Mari Carr's Blog, page 85

Saturday Snippet

This week, we're exploring cold places. I thought I'd share a snippet from the historical half of Black Jack. The book is comprised of two stories that shadow each other while occuring in different time periods. Part of the story takes place in a modern-day sex club, while the other is set on a Regency period pirate ship.

Snippet:

"What the hell are you doing?"

His concern was laced with a harsh tone that drove home the stupidity of what she'd been considering. "I was coming to see if you needed help."

His eyes darkened with fury as his large frame towered over her. He was soaked to the skin, his long black hair plastered to his rough-shaven face. He was intimidating, enraged and handsome as sin. "You what?" His voice was an equal mixture of disbelief and anger. "Are you mad? You could have been swept overboard and I wouldn't have even known you weren't tucked safely in our bed. How could you have even considered doing something so reckless?"

Her words lodged in her throat in the face of his scowling visage. Unfortunately, his comments sparked a recognition in her as well. She felt foolish holding this argument while sitting on the floor and she struggled to rise to her feet. Jack reached down to help her up and she fought not to wince when his hand engulfed her bruised arm.

"How do you think I felt?" she retorted, the stress of the past few hours escaping in a flurry of furious words. "You could have been killed up there at any moment, while I'm expected to sit in the room like a good little girl. I'm not weak, Jack. Not helpless."

Her comments didn't abate his anger and for a moment, she thought it had even grown a notch or two. "No," he said, turning her and pushing her none-too-gently toward his cabin. "You aren't helpless. But you soon will be." Once they entered it, he slammed the door, driving home the true extent of his disapproval.

"Take off your clothes," he commanded. "All of them."

She wanted to make the same demand of him, but was saved from speaking as he began to strip off his drenched clothing. She tried to hold on to the bedpost while disrobing. Jack's gaze never left her face, never softened.

Once she was completely naked, he gestured for her to get into the bed. She wanted to protest, wanted to reassert her ability to take care of herself, but his face stopped her. She returned to the bed she'd only vacated a few minutes earlier, watching as Jack rummaged around the room for something.

When he reached the side of the bed, he was completely, gloriously nude and holding several long lengths of rope. "Clearly my mistake was that I didn't leave you helpless enough. That's an oversight I intend to correct now."

Jack placed a knee beside her hip on the mattress and reached for her arms. She fought against him but her strength was no match for his, and in a matter of moments he had her hands tied to the headboard.

Climbing over her, he forced her legs apart as he settled in between. His fingers briefly touched her wet slit, the chill of his hands sending shivers of cold—and heat—through her body. Apparently satisfied with what he found, he placed the head of his cock at her opening and shoved inside with one hard, deep thrust.

Emma screamed in the face of his violent possession. In their previous encounters, he'd always taken her with a certain level of gentleness and care. This time, Jack was proving a point. As he rocketed into her body, he punctuated each beautiful blow with a demand.

"Don't you ever put yourself in such danger again."

She started to reply, but Jack wasn't looking for responses.

"It was a treacherous thing to attempt, you little fool."

She wanted to take exception to his name-calling, but Jack wasn't finished.

"If you ever try such an insane thing again, I'll take you over my knee and see to it you can't walk for a week."

His thrusts were gaining speed and power. Emma felt the first tremors of her coming orgasm and she moaned.

"If I ever lost you, I'd die."

His confession was so unexpected and beautiful, tears gathered in her eyes. He'd die without her?

Could his feelings truly be that engaged? And if so, what would happen when the ship landed ashore and her father came to claim her? She feared she knew the answer to that question. And it killed her.

Black Jack is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more snippets? Check these authors out!

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

Want a Screwdriver?

Screwdriver is available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes and Noble now! It will release on March 20 at those two vendors and everywhere else on March 21. Thought I'd give you a little sneak peek.

Cocktales, Book Two

When Jordan Lance isn't pouring over spreadsheets for Books and Brew, she's fantasizing about the store's landlord. Too bad she's squarely in Gabriel's "just friends" column. Jordan's prepared to pine forever—until she meets Casey. The handyman is hot, handsome, charming…and Gabriel's best friend. Suddenly her wicked fantasies are porntastic times two.

Casey has suspected his friend's interest in Jordan. If he can push them together, he might get Gabriel off the bimbo train he's been riding. The plan? Jealousy. And it's working. It's not long before Gabriel's deeper feelings for Jordan emerge. Problem is…so do Casey's. What happens when two friends want the same woman? Red-hot ménage, baby.

Two gorgeous men playing every inch of her body? Um, yes please! Jordan doesn't know if threesomes are considered acceptable, but she's sure of one thing—being this bad feels far too good.

Excerpt:

Casey looked closer at the AC unit. "Damn. I was afraid of that."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I was hoping it was an issue with the belt, but the motor bearings are shot. I'm going to need to order a part."

"So it's not getting fixed today?"

"I'll see if I can rig a work around for the time being." He stood and stretched. "God bless it, Jordan. I apologize if this offends you, but it's hot as hell in here." Reaching for the hem of his t-shirt, he whipped the thin cotton over his head and fanned himself with it.

Her now-familiar blush returned and Casey felt compelled to prod, to see if his suspicions about Jordan's underlying naughty side were true. "Just so you know, I absolutely will not be upset if you decide to follow suit and work shirtless for the rest of the afternoon."

The twinkle in her eyes let him know she enjoyed his joke. "I'm fine with my shirt on."

"You sure?" he teased, taking a step closer. "I don't mind helping you peel it off." He reached out but she darted away, her smile widening.

"Casey," she said, swatting his hands away. She dodged behind the AC unit and he followed.

The two of them played a quick game of cat and mouse as Casey chased her around the storage closet.

He'd just captured her, Jordan squealing loudly, when the door to the closet opened.

"Jordan? Are you okay?" a deep voice asked from the hallway.

Gabriel peered around the door and Casey wondered what his best friend thought he was seeing. They certainly presented a risqué picture—Casey shirtless, his arms wrapped around Jordan from behind while she laughed.

"Hey, Gabe." Casey released Jordan and pulled his shirt back on. "What are you doing here?"

Gabriel's response was slow in coming as his gaze traveled from Casey to Jordan. "I was checking on your progress." Gabriel's eyes landed back on Casey's face and they narrowed angrily. "Looks like you're making some."

Shit. Casey's suspicions about Gabe's feelings for Jordan were confirmed in an instant. His friend was hot for the accountant.

Problem was…so was Casey.

"We were taking a break," he explained.

Gabriel looked at Jordan, his expression softening. "You're blood-red, Jordan. You need to get out of this heat."

Casey glanced at her face. Gabriel made the same mistake he had. Jordan wasn't hot. She was blushing. Big time.

"I'm okay, Gabe. No worries," she answered. "I can see why you two are friends. Casey's cure for the heat wave is going topless too."

Gabriel's expression darkened even further as he snapped his gaze to Casey once more. "Topless?"

"Actually, I think we're done for the day," Casey said, anxious to change the subject before Gabriel pulverized him. "I need to order a part before I can fix the unit."

Jordan frowned and he sensed she was surprised by his sudden retreat to safer territory. Gabriel had never referred to Jordan as anything more than a pal, but Casey could read between the lines—even if his oblivious friend couldn't.

"Um, yeah. That's right. We were just wrapping things up. It was nice of you to come by and check on us." Jordan's gaze drifted to Gabriel's face and she smiled.

Crap. The pure longing on Jordan's face told Casey all he needed to know in regards to her feelings for Gabriel. It told him more than he wanted to know.

Jordan's cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. "It's Steph. We made plans to do a late lunch. I should take this."

She walked toward the door as she answered the phone. Gabriel stepped aside and let her escape. Casey suspected he wouldn't be freed as easily.

"What the fuck were you doing?" Gabe's question was murmured, but even in the quiet tone, Casey detected the anger. A small part of him was thrilled to hear any emotion at all from his friend.

"I told you. Taking a break."

"With your clothes off?"

Casey shot him a dirty look. "I took off my shirt to cool down. I've been in this godforsaken sweatbox for nearly two hours. Besides, what the hell are you so pissed off about? I'm here because you asked me to fix the air conditioner."

"Why was Jordan in here?"

And now they were getting to the heart of the matter. "I asked her to help me."

"Since when do you need an assistant?"

Casey was hot and tired and annoyed. Not a good combination. Gabe was poking the bear. "I spotted a gorgeous woman and an empty closet. Come on, Gabe. You're a smart guy with a degree in finance. Put two and two together. I'm not averse to mixing work and play."

Gabriel shook his head. "You're not playing with Jordan."

His friend's vehemence tweaked Casey's temper. "Last time I checked, you weren't my keeper. Or Jordan's."

Gabriel rubbed his neck wearily, and for the first time, Casey noticed the dark circles under his friend's eyes.

When he spoke again, Gabriel's voice was calmer. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I saw you with Jordan and I…shit, I guess I lost it."

"Why? I'm not an asshole to women. You know that."

Gabriel shrugged. "I know. She reminds me of Annie in a lot of ways. Somewhere along the line I've become a bit protective of her."

Annie was Gabriel's only sibling, and no little sister was ever loved more. Casey wasn't sure how to respond. Gabe's initial reaction screamed of jealousy, not brotherly instinct. "I can see why. Jordan's very sweet."

Gabriel didn't seem to appreciate his answer. "So sweet you felt compelled to strip off your shirt and corner her in a storage closet?"

Yep. Definitely jealous.

Screwdriver is available for preorder at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Book one in the Cocktales series, Party Naked, is available now. Thought I'd share a bit of it in case you missed it.

Cocktales, Book One

Stephanie Harper is perfectly happy co-owning Books and Brew, where she slings drinks and entertains her friends with cutting wit and a cynical take on love. She's convinced she has no time for anything deeper than sex; she has a business to run, after all. And her thrice-married mother has proven happy every after doesn't exist.

Jarod Nolan begs to differ. Chance has him running into Steph—and giving her a ticket—one morning, but it's fate that finds him in her place of business that same evening. A sizzling one-night stand ensues, and although Stephanie escapes before he wakes the next morning, Jarod is already sure she's worth the chase.

Steph's more than willing to party naked with the hot cop, but she's adamant they're driven by lust, not love. Jarod is prepared to prove otherwise, even if it means giving up one of the things he and Stephanie do best…

What's that old saying? Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder?

Excerpt:

Stephanie rubbed a weary hand over her face. The Romantic Hearts book club meeting was in full-swing as she dropped off the second round of Screwdrivers. She wasn't sure what book they were discussing, but it must have been a hot one. The ladies were animated and laughing loudly over a certain racy passage.

It was only seven o'clock, but she felt like she'd been on her feet for years rather than a few hours. She was still stewing over the parking ticket in her pocket. She'd never met a more arrogant, condescending police officer in her life. She had half a mind to storm over to the police department and file a complaint against Detective Nolan.

The only thing holding her back was that ultimately she had been wrong. She should have known better than to do something so stupid. Her day had been one long string of bad luck. It only stood to reason that the first time she'd ever double-parked in her life, she'd block in a freaking cop. Murphy's Law was having a lot of fun at her expense.

She hadn't told the other girls about the ticket upon returning to the bar because she was equal parts irritated and embarrassed. She'd just carefully stepped over the mat, put the liquor bottles on the counter and gotten to work.

Surprisingly Thursdays were pretty good days for them, business-wise. In addition to the book club meeting, there were quite a few regulars who came to have a drink or two and unwind with a newspaper or the newest novels.

Speaking of regulars, Stephanie took a detour to a chair in the corner. "You need me to freshen up your drink, Elias?"

Elias Clark was Books and Brew's most loyal patron. He came in two nights a week—Thursdays and Saturdays—and he always followed the same routine. He'd claim his chair in the quietest corner of the shop, drink two scotch and sodas—never more than two—and read the newspaper. Then he'd find Jayne and she'd talk him into buying a new book.

"Thank you, Stephanie. I believe I am ready for my second glass."

She picked up his empty tumbler and started to walk back to the bar, but Elias stopped her with a question. "You okay tonight? You seem tired. That's not like you. You're usually the life of this place."

She smiled at his compliment and shrugged easily. "I've had a long day."

A very long one, she thought.

"Perhaps you could take off early?" Elias suggested. "Go home and rest. I bet the other ladies wouldn't mind covering for you."

Stephanie glanced around the shop. Jayne was leading the book discussion, while Sophie and Jordan were helping various customers, either by finding books or serving drinks.

She shook her head. "Only a few more hours until closing time. I'll be fine 'til then."

Elias gave her a friendly smile and she felt grateful for his concern.

She was halfway to the bar when she spotted a familiar face walking through the front door. She stopped in her tracks. Detective Nolan sauntered in like he owned the place and the temper she'd managed to subdue all afternoon flared hot once again.

He glanced around the bar quickly, looking over at the boisterous book group as he took a seat at the end of the bar. His gaze missed her completely.

Suddenly she felt as if the clouds on her lousy day had lifted and she'd been granted a bit of good fortune. She'd had hours to fume about the detective's behavior and, as always happened, she'd thought of a million clever, cutting things she could have said to him after she'd driven away. She'd been pissed off about missing her opportunity.

A smile crossed her face. Time for round two.

She walked toward him.

As if sensing sudden danger, the detective turned, his gaze catching hers as she approached. She enjoyed the myriad emotions that covered his face in the few short steps it took her to reach him—surprise, annoyance, anger and, finally, was that regret? The last pulled her up short for a moment, then she drew near.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't De—"

The detective grabbed her shoulders, pulled her toward him and cut off her words with a kiss that left her stunned motionless for a full thirty seconds.

What the hell?

Party Naked is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, and All Romance Ebooks.

Quote of the Day

A very dear girlfriend, Yvonne, has this as part of the signature on her email. I laugh every time I read it. Is it sad that this rings as too true?

"Its an uncomfortable moment when you realize there is a crazy person in the room and it's you." - Ruth Cardello

Super Bowl Sunday!

I hope everyone enjoys today's game.

If you tried some of Susan's recipes, please come back, leave a comment and let us know how it turned out.

 

Saturday Snippet

Warm Places are okay, but sometimes I'm more in the mood for HOT places. Today's snippet is from Assume the Positions and it's a bit racier than my norm. Hee hee. You have been warned.

Snippet:

"Are you wet?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Show me." Her eyes must have betrayed her confusion as he clarified, "Open your legs and touch yourself. Let me see all that hot juice you've made just for me."

She spread her legs apart, slowly dragging her hands along her chest, toying briefly with her breasts and reveling in making Ethan do a bit of squirming as well. As her fingers made their way along her body, he resumed his undressing and she detected a definite increase in the speed with which he moved.

This is fun.

When her hands reached the hair covering her pussy, he pushed his pants down.

Officer Russell went commando.

He cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows, reminding her of her task. She dragged her hand along her slit, her fingers quickly covered with the glistening proof of her arousal.

He took his cock in his hand and she physically fought back a gasp at the sexy sight of him touching himself so intimately.

Clearly not all men were created equal and for a moment, she wondered if Ethan hadn't gotten her ex-husband's share of the booty as well. She chuckled to herself at the irony of that thought then quickly dismissed Alex from her mind as she watched Ethan pull his hand along his rock-hard, thick, long, unbelievably inviting cock.

"Wow," she muttered and Ethan grinned.

"You act as if you've never seen a dick before," he said lightly.

"Only one and it wasn't even half as big as—" She stopped talking and glanced up. Ethan's hand had stopped moving against his flesh and she wanted him to start again.

"Only one?"

She shrugged. "Um, yes?" she asked, not sure what it was about her confession that bothered him.

"You've only been with one man. Your ex-husband, right?"

"Of course my ex-husband," she replied.

"How long have you been divorced?"

For a man who'd previously been ready to skip the small talk and get right to business, he sure was killing the mood now.

"Six years."

His grin reappeared and his hand moved against his cock more roughly.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she asked, spellbound by the sexiness of his movements.

"No. I should warn you right now, I like my sex hard and sweaty."

As easily as that, he'd taken the temperature in the room back to something the equivalent of living on the sun.

Assume the Positions is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Sony, Barnes and Noble and All Romance Ebooks.

Want more heat? Check out these authors!

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Lacey Savage

Leah Braemel

Selena Robins

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Red Hot Weekend

Two of my fellow International Heat mates have new releases today at Samhain and I have been waiting to jump up and down and shout about these books for A YEAR! The Aussie wonders, Lexxie Couper and Jess Dee, are part of the Red Hot Weekend series along with the amazing Delilah Devlin. These are books you do not want to miss!

Dare Me by Lexxie Couper

Defying death is the ultimate dare. Defying love? Well, that's just stupid.

A Red Hot Weekend story.

Back-to-back medical degrees took Emily Knox right where she planned to be: treating patients in an alternative cancer clinic. But nothing prepared her for a cocky, cheeky Aussie who strode into her life and dared her to cure him. She told herself it was his challenge she couldn't resist—not his daredevil charm.

Eight months later, Rob's out of danger…and Emily's in trouble. She's in deep, too deep. Worse, Rob has left the clinic against doctor's orders. There's nothing for it but to follow him across eleven thousand miles of land and sea to give him what for—as his doctor, of course.

Rob never expected to survive the brain tumor. Nor did he expect to fall head over heels for his very proper, very English oncologist. The problem? Her Hippocratic Oath hangs between them, keeping her just out of reach. Now, with "cured" on his medical chart and his duty as best man for his best mate calling, he takes off for home to start getting his old life back.

Trouble is, while the good doctor cured his cancer, she seems to have inflicted him with something else—desire he just can't shake.

Product Warnings

Rob Thorton is addictive. Also, there's scorching passion, undeniable lust, soul-shattering desire, heartbreaking angst, explosive sex and of course, Australian sarcasm. Did you really expect anything else?

Read Excerpt.

Hidden Fire by Jess Dee

Dirty desires, dark secrets…deepest loveFire, Book 2

Well, this is an unexpected twist. Jenna Brooks is all set to spend the weekend wallowing in misery, repairing the cracks in the façade she's maintained for twelve years. Instead she's…tied to a chair. Kidnapped by her own twin brother and her so-called best friend.

It's for her own good, they say. She'll thank them later, they say. But when they reveal her partner in captivity, she shores up her emotional barriers. It's Garreth Halt. The one man for whom she let her guard down. What a fool she was.

For one electrifying moment, Garreth had Jenna naked in his arms, on the edge of losing her legendary control. Could have kept her there forever, too, if he hadn't felt honor-bound to tell her the truth. Before she'd heard the whole truth, though, she'd retreated behind the fortress around her heart.

Now they're knee to knee, with no escape. While he's irritated he let his alleged best friend get the drop on him, a small part of him is thrilled. With one final chance to show her his love is real, Garreth methodically, wickedly, sets out to dismantle her defenses.

One dirty word at a time.

Product Warnings

Garreth may have charmed you in Winter Fire, but this time around, his blatantly sexy demands, even sexier actions and heartwarming love for his heroine are gonna make you fall head over heels.


Read Excerpt.

Cooking with Heat

Today, we are getting down to business with our Super Bowl menu. It's time to make the main dishes! Susan suggested serving Susan's Turkey Chili,  Pulled BBQ Sandwiches, Sausage, Peppers and Onions, and Ribs!

Susan's Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey meat or however large one package is

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 TBS chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

4 15oz can beans of choice, rinsed and drained (I use 2 black beans and 2 red beans)

1 sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup canned diced chilies

2 TBS tomato paste

2-3 cups baby spinach leaves, chiffonade

1-2 zucchini, diced small

Cook the ground meat and garlic in a skillet until browned. Drain off any fat. Add the chili powder and cumin and stir to coat the meat.

Mix the tomatoes, beans, onion, chilies, spinach, zucchini and tomato paste in a slow cooker. Stir in the meat mixture. Cover and cook on High until flavors are blended, 4-5 hours.   Or just simmer on the stove for 30-45 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked.

NOTE: To spice it up, I would probably use some fresh diced jalapenos instead of the chilies, and add some cayenne pepper to taste – depends upon your preference.

Pulled BBQ Sandwiches

3-4 lbs chicken (best with combo of breasts and thighs or pork loin

1 jar BBQ sauce

Place chicken breast in the bottom of a crock pot.  Cover with jar of BBQ sauce (the whole jar).  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  When done, use 2 forks to pull the meat apart.  Ladle the BBQ sauce from the crock pot onto the meat.  Serve on rolls or bread.

Today's word (tee hee) is Balls!

From Sugar and Spice:

"She just got the brush-off call from her boyfriend,"Anderson answered before she could say a word in response to Travers' obnoxious comment.

"The lawyer?" Travers asked and Anderson nodded. "Fucking bastard. I'm glad he dumped you. You don't wanna date lawyers. They're slimeballs."

"Just once, do you guys think you could mind your own business?"

Anderson chuckled. "Where's the fun in that?"

From Saturday Night Special:

She smiled around his cock and he groaned when she took him deeper. Reaching down, she fondled his balls for a moment before exploring further, touching the tip of her index finger to his anus. He jerked and she almost lost her grip on his cock.

He took her head in his hands and pulled her away. "Bad girl." The heated look in his eyes contradicted his words.

From Southern Comfort:

She smiled, but didn't stop her tantalizingly slow strokes. "Give me what I want and I'll be more than happy to untie you."

He feigned stupidity. "What is it you want again?"

Reaching behind her, she cupped his balls with one hand. He gasped when she began to squeeze them tightly.

"Careful, angel. You don't wanna damage the crown jewels there."

Cooking with Heat

Today Susan is going to teach us how to make some delicious breads perfect for when you're watching the big game. I'm most looking forward to making these recipes. I've never met a carb I didn't like! For the menu, she suggested serving Sausage and Pepper Braid, Sausage and Pepperoni Stromboli, Anti-Pasta Bread, and Corn Muffins.

Sausage and Pepper Braid

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed

¾ cup red pepper, chopped

1 ¼ cups warm water

2 packages active, dry yeast

2 TBS sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp Italian seasoning

¼ cup margarine, softened

2 eggs, at room temperature

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (approximately)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown sausage and cook pepper until done, stirring to break up meat.  Drain and cool.  Measure warm water into a large warm bowl.  Stir in yeast until dissolved.  Add sugar, salt, italian seasoning, margarine, 1 egg and 2 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough more flour to make a soft dough.  Knead 8-10 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl; turn to grease top.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  Punch dough down; divide into 6 pieces.  Roll each into 14 x 4 inch strips.  Stir cheese into sausage mixture.  Spoon mixture down center of each strip.  Pinch long edges together to form 14 inch ropes; seal.  Braid 3 ropes together, seal.  Repeat.  Place on greased baking sheet; cover.  Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.  Beat remaining egg; brush on loaves.  Bake at 400 degrees about 25 minutes.  Serve warm.  Refrigerate leftovers; reheat to serve.

Sausage and Pepperoni Stromboli

1 uncooked pizza crust (I get mine at the local bakery)

1 sausage, crumbled and cooked

1 pkg pepperoni

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle.  Cover (to about an inch or so from the edges) with sausage, then pepperoni, then shredded cheese.  Roll up into a long log and place on a baking sheet in a U shape.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Antipasto Sandwich

1 large baguette or 1 loaf Italian bread

1 jar (4 ounces) black olive paste

2 small jars (16 to 24 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 jar (8 ounces) roasted red peppers

1 bunch arugula, washed and spun dry

Slice the bread in half horizontally.  Scoop out some of the bread from the top and bottom.  Spread the top and bottom with black olive paste.  Layer the artichoke hearts, pepper strips, and arugula over the bottom.  Replace the top, wrap in foil, and refrigerate 4 hours.  Slice on the diagonal and serve.

Today's word is Rough (and none of these were Unnecessary!).

From Rough Cut:

At her words, he gave in to the strength he'd obviously been holding back as her legs threatened to give way under the glorious assault of his hand. His fingers fucked her roughly, pounding inside her in the way she often did for herself. No one had ever dared to take her so strongly. She felt the scream building in her throat just before it reached her lips.

From Black Jack:

She tried to twist away from his hard kiss. He moved her arms above her head, capturing her wrists in one hand. With the other, he gripped her hair, holding her in place as he ravished her lips. Plunging his tongue in again, he jerked when she tried to bite him. He moved his face away a few inches, studying her glaring eyes. "You want to play rough, do you?"

She continued to squirm, her fury knowing no bounds.

"So be it."

From Assume the Positions:

His grin reappeared and his hand moved against his cock more roughly.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she asked, spellbound by the sexiness of his movements.

"No. I should warn you right now, I like my sex hard and sweaty."

As easily as that, he'd taken the temperature in the room back to something the equivalent of living on the sun.

Saturday Snippet

There's definitely something odd going on in my newest release Because You Love Me. Bridget has witnessed a murder and is now the target of a deadly hit man. The only way she can see the villains brought to justice is to find the evidence her best friend hid before he was killed. Problem is…she has to break his coded message before the bad guys catch up to her.

Snippet:

Bridget stared at the piece of paper in her hands, her eyes no longer focusing on the words she'd committed to memory months ago. Sighing heavily, she glanced out the window at the picturesque, snow-capped mountains in the distance. Sometimes she still found it hard to believe how much her life had changed in such a short span of time. This time a year ago, she was typing up local interest pieces in a four-by-four cubicle at the Reporter's offices. Her only view back then was of a computer screen. To add some life to the dull cubicle, she had a calendar thumbtacked to the wall with scenes similar to the real-life one she was staring at now. In New York, she pretended like the calendar was her window with a view.

With one pull of a trigger, her life had altered overnight.

"The words in that letter aren't going to change no matter how many times you read them."

She grinned, glancing over her shoulder at Rodney. "You say that every time I pull it out."

"Maybe that's because you're looking at it every five minutes like you're going to see something different. Not sure what you're hoping to find." Rodney claimed the comfy armchair opposite hers, stretching his feet out and crossing them at the ankles.

Rodney Jackson had been assigned to protect her after the arrest of Judge Thompson. The murderer hadn't spent a single night in jail for his crime, making bail almost immediately. Apparently judges—crooked or clean—looked out for each other.

"There has to be something we're missing."

Rodney looked around at the small sitting room of the bed and breakfast where they were currently hiding out. "You can say that again. Seems to me we've hit a dead end."

She shook her head. She wouldn't—couldn't—accept that. "No, Lyle's put all the pieces here. We just have to figure them out."

Apparently Lyle had stopped by her apartment prior to his appearance at the warehouse. He'd slid a coded letter under her door that she'd discovered when she returned home that night.

At first, she hadn't had time to acknowledge or even attempt to crack the code contained in the message. She'd been instructed to quickly pack a suitcase, and then she'd been placed in the very capable hands of Rodney, who had become her protector, guardian angel and best friend.

Rodney rested his head against the cushioned back of the chair and sighed loudly. "I don't know, Bridge. It's not looking good."

Guilt pricked at the edges of her conscience. The dear cop had put his life and career on the line for her. She hated feeling like she'd failed yet another friend.

"We're in the right place, Rodney. I know it. We just have to figure out the rest of the puzzle, and we'll have all the evidence we need to take down a hell of a lot more criminals than just Judge Thompson." Lyle had given up his life to see not only the judge brought to justice, but the judge's entire network as well.

She sighed. He had also died for her. He'd brought the evidence to her instead of a more seasoned reporter because he wanted to help her get a promotion, a break in her career. Bridget intended to see that his sacrifice wasn't wasted. She'd find the evidence, see the bad guys put behind bars, and then she'd take New York by storm. She'd become the greatest reporter ever and write a front-page article telling the world what Lyle had done.

She looked at the letter again. The paper had lost its crispness due to her constant handling. It was now soft as thin cotton and just as flimsy. Lyle's damn love of mysteries and puzzles was currently driving her insane. He'd clearly coded his message in a way—he'd thought—only she would be able to solve. Unfortunately, he'd been too clever for her.

Because You Love Me is available at Samhain, Amazon, Sony, All Romance Ebooks, and Barnes and Noble.

Want more snippets? Check out these authors.

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Zoë Archer

Cooking with Heat!

It's day three in our Super Bowl planning! Today, Susan is going to give us some scrumptious recipes for appetizers your guests won't be able to resist! In the menu, she suggested Uncle Charlie's Bean Salad, Wings, Bacon Wrapped Mini Dogs, and Shrimp Cocktail.

Uncle Charlie's Bean Salad  (makes 2 quarts)

2 cans cut string beans, drained

2 cans cut wax beans, drained

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 onion finely, chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

Combine above then add:

1 tsp sea salt

¾ cup sugar

1/3 to 2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar

And toss to combine.

Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

Chicken Wings

Sauce of some type – we use Mango Curry Grill Sauce by Stonewall Kitchens, hot sauce will work well also.

Toss wings in sauce.  Can be marinated for a few hours if you have the time. Place on baking sheet and bake at 425 for aprox 25 minutes until cooked through.

Bacon Wrapped Mini Dogs

1 lb sliced bacon (not thick) cut into thirds

1 14oz package cocktail wieners

¾ cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Refrigerate 2/3 of bacon until needed.  It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon.  Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Place on a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.  Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly.  To serve, place the wieners in a slow cooker and keep on low setting.

Today's word is Catch!

From Party Naked:

At his wit's end, he released her breasts, rising up to kneel between her outstretched legs. Her body was flushed and she was struggling to catch her breath. It was a heady, amazing sight.

"I need to be inside you, Stephanie."

From Spitfire:

"The next time you get pissed off and try to run to Stan's, I'm going to stop you and drag you here. I'm going to tie you to this bed and we're going to channel some of that pent-up, furious energy of yours."

Her hips lifted at his threat, clearly trying to find his cock. "You'll have to catch me first," she taunted.

From Happy Hour:

"High praise," Grace teased, "from a man who's spent months of his life watching internet porn."

Jamie chuckled, glancing over to catch the grin on Trey's face. As a gag, a few months earlier, the two of them had introduced Grace to everything the World Wide Web had to offer young guys in terms of sex entertainment. She'd jokingly said she preferred to read her porn, rather than view it.