Karen Docter's Blog, page 191

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake w/Chocolate Butter Frosting

It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s! Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me. I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers. So every Friday, I share one recipe I think you and your family might enjoy. It might be a main course recipe. A cookie or baked item. Candy. Salads. Whatever strikes my eye and fancy…which today is CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE W/CHOCOLATE FROSTING!

Wow! I’ve now shared 300+ recipes with you and it’s only fitting that we celebrate this milestone with cake! You can’t have cake without frosting (well, maybe that’s just me) so you’re getting a bonus recipe today so we can have our cake and eat it, too.

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Crave Me (The O’Brien Family Book 3) by Cecy Robson

 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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CRAVE ME

The O’Brien Family Book 3

By CECY ROBSON

Blurb

RT Book Reviews proclaims that the O’Brien Family series from award-winning author Cecy Robson “has the hottest brothers ever!” And in Crave Me, it’s time for the sole sister in the family to discover love.

Wren O’Brien isn’t your typical female. As the only girl from a loud Irish family with seven siblings, she prefers fast cars to lip gloss and bad boys to good men. It’s the reason she’s nursing a wounded soul and keeping her distance from a dangerous ex.

Evan Jonah is running an empire and just moved from the lavish thoroughfares of London to the gritty streets of Philadelphia. When he walks into the nearest dealership, he’s expecting to find a reliable vehicle to handle the brutal winters, not a sexy female car rep with killer legs.

Wren doesn’t know why “Hotness in a Suit” asked her out. She doesn’t expect a great time or a night of passion that knocks her on her ass. But that’s exactly what Evan shows her.

She also never counted on how hard and fast she’d fall. But men like Evan—good men with even better hearts—don’t desire tough-talking Philly girls for long.

Evan has never met a woman like Wren. But he’s up for the challenge and ready to prove her wrong.

CRAVE ME

The O’Brien Family Book 3

By CECY ROBSON

Excerpt

“Get the hell out of here.”

Evan lowers his plastic menu, laughing softly at my remark. When he first walked into the dealership, I couldn’t quite figure him out. The sides of his cashmere coat parted when he moved, exposing what has to be a very pricey suit. But while he’s clean shaven, he’s not exactly clean-cut.

His dark wavy hair curls around his ears, long enough that I can tell he’s overdue for a trip to the barber, but not so long he appears unkempt. I take another long look at his straight nose, broad shoulders, and perfect posture. No, he’s not unkempt. He’s cute. Damn cute if you like pretty boys with deep green eyes with specks of gold and a jawline angels must have chiseled from granite.

“I’m serious,” he tells me, the way he looks at me taking him from damn cute to sexy. “I’ve never eaten a cheesesteak.”

I reach for the iPad tucked in the bag at my feet to give me an excuse to break away from those pretty eyes and thick lashes that curl at the tips. “So when I asked you if you wanted to go out for steaks, you weren’t picturing enough flat screens to fill a cruise ship and Yeung-Ling on tap?”

“Is Yeung-Ling a beer?” he asks.

I cringe, setting my iPad in front of me. “Oh, Evan, you have a lot to learn if you plan on staying in Philly for the long haul.”

Meet Author Cecy Robson. ..

Cecy Robson is an award-winning author of magical realms and to-die-for Alpha heroes. A double RITA® 2016 finalist for Once Pure and Once Kissed, and published author of more than sixteen titles, you can typically find her on her laptop or stumbling blindly in search of caffeine.

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Links to Cecy’s website, blog, books, etc.

Link to Follow Tour:

http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2016/12/20/crave-me-obrien-family-3-by-cecy-robson

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33392351-crave-me

Goodreads Series Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/153646-o-brien-family  

Buy Links:     AMAZON | B & N | ITUNES | KOBO

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

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Thanks, Cecy, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Love Onboard: Cupid’s Caribbean Cruise by Lilly Christine, Deb Julienne, Shea McMaster, Michele Shriver & Ellen Wilder

 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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LOVE ONBOARD: CUPID’S CARIBBEAN CRUISE

By LILLY CHRISTINE, DEB JULIENNE, SHEA McMASTER, MICHELE SHRIVER & ELLEN WILDER

Blurb

Too Fast For Love by Lilly Christine

Race Car Driver Luke Devlin’s anger issues bring him to a screeching stop, but Love Expert Lacey Lipinski has the keys to help him recalibrate. Can a cruise ship fling survive life in the fast lane?

Just One Look by Deb Julienne

On a secret mission for her father, Diana Clay aka ‘Diana Tolliver’ finds herself alone on a singles cruise. She befriends a passenger and they play a game…date for a cruise. Each must pick out the others date for the duration of the cruise. Between her research on the ship and her new “boyfriend” she has her hands full.

Pirated Pixie y Shea McMaster

Irene Lundquist has no plans for romance while on the cruise with her jilted best friend and his groomsmen. She’s surprised when Dutch Marshal’s good looks and charm do nothing to help her relax, and everything to steal her heart. For Dutch, things get complicated when the best man in charge of the group plans is a gorgeous pixie-sized redhead woman who lights his fire. Can either of them make it through the singles cruise and remain single, or will they get the happily ever after neither of them was looking for?

Healing Hearts by Michele Shriver

Fresh off a bitter divorce and custody battle, Taryn Bradfield is booked on a singles cruise as a present from her best friend. At a crossroads in his life, Makai Grant embarks on a Caribbean cruise to contemplate the future. As they sail the Caribbean, Taryn and Makai find healing and passion in each other’s arms, but when the ship returns to port, they’re faced with the question of whether this is a vacation fling, or the start of something more.

Cinderella at Sea by Ellen Wilder

When girl next door Manda Reilly discovers hero country singer Hunter Cross is onboard her singles cruise, Manda finds herself indulging in the exotic. Hunter’s heroism goes more than skin-deep. Can the man she’s known forever really be her one true love?

LOVE ONBOARD: CUPID’S CARIBBEAN CRUISE

By LILLY CHRISTINE, DEB JULIENNE, SHEA McMASTER, MICHELE SHRIVER & ELLEN WILDER

Cinderella at Sea by Ellen Wilder

Copyright 2017

Excerpt

Two more songs and he was more than ready to be done with his set. He motioned for Manda to come on stage with him, but she shook her head in refusal.

Hunter held the microphone to his lips. “Please?”

She rolled her eyes but walked on stage with him.

He put his arm around her. “Who wants me to sing a song to this lovely lady here?”

The crowd roared, and Manda blushed. “Please don’t.” She whispered, her breath escaping in gasps.

Hunter leaned down and put his lips to her ear. “It will be all right. Let me do this for you?” A tear formed at the corner of her eye.

Hunter finished the song, put the microphone back on the stand, and pulled her close to him. He lowered his lips to hers. “Manda, I’m going to kiss you.” His breath caressed her skin. Manda gasped, her heart began to quicken, and the room started to spin. Hunter’s mouth came down on hers in a slow kiss. He traced her lips with his tongue, coaxing her to open for him. Her lips parted, and he flicked his tongue against hers as he deepened the kiss. Her eyes drifted closed, and her body relaxed, melting into his.

The audience cheered.

He closed his eyes relishing in the softness of her lips. There was a touch of something sweet. Hunter pulled away from her. “You relaxed when I kissed you.” He whispered.

She blew out a deep breath. “I didn’t expect to.”

“Has it ever happened before with a kiss?”

Manda shook her head.

“Maybe my kisses are special.”

Meet the authors. ..

Lilly Christine: When not hunched over her laptop dreaming up strong female leads in sassy dialogue with dashing male counterparts, Lilly Christine can be found hiking and down-dogging with her two dogs and one cat. In addition to reading, she enjoys several outdoor activities including riding horses, gardening, and biking.

Deb Julienne: USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author Deb Julienne has penned multiple romantic comedy and western novels and anthologies.

While some say truth is stranger than fiction, her experiences run more along the lines of a slap-stick comedy. She makes her own Limoncello…enough said.

After the day job, she loves to play in the kitchen concocting award-winning jams, jellies, preserves, and sauces (with alcohol of course).

Born and raised in San Jose, California, she now resides in her own little bit of heaven in the Sierra Tahoe National Forest Basin, with her husband of 35 years, their three sons and one daughter, and five very precious grandchildren with number six on the way.

Shea McMaster: Shea McMaster lives for traditional romance. Born in New Orleans, raised in California, Shea got moved to Alaska in 1977, where she attended high school before running back to California to get her English degree from Mills College. Alas, once back home she met and fell in love with her own forever true hero, a born and raised Alaska man. Since then she’s had a love-hate relationship with America’s largest state.

With her one and only son grown and on his own, Shea is fortunate to spend her days playing with the furry child, and engaged in daydreaming, turning those dreams into romantic novels and novellas featuring damsels in distress rescued by their own brains and hunky heroes. She also writes under the steamy romances under the name Morgan O’Reilly.

Michele Shriver: Michele Shriver is a National and International best-selling author of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.

Ellen Wilder: Ellen Wilder was born and raised in Indiana. She is happily married to her husband of five years and enjoys raising their two girls and one boy in the house where she grew up. They have a border collie/corgi mix named Loki.

Her parents started reading to Ellen and her siblings at a very young age. They quickly tired of books for younger children and turned to chapter books like Tarzan, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings forging Ellen’s love for reading.

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Links to Ellen’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Onboard-Cupids-Caribbean-Cruise-ebook/dp/B01N59WC0V/

Website: http://andthencamelove.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenwilder82/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authellenwilder

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Ellen-Wilder/e/B01GT4IOOO

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15307413.Ellen_Wilder

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bolcE1

Street Team:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/281388505565305/

~~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Ellen is giving away a $5 Amazon eGift card to one lucky winner who comments on her **Author Peek** or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.

Thanks, Ellen, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Whisper Of Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor, MD Book 5) by Melissa Foster

 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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WHISPER OF LOVE

The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor, MD #5

By MELISSA FOSTER

Blurb

Tempest Braden adores her family and her small hometown, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be confining. At almost thirty, having watched most of her siblings find true love, she’s anxious to experience her own happily ever after, and the move to Pleasant Hill, Maryland, is just the change she needs. When she rents a room from ruggedly handsome, and closed-off, artist Nash Morgan and his adorable son, Phillip, she thinks she’s found a little slice of heaven on the outskirts of town, where she can concentrate on building her business. That is, if she can ignore the undeniable heat between her and the sinfully hot single father.

When Nash bought his farmette, he had one goal in mind—to provide a loving, stable home for his son. He never imagined he’d be raising Phillip alone, or renting out a room to keep their heads above water. Then again, he never imagined losing his brother, or spending two years sailing around the world with parents who seemed to forget one son was still alive.

Sparks fly from the moment Tempest moves in, and her positive energy and inquisitive nature brings new life into Nash and Phillip’s quiet, confined world. For the first time in years, Nash wants to let a woman into his world, but while his loss made him stronger, that strength came at a price, leaving him walled off and wary of opening his heart again.

WHISPER OF LOVE

The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor, MD #5

By MELISSA FOSTER

Excerpt

Nash Morgan shifted his three-year-old son, Phillip, onto his hip and reached behind him to shut the gate. The chickens scurried away amid cackles and mad wing flaps. He set Phillip on the ground, and his son shook his head, shrugging like he’d been doing this for twenty years and couldn’t believe the chickens still ran from them. He ruffled his boy’s springy dark curls, drawing a serious, expectant look and an outstretched hand from Phillip. Nash loved his little man’s eagerness to get started on their evening chores. He handed him a smaller bucket from inside his larger one and nodded toward the coop.

Phillip returned the nod and clomped his booted feet into the coop to collect the eggs. Nash adjusted his baseball cap, listening as Phillip counted off each egg with an “Mm-hm.”

He drew in a deep breath, hoping, for the millionth time, that he was doing enough for his son. He was the only parent Phillip had. Or rather, the only one who wanted him, a fact that never failed to grate on him like nails dragging along a chalkboard. His cell phone rang and Larry Robert’s number flashed on the screen. Nash uttered a curse. Larry owned a gallery in North Carolina, and he’d given Nash his first big break. A break that could have carried him to a lifetime of success. But after Phillip was born he’d been unable to keep up with the demands of custom orders. Larry was opening another gallery in Virginia, and he wanted to feature Nash’s work. Nash had turned him down, but Larry was persistent.

Swallowing the acidic taste of disappointment, he let the call go to voicemail and looked across the yard at the barn, which served as his workshop for the furniture he made and sold in town. He’d long ago locked up his metalworking and wood-sculpting workshop and stored his unfinished work. Gallery-worthy pieces, if he ever had the time to finish them. Pipe dreams. He’d had them, even made them a reality for a while. But that was a long time ago, and there was no sense thinking about something that could never be—at least not until Phillip was much older.

He ducked into the coop and checked the chickens’ food and water. Scanning the nesting beds, he snatched up the few eggs Phillip had missed. Phillip leaned against Nash’s leg and yawned. Nash couldn’t imagine anyone not loving their child with all their heart, but Phillip’s mother, Alaina, had taken off three months after their son was born, and other than receiving official documents releasing her from her parental rights, he hadn’t heard from her since. Not a day passed that he didn’t worry about the long-term effects her leaving would have on his son.

“Good job, Phillip.” He said his son’s name so fast it came out sounding like “Flip.” He set down his bucket, wrapped his arms around his boy, and whispered in his ear, “I love you, little dude.” He kissed his cheek and scooped him up, earning the sweetest giggle known to man.

Nash grabbed the buckets and headed for the goat pen. Big and Little, the two goats, trailed behind them as Phillip followed Nash through the process of checking their food and water and sweeping out the goat house, as he did every night. Phillip wiggled the nozzle of the water pipe, just as Nash had, mimicking his “Hm.” Nash tossed a cup of oats in the food bin and waited while Phillip did the same. Big nibbled on Phillip’s shirt, and Phillip leaned down and kissed his head.

“C’mon, buddy.” Nash had grown up in rural Virginia. Most of his friends had lived on farms, and he had no doubt that caring for animals would help Phillip learn responsibility. Not to mention that his son adored all types of animals, from squirrels to goats to worms. That was just fine with Nash. In his experience, animals were a lot more trustworthy than people.

The sound of tires on gravel drew his attention. He scooped Phillip into his arms, locked the goat pen, and grabbed the buckets.

“Visitor,” he said, carrying Phillip toward the house and eyeing the Prius parking behind his old Ford pickup truck. His truck was a gas guzzler, but as much as he hated that, he needed the bed of the truck to haul the furniture he made into town. He hoped Tempest Braden, the woman coming to see the room he was renting out, wasn’t a preachy tree hugger. Hell, he hoped she would turn out to be the silent type so he could pretend she didn’t live in their house.

Phillip’s brows knitted, his hands firmly planted around Nash’s neck. He wasn’t used to visitors. The last several people who had come to see the room they had for rent hadn’t been the kind of people Nash wanted around his son. They’d rubbed him the wrong way—too aggressive, too loud, too shady, too flighty. He just needed a stable, responsible person to rent the room so he could afford to upgrade a few of his tools and start saving for Phillip’s future. He tightened his grip on his son and headed up to meet the tall blonde stepping from the car.

Her wispy skirt fluttered around her knees. Large pink roses with muted green leaves looked as if they’d been thrown onto the flimsy white material haphazardly. A fringe of lace lined the edges. On anyone else the flouncy, floral skirt might look immature. But her legs went on forever, and coupled with her tight, curve-hugging tank top, she looked like Sweet and Sexy collided at the corner of Sinful Temptation.

Meet Author Melissa Foster. ..

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance, and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, perfect beach reads, and always family oriented.

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Links to Melissa’s website, blog, books, etc.

Link to Follow Tour:

http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2016/10/28/whisper-of-love-the-bradens-at-peaceful-harbor-5-by-melissa-foster

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24779243-whisper-of-love

Goodreads Series Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/174204-the-bradens-at-peaceful-harbor-md  

Buy Links:     Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

Author Links:   Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Thanks, Melissa, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Author Peek** Interview with Ellen Wilder ETAL, Love Onboard: Cupid’s Caribbean Cruise Box Set

**Author Peek** Interview with Ellen Wilder

LOVE ONBOARD: CUPID’S CARIBBEAN CRUISE

By LILLY CHRISTINE, DEB JULIENNE, SHEA McMASTER, MICHELE SHRIVER & ELLEN WILDER

INTRODUCING…. Ellen Wilder

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.

I am from Indiana, grew up there my entire life. And now am back to living in my childhood home (we’re buying it). I work in the Juvenile Justice field, trying to keep kids out of Juvenile Detention. Besides writing I love to read and dance, spend time with my three young children and my loving and wonderful husband.

1. How did you get started writing?

I started writing when I was in Junior High and my Computer Literacy teacher assigned the class to write a story putting Ol’ Yeller into modern times. I was obsessed with cop shows at the time, I took the dog and put him in modern New York and wrote the story with my favorite characters from NYPD Blue. I talked to my mother about writing and we ended up writing a book together that summer. She was the one who encouraged me to keep going.

2. What appeals to you about the genre that you write?

I write contemporary romance, because I am very much a modern female. And I wanted my characters to have the same rights and freedoms that I do. I also like to write characters with flaws. I call my books Realistic Contemporary Romance, because I like to make sure things seem real in the story.

3. What is your favorite part of writing?

The writing itself. I haven’t time to write lately and last night I ended up writing 2773 words in an upcoming book. It was exciting and energizing. It reminds me why I like it so much.

4. If you had to give up writing and do something else, what would you do instead?

I work in the Juvenile Justice field as my day job, so if I had to give up writing, I would stick in this field.

5. What’s your favorite meal of the day?

I love breakfast, but most of the time, I don’t eat it at the proper breakfast time.

6. Which are your favorite characters to write, the female characters or the male characters? The heroes and heroines, or the villains?

I enjoy writing male characters. They can be really fun. I also like to write very flawed characters. And I’ve been told that I am good at writing male characters.

7. Are you an avid reader?  When you do read someone else’s writing, what is your favorite genre?

I love to read, but I haven’t had time to do it in a while. I love to read the same genre I write. Contemporary Romance is my favorite. Occasionally, a paranormal romance, but not too paranormal. I also love to read fantasy novels.

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 place to write would be the house I grew up in. There’s a woods outside and lots of places for inspiration. And for the last two months my family and I have been living there. So I am lucky enough to be living in my ideal place to write now.

9. If you were a color, what color would you be and why?

Green. Because I tend to be down to Earth and calm. I also love nature and am very connected to it.

10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?

My next book is Book 3 in my And Then Came Love Series. It’s called Stay and it is about a woman and a man who have been married for quite a long time, but have been separated for the last five years. It’s a second-chance romance to see if their marriage can actually survive the five-year break or if it’s done for. As far as when it will be published, I’m not sure. Should be out by the end of the year.

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Be sure to come back to learn more about Ellen Wilder ETAL’s box set, CUPID’S CARIBBEAN CRUISE, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

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Links to Ellen’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Onboard-Cupids-Caribbean-Cruise-ebook/dp/B01N59WC0V/

Website: http://andthencamelove.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenwilder82/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authellenwilder

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Ellen-Wilder/e/B01GT4IOOO

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15307413.Ellen_Wilder

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bolcE1

Street Team:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/281388505565305/

~~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Ellen is giving away a $5 Amazon eGift card to one lucky winner who comments on her **Author Peek** or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.

Thanks, Ellen, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Online Plotting Workshop for Authors!! The “W” Plot…Or The Other White Meat for Plotters presented by Bestselling Author, Karen/K.L. Docter

Online Plotting Workshop for Authors!! The “W” Plot…Or The Other White Meat for Plotters presented by Bestselling Author, Karen/K.L. Docter

I’m dusting off my “W” Plot…Or The Other White Meat for Plotters workshop for 1-TIME ONLY this year for the good folks at STAR (Southern Tier Authors of Romance). If you’ve been wanting to try this plotting method with oodles of help applying the technique (yes, I’m very hands on

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Mermaids of Bodega Bay author, Mary Birk #recipe ~ Wild Mushroom Pasta

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

with MARY BIRK!

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, MARY BIRK, and her favorite recipe for WILD MUSHROOM PASTA!

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MERMAIDS OF BODEGA BAY

Terrence Reid Mystery Series Book 1

By MARY BIRK

Blurb

A LIBRARY JOURNAL SELF-e TOP PICK OF THE YEAR FOR 2016

Suspecting that his estranged wife is having an affair with a famous artist from a renowned American art dynasty, Scottish Superintendent Terrence Reid, heir to a whiskey fortune and Scottish title, travels to the small California seaside town of Bodega Bay to try to win her back—only to discover that her lover’s six-year-old daughter has just been kidnapped.

Anne, a talented historic garden designer, doesn’t know whether to bless or curse the luck that had her husband show up on her doorstep just as disaster strikes the Grainger Art Colony. Moving on after he left her was hard, but she’d done it with Andrew Grainger’s help.

When Anne and her lover become the FBI’s chief suspects, Reid, compelled to exonerate the woman he still loves, steps in to investigate—and in the process, uncovers a shocking web of deceit and danger.

MERMAIDS OF BODEGA BAY

Terrence Reid Mystery Series Book 1

By MARY BIRK

EXCERPT

Superintendent Terrence Reid de-planed at the San Francisco airport and glanced at his watch. Just after six. His wife should be finished with work for the day—assuming she was even in town. He should have called before booking his flight, but when he’d seen the article, realized it was her in the photograph, he hadn’t been able to think of anything but getting to where she was.

He put his worn leather messenger bag down on a seat in a relatively empty area of the concourse, pulled out his mobile phone, and sat down. Taking a deep breath, he dialed her number, feeling his jaw set as it always seemed to these days when he dealt with her. He let it ring until it went through to voice mail. He left her a message to call him, then looked around for a place to wait for her call. No point in leaving the airport if it turned out she wasn’t here.

He’d planned to go straight from Virginia back to Scotland after he finished his meetings with the FBI at Quantico. Then he’d seen the magazine article and knew he had to see Anne. He’d wanted to go to her before that, of course, but with things the way they were between them, he hadn’t been able to think of an excuse—until he’d seen the article.

He found a quiet bar on the concourse and ordered a drink. Shaking his head when the waitress asked if he wanted to order any food, he set his mobile down in front of him so he’d be sure to hear it ring. He closed his eyes, briefly remembering the last time he’d been there and the fight they’d had. July, it had been. The worst fight they’d ever had.

He glanced at his silent phone. Where was she? That was the hell of mobile phones. She could be anywhere. And wherever she was, she was likely with him. No, he was jumping to conclusions.

Looking around, he noted he wasn’t the only one sitting by himself. A woman glanced back at him, looked like she’d smile if he did so first. He quickly averted his eyes and steepled his fingers, making sure his wedding band showed.

He checked again that the ringer was on, then put his mobile down when the waitress came with his whiskey. Not his family’s label, but one of the newer competitors his father had mentioned last time they’d talked. The warm burn should have thawed his insides, but he was too filled with the sharp ice of dread for anything as mundane as alcohol to help.

Nonetheless, he’d made his way through half of a second glass of liquid heat by the time his mobile finally rang. He couldn’t breathe when he saw the caller i.d. appear on the screen. Even though he’d been expecting her call, he felt like he’d been punched in the stomach.

Anne.

He wanted to hear her voice so badly. It had been so long. Playing back her old phone messages didn’t count. He gripped the phone tightly. His heart lurched and he answered, trying to make his voice as impersonal as he could. He closed his eyes while he tried to get his senses about him.

He took a deep breath. “Reid here.”

“Terrence.” She paused, her voice uncertain. “It’s Anne. You left me a message?” He could imagine her biting her bottom lip; she always did that when she was nervous, and he knew he made her nervous. When had that started?

In the background, he could hear the noise of other people laughing, talking. She was out, then. At a restaurant, or maybe out for drinks. Saturday night, that was normal, wasn’t it? That didn’t mean she was with another man. She had work colleagues, family, she could be with anyone. He imagined her smiling, having fun with her friends. When had he last had fun?

“Aye.” He swallowed, debating whether to tell her he was in town or wait to see what she said first.

“Is something wrong? Are you okay?” Her voice was filled with concern and warmth. “It’s what—three in the morning there?”

Her voice was like that, interested and breathless all at once, as if she couldn’t wait to hear what you were going to say. Her casual American accent had always delighted him, but now he cursed it. Cursed it because he had no idea if she was being friendly to him in particular or if it was just her way of speaking. Safer to assume it wasn’t meant personally than to let himself think that she was happy to hear from him, and then find out later that he’d misinterpreted things. He took care that no unwelcome warmth tainted his own voice when he responded.

“I’m fine. I’m not in Glasgow. I’m in San Francisco.” His eyes flickered to the windows of the bar. Outside on the runway, airplanes waited with their landing gear swirled in misty wisps of fog.

“Excuse me? Sorry, Terrence, it’s hard to hear.” Like the fog around the planes, celebratory sounds swirled around her. Music, glasses clinking. “Did you say you’re in San Francisco?”

“Aye. I thought maybe we could get together.” He swallowed. “Have dinner.” He could be with her in less than an hour. Her flat in downtown San Francisco was easy to get to on BART.

Silence sat between them, then finally she said, “I’m so sorry, but I’m not there. I’m in Bodega Bay. I’m working on a project here.”

Bodega Bay. Where she grew up. Where her sisters lived. Where he lived.

This would be the off-season in the sleepy northern California seaside town. The restaurants shouldn’t be so busy, so noisy. So, she was at a party. A large party from the sound of it.

Then he remembered. It was Valentine’s Day. He wasn’t a detective for nothing.

He held his half-empty glass against his forehead. He hadn’t sent her a card, flowers, anything—but then, she wouldn’t have expected him to do so. Now he fervently wished he had. He could have included a note, said something conciliatory that would reopen communications between them.

“I see.”

Silence, then he heard her expel a soft breath. “Did something happen? Is your family all right?”

“They’re fine.” He forced his pride down into a hole he’d never sent it to before. “I need to see you, Anne.”

“Oh.” Her voice turned wary, and he felt her drifting away.

He made himself go on, try to hold on to that disappearing tendril of her attention, bring her back to their conversation. “We need to talk.”

“You haven’t sent me the papers. I was wondering what was taking so long. Was I supposed to do something?” Her tone was cool, no hint that she still wanted him to change his mind about the annulment.

“I haven’t sent you anything because I haven’t done anything.”

“Oh?” This time the word was soft, confused.

“I miss you.” He closed his eyes, his longing overtaking him.

“What did you say? I’m sorry, Terrence, it’s hard to hear you.”

Christ, had he said that out loud? He cleared his throat. “I said I need to talk to you.”

“I can’t. Not tonight.” The noise in the background got louder and someone spoke to her and she responded, “Just a minute, I’ll be right there. Just finishing up a call.”

Stung by the casual tone of her words, he realized how little his call meant to her. She was anxious to get back to her friends. Or to him?

“Never mind, Anne. This is obviously a bad time. I’ve got to get back to Scotland anyway. I was over here on some business, and thought I’d call to see how you’re doing. I’ll be flying out later tonight.” He didn’t bother to tell her his business had been on the other side of the country, that coming to San Francisco had meant a three-thousand-mile detour. Maybe he could still get a flight back home tonight.

He heard her draw in her breath, then her words rushed out. “Can we talk tomorrow? Meet someplace? I can come down to the city.”

Relief washed through his veins; she hadn’t told him to go away. But his jealousy didn’t let him leave well enough alone. “Where’s the party?”

She didn’t speak at first, then said, “The Grainger Art Colony. That’s where the job I’m working on is.”

Damn, damn, and damn it all to bloody hell.

He’d seen her photograph with Andrew Grainger in a magazine he’d flipped through in the lobby of his hotel in Virginia. Andrew Grainger. An artist, and probably not coincidentally, her sister Meg’s husband’s brother.

Reid had felt physically ill when he’d realized that the woman in the photograph was Anne. Grainger was holding her hand and looking at her as if she were his. They looked elegant and happy. A couple. He’d thought desperately that maybe she had just been doing her sister’s husband a favor by attending the gallery opening with his brother. But when Reid examined the picture, he’d recognized the expression on the other man’s face. He’d seen it on his own face.

Andrew Grainger was in love with her.

Reid had made himself read the article, hoping for some logical explanation, but it was about Grainger and a big art auction that was being held for some of his paintings, not about Anne. A widower, the article said, and the paintings he’d sold were of his late wife, a ballerina. The only mention of Anne was in the caption of the photograph, and as she had never taken Reid’s name, they had used her maiden name.

But if she was working on a job there, maybe there was an innocent explanation for the photo. No, a job didn’t explain the hand-holding, or the way the other man had been looking at her.

Reid struggled for normalcy. “Are you staying at the Mermaids?”

“Yes, Jeanne is almost ready to open for business.” Anne’s youngest sister, recently widowed herself, was turning their family’s seaside home, whimsically named the Mermaids of Bodega Bay, into a Bed and Breakfast.

Surely that was a good sign. If Anne and Andrew Grainger were lovers, wouldn’t she be staying with him? His heart aching with hope, he decided to push her. “Can’t we meet later tonight? I’ll drive up there.” He looked at his watch. He’d need to pick up a rental car, then an hour and a half to get there, surely he could make it by ten?

“I really can’t tonight. Tomorrow?” Her voice was affectionate, another good sign.

He frowned. “When’s the party over?”

“Late.”

“How late? I can’t get there until about ten anyway.”

“How about lunch tomorrow?” Now her tone was evasive, and a black liquid dread rushed through him. Was she going to spend the night with Andrew Grainger? He tried to tell himself she wouldn’t sleep with another man, even with as bad as things were between them. But he knew better. Knew her better. Knew he shouldn’t have come, knew he needed to leave.

Careful not to show his devastation, he made his voice icy. “I’d rather a quick breakfast. Then I can get an earlier flight out from San Francisco after we’ve talked. Settled things.” He drew himself up, made his face impassive, hoping his pretense of indifference would carry through the phone. He’d saved his pride, ensured that she didn’t think he was begging her to come back to him, but if they met for breakfast, at least he’d get to see her.

He couldn’t leave without seeing her. Not after being so close.

It had been so long.

About Author Mary Birk.. 

Mary Birk lives in Colorado with her husband, David, on what her husband terms “Hell’s Two-and-a- Half Acres.” Before embarking on writing fiction, she authored the Colorado Pretrial Handbook, published in 2008, and reissued in 2011 by Bradford Publishing Company. She has been named a Library Journal SELF-E Select author.

Mermaids of Bodega Bay is the first book in the Terrence Reid/Anne Michaels series. It was named a SELF-e Top Book of the Year for 2016 by Library Journal, and was a finalist for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold award in 2013. The second book in the series, The First Cut, won the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold award in 2014. Less Than A Treason, the third book in the series, set in a Scottish castle at Christmas, is being followed this spring by the fourth book in the series, Most Gracious Advocate.

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Links to Mary’s Website, Books, & Social Media:

Amazon: Mermaids of Bodega Bay

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K2INNOK/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Amazon: The First Cut

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TL64WI0/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Amazon: Less Than a Treason

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017AHECCM/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Apple:

Mermaids of Bodega Bay Mary Birk

The First Cut Mary Birk

Nook: Mermaids of Bodega Bay

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mermaids-of-bodega-bay-mary-birk/1119447207?ean=2940153974941

Nook: The First Cut

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-first-cut-mary-birk/1125532897?ean=2940153974965

Kobo: Mermaids of Bodega Bay

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mermaids-of-bodega-bay

Kobo: The First Cut

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-first-cut-9

Smashwords: Mermaids of Bodega Bay

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69786

Smashwords: The First Cut

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/697871

Website: http://marybirk.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/authormarybirk

Twitter: @marypricebirk

Pinterest: marypricebirk

I hope you enjoy the recipe Mary is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 299 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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This pasta, developed with the help of my sister, Lori Price (a fabulous cook), was featured in The Mermaids of Bodega Bay. Hearty enough to be a meal by itself with the simple addition of a tossed salad, it can also be served as a side dish, or combined with chicken breast for those who like a lot of meat (on the other hand, taking out the bacon/pancetta and changing the broth from chicken to vegetable, will make it vegetarian – though not vegan). It is extremely forgiving, and measurements, as well as ingredients, can be altered according to taste and what’s on hand.

WILD MUSHROOM PASTA

3 tbsp. olive oil

3 oz. pancetta, chopped, or 6 oz. meaty center-cut bacon, chopped (use less oil if using bacon instead of pancetta, or more if the pan seems to need more)

2 large shallots, or one large onion, chopped

2 tbsp. minced fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)

10-16 oz. fresh wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shitake, chanterelles, or oyster porcini, cleaned and sliced (I buy the already-sliced mixed selection from the local grocery store)

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 ½ c. low-sodium chicken broth

12 oz. dry golden egg pappardelle (or fettucine)

1 ½ c. heavy cream

¾ c. dry vermouth or dry white wine

½ c. walnuts, chopped

½ c. grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the pancetta, or bacon, until brown and crispy to taste. Add the shallots, or onions, and thyme, and sauté until shallots are brown. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the vermouth, or wine, and cook at medium-high heat until it reduces down by ½.. Add broth and reduce over medium-high heat. Add cream until heated.

Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain, and place in large serving bowl. Ladle sauce over pasta immediately, add walnuts, and mix. Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top and serve immediately with a mixed-green salad as an accompaniment. Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side dish.

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Mary is giving away an Audible or e-book copy (winner’s choice) of Mermaids of Bodega Bay to one lucky winner who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.

Thanks, Mary, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: To The Studs (A Bound By Design Romance) by Roxanne Smith

 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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TO THE STUDS

A Bound By Design Romance

By ROXANNE SMITH

Blurb

No one says no to fiery but talented home designer Neve Harper—which is how she convinces her elusive neighbor, Duke Kennicot, to help out with her latest renovation job. Not only is Duke a design aficionado, he’s got the inside scoop on the cabin’s owner. And since Neve’s ulterior motive is a romance with the boss, Duke is her ideal wingman. Except from the moment they’re alone in the remote Ozark mountain location, Neve discovers Duke is just as headstrong—and a whole lot sexier—than she ever realized. Duke has always made it clear she’s not his type. Yet the simmering tension between them says otherwise….

Duke had been warned to steer clear of hot-tempered Neve, but his resolve is lessening with every heated exchange—and every smoldering touch. By the time Neve unearths a dangerous, age-old mystery buried on the property, Duke is ready to do just about anything to keep the brazen beauty safe…. 

TO THE STUDS

A Bound By Design Romance

By ROXANNE SMITH

Excerpt

Duke waited until Angel Face shuffled into the elevator before rapping his knuckles across Neve’s door. He avoided men around Neve at all costs. Being gay was harder than he’d thought it would be. Was Angel Face superhot? Should he make a smutty comment or smile coyly at his butt as he walked past?

I need gay lessons. Hell of a thing to come to terms with, especially after two years of pulling it off.

Pajama-clad and curled into a ball on her ultrachic sofa, a beige monstrosity set square in the center of the high-ceilinged room atop a thick white rug, Neve didn’t pause in shoving yogurt-covered pretzels down her gullet to bother with a greeting. The scenery didn’t differ—sofa, pajamas, snacks, bad television—but she seemed more subdued than usual.

He sat next to her and snatched the remote from the coffee table. “Just because you renovate and design for a living doesn’t mean there aren’t channels besides HGTV. Why can’t I live next door to a chef? Or a chiropractor. Someone useful.”

“I’m assuming it’s because you were a real asshole in a previous life.”

“Can we watch Survivor, maybe try a movie once in a while?” He swept a lock of his hair over his shoulder and grinned as Neve rolled her eyes.

She’d never hidden her envious love of his hair. “Do you do that on purpose? Play with your hair and wear tight black jeans and T-shirts to torture straight females?” She turned her attention to the flipping channels on the television. “Because I would.”

“Really? If you were a hot lesbian, you’d deliberately entice straight men? That’s brutal.”

“That’s me. Brutal.” Normally, she made proclamations like that with a little more pride.

Duke chewed his lip and looked her over. She had her glossy, coffeecolored hair pulled into a rakish bun on the top of her head, wore her favorite plush robe over plaid pajamas, and one hand steadily ferried pretzels from the bag to her face.

Pretzel crumbs and all, he’d still get hard if he stared too long. Neve joked about converting him, but if she ever made an honest effort, he wouldn’t hesitate to wrap her killer legs around his waist like a bow, wind a lock of her silken hair through his fist, and make good on every vulgar fantasy he’d concocted over the last two years.

Duke shifted to find a more comfortable position in his awkwardly tight jeans, jeans growing tighter with each vivid image popping into his cranium—Neve on her back with her hair fanned out like a dark halo, Neve’s haughty mouth humbled by a moan of ecstasy, his palms on the inside of her thighs, spreading— Jesus Christ, man. I need to get laid.

Meet Author Roxanne Smith. ..

A Florida native, Roxanne Smith has called everywhere from Houston to Cheyenne home. Currently residing in Roswell, New Mexico, she’s an avid reader of every genre, a cat lover, pit bull advocate, and semi-geek. She loves video games, Doctor Who, and her dashing husband. Her two kids are the light of her life and provide ample material for her writing.

~~~

Links to Roxanne’s website, blog, books, etc.

Link to Follow Tour:

http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2016/10/28/to-the-studs-bound-by-design-1-by-roxanne-smith

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31749708-to-the-studs

Buy Links:     Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

Author Links:   Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

~~~

Thanks, Roxanne, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Surrender To The Cyborgs (Interstellar Brides: The Colony Book 1) 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!

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SURRENDER TO THE CYBORGS

Interstellar Brides: The Colony Book 1

By GRACE GOODWIN

Blurb

Wrongly imprisoned whistle-blower Rachel Pierce would rather take her chances with her court appeal than accept her place as the first Interstellar Bride destined for the Colony. She’s stubborn and determined to seek justice—and her freedom—on Earth…but her mates are not willing to risk her life or her future on a system they believe to be both primitive and corrupt.

Maxim of Prillon Prime fought ten long years in the Hive wars. Captured and tortured with his second, Ryston, they escaped only to be rejected by their own people and condemned to life on the Colony with the other “contaminated” cyborg warriors. As leader of Sector 3, it’s Maxim’s duty to set an example for his warriors and summon a bride. When she refuses transport, he can’t allow her rejection to demoralize an entire planet of battle hardened but jaded warriors. Maxim and Ryston transport to Earth where they decide she’s theirs and a maximum security human prison will not keep them apart.

Getting Rachel to the Colony is only the first challenge they will face. Convincing their beautiful mate to surrender to not one, but two dominant warriors is another. Even if they can win her love, a new evil is rising on the Colony and someone close to Maxim will be its first victim. Maxim will be its second, unless Rachel’s love and relentless pursuit of the truth proves strong enough to save him.

SURRENDER TO THE CYBORGS

Interstellar Brides: The Colony Book 1

By GRACE GOODWIN

Excerpt

Maxim, Governor of Base 3, Prillon Colony Planet, Sector 901

“I need your help, but not for me.” The warden’s gaze darted from me to Rytson and back again on the giant screen. “It’s for someone else. A bride. A Colony bride.”

The news made my heart race. “A match has been made then?”

“Yes. But she has refused transport.” Warden Egara rose from her seat in front of her comm device and paced on the screen before us. Behind her, I recognized the setting of a processing center, the medical equipment, the sterile utility of the white walls and exam table.

Ryston stepped forward, a frown on his face. “How can she refuse transport? I don’t understand.”

Warden Egara rolled her eyes. “Earth laws don’t always make sense. And they have not adapted to being part of the Interstellar Coalition. They do not understand what’s at stake…” Her voice trailed off and she crossed her arms over her chest.

I looked away from the screen and to the human warrior seated at the flight control station. He was highly intelligent and well liked here on the Colony. He was the only human in the room who might make sense of this madness. “Trevor?”

Trevor looked from the warden’s worried face to Ryston’s angry one to me. I had no idea what he saw there. “She’s right. Earth laws are crazy as hell, more politics than justice, I’m afraid.” He looked to the screen. “Who did she get tangled up with? The Feds?”

The warden shook her head. “No. GloboPharma and the FDA.”

Trevor whistled low and my blood boiled. Trevor met my gaze without flinching. “She’s screwed.”

I did not know what screwed meant, but it didn’t sound positive.

“That was my assessment as well.” Warden Egara’s uniform was a dark gray and hugged her curves. The insignia on her chest marked her as an official Warden of the Brides Program. She held one of the most highly respected and revered titles in all the Coalition Fleet. The warriors who fought to defend the universe against the Hive held close the promise of a perfectly matched female. Many cold, dark nights on the battlefield, I’d dreamed of such a match. When the Hive captured our unit, when Ryston’s screams echoed my own, when the brave warriors around us died or were swallowed whole by the Hive’s twisted reality, I dreamed of a mate. Dreamed of soft skin and a hot, wet core. Of her cries of pleasure as I filled her while Ryston played with her body. Hope kept me alive through those bleak days. Hope for a matched mate.

And yet, this human bride denied her place in the universe. Denied her importance to the hearts and minds of the warriors who had suffered the most. Denied her matched mate?

Cold fury chilled my body and pulsed through my veins like sluggish ice on a river in winter. This human woman had no idea what she was doing. It seemed she fought a battle against an enemy, knowing she could not win. I did not doubt her courage, just her intelligence. She would rather sacrifice herself than accept her matched mate? The very first bride matched to a Colony warrior, and she refused him?

Another rejection would hurt the warriors here more than having no match at all. And that was completely unacceptable. “Tell me how we can help you, Warden. A refusal will demoralize the entire planet.”

“I know. But she has pinned her hopes on the court system here, on a new trial. She claims that she is innocent of the crime and refuses to be forced into transport.”

So, she did not want to be a bride at all. “Do you believe her innocence?”

“Yes. I do. And her determination to seek justice is admirable, but it doesn’t matter.” Warden Egara returned to the screen, her face on the display once again, completely filling the floor-to-ceiling monitor, her projection nearly as tall as my body. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you have to come to Earth. You’re going to have to break her out of prison.”

“How are we to accomplish this? Will the human authorities cooperate?” Ryston asked. Of course, he asked and used the word we. He knew I was going, and I never went into battle alone.

“No. They won’t, but it doesn’t matter. We have to get her out of there. I received a call today from her attorney. He’s a decent guy, but she won’t listen to him either. She’s been safe in solitary confinement. Until now. The judge denied the attorney’s petition to keep her out of general population.”

“General population?” Trevor cursed. “If she’s truly an innocent, they’ll eat her alive.”

The warden did not look amused. “It’s worse than that. She’s a whistleblower and she’s got evidence that could bring down a lot of people in Washington. If we don’t get her out of there in the next three days, when she’s scheduled to be moved, there’s no question that they’ll have someone on the inside waiting to kill her.”

I looked to Trevor for translation. While the NPU in my head allowed me to understand the Warden’s English perfectly, she spoke with some slang that did not compute.

He seemed to understand my confusion. “On Earth, some prisoners are kept isolated for their safety during a trial. Jails are like a community behind thick walls and razor wire. It is a dangerous place. Someone on the outside can order, or pay another criminal, someone locked up in jail, to harm another prisoner. Kill them.”

My jaw tensed and I could see Ryston stiffen.

“When someone is already serving a life sentence, committing another murder won’t change their sentence. But having money and connections on the outside can make their lives better on the inside.”

As it was for the warriors here. Some, like me, were lucky enough to remain in contact with our families on Prillon. My mother sent supplies and treats via transport, communication and images of my family. Messages. But others received nothing but silence, no support, no communication. It was like they didn’t exist. Serving a life sentence was something every warrior on the Colony understood.

Trevor shifted in his seat. “Once she goes into general population, she won’t be protected. She’ll be living with murderers and hardened criminals. Anyone who wants her dead will be able to reach her. She won’t survive more than a few days.”

His clarification helped and I did not need more details. One glance at Ryston and he nodded his chin in agreement. We would go, and we would go now. “We will come directly to your transport room, Warden. Please initiate the transport codes for us.”

“I will. Thank you.”

She reached forward to disconnect our comm, but I held up my hand to stop her, needing one final detail.

“Warden Egara, if I may, whose mate is she?”

The Warden’s smile was full of pity.

“I’m so sorry, Maxim. She’s yours.”

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.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE

Sign up for Grace’s mailing list at http://bit.ly/GraceGoodwinNews

Interested in joining her not-so-secret Sci-Fi Squad? Get excerpts, cover reveals and sneak peeks before anyone else. Be part of a closed Facebook group that shares pictures and fun news.

JOIN Here: http://bit.ly/SciFiSquad

~~~

Thanks, Grace, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Memory Keeper by Larry K. & Lorna Collins

 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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THE MEMORY KEEPER

By Larry K. & Lorna Collins

Blurb

The Memory Keeper is the story of Tomás Romero, a native of the Acjachemen band, whom the Spanish renamed Juaneño. Born in 1820 in San Juan Capistrano, Tomás attends the mission school where, in addition to the catechism, he learns to read, write, and cipher—uncommon for the Indians in San Juan at the time. Because Tomás assists the padres, he becomes aware of the world outside the small religious community.

During his lifetime, he experiences the rule of Spain, Mexico, and finally, the United States. He survives drought, floods, plagues, the secularization of the mission property, and its return to the church. He also marries, raises two children, makes many friends, and provides assistance to the priests. He becomes co-owner of a mercantile. Although his story is rich with local history, it is, in the end, an engaging family saga with characters who come alive on the pages.

THE MEMORY KEEPER

By Larry K. & Lorna Collins

Writing Historical Novels

Writing historical novels is quite different from writing either fiction or nonfiction. My first book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park, co-authored by my husband, Larry K. Collins, was our memoir of building Universal Studios Japan. We lived in the Osaka area for thirty-one months, and decided to tell the story of our experiences of working with the Japanese as well as living as expats. Because we actually lived these experiences, we simply told a story we knew first-hand.

I have also written quite a few novels. They were also easy because I just made stuff up.  I tried to stay true to the locations and tell stories based on my own and friends’ experiences, but these came from my imagination.

When we chose to write our historical novel, The Memory Keeper, based on the actual history of San Juan Capistrano between 1820 and 1890, we were faced with huge challenges. San Juan has a rich history since it is the home of one of the California missions. In addition, we decided to write the story from the point-of-view of a local Juaneño Indian. Descendants of this tribe still live in town and fiercely preserve their culture. In addition, locals—especially docents at the mission—guard the facts about the mission and the local town. One mistake, and we’d never have been allowed to live it down.

Fortunately, the official historian of the city is a close friend. When we began the book, we sent her the first three chapters and asked her to shoot holes in it. She made several suggestions but said we were on the right track and encouraged us to continue. The local Juaneño storyteller and teacher is also a friend. Early on, she came to the house and spent about four hours telling us about family life, traditions, and other minutia about her ancestors. The executive director for the mission is also a friend, and she became enthusiastic about the project. Our beta readers included docents and members of the local historical society. All of them vetted the finished manuscript.

Larry is a plotter, so he kept a running outline for the story on a spreadsheet. Each line covered between a year and several years. The first column established the time period. The second included all the events—local, national, and worldwide during the period. The next column outlined how our protagonist and his family would have been impacted by these events. The next few columns included each character and their ages at the times these events occurred.

Once we thoroughly understood the time and events, we could begin the actual writing. We spent over two-and-a-half years doing research. While a great deal has been written about the founding of the missions in the late 1700s and the restoration of the mission in the early 1900s, very little was written about the period of decline. We were able to uncover some little-known stories and weave them into the narrative.

In the end, we produced a book we are very proud of. Last year, we did a presentation for the docents—an intimidating prospect. We were able to share with them some of the lesser-known stories, a few of which they hadn’t heard.

We recently stumbled on another small story the docents don’t know, and I am now working with an artist on a children’s picture book. We are also working on a sequel to The Memory Keeper to be called Becoming the Jewel. Our interest in the city and the mission led to another book, Jewel of the Missions: San Juan Capistrano, illustrated by a local artist. It and The Memory Keeper are sold in the Mission Store as well as several other locations throughout town.

You can find out more about me at my website: www.lornalarry.com. Each book has its own page where you can learn more about the stories and view the video trailers for each one.

Meet Author Lorna (and Larry) Collins. ..

Lorna Collins and her husband, Larry K. Collins, co-wrote 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park, their memoir of building the Universal Studios Japan theme park, two cozy mysteries, Murder…They Wrote and Murder in Paradise, and The Memory Keeper, a historical novel set in San Juan Capistrano.

Lorna collaborated on six sweet romance anthologies set in the fictional town of Aspen Grove, CO: Snowflake Secrets, Seasons of Love, The Art of Love, …And a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe, An Aspen Grove Christmas, and, Directions of Love, winner of the 2011 EPIC eBook Award for anthology.

Her fantasy/mystery, Ghost Writer, set in Laguna Beach and Jewel of the Missions: San Juan Capistrano are her solo works.

In addition, Lorna is a professional editor.

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Links to Lorna & Larry’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lYFr7v

Website: www.lornalarry.com

Blog:  http://lornacollins-author.blogspot.com/

See all of my books on my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Lorna-Collins/e/B002J86EJ2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1486168024&sr=8-4. They are available in print and ebook form. Some are also available as audiobooks.

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Lorna is giving away a PDF copy (or code for audiobook download, winner’s choice) of THE MEMORY KEEPER to one lucky reader who comments on her Killer Book Bench blog. Good luck!

Thanks, Lorna and Larry, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!