P.G. Forte's Blog, page 60

Naughty New Year's Blog Hop

Link: http://justromance.me/

 It's the Naughty New Year's blog hop!! And I couldn't think of anything naughtier to post than an excerpt from my latest book, Finders Keepers, which is set partially at New Year's. That fits, right?



Here's the blurb: Sometimes finding what you want is the easy part.



Caleb is a bionic soldier with little-to-no memory of his past. He's seeking the truth about himself and those missing memories.



Aldo's an undercover cop who just might have the answers to Caleb's questions. But if Caleb's the man Aldo thinks he is, how can he let him get away a second time?



Then there's Sally; she's an ER physician who used to be married to Aldo's late partner, Davis. Sally's not dealing with widowhood very well. In fact, it's getting harder, every day, just to find a reason to keep getting out of bed. If the truth about the men's shared past comes to light, she could lose them both. Along with her last, best reason to go on living.



This holiday season, chance will bring them together and give them an opportunity to help one another find what they each want most. But every gift comes with a price. And keeping what they've found once they've found it? Yeah, that's gonna be the hard part. 







Here's a naughty teaser for you. My trio heating up the sheets on their first New Year's together:






He lifted his head and smiled at Sally. “I think maybe it’s
time we showed him how we feel, don’t you?”

She looked puzzled for a moment, but then her face cleared.
The smile that curled her lips was so wickedly carnal he felt it in his balls.
That surprised him almost more than anything else that had occurred in the
last, crazy twenty-four hours. He thought he at least knew his own heart, but
maybe love was even more blind than he’d realized.




He didn’t have time right now to figure out what it meant.
This moment wasn’t about him. This was about Caleb, making him feel loved,
giving him what he needed. It was about proving to him—to them all—that Aldo
could handle this. Fuck, he hoped he could handle this.




Sally scooted closer to Caleb, who was still lying sprawled
across Aldo’s legs. Caleb’s arms closed around her. He held her close, but when
she brushed her lips across his, his gaze flew to Aldo’s face. Their gazes
locked. In that moment Aldo knew he could stop this with a word, or hell, even
without words. He could stop it with a frown. He could put an end to this whole
twisted game before it even got started.




But then again, wasn’t it already too late for that?




“So kiss her already,” Aldo said with a shrug, trying to
sound disinterested. Caleb’s arms tightened on Sally. One hand slid up to grip
the back of her neck and draw her close. She melted against him, whimpering
deep in her throat as he kissed her, as he took her mouth in a way that was far
too familiar. Aldo shifted uncomfortably. He was half aroused, half annoyed,
and the confusion of emotions only grew stronger the longer the kiss continued.
He watched as Caleb’s hands traveled down Sally’s back. Fingers splayed on her
ass, he pulled her even more snugly against him. Sally’s hands tangled in
Caleb’s hair. Just when Aldo thought he couldn’t take any more, Sally broke
away.




Breathing hard, she pressed soft, openmouthed kisses along
Caleb’s jaw and neck. Caleb’s eyes fluttered open. His gaze met Aldo’s once
more. Maybe there was an invitation in that heavy-lidded gaze, or maybe Aldo
was just reading lust and confusion there. He couldn’t be sure.




Slipping free of Caleb’s embrace, Sally blazed a long, slow
trail down the length of Caleb’s body. Her destination was clear, and rather
than think too much about that, Aldo took over where she’d left off. He shifted
Caleb off his legs and leaned over the man. Caleb hooked a strong arm around
Aldo’s neck and pulled him down. Their mouths met in a harsh kiss that pulled a
helpless groan from Caleb’s throat…or maybe that wasn’t what was doing it
either?




Aldo lifted his head and glanced down to where Sally’s head
bobbed up and down, down to where Caleb’s thick cock disappeared into Sally’s
mouth.




 “Holy shit, Aldo, look how deep he’s taking
you. I think he’s gonna swallow every inch.”




Sally’s voice replayed in his head. Holy shit was right.
He’d thought she’d been talking like that just to get him hot, or maybe to turn
Caleb on as well. It hadn’t really occurred to him that maybe she’d been
enjoying it too.

Holidays! with Special Guest Author Jenny Schwartz!

Please join me in welcoming my wonderful antho-sister, Jenny Schwartz here to my blog today to talk about her fabulous new release, Drawing Closer, and the fun of Christmas in Australia.  




Take it away, Jenny!




When PG invited me to post at her blog, I
wickedly agreed on the proviso I could make everyone jealous. Being a fab
friend, PG said “Go for it!”. So I am.




Welcome to the holidays—Aussie style.




From Christmas to New Year, a lot of people
take holidays, or else go to work but really think about the parties or their
plans to get away. The lovely thing about these holidays in Australia is that
they happen in summer.




Yes, you poor souls shivering through
winter streets, I’m writing this on a day of glorious sunshine. The sky is
blue. The birds are singing. Life is good.




With Christmas coming up, we’re planning seafood,
bubbly, ice cream, all the summer delights (ahem, yes I have noticed the food
theme – blame the pre-Christmas diet!), and then, there’s New Year’s Eve.




Think hot nights, fireworks, beach parties
and … oh yeah, New Year’s Resolutions.




Hmm. There’s not much holiday fun in New
Year Resolutions.




To restore the joyful vibe, I’m giving away
a copy of my Aussie contemporary romance, Drawing Closer .
Just leave a comment on this blog, either sharing a favourite holiday
destination/activity or telling us one of your New Year Resolutions.






Drawing
Closer is available from Harlequin’s new Australian
digital imprint, Escape
Publishing. It’s a short story (10,000 words), which is an interesting new
development. I hope to see lots more short stories with the growth of digital
publishing.




Zoe Loyola has a secret. Just between her
and her sketchbook, she loves sculptor Nick Gordon. Her drawings of him are hot
and naked.

Nick has a secret, too. He’s being
blackmailed. Protecting his family means ignoring his desire for Zoe.




But in the world of art, passion breaks
every rule and secrets are made for sharing.




***

Jenny Schwartz is a West Australian author.
Her high school yearbook predicted she’d be a writer – something about always
having her nose in a book. When not living up to others’ expectations, she
enjoys lazy days in the suburbs and is working on a collection of life-saving
recipes, “Simple Meals for Forgetful Cooks”. 




You can catch up with
Jenny at her website,
on Twitter and Facebook .

Special Guest Kay Berrisford

I'm very pleased to welcome author Kay Berrisford here today. Kay is the author of several exciting paranormal/fantasy m/m novels--possibly my very favorite genre to read! 





Welcome, Kay. Please tell us a
little about your new release.




Simon, Sex, and the Solstice Stone, is about a lonely,
geeky history student who meets the man of his dreams in the middle of a stone
circle that he’s studying.  One problem.
The amazing guy, Aubrey, claims to be a time traveler from 1647. Despite their
mutual attraction, Aubrey’s desperate to get home before Christmas.  What’s more, Aubrey’s method of shifting
through time involves outdoor sexual rituals at the stone circle, and shy
Simon’s not entirely sure he’s up for it—particularly as he’s trying to resist
falling in love with this man who seems desperate just to shag and leave him.
So there’s all sorts of trouble ahead for my guys, particularly when Simon
realizes Aubrey’s getting home is a matter of life and death.




Sounds intriguing. What inspired
you to write this book?




Loose Id put out submissions call for a romance
encompassing two key dates in the holiday season.  E.g. your lovers meet at Thanksgiving, fight
through to Christmas, and then realize they’re soul mates on New Year. Loving
this idea, I decided to focus my seasonal novella between the winter solstice
(21st December) and Christmas, and devised a plot that encompassed magic, demonic
possession, stone circles, and of course, time travel. As a Brit, I originally decided
to steer away from Thanksgiving.  After
all, I’ve never yet set foot on US soil, so who am I to write about one of the
most important dates in the US calendar? 





Yet back in the 1600s—as in most periods since—British
and American history were intimately intertwined. I decided that Aubrey had
been born about 1621, and busily looking up that year, I discovered it had been
cast in history as when the Pilgrim Fathers’ celebrated their first
Thanksgiving, in Plymouth, New England. Although this particular harvest
ceremony in 1621 was arguably not
Thanksgiving in the modern sense, the earliest Thanksgiving-style ceremonies
certainly originated in this period—as a form of religious ceremony devised by
the Puritans in the English Civil War period, to differentiate their practices
from Catholic and Anglican tradition. And there I was, busy reading about the
English Civil War, in which Aubrey had served in Cromwell’s army.




Thoughts about Thanksgiving kept lurking, whether I
wanted them or not, and American history kept distracting me too.  Aubrey’s modern day lover, Simon, lives in
the medieval part of the city of Southampton, and I wandered down there one day
to do some plotting and to seek out a romantic place for Aubrey and Simon to kiss.  And where did I find myself?  Under the Mayflower memorial, from where the
Pilgrim Fathers set sail in August 1620 (The Mayflower subsequently set sail
from Plymouth after its sister ship, Speedwell, sprung leaks, and they had to
turn back. Otherwise that ‘first’ Thanksgiving might have been in a place
called Southampton, New England!)




In the end, I decided to be brave. There was clearly a
place for Thanksgiving in my book, not least to give Aubrey and Simon longer
than the four days between the solstice and Christmas to fall in love! I got
busy mainlining Thanksgiving stories, researched Thanksgivings old and new—and
nagged a few American friends to make sure I wasn’t making any major
errors.  So I’ve written a Thanksgiving
to Christmas book without having been to America after all. Then again, I’ve
written a time travel novel without ever having travelled through time. It will
be easier to rectify my lack of US experience than fulfil that dream, even if I
could understand the maths behind quantum theory!  So I hope my American readers will forgive
me.




I'm sure we will. ;) So tell me, what character
do you like best? What is it you like about him/her? Can you see yourself in
any of your characters?




I’m definitely
most like Simon. In fact, experience and lifestyle-wise, he’s the most like me
of any character I’ve ever written.   He’s
a history student, and I studied history. He ever lives in the same town as
me—although I don’t live in the old part of the city. I’d like to, though!  Personality-wise, we’re not quite the same,
though we’re both guilty of snappiness sometimes and can be over keen to
please!  I like Aubrey too, though.
What’s not to love about a gorgeous, brooding, Civil War soldier, who’d fight
to the death for those he loves?






Do you have a
dream cast for your book?




Benedict
Cumberbatch as Aubrey! Yummy!




Please tell us
in one sentence why we should read your book.




It’s got time
travel, magic, hot guys, danger, and al fresco sex—all wrapped up with a
Christmas bow! 






Well, you've certainly sold me on it! Any other books
in the works? Goals for future projects? 




I’m
working on the third novel in my Greenwood
series, which are a series of standalone m/m romances set in the Greenwood—a
magic realm of sex, magic, bondage, and blood, inspired by the myths and
legends of the New Forest, a historical royal hunting ground about ten minutes
drive from where I live.




The
books can also be read in any order, though certain themes unite them. Now I
think of it, one of those themes is passionate al fresco lovemaking. Maybe that
is a common theme of all of my books, as there’s a fair bit in Simon, Sex, and the
Solstice Stone!  While Bound
to the Beast, my previous Greenwood novel, was the tale of Herne the
Hunter, my WIP, Lord of the Forest,
features the most famous Greenwood legend of all—Robin Hood. I’ve stripped his
story right back to the most ancient legends and mingled them with the real
history of the early thirteenth century. As with Herne, uniting Robin with the
love of his life is proving quite an adventure.




My other WIPs
include my first shifter novel and a medieval fairytale.




Wow. I know we'll all be anxious to read those! How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?






When Bound for the Forest came out, I was at
my parents, and my dad had just built a new garden shed.  So we had a ‘shed party’ complete with
champagne! We said we’d repeat the event with consequent releases, but we
haven’t.  When Simon, Sex, and the Solstice Stone, was released, I was visiting my
parents again. But it was November and far too cold for hanging out at the
bottom of the garden. We celebrated with just the wine!




What was your
most rewarding experience since being published?




Every time
somebody tells me they enjoyed one of my books J  Just those few words can mean so much and
make all the time and effort worthwhile.





What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen? 




When I was
about seven or eight, my favorite books were The Lion, The Witch, and the
Wardrobe, and a rather more obscure tome called Beaver Towers, by an author called Nigel Hinton.  It was about a boy who was swept away by a
magic cloud that took him to a remote island. 
Once there, he became embroiled in a war between the animals of the
island and a witch called Oyin. I kid you not, Oyin is about the most scary
character EVER. She’d turned some of the animals to stone and the rest were
waiting in the dungeon of Beaver Towers, the castle which she had captured,
waiting to be burned alive!  When reading
it as an adult, my husband told me he found it rather stressful. I think that’s
why I loved it.  Unlike a lot of
children’s book back then, Beaver Towers conjured a genuine sense of danger and
threat.





What's your
favorite season?




This year, I’ve
really loved autumn. We spent the end of October in Berlin, and the colors in
the garden of Schloss Charlotenburg, near where we stayed, were just stunning.  The New Forest back home in England looked
amazing too.




Favorite places
to travel?



I’m lucky
in that my husband’s job has us jetting all over the world. In the last year
we’ve been to Montreal, Florence, Milan, Dubrovnik, and Berlin, and next year
we’re off to Washington DC among other places (my first trip to the USA!)  My favorite cities are probably Berlin, Budapest,
Venice, and Melbourne.  The first three
were stuffed with amazing history and sights. Melbourne I love because after a
grueling 24 hour flight, I felt instantly at home there.  Everyone was just so friendly!




Favorite color?





Green.  Unwaveringly, always, without a doubt, green.
The color of nature and life J






Can't argue with that. If you could
travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future and
why?






I’d definitely
want to go backwards, as long as I could have a return ticket!  I’m a history buff—as must be obvious by
now—and I’d love to travel about Europe in the early 1900s and see all the
color and life in the beautiful medieval cities, before so much was destroyed
in the two world wars.  I also love the
Tudors, but I’m not sure I’d want to go back to visit the court of Henry or
Elizabeth or anything.  I don’t want to
get my head chopped off!




I think my main
reservations about traveling back in time would be similar to Simon’s in Simon,
Sex, and the Solstice Stone.  I want to have
a look around, but I don’t want to catch the Black Death, be accused of being a
witch—or exist too long without access to tooth paste!






On a side-note, when near our local university yesterday, I saw a girl wearing a
sweatshirt with the slogan: “Historians. 
Better than Time Travel than Scientists.” How cool is that?




That's great! Now let's take a closer look at Simon, Sex, and the Solstice Stone:




Blurb: Simon’s holiday season is
looking grim. His boyfriend’s dumped him, and his self-esteem is rock bottom.
Stuck in the UK where nobody celebrates Thanksgiving, the shy, geeky student
drowns his sorrows at an ancient stone circle. When a gorgeous stranger,
Aubrey, shows up and attempts to seduce him, Simon is flattered but also
freaked—especially when Aubrey claims to be from an historic sex cult who’d
uncovered the true powers of the circle. It’s a time machine. Aubrey intended
to travel back three hundred and sixty-five days, but an error propelled him
forward three hundred and sixty-five years into a world alien to him.




Simon reluctantly takes the lost time
traveler under his wing, and Aubrey teaches Simon the ways of sex, love, and
magic. Simon’s never felt so alive, but as their bond grows, Aubrey remains
determined to perform a dangerous ritual and return home at the winter
solstice. Fearing he’s no more to Aubrey than a sexual sacrifice, Simon must
discover the dark secrets of Aubrey’s pagan past. Only then can Simon choose
between risking all for the man he loves or a lonely Christmas without him.




Excerpt:                                       




“Wh-why
have you brought me here?” stuttered Simon. “You should have called an
ambulance.”




Confusion
clouded Aubrey’s sharp eyes, but he seemed to dismiss Simon’s words. “Here,
drink.”

Aubrey
picked up a plastic bottle of mineral water that had been in Simon’s bag,
unscrewing the top with his teeth. Simon took it, and Aubrey cupped a hand
about the back of his neck, lifting him so he could take a swig.




The
cool liquid refreshed and wet Simon’s dry lips, but his head hurt as much as
ever. As for Aubrey? The man seemed frantic to keep Simon with him.




After
screwing the lid back on, Simon threw the bottle down and slumped back into the
man’s lap. “Look, you can take the phone. I’ve got nothing else of value.”
Well, there were the car keys in his pocket, but he was not going to draw
attention to those. Strange the man hadn’t already taken them. “Just…please let
me go.”




“I am
not robbing you.” Aubrey stroked Simon as he might a feral cat ready to sink
fangs into him any minute. “Neither would I keep you here against your will.”




“Then
what the fuck are you doing?” Simon
rolled off the man’s lap, catching himself on his hands, and then collapsed
face-first into the carpet of leafy mulch. Feeling Aubrey’s touch on his
shoulder, he turned over and glared.




Aubrey
reached toward him, then snatched his hand back. “Wounds like this can be
dangerous. You must—”




“What
the hell do you expect me to do?” Simon moaned, pressing his hand to his head.
“We’ve known each other for five minutes, and you stuck your tongue down my
throat.” He’d not complained about that bit at the time, but it seemed a moot
point now. “And why are you carrying a knife? It’s against the law. Don’t you
know?”




Aubrey
slid his hand to the hilt. Simon’s blood congealed to ice, but the man drew the
dagger only to place it on the ground between them. “If it ails you so much,”
he said, “I throw it down.”




Simon
grabbed the weapon and examined it. Though the cutting edge had been sharpened,
stained with something dark red that looked disturbingly like blood, the flat
was dull and mottled through heavy use. As for the handle, with its spiral
motif and slender hand guard that curved up around the hilt like a bow, Simon
could jump to only one conclusion.




This
weapon had been meticulously crafted and dated from the English Civil War. It
looked like the kind pikemen and musketeers carried as a backup. Simon regarded
Aubrey’s dress anew. The man’s short trousers had buttons at the knees, much
like seventeenth-century-style breeches. The white shirt, which the rain had
set clinging to Aubrey’s shoulders, could have dated from any time in the past
six centuries but didn’t appear of modern cut.




“Are
you with the Sealed Knot or something?” Simon placed the dagger down on his
side farthest from Aubrey. “Is that why you’re camping here? You’re in one of
those history reenactment groups?”

Aubrey
sucked in a shaky breath and drew his fingers across his lips. “You speak of
many strange things. Pray tell me. What year is this?”




“Eh?”
Simon wrinkled his nose. “It’s 2012.”




“Oh ye
gods.” Aubrey’s weather-bronzed face whitened.




Suspicion
stole through Simon’s veins. “What’d you think it was?”




Aubrey
looked so helpless. He inched his shoulders up in a shrug, and his voice
cracked. “Yesterday it was 1647.”




The
man’s meaning impacted Simon like a second blow to the head. “Say what?”




“I…don’t
know.” Aubrey scanned the ground as if seeking answers amid the leaves and
fungi. “I was supposed to go back. To undo…” He trailed off and was quiet for a
long moment, squeezing his lower lip between his teeth. “Something went
horribly wrong.”




“You
bet it did.” Simon performed the mental mathematics. “Just assuming I believe
you, and I’m not saying I do, you’ve been sent forward three hundred and
sixty-five years.”




“I was
supposed to go back three hundred and
sixty-five days! I have to get home.”
Aubrey covered his face with his hands, and Simon resisted an impulse to reach
out, to comfort him. This didn’t strike him as a man easily reduced to despair.




But
that was not the issue. Simon was still a captive, kind of. And Aubrey tore
time? He’d actually completed that andaga ritual?




Well,
the Stones were powerful—Simon harbored no doubts about it—and Aubrey did
remind him of Doctor Who, but… No, the Stones were not a time machine. That was just insane.




He made
a renewed attempt to raise himself. “I’m the one who needs to get home.”




“No!”
Aubrey grabbed him, gouging into his waterproof jacket. “Since I got here,
you’re the only person who’s understood anything of what I speak. I need you.”




Aubrey
pleaded with his eyes and his lips, his anguish as tangible as a punch to
Simon’s solar plexus. Coupled with his ravishing looks, it was all too much to
bear. No way could this guy need him. At best Aubrey had to be a rival student
taking the piss. Shit, maybe Pete put him up to it. At worst he was a psycho
toying with his prey.




Simon
twisted from Aubrey’s grasp, forcing words from a fear-tight throat. “Get away
from me.”











My website: http://kayberrisford.com/



Buy it now links for Simon, Sex, and the Solstice Stone and all Kay's other titles:

 Loose Id

 Amazon

 Amazon.co.uk

 Fictionwise

 All Romance

 Sony

 Barnes and Noble




Thanks so much for dropping by Kay and for sharing such a great excerpt. Good luck with your new release and your WIPs. I'm looking forward to reading them! 

Mulled Wine

I'm considered a wine snob in certain circles--and all because I prefer my wine in bottles rather than boxes! Well, that and the fact that I care far too much about where my wine comes from, but that's another story! Wine snob or not, however, I can admit to a secret fondness for mulled wine. Nothing puts me in a holiday mood faster. Here's a very simple recipe...




Mulled wine




Ingredients:




One bottle (750 mL) of red wine (suggestions: Cabernet
Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot)

One peeled and sliced orange (keep peel to add zest to taste
into cooking pot)

1/4 cup of brandy

8-10 cloves

1/3 cup honey or sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1 small piece of fresh ginger

Serves 4-6

Preparation:




Combine ingredients in a large pot.

Gently warm the ingredients--do not boil!--over low heat for 20-25 minutes (stirring occasionally) until wine is steaming.

Ladle
the mulled wine into mugs (leave seasonings behind) and enjoy!



Please check out these other Tasty Tuesday offerings...






My Grandmother's Shortbreads by Nancy Lauzon




I Bet You Can't Have Just One Spoonful by Selena Robins



A Good Cuppa by A. Catherine Noon




And let me leave you with an excerpt from The Spirit of the Place, my Oberon Christmas story...








Christmas Eve dawned foggy and cool. The heavy air seemed to
muffle sound.   Long before the silent
night could fall, the day had a hushed and breathless feel to it.  As if the whole world was holding its
breath....

Last minute shoppers thronged The Crone’s Nest all day long,
keeping Marsha too busy to ponder the irony. 
It flew in the face of logic, but every year she sold more of everything
on the day before Christmas than she did on the day before Yule.

Business was brisk at Cavanaugh’s nursery, as well.  Shortly before noon, Dan packed up most of
the unsold trees from the lot and delivered them to a local food bank.  There, they would be handed out to the
families who came in to pick up boxes of groceries and canned goods that kids
in the local elementary schools had spent weeks collecting.

At Lupa e Cervo, goodwill of a slightly different kind was being
dispensed.  Sinead had set up a table of
appetizers in the winery’s tasting room, turning the daily free wine sampling
into an impromptu party.

Out of deference to Adam’s feelings on the subject, she’d had a
separate table set up on the terrace outside the tasting room—and out of his
direct line of sight—where she offered prospective customers a holiday twist on
the winery’s usual offerings.

“Mulled wine?” Adam
stared at her, appalled when she explained what she was doing.  “Hot
mulled wine?”

She nodded,
lips trembling as she tried not to smile too broadly.  In truth, it was all she could do to keep
from laughing out loud at his outrage.

“You’re taking my wine
and...heating it?  In a...in a crock pot?  With—?”

“With spices, yes.”  She
smiled at him, and added, gently, “That’s how it’s done, I’m afraid.  It’s what we did last night, too, you
know.  Out on the back terrace?”

Adam shuddered, his revulsion obvious.  “No.  I
didn’t know.  Thank the gods for
that.”  He eyed her suspiciously, and
then asked in a voice filled with dread. 
“Which vintages?”

But Sinead knew better than to answer a loaded question like
that.  She was just damn glad Nick could
have no idea about Adam’s feelings on the subject.  There was no telling how much mileage he’d
try to get from it, if he did.

As it was, she was more than a little worried about what kind of
surprises the two men might have in store for each other…

It was a subject that was causing Scout some concern, as
well.  “I can’t believe you won’t tell me
what you got Adam for Christmas,” she complained.  Perched on the kitchen counter, she watched
as Nick pressed fresh dough into the pasta maker, turning it into noodles for
tonight’s lasagna.  They were celebrating
this evening with his daughter Kate, who would be spending the next couple of
days with her mother.  Tomorrow, they
would be going to Lucy’s.

If she were honest, Scout would have to admit that she wasn’t all
that disappointed that Adam and Sinead would not be at Lucy’s as well.  She’d already spent two days this week
playing referee.  She deserved a day off.

But, she would have found it a whole lot easier to relax if she
hadn’t learned—only last night—that both Nick and Adam had purchased presents
for each other.  And, how weird was that,
anyway?

Nick glanced up from his pasta and smiled.  “Tell you now?  And spoil the surprise?  No way.”

She watched him for a moment longer, but he was focused on his
work, and his expression gave away nothing. “It’s not something that’s
gonna...oh, I don’t know…blow up in his face, or something.  Is it?”

“No, of course not,” Nick said, feeding another sheet of pasta
into the machine.  “I mean, not unless
he’s really careless.  If he got
distracted, or something, then I guess, theoretically, it might be possible.”

“Oh.  Right.”  Scout rolled her eyes.  “So, I guess, in that case, your plan is to
be around when he uses whatever it is. 
So you can make sure he’s distracted?”

Nick grinned at her, eyes twinkling.  “You know, you used to be a lot more trusting
of me.”

“You used to be a lot more predictable,” Scout snapped.  She thought about that for a moment. 

Maybe predictable wasn’t quite the right word.  He’d just been…defensive.  Like a fighter who had gone too many rounds
but was still too stubborn to stay down. 
Sheer determination might keep bringing him to his feet, but he had
nothing left for anything more.  He was
too beaten up by life to do anything other than put one foot in front of the
other and, over and over again, walk right into the next punch it threw him.

Scout thought back over the last year.  He was so much more relaxed now.  So much more lighthearted and carefree than
he’d been, even last Christmas.  She’d
like to think she could take some of the credit for that.  Maybe, after a year and a half, he’d finally
begun to trust that, this time around, the happiness that had eluded them for
so long would not be snatched away again.

She slid from the counter. 
Nick turned his head to smile at her as she came up behind him and put
her arms around his waist.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

Nick nodded.  “There sure
is.  Just stay right where you are.  That’s all I need, you know.”

“Good,” Scout murmured happily, resting her head against his
back.  “Me, too.”

She’d been running for such a long, long time.  Right now, staying put was all she ever
wanted to do.




To learn more about this series, click HERE


To buy this book on Amazon, click HERE




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The Next Big Thing

I was tagged by JK Coi -- who posted her Next Big Thing here.  





The book I’m discussing today is my new release, Finders Keepers.



Where did you get the idea for the book? 



I dreamed it. Literally. I woke up with the first three chapters in my head and
thought, “Yeah. That’ll work.”



What genre does your book fall under? 



Well, my publisher has it listed as:  Mystery
&  Suspense, Science Fiction & Space Opera, Menage &  Polyamory.
Honestly, I think of it as a bio-punk holiday story.



What actors would you want to play your characters in a movie
rendition? 








Oh, that’s always hard.  And
I know there are readers who are going to read this and think, “that’s not how
I’d pictured them at all!” I think the artist captured Sally perfectly on my
cover, but I suppose Renee Felice Smith would be good in the role. And I’d pick
Eric Christian Olsen for Caleb (he might have to get a little ripped for the
part. Just sayin. Caleb is bionic,
after all!) Then for Aldo, someone like Shemar Moore from Criminal Minds.







Give a one-sentence synopsis of your book. 







I think the title pretty much says it all, actually. It’s about
three people (who have each lost someone dear) finding what’s important to them
and working like hell to keep it.







Will your book be self-published?



No.  It’s available through Loose Id





How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?







I think it was two months. Fastest I’ve ever written a book. The
deadline was killer though.







Who or what inspired you to write this book?





See above.  I guess I
might have eaten something spicy the night before I dreamed it up, but I really
don’t remember what it was.  I guess in
part you could say I was inspired by my experience being part of last year’s “A
Clockwork Christmas” antho (from Carina Press). I had so much fun with that,
and this story seemed perfect for this year’s sci-fi Christmas anthology.
Unfortunately, it grew too long for that.



What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? 










You mean aside from the sexy ménage part and the gorgeous cover?
*grin* I do think the characters are one of the most compelling parts of the
book. They need each other. They balance each other out. And they’re snarky and
sarcastic and were so fun to write.




Blurb: Sometimes finding what you want is the easy part.



Caleb is a bionic soldier with little-to-no memory of his past. He's seeking the truth about himself and those missing memories.



Aldo's an undercover cop who just might have the answers to Caleb's questions. But if Caleb's the man Aldo thinks he is, how can he let him get away a second time?



Then there's Sally; she's an ER physician who used to be married to Aldo's late partner, Davis. Sally's not dealing with widowhood very well. In fact, it's getting harder, every day, just to find a reason to keep getting out of bed. If the truth about the men's shared past comes to light, she could lose them both. Along with her last, best reason to go on living.



This holiday season, chance will bring them together and give them an opportunity to help one another find what they each want most. But every gift comes with a price. And keeping what they've found once they've found it? Yeah, that's gonna be the hard part. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway




My five (5) writers for next Wednesday are: 

A GALACTIC HOLIDAY—SEXY SNIPPETS FROM SPACE

 I was mega-excited but not really surprised to learn that STACY GAIL had scored a slot in not one but two Carina Press holiday anthologies--last year's A CLOCKWORK CHRISTMAS (which is how I get to claim her as an antho-sister-for-life) and this year's A GALACTIC HOLIDAY. Whoo-hoo! Go Stacy! 




I'm a big fan of Stacy's work and I'm thrilled to be able to welcome her here today along with Anna Hackett and Sasha Summers to chat about their sizzling sci-fi stories. Talk about the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns! These ladies have it all going on...






Do androids dream of electric sugar plums?




A detective who refuses to modify her body teams up with her cyborg rival to track down a burglar who is putting toys into homes. A solitary ice miner finds love and friendship while stranded on the surface of Galileo. And two hardheaded negotiators put their differences aside to evade an assassin and save their planets. Enjoy these visions of Christmases yet to come with three science-fiction novellas from Carina Press.




Edited by Angela James, this anthology includes:




How the Glitch Saved Christmas, by Stacy Gail
Galileo's Holiday, by Sasha Summers
Winter Fusion, by Anna Hackett










Many thanks to our wonderful hostess
with the mostest, PG FORTE, whose name rhymes with foreplay!  And with a catchphrase like that, you know
this is going to be one hot little convo…







Without a doubt, the novellas found in
Carina Press’s sci-fi holiday anthology, A GALACTIC HOLIDAY, have a multitude
of out-of-this-world concepts sure to please even the pickiest sci-fi fan.  But in between space raiders, androids and interplanetary
assassins, there is one thing these stories have in common—love.  And while the hearts and flowers are
definitely there, we’re talking about the kind of love hot enough to melt the
ice on Pluto!




To give us a glimpse of what smexiness
is going on in the future (and proving this blog should probably be subtitled
“Lust in Space”) take a look at an intimate teaser from each novella found in A
GALACTIC HOLIDAY!










Anna: It doesn’t matter if a romance is contemporary or
futuristic, set on Earth or on some distant ice planet, it needs some
smexiness! In WINTER FUSION, my rival trade negotiators, Brinn and Savan start
off disliking each other…intensely…but beneath the fiery arguments something
else is simmering. It takes a string of accidents, where they only have each
other to depend on, to bring that desire to the surface.




Snippet
from WINTER FUSION:

Her hand opened, her palm pressing
over his heart. Then her fingers traced a lazy circle over his skin.

Did she know what her innocent touch
was doing to him? This was Brinn Fjord. She hated him. Maybe they’d taken the
steps to understand their past animosity, but he couldn’t read anything into
this. No matter how much he wanted to.

He felt the brush of her lips on his
skin. Her breasts were flush against him, her nipples hard. His body ignited,
his cock so hard he was in pain. He swallowed a groan.

Then she sat up and straddled his
lap.

Her slim legs slid along his hips.
The warm, private part of her brushed over his engorged erection.

He sucked in a breath, his gaze
searching her face. Molten desire burned in her ice eyes. Her lips parted and
her cheeks flushed with color.

Savan surged up and cupped her face.
He tangled his hands in her hair, tilting her head back. “You’re teasing me.”

A brief smile, all too feminine. “I
wanted to see just how noble you’d be.”

He was known for giving no quarter at
the trade tables. “I’m not noble.”

The smile widened, flashing straight
white teeth. “You are. More than you realize.”

When she lifted her hips up, then
sank back against him, the mind-blowing sensations scattered his thoughts.

“I want you.” She leaned forward and
nipped the point of his ear. “We could have died in the explosion, the crash,
in the snow. I want to know I’m alive.”

Desire warred with his brain. “We’ve
been through a lot. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“See, noble.” Her hands slid over his
shoulders, tracing the lines of muscle. “I want to explore this warrior’s body,
find what touches make you groan. And then I want you inside me.”

Her words fanned the flames. He
struggled for control. “We shouldn’t do this. There are reasons.” He was sure
there were reasons. They just escaped him right now.







Sasha: I had a great time
with Leo and Riley. They were such strong, vivid characters and their chemistry
was hot and fast. While she was grappling with a whole world of weirdness, her
attraction to Leo was something Riley could cling to – and she does. Leo, on
the other hand, is completely thrown-and completely overwhelmed-by Riley. The
results are pretty awesome. J




Snippet
from GALILEO’S HOLIDAY:

Cold air greeted her.

He was staring at her chest. “You need
to put on more clothes.”

She stared down at her chest, the taut
tips of her nipples clearly visible. She wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s
cold, Leo.”

He pulled her against him, rubbing his
hands up and down her arms. “I can fix that.”

She tilted her head back, way back, and
sighed against the weight of his mouth. It shouldn’t feel like this. She knew
it. But it did.

And
it felt right.

She wrapped her arms about his neck, murmuring.
“I’m going to get grease in your hair.”

“Uh-huh.”
His words were a whisper on her neck.

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Rex was
laughing. “Give it a rest. Food’s waiting.”

She felt Leo laugh, his arms heavy
about her waist.   Looking at him, seeing
his smile—she didn’t want to give it a rest. She didn’t even want food, not
right now, anyway.

“We’ll be along in a bit, Rex.” She
didn’t look at Rex.

Rex chuckled. “Alrighty.”            

Leo watched her closely, but didn’t say
anything.

Once Rex’s footfalls were only a faint
echo on the metal stairs, she spoke. “Leo. I need you to know that I don’t like
this.” Her hands tightened on the back of his neck, savoring the warmth and
feel of him. “You make me feel things I don’t want to feel.”

“Oh?” His brown eyes flashed.

“No.” She shook her head. “But I know
things will get back to normal when the storms move on. You’ll go back to
running meds, or whatever it is you do, and I’ll figure something out. You’ll
go one way, and I’ll go the other.” She stood on tiptoe, her heart in her
throat at the hard line of his jaw. “And then I won’t have to worry about
feeling anything anymore. Until then…”

He picked her up, gripping her hips as
he set her on the edge of a worktable. His hand cupped her cheek, and his lips
brushed hers. “We’d better make the best of it, for now.”










Stacy:  Writing about
Reina and Edison having the hots for each other was SO easy.  Right off the bat these two obviously had a
combustible chemistry, though Reina was a bit pig-headed about the whole
deal.  Thankfully Edison, that futuristic
knight in heavier-than-human cyborg armor, understands that a woman who’s
difficult to kiss, is DEFINITELY a woman worth kissing. ;)




Snippet
from HOW THE GLITCH SAVED CHRISTMAS:

“Um.
Detective.” She heard his muffled snort, which confirmed her suspicion that
standing on formality at this exact moment in time was, in fact, hilarious.
“Remember when I told you this was strictly medicinal?”

“Uh-huh.”
Edison leaned into her with a heady threat so blatantly masculine it made her heart
trip over itself. Then he rubbed against her in an all-over body caress that
made it scorching hot within her frictionsuit, and as giddy excitement surged
through her like a drug she had to reconsider the whole swooning business as a
viable option. “Praise me. I’m taking my medicine like a big boy.”

Big
boy. Reina’s mouth went desert-dry as she tried not to notice a bulge starting
to swell against her abdomen. But facts were facts. As his body warmed, there
was no doubt that Edison Wick was indeed a big boy. “Here’s the thing. I
also said not to get excited.”

“Yeah…about
that. I’m going to have to disappoint you on that score. And in my defense, you
have to take some of the blame for being so damn sexy you should be declared
illegal.”

“I’m
just trying to warm you up.”

“Congratulations,
you’re doing a bang-up job of it.” His head lowered, and his eyes drifted shut
as he brushed his face over her hair. “God, Reina. I didn’t know you smelled
like heaven and sin all rolled into one. If I had, I would have done this a lot
sooner.”

She pulled in a breath
to ask him what he was doing when his mouth slid down her cheek to unerringly
capture her lips.







If you enjoyed these luscious little
snippets, just imagine what reading the whole anthology is like. *smirk*  Happy Holidays!







Take a moment to enter our fabulous
giveaway!




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A GALACTIC HOLIDAY – Carina Press | Amazon | B&N | All Romance

Anna Hackett – Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Stacy Gail – Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Sasha Summers – Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads  

Black Pepper Cookies

Today's recipe comes from my new book, Finders Keepers, which is due to be released next Tuesday. There's the pretty cover I just got for it. Isn't it yummy? Well, so are these cookies which one of my heroes (yes, I have two. we're greedy! ) bakes for the other characters in this excerpt here:






Aldo was baking
cookies. Spicy black-pepper-cinnamon cookies—Davis’s favorite. He rolled the
dough thin, then cut them out using the maple-leaf cookie cutter Sally and
Davis had brought him back from Vancouver. Then he decorated them with sanding
sugar in a variety of colors, some in plain red or green in a nod to the
season, some swirled with autumn shades of burgundy and gold, others frosted
just at the tips in blue and white, as though they’d been touched by an ice
fairy. Maple leaves weren’t particularly Christmasy, he supposed, but he didn’t
care. He liked the way the cookies looked, liked the way the edges browned
first, like real leaves would. Besides, he doubted anyone else here would even
notice what shape cookies he made…not unless he used the pornographic cookie
cutters he’d received one year as a gag gift. Too bad he wasn’t in the mood to
play around like that. Not when he was the only one in the house who wasn’t
getting any.




That was a big part
of the reason he was baking, come to think of it—because he had nothing better
to do. Or no one better to do. No one at all to do, for that
matter—but let’s not go there. And because baking cookies was part of what
he’d always done at this time of year.




Of course, in years
past he’d baked mostly because Davis, who had a hellacious sweet tooth,
couldn’t get enough of them. But Sally had always liked his cookies as well,
and anything that made her happy, anything that made her feel like the world
hadn’t ended with Davis’s death was a good thing. They both needed to feel like
that. Besides, the weather had turned cold and it had been snowing for the
better part of the afternoon, so going for another hike was out unless he
wanted to end up with hypothermia. He could either bake or spend all his time
curled up in front of the fire thinking gloomy thoughts. He’d done more than
enough of that in the past few days.




Mmm. There's no better time for cookies than Christmas and these cookies are guaranteed to warm your heart--if not the rest of you as well! So here's the recipe. Enjoy!






Ingredients






1 stick of butter
1
cup of sugar
1
egg
½ cup
honey
1
tablespoon baking powder
2
teaspoons ground ginger
2
teaspoons ground cinnamon
2
tablespoons ground walnuts
2
teaspoons ground cardamom
1
teaspoons ground black pepper
4
cups all-purpose flour
Multi-colored
sanding sugar







Directions






Cream
butter and sugar together
Add
the rest of the ingredients, except the flour
Add
flour—just until dough stops sticking
Wrap
dough in plastic and let chill
Preheat
oven to 350F
Roll
dough thin (1/8 inch) on lightly floured
cut
into shapes
Arrange
on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with colored sugar, if
desired
Bake
until golden at the edges, approximately 15 minutes








Please visit my fellow Tasty Tuesday authors ~ Changing the world one word and recipe at a time:




For the Chocolate Enriched Diet Plan by Selena Robins




Cranberry Apple and Sausage Stuffing by Moira Keith



Smoking Bishop Punch by Renee Wildes



a Rafflecopter giveaway















Sometimes finding what you want is the easy part... 










Caleb is a bionic soldier with little-to-no memory of his past. He's traded pieces of himself for some very highly classified, high-tech hardware, but he's lost far more than he's gained. He's seeking the truth. About himself. About his past. About those missing memories. 







Aldo's an undercover cop who just might have the answers to Caleb's questions. But Aldo's already lost one love too many. If it turns out Caleb's the man Aldo thinks he is, how can he even think about letting him get away from him a second time?




Then there's Sally, she's an ER physician who used to be married to Aldo's late partner, Davis. Although she does her best to hide it, Sally's not really coping very well with widowhood. She cares deeply about both Caleb and Aldo, and she knows they both care about her--one as a lover, the other as a friend--but she needs something more. If the truth about the men's shared past comes to light, she could lose them both. Along with her last, best reason to continue living.




This holiday season, chance will bring these three together and give them an opportunity to help one another find what they each want most. But every gift comes with a price. And keeping what they've found once they've found it? Yeah, that's gonna be the hard part all right. 




Available December 2012 at Loose Id. 




Read Another Excerpt Here 

A Very Merry Menage

Sometimes finding what you want is the easy part.


Caleb is a bionic soldier with little-to-no memory of his past. He's seeking the truth about himself and those missing memories.

Aldo's an undercover cop who just might have the answers to Caleb's questions. But if Caleb's the man Aldo thinks he is, how can he let him get away a second time?

Then there's Sally; she's an ER physician who used to be married to Aldo's late partner, Davis. Sally's not dealing with widowhood very well. In fact, it's getting harder, every day, just to find a reason to keep getting out of bed. If the truth about the men's shared past comes to light, she could lose them both. Along with her last, best reason to go on living.

This holiday season, chance will bring them together and give them an opportunity to help one another find what they each want most. But every gift comes with a price. And keeping what they've found once they've found it? Yeah, that's gonna be the hard part. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


When you think "Christmas" you probably don't automatically think cozy, sci-fi, distopian menage... yet. This Christmas, I'm hoping to change your mind about that with my new release, Finders Keepers, due out from Loose Id on December 11.



This is a story I literally dreamed up. The characters were so vivid and the relationship between the three of them was so clear that I woke afterwards and immediately thought, "Yeah. That could work! I could totally write that story." And so I did. In fact, I wrote it so fast I didn't even have time to grow tired of it or annoyed with my characters, which is surprising because they certainly managed to annoy the hell out of each other. Here's an excerpt:






“It’s pretty up
here, isn’t it?”




Caleb turned as
Sally came to join him at the railing. She was wearing a fuzzy sweater—mostly
purple, but with bright bits of pink and gold and olive green mixed in that
made her eyes look even bluer—over snug jeans and carrying a steaming mug of
coffee. In the sunlight her hair looked almost iridescent. “Yeah, it is,” he
said, smiling at her. “And it’s just gotten prettier.”




That got him a
smile in return—one of those knowing, secretive smiles all women seemed to do
so well, full of mystery and promise—and a softly spoken, “Thank you.”




“Thank you
for letting me barge in on your vacation like this. I hope I’m not intruding?”




Amusement sparkled
in Sally’s eyes, and another pretty blush climbed her cheeks. She took a sip of
her coffee and then said, “Aldo didn’t tell you, did he?”




Uh-oh. “Tell me
what?”




“I only agreed to
come because he said you’d be here.”




“What?”




Sally shrugged.
“He’d been pestering me about it for weeks, but I guess I thought it would be
too depressing. You know, just the two of us, sitting around feeling sorry for
ourselves? I know he thinks he needs to take care of me, but he didn’t have to
spend his holiday doing that.” She glanced at him and smiled. 

“But then he told
me you were coming up here with him and…”




She trailed off,
eyes gleaming, cheeks even pinker than before. Caleb felt his chest tighten in
alarm. “I’m not with him,” he hurried to explain.




Sally ducked her
head. “I know that. Or…at least I hoped that was the case. After you left the
other night, I have to admit I wasn’t completely sure.”




Caleb sighed. “I
know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run out on you the way I did.”




“Yeah.” She put her
coffee down, leaned her forearms on the railing, and turned her head to look at
him curiously. “About that. What happened there? I thought things were going
pretty well and then…?”




“They were.” He
placed his hand on hers. “You know they were. It’s just that I didn’t know
about your husband at the time. And then when I saw your home…I guess I got it
in my head that you had a boyfriend who was maybe out of town or, I dunno,
maybe you two had had a fight or something, and I didn’t want to get in the
middle of that. I mean, I couldn’t get in the middle of that. You know who I
am, but it’s not supposed to be common knowledge. But then you kissed me, and I
stopped caring about that. Until the phone rang and…” He broke off with a
shrug. “I should have given you a chance to explain.”




Sally nodded sadly.
“I know. You should have. And I should have told you about Davis. Aldo said the
same thing.”




Aldo again. Caleb
straightened away from her. “Sounds like you two are really close.” He couldn’t
believe how much that fact bothered him.




Sally nodded. “We
are. He’s my best friend.”




“And you met him
through your husband?”




“Other way around.
I’ve known Aldo since college. He’s the one who introduced me to Davis.”




“I see.” Aldo.
Davis. Caleb suppressed a sigh. He loved the way her tongue caressed their
names. He’d give anything to hear her say his name like that. “I guess I’m
confused. I thought he was older than you.”




“He is. But only by
a few years. He was in the military for a while. He went back to school after
opting out.”




“Oh yeah? Where?
What branch?”




“I don’t know.”
Sally picked up her mug again and took another sip. “He might have mentioned it
once. 




Probably he did, but I don’t remember and he never talks about it.
Something happened to him there. I don’t know what other than that it left him
disillusioned about pretty much everything—but don’t tell him I said that.
Like I said, he hates talking about it.”




Her words barely
registered. Caleb’s attention had gotten caught up in the way her tongue traced
over her lips. The need to kiss her again had been building inside him ever
since he’d left her apartment the other night. Now it all but overwhelmed him.
He shifted closer. Her eyes widened in surprise when he took the mug from her
hand and set it on the railing, then grew dark as heat and understanding took
the place of surprise. Her lips curved upward, and that was all the invitation
he needed.




He gently caged her
face in his hands. As he bent his head, her mouth opened on a soft sigh. She
tasted of coffee and cinnamon and woman, a lush, spicy flavor that went
straight to both his heads. He groaned as he wrapped an arm around her back and
pressed her close. He couldn’t get enough of her. From the way her hands
clutched at him, crushing fistfuls of his jacket, he had the feeling maybe she
felt the same. As she went up on her toes, her hips brushed along the length of
his erection, stroking him through his jeans. Even that slight contact was
enough. He sucked in a quick breath as desire knifed through him.




He cupped her butt
in his hands, and then he lifted her against him, intent on grinding his hips
into hers. A soft whimper left her lips as she slipped her arms around his neck
and teased his tongue with hers. He had never been sorrier for all the layers
of clothes that separated them. Despite the fact that they were outside in
broad daylight and it was cold as hell, he’d have had them both undressed in an
instant—if he could only figure out how to do it without breaking her hold on
him or breaking their kiss, or without taking his hands off her for even a
second.




It took the sound
of a door slamming open and a loud voice announcing, “Hey, c’mon. Breakfast!”
to shake Caleb back to his senses.




He lifted his head.
His gaze immediately locked with Nash’s across the width of the deck. Nash
stood just outside the cabin door. His hands were fisted at his sides, and an
odd, angry-looking flush was on his face. There was a look in his eyes Caleb
couldn’t decipher, even with his enhanced vision. What was that? Anguish?
Longing? Jealousy? Need? It was gone before he could figure it out, if it had
even been there at all.




Certainly Nash’s
voice sounded nothing but jovial as he demanded, “Are you two at it already?”
He spread his hands wide and arched one brow and looked pointedly at Sally
until she giggled and hid her face in the front of Caleb’s jacket—for which
reaction Caleb totally owed him. “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?”




“Oh, sure you can,”
Caleb replied, loosely folding his arms around Sally. “In fact, why don’t you
just go back inside? Go back to doing whatever you were doing and let us get
back to doing…whatever we were doing,” he added, consciously echoing Nash’s own
words to him at the station the other day. He wasn’t ready to give this up yet.
He was enjoying it all too much—the way Sally felt nestled against him, the way
she fit so perfectly in his arms. This was why he could never give up women
entirely—or part of the reason, anyway. It didn’t matter if a handsome man
could turn his head from across a room or across a redwood deck. It didn’t
matter that, right now, for example, the sight of Nash, with his thin navy
pullover and well-worn jeans stretched taut over his muscular frame, made
Caleb’s mouth dry, made his knees feel unacceptably shaky. Made him feel
altogether too conflicted. Nash needed to leave. Now.




“Hey, if you want
to stay out here all day, it’s your call,” Nash answered, those broad shoulders
rising and falling in a small shrug that only served to focus Caleb’s attention
even more firmly on them. “No business of mine. Just so you know, though,
breakfast is ready, and I have a lot of other cooking to do between today and
tomorrow, so if you don’t come in now, you’ll be eating it cold.”




“All right, you
win.” Sally turned her head to smile at Nash over her shoulder. “We’ll be there
in a minute.”




Caleb tightened his
grip, loving the way her head felt pressed against his chest, loving the way
her hair tickled his chin. “Better make that two minutes.”




Sally looked up at
him and grinned. “Or better yet, three.”




Aldo rolled his
eyes, shook his head, and went back inside, leaving Caleb to wonder when, in
the last two minutes, “Nash” had become “Aldo” and why it was that the sight of
him walking away should leave Caleb suddenly feeling…bereft? Why was he
suddenly wanting to call him back, wanting to draw him into a three-way kiss?




“So,” Sally purred
as soon as the cabin door closed and they were alone once more. “Where were
we?”




Caleb glanced down
at her and smiled, refocusing his attention. “Somewhere right around here, I
think,” he said as he cupped his hand around the back of her neck. He loved the
way she slipped her arms around his neck once again, loved the feel of her body
against his as she rose up on her toes.




He sighed in
contentment as he settled back into her kiss. He could be wrong, but he was
pretty sure they were going to miss breakfast.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thai Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Thai pumpkin curry is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It's so, so simple and so, so good.



A few weeks back, I posted a recipe for baked stuffed pumpkin. If you have some leftovers, this is a good way to use those up. It's also the best way to make this soup, IMO, because your pumpkin is already loaded with sweet-spicy goodness. However, if you have no leftovers, don't despair. And if you have no fresh pumpkin, don't despair about that either, because acorn squash or really any kind of winter squash, readily available at this time of year. will do quite nicely.




Thais Pumpkin Curry Soup



Ingredients




1 small pumpkin, or 2 acorn squash, etc

Olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 apple, sliced very thin

1 carton of cocomut milk (if you can't find it in a carton, cans will do)

1 package yellowThai curry paste

2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)



Directtions




Preheat the oven to 375 degrees




Cut squash/pumpkin into pieces



Lay pieces on a baking sheet skin sides down, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg--whatever you want.



Roast until tender (approximately an hour).




Heat a little oil in a large pot and saute onion and apple until soft



When pumpkin/squash is cool enough to handle, remove skin and add to pot.



Add 2 cups of coconut milk and 1 tablespoon curry paste
and bring to a simmer.



If desired, use hand blender to puree. I prefer some chunks.



Add more coconut milk depending on what consistency you prefer and add more curry paste to taste.



May be topped with toasted pumpkin seeds.



Please visit my fellow Tasty Tuesday authors ~ Changing the world one word and recipe at a time:






Friendly Flank Steak by Nancy Lauzon




Holiday Tequila Sweet Potatoes by Moira Keith



My Favorite Vegetable by Selena Robins

Pumpkin Martini

Most of my family is going to be away this Thanksgiving. In fact, my husband is leaving tomorrow night for a two-and-a-half-week business trip. So, it's just going to be me and my mother-in-law (the vegetarian) for Thanksgiving. And, no. Turkey Day or no Turkey Day I will not be cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving this year. I will likely be making pumpkin lasagna with roasted corn, red peppers and dried cranberries and it will probably be awesome. But my mother-in-law is suffering from dementia and in the event everything goes to hell come Thursday, here's my fall-back plan for dinner...and lunch...and breakfast...and whenever else the mood strikes. 




Pumpkin Martini




Ingredients



1 can pumpkin pie filling
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce spiced rum
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


Directions







Open the can of pumpkin pie filling and empty into a pan
Add milk and maple syrup and cook until it's thickened and slightly reduced to the consistency of pancake batter. Mmm, pancakes...
Remove pumpkin mixture from heat and allow to cool. (This makes enough for several martinis.)
Combine sugar and spice in a saucer 
Prepare your glass by moistening the rim and dipping in sugar and spice mixture.
In a shaker combine vodka, rum and 2 ounces of the cooled pumpkin puree with ice. 
Strain into glasses
Decorate with a little sugar/spice sprinkled over the surface or, if desired, add a dollop of whipped cream and then decorate with sugar/spice.






Mmm. Is it too early to start drinking now? 




Please visit my fellow Tasty Tuesday authors ~ Changing the world one word and recipe at a time:




How does one eat a Taco? by Selena Robins 



Spaghetti Pie by Nancy Lauzon

















This week's special, extra long Thanksgiving excerpt is from In the Dark (Children of Night, book one)





When you live forever, you’re bound to make a few mistakes.




1969 San Francisco. World-weary Conrad Quintano should have known better than to fall in love with a human—much less Suzanne Fischer, the barely legal, adventure-seeking hippie beauty known as Desert Rose. And the very last thing he should have agreed to do was to raise her babies and protect them with his life. But even twelve-hundred-year-old master vampires can find it hard to reject a deathbed request—especially when issues of love, guilt and blood are involved.

Present day. Raised in virtual isolation, twins Marc and Julie Fischer have always known they are vampires. But they never knew their parentage—or their unique status in the vampire world—until their “uncle” Damian comes to fetch them home. The family reunion, however, isn’t what they expect. They’re thrust into a world for which they’re totally unprepared. And the father they expected to see, Conrad, is missing.

How to find him…and whom to trust? Solving the mystery of betrayal and vampire family values will prove the Beatles had it right. All you need is love…and an occasional side of blood.



Product Warnings

While reading this book you may experience any of the following, an increased desire to wear flowers in your hair, dress in tie-dye or nap during the day. Other symptoms may include an intolerance to sunlight, an aversion to garlic-flavored tofu and a pronounced urge to bake…or get baked.






Excerpt:






Thursday, November 28th, 1968

Thanksgiving Day

“All I’m saying is that the picnic in the park was a total blast and you missed out on a really great party today.”

Desert Rose was pouting. Arms crossed, her posture rigid, she glared sullenly at Conrad from one end of his couch. Lying comfortably against the cushions at the other end, he smiled back at her indulgently. He hadn’t been expecting to see her here this evening. Even though she’d taken to spending nearly every weekend with him, tonight was Thursday—definitely part of the week, as far as he was concerned. In her mind, however, the fact that it was Thanksgiving apparently made it the start of the weekend.

“I told you all about it when I was here last weekend. I was really hoping you’d show. You’d have liked it.”

“Yes, I’m sure I would have.” Enough talk now. Conrad reached for the girl and pulled her toward him. He rearranged her limbs until she was reclining against his chest with her head resting on his shoulder, her long, dark hair swept to one side. Unexpected, yes, he thought, as he began to lick lazily at her neck. But definitely not unwelcome. Three days was long enough to go without. He’d grown quite addicted to the taste of her over the course of the past month—which would have worried him, if he’d been planning on turning her. He wasn’t. “I’m sorry I missed your picnic today. It sounds like it was a…real happening scene.”

A strangled noise, emanating from the vicinity of the secretary desk on the other side of the room, greeted Conrad’s observation. He glanced up, his face breaking into a wide grin at the sight of Armand’s pained expression.

“A happening scene? Mon Dieu.”

“Well, it was,” Desert Rose insisted as she settled deeper into Conrad’s embrace, her eyes closed, her neck exposed. “With music and dancing and…just crowds of people. And more food than you’ve probably ever seen in your life.”

Armand’s eyes grew smoky as he gazed at the girl. His tongue danced lightly across the points of his teeth. He looked mesmerized, enchanted. He looked hungry.

Mine. Conrad stilled. It took a conscious effort to tamp down the unreasoning jealousy that was once again threatening to burn holes in his gut. Luckily, Armand seemed to collect himself before too much time had passed. A shaky sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head and went back to work, writing checks to pay the monthly bills. Conrad relaxed as well, and quietly sank his teeth into the girl’s waiting neck.

“Corn and beans and squash and cranberry sauce and those little pearl onions,” she continued her recital, in the slightly dreamy tone that indicated she was so relaxed she hadn’t even noticed Conrad’s feasting at her throat. “And mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, three kinds of pie, a big chocolate cake. Not to mention homemade bread and biscuits and pumpkin soup. Oh, and there was even an entire turkey made out of tofu.”

“It sounds delightful.” Conrad raised his head. “Armand?”

“Oui?”

“Qu’est-ce que c’est…toe-foo?”




Read the rest of the excerpt HERE