Karen Docter's Blog, page 241
June 22, 2015
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Wicked Ride by Rebecca Zanetti
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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WICKED RIDE
The Realm Enforcers
BY REBECCA ZANETTI
Blurb
If you love the Dark Protectors, these wicked hot Realm Enforcers are for you!
Alexandra Monzelle is a hard-fighting, heat-packing Seattle vice cop, and she’s not much interested in being protected. Her short skirt and sex-kitten heels are tools to lure her suspects into talking about the deadly new drug hitting the streets. She can take care of herself and then some. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to get that through to Kellach Dunne.
Kellach is a fresh import from Dublin, and he’s landed at the heart of a vicious motorcycle club that deals in guns, narcotics, and mayhem. He’s all male, all rough power—and all interference in her damn investigation. Maybe he’s one of the good guys. Maybe not. Lex knows an affair with an immortal like him would risk everything. No matter how delicious he looks…
WICKED RIDE
The Realm Enforcers
BY REBECCA ZANETTI
EXCERPT
“Seattle PD. Freeze,” she whispered, her stance set, a Sig Subcompact in her hands and pointed at his head.
Detective Alexandra Monzelle kept her balance on the ridiculous heels and her gun pointed at the definite threat.
Well over six feet tall, muscled, graceful as hell … the guy facing her showed no fear. No emotion, really. Black hair fell to his broad shoulders, the darkness a perfect match for his eyes. Chiseled face, huge-ass hands, and feet big enough to waterski on. Yet he moved with the smoothness of a trained soldier.
He lifted one dark eyebrow. “Seattle Police Department?” She nodded and tried to stop shaking from the chill in the air on her bare skin. Way too much bare skin, but she’d been undercover.
“Get on your knees.”
Intrigue leaped into his glittering eyes. “Not garing ta happen.”
Was that a true Irish brogue? It fit him somehow. “I will shoot you.”
He shrugged a massive shoulder beneath a leather duster. “That’s your choice, lass.”
Did he just call her lass like some lady from a century ago? “Oh no, Irish boy. Get on your knees. Now.” She put every ounce of command she possessed into her voice.
“Well now. At least you knew I was from Ireland. As opposed to Australia.”
Okay. She really didn’t want another body on her hands, but in the dress and heels, she was at a physical disadvantage. The last thing she needed was to spend all night filling out more paperwork than had already been created. “Down. Now.”
He cocked his head to one side. “I can’t help but ask where you were keeping your weapon.” His gaze, dark and intense, roved over her entire body.
Tingles. Damn weird and very unwelcome, tingles cascaded wherever his gaze landed. She might just have to shoot the bastard and fill out the paperwork anyway. “I don’t want to shoot you, but I can live with the decision. Get on your knees or say a quick prayer to your maker.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t suppose you have backup coming?”
No. Her backup had followed the dealer. She shook her head to provide warning and lowered her aim to his right leg. “I guess losing one leg won’t kill you.”
His focus returned to her. “You shoot me, and we’re going to have a problem.” He spoke slowly and clearly, without a hint of distress. A chill wandered down her back. The man was damn serious … and damn scary. Yet she couldn’t let any fear show. She sighed and tightened her arms to shoot. “If you’d just get on your knees, this night would go so much more smoothly.”
“Say please.”
She blinked. Seriously? Hell, if it got him to cooperate, she’d chirp a Haiku. “Please.”
“As you wish.”
[image error]About the author, Rebecca Zanetti…
Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Her current series are: The Dark Protectors, The Maverick Montana Cowboys, and the Sin Brothers series. Upcoming series are: The Realm Enforcers and The Scorpius Syndrome. Find Rebecca at: www.rebeccazanetti.com
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Links to Rebecca’s website, blog, books, etc.
Website: www.rebeccazanetti.com
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Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Thanks, Rebecca, for sharing your story with us!
Congratulations Week 06-01-15, 06-08-15 & 06-15-15 Giveaway Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
06-01-15, 06-08-15 & 06-15-15
GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Kim Cresswell!!
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Kim is giving away an eBook of REFLECTION, A Whitney Steel Novel ~ Book One) to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thanks again, Kim, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER ~ LINDAB/HOTCHA1!
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with C.C. Koen!!
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: C.C. is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thanks again, C.C., for sharing your book with us!
WINNER ~ VANIA!
Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Karen Docter!!
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Karen is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Special** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Congratulations and HAPPY READING!
WINNER ~ BONNIE GONZALES!
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DON’T MISS OUT!!
The following guest bloggers are still taking entries in their Rafflecopter Giveaway!
Cate Beauman’s
ANSWERS FOR JULIE
Blog Giveaway
~~ (5) eBook Copies of Answers For Julie ~~
http://www.karendocter.com/karens-killer-fixins-author-special-with-cate-beauman-5.html
[All winners chosen by random.org from reader comments. Thank you.]
June 21, 2015
**Author Peek** Character Interview with Mail Order Outlaw Heroine, Elizabeth Cobb
**AUTHOR PEEK** Character Interview with
Mail Order Outlaw Heroine, ELIZABETH COBB
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INTRODUCING…Mail Order Outlaw Heroine, Elizabeth Cobb.
1. What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
Elizabeth Cobb but they call me Lizzie.
2. Who is your best friend? What kinds of things do you do when you’re together?
My best friend is Sally. She and I don’t get together very often. When we were kids we liked to play with our rag dolls or ride our horses. As adults, we barely get to see each other except when I go into the Tombstone Mercantile which she owns.
3. If you have a family, how do you get along with them? If you don’t, are there people in your life that you consider family? How do you get along with them?
My mother is Atina, she’s an Apache and very proud of it. She is wonderful and I love her very much. My baby brother is Jamie, he just turned eleven. I’m working the ranch until he grows up and can take it over. It’s his inheritance.
4. Do you have a birthmark? Scars? Where is it/are they? How did you get it/them?
Scars! Lots of them. You don’t get to be twenty-four years old on a ranch without earning lots of scars.
5. When you’re angry, what do you do? Where do you go? How do you deal with your anger?
I usually just go to my room and cry. Sometimes I’ll ride way out on the desert and scream up a storm, but I try to never lose my temper in public.
6. If you had to make me a meal right now, without going to the store, what would you find in your refrigerator to feed us?
First I don’t cook. Second, what is a refrigerator?
7. What’s the one thing you’re afraid of losing?
My ranch. I know it’s Jamie’s but it’s mine, too. My heart is here.
8. What makes you laugh out loud?
Mal Brandon, my fiancé, you’ll meet him in the book. He can always make me laugh with his antics. Especially when he was learning how to run a ranch. It was funny watching such a greenhorn. But he did everything, never balked at learning. He’s good that way.
9. Has anyone broken your heart? Who was he?
Yeah, I’ve had my heart broken. Who hasn’t. Mal was the one who broke my heart. Only those you love have the ability to hurt you that way and usually they don’t mean to. It just happens.
10. What’s the one thing you want out of life that you don’t think you can have? Why can’t you have it?
I never thought I’d be able to have a husband and family of my own because I’m a half-breed. I’m proud of it. I love my mother very much, but in this country being half Apache is a detriment to getting what you want.
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BE SURE TO COME BACK to read more about Cynthia, her release, and an excerpt from MAIL ORDER OUTLAW on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!
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Links to Cynthia’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00XEKFLIE
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mail-order-outlaw-cynthia-woolf/1121894192?ean=2940151415125
iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mail-order-outlaw/id993479746?ls=1&mt=11
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/mail-order-outlaw
Google:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Woolf_Mail_Order_Outlaw?id=U74kCQAAQBAJ
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Cynthia is giving away a print copy (US Only) of MAIL ORDER OUTLAW to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Special** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss the chance to read this book! Thanks, Cynthia, for sharing your book with us!
June 18, 2015
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Cate Beauman
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with CATE BEAUMAN!
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, Cate Beauman, and her favorite recipe for BLACK BEAN BROWNIES!
ANSWERS FOR JULIE
Bodyguards of L.A. County Series, Book Nine
B
Y CATE BEAUMAN
Blurb
Award winning romantic suspense author Cate Beauman is back with the ninth full length novel in the Bodyguards of L.A. County series. Answers For Julie is on sale now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and more!
Julie Keller relishes the simple things: hot chocolate on winter nights, good friends she calls her family, and her laid-back career as a massage therapist and yoga instructor. Julie is content with her life until Chase Rider returns to Bakersfield.
Bodyguard Chase Rider isn’t thrilled to be back in the town where he spent his childhood summers. His beloved grandmother passed away, leaving him a house in need of major repairs. With a three-week timetable and a lot to do, he doesn’t have time for distractions. Then he bumps into Julie, the one woman he hoped never to see again. Chase tries to pretend Julie doesn’t exist, but ten years hasn’t diminished his attraction to the hazel-eyed stunner.
When a stranger grabs Julie’s arm at the grocery store—a woman who insists Julie’s life isn’t what it seems, Chase can’t help but get involved. Julie and Chase dig into a twenty-five-year-old mystery, unearthing more questions than answers. But the past is closer than they realize, and the consequences of the truth have the potential to be deadly.
ANSWERS FOR JULIE
Bodyguards of L.A. County Series, Book Nine
B
Y CATE BEAUMAN
The inspiration behind Answers For Julie:
I often get my story ideas from watching crime documentaries, but the plot for Answers For Julie came together after I read some sobering FBI statistics in a magazine about the odds of a missing child coming home. Unfortunately, many children are lost forever. The wheels began spinning quickly after that, and a few weeks later, the story was well on its way.
I hope you enjoy Julie and Chase as much as I enjoyed writing them!
~ Cate
EXCERPT
“Good night.” She turned on her side as Becky left and snuggled into her covers, listening to the music from downstairs while she stared at the white lights twinkling on the baby Christmas tree she and mommy had decorated for her room. Noah’s excited voice carried from his room, and her eyes drooped in the warmth and comfort of her bed. Her mind drifted to the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who, and her eyes flew open when her bedroom door creaked shut. She didn’t like her door closed.
Sitting up, Alyson relaxed when she realized she wasn’t alone and looked at the woman dressed in a black coat and hat, Becky’s friend who liked to come and play with her and push her on the swings at the park.
“Hi, Ally,” she whispered, stepping farther in the room, looking over her shoulder.
“Hi.” She yawned. “Did you come to play with me?”
“Whisper,” the woman said, glancing over her shoulder again.
She smiled. “Okay.”
“Do you want to come with me? We could go to the park.”
Alyson glanced out the window at fat snowflakes falling in the dark, pushed off her covers, and stood. “I have to ask my mommy.”
“She said it’s okay, but we have to hurry and be very, very quiet.” The woman moved to the bed, grabbed two teddy bears and laid them down, pulling the blankets up and over the stuffed animals. “It’s a secret game.”
Becky and Noah’s voices were muffled through the wall, and Alyson pressed her hand to her mouth, suppressing a giggle. “I like secret games.”
“Me too. Come on.” The woman took something from her pocket with gloved hands and unfolded it, laying a piece of paper flat at the foot of the bed.
“What’s that?”
“A note so your mommy will remember I took you to the park.”
“I only want to play for a little while. I’m going to see Santa with mommy and Noah.”
“Just for a little bit,” the woman assured with a smile. “Let’s hurry.” She lifted Alyson and bundled her under the pink and purple blanket Grandma Porter made for her when she had been a teeny, tiny baby.
“I need my boots and coat.”
“I have some for you at my house.”
“Okay.”
The woman walked to the bedroom door and stopped, holding a finger to her lips. “Shh.”
Alyson grinned and said “Shh” back.
The woman stepped into the hallway and out the French doors that opened to the large balcony Alyson and Noah weren’t allowed to play on and hurried down the long sweep of stairs.
Alyson clung tight to the woman taking her to the park. She stared back at her huge brick and pillar house lit with hundreds of Christmas lights as Becky’s friend ran with her into the shadows of the street.
Did you enjoy the excerpt? You can read the first chapter on my website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book here!
The Unofficial Answers For Julie Soundtrack
Music still plays such a large part in my writing process. I listen to Pandora or YouTube and compile a collection of songs that I feel represent my characters or the situations they face as the novel unfolds. Here are a few of the songs that I had on “repeat” while I created Julie and Chase’s story! You can listen to all of them on my website www.catebeauman.com.
The soundtrack, of sorts, for Answers For Julie:
Leaving Home by Cody Fry and Raquel Cole
All The Stars by Ed Sheeran
Rust Or Gold by Jill Andrews
American Secrets by Parachute
Thinking Of You by Katy Perry
Battleship by Daughtry
Find My Way Back by Cody Fry
The Last Time by Taylor Swift ft. Gary Lightbody
Running Back To You by Matt Wertz
Ungodly Hour by The Fray
I Need You by LeAnn Rimes
Free Like You Make Me by The Cary
About the author…Cate Beauman.
Cate currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernard’s, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the international bestselling and award winning romantic suspense series, Bodyguards of L.A. County. Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.
“I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, five years later, I’m working on my tenth novel! I remain so very grateful for the support and success that I have had. Thank you!” – Cate
Links to Cate’s website, blog, books, etc.
SIGN UP FOR CATE’S NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF MONTHLY GIVEAWAY OFFERS
http://www.catebeauman.com/#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td
Amazon Author Page
http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Beauman/e/B00A05KHVM/
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eo0b43
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1122154741?ean=294015133646
iBooks:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/answers-for-julie-book-nine/id1007575788?ls=1&mt=11
Social links:
I hope you enjoy the recipe Cate is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 205 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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BLACK BEAN BROWNIE RECIPE
[Mommy’s Kitchen Recipe]
Note from Cate: I’m a big fan of healthful eating, but I also have a sweet tooth. Whenever possible, I try to use recipes that offer the best of both worlds, and these black bean brownies are truly sensational. I know, it sounds weird, but these brownies are really, really good; plus, they’re fairly good for you with the added fiber and iron that black beans provide.
I tried Mommy’s Kitchen’s recipe, one of my favorite food blogs, and I can’t imagine making any other brownies again! I’ve even heard my kids fighting over who gets the last brownie in the pan. Now, that’s saying something!
I hope you’ll give them a try and find them as delicious as my family and I do!
1-15oz can black beans, drained, rinsed, and pureed
1/4-cup water
2-ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/3- cup vegetable shortening (I use organic butter)
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan or 8x8x2-inch pan for thicker brownies.
To puree black beans, combine beans with the 1/4 cup of water. Puree in food processor or blender until very smooth (If using the blender, you may need a bit more water).
Melt the chocolate and shortening (or butter) in microwave or by using a double-boiler. Cool chocolate mixture slightly and beat in eggs well then add the sugar, vanilla, and pureed black beans.
In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and add into the chocolate mixture. Make sure to mix thoroughly.
Spread the batter evenly into a prepared pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares.
June 17, 2015
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: That Man Of Mine by Maria Geraci
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!
~~
THAT MAN OF MINE
Whispering Bay #3
BY MARIA GERACI
Blurb
When Mimi Grant becomes mayor of Whispering Bay, she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for. Her biggest concern? The city’s annual festival is in financial ruin and the former housewife doesn’t have a clue how to fix things. But, she’s determined to bring the sleepy beachside town into the twenty-first century.
Hunky Police Chief Zeke Grant isn’t happy that his estranged wife Mimi has just become his boss. But for the town’s sake, he’s willing to swallow his pride and let her order him around—to a point. Everything aside, he doesn’t count on someone from his past coming back to haunt him, forcing him to reevaluate what’s really important.
While Mimi and Zeke continue to butt heads on how to get things done, there’s one thing they can’t help but agree on: their chemistry is hotter than ever. However, when a robbery threatens to derail the annual festival, some of the town’s residents question Mimi and Zeke’s ability to keep Whispering Bay safe—as well as keep their war-torn personal life out of civic business. Mimi and Zeke must team up to solve the crime, and decide once and for all if it’s time to move forward with separate lives, or if true love really does conquer all.
THAT MAN OF MINE
Whispering Bay #3
BY MARIA GERACI
EXCERPT
Mimi sat on her living room couch. Tears streamed down her face and dripped into her bowl of popcorn. If only Ilsa would suck it up and tell Rick the truth, then he couldn’t still hate her. She was married to Victor Laszlo, for goodness’s sake, and it was up to him and his freedom fighters to keep Hitler out of Europe (although we all know how that ended). No matter how many times she watched Casablanca she always hated that look in Rick’s eyes, that mixture of hurt and anger that came from thinking the one person you loved most in the world had betrayed you.
The familiar sound of Zeke’s police car pulling up in the driveway caught her attention. Toby, sensing her momentary distraction took advantage and snuck his head into the bowl of popcorn and slurped up a mouthful. Yuck. Did he leave doggie drool in her bowl? No matter, she was stuffed. No more popcorn for her. She was still full from the burger and fries she’d scarfed down earlier.
The door opened and Zeke and the kids walked in. Cameron immediately ran to Toby’s side and dug his face up against his fur. “Hey, boy, did you miss me?”
Mimi grabbed a napkin just in time to catch a long stream of drool. Most dogs wagged their tails when they were happy. Not Toby. He had other skills to show his affection. Mimi’s damp floors were proof of that.
Claire plopped herself down on the other end of the couch. “Casablanca? Again? How can you stand to see something that’s not in color?”
“Don’t get your mom started,” Zeke said. He stood with his hands in his pants pockets like he wasn’t sure whether or not he was welcome to stay. How awkward was that when this was his own house?
“Did you get to ride in the patrol car?” Mimi asked Cameron.
“Yeah, it was pretty cool.”
“I’ve got homework to catch up on so I’m going to my room,” Claire announced.
“On a Friday night?” Mimi glanced at Zeke who shrugged in response. It shouldn’t bother her that Claire was doing homework. As a matter of fact, she should embrace it. It just seemed strange.
“Yes, on a Friday night. Tomorrow’s the big basketball game and I have to be at the gym early and I want to get it finished.”
“Can Toby sleep with me?” Cameron asked, already pulling the dog off the couch. Toby eyed the rest of the popcorn with regret, but he took off eagerly behind Cameron.
“Only if you wash your sheets tomorrow,” Mimi called out.
With Claire and Cameron tucked away in their rooms it left her alone in the living room with Zeke. “How was your night?” she asked.
“It was good.”
“Did you and Tom get a chance to talk wedding plans?”
“Not yet.”
“You should take him out for a beer. After all, in a few months he’s going to be your brother-in-law, and hopefully one day soon, he’ll be the father to Allie’s kids.”
Zeke made a resigned face.
“There’s beer in the fridge,” Mimi offered. “If you want to stay a little bit.”
“No beer for me, thanks. But I’ll stay. Maybe watch the end of the movie with you?” He sat down next to her and automatically reached his hand into the popcorn bowl.
“Um, I wouldn’t if I were you,” Mimi said, trying not to laugh.
Zeke stared down at the popcorn. “Let me guess, Toby baptized the bowl?”
“Your detective skills amaze me.”
“Next time we go to the pound for a dog, we specify no drooling.” He sounded confident that there would be a next time. He dumped the popcorn from his hand back into the bowl and took it into the kitchen.
Mimi watched him as he came strolling back toward her. He wore jeans and a light blue button down oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled back, exposing his forearms. He sat down on the couch again, only this time he sat a little closer and Mimi caught a whiff of cologne. Zeke wasn’t normally a cologne wearing kind of guy, so when he did splash a little on, she always took notice.
Maybe she shouldn’t have had those two glasses of wine along with the popcorn. And maybe she shouldn’t be watching Casablanca, because all she could think about right now was the way her blood had taken up speed, like it was racing through her veins, trying like hell to get to some unknown destination. Okay, so she knew what this feeling was. She was horny. She was a thirty-five-year-old red-blooded woman and she hadn’t had sex in over three months and here she was sitting on a couch next to her husband. Her very sexy husband. Why not let nature take its course?
It was legal.
It was natural.
But was it a good idea?
Probably not.
About the author, Maria Geraci…
Maria Geraci writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You, was nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA ® award. She lives in north Florida with her family, which includes a very needy chihuahua, an extremely needy dachshund and a not-so-needy cat (guess which one she likes best?). You can reach at her www.mariageraci.com
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Links to Maria’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/that-man-of-mine-whispering-bay-3-by.html
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25180118-that-man-of-mine?ac=1
Goodreads Series Link
https://www.goodreads.com/series/148420-whispering-bay-romance
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo
Author Links: Website |Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
June 16, 2015
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Cop On Her Doorstep by Karen Docter
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!
~~
** NEW RELEASE!! **
COP ON HER DOORSTEP
True Love In Uniform Series, Book One
BY KAREN DOCTER
Blurb
In the six years since her husband was killed by S.W.A.T., Carrie Padilla has spent long hours at work, rebuilding a life for herself and her son. The little time she has at home is spent keeping her eight-year-old son out of trouble, but he is all too eager to try to be the man in the house. When a handsome cop shows up on her doorstep, her errant son in tow, Carrie’s heart stutters. The sexy Italian cop sets off all kinds of bells in her system, and she knows there’s only one thing she can do to save what is left of her family, her husband’s memory, and her heart…avoid her new neighbor at all costs.
S.W.A.T. officer Jake Stafani already lost one little boy to gang violence, the dead boy’s older brother is missing, and Jake’s not about to let the same thing happen to a neighbor’s son. He drags the youngster home only to discover much more than a passing interest in the boy’s beautiful, but wary, mother. Forced to take a leave of absence after a bust goes awry, Jake can think of nothing better to occupy his time than to keep Carrie and her son safe, and locate the missing teen who holds the key to taking the gang off the streets, once and for all.
But Jake doesn’t count on his stubborn, intriguing neighbor distracting him from his job, or the passion that flares between them. He doesn’t expect her amazing son to steal a piece of his heart. Jake is ready to risk everything for Carrie, body and soul. But it’s not all up to him. If their new love is to survive, Carrie will need to be strong enough to see the man’s beating heart behind the badge, to look beyond the pain of her past, and decide that loving again is worth the risk.
COP ON HER DOORSTEP
True Love In Uniform Series, Book One
BY KAREN DOCTER
EXCERPT
Carrie Padilla wished she could crawl back into bed. Maybe, under it. Any day that included a cop on her doorstep didn’t promise to be a good one. A policeman appearing at the crack of dawn spelled disaster. There must be some mistake.
The hope prompted her to peek through the peephole a second time to examine the identification she’d demanded. Her heart racing, she sucked in one short, shaky breath of air. Then another, longer one. Her head spun with the effort, so she had to settle her forehead against the door.
She couldn’t chance a one-on-one confrontation with a uniform again. Not this close. She may have beaten the impulse to fall apart every time a siren sounded in the distance or a police car appeared in her rearview mirror, but did she dare test herself with closer contact?
“If you’d like to call the station, Sergeant Grenich will vouch for me.” The voice was deep, authoritative, impossible to ignore.
Opening the door wouldn’t be her first choice. Then, neither would it be second or third. But Officer Jake Stefani wanted to speak with her and she didn’t have an excuse for turning him away. At least, no valid excuse.
Her fingers fumbled with the safety chain as she glanced down at her sweaty exercise gear. Sports bra, covered by the sleeveless Colorado Rockies T-shirt her husband bought her before he died. Her old running shorts, a tad less loose thanks to her recent make-up-for-the-loneliness, chocolate-peanut butter ice cream splurges. Running shoes with low-cut athletic socks.
She wore less to the local swimming pool, so why did she suddenly feel so naked? She was afraid it was due to more emotional reasons than physical ones. The problem was she didn’t have the nerve to ask the man outside to wait until she was better able to cope. He wasn’t likely to wait forever.
Unable to avoid the inevitable any longer, she threw open the door while one trembling hand tucked tendrils of damp, auburn hair back into her ponytail. Disconcerted to find herself nose to chest with the policeman, she stepped backward, her desire to bolt suddenly stronger. At only a few inches over five feet, she’d experienced her share of “tiny attacks” in the past, but never with this kind of intensity.
Amazingly enough, the uniform didn’t cause the problem. The man behind it did. Although he couldn’t quite lay claim to six feet, his crisp, dark blue shirt clung to a broad chest, his trousers molded to muscular legs. He didn’t have the brawny physique of a body builder though, more the sleek, leashed power of a man trained in martial arts. Good heavens, but his biceps looked strong. Rock hard.
Something distinctly feminine within her quickened. Were arms like those capable of tenderness? A woman would feel safe there, secure, if she wasn’t crushed to death first.
Chasing the unruly notion away, she gazed elsewhere. The dark shading of the man’s square jaw suggested a beard needing two close shaves a day. His full lower lip was sensuous and bound to cause heartache, if a woman weren’t tripped up first by the mischievous bump of a slightly crooked nose. She blinked when she reached the kindest, warmest brown eyes she’d ever seen. They were the same rich shade as Swiss chocolate. Soft. Mouthwateringly tempting.
Wow. Too bad she was on a no-man diet.
She pushed away the troublesome rush of awareness and ruthlessly reminded herself she was ogling a cop. She urged her lungs to breathe. “What can I do for you, Officer?”
“Mrs. Padilla?”
Her insides vibrated to the sinfully deep rumble of his voice before she could clamp down on the new sensation. “I’m Carrie Padilla.” Please have the wrong woman!
“Sorry to bother you at this hour, Mrs. Padilla, but we need to discuss your son.”
“Eric?”
“Um. Hi, Mom.”
Carrie’s eyes widened. The boy who edged into sight from behind the officer’s bulk couldn’t possibly be her son. This boy appeared too small, too grimy, and he wore a familiar red windbreaker and an unfamiliar, guilty expression. She turned to stare up the flight of stairs behind her. Her heart sank. “Eric,” she whispered, wondering when her son had sneaked from the house. She’d been up for several hours thanks to her recent bout of insomnia and Eric hadn’t passed her bedroom door while she ran on the treadmill.
Looking back at the pair on her doorstep, she fought harder to marshal her wits. Her stomach flip-flopped unevenly when her gaze fixed on the uniformed figure at Eric’s side, but she thrust her personal problems aside as motherly instincts kicked in. She’d confront the Devil, himself, to protect Eric. “What are you doing with my son?”
The cop frowned. “Could we come in, please?”
She had to fight her immediate impulse to deny this man access to her home to motion them inside. Closing the front door, she led the way to the living room. Eric sat at one end of her forest green sofa. Only after the policeman moved to the other end did Carrie perch on the wing chair positioned opposite, a move she regretted when she realized the man remained standing. She waved at him. “Please sit.”
He hesitated, but then took a seat on the couch.
Somehow, she didn’t feel any less overwhelmed looking him straight in the eye with only a mahogany coffee table between them. She ignored the peculiar feeling they’d drawn battle lines, with her on one side, her son and his escort on the other. She looked at Eric. “What did you—“
“Mrs. Padilla, before we begin, you might want to call your husband.”
Her gaze jolted the length of the couch. “My husband is dead,” she said. Six years should have dulled the ache of her loss, but she was dismayed to hear it blurted out loud. Who knew she’d need all her defenses in place before six a.m.?
“I’m sorry.”
His sincerity appeared real, but she was unwilling to deal with the emotions compassion dredged up. She squared her shoulders. “Could you please tell me what’s going on?”
“I found your son in my back yard.” He glanced at Eric. “He was engaged in a potentially harmful activity I thought you should know about.”
What in blazes is a potentially harmful activity? “What was he doing?”
“Preparing to vandalize my house.”
“What?” She stared at Eric. “Is this true?”
Her son’s eyes dimmed behind a flood of tears. His head bobbed up and down. His mouth opened, but no explanation came out. He simply fell apart. In seconds, her little boy was sobbing as if his heart would break.
Carrie scooted from her chair, rounded the coffee table, and knelt at his feet. She enfolded his trembling body in her arms and castigated herself for not registering how abnormally quiet that he’d been since he entered the house. He was in shock. The last thing he needed was her yelling at him.
“Shh, baby. It’s all right. We’ll work it out. It’s okay.” She pressed a gentle kiss against his temple. “Ah, honey, don’t cry.”
About the author, Karen Docter…
Amazon Bestselling Author Karen/K.L. Docter writes two different kinds of romance novels…Contemporary Romance w/a Karen Docter and Romantic Suspense w/a K.L. Docter.
Karen’s contemporaries are delightful, spicy romances. She loves writing about real men and women with dreams and goals that don’t allow for a relationship just so she can throw them in each other’s path.
Her romantic suspense novels (as K.L. Docter) are also filled with romance, although the dangers the hero and heroine face are intense, usually because a serial killer is bent on ending one or both of their lives before they can fall in love.
Karen/K.L.’s an award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.
When she’s not saving her characters from death and destruction or helping them to fall in love, she loves camping and fishing with her family, reading, gardening & cooking. If she can do most of those things over a campfire, all the better!
Titles Available from Karen Docter:
SATIN PLEASURES
CATCH THAT SANTA
COP ON HER DOORSTEP, True Love In Uniform Series, Book One
Titles Available from K.L. Docter:
KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Series, Book One
~~~~
Links to Karen’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/bUHNMu
B&N: http://goo.gl/6uoZTd
Kobo: https://goo.gl/fd92aB
Website/Blog: http://www.karendocter.com
Amazon Author Page (Karen Docter):
http://goo.gl/VE4wqE
Amazon Author Page K.L. Docter):
http://goo.gl/Zc9yeY
Facebook/Karen Docter: goo.gl/6TXc5X
Facebook/K.L. Docter: http://goo.gl/uD1iGL
Book Bench for Romance Lovers FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/281099382014548/
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754902.Karen_Docter
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/karendocter/
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Karen is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Special** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
June 15, 2015
It’s a Facebook Launch Party & You’re Invited!!
IT’S A FACEBOOK LAUNCH PARTY & YOU’RE INVITED!!
It’s Party Time! Yep, Pure Romance is launching another party with lots of amazing prizes. I hope you’ll join us to chat with your favorite authors and meet some new ones. So sit back, get your coffee or glass of wine in hand and visit our party page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1629544227286178/ Click on ‘going’ and by all means invite your friends to do the same thing.
The party begins June 17th with Nerdy Girl hosting a three-hour Bonanza beginning at 7:00 pm until 10:00PM, THEN on June 18th and 19th the whole gang with lots of guest authors will be chatting from 10:00AM to 10:00PM.
Have you purchased your copy of Pure Romance: The Box Set that is sizzling, seductive and suspenseful? http://amzn.com/B00X6EZ70A
Can’t wait to talk to you!
Special Note from Karen/K.L. Docter:
Hi! I’m going to be participating in a Facebook launch party for the new Pure Romance Boxed Set. I will be guest-hosting at 3:30 PM (Denver/Mtn) on Thursday, June 18th, and I hope you can join us! I’ll be talking about my new release, COP ON HER DOORSTEP, sharing more about the stories and characters, and answering questions. I’d love to have friends and readers participate.
ONLY $ .99 ~ PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!!!
So you’re invited! Again, I’ll be guest-hosting at 3:30 PM (Denver/Mtn) on Thursday, June 18th. Here’s the link for participation:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1629544227286178/
Even if you can’t attend, please click that link to “join” the page and let us know you like to read romance!
June 14, 2015
**Author Peek** Character Interview with Cop On Her Doorstep Hero, Jake Stefani
**AUTHOR PEEK** Character Interview with
Cop On Her Doorstep Hero, JAKE STEFANI
~~
INTRODUCING…Cop On Her Doorstep Hero, JAKE STEFANI.
Before we start your interview, how about telling us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living, what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
I’m the hero from Karen Docter’s novel, COP ON HER DOORSTEP, True Love In Uniform Series, Book One. I’m a Riverton (yeah, she made up the town, too), Colorado police officer. I’m also a member of the S.WA.T. team comprised of officers from several surrounding communities on the northern edge of Denver. I’m Italian, speak both my mother’s language and Spanish, and have a German Shepherd named Riker. I was kind of floundering in the back of Karen’s head for a while but now she’s letting me tell my story.
1. What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
My full name is Giacobbe Marcos Stefani, but only my traditional Italian mother insists on using it, usually when I’m doing something that provokes her. Giacobbe is Italian for Jacob. My friends all call me Jake.
2. Who is your best friend? What kinds of things do you do when you’re together?
My best friend is my partner, Ramón. We both joined S.W.A.T. about a year ago and ride together when we’re on regular shift. When we’re not at work…well, I’m always at the precinct or training in some way. I don’t have much to go home to, but Ramón is married to the love of his life and they have four children. They’re always great about inviting Uncle Jake to do family things with them. I try not to intrude too often.
I recently bunked on their basement couch for four months after my ex-girlfriend kicked me to the curb. I only hang with Ramón at work now that I’m moving into my new house. I’m too busy unpacking, remodeling my house, and getting to know my luscious new neighbor, Carrie, and her eight-year-old son, Eric.
3. If you have a family, how do you get along with them? If you don’t, are there people in your life that you consider family? How do you get along with them?
Despite the fact I’m Italian, I don’t have a huge family in the States. My dad died shortly after I followed in his footsteps and graduated from the academy. I’m Mama’s only child and sometimes that can be a pain, especially since she’s made it her life’s mission to marry me off so I can start making all the bambinos she wants. She’s only lived in the States the last 35 years and has definite ideas about her duties…and mine…to the family name.
But, I love her. She lives about an hour and a half away since I moved to Riverton seven years ago to work in the same precinct as my Uncle Jules. It’s just enough distance to keep her from showing up all the time with potential wife material. Not that she doesn’t succeed in sideswiping me occasionally. Mama’s set her heart set on my ex-girlfriend. I’ve yet to convince her that it’s over, that I’m pursuing my own woman who, luckily enough, lives two doors down and across the street.
When I joined the force in Riverton, my uncle wasn’t my superior. Now, he’s my captain. We have a good relationship but work at keeping our personal and professional lives separated. My uncle isn’t Italian. He met Mama’s sister when she came to the States for my parents’ wedding. Uncle Julian was my dad’s Best Man as well as his partner. I have two cousins, Gino and Lorenzo, who are my age. We spent a lot of time together growing up, camping and fishing.
The rest of the Mazzotti-Stefani family lives in Italy. I met a bunch of them several years ago when I took Mama there for my great-grandfather’s funeral. Just thinking of going back makes me shake in my boots. If I thought Mama was bad with her incessant matchmaking, she is a neophyte compared to the rest of them. There were more single women at my great-grandfather’s funeral than lived in the nearest four villages. I’m not going back there again until I’m safely married with half a dozen kids in tow!
4. Do you have a secret? If so, who do you need to keep the secret from and why?
I don’t normally keep secrets. However, I do have one I’m keeping from Carrie until she gets to know me better. She knows I’m a police officer. After all, I did bring her son home after I caught him in my backyard about to make mischief. But she’s got a bad history with cops, especially S.W.A.T. cops. I need to work on her perception of my uniform before I spring on her that I’m also S.W.A.T. like the officer who killed her husband. Once she accepts my uniform, I’m confident she’ll get past the rest.
5. Look down. Describe what you’re wearing. Is this the way you’re normally dressed? If not, what do you normally wear?
I’m on vacation at the moment, so I’ve hung my police uniform in the closet for the duration. It’s what I wear when I’m on shift. I’m afraid you caught me in the middle of my house renovation. I’ve been stripping wallpaper off the walls in one of the spare bedrooms. Why anyone would hang wallpaper on Spanish stucco is beyond me!
Anyway, I’m wearing my favorite jeans, a faded black t-shirt with chunks of wallpaper paste and dust, and tennis shoes. Hmm, one is loosely tied. I’d better tighten it up before I climb back up that ladder.
I’ll wear black jeans, a blue cotton shirt, and my black leather moto jacket tonight when I take Carrie out to dinner.
6. If you had to make me a meal right now, without going to the store, what would you find in your refrigerator to feed us?
I’ve been living in Ramón’s basement for months and taking on quite a few double shifts, so I’ve been eating out a lot. I’ve only been in my new house three weeks, and my kitchen is sort of bare. I make a mean ravioli when I have the time to stock up my freezer, so you’ll have to come back in a few weeks.
You know, we could drive down to Colorado Springs to one of Mama’s bi-monthly dinner parties. It will take us an hour and a half, but it will be worth the drive. She always makes plenty of her famous spaghetti and meatballs and she loves to feed friends and family.
Um, you’re already married, right? 
7. What’s the one thing you’re afraid of losing?
I’m afraid of losing another kid to gang violence. Ever since a ten-year-old kid from my old neighborhood died in my arms, I’ve been doing everything I can to get rid of the SKL gang that has taken hold on Riverton’s west side. They killed Mateo Reyes, his older brother Julio has gone missing, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let them destroy any more lives. I’m afraid I’ll never find Julio and bring him back to his grieving mother. I’m afraid I will find him and have to give him back to her in a box to lay alongside his brother. I’m holding tight to my mission…maybe too tight, if my superiors were right to force me to take a vacation. But I won’t rest until I find Julio.
8. You’re doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for you to throw out? What is difficult to part with, and why?
I’d have a hard time getting rid of anything at the moment. My girlfriend kicked me to the curb four months ago, remember? She took damned near everything with her, including my self-respect and my dog, Riker, and I ended up living on my partner’s couch. I guess it was easier to walk away from everything than to fight for it at the time. The only thing that mattered back then when our relationship imploded was that I’d lost Mateo and Julio. The few basic things I kept were stored in Ramón’s garage until I closed on my new house. Now, I’m unpacking it and rebuilding my life one piece at a time.
If I had one regret, it was losing Riker. Me and him were buddies, and I miss training him. But what the hell was I supposed to do with a dog? I didn’t have a home. I was working all the time. If I had to do it all over again, I’d have kept him. I didn’t want to impose on Ramón and Maria any more than I had to, but we could have worked something out somehow.
9. Has anyone broken your heart? Who was she?
After hearing me go on and on about my ex-girlfriend, you’d expect me to say she broke my heart. But the truth is we were in trouble even before I moved in with her. When she traded me in for a better cop model, a friend and one of my co-workers, I was more pissed than anything. Removed from the situation, I quickly came to realize I was too damned stubborn to accept that I’d made a mistake, that I was letting Mama’s matchmaking and my need to have a family of my own get in the way of my good sense.
I think Carrie could break my heart…if she doesn’t accept my uniform.
10. What makes you laugh out loud?
Carrie’s boy, Eric, makes me laugh out loud. He’s a great kid who has definite opinions and isn’t afraid to tell you. For instance, when I asked Carrie to help me organize a barbecue so I could meet the neighbors, he didn’t want her to invite the Lawrences. When I asked him why, he told me I’d know who Mrs. Lawrence was right away because I’d be throwing up all over the place. After meeting Kitty and experiencing one of her creative dishes first hand, I knew exactly what he meant. The kid might only be eight-years-old but he’s fun to be around.
Speaking of Eric and Carrie, I need to clean up the debris in the spare bedroom before I can change for my date with Carrie. It’s been great talking to you. I hope your readers stop by and pick up my story.
Wait! I was supposed to tell you that the reason you’ve been talking to me all this time, and not Karen, is because she’s already busy digging into Rick Davis’s story. He’s one of my fellow officers at the precinct and needs Karen’s help getting his woman back. Watch for COP CRASHES THE WEDDING in the fall!
~~~~~~~
BE SURE TO COME BACK to read more about Karen, her release, and an excerpt from COP ON HER DOORSTEP on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!
~~~~
Links to Karen’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: Link Coming June 15!
B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cop-on-her-doorstep-karen-docter/1122129168?ean=2940151625852
Kobo: Link Coming June 15!
Website/Blog: http://www.karendocter.com
Amazon Author Page (Karen Docter):
http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Docter/e/B008TST8TY/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Amazon Author Page K.L. Docter):
http://www.amazon.com/K.L.-Docter/e/B00JV92NFQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Facebook/Karen Docter: goo.gl/6TXc5X
Facebook/K.L. Docter: https://www.facebook.com/kldocter
Book Bench for Romance Lovers FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/281099382014548/
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754902.Karen_Docter
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/karendocter/
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Karen is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Special** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
June 11, 2015
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with C.C. Koen
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with C.C. KOEN!
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, C.C. Koen, and her favorite recipe for RUSSIAN TORTE!
UNLIKELY ALLIES
B
Y C.C. KOEN
Blurb
What happens when a single mom’s four-year-old daughter falls in love with Mr. Right and she doesn’t?
Maggie Tyson’s rule: no bad boys. Her incarcerated ex-husband broke her of that attraction. Needing to escape his threats and the scrutiny of the people in her hometown, Maggie relocates to New York City. Determined to not make the same mistakes, she has a mile-long list of dos and don’ts. Unfortunately, her daughter, Cecily, doesn’t like to follow them. When Cecily wanders away from her and right into Rick Stone’s office, Maggie knows he’s the exact type she’s been trying to avoid. Can she resist him or will she succumb to his willful charm?
Rick Stone’s rule: bed them don’t wed them. Running a multibillion dollar business doesn’t leave him with much time to do anything else, particularly with an overbearing grandfather breathing down his neck. But when a man works hard, he needs to play even harder. Voted America’s most eligible bachelor, Rick doesn’t have any problems getting women into his bed—except one.
Two auburn beauties stumble into his life.
One will break his heart.
The other—heal it.
Will he love or leave them?
UNLIKELY ALLIES
B
Y C.C. KOEN
EXCERPT
“Cece, Cece, where are you?”
They both turned toward the door.
An adult version of the pint-sized girl appeared in the doorway. This variation, though, had hair on the cherry side of auburn with twists of milk chocolate streaming through the strands. A messy ponytail slung high on top of her head, and thick, curly waves fell over her shoulder, instead of bright, reddish-orange pigtails like Cece’s.
“Cece, come here.” The woman’s stern tone communicated there better not be any arguments. Cece marched across the room. “My daughter shouldn’t have run off. I’m sorry if she disturbed you.”
A company logo and name written in gold script in a circular pattern above her left breast caught his attention: Westlake Security Services. His best friend, Matt, owned the firm adjacent to his office. She’d have to pass his suite to get there, yet he’d never seen her before. He inspected her uniform, a gray polo shirt and black slacks. An outfit he’d seen many times before, but it never looked that good on anyone else. The fabric, tucked in at her waist, had a cut that hugged her handful-sized breasts, and slim pants accentuated her curvy hips.
He lifted his gaze and found the woman ushering Cece out the door. “Wait.”
Cece turned, beaming a huge smile at him. “I would a told ya bye.” And just as fast, her little face morphed from happy to perturbed, aimed at her mother, and with her arms crossed, Cece shook her head.
Without missing a beat, and as smooth as his mother would have, the woman redirected Cece. “Say good night to Mr.…”
“Stone, Rick Stone.”
She set a hand on Cece’s shoulder, nudging her and casting a do-what-your-mother-says stare. “I have to get back to work. Say goodbye to Mr. Stone.”
“What’s your name?” He couldn’t let her get away that fast.
“Maggie.”
“Margareta Cassidy Tyson,” Cece shouted with emphasis, a pause between each distinction. “My mama works here.” She pointed toward the hall. “She plays on a phone and ʼputer. It got lotsa buttons.” She shook her head, pigtails flinging back and forth over one shoulder then the other, followed by an overdrawn sigh. “She don’t let me push ʼem. Don’t ya think I should get to push ʼem? He let me push his.” Cece looked up at her mother and shot her arm toward him, her shrugging shoulders communicating, “See, everybody can do it. No big deal.”
Rick chuckled and then stopped when Maggie spun around, hands set on her hips. He rubbed his palm along the back of his neck and shifted from one foot to the other as an uncomfortable silence engulfed the room. “Let me explain.”About the author…C.C. Koen.
C.C. Koen writes contemporary romance with a twist. An avid reader who enjoys mystery and suspense, her stories will never be what you expect. Determined to find adventure in her dreams and life, she enjoys skydiving, sailing and any activity that challenges her. Teacher by day, romance writer at night produce an active imagination that comes to life in her writing.
Links to C.C.’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WYO47XQ
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unlikely-allies-cc-koen/1122059654?ean=2940151951128
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unlikely-allies-3
Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unlikely-allies/id1001697108?mt=11
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24796343-unlikely-allies
Website: cckoen.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cckoenbooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/authorcckoen @authorcckoen
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/authorcckoen
Google plus: https://plus.google.com/112648382343758166487
Blog: www.authorcckoen.com
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/authorcckoen/
I hope you enjoy the recipe C.C. is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 204 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RUSSIAN TORTE
[C.C.’s Mother’s Recipe]
[8 Servings]
Nut layer: 1 cup sugar, 4 cups ground nuts (walnuts), 2 tsp cinnamon
Combine nuts, sugar, cinnamon and mix. Measure a half cup and set aside for topping.
Other layers: 3 sticks butter (no substitute), 5 egg yolks, 4 cups sifted flour, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup water, 1 small cake fresh yeast, 2 cans apricot filling, 5 egg whites for topping, 10 tablespoons sugar for topping
Combine yeast with warm water and set aside. Sift flour into a bowl and add butter. Blend until mealy in texture. Add slightly beaten egg yolks, milk, and yeast mixture. Blend and stir batter until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Place on a floured board and knead for a few minutes. Divide and cut dough into three sections. Roll the first sections of dough to measure 15 by 10 inches, which should be the size of the pan. (Hint: It helps if you roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper.) Lightly grease the pan and place this first layer of dough into the pan. When the first layer is in the pan, work the edges of the dough up and along the pan’s edge to form a wall for lining. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the dough. Roll the second section of dough to the same measurements and place over the nuts. Spread the apricots evenly over the dough. Roll the remaining section of dough and place over the apricots.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Ten minutes before the baking time is over, beat egg whites and sugar until stiff. Check the torte. If it is done remove from the oven and spread the egg whites and return torte to oven for 10 more minutes. When done to a toasty color, remove from oven and while still hot, cut into diamond shaped pieces.
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: C.C. is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Don’t miss the chance to read this book! Thanks, C.C., for sharing your story and recipe with us!
June 10, 2015
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Bring It On by Shelley K. Wall
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!
~~
BRING IT ON
BY SHELLEY K. WALL
Blurb
I’m the middle daughter of three, born to a farming family. With no brothers, we were all responsible for helping out and had little extra funds for frivolous things. Don’t get me wrong—we never lacked for the essentials and my parents were wonderful at pampering us whenever they could. Still, we worked for it—and as a result I learned what it means to achieve things through effort. My parents were great examples with high expectations.
Consequently, I am not very patient with people who can’t understand a good life is only good if one finds satisfaction in the effort associated with achieving a goal and not simply the end result. Risk is exciting and the greater the risk, the greater the potential reward. Yes, it can be equally dangerous and being able to balance common sense with adventure is important to having a fulfilling life (in my opinion.) I believe this determination has helped me through college years and career efforts.
My main character in Bring It On has a similar outlook-she’s grown up as the only girl in her family and been ‘one of the boys’ for years. She learned to hunt, hike, camp, fish, boat, ski, and a host of other outdoor adventures throughout her life. Her work ethic puts her alongside several male managers at a team-building event in Alaska where she’s challenged in many ways. To make it more interesting, an old family friend that knew her as a tom-boyish brat, is also part of the event. Top that with ending up in the wrong place with the right guy—and things get incredibly dangerous and complicated.
BRING IT ON
BY SHELLEY K. WALL
EXCERPT
“Our first exercise is the ropes and ladders course,” Sean said without smiling. He held up the clipboard and checked the top sheet of paper for a second. “This will be done in teams of two. The sales guys will work together and the admin guys will pair up. When I call out your name and your team number, find your teammate and stand over by that path.” He pointed toward an opening in the trees. “Team One, Zeiger and Flint.”
He paused while the two men met, shook hands, and started toward the path. “Team Two, Cassidy and Wallace. Team Three, Hernandez and Billings. Team Four, Kathryn Delroy and Thomas Ryan.” Sean raised an eyebrow. “Anyone have a problem with their teammate?”
Kathryn thought his glance rested on Thomas a little longer than normal.
No answers came from the group as everyone listened for the next order. “This is going to be fun. Most people get a good laugh, which is why we start with this, it’s sort of an ice-breaker. Okay. Follow me,” Sean motioned as he passed the group. He led the way down the path, talking as he moved. “Before we get too far, I want to caution everyone. You’re in Alaska now. You’re a guest here. This land belongs to the bear, moose, and a lot of other critters. As long as you move slowly, stay close to the cabins and lodge, and don’t do anything stupid, you won’t have any problems. However, if you do happen to come across a wild animal, remove yourself slowly from it. Do NOT run. Bears will chase you. That’s one race you’ll never win. They’re usually just as afraid of you as you are of them, so they’ll make a quick exit if you don’t get stupid.”
He hesitated for a second to catch his breath, then added, “And don’t go walking around out here in the woods by yourself. I don’t want to have to come looking for you.”
Sean moved off into the trees. The group fell into line behind him.
Thomas sidled up next to Kathryn. He grinned. “Ready for this, partner?”
“Can’t wait.” She smiled back with a hint of sarcasm as she fell into step. The path through the trees was only wide enough for one person to pass through, so Thomas held out his hand for her to pass before him. They trudged a mere hundred feet through the trees to a large opening, devoid of vegetation other than a few sparse tufts of grass. Sunshine glinted streaks of light through thick branches casting a bright haze over the troop. In the middle of the opening was an adult-size jungle gym that looked like something out of a reality show. Two large wooden beams bolted together spanned over the entire structure. One end had two ropes attached to it that hung to the ground. The ropes were knotted at one foot intervals. Kathryn swallowed as she realized she would have to climb one of them. There was no other purpose for that kind of rope. Good thing she’d used the gym as a mental rejuvenator the past few months.
A platform protruded about four feet below the top of the ropes, sort of a lookout point. On the other side of it was a large mesh net that cascaded down at an angle into the dirt. Beyond the net, a big green plastic tunnel that resembled a drainage tube curled around and ended at the other side of the structure. Large wooden slats were nailed to a six foot wide wall on the far end. The slatted wall rose up to the very top beams. The beams above the structure formed a platform less than a foot wide. It had a large rope stretched across that was about six feet over the entire contraption and anchored at each end to the supports. Another green tunnel structure hung from a platform next to the top beam. However, that tunnel angled to the ground like a water slide, where at the bottom was a large puddle of water.
Oh great. It really is a water slide. She frowned. She didn’t mind getting wet, but didn’t relish the mud at the bottom. The temperature was more than just cool, it was nippy. It would ruin the jacket she had on. The only jacket she’d brought.
“This should be fun,” Thomas whispered in her ear. Kathryn couldn’t help but tip an eyebrow up and look at him sideways.
“Okay, here’s how it works.” Sean spoke loudly to get everyone’s attention. “Each team is going to wear one of these harnesses.” He held up a rope – a leather contraption that bore resemblance to a medieval torture device.
“Really fun,” Thomas interjected, his breath tickling her earlobe. He let out a short “Ouch” as Kathryn landed a solid jab to his ribs.About the author, Shelley K. Wall…
Shelley K. Wall was born near Kansas City, the middle daughter of three. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with additional post graduate work there and at the University of Wyoming extension in Casper. She also holds a length career in Information Technology.
Shelley enjoys writing characters that deal with drama in a humorous way, situations that are believable even if intense, heroes and heroines that aren’t perfect, and villains that may have an inkling of redemption hidden away.
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Links to Shelley’s website, blog, books, etc.
Available at: Amazon
Website: http://shelleykwall.com
Blog: http://shelleykwall.wordpress.com
Twitter: @skwallbooks
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Thanks, Shelley, for sharing your story with us!
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