Here in California, we’ve had a scorcher of a summer. I’ve taken my mind off the heat in my two favorite ways—writing about winter and preparing light, refreshing recipes that don’t require me to turn on the oven. This shrimp salad is always a huge hit with my family.

~ ~ ~

Spicy Shrimp Salad with Mango and Lime

Ingredients

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic

Kosher salt

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/4 lbs cooked medium shrimp, peeled

1 ripe mango, peeled/pitted/diced

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 head romaine lettuce, torn

Large handful cilantro, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Directions

1. Soak onion in cold water while you prepare the rest of the salad.

2. Smash the garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

3. Add lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and the chili powder. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a dressing.

4. Toss the shrimp in the dressing.

5. Add mango, beans, lettuce, cilantro, and cherry tomatoes to the bowl. Drain and dry the onion, and scatter over the salad. Gently toss the salad together and serve.

Notes: Serves 4.

Life hasn’t turned out like Connor McClure hoped. His relationship is over, he lost his friends in the break-up, and nothing makes him happy anymore. All he wants is to hide from the world, but the only place available to him is his parents’ home in the rural Michigan community he abandoned thirteen years ago. And since his parents are in Florida for the winter, he’ll have the whole house to himself.

Except he doesn’t. In their absence, the McClures asked a young neighbor to look after the property. Jerry is young, energetic, and—oh yeah—gay. From everything he’s learned about Connor, he might be harboring a little crush, but Connor is in no place for dating. Right now, he needs a friend, someone to help him remember that second chances are always possible...and Jerry is more than willing to step in and help...

~ ~ ~

http://viviendean.com

I'm a true foodie. I read cookbooks as fast as I read romance novels. But it wasn't until I wrote Cooking Up A Seduction, with caterer heroine Lauren Brody, that I found a way to combine the two.

~ ~ ~

Red Potato & Bacon Salad

Slice a pound of red potatoes. Boil ten minutes, then drain. Cook four slices of bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble. In bacon drippings, saute a quarter cup chopped red onion. When soft, add a half cup of red wine vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of mustard, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with cooked potatoes, bacon, a quarter cup of crumbled blue cheese and three scallions, chopped. Best at room temperature.

Sexy venture capitalist Cameron Price takes the helm of the Seattle branch of the firm to prove he has what it takes to lead the entire company. Unfortunately, his boss thinks what it takes for a workaholic like Cam is a wife!

To fend off the matrimonally inclined, Cameron has to think fast. Inspired by the dazzling green eyes of the gorgeous caterer, he proposes the kind of innovative arrangement he's known for. If Lauren Brody will spend a few weeks on his arm networking at events, she'll be able to raise the profile of Come For Dinner catering and book more clients than she ever dreamed.

But Lauren has a plan of her own and tempts Cameron to play along. She convinces Mr. Buttoned-Up-Tight they can have some serious fun on his piano, in his kitchen, and behind closed doors. But it's dangerous to keep a lid on something so hot. And a relationship was never on Cameron's agenda...

WARNING :: Indulge at your own risk! Cravings for exotic fruit, decadent delights, erotic fashion & steaming hot nights of pleasure have been reported.

~ ~ ~

http://www.jennabayleyburke.com/

With the warmer weather finally here, I like to eat more fresh vegetables and salads. One of my favorites at the moment is broccoli salad. Here’s how I make it:

~ ~ ~

Broccoli Salad

3 cups broccoli florets

¼ cup chopped red onion

½ cup of raisins (dried cranberries work as well)

½ cup brick cheese cut into small cubes (I use marble)

½ cup mayonnaise (or salad dressing)

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1. Combine broccoli, onion, raisins, and cheese cubes into a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat.

3. Let sit in fridge for minimum of 10 minutes before serving.

4. Enjoy!

*Please note: Other broccoli salad recipes also include cashew, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and/or bacon.

She is desperately seeking freedom...

On the eve before her twenty-first birthday, Skylar steals a ship and escapes from the planet Rebed. She refuses to be another wife for the slimy space pirate that is her betrothed. After hearing of her brothers’ success, she applies to the 1Night Stand service on her way to Earth, hoping Madame Eve can find her a hero, to make her feel special, even if for only one night.

He is trying to fit in...

A longtime friend to Skylar’s brothers, he’s always relegated her to the look and don’t touch category. Though, Daran traveled to Earth years ago, he still struggles to fit in on the planet. When his boss suggests a blind date, he reluctantly agrees. What would happen if anyone found out about his alien ancestry?

And they are not at all meant to be together...

Has Madame Eve made a huge mistake, or will Daran tread into forbidden territory to be with the one woman he’s always wanted, and become the hero Skylar craves?

~ ~ ~

jessicasubject.com

This corn salad is so easy, even one of my bull riders could make it! And it’s so colorful it’s as beautiful to look at, as it is tasty. I serve it on its own as a side dish with steak or burgers, but I’ve also used the leftovers to dress up plain lettuce to create a quick and impressive tossed salad.

~ ~ ~

Corn Salad

1 can corn (drained)

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 small red onion (chopped)

1 green pepper (diced)

Juice of one fresh lime

2 TB olive oil

Salt/Pepper to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients and serve room temperature.

This ain’t their first rodeo...but there are a lot of other firsts they can experience together .

Skeeter Anderson was born to ride bulls. He bypassed college to shoot straight to the top of the elite pro tour, but lately all he can seem to do is hit the dirt. Unwilling to admit his career might be over at twenty-one, Skeeter brainstorms a bull-riding boot camp with his buddies, which will put him closer to a girl who’s caught his eye—a stock contractor’s daughter called Riley.

Riley Davis lives and breathes bulls. Since her mother’s death, she’s been her father’s business partner as well as the apple of his eye—until a coronary rips him out of her life. Now, at nineteen, she must find a way to hang onto the family business.

When Skeeter hears about Riley’s dad, he drives straight to Mississippi to lend her a hand, his buddies hot on his heels. Suddenly Riley has more help than she can shake a stick at, and an attraction to Skeeter that’s heating up by the minute...

Warning: Contains cowboy yoga, cowboys in love, and a romance that hits so hard and fast, it makes being thrown from a bull look like a friendly game of hopscotch.

~ ~ ~

www.catjohnson.net

By the end of summer I’m often bored by the same old salads and start wishing for winter warmers. A curried chickpea salad is the perfect compromise. Enjoy!

~ ~ ~

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of chickpeas

1 small can of pineapple pieces

½ cup of coconut milk

¼ onion, finely chopped

1 stick of celery, chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 handful coconut flakes

½ or 1 teaspoon curry powder

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

This is one of those recipes that is instantly tweaked to suit your tastes—or your family’s J You can definitely add chillies, for instance, or cherry tomatoes. The aim is to have a salad with all the flavour of a curry, but fresh and zingy.

Drain the can of chickpeas. I also rinse them in a colander under the tap. Put them in a bowl with the tomato, onion, celery and ginger. Whisk the curry powder into the coconut milk, add about 4 teaspoons of juice from the canned pineapple. Drain the tin of pineapple and add the pineapple chunks to the salad. Pour over the coconut milk dressing. Season to taste. Toss.

Refrigerate three or so hours, tossing a couple of times, so the flavours mingle and the salad is chilled. Just before serving, add the coconut flakes; that way they’ll keep their crunch.

Saul knows he crossed the line when he claimed a surprise engagement with Grace. But her hysterical denial – and the way she's avoided him ever since – has made things awkward, but it can all be worked out. The Australia Day long weekend down at her family’s beach house is the perfect time to show everyone that they’re friends, with not a broken heart between them. But can a fake engagement become life-changingly real?

10,000 word short holiday romance

~ ~ ~

http://authorjennyschwartz.com/

As a gifted cook married to a soldier on campaign, Rose in A Dream Defiant knows how to make the best use of whatever ingredients are available to her. This BLT Bread Salad recipe, which I adapted from similar recipes on Good Eats and in Cooking Light, is the best use I know for the summer bounty of fresh, local tomatoes. I make it year round, but with farmers’ market or garden tomatoes and the best bacon you can find it’s something truly special.

~ ~ ~

BLT Bread Salad

(serves 6 as a side dish but can be easily demolished by 2 as dinner)

INGREDIENTS:

6 c. cubed French bread or other firm white bread

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 bag precut romaine or similar lettuce

5 medium tomatoes or a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 green onions

4 slices bacon (I sometimes use 6 if I have really good bacon)

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cook bacon, let drain and cool before crumbling.

3. Chop tomatoes and green onion, set aside. (You can seed the tomatoes too if desired, especially if yours have a lot of squishy, pulpy innards.)

4. Slice bread into bite-sized cubes, place on cookie sheet, and toss with melted butter.  Bake until lightly toasted, 5-10 minutes.

5. Combine vinegar and next seven ingredients (through cayenne pepper) in a small bowl, whisk till well-blended, set aside.

6. Add lettuce, tomatoes, onion, crumbled bacon, and bread cubes to a large salad bowl; toss to blend.  Pour dressing over salad, toss until everything is well coated. Serve immediately.

Elijah Cameron, the son of runaway slaves, has spent his whole life in the British army proving that a black man can be as good a soldier as a white man. After a victory over the French, Elijah promises one of his dying men that he will deliver a scavenged ruby necklace to his wife, Rose, a woman Elijah has admired for years.

Elijah feels bound to protect her and knows a widow with a fortune in jewels will be a target. Rose dreams of using the necklace to return to England, but after a violent attack, she realizes that she needs Elijah's help to make the journey safely.

Her appreciation for Elijah's strength and integrity soon turns into love, but he doubts she could want a life with him, knowing the challenges they'd face. As their relationship grows, she must convince Elijah that she wants him as more than a bodyguard. And she must prove that their love can overcome all obstacles, no matter the color of their skin.

~ ~ ~

http://www.susannafraser.com/

Having a birthday in the middle of July meant three things growing up: never getting to share cupcakes with my class, never getting an ice cream cake because it would melt too fast, and always having barbecue food for my birthday dinner. I couldn’t even look at potato salad for a long time, at least until I discovered this particular version. Now, it’s a staple in my family’s celebrations, no matter what time of year it is.

~ ~ ~

BAKED POTATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS

8 Russet potatoes

1 lb bacon

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Scrub and cut up the potatoes in bite-size pieces. Cover with water and boil for 20-25 minutes, or until fork-tender. Do not overcook.

2. Drain and cool the potatoes.

3. Cook and crumble the bacon.

4. Mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together.

5. Combine cooled potatoes, bacon, onion, and cheese.

6. Stir in sour cream/mayo mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Nothing has ever excited Tylen Merodine more than being invited by the Regent himself to celebrate the first solar eclipse in his planet’s recorded history. It’s the party of the millennium, and if he has to restrain his normal exuberant instincts to fit in, that’s what he’ll do to be a part of it. His good intentions vanish, however, the moment he’s presented to the Regent. Because there, in a gilded cage, playing music unlike anything Tylen’s ever heard, is the most beautiful alien he could imagine.

For more than twenty years, Dek has lived in captivity, performing at the whim of those who see him as an animal. The Regent is just the latest in a long line of owners, and while he’s kind, he’s still blind to Dek’s sentient nature. Only music gives Dek a voice, until Tylen breaks the rules and sneaks in to see and speak to him alone.

The time they have together is stolen and precious, the minutes ticking away until the eclipse is past and they have to go back to the way their lives were before. But when the Regent shows an unexpected interest in Tylen’s future, they begin to wonder if their worlds need to remain so separate...

~ ~ ~

www.viviendean.com

This is a simple, but delicious, recipe I got from a friend and tweaked a bit. It makes a huge salad, perfect for sharing! The last time I made it, I served it at a dinner for six, plus had enough leftovers for lunch for hubby and I the next two days.

~ ~ ~

Kale & Quinoa Salad

1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped

1 cup of quinoa, cooked in 2 cups of chicken broth

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup sunflower seeds

1 pkg. shredded Feta cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

 

Dressing (I always double this)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch of pepper & salt

 

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa and chill.

2. Toss kale, quinoa, cranberries, sunflower seeds and cheese in a large bowl.

3. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Unemployed and running out of resources, Sophie LaPlante is desperate for a job, when the perfect one appears before her. A wealthy couple from Hedon Falls requires a live-in housekeeper, and Sophie is just what they’re looking for.

Jack Sullivan, a powerful CEO and Dom, is married to actress Kendra Hughes. He immediately senses submissive tendencies in his new housekeeper. His wife can never be the sub he needs, so while Kendra is away on a film shoot, he begins to train Sophie. When Kendra returns, she joins the training to explore her own Dominant desires. While their sessions were not intended to involve sex, they find themselves fighting a losing battle against their mutual attraction.

The three of them are caught up in a web of lust, guilt, and infidelity, all complicated by an ex-boyfriend who can’t leave Sophie alone.

~ ~ ~

http://michellegrahameroticromance.blogspot.ca

This is a can’t-get-enough-of-it dish that will quickly become your fav summer dish. Make ahead and bring it out at dinnertime! I changed the recipe to lower fat ingredients, and it tastes as great as the original. My mouth’s watering already.

~ ~ ~

Yummy Parmesan Veggie Salad

2 c cauliflower

2 c broccoli

¼ c white onion

1 c chopped pecans

4 slices turkey bacon

1 c fat free mayonnaise

¼ c low fat parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp sugar

¼ tsp basil

¼ tsp salt

2 c romaine lettuce, chopped

Cut the cauliflower and broccoli flowerets into bite site pieces. Rinse and blanch in the microwave for a minute.

Mince the onion. Cook it in the microwave for a minute.

Toast the pecans for 10 min in a 325 oven.

Chop the turkey bacon before cooking. Set aside.

Mix cauliflower, broccoli, onion, and pecans in a large bowl. Set aside. Mix mayo, parmesan cheese, sugar, dried basil and salt in a small bowl, then add to veggies in the large bowl.

Add romaine to the sides of a serving dish. Heap the coated veggies in the middle and top with bacon. Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated – but wait on the bacon until you’re ready to serve the dish.

Heading to a Pot Luck or a Church Social? This recipe doubles easily for crowds.

Something evil lurks in this town of secrets.

Solving Mossy Bog’s first fire fatality could net police officer Laurie Ann Dinterman the promotion she desperately wants. When the state arson investigator arrives to take over the case, Laurie Ann is assigned to give the man everything he needs while keeping him alive. The fact he’s the sexiest man ever to hit town shouldn’t make a difference.

Hot on the trail of a serial arsonist, Wyatt North demands justice for his partner, the arsonist’s first victim. He’ll find the murderer or die trying—no matter how distracting the tall, lithe figure of his local partner is.

As the investigation zeroes in on a suspect uncomfortably close to Laurie Ann’s life, her cop instincts conflict with her feelings for Wyatt. Worse, the arsonist will do anything to protect his identity.

Can Laurie Ann accept the truth in time…or will she and Wyatt go up in flames?

~ ~ ~

http://www.maggietoussaint.com

In the spirit of my novel, The Count’s Last Mistress, which is set in France, I’m posting a popular French salad as one of my favorite recipes.

~ ~ ~

Salad Niçoise:

Vinaigrette

½ cup lemon juice

¾ cup olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves

2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves

2 teaspons minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad

2 tuna steaks, marinated in olive oil and grilled

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

10 small new red potatoes, scrubbed, quartered, and boiled

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boston lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

10 cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion, sliced thin

8 ounces green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise, and boiled until tender

1/3 cup niçoise olives

1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

1. Whisk vinaigrette.

2. Toss potatoes with some of the vinaigrette.

3. Toss lettuce, tomatoes, onions and green beans with some of the vinaigrette until coated. Arrange ingredients in a mound.

4. Place sliced tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, anchovies and/or capers on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve immediately.

Paris, 1871. In the aftermath of war and revolution, cavalry officer Olivier Valencourt, the comte de Chaumenay, only wants peace. But his discovery of his deceased brother’s child in a Montmartre hovel leads to a battle of wills with the lovely but evasive American struggling to provide for him. Determined to gain custody of his nephew, Olivier sets out to win the audacious bohemian’s trust with patronage and patience, but her courage, wisdom, and innocent sensuality divert his agenda.

Painter Jeanne Delancy has good reason to despise the portrait-worthy count before she ever meets him. She believes he’s the man who seduced and deserted her friend long ago. Unfortunately, the talented and persuasive Olivier is hard to dislike or resist in person.

Conflicted by loyalty to her missing friend and her duty to the abandoned six-year-old she’s vowed to protect, Jeanne feels obligated to give the war hero the opportunity to prove he’s worthy of knowing his son. But the independent woman who thinks herself immune to temptation underestimates Olivier in many ways and reveals far more than she ever anticipates. While the strong-willed opposites struggle to reconcile their deepest longings, dangerous alliances and scandalous secrets threaten a tragic repetition of history.

~ ~ ~

www.bessgreenfield.com

I figured since I was heading west to cowboy country in Wyoming, I should try and honour the trip with some kind of suitable recipe. I failed. But, as you read this I will be jetting from Toronto to Denver then in a car for the 2 1/2 hour drive to Laramie. I’ll be carpooling with another women, also heading West. So, I hope you enjoy this recipe and make sure to check back a my blog for updates on this amazing trip.

~ ~ ~

Broccoli Salad

2 bunches broccoli florets – bite size

1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled

2 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1/2 cup sugar

4 tbs vinegar

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over broccoli mixture

Jenna takes a big risk and decides to live in the moment. After months of communication by social media, she accepts an invitation to Colorado where she finally meets her cowboy. Burned by past romances, Jenna is determined to move on and goes with one goal in mind—a booty call with a tall, dark, sexy cowboy.

Chet is a romantic at heart and when Jenna arrives, he knows there’s more to her than a pretty face and a hot body. A casual fling won’t do. He’s smitten and decides to woo her the old-fashioned way with time and patience. And of course, hot sex.

Their chemistry is elemental and they come together with heat that sears the snowy peaks. When Mother Nature steps in, Jenna is forced to face the feelings she’s tried so hard to keep buried and Chet has to draw on his mountain skills to save the woman he has come to love.

~ ~ ~

www.cristalryder.com

https://www.facebook.com/cristal.ryderauthor

Frog Eyed Salad (Frog's Eye or Frog Eyes Salad depending on region I guess) is a taste of summer that's especially good in the middle of the Holiday season. I always tell the kids that Acini de Pepe is Italian for "Eyes of Frog". To have a little bit of fun with this post though, I'm going to rename Frog's Eye Salad. Let's call it Oral Climax, and here's what you'll need for your own experience:

1/2 package of Acini de Pepe macaroni

One container (6 oz) vanilla yogurt

One can (5 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 bag of miniature marshmallows

Two large cans of chunked pineapple

One large can of mandarin oranges

One large can of fruit salad (heavy cherries for color)

Optional – Flaked coconut to taste

Turn up the heat. Get the water nice and hot. Slowly, gently, coax it to a rolling boil. Just as it's about to blow, introduce a steady string of the tiny beads. Allow the moisture so soak into the balls until they're tender and heavy with flavor. This takes about ten minutes. Slowly cool down and gather your energy for round two.

Inside one soft but firm cylinder is an abundance of creamy vanilla goodness. Some prefer to go after the prize with zeal, and others gently warm the sides of the container with their hands so the contents slide out in more of a sigh. Add the sticky milk—as it dribbles steadily into the container—and mix well. With care, allow the contents of the marshmallow bag to tumble into a large bowl to soak into the creamy treat. Using a spoon (or your fingers, if you don't mind getting sticky with the milky mixture) massage the cream onto the sweet marshmallows. Feel free to lick your fingers one at a time, sucking all that white creaminess with a moan.

The sweet and tangy flavors are sealed inside the hard round tubes. It's up to you if you'd like to release them manually or with an electric device. Either way, take care not to allow teeth to damage the tender rim. When the delicious flavors inside are drained, you'll feel a sense of relief.

Mark all those juicy flavors with the creamy milky deliciousness, and you've come to the climax. By now you're most likely ready to relax overnight as your Ambrosia matures in the refrigerator.

And for a much abbreviated and more PG version: Soooo Easy Frog Eyed Salad

Cook the Acini de Pepe (8-10 min) Drain and cool.

Mix the yogurt, sweetened condensed milk and marshmallows in a large bowl. Add the drained fruit, then add the Acini de Pepe. It's ready to eat immediately, but it tastes better after overnight refrigeration when the marshmallows soak up the moisture and expand.

Carter Hope would do just about anything for his best friend. When Mario gets the bright idea to buy a POS house together to flip, Carter swears he’s out of his mind.

Unfortunately, Mario Gutierrez is hard to resist. After one weird conversation at a bar, and one meaningful look across their empty beer bottles, Carter isn’t sure he’s not the one flipping for his friend.

They’re both tops, so to make this work, one will have to give in and roll over. Carter will have to come to terms with his past before he can look to a future with his best friend.

~ ~ ~

Website http://oliviabrynn.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/oliviabrynn

Facebook http://facebook.com/oliviabrynnauthor

This is a no-cook recipe because the alien Glin in my Stellarnet Series never use fire. They are hunter gatherers who eat raw fish, seeds, fruits, roots, insects and occasionally raw meat.
To find the ingredients, visit your favorite farmer's market or produce section and select one fruit of each color. Some fruits such as grapes, cherries, plums and apples come in a variety of colors.

~ ~ ~

Red – watermelon, raspberries, pomegranate, strawberries
Orange – oranges (of course!), peaches, tangerines, apricots, cantaloupe, grated carrot
Yellow – banana, starfruit (aka “carambola,” sometimes green), mango
Green – kiwi, honeydew
Blue – blueberries
Purple – grapes, blackberries

At home, wash, dry, peel and/or cut up the fruit. Mix together in one giant bowl.

How to easily cut a mango: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvLdPjpELyU
How to easily remove pomegranate seeds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFUMLxL6IO4
Keep it healthy – no need for sugar, ice cream or whipped topping. Tastes great without it, and full of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Enjoy!
My family also loves rainbow salad (tomatoes, yellow peppers, carrots, lettuce, bleu cheese dressing and cabbage or red leaf lettuce) or rainbow soup, with boiled veggies of all colors.
Her alien lovers call her J’ni, the sacred flower of their world. The Glin call her Truth Teller, one of the magical human travelers from beyond the sky ocean. But humanity calls her Genevieve O’Riordan, interstellar blogger, Net celebrity — and sometimes “unnatural whore.”
When J’ni brings her husband Belloc and her soulmate — rebel gunrunner turned ambassador — Duin from Asteria Colony, the two are the first aliens to set foot on Earth. But they might be the last. While they work to ally their planet with the United Nations, join the Stellarnet and restore the water stolen by Tikati invaders, dangerous secrets threaten to spark a new war and tear their relationship apart.

~ ~ ~

www.StellarnetSeries.com
www.JLHilton.com

It’s still salad weather here in the Rockies (although it probably won’t be for much longer—September’s always a little “iffy”). Here’s a salad that involves several of my favorite things: blue cheese, walnuts, and a yummy vinaigrette.

~ ~ ~

¼ c. olive oil

2 t dry basil leaves (or fresh basil if you have it)

½ t salt

1/8 t each pepper and paprika

2 t Dijon mustard

5 t white wine vinegar

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

2 green onions (including tops), thinly sliced

2/3 c broken walnut pieces

4 oz blue cheese, coarsely crumbled

4 c bite-size pieces of romaine or butter lettuce leaves

10 cherry tomatoes, whole or halved

In a large salad-type bowl, combine oil, basil, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard and vinegar. Beat with a fork until blended. Mix mushrooms and green onions into the vinaigrette; let stand at room temperature to marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better—the mushrooms pick up more flavor).

Add walnut pieces, blue cheese, lettuce and cherry tomatoes and toss lightly. This is a great salad to bring to potlucks, by the way.

Once they said goodbye forever. Now they want to walk it back.

Konigsburg, Texas, Book 6

Eighteen months ago, Kit Maldonado was so over Nando Avrogado, she left Konigsburg without a backward glance. With the family restaurant in San Antonio sold out from under her, though, she’s back to manage The Rose, an exclusive resort eatery outside town.

Dealing with a stingy boss, an amorous head chef, an understaffed dining room and planning her aunt’s wedding should have kept her hands full. But she realizes she might not be as over Nando as she thought.

As the town’s new assistant chief of police, Nando’s got enough trouble without sexy Kit fanning embers he thought had long ago turned to ashes. Every time he turns around, she’s there—and it doesn’t help that everyone in town wants to see them back together.

One incendiary kiss, and there’s no denying the force of their attraction. But there’s a mysterious and oddly familiar burglar who’s been lurking around Konigsburg, someone who isn’t above a little mayhem—maybe even violence—to cover his tracks.

Product Warnings

Contains hot makeup sex, wedding madness, a hot chef, vengeful burglars, and unlawful abuse of a wedding cake.

~ ~ ~

http://www.MegBenjamin.com

I don’t know about any of you, but I’m not a big fan of commercial salad dressings. So, I make my own special blends. For today I chose my favorite multicultural version, in that, it’s a cross between Greek and Italian with a little American ingenuity thrown in.

~~~

Murphy’s Salad Dressing:

4 parts oil to one part each of vinegar and lemon juice. The oil I use is canola. Olive oil hardens in fridge so it’s not good to use, but you can use whatever oil you want besides OV. Unless you want to make it and use it all in the same day. *shrug* Then OV would be good. For me, I like to make up a big batch and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks. As an additional note, Honey likes to use this as a marinade on veggies and steaks and stuff too.

Ingredients:

Aside from the oil, vinegar (you can use apple cider or white – I wouldn’t recommend balsamic it turns the dressing into a mud color) and lemon juice here’s the list.

First things first, find a good salad dressing jar. When you’ve got one, peel 5 cloves of garlic. Half them and put them in the jar.

Then we’ll add…Let’s start with nearly 2 cups of liquid – to include oil/vinegar and lemon juice at the 4/1/1 ratio. So, that would be 12ozs of oil and 2ozs of each lemon juice and vinegar. (Confession. I suck at math and if you want to know the honest truth, I never measure anything I just guesstimate. For you guys today? I sacrificed and got a headache working out all these figure so you’re welcome. ;))

Add your vinegar and lemon juice first. I don’t know why (I’m not a science buff, but I think the acid helps seal the garlic and lets the flavor out slowly) then add your oil.

Stir or shake in 2-3 Tablespoons of dry Italian herbs (you know, the kind you find with the spices – fresh ones break down too easily) and salt to taste. At least one teaspoon of salt. I mean it. This last is important. If your dressing tastes like watered down Yak pee you need to add more salt – don’t be afraid to, okay? Then refrigerate at least five hours before using.

That’s it. Here’s the key, though. THE most important thing to make this taste spectacular is you MUST wash and dry your lettuce at least two hours before serving. I then roll my leaves in paper towel and set them in the aluminum or glass bowl that I’m going to make the actual salad in. This chills the bowl and allows the lettuce to crisp up. Trust me it is SO worth the extra effort.

Hope you like it!

A tightly wound woman with a secret persona meets a prominent Dom who’s itching to unravel her.

When opportunity arises, renowned Dom Ethan White seizes the excuse and offers straitlaced Colin Reneaux an escape from her conventional life. Reluctant at first, she eventually agrees when offered a chance to explore her secret desires with BDSM tapas—small bites of erotic D/s scenarios featuring him as her captor, boss, interrogator, professor and Master. Each eye-opening and sex-fueled scene leaves her more breathless than the last.

Ethan’s surprised to find himself challenged by her strength. He quickly connects with her inner submissive, which draws them deeper into the D/s dynamic. Soon she becomes the woman he swore he’d never need and he, the Master she craves. Together they find the perfect balance… Until someone from Ethan’s past bent on revenge returns and he’s left with no choice. He must break Colin’s heart to free her from the vengeance that threatens her dream.

Unfortunately for him, she has other ideas. Like whose heart should break and who should ultimately surrender…

~~~

http://www.badboyscanbefun.com/

This family favorite is the number one requested dish for gatherings. The image is more cauliflower heavy because we were using some up that night, but normally this salad is loaded with beautiful green.

~ ~ ~

Broccoli Salad
1 bunch broccoli, separated into florets
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
8 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoons vinegar

Combine broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, onion, tomatoes and eggs. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar and mix until smooth. Poor dressing over salad and toss. This is great served immediately, but can also be made ahead and refrigerated to let the flavors settle. I sometimes add more eggs or substitute veggie bacon when serving to vegetarian friends and family.

Crux Survivors, Book 1

Seventeen years after the Crux Virus wiped out most of the world’s population, Ross is doing what he can to keep his small community safe from raiders in a self-contained artist retreat in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. He’s made a habit of collecting survivors and they’ve all become family, but the most important members have always been Jenna and Dorian.

At fourteen, Ross stumbled into the basement where the nine-year-olds were hiding and the three have been together ever since. Years later, Jenna and Dorian became lovers. Now, at thirty, Ross hopes to find a love of his own on supply runs, but he suffers incredible guilt because his heart has long been snagged by his two best friends.

Alone with his tangled emotions, Ross is about to discover that his friends have their own ideas about their relationship…and how it is about to change.

~ ~ ~
 http://daniworth.wordpress.com