{"id":253704,"date":"2026-07-13T03:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T00:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/baking-spirits-bright-florence-gray\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T03:00:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T00:00:16","slug":"baking-spirits-bright-florence-gray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/baking-spirits-bright-florence-gray\/","title":{"rendered":"Baking Spirits Bright – Florence Gray"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Her throat tightened at the thought of her. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, she could almost picture it: her nan, standing right here beside her, apron tied crookedly and humming along to some tune on the record player. Eliza\u2019s voice trembled as she spoke. \u201cIf she\u2019d been here, she\u2019d be standing in this cottage, in this very kitchen, whipping up truffles and little sweet treats to tuck in each of our stockings.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gave a soft, wistful laugh. \u201cShe used to do that each year. Everyone always had at least one thing that was different from all the rest. My dad always got orange peels dipped in white chocolate because he swore it was \u2018healthier,\u2019\u201d Eliza air-quoted. \u201cAnd I would always get raspberry creams because I always tried sneaking those when I thought she wasn\u2019t looking.\u201d He smiled, leaning in a little closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe sounds lovely.\u201d \u201cShe was.\u201d She stared into the mixing bowl. Her eyes glimmered with fresh tears. \u201cShe made the holiday feel enchanting, in a way. I still marvel at the magic of this place, but I know the real magic of the season was always her.\u201d \u201cYou miss her.\u201d There wasn\u2019t room for questioning in his voice. Eliza just nodded several times, her throating bobbing. \u201cEvery day.\u201d She wiped a tear. \u201cBut when I\u2019m baking, it feels like she\u2019s right here. Watching. Maybe even helping.\u201d \u201cI think she\u2019d be proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eliza met his eyes. \u201cThank you,\u201d she choked out. She went back to stirring, as if she repeated the circular motion in the batter enough times, she might be able to summon her nan\u2019s laughter just to hear it again. \u201cI hope so.\u201d Lachlan stretched a yawn as he looked at the clock. One thirty in the morning. He shut his laptop. \u201cSnow, I\u2019m going to have to call it for tonight.\u201d Eliza laughed, \u201cWell, you\u2019d better hurry now before the cottage barricades you in here again with me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m afraid there isn\u2019t a large enough mixing bowl for you to bum like Puffcake.\u201d As if on cue, Puffcake let out a snore from inside his copper sleeping chamber. \u201cOh, I wasn\u2019t in here tonight because I had to be,\u201d Lachlan said. The truth hung in the air between them, thick as whipping cream. \u201cBy the by, I think you\u2019re going to smash this baking contest. You should get some rest, too, instead of stressing about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 2025 by Florence Gray All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews or critical articles. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental.<\/p>\n

Cover and Illustrations by Kahns Design Edited by Ioana Cheldiu Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-963836-92-9 For more about the author, visit: www.florencegray.org 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1kitap1.com\/en Dear Reader, First of all, thank you for choosing to spend part of your holiday season with this story. I hold this book especially close to my heart because Marjorie, Eliza\u2019s Nan, is inspired by someone very real to me: my own grandmother.<\/p>\n

She was warm, bubbly, bright, and full of life as ever, even until the end. Like Gretel\u2019s description of Mrs. Elle Toe, she was truly ruthless with a piping bag! (Though in my grandma\u2019s case, it extended to anything baking-related.) At its core, this story is about found family, cherishing the loved ones we have, and finding joy in all of life\u2019s unexpected curveballs. Some readers may find Eliza frustrating in her hesitation to speak, or in her uneasiness when she does, but I wrote her with extreme intentionality.<\/p>\n

I see her as someone who has been deeply hurt and manipulated, someone who carries heavy insecurities and is slowly learning to navigate it. She finds steadiness and control best when she\u2019s working with her hands. She (usually) doesn\u2019t leap before she looks, except her stay at Gingerbread Hollow pushes her beyond what feels safe and familiar. My hope is that her growth feels meaningful, profound, earned, and most importantly encouraging. Merry Christmas! xoxo, Flor 1kitap1.com\/en Contents 1.<\/p>\n

Sticky Situations 2. Enchanted GingerSnaps 3. Burnt Bread 4. Baking at Midnight 5. Eggnog and Wi-Fi 6. Christmas Spirit 7. The Snowball Fight 8. Baking Ad-Lib 9. Tree Therapy 10. Gingerbread Crimes 11.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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