Fall always makes me think of my Maple Run series. The cover of Buying Love gives me all the autumn feels and makes me think of cozy days under blankets and comfort food from The Maple Pit (affectionally called The Pit).
If you’ve never read by Maple Run series, then you may never have heard of the awesome restaurant that is featured in all four books. The Pit is where the Maple Run residents (and out of towners) go to eat comfort food that has an extra ingredient: maple.
Run by Dwight Williams, his mother (Mrs. Williams), and sister Delaney, The Pit will serve you up food that will make you cry. If you stop by the morning time, you’ll be sure to find maple bacon pancakes or waffles.
The lunch and dinner menu are often the same. Full of choices like maple fried chicken, pulled pork with maple bacon bbq sauce, and more! Customers are sure to find down-home cooking that will remind them of home and comfort their heartaches.
Because believe me, the people of Maple Run have experienced their share of heartache and turmoil. But as they journey through the Word and draw closer to God, they discover that second chances are possible, family is what you make it, and true love can be found.
To explore the recipes that inspired me while I wrote the series, check out my Pinterest board.
What books have you read were food is almost its own secondary character? Answer the question and you’ll be entered into a giveaway. One lucky commentator will win their choice of one of the ebooks in the Maple Run series. Comment by 10/5/20
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness. She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Find out more on her website at http://tonishiloh.com.
Hi Toni! One series were food is its own secondary character is the Arcadia Valley series with a family bakery, family Mexican restaurant, community garden. Enjoy your weekend.
I can recall books where the kitchen/restaurant/bakery was the passion project for the character, but not where it was for the town/neighbourhood. Sounds like a lovely place, though probably more of a treat with all that maple syrup. :)
Yes! I loved Arcadia Valley series. The bakery was my favorite because bread. ;)
Definitely a treat :).
I love the Maple Run series! I want to hang out at the Maple Pit! As to other books, I can’t remember the one I’m trying to think of. But I’ve been meaning to read Carla Laureano’s series about the Saturday Night Supper Club.
I may not be southern but all the goodies with bacon and maple are making me hungry! I need to add those books to my stack!
Yum to bacon and maple syrup! Awesome combo… I loved the restaurant character in this series!
Oh you should. It’s a good book!
What could be better than bacon and maple syrup?!
Thanks, Valerie. And the combo is divine on the cheesecake, just saying. ;)
I read Christmas and Cannolis by Peggy Jaeger. She has several books that involve food. I need to check out your series! Sounds yummy!
One of the books that comes to mind is Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano. She featured a lot of food that sounded so good. Thanks for the chance to win. I now have a craving for maple syrup and waffles :) .
Oh that sounds yummy. I’ll look her up!
That series made me so hungry!
The books that come to my mind are the Tales of the Grace Chapel Inn. There’s food in every book, since it’s a B & B, and since the “cook” at the Inn is actually a trained Chef and co-owner of the Inn. Most of the hardback books had a recipe at the end, and one book had recipes throughout. I don’t remember the paperbacks having the recipes, but they might have!! The Pit sounds like I place I’d love to hang out!
Books with recipes are so cool imo!
Toni, you made me hungry :)
Her Culinary Catch by Bonnie Engstrom comes to mind. My mouth is still watering of all the food items mentioned in this story!
I love food books. And I hope you get a meal soon. :)
Anything Maple smells so good. We cooked Maple Bacon last night..yummy!
My first novel is now in the hands of my beta readers and one of the main characters loves to cook. She is part of a caregiver’s support group and helps one of the other members by making them food: chicken and broccoli alfredo, grandmother’s meatloaf and cheesy grits, beef taco soup. She also enjoys French cooking: beef burgundy with braised asparagus and roasted red potatoes. Another meal was shepherd’s pie for the entree and Dutch apple pie for dessert. Sorry, no maple syrup.
I did grow up in upstate New York, though, in a small town where one industrious fellow would tap the maple trees right on the streets. He was not in it for the picturesque little buckets hanging on the side of the trees. No, no. He had the industrial strength system with plastic tubes connected to the taps that ran to shiny new galvanized steel trash cans so he would not miss a drop. He had a big tank on the back of his pickup and would drive around to all his taps and collect the sap by the can-full. Of course, the sap from one of those cans would probably boil down to less than a gallon of the syrup we enjoy at the table. But for those with a taste for maple? Worth the whole glorious parade!
The book Recipe For a Husband by Anne Greene, had some pretty good sounding recipes that were incorporated in the book story. I love the sound of your books with the restaurant and I love maple bacon. Have a Great weekend and stay safe. God Bless you and your family.
Several Amish books. Wanda Brunsetter has a series about cooking classes and it features cooking and the food. A few of her other books do too.
Ruth Logan Herne also had a couple set in a candy store and the candy featured.
Right now its not breakfast but for lunch I want something that isn’t takeaway! (Had a builder here most of the week or was meant to be here every day) So looking for something different but at present to exhausted to make something so a family restaurant with something Italian sounds wonderful. (If I am rambling its cos I am beyond exhausted)
Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson and The Amish Cooking Class series by Wanda Brunstetter.
I’ve read books where the characters were baking something, and it sounded so good, I really wanted it.
The Secret Ingredient by Nancy Naigle
Did you save any for me? ;)
That sounds amazing!
Blessings to you too, Alicia!
I hope you get some rest this weekend!
The Amish books have some pretty great recipes!
Same! Makes me hungry to read about food.
I need to try one of her books.
I can’t come up with a food related book right now, but I do remember reading about a coffee shop in a book series. Kari Trumbo has a series that started out with a book called “A Whole Latte Love” in the Betwixt Two Hearts novella collection. The hero in that first book loved cinnamon coffee made by the heroine in the coffee shop, then each subsequent book mentioned that same coffee shop somewhere in the pages. It’s called “Great River Romance” series and it’s so cute!
The only other book series I can come up with that features food is the “Supper Club” by Carla Laureano; The Saturday Night Supper Club, The Solid Grounds Coffee Company, and Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe. I have not read these ones but they come highly recommended by my good reader friends! :-) All of them are on my massive want-to-read list.
Like some others who’ve commented, I really enjoyed The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano! I haven’t read the Maple Run Series but it sounds great!!
You should definitely move Carla’s series up on your want-to-read list. I enjoyed them!
Hope you get the chance to!
I’m reading The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel right now. It’s letters back and forth between 2 friends, including a recipe with each letter.
The food made by the main character’s mom in Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson, is amazing!
That sounds awesome!
I’ll have to look that up.