Karen Docter's Blog, page 186
May 1, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: His Last Rodeo (Sierra Legacy #4) by Claire McEwen
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!
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HIS LAST RODEO
Sierra Legacy #4
BY CLAIRE McEWEN
Blurb
Back in the saddle again…
Tyler Ellis catches Kit Hayes completely off guard when he swaggers back home and into the bar she manages. Since high school, he’s been a champion rodeo star…a notorious playboy…and now, apparently, a bar owner. She accepts his offer of a hefty bonus and helps him transform the place because she’s desperate to escape their tiny town in the Sierras. She doesn’t expect him to work this hard beside her. Where’s the cocky cowboy he’s supposed to be? Instead she discovers he’s still the sweet, genuine young man she once knew. And so much more…including a threat to the adventurous life she craves.
HIS LAST RODEO
Sierra Legacy #4
BY CLAIRE McEWEN
Excerpt
Kit glanced at his towel in horror. “Use the lint-free kind.” She handed him a towel from the stack on the shelf over the sink. “Jeez, you are green, aren’t you?”
“Green at this,” Tyler admitted. “But rumor has it I’m a pretty quick study.”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out if the rumors are true,” she teased. “It’s your first Friday night, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.” He tried to smile, but it felt a little weak. “I’m looking forward to it. But I’ve got a few nerves.”
“You should. You have no idea what you’re doing.” Her intoxicating combination of sass and mischief had the glass slipping out of his hand, so he had to hustle to catch it.
“Nice reflexes,” she murmured. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
“If you help me out tonight, there is. I can pour a pint—”
“Barely.”
“—and measure out a shot. But if I get anything more complicated than that, I’m toast.”
“You don’t know your cocktails?”
“Don’t drink ’em myself. I’ve been reading recipes, but I’m more of a hands-on learner.” A nice way of saying that half the words he read made no sense. He glanced hopefully in her direction. “I just need a good teacher.”
“You want me to train you? You won’t be embarrassed?”
“When you rodeo, you learn by falling on your ass in front of hundreds of people. This can’t be more humiliating than that.”
She studied him from underneath her thick black lashes. “What’s in it for me?”
“A boss who’s not totally incompetent?”
Her slow smile could melt metal. “But that could be kind of fun to watch.”
“No shit-show is fun to watch for long. Plus I saw you with those customers. You pretend to be all tough, but you have a soft spot for the lost and lonely. I’m part of that club right now.”
“You?” She laughed, soft and bitter. He’d give a lot to know what put that resentment in her soul. “Not the words I’d ever use to describe someone like you.”
“Someone like me will pay you a training stipend. A hundred extra bucks each night.”
“Now you’re trying to buy my help?” She scrubbed the pint glass in her hand with extra vigor. “Not everything can be bought, you know. Loyalty, for example.”
“I’m not asking for your loyalty, though that would be nice,” Tyler said. “I’m trying to treat you like a professional. You have years of experience. I have none and I need to learn. So I pay you extra to share your expertise with me. It’s only right.”
“Fine,” she said quietly. “I’ll do it. But you have to be willing to move fast and do what I say.”
“I’m yours to command,” he said, liking the flush creeping up her cheeks at the tiny innuendo. “And I appreciate the help.”
She grabbed a stack of dry glasses. “Well, let’s get going then. It’s getting loud out there, which means it’s getting busy.”
They rounded the corner and Tyler was amazed to see a crowd that stretched almost to the door. A quick scan revealed a collection of some of the most rugged-looking folks he’d ever seen in one place. Bikers in leather, ranch hands in hats, jeans and bowlegs. Women in tight T-shirts and big hair. Kit glanced over her shoulder. “Welcome to the Dusty Saddle. Hope you’re ready to earn your spurs.”
Meet Author Claire McEwen.
..
Claire McEwen lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy, mischievous terrier. She loves writing stories where strong heroes and heroines take big, emotional journeys to find their happily-ever-afters. When not dreaming up new books, she can be found digging in her garden with a lot of enthusiasm but, unfortunately, no green thumb. She loves discovering flea-market treasures, walking on the beach, dancing, traveling and reading, of course!
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Links to Claire’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2017/3/8/his-last-rodeo-claire-mcewen
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34513698-his-last-rodeo
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/178332-sierra-legacy
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
~~~
Thanks, Claire, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Congratulations MAY Blog Subscriber Winner!!
Time to announce the MAY 2017 #WINNER of my Monthly Blog Subscriber Giveaway, where special readers can win a read or coffee – two of my favorite things—on me!!!
And the winner is…
LINBAT…
Congratulations! You have won a $5 gift card from Amazon or Starbucks (your choice)! I’ll contact you privately to arrange for delivery of your gift.
Dear Readers,
If you missed this month’s giveaway, you can still subscribe to my blog at http://www.karendocter.com/ to get my blogs delivered straight to your email and be entered EACH MONTH into a random drawing for #FREE $5 gift card. On the first of each month, I’ll draw one name at www.random.org from all of my subscribers to receive the card.
More wonderful perks to subscribing to my blog? The blogs, when they appear in your Inbox, are pretty and easy to read. You can discover new authors, recipes and reader fun…and many of the authors sponsor GIVEAWAYS just for commenting!
If you’re only in the mood to receive my Special Release Alerts, you can subscribe to my mailing list instead. This is NOT a newsletter, but the occasional Karen/K.L. Docter news release.
Thanks for joining me on Karen’s Killer Book Bench!!
Karen/K.L.
To avoid SPAM filters, I’m announcing this random giveaway on the blog so that all current subscribers will know who won. If your name is announced and you don’t hear from me and can’t find an email in your SPAM folder, please contact me at kldocter@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Winners selected by random.org.
April 30, 2017
**Author Peek** Interview with Darlene Deluca’s BAREFOOT DAYS (Women of Whitfield Book 3) Character, Mary Logan
**Author Peek** Interview with DARLENE DELUCA’S
BAREFOOT DAYS (Women of Whitfield Book 3)
Character, Mary Logan
INTRODUCING…Mary Logan, BAREFOOT DAYS Character.
1. What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
Hello! My name is Mary Logan. Sometimes my friends call me Mare. And my husband sometimes calls me Mary-me. Everybody say “awwwwww.”
2.Who is your best friend? What kinds of things do you do when you’re together?
My very best friend is Claire Stapleton. She’s the main character in the first Women of Whitfield book, and she is a character! We used to do everything together, starting way back when with raising kids. For a long time we were neighbors and our families kind of spilled into each other. We do volunteer projects together, and belong to the same book club. Most of all, when we’re together we laugh and have fun!
Here’s a note I wrote to Claire when a few of us girls sent her an indoor plant for a housewarming gift:
“This tree is like us, dear friend – lots of individual branches going every which way, but with deep roots, and a trunk that’s a little bit twisted, but fused together forever.”
3. If you have a family, how do you get along with them? If you don’t, are there people in your life that you consider family? How do you get along with them?
I’m blessed with an amazing family, and a husband who adores me – most of the time!
Congratulations Week 04-10-17, 04-17-17 & 04-24-17 Blog Giveaway Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
04-10-17, 04-17-17 & 04-24-17
BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Donna Schlachter…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Donna is giving away a print copy (U.S. ONLY) of THE PONY EXPRESS to one lucky winner who comments on her **Author Peek** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.
Thank you, Donna, for sharing your story with us.
WINNER: LINDA MOFFITT !
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Amanda Adams…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Amanda is giving away an ebook copy of CRASH AND BURN to one lucky winner who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thank you, Amanda, for sharing your story with us.
WINNER: EILEEN ABERMAN-WELLS !
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Stacey A. Purcell…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Stacey is giving away an ebook copy of ECHOES IN TIME to two lucky winners who comment on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thank you, Stacey, for sharing your story with us.
WINNERS: BN100 & DRAKE HELEN!!
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Debra Salonen…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Since I’ll be unpacking during Spring Break, I can only dream of exotic locales. What’s your ideal/fantasy Spring getaway? One winner who comments on her **Author Peek** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs will be chosen to receive a $15 gift card from Amazon.
Thank you, Debra, for sharing your story with us.
WINNER: JUDY TULLOCH !
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Marla Josephs…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Marla is giving away an ebook copy of ROAD TRIP to two lucky winners who comment on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thank you, Marla, for sharing your story with us.
WINNERS: MARY BIRK & YVONNE CRUZ!!
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Grace Goodwin…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Grace is giving away an ebook copy of MATING FEVER to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thank you, Grace, for sharing your story with us.
WINNER: ELF THE READING ADDICT! !
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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Yvonne Montgomery…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Yvonne is giving away a trade paperback edition of Wisdom Court Book One, Edge of the Shadow to one lucky winner who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thank you, Yvonne, for sharing your story with us.
WINNERS: MARY ANNE EDWARDS!!
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EVERYONE’S A WINNER WHEN YOU READ A DOCTER NOVEL!!!
KILLING SECRETS
A Thorne’s Thorn Novel – Book One
by K. L. Docter
**LIMITED TIME** Discount $3.99!!
Blurb: Some secrets are better left dead. Too bad the Angel Killer’s digging them up. Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her traumatized child, his key to the James fortune. Patrick Thorne isn’t interested in helping another of his parents’ charity cases, especially after losing his unborn son and wife to suicide. Only trust will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a child of her silent prison, and save them both from a killer who stands too close.
“This romantic suspense is full of wonderful secrets, twists, turns and has an evil serial killing villain. The kind of killer we see on the TV show CRIMINAL MINDS.”–RT Book Reviews, Bernadette Cychner
All of Karen/K.L. Docter books are stand alone novels. No cliffhangers!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2m6Bv4P
B&N: http://goo.gl/wsqVxB
Kobo: http://goo.gl/KM563U
iTunes: http://goo.gl/pg58wN
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21965828-killing-secrets?ac=1&from_search=true
HAPPY READING!
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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!
April 27, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with ALL IN BAD TIME (The Wisdom Court Series Book Three) Author Yvonne Montgomery #recipe ~ Aura Lee’s Gluten-Free Apple Pie Granola Bars
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with YVONNE MONTGOMERY!
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, YVONNE MONTGOMERY, and her favorite recipe for AURA LEE’S GLUTEN-FREE APPLE PIE GRANOLA BARS!
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ALL IN BAD TIME
The Wisdom Court Series Book Three
BY YVONNE MONTGOMERY
BLURB
Since her acceptance at Wisdom Court, Eve Stewart has been haunted by odd accidents and a voice in her head that she can’t quite recall.
Upon arriving at the stately institute, Eve hopes to connect with fellow artists, but finds the women enduring strange supernatural occurrences while attempting to decipher the second journal of the Institute’s late founder, Caldicott Wyntham.
The voice grows louder.
Desperate to determine what is real and what is not, Eve joins the search for an evil talisman stolen by Caldicott, and for which Caldicott’s lover paid the ultimate price at the hand of Severn Barlow, a British earl who attempted to sway World War II.
Then Eve stumbles into a secret room and comes upon an old map with instructions on how to end the Earl’s remote viewing and destructive spell-work.
But Severn has one more trick up his sleeve.
ALL IN BAD TIME
The Wisdom Court Series Book Three
BY YVONNE MONTGOMERY
EXCERPT
“Rose…Rose?” Aura Lee leaned around the lintel of the backstairs and cocked an ear for any sounds. Silence was her reward.
“By the Goddess, where has she gone now?” Aura Lee turned back to the kitchen just in time to catch an impression of movement near the ceiling rack where shining copper pots hung. On a gasp she patted the purple dragon across the front of her magenta sari. Slowly stepping backward, she eased around the counter and made her way to the door leading to the dining room.
“What are you doing?” whispered a voice from behind her.
Aura Lee shrieked and fell against the wall.
“Holy hell.” Brenna grabbed the older woman’s shoulder and helped her to the nearest chair.
Aura Lee slumped onto the flowered cushion. “You scared me to death!”
Brenna dropped heavily onto the adjacent chair. “You scared me first, backing in here like you’d just set a bomb or something. I was afraid to say anything out loud.”
“I saw something in the kitchen.” Aura Lee took a wad of tissue from one roomy pocket and dabbed at the sweat dotting her forehead. A hank of her brassy hair hung over one ear, and her ankh earrings were trembling. “I thought getting out of the room was better than trying to find out what it was. Wait a minute,” she added hurriedly as Brenna got to her feet and took a step toward the door. “Let’s wait until the others show up. Then we can check it out.”
Brenna frowned at her. “By then whatever it is will be gone. We’ve got to be brave, Aura Lee. You’re the housekeeper, for heaven’s sake. If you don’t have backbone, nobody does.”
“Humph.” Aura Lee levered herself off the chair and adjusted her flowing sari. “I’ll show you backbone.”
Together they stood in the doorway and peered around the big kitchen. “What did you see?” Brenna whispered.
“Movement near the ceiling, on the pan rack.” Aura Lee brushed by her, squinting up at the wooden fretwork holding copper pans. “It was small, I think. Might’ve even been a mouse.”
She didn’t see Brenna’s cynical smile. “Oh, sure. You know how many of our little disturbances have been as ordinary as a mouse.”
A bit of light sparked momentarily and the winked out. They both smelled the now-familiar odor of ozone.
Aura Lee gasped. “Did you see that?”
“Yeah.” Brenna took a couple of steps closer to the rack. “What do you think it could’ve been? Is there an electrical outlet up there?”
Aura Lee shrugged, but her hand plucked nervously at her neckline. “Maybe a poltergeist?”
“Really? Just what we need,” Brenna muttered.
“What do we need?” Rose asked from the other door. When they both wheeled toward her, her shoulders drooped. Her silver curls had suffered from the breeze, and the black tee shirt she wore over gray yoga pants drained the color from her cheeks. “Something else is going on, isn’t it?” She carried in the cloth bag hanging from her other hand and set it onto the table. “Just another normal day at Wisdom Court.”
About Author Yvonne Montgomery… 
Yvonne Montgomery has feared the dark since seeing Psycho at the age of twelve. Living in a shadowy Victorian house in Denver’s historic Capitol Hill, her writing is spurred when old floorboards creak for no reason and windowpanes rattle despite stillness in the night.
Yvonne is the award-winning author of three Wisdom Court books set in Boulder, Colorado. Book One, Edge of the Shadow, Book Two, A Signal Shown, and Book Three, All in Bad Time, are available as e-books, trade paperbacks, and hardbacks through most e-book retailers and through Ingram Content Group. She’s published two Finny Aletter mysteries and is the co-author of Bridey’s Mountain, a four-generation saga.
Currently Yvonne is writing more Wisdom Court stories which will appear on her website at yvonnemontgomery.com
~~~
Links to Yvonne’s Website, Books, & Social Media:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2oOMaRE
Website: https://yvonnemontgomery.com/
Yvonne’s Amazon Page: amzn.to/2pebAcJ
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ayvonnemontgomery
Twitter: @authorYvonneM
B&N Nook Books:
wwww/barnesandnoble.com/s/yvonnemontgomery/_/N-8q8
KOBO: http://bit.ly/2oEg0fa
Google Play: bit.ly/2p1sKNR
Visit my Amazon Author Page www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KIXKIU and click FOLLOW under my picture.
I hope you enjoy the recipe Yvonne is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 309 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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NOTE: Aura Lee Witherspoon is the chatelaine at Boulder’s famous women’s institute, Wisdom Court. She keeps these bars on hand to spur the creativity of the associates working there.
AURA LEE’S GLUTEN-FREE APPLE PIE GRANOLA BARS
1 stick butter
1 cup coconut milk
1 ½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp clove
1 tsp cinnamon
4 packets GF instant oatmeal – Apple Cinnamon
¾ cup Udi’s Original Granola
½ cup coconut flakes
1 cup brown rice cereal crisps
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup dried fruit
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F., coat 13” X 9” X 2” baking pan with non-stick spray.
Mix butter, sugar, coconut milk, and molasses.
Stir in remaining dry ingredients until coated.
Press mixture into pan and bake 14-17 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and cool, then cut into squares.
Parchment bags make great portioning tools for these yummy bars.
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Yvonne is giving away a trade paperback edition of Wisdom Court Book Three, Edge of the Shadow to one lucky winner who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thanks, Yvonne, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
April 26, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Sam and The Junkman (A New Jersey Murder Mystery Volume 1) by Marilyn Salzano
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!
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SAM AND THE JUNKMAN
A New Jersey Murder Mystery Volume 1
BY MARILYN SALZANO
Blurb
Sam and the Junkman, A New Jersey Murder Mystery is jam-packed with Italians, Hungarians, Food, and MURDER. After escaping from a toxic relationship and rural backwoods boredom, sci-fi artist Sam Dvorshak runs back home to New Jersey and family. She immediately hooks up with her long time pal Tony DeFranco, a cool and handsome Italian dude who buys and sells junk. Their first time out together Tony takes her to his favorite dumpsite where they stumble upon a gruesome murder and plunge into an investigation that leads them to obnoxious suspects, hobos, big dogs, and Aunt Vilma. Getting no respect, they diligently forge ahead battling death threats, shadowy giants, and age discrimination to finally uncover the identity of the fiend who committed the heinous and grisly homicide.
SAM AND THE JUNKMAN
A New Jersey Murder Mystery Volume 1
BY MARILYN SALZANO
Blurb
“What in the world is this?” griped Roland, my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend as he lifted up the dripping square of meat with his fork. “It looks like a soggy slab of sawdust.” He plopped it down onto his plate and began shredding it with his fork. “There’s no veggies in it.” He carefully set down his fork and knife and stared at me with dark humorless eyes.
“There’s no veggies because it’s a meat—loaf,” I said, through a mouthful of delicious diner food.
“I thought you ordered soy loaf. I wanted a vegetarian meal. You know how I am about my food. It has to be high quality and carefully prepared.”
“It is carefully prepared. Look how nice they arranged the food on your dish. There’s five baby carrots, a pile of peas, and a beautiful mound of mashed potatoes and gravy.”
“Whatever.” He sighed, picked at his carrots and went back to examining the New Jersey road map. Yawn, one of his many passions.
I’m Samantha Dvorshak, newly reinstated back home in New Jersey with Mom and Pop after a grueling year of Roland and backwoods cow granola country. Right now, we’re sitting in a booth at Dino’s Diner in my hometown, Little Creek, New Jersey. It’s dinnertime and the place is filling up.
I watched him carefully trace his finger over the highway system on the map. My interest level dropped to my shoes as he went on and on about the difference between the red solid road lines and the red dotted ones. I knew this was preliminary small talk before the “Let’s give it another chance” lecture. I figured I’d meet with him this one last time, since he did drive five hours to get here, and tell him again, firmly, that as far as I’m concerned this relationship is muerto y enterrado, dead and buried.
I just know I’m going to have a stomachache later on. I should have brought my father with me. There’s no mistaking his meaning when he tells you something.
Roland painstakingly folded up the map until it looked like it had never been used.
“I need to find a way home that’s faster than the three hour drive through this congested beehive you love so much. I don’t know how you can stand living here. There are too many buildings, cars, and people. Way too many people.”
“I like all this.”
“You would, you’ve always been flaky.”
“Me flaky?” I leaned across the red Formica tabletop. “Hey, at least my friends don’t wear gunny sacks, pray to tree goddesses and do fifth level chakra regeneration, whatever that is.”
“It’s raising your spiritual awareness.”
“My spiritual awareness rose the instant I cross the state line. I became aware of how good it was to be home.” I leaned back and glanced over to the diner entrance as a group of guys walk in. I rated them from mediocre to semi homely. Then I spotted this vaguely familiar straggler. What’s this? I’m riveted. My eyes scanned his taller than six foot frame from his black motorcycle boots, his low slung jeans, his black guinea tee shirt revealing long lean muscular arms covered in manly tattoos. My eyes moved up to his chiseled chin, sensuous mouth, and black sunglasses. I lingered on his ear, studded with five silver skulls, and his twelve-inch fuchsia and green spiked mohawk. Wow, I’m alive and turned on. Who would have guessed that this magnificent strutting rooster would kick start my libido.
Meet Author Marilyn Salzano.
..
Marilyn Salzano grew up in New Jersey and is of Polish/Hungarian decent. She has been a painter and writer her whole life, regularly writing stories to go along with her paintings. Now she is pursuing her first love, writing full time. The sci-fi art mentioned in this book are references to her original paintings. Several of her short stories have won honorable mention awards in the prestigious ‘Writer’s of the Future Contest.’ Marilyn lives in upstate New York with her husband Joe.
~~~
Links to Marilyn’s website, blog, books, etc.
Available in ebook & paperback
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2oxUcD4
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sam-and-the-junkman-a-new-jersey-murder-mystery-marilyn-salzano/1122871090?ean=2940152434163
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sam-and-the-junkman-a-new-jersey-murder-mystery
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588444
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007359847972
~~~
Thanks, Marilyn, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
April 25, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Mating Fever (Interstellar Brides Book 10) by Grace Goodwin
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!
~~
MATING FEVER
Interstellar Brides Book 10
BY GRACE GOODWIN
Blurb
Megan Simmons is a soldier sent into space to protect Earth as members of the Coalition Fleet. After eighteen months of ruthless fighting on a Hive controlled planet, she is separated from her unit, lost and trapped behind enemy lines.
Nyko of Atlan never hesitates to charge into battle against Hive scum. Seeing a soldier in trouble, he follows routine, ripping his enemies to shreds to save the human. When that warrior turns out to be a beautiful and curvy female, the beast he’s been fighting suddenly breaks free and growls one simple demand…MINE.
MATING FEVER
Interstellar Brides Book 10
BY GRACE GOODWIN
Editorial Note: Edited for language.
Excerpt
“It was a dream and it was…hot.” I took a deep breath, let it out. Sat up and slapped my palms on the arms of the testing chair. “Is that it? Am I done?”
Her dark hair looked soft, glowing in the harsh light of the medical station, her green medical uniform showed off her olive skin. “I told you it would be painless and easy. A little nap, a hot dream and then you’re matched.” She seemed pleased with the concept and even snapped her fingers at the end. “It’s fun for me, too.” She winked at me and I couldn’t help but grin back at her. “The testing is a reprieve for me from the triage bay where the wounded come in from battle.”
I knew those horrors after seeing it firsthand for the past two years.
“You only have two days left,” she added, upbeat. Obviously, she didn’t want to bring up what could happen to me when I went back out to fight. They didn’t taper off the combat missions even though I was so close to being done I could taste it.
Two days. One more mission. I only had to survive the next forty-eight hours and then my service was up. I could go back to Core command, get this thing out of my head, and walk away. I’d anticipated the end of the fighting ever since that very first battle, counting off the months, weeks, days until I was done. A veteran and free to go home. But as the day of my discharge drew close, west Texas didn’t seem that appealing anymore. My mother would continually remind me I wasn’t worthy or male. Yeah, I would be retired, having served my time, and faster than most, since Coalition duty was only two years. I’d have lifelong benefits and a nice salary. Still, I’d have to deal with my mother, and a planet full of people who had no idea what was really going on out here in space.
Hell, I didn’t need to go home to enjoy my mother’s disapproval. Whenever I had comm time, her larger-than-life face on the screen always showed disappointment and I still heard the whiskey talking in her every veiled insult.
Most days, I wondered why I still bothered trying to please her. And that was a rabbit hole of pain I had no desire to jump down right now.
No. Going home to Earth held no appeal. My father was still dead. My brothers still served, still saved the world. But nothing I did mattered to my mother. I was never as good as her boys.
Didn’t matter that I was saving the entire freaking universe.
What would I do at home anyway? As a veteran, I’d receive benefits, but what was that good? They warned us about sharing what we’d seen and done with people on Earth, scared, panicked people who wouldn’t understand. So, I couldn’t even talk about anything going on out here. My mother definitely wouldn’t be interested. And what human man would want a Coalition combat veteran for a bride? Hell, a girlfriend even? What value did I bring to the society in Podunk, Texas? Nothing.
At least during combat I’d kept my head down, stayed alive and saved a few of my fellow fighters as well. I might have been part of a large team, but I was needed. Well, my brand of crazy was needed. Not everyone was willing to have Hive tech implanted in their head.
Stupid? Probably. But I’d just watched an entire unit of human fighters be wiped out in a strike the Hive shouldn’t have been able to organize. And I’d seen that blue bastard on the hilltop with his blue-skinned friends. I was one of the few ever to witness the Nexus in action. I’d gotten close, close enough to take a kill shot. I’d hit him, but destroyed the one thing the Core wanted, needed, to win this war. Those Nexus soldiers had some kind of processing unit that linked directly to Hive Central Command and transmitted to the rest of the Hive around them. They were like broadcast centers, commanders, if the Hive had such a thing. And the Coalition Fleet needed one of those communicators so they could break the code, disrupt transmissions, spy on their enemy’s communications.
We needed one of them, and I was going to get one. Tomorrow. And then I was going to accept my reward…a hot hunk of alien who would f*(k me sideways and make me forget every damn battle I’d ever fought, every friend I’d watched die. I was going to have some happiness, damn it.
So going back to Earth? Not going to happen. But out here, in the Coalition, I could have a mate. As a warrior for the Fleet, I could be processed as an Interstellar Bride. I’d seen females and their mates on the battleship and I’d envied their obvious connection. Each one of them, from Atlans to Prillons, were bonded in a way I’d never known, never imagined. Mated males didn’t cheat. Hell, they didn’t even look.
I wanted that. I needed it, a connection. Roots. Something. So I’d agreed to the testing—a perk for all warriors completing their service. But that dream? I had to wonder if I even passed. Maybe the whole thing was a big mistake. I didn’t particularly like the dominant Atlan males. So, maybe, in that dream, I got off on his dominance during sex. Hell, yeah. But like? No. They were great on the battlefield, huge hulking beasts that ripped through Hive lines like knives through paper. But talking to one? Living with one for the rest of my life? Oh, no. They were arrogant, bossy…
“Megan?”
The doctor was staring, and I realized she’d been talking to me. I hadn’t heard a word. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“I said you only have two days left. While you went through the testing, I can’t match you because you’re still a fighter. Per protocol, I can’t match you until you either consent to it or are finished as a Coalition fighter.”
I understood what she was saying in a very diplomatic way. If I were matched and then died in battle, it wasn’t fair to the mate. Who wanted to be matched and then have the person die in battle before even meeting?
I frowned at the possibility. “So I’m not matched.”
She shook her head. “Not yet. Unless you want to end your time now as a fighter. It is an option.”
I held up my hand. “No. Don’t match me now. I’ve got a couple more days to keep my head attached to my body. Watch my back. Stay out of the Hive’s hands.” Even if I was allowed to know who he was, I wouldn’t be thinking about my mission. I’d be thinking about him.
Meet Author Grace Goodwin.
..
Grace Goodwin is an international bestselling author of Sci-Fi & Paranormal romance. When she was a wee little girl, she was convinced she was not an average child but was, in fact, a fairy princess. Now a bit older, her fantasies have grown to include sexually dominant men who know how to ensure a woman’s pleasure. Grace believes all women should be treated like princesses, in the bedroom and out of it, and writes love stories where men know how to make their women feel pampered, protected and very well taken care of. Grace hates the snow, loves the mountains (yes, that’s a problem) and wishes she could simply download the stories out of her head instead of being forced to type them out. Grace lives in the western US and is a full time writer, an avid romance reader and an admitted caffeine addict.
All of Grace’s books can be read as STAND ALONE novels. Her Happily-Ever-Afters are always free from cheating because she writes Alpha males, NOT Alphaholes. (You can figure that one out.) But be careful…she likes her heroes hot and her love scenes hotter. You have been warned…
~~~
Links to Grace’s website, blog, books, etc.
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~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Grace is giving away an ebook copy of MATING FEVER to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Grace, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
April 24, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: A Charmed Little Lie (Charmed in Texas #1) by Sharla Lovelace
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!
~~
A CHARMED LITTLE LIE
Charmed in Texas #1
BY SHARLA LOVELACE
Blurb
Lanie Barrett didn’t mean to lie. Spinning a story of a joyous marriage to make a dying woman happy is forgivable, isn’t it? Lanie thinks so, especially since her beloved Aunt Ruby would have been heartbroken to know the truth of her niece’s sadly loveless, short-of-sparkling existence. Trouble is, according to the will, Ruby didn’t quite buy Lanie’s tale. And to inherit the only house Lanie ever really considered a home, she’ll have to bring her “husband” back to Charmed, Texas for three whole months—or watch Aunt Ruby’s cozy nest go to her weasel cousin, who will sell it to a condo developer.
Nick McKane is out of work, out of luck, and the spitting image of the man Lanie described. He needs money for his daughter’s art school tuition, and Lanie needs a convenient spouse. It’s a match made . . . well, not quite in heaven, but for a temporary arrangement, it couldn’t be better. Except the longer Lanie and Nick spend as husband and wife, the more the connection between them begins to seem real. Maybe this modern fairy tale really could come true . . .
A CHARMED LITTLE LIE
Charmed in Texas #1
BY SHARLA LOVELACE
Excerpt
The cake-eating contest was first, and I was playing for the bank. It was my favorite one of course.
“I’m a cook,” Nick teased, sitting next to me. “I’ve got this.”
“Just because you can make a cake doesn’t mean you can eat it,” I said, rolling my head on my shoulders and popping my knuckles. The four-layer cake in front of me was daunting. I formed a strategy, one slice at a time.
“Big words, Mrs. McKane,” he said.
Calling me that sent goosebumps trickling down my spine.
Why?
It wasn’t the first time. But something about sitting next to my husband in a goofy town festival cake-eating contest suddenly felt so domestic. So normal and real.
Focus, Lanie.
The bell rang, and we were off. We each had knives, but those of us with experience skipped that time consuming task. Hands worked just fine, and going for big bites with minimum chewing was optimal. The winner was Berty Carson from the barber shop, an elderly man who obviously had been practicing judging by the girth around his waist.
Still, I had three-fourths of my cake gone compared to Nick’s little over half.
“What was that, Mr. McKane?” I said, putting my cake-covered hand to my ear. “Was that the sound of losing?”
Nick grabbed my hand and stuck one of my fingers in his mouth, sucking the cake off with his tongue. Everything stopped for me for a moment, the world going on tilt, and he winked as he licked his lips.
“What was that, Mrs. McKane?” he said. “The sound of shock?”
Oh, what a dirty, dirty boy. He didn’t play fair. I would so remember that.
Meet Author Sharla Lovelace. ..
Sharla Lovelace is the bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. Being a Texas girl through and through, she’s proud to say she lives in Southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two crazy dogs. She is the author of five stand-alone novels including the bestselling Don’t Let Go, the exciting Heart Of The Storm series, and the fun and sexy new Charmed in Texas series.
For more about Sharla’s books, visit www.sharlalovelace.com, and keep up with all her new book releases easily by subscribing to her newsletter. She loves keeping up with her readers, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Q&A with Sharla
Describe yourself in five words or less.
1. Snarky (Might be kind of scary that this was the first one that came to mind.)
2. Introverted
3. Sneaky
4. People-watcher (notice how I hyphenated to get an extra word? Yeah, see #3)
5. Dog-lover (it worked last time)
Can you tell us a little about your book?
It’s about lying! LOL. Truly, it’s about when all your little white lies catch up to you, and what the hell do you do then? You make up a gargantuan sized one to cover them, and then hope it doesn’t swallow you whole. Unless it’s in the form of a hot sexy get-under-your-skin man….then by all means swallow! (I did not just say that.)
Lanie and Nick’s story was honestly one of my favorite books to write—EVER. It was so much fun, and such a runaway train ride with no hands! I loved literally watching them fall for each other, I loved Lanie’s spunk! I loved every second of it, and it birthed the town of Charmed, so I hope you will love it as much as I do.
If you had a theme song, what would it be?
I Hope You Dance
Name one thing you won’t leave home without.
My phone and a hair tie on my wrist. (That’s 2. Damn I have trouble following rules.)
What types of scenes are your most favorite to write?
I adore writing intense scenes with either sexy-smexy chemistry burning up the page or fast snappy dialogue. Sex scenes before the sex…with the tease and the tension and the snarky back and forth talking…I love that. Also fights are a blast with all that emotion churning around. Dialogue is always the most fun. I groan to write description…
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Everyone says this, but seriously, never give up. I met Sandra Brown at a writer’s conference, and she was behind a table signing for a line of hundreds, and when I got up there I said “Everyone in this line wants to be you one day.” She looked at me and said, “You’re here. You’re already halfway there. Don’t ever stop learning and don’t ever stop writing. You’ll get here. One day, maybe I’ll be in your line.” I never forgot that. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing by any means, but my first book was published almost exactly 5 years ago, and now A CHARMED LITTLE LIE is my 10th published book, and I’ve just finished writing my 12th. Don’t give up on your dream. Also, remember that you write about life, and to do that you have to live. There are times (deadline evil times) that you have to stay in a cave and pound out words, but outside of that, find a balance and enjoy your life. It will show in your writing when you do…and when you don’t. If you write romance, kiss your husband every day. And if you are writing about hot sex and he is one of your readers, you’d better be prepared to give up the goods. Saying you aren’t in the mood after penning being banged against a wall—doesn’t cut it honey.
April 23, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Dancing Bride (Central City Brides Book 1) by Cynthia Woolf
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!
~~
THE DANCING BRIDE
Central City Brides Book 1
BY CYNTHIA WOOLF
Blurb
From the day she was born, Rita Baxter’s mother encouraged her to follow her heart. Filled with innocent dreams and faith that her hard work training to be a Prima Ballerina on New York’s bright stage will lead to fortune and fame, Rita is crushed when she loses her mother and must take a job dancing in a burlesque chorus line to keep a roof over her head. Witnessing a brutal murder is the last straw. The police promise to keep her safe, but Rita has learned to be a realist. Determined to escape the Irish gang that wants her dead and start a new life for herself, Rita heads to Colorado Territory as a mail-order bride.
Jack Colton struck gold in his Central City mine, but the dark recesses of the mine mirror the lonely, dark places in his heart. He longs for a wife and family, but the only women in town interested in a hard former soldier like him aren’t really interested in him at all. Tired of being pursued for his newfound wealth, Jack decides to take a chance on a mail-order bride from New York. She’s supposed to be petite and beautiful, a dancer who will bring color and warmth into his cold life.
Sparks fly when they meet, both hopeful for a bright future. But murder is a poison and it followed Rita all the way from New York. Jack thought his killing days were over, but when an assassin arrives to destroy everything Jack will stop at nothing to protect his new wife…no matter the cost.
THE DANCING BRIDE
Central City Brides Book 1
BY CYNTHIA WOOLF
Excerpt
June 13, 1869, New York City
Rita stepped through the side door to the outside of the theater to take in the cool air between numbers. Dancing in the chorus of a burlesque show kept her figure in shape, but barely paid the bills. She needed to find another line of work. She lifted her hair, sticky from sweat, and let the night breeze work its wonders on her neck.
She heard the sound of feet slapping in the water puddles. Someone ran into the alley.
Rita stepped back into the shadows so she couldn’t be seen.
A man wearing a derby followed the first, shouting, “Stop, Mulligan. Mr. O’Hara wants ta see ya.”
The first man shouted over his shoulder, “Leave me alone.”
The derby wearing man stopped, raised a pistol and fired.
The first man fell to the ground and then rolled to his back.
“Don’t kill me, Danvers. I’ll talk to Barry O’Hara. I’ll tell him whatever he wants.”
“Too late, Mulligan. Ya just told me what I needed ta know. Ya ken? You’ll say anythin’ to save yer skin.”
Danvers pointed his gun at the man on the ground and fired.
Mulligan quit moving.
Rita wanted to scream, but she knew if she did, she’d be lying next to the man on the ground with her blood draining away. She stayed where she was, silent as a mouse.
Danvers looked around, turned and walked calmly out of the alley. He hadn’t seen Rita who waited for what seemed like forever until she was sure he was gone before going back inside.
“Joe. Joe, send someone for the police I just saw a man murdered in the alley.”
Joe Gant, a short, balding man with a large belly, who always wore suspenders and a belt to hold up his pants, served as the stage manager. He cocked his head, pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.
“What you talkin’ about, Rita? I didn’t hear nothin’.”
Rita stood with her feet apart, pointing to the outside and shouted, “I’m telling you there’s a dead man in the alley. Go see for yourself.”
“Okay. Okay.”
Joe went out through the side door into the alley. When he returned he was white in the face and mopping his head with his handkerchief.
“You’re right, Rita. Sorry I didn’t believe ya. Hank is on duty at the entrance tonight. I’ll go get him.”
Hank Reynolds was a cop the theater owner paid to provide security in his off time.
Rita sat in a chair, her hand to her heart, trying to get the organ to stop beating so fast.
Knowing the police would be coming, she changed into her regular clothes as soon as Joe went to get Hank. She didn’t want to be seen on the street in her short costume, with her legs showing. That was not to be done. A little later the police came, hauled the body away and took Rita down to headquarters to take her statement.
By the time the night was over, Rita felt like she’d told her story to a hundred different people.
Finally, the detective in charge, Roy Schneider, came by.
He was a good-looking man, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, whose nose appeared to have been broken several times.
She fluffed her hair and straightened her dress.
“Miss Baxter, you’re free to go. I wouldn’t leave town, though.”
She frowned. “Why would I leave town?”
“Well, you just saw Mike Mulligan murdered by Dick Danvers, Barry O’Hara’s right hand man. Not to put it too bluntly, but your life is in danger, Miss Baxter and I can’t provide protection for you.”
Rita sat in front of Schneider’s desk and he leaned on the edge of it, arms crossed over his chest.
She narrowed her eyes. “Barry O’Hara head of the Whyos gang?”
“Yes, one and the same.”
Her heart pounded, as the realization of what she’d seen became apparent.
“So are you telling me I should leave town? Where would I go?”
“I’m not telling you any such thing, but we know there’re people in the department that are on O’Hara’s payroll. He’ll know who you are soon enough. So, if you decide to leave, let me know where you are and no one else. They’ll come after you, Miss Baxter, there’s no doubt of that, but I want you to come back for the trial. We can’t put Danvers or O’Hara away without your testimony and they know that. They’ll want to keep you silent.”
Rita nodded and turned to leave.
“Goodbye, Miss Baxter. I’ll have an officer see you home. That’s all I can do.”
“Goodbye, Detective Schneider. I sincerely hope to never see you again.”
He leaned on the table, took a pre-rolled cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it.
“I hope you don’t either.”
Then he winked.
What the heck did that mean?
Meet Author Cynthia Woolf.
..
Cynthia Woolf is the award winning and best-selling author of twenty-five historical western romance books and two short stories with more books on the way.
Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and her great critique partners for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
TITLES AVAILABLE
KISSED BY A STRANGER – A Montana Sky Series Novella- Kindle Worlds
THE HUNTER BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 1
THE REPLACEMENT BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 2
THE STOLEN BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 3
THE UNEXPECTED BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 4
THORPE’S MAIL-ORDER BRIDE – Montana Sky Series – Kindle Worlds
GENEVIEVE, Bride of Nevada, – American Mail-Order Brides Series
GIDEON – The Surprise Brides
MAIL ORDER OUTLAW – The Brides of Tombstone, Book 1
MAIL ORDER DOCTOR – The Brides of Tombstone, Book 2
MAIL ORDER BARON – The Brides of Tombstone, Book 3
NELLIE – The Brides of San Francisco 1
ANNIE – The Brides of San Francisco 2
CORA – The Brides of San Francisco 3
SOPHIA – The Brides of San Francisco 4
AMELIA – The Brides of San Francisco 5
JAKE (Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series)
LIAM (Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series)
ZACH (Book 3, Destiny in Deadwood series)
CAPITAL BRIDE (Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series)
HEIRESS BRIDE (Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series)
FIERY BRIDE (Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series)
TAME A WILD HEART (Book 1, Tame series)
TAME A WILD WIND (Book 2, Tame series)
TAME A WILD BRIDE (Book 3, Tame series)
TAME A HONEYMOON HEART (novella, Tame series)
~~~
Links to Cynthia/CA Woolf’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://a.co/hfrA7Y6
Apple:
https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-dancing-bride/id1223737624?ls=1&mt=11
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dancing-bride-cynthia-woolf/1126168513?ean=2940157566869
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Woolf_The_Dancing_Bride?id=OOeaDgAAQBAJ&hl=en
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-dancing-bride
WEBSITE: www.cynthiawoolf.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/CynthiaWoolf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaWoolf
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Cynthia_Woolf
Email: cindy@cynthiawoolf.com
Sign up for Cynthia’s New Release Alerts to get the latest news:
http://bit.ly/1qBWhFQ
~~~
Thanks, Cynthia, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
April 20, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special with ROAD TRIP (Traveling Love Book 1) Author, Marla Josephs #recipe ~ Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with MARLA JOSEPHS!
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, MARLA JOSEPHS, and her favorite recipe for HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
~~~
ROAD TRIP
Traveling Love Book 1
BY MARLA JOSEPHS
BLURB
Before her latest assignment, Morgan Andrews was certain she had the best job on the planet. She gets paid to travel the world, evaluate 5-star accommodations, fine dining, and exotic locales. Life just doesn’t get any better. But, it can get worse. Suddenly her job doesn’t feel so glamourous when she’s assigned to map out a road trip to Idaho for budget travelers. And, she won’t be going alone. She’s been paired on this assignment with Mr. Ladies Man himself, Avery Dalton, of all people. Resigned to her fate, she keeps reminding herself she just has to get through 7-8 days in a not so exotic locale with a man who’ll likely be too busy admiring himself to do his job. Then, she can go back to her more luxurious assignments. But, what if Avery isn’t the type of man she thought he was?
ROAD TRIP
Traveling Love Book 1
BY MARLA JOSEPHS
EXCERPT
Avery watched Morgan Andrews as she hurried into the room with that running late look about her. She wore a pinched, frustrated expression.
“You’re here. Good,” their boss, Randy Fletcher, said as Morgan hastily took a seat. “You remember Avery Dalton?”
She glanced sharply over to him before turning back to Randy.
“Yes. Sorry I’m late,” she replied before nodding in his direction quizzically. “Nice to see you again.”
Avery could tell she had no idea why he was here. He didn’t even think she’d noticed him when she first blew in. However, now she seemed even more apprehensive.
“As you know, we’re doing a push on more family and couple friendly stateside packages,” Randy began. “She nodded. He continued. “On this next assignment, I’ve decided to pair you with Avery.”
“Pair me?” she repeated, scrunching her face in confusion.
“Yes. You two will travel together on this assignment.”
“I…don’t understand,” she stated. Her brows furrowed even more, and she looked as if she simply was unable to understand the words coming out of Randy’s mouth.
“I’m assigning you and Avery to travel and work together on this new assignment,” Randy explained patiently.
“Why?” she blurted out, now looking both startled and confused.
“Two reasons,” Randy went on, oblivious to the note of alarm in her voice. “Avery has visited before. He also has family there who can help with which points of interest might be worth adding to a vacation package. He has a basic tour package already planned, but we need you guys to actually do the tour in order to refine it before we present it as a package deal.”
“It’s been a while since I visited and explored that area. Things have changed,” Avery added helpfully, watching her growing discomfort with a mixture of amusement and sympathy. She’d clearly not been expecting this.
“So…why do I need to go?” she asked.
“Female perspective,” Randy replied as if that explained things. “You’ll be able to find alternatives for women or couples who aren’t into the outdoorsy stuff.”
“Where exactly am I going?”
“Idaho.” Randy announced.
“Idaho?”
Her voice was blank, and there was that face again. Avery stifled a chuckle at her completely baffled expression.
About Author Marla Josephs… 
Marla Josephs leads a busy life in Northern California with her husband and children. When everyone in the family isn’t working or studying hard they are traveling and playing hard.
Now that her kids are older, she is very excited to be able to finally put her writing front and center.
~~~
Links to Marla’s Website, Books, & Social Media:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2oPj6gv
B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/road-trip-marla-josephs/1126051227?ean=2940154316559
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/road-trip-35
iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/road-trip/id1219657534?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marlajosephsauthor/
I hope you enjoy the recipe Marla is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 308 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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NOTE FROM MARLA: My BFF sent this recipe. She’s been making these cookies lately and I’ve tasted them. They’re good! Not sure I’d call them healty, but good. They are by Christina Lane from a website called Dessert for Two.
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Courtesy of Dessert for Two
http://www.dessertfortwo.com/healthy-chocolate-chip-cookies/
A small batch of healthy chocolate chip cookies made with coconut oil, naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, and whole wheat flour.
10 min Prep, Time 9 min Cook, Time 19 min Total Time
Ingredients
1/4 cup solid coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, add the solid coconut oil and coconut sugar, and beat until fluffy about combined, about 30 seconds.
Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until combined.
Next, evenly sprinkle the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder on top of the coconut oil mixture. Beat to combine everything well.
Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
Press the dough flat in the bowl (as best you can), and roughly divide the dough in quarters. From each quarter, make 2 cookies, for a total of 8 cookies.
Space the cookies evenly on the baking sheet, and press them down slightly–not totally flat.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are starting to turn golden brown.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely. (But seriously: who actually lets cookies cool? I eat these straight out of the oven).
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Marla is giving away an ebook copy of ROAD TRIP to two lucky winners who comment on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.
Thanks, Marla, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
