My family loves green beans so I’m always on the hunt for new ways to cook them. Sautéing them has become my favorite method, as they turn out so tasty.

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Gourmet Green Beans

1 1/2 - 2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh black pepper

Option 1 - Herb Butter:

•    1/4 cup fresh herb* leaves, roughly chopped

•    1 large lemon, zested and juiced

•    2 garlic cloves, smashed

•    1 stick unsalted butter, softened

•    Salt and pepper

*Use herb of your choice such as sage, rosemary, basil, chives

In a food processor, pulse together the herbs, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Once coarsely chopped, add the butter and pulse until combined. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Use 1/3 of the herbed butter for this recipe and freeze the rest for another use.

Option 2- Vegie Dressing:

•    2 ounces salted butter, melted

•    1 tablespoon soy sauce

•    1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Whisk all ingredients together. May double recipe if desired.

Sautéing Green Beans:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the green beans in an even layer and cook without disturbing for one minute. Add the herbed butter or vegie dressing and sauté for 1-2 more minutes or until beans are crispy and still bright green. Season with salt and fresh black pepper as needed.

Christmas in Sugar Land contains four romantic and heartwarming Christmas themed stories featuring fictional residents of Sugar Land, Texas:

THE CHRISTMAS STAR – Under the glow of a magical Christmas star, two lonely people find each other and learn that the true meaning of the holiday does indeed entail family and love.

A HOLIDAY SURPRISE – After divorcing fifteen years ago, can two mature and successful adults overcome the differences that forced them apart and then succeed together at love a second time?

CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT – With the company of a clever puppy, a widowed freelance writer falls for a hunky landscaper as feelings of loyalty to her dead husband threaten her chance at happiness.

ROCKIN’ JINGLE BELLS – Can high school sweethearts now in their mid-thirties, a coffee café manager and a famous rock singer, overcome the dissimilarities in their lives and build a relationship based on love and trust?

This collection has additional Enriched Content that includes pictures, recipes, and author notes for each story with access or a notation to it throughout each story.

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www.karensueburns.com

Hi there!  Noony here, with another recipe for you.  Today I wanted to share something from my garden, because here in Chicago, Illinois, USA, we've had a weird summer and my Swiss chard is ready to move in the house with me!

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Super Fast Swiss Chard Recipe, for those days when only a Quickie will do:

Ingredients:

1 pound (0.45 kg) Swiss chard, chopped

1 medium clove garlic, chopped or put through a garlic press

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or roasted sesame oil

salt and black pepper to taste

Optional:

6 marinated olives (my favorite are Kalamata or some of the Spanish kinds one can sometimes find in an international market)

1/2 cup (about 250 g) feta cheese

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

Mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press.

Fill a large (3 quart or 2.8 liter pot about halfway or three-quarters full with water and bring to a rapid boil.

Cut off the tougher bottom part of the chard stems.  Chop the leaves and add them to the boiling water.  Cook for three minutes.

Drain in a colander and press out the excess water with a wooden spoon (don’t use a metal one, as it will conduct heat).

Put in your serving dish and toss with the remaining ingredients.

Vanya is a sorcerer’s apprentice who finally achieves his goal, initiation as a sorcerer – only to find that he, himself, is the intended sacrifice in their ritual. When the ritual goes wrong, his master flees and he is left with the creature that his master summons.

Stranded on this side of the portal, Nash is a powerful being with only one desire – find the sorcerer who stranded him and wreak his revenge. Vanya agrees to help, and in the process, he and Nash find more than they ever bargained for: love, friendship, and belonging.

Can they protect themselves against the sorcerer’s growing power, or will he destroy all that they hold dear?

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http://acatherinenoon.blogspot.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.

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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.

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http://www.jennabayleyburke.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

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

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:

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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?

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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.

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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.

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www.catjohnson.net

Here’s the basic recipe that can be turned into a number of different things. After covering the hard way, now skip down—below the “creamy goodness recipe” and let’s get these suckers done the easy way, okay?

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Creamy Goodness Recipe

2 tbs butter

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

2 teaspoons salt

For the finish you’ll need: Four peeled, cut, and boiled potatoes. Drain them and then add to your sauce and serve. Yum.

Now for the crib notes version of this recipe. Hey don’t judge me. I cook a big meal EVERY SINGLE day so I need some cheats. Here’s a biggie. Heheheh.

Fake Creamy Garlic Goodness Recipe

Two tbs of butter

1 can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup

½ can of milk (if you’re skinny or having company splurge and use half and half – makes it richer) but seeing as how I’m a tad short for my weight so those extra calories are a no-no, I usually use 2% milk and it works great.

Heat it up. There’s no need to thicken it as you’re using less liquid so the soup base stays thick.

Then all you need to do is salt and pepper to taste. Here again, I will tell you that I use chicken bouillon to season, but you’re welcome to use whatever you want. Only don’t use beef bouillon because I got cocky once when the MIL was coming to dine and…well let’s just say, to this day she thinks I can’t cook. Wow, now that I think about it? That worked out well for me as she never stops by at mealtime. Maybe I should try inviting her over for breakfast and slipping some sugar in her scrambled eggs. *thinking as I twirl my handlebar mustache* Oh, right, I better finish the instructions before I start plotting. After your sauce is heated just pour over your cooked potatoes and you’re done.

Additional tips: If you don’t have time to peel and boil potatoes? Cook them with skin on in the microwave and then scoop out potato when done. Add to sauce and you’ve got creamy garlic mashed potatoes.

Don’t have potatoes, but want something on the plate that looks like ‘em? Use cauliflower instead of potatoes. Works and tastes great.

Enjoy!

She knows he’s dangerous for a woman like her.

He knows she’s perfect for a man like him.

From their first meeting, David Hollan is intrigued because Lacy Pembrook is subconsciously hiding someone. Herself. And David wants to know why. He’s patient at first. Willing to give her space, but when she breaks the rules they’ve set between them, he’s ready to hold her accountable. One way or another, he’s going to find the piece of her that’s yet to be uncovered. And when he does? He intends to own it.

Given an ultimatum after she gets caught coloring outsides the lines of their “trial” relationship, Lacy decides to fall in with David’s plans. She’ll cancel her trip and spend her vacation time at his house making up for her transgression. No sweat, right? Wrong. What she doesn’t count on is him going full-out Dom on her. She quickly learns why they call him the quiet one. He’s dead sexy, watchful and stern at the best of times, and now that he has her all to himself, each of those things are magnified tenfold.

By the time Lacy realizes that he’s completely subjugated her—by way of an emotional striptease—it’s too late. She’s bared her soul to him, so when he requests her surrender she has no choice but to give it to him. Or does she?

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www.AuthorRileyMurphy.com

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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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www.cristalryder.com

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

This is my adaptation of the classic potato bake I learned how to make from my Australian friends. Instead of sliced potatoes, I've diced and added in some extra yummies. I consider this the perfect comfort food for the winter; a slice of starchy, stodgy heaven and I serve it with grilled bangers (sausages) and winter veggies. I hope you enjoy...and don't forget, you can always low cal/fat this recipe down with healthier substitutes if you wish.

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Cajun Sweetcorn & Bacon Potato Bake

Ingredients needed:

1/4 metric cup of plain/multi purpose flour

1 1/2 cup of sweetcorn (I use tinned but frozen& fresh works, too)

2 cups of grated cheese (I use white sharp cheddar)

1/4 cup of bacon bits (either pre-made grocery store bought or hand chopped cooked bacon)

3 1/2 lbs of potatoes, peeled, washed, and diced.

8 to 10 floz of cream

1 small onion finely chopped

cajun spices to taste - I use Slap Ya Mama, three tablespoons full.

Note: all ingredient portions will differ depending on your taste preferences and size of your dish. This is based off me using a deep 10 by 4 casserole dish.

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 375F

Add the potatoes, cajun spices, and flour into your casserole dish and rub the flour into the potatoes so they are all covered lightly.

Add sweetcorn and chopped onion. Mix well.

Pour the cream over the potatoes, for the correct amount, you should just see the cream if you tip the dish slightly.

Sprinkle the bacon bites over the top.

Then sprinkle the grated cheese to cover the full dish.

Cover and bake for 1hr or until potatoes are soft.

Uncover and return to the heat for 15mins to 'brown' the top.

Hot winter kisses to warm broken hearts….

Sick of tending to everyone else’s needs around the holidays, divorced barmaid and granny Sandra ferries it from London to Belfast. All she wants for Christmas is some peace with a romance story in front of a roaring fire in a remote Irish castle. What she gets is a most unexpected Christmas present from her friends at Bell’s—A 1Night Stand with a young Irishman.

Can she hack it in the real world of romance, or are life’s complications and treacherous snowstorms best left to the pages of a book?

Newly widowed Ardan Draighean owns Ballygalley castle. Once run as a hotel with his late wife, the stone building now serves as a home for him and his son. After hearing about Madame Eve’s matchmaking skills, he contacts her in search of the perfect match. Although much older than him—by fifteen years—Sandra is his ideal woman. He be damned if he’ll let a good story get in the way of his happy ever after with her.

Hot winter kisses are all this couple needs to stay warm this Christmas, but will the heat stay long after the magical season of mistletoe has finished?

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www.joannekenrick.com

When my husband was still on active duty, we’d have his Airmen over for a hugely fun and laughter-filled Thanksgiving Day that began with touch football and ended with many early-afternoon naps and a lot of take-home plates. Since I’m not overly fond of candied yams or marshmallowed sweet potatoes, I “borrowed” this recipe from Emeril, then changed it to make it my own. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, year after year.

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Orange-Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup bourbon

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

· Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

· Bake potatoes in microwave 12-15 minutes, or until fork tender.

· While still somewhat hot, peel the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Discard the skins and any tough, stringy fibers. Add the butter, and with an electric mixer, beat out the lumps. Add the sugar, eggs, orange juice, heavy cream, and brandy, and mix until smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix well. Re-season, to taste.

· Spoon the sweet potato mixture into casserole dish. Bake until puffed and slightly golden, about 20 minutes.

When all eyes are on you, there’s nowhere to run…except TOWARD the truth.

Crime-scene photographer Sara Covington hides behind her camera from the otherworldly ability that’s caused her nothing but grief her whole life. Yet denial doesn’t protect her when she runs across a serial killer with an aural signature she’s never encountered.

Suddenly she’s without a job and with nowhere to turn…except to an enigmatic, sexy-as-hell detective with a disquieting talent for seeing right through her defenses.

Brian Roney’s fascination with Sara compels him to bring her in on the case that ultimately gets her fired. Even though he senses her mutual attraction, something holds her back from stepping into his arms. He’s as determined to find out why she’s pushing him away as he is to keep her safe.

When the killer strikes again, Sara realizes the only way to stop the madman is come clean about her painful past—and embrace the gift she has so long denied. Before the grisly trail of bodies leads right to her doorstep.

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Website

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This recipe is a mainstay of the fall for my family (even the most finicky will slurp it) and, when I actually drag out the good tureen, the soup is a centerpiece of our Thanksgiving table, orange and golden and autumnal, beautiful soup.
(The hardest part of this is peeling the hard shell of the squash. So if you see it already chunked up for you in the produce section, go for it. I won’t tell.)

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1 butternut squash, peeled and chunked
1 onion, peeled and chunked (sensing the pattern here?)
2 apples, peeled, cored and chunked
6 cups of chicken broth
3 cups of water (you can adjust the liquid up and down for texture and taste)
1 piece of white bread (no crust)
(You can use a potato, peeled and chunked instead of the bread – it’s the starch that counts)
Pinch of crumbled rosemary
Or, you can use a potato, peeled and chunked
Heavy cream (You be the judge – I sometimes make this without the cream, and don’t process the veggies quite so much. It’s a whole different texture. A whole different soup. The cream makes it all smooth and velvety, more elegant and decadent, less rustic.)
Throw it all in a pot (except the cream) and simmer until the squash is tender. Then put it through the processor or a blender. You will probably have to do that in batches. Return to the soup pot. Add cream to pot just before serving. (You can add another little sprig of rosemary for garnish. But you don’t have to.)
In mystic Sleepy Hollow, succubus Lily Night put her prom date, Campbell Jones, into a coma after a night of wild, unbridled sex. She has steered clear of mortals ever since, afraid of damaging them or worse, not to mention the inconvenience of knocking out the power every time they have sex.
Successful architect Campbell Jones has lived with strange powers and a sexy secret since that prom night. He’s buried himself in work to forget the woman who’d dumped him at the ER then vanished from his life without a trace.
Neither Lily nor Campbell have forgotten that night or the love they’d shared. Will a 1Night Stand help them bury their past?

~ ~ ~

Website
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Facebook Author Page | Amazon Page

I like to think I’m good at different things, but alas, cooking is not one of them. The following recipe is one I got from a former coworker and it’s perfect for me because it’s easy and perfect for an appetizer or snack. And with the veggies, you can even pretend it’s good for you—score!

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VEGGIE BITES

2 (8 oz.) containers cream cheese

2 lg. cans crescent rolls

Broccoli flowerettes, diced finely

Any other veggies to taste: red or green peppers, olives, carrots, whatever you’d like!

1 cup. shredded cheese (optional – I usually make them without cheese)

Chop broccoli and other veggies, mix and place in refrigerator. Take out cream cheese to let soften. Cut each crescent triangle into 3 small pieces. Bake 7 or 8 minutes or until lightly browned (follow package directions.) Let cool. Peel off top layer if too flaky to ease in spreading cream cheese. Spread cream cheese over each piece, then sprinkle veggie mixture over top of cream cheese. Add cheese on top if wanted. Serve immediately or cover with saran wrap or refrigerate.

Flower shop owner Alexa Conroy had it all before the recession hit and her customers fled to cheaper shopping grounds. Desperate to make ends meet, she sells her dream home and moves into the rundown apartments above her shop. When she spots six feet of sexy distraction—complete with muscles, piercings, and tattoos—ripping up flooring, Alexa knows the karmic windfall she’s due just landed on her doorstep.

And the attraction’s definitely not one-sided.

Dillon James, reluctant heir to the corporation about to foreclose on Alexa’s shop, is not about to jeopardize their scorching chemistry by admitting he’s not the building’s handyman. But with only weeks until her business goes under and his identity is revealed, Dillon must find a way to convince Alexa cooperation isn’t a dirty word, help her save the shop from his brother’s greed, and persuade her that he’s not the enemy…or risk losing the only woman who’s seen the real him.

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www.cariquinn.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.

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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.

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http://www.MegBenjamin.com

We're in WI and that means POTATOES, REAL CHEESE, AND REAL BUTTER. Margarine is akin to blasphemy. (Actually, the grandmas originally used LARD in some of the old recipes, but my mother-in-law wrinkled her nose and said butter works just fine & tastes better - and she's right.)

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CHEESY POTATOES

(The easy version - since NO ONE wants to sit there w/a pile of potatoes, a hunk of cheese & a cheese grater...)

1 lb frozen shredded hash browns (thawed)

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/2 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup (REAL) sour cream

1/4 cup REAL butter (regular/salted, not "sweet")

4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat over to 375. Melt the butter in saucepan. Place hash browns in lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Top w/onion salt & shredded cheese. Mix butter, chicken soup & soup cream together, pour/spread over potato/cheese. Salt & pepper as you will. Cover & bake for 45 minutes. UNCOVER & continue to bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown...

(P.S. For family gathering might have to double or triple recipe/pans - I can't tell you how many it serves b/c portions are meaningless at potlucks!<LOL>)

The warrior in her was ready for anything. But she never saw him coming…

Guardians of Light, Book 5

Verdeen is on the brink of becoming an elite warrior ranger until the ultimate humiliation—no war mare chooses her for advanced training. King Loren’s consolation prize isn’t much better. Journey to the Isle of Ice as bodyguard to a human riever. Daq Aryk. Barbarian. Prince of thieves.

Aryk dreams the impossible: unite six fractious clans into a peaceful nation. Failure means they are all doomed to kill each other off—and the nightmares of his son’s death by sword will come true. The new elven ambassador rouses his ire, not because she’s female, but because she’s inexperienced. Her possibly needless death weighs on his already overburdened soul. Her beauty is a distraction he can’t afford.

In a fragrant, moonlit garden, Verdeen dares yield to an irresistible compulsion to kiss the mortal riever. The heat shakes her to the core, and frees a desire that should occur but once in her life. With a mate.

As their quest twists down ever more dangerous paths, though, their bond is the asset that could assure peace…or the liability that could send a dream down in flames.

Warning: This tale illustrates what happens when adventurous dreamer meets seen-it-all cynic. Contains hot, no-holds-barred sex, voyeurism and some self-loving. Also betrayal and some graphic (but never gratuitous) battle violence.

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http://www.reneewildes.net/

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.

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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.

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 http://daniworth.wordpress.com

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