Irene Preston's Blog, page 4

Sale! 99 cent Boots

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Uh… it appears I forgot to post that You Can Leave Your Boots on is on sale this week.

Get it for only $0.99 through Sunday if you live in the US or UK. (sorry – this is a kindle special and those are the only countries they let me offer it).

Also, Tall Order is still on pre-order for $0.99 and that price will go up to $2.99 by release.

BTW: You can subscribe to my newsletter if you want to make sure to get first crack at news like this in the future.

~I

 

 

Tall Order Cover Reveal & Giveaway

Send to KindleDylan and Win (and Izzie!) Get Their Own Cover!

(See the Official Tall Order cover reveal on ARe Cafe!)

Thank you to the fabulous Dar Albert who captured not only Dylan and Win, but Win’s beloved Izzie.  Dontcha just love it?

Those of you who read the Romancing Austin anthology last year will remember my super-tall hero, Win and his micro-car, Izzie.

With SXSW 2016 right around the corner, I thought it time to release Tall Order as a standalone.

(Erm – in case you missed it. This is the same Tall Order that appeared in the anthology – so get one or the other, but you don’t need both. Unless you particularly crave your own copy with Izzie on the front.)

Dylan, Win, and Izzie

 

Chef Dylan Trevino screwed up bad, and he knows it. When he left Texas, his job, and his boyfriend behind, Dylan was confident Aston would follow him to New York. Now he’s back home and working for the worst caterer in Austin just to pay the rent. Being head chef at a party thrown by a famous rocker doesn’t make up for serving bland tacos while dressed like a dime-store cowboy. Thank god his ex can’t see him now.

Aston Winkler’s steampunk guitar mods are all the rage with musicians and he’s got invites to every hot party in town. Too bad he’d rather be listening to garage bands than networking in a penthouse. From his 6’7” vantage point, Aston has no problem spotting Dylan at the crowded SXSW party. Getting his boyfriend back? That’s a tall order.

Tall Order Releases February 16

Order Now at the special pre-release price of $0.99 (reg. $2.99)

Where to Buy Tall Order

Amazon | ARe | Kobo | IBooks | B&N

coming soon to Tolino

GIVEAWAY – $25 Gift Certificate + Free Books!

I’m celebrating the re-release of Tall Order with a Fab giveaway! The Prize Pack includes:

$25 Gift Card (Your Choice of ARe, Amazon, Barnes and Noble)
The Secret of Obedience by Liv Rancourt
An E-Book by Alexis Hall (Alexis has generously offered your choice from his back-list. You can not go wrong here)
Long Road Home by Chandra Ryan

Just use the Rafflecopter at the bottom of any page on my blog to enter. You can just one of the entry choices or rack up extra entries by doing them all. To get the most entries, remember to check back – I usually rotate in some extra entry methods over the course of the contest.

BTW: Tall Order released exclusively on ARe for the first two days. You could have knocked me over with a feather when it shot onto the bestseller list. Thank you – to all my readers at ARe for snapping it up before it even had a cover!

Why is Taste Disappearing?

Send to KindleQuick Update on Taste

I’ve heard from a few of you who are confused that they can’t find A Taste of You in some retailers.

Don’t Panic! The quick answer is that it is being re-published and should be back up most places by February 1st.

As of now, A Taste of You is still on Amazon, and that should be the last place it will disappear. I’m not sure how long it will be other places or when the new edition will go up. I’ll update here with new links as I have them. The only place I know of where it will disappear indefinitely is Google Play.  (They aren’t accepting any new authors right now. If you want to lobby them about this, be my guest but…Google.)

The longer story.

My publisher has decided to close their doors.  This means I am having my rights reverted long before the end of my contract. I have enjoyed working with Fated Desires very much and they are making the transition as easy as possible. When A Taste of You goes back online it will be virtually unchanged. Even the cover will have very minor modifications.

That being said…

IMPORTANT

You may receive email from Amazon and other vendors about a “New Release” when the 2nd edition goes up. It will be the SAME BOOK. I’m not adding any content or anything, so there is absolutely no need for you to re-purchase if you have the original A Taste of You.

 

Spotlight and $25 GC Giveaway: The Secret Of Obedience by Liv Rancourt

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Happy Release Week to my good friend Liv!  I’m so excited to share The Secret of Obedience with you. I had the pleasure of getting an advance peek at it – and you can see my review here.  If you want the summary – hot, sweet, and 5 stars!

Liv’s been kind enough to bring a hot (and sweet and beautiful) excerpt for us. Also, she’s giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card – so make sure to read down to the end of the post and get your entry in for that!

 

 The Secret of Obedience
By Liv Rancourt

Can a jock find love with a hot little hipster? Opposites attract, but secrets divide.

Ronnie Durand is a country boy who transfers to the University of Washington after two years at Central. He’ll have to give up playing football, though finishing his education at a major university in Seattle – and being out and proud without having to look over his shoulder – makes the sacrifice worthwhile.

But finding friends at a huge school is tough, especially when the hottest guy Ronnie meets makes him doubt his own sanity.

Sang’s been on his own a long time. He’s only a couple steps away from living on the street, and he’s got dreams so big they don’t leave space for a steady boyfriend. Then he meets Ronnie, who just might be strong enough to break through his barriers….as long as Sang lets him in on one big secret.

Excerpt:

My bike’s parked right in front of the club. “Are we going far?” I ask.

“Four or five blocks.”

I hand him the helmet. “Get on.”

He slides the helmet on, and I help him tighten the buckles. He chitters a laugh, making the moment silly and a little awkward. I straddle the bike, and when he climbs on behind me it turns me on so bad I almost come again. Damn. I want to be stretched out in a bed with Sang, both of us naked, with a box of condoms and a Costco-sized bottle of lube.

With nudges and hand signals, he guides me to a big brick apartment building about a quarter mile away. I park, and he springs off, leaving me with a sharp shiver at the loss of his heat. By the time I get the bike locked up, he’s on the front door phone.

“I need your bed, chica.”

“I’m in it.” The voice is muffled, most likely female, and laughing rather than annoyed.

“Then your couch.”

The phone clicks and goes to dial tone, and the door buzzes. I follow Sang through the lobby, where the dark burgundy carpet could be original to the 1940s. We jog up a couple flights of stairs and down a hall to an open apartment door.

“Go.” He hustles me in, then throws the deadbolt and taps on a closed door to our right. “Thanks, baby.”

An indistinct bleat answers him, likely from the location of the occupied bed. The rest of the apartment is one room with a kitchenette in the corner. It’s dark except for the streetlights outside, but Sang knows where to find candles and a match. We’re quiet, wordless, working with borrowed solitude. Compared with the thrash of the nightclub and the sleazy bathroom stall, I’ll take it.

I dump my jacket and helmet on the dining table. Sang sets two candles on the tiny bookcase, hauls me over to the couch, and pushes me down. I’m laughing, because for a little guy, he’s bossy as hell. Then he straddles me, and I want to kiss him without pissing him off. I drag him close and nuzzle his neck, tasting, testing, planting not-kisses in a hot line down his throat. He sighs, and I take it as permission to keep going.

His pants are stretch leggings, so it doesn’t take much to get them worked down over his hips to free his dick. It’s so elegant, tapered and smooth. I want to suck on it again, to bring him off and make him sputter in Korean or Chinese or whatever language he babbled in last time. If he wanted me to, I’d fuck him, but he’d have to ask. I’m not really much for butt sex. If a guy’s into it, I’ll do what he wants, but my own preference is for hands and mouths, everything slick with spit and lube. I like messy sex. And kissing. I really like kissing.

I stroke him, rubbing my thumb over the head of his dick, and he flops against me like I’ve disconnected his spinal cord. The room smells of smoke and roses, and he’s fumbling at my zipper, those delicate hands all trembling and raw, so I reach in and help. My hand’s big enough to wrap around both of us, the heat of his thrust enough to drive both of us crazy. His lace shirt is tangling in my fingers and around our shafts, so I undo the buttons and shove it off his shoulders. My black silk is already kinda trashed, but he does the same for me, exposing my chest.

Our thrusting goes from eager to urgent to needy, his heavy-lidded gaze trapping me. His climax hits like a rocket, like fireworks going off in a black July sky. I follow, but it’s more of a tease, dragged out, slow and seductive until I can’t breathe and I arch off the couch. Sang crawls up my chest, hanging on, laying open-mouthed kisses over my ear, down my jaw.

If I’m lucky, this night will never end.

“We need to go soon.”

His whisper hits me like a slap. “I’d bring you back to my dorm,” I say, “but I haven’t given my roommate the homophobia quiz yet.”

He raises up and smirks at me. “I don’t like him already.”

I run a hand over his shoulder, smoothing his ruffled feathers. My calloused fingertips catch in the lace, and I wonder how something so old fits like it was made for him.

“What are you studying in that big school, anyway?” His question is tentative, cautious.

“Exercise science or maybe business. I haven’t chosen a major yet.” I pause, giving him a chance to ask a follow-up question. When he doesn’t I step up. “What about you? What are you studying at that big school?”

He grimaces and shakes his head. “Nothing. I’m not at your school.”

“Oh, it’s my school now?”

He pats my cheek. “Yes. Your school.”

“I see you every day in World History.”

“No one sees me.” His lower lip softens, and he catches it with the tips of his teeth. “They see the clothes.” He reaches for the lace blouse, shaking it out and tossing it over his shoulders. “They see a girl or a scenester or a queer.” He stands, shakes his junk back into his stretchy pants, does a little hootchie dance to organize things. “No one sees me. Not even my family.”

Old pain erodes his effervescence, showing through the cracks like basalt under soil. I’m stretched over the couch, on display, my shirt open and my dick hanging out of my jeans. He covers my eyes with his hand, but I knock it away.

“I think you look real good. I’d like to see a lot more of you.”

Which sounds really kind of lame and try-hard, but this is what I came to Seattle for, too. Adventure. Maybe even romance, the kind I can show off in public.

“I want to,” he says.

For a moment he shows me his profile, private, thoughtful, and I give him some space to go on.

“And if I was going to see someone,” he continues with more laughter in his tone, “he’d be a lot like you.”

“So let’s do it.”

I should probably feel bad when he doesn’t respond, but the back-to-back orgasms catch up with me. I tip my head back and close my eyes, fighting sleep. Sang’s rummaging around the apartment. Haven’t a clue why he’s lying about school and why he won’t take me up on my offer, but after two evenings he’s an itch I won’t be able to scratch on my own, so I let it go. Country boys are known for their determination.

WHERE TO BUY:

Amazon | ARe | Evernight Publishing

About Liv Rancourt

I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.

I can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at my website & blog, on Facebook , or on Twitter. For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for my mailing list.

Come find me. We’ll have fun!

Visit Liv Online:

Website

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Newsletter

$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

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Alice Orr: Cooking for Jonathan – Chili Mole in the Slow Cooker

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Tired of turkey yet? Alice Orr is here today with a great cold-weather recipe you can easily make in the slow-cooker! Make sure to check out Alice’s new book A Vacancy at the Inn!

 

Alice:

I grew up in the Snow Country. Extreme northern New York State almost to Canada. The white world of winter – white snowscape meeting white sky. I loved the crisp cold beauty and the solitude of it where a young girl could be truly on her own.

My mother was strict but she’d never go out in the biting cold or the blowing snow to track me down. Once I was through the front door of 439 East Avenue I was literally in the wind and I wouldn’t return home until suppertime.

Mom wasn’t a great cook but he was a good cook. She was especially good at winter cooking. In other words substantial food. “That will put meat on your bones,” my dad would say. He was almost always referring to a pot of something set to simmer on the back of the stove all day long.

Soups and stews and spaghetti sauce were the most frequent occupants of that pot. It wasn’t a fancy pot because we weren’t fancy people. We didn’t care what the outside of the pot looked like. We cared what its contents tasted like – and how they made us feel.

On a cold winter day the pot fare from my mother’s kitchen made us feel – first of all – warm. We ate in the dining room but we could smell the aroma from the kitchen that had our mouths watering even before the steaming bowls were carried in and set down in front of us.

Then we’d eat – quietly for a while because we were so very hungry. Then gradually we’d discover the other thing those cold-weather pot meals made us feel. They made us feel full.

Flash decades forward to my kitchen. We live in the northeast – not as far north but it still gets very cold here. My husband Jonathan is a contractor. He runs time-pressured jobs for demanding people and he comes home hungry every night. In the winter he comes home hungry and cold.

We live in an apartment building on the second floor. Jonathan walks that one flight up each night. As he climbs the aroma of my kitchen draws him home. He drops his jobsite boots at the door – shakes the snow from his work jacket and leaves the outside world behind.

“I could smell your cooking all the way,” he says as he folds me into his still chilly arms that feel warm as toast to me anyway. Then he lifts the lid of the pot and takes a long deep whiff. He is continuing his aroma experience but what he’s really needing is substantial food.

Chili Mole is substantial food and one of Jonathan’s favorite cold-weather pot meals. I simmer it all day long – just like my mother back on East Avenue but I use the slow cooker – my best meal preparation buddy on long winter days. Here’s my recipe. Give it a try. And stay warm.

Chili Mole Recipe

Ingredients.

1 to 2 Tbsps. Olive Oil

1 large onion. Chopped in bite-sized chunks.

2 tsps. Minced garlic. I use the jarred kind but you can hand-mince if you prefer.

2 – 14 to 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 – 14 to 15 ounce cans red kidney beans. I like a mix of light and dark red beans.

1 – 10 to 11 ounce can tomato soup

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

2 tsps. Chili powder. This is very mild. Adjust upward to your taste for spiciness.

Squeezes of lime juice. Fresh is best. Bottled will do. But try not to leave it out.

Salt and pepper to taste. Pot meals require taste testing for sure. Don’t forget that part.

3 to 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate processed very fine. I use 3 squares/ounces.

 

Instructions.

Heat oil to sizzling in skillet. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Cook on medium-high – stirring as needed – for 3 to 5 minutes until translucent.
Coat slow cooker with nonstick spray and transfer the onion-garlic mix there.
Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the chocolate. Stir.
Correct the seasonings. A crucial taste-testing step. Don’t wait until later to do this.
Cook 2 hours on high setting or 4 hours on low setting. Either way will do.
Add finely processed – to consistency of coarse powder – chocolate. Stir in well.
Cook 2 more hours on high setting or 4 more hours on low setting.
If the chili is too thick add beef broth. Canned is fine or bullion – but only if you salt very lightly at the earlier stage. Dilute the pot to your desired consistency. But keep in mind that the chili will thicken – sometimes considerably – as it cools.
Correct the seasonings again. Garnish with grated cheese – cheddar or pepper jack.
I serve my Chili Mole with a green salad and Alice’s Sweet Spice Cornbread. Go to my website and sign up for my newsletter to get that recipe in the Thanksgiving issue. Just click here.
Enjoy! Be warm. Feel full and satisfied. That will make me feel satisfied too.

See you next recipe. Blessings till then.  Alice Orr

A Vacancy at the Inn

Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Christmas Novella

Luke & Bethany’s Story by Alice Orr

On a cold December day Bethany Miller and her son Michael arrive in Riverton.

She grew up on Riverton Hill in remote upstate New York where her complicated family still lives. She moved away to escape all of that and more. Now she’s back because of complications in her present life with what is best for her son. She hopes the Miller family will be a Christmas blessing for Michael. She’s less hopeful about what this homecoming will be for her.

The last thing Bethany wants is further complication. That means the last person she needs to see is Luke Kalli staring down at her from the roof of Miller’s Inn. They shared a glorious connection before she fled from here. The power of that encounter and the deep feelings she experienced came at a tumultuous moment in her life. They were yet another strong reason to leave Riverton Hill on Riverton Road and never return – until today. She has no idea this place will put her son in peril.

A Vacancy at the Inn is the first Novella of the Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series featuring the Kalli family and now the Miller family too in stories of Romance and Danger. A Wrong Way Home is Book 1 of the series. A Year of Summer Shadows is Book 2.  A Villain for Vanessa will be Book 3 – coming soon.

All titles are available at Amazon.

Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read A Vacancy at the Inn free!

About Alice Orr

“Alice Orr is a brilliant writer who has a Number One best seller hidden in her pocket. I look forward to more of her work,” says one Amazon reviewer. I say “Thanks!” I love to write. Especially romantic suspense novels and blog posts. I’ve been a workshop leader, book editor and literary agent. Now I live my dream of writing full-time. I’ve published thirteen novels and four novellas – both traditionally and independently – plus a memoir so far. I wrote my nonfiction book, No More Rejections, as a gift to the writers’ community I cherish. A revised edition is now in progress. Amazon says, “This book has it all.” About my romantic suspense, Amazon says, “Alice Orr turns up the heat.” Most of all, I like to hear from readers. Visit my website at www.aliceorrbooks.com. I have two grown children and two perfect grandchildren and I live with my husband Jonathan in New York City.

Visit Alice Online:

AliceOrrBooks.com

Facebook | Twitter  | Amazon 

 

 

 

Travis’s Homemade Vegetarian Chili Recipe

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WARNING! EXPERIMENTAL RECIPE! Since we made Bo’s massive steak last week, I thought we would give Travis his turn this week. Ever since I wrote the chili scene in You Can Leave Your Boots On, I’ve known I wanted to do post with a chili recipe. Only problem? I don’t have a vegetarian chili recipe. (Hey, I live in Texas with a Bo-style carnivore). But… I live in Austin, Texas and I know lots of vegetarians. So… none of them gave me their recipe to plaster all over the Interwebz. The advice I got was, “Just make your favorite chili recipe and sub textured meat protein for the meat.”

Okay, all great, except all my recipes start with browning the meat. So I consulted Mr. Google. There are tons of vegetarian chili recipes, but none looked quite like the type of chili I would normally make at home. So…. I started from scratch. I’m experimenting on y’all.   Here we go…

Ingredients

2 ancho or poblano peppers
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tbls olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3+ TB chili powder
2+ TB cumin
dash red pepper
28 oz can diced tomato
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (1/2 cup reserved)
1 can red beans
1 can pinto beans
simmer 30 minutes
1 lb Textured Vegetable Protein / or meat substitute (like Morningstar Farms grillers crumbles)
2-3 TB masa

 

Optional Toppings (mix and match)

sour cream
grated monterrey jack or cheddar cheese
sliced jalepenos
green onions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and peppers. Sauté until soft. Add the red and black pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Sauté another minute.

Add the tomatoes and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Add both cans of beans.

Simmer another 30 minutes or more.

Add the meat substitute. (Actually you can leave this out if you don’t care for the meat substitute. I debated putting it in because the chili was already pretty good. If you aren’t going to use the meat substitute, maybe use three cans of beans instead of two.)

Bring back up to just under a boil and simmer for another five minutes.

Now you need to correct the seasoning. Honestly, this is where I pretty much double all the spice, or possibly decide to randomly toss in some chopped serranos or something. Just keep tasting and adding until you get the heat level you want (or possibly a tiny bit hotter because we still have one ingredient left). Oh- one more note on the spice. I don’t have any salt in this recipe. I find that many canned vegetables already contain extra salt. YMMV, so add salt if you think you need it.

Some people put sugar in their chili. I don’t, but I do thicken with masa, which will add just a little bit of sweetness. Put your reserved vegetable broth in a small jar and add the masa. Shake until the mixture is smooth. Stir into the chili. Depending on how thick you want it, you can add a little more or less masa.

Now, correct the seasoning again.

Serve with cornbread and your choice of toppings.

This recipe was a hit with my family. Kiddo and Bones both had seconds. I didn’t tell Bones it was vegetarian until the second bowl, and he kept eating – so it passed the carnivore test!

This recipe is vegan if you leave off the dairy toppings. As far as I can tell, it is also gluten free.  Gluten is a dietary restriction I don’t have, so you should check your ingredients!

Bethany-Kris: Reckless and Ruined

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I’m excited to have Bethany-Kris on the blog today to introduce her new book, Reckless and Ruined. Bethany and I share a similar writing style. You know – light, fun, and … oh who am I kidding. She writes seething erotic suspense with to-die-for alpha heroes. {fanning self} If you can stop staring at her gorgeous cover, you can find an example of one of those heroes in the excerpt below.

Umm – little reminder – my $25 Amazon gift card giveaway ends tomorrow – so make sure you make it all the way to the bottom of the page if you want to enter for that!

 

 

Reckless and Ruined by Bethany-Kris

Play dirty. It’s the only way to win in a war.

Alessa Trentini follows the rules, or so it seems on the outside. A certain Conti has always been able to sway her inner rebel and keep her out of trouble, but even Adriano won’t be able to get her out of her brother’s mess. In a war, no woman is safe if her hand in marriage can advance her family in the world of the mafia. But mistakes of the past have a way of slipping into the present and Alessa will soon learn that even the most shameful of secrets can get her everything she wants.

Adriano Conti’s loyalties are torn as he’s forced to stand at his father’s side while Riley uses his wife’s murder as a way to get higher. Blood comes first and then the Outfit. The one thing he doesn’t question in the war between the families is Alessa Trentini and even that doesn’t seem possible when he’s forced to watch Alessa be used as another man’s pawn. Adriano has his own role to play to get what he wants.

The families in the Outfit have never been more divided than they are now. Blood continues to spill as revenge takes center stage and more lives are lost. But every man in the family is fighting for something different and no one’s intentions can be trusted. Playing a dirty game might be the only way to stay alive.

Even if that means ruining it all.

Excerpt from Reckless and Ruined:

“Did anybody see you come around?” Alessa asked.

“No,” he responded. “I parked a few blocks away and jogged down the backroad before coming in on the property. We’re good.”

Alessa sighed. “Thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t answer you back the last few days.”

“Are you?”

“Yes,” Alessa said. “But I’ve been … stuck in my own head, trying to figure out what I was going to do. I thought I should let you know so you can stop worrying about me and move on to your own thing, Adriano.”

“You are my thing,” Adriano replied. “Don’t you know that?”

Alessa dipped her head down, keeping her face out of his view. “I can’t be your thing.”

“Stop it with that shit. None of this matters to me. It never has.”

“I can’t be your thing,” Alessa repeated firmly. “Not anymore. Not now.”

“Hey.” Adriano took a step forward, and Alessa answered it by taking a step back. “What is up with you?”

Alessa shrugged. “It’s been settled. I’m going to have to marry Dean Artino. The engagement and wedding date isn’t official, but I’m sure Joel will be an asshole and send an invitation to your father. I wanted you to find out from me and not someone else through the grape vine.”

Air cut through Adriano’s lungs with a searing burn. A ball of rage and possessiveness swirled in his midsection hard and fast, threatening to take him under with the current. Alessa was, and always had been, his.

Like fuck was he going to hand her off to some useless bastard like Dean Artino.

Over his dead body.

It wouldn’t happen.

“No,” Adriano said in a growl, stepping closer to her.

Alessa blinked up at him. “W-what?”

“No. You’re not marrying Dean.”

“I don’t think you understand, Adriano.”

“Oh, I understand perfectly fucking well.” Adriano couldn’t help but notice how Alessa didn’t back off the closer he came. Once they were toe-to-toe under the willow tree, she had to look up at him to hold his gaze. “I get it, but it’s not happening.”

Alessa’s tongue peeked out to wet her lips. “Right now, it’s just the promise of an engagement between Dean and me soon, but Joel assured me the wedding would happen within the next few months. I don’t get a choice and it’s not fair to you, so let me do what I have to. Okay?”

“No.”

“Adriano—”

“No,” he repeated darkly.

If you’re behind, make sure to pick up the first book in the series Deathless and Divided!

Available Now!

About Bethany-Kris

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to three young sons, one cat, and three dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, a snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

Find her at her website at www.bethanykris.com, on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.

Sign up to Bethany-Kris’s New Release Newsletter for instant notification when her new releases are out.

Bo’s Perfect Porterhouse Steak (no-grill method)

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Since it is release week for You Can Leave Your Boots On, I thought I would bestir myself to write my own #FoodieFriday post featuring something from the book.  Bo loves a Porterhouse.  That sounded good.

There are lots of methods for cooking steak on the interwebz, including this crazy freeze-fry method, which sounded like way too much effort.  Hmmm… maybe I could get Bones to do this for me instead of actually doing my own work. (Have we discussed how lazy I am?) This turned out to be the easy part. Like Travis, I don’t often offer to bring home 2 lb chunks of red meat – Bones couldn’t quite pull off blasé as he agreed.  You know, as a favor. Just because he loves me.

 

Bones:

This is a simple method for cooking almost any steak and it doesn’t require a grill.

olive oil
2 lb porterhouse steak
salt
black pepper
red pepper
minced garlic
butter (about a tablespoon)

First bring the steak to room temperature. This is a large, bone-in cut, so allow up to an hour for this.

Heat the oven to 325 F.

When you are ready to cook, start by patting the steak dry. It won’t sear properly otherwise. Rub the steak with olive oil.

Salt and pepper one side of the steak. I use finely ground sea salt and coarse-ground fresh black pepper.

On the other side rub the garlic and sprinkle very lightly with red pepper. Then salt and pepper that side too. Don’t go too heavy on the garlic and red pepper. You really want to taste the steak, not the seasoning.

Put just enough olive oil in the bottom of the cast iron skillet to coat. Heat on medium-high heat until just before it smokes. An easy way to test is to flick a few drops of water into the pan from your fingers. If it immediately sizzles, you are ready to cook.

Sear the meat, one side at a time, to a dark brown. Use tongs to turn the meat and sear the sides.

Now drop your pat of butter on top and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for about 15 minutes for medium-rare, a little longer if you like your steak more well done. The time will vary, so you will need to test. You can use a meat thermometer, but if you don’t want to keep poking holes in your steak a simple touch test will work. A good method is the cheek-chin-forehead method. The steak I cooked for this post took about 18 minutes.

Take the steak out of the oven and let it rest for eight minutes. (I know. It looks delicious, doesn’t it? It’s hard to wait.)  If you’re lucky, your partner is a writer who wrote a scene with this steak that included wine. I’m very lucky. We have a nice Malbec to compliment our steak. Go ahead and pour a glass. If they’ve insisted on any green things as garnish, try to make sure the veg doesn’t take up too much room on the plate and detract from the steak. Relationship tip: Make conversation and try to look at your partner at least as much as the steak.

When eight minutes are up…

EAT THE STEAK!

 

 

 

Release Day! You Can Leave Your Boots On

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I’m not sure I have much more to add except a big THANK YOU to all the people who have continued to ask when they could expect Travis and Bo’s story.

You can go here if you want to read the first chapter to see how you like it.

You can go here if you want to see what a few early reviewers have to say.

Or, you can just go to Amazon if you want to download a sample (or, you know, get the whole book). This book is exclusive on Amazon for now – so if you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can read even read it for free.

 

Available Now!

Becky and Morgen’s World Famous Mac ‘n Cheese

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I can’t stop looking at the picture. Serious drool happening over the picture. Check out this amazing mac ‘n cheese recipe from Becky Flade,  y’all.  Also, Becky’s new book, Fated Hearts, which I will read while floating in and out of a cheese coma.

Becky:

There are a lot of things I love about being born and raised in Philadelphia. We have history and culture; our sports teams are legend; a legacy of entertainers call, or have called, my hometown their own; and we have a reputation for being fierce, loyal and passionate. But above all that, we have FOOD: Tastykakes, cheesesteaks, scrapple, Peanut Chews, soft pretzels; there’s a veritable plethora of options that taste just oh-so-good in the City of Brotherly Love!

One of my favorite Philadelphia staples, something I didn’t realize until I went to college in a different state was specific to Philadelphia, is Cooper sharp cheese. I’ve been informed that, like Yuengling lager, the cheese has broadened its horizons and can be found in other locales, but, like me, it is a Philly native. MMM. I think it’s widely known that anything is better with cheese, but until you’ve layered Cooper on your mashed potatoes, or baked ziti, you haven’t lived.

Everyone enjoys the comfort and tradition of baked mac ‘n cheese but my youngest and I experimented with a pound of Cooper and some heavy cream. We came up with what we call our “World Famous Mac ‘n Cheese.” Of course, the world is my house and our closest call to fame is the adoration of my brother, currently living in southern Maryland, who had the opportunity to sample some and fell in love with it. Each time we make this rich dish, I snap a picture and send it to him via our cell phones to tease and torment like a good big sister should.

BECKY AND MORGEN’S WORLD FAMOUS MAC ‘n CHEESE RECIPE

16 oz elbow macaroni

1 lb cooper cheese, block, shredded

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

¼ cup scallions, diced

3 cups heavy cream

ROUE:

¼ cup butter, salted

2 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour

 

TOPPING:

4 tbsp butter

1 cup crushed garlic & parmesan croutons

Pinch ground red pepper

Cook macaroni according to package. Drain.
In a skillet, mix butter & croutons. Fry till browned.
In pot, make roué out of butter and flour. Add heavy cream. Slowly stir in cheeses & scallions. Mix on low heat until all the cheese has melted and the sauce has begun to thicken.
Put macaroni in a large, lightly greased [I prefer to use butter] baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over top and mix well.
Spread topping over the macaroni. Sprinkle ground red pepper on top.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes

ADD-ONS:

Bacon crumbles

I don’t know about you but just reading that recipe makes me hungry! Food is such a fantastic thing really. It can provide comfort, trigger memories and in some situations, seduce. Carter McAlister, the hero in my newest release, is from Philly. He loves his local foods and takes pleasure in feeding his woman.

 

Excerpt from FATED HEARTS:

“I like eating too much not to figure out how to feed myself. But other than grilling, there’s not a lot I’m good at, except stir-fry.” He spooned seconds onto his plate, motioning to her nearly empty plate. She shook her head. “Next time we’re in Philly, I’m going to make sure you fully experience the food. I’m talking cheesesteaks from Steve’s Prince of Steaks, Stock’s pound cake, soft pretzels off a random street corner, one of Tony Luke’s pulled-pork sandwiches, and cannoli from Isgro Pasticceria.”

“Seducing me with food?”

“I am if it’s working.”

 

About Fated Hearts:

Psychiatrist Henley Elliott fled her quiet life in Cleveland for a gypsy lifestyle, trying to stay one step ahead of her painful memories. When she breaks down in quirky little Trappers’ Cove, Minnesota, she meets Sheriff Carter McAlister – a man healing from his own share of hidden heartbreaks.

At the request of a friend, Carter offers Henley a job to help her get back on her feet . . . but soon he can’t resist trying to sweep the intriguing woman off them. Breaking through her carefully built shell proves to be a near-impossible task, and to make matters worse, a dangerous new presence in the Cove seems to be targeting Henley. They must learn to trust in each other in order to keep her safe.

Can Henley and Carter leave their secrets and scars in the past to get a second chance at happily ever after?

Where to Buy Fated Hearts

Amazon | B&N | | Google Play | ARe | Kobo

(You can read Fated Hearts FREE on Kindle Unlimited)

About Becky Flade:

A city girl, born and bred, I place my stories in and around southeast Pennsylvania, or at least have a character or two from the area. Home is where the heart is and I make mine with my very own knight in slightly tarnished armor. When I’m not busy living my own happily ever after, I’m writing about someone else’s.

Visit Becky Online:

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