RELEASE DAY POST! Get to Know Baking for Keeps Author, Jessica Gilmore!

It has a beautiful setting, a town full of interesting folk and, best of all, ranches full of cowboys and other bachelors all waiting for the right girl to tame them – how could I resist?

Hi! I I’m Jessica Gilmore and I live in the beautiful city of York, England with my husband, ballet-mad teen daughter and our much-loved and much-spoiled dog. I’ve been a published author for nearly three years now but Baking for Keeps is my first book for Tule.

I blame Avonlea for my love of small towns. I have no idea how old I was when I first read Anne of Green Gables, or the first time I saw the iconic Megan Follows series, but it seems as if I have always known and loved first Avonlea. It’s the joy of returning to a place, to seeing recurring characters again, watching them grow and find happiness.  They feel like home, thanks to the people, the quirky traditions, the landmarks which define Avonlea and Ingleside, Stars Hollow, Capeside and Pawnee. Even Sunnydale has a certain charm although I prefer my small towns without a hellmouth if possible! That’s why I was so happy when Tule asked me if I wanted to be part of the Bachelor Bake Off series. Marietta is the quintessential small town. It has a beautiful setting, a town full of interesting folk and, best of all, ranches full of cowboys and other bachelors all waiting for the right girl to tame them – how could I resist? And one of the most fun parts for me was adding my own contribution to the Marietta canon.

Charm and quirkiness are two things my hero, Zac Malone, really hates. He’s also not a fan of small towns and people knowing his business so it’s a surprise to him when local radio host Lacey Hathaway persuades him to enter the Marietta Bachelor Bake-Off. But he’s no soft touch and he turns the tables on Lacey with a dare of his own – she has to learn to bake alongside him. Lacey dislikes baking almost as much as she dislikes losing but the more time she spends with Zac the more she realizes it’s not just her pride at stake – it’s her heart.

Some books are easier than others to write and Baking For Keeps was an absolute delight from the first word to the last. I adored setting a book in Marietta and had so much fun with Crooked Corner, Lacey’s home, her two delightful great- aunts, the Bake-Off scenes and, of course, with discovering Zac and Lacey’s story. I hope you love it as much as I do!


An ex au-pair, bookseller, marketing manager and seafront trader, Jessica now works for an environmental charity in York. Married with one daughter, one fluffy dog and two dog-loathing cats she spends her time avoiding housework and can usually be found with her nose in a book. Jessica writes emotional romance with a hint of humour, a splash of sunshine and a great deal of delicious food – and equally delicious heroes.

8 Comments

  1. I love reading small town books, because it gives you that extra sense of community and you are able as a reader to feel like you belong there.

  2. Small town stories are often successful partly because of the interaction between town residents that are often not intrinsic to the story but add so much in depth to it.

  3. I grew up in both small towns and larger ones. The small towns have a much better sense of community

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