Thank you for stopping by! I invite you to look around and have some fun, but first I'd like to introduce you to:
Andi, lead baker, is a divorced single mom of a five-year-old daughter. She's OCD when it comes to kitchen safety, strong-willed, and a dreamer who wants more than anything to prove she will not fail... again. A date with Jake Hartman wouldn't hurt either!
Rachel, shop promoter, is Andi's best friend, a flirtatious party girl on the outside, a people pleaser, who longs for connection but rarely lets anyone see beneath her carefully hidden mask. Can Mike Palmer, aka Mike the Magnificent, be the exception?
Kim, cupcake decorator, is Andi's younger sister, a quiet and aloof talented artist, who hides her desire for love and adventure within her paintings and clings to a passport she fears she will never have the guts to use. Until she meets...Nathaniel Sjölander.
SETTING: the small seaport town of Astoria, Oregon, located near the mouth of the Columbia River, is surrounded by the beauty of the forest, mountains, three rivers, and the Pacific Ocean. Referred to as "a little San Francisco on the hill." Astoria has a working waterfront with bustling docks, Victorian architecture, a restored 1913 riverfront trolley with a one dollar fare, an eclectic mix of fine restaurants, cafes, art galleries, antique stores, and of course - a hip little gourmet cupcake shop named "Creative Cupcakes."

Darlene has written several short stories and novellas (see Books page), but her career launched when her novella, THE BET, was picked by Avon Books and NY Times best-selling author Debbie Macomber to be published inside Debbie's
Family Affair.
"Darlene reminds me a lot of myself when I was attempting to get published many years ago. Eager and energetic, willing to sacrifice to pursue her dream. I am honored to have played a small part in her success." —Debbie Macomber
Giveaway ends April 30, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.