Karen Docter's Blog, page 215

Congratulations MAY 2016 Blog Subscriber Giveaway Winner!!

Time to announce the MAY 2016 #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…

CSSNOOPY725…

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 will be announcing this random giveaway on the blog from now on because some have not responded to my emails about winning the drawing. 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.

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s: S’mores Treats

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 S’MORES TREATS!

If you love Rice Krispie treats and s’mores, just think how good it will be to combine those flavors together! I love this recipe because it gives you the best of both worlds and it’s so easy to  make. Chewy, flavorful treats at your fingertips.

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 257 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.

S’MORES TREATS

[Makes 24 bars]

1/4 cup margarine

4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups Kelloggs Cocoa Krispies cereal

3/4 cup broken graham crackers

Topping: 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

In microwave-safe bowl, heat margarine and marshmallows at HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add Cocoa Krispies cereal and graham cracker pieces. Stir until well coated. Put mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.   Sprinkle chocolate chips and 1/2 cup marshmallows on top.

Happy Eating!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Sin On The Run (Women of Vegas) by Lucy Farago

 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!

 ~~

SIN ON THE RUN

Women of Vegas

BY LUCY FARAGO

Blurb

There are some secrets even Las Vegas’s 24/7 glitter can’t hide. Lucy Farago’s dazzling new series ups the ante as a fiery stripper fights to protect an elite detective from danger–and both their killer pasts…

Living in the red-hot now is how Rhonda Deagan survives. Onstage, this sexy Goth stripper always stays on top, no matter how much her real-life dreams shatter. So why not risk a scorching fling with a gorgeous groomsman after her best friend’s wedding? Too bad Blake Cameron is in someone’s lethal sights. And saving this cool-headed investigator’s life just put Rhonda on the run with him–and on his personal, oh-so-seductive hit list…

For Blake, figuring out who doesn’t want him dead is easier than keeping his new raven-haired friend safe. The only way he can buy time to out-think their pursuers is to hide them both in the aristocratic world he thought he’d escaped. But there’s no escaping the incendiary attraction between him and Rhonda. Walking the knife-edge between desire, lies, and naked truth may be their best chance to live–if it doesn’t cut too deep to survive…

SIN ON THE RUN

Women of Vegas

BY LUCY FARAGO

EXCERPT

Blake spotted her the moment she returned. Hell, every man in the room had either craned his neck or swiveled his head. As she walked up the aisle, she looked familiar but he couldn’t place her. Now, away from the other women, he figured it out. Black Opal was a beauty. Dressed in lavender or her usual black, it didn’t matter.

He’d often wondered if her off-stage persona was anything like the on-stage one. Over the top in everything: her hair, too black to be natural and too long to be real, would fall to her ass. He’d seen her dance, seen her use that mane as a cloak, teasing the audience with silky sweeps over creamy white skin, revealing only hints of what lay beneath. The old cliché fit. The woman put the tease in striptease.

He’d been in the club a couple of times under the guise of private investigator. When clients wanted to be entertained in Vegas, it usually involved a show, a stage and beautiful women, clothes optional. He had nothing against women seductively taking their clothes off, but he preferred them to do it in the privacy of his bedroom, for him alone.

He’d spent years as a special agent locking up scum who preyed on innocent women, but Maggie’s club was different. The women were considered performers with an act, some with agents, and were treated as such. Any woman who’d ever been coerced or pushed into stripping knew the difference between Heart’s Desire and other clubs. Maggie and the three women who’d walked with her down the aisle gave anyone who wanted out of the business a helping hand.

The few times he’d seen Rhonda dance he’d been unable to take his eyes off her. Normally he didn’t even bother to watch, but she’d exuded this confidence, this don’t-screw-with-me aura that had men falling at her feet. Go figure. But even though she looked like a ball-buster, Blake had sworn he’d seen more. What, he wasn’t sure.

He put a hand over his mouth, failing to stifle yet another yawn. His last case had done him in. He’d been hired to recover a missing model, one whose legs had been insured for millions. Her agency wanted their money, but since she hadn’t shown up dead, the insurance company was reluctant to pay out. The designer she’d signed with wasn’t pleased about losing the star of his ad campaign. Claiming it had cost him a fortune, the guy had wanted compensation.

Blake recovered the model. Only the legs that had made her famous were no longer attached to her body. He’d prayed she’d been dead when she’d been mutilated. Shaking the gruesome image out of his head, he headed to the bar for a drink. He took a seat and swiveled his chair, curious to see Maggie’s other bridesmaids corner Rhonda.

Meet Author Lucy Farago … 

Lucy Farago knows there is nothing like a happy sigh at the end of a good book. With the encouragement of her loving husband, she wrote her first manuscript. An unpublished historical, it sits in a file on her computer, there to remind her how much fun she had learning the craft and becoming part of an industry whose books make you believe anything is possible. A big fan of Agatha Christie, she set out to write her first romantic suspense novel. Thrilled to be a published author, Lucy also teaches yoga, enjoys cooking, and saying what other people are thinking. In her fantasy world, her beautiful Siberian husky, Loki, doesn’t shed and her three kids clean up after themselves. Alas, that fantasy will never see fruition.

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

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SjStrN

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sin-on-the-run-lucy-farago/1122454918?ean=9781616508197

iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sin-on-the-run/id1039680040?mt=11

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sin-on-the-run

Books-A-Million:

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Run/Lucy-Farago/Q574350555?id=6406146426809

Website:  www.lucyfarago.com

~~~

Thank you, Lucy, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Up All Night (Love You Like A Love Song Book 3) by Michele Callahan

 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!

 ~~

UP ALL NIGHT

Love You Like A Love Song Book 3

BY MICHELE CALLAHAN

Blurb

Review ~ “I absolutely love the Walker Brothers and just fell for another one…”

Once upon a time Mitchell Walker fell in love…and trusted the wrong woman. That one mistake nearly cost him his future. His older brother, Derek, stepped in to take the fall. Mitchell has never forgiven himself for that day, and vowed to never trust another woman.

Now he is a young, successful surgeon. Women throw themselves at his feet, and he gives them what they want, as long as they don’t ask for his heart. The strategy is working well for him until he meets freelance reporter Jessica Finley.

She’s smart, she makes him laugh, and she sees right through his playboy persona. When the past she’s tried so hard to forget comes roaring back to life, Jessica’s world implodes, and Mitchell Walker is at the center of the detonation.

Jessica’s fire may burn hot enough to keep him up all night, but will their love be strong enough to burn away the ghosts of their past and melt the ice around his heart?

*Up All Night is a hot, contemporary romance, stand alone novel of 61,000 words.

UP ALL NIGHT

Love You Like A Love Song Book 3

BY MICHELE CALLAHAN

EXCERPT

She stared up at him, her gaze locked with his, and forced herself to choke down his apology, but it was like swallowing nails. Yes, he was doing his job. Yes, it all looked suspicious. Yes, he was protecting her brother. Fine. He’d done the right thing. But it still pissed her off. “I understand.”

He nodded and looked away. That was when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Doctor Walker was tall, fit, and handsome as sin with dark brown hair and a long lean face with a cut jaw lined with at least two days dark stubble. She wondered if that was what he would look like after a weekend sex marathon and took a deliberate step back as her libido tried to short-circuit her brain. She blurted the first thing that came out of her mouth.

“I want to interview you. For the Daily.”

He looked up from the medical record in his hand and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

She squared her shoulders. “I think it’s necessary. The people are going to be dying for information on the amazing young surgeon who saved Tyler Travis from the jaws of death.”

“Hey, now. It wasn’t the jaws of death. It was just a dog,” Tyler protested, but Doctor Walker was looking her in the eye now, and she could barely breathe.

“I want to interview you. And since you almost got me kicked out of the hospital, I think you owe me one, Doctor.”

He stared, his face impassive, and she would have given a million dollars to know what he was thinking.

The air got so thick she had to wiggle her knees to keep from passing out. How had she not noticed how intense he was before? How striking? Were doctors better at sex? She’d never asked her mother that question, but now she was dying to know. Did they know secrets mere mortals did not? What magical things could Doctor Walker do to her body that had never been done before?

And why the hell was she thinking about jumping her brother’s surgeon? She did not date doctors. Ever. Period. End of discussion.

So of course she broke his gaze to look at his left hand.

No ring. Which didn’t mean anything. Her dad never wore a ring either. Of course, marriage to her father really just meant he had a steady sex-buddy until the next, younger, hotter Mrs. Travis showed up. He was currently on his fifth wife. Magic number five was a twenty-five-year-old friend of hers from college.

Doctors were trouble. She knew it, but couldn’t stop staring. Doctor Walker had no right to be so damn hot.

Meet Author Michele Callahan … 

A #1 Amazon Bestseller, M.L. (Michele) Callahan is a science fiction and romance fanatic and full time writer whose earliest movie memories are of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and light sabers. (Still waiting on Santa to come through on that one.) She wrote her first short story at age eleven about five friends who fell into another dimension and had to save the Earth – all in ten, sloppy but action packed, wide-ruled notebook pages. Her mother inspired a love of reading and writing and Michele writes seven days a week. She writes sci-fi action adventure as ML Callahan, and romance as Michele Callahan.

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

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1pwTukS

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/uXe6XH

B&N: http://goo.gl/eLixro

iBooks: https://goo.gl/dLKLbp

Kobo: https://goo.gl/TTZJlR

Google: https://goo.gl/CyiQIT

The Love You Like A Love Song series features original music written to accompany the books! To check out the music please visit www.laurenkayley.com.

All Music Available at the following retailers and streaming outlets: Apple iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, MediaNet, MixRadio, Inprodicon, GreatIndieMusic, Amazon MP3, Groove, Spotify, Deezer, Omnifone, Google Music Store, iHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, Shazam, JB Hi-Fi, Yandex, YouTube Music, Tidal, Akazoo, 8tracks, Tradebit, 24-7, SoundExchange

Love You Like A Love Song Series Reading Order:

(All books can be read as stand-alone novels)

Crash and Burn (Book 1)

Alone With You (Book 2)

Up All Night (Book 3)

Make Me Forget (Book 4)

Coming Soon: Write Me A Love Song Series (The Band Castillo)

Feels Like Forever (Book 1)

Connect with M. L. (Michele) Callahan:

Twitter: twitter.com/ML_Callahan

Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorMLCallahan

Website: mlcallahan.com

Goodreads: goodreads.com/michele_callahan

Email: callahan@mlcallahan.com

SIGN UP FOR MICHELE’S NEW RELEASE ALERTS!

Just copy and paste the following link into your web browser: http://goo.gl/ZS8A6h

   ~~~



**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Michele is giving away a #FREE eBook copy of CRASH AND BURN, Love You Like A Love Song Book 1, to every reader of this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Michele, for sharing your stories with us. Don’t miss the chance to read these books!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Untouchable Lover (Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 1) by Rosalie Redd

 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!

 ~~

UNTOUCHABLE LOVER

Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 1

BY ROSALIE REDD

Blurb

A devastating war…

Across the globe, shape-shifting Lemurian warriors battle against a deadly enemy in the dark of night. The prize—Earth’s most precious resource—water, and the fate of humankind. To unite the soldiers, Lemurian gods send the diverse species to the underground Keep to join forces with their brethren and contend against their adversary.

An illicit allure…

While searching for his missing healer, King Noeh didn’t expect to find an unusual, green-eyed female chained to the wall in an abandoned asylum deep in the woods, evidence of her torment in the branding iron at her feet. Captivated, he rescues the petite female and brings her to his underground home. Despite the requirement to select a queen of his species by the next new moon or lose his crown, a forbidden attraction blooms.

A tormented soul…

Haunted by the memory of her dead mate and child, Melissa can’t escape her past or her future. On the run from her controlling master, she didn’t intend to get captured by the enemy, or be rescued by a brooding, handsome king. When she succumbs to her need for a male’s blood and drinks from the honorable king, she can’t ignore the compelling desire he ignites in her soul.

UNTOUCHABLE LOVER

Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 1

BY ROSALIE REDD

Excerpt

Noeh’s voice brought Melissa out of her trance. She glanced at him, and her face warmed at being caught admiring his bedroom. His piercing stare made her squirm. She turned around, unable to hold his scrutiny for long.

Glancing at her hands, she took a deep breath. Relax, Mel. This is just about getting nourishment. Don’t look at it as anything else. She inhaled and held it for a few seconds before speaking. “For Dren, feeding is very intimate. You don’t have to do this.”

“You need to feed. I will do it.” Noeh’s voice was low and quiet.

The tone sent shivers across the back of her neck. Her heart began to race, and she turned to face him once again. He covered much of the distance between them and stood mere inches away.

This was wrong on so many levels. She shouldn’t be attracted to him. A memory of William with his gentle smile and kind eyes formed in her mind. Her chest ached.

A door to her left connected to her adjoining room. The entryway offered a temporary safe-haven, one she needed in order to process her conflicting emotions. She brushed past Noeh and tried to ignore his unique scent that heightened her desire. Breathless, she peered over her shoulder. Frustration strained his mouth and the lines around his eyes.

“I’m not sure I can do this. I’m sorry.” She grabbed the door handle, intent on putting as much distance as possible between them.

He grabbed her arms, preventing her from fleeing. “Wait. Tell me what’s wrong.”

His hands on her arms should have angered her, but instead, a strange sense of relief flowed into her body. She didn’t know how to respond, so she stood there, unmoving.

“Please talk to me. I want to help.” His calm voice soothed her racing mind.

Melissa relaxed, closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the door. “Please, I…need some space.”

Noeh released her arms and backed away.

Opening her eyes, Melissa took a slow breath and turned around. A strong, fierce male stared down at her with hooded eyes and full, parted lips. Her fingertips tingled with an overwhelming desire to reach out and touch the curve of his luscious mouth.

What is happening to me? She shook her head and peered at the floor. A lump rose in her throat as remorse filled her, but whether it was for William or for Noeh, she didn’t know.

“Tell me about him,” Noeh said, his tone coaxing.

“Who?”

“The male you won’t let go.”

Meet Author Rosalie Redd … 

After finishing a rewarding career in finance and accounting, it was time for Rosalie Redd to put away the spreadsheets and take out the word processor. She writes Fantasy/Science Fiction Romance inspired by classics from the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres layered with a good, hot dose of romance.

She lives in Oregon, where rain is just another excuse to keep writing. When not at her computer, you can find her at Jazzercise, waterfall collecting in the Pacific Northwest, or relaxing with her husband and their pesky cat, Snookums.

~~~

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

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Pinterest

Author Page

Amazon US:

http://amzn.to/1Sk2a9K

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019ZVIC8G/

Amazon AU:

http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B019ZVIC8G/

B&N:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1123057770?ean=2940152720044

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/untouchable-lover

iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1064134542

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Rosalie will give away an e-book copy of UNTOUCHABLE LOVER to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thanks, Rosalie, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

**Author Peek** Interview with Mrs. Walker, Mother of “Love You Like A Love Song” Series Heroes

**Author Peek** Interview with Mrs. Walker,

Mother of “Love You Like A Love Song” Series Heroes

 ~~

A letter from Mrs. Walker about her four boys…

Dear lovelies,

The boys just called me mom. You can call Mrs. Walker, or mom, or whatever you would like. It doesn’t matter much to me, because I’m dead.

Now, don’t get misty eyed on me. Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean I’m going to let my boys get away with ruining their lives. So, you see, I thought ahead. When they were much, much younger, still young enough to dream, I made each of my four sons write a list of the top three things they wanted to do in their lives. Crazy things. Wild things. Things likebe a rock star and own a hundred horses, be a race car driver or adopt a dog. Such inconsequential things, the dreams of children…until they aren’t. Until we forget.

My boys all had a really rough start, bad homes, abusive parents, drugs, alcohol, death. But I took them away from all that and created a family. But I know these boys. They work hard and will fight harder. They’re all in their twenties now, and life is going to suck their dreams right out of them.

Well, not if I have anything to say about it. Since I’m dead, they can’t argue with me. I saved those cards (and the dreams they wrote inside). Now that I’m gone, I expect them to honor my final wish, and chase those dreams. And if they happen to meet an irresistible woman and fall in love along the way? Well, all the better. I want grandbabies. Lots of them. And I want my boys to be happy. It’s time.

I’ll be watching.

Love,

Ms. Walker (aka Mom)

P.S. I hear you can now read Chance’s story for free, thanks to that lovely author, Ms. Callahan. She knows my boys almost as well as I do. Loves them almost as much, too. Almost…

~~~~~

Be sure to come back to read more about Michele and her novel, UP ALL NIGHT, Love You Like A Love Song Book 3,  on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

~~~

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

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1pwTukS

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/uXe6XH

B&N: http://goo.gl/eLixro

iBooks: https://goo.gl/dLKLbp

Kobo: https://goo.gl/TTZJlR

Google: https://goo.gl/CyiQIT

The Love You Like A Love Song series features original music written to accompany the books! To check out the music please visit www.laurenkayley.com.

All Music Available at the following retailers and streaming outlets: Apple iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, MediaNet, MixRadio, Inprodicon, GreatIndieMusic, Amazon MP3, Groove, Spotify, Deezer, Omnifone, Google Music Store, iHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, Shazam, JB Hi-Fi, Yandex, YouTube Music, Tidal, Akazoo, 8tracks, Tradebit, 24-7, SoundExchange

Love You Like A Love Song Series Reading Order:

(All books can be read as stand-alone novels)

Crash and Burn (Book 1)

Alone With You (Book 2)

Up All Night (Book 3)

Make Me Forget (Book 4)

Coming Soon: Write Me A Love Song Series (The Band Castillo)

Feels Like Forever (Book 1)

Connect with M. L. (Michele) Callahan:

Twitter: twitter.com/ML_Callahan

Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorMLCallahan

Website: mlcallahan.com

Goodreads: goodreads.com/michele_callahan

Email: callahan@mlcallahan.com

SIGN UP FOR MICHELE’S NEW RELEASE ALERTS!

Just copy and paste the following link into your web browser: http://goo.gl/ZS8A6h

   ~~~



**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Michele is giving away a #FREE eBook copy of CRASH AND BURN, Love You Like A Love Song Book 1, to every reader of this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Michele, for sharing your stories with us. Don’t miss the chance to read these books!

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** Two-Fer with Becky Clark

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

Two-Fer with BECKY CLARK!

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, BECKY CLARK, and Becky’s favorite recipes for CHICKEN POT PIE and NO-BAKE BROWNIES.

~~~

BANANA BAMBOOZLE

A Dunne Dichl Novel

BY BECKY CLARK and TED HARDWICK

Blurb

After imbibing in one too many Banana Bamboozles at a backyard party, Cassidy Dunne is flabbergasted to recognize one of the partygoers as her teenage niece. When she points out the girl to her longtime best friend, Dan Diehl, he revokes her bar privileges, reminding her that one, she’s blotto, and two, the niece in question died in a tragic house fire as an infant fourteen years earlier.

Nevertheless, Cassidy becomes obsessed with confirming the girl’s identity, regardless of possible disastrous consequences.

Dan has been involved in thirty years of Cassidy’s bad ideas, but gets sidetracked by an accusation against him with the potential to destroy both his business and his reputation. Cassidy must handle this one alone.

Well, almost alone. Every problem in her life is accompanied — and medicated — by her secret stash of candy. Run-ins with an old high school nemesis. Booty calls with her ex-husband. Her first date in Justin Bieber’s lifetime. Shapeware. All tamed with a candy bar. Or three.

But all the chocolate in the world can’t help her figure out this puzzle. If she’s not prudent, she could ruin several lives.

And Cassidy isn’t prudent.



MARSHMALLOW MAYHEM

A Dunne Dichl Novel

BY BECKY CLARK and TED HARDWICK

Blurb

In this sequel to BANANA BAMBOOZLE, all Cassidy Dunne wants is a road trip to bond with her niece and some gooey campfire s’mores. What she gets is an extra serving of mayhem — marijuana brownies, creepy locals, an ardent admirer, a precocious canine cohort, and a dead body.

Driving an RV from California to Colorado in winter poses plenty of challenges, some of which can be solved, at least temporarily, by her secret stash of candy. But nothing can sugarcoat the clues pointing to her involvement in the murder.

BOUCHERCON, THE UNIVERSE, AND ME

Becky Blogs…

http://beckyclarkbooks.com/2015/10/14/bouchercon-the-universe-and-me/

About Author Becky Clark… 

Becky Clark is the seventh of eight kids, which explains both her insatiable need for attention and her atrocious table manners. She likes to read funny books so it felt natural to write them, too. Her newest mysteries are Banana Bamboozle and Marshmallow Mayhem. She surrounds herself with quirky people and pets who end up as characters in her books. Her stout-hearted dog keeps her safe from menacing squirrels and autumn leaves, but not plastic bags. Those things are terrifying.

~~~

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

Amazon/Banana Bamboozle:  http://amzn.to/200OKRG

Amazon/Marshmallow Mayhem: http://amzn.to/1S49bH8

Amazon/Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook: 

http://amzn.to/1V4ZzCt

Find out Becky’s least favorite words at http://beckyclarkbooks.com/bio and subscribe to her newsletter to win cool stuff, http://beckyclarkbooks.com/mailing.  All her books can be found here … http://www.amazon.com/Becky-Clark/e/B004NQO14I

I hope you enjoy the recipes Becky is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 256 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHICKEN POT PIE

[Makes 6 Servings @ 341 Calories Each]

[[Becky’s Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook]]

A Note from Becky: Two recipes from my cookbook LAZY LOW CAL LIFESTYLE COMPLETE COOKBOOK. Cheap, easy, yummy, portion-controlled. If you can read, you can cook. And if you can cook, you can lose weight.

My grocery store sells 6 disposable foil pot pie pans with lids (5-inch diameter x 1 5/8-inch deep) which are perfect for this recipe. I reuse them, after making sure they haven’t been punctured by an over-zealous fork. Chicken leg quarters are handy because they’re cheap, flavorful, and easy to stew. Cook up a huge family pack and separate portions into freezer bags and you’ll always have quick chicken for casseroles. Before you begin this recipe, read through and note all of the ingredients, since they’re not all in one place like my usual recipes.

Ingredients:

2 chicken leg quarters, stewed and shredded into bite-sized pieces (approx 2C)

12-oz bag frozen pearl onions

12-oz bag frozen peas and carrots

12-oz bag frozen cut green beans

14-oz can fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

spices as you like

Combine chicken, veggies, broth and spices in large pot and bring to boil. Simmer until veggies are soft. (The filling simmers nicely until you’re ready for it. You really can’t overcook it.)

While filling is simmering, make crust using my “Simple Biscuits” recipe, which I’ve adapted here.

In large mixing bowl combine:

1 1/2C white whole wheat flour

2t baking powder

1 1/2t salt

Make a well in the center and add:

1 1/4C (10 oz) plain Greek yogurt

Pull flour into yogurt until dough forms. Turn it on to counter, kneading a few times to make sure it’s mixed well. Divide dough into 6 even portions and let it rest.

Now taste your filling to make sure it’s properly seasoned. When you’re happy, it’s time to thicken the filling. In small bowl, measure 1T cornstarch. Add a little bit of water and mix to form a thin paste. Add it to your still simmering filling and stir. The cornstarch should thicken your filling fairly quickly, but this is where your artful cooking comes in. If you like more gravy in your pot pie than what you’re seeing in your pan, add a half-cup of water and stir. You’ll probably want to thicken it with another round of 1T cornstarch paste. I’ve allowed for a total of 3T of cornstarch calories.

Let’s talk about cornstarch for a bit. It is a handy culinary tool, as long as you remember a couple of rules. First, never add it directly to whatever you want to thicken. Always make it into a thin paste and mix that in. Second, it only works to thicken hot foods.

Okay, back to the recipe. When your filling is perfectly seasoned and thickened, divide it into your 6 pot pie tins. Using your hands, pat the dough on the countertop until it’s large enough to crimp over the edge of your pot pie. Make it pretty like Grandma would, or flop it on there like I do — strictly functional. Make 2 or 3 knife cuts in the dough to allow steam to escape.

If you’re baking these right away while the filling is still hot, then bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and crust is lightly browned.

If you’re cooking them when they’re frozen (no aluminum in microwave!), bake at 350° for about an hour.

Variations:

• Melt 1T butter and brush the tops of the individual pot pies for 357 calories each

• Make 8 servings from one large pot pie for 256 calories per serving

• Melt 1T butter and brush top of large pot pie for 268 calories per serving

NO BAKE BROWNIES

[Makes 16 @64 Calories Each]

[[Becky’s Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook]]

Note From Becky: I keep these in the freezer. They’re great for breakfast or an anytime low-cal healthy splurge. If you don’t have a food processor, simply mince the prunes by hand. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll be pretty close.

3/4C baking cocoa

3/4C unsweetened almond milk (chocolate makes sense!)

1C pitted prunes

1C oats

2t cinnamon

In a food processor, puree everything together. [My food processor is small so I cut all the ingredients in half and make two batches. I’ve never tried it, but I suppose I could just do the prunes and oats together then hand mix the rest.]

Coat 9-inch square baking dish with 0-calorie nonstick spray. Turn mixture into it. Spray hands with nonstick spray and press the mixture so it fills the pan evenly.

Refrigerate or freeze an hour or so until it’s firm.

Variations:

substitute raisins for the prunes for 69 calories each
add 1/8t of cayenne for a little kick

~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Becky is giving away one copy of LAZY LOW CAL LIFESTYLE COMPLETE COOKBOOK to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Becky, for sharing your story and recipes with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read these books!

 

 

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Her Highland Master, The Dungeon Fantasy Club Book 1, by Anya Summers

 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!

 ~~

HER HIGHLAND MASTER

The Dungeon Fantasy Club

BY ANYA SUMMERS

Blurb

Zoey Mills’s life is in shambles. She’s been accused of leaking her upper crust Hollywood clients’ data to an online magazine for a large payday. After a wine and chocolate-filled evening of drowning her sorrows, she determines that her best course of action is to leave her home in sunny Los Angeles for a week-long vacation in the Scottish Highlands. It’s the only way she can escape from the fact that her image is being splashed across the nightly news – and it might actually give her a chance to consider what her next move should be, now that her Great Master Life Plan has disintegrated into dust.

Unfortunately, she’s only just landed and is navigating the tiny roads in her rental car when a freak early autumn snow storm hits. Zoey finds herself stranded and winds up on the doorstep of Mullardoch Manor; home of the sexy Scotsman, Declan McDougal, who is her every dark fantasy brought to life.

Declan is one of the founding members of The Dungeon Fantasy Club. As a billionaire businessman and a Dom, he prefers to keep his sexual preferences and tastes away from the boardroom. He’s also become bored, not just with the club, but also with his life. None of the subs he meets can hold his interest for more than a night and it’s been that way for a long time. He just never wants more than a brief encounter. At least, not since his ex-fiancée cheated on him with another Dom and ran away. However, that all changes when Zoey barrels into his home uninvited and upends his luxurious but stale existence.

When Zoey finds herself without a place to stay, Declan makes her a tantalizing but scandalous offer: Stay in his home for the week, free of charge, and spend each night warming his bed. Or any other time of the day, for that matter. Deciding she doesn’t have much to lose and possibly everything to gain, Zoey accepts.

With Zoey’s every sweet subsequent cry of ecstasy, Declan uncovers a sub who warms not only his bed, but slowly thaws his frozen, scarred heart. And as Zoey explores her deepest fantasies, even as he spanks her bare bottom for disobeying his rules, she finds herself wanting more than just a week of unmitigated pleasure with the Dom.

Things seem to be progressing perfectly, both in bed and out, when Zoey’s past catches up with her. When he feels betrayed once more, and fears the woman he has grown to care for is not who she says she is, will Declan still be willing to risk his heart to become Her Highland Master?

HER HIGHLAND MASTER

The Dungeon Fantasy Club

BY ANYA SUMMERS

Excerpt

Could this day really get any worse? She knew even thinking that was akin to the kiss of doom and practically begging the universe for more calamity. Snow blanketed her black pea coat. It soaked the pretty blue hat that she’d purchased at her favorite shop on the Magnolia strip in Burbank. White slush covered her jeans, wetness seeped in, freezing her lower extremities, and buried her black boots. She was a mess. Between the wind and the wet snow, every part of her body was chilled to the bone by the time she stood next to her rental car, rubbing her throbbing tailbone. The car was a disaster. The trunk door was propped open, waving in the wind, allowing all the snow inside. Her luggage would be ruined. Not to mention that she could kiss her deposit on the rental goodbye. Even the extra insurance she’d purchased might not cover all the damage she was sure there would be.

She glanced at the furious sky, certain she would find some mythical fairy, or god who had made her a target for destruction. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

After trying to get a signal on her phone again for a few of the longest and coldest minutes of her life, Zoey tossed the useless piece of equipment into an outside pocket in her purse. She strode further onto the winding road, looking up at the manor home. Surely someone would be there, and would let her use a phone to call a tow truck. Maybe let her wait by a warm fireplace with a hot cup of tea. The thought of anything hot and warm made her groan. She wanted that tea, dammit.

Trudging through the snow, she hastened as fast as her feet would carry her. If it weren’t for all the snow and ice on the slick roads, deepening by the minute, she would have run. As it was, her all-weather boots were not living up to their name as she wiped out for a third time in the snow. Snow had leaked under her coat, her hat and hair were a sopping mess, and she could no longer feel her thighs.

Her teeth were chattering by the time she stumbled through the—thankfully—open black gate to the manor. Beyond the gate entrance, the small road opened to a circular drive with a stone fountain in the center. She strode around it, awed by the manor up close, which looked more like an estate really. Ashen stone walls towered three stories up, with gilded windows and turrets. It was a place straight out of a storybook fantasy. Well, except for the hellish storm. That she could do without, she thought, as another gust of frigid air blasted her senses and her body went numb. She shuffled around the courtyard faster, hurrying for what had to be the front door. This place made her think of dashing lords, heroic men in kilts à la Robert the Bruce, and she could easily envision a celebrity or a titled lord emerging from the front door.

The first traces of apprehension swept over her now that she stood near hopeful salvation. The door was a heavy scrolled oak number, with a huge brass knocker in the form of a crest with three stars on a shield, and above it a knight’s helm with a stag’s head, which her befuddled brain didn’t recognize.

Holding the image of that roaring fire and hot tea in her mind, she alighted the dark stone stairs. She seized the brass knocker, her fingers all but frozen inside her gloves, and knocked on the heavy door. After a few minutes with no response, Zoey started banging incessantly against the wood using both her fist and the knocker.

“Hello,” she cried, as the wind kicked up and swept the sound from her. Not that anyone heard her as the wind howled with a ferocity that made her wonder if it would pick her up and sweep her to Oz. When no one answered as she stood there shivering, searching for a doorbell, colder than she had ever been in her life, she grew impatient, frustrated that the dreamt about hospitality wasn’t forthcoming. She finally spied a doorbell, coated with snow. Her body trembled so fiercely that her arm shook as she pressed the bell, and then she did something she normally would never do. She tried the door handle and when it turned with an audible groan, she opened the door to another person’s home and stepped inside. Closing the door behind her, she whimpered.

Meet Author Anya Summers … 

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a M.A. in History.

Anya is a Bestselling and Award-Winning Author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name, Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the midwest with her two furry felines.

~~~

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

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1YBGoyt

Blushing Books: http://goo.gl/GpBzia

Website:  www.anyasummers.com

Twitter: @AnyaBSummers

Facebook: http//www.facebook.com/AnyaSummersAuthor

Don’t miss these exciting titles by Anya Summers and Blushing Books!

Dungeon Fantasy Club Series

Her Highland Master, Book 1, April 15, 2016

To Master & Defend, Book 2, May 15, 2016

Two Doms for Kara, Book 3, June 12, 2016

His Driven Domme, Book 4, July 2016

Her Country Master, Book 5, August 2016

Love Me, Master Me, Book 6, September 2016

Submit To Me, Book 7, October 2016

Her Wired Dom, Book 8, November 2016

~~~

Thank you, Anya, for sharing your stories with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Designed For You, For You Series Book 1 by Jo Grafford

 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!

 ~~

DESIGNED FOR YOU

For You Series, Book 1

BY JO GRAFFORD

Blurb

Despite a string of personal tragedies and setbacks, Jillian Lang’s interior design company is an enormous success. If she doesn’t count the cyber stalker who hounds her daily…

Knowing she can’t keep up with her fast-growing list of bids and contracts without help, she reluctantly breaks her number one personal rule of “don’t depend on anyone” and hires an office manager. Not only does Holland Sparks do an incredible job of running Lang Interiors, he provides a much-needed buffer between her and the cyber stalker, while steadily chipping away at a thousand barriers she’s put up to protect her heart.

When the stalker suddenly moves his game from the cyber world to the real world, Jillian discovers no one in her immediate circle is exactly who or what he claims to be. Not her landlord. Not even her family.

Will Holland be the one man she can turn to, or will his own secrets be reason enough to scrap her designs on the man of her dreams?

DESIGNED FOR YOU

For You Series, Book 1

BY JO GRAFFORD

Excerpt

I know who you are.

Jillian Lang’s insides froze as she read the email with its dreaded XX signature. She was tempted to run to the front door of Lang Interiors to make sure she’d locked it after closing time.

“Of course you know who I am!” She threw her arms up at the computer screen. “Any moron with Internet access can find my company website.” And exact street address. Her hands shook as she returned them to the keyboard.

More than likely, it was just some junior high prankster. Still, it unnerved her to receive the cryptic email message day after day. Who was sending it and why?

She shook her head at the screen. Should she report her stalker to the police? Would they even care? They had bigger fish to fry investigating the daily burglaries and muggings that plagued the city. Probably earn her little more than a good chuckle from them if she complained about someone who simply claimed to know her identity. The emails were creepy and obnoxious but hardly criminal.

She punched a few keys and carefully filed the email, hating how powerless she was to do anything about it.

Jillian preferred being in control. Climbing her own mountains. Putting out her own fires. Unfortunately, the emails from XX weren’t the only thing testing her patience today. She was in the process of hiring her first employee.

Another thread of her precious control tore loose with a nearly audible snap. Depending on others inevitably led to problems, at least in her experience; but she needed the help too badly these days to hold off the inevitable any longer.

She kicked her favorite strappy silver heels beneath her desk and shrugged out of her pumpkin-hued blazer. Nearly seven o’clock already. An hour past closing time, despite all the work that had piled up while she’d interviewed candidates. She unfastened her all-business bun and shook out her honey-blonde waves. A mother of a cramp knifed its way across her shoulder blades. She stood and placed her hands on her hips, threw her shoulders back, and stretched, eyes closed.

“Hello?” the smooth baritone resonated through her system, jolting her back to her uptown storefront office.

Her eyes flew open to regard the owner of the voice. A haze of fear clouded her vision. She blinked to clear it. Guess I didn’t lock the front door after all. “Hello. Ah…we’re closed for the day, sir.” She reached for the button under her desk, the one she’d stretched her budget to install a few weeks ago. A button that connected her one-woman office to the security firm her two brothers claimed was the best in St. Louis.

“No problem.” The man held up both hands, a gesture of full surrender that made her pause before pushing the button. “If you’re willing to give me an appointment, I’ll be happy to come back at a better time.”

He was tall. Certainly was no stranger to the gym, not with the way his shoulders and chest stretched the crisp creases of his shirt or the way his stone-colored slacks hung on his hips. But was he dangerous?

She nodded, forcing herself to swallow the golf ball-sized lump of misgiving clogging her throat. “Just give me a moment, and I’ll pull up my calendar.” She gave herself a mental high-five for keeping her voice from trembling and studied him from beneath her lashes while she fumbled with her keyboard.

Not a client or subcontractor, yet he seemed to fit the general ambiance of her design studio. A perfect blend of mod and complexity, much like the infinity art print displayed to his left—a single splash of color against the white walls and minimalistic white couch that comprised her tiny waiting area.

Dark hair waved its way down to the collar of his navy dress shirt in a style she instantly dubbed as touchable. It was slightly tousled as if he deliberately avoided appearing too slicked up but not tousled enough to dent his air of sophistication. His fair complexion hinted at a life that didn’t include a great deal of time outdoors, or he wore plenty of sunscreen when he did.

She swallowed again, forcing her thoughts back to her crammed schedule. “How does tomorrow sound? Noon sharp.”

“Perfect.” The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes indicated he was accustomed to smiling. It should have put her at ease. Instead, his smile along with his faint Northern accent stirred a fresh swarm of butterflies in her midsection. Scandinavian, perhaps?

“Your name, sir?”

She might be a little rusty on the dating scene, but interest lighted the man’s gray eyes. His gaze travelled across her face, dipped briefly lower, and returned to look her in the eye.

“Holland Sparks.”

She quickly straightened her shoulders, feeling exposed in her scooped white tank top with its lacy neckline and spaghetti straps. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so quick to discard her blazer.

“What sort of appointment can we set up for you, Mr. Sparks? Renovation, addition, landscaping?” She pasted on what she hoped was her best professional smile, warm enough to appear welcoming without coming across as desperate. Not the kind of smile that begged a customer to buy something so she could afford her next meal. She hoped that category of smiles was far behind her. For good.

His gaze leisurely roved the room and returned to hers, glinting with unspoken questions.

She hoped speaking in plurals would give him the impression she possessed another employee or two on the payroll. But he if was up to no good, there was always the emergency call button within reach.

“Actually, I was sitting in the coffee shop across the street, scanning the local news when I ran across your advertisement.”

My help-wanted ad? Jillian straightened her spine and clasped her hands in front of her. Though preposterous, his statement was firmly planted in safe territory.

He shrugged an apology. “Figured it would take longer to dial your number than to walk over here.”

“You’re, ah…applying to be my office manager?” Her voice rose to a higher pitch than she intended. She cleared her throat. He hadn’t simply lost his way to the modeling agency down the street?

“Yes.” He offered a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. It made her think of frivolous things like bathing in sunshine and dancing in the rain—sensations her dazed mind was beginning to vaguely identify as his unique brand of magnetism. Administrative duties aside, holy Batman! With a hunk of burning man-candy like him running her office, women would form a line to sign up for remodeling projects whether they needed them or not.

Meet Author Jo Grafford … 

I write romance across the genres. The stakes are always high, and the heroes are willing to risk it all for the brilliant, sassy women they love.

Originally from St. Louis, I’ve served as a corporate trainer, a junior college finance instructor, and a high school business teacher. Along the way, I discovered the only thing I enjoy as much as teaching is writing. Especially writing romance! A typical day finds me on my laptop, a fizzy beverage within reach, and a cat sprawled across my lap (hoping for his first book dedication or at least an honorable mention).

I love alpha males, strong-minded woman, humorous sidekicks, diversity, Vikings, dashing lords, vampires, zombies, cyborgs…you get the idea.

To receive announcements about new releases, book signings, sneak peeks at free chapters and deleted scenes, giveaways, and other festivities, sign up for my newsletter at www.JoGrafford.com.

~~~

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

AMAZON KINDLE US:

http://amzn.to/1SA5t8A

AMAZON KINDLE CA:

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01AU8SEAO

AMAZON KINDLE UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AU8SEAO

AMAZON PAPERBACK:  coming soon!

BARNES & NOBLES NOOK:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/designed-for-you-jo-grafford/1123296144?ean=2940152837261#productInfoTabs

ITUNES:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/designed-for-you/id1077543099?ls=1&mt=11

GOODREADS:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28677877-designed-for-you

KOBO:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/designed-for-you

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:

http://www.amazon.com/Jo-Grafford/e/B00G56XKS2/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

WEBSITE / BLOG:  www.JoGrafford.com

FACEBOOK:  www.facebook.com/JoGraffordAuthor

TWITTER:  www.twitter.com/JoGrafford

GOOGLE+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JoGrafford/posts

PINTEREST:  https://de.pinterest.com/JoGrafford/

GOODREADS:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360736.Jo_Grafford

OTHERS – WattPad:  https://www.wattpad.com/user/JoGrafford

~~~

Thank you, Jo, for sharing your stories with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Karen Killer Book Bench: To Win Her Heart, Players Series Book 3 by Mackenzie Crowne

 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!

 ~~

TO WIN HER HEART

Players Series Book 3

BY MACKENZIE

Blurb

In order to protect her, they’ll both have to let their guards down…

Country music’s It Girl Jessi Tucker is fed up with her family’s stifling security measures. The threat of a dangerous stalker has gotten the men in her life—including her football star cousin, Tuck Tucker—monitoring her every move. To get the freedom she yearns for, Jessi hatches a plan to recruit Max Grayson, Tuck’s sexy brawler best friend, to play the role of her new boyfriend. But if her scheme works, will she be forced to hide her true romantic feelings for the sake of her independence? Or will she finally steal the heart of her dream man?

Max has been pining for Jessi for years and would do anything to protect her, but a professional cage fighter with too many skeletons in his closet has no business being with one of America’s sweethearts. Yet while Max does his best to keep Jessi at arm’s length, the Tucker family persuades him to accept her offer.

Max believes he can keep Jessi safe from danger, but can he shelter her from his own dark secrets, the media’s unforgiving spotlight—and a mutual desire that’s harder to resist each day?

TO WIN HER HEART

Players Series Book 3

BY MACKENZIE

EXCERPT

“I know I’m going to regret this, but if you’re determined to go through with this nutty plan, I’m your man.”

She managed to choke back her gasp before it could escape, but it was a close thing. Giddy excitement warred with mistrust. Hidden beneath her arms, she curled her suddenly numb fingers into clenched fists. If he was teasing her, it wasn’t funny, and she was going to slug him.

“What about Tuck and the rest of the family? Are you really willing to risk their friendship over a plan you think is nuts?” She jacked up her chin. “Because I have other options, you know. Lots of guys would be willing to help me out.”

A sardonic smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “No doubt Craig would be first in a long line, but then, you didn’t go to another guy. You came to me.”

He had a point. The jerk. “And you refused.”

“I changed my mind.” He propped his hands on his hips and held her gaze. “I’ll deal with Tuck and the family, but if we’re going to do this, I have a few terms.”

Terms? What kind of terms? She narrowed her eyes. “Like?”

“If we’re moving in together, we’ll be staying at my place. I have a business to run and a match to train for.”

Relief loosened her spine. Now that was a term she could get behind. With a little luck, she and Max would eventually end up lovers for real but in the meantime, fooling Aurora and Dan while sharing her condo would be next to impossible. Her pulse picked up and left her short of breath. “I can work with that.”

“Second. I’m not your father, but neither am I some random guy you picked up off the street. I’ve been around enough to understand Ryan’s security concerns, so if you’re thinking I’ll stand by and let you run off, half-cocked without anyone to keep the crazies at bay, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

He held up his hand when she started to object. “You’ll have the space you’re desperate for, but if you leave the condo or fight center, Dan or I go with you.”

She frowned. His terms didn’t sound at all like what she had in mind.

“I mean it, Squirt. You said it yourself. I’m the perfect choice because your father will trust me to keep you safe. I can’t do that if I’m not with you. I’m risking his and Tuck’s friendship by agreeing to this plan. I won’t do that just so you can shop alone.”

Meet Author Mackenzie Crowne … 

Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mackenzie lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning author and eight year survivor, living the dream. Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will, too.

~~~

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

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1W762w3

BARNES & NOBLE



KOBO

GOOGLE PLAY

KENSINGTON BOOKS

Website: http://mackenziecrowne.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MacCrowne

~~~

Thank you, Mackenzie, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway