Life is what you bake it.

Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV’s new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you’re born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish.

As things start to heat up on and off the set, Peyton will have to prove to the judges that she deserves to win while trying to untangle what is real and what is scripted drama, and decide what she is willing to risk to win before her dreams end up on the chopping block.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Running Press Kids, October 2021

“Absolutely delicious! With a dash of humor, a pinch of romance, and a dollop of self-discovery, Sarah J. Schmitt has perfected the recipe for foodie YA. Where There’s a Whisk will leave readers hungry for more from Schmitt!”
―Stephanie Kate Strohm, Love à la Mode

“Where There’s A Whisk has all the heart, tension, and drama of a real reality TV cooking show, with an extra heap of lasting friendship on top. My only complaint is that it didn’t come with dessert!”
―Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters and Now Entering Addamsville

“Where There’s a Whisk is a fun-filled tale of a teen cooking competition with heaps of tantalizing food and a side helping of drama. You’ll be rooting for Peyton from the get go.”
―Casie Bazay, author of Not Our Summer

“Set against the simmering backdrop of a reality TV cooking show and featuring a lovable cast of rivals, Where There’s A Whisk is unputdownable. I adored the layers of friendship, hope, and behind-the-scenes drama. This book has all the zesty sweetness of the perfect key lime pie.”
―Akemi Dawn Bowman, author of Starfish and The Infinity Courts

“A small-town girl with big-city dreams, a cut-throat competition where nothing is what it seems, all mixed together with a sweet romance . . . Where There’s A Whisk serves up delicious drama that teen readers will devour.”
―Lisa Maxwell, author of The Last Magician series

Seventeen-year-old RJ always gets what she wants. So when her soul is accidentally collected by a distracted Grim Reaper, somebody in the afterlife better figure out a way to send her back from the dead or heads will roll. But in her quest for mortality, she becomes a pawn in a power struggle between an over-zealous arch angel, who has grown tired of the white wings and harps, and the Hawaiian-shirt wearing Death Himself.

While she waits for the decision of the Tribunal charged with determining whether her life is worth rewinding the hands of time, RJ wanders through the afterlife where she meets several colorful characters including the Cornhole-playing St. Peter and Al, the handler for the 3-headed Hound that guards the gates to Hell. Finally, the Tribunal present her with two options: she can remain in the Lobby, where souls wait to be processed, until her original lifeline expires or replay three moments in her life in an effort to make choices that will produce a future deemed worthy of being saved. It sounds like a no brainer. She’ll take the walk down memory lane. How hard can changing her future be

But with each moment, RJ’s life begins to unravel until this self-proclaimed Queen Bee is a social pariah. She begins to wonder if walking among the living is worth it if she has to spend the next sixty years as an outcast.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Sky Pony, October 2015

• YALSA Quick Pick Nominations

• 8 Books to Read While Waiting for the Next Season of The Good Place (B&N.com)

• 15 Books for Fans of The Good Place (Bustle.com)

• Carmel-Clay Public Library Summer Challenge

• Compass Books Rating Summer Reading List

• Orange County (CA) Public Library Summer Book List Grades 6-8

“Fun, Funny and Full of Life”
– Kirkus Review

“Schmitt’s smart, funny novel will keep readers entertained as they follow R.J. on her redemptive path from “self-absorbed princess” to someone more capable of kindness, while perhaps contemplating their own actions and choices. R.J.’s sarcastic sense of humor sharply counterbalances touching moments as she learns how to live more generously.”
– Publisher’s Weekly

“… this delightful debut encompasses elements of A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Gayle Foreman’s If I Stay (2009), while still being unique. Schmitt’s portrayal of heaven and hell will certainly have its detractors, but the message of standing up to opposition—whether for yourself or for others—is an important life lesson that readers learn alongside RJ. Her story compellingly demonstrates that significance comes from the quality (not quantity) of one’s life.”
– Booklist

“Full of snark and morality, RJ is a teen girl that many readers will relate to and enjoy getting to know. It is a story of the ultimate takedown of a popular mean girl, but it is then incredibly encouraging. Readers will love RJ’s sarcasm and will laugh out loud at some of the depictions of the afterworld. (Who knew Death Himself would be kind of cute?) A book that could have easily become preachy gives just the right amount of redemption. Even though most readers will be dissatisfied with the ending, it is a great addition to any library serving teens.”
– VOYA

“A good supplemental addition to large young adult collections in need of unusual supernatural titles.”
– School Library Journal

“You know a story’s going to be good when Death shows up as a surfer! I loved every bit of this funny and heartwarming tale of second chances.”
-Lisa Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Magician Series

“It’s a Wonderful Death is a wonderful gem. Both snarky and uplifting, it sneaks inside you and makes you smile and cry at the same time.”
-Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queen of Blood and Vessel

“A snarky joyride of a book with a deep moral core; long after you’ve finished laughing, you’ll still be thinking about RJ’s journey and perhaps asking yourself: What defines a life well lived?”
-Mike Mullin, author of Ashfall Series

“Mean Girls meets A Christmas Carol! Smart, sassy, and humorously original with clever world-building and a host of interesting characters, It’s a Wonderful Death will have you laughing out loud and rooting for RJ from the first page!”
-USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard

“Just the kind of story I love — full of snark, heart, and contemplation about the meaning of life! It’s a Wonderful Death will get you thinking about what you want to leave behind and how you want to live until then.”
-Kristen Lippert-Martin, author of Tabula Rasa

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Audible

Foreign

• Turkish: Marti