Roadtrip to Sweet Stuff Bakery and Cafe

Luscious desserts.

Some of the charming decor.

This picture shows a small portion of the desserts available.

Stacy Wheatley, owner and chef.

Marlis sipping her raspberry iced tea.

The drink counter.

Last week, my friend and fellow author, Marlis Day, and I had lunch at a great little bistro named the Sweet Stuff Bakery and Cafe in Petersburg, Indiana. Marlis lives nearby and had told me about a great place for lunch. She sure was right. It's a charming little place located on Petersburg's main drag, 605 Main Street to be exact. It's owned by Stacy Wheatley and she also does the cooking. Soups and sandwiches, soft drinks, flavored teas or coffees are available as well as the most extensive grouping of desserts I have seen anywhere. There is every kind of cheesecake you can imagine along with many other scrumptious desserts. The bistro is open for lunch from 11a.m-2 p.m. If you're going to be traveling in the area, it's worth your while to go over to Petersburg and visit the Sweet Stuff Bakery and Cafe. Tell Stacy I sent you.

Excerpt From Bedlam at the Brickyard

Excerpt from Bedlam at the Brickyard: The Race Is On, by Brenda Robertson Stewart

After the radiologist declared me fit to race, I called my garage at the track. Smitty answered and said he'd come to the hospital and give me a ride back to the garage. While I was waiting, I called my friend Joe and told him about my 'haring' around. He laughed, but I was not too amused. I could have been killed getting back to the track.

"What were you thinking about when you shifted?" he asked.

"I wasn't thinking anything. I was getting dizzy from the 360's I was doing. I could hear Smitty on the radio calling out, "Lapin, hang on."

"Ah. You must have unconsciously focused on your name. You know 'lapin' means rabbit in French. Don't you remember the French teacher teasing you about your name in high school?"

"Well, I've got to figure out how to control this shape-shifting or find an antidote to reverse it."

"That old witch who sold me the mix didn't say nothing about being able to reverse the spell."

Come to the book launch for Bedlam at the Brickyard, Saturday, June 12th, 2-5 p.m. at the Carmel Barnes & Noble bookstore. Or, order a copy from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com.

There are 15 short stories in the anthology and fact sheets about the Brickyard in between each story. Plus, the Foreword is written by James Alexander Thom.

Too Many Irons in the Fire

In my last blog, I said Wanda and I would be on the TV show Indy Style June 20th. I meant May 20th--day after tomorrow.

While I have your attention, I want to tell you about a wonderful contest we're having at Books We Love. Every week until July 31 one winner will be drawn to receive their choice of an ebook from any one of our Books We love authors. On May 31, June 30 and July 31st three winners will be drawn who will each receive an autographed copy of one of the print books displayed on the page. On July 31st one lucky winner will receive a Kobo, a brand new reader just being released from Borders, and their choice of any five Books We Love ebooks.
Go to www.bookswelove.net . To enter the contest, simply visit five of the author pages displayed on the web page index and sign the guest book of the author you choose to visit. Then fill out the entry form on the website and click submit.

Indy Style

Speed City Indiana Chapter of Sisters in Crime has a new anthology coming out in June. All fifteen stories were written by chapter members and the book was co-edited by Wanda Lou Willis and me. In between the stories are facts about the Brickyard 400 and the good ole boys from NASCAR. The introduction was written by New York Times best-selling author, James Alexander Thom. Bedlam at the Brickyard follows award winning, Racing Can Be Murder, with stories revolving around the Indianapolis 500, which was released in October, 2007, and was co-edited by Tony Perona and me. I have a short story in each of the books. Our chapter will launch Bedlam at the Brickyard June 12, 2010 at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Carmel from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend the party. Refreshments will be served. Both books would make great Father's Day gifts! All royalties received by the chapter are used to promote the chapter's library and writing programs.

This Thursday, June 20th, Wanda and I will be on the TV show Indy Style which airs from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Indianapolis channel 8, to talk about the release of Bedlam at the Brickyard. If you miss the show, you can watch the segment later at www.indystyle.tv .

If you like fun blogs, check out my friend Marlis Day at www.marlisday.blogspot.com

Spring in Indiana

As a sixth generation Hoosier, my roots go deep in the Indiana soil. I come from a long line of gardeners. My maternal grandmother propagated her own roses and was very proud of her rose garden. In my mind I can see her in the garden wearing white gloves covering sprouts with large glass jars. Spring came early this year and it was very welcome after a winter of record-breaking snows. The crocuses, hyacinths, and tulips were first followed by daffodils, red buds, and weeping Japanese cherries. My friend Judi, in South Carolina, sent me some new daffodil bulbs this spring and I eagerly await their blooming next year. I have about 15 lilac buses and the whole outside smelled of lilacs. The azaleas were magnificent and the magnolia tree was so full of blossoms it was hard to see the green leaves. The snowball bushes were in full bloom, but they didn't like the cold front that came in last weekend. Clematis' are blooming and hydrangeas are budded. It's time to plant the annuals in pots to coordinate with the hanging baskets of flowers I received as Mother's Day gifts. Never an idle moment..........

Visit To Assumption High School Louisville, KY

I go to Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky about once a year to help the students in Mr. Bob Brown's forensic science class with their facial reconstructions. Assumption is a college prep school for girls and the final project in their forensic class is a clay facial reconstruction on a skull. This year I went on April 23rd. The girls are bright, attentive, and polite. They have many intelligent questions and are fun to work with. They received their project skulls the day I was there, and have until May 10, 2010 to complete the reconstructions. Having seen projects from past years, I am amazed at the credible reconstructions. I applaud Mr. Brown for his dedication to his students and for bringing another art form to the students' attention. These students always infuse me with some of their energy and inspiration.




Assumption High School forensics class.

Students picking out a skull for facial reconstruction.

Mr. Bob Brown, forensics science teacher and a skull I took for demonstration purposes along with a couple of 'heads' from past years sitting on the desk.