Today's the day! FONDANT FUMBLE is officially out!
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JENN McKINLAY: You know that old chestnut that we always ask authors -- where do you get your ideas? This book is probably the easiest time I'll ever have answering that question. It was five years ago (side note: sometimes we have to sit on ideas until they really take shape) and I saw a news story about two football players and a friend who bought a cupcake bakery franchise called Gigi's Cupcakes (another side note: Gigi's used to be in Scottsdale and they were so good but I think the pandemic squeezed them out).
Anyway, here's the full story on the football players and their friend from their website: The Cupcake Guys.
In short, three friends who met at University of Texas Austin always wanted to own a restaurant together. Two of the trio went on to play for the Tennessee Titans but the restaurant dream remained, except it rolled into cupcakes when they became aware of Gigi's Cupcakes, a Nashville bakery phenomenon started by Gigi Butler (who has a pretty great story as well), and they decided to buy a franchise. Brilliant, right?
How could I not use all of this football-cupcake story goodness for the plot of a mystery? It was five years in the making but it simply had to be done! And I have to say, I had an absolute blast writing this one.
Tell me, Reds and Readers, are you a football fan?
Who's your team? If you could own a franchise what would it be?
Here's a picture that was my inspiration and below are the deets of FONDANT FUMBLE for anyone who wants to read them:
The Fairy Tale Cupcakes crew helps two professional football players in knead when the athletes are suspected of murder and their dream of opening a bakery is crushed, from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.
Professional football players Keogh Graham and Tyler Matthews want to open a Fairy Tale Cupcakes franchise. They’re spending the off-season in Scottsdale working in Mel’s bakery, learning about the business and how to bake show-stopping cupcakes. The popular athletes bring a boom of customers to the store as football fans flock to see the friends mixing batter and piping icing.
Everyone’s excited the athletes are pursuing their dream of owning a bakery—except for those who fear the players will ditch football for fondant and retire early from professional sports. The angry naysayers include their team owner and Keogh’s sports agent, along with some very vocal fans.
When the owner of their team, the Arizona Scorpions, is found dead on the floor of their new bakery following an argument with Keogh, the pros become prime suspects. As the investigation heats up, Mel and the rest of the cupcake bakery crew must step up and prove their franchise owners are innocent before it’s game-over for the new bakers.
