I have a confession: I'm not sure I know how to write a scene without food in it. Food shows up in my books the same way it shows up in real life—as comfort, connection, celebration, and love. In my stories, a meal is rarely just a meal. It's where people gather. It's where conversations happen. It's where relationships begin, heal, and sometimes change forever. Where It All Started I grew up in a home where food was one of the primary ways people expressed love. If someone w