A man is found hanging at a Halloween party, and two sleuthing sisters must unmask a killer: “Charming.”—Publishers Weekly When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little town of Longely, New York, they figured a ghost or two and a bloodcurdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the specter of murder. Darius Witherspoon isn’t giving up on his plan for a catered costume party—despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They’d prefer to avoid the festivities altogether, but as always, there are bills to be paid. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom’s French doors—with a note left behind that suggests this was not suicide. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out whodunit… Includes original recipes for you to try! “Recurring characters, especially the sisters’ widowed father, retired police chief Sean, add depth and humor.”—Publishers Weekly Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

A billionaire is felled at a fundraiser: “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal Everyone in Longely, New York is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the quaint little town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way. Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are catering an elaborate tea party for an opening night gala fundraiser. But just when it seems the Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor. It doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder. As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu… Includes original recipes for you to try!

When Susie Katz, the crazy cat lady of Longely, New York, is stabbed in the back during an extravagant wedding ceremony for her two Russian blues, caterers and sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons must paw through the clues to catch a killer.

When Bernie and Libby Simmons, sisters and co-owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, are hired to cater a posh pooch party, they wind up stepping into a fresh murder investigation! At A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby Simmons cater all sorts of affairs, from book clubs to bridal showers and everything in between. So when their counterman, Googie, asks them to cater a doggie wedding for his girlfriend Jenni’s eight-month-old golden retrievers, they jump on the opportunity. The reception, which will also serve as a grand opening for Jennie’s new doggie daycare center, is no small affair. Bertha and Ernie—the bride and groom—will be celebrating with more than a hundred guests, including the puppers’ pals and their people. But all weddings, even shaggy shindigs, come with some drama. Not everyone in town is excited about the upcoming pup-tuials—or Jenni’s business. Someone is sending threatening messages to Bernie, Libby, and others in town, warning them to cancel the festivities. But when folks start dying under curious circumstances, Bernie and Libby know it’s up to them to untangle the leads and find the murderer before anyone else bites it. Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

An “amusing” mystery filled with “lively characters, irresistible food descriptions, and witty dialogue” (Publishers Weekly). Susie Katz is known as the crazy cat lady of Longely, New York, and goes out of her way to earn the title, right down to her cat T-shirts and porcelain Hello Kitties. She’s a fanatic for anything feline. Humans, not so much. So when she decides to put up a tent on her property and hold an extravagant wedding ceremony for her two Russian blues, she makes sure to include a few two-legged guests—primarily to raise some hackles. All her favorite enemies will be there: her bird-loving neighbor, a rival cat breeder, a local animal rights activist, and the niece and nephew who stand to inherit her considerable fortune…if she doesn’t spend it all on cat tchotchkes first. Susie can’t wait for them all to watch as Boris and Natasha slink up the aisle in their very expensive diamond-studded collars, before everyone starts digging in to the poached salmon and caviar provided for the occasion by catering sisters Bernie and Libby. But chaos erupts when a wedding gift is unwrapped and a mischief of mice jump out of the box—followed by the disappearance of all the pampered partygoers. Just a few hours later, Susie is stabbed in the back while searching for her missing kitties near the now-empty tent—and it’s up to the Simmons sisters to sniff out the killer. Includes original recipes for you to try!

Sisters and caterers Bernie and Libby Simmons, owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, return for another culinary cozy with catering, dogs, and murder. Quilts, quiet, and delicious food. That’s exactly what Bernie and Libby expect as they build the menu for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circle’s first-ever exhibition hosted at the local library. The eclectic ladies of the group couldn’t appear more harmlessly wholesome if they tried, especially mild-mannered kindergarten teacher Cecilia Larson, who hired A Little of Taste of Heaven to cater the event. So it’s a complete shock when disturbing news drops about member Ellen Fisher, found hanging from a plant hook in her otherwise pristine sewing room . . . All are very quick to deem the tragic death a suicide. All except for Cecilia. She believes something else happened to her best friend—who was busy adding the finishing stitches on her greatest work yet in hopes of displaying it at the exhibition—and looks to Bernie and Libby to expose the truth . . . and the killer. As Ellen’s patchy past comes into focus along with a mysterious connection to a missing seven-hundred-year-old quilt fragment, can the sisters unravel the victim’s final thread before another turns up dead? Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are used to catering lip-smacking treats to an artsy group of book lovers—until fiction spills into reality . . . If anything can be said about endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it’s that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That’s why everyone fears the worst after she doesn’t pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can’t imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly. When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo’s background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they’ll have to determine who was connected to Margo’s shady dealings—and who sent her to an early grave . . .

Food and beverage is the largest portion of a meeting budget, but most meeting and event planners have no formal background in purchasing and managing this expense. This guide helps event, meeting, and convention planners save money, negotiate contracts, deal with catering managers, and successfully manage the food and beverage aspect of their event. Covering everything from styles of service to on-premise and off-premise considerations to food and beverage contract negotiation, this book is a comprehensive and accessible reference for event planners and students.

2016 Books For A Better Life Award winner Drawing on the latest research and remarkable tales of forgiveness from around the world, journalist Megan Feldman explores how forgiveness, when practiced in the right ways, can save lives, make us happier and healthier, and lead to a better world. Veteran journalist Megan Feldman was still smarting over a bitter breakup when she began working on a feature article about a father named Azim who had truly forgiven the man who killed his son. She had found herself totally and completely unable to forgive her ex-boyfriend, and yet Azim had managed to forgive his own son’s murderer. Forgiveness has long been touted by religious leaders as a moral imperative. But Megan wanted to know exactly what it means from a scientific perspective, and why forgiving those who have wronged you is one of the best things you can do for yourself. In Triumph of the Heart, Feldman embarks on a quest to understand this complex idea, drawing on the latest research showing that forgiveness can provide a range of health benefits, from relieving depression to decreasing high blood pressure. The journey takes her from New Zealand and the Maori who practice their own form of restorative justice, to a principal in Baltimore who uses forgiveness techniques to eradicate violence in her school, and to recovered addicts who restarted their lives by seeking and receiving forgiveness. She travels to Rwanda to learn about forgiveness in the face of unthinkable atrocities. This book is a guide for how the practice of forgiveness can help us all in our search for a satisfying, fulfilling, good life.

Does the thought of planning a party feel overwhelming, intimidating, or like one more thing you have to do? Have you ever wondered how to create a fun and memorable party? The Enlightened Party Planner: Guides to Creating Parties from the Heart is a series of books based on the notion that being of service and coming from the heart will not only make for an amazing party your guests will remember for a lifetime, but will also leave you feeling happy and fulfilled.Book three in the Enlightened Party Planner series, Our Favorite Parties, is meant to inspire the party-thrower in you with fifteen richly detailed accounts of a variety of parties written in narrative style. From theme to party favors, you'll enjoy this book's clever and affordable ideas.