I'm so happy to join Berkley Mystery in 

celebrating the release of  

COOKIES AND CLAIRVOYANCE

Book 8 in the Magical Bakery Mysteries

by Bailey Cates

Baker Katie Lightfoot serves up enchanted delicacies and tracks down a malicious murderer in the newest installment of this New York Times bestselling series...

Hedgewitch Katie Lightfoot is juggling wedding preparations, a visit from her father, and home renovations on top of her long hours at the Honeybee Bakery, where she and her aunt Lucy imbue their yummy cookies and pastries with beneficial magic. But when firefighter Randy Post is accused of murdering a collector of rarities, and his prints are on the statue that was used to kill the man, Katie steps in. 

Randy is not only Katie's fiancé's coworker, but also the boyfriend of fellow spellbook club member and witch Bianca Devereaux. Bianca and Declan are both sure Randy is innocent, and so is Katie. However, to prove it she'll have to work with ornery detective Peter Quinn again—and this time around he knows she's more than your everyday baker.

A WORD FROM BAILEY

Chocolate and Magic in 

Cookies and Clairvoyance

by Bailey Cates

Cookies and Clairvoyance is the eighth book in the Magical Bakery Mystery Series featuring Katie Lightfoot and the ladies of the spellbook club – another name for her informal coven of witches. Katie, her aunt Lucy, and uncle Ben own the Honeybee Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. Katie and Lucy are both hereditary hedgewitches, also known as green or natural witches, and add magically enhanced herbs and spices to their baked goods to benefit their customers.

Kensington Bosworth drops in to pick up a loaf of Katie’s sourdough bread in the afternoon. Hours later, Katie receives a call from Detective Peter Quinn. Kensington has been murdered in his home, surrounded by his bizarre collection of occult items. From their previous cases, Quinn now knows Katie is a witch, and he hopes she can help with the possible magical connection in this homicide. However, his suspicions quickly narrow to firefighter Randy Post, who had recently argued with the victim.

Randy’s not only a co-worker of Katie’s fiancé, Declan McCarthy, but he’s in a serious relationship with spellbook-club member Bianca Devereaux. Katie’s sure he’s innocent, and her witchy instincts tell her there really is something magical behind Kensington’s murder. So, between juggling renovations of her carriage house, planning her wedding, and keeping up with her work at the bakery, Katie tracks down suspects and follows the clues to find the real killer.

All my books have food in them. Of course, partly this is because I love food. I love tracking down local sources of food, I love finding and developing recipes for the ingredients I find, I love cooking, and yep, I love eating. So, it naturally follows that I love writing a culinary mystery series. Even better, much of the food in the Magical Bakery Mysteries is magical.

Well, of course it is, because food IS magical. Hedgewitches, aka kitchen witches (yes, it’s a real thing), know jasmine tea with nutmeg and cinnamon will aid in divination, or that parsley helps remove negativity, but we all know about the magical effects of, say, chocolate. There’s science behind that magic – chocolate contains the amino acid phenylalanine, which is involved in making dopamine, and it stimulates your metabolism and nervous system. It also contains theobromine, which can reduce blood pressure, strengthen tooth enamel, and improve mood. Some animals, dogs in particular, don’t process theobromine well, however, which is why chocolate is so bad for them.

Chocolate isn’t indigenous to Europe, so there isn’t much of a history of it being used in Celtic or Mediterranean magic. However, it’s long been a part of the magical traditions of Mexico, South America, and parts of Africa. In the Craft of magic that Katie and the spellbook club practice, it’s no surprise that chocolate is used in love potions, but also for spells for grounding, friendship, happiness, power and even prosperity.

Like herbs and spices, chocolate is associated with masculinity or femininity, with a celestial body or two, the zodiac, an element, and a chakra. White, milk, and dark chocolate have different associations. Dark chocolate, Katie’s favorite and the most used chocolate at the Honeybee Bakery, is feminine and associated with Venus, Earth, and the moon, Scorpio, Virgo and Aries, the elements of earth and water, and the heart chakra.

Of course, both the recipes in the back of Cookies and Clairvoyance are for…cookies! Namely, Magical Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and Honeybee Spice Cookies. You can find those and all the other recipes from the books, as well as information about the Magical Bakery Mysteries and the Enchanted Garden Mysteries I write as Bailey Cattrell, at www.baileycates.com.

COOKIES AND CLAIRVOYANCE 

is available now!

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