Entertaining for #NewYearsEve? @sloanetaylor2 has an easy yet sophisticated #recipe

Guest Post by Sloane Taylor

Here’s a quick dinner that looks and tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen. Add a salad and your meal is complete.

CHICKEN MARSALA

4 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
¼ tsp. thyme
8 ozs. baby Porto Bella mushrooms, halved if large
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup Marsala wine
½ cup heavy cream at room temperature
Rice or pasta
Parsley

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle thyme evenly over breasts.

Melt half the oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet set on medium heat. When the foam subsides add mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Spoon vegetables into a bowl and set aside.

Use the same skillet and melt remaining oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Sauté 10-15 minutes, until no pink remains. The time depends on meat thickness. Remove chicken to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm or place in a 200° oven

Add Marsala and stock to the same skillet. Bring to a boil while scraping in any bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by almost half.

Reduce heat to medium. Slowly stir in cream. Heat through but do not bring to a boil.

Return chicken and mushrooms to the pan. Heat through for 2-3 minutes.

Move chicken to the center of a serving dish. Surround with rice or pasta. Spoon mushrooms and broth over the platter. Sprinkle parsley across the top to decorate. Serve immediately.

May you enjoy all the days of your life around a well laden table!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Beef and Sherry Casserole #recipe from Eris Field

Guest Post from Eris Field

If it is one of those times when you want the heady scent of something delicious cooking gently in the oven to welcome people coming home, go for labor-free, my fail-proof Beef and Sherry casserole, but add a surprise with the refreshing taste of a gremolata topping.

Warning: This dish creates powerful memory traces of pleasure.

BEEF and SHERRY CASSEROLE

1 ½ pound of chuck beef
1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
½ can of water
½ package of Lipton Onion Soup mix
½ can of good sherry, use the one you drink and have a glass before dinner.

Preheat oven to 325°F

Cut the beef into bite size pieces, about ¾ of an inch, (no browning thank goodness). Lay meat in a Dutch Oven. Stir in the other ingredients, cover, and then bake for 2 ½ hours.

GREMOLATA

Photo by Popo le Chien

¼ cup finely chop parsley, flat parsley is better but curly is good too
2 tbsp. coarsely grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Mix these ingredients together. Cover tightly and refrigerate until needed.

Serve the casserole over cooked noodles or rice. Or add cooked baby white potatoes, tiny boiled onions, and mushrooms at the last minute to cooking the beef and heat through.

Top the dish by sprinkling the gremolata.

This recipe serves four but can be doubled and the cooking time increased to 3 hours.

In my contemporary novel, No Greater Love, on a snowy evening in Western New York, Janan adds gremolata to a casserole of lamb shanks and serves it to the man she has just fallen in love with. Here’s a little more about their turbulent romance.

Janan, orphaned at age eight by an earthquake in Turkey and adopted by an American couple in a small town in Western New York has grown into a beautiful woman, a Circassian beauty. She dreams of having a home of her own, a home with love, but spends her time working as a nurse and looking after her family that includes an elderly, honorary uncle, Carl who had been sent as a child from Leiden to escape Nazi deportation of Dutch-Jews and now yearns to go home.

Jilted once, Dutch child psychiatrist Pieter has retreated from life and devotes himself to caring for the child refugees flooding into Amsterdam. Now, struggling with late-onset leukemia, he travels to New York for a second opinion and to visit his old friend and mentor, Carl. At Carl’s home, he meets Janan and feels love again.

Janan recognizes Pieter as the man of her dreams. Believing that love is passing her by and knowing that Pieter will be gone in the morning, she asks him for one night. Pieter introduces Janan to the purposes and outcomes of each of eight magical kisses and vows to himself to overcome his illness and return a well man.

Later, alone and facing complications of pregnancy, Janan accepts an unusual offer of help even though it may destroy her chances of finding happiness.

AMAZON BUY LINK

Eris Field was born in the Green Mountains of Vermont—Jericho, Vermont to be precise—close by the home of Wilson Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley), the first person in the world to photograph snowflakes. She learned from her Vermont neighbors that pursuit of one’s dream is a worthwhile life goal.

As a seventeen year old student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met a Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and forced population exchanges. After they married and moved to Buffalo, Eris worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

After taking time off to raise five children and amassing rejection letters for her short stories, Eris earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University at Buffalo. Later, she taught psychiatric nursing at the University and wrote a textbook for psychiatric nurse practitioners—a wonderful rewarding but never to be repeated experience.

Eris now writes novels, usually international, contemporary romances. Her interest in history and her experience in psychiatry often play a part in her stories. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers. In addition to writing, Eris’s interests include: Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders; Eradicating Honor Killings, supporting the Crossroads Springs Orphanage in Kenya for children orphaned by AIDS, and learning more about Turkey, Cyprus, and Kurdistan.

Learn more about Eris Field on her website. Stay connected on Facebook.

Taking clean water for granted #timetravel #YAlit

Guest Post by HL Carpenter


The utility worker who knocked on the door handed over a green sheet of paper and a bit of unexpected news. Due to a leak, the water main supplying water to our house had to be repaired. The water would be shut off for at least six hours, and we'd be under a "boil water" advisory for a minimum of two days following the repair.

Given the severity of water issues suffered by others, the brief interruption in our service was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. And yet every time we reached for the faucet to fill a glass, we were reminded of how much we take for granted in our everyday lives.

The hero of our book, Pirate Summer, learns a similar lesson when she travels back in time two hundred years to save her brother. Josey's thirsty, dirty, and surrounded by "water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink," as the old poem goes. And – horror of horrors – her cell phone doesn't work either.

Like Josey, we've developed a new appreciation for the value of daily desiderata. Clean water, abundant food, a safe, warm home, people we can trust and believe in, and who trust and believe in us — we are fortunate indeed, and these days we make a point of taking time to recognize and acknowledge what we once might not have noticed.

What about you? What are you taking for granted? We look forward to reading your comments.

Fifteen year old Josey is a liar. She’d like to stop. But after Mom left, the lies started popping out, like the time Josey left her little brother at the library and told Dad he’d run away.

Then Josey meets a boy who tells bigger whoppers than she does. He says he’s the son of a privateer who’s been dead two centuries. He’s so convincing Josey’s brother believes every word and sets off to find the privateer’s hidden treasure.

When her brother disappears, Josey is sure she knows where he's gone. But everyone thinks she's lying again. Everyone, that is, except the so-called privateer’s son. He knows she’s telling the truth because jeweled riches are only part of his tale. There’s also the snooperscope, a device that makes time leaps possible, like the one that brought him to the present.

The story is fantastical...and yet Josey will do anything to save her brother, including traveling back in time two hundred years with a boy she can’t trust.

Amazon Buy Link

Florida-based mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter write sweet, clean fiction that is suitable for everyone in your family. The Carpenters write from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit their website to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.

Stay connected on Pinterest, Linkedin, Google+, and their Amazon Author Page.

Dining Like a British Lord @CarolABrowne #WooltonPie #recipe #WWII

Guest Post by Carol Browne

In 1941, while the subject of my soon to release novella Being Krystyna was trying to survive in Nazi-occupied Poland, the Ministry of Food was attempting to persuade the population of Great Britain to try out its latest recipe. This was the famous Woolton Pie, a savory entrée not a sweet dessert, created by the chef of the Savoy Hotel, Francis Ladry, and named after Frederick Marquis, Lord Woolton. He was a former social worker and managing director, a charming and popular figure trusted by the public who had been made Minister of Food in 1940.

Many foodstuffs were strictly rationed during the war and people were encouraged to “dig for victory” by growing their own food wherever they could. Vegetables were readily available and the Woolton Pie took advantage of this.

Lord Woolton promoted his pie, along with what he called the “National Loaf,” using characters like Dr Carrot and Potato Pete, and music-hall stars Elsie and Doris Walters (broadcasting as Gert and Daisy). There were also short films called Food Flashes, ads in the press, and cookery slots on BBC Radio. Sadly, Lord Woolton’s enthusiasm for the pie wasn’t matched by that of the public.

However, the enforced changes in the nation’s diet during World War II had unforeseen and beneficial consequences. Fat, meat, eggs, and sugar were severely rationed and people had to eat far more vegetables than they had before the war. They became healthier and slimmer, their lifespan increased, and infant mortality rates declined.

There’s a message there for us in the twenty-first century. Obesity is a major problem now and perhaps it’s time to take the advice of Dr. Carrot and Potato Pete and eat more veg and less fat and sugar!

Being vegan, I don’t think the original recipe for Woolton Pie looks bad at all, but I want to add more seasoning and ingredients. It’s an easy recipe to follow and perhaps a good way of using up leftover vegetables. You could also throw in “exotic” foods not used in wartime Britain, like sweet potatoes and garlic.

Lord Woolton’s Famous Pie
1lb. potatoes, diced
1 lb. cauliflower, chopped
1 lb. Swedes (rutabagas), peeled and diced
1 lb. carrots, scraped and diced
4 spring onions (scallions), sliced thin
1 tsp. vegetable extract.
1 tsp. oatmeal
Fresh parsley, chopped
Readymade pie crust or mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 350°F

Cook all ingredients together in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking.

Allow to cool.

Transfer blend to a pie dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Cover with a crust of potatoes or wholemeal pastry.

Set dish on a cookie sheet and then bake until the pastry is nicely brown.

Serve hot with a side bowl of brown gravy.

Look for Being Krystyna, releasing from Dilliebooks, on Amazon this winter.

Carol Browne regards Crewe, Cheshire, as her home town and graduated from Nottingham University in 1976 with an honors degree in English Language and Literature. Carol writes speculative fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She is also a ghost blog writer, proofreader, copy editor, and copywriter. Along with a passion for gardening, Carol is an avid animal lover.

Carol lives in the Cambridgeshire countryside with her dog, Harry, and cockatiel, Sparky.Pagan and vegan, Carol believes it is time for a paradigm shift in our attitude to Mother Nature and hopes the days of speciesism are numbered.

Stay connected with Carol on her website and blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Ring in the Romance with 50 free novels at @instaFreebie + win a #kindle

The Holidays are upon us!  

I don't know about you but I love hot men on a cold winter night to read about in my novels!

So now put your feet by the fire, wait for the snow and curl up with 50 FREE Romance Novels. Plus you get the chance to win a Kindle, a Kindle Fire or a $25 gift card. 

The authors have all joined together to ensure that the Holiday season is full of the giving from our hearts and we hope we touch yours with our stories that feature love and happily-ever-after. 

Participating Authors:

Rebecca Hunter, Tamara Lush, Shéa MacLeod, Kristin Wallace, Ann Omasta, 
Clarissa Carlyle, Iona Findley, Clara Stone, Wendy Knight, 
Margo Bond Collins, Joanna Mazurkiewicz, April A. Luna, Laurie Baxter, 
Demelza Carlton, Vella Day, Michelle Lynn, Lena Hart, Bethany Lopez, 
Kate Palmer, Kris Jayne, Kristi Rose, Kristi Cramer, Amanda Aksel, 
Tamara Ruth, Eva Winters, Sara Daniel, Michelle Miles, Tess St. John, 
Cherie Claire, JoMarie DeGioia, Jessica Nelson, Nicola Sinclair, Mohana, 
AJ Matthews, Wendy Knight, Tara West, A.O. Peart, D. D. Shaw, J.A. Kerr, 
J.L. Campbell, Angelita Gill, Lisa Mondello, A. E. Easterlin, , Demi Alex,
and Victoria Pinder

Enter giveaway and get 50 free novels here.

What's My Line? @EMMAJLANE tackles #writerslife #cozymystery

Guest Post from Janis Lane

I write fiction and by the time I’d written the third Detective Kevin Fowler novel Murder on Blake Hill I felt as if I lived in Hubbard, NY. Are there certain key elements of the stories that resemble my own small Western New York village? Oh, sure. You might recognize the blazing color of the hard maples in the fall, decent townspeople who give a friendly wave, the fond interaction of the local police with the citizens. A mayor can be spotted walking his dog through the village.

There exists a table where politics are discussed on a daily basis, but Buddy and Rita are not there. Sad to say, no fresh sticky buns either, but fortunately you will find them across town. Now you suspect my secrets. I often use a piece of this or that to make an entirely new whole. It may resemble something with which you are familiar, but it is never the real thing. I write fiction.

Magic does happen. Once born, a character (or place) takes on a life and personality of his/her/its own. Detective Kevin Fowler drives a ‘plain brown wrapper’ car. It would be a rare thing to see him in a marked police car. You can almost see the raised eyebrows and frown on the popular detective’s face.

Beverly Hamlin knows no stranger in her home town. Her self-assurance is a thing of wonder to Kevin who is in love with her.

My cozy mysteries are all about small-town America, a slice of life which gives us a peek into the trials and tribulations of ordinary citizens. Are the characters based on real people? You bet. Well, parts of them here and there. I, you will remember, write fiction.

Disconcerting events disturb the peaceful town of Hubbard, New York, but Detective Kevin Fowler and his staff are on the job, even as shocking secrets are revealed and night patrols are stepped up to a high alert. Church bells chime faintly in the distance.

Detective Kevin Fowler is baffled by the wall of silence that greets him from the relatives of two septuagenarians whose bodies are discovered in a country cemetery called Blake Hill. Even more upsetting is the unusual rash of vandalism reported nightly by the citizens in his peaceful community. Have the teenagers declared an uprising? Night patrols reveal a totally unexpected and shocking situation. When a poignant secret is revealed, Beverly Hampton weeps over the sadness of a long ago tragedy, but soon wedding bells are heard for the home town princess and the popular detective. At the local diner the alluring fragrance of fresh-baked, cinnamon sticky buns continues to reign over the peaceful citizens of Hubbard, New York.

Amazon Buy Link

Read more about the cozy mysteries by Janis Lane on Amazon.

Janis Lane is the pen-name for gifted author Emma Lane who writes cozy mysteries as Janis, Regency as Emma, and spice as Sunny Lane.

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own.

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma's new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma's face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the things that make Emma smile on Pinterest.

Scandalous Stocking Stuffers - 50+ Free & 99 cent books #romance #erotica

50+ FREE and 99cents Books - Scandalous Stocking Stuffers

***Today Only***

STUFF YOUR E-READER with Scandalous Stocking Stuffers

December 7, 2016!

​

50+ FREE books and $0.99 BARGAINS

Download Here!

...

Seasonal/Holiday Reads

Contemporary

BDSM Erotica, Romance

Steamy

BBW, Hotwife, Lesbian & Menage

Paranormal, Shifters, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel, Thriller

...

Download Here!

On the download page, please visit our author sponsors:

Allyson Lindt, Angela Kay Austin, Anita Philmar, Ashe Barker, C.P. Mandara, Caitlyn Lynch, Candace Laville, Carmen Fox, Catherine Taylor, Cherie Claire, Cherime MacFarlane, Dariel Raye, Demelza Carlton, Diane Rinella, Eden Summers, Elianne Adams, Elli Everson, Eva Lefoy, Giselle Renarde, Heather Anastasiu, Ines Johnson, Iona Findley, Jacintha Topaz, Jade Onyx, J.F. Holland, Josie Jax, Kathryn R. Blake, LaVerne Thompson, Lilah E. Noir, Lily Harlem, Lucian Carter, Lucy Felthouse, Maggie Carpenter, Marie Tuhart, Melissa Stevens, Mira Stanley, Miranda Lynn, Moctezuma Johnson, Monica Corwin, Muffy Wilson, Natalie Rios, Nia Farrell, Nikky Kaye, Normandie Alleman, Paloma Beck, Pandora Spocks, Raven Anxo, Robin Stone, Rosalie Redd, Sara Daniel, Sotia Lazu, Teresa Noelle Roberts, Tori Dean, Wendy Lynn Clark, Wren St Claire

Multi-author deals include stories from:

A.C. Nixon, Abby Hayes, Abi Aiken, Airicka Phoenix, Angelica Dawson, Ashen White, Bernard Tristan Foong, Bethany Shaw, Blak Rayne, Crystal Dawn, Danielle Gavan, Dawn White, D. F. Krieger, Elvira Bathory, Erzabet Bishop, Gale Stanley, Gemma Parkes, Gina Kincade, Isis Pierce, Jacqueline Sweet, Kiki Howell, Maddie Taylor, Pablo Michaels, Paige Matthews, Phoenix Johnson, P.T. Macias, R.B O'Brien, Rebecca Lorenson, Rozlyn Sparks, Sky Purington, Tara Crescent, Tierney O'Malley, Tricia Owens, Tanith Davenport

Over the Hump! #newrelease from @authorCDHersh #shifterromance #paranormal

Guest Post by C.D. Hersh

It’s official! With the release, by Soul Mate Publishing, of our newest book The Mercenary and the Shifters, we are now more than halfway through the books of our paranormal/urban fantasy romance series The Turning Stone Chronicles.

It feels great to have book number four out!

For those who might not know, The Turning Stone Chronicles series is about three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world? Find out in The Turning Stone Chronicles series.

Ind’tale Magazine said “...takes paranormal and turns it on its ear, taking shape-shifting to a whole other level. The bad guy perspective is particularly unique and fun, and the characters three-dimensional...”

The fight with the rogue shifters faction continues in The Mercenary and the Shifters as Rhys Temple’s half-sister, Fiona Kayler, finds herself in the middle of a rogue takeover of her shipping company. When she discovers her late mother’s magic Turning Stone ring, which will give her the power to become a shifter, Fiona decides to fight fire with fire and join the rogue shifter world in order to take them down and save her company. Her involvement with the rogues doesn’t go as she hoped, however. She finds herself desperately in need of a bodyguard, deeply entangled with the evil rogue kingpin, and on the wrong side of her brother and sister-in-law, who are the shape shifter Promised Ones destined to rid the world of rogue shape shifters.

Here’s a little taste of The Mercenary and the Shifters from Fiona’s POV for your reading pleasure:

Opening the book again, she found the Gaelic incantation in her mother’s journal. To fight shifters, and keep control of the company, she had to become a shifter. Fear or no fear.

She traced her finger down the page to an entry below the incantation.

It hurts, her mother had written. Hurts as if you’re having a heart attack. But you’re not. It’s the magic loosing itself into your body. When the pain stops, the transformation will be complete. Then the hard work of learning how to use the ring begins.

You must find a mentor as soon as possible. Great power corrupts greatly, and once you experience the abilities shifting gives you, you must learn to control the ring. If you don’t, remaining on the side of good is difficult.

Drawing a shaky breath, Fiona read the incantation aloud. “Fear bean beathach tri an aon.”

Warmth spread across her left ring finger where the magic ring rested, and a tingle ran up her arm. Fiona glanced at the Turning Stone ring. The red lines in the dark-green bloodstone cabochon writhed and swirled, forming a circle, and another, and another. The circles spun, finally interlocking in a circular Celtic knot. The stone glowed softly as the three red circles pulsed.

Suddenly, the tingling in her arm intensified then shot to her torso. Fiona grabbed her chest as a bolt of pain knifed her heart.

“It’s just the magic,” she groaned to reassure herself. “I am not having a heart attack.”

Even though her mother’s journal entry had prepared her, terror gripped Fiona as wave after wave of stabbing pain shot through her. She tried to breathe the ache away, but her breath came fast and panicked. Another jolt pierced her like a shock of electricity, doubling her over so fast she pitched from the chair.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the pain left.

Fiona stared at the ring as the three circles slithered into nondescript lines running through the bloodstone. Except for the fact she now lay on the floor, everything remained as it had been.
For a moment, she sat motionless on the thick carpet, tuning her senses inward. Looking for some sign she had changed. But she found nothing to indicate she was now different.

But she was. Her mother’s journal said so.

Don’t miss out on these shape shifter romances readers have called fast-paced, well-written, paranormal suspense at its best.

The Promised One Book 1 eBook - paperback
Blood Brothers Book 2 eBook - paperback
Son of the Moonless Night Book 3 eBook - paperback
The Mercenary and the Shifters Book 4 eBook

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.

The books of their paranormal romance series entitled The Turning Stone Chronicles are available on Amazon. They also have a short Christmas story, Kissing Santa, in a Christmas anthology titled Sizzle in the Snow: Soul Mate Christmas Collection, with seven other authors.

They look forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life.

Learn more about C.D. Hersh on their website and their Amazon Author Page.

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Save the Date! December 7th #Free & #99centreads - Scandalous Stocking Stuffer preview

50+ FREE and 99cents Books - Scandalous Stocking Stuffers

***One Day Only -- December 7, 2016***

STUFF YOUR E-READER with Scandalous Stocking Stuffers

December 7, 2016!

​

50+ FREE books and $0.99 BARGAINS

Download Here!

...

Seasonal/Holiday Reads

Contemporary

BDSM Erotica, Romance

Steamy

BBW, Hotwife, Lesbian & Menage

Paranormal, Shifters, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel, Thriller

...

Download Here!

On the download page, please visit our author sponsors:

Allyson Lindt, Angela Kay Austin, Anita Philmar, Ashe Barker, C.P. Mandara, Caitlyn Lynch, Candace Laville, Carmen Fox, Catherine Taylor, Cherie Claire, Cherime MacFarlane, Dariel Raye, Demelza Carlton, Diane Rinella, Eden Summers, Elianne Adams, Elli Everson, Eva Lefoy, Giselle Renarde, Heather Anastasiu, Ines Johnson, Iona Findley, Jacintha Topaz, Jade Onyx, J.F. Holland, Josie Jax, Kathryn R. Blake, LaVerne Thompson, Lilah E. Noir, Lily Harlem, Lucian Carter, Lucy Felthouse, Maggie Carpenter, Marie Tuhart, Melissa Stevens, Mira Stanley, Miranda Lynn, Moctezuma Johnson, Monica Corwin, Muffy Wilson, Natalie Rios, Nia Farrell, Nikky Kaye, Normandie Alleman, Paloma Beck, Pandora Spocks, Raven Anxo, Robin Stone, Rosalie Redd, Sara Daniel, Sotia Lazu, Teresa Noelle Roberts, Tori Dean, Wendy Lynn Clark, Wren St Claire

Multi-author deals include stories from:

A.C. Nixon, Abby Hayes, Abi Aiken, Airicka Phoenix, Angelica Dawson, Ashen White, Bernard Tristan Foong, Bethany Shaw, Blak Rayne, Crystal Dawn, Danielle Gavan, Dawn White, D. F. Krieger, Elvira Bathory, Erzabet Bishop, Gale Stanley, Gemma Parkes, Gina Kincade, Isis Pierce, Jacqueline Sweet, Kiki Howell, Maddie Taylor, Pablo Michaels, Paige Matthews, Phoenix Johnson, P.T. Macias, R.B O'Brien, Rebecca Lorenson, Rozlyn Sparks, Sky Purington, Tara Crescent, Tierney O'Malley, Tricia Owens, Tanith Davenport

Entanglement #historicalromance from Vonnie Hughes

The ever-engaging Vonnie Hughes brings us her latest captivating novella that brings you a smile. Be sure to get your copy today!

When Alexandra Tallis discovers that her witless sister has imprisoned their father’s nemesis, Theo Crombie, in their attic, she quickly frees him, fighting an unladylike impulse to keep him as her own special captive. Despite the brutal beating she receives from her father for her actions, Alexandra continues to yearn for the delicious Mr. Crombie even though she knows that nothing will ever come of her yearning.

Injured and shackled in a stranger’s attic, Theo unexpectedly discovers the woman of his dreams. But how can he pursue those dreams when her bizarre family’s complex relationships threaten the very foundation of his existence? Somehow Theo must find a way through this maze to claim his lady.





TEASER
“Oh, no, Emmaline! Please untie him. Let him go.”

Whatever would her sister do next? At seventeen she was an eligible man’s worst nightmare. And this latest escapade—

“Don’t be such a bore, Lexie. ’Tis a great joke! For once, Papa will thank us. Especially when he finds out who it is we’ve got all trussed up.” Emmaline laughed her silvery, seductive laugh that drove men wild and irritated women excessively.

“Thank us! He is more like to beat us. You cannot capture someone and bring him here and…and just tie him up.”

“Of course I can. I already have. I shall lock the two of you in here together and then raise an outcry. Papa and the servants will come running and—” she waved her pretty hands in the air “—the rest will take care of itself. Papa’s investment problem will be solved, and with a bit of luck you might even be married by next week, sister.”

BUY LINKS Amazon - Smashwords

Vonnie Hughes is a multi-published author in both Regency books and contemporary suspense. She loves the intricacies of the social rules of the Regency period and the far-ranging consequences of the Napoleonic Code. And with suspense she has free rein to explore forensic matters and the strong convolutions of the human mind. Like many writers, some days she hates the whole process, but somehow she just cannot let it go.

Vonnie was born in New Zealand, but she and her husband now live happily in Australia. If you visit Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand be sure to stroll through the Japanese Garden. These is a bronze plaque engraved with a haiku describing the peacefulness of that environment. The poem was written by Vonnie.

Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads.

.@sloanetaylor2 wants to treat you to Marinated Grilled Steaks. We'll be right over! #dinnermenu

Guest post by Sloane Taylor

Here’s a menu geared for outdoor cooking. Hang onto it for those stormy fall and winter days because this meal also works great indoors.

Marinated Grilled Steaks
Baked Potatoes
Caesar Salad
Dry Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon

Marinated Grilled Steaks

Photo by franky242

1 small steak of your choice per person
1 sprig fresh basil or ¼ tsp. dried
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp. dried
2 sprigs fresh parsley or ½ tsp. dried
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 or 2 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Splash of dry red wine
Olive oil

Keep the steaks to the side for a few minutes. Lay the dry ingredients in a glass or ceramic dish or a plastic bag just large enough to hold the meat comfortably.

Sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce and red wine. Gently stir. Add the meat.

Pour oil along the side of the dish until it reaches half way up the steaks. Turn meat to coat top and bottom. Set in the refrigerator for 2 – 4 hours. Remove the dish from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.

Heat your outdoor grill to medium. Sprinkle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce on each side of the steak and spread out with your fingers. Grind fresh pepper on one side. Grill for 3 minutes each side for rare, 4 for medium rare, 5 for well done. Turn only once.

Remove the steaks and tent with aluminum foil. Allow to sit on top of a warm stove for about five minutes. This will draw the juices back into the meat and will also cook the steak to perfection.

If you use the oven broiler, follow the same cooking times.

Baked Potatoes
1 baking potato per person
1 bay leaf for each potato
olive oil
Kosher or rock salt
butter
sour Cream
chives

Oven Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Wash the potatoes under cool running water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub the skins with a small amount of olive oil. Slit across the top large enough and deep enough to fit in a bay leaf. Roll in the salt and wrap in aluminum foil.

Bake for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick. If the potato is cooked enough the pick will slide in easily.

When done, set the potatoes on a warm stove or inside a 200°F oven until ready to serve.

Serve with butter, sour cream, and chives.

Outdoor Grill
Preheat on medium high. Prepare the potatoes in the same manner as above.

Lay potatoes on bottom grate. Every 15 minutes roll the potatoes to a new side to prevent burning. It will take about 45 minutes to cook through. Test by inserting a toothpick. If the potato is cooked enough the pick will slide in easily.

When done, set the potatoes on the upper rack until ready to serve.

Caesar Salad for Two

Photo by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee

1 egg coddled
1 large glove garlic
½ tsp. anchovy paste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tbsp. lemon juice, preferably fresh
2 drops white vinegar or as close to as possible
¼ cup olive oil
Romaine lettuce, 3 leaves per person, washed and dried
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Croutons, optional

Remove egg from refrigerator while assembling all the ingredients on your counter.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Coddle the egg by cooking it for 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water, crack shell and scoop the runny egg into a small bowl. Break up the solid white pieces and lightly mix. Later, you will add some of this to the salad dressing.

In a large glass or wooden bowl, mash the garlic with a spoon and fork into coarse pieces. Rub the sides of the bowl with the oil that has been released.

Add the anchovy, pepper, and mustard. Mix well. Pour in the lemon juice and vinegar. Mix well. Add in ½ – ¾ of the coddled egg. Mix well. Blend in the olive oil until the dressing is frothy.

Tear the lettuce into bit-size pieces over the salad bowl. Toss, then add ¼ cup or so of Parmesan. Toss again. Serve in individual bowls and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Add croutons and serve immediately.

For a larger salad, adjust proportionally, but do not exceed two eggs.

Enjoy!

~Sloane

Award-winning author Sloane Taylor is a sensual woman who believes humor and and good food are healthy aspects of our everyday lives and carries that philosophy into her books. She writes romances that takes you right into the bedroom. Being a true romantic, all her stories have a happy ever after.

Her books are set in Europe where the men are all male and the North American women they encounter are both feminine and strong. They also bring more than lust to their men’s lives.

Taylor was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Studly, her mate for life, and Sloane now live in a small home in Indiana and enjoy the change from city life. She is also an avid cook.

Learn more about Sloane Taylor on her website . Check out her blog for more tasty recipes. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

"Fowl" #kidlit picture books for #BlackFriday @BravestSquirrel

This is the time of year when my muse rebels and decides the do something so far off the beaten path that I wander into never-explored lands. No one even imagined a goose and duck plastic decoy picture book genre, complete with "live action" photographs, but I'm building a vacation home in the middle of this land!

I'll be back home in romanceland next month. In the meantime, these "fowl" picture books make a perfect holiday gift--for adults, children, coworkers and your impossible-to-buy-for Uncle Ned! Bonus: buy it online and avoid those nasty Black Friday lines!!

A New Home for Goose

Goose sits on a shelf all year. Now, it's Christmas, which means it's time for Goose to go to a new home. But Goose is scared! 

Join the fun as Goose sets off on an epic adventure. What happens when a plastic goose rebels? Will Goose be able to overcome her fears?

Illustrated with actual photographs of Goose, this short picture book is fun for all ages.

Amazon
Createspace

A Fashion Makeover for Duck

Duck wears her cheese hat all the time. But she is ready for a change. She wants a fashion makeover.

Join the fun as Duck tries out the latest fashion styles. But what happens when Baby Blue wants to wear Duck’s old hat? Can Duck really give up her beloved cheese hat?

Illustrated with actual photographs of Duck (and Baby Blue), this short picture book is fun for all ages.

 

Amazon

Createspace

Kumquat Pie - Cool #dessert #recipe from HL Carpenter

Guest Post by HL Carpenter

We're fortunate enough to live where fresh citrus fruit is readily available, and one of our favorites is a small oval sweet-sour gem called the kumquat. We like simple, and there's no peeling, coring, or slicing involved in kumquat eating. Yank that little beauty off the tree or pull it out of the package, rinse, and eat. The entire fruit is edible – the skin, the seeds, and the soft, tart center pulp.

That simplicity is what we like about our kumquat pie recipe too. Toss a clamshell's worth of kumquats into the food processor or blender, fold the resulting puree into fresh whipped cream, lemon juice, and sweetened condensed milk, pour the mixture into a pie shell, and chill in the refrigerator. Garnished with a dollop of whipped cream, you've got a summertime treat that can't be beat.

Kumquat Pie

9" pie shell*
⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp. shortening
1 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
2 -3 tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 475°F

Mix the flour and salt and cut the shortening into the mixture until it resembles small peas.

Sprinkle in water and stir with a fork until the mixture sticks together.

Gather the mixture into a ball and roll into a round a bit larger than your pie plate.

Crimp the edges of the pastry along the side of the pie plate, prick the pastry with a fork, and bake in oven 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Filling **
One pint-sized clamshell package of kumquats (enough to make 2/3 cup puree)
One 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar

Wash and puree the kumquats in a blender or food processor.

Pour the condensed milk and the lemon juice into a bowl and beat 1-2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream with 3 Tablespoons of sugar until stiff (above five minutes).

Combine whipped cream with the condensed milk mixture and beat until thick. Fold in the pureed kumquats.

Pour the kumquat mixture into the baked pie shell and chill in the refrigerator until set.

Garnish (if desired)**
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar

Before serving the pie, combine 1 cup whipping cream and 3 Tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff. Garnish the pie with the whipped cream.

Tips and tricks
* We like a home-baked pie shell, but you can substitute ready-made. A plain or chocolate graham cracker pie shell adds a delicious flavor dimension to the finished pie.

** Instead of making your own whipped cream with the whipping cream and sugar recipe, you can substitute ready-made whipping cream, both in the pie ingredients and as a garnish.

While you're snacking on your cool, delicious pie, enjoy an excerpt from our young adult book, Pirate Summer.

Fifteen year old Josey is a liar. She’d like to stop. But after Mom left, the lies started popping out, like the time Josey left her little brother at the library and told Dad he’d run away.

Then Josey meets a boy who tells bigger whoppers than she does. He says he’s the son of a privateer who’s been dead two centuries. He’s so convincing Josey’s brother believes every word and sets off to find the privateer’s hidden treasure.

When her brother disappears, Josey is sure she knows where he's gone. But everyone thinks she's lying again. Everyone, that is, except the so-called privateer’s son. He knows she’s telling the truth because jeweled riches are only part of his tale. There’s also the snooperscope, a device that makes time leaps possible, like the one that brought him to the present.

The story is fantastical...and yet Josey will do anything to save her brother, including traveling back in time two hundred years with a boy she can’t trust.

Amazon Buy Link

Florida-based mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter write sweet, clean fiction that is suitable for everyone in your family. The Carpenters write from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit their website to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.

Stay connected on Pinterest, Linkedin, Google+, and their Amazon Author Page.

World's Greatest Chocolate Breakfast Discovered by @amontgomery8 #recipe #breakfast #chocolate

Guest Post from Anne Montgomery

In my quest to discover the world’s greatest chocolate desert, I took a bit of a left turn and discovered the world’s greatest chocolate breakfast. These delightful squares have wholesome ingredients, yes they do. Oatmeal, for one. You know, the stuff with fiber and all those heart-healthy nutrients. Then there’s dark chocolate that lowers our blood pressure and provides antioxidants. And let’s not forget the nuts: those wee power-packed pieces of protein that provide something delightfully called “good-fat.” And then…and then…OK, there are some other things in these babies that are really unhealthy, but something’s going to kill us. Death by Chocolate Oatmeal Bar might not be a bad way to go.

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1½ cups semisweet chocolate cut into pieces
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F

Stir together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.

Cream butter in a large mixer bowl. Add brown sugar. Beat until fluffy.

Add eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla. Beat well.

Add dry ingredients. Beat well.

Melt chocolate pieces, condensed milk, and butter in a heavy saucepan or double boiler. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped nuts and 2 tbsp. vanilla.

Pat ⅔ of oat mixture into the bottom of a 15X10X1 inch baking dish.

Spread chocolate mixture on top.

Dot with remaining oat mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until oat mixture is lightly browned. (The chocolate layer will still look moist.)

Cool on a wire rack.

Here's a brief introduction to my soft mystery for your reading pleasure while you much those yummy bars.

A Light in the Desert traces the story of a pregnant teenager who bears an odd facial deformity, a Vietnam veteran and former Special Forces sniper who, as he descends into the throes of mental illness, latches onto the girl, and a group of Pentecostal zealots – the Children of Light – who have been waiting over thirty years in the Arizona desert for Armageddon.

The Amtrak Sunset Limited, a passenger train en route to Los Angeles, is derailed in their midst’s, a deadly act of sabotage. Their lives are thrown into turmoil when local and state police, FBI investigators, and a horde of reporters make camp by the twisted wreckage of the Sunset Limited. As the search for the saboteurs continues, the authorities find more questions than answers. The girl mysteriously vanishes, the assassin struggles to maintain his sanity, and a child is about to be born in the wilderness.

To read more from A Light in the Desert please click a vendor's name: Sarah Book Publishing - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces.

When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.

Learn more about Anne Montgomery on Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

The Time Traveller’s Resort and Museum #newrelease #ExclusiveExcerpt @MirrorWorldPub

New Release by David McLain!

Title: The Time Traveller's Resort and Museum

Author Name: David McLain

Illustrator: Felix Eddy

Genre(s): Time Travel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Comedy, Steampunk

Release Date: November 17, 2016

Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing 

(http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/) 

Follow the Tour:

http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-tour-schedule-time-travellers.html

About The Time Traveller's Resort and Museum:

“If you need to know men's secrets

Or if there's something you need to find 

If you want to see the dinosaurs 

Or the insides of your mind.

If you want to watch the earth begin,

Or see what the apocalypse will leave behind,

You need to thank Alice Anderson,

For Alice is the mother of time.”

That was how the rhyme went. Every time traveler knew it. Everyone that is, except of course, for Alice herself, since she hadn’t invented time travel yet. Since returning to London, Alice’s life has been turned upside down. She’s been accused of murder and lost her position in the scientific community. Her only ally in this journey is a strange man who seems to think that Alice may be about to open up a strange new world of possibilities, but is probably not telling her everything he knows.

Exclusive Excerpt:

W

ith The Times spread out across her lap, Alice pushed her left ear into the tiny pillow the stewardess had given her and did her best to pretend she was asleep. It was one of those funny little tricks; whenever you took the flight from New York to London you had to spend the night on the plane regardless of whether you took off at eight o'clock at night or nine in the morning. The Flight Attendants on British Airways compensated for this by giving you a blanket that appeared to be made out of a blend of fiberglass insulation and horsehair and a pillow that would have been comfortable if you had a head the size of a squirrel. Alice loved going back to England, and was excited to be a part of the conference, but the flight – oh, the flight. Alice would have been much, much happier taking the QEII, even if it did take an extra week to come into port. Of course, she would probably just throw up over the side on a boat like that. She supposed there was no winning either way.

“Hello, this is your captain speaking,” a voice said. “We'll be landing at Heathrow in just over thirty minutes.”

Travel was the both the bane and the saving grace of Alice Anderson's existence. She had long since learned to hate the smell of airports, the feel of the drab polyester seats, and the uncomfortable pounding in her head that came with a night where the sun only went down for three hours. On the other hand, there was the feel of the cobblestoned London streets underneath her feet – that was worth something. In cobblestone-street-free America, there was a saying: In Britain two hundred miles is a long way and in America two hundred years is a long time. For Alice Anderson, either one could go by in the blink of an eye.

“Please put your tray tables in their full and upright positions,” the voice said.

Alice rubbed her eyes and stretched. The key to successful travel, in her opinion, was a rigid adherence to a schedule. In thirty-seven minutes her flight would be landing on the tarmac. In two hours she would be arriving at the hotel. In three hours and forty-five minutes she would be having a quick drink with her sister before heading back to the hotel room, and mercifully, a good night's sleep. In a little over twenty-four hours she and Malcolm Oliver would be standing in a lecture hall in Cambridge University, talking to a group of the world's oldest astrophysicists about the importance of new technology when educating the next generation. After that there would be three days of conferences, meetings, presentations, and general hobnobbing with her brother and sister wizards, before getting back on another flight to New York. Alice was like a pocket watch, wound and polished, a precision instrument moving exactly according to schedule.

“Thank you for your business,” a voice said. “We will be exiting the plane shortly. On behalf of British Airways, we hope you will enjoy your trip.”

'It's a brave new world,' Alice thought to herself as she found her way to the plane door.

Meet the Author:

David McLain is the author of the two novels: Dragonbait, and The Life of a Thief. His stories have been published in the anthologies Metastasis, Penny Dread II, and the Doctor Who Anthology Time Shadows, as well as over two dozen magazines. He has been featured on NPR's Off the Page and the History of England podcast. He lives in New York.

Connect with David McLain: 

Website: http://mydogisgross.tumblr.com/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mclain-63b77963

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DavidMcLainDragonbait/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814869.David_McLain

Publisher’s Website: www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/our-authors-2

Meet the Illustrator: 

Felix Eddy graduated Magnum Cum Laude from Alfred University. She is the author and illustrator of A Bestiary Alphabet, and has illustrated several book covers and children's books. You can find out more about her at www.felixeddy.com

Purchase Links:

MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING: 

Paperback: http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-time-travellers-resort-and-museum-paperback

Ebook : http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-time-travellers-resort-and-museum-ebook

Hardcover: http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-time-travellers-resort-and-museum-hardcover

AMAZON.COM: 

http://amzn.to/2eT8hRT

AMAZON.CA: 

https://www.amazon.ca/Time-Travellers-Resort-Museum-ebook/dp/B01M66TQZV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477600719&sr=8-1&keywords=david+mclain 

KOBO: 

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-time-traveller-s-resort-and-museum

BARNES & NOBLE: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1124986783?ean=9781987976243

Chapters.Indigo: 

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-time-travellers-resort-and/9781987976229-item.html?ikwid=David+McLain&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=3