Tallowed Ground: A Magic Candle Shop Mystery
by Valona Jones
About Tallowed Ground
Tallowed Ground: A Magic Candle Shop Mystery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Georgia
Publisher : Muddle House Publishing (September 10, 2024)
Digital Print length : 269 pages
ASIN : B0D9HLPS2W
When a killer props his third and latest victim against the double tombstone of Tabby and Sage Winslow’s grandparents’ grave in Savannah, Georgia, the psychic twins are stunned. Even worse, the victim is the very man they filed a restraining order against a few months ago for trashing their book and candle shop. Coincidence…or a connection? Then a clue about the murders points to Tabby’s career as a candlemaker. Now, she is the number one suspect in the killing spree.
The twins investigate all three victims, finding little that might tie the cases together besides where the bodies were found—in or near Bonaventure Cemetery, a beautiful 100-acre historic graveyard with a storied past. Then Tabby’s Medical Examiner boyfriend is mysteriously pulled from the case, with his dream job in jeopardy. The situation reaches a flashpoint when new evidence points to Tabby. With her freedom and the family business in jeopardy, Tabby and Sage match their wits and psychic abilities against the wily killer.
That is, until Tabby’s spirited inquiry lands her in the worst kind of trouble. Can Tabby clear her name before the fiend snuffs her flame…for good?
Tabby Winslow of Tallowed Ground shares a recipe
My family knows I’m not the best cook. I get distracted and forget I’m cooking, and then we have to call out for pizza! I blame some of that on the mysteries I love to read. I absolutely become engrossed when reading.
My fiancé never complains about my cooking, but I know the difference between cooking to live and living to cook.
My aunt and twin both have that special knack for cooking, so for most of my life they cooked and I cleaned up. It was a bargain that worked great all around. Now we’re all living our own lives and I’ve had to up my cooking game. It’s getting better, but it still isn’t great.
When a birthday or holiday occasion arises, I use one of Auntie O’s tried-and-true recipes. This dessert is absolutely mouthwatering, and everyone raves about it. The cake is dense, moist, and spicy in the way of all the decadent apple desserts you’ve ever tasted. The caramel frosting is pure heaven–buttery sweetness that melts in your mouth. I’ve made it three times now, and every time is a hit.
Also, since this cake is so YUMMY, I hit upon an idea that has kept me from bursting out of my clothes. Instead of making this in a 13×9” pan and eating the whole thing, I split the batter between two 8×8 pans. That way I have one for immediate consumption. The other I either freeze for later or drop it off at a friend’s house.
One last note: Auntie O always made this is a metal pan for the 45 minutes of baking. I have glass pans and have learned the hard way that food cooks faster in glass. I recommend checking the cake at 30 or 35 minutes with a toothpick. Continue every five minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.
And the real last note: frost the cake in the pan. It isn’t the prettiest way to serve it, but the pieces are easier to get off the bottom with a metal spatula.
Auntie O’s Applesauce Cake
By Tabby Winslow, amateur sleuth and psychic of TALLOWED GROUND
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
1 egg
½ cup raisins
½ c chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups applesauce
Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and beat well. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to butter mixture alternately with the applesauce. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Bake in a greased 13” x 9” x 2” pan at 350 for 45 minutes. Frost when cool.
Caramel Frosting
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
1 ¾ cup of confectioner sugar
Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Then add milk (slowly) and keep stirring mixture until it boils again. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Frosting is runny but will harden as it cools. Be sure to apply the frosting while runny, otherwise it’s hard to do!
Refrigerate cake before eating for fullest flavor.
Enjoy!
About Valona Jones
Valona Jones, aka Maggie Toussaint, writes paranormal cozies set in coastal Georgia, Her latest release, TALLOWED GROUND, book 3 in the A Magic Candle Shop Mysteries, came out September 10, 2024. Under the name of Maggie Toussaint, she also publishes cozy mysteries and romantic suspense. Her pen name for a three-book science fiction ecothriller is Rigel Carson. In total, she has published more than 27 works of fiction and won multiple awards. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one. Visit her sites: https://valonajones.com and https://maggietoussaint.com
Author Links
Valona Jones Website https://valonajones.com
Maggie Toussaint Website https://maggietoussaint.com
Maggie Toussaint Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaggieToussaintAuthor
Valona Jones Facebook https://facebook.com/ValonaJonesAuthor
Maggie Toussaint BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggie-toussaint
Valona Jones BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valona-jones
Maggie Toussaint Booklover’s Bench https://bookloversbench.com/maggie-toussaint/
Maggie Toussaint X https://www.x.com/MaggieToussaint
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