Running with Knives

By Michele Budka

To get to happily ever after, sometimes you need to start from scratch. A successful caterer, Holly Murphy, is known for her whimsical kids' birthday parties, but lately, she's fallen into a rut and doesn't know how to get out. On the worst day of her life, she realizes she's lost touch with the spontaneous young woman she used to be. But is mid-life too late to change? Can shy Holly find the girl within herself still brave enough to go for a seemingly impossible dream? A shocking secret and a push from her daughter propels Holly out of her kitchen-and her comfort zone-and onto a reality-television cooking show. She soon learns that sometimes the life you walk away from doesn't always let you go no matter how far you run. As Holly tries to spice up her simmering life and faces one disaster after another while being filmed 24/7, she fights to find herself again without losing everything she loves in the process. ""Breezy and fun . . ."" - Publisher's Weekly ""Iron Chef vs. the other woman . . ."" - Award-winning women's fiction author, Susan Altstatt ""This contemporary women's fiction novel has everything women love about chick lit books And because I'm such a huge fan of foodie fiction, I had a blast following Holly as she tries to become the next reality TV chef-sensation. Fans of cozy culinary mysteries will love this fun book too. Highly recommended "" - Chick Lit Plus ""A funny, heartfelt, and relatable saga about a woman navigating the difficulties of mid-life, family life, and marriage while struggling to maintain a sense of herself after her daughter leaves home to attend college. Written with charm, honesty, and an insider's knowledge of what really goes on behind the scenes of reality and foodie television shows; it's a winning recipe for a fun read."" - Amazon ABNA Top Reviewer ABNA Finalist *FREE e-book with purchase of paperback* From the Editor: A humorous, inspiring, and heartwarming story about how life sometimes creates opportunities to love and change ourselves in surprising ways. Sample Preview: Chapter 1 Do you think your whole life could change in just one day? I didn't, but now I know better. I was one of those people who thought nothing really bad would happen to them. I didn't think anything extraordinary would happen either, and I was okay with that. I liked my middle-of-the-road, Midwestern, normal life. It all began to unravel one morning in June. The phone rang while I was making coffee and still only half-awake. "Holly Murphy?" "Yes?" I didn't recognize the voice, and the caller I.D. read UNKNOWN. "This is Jack Canton, executive producer over at EAT. Congratulations We've selected your video, and you are one of our "Who's the Next EAT Star?" finalists " "What?" I had no idea what he was talking about. Of course, I'd heard of EAT, the cable-TV food network. I'm a suburban Chicago caterer, specializing in kids' parties, and though I had once dreamed of becoming a TV chef, I hadn't sent EAT, or anyone else, a video. "Your video. Hang on a sec." Paper rustled. "You're Holly Murphy from . . . it says here, Madison, Wisconsin, right? Chef Holly at H and M Catering dot com?" I wasn't from Madison, but my daughter was in her first year at Wisconsin University. Would Alli have entered me in a cooking contest without telling me? "Yes, I'm Holly Murphy." That "was "my email address. "Great So here's the deal. You'll fly out to L.A. Saturday and be with us for ten weeks. Let us know right away if you have any issues. Look for an email from one of our staffers with more details. Questions?" His tone was brisk and cheerful. He was everything I thought a big shot from Hollywood should sound like. "Will the staffer send me details about everything else too?" It had to be a prank, but I couldn't think of anyone mean enough to play a joke like this. Download a f

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0991082338
• ISBN13: 9780991082339
• Release Date: September 2015
• Publisher: Full Sail Publishing
• Length: 318 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"