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The Kitchen Mistress Wins an IPPY Award!

Please join me in congratulating Kathleen Shoop! The Kitchen Mistress was just awarded an Independent Publishers Book Award Gold Medal, Best Regional Fiction (Midwest)! I had the pleasure of helping Kathie with a copyedit of this gripping tale of a young woman's efforts to keep her family together in late 19th-century Des Moines, and I designed the cover!

From the Independent Publishers Book Awards website: The Independent Publisher Book Awards ("IPPY" Awards), launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first awards program open exclusively to independents, over 3,000 "IPPYs" have been awarded to authors and publishers around the world. Independent spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets, and books are judged with that in mind.


Here's the book description:

For every woman who’s had to choose between the secrets that protect her and the people she loves the most…

1892—Des Moines

Katherine Arthur and her family are back, and it’s time to collect the money Mrs. Mellet left them in her will. The tidy sum will allow the family peace of mind and a future that’s stable and fulfilling. But when things don’t go exactly as planned, Katherine steps up to do more than her share. Hired as a kitchen mistress, her intuition (with the help of a mysterious recipe book), cooking prowess, and work ethic make her the perfect partner for the enigmatic, wealthy woman next door. Then Aleksey Zurchenko arrives.

Violet Pendergrass is a well-heeled, progressive woman with half a fortune in one hand and a plan for enduring prosperity in the other. Resourceful, shrewd, and tough, Violet doesn’t realize her one and only weakness leaves her vulnerable as she attempts to solidify her independence. She sees unparalleled value in Katherine’s gifts and does her best to keep the girl close, to keep her true work secret from her mother and the world.

Katherine’s loyalties to her mother and Violet grow strained, and soon her commitment to both frays even further as her feelings for Aleksey grow. Katherine must decide if pursuing her work with the formidable Violet and protecting her family are more important than following love. Can she do it all? Love, hope, joy, secrets buried in walls and hearts; all are threatened by those who claim to care about the Arthurs. Can Katherine separate what’s right and true from what it takes to survive? Are they even different things?

The Kitchen Mistress is available now in ebook and print editions on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Add them to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Kathie's website for the scoop on all of her books and her blog posts about writing and historical research.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com