The Cupcake Witch by Poppy Lawless
Foodie Lit
Julie is planning on putting up the for sale sign on the property she and her father have just inherited. Then she sees the former teashop/bakery in Chancellor. “It looks like a witch’s cottage.…The little building was a mess, the glass nursery overgrown but there was something quaint, almost fairy tale like about it.” And of course she falls in love with the property and the chance it will give her to fulfill her dream—to be a baker and open up a bakery/café.
How did Poppy Lawless begin to write books about magic? I was curious and asked her. “I mostly started with setting. I wanted to play with a quaint little town where the residents were a lot more than what they seemed. I liked the idea that in one special place, we might find mermaids, witches, faeries, and more. With all these legends of supernatural beings, it makes you wonder about the unseen composition of our world. I know I've met some off characters in real life and wondered after...what they heck were they? Or maybe I'm just going to Walmart at midnight too frequently. I loved the idea of a magical little town.”
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Magic continues as Julie finds and takes home a painted box of yellowed recipes inside. “There was an interesting smell on them, like the
mixed scent of vanilla and lavender….I thumbed through until I found a recipe for Make a Wish Cake.” Julie spots a poem on the back of the recipe card:
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To get your wish. Over the batter recite:
Round three times you’ll see my way
Stir backward once protests away
Round three times more to receive
In one bite, they will believe.
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Who wouldn't like a recipe to grant wishes? I asked Poppy about the origin of her idea of magic spells working through the making of cupcakes. “I've had the idea for a book about a magical bakery for several years now. Knowing that many ingredients do have medicinal or magical qualities, I thought it would be fun to play with that idea a bit more. What if the right mix of magical herbs dashed with a well-written spell evoked something special? Ditch the cauldron, bring on the Cuisinart! My idea-planning for this book hit about the same time I became mildly obsessed with cupcakes (well, me and the rest of the country). Thus, an idea was born! Now, I'm a great foodie. I love to eat, and I'm not a bad cook. At one point, I had applied to go to culinary school but had a change of heart. As for being a baker? No, just no. I can burn store-bought premade cookie dough. But I love a great cupcake.” Julie’s cupcakes help her find love, solve family quarrels and taste delicious enough to simply melt in your mouth.
Author Poppy Lawless's new series, The Chancellor Fairy Tales Book, of which The Cupcake Witch is the second, “blends the best of romance with a Practical Magic.” Grab a free adult coloring page The Cupcake Witch.
Good witches and carved brooms, new love and healing memories. Mix them together to find a Foodie Lit
romance engaging and magical. Filled with sweet cupcakes and sweet love, Poppy’s series is perfect for a beach or poolside
read this summer.
Enjoy one of Poppy’s favorite cupcakes, Carrot Cupcakes with Whipped Maple Frosting on the Sister Bakers website.
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