Cricket McRae’s contemporary Home Crafting Mysteries reflect her interest in traditional colonial skills. Set in the Pacific Northwest, they feature activities like soap making, food preservation, spinning, cheese making, and mead making. For two years Cricket managed her own soap making business, including all product design, manufacturing and marketing. The author resides in Fort Collins, Colorado.  She also writes the Magical Bakery Mysteries under the pen name Bailey Cates. For more information and recipes, visit CricketMcRae.com and HearthCricket.com.