Potions and Pastries

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Behind the pseudonym is Cricket McRae, a lifelong crafter and former soapmaker who’s just as hands-on with her characters’ hobbies as she is in real life. Before conjuring up fictional witches, she ran her own handcrafted business and worked jobs as varied as driver’s license examiner, bookseller, and software project manager—roles that brought her everywhere from small-town America to the tech halls of Microsoft. That eclectic background bubbles beneath the surface of her writing, adding texture and authenticity to her characters’ lives.

Whether she's writing as Bailey Cates or Bailey Cattrell (her other pen name for the Enchanted Garden Mysteries), her stories are steeped in community, nature, and a gentle belief in the unseen. A Colorado resident by way of the American West, Cates draws on her surroundings—and her deep affection for kitchen witchery and small-town intrigue—to craft mysteries that feel as nourishing as a slice of warm pie on a rainy afternoon.

For readers who love magical realism with their muffins and mysteries in their tea leaves, Bailey Cates has become a trusted name—offering a literary escape where spells are cast with kindness, and justice is served on a vintage china plate.