A whimsical middle-grade cosy fantasy perfect for those who are glued to their screens every Bake Off season.

WHISKED AWAY
by Shaina A. Cordas
(via Zeno)

On an island kingdom, where sugar is currency, twelve-year-old Sundae secretly enters a life changing baking competition with a stolen thimble of sugar and her best friend, Basil the ferret, hidden in her pocket. Of course, entering the competition breaks her father’s only rule: no baking, no matter what! But Sundae is determined to change his mind about her greatest passion, and is determined to win the competition and its prize—an endless sugar fortune.

Sundae brings a secret talent to the baking competition; the ability to weave the stories she loves into her recipes. As the contest picks up speed, Sundae is forced to bake at new and dizzying heights as she keeps her secret, even from friends that begin to feel like family. As the final draws closer Sundae finds herself facing her greatest rival—the kingdom’s reclusive prince.

But when Sundae discovers that this year’s winner will also be named heir apparent to the realm, the competition becomes more than the chance to win her fortune. Sundae isn’t sure that she wants to rule, especially now that she’s discovered a wide world outside her little village.

Shaina a. Cordas is a middle grade and young adult fantasy author dedicated to whimsy and adventure. Shaina made the 2025 RevPit shortlist, and won the 2020 Story Pony flash fiction contest. Her writing has appeared in the Rejection Letters literary magazine. She has a degree in Biology and English, which she’s used in grant-writing and fundraising for nonprofits.