The Cupcake Queen - by Heather Hepler (Paperback)

About the Book

Combining big-city sophistication with small-town charm, this sweet novel by the co-author of "Scrambled Eggs at Midnight" tells a story about love, creativity, and accepting life's unexpected turns.

Book Synopsis

A city girl is whisked away to a small town to help her mom run a cupcake bakery in this delightful young adult novel.

"An endearing and poignant story about standing up to adversity and finding peace in what is, rather than holding out for what could be . . . makes for layered teen reading."--Publishers Weekly

"Penny's sardonic first-person narration is sophisticated . . . Readers will root for Penny, a talented artist, as she develops her gifts and adapts to small-town life."--Kirkus Reviews

Can one cupcake sweeten a whole relationship?

When Penny arrives at Hog's Hollow with her mom, her life changes drastically. Penny's mother now runs a bakery that sells only cupcakes, and Penny is stuck helping out. But that isn't the worst of it. Not only did she leave her friends back in NYC, but her dad stayed behind too. And then there's Charity, resident mean girl who's out to get Penny for no reason at all. But there are also her new friends: Tally and Blake . . . and Marcus--the cute, quiet boy who runs on the beach every night. Just when Penny begins to accept her new life, she's forced to make a choice that will change everything . . .

Review Quotes

"An endearing and poignant story about standing up to adversity and finding peace in what is, rather than holding out for what could be . . . makes for layered teen reading."--Publishers Weekly

"Penny's sardonic first-person narration is sophisticated . . . Readers will root for Penny, a talented artist, as she develops her gifts and adapts to small-town life."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Heather Hepler grew up in North Texas. She has lived in Reno, on the coast of Maine, in the interior of Alaska, and near Death Valley, but she currently is being held against her will in Tyler, Texas. She holds a Master's in Library Science from the University of North Texas and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. She works as a reviewer for VOYA, Kirkus Reviews, Publisher's Weekly, Library Media Connection, and The New York Times. Her first novel, Scrambled Eggs at Midnight (Dutton) is set for release in May 2006. The second, The Dream Factory (Dutton) will be released Spring 2007. Her writing has also appeared in the Southwest Review and the Cincinnati Review.