Magda and Javi, the main characters of The Rain in Spain, spend a magical evening wandering Sevilla. My own trip to Sevilla left me with a love of Spanish tapas, and tortilla in particular.

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Spanish Tortilla Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 3/4lb medium potatoes

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

scant 1/2c. extra virgin olive oil

6 eggs

1) Thinly slice the potatoes. Heat 5 TBS of the oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes, turning frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the onions and seasoning (salt & pepper, I just wing it), and continue to cook gently for a further 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

2) Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl with a little more salt & pepper. Tip the potatoes and onions into the eggs and mix gently. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

3) Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining oil in it. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and spread it out in an even layer. Cover and cook over very gentle heat for 20 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Serve cut into wedges.

Tortilla are often made with a bunch of extra ingredients thrown in: chopped bell peppers (red or yellow), peas, corn, grated cheese. The recipe I use (which comes from a cookbook called Cooking With Just Four Ingredients) suggests Cheddar or Gruyère, but I use Manchego because it's my favorite Spanish cheese and tastes delicious. I don't have amounts for extra ingredients, but I think I use about a cup of grated Manchego. If anything, I probably throw in a little extra, because cheese!

You can eat tortilla as soon as it's done cooking, but it's also served cold, straight from the fridge. Serve with a leafy salad and crusty bread for an easy meal.

"The Rain in Spain" is a short story in the SUMMER RAIN charity anthology for RAINN.

Travel write Magda and scientist Javi are cranky with the heat--and each other--on the streets of Sevilla. They've been married for a year, after a whirlwind courtship, and Magda is questioning whether or not she made a mistake. She's not sure if her need to explore the world can ever mesh with Javi's more regimented life.

As they stroll the cobblestone streets of one of Spain's most romantic cities, Magda tries to show her husband just what it is she loves so much about her job that keeps her far from home for son long. By the time the sun rise, they'll know if there is a way forward for them together . . . or not.

All proceeds from the volume will be donated to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (www.rainn.org), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States.

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http://amyjocousins.com/

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Down in New Orleans, we rarely use recipes. It’s a pinch of this, a little of that, a spoon of this, and some of that…. Ewee, that’s good! In honor of Evangeline and Gabriel’s first date, I decided to cook gumbo.

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Creole’s Gumbo

Ingredients:

A heaping amount of music (yes, you read that right. Music, like cooking, in New Orleans is just another one of the things we are known for. The food responds to the music. I recommended pairing gumbo with Dr. John, Fats Domino, or even Tab Benoit. He has an excellent version of “We Make a Good Gumbo” that the gumbo especially seems to enjoy. Plus it’s always fun to dance while you chop, fry, and whisk your roux!)

2 pounds smoked sausage (you can substitute this with Andouille sausage or even hot sausage, depending on your preference), sliced into rounds

2 pounds smoked ham, cubed

1 ½ pounds smoked turkey (or you could also use chicken… this is a gumbo, a melting pot of so many delicious foods, you really can’t go wrong.)

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 large onions, chopped

2 green bell peppers (about 4 cups), chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 cans (14.5-ounces) diced tomatoes (or 4 ½ fresh tomatoes, cubed. Keep all of the juices. I prefer to use fresh. Simply because fresh gives the gumbo a really, really stellar taste.)

2 bags frozen okra (20 ounces), defrosted

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (I love Tony Chachere’s)

1 teaspoon thyme

2-3 bay leaves

1/3 cup flower

2 ½ boxes of chicken broth (48 ounce boxes.)

How to make a good gumbo:

Brown sausage, smoked ham, and if you are using chicken, in a stock pot (or if you’re like me, a Magnalite pot) over medium heat until browned. You want to make sure you cook the sausage until it gets a nice brown coating, because this is what’s called “gratin”. It is going to give your gumbo such a delicious flavor you’ll lick your lips! C'est bon!

(If your meats are sticking, add 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil. It shouldn’t, though. The fat from the sausage should coat the pan just fine.)

Remove your meats, set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, bell peppers, celery, and all of your seasonings to the pot (except for the bay leaves), and sauté until tender. Once tender, remove from pot and mix with meats. Set aside.

Now it’s time to make the roux! This, along with your gratin, is going to give your gumbo that beautiful brown color. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and flour to your pot, stirring with a whisk. Stir until the flour has absorbed the oil and it becomes nice and brown.

Add broth. Make sure you stir well, incorporating all those flavors—the roux will not only color your gumbo beautifully, but also thicken it. No soupy gumbo!

Stir in your meat (if you are using smoked turkey, add it now)/vegetable mixture, tomatoes with juice, and bay leaves. I like to start by cooking my gumbo on high, until it starts rolling, and then gradually turn the level of heat down. Simmer on low- medium for about 90 minutes, occasionally stirring.

At the ninety-minute mark, add your okra. 15 minutes later add you shrimp. Cook just until your shrimp turn pink, about 10 minutes. If you overcook shrimp, they become little rubbery monsters. Keep a close eye on them.

Serve over rice. Garnish with parsley and Gumbo Filé if it makes you smile.

And there you have it, Creole’s Gumbo. I hope ya’ll enjoy.

P.S. Gumbo freezes beautifully, and it’s always better the next day!

Do you believe in the power of dreams?

Way down south on Marigny Street in the heart of New Orleans, the land of Catholic intercessions, purgatory, and supernatural superstitions, young Evangeline Chenier dreams of a radiant boy who saves her from a storm. She takes the dream seriously – in her family, dreams are sometimes more than dreams. Sometimes they foretell the future. Sometimes they create it.

Years later, Eva is no longer the same wistful girl but a hardened woman who no longer believes in dreams. Losing faith in her gift, she becomes lost in a nightmare of emotion, mourning her son, separating from her husband, and stewing in a dead-end job. And then fate brings her an unlikely surprise: one of the most famous movie stars in the world, Gabriel Roberts.

Caught by something in his eyes, Eva agrees to show him the real Big Easy on his last night in New Orleans—an evening that turns into four dreamy days spent recapturing lost faith and discovering a love neither expected. Realizing Gabriel is the boy from her childhood dream, Eva must leave everything behind—her husband, her family, her history, and the beautiful city she calls home—and gamble it all for the dream that has saved her on MARIGNY STREET.

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www.annierosewelch.com

There is nothing that says “Home Sweet Home” more than the smell of a good freshly baked pie. Since my Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series focuses on the 13 grandchildren of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the importance of family ties is prevalent throughout the stories. So here is one of my family’s favorite pies from our table to yours.

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Apricot-Cherry Slab Pie

Make pie crust for 3 pies. This is my favorite pie crust recipe:

3 c. sifted flour

1 T. sugar

2 t. salt

1 ¼ c. vegetable shortening

1 egg

½ c. water

1 T. vinegar

Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender. Beat the egg and mix the water and vinegar with the egg. Sprinkle small amounts at a time over the flour mixture, tossing lightly until all the particles are moistened. Mold into a ball and chill. Return to room temperature before rolling out.

Roll a little more than half of the dough on a lightly floured pastry board. Fit into a 10 ½ x 15 ½ jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (with sides) with the pastry hanging over the edges of the pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

½ c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

Add:

14.5 oz. can of pitted tart red pie cherries, drained

1 quart or two 15 oz. cans apricot halves, drained and quartered

Spoon fruit mixture into the prepared crust. Roll out the remaining dough and place over the fruit. Bring bottom pastry up and over the top pastry. Seal edges. Prick the top of the pastry. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.

Vanilla Glaze:

Combine 1 ¼ c. powdered sugar, ½ t. vanilla, and enough milk (5-6 teaspoons) to make drizzling consistency.

With one of their grandchildren happily married, Anna and Felty Helmuth are ready for their next matchmaking success. Because there’s nothing more rewarding than sparking unexpected love—and putting Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, on the map for romance…

Cautious to a fault, Lily Eicher strives to live up to her dat’s high standards. She’s certainly not the kind of proper Amish girl who would make time for someone as impetuous as the Helmuths’ grandson, Aden—even if his lively spirit and caring ways are showing her just how wonderful following her heart can be…

Recklessly doing the right thing got Aden into big trouble. A fresh start at his grandparents’ is just what he needs. And shy, pretty Lily is turning his world upside down and making him want to prove he can do good within the rules. But now both must find enough faith and understanding to risk pursuing their dreams—together…

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http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com/

I could live on cold soup and champagne all summer long!

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Gazpacho

· 6 tomatoes, diced

· 2 cups tomato juice

· 1 cucumber, diced

· 1 ripe avocado, chopped

· 1 clove of garlic, minced

· 1 small red onion, diced

· ¼ cup red wine vinegar

· 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 6 or more drops of hot sauce to taste

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree mixture for about 15 seconds. Place in a non-metal storage container, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve chilled with a dab of sour cream.

Makes about 8 cups

Sometimes one kiss can change everything.

New Year's Eve is supposed to be a night for celebration and new beginnings. For best friends Kat and Dean, it is a nightmare filled with disastrous dates and enraged ex-girlfriends!

Lucky for them, they've got each other to help laugh off the embarrassing, and downright inappropriate, moments. But then midnight rolls around and neither of them have anyone to kiss…

There's no doubt this is a night they will always remember.

The real question is whether it will be a night they want to forget…

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www.LisaFoxRomance.com

This fabulous dessert has to be one of the best chocolate concoctions I’ve ever made—and by using so much cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark is my favorite), you can almost convince yourself that those antioxidants make this a healthy fix for your chocolate cravings! The sauce remains syrupy and makes enough to spoon over your ice cream, as well.

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Hot Fudge Cake

1 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. cup milk
2 T. shortening or coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º and butter/spray an 8” or 9” square pan. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar. Stir in milk, melted shortening and vanilla. Spread mixture in the prepared pan (it will be very stiff).

Sauce:
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
5 T. cocoa powder
1 3/4 C. hot water
Mix brown sugar and cocoa powder and sprinkle over the cake batter. Pour hot water over all. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until cake feels firm beneath the sauce. Serve warm with ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

Kitchen Hint: You can re-warm leftover cake in the microwave. Separate into pieces with sauce over each piece, cover, and heat in 30-second intervals until it’s as warm as you want it.

As a bright season brings a fresh start to Willow Ridge, Annie Mae Knepp feels she can never make peace with the past. Her disgraced ex-bishop father is furious she has taken her five siblings to live with her. She’s never been truly at home in her faith…or believing in herself. And Annie Mae fears no man will want to take on the responsibilities she’s gladly shouldered. True, her quiet neighbor Adam Wagler has been steadfast and unshakeable helping her through her trials, but he surely couldn’t think of someone so lost as more than a friend. Believing she is unworthy because of her doubts, Annie Mae will find in a moment of surprising revelation that God can work impossible miracles—and that love makes all things new.

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http://www.naomikingauthor.com/

What could be better for outdoor dining than some nice easy Bruschetta? And if you don’t have fresh garden tomatoes, store bought plum ones work really well for this recipe.

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Bruschetta

1 thin baguette or loaf of Italian bread cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices

To make bruschetta: brush tops of bread with olive oil, place on either an outdoor grill, stove top grill pan turning once when golden or bake in your oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Marinated tomato topping

½ pound tomatoes (about 2 medium) seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded or grated parmesan cheese

In bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste. Mound a heaping teaspoon of marinated tomatoes on top of each bruschetta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. You can also heat these in the oven until the cheese is melted or serve at room temperature.

The summertime in Northern California is known for its hot dry weather, Beth Chadwick should know since she’s been going through a bit of a dry spell herself. Her marriage is falling apart. She has her friends to keep her together. These women really get Beth’s need for a new life. But, how is she going to get past her, stand by your man, mother and her, I’ll do anything if you’ll just take me back, soon to be ex-husband?  Can their problems be solved over a few glasses of wine?  And then there’s the matter of the hot photographer camping out in her backyard.

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www.TraceySorel.com

www.traceylyons.com

www.facebook.com/traceysorelauthor

Marina Kelly, the heroine in Where There's Smoke is a specialty baker of sorts, and she makes a scrumptious German Chocolate Cake for her father's birthday in the book. Despite its name, German Chocolate Cake is actually an American invention, and this recipe comes from CountryLiving.com

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German Chocolate Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup(s) boiling water

4 ounce(s) German's Chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup(s) cocoa

1 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1 teaspoon(s) salt

2 cup(s) sugar

1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

4 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla

1 cup(s) buttermilk

Make batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flower two 9 inch cake pans. Tap out any excess. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over German's Chocolate. Stir until smooth and set aside. In another medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat sugar and butter until very light, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, until well incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture by thirds, alternating with buttermilk and ending with dry ingredients. Thoroughly clean mixer beaters. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir a half cup beaten whites into batter. Fold remaining whites into batter.

Bake cake: Divide batter equally between pans and spread evenly. Bake on middle rack of oven until a toothpick inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, carefully slice each layer into two separate layers.

Finish cake: Place 1 layer on a cake plate and top with small amount of coconut-pecan frosting. Repeat with second, third and fourth layers and remaining frosting. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING

1 cup(s) sugar

1 can(s) (12-ounce) evaporated milk

½ cup(s) unsalted butter

3 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla

2 1/3 cup(s) (one 7-ounce package) flaked coconut

1 ½ cup(s) chopped pecans

Directions: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in coconut and pecans. Transfer to a bowl and, stirring occasionally, allow to cool to room temperature before frosting cake.

The Kelly Family is back, and this time, they've got a score to settle!

After years of dealing with his cheating ex-girlfriend's betrayal, Detective Levi Hawks has found love again with Marina Kelly, something he never truly believed would happen for him. And when an unexpected foe rises from the past and begins to threaten her entire family, Levi will do anything to find the culprits and bring them to justice. But what happens when his own past comes calling? Will Levi hold tight to the woman who picked up the pieces and brought joy back into his life, or will he make the mistake of going back to the woman who broke his heart to begin with?

Where There's Smoke features all the Kellys you met in the first 4 novellas (Ethan, Storm, Frankie & Marina), bringing them all together to solve a case that threatens each of their lives. Get to know the family a little better in this first full-length Kelly Family novel!

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lashellcollins.com

Now, I have to admit, I'm late to the leafy greens party. I've always enjoyed a salad well enough as a side dish, but cooked kale, spinach, chard? Not so much. However, I recently discovered swiss chard with balsamic vinegar and I have to say I was surprised -- it's yummy!

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Swiss Chard with Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks discarded, leaves cut into wide ribbons

    1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

    salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

    Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

In the interest of full disclosure, I first discovered the recipe on allrecipes.com, but it has since become a favorite.

Tiger-shifter Grio has one job, locating dormant tiger-shifters and introducing them to the world of Saffron Tigers. When he finds Professor Phoenix Lamoure, he soon discovers that Headquarters got a couple of key points wrong—Phoenix isn’t actually a professor, but he is Saffron Tiger royalty, a member of the lost royal line.

Phoenix didn’t have things easy growing up. His mother spent most of her life in a mental institution, and he spent his formative years in foster care. When a stranger approaches and tries to unearth his family history, Phoenix becomes wary. And when the stranger actually kidnaps him, all bets are off!

Can Phoenix ever believe what Grio has to tell him? Or will he be forever convinced that he’s as crazy as his mother?

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www.seanmichaelwrites.com