Starla Kaye's Blog, page 7

12 Days of Recipes: Butterscotch Coconut Haystacks

I love this time of year: getting together with family and friends, giving gifts, and sharing our favorite things. One of the favorite things I like to share and have shared with me are recipes.

Today I’m sharing one of my sweetest cookie recipes is a favorite with my family and friends.

 

BUTTERSCOTCH COCONUT HAYSTAC KS

 

Ingredients

2 (11 oz) bags of butterscotch morsels

3/4 c smooth peanut butter

2 t vegetable oil

1 T vanilla

2 (5 oz) cans chow mein noodles

1 c sweetened coconut

1 1/4 c peanuts (optional)

 

Instructions

In large bowl, combine chow mein noodles and coconut. Add peanuts if desired.
Melt butterscotch morsels, peanut butter, vanilla, and oil over medium-heat in a saucepan. Stir constantly. Melt until mixture is smooth.
Pour butterscotch mixture over noodles mixture. Stir until evenly coated. NOTE: This is hard to stir.
Using two tablespoons, drop into small piles on wax paper (or parchment paper).
Allow haystacks to firm up for approximately 3 hours.
Store in an airtight container.

 

Servings: 4 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: Cooling time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

 

For more of my favorite recipes: Oh yeah, that’s good!


One of Starla Kaye’s Christmas Books

RANCH CHRISTMAS -Anthology

The post 12 Days of Recipes: Butterscotch Coconut Haystacks appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Alexa Bourne with Simple Treasures

I am welcoming Alexa Bourne today to my blog with SIMPLE TREASURES. To begin with, Alexa has a few words for us all.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Whether you’re in an area with tons of snow, sunshine and sandcastles or one with cold, crisp air, I hope you’re enjoying the holidays.

The time between America’s Thanksgiving and the world ringing in the New Year is my favorite part of the year. Not only do I get to eat LOTS of good treats, but I get to spend time with family, shop for gifts and listen to Christmas music. And of course, I can’t deny getting presents is fun, too!

But honestly, for me, I love the holidays because people are a little kinder to each other, a little more patient, and people tend to appreciate the goodness they have in their lives more than they do during the rest of the year. Now some say people get crazy with their gift shopping, but I tend to focus on gifts that have meaning for the person, not the trendiest treats. In short, I go for quality over quantity or what the world says we must have.

How about you? Do you mow people down on Black Friday to get “the perfect gift”? Or do you focus more on sentimental presents?

 

BLURB – Simple Treasures

Take-charge bodyguard Colin Munro believes working for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream job.

Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint as a U.S. soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no compassion for her or the victim.

As danger hunts them during one of the busiest times of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she’s a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself?

BUY LINKS:  Amazon     All Romance eBooks     Barnes & Noble     Smashwords

 

EXCERPT – Simple Treasures

Joanna bolted upright. Darkness wrapped her in its hideous embrace. And silence reigned. Her heart raced. She flattened her hands on the mattress beneath her.

Mattress. Bed. Colin’s hotel room.

Rustling sounds came from the floor. The bedside lamp flickered on. Colin propped himself up, one knee bent and an arm dangling over it. He squinted against the brightness. “Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She brushed her fingers under her eyes.

“Don’t be daft, lass.”

“I had a bad dream.” She smoothed her hair back off her face. Moisture beaded at her temples.

“Here we call it a nightmare.” He smiled, and at once she relaxed her shoulders.

“Americans do, too.” After another deep breath, she said, “I’ll be all right.” Once her heart rate slowed to normal. With her forearm, she wiped perspiration from her forehead.

He stood, padded into the bathroom, and ran the faucet. When he returned, he sat beside her, tucked his finger under her chin, and pressed the cloth to her cheek. The cool moisture soothed her burning skin.

She reached up and covered his hand with hers. “I can do that.”

“I know.” He brushed her fingers away. “But you’ll not.”

After a few seconds, he moved the wet towel across her forehead and to her other cheek.

When he reached her neck, she sighed and closed her eyes for a few valuable seconds.

“Thank you.”

His gentle caress reminded her how much she’d missed simple comfort…from anyone.

“You’re welcome.” The cloth soon disappeared. “Now, will you tell me what you dreamed about?”

“Mark Rawlings. I dreamed I was back in the train car and he was bleeding out on the floor. The guy with him faded into the background, but I could see the man’s hands and lips moving. I couldn’t hear anything, though. Then somebody jabbed me with something, and my blood drained out of my body, but there was nothing I could do. The guy standing stayed in front of me. There was another voice, but the words were garbled.”

“Did you see anyone else?”

“No, but at the end I wasn’t paying attention. I was losing consciousness.” She tilted her head to one side and into her palm. “Colin, what am I going to do if we don’t find the professor’s attacker soon?”

“We’ll take it one day at a time.” Strong, confident, able to leap tall buildings and all…even in the middle of the night.

 

AUTHOR BIO

Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance and is thrilled to have the chance to share her stories with readers everywhere.

When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking about exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with readers and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out more about her and her books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.

AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Website     Blog     Goodreads     Facebook     Twitter     Email

The post Alexa Bourne with Simple Treasures appeared first on Starla Kaye.

12 Days of Recipes: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Gingerbread Cookies

I love this time of year: getting together with family and friends, giving gifts, and sharing our favorite things. One of the favorite things I like to share and have shared with me are recipes.

Today I’m sharing one of my plain but tasty cookie recipes is a favorite with family and friends.

 

 

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH GINGERBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients

1 c margarine

1 1/2 c brown sugar, packed

2 eggs, beaten

1 T ground ginger

1/2 c molasses

1 1/2 c boiling water

1 1/2 t baking soda

5 c flour

2 t baking powder

1 1/2 t salt

1 T cinnamon

1 c chopped nut (optional)

 

Instructions

Preheat over to 425 degrees F.
Cream margarine and brown sugar in a large bowl.
Blend in beaten eggs.
Mix in ginger and molasses.
Stir in boiling water.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking power, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add to sugar mixture.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 7-8 minutes.
Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet, then cool completely on wire racks.

 

Servings: 5 dozen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7-8 minutes per sheet

Total Time: 45 minutes

 

For more of my favorite recipes: Oh yeah, that’s good!

One of Starla Kaye’s Christmas Books

SANTA WEARS SPURS

The post 12 Days of Recipes: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Gingerbread Cookies appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Ayla Ruse with Racing Wild

Today I’m welcoming Ayla Ruse to my blog with her Christmas story, RACING WILD.

Thank you, Starla for having me visit today. I love the holidays—Christmastime in particular. Everything is bright, festive and full of love and laughter and joy.

For the past several years I’ve written short Christmas tales set around the North Pole and the variety of elves found in this magical place. This year is no different. My story is entitled Racing Wild and it’s the first in the Reindeer Games multi-author series by Changeling Press. Here’s a little more about this tale…

Varian Swift of the Border Elves has two pressing desires: to win the finals in the annual Reindeer Games, and to find a mate before dawn.

Randolwyn of the Wild Elves runs the Games’ blacksmith shop. Once she thought she wanted a mate, but that was years ago, before a cruel trick made her turn her back on love.

When an accident brings Varian to Randolwyn’s shop, he’s struck with the bone-deep knowledge that he’s found his mate. But she doubts his claim, even as she’s drowning in his kisses.

Games are meant to have challenges, but with love on the line, games should take a back seat. Instead, this Christmas Eve becomes a race against the clock, a race to catch up, and a race to outrun those who dare to break them apart.

BUY LINKS:  All Romance eBooks     Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Now I would like to share with you an interview conducted with the elves Varian and Randolywn. Varian is a tall Border Elf and Randi is a slender Wild Elf with short, multi-colored hair.

Can you tell the readers a little about yourself?

Varian: There’s not a lot to tell, really. I’ve worked for Santa, patrolling the borders of the North Pole for too many years to count. I’m ready to settle down and find a mate, but the deal I worked out with Santa to retire is nearing its deadline. I’m racing in the Reindeer Games today, the last day, and I have until dawn to find a mate. I’m hoping to find someone to share the rest of my life with at the After Party tonight.

Randolwyn: First, please call me Randi. My adoptive herd, from the Wild, named me Randolwyn, and even though it’s sweet of them, I prefer the shorter Randi. Ah, what else? I don’t like being near the Pole and would much rather be back in the Wild, tending to and taking care of the reindeer herds there. But they seem to think I should find a mate, so they set me up a smithy shop during the Reindeer Games. Same story every year. I come, I work, I go home alone. I, ah, had a bad experience several years ago, so I’m good being alone. Very good, in fact.

What makes you blush?

Varian: Nothing that I can think of.

Randi: Umm…(she cuts her eyes to Varian), Varian actually.

Varian: Really?

Randi: You’ve not noticed? I’ve ,well, liked watching you since I first saw you win years ago. Your attention always makes me blush.

Varian: Is that so? Come to think of it, whenever I touch you like this…(he reaches over and runs a finger down her neck and follows the scooped neckline. Indeed, Randi starts to blush and I quickly clear my throat to get back on track.)

What upset your ordinary world and brought you into contact with each other?

Varian: Clyde, my reindeer, got a crack in his hoof—an hour before the last race in the Games. I had to find someone quick to make the repair, and lucky for me, no one was in front of me when we found the Reindeer Repair Shoppe. I walked in to ask the smithy to fix Clyde’s shoe. I left knowing I’d found my mate.

Randi: From my point of view, his coming into the shoppe is where we first officially met. Having the Sweet 5 chase us around all night is what really upset my world. Instead of bringing us together, they almost tore us apart.

The Sweet 5? What’s that?

Varian: It’s not a what, it’s a who. They’re a sweet group of pretty Southern Elves. Five of them, all best friends, who, uh, claim the winner of the Games every year as their own personal prize.

Randi: They’re very possessive and persuasive. Hopefully we’ve seen the last of them.

(I can’t help but note that Varian speaks of them with a slight fondness, even tolerance, while Randi scowls.)

What do each of you think about “love and romance”?

Varian: (he scratches the back of his neck and hedges a little). I think it’s important, but sometimes it has to take a back seat when there’s a deadline looming ahead.

Randi: (she snorts) It’s a bunch of hooey. Don’t’ fall for it, ladies. Nothing good can ever come of either.

Varian: (Takes Randi’s hand) But that was in the past, right? We’re something different now.

Randi: (Her grudging smile turns into a warm grin). Okay. Love and romance has its place. (She turns back to me) But it has to be real. It’s nothing but trash unless it’s real.

Who took the first step in heating things up between you?

Varian: Me.

Randi: Varian. I’d never have had the guts to do what he did.

Would you rather be caught in a wild moment of passion or tied down and taken?

Varian: I’m pretty much open to anything.

Randi: Caught by whom? I don’t like being spied on and if those five little devious little elves even think of chasing us down again… (she breaks off, her face screwed up. I change the subject, and I hope for their sake those five indeed leave this pair alone.).

What is the kinkiest sexual thing you’ve ever done?

Varian: (whispers) I really don’t want to say right now.

Randi: (overhears) Why not? You’re a legendary lover. Tell all.

Varian turns to Randi and pulls her close. “Nope,” he tells her, resting his forehead against hers, “I think the kinkiest sexual thing I’ve ever done actually hasn’t been done yet, because I’m saving that one for you.”

Randi blushes from her hair roots to her toes and kisses him full on the mouth. I try to ask a few more questions, but it’s obvious they believe the interview is over.

EXCERPT – Racing Wild

“Damn, Clyde. We have one more race before we can walk away with the grand prize. You couldn’t have waited to crack your shoe until after?” Varian Swift, a Border Elf from the Great River Expanse Region, lowered his reindeer’s hoof and shook his head. “Of all the lousy timing,” he muttered, setting his hands low on his hips and turning to look at the vendors scattered around the busy raceway. Peppermint Sticks made fresh, hot buttered rum served in classic peppermint vessels, and the Trinket Booth offered authentic jingle bells to adorn a reindeer’s antlers, but where was the repair shop? He’d never needed one before now, but surely there had to be a smithy somewhere nearby.

“C’mon, Clyde.” He motioned to his disabled reindeer. “Let’s hobble around the corner. Maybe the smithy’s closer to the back end of the loop.”

Varian moved away from the crowded vendors with Clyde doing a three-hoofed clomp behind him. Well-wishers and fans tried to stop the pair, but Varian was on a tight schedule. He didn’t let himself become cornered, but he gritted his teeth into a smile as he shook hands along the way.

For the past five years, he and Clyde had participated in the annual Reindeer Games, and every year they’d won all three divisions. If he won all three this year — which was now in question — he’d receive a bonus cash prize. True, he didn’t need the additional funds to purchase the stretch of land he had his eye on, but it would come in handy to set up his ranch.

He’d been protecting the western fringes of the North Pole for more years than he could count. He was itching for something different; he wanted to settle down. Last year, Santa had granted his permission for Varian to retire. The caveat was two-fold. Varian would have to own and patrol a sizeable piece of land along the western border (the easy part), and he had to find a mate (the hard part). The really difficult part, however, was that the agreement had a one-year term. It became null and void by sunrise tomorrow — Christmas Day. At which point, if Varian didn’t meet the two stipulations, he’d have to sign a new, twenty-year contract to continue patrolling the endless western border.

His reindeer nudged his elbow and Varian shook his head out of his musings to see what the reindeer had noticed.

“Good eyes, Clyde. Reindeer Repair Shoppe. Here we go.”

The vendor’s sign stuck out from oversized open barn doors. He and Clyde walked into the shop. A squat counter sporting an old cash register sat off to the right, and a placard along the wall spelled out services and prices, but other than these, the place seemed empty.

“Hello?” he called out. Faint sounds of metal clanging came from the back. Looking around, but not seeing anything with which to signal whoever was in the back, he shrugged and made his way to another wide opening on the left. He normally wouldn’t barge his way through anyone’s business, but he had a race to win and an Elven mate to find. He prayed that at the After Party, where Elves of all kinds gathered, he’d find at least one female he’d consider taking as a mate. He couldn’t be picky anymore.

The air grew warmer from the huge furnace he noticed on the left as he and Clyde entered the back of the shop.

“Hello,” he yelled, now spying a figure bent over an anvil. The thick apron, heavy gloves and welder’s mask shielded the figure.

After a minute the banging stopped. A sizzling sound sputtered through the shop as the Elf set whatever metal he’d been working on in a large vat of water and looked up, not giving any outward sign to acknowledge Varian’s presence. The Elf set down the tools he’d been using and walked toward him, removing gloves along the way.

The first thing Varian noticed was that this was no Workshop Elf. Too tall.

The Elf glanced at Clyde, made some kind of noise and Varian raised a brow when his reindeer lifted his damaged hoof. Were they talking to each other? What kind of Elf was this smithy?

The Elf nodded back and mumbled something else. Clyde chuffed out… a reply? The next thing Varian knew, the Elf removed the infernal welding mask.

Varian sucked in a breath and did his best not to let his jaw drop.

The blacksmith — a tall, willowy, female Elf — smiled, and he whooshed out a breath of air as if he’d been kicked in the chest by his reindeer. Damn, she nearly came to his chin in height. She sported short hair with streaks of red and black and burgundy. He normally wouldn’t think twice about it, but the multi-colors seemed to make her pale skin glow. An angular face, high-tipped ears and a graceful slender neck also captured his attention, but his gaze locked with her huge violet eyes. That is, until he zeroed in on full lips that promised pleasures untold with every movement.

Movement. Wait, she was talking to him.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” he asked, stupidly. He’d never been tongue-tied before.

Her grin was a little shy and infectious. “I think I have a shoe to fit Clyde. You can stay or come back for him.”

He simply nodded, afraid if he tried to speak he’d trip over his tongue. Love at first sight was nothing more than human baloney, but damn, if it didn’t hit him hard right now. She turned around and his gaze immediately strayed to her slender back and slim waist where the apron strings cinched, to an uplifting, tight, curvy ass.

“Are you going to stay or leave?” she asked over her shoulder.

“I, ah, I’ll wait.”

His heart tripped and something in him grabbed his gut as if to yank him around to say, “She’s the one!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Handed a historical romance at young age, Ayla Ruse fell in love with love and with happy endings.  Having grown up living life tasting a little of this and a little of that has not changed this attitude, but it’s expanded her views.  Love isn’t always happy and it isn’t always the way a person “thinks it should be.”  Sometimes it’s outside the box, and it’s always a challenge.

Ayla is a stay-at-home mother who also home schools three rambunctious children. In her (cough) free time, she loves the outdoors, reading, and exploring.

AUTHOR LINKS:  Website     Twitter     Facebook     Amazon Author Page     About Me Page

 

The post Ayla Ruse with Racing Wild appeared first on Starla Kaye.

12 Days of Recipes: German Chocolate Cookies

I love this time of year: getting together with family and friends, giving gifts, and sharing our favorite things. One of the favorite things I like to share and have shared with me are recipes.

Today I’m sharing one of my new cookie recipes that has already become a favorite with my husband, family, and friends.

 

 

GERMAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

 

Ingredients

1 pkg (15 1/2 oz) German chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1/2 c chocolate chips

1/2 c peanut butter chips (optional)

1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix cake mix with eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Add chocolate chips.
Add peanut butter chips (optional).
Add nuts (optional).
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks.

 

Servings: 2 dozen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes per sheet

Total Time: 30 minutes

 

For more of my favorite recipes: Oh yeah, that’s good!



One of Starla Kaye’s Christmas Books

NORTH POLE MAGIC – Boxed Set

The post 12 Days of Recipes: German Chocolate Cookies appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Spotlight: Ana Raine with Garden of Silence

I am welcoming back Ana Raine to my blog with her gay romance, GARDEN OF SILENCE.

BLURB – Garden of Silence

Oliver Hull is a fifth generation gardener who works at the elite Haver House for Nathan Haver, a poised man who collects rare flowers and plants and appreciates the beauty in nature. When Nathan dies, his son Charles inherits everything, including Oliver.

But Charles is an infamous playboy, known for using people and discarding them. Charles and Oliver had been friends growing up, but as they got older, the divide between their social classes pushed them apart. Determined to stay at the Haver House as generations did before him, Oliver sets out to show Charles the beauty of the garden. But when Charles seems more interested in making Oliver his than inheriting an old estate and garden, Oliver has to choose between falling for his first crush or staying on with the new buyers of Haver House.

BUY LINK:   Changeling Press

 

EXCERPT – Garden of Silence

The funeral was silent, which was startling considering how many people had come to celebrate his life. After a while, I gave up on trying to distinguish between those who were genuinely there to say good-bye apart from those who were biding their time until the will was ready afterwards.

Amongst the throngs of people, Charles sat at the front to thank people for coming. He was surrounded by a myriad of other young men with neatly combed hair and young women with plastered smiles and dyed hair.

Just to make sure I wouldn’t have to overhear any of his conversation, I sat towards the back. I could make out the shape of Master Nathan’s hands from where I was, but his presence was everywhere.

Charles had always been good at creating illusions, but I wasn’t sure which one he was trying to pass off. Either he genuinely didn’t care about his father’s death, or the depths of his grief made it too hard for him to come to acceptance.

There was a cemetery a few miles down the road where Master Nathan was laid to rest amongst his deceased family members, including Charles’s mother. After the rainy procession, most of the guests went home, but some lingered on the grounds. When a man I recognized as Nathan’s lawyer appeared, I knew the guests had stayed to hear the reading of his will.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I halted mid-step and reluctantly looked back. Out of respect, I’d come back into the house with the other guests, but now that the numbers were thinning, I knew when I didn’t belong here anymore. “Back to my house,” I muttered, “While it’s still mine.”Charles made a strange face, like he was so disgusted with me living within close proximity of him that he couldn’t contain his facial expressions. The other guests had gone into the library upstairs, so we were alone on the main floor.

“Aren’t you going to stay to hear his will?” Charles casually leaned against the oak barrister, looking every bit like an image from one of the old paintings hanging on the wall. “He probably left his boy toy something.”

I couldn’t stop the grimace from forming on my face. “You know that’s just sick, right? He was nothing but kind to me.”

Charles snorted and crossed his arms. I was so close to him I could see his long lashes beating angrily against his cheeks. Like he wanted to mar his beautiful features, but was unable. “Come with me.”

“Where?” I asked hesitantly.

“Does it matter?”

Fear coiled like a snake up my back, but I couldn’t determine if I was afraid for my safety or my sanity. Being alone with him in my cottage earlier had been dangerous enough.

“Yes,” I closed my eyes. “It matters.”

I felt his hand wrap around my wrist and tighten like a rope. When I realized Charles wasn’t going to relent, I opened my eyes and was startled to find we weren’t going upstairs to join the others.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Can’t you just be quiet,” he said, frustration laced in his words. “I’m the master of the house and of you.”

A tiny shiver vibrated through my body and rocked what sense I had left out of my skull. My… master. I knew he hadn’t realized what his words would mean to me, but then again, I doubted he cared.

Although much smaller than him, I could’ve pulled free but I convinced myself I didn’t out of embarrassment. I didn’t want to alert anyone because they would see the heat clouded on my cheeks.

Charles’s tall frame pulled me into a closet near the stairs to the basement. I caught the scent of shoe polish.

“Shit, where’s that light?”

The closet was suffocating, my back pressed against the wall with Charles mere inches away. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, the cologne at the base of his throat and I wanted nothing more than to taste him. Wanted nothing more than to fall to my knees and make him see just how right I was for him.

“There it is.”

I squinted as the light flickered to life above us. Apart from the few coats hanging and the gleaming shoes on the floor, there was nothing to divert my attention from Charles.

Up close, I could see that he’d lost his boyish features and had evolved into someone so sexy it was criminal. His blue eyes blinked as he adjusted, but he recovered more quickly than me and took both my wrists in one hand and held my arms above my head.

“Stop fucking around.” I meant to sound angry, but my arousal gave me away and my voice was small. “You brought me to a closet. What for?”

Charles bit his lower lip and raked his gaze over my face and body. He was only twenty-four, but his eyes belonged to someone years older. I found myself shivering in spite of myself. He was only two years older than me and yet I would’ve collapsed to my knees if he hadn’t been holding me up.

“Knock it off.”

“Just wanted to check,” he muttered.

“Check what?”

“If you still belong to me…”

 

AUTHOR BIO – Ana Raine

Ana is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life, although social work seems to be the most likely. Her best friends are a box of chocolate and her kitten who always sit beside her while she writes. When Ana was in high school, she often wrote about the LGBT community, but now her work is less…innocent. Ana enjoys writing anything and everything, including BDSM, dragons, shifters, magic, and more.

If you’d like to follow her, here is her blog site: http://anarainebooks.blogspot.com.

Twitter: @AuthorAnaRaine

The post Spotlight: Ana Raine with Garden of Silence appeared first on Starla Kaye.

12 Days of Recipes: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

I love this time of year: getting together with family and friends, giving gifts, and sharing our favorite things. One of the favorite things I like to share and have shared with me are recipes.

Today I’m sharing one of my cookie recipes that is a favorite with my husband, family, and friends.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES

 

 

Ingredients

1/3 c butter, melted

1/2 c brown sugar, packed

1/3 c sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

3/4 c dried cranberries

1/2 c white baking chips

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar until crumbly, about 1 minute.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl and then gradually add to butter mixture, mix well.
Stir in cranberries and chips.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 8-9 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet and then completely on wire racks.

 

Servings: 2 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8-9 minutes per sheet

Total Time: 33 minutes

For more of my favorite recipes: Oh yeah, that’s good!


One of Starla Kaye’s Christmas books:

OH SO NICE…AND NAUGHTY

The post 12 Days of Recipes: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Gina Wynn with Her Undercover Christmas

Today I’m welcoming Gina Wynn to my blog with her new Christmas release, HER UNDERCOVER CHRISTMAS.

 

Why Gina loves Christmas

I love Christmas. When I was younger, I loved it for the obvious reasons—no school, overdosing on TV and, obviously, PRESENTS! Now, though, I love the time I get to spend with my family, and I love making the time of year really special for my children because I want them to remember their Christmases as I do—safe, magical times.

So, I rearrange the furniture, decorate the house and try to fill it with those wonderful smells of Christmas, and I spend time watching Christmas movies with them. I am a sucker for a Christmas movie, and a good Christmas book. At the beginning of December, I bring out all of the picture books with a Christmas theme that we’ve managed to collect over the years, and it’s fun to see the children rediscover them. For me, I have started a tradition of spending my December reading Winter/Christmas themed books. I try to finish the last one on Christmas Eve to be ready for the big day itself.

I eagerly anticipate snow all through December, but it’s only fun if we’re able to stay home and watch it from inside or go into the garden to play in it. All three of my babies were born with snow outside—although all in different months of the year. My third was possibly the most awkward because we had to make the trip to the hospital on a day when my other children were sent home from school and people were trying not to travel. Still, at least she maintained the snow births.

There aren’t any snow birth babies in Her Undercover Christmas, but there is plenty of snow, and there is a real Christmas tree. I’m a little ashamed to admit I’ve lost the real tree over the past few years, and opted instead for an artificial one as the children like to put it up early in December. Maybe I just need a Bastian.

 

BLURB – Her Undercover Christmas

Christmas is approaching and Phil is a girl out to get what she wants—the life of her choosing. She wants it all: a good looking man, his money, and the respect he commands. She just needs to throw her lot in with her criminal cousins for one day. Long enough to pull off a theft and come to the attention of the man she desires. But the job goes wrong.

Bastian is a man on the run—from a lifestyle he never chose and can’t seem to escape. One last favour before he disappears for good, and then he can start afresh somewhere new. But the favour balloons into more than he anticipated, and suddenly there are two of them on the run, and two of them snowed in and hiding out in his one last safe place.

Can a woman who thinks she knows where she belongs help a man who has never really belonged anywhere?

BUY LINKS:  Amazon      Amazon.co.uk     Barnes & Noble     iTunes     Bookstrand     Smashwords     All Romance eBooks     Kobo     Google Play       Coffee Time Romance

EXCERPT- Her Undercover Christmas

He shrugged her off his shoulder and stood her close to his body, hand clamped firmly across her mouth.

“What are you doing?” She’d get them both discovered, and the boys after him left Joe looking like a pre-schooler who’d missed naptime.

She shook her head and he loosened his grip as her teeth grazed his skin. “My mother told me stories about you.”

“Well, well. I didn’t know I was quite so widely known to have become part of London lore. That must put me in the same league as legends like the Tooth Fairy and Father Christmas. I’m honoured.” He kept his arm wrapped around her waist.

“More like Wee Willie Winkie or that thing lurking under the bed.” She bent her leg and stamped on his toe.

“Try harder,” he whispered into her ear. “Not only do I have boots with superior grip, they have steel toe caps. And, if you recall, you have bare feet.”

She wriggled, grinding her body against his. He looked into her eyes, focusing on the confusion he found there.

“If you do that again, I’ll kiss you.”

She stopped, and he would have plucked his words from the air to shove back down his throat…but the thought of her lips teased him, still. He let his hands fall away from her as sudden need pulsed through him.

“You’re free to go. Tell your mother you met her bogeyman, her personal Pitch Black, whatever. You won’t see me again. And I won’t hurt you.” He turned to go. “Or kiss you, so don’t worry.” His last words were a regrettable afterthought.

“I…I can’t. I don’t know how to get home. My cousins brought me.”

He held his sigh in his chest and faced her. “There’s a bus stop over there, and busses stop at it all day long.”

She cast a glare in his direction that almost had a look of Rosa, and huffed out a determined breath. “Well, good. I didn’t want you to carry me about, anyway, like some abducting, murdering, debauching Neanderthal. Yet, now you expect me to conjure a bus to get home, in a strange place, when it looks like we’re expecting snow. Some gentleman you are.”

“I never claimed to be that, JB.”

She closed her eyes and let out a low groan. “Stop calling me that stupid name. Phil. I’m Phil.”

He swallowed hard and took a small step away before recovering himself. Bollocks, and shit and bollocks again. Of course, Rosa didn’t have son. She had a daughter…with eyes so full of fear as they peered out from her darkened bedroom, until Rosa noticed her watching the adults talk and sent her back to bed, that the memory haunted him when he slept. He’d always lurked in the shadows of Rosa’s life, unwilling for anyone but Rosa to see him, especially anyone so scared. But…he juggled his thoughts. Time had moved on. He’d grown older…so had Rosa’s daughter. Twelve years had passed. She wasn’t eleven anymore, that much he could tell from her bad attitude, with no need for some of the more appealing visual cues. His gaze took her in once more, lingering a little longer than necessary on her curves. Rosa’s “beautiful” comment made a little more sense with the new information. He clenched his hands into fists, counting off the reasons not to embroil himself in the situation furthertoo young, Rosa’s daughter, and he’d think of a third.

He reached for her again, drawing her back into his arms and cradling her against his chest. “Well then, that changes everything. I thought you’d stood me up.”

 

AUTHOR BIO

From a magical land of castles and kings (Okay, it’s England), Gina doesn’t feel as old as she looks, owns three children (aged 2, 5 and 7) who can’t be tamed, and writes in spare – usually stolen – time. She sometimes bakes—not always with quite the desired results, and has found the only solution to keeping the characters in her head quiet is to placate them with lots of other lovely books and worlds. As well as Her Undercover Christmas, Gina has written two other books. Her Dollmaker’s Desire is also published by Decadent Publishing, and What You Wish For is published by Three Worlds Press.

AUTHOR LINKS:  Website     Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest     Goodreads

The post Gina Wynn with Her Undercover Christmas appeared first on Starla Kaye.

12 Days of Recipes: Angel Cloud Cookies

I love this time of year: getting together with family and friends, giving gifts, and sharing our favorite things. One of the favorite things I like to share and have shared with me are recipes.

Today I’m sharing one of my new cookie recipes that has already become a favorite with my husband, family, and friends.

 

ANGEL CLOUD COOKIES

 

Ingredients

1 pkg (16 oz) angel food cake mix

1/2 c water

1 1/2 c sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/4 c slivered almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Beat cake mix and water in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until fluffy.
Add coconut and 1 c almonds, beat until combined
Drop by tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1/2 c almonds.
Bake 18 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Servings: 3 dozen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes per sheet

Total Time: 28-64 minutes

 

For more of my favorite recipes: Oh yeah, that’s good!

 

One of Starla Kaye’s Christmas Books

Holly’s Big Bad Santa

 

 

The post 12 Days of Recipes: Angel Cloud Cookies appeared first on Starla Kaye.

Heather Boyd with Reason to Wed

I’m welcoming bestselling historical author Heather Boyd to my blog today with her Regency historical romance, REASON TO WED.

Book Seven, Distinguished Rogues Series

Release Date: December 8, 2015

Genre: Regency Historical Romance

Heat Rating: Sizzling

 

Before we get into the specifics of the book, let’s learn a little about the author.

What drew you to being a writer?

When I first started writing, the books I’d been reading definitely influenced my direction of experimentation. I’d always been a reader and I’d gone through many genre-reading phases-contemporary, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal. Regency romances were the ones that kept me up late until I finished the book (hello 4am), made me want to fact check unfamiliar words, and made me laugh out loud no matter where I was. That seemed a good place to start with my writing and I never looked back or wandered into another era. Writing, getting my characters into trouble, is a lovely way to earn a living.

Do you do anything special to get in the mood to write?

I treat each day as if I’m going to work—family time, breakfast, quick chores—the usual stuff everyone does when they have people/distractions around them. Once that’s behind me, I grab a coffee, power up the laptop and get stuck in. I like music playing when I write a lot of the time. The sound drowns out the neighborhood noises and helps keep me focused.

How did you come up with your title?

There really are lots of reasons to get married. In the regency era marriage was often for money or power or for the continuation of the family through having children. When I was writing An Improper Proposal, Distinguished Rogues book 6, my poor and dowerless heroine hadn’t made a match and she needed money and protection. Her widowed friend and benefactor Esme didn’t require a man for marriage, or money or position but she did like men a great deal. So began my quest to discover just what would make Esme risk her heart again. She’d need a damn good Reason to Wed because the usual ones didn’t apply to her situation.

What was your favorite scene in this book?

One of the first scenes I imagined for this couple was the seduction scene and it remains a firm favorite to this day. Esme and Richard had formed an alliance and slipped away from the ball he was hosting. They’d rarely ever been so alone with each other and their conversation develops slowly into desire. The following excerpt leads to the moment when Richard asks to make love to Esme very nicely, leaving Esme with the choice of denying him or satisfying her curiosity:

Richard eased closer a half-step. Esme leaned back into his chest. Cautiously, he slid one arm around her waist. The anticipation of holding her even closer yet caught firmly in his mind. From all he’d heard, all he’d seen of her character, Esme would not play games other than those of the erotic variety. For an affair, Esme would be a wise choice, and she was suddenly without a lover now that Meriwether was promised elsewhere.

He brought his free hand to her neck and stroked the backs of his fingers over her throat.

“Windermere,” Esme whispered in an annoyed tone. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I think I’d like to make love to you, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” she warned, but didn’t pull away.

“Don’t make up your mind that you won’t like something until you’ve at least tried it once.” He laughed softly. “Isn’t that what you told Lady Small to do earlier in the night?”

“Listening in?” she complained.

“I agree wholeheartedly.” He’d never so much as kissed Esme before and he was desperate to taste her suddenly. Richard bowed his head slowly and set his lips to her neck. He nibbled her skin as she shuddered. “You don’t have to say anything. Just let it happen.”

What are you currently working on for your next book?

At the moment I’m working on a new series of books that will release in the second quarter of 2016. At this very early stage there are no firm book titles or series name chosen as yet. That will come later when I’ve finished the first draft of the first book and start work on the second story. What I can share is that the new series will boast dashing naval heroes, damsels in demand, and plenty of sexy time. I’m upping the heat for this series and love pushing the boundaries of regency era propriety. Keep watch on my blog for news of the series exact release date.

 

BLURB – Reason to Wed

Richard Hill, the Earl of Windermere, might desperately require a wife and heir, but thoughts of duty fly from his mind when he rescues Esme, Lady Heathcote, from the embarrassment of a failed affair. They usually never agree about anything. He’s never even kissed the vexing widow. But when the opportunity arises to whisk her away for a no-strings-attached rendezvous, Richard can’t imagine a better way to spend a moonlit evening.

Esme has never lacked for admirers, but having Lord Windermere’s company goes a long way to ease the pain of losing her suddenly betrothed lover. And when Windermere suggests an affair, Esme is intrigued by the blazing-hot connection even while knowing their relationship has no future beyond his house party.

But as with any temptation, it’s a bargain they’ll soon regret.

BUY LINKS:  Amazon     Apple     Kobo     Nook     ARe     Google Play

EXCERPT – Reason to Wed

The hallway beyond the drawing room was filled to bursting with chattering guests and she moved smoothly through them, nodding and speaking occasionally to some. While she admired the elegance and comforts to be found in Lord Windermere’s home, she kept her eye out for Meriwether. She turned into the library, but the room was startlingly empty.

“Looking for me?” Windermere asked as he came to stand near. His gaze raked her from head to toe in the most gauche way.

Arrogant and presumptuous. “Hardly. You should pay more attention to your guests and the health of your servants.”

Instead of taking the hint that she wasn’t in the mood to talk, he caught her hand and raised it to his lips. His blue eyes danced with amusement. “I do love when you’re friendly. How have you been, Esme?”

She scowled at him and withdrew her hand to her side. “I’ve not given you leave to use my first name and I am not of a mood to spar with you. Go back to your other guests for amusement and send your butler to his bed. Anyone can see he’s on the verge of collapse tonight.”

“I already banished Oswin to rest.” He laughed suddenly. “Young Pip has assumed his duties until Collins comes up.”

“Just as well,” she replied, thankful for such sensible decisions at last.

“Only you would ever dare tell me what to do in my own home. I wanted to thank you for coming,” Windermere murmured. “But to convince everyone we’re not at odds, you will have to talk to me occasionally with a little less acid in your tone.”

“We’ve spoken as much as needed to quell any gossip.” She smiled at him. “Or was it your wish to have me chivvy you out of your mopes too.”

“I will say again you were right.” Windermere sighed and raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair. “You’re enjoying rubbing my nose in that business with Lady Bartlett, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps.” She smothered a laugh. He hadn’t wanted to believe he was being used until it was almost too late to extract himself from the connection. “You were so indignant that day, and after venting your pique at me, you charged down the street—on foot of all things, my man and your horse trailing after. I laughed for at least a whole day afterward. But I am sorry you were let down.”

He inhaled sharply, his jaw clenching before he relaxed and shook his head. “No, you’re not. You’re positively gloating that you were proved right about her.”

About Heather Boyd

Bestselling historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes sizzling regency romance stories that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. Heather has published over twenty novels and shorter works. Catch her latest news www.heather-boyd.com. She lives north of Sydney, Australia, and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fuelled family (including cat Morpheus) into submission.

Connect with Heather: 

Website – Facebook Page – Twitter – Newsletter

Add Reason to Wed to your Goodreads Shelf

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