisy McCrae’s life is in tatters. She’s lost her job, broken up with her boyfriend, and has been reduced to living in the attic above her family’s store, the Union Street Bakery, while learning the business. Unfortunately, the bakery is in serious hardship. Making things worse is the constant feeling of not being a “real” McCrae since she was adopted as a child and has a less-than-perfect relationship with her two sisters.

Then a long-standing elderly customer passes away, and for some reason bequeaths Daisy a journal dating back to the 1850s, written by a slave girl named Susie. As she reads, Daisy learns more about her family—and her own heritage—than she ever dreamed. Haunted by dreams of the young Susie, who beckons Daisy to “find her,” she is compelled to look further into the past of the town and her family.

What she finds are the answers she has longed for her entire life, and a chance to begin again with the courage and desire she thought she lost for good.

Book Excerpt
Buy at: Penguin, Amazon, Amazon.ca, B&N, and IndieBound

 

About Mary Ellen Taylor (from her website)

Mary Ellen Taylor’s southern family has always enjoyed tall tales and good yarns. Early on, Mary Ellen realized that Story had tremendous power to inspire laughter, love, sorrow and even fear. It didn’t matter if the tales were found in the pages of a book, spoken in hushed tones around a campfire, or shared at an old-fashioned southern family reunion, stories created connections.

This appreciation of story motivated Mary Ellen to earn an English degree from Virginia’s Hollins University. After a decade of working in marketing and sales, Mary Ellen became convinced she could write and sell one of the many stories swirling in her head. Fingers crossed, Mary Ellen left the marketing profession and devoted all her spare time to writing a novel.

Under the name Mary Burton, she has written twelve historical romances for Harlequin Historicals, four short romantic suspenses for Silhouette Romantic Suspense and now writes single title suspense novels for Kensington. Mary Burton is a 2005 RITA Finalist (Short Historical) and a 2006 nominee the Romantic Times’ Critics Choice Award.

Mary Ellen is an avid baker who spends many afternoons testing and tweaking recipes. She resides in Virginia where she enjoys yoga, hiking and her two miniature dachshunds, Buddy and Bella.

Connect with Mary Ellen on her website, Facebook, and Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US only)

I have one copy of The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor up for grabs to my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, February 16/13.  Good luck!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sounds really interesting

    I also follow your blog on email

    killgoremichel(at)oh(dot)rr(dot)com

  11. Sounds like a fascinating story. I like the idea of the diary too.
    -follow by GFC, email, Facebook

  15. Oh, this one does sound very climactic and interesting, Dar! I would love to read it at some point. I definitely want in on this giveaway!!

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

  16. This sounds like a story that I would love to sit down and read right now! Would love to win it.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)conm

  17. I follow your blog with GFC as Carol N Wong and an e-mail subscription as CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com.

  21. I love books that contain old diaries as a view into the past. Sounds like a wonderful story. I follow by email.

  40. What a wonderful cover! The story sounds very interesting and I’m always up for reading good southern fiction.

    Please enter me in your giveaway for this book, Dar.
    I’m a faithful follower via email, GFC…etc.

  42. Yes that is a beautiful cover pic! And this is going to be some book! I can’t wait to read it! I follow you on your blog too!