I’m hard at work on Gretchen’s story, Blushed with Fame, the next novel in my Girls Who Dish series. Gretchen is in southern Spain to film segments for her cooking show, Dessert Diva Does Spain. So naturally I’ve been researching all things southern Spain – the landscape, the people and, of course, the food.

Convent cookies play a significant role in this novel. These cookies, prized by tourists and locals alike, are a big deal in Spain. Many of the recipes are centuries old and carefully guarded. Gretchen is determined to get her hands on one of those recipes so she can share it with her viewers. Her show is all that matters. She’s intent on turning it into the top cooking show on TV.

However, a funny thing happens as Gretchen pushes forward with her plan. The charm of southern Spain, along with regular servings of garlicky pan con tomate, works some kind of magic. She begins to soften, to wonder if there’s more to life than being a TV star. Complicating everything is the return of Ashton Carter. The owner of Food News TV is so aloof she’s pretty sure he has alien DNA. Unfortunately, he also happens to be the only man she’s ever met who makes her want to hang curtains and buy flowers and cook pot roast.

And that’s just not right. The whole domestic goddess thing totally creeps her out. Domestic is not her style.

But garlic and pan con tomate weren’t her style before coming to Spain either and she’s been eating a lot of both. Or, rather, she’s been eating a lot of pan con tomate. Lately she’s been passing on the garlic. Because things are starting to heat up in interesting ways with Ashton Carter.

He may not have alien DNA after all.