M.A. Church's Blog, page 70

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It's not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I though I'd try to start the week off right for y'all.

Finicky Friday - Chicken Scallopini

YIELDS: 3 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: 10 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINS


INGREDIENTS
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb.)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. heavy cream
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish




DIRECTIONS
Place flour in a shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry and halve each breast horizontally to yield two thin pieces. Season each piece with salt and pepper, then then dip each in flour, shaking off any excess flour.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and cook until deeply golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add to skillet butter, onion, and mushroom and cook until golden, 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.

Stir in white wine, broth, and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, then let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in cream.

Return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce over to coat. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Link: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a25860457/chicken-scallopini-recipe/

Thursday book recommendation

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary.


This week is: The Werewolf's Fae Mate (BlackEdge Pack Book 1) by Liv Rider 


Blurb:
He never expected his mate to be fae. Now he has to choose between his heart and his pack.
When mixed-blood werewolf Mahon comes across powerful fae magic in a nightclub, dealing with the threat is a chance to prove to his new pack where his loyalties lie. But the threat turns out to be a gorgeous, wide-eyed college student who’s never heard of the supernatural world. After they're attacked by bloodsucking vampire bats, he takes Oscar and his small, angry cat home for their own protection. He’ll definitely tell his pack about Oscar...later.
Abandoned as an infant, Oscar’s always wondered where he came from—he just never expected the answer to include pointy ears, magical powers, and evil forces trying to kill him. Oscar knows he shouldn’t rely on Mahon for help, but it’s hard to resist when a six-foot-six werewolf literally sweeps you off your feet. The key to Oscar’s past might lie with the local fae court—where werewolves aren’t welcome.
Oscar and Mahon are mates—but how can they be together when it might cost them both everything?
The Werewolf’s Fae Mate is an m/m paranormal werewolf/fae romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers.


My thoughts: Cute, cute book! I really enjoyed this series. It’s on the light-hearted side, but sometimes you just need something to make you laugh, lol. If so, this series is it. Plus, it’s wolves and fae. You can’t go wrong with that!

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D214Q94

Tuesday Teaser

“I’m losing him! Pull over, dammit.”Tires squealed as the vehicle braked to a stop. Why were they so worried about keeping him alive? Not that he didn’t want to live. He did. But he was no one to these people. Just a random stranger bleeding out in some dude’s SUV, who was going to shit kittens over it, apparently. Mark giggled, and a sudden burst of liquid bubbled from his lips. Ugh. That tasted metallic-like and gross. So why didn’t he feel whatever was trickling down his chin? Where was his chin? He couldn’t feel it. Or his lips. Or much of anything else.I’m dying. I don’t what to fucking die, and not in the fucking back of some stupid fucking SUV that some fucking asshole is going to have fucking kittens over because I’m fucking bleeding all over it. They were going to harvest his organs for the black market, weren’t they? That had to be it and made as sense as anything else.

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It's not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I though I'd try to start the week off right for y'all.

Thursday book recommendation

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary.



This week is: Blood Dance (Alien Blood Wars) by Samantha Cayto 
BlurbWhat lurks in the dark is not always a monster. Sometimes it's your deepest desire.
A thousand years ago, Alex captained an alien ship that crashed on Earth. Stranded, he has tried to keep his men together while forging a new life. He's locked into a never-ending war with mutinous crewmembers that makes unsuspecting humans collateral damage. That humans mistake them as vampires is all to the good. Humans are still not ready to learn that aliens live among them. Alex has finally found some peace running a private club, but the memories of a human—loved and lost—keeps him alone.
Quinn Cooper was kicked out of his family when he came out as gay. Having traveled to Boston, he takes a job in Alex's club. His boss and the men around him are large, scary and hard to ignore—as is his instant attraction to Alex. Becoming involved with the boss is always tricky. There's something about Alex, however, that's too sexy and compelling to ignore.
Knowing that seducing the vulnerable and virginal Quinn is a bad idea, Alex tries to keep his distance. He's also trying to protect the boy and everyone else when the traitorous crew once more stirs up trouble. Alex's and Quinn's growing attraction leads Quinn closer to the frightening truth of whose bed he shares, while putting him in unfathomable harm's way. Alex has to find a path forward to end the alien war for good or risk losing another love.
Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of non-consensual sex and torture.


My thoughts: This is an interesting twist on vampires. I mean, alien ships that crash land on Earth? I’m in! Again, the worldbuilding shines through and is built over the several books in the series. You will need to read them in order to fully follow the plot. Also, take the reader advisory seriously. This is not the darkest thing I’ve ever read, but it has it moments.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086WRR3ZG

Tuesday Teaser - Day's Light (The Mystic Bay Series #2)

Hey y'all. Now that Bound by Love is at the editors, I've started a new book. Day's Light is book #2 in the Mystic Bay Series. When Night's Fall ended, Michael knew Mark was alive, but he was still missing. Werewolves were somehow involved, but no one really knew what happened to Mark. Or why. 

This is Hunter and Mark's story. :)



“Hey, can you hear me?” Mark's gaze zero in on the person who spoke, and his breath caught as he examined the face before him—the strong chin, the chiseled cheekbones, the eyes a deep chocolate brown. Short dark blonde hair fell over the man’s forehead. He was the very picture of male perfection. And a complete stranger—a complete stranger who’d taken him from the scene of his parent’s murder. Mark’s heart rate surged… then spluttered. The burning agony in his gut flared.

“Hey, hey, calm down. Shit! Braxton! How much longer until we’re home?”

“Thirty minutes, at least, Alpha.”

Mark stiffened. There was that word again—Alpha. 

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It's not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I though I'd try to start the week off right for y'all.

Thursday book recommendation

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary.

This week is: Clutch (Forbidden Desires Book 1) by Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly 




Blurb
Bookish, snarky, and fiercely independent Nate Boudreaux leads a solitary life. Between teaching classes at the university and working toward his PhD, he doesn’t need a partner to occupy his time, and he certainly doesn’t need a man like Alistair Drake complicating his future.
Alistair Drake, black sheep of the tremendously wealthy Drake family, is more interested in adding another notch to his bedpost than another zero to his bank account. When a Grindr message brings him to Nate’s doorstep, then straight to his bed, he has no reason to believe that what they share will be more than a simple hookup, until, three months later, a tug on his soul informs him otherwise.
For the Drake family has a secret—one that will force Nate and Alistair together as much as it will demand that they be torn apart. One that Alistair and his brothers have carried all their lives… and one that Alistair and Nate’s future children will carry, too.
Bound to each other by the three precious impossibilities, Nate and Alistair have no choice—no matter the consequence, they will fight for their forbidden clutch.

Clutch is a 64,000 word steamy omegaverse mpreg-ish romance that will leave you in stitches. It contains a Grindr hook-up gone very wrong (or very right); giant magical lizards; a pig named Olive; a wank throne; and a HEA, right down to the white picket fence.

My thoughts: There are several books/audio in this series! Okay, so this is really cute lol. You want funny? This is it. Pretty interesting plot, quirky characters, and more snark than you know what to do with. I really liked this book, but the next one in the series Bond (Forbidden Desires Book 2) and is about Harry… and OMG. He’s so adorable! They need to be read in order in order to really get the full impact.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J4BCPJD/

Tuesday Teaser

Neo showered and dressed. Just as he buttoned his shirt, a chime echoed. He rushed from the bedroom, across the massive living area, and opened the door. “I was hoping it was you. Come in.”“Were you expecting someone else?” Jolak asked as he stepped inside.“No, but that means nothing.” Neo led Jolak to the living area. Briefly he wondered if this felt as odd to Jolak as it did to him.Jolak sat. “So Hamza plans ask Malk to be a blood general.” “I’m afraid so.”“And he’s still on the same path as before?”“Yes. He hasn’t changed his mind about destroying the Ne Reyn.”Jolak huffed. “I had hoped that young of mine would come to his senses, but it appears his desire for vengeance overshadows everything else. So we will…. How does Dale say it? Ah yes, we shall take the bull by the horns.”Neo sincerely hoped they didn’t end up being gored by said horns.