Karen Docter's Blog, page 168
November 26, 2017
**Author Peek** Interview with Kathryn Jane, ALL SHE WANTED (Intrepid Women Book 6)
**Author Peek** Interview with Kathryn Jane
ALL SHE WANTED, Intrepid Women Book 6
[image error]INTRODUCING…Kathryn Jane.
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
1. What’s your favorite part of the writing process?
The first draft. That’s when the story pours unbidden from somewhere inside me. It’s like reading a good book, only better!
2. If you were to choose one superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation. Being able to go where I want, when I want!
3. Do you ever get stuck when you’re writing a book? What do you do to get “unstuck”?
I’ve come to realize that I only get stuck because I’ve taken a wrong turn, so I back up to the last turning point in the story, and take a different direction. I don’t think this method has ever failed me.
4. What is your least favorite part of writing?
The last rounds of edits because by then I’m tired of the story, and I’ve already moved on to the next book, so going back is boring (but necessary).
5. If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?
Oh dear, this could be a problem. I have serious food allergies, so eat the same thing night after night, and hubby cooks for himself. But I used to be a good cook, so I’d probably throw ribs in the oven, along with baked potatoes.
6. What do you wish you’d done differently when you first started the publishing process?
I wish I’d started self-publishing sooner, instead of continuing to query agents. My stories all cross genres and agents constantly told me I had to either make them paranormal, or romantic suspense, or contemporary. But that meant cutting large portions out of the stories to make them fit, and I just couldn’t do it.
Instead I self-published and readers seem to love what agents thought would create havoc. To their credit, agents have to market to publishing houses and have a clear view of where a book will be shelved, so I do understand the dilemma.
7. What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?
Ha ha, none of the above! Those are what flow easily for me. What’s hard is making sure there is enough description. I tend not to write that into the first draft because while I’m writing it, I’m in that world and feel no need to describe what’s there.
[image error]8. A penguin walks into your office, right now, wearing a sombrero. What does he say to you and why is he here?
“Oops,” said the penguin.
I stared for a second, blinked. Glanced at the calendar with the penguin photo, and sure enough it was blank.
“I fell out,” he said.
“Okay.” The penguin on my calendar had not been wearing a sombrero. “Where’d ya get the hat?”
“What hat?” he tipped his beak upwards and it slid off. Vanished. Then so did he.
Clearly I had gone too long between breaks. Must be low blood sugar or something. I shook my head and hit save. Time for a snack.
9. If you could wave a magic wand, what ill in the world would you solve and why?
I would sweep my wand and bathe the world in kindness, because I believe, down to the soles of my feet, that Kindness is the key to everything.
10. Tell us about your featured book? Please provide links to your website, blog, books, etc.
The man Angie has been in love with since she was fifteen has been in hiding forever, and while she is totally kickass and self-sufficient, she’s grown tired of having to sneak off to meet him. She wants to be a family. Wants him in their son’s life on a regular basis, and thinks it’s time he stepped out of the shadows.
She has a plan, but what happens next blows it to pieces in a heartbeat and all bets are suddenly off. Fighting for lives becomes way more important than having the man she loves come to Christmas dinner at the ranch where her security specialist family all live.
~~~
Be sure to come back to learn more about Kathryn’s novel, ALL SHE WANTED, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
~~~
Links to Kathryn’s website, blog, books, etc.
Kindle: http://amzn.com/B01D3VL1ZK
Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1097437944
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/all-she-wanted-2
Website: http://kathrynjane.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathryn.jane.921
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_Kat_Jane
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Kathryn is giving away a Kindle copy of TOUCH ME and DARING TO LOVE (Books 2 & 3 of the Intrepid Women Series) to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Peek** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.
Thanks, Kathryn, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Congratulations Week 11-06-17, 11-13-17 & 11-20-17 Blog Giveaway Winners!
[image error]
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
11-06-17, 11-13-17 & 11-20-17
BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
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[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Anya Summers…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Anya will give away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Anya, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: LINDA MOFFITT!!
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[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Hank Early…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Hank will give away a signed copy of HEAVEN’S CROOKED FINGER to one lucky reader who comments on his Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Hank, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: KAY MARTINEZ!!
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[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Maggie Tideswell…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Maggie will give away an ebook copy of GOODBYE, MY LOVE, Roxanne’s Ghost Saga Book 1 to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Maggie, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: KATHLEEN BYLSMA!!
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[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Tarina Deaton…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Tarina will give away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Tarina, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: GLENDA!!
~~~
[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Sherry Ewing…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Sherry is giving away an ebook copy of FOR ALL OF EVER to two lucky readers that comment on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Sherry, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: BN100!!
~~~
[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Kim Carmichael…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Kim is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thanks, Kim, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: BARBARA BATES!!
~~~
HAPPY READING!
~~~
All giveaway winners chosen by random.org from reader comments with the exception of Rafflecopter giveaways which are determined and announced offsite by publisher/authors. Thank you!
November 23, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with FANTASY: A Modern Romance Inspired by Cinderella (Seductively Ever After) by Kim Carmichael #recipe ~ Cinderella Glass Slipper Cocktail
[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with Kim Carmichael!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, KIM CARMICHAEL and her favorite recipe for CINDERELLA GLASS SLIPPER COCKTAIL!
~~~
FANTASY
A Modern Romance Inspired by Cinderella
Seductively Ever After
BY KIM CARMICHAEL
BLURB
Who doesn’t want to live the Fantasy? Nash Cinder lived the fantasy as lead guitarist for Spectre until his world exploded on stage ten years ago. Since then he’s lived a life in the shadows, where he’s watched his father die, did his stepmother’s bidding, and kept his spoiled stepbrothers out of trouble. Ryane Windsome spends her days as a princess of her wealthy real estate mogul father, but when Daddy says she must marry and learn the business, she has to face responsibilities for the first time. She only wants to run away. Nash has one safe place left, a cabin in the woods his stepmother is pressuring him to sell, and Ryane’s company is intent on buying it. They meet in a wooded wonderland where they don’t share real names. As they fall in love, they realize they must find a way for the fantasy to withstand the harsh light of reality in this contemporary retelling of Cinderella.
[image error]FANTASY
A Modern Romance Inspired by Cinderella
Seductively Ever After
BY KIM CARMICHAEL
EXCERPT
“You’re a bad liar.” He leaned back on the rock. “If I told you that there is no way I could run after you, nor do I have the desire to do you any harm, would you sit down, take in your pretty pink flower and enjoy the fact that you are off the grid? I’ll even lend you this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little nail file.
What her father would call stupidity, she called trust. Somewhere there had to be one good person who simply wanted to sit and look out at the lake. Almost as if she were under a spell, she tiptoed toward him, took his offering and then sat down on the edge of the rock. “Thank you, I’m—”
“No.” He cut her off. “Don’t tell me. No names, no games, no charade. Just two people who need to not have a cell site.”
“All right. That seems reasonable. No names, no games, no charade.” She would never give him her last name on the off chance he knew the Windsomes. Not used to tending to herself, she filed her nail, making it lopsided, but at least there was no chip. “Why don’t you want a cell site?”
“Every phone call I get seems to hold one horror story or another. Something I have to deal with, something I have to do, a commitment I don’t want to keep. The people I want to talk to never seem to call, those I don’t want to hear from have me on speed dial.” His voice lowered. “And you?”
He stared at her, revealing the most amazing blue eyes, light, shining and clear. In fact, now that she really took him in, he wasn’t a crazed mountain man, but one of those men who innately possessed style and edge, with a ring of a snake on one finger and a leather cuff on his wrist. She was the polar opposite in her designer business suit and smart jewelry. Part of her wished she could let loose and put on some leather and lace, maybe have something with a skull. Wouldn’t that shock her father?
“I think you and I are leading the same life, we’re just in different dimensions.” She gave him back the file.
“Most people aren’t all that different.” He twirled the little tool between his fingers. “Trying to hold on to something we want even if we shouldn’t have it. Trying to let go of something we have even if we need it.”
“Are you a scholar or wizard or something?” How did this man say exactly what was in her mind?
“No, just a guy with too much time and not enough sense.” He picked up a small pebble and tossed it into the lake. The small rock barely made a splash, but she watched the ripples anyway.
“I’m a girl with no time and a lot of dollars.” She shook her head and lifted her flower. When had she simply appreciated a flower? Last time she checked, she was upset the floral arrangement delivered to her office didn’t have the right pink roses. “Maybe I need to take the time to learn some stuff, look at a sunset, talk to a nameless man.”
“All things money can’t buy.” His voice echoed through the space.
They faced each other.
“Strange, isn’t it?” she whispered. How did she have a connection to a man who she didn’t know?
“Not really,” he said. “Maybe when you are caught up with whatever you do, you can remember that what you really want is free of charge, and that will give you a little comfort.”
“Who are you?” She had to know.
“Exactly what you see.” His tone teased her.
Ryane shook her head. Though she needed to leave, get back to her own life, deal with her father and dinners and trying to learn the business, she couldn’t quite move away from him yet. “Well, at least tell me what I should call you.”
He stared out over the lake as his long hair blew in the light breeze. “Why don’t you give me a name you find fitting?”
“I don’t understand.” Instead of leaving, she continued to sit there on the rock with the strange man.
“What does it matter what my name is?” He faced her. “I would rather you call me something you come up with. Isn’t it much more personal that way?”
The way his blue eyes took her all in and how his soft voice seemed to caress her, her breath caught and she swallowed. “Personal?”
“Yes, Petals, personal.” A low laugh escaped his throat. “Never be scared of being personal, be afraid when things become impersonal, then it means it doesn’t matter anymore.”
She paused. His words came out laced with sadness and she swore she felt heat form behind her eyes. “Petals?”
“It fits you. It came naturally. Soft and sweet, exceptionally beautiful and hiding something.” He shrugged. “Your wheels are turning.”
“That’s not what some would say.” No, most would call her indecisive, incapable, and inept. However, the man did call her beautiful.
Again, he turned and looked out at the water. “Well, the some you speak of aren’t here, and I only see pretty Petals.”
She crossed her arms. “Maybe I don’t want to be soft and sweet.” No, not sweet. She wanted to be hard, a businesswoman, she wanted to be ruthless and cunning, a force to be reckoned with.
“You can’t deny what you are.” He shook his head. “Took me a long time to realize that.”
“I don’t think I’ve learned that lesson yet,” she whispered.
Together they remained side by side. The sun lowered in the sky, appearing as if it was melting behind the mountains in the distance. Before she lost all the light, she had to leave. “I need to go.” She slipped down the rock, falling with a thud into a little patch of moss.
He slid down the rock and offered her his hand. “You need to be careful.”
Without even thinking, she placed her hand in his and he helped her up.
“Thank you.” She didn’t let go. Instead, she took a moment to let his soft hand encompass hers.
“Consider me at your service.” He dipped his head down and kissed the back of her hand.
“Knight.” Her cheeks heated and she bit her lip. Like he predicted, his name simply came to her.
“Pardon?” He raised his eyebrows.
“You’re like a knight.” A bit of confidence racing through her, she reached over and found a branch. “In fact, that’s what I’ll call you.” As if she were truly knighting him, she tapped the stick on both his shoulders.
He bowed his head. “I must say, Petals, I am honored.”
“I really have to go.” She looked down. For the first time in a long time she didn’t have a pit in her stomach weighing her down. Part of her never wanted this moment to end. The magic would be gone.
“Go chew up the corporate world, but don’t forget to stay soft and sweet.” He let his hand slip away from hers, then reached over and gave her the flower and returned to his perch on the rock.
The moment he let go her body tensed. Reality was out there, back in meetings and contracts and deals. “Will I see you again?”
“Apparently, I’m a knight. If you need me you’ll know where to find me.” He gave her a wink.
“Goodbye.” Not wanting to let him out of her sight, she backed up. All she knew was she would have to return.
[image error]Meet Author Kim Carmichael…
Kim Carmichael began writing ten years ago when her love of happy endings inspired her to create her own. She has a weakness for bad boys and techno geeks, and married her own computer whiz after he proved he could keep her all her gadgets running. When not writing, she can usually be found slathered in sunscreen trolling Los Angeles and helping top doctors build their practices.
Links to Kim’s website, books, etc.:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hGvSsF
You can find Kim Carmichael at: www.kimcarmichaelnovels.com When you sign up for her newsletter you get a free short story, The Drive. You can also find her on facebook at kimcarmichaelnovels or follow her on twitter at @kimcarmichael4
I hope you enjoy the recipe Kim is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 345 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
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CINDERELLA GLASS SLIPPER COCKTAIL
Ingredients:
4 oz. Grapefruit juice
4 oz. Pineapple juice
1 oz. Coconut Syrup
1 oz. Grenadine Syrup
2 oz vodka
2 0z. cream
Instructions:
Put all the ingredients and ice cubes in a shaker. Shake vigorously together about 15 seconds.
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Kim is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thanks, Kim, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
November 21, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: FOR ALL OF EVER (The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time Novel Book 1) by Sherry Ewing
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
FOR ALL OF EVER
The Knights of Berwyck
A Quest Through Time Novel Book 1
BY SHERRY EWING
Blurb
Sometimes to find your future, you must look to the past…
Katherine Wakefield has dreamed and written of her knight in shining armor all her life. Never finding a man to measure up to the one of her imagination, she and her three closest friends take a dream vacation to England. Yet, strange things begin happening while visiting Bamburgh Castle, but how could they have known they’d find themselves thrown back more than eight hundred years into the past?
Riorden de Deveraux travels to Bamburgh answering the summons of King Henry II knowing his past life is about to catch up with him. But nothing prepares him for the beautiful vision of a strangely clad ghost who first appears in his chamber, let alone the fact he begins having a conversation with her.
Centuries are keeping them apart until Time gives them a chance at finding love. But there are obstacles threatening the fragile bit of hope that Riorden and Katherine can remain together. Will the past of one consume what their future may hold, or will Time take the decision from them and hurtle Katherine forward to where she truly belongs?
~~
[image error]FOR ALL OF EVER
The Knights of Berwyck
A Quest Through Time Novel Book 1
BY SHERRY EWING
Excerpt
He placed his hand upon the latch to his chamber to open the door, but halted. He knew with every fiber of his being she was inside. He could feel her presence, as if she were waiting for his arrival. He opened the door, closing it behind him, and went to the hearth to rekindle the embers into a low flame. He exhaled slowly, more to get his thoughts together than to appear as if he could not handle a situation such as this. Truly, what was there really to be afraid of?
He turned and looked towards his bed. She stood there, touching one of the posts admiringly, just as he had seen her the first time but days ago. He had the pleasure of idly watching her, since it appeared she as yet did not know he was here. In truth, to his way of thinking, he had never seen a woman as lovely as she. Her beauty did not come from an outside appearance that may have appealed to him with other women in his past. Nay…hers came from the depths of her soul and from being good at heart.
His contemplation of her only intensified whilst she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. It appeared as if she was looking towards the heavens and the guardian angels above to at last come and claim her soul. He did not want to admit it, even unto himself, but he did not wish for her to leave as yet to join God, for with her nearness, he felt a soothing comfort fill him as never afore.
Riorden reached for a nearby pitcher of wine and poured some into a chalice. His nervousness must have shown, for he almost tipped over the now filled cup. It rattled upon the table and at last drew Katherine’s attention towards him. Her face transformed to one of pure radiance, and he felt he could stare into her glorious eyes for a lifetime, if the chance were given to them.
Riorden took a long drink of his wine before giving her a small bow. “Glad tidings to you this day, mademoiselle.”
Katherine nodded her head. “And may I wish you the same, Sir Knight.”
He watched her standing there, seeming to drink in the sheer sight of him, as he continued to take several deep sips from his chalice.
“You know, if you continue downing that in such a manner, you’re going to have a nasty hangover in the morning.”
He frowned at her strange words and took a deep breath. “I know not what you speak of, my lady,” he declared, watching her every move.
She rolled her eyes and gave him an impish grin that surprised him. Apparently, she must have realized her words confused him, for she touched her finger to her forehead and tapped it. “You’ll have a bad headache.”
“Your speech is passing strange,” Riorden commented. He put the cup back down on the table and placed his hands behind his back. Neither of them made any further comments whilst an awkward silence persisted between them. They only stared one unto the other. She, at last, came closer to stand afore him. He found that, for the life of him, he could not move away. Instead, he stood his ground, wondering what she would do next.
“You look so very real today,” she declared softly.
“As do you, Lady Katherine,” he said, giving her a small grin.
The smile she gave him in return was most serene. Even her eyes lit up at the reference to her name as it passed his lips. She reached up to touch him. Neither of them should have been surprised when her hand went right through him. She stepped back sadly and put her hands inside some odd fabric sewn into her hose.
Seeing her sorrow, he took a hesitant step towards her. Holding his hand palm up to her, he watched in fascination as she removed the white glove she had been wearing. She seemed uncertain, ’til she at last gave in to the impulse. Ever so slowly, she placed her hand but inches from his own. A tingling occurred in his palm, and from her expression, she must have felt it too, since she wrenched her hand back and rubbed her fingers together.
“What I would give to feel your heartbeat next to mine.” She gasped when the words left his mouth, afore he realized he had said them aloud. Once suggested, the words hovered in the room, as if to give them some semblance of hope, even as both realized ’twas obvious they could never be together. ’Twas too late to recant his hastily spoken words, but he would have done so, if only to lessen the hurt flashing momentarily in her eyes.
“I would cross time itself, if it were possible, just to find you, Riorden de Deveraux.”
“You know my name,” he drawled the obvious.
“Yes.”
“Who are you?” he asked solemnly.
Her face lit up again whilst she gazed upon his face. “I’m someone who loves you.”
He kept his features expressionless. “I guessed as much, my lady, and yet you know nothing of me.”
“That’s true, and yet I’ve dreamed of you my entire life, enough to know you pretty well, I’m guessing.”
He was taken aback. “How is this possible?”
“I feel we are connected somehow,” Katherine began hesitantly. “I think perhaps our souls were meant to be together, but the centuries of time between us are keeping us apart.”
“Centuries? Surely, you jest, mademoiselle,” Riorden said with a raised brow of disbelief.
“I would never joke…err…jest about something as important as this. The fact we see each other as spirits speaks for itself, don’t you think?” Katherine asked quietly.
“Are you attempting to tell me you are from the future?” he questioned aghast.
Katherine smiled slightly. “Yes, I suppose I am, from your perspective.”
“Impossible,” Riorden said gruffly.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Apparently, it’s not as impossible as we may think, given we’re both having a conversation with a ghost.”
[image error]Meet Author Sherry Ewing…
Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. A bestselling author, she writes historical & time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time. Always wanting to write a novel but busy raising her children, she finally took the plunge in 2008 and wrote her first Regency. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Beau Monde & the Bluestocking Belles. Sherry is currently working on her next novel and when not writing, she can be found in the San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist.
~~~
Links to Sherry’s website, blog, books, etc…
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1zoF0pl
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1v5kggX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1QMbqPE
24Symbols: http://bit.ly/1M6Ve9N
AU: http://bit.ly/1Iis7D5
CA: http://amzn.to/18UOvm8
UK: http://amzn.to/1xB3jLv
Social Media:
Website & Books: www.SherryEwing.com
Bluestocking Belles: http://bluestockingbelles.net/
Hearts Through Time: http://heartsthroughtime.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TrWtoy
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sherry-ewing
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/SherryEwingAuthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sherry.ewing
Pinterest: http://www.Pinterest.com/SherryLEwing
Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/Sherry_Ewing
Goodreads:
http://www.Goodreads.com/author/show/8382315.Sherry_Ewing
Sign Me Up!
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2vGrqQM
Street Team:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/799623313455472/
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Sherry is giving away an ebook copy of FOR ALL OF EVER to two lucky readers that comment on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Sherry, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Beachcomber Test, Beachcomber Investigations Book 7 – A Romantic Detective Series by Stephanie Queen
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
BEACHCOMBER TEST
Beachcomber Investigations Book 7
A Romantic Detective Series
BY STEPHENIE QUEEN
Blurb
Ex-special ops legend Dane Blaise is staking his life on passing every one of his partner Shana’s tests for him. Desperation to keep her with him must be making him crazy or he would never have agreed to take the divorce case.
Tough and gorgeous ex-Scotland Yard detective Shana George never expected much from men romantically speaking, but Dane made her crazy enough to hope…
~~
BEACHCOMBER TEST
Beachcomber Investigations Book 7
A Romantic Detective Series
BY STEPHENIE QUEEN
Chapter 1
It had seemed like a simple case. A case Dane had agreed to take because he would do anything for Shana. Now that he was shamelessly in love with her and in full-on convincing-her-to-stay-with-him mode after he almost lost her on Christmas Day.
Shana didn’t trust him yet. She was in full-on test-the-bastard mode to make sure he was for real.
Her first test had been to suggest a trip to Australia to visit her family. He’d agreed. They’d planned it for the fall. They were coming into spring and summer season so it didn’t make sense to leave now. They would wait for the cold weather to travel down under where it would be warm. She had booked their flight and the tic of uneasiness that Dane felt was almost imperceptible.
Her second test had been to accept a divorce case without asking him. He’d vowed never to take follow-the-cheating-spouse cases and she knew it. The muscle clench between his shoulder blades was mild, so he soldiered through.
Now they would be following some nasty middle-aged man around the island for half the season to work up an irrefutable file on him for the wronged wife so she could work the pre-nup infidelity clause and wring every penny out of the sap—or scum, depending on your view—in the divorce. Dane tried hard not to have any view in the matter.
His view was to pray to hell that the man dropped his pants on his first night on island.
No such luck.
Instead, the poor sap—or scum—got himself killed.
This wasn’t any routine divorce case anymore, but Dane wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
*****
He stood in the small kitchen looking at Shana over his coffee cup. The sun shone through the window and glinted off her golden hair so that she looked like she had sparks flying from her. She wore her usual gorgeous scowl.
“Didn’t you do a background check on our client before you agreed to the case?”
He smiled when she narrowed her eyes at him.
“No.” She stood with her hands on her hips, daring him to shoot her down. That, Dane figured, was test number three.
He nodded and walked past her, brushing a hand over the waves of her long soft mane of hair and inhaling the scent of her.
“Where are you going?”
“To the secure phone.”
“What are you? Batman?” She followed after him. She always followed after him. Almost always.
He laughed.
“I’m calling in Acer.”
“Not that I have anything against Acer, but we don’t need him. We can handle this ourselves.”
She’d gotten the call from Captain Colin Lynch at six that morning about the murder victim. Dane knew it was bad when she came back to bed and wouldn’t tell him what the call was about.
He stopped at his old metal desk, the feature piece in his office, which should have been a living room. Shana had brought in a couch, but he mostly used it for a shelf where he threw all the files, papers, mail, books, and any other paraphernalia that got collected during an investigation. Or any other time. He looked at the pile of crap and took a deep breath. Then he smiled at her like he meant it, because he did.
“I’ll do whatever you want, sugar bun.”
“Stop that.”
“You don’t want me to call you sugar bun?”
“I don’t want you doing whatever I want—”
“Can I quote you on that?”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“I’m not. I’m trying to be agreeable.”
“Well, stop. It’ s not you and it’s creeping me out.”
He reached out and pulled her in and held her tight against him. He was hard and she was soft—in all the strategic places—and he let that feeling, of her pressed against him, simmer through his body, hit every nerve, and settle in his head and deep in his soul. She stirred and he reflexively tightened his hold.
“It’s okay, Dane. I’m not going to run out the door if you disagree with me.”
“Of course not. Why would you? I mean, look what you have here.”
He spread his arms. It was half-hearted sarcasm because he wasn’t used to feeling vulnerable, but he’d been feeling a lot of that lately. It was as if he were reliving his teenage years, only inside a forty-year-old body which made the fun parts not nearly as fun.
“I’m looking at who I have.” She sighed deeply and then leaned in and grabbed his lips with her teeth and sucked in, giving him a hair-raising—and other-body-part-raising—kiss. Deep and juicy and thorough.
“You want to go back to bed?” It was a stupid question and he should have grabbed her by the hair and dragged her—figuratively speaking. Maybe another time he would have.
She smiled, moving her hands over his chest. It was a strong, well-muscled chest because in his line of work staying in good shape was a matter of life and death. Evidently even when his line of work was a divorce case.
“Always. I always want you.”
“Then we have something in common—I always want you.”
He moved, holding her in his arms, half dragging her in the direction of the hall to the bedroom. Until she dug in her heels.
“We have a murder case,” she said. Then she really smiled.
Meet Author S[image error]tephanie Queen…
USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Queen is a romantic at heart and a writer by nature. So of course, she loves creating stories where the good guys always win. Like in her romantic detective series, Beachcomber Investigations. Besides writing, Stephanie visits the gym sporadically, cooks and crochets. She loves chocolate covered potato chips (yes, she should go to the gym more often).
Stephanie used to be a 9 to fiver working in downtown Boston, but has thrown her stylish suits and fancy heels in a closet and now hangs out in UConn t-shirts, jeans and sneakers.
“If I could come back in another life as anything I wanted, I’d be a regency era heroine.” (Not surprisingly) Regency romances are her favorite secret reads.
~~~
Links to Stephanie’s website, blog, books, etc.
Newsletter Sign-Up:
Bookbub:
BEACHCOMBER TEST
~~~
[image error]**Special SALE**: Stephanie has BEACHCOMBER TEST available for only $.99 this week!
Thanks, Stephanie, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
November 20, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Zen Detective by Devorah Fox
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
[image error]THE ZEN DETECTIVE
BY DEVORAH FOX
Blurb
Shortlisted for The 50 Best Indie Books 2017: On the road to Zen enlightenment, homicide detective Will Mansion takes a seductive detour down the path to perdition.
When a bust goes terribly wrong, Paradise City detective Will Mansion nearly dies while saving his partner. On leave, Will seeks relief from post-traumatic stress disorder through Zen meditation and abstinence. He responds to the plea of the cryptic Sister Clyde to find a man missing from her soup kitchen, a man who may provide a lead to the vicious drug dealer who nearly killed Will. The search seduces Will away from the healing he seeks and he finds himself on the smarmy Miracle Mile. Alcohol, sex, and the potent drug “Nearvana” numb Will’s pain better than his infant Zen practice. He slips further and further into an underworld of the lost and hopeless only to find himself facing death—again.
~~
[image error]THE ZEN DETECTIVE
BY DEVORAH FOX
Excerpt
Lix’s sketchpad hides his face, but not the rancor in his voice. “Why should I tell you? You went and told everyone I gave her up.”
“No, I did not … Yes. Yes, I did.”
“See? Now everyone thinks, ‘Lix Gemini, you can’t trust him, he’s a snitch.’” He raises his eyes over the top of his pad and fixes me with an accusatory glare. “Now how am I supposed to go on living here?”
“I needed to find Hector—”
“Yeah, that’s it, isn’t it? It’s about what you want. Always about what you want, screw anyone else.” Lix trades his red pencil for a yellow one and returns to his sketch. “Story of my life. No one ever does, I don’t know why.”
Yet he helped me last night in the alley. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it right.”
“Yeah? How?”
“Well, I don’t know, I—”
“Unzip your pants.”
A five-car pile-up of words forms against the brick wall in my throat. In the silence I can hear Lix’s pencil skritch on the rough sketch paper. He looks up over the top of the pad, his expression innocent and serious.
“Go on,” he says
I am frozen in place.
“You don’t have to take them off if you don’t want, just unzip and tuck in the flaps.” He slides down off the chair and mimes what he wants me to do. “I just need to get at your navel, actually the real estate below it.” He twirls his pencil.
“A ta … a tattoo?”
“Yeah, a tattoo, what did you think?” He blinks his dark, long-lashed eyes once. “Oh, that?” His lips look very moist. “Is that what you want?” he asks.
“Me?” My voice is a squeak. “I thought this was about what you want.”
“What I want …” His eyes get that wistful look again. He picks up his sketchpad and turns it around to show me his drawing. “It’s a lotus blossom.”
Maybe. But a fierce one. The petals are tongues of flame, their rose color hot with orange undertones. Its yellow heart is a glowing ember. “A lotus?”
“Uh huh. I know what you’re thinking: ‘a flower, that’s a hell of a tatt’ for a tough guy like me.’ But see, the lotus, it starts off in the muck at the bottom of the pond but then it grows up through the water and finally breaks the surface. A good symbol for you, Will, the way you can’t quit nosing around. And if I put it here, below the belt,” he pats his own belly, “no one will see it unless you show it to them. It’ll be your secret. Our secret.”
A tattoo. The man wants to tattoo a lotus on my belly. The lotus, symbol of the pure perfection of the awakened mind, blooming only after it has risen above the murk of ignorance and beguiling desire. Outrageous. But temptation tingles my spine and my skin is warm as if Lix’s campfire of a lotus already burns there.
[image error]Meet Author Devorah Fox…
“What if?” Those two words all too easily send Devorah Fox spinning into flights of fancy. Best-selling author of award-winning books including The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam literary historical fantasy series and several thrillers, she also penned Mystery Mini Short Reads and contributed short stories to popular fantasy anthologies. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives on the Texas Gulf Coast with rescued tabby cats … and a dragon named Inky. Visit the “Dee-Scoveries” blog at http://devorahfox.com.
~~~
Links to Devorah’s website, blog, books, etc.
Vote for The Zen Detective by Devorah Fox, 50 Best Indie Books 2017, Mystery/Thriller http://www.readfree.ly/vote-50-best-indie-books-2017-mysterythriller/
Buy links
Kindle and print: https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Detective-Devorah-Fox-ebook/dp/B01N0RSOHR
other digital formats: books2read.com/u/bMGDXv
Website: http://devorahfox.com
Twitter: @devorah_fox http://twitter.com/devorah_fox
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/DevorahFoxAuthor
amazon author page: amazon.com/author/devorahfox http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006L9BJAO
smashwords profile page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mbapub
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DevorahFox
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/devorahfox
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/devorahfox
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2751371.Devorah_Fox
To subscribe to receive the free Devorah Fox, Storyteller email newsletter: URL: http://eepurl.com/LrZGX
~~~
Thanks, Devorah, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
November 19, 2017
**Author Peek** Interview with Stephanie Queen, BEACHCOMBER TEST, Beachcomber Investigations Book 7
**Author Peek** Interview with Stephanie Queen
BEACHCOMBER TEST, Beachcomber Investigations Book 7
[image error]INTRODUCING…Stephanie Queen.
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full – time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
Okay, but I refuse to tell you my chauffeur Myren’s last name. Don’t ask why.
I’ve always lived in the northeast, mostly New England and so I suppose I’m pretty much a Yankee—whatever that means. It doesn’t mean I’m unfriendly. As far as writers go—I’m very extroverted and love socializing and being around people. This poses a big challenge in such a solitary occupation as writing. But I find ways… (see reference above to Myren, my chauffeur)
Little known fact about me: I find it difficult to take interviews seriously.
1. How did you get started writing?
It was all because of the Nuns of Sacred Heart School in second grade. There was this writing contest…then I couldn’t stop.
2. What appeals to you about the genre that you write?
I write romantic suspense, but I can’t decide if it’s the love or danger that I find most thrilling. Myren, my chauffeur, thinks it’s the guns, without question. But he—contrary to his belief—doesn’t know everything.
3. What is your favorite part of writing?
My first instinct is to say my favorite part of writing is when I write the end, but that’s too pedestrian and normal and serious. Plus, it’s not true. Although finishing a book is satisfying and that’s swell, my absolutely favorite part is brainstorming the premise and the characters. I love creating people who are so spectacularly fascinating that they could never exist, but who I get to hang out with all day.
4. If you had to give up writing and do something else, what would you do instead?
Wondering if the CIA could use someone with my imagination…
5. What’s your favorite meal of the day?
Snack time is my time! (I should be joking, but I’m not.)
6. Which are your favorite characters to write, the female characters or the male characters? The heroes and heroines, or the villains?
Easy question. I love writing the hero most, hands down. I love those complex, overly confident, damaged heroes, so there’s lots of meaty stuff to get into. I think with female characters, there’s less latitude in the kinds of flaws or damage we can allow in her before the reader—who also happens to be female and identifies heavily with our heroine—will squirm at accepting the issues. But the reader, as well as the heroine, will always be more forgiving of that naughty hero as long as he comes round in the end.
I’m reading a Sandra Brown novel now and her hero is a very flawed assassin-for-hire with just enough in redeeming qualities to work with.
7. Are you an avid reader? When you do read someone else’s writing, what is your favorite genre?
I’ve always loved reading, but my new favorite thing is listening to audio books. Love them! I listen to Daniel Silva and Lee Child thrillers every chance I get. Two of my books are available in audio and I’m in the process of developing my Beachcomber Investigations series for audio as well.
8. Many writers dream of having the ideal location to write. If you could live anywhere in the world or live a particular lifestyle, where would you be answering these questions right now?
My ideal location to write—or do anything—is on the coast overlooking the ocean. Maybe, not coincidentally, on Martha’s Vineyard where my Beachcomber Investigations series is set…
9. If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
I’d be that new cool shade of turquoise that’s IN and everyone loves because I like to be hip.
10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?
My book has a turquoise cover—just kidding. I have a new release out this week called Beachcomber Test. It’s book 7 in my romantic detective series, Beachcomber Investigations. The series reads like an NCIS TV series only focused around two private investigators with a love-hate relationship. Lots of romantic angst mixed in with dangerous action scenes. Fun to write—and I hope fun for you to read!
~~~
Be sure to come back to learn more about Stephanie’s novel, BEACHCOMBER TEST, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
~~~
Links to Stephanie’s website, blog, books, etc.
Newsletter Sign-Up:
Bookbub:
BEACHCOMBER TEST
~~~
Thanks, Stephanie, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Karen/K.L. Docter Presents Triple **Black Friday** Autographed Paperback #Giveaway!
Karen/K.L. Docter Presents
**BLACK FRIDAY**
Triple Giveaway!!!
To celebrate Thanksgiving and to thank my readers for all of the sharing and caring and reading you do for all authors, not just me, I am giving away one autographed copy of each of my books (SATIN PLEASURES, COP ON HER DOORSTEP or KILLING SECRETS, winner’s choice, U.S. Only) to three different readers who comment on this blog. Winners will be randomly chosen (random.org) and announced on Black Friday, November 24, 2017.
To enter, please share your favorite holiday treat, Thanksgiving dinner memory, that one book that has stayed in your memory long after you closed the binder, or whatever. Only readers who comment will be entered in the drawing on Friday, November 24, 2017.
Good luck!
Karen
November 18, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Catch That Santa (A Romantic Comedy Novelette) by Karen Docter
CATCH THAT SANTA
A Romantic Comedy Novelette
By Bestselling Author Karen Docter
Blurb:
When widow, Sara Marks, hears her Grams has gone on the lam from Happy Acres Residence on Christmas Eve – on Santa’s arm, no less — she teams up with sexy stranger, Francisco de la Vega, to chase the couple down with one thing in mind. Keep her Grams from becoming Mrs. Claus. Of course, Francisco’s grandfather is not really Santa Claus, but Grams did run off to Vegas to marry him and she’s obviously not in her right mind.
Sara leaves her seven-month-old baby, Lanie, with a friend and she and Cisco head west in the worst snowstorm in decades, chasing his grandfather’s ’57 Ford Fairlane over the river and through the woods.
Will they catch Santa and his crazy Mrs. Claus before it’s too late? Or will love stop them in their tracks?
ONLY $.99 at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2yUTzod
[image error] About Author Karen Docter…
Bestselling Author Karen Docter writes contemporary romance. When she feels the need to feed the dark side, she writes intense suspense thrillers as K.L. Docter. She’s an award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.
Connect with Karen:
Website/Blog: http://www.karendocter.com
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Karen Docter FB: https://www.facebook.com/KarenDocterAuthor/
K.L. Docter FB: https://www.facebook.com/kldocter/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754902.Karen_Docter
Happy Reading!
November 16, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** A RING FOR A SECOND CHANCE by Anne Louise Bannon #recipe ~ Roasting A Thanksgiving Turkey
[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with Anne Louise Bannon!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, ANNE LOUISE BANNON and her favorite recipe for ROASTING A THANKSGIVING TURKEY!
~~~
A RING FOR A SECOND CHANCE
BY ANNE LOUISE BANNON
BLURB
In this sequel to a beloved fairy tale, an all-too convenient accident supposedly kills a young king and his family. Steffan and Ella and their children are, however, very much alive, but forced into hiding lest Steffan’s cousin, Queen Lanicia, wipes them out. Claiming to be a merchant fallen from the new queen’s favor, Steffan takes up farming in a small village. He and Ella raise their growing, and expanding, family, keeping their secret while forming friendships and building the support Steffan will need to regain his throne. Fortunately, there is just a bit of magic helping them along. But will it be enough?
[image error]A RING FOR A SECOND CHANCE
BY ANNE LOUISE BANNON
EXCERPT
Steffan was aware that he was ill, and that time was passing. Darkness and dreams faded into each other without much rhyme or reason. He was given strong broth to sip, and then the dreams would come again. Ella was there, off and on, and the children. He knew there was another, a man. It was hard to say if the man was a part of the dream or not.
The man was there when the fever finally broke and Steffan opened his eyes for the first time to clarity.
“Who… Who are you?” he whispered.
“I am a friend of the one your queen calls Godmother,” said the man in a soft, reedy voice. He was thin with wild, gray hair. “You can call me Mr. Murdren.”
“You’re of the Faer Folke.” Steffan swallowed. “Ella said we’d never see you.”
“I was of the Faer Folke,” the man said with a sad smile. “I lost my magic seeking after gold I never found. But I have kept my friends among the Faer. In fact, I’m even your cousin. On your grandmother’s side, obviously.”
Steffan frowned. “We must be in serious trouble.”
“You are. But rest. Her Majesty will be here shortly. You’ve been very sick.”
“How long?”
“Drink this broth.”
Steffan sipped weakly. It tasted somewhat different than the other broth had.
“The children?” he asked.
“They’re well enough. They’ve had some injuries, but yours was the worst. You broke your leg, and hit your head pretty hard, too. Then you had to go and take sick over it.”
“I’m back, Mr. Murdren.” Ella appeared behind me. “Oh, you’re awake.”
“I believe so,” Steffan replied with a weak smile.
Sniffing, Ella sank to her knees next to him. “Oh, thanks be, you’re really awake. You’ve been in that healing sleep for so long, I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake up.”
Steffan gazed at her, completely puzzled. There was something odd about her appearance. The ragged gown and shawl she wore were unexpected enough, and she moved stiffly as if bending were impossible.
“You’re with child,” he gasped.
“Yes.” Ella smiled and patted the greatly swollen belly.
“You look as if you’re about ready to deliver. Have I been asleep that long?”
“Only six months,” laughed Ella. “I’ve just grown a bit more than usual. Well, a lot more. It looks as though we’re going to have a very large child.”
“That’s enough shock for now,” Mr. Murdren cut in briskly. “Your Majesty, you sleep some more. I need to brew some herbs.”
Steffan obeyed. He continued to rest on his own rather than by the magic of the healing sleep. He gained strength and learned that Mr. Murdren was a hermit and that Steffan and his family were hidden with him in a cave. But it was a week before he was able to sit up and hear the worst about his situation.
“Lanicia? Queen?” he growled. “I’ll have to go right to the palace and clear this up.”
“You can’t,” said Mr. Murdren. “She’s very powerful now. And she knows that your bodies were not in those coffins. She firmly believes you’re dead but more than one family with two small children has disappeared or met with an untimely accident.”
“At the palace they’ll know me.”
“Not necessarily,” Mr. Murdren said. “Lanicia has completely replaced the entire staff, and it’s her Raultberg Regiment that controls the army. They like their positions. Your Majesty, without any support, you wouldn’t last two hours.”
Steffan looked away, thinking. “A sluice gate must have burst to cause that sudden flood. How fortunate for Lanicia. In fact, suspiciously so. I remember seeing the guard fleeing into the woods.”
Murdren sighed. “The sluice gate was sabotaged. No one can really prove that it was timed to coincide with the coach’s arrival in the canyon, and so, officially, it has been recorded as a tragic accident.”
“So now what?” Steffan looked over at Ella, as he scratched at the beard that had grown during his illness.
Ella shrugged. “We must remain hidden until we can pull together the support we need to get you back on the throne.”
“It will take some time,” added Murdren. “But it’s not hopeless by any means. The queen is not proving to be very popular. She’s moving slowly. However, not many are fooled by her patience.”
“As soon as I regain my strength, the first thing to do will be to go to Leiderkeit,” Steffan said.
“And have King John present you?” Murdren shook his head.
“I already thought of that,” said Ella. “If John championed you, it would be a virtual declaration of war, which is just what Lanicia needs to solidify her position. She would have the perfect excuse to invade, and the support of the people, since they would be only protecting the homes Leiderkeit is attacking.”
“The key, Your Majesty, is to let the queen do the damage to herself, then appear with the solution,” said Murdren. “Our people have a long history of revolting under rulers they do not like.”
“It will still take years,” Steffan sighed. “If I am supposedly dead, how will I get anyone to believe me when I reveal myself?”
“How you go about it, you will find in time. But our friend, the one you call Godmother, has used her power so that no one else can wear the ring that was cast as your royal seal. Lord Cedric guards it. Already, one man has claimed to be you. The ring proved to be far too small, and the man was not unlike you in stature.”
“The best thing to do, for now, Steffan, is get well,” said Ella. “Hermit Murdren is arranging for us to take a small farm he owns in the south of Raultberg.”
“Lanicia’s duchy.”
“True, but not Lanicia’s people. They support her only nominally and being right under her nose, so to speak, it might prove to be a better hiding place.”
“I farmed it for many years,” said Mr. Murdren. “But I gave it up a few seasons back in order to see if I can regain my magic.”
Steffan nodded sullenly. Murdren left to play with the two children. Steffan squeezed Ella’s hand.
“It’s going to be terribly hard,” he murmured.
He looked at the wooden ring his wife wore. It had been his betrothal present to her after she had told him how she wished at times that wood was all he had to offer her. Her gold wedding band had already been sold. Ella had been so ashamed when she’d told him. But even he’d agreed she’d had little choice. Afraid that Lanicia’s men would be hunting them, Ella had taken the hermit’s advice to be ready to flee at any time, which meant selling anything of value so they would have some money. The problem was there hadn’t been much to sell. Unlike her peers, Ella seldom wore jewelry during the day and had only been wearing her wedding band at the time of the accident. All they had was the money from the sale of the wedding ring and the small pouch of silver coins that Steffan carried for alms giving. And the jeweled medallions that each of them wore that identified them as a member of the royal family. Ella had hidden those. Selling them was out of the question.
“We have nothing,” Steffan said.
“We have some silver,” said Ella. “It’s not much, but it should help us through. We’ll be poor, is all.”
“All? Good heavens, Ella. I swore I would never let you see hard times again.”
“You didn’t let this happen. Who would have believed that Lanicia was this treacherous? It’s almost as if I’m fated to be poor.”
“What an unhappy fate.”
“I’m not in the least unhappy. The worst thing in the world is to be unloved, and I’ve already survived that. I shall survive this. I can’t say I like it, but I’ve got you, and two beautiful children with another on the way. Besides, I learned a long time ago that the only thing that can make you happy is yourself. If you depend on other people or your situation, you will be disappointed.”
Steffan smiled. “And I’ve many very rich and very unhappy relatives to prove it. I just hope the good hermit can show me how to farm. I have only the slightest understanding of the process.”
[image error]Meet Author Anne Louise Bannon…
Anne Louise Bannon has made not one, but two careers out of her passion for storytelling. Both a novelist and a journalist, she has an insatiable curiosity. In addition to her mystery novels, she has written a nonfiction book about poisons, freelanced for such diverse publications as the Los Angeles Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Backstage West, and edits wine blog OddBallGrape.com. On the fiction side, she writes a romantic serial, a spy series, and her Kathy and Freddy historical mystery series, set in the 1920s. Her most recent title is The Last Witnesses. She and her husband live in Southern California with an assortment of critters.
Links to Anne’s website, books, etc.:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iZgSGA
Website: http://annelouisebannon.com/
Twitter: @ALBannon
I hope you enjoy the recipe Anne is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 344 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
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ROASTING A THANKSGIVING TURKEY
Partial Reprint of Anne Louise Bannon’s “Five Weeks to Thanksgiving Dinner” (A Darkside of the Fridge Special)
It’s all about The Bird. Roasting a turkey is pretty easy. You prep the birdie, slap it in the oven. It cooks to 165 degrees. You pull it out, let it rest for 20 minutes while you mash the potatoes, finish the gravy and the green beans. Then you slice it in the kitchen, so you can snatch some of the yummy crispy skin first, and serve.
The trick is roasting the turkey so that it’s done at a certain time, such as after all the guests have arrived but before Grandma gets tipsy. Because turkeys are so big, they take a lot of time to roast. Not to mention ovens get cranky and depending on how cold your bird is before you put it in, it may take more or less time to get cooked all the way through. And you want it cooked all the way through because undercooked poultry is icky and because it can transmit salmonella, which is no fun at all.
I shoot for a slower cooking time – it’s easier to adjust for the timing of your meal. And it’s a much bigger problem if your bird is done too soon. Holding it in the oven or reheating it can dry it out and that’s not tasty. If it does happen to you, don’t despair. That’s what gravy is for. Just go ahead and slice the bird up and put it in a roasting pan or oven-safe dish, and cover it tightly with foil. Turn the oven to warm and if you can find the room (and you should, since the bones will be mostly gone), slide a pan of water on the lowest rack in the oven or on the floor. This will keep things somewhat moist.
A lot of folks recommend brining, and I used to be one of them. Until I discovered just how freaking hard it is to find a bird that hasn’t already had salt and other flavors injected into it. If your local turkeys are unbrined and you do want to, there are plenty of recipes out there on the Internet. But it is an extra step, plus the hassle of finding room in the fridge. Unless you’re in a part of the country where it’s below 40 degrees at night, in which case, a cooler on the back porch, securely closed, will probably do just fine and keep things perfectly safe. And speaking again of safety, you really want to make sure you clean any surface the raw turkey has come into contact with, and that you wash your hands before touching anything else. It’s a bit of a pain, but better than making your guests sick.
One note – because the stores hadn’t gotten their turkeys when I did the photos, I’m doing the demonstration on a chicken. Fear not. It is exactly the same process. The only difference is the size. And the first step is to figure out when you need to get the sucker into the oven. You’re going to be roasting it at 300 degrees, so figure it’s going to take 15 minutes for each pound of bird you have. I have a 12-pounder, so that’s 12 times 15, which is 180 minutes, divided by 60, equals three hours. You have a 20-pounder, that’s 20 times 15, which is 300 minutes, divided by 60, and that’s five hours. You want dinner at three. Bird goes into the oven at 10 a.m.-ish. If you’re going to stuff your bird (which I do not recommend because it takes longer and it’s harder to tell if the stuffing got cooked all the way through), then figure 20 minutes per pound.
It’s okay if the bird goes in a little late. Because I haven’t shared with you the one trick that will pretty much guarantee (as much as anything can) that the birdie will come out when you want it to. You’re going to blast it with high heat at the end of the cooking cycle. I learned this from watching Alton Brown’s Good Eats show on making turkeys, and I forget why he likes it. But I think it makes the skin crispier to blast at the end and I know I get a lot better control over when the verdamnt bugger comes out. Getting close to dinner time and the thermometer in the bird hasn’t crept past 100 degrees? Start blasting. Things cooking a little too fast? Turn down the heat until closer to dinner time, then blast the bejeebers out of it right before you serve the soup.
Which brings me to another major point – you will need at least an instant read thermometer. If you rely on the little pop-up that some birds come with, you will get over-done, dried out bird. Also, you won’t be able to tell when to turn the heat up. I like a probe thermometer, because you stick it in, put the bird in the oven and it stays. The wire drags out of the oven to the read out, but you can see exactly where your bird is at any time. And you can use it for any roast, meatloaf or even bread that you put in the oven.
Now, turn your oven to 300 degrees and prep your roasting pan, which means finding something to keep the bird above the fat and other goodies that drip to the bottom. This allows air underneath the bird and it doesn’t get so greasy. Or so I’m told. If you don’t have a rack, a small plate turned upside down will do just fine.
Using a small plate on the left, using a rack, to hold the bird up and away from the drippings.
Wash and dry the turkey both inside and out. This is one of those rare occasions when a paper towel really does the job better than anything else.
Now, you want to season the skin. You can use oil, with salt and pepper and/or other seasonings, use only plenty of salt and pepper, or my fave: slather on some butter all over, then salt and pepper. It’s Thanksgiving and unless you have an exceptionally compelling reason to cut the calories back, it’s worth the indulgence. Do cut off the half stick of butter before you use it because you’ll just contaminate the whole stick and butter ain’t that cheap. All you do is scoop up a chunk of butter, warm in in your hand for a moment, then rub it all over, starting with the breast side. That’s the really meaty side.
Then flip the bird into the roasting pan, breast side down. What? Am I committing heresy here? Hell, yes. It’s like I said in one of my earlier posts, that image of everyone ooing and ahhing at the perfectly browned bird? It’s a terrible way to roast a bird. All the juices drip into the back, which you don’t eat. Roasting a bird breast down doesn’t give you the pretty presentation, but all those lovely juices drip into the breast and helps keep it moist and delicious. I know which I’d rather eat. And you’ll be slicing this sucker in the kitchen to further spare you the embarrassment of doing a bad slicing job. One other benefit of roasting the bird on its breast, you don’t have to tie it up (even if you do stuff, which I do not recommend), nor do you have to worry about putting foil on the wings so they don’t get over done. No, as you see in the photo below, the wings tuck in very nicely on their own, as do the legs.
Do remember, however, to butter the backside of the bird, and generously salt and pepper it.
Insert your probe in the breast, away from any bone. Folks say put the probe near the thigh. I always hit a bone or the cavity and my bird ends up underdone, which is bad. If you plan to roast to 165 degrees, then everything gets done, but not overdone, and carryover heat (that final bit of cooking that gets done outside the oven while the bird is resting) takes care of the rest.
Set your probe thermometer to 140 degrees, or plan to check the turkey about every hour it’s in the oven. Put it in a 300 degree oven, but don’t stress if your forgot to turn it on earlier. Just turn it on now. It’s not going to hurt anything. That bird is going to be cooking a while. In an ideal world, you’ll be cooking it until the internal temperature hits about 140 degrees (about the time the hors d’oeuvres are set out), then blasting it with high heat until the internal temp reaches around 165-167 degrees. As noted above, if it’s cooking too fast, turn the oven down and check again in another half hour or so. If it’s cooking too slowly, give it about 15 to 20 minutes, then start blasting. And by blasting, I mean turning up your oven to its highest heat, around 500 degrees. Do keep an eye on things. My oven takes freaking forever to get to 500 degrees, even when it’s been cooking at 300 degrees. You may want to turn your oven on before Thanksgiving and see how long it takes to get to 500 degrees. It should only take about half an hour for the blast phase, but again, you can’t cook by numbers. Watch the birdie.
Oh, look. It’s done. You’ve strong-armed the bugger out of the oven. Now, using a couple sets of tongs and/or some long forks, pull it from the pan and set it on a cutting board (we like to put our cutting board on a half-sheet pan to catch all the juices) and cover with foil to keep warm while it rests. Now, we like our wooden cutting boards. We clean them with extremely hot water and a little bleach after every use and rinse them again. There are those who say that’s still not enough – and if you have someone among your guests with a compromised immune system, it may not be. You can also use a plastic cutting mat. One other note, you may want to cook some broth in that messy roasting pan, scraping all the bits off the bottom and sides, then pour everything into a jar, which you’ll put in your fridge once it’s cooled. It may be too salty for the gravy, but just salty enough to perk some up or for extra gravy later. Or you may have to toss it. But your roasting pan will be a lot easier to clean.
Now, to the cutting (and let’s thank my Beloved Spouse for demonstrating this part). First your remove the legs, separate the drumsticks from the thighs, and set them on your serving plattter, cut the meat off the thighs. Remove the wings next.
Cut the bird vertically along the breastbone, then cut the slices of breast meat from the front to the back. Repeat on the other side.
Seriously. That’s it. Serve the turkey forth, sit down and drink a big glass of wine. You’ve earned it at this point.
Catch the whole series here. Scroll down for all the links
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Thanks, Anne , for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
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