Yolanda Carter dreams of owning her own bakery. Employed at a cat shelter, she stumbles across a scheme that threatens to close it down. Will her delicious brownies save them?
Cat shelter employee Yolanda Carter loves her job, but her dream is to own a bakery. Living in Sherman Oaks, California with her tuxedo cat, her only outlet is baking treats for her friends, coworkers and family.
Her situation changes when her high school friend, Teagan Mishkin, drops by to tell her about an incredible job opportunity that will give Yolanda enough money to launch her bakery.
The job interview takes an unexpected turn and Yolanda stumbles across a scheme to close the cat shelter. She concocts a sweet plan to save the shelter and share her decadent brownies in the Great Brownie Taste-off. Assisted by her artisan parents, friends, shelter employees and a rising young blogger who gives her much-needed publicity, will she win the taste-off and save the shelter?
Includes the winning brownie recipe.
Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Yolanda Carter took a bite of the red velvet cupcake. The swirl of sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting dissolved in her mouth, followed by the rich chocolaty goodness of the cupcake. Yes, this batch was just fine, but a smattering of sprinkles would help the cupcakes stand out even more. Sprinkles were always good to have when bringing in cupcakes for Fun Food Friday. Employees and volunteers loved the tradition of sharing different types of food every week. It had been going on at the Crown Street Cat Shelter for years, and Yolanda was always happy to bring in her freshly baked cookies, cupcakes, layer cakes, or brownies.
Since it was February, but an appropriately gorgeous sunny day with temperatures promising to soar into the mid-80s, she thought that turquoise sprinkles would be a nice touch. She went over to the wooden spice rack that sat on her counter and found the sprinkles, which she gently shook on each swirled cupcake top. She loved that the rack had only decorations and her most used-and-loved vanilla and flavor extracts, rather than the twenty-four herbs and spices that had come with the housewarming present from her parents. Yolanda baked far more than she cooked; while she still had the standard spices, they were kept in the back of a cupboard at the far end of the kitchen. She’d shoved them next to some extra salt-and-pepper shaker sets she’d received as gifts years ago but hadn’t used.
For a second, she admired the array of cupcakes sporting their perky blue buttons of sugar. A glance at the chalet-style cuckoo clock above the back door showed that she was running late. She swallowed the rest of the red velvet and placed the decorated cupcakes in the plastic carrier. Shouldn’t have this much sugar in the morning, she thought, knowing she’d have to be careful about what she ate the rest of the day.
Yolanda was of average height and had an extra ten pounds on her hips that wouldn’t go away, even when she went for day-long canyon hikes or rode her bike countless miles along the beachside bike trails. She had warm hazel eyes and long chestnut hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore baggy jeans she’d bought at a resale shop, pairing them with a purple batik shirt made by her artsy mother. Wearing comfortable clothing was necessary in her line of work.
She thought about her upcoming day. Missy Wakefield, her boss, would be there, as would Sid, the new college student, along with a couple of volunteers. Tomorrow will be another Cat Adoption Day, so there was more work than usual. She had to make sure there were plenty of adoption forms and copies of the kitten-and-cat tips booklet. Yolanda was proud of the fact that she had helped her boss write the booklet and take cute photos of some cats and kittens to enhance it. She had grown up with cats and even a few dogs, and last year had adopted Miss Chef, a classic tuxedo cat with a white stripe down her face and a perpetually curved white smile. Her dainty white paws were always kept clean, and the stripe along the front of her body was groomed several times a day. Her official name was Miss Pastry Chef, but sometimes her name was shortened to Mischief. Once, Yolanda had left a cupcake on the coffee table in the living room, as she was going to have a snack while she watched Cupcake Battles. The cat had jumped up and devoured the sweet treat. She learned never to leave anything edible unattended after that.
While she loved her job, especially being around a cast of approximately 175 cats and kittens 40 hours per week, she knew that earning just over minimum wage wasn’t going to get her the bakery that she envisioned. Not even if she scrimped and saved every dollar she earned. Start-up fees for a tiny bakery in Los Angeles County were very high—even if she opted for a location in Whittier or somewhere less expensive than Sherman Oaks.
She picked up her pink-and-purple batik tote bag that was always filled with cat toys and packets of nutritious homemade cat treats. The four-legged residents staying at the shelter enjoyed eating her signature tuna and chicken treats.
Inside the detached garage, she unlocked her car and put the carrier in the back seat of her old silver hatchback. It was good for hauling things and occasionally visiting the gas station. It was also a source of embarrassment for her boyfriend, self-professed “ragtop-man” Zac Field.
Within a few minutes, she was approaching the small, prefabricated building with a potholed parking lot behind it. She could tell who was there by the show of vehicles: her boss’s Toyota SUV, the Harley favored by part-timer Sid, Tatiana’s older Jetta, and Julio’s minivan. A vintage blue Schwinn bicycle with shiny chrome fenders was locked in the bike rack--Laura’s ride.
On the other side of Crown Street, she noticed two men in dark shirts and slacks talking to each other. The man with a wispy fringe of blond hair was peering through a late-model camcorder as he focused on filming something behind her. The other man, with gray hair and a matching beard, was clutching a minuscule point-and-shoot digital camera. He stood on the sidewalk taking photos of what looked like the shelter or the small warehouse next to it. He happened to notice her and quickly turned, heading farther down the block.
As she reached into her car to grab her stuff, she saw them scurry over to a burgundy Lexus sedan and get inside. It took off in the opposite direction and turned down Warren Street, disappearing from view. That’s odd, she thought.
Professional Reviews
This is a cute story with some life lessons
"This was a cute story with some life lessons. Cheaters are never winners, and eventually the true side of a person is made public. Ill gotten gain and a cheater soon part ways. I was beyond disappointed in Zac and his behaviors. I really thought he was Yolanda's person, but he had larger designs. I was happy Yolanda was able to see her dreams come true. It looks like some great changes are in store for Yolanda's future. An uplifting read where good people finish first in the race of life, and cheaters don't prosper. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest opinion."
Reviewed by Beverly
I really enjoyed reading the book, I recommend it!
"I really enjoyed reading the book, I recommend it!
This heartwarming tale follows the journey of Yolanda Carter, a self-taught baker with dreams of opening her own bakery. Set in the charming locale of Sherman Oaks, California, Yolanda's life is a blend of whisking up sweet treats and caring for cats at a local shelter. A special bonus is the inclusion of the winning brownie recipe, allowing readers to taste a piece of Yolanda's sweet victory."
Reviewed by Yurii
She Dreams of Owning a Yummery
“Yolanda was working at a cat shelter, but her dream was to own a Yummery where she could sell her baked goods. She went for a job interview and while taking a typing test she learned the cat shelter was going to close. So, she challenged the man to a bake off and if she won the shelter stayed open. What a wonderful storyline with great characters, not all of them human. Liked Yolanda from the beginning, she was so sweet just like her treats.”
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