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.

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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...

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http://viviendean.com

I was going to share something with 'angel' in the title for this recipe, then decided against it. Instead, you're getting one of my favourite things to make. I guess since it's seafood and my main character adores the sea, that's kind of a connection?

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Recipe – Ocean Paella

(Feeds 6-8 people)

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz squid, cleaned, beaks and outer membrane removed

8 tbsp olive oil

2 red onions, peeled, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed

150g/5oz chorizo, sliced

400g/14oz pearl barley (soaked in a bowl of cold water for six hours, or overnight)

1 red pepper, stalk and seeds removed, thinly sliced

200g/7oz cherry tomatoes, left whole

290g/10oz chargrilled artichokes (from a jar), preserved in oil

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

650ml/1 pint 3fl oz warm chicken or vegetable stock

1.8kg/4lb white fish (haddock works great), skin removed, cut into pieces

12 large prawns, peeled, heads removed, tails intact

750g/1lb 10oz fresh mussels, rinsed, scrubbed, beards removed

lemon wedges, to serve

Method

If you've bought whole fresh squid (I cheat and buy pre-prepped) then before you start cooking, cut each squid down the length of its body and open it out to reveal the inside of the squid body. Score the inside of the squid all over using a sharp knife and cut the squid into pieces. Set aside or chill until needed.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

Heat the oil in a paella pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry gently until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the chorizo and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until it starts to brown.

Push the onions, garlic and chorizo to the outside of the paella pan, then drain the soaked pearl barley well and add it to the pan, stirring well to coat it in the oil. Fry the pearl barley for 3-4 minutes, stirring well.

Add the red pepper, cherry tomatoes, artichokes (in their oil) and paprika. Stir until well combined.

Add the warm stock and bring the mixture to the boil.

Arrange the white fish pieces, squid, prawns and mussels on top of the paella. Cover the pan tightly with a double thickness of aluminium foil so that no moisture can escape from the pan.

Bake the paella in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pearl barley is tender and the seafood is cooked through.

To serve, bring the paella pan to the table and allow guests to help themselves. Garnish each plate with a wedge of lemon.

Patient. Merciful. Protective… One out of three ain’t bad.

Small time crook Gabriel Kemp is just trying to make a living when a hit-and-run leaves him for dead. Waking up in hospital to an angel at his bedside gives him a second chance, but one that comes with a condition.

Fleeing San Francisco doesn’t mean he can evade the deal either – he still manages to meet Abigail Harris, the woman he’s promised to protect. He might not believe in the psychic visions she claims to have, but he knows if there’s even a chance she can identify the serial killer terrorizing downtown L.A. then she’s in danger.

The only way to keep Abby safe is to find and stop the killer. If that means taking on the devil determined to turn the City of Angels into the City of Hell on Earth, then so be it.

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http://misabuckley.com

Summertime is a great time for seafood, and shrimp is the seafood I love best. While the recipe calls for the shrimp to be cooked on the stove, I like to use the grill so this can be enjoyed outdoors too!

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Shrimp Scampi

1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions
Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, for 1 minute.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.
Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the vermouth and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Divide the shrimp among 4 plates or arrange on a platter and serve.

I am everything you fear. I am vampire.

As the two Sons chosen to decipher the Prophecy of Idolas, Ramiel and Thane journey to find the key to defeating the Archons. Together with Noele, a born vampire, they confront their fates as they fulfill their duty to their world. Along the way, they'll find love, but death and betrayal lurk in the shadows, threatening everything dear to them.

Descended from the gods and warriors all, each Son's loyalty will be tested. Every action has consequences, and the choices they make now seal their fates. Alliances as old as the vampire world itself are reforged, and the Sons' duty is clear. Stop the Archons. Or die trying.

The recipe I’m sharing is one of three mentioned in my upcoming release, Alien Adoration. Luke hopes Rachel will find it romantic to make a meal together, but things don’t go as he planned.

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Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

1 pound linguini

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a couple tablespoons of salt then the linguini. When water returns to boil, cook for 6 to 8 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes for 3-4 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper then add them to the pan. Cook until shrimp is pink (2-3 minutes). Once cooked, remove shrimp from pan and set aside, keeping them warm. Add wine and lemon juice to pan and bring to boil. Add 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil. When butter has melted, add in cooked shrimp, parsley, and cooked linguini. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a little olive oil and serve.

Erotic dreams fill her with need…

Night after night, Rachel fantasizes about her sexy, playboy neighbor. But in her small town, no one changes, least of all the bad boy next door. But when Luke rescues her not once but twice from disastrous dates, she dares to believe her knight in black leather armor may be the right man for her after all. 

Until she learns the truth...

Life on Earth has never been easy for Luke. Stranded as a little boy, he struggled to craft an existence for himself, but he never forgot the first human he met--and he never stopped wanting to see her again. Returning to Hanton, Luke longs for Rachel. Yet, nothing goes as he plans, and Rachel barely notices him. Convincing her he isn't like all the jerks she's dated means telling her the truth, but can she handle it?

Can she overcome her fears, or will she deny her alien adoration and leave him stranded once more?

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jessicasubject.com

Deputy chief of police Mark DeLuca, a macho man who spanks, is smitten by Stephanie Gordon, the heroine of Body Politics. So when Stephanie mentions that she likes crab cakes, he whips up a batch in his kitchen. Although that’s not all he whips up in his kitchen! This recipe can serve as a main dish or an appetizer.

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Body Politics Crab Cakes

2 c. fresh crab meat (drained & squeezed)

¼ c. diced red bell pepper

1/8 c. of chopped parsley

½ c. diced yellow onion

1/3 c. light mayonnaise

1 T. lime juice

1/3 c. Panko

2 T olive oil

Combine first six ingredients (crab through lime juice) in a bowl and mix. Using your hands, form mixture into 3-inch patties. Dredge patties in Panko bread crumbs. Fry until golden in 2 T. olive oil, turning once. Serve with a remoulade or cocktail sauce.

Feminist Stephanie Gordon knows the instant she meets blind date Mark DeLuca it’s going to be a wasted evening. Sure the deputy chief of police is criminally sexy, but he's arrogant, domineering and sexist. Thank goodness after the date ends, she'll never have to see him again. A member of the Rod and Cane Society, an organization of men who discipline their women by spanking, Mark DeLuca is attracted to Stephanie like a paddle to a well-rounded ass. He sees beneath the shield of feminist militancy to the soft, sensitive woman she tries to hide. When she storms away in a snit, the chase is on. Can a man who spanks convince a diehard feminist her true strength lies in submission?

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http://www.carabristol.com

I’m not the best cook in the world, though I still like to try… so long as I have a recipe handy. Whenever I find a recipe I can do, and do well, I make it a lot. One such recipe is Ceviche. It requires absolutely no cooking. Instant win in my book.

You can add or leave out pretty much whatever you want.

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Ceviche Recipe

(adapted from SimplyRecipes.com)

What You Will Need:

- Glass or ceramic casserole dish (do not use plastic)

- Chopping board

- Sharp knife

- Time to cut everything up

Ingredients:

- 1.5 to 2lbs of firm, fresh red snapper (or other firm-fleshed fish), deboned and cut in ½ inch pieces

- Fresh squeezed lemon juice (can substitute concentrate but fresh tastes better)

- Fresh squeezed lime juice (same here)

- ½ Red onion, finely diced

- 1 Cup Tomato, seeded and diced

- 1 Carrot, shredded thick

- 2 teaspoons of salt

- Ground Oregano (to taste)

- Tabasco (to taste, I prefer green Tabasco)

- Cilantro (preferably fresh and chopped fine, to taste)

Sides:

- Sliced Avocado

- Tortilla chips

Directions:

- Combine fish, onion, tomato, carrot, salt, oregano, Tabasco, and cilantro in casserole dish.

- Pour in lemon juice and lime juice until mixture is covered. (Note: the original recipe says ½ a cup of lemon juice and ½ a cup of lime juice, but I found it needed more than that.)

- Cover casserole dish (lid or plastic wrap) and place in fridge for an hour.

- Uncover and stir so the fish on top has a chance to be immersed in lemon/lime juices.

- Re-cover and place back in fridge for a few hours – two or three will give all the flavors a chance to blend.

- It’s finished when all the fish has changed from pinkish (raw color) to white. The acid in the lemon and lime juices cooks the fish without needing heat (win!).

- Drain off excess liquid and serve.

Serve with sliced avocado and tortilla chips.

Feeds 4-8

 

Still water hides deep passion.

Lulu was sent to spy on the competition while pretending to be a guest so she could find out the secret of their success. Her search turns up Hotsuma, a man bound to water so he can use his power to bring good luck to those who imprisoned him.

Working to set him free ignites a passion in Lulu only Hotsuma can quench, but they can’t afford to let sex, no matter how good, distract them. Hotsuma’s captors aren’t about to let Lulu leave with their property and they are willing to use deadly force to stop her. More than luck is needed if Lulu and Hotsuma want their new love to survive.

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http://zenobiarenquist.com