It's

Cozy Food Friday!

and

Giveaway!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from the cozy mystery 

PLAYED BY THE BOOK

Book 4 in the Novel Idea Mystery series

by

Lucy Arlington

The New York Times bestselling Novel Idea Mysteries make their return with Lila Wilkins, literary agent and “murder magnet” planning a book signing garden party. But things aren’t coming up roses when she ends up trying to weed out a dangerous killer…

The owner of A Novel Idea Literary Agency is thrilled when former local boy and popular television show host Damian York returns to Inspiration Valley, North Carolina, to launch his new gardening book. But Lila is less than excited about the hubbub when she sees the mounting to-do list on her desk. Between planning York’s gala and sprucing up her yard for another event, she’s spread too thin—especially after she finds a skull buried in her flowerbeds.

As Lila’s macabre discovery leads to other secrets hidden in Inspiration Valley’s past, a member of the local garden club is found slumped over her prize roses—murdered with a garden spade. Now it’s up to Lila to dig through old mysteries and new clues to unearth a murderer before someone else is found pushing up daisies…

Along with today's recipe, 

author Lucy Arlington/Susan Furlong

is giving away this amazing prize package!

Book Tote

Apron with Lucy Arlington Mysteries logo

Tea Towel

Oven Mitts

Baking Utensils 

2 Recipe cards

and

1 signed copy of 

PLAYED BY THE BOOK!

I'm jealous I don't get to enter this one myself! 

Use the Rafflecopter form 

at the end of this page to enter

This give away is open to 

US and Canada only

On to the yummy recipe! 

In Played by the Book, Lila, who is busy planning a book launch gala for one of her authors, feels overwhelmed by her to-do list. (As well as her latest sleuthing adventure.) Her son, Trey, takes to the kitchen to whip up a little comfort food. Here’s what he makes:

Trey’s Mac-n-Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

 1 (8-ounce) package of penne pasta (elbow pasta or other like shapes are fine)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup half-and-half

1 ½ cups milk

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

5 slices of bacon, cooked

1 tomato, sliced thinly

¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. (Best if cooked al dente.)

Cook bacon until slightly crisp, and cut into pieces. 

Melt butter in a large pot, whisk in flour and cook the mixture while constantly whisking. 

Whisk in half-and-half and milk. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens.

Slowly stir in all cheeses and mix until smooth. 

Remove the mixture from the heat and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg if desired.

Fold in pasta until all the noodles are completely covered. Stir in bacon pieces.

Pour the mixture into an 11x13 baking dish. 

Top with tomato slices and additional Parmesan cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and golden brown. 

Yields: 7-9 servings

NOTE: All photos, with the exception of the first, are from Google images.
Your finished dish may look different from those shown here.

Is anyone else really hungry right now?

Before moving on to the Rafflecopter entry, Please, keep reading and check out my installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader

Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading

Keeping my Cozy Food Friday theme going with 

PLAYED BY THE BOOK by Lucy Arlington

Book 4 in the Novel Idea Mystery series

My Book Beginnings for this week..

I was completely engrossed in reading my latest proposal, a cozy mystery set in a charming English hamlet, when a couple of specks of dirt fell across my paper. I looked up just in time to see a blue ceramic pot coming down fast. 

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice

Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

Continuing with PLAYED BY  THE BOOK

My Friday 56...

"You mean you're not going to make it?" The question came out louder than I intended. I drew curious stares from every direction.

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry. We've made a major breakthrough..."

I blocked out his words, shutting my eyes and attempting to stay calm.

PLAYED BY THE BOOK

by Lucy Arlington

My Review

There are books that I love from the very first page. PLAYED BY THE BOOK is one of those books. I was drawn in to the story immediately and savored turning every page. Well, not the last page because that meant this wonderful read was over. Only a few pages in I laughed out loud when during a conversation, Lila's boos said, "You scratch their backs and they'll scratch yours." and Lila, whose point of view the story is from, thinks to herself, "Oh yeah, well, my back isn't itchy." LOL Loved it!

 The main character in the Novel Idea series is Lila. I really enjoyed her character and look forward to spending time with her again, as well as her family and friends when the next installment is released. (Do we really have to wait a year?) 

From the finding of the skull in Lila's flower bed, the murder of a garden club member, to the exciting conclusion, (Quoting Ms. Arlington's own words from a scene from this book), PLAYED BY THE BOOK had "twists and turns so unexpected that they kept me spellbound until the last page." I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Readers may or may not know that the first three books in this series were written under the pen name, Lucy Arlington, by authors Ellery Adams and Sylvia May, both of whom created the series. They have turned the writing duties over to the wonderful author, Susan Furlong.  I mention this to assure fans of this series not to worry. Ms. Furlong has flawlessly transitioned into the role of Lucy Arlington and PLAYED BY THE BOOK is every bit as awesome as the first books in the series. I'll go so far as to say, she her voice has improved upon an already outstanding series. 

And make sure to check out the preview of PEACHES AND SCREAM by Susan Furlong which can be found at the end of the book. PEACHES AND SCREAM is book 1 in the new Georgia Peach Mystery series, due out July 2015!

PLAYED BY THE BOOK

Pre-order now for February 3 release

Author Lucy Arlington/Susan Furlong

MEET THE AUTHOR: 

The Novel Idea Mysteries is a New York Times bestselling series of cozy mysteries, including Buried in a Book, Every Trick in the Book, and Books, Cooks, and Crooks and, now, Played by the Book all written under the pseudonym of Lucy Arlington. The writing team of Ellery Adams and Sylvia May, two friends who collaborated on the series, first conceived of Lucy Arlington and her literary agent sleuth. Together, the duo penned the first three books in the series. As time passed and their personal writing workload grew, the two passed the series to another author: Susan Furlong. In addition to now writing as Lucy Arlington, Susan Furlong is the author of another upcoming cozy mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, The Georgia Peach Mysteries. To learn more about Susan, visit her website at www.susanfurlong.com

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From yesterday's blog

1. Nothing to Fear but Ferrets

2. Bite the Biscuit

3. Beaglemania

4. Never Say Sty 

5. Chihuahua Chaos