In the opening of Desert Blade, the hero, Derek eats hushpuppies made by his foster mother. I don’t tend to fry up hushpuppies at home, but I do make a similar southern treat, fried okra.

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• Bag of frozen cut okra (or definitely go for fresh if it’s available to you)
• Two eggs, beaten
• Cup of cornmeal
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Optional: cayenne pepper or other favorite seasoning
• Oil to cover the bottom of pan

 

1. Defrost the okra

2. Mix the spices in the cornmeal

3. Dip the okra in the egg mixture until coated.

4. Roll the okra in the cornmeal until coated. (refresh egg and cornmeal mixtures when needed).

5. Fry in the oil until golden

6. Drain okra on paper bag or paper towels.

7. Serve! Some people like lemon or salsa with theirs, I just eat as is!

Near-Future, Science Fiction Romance, Post-Apocalyptic — Novella

In the post-apocalyptic Midwest, now a ravaged dust bowl, former guardsman Derek Covington must find help for a sick boy. With nothing but memories of all he lost, Derek crosses the desert alone in search of the doctor who saved his own life ten years ago. Drifter gangs who loot and pillage don’t dare come near, for Derek has a formidable weapon: a prosthetic arm with a deadly blade.

For a decade, Dr. Lidia Sullivan has fantasized about the handsome guardsman who’d been in her care. And now she can’t deny his dangerous request. But as they make the treacherous journey back to Old St. Louis, they must contend with much more than fierce desert winds and their unthinkable attraction. A fearless gang has spotted Lidia—a rare woman—and will fight Derek to the death to get her. And though he risks his life to save her for the sake of the child who needs her, she fears there’s one thing Derek will never risk: his heart.

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http://www.elladrake.com

One of my favorite aunts is a vegetarian, so I keep an eye out for new dishes I think she would enjoy. When one of my editors tweeted about a delicious vegetarian Reuben sandwich, I tweeted right back and asked her for the recipe. Since I had never cooked with tempeh, I gave this recipe a go. There was a learning curve, but it was so worth the effort. These sandwiches were stellar!

If you’d like more information on tempeh, you can check out this website.

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Ingredients

Dressing:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup dill pickle, minced

2 tablespoons onion, minced

2 teaspoons Sriracha

Tempeh:

6 ounces tempeh, sliced

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil

Serving:

1 and 1/2 cups fresh sauerkraut

Swiss cheese

Rye bread, sliced

Instructions

1. Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve.

2. Tempeh: Combine the cider, soy sauce, crushed peppercorns and caraway in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir frequently.

3. When the mixture is ready to boil, add the tempeh.

4. Adjust the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

5. Heat the olive oil until shimmering in a sauté pan over medium heat.

6. Add the tempeh and sauté until lightly crisped, around 3-4 minutes.

7. Lightly butter a frying pan and place over medium heat.

8. Assemble each sandwich as you like, then place onto the hot surface, grilling each side for about 1-2 minutes.

Additional steps: My editor suggested heating the sauerkraut with olive oil, caraway seeds, and a little caramelized onion before adding to the sandwich.

Adapted from The Curvy Carrot.

 

Hope dangles by a silken thread.

When her mother is murdered in her nest, Lourdes has one choice: she must marry before her own nest is seized. All she needs is a warrior fierce enough to protect her city and safeguard her clansmen. Such a male is Rhys the Cold.

Rhys’s clan is starving, but their taste for the Araneaean flesh makes them unwelcome dinner guests. Yet Lourdes threatens to melt the cold encasing his heart. When her sister is captured, they pursue their enemies, where she will discover if she’s worth her silk or if she’s spun the thread by which her clan will hang.

Warning: This book contains one mercenary hero with a biting fetish, one determined heroine who gets nibbled, and an answer to the age-old question, “What does dragon taste like?” Matricide and sibling rivalry are available upon request. The house special is revenge, best served cold.

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http://haileyedwards.net/

This is a recipe I made up one day when I was looking for something different for dinner. Luckily for me, it actually turned out and it’s one of my family’s favorites now.

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You’ll want to make the enchilada sauce first as it takes longer than the rest of the meal.

Ingredients:

· 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts, sliced fajita style

· 1 red bell pepper, sliced fajita style

· 1 green bell pepper, sliced fajita style

· 1yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced fajita style

· 1 small yellow onion, sliced fajita style

· 1 cup frozen corn kernals

· 1 can black beans – rinsed and drained

· ½ t Chili powder

· ¼ t Cumin

· ¼ t Garlic powder

· ¼ t Salt – I prefer sea salt

· ¼ t Fresh ground pepper

· 1 c. grated cheese – preferably cheddar or Colby

· 1 package taco sized flour tortillas

· Enchilada sauce – recipe below

In a large frying pan, combine chicken and veggies. Season when chicken is no longer pink on the outside. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in center and veggies are tender-crisp. Add corn and beans, continue cooking until corn is thawed.

Stir in ½ c enchilada sauce and cook until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

Spoon equal amounts of the chicken and veggie mixture onto each of the 8 tortillas and roll them closed. Place them in a 9x13 cake pan. Cover them with the remaining enchilada sauce and top with cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbling.

Enchilada sauce – I have a few different options based on how much time you have.

Ingredients:

· 2 tbsp vegetable oil (authentically you would use lard.)

· 2 tbsp flour

· 2 tbsp chili powder*

· 1/2 tsp cumin

· 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

· 2 cups chicken broth

· 1 8 ounce can tomato paste**

· 1 tsp garlic powder

· 1/2 tsp onion powder

· 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Heat the oil, flour and chili powder together in a large pot. Allow to cook for a minute or two.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Stir well to combine and dissolve tomato paste in broth. Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more spices as desired.  

**This is a skeleton recipe.  If I have time, I roast peppers onions and tomatoes then blend them together in a food processor and push them through a sieve to remove the tomato skins and seeds.  I use that instead of the tomato paste; If you have time it’s appreciably better.

*Use a dark chili powder such as ancho, or use a combination of different chili powders for a more complex flavor, chipotle - ancho - arbol for example.

 

 

Delilah Steele was living the high life. She had a high powered job, a man she loved and nothing was holding her back. When her world, and her trust, is irrevocably shattered by the man she loves, Delilah has no choice but to return to the town she grew up in – and couldn’t wait to leave.

When Delilah’s long-absent father arrives on the scene, she has to figure out how to cope with his presence and desire to be a part of her life. Now Delilah has to learn how to live – and love – all over again. Will her hard knocks past continue to haunt her, or will Aiden Dean, her new boss, break through her tough exterior and show her that forever can be a good thing?

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http://shelikesitverbal.com

It's almost summer in the South. (Well, were I live it's been summer for a month lol!) That means lots of grilling, and of course, fried chicken. This is easy to make and something my kids are guaranteed to eat.

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You'll need:

1 pound chicken tenders

Self rising flour

3 eggs

Vegetable oil

Supplies:

2 large bowls

Deep frying pan

Put oil in pan about 3 inches deep. Add the eggs, beaten, in one bowl and put flour in a second. Soak the tenders in egg, dredge through the flour, and then repeat. Once the chicken is prepared drop in hot oil. Cook 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove and lay on paper towels. Salt to taste.

 

When her marriage ended, Abby retreated into herself to lick her wounds and rebuild her life. She’s found satisfaction and some success writing, and she’s happy. Mostly. Who wouldn’t welcome a little R&R?

Her favorite fantasy and many of her stories revolve around two men modeled after real life werewolf twins Rule and Lawe. When two of her friends talk her into participating in a local auction, fantasy and reality begin to mix. Rest and relaxation never felt so good, but is reality more than she bargained for?

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Loribelle is a former Army MP who traded in her combat boots for motherhood, flip flops, and all the Diet Coke she can drink. (She almost misses the combat boots.) She’s the author of more than 20 books none of which her children are allowed to read. Ever. Visitor her website www.loribellehunt.com or www.facebook.com/loribelle.hunt for information on new releases.