Sharon Wray's Blog, page 81

Sarah Munro’s Black Strap Molasses Autumn Drink

To continue the series of 17th century herbal recipes that Sarah Munro (the heroine of ONE DARK WISH) has been updating, I’m adding a hot autumn drink to the list. This hot beverage is made with black strap molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and coconut sugar (or stevia).

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Since black strap molasses is made from the third boiling of cane sugar syrup, it’s filled with trace minerals such as iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, selenium, potassium, B6, and niacin. All of these help build up the immune system and can ward off illnesses. But this is a drink that should be drunk before getting sick (during the fall!), not while you’re sick. Because the molasses is derived from the third boiling, it’s also bitter. So add in the sugar (without guilt!) if you need the sweetness.

BLACK STRAP MOLASSES AUTUMN DRINK

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon black strap molasses1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 (or more) teaspoon coconut sugar or stevia (optional)Hot water

DIRECTIONS:

Put the 1 teaspoon of black strap molasses into your mug. Fill the mug with hot water and stir to dissolve the molasses. Stir in the ginger and cinnamon. If you’d like a sweeter drink, add in the stevia or coconut sugar. Enjoy!

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Amazon bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

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Published on October 09, 2019 03:30

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Autumn Vegetable Soup

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The kids are coming home from college this weekend and I’m digging up the last of my veggie garden. And the weather is finally cooling down. So what’s a busy romance writer/mom/wife to do? Make a huge pot of Autumn Vegetable Soup, cut up a loaf of crusty french bread and a block of cheddar cheese, and then serve it around the outdoor fire pit!

I hope you all have a wonderful October weekend!

Sharon Wray

Serves 6

189The Hungry {Romance Writer: Autumn Vegetable Soup

Serve with a fresh green salad, hot crusty bread, and apple cider in front of the season's first blaze in the fireplace. S'mores for dessert would be wonderful as well! This recipe is adapted from my grandmother Louise Quinlan's vegetable soup recipe and the Indian Summer soup recipe from the out-of-print cookbook Autumn Nights, Winter Mornings.

45 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 35 Total Time

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Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced1 medium onion, thinly sliced2 medium carrots, peeled and diced6 cups chicken broth4 cups water2 large garden tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped4 unpeeled new potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice1 small zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice1 small yellow squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice2 cups fresh corn kernels4 oz green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces3/4 cup petite penne pasta1/2 cup fresh parsley1/4 cup coarse chopped fresh basilfreshly ground fresh pepper to tasteFresh grated parmesan for garnish

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until tender, about five minutes. Add the carrots, cover and cook for ten minutes until tender.Add the chicken stock and water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.Stir in corn and green beans, reduce heat to low and cook for ten minutes.At this point, soup can be refrigerated until just before serving then heat to a simmer before continuing.Add the pasta and simmer for 8 minutes until cooked but still firm. Stir in basil, parsley, and season with pepper. Serve in bowls topped with grated cheese.7.8.1.2111http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-autumn-vegetable-soup/

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Amazon bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

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Published on October 04, 2019 03:30

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is October’s $1.99 Kindle Monthly Deal

I’m so excited to announce that EVERY DEEP DESIRE, the first book in the bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series, is a Kindle Monthly Deal. That means that EVERY DEEP DESIRE is now $1.99 at all digital book retail outlets–until Halloween!

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INTRODUCING BOOK 1 IN THE AMAZON BESTSELLING DEADLY FORCE SERIES

EIGHT YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO WAIT….

“If you are in the mood for a complex, dark and chilling thriller, then Wray has just the book for you. In her brand-new Deadly Force series, when it comes to the motivations of her characters, nothing is black and white . . . an excellent start to what looks to be a darkly compelling series!” – Romantic Times

“Every Deep Desire is phenomenal! Every Deep Desire is a modern Romeo and Juliet story filled with action and passion that will leave you breathless . . . a must read for lovers of spine-tingling suspense and endless love inspired storytelling.” – Joyfully Reviewed

Click here for an excerpt!

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He’s taking it all back
His honor, his freedom, and the woman he loves

Rafe Montfort was a decorated Green Beret, the best of the best, until a disastrous mission and an unforgivable betrayal destroyed his life. Now, this deadly soldier has returned to the sultry Georgia swamps to reunite with his brothers, and take back all he lost. But his wife Juliet must never know the truth behind what he’s done…or the dangerous secret that threatens to take him from her forever.

It took Juliet Capel eight long years to put her life back together after her husband was taken from her. Now Rafe is back, determined to protect her at any cost, and it’s not just her heart that’s in danger. The swamps hold a secret long buried and far deadlier than either of them could have imagined…

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Amazon bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

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Published on October 02, 2019 10:50

Sarah Munro’s Apple Cinnamon Tea

The next addition to Sarah Munro’s collection of revised 17th century herbal recipes is Apple Cinnamon Tea. There are two types of cinnamon sourced today: Celyon Cinnamon from Sri Lanka and cassia cinnamon from Indonesia. Cassia, the cheaper cinnamon, is what we usually find in the grocery store bottles. Ceylon cinnamon has a milder, sweeter flavor better suited for baking and adding to hot drinks. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the only cinnamon was Ceylon. If you can find it, I highly recommend using it. It’s more expensive but you don’t need as much of it.

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This is a wonderful autumn drink made from apples, ginger, cinnamon, honey, and your favorite tea leaves. It warms your body and can soothe a sore throat. You could also substitute green tea for the black tea for a more detox-type drink.

Ingredients:

3 cups filtered water½ teaspoon black tea leaves (your favorite choice–I use English Breakfast)½ cup chopped apples (your favorite choice–I prefer Macoun or Honey Crisp)1/8 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon powder1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice½ inch piece of ginger, sliced1 teaspoon honey, preferably local

Directions:

In a 4-quart pot, stir together the water, tea leaves, cinnamon, lemon juice and ginger. Bring to a boil and then reduce to 2 cups.Remove from heat and stir in the chopped apples. Cover for 5 minutes.Strain tea into two teacups and add the honey. Stir until honey is dissolved. Can be served hot or cold.

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Amazon bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

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Published on October 02, 2019 07:49

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Coconut Cake

It’s been a busy week here in the Deadly Force world!! ONE DARK WISH, the second book in the Deadly Force series, debuted on Tuesday and EVERY DEEP DESIRE (the first book in the series) became an Amazon bestseller!!!

While my family and I have been celebrating, I’ve also been spending time with Sarah Munro (the heroine of ONE DARK WISH) and today is the last installment of Carina’s Fundraising Party–the one that I crashed with Sarah.

And this week’s recipe is one of my absolute favorite desserts: Coconut Cake.

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Sarah Munro ~ “We have so much to celebrate tonight! My book (the one where I fall madly in love with my hero Nate Walker and almost lose everything due to a group of secret assassins and a psycho arms dealer) has just been released!! I’m so excited and ready to do some calorie damage with serious carbs!

I’m not sure if Carina is just annoyed at me or at everyone, but since she noticed that I brought Sharon with me to her party Carina has been bossier than ever. In fact, because a mosquito had the audacity to bite her, she moved the entire party inside her mansion. Apparently, when you’re uber wealthy and also a U.S. Senator, you have enough staff to redirect a party of over a hundred people without them even noticing.

Now we’re in her ballroom where waiters are serving coffee, cognac, and Coconut Cake. Once we find a corner to hide our shame (because we each have TWO slices of cake and multiple glasses of prosecco), Sharon raises her glass and says, “To Nate and Sarah and their book ONE DARK WISH. It was the hardest book I’ve ever written but also one of my favorites. May you and Nate be happy forever!”

We click glasses and I sip my sparkling wine when I realize something. Sharon actually has to power to change my happily ever after in later books. Now, with my hand shaking, I offer my toast. “To Sharon, now an Amazon Bestselling Author.” I figure any suck-up time I get with the woman in charge of the Deadly Force world should be exploited.

Since Sharon knows me so well, she just winks. “Everything with you and Nate will be great… for now. Try not to worry.”

Easier said than done! But as I eat the delicious cake, and Sharon and I watch Carina smoothly and silently reorder her world while walking around on stilettos and glaring at wayward guests, Sharon whispers, “I promised you and Nate a happy future. And I’ll deliver. But not everyone is going to fare so well.”

“You mean Carina?” I say around a bit of sweet coconutty frosting.

“Maybe.” Sharon raises her glass one last time. “To Happily Ever Afters. May they happen to all of us.”

“Cheers.” I clink again and bite into my second piece of cake. Considering what I know about the villains in the Deadly Force world, I’m not quite as confident as Sharon. But, for tonight, I’m willing to believe.”

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Sharon Wray

Yields Serves 8-10

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This recipe came from a dear friend from North Carolina. She served it one New Year's Eve and I was hooked. While it's more work that I usually like to put in for a dessert, this cake is worth the extra labor!! And don't scrimp on the frosting or the coconut garnish. The buttercream frosting and extra coconut garnish help offset the denseness of the cake.

50 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

1 hr, 20 Total Time

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Ingredients

Cake2 cups cake flour1 Tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 cup butter, room temperature1 1/2 cups white sugar1 package instant vanilla pudding5 eggs, room temperature1 teaspoon coconut extract1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup flaked coconut1 cup buttermilk, room temperatureFrosting3 cups confectioners sugar1/3 cup butter, softened1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract1-2 Tablespoons milk2 1/2 cups shredded coconut for garnish

Instructions

CakePreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans. Make sure to grease the pans well as this cake is dense and sometimes hard to get out of the pan.In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.Mix in vanilla pudding mix.One at a time, mix in the eggs (must be room temperature!). Blend each egg in before adding the next one.Mix in coconut extract and vanilla extract.Slowly add in 1/2 cup of flour mixture, alternating with a 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Use the mixer until wet and dry ingredients are barely mixed. (Don't over mix!)Stir in coconut, mixing gently to evenly combine.Pour batter into prepared pans.Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Watch the cakes as they tend to overcook quickly. They rarely need less time, but sometimes they do need more time, especially if your oven temp is fluky.Cool for 30 minutes. Remove from pans.FrostingIn medium bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to blend confectioners sugar and softened butter.On low speed, mix in vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of the milk.Gradually beat in enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and easily spreadable.If frosting is too thick, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time.When the cake is completely cooled, frost the top of one cake and add a layer of shredded coconut, about a 1/4 cup.Place the second layer on top of the first.Frost top and sides of cake and and decorate the top and sides with shredded coconut.7.8.1.2110http://sharonwray.com/deadly-force-recipe-series/the-hungry-romance-writer-coconut-cake/

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Amazon bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

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Published on September 27, 2019 03:30

Release Day for ONE DARK WISH and the Grace of Waiting

It’s release day for ONE DARK WISH, the second book in the Amazon bestselling Deadly Force series, and I’m so excited and grateful to send this book into the world.

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This book was supposed to have its release day in January 2019, but my publisher decided to change the cover. That decision led to other decisions and I ended up with a September 24th release date.

While I was totally fine with the decisions–and this amazing cover was worth the wait–I wrote this book almost two years ago now. In the meantime I’ve written a third (that comes out in February 2020) and am finishing up a novella. To see this on the shelf, and listen to the Audible version, is like stepping back in time. I was a different writer when I wrote this book. I was more tentative because everything was so new and also more bold because I was also naive. Not naive in a bad way, just in a I-had-no-idea-what-was-going-on-so-I-did-my-own-thing kind of way. So while I’m so excited to see this book on the shelves today, I’m anxious: It’s hard to let it go yet I feel like I’ve been waiting forever.

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This book is a romantic suspense story with a National Treasure-type plot. The heroine, Sarah Munro, is a historian who specializes in 17thcentury pirates. Her hero, ex-Green Beret Nate Walker, has just been released from the U.S. Army’s secret prison hospital in Maine. When Sarah and Nate meet in a remote colonial-era cemetery outside of Savannah, GA, and they’re threatened by a Fianna assassin, Sarah and Nate realize their very different lives are somehow connected. Unfortunately for them, that connection is a 17thcentury unsolved pirate cipher.

While Nate is on a secret mission of his own to redeem his honor and save the rest of his men in prison, he’s also been ordered to stop Sarah from solving that old pirate cipher. An order he ends up ignoring that, in turn, puts the two of them in even more danger.

This book has non-stop action, adventure, and romance and was by far one of the most difficult things I’ve ever written. Multiple POVs, two subplots, and having to come up with a cipher that I then had to solve left me with many sleepless nights. But, so far, it’s also my favorite book that I’ve written. I fell completely in love with Nate Walker, the ex-Green Beret who spent two years in an Afghan POW camp only to discover the rest of his men were convicted of war crimes and sent to a military prison. Nate, who still suffers from migraines and seizures from his time as a prisoner, proves over and over again that he would do anything for his men and the woman (his heroine Sarah) he loves.

And Sarah is one of the strongest-willed women I’ve ever written. She’s smart and, as the daughter of a cop, isn’t intimidated by Nate or his buddies–all ex-soldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group. Because she’s so confident in her belief that she can solve this cipher and save Nate’s men, these tough men begin to trust her–even if she can’t trust them back.

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Yet, as much as I love this book and no matter how much I learned by writing it, it was hard to wait for the new release date. Yet, within that waiting, I found something even more important: I found time.

I was able to change my marketing plan (such that it is). I edited the third book and the novella to make sure the overall series arc stayed intact. I had time to clean up my website (a work still in progress), change my blogging schedule, and join a number of fabulous reader Facebook groups.

I also had the time to evaluate those things that weren’t working such as writing in the evening instead of the morning, certain types of advertising and book events. I even got to experiment with swag–some worked great, other things failed quite spectacularly. (I even have photos of the epic fails!)

And I’m so grateful for that time. I’m much less stressed about this release than the last one, so much so that I may actually enjoy the day! One could even say that I’m entering this release day in a state of peace.

In a state of quiet.

In a state of grace.

Thank you all for being such a wonderful, supportive group of readers, authors, colleagues, and friends. I write alone in the dark but these books only enter the light in the arms of others.

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Amazon bestselling Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

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Published on September 24, 2019 04:30

Sarah Munro’s Bug Bite Remedy

It’s almost fall and even though the days are getting cooler and my garden is finally going to sleep, the bugs are still everywhere. So what’s a busy romance writer, who likes to work in her garden, going to do? Make a homemade Bug Bite Remedy. This is an herbal paste concoction found in Sarah Munro’s old box of homemade recipes. Since Sarah is a 17th century historian, as well as the heroine in ONE DARK WISH (the second book in the Deadly Force series), she’s been updating these early colonial recipes and sharing them with all of us. And this one is a favorite because it’s so simple to make and easy to use–and it works! This recipe also uses essential oil and I prefer lavender. But peppermint and frankincense and tea tree oils work as well.

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1 Tablespoon baking soda1 teaspoon filtered or distilled water2 drops of essential oil of your choice*coconut oil1 drop of essential oil of your choice (optional)*

In a small glass bowl, mix together the first three ingredients. Apply to the bug bite and let dry for at least 15 minutes. The paste will become flaky and fall off. When this happens, add a drop of coconut oil to the affected skin. If you prefer, premix the coconut oil with another drop of essential oil and then add it to your skin. The paste will take away the stinging sensation and the coconut oil will soothe your skin.

*Peppermint, Lavender, Frankincense, Tea Tree, and Melaleuca oils are all good choices for helping alleviate the sting of bug bites.

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

Her second book, ONE DARK WISH, will come out September 24, 2019 and is available for preorder here: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | iBooks | Google

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Published on September 21, 2019 03:30

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Southern Broccoli Salad

It’s the third week of Carina Prioleau’s Fundraising Party and Sarah Munro (the heroine of ONE DARK WISH) are eating dinner with the rest of the guests. Last week we had Pink Salt Pulled Pork and now we’re being served a Southern Broccoli Salad. Unfortunately, Carina has noticed my presence and is striding toward us. Tonight she’s wearing her blonde hair in a sleek high ponytail and a gold shift that had to cost more than one of my daughter’s semesters at UVA. I’m going to let Sarah handle this since Carina and I don’t get along. And just as Carina reaches our table, the lights in the garden go on. It’s almost sunset but the food is so good I hardly noticed!

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Sarah Munro ~ “Carina has reached our table and I decide to stand to greet her. Many of the other guests at our table are so busy eating and pointing to the beautiful colored lights that were intertwined among the branches of the courtyard’s trees they haven’t noticed Carina’s flashing eyes. Since we’re sitting at the end of a table, she stops in front of us.

“What is she doing here?” Carina is focused on me, but is obviously talking about Sharon. “I didn’t invite her.”

I smile to appease our hostess. “Sharon has never seen your house and she wanted to come so she could get to know you better.” I lower my voice and remind her, “The better Sharon knows you, the easier it is to write about you.”

Carina tosses her ponytail. “I already told Sharon I don’t want to be in any more of her books. I was in EVERY DEEP DESIRE and yours.” Carina points to a ONE DARK WISH bookmark on the table that Sharon was sharing with another guest. “I’m done.”

Before I can respond, Sharon stands. “I don’t think so.”

Carina snorts delicately and finally faces Sharon. “You don’t have a say.”

Sharon offers a small smile and tilts her head. “You’re wrong. You’ll be in whichever books I want you in.” Then Sharon leans in and whispers something in Carina’s ear. Carina’s face pales until her lipstick looks like a dark red stain on a white napkin. Finally Sharon sits again and begins to eat the next course which has just been served: Southern Broccoli Salad.

Carina stares at Sharon, but she is eating her rice and broccoli salad (which looks delicious!) and begins to talk to the man next to her.

Finally, Carina faces me again. “Enjoy your evening.” Then she disappears into the darker parts of the garden.

I sit and eat my broccoli salad, which is filled with rice and cranberries and a delicious dressing, and kick Sharon beneath the table. “What was that about?”

Sharon shrugs. “I reminded Carina that I know her deepest secret and that, if she doesn’t behave, she’ll never get the happily ever after she craves.”

“Wow. It must feel wonderful to have so much power.”

“Power over a fictional world?” Sharon laughs and then winks. “It’s quite a rush.”

I nod, then I realize that it’s because of Sharon that next week I’ll get my happy ending. So maybe I should be extra nice to her. “Any chance you’ll share Carina’s deepest secret?”

“Nope.” Sharon takes another serving of broccoli salad. “You’ll just have to read the rest of the books in the Deadly Force series to find out!”

Sharon Wray

Yields 6-8 servings

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This recipe was given to me by a friend in Charleston after she served it at a bridal luncheon. I've been making it, and tweaking it, for years and it is now one of my family's favorites. Not everyone blanches their broccoli before putting it into a salad, but I find if I cook it slightly and let it cool then there's less gastrointestinal distress. Because sometimes broccoli can do that.

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Published on September 20, 2019 03:30

Sarah Munro’s Winter Moisturizing Cream

Even though it still feels like summer, fall and winter are coming up fast. That means that dry, cracked skin will soon be upon us as well.

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As Sarah Munro (the heroine in ONE DARK WISH) was studying 17th and 18th century healing recipes, she came across a moisturizer that used lard and a few other hard-to-find-in-the-modern-world ingredients. So with a bit of tweaking, she developed this recipe. It’s a perfect all-over body cream for dry winter days and can be used on your face all the way down to your feet!

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This recipe is so versatile, you can even use it as a hair conditioner. Just rub a small amount into your dry hair. After three hours, wash it out. It also works as a lip balm!

Sarah Munro’s Winter Moisturizing Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup unrefined shea butter1 cup organic cocoa butter1/2 cup coconut oil essential oil of your choiceglass jarpiece of muslin for straining

Directions:

Sterilize the glass jar and lid by boiling it in water for 15 minutes. Let dry completely.

Place the shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil in a double boiler and heat just until all three ingredients are melted and combined. Do not boil!

Put the melted liquid into a food processor (not a blender!) and process until smooth.

Because there will still be some tiny solids, strain the liquid through a piece of muslin into another bowl. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, sitting at least four hours.

When it is cooled, and is now a yellowish color, put cream back into the food processor and process until creamy and turns a lighter color. If you’d like to add essential oil, now is the time. I use 5-10 drops, depending on the scent I’m using. If you’re using the cream on your face, you may want to omit the essential oil.

Store in the sterilized glass jar. The moisturizer will last up to two months if stored in a cool, dry place.

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

Her second book, ONE DARK WISH, will come out September 24, 2019 and is available for preorder here: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | iBooks | Google

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Published on September 18, 2019 03:30

A Deadly Force Primer Part 2: The Heroes

In anticipation of ONE DARK WISH’s release on September 24, I’ve put together a primer about the Deadly Force Series. In today’s post, I’m discussing the heroes of the series.

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The heroes of this romantic suspense series are a team of ex-Special Forces soldiers, accused of vicious war crimes, and determined to prove their innocence. Led by their commander Colonel Kells Torridan, they’re desperate to find the enemy who wants to destroy them before time runs out and the enemy attacks again. As these men struggle to rebuild their lives and redeem their honor, it’s the women they love who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

In the meantime, Kells and his men of the Seventh Special Forces group have been dishonorably discharged. Half of their men are in prison while the other half are now jobless and homeless. Not sure what to do next, they decide to manage a run-down, pirate-themed gym in a not-so-nice part of Savannah, Georgia. The gym gives them a place to live and enough money to pay for food and ammo while they come up with a plan to get their men out of prison, redeem their honor, and stay out of the way of their two enemies, the Fianna and the arms dealer Remiel Marigny.

Kells and his men have no support from anyone–they’re completely on their own using cheap burner phones, whatever weapons they can scavenge, and they even have to borrow an SUV from one of the men’s grandmothers. They’re in desperate straits emotionally, physically, and psychologically. But they’re determined to reclaim their lives while at the same time protecting each other and those they love.

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Now let’s meet the men!

Kells Torridan: Colonel Kells Torridan was the commander of the Seventh Special Forces Group and now leads his men who live and work at Iron Rack’s Gym in Savannah, GA. He feels responsible for everything that’s happened and is determined to protect his men who are in prison as well as those who’ve chosen to live with him at Iron Rack’s Gym. Kells is currently separated from his wife but refuses to believe his marriage is over. Kells will do anything to save his men and his marriage.

Rafe Montfort: Rafe is the hero of EVERY DEEP DESIRE. Rafe is an ex-Green Beret who, eight years before the series starts, betrayed his men, left his wife, and deserted his A-team to join the Fianna. After spending years as a Fianna warrior, Rafe was arrested in St. Petersburg, Russia and then extradited back to Leavenworth Prison in Kansas. When Rafe is unexpectedly released from prison in EVERY DEEP DESIRE, he has one last chance to save his wife and protect the men he’d once sworn his loyalty to.

Nate Walker: Nate is the hero of ONE DARK WISH. Nate once was a member of the esteemed Seventh Special Forces Group but is now the unofficial executive office (XO) of the unit that resides and works at Iron Rack’s Gym. Nate spent years in an Afghan POW camp run by the unit’s enemy Remiel Marigny and suffers from headaches and seizures due to how poorly he was treated. His one wish is to prove his innocence and that of his men–and to protect the woman he’s recently fallen in love with.

Zack Tremaine: Zack is the hero of IN SEARCH OF TRUTH, the third book in the Deadly Force series. Zack is a native Cajun from New Orleans. He’s also the illegitimate grandson of the former governor of Louisiana and the godson of his home city’s most famous madam. Determined to make a life for himself away from his infamous relatives, Zack became a Green Beret. It was a great life until his unit was charged with war crimes and he was dishonorably discharged. Now he has to make a choice between the woman he’s loved all of his life and the men he’s sworn to protect. Because in the war with Remiel and the Fianna, Zack can’t save both.

Alex Mitchell: Alex is the hero of Deadly Force Book 4 (as yet untitled). Alex is an ex-Army Ranger who was recently released from the army’s secret prison known as Leedsville Military Correctional Facility. Accused of a murder he failed to commit, Kells worked a deal to get Alex released for one reason: to find and kill their enemy Remiel Marigny. Alex is totally on board with this plan until he meets a woman and her daughter who steal his heart and force him to make an impossible choice that could destroy him and all of Kells Torridan’s men.

Cain Marun: Cain is one of the few married men in the unit and is the most laid back. His wife Charlotte is his entire world. She’s been with him from the beginning—from the unit’s set-up and secret congressional committee hearings all the way through his dishonorable discharge and new life working at Iron Rack’s Gym. But no matter what Remiel has thrown at the unit, Charlotte has remained by the side of Cain and his men. For a while, Cain believed this war between Kells and Remiel and the Fianna only affected him peripherally. But when Remiel kidnaps Charlotte, Cain is thrust into the position of hunter and killer. Because he will do anything to save his wife, even if he has to give up his own life and the lives of his men.

Luke Turner: Luke was a member of the Seventh Special Forces Group until he and his men were dishonorably discharged. Not only is Luke one of the youngest members of the unit, he’s the most computer savvy. That means that, for a while now, he’s had access to intel the rest of the unit—including Kells—hasn’t had. Unfortunately for Luke, that information will force him to lie to his men, endangering them and the woman he secretly adores.

Ty Briggs: Ty is the quietest of all of Kells’s men and keeps himself apart from his buddies. It’s not because he doesn’t love them or isn’t committed to saving the rest of his men in prison. It’s because Ty feels guilty. Guilty about his part in the doomed Afghan operation that destroyed their lives and the secret he carries but can’t reveal. When Remiel Marigny turns his focus to Ty, and Ty’s secret, Ty realizes that he has to admit his part in the disaster his life–and those of his men–has become. Except if he reveals this secret, an innocent woman will die.

Vane Preston: Of all the men in the unit, Vane is closest to Kells. Kells confides in Vane and Vane offers advice. The problem with this situation is that, over the years, Vane’s relationship with Kells has separated Vane from the rest of his men. Some of the men resent Vane, others outright dislike him. This loneliness, as well as the inside information he’s kept to himself, has left Vane vulnerable to his enemies Remiel Marigny and the Fianna. When Vane’s men believe that he’s betrayed them, he has no one to turn to for help–except for the woman he’s loved from afar but has sworn never to see again.

Pete White Horse—Pete found a life filled with adventure and honor with the Seventh Special Forces Group until their dishonorable discharges. When he and his unit lost everything, and ended up working at Iron Rack’s Gym, he was determined to reclaim his life and save his men in prison. But after he’s taken hostage by Remiel Marigny, and forced into a no-win situation with the Fianna, Pete finally realizes that nothing in his life will ever be the same. And to save his men, and the woman he’s loved and lost, he’ll have to make the ultimate sacrifice. A sacrifice that will change the lives of his men, and the woman he loves, forever.

Detective Jorge Garza: Garza, a detective with the Savannah Police Department, has become a reluctant player in Kells’s unit and is now committed to making sure that Kells and his men manage their war with the Fianna and Remiel Marigny below the notice of local law enforcement. But in the process of protecting Kells and his men, he must live a double life. And when this double life causes harm to those he loves, he is going to have to make some difficult decisions. Does he save the woman he thought he’d never see again or protect the men he’s come to love more than his own family.

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

Her second book, ONE DARK WISH, will come out September 24, 2019 and is available for preorder here: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | iBooks | Google