R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 104
March 18, 2021
BOOK BLITZ: Stryker by Marteeka Karland #GIVEAWAY
Stryker
Marteeka Karland
(Salvation’s Bane MC, #6)
Publication date: March 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Glitter: Yes, that’s my real name. Born stripper name, I know. I’ve been on my own since I was 14. When I tried to get a job with Salvations Bane MC at their strip club, Salvation’s Angels, their security saw right through my fake ID. Lucky for me, the club sent me to Beach Fit, their fitness club, until I turned 18. Now I work at Angels, and the crowd here loves me. Stryker’s still looking out for me. For some reason he thinks I’m a magnet for trouble. Now that I’ve got his full attention, I know what I want, and I’m going to prove him right.
Stryker: We try our best to keep things at the club legit. Last thing we need is an underage dancer attracting too much attention. OK, so she’s legal now, has been for nearly two years, but that girl’s everything this old man doesn’t need — and can’t afford. But there’s another club encroaching on our territory, setting up a BDSM club on the other side of town, as a front to run drugs. Now I’ve got word there’s even more going on at The Dark than drugs. I was right. And who do I find right in the middle of it but Glitter. Only, she’s not involved with the thugs at The Dark. She’s their prisoner — a sub who has no idea what it means to be a sub, but she thinks she wants to learn.
Challenge issued? Challenge ’effin accepted.
WARNING: This book contains scenes of an intense physical relationship between an older man and a younger woman, as well as extreme, graphic violence. These men aren’t angels and neither are the women. They love as hard as they fight. As always, you can expect a HEA with No Cheating.
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—
EXCERPT:
Glitter was strung up by her wrists, a ball gag in her mouth. She was thrashing about, trying to scream above the music that was still blaring despite the disruption of activity throughout the club. The little pixie was a thorn in his side and his dick. Even before the sexual encounter earlier, he’d always admired Glitter. She was a sexy, sensual creature on stage. A feisty little punk off it. Now, she looked both pissed and afraid. He found he much preferred the former to the latter.
“What the fuck?” Tobias saw her, too.
“I know.” Stryker stalked toward her and the soon-to-be-dead Dom who appeared to have claimed her, if the bright red collar around her neck was any indication. The Dom in question stepped between Stryker and Glitter as he and Tobias approached.
“She’s mine,” the man said. A hulking brute, he looked like he could readily break the much smaller woman in half.
“What is it with every motherfucking guy in this place?” Tobias muttered. “Bulk with no muscle. Bitch, I will beat you down with one hand.”
This guy was bolder than the others. He stuck out his chest, bringing his whip to the ready. Stryker could tell he knew how to wield a whip just by the way he held it. Which told him Glitter was in way over her head. Having watched her for several months in the club she preferred, he knew she was in no way ready for something that hard core. He ignored the hulking beast in front of him.
“You good, Glitter?”
Immediately, she glanced at her tormentor. Just that little bit of hesitation when she knew Stryker would get her out of there without question. Thankfully, she shook her head several times, “no.” Stryker immediately went to her, pulling the ball gag from her mouth.
“Get me down,” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. The big man with her growled, but stepped back, allowing Stryker free access to Glitter. Good thing, because Stryker was ready and more than willing to kill. Glitter wasn’t his woman, but she worked for him at his fucking club. Well, the club his MC owned. He was in charge of the security. Which made Glitter his to protect.
Author Bio:
Romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of. Now, she breathes life into faeries, space hunters, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, and a few just plane ole ordinary people. She loves to see the awkward, self-conscious band geek get the captain of the football team and make him beg for it.
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BOOK BLITZ: Four Letter Feelings by Lasairiona McMaster #99cSALE #GIVEAWAY
Four Letter Feelings
Lasairiona McMaster
(The Jeremy Lewis Series, #1)
Publication date: September 24th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Sports
Jeremy Lewis has just returned from a year in Europe, ready to start college in Alabama and pursue his dream career in the National Hockey League. Other than boring school work, he’s eager to play hockey, hang out with his new teammates and maybe even rekindle an old flame when Chelsea Davis unexpectedly reappears in his life.
Life is looking pretty darn peachy.
But when his world is turned upside down by a tragic loss, merely surviving each day feels like an achievement. How can he get through college and keep his budding career on track when all he wants to do is drink and squander his parent’s fortune? Can he convince Chelsea he’s a changed man when he seems so intent on his own destruction?
—
99¢ for a limited time only!
Author Bio:
Lasairiona McMaster writes sassy, classy and badassy women and strong, yet vulnerable men. She challenges reader's expectations by openly dealing with mental health issues, often exploring tough-to-handle topics and 'taboos' and books with a whole lotta heart.
She can either be found enjoying a gin and lemonade by the Irish sea, or baking sweet treats in her kitchen while singing at the top of her lungs. When she's 'home' in Texas, and isn't eating fresh-popped popcorn while buying things she has absolutely no need for in Target, she can be found at Chuys eating her body weight in chips and queso and washing it down with a margarita swirl. She loves to make friends out of strangers.
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GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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March 17, 2021
Bleeding Souls Saved by Love! MARCH 2021 RELEASES NOW AVAILABLE
MIDNIGHT RIDE by P.T. Maciasan MC-style Cinderella Retelling
♥ ♥ ♥ War ♥ ♥ ♥
This girl is sweet, but she doesn't belong here.
I need to protect her.
I need to keep her safe.
I'll take her on a run.
A midnight ride.
Then I'll take her home.
♥ ♥ ♥ Poison ♥ ♥ ♥
I'm out with my girls to have some fun. Why not stop at the Dreamhole. Just cause it's owned by the rival MC don't mean anything. They don't call me Poison because I'm sweet. It will be a thrill and it's crazy, but I don't care. I can take care of myself. We will have some fun and take a midnight ride.
Then I'll disappear.
Nobody will ever know!
Really, what can it hurt?
UNIVERSAL BUY LINK
BRUTAL LOVE by Cedar Rose(A Fabled Wars Dark Mafia ~Volkov Bratva Crime Family ~ Ohio Mafia)
a Mafia-style Pocahontas Retelling
Ivan
I’m not a good man. I’ve killed, tortured others in the name of my family, for my uncle, for my father. I’ve been sent to a new place, one that I’ve never been before. It’s where I meet her. Adelina is light in a dark world, she looks at everything in a different way, and brings happiness to others. She’s everything I want, but shouldn’t have. And our families are about to go to war over territory. What does that mean for us?
Adelina
I love to see people happy. My grandmother says something is coming and I believe her. And then I see him. Ivan. I run into him, though he doesn’t see me at first. I watched him be violent and then turn around and treat a little child with care, and a dog with love. He thinks he’s not redeemable, but I think differently. We keep our trysts a secret since our families are about to go to war. I don’t believe that Ivan’s people mean us any harm, we can live in harmony. But my father disagrees. What does this mean for us?
Be sure to join the Facebook Group to stay up to date with cover reveals, new releases, and general carousing as this amazing collection of Wicked Warriors MC & Fabled Mafia Wars fable retellings is unveiled: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bleedingsoulssavedbylove
B@@K REVEAL: Covenant by Jeanne McDonald #GIVEAWAY
COVER & EXCERPT REVEAL COVENANT (The Forbidden Series #1) by Jeanne McDonald
Release Date: April 14, 2021
Cover Design: Jada D' Lee Book Cover Designs
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy / Supernatural Romance
For as long as she can remember, Cameron Scott has been plagued by migraines and nightmares of creatures, places, and events that couldn’t be real – no matter how realistic they seem.
Toby McCloud has spent his immortal existence bound by the laws established by the Guardians of the Covenant who were destined to protect him and his kind long before he was born.
When Cameron and Toby cross paths, everything seems to fall in and out of place.
A family secret.A dark past.A forbidden attraction.
Unseen dangers await as they embark on a profound journey of time, passion, mistrust, deception, and destiny.
ADD TO YOUR TBR
GOODREADS LINK: http://bit.ly/3jQCowk
EXCERPT
“What’s wrong with you?” she demanded, her tone harsh and filled with fury.
I’d succeeded in my goal. Or had I?
Each beat of my heart screamed to finish what I’d started. To kiss her and walk away. Not only would I be sticking it to her, the line of Scott, but I would be breaking a cardinal rule of the Covenant meant to remind me of who and what I was – a sterile Nephilim meant to roam Earth alone and unwanted.
“Me? What’s wrong with you?” I swallowed hard, my jaw clenched so hard it was painful.
Her hard stare tore through me with such agony. And the closer I was to that amulet at her throat, the more the power propelled against me. It was there to guard her. To protect her. But from what?
The power that stone pushed toward me forced me to stagger back. Just enough for her to throw her arms in the air and force a distance between us.
“I’ve done nothing to you!” she screeched. “Nothing at all.”
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Aside from try to run me over with your car.”
“That was an accident!”
Almost as if punched in the gut, I was blown away by the sincerity of her voice. Almost apologetic. Guardians were never apologetic.
“Tobias, are you okay?”
I rolled my shoulders, releasing the tension. “Yes, ma’am. I’m perfectly fine. Forgive me. I just had a run-in with Cameron Scott.”
Just saying that name made my blood sizzle in my veins. Whether from hatred or attraction, I could not tell. But either way my body responded against my will.
For the first time since I met the woman, the cold exterior that was Coral King cracked. Her eyes cut into slits and her thin lips all but disappeared from her face. “I beg your pardon. With whom did you have this altercation?”
“No altercation, ma’am,” I clarified as I lifted my coffee cup up from the table. “It was a chance meeting with Cameron Scott. The granddaughter of Abraham Scott.” Just saying that man’s name left bitterness on my tongue and venom flowing through my veins.
Coral tilted her head, as if weighing my words. “Tobias, I regret to inform you that you might’ve met a ghost. You see, the only Cameron Scott I’m aware of, who was the granddaughter of Abraham Scott, has been deceased nearly twenty-seven years.”
One of Five eARC's for Covenant
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DIRECT LINK: http://bit.ly/3liQcQU
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeanne McDonald enjoys writing contemporary romance filled with spice, drama, and humor. As JM Dodd, Jeanne's creativity explores the supernatural, relishes in the world of fantasy, and dabbles in contemporary fiction.
She prides herself in being a mother, a friend, a student of knowledge and of life, a coffee addict, a philosophy novice, a pop culture connoisseur, inspired by music, encouraged by words, and a believer in humanity.
Jeanne is the founder of the author co-op, Enchanted Publications, and is an avid supporter of autism awareness, combating senior hunger, and higher education access.
When she's not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, enjoying a great film, or cooking. In her house, there's always music or a podcast playing. A proud Texan, Jeanne currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her son.
CONNECT WITH JEANNE Website: https://bit.ly/2JKVxCh
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2JKVxCh
Facebook Author Page: https://bit.ly/33XjeOK
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Instagram: https://bit.ly/2VTU3bm
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BOOK BLITZ: Goddesses, Inc. by Autumn Bardot #GIVEAWAY
Goddesses Inc.
Autumn Bardot
Publication date: March 11th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary
Divinity was their destiny. Now mortality is their fate.
Mnem has everything. A glamorous lifestyle, beauty, family, and immortality. But she doesn’t have a platform. Or followers. Or relevance. Which is why Mnemosyne, goddess of remembrance and mother of the nine muses, is fired.
Mnem isn’t the only one. Three other goddesses are also up a mortal creek without a divine paddle. Now they must build a life—a real one.
Although their divinity is gone, their soul and courage remain. But mortal life is so frustrating! As the four ex-goddesses struggle to find friendship, love, and purpose, mortals get in the way. Sexy mortals. Obnoxious mortals. And dangerous ones. Before they have a chance to get a handle on the whole mortality thing, their lives take an unexpected turn with an epic decision. One with deadly consequences.
—
EXCERPT:
“You are no longer relevant, Mnemosyne. No one knows who you are or what you are the goddess of.”
Mnem touched her chest. “I’m Mnemosyne, Greek goddess of memory.”
Shee’s lips twitched. “I know who you are.”
“I—”
Shee held out a silencing palm. “Do you have a brand?”
“A what?”
Shee produced a cellphone from the folds of her kaftan and pushed the device across the desk. “A brand. A platform. Do you have followers?”
Mnem glanced at the cellphone. “What kind of followers?”
“Social media followers.” Shee tapped the phone with a long oval-shaped nail. “Twitter. InstaPic. Snap chat. Facebook.”
“I…” A Charybdis whirlpool churned in Mnem’s belly.
“You’re a goddess and you don’t have a twitter account, let alone a blue checkmark.”
“Neither do you,” Mnem shot back.
Shee laughed, a beautifully ugly sound devoid of mirth. “I don’t need one. I am All.”
Mnem felt the roiling waters move upwards. “You asked me here to tell me to get a social media account?”
“No.” Shee crossed her arms. “FEM and MAS are merging.”
MAS, Masculine Alliance Sodality. The cosmic counterpart.
Shee stretched her arm to the vista beyond, to the landscape of skyscrapers, factories, buildings, and domiciles. “The world is always changing. We change with it.”
Don’t throw up. “What does that mean?”
Shee lowered her arm, the kaftan’s fabric fluttering into perfect drapes around her. “It means, Mnemosyne, that we must clean house. Downsize. Free ourselves from goddesses and gods who are no longer relevant.”
“I’m relevant.” Mnem squeaked, her voice without relevancy.
“No, you’re not.” Shee’s mouth formed into her famous smile-frown. Pitying. Beneficent. Empathetic. And terrifying. “Darling, you haven’t been relevant for a thousand years.”
“I’ll change.” Mnem slid her phone from her metallic goatskin Chanel purse. “I’ll create a…a brand. I’ll start an account. How difficult can it be to get a blue checkmark?”
Shee sighed. “It’s too late.”
“What do you mean?” Mnem’s divine bones chilled to ice. “Are you firing me?”
“I prefer the term dismissed.” Shee crossed one leg over the other. “You’re one of many. MAS and I are streamlining. Redundancy is neither expedient nor prudent.”
All the air whooshed out of Mnem. Her belly constricted. Her bowels twisted. “What will happen to me?” Mnem’s voice cracked. Sounded human. A voice strangled by fear.
Shee graced her with another ghastly pitying smile. “You are now barred from FEM. All your privileges revoked forthwith. Don’t look so mortified, Mnem. This is your doing after all. You had choices.” Shee’s finger tapped the air. “You’ve always had choices. You chose to do nothing.”
Mnem squared her shoulders. “I am the mother of the nine muses.” Dear goddess, I sound pathetic.
“That’s not enough anymore.” Shee’s fingers fluttered in the air. “Look at you. Wearing all the latest designer clothing. You keep current with fashion. Have the newest phone. Enjoy an extremely active social and sexual life.”
“People love me.”
“No darling, you’ve become arm candy and a good time for a miles-long string of interesting mortal men.”
Author Bio:
Autumn Bardot is a multi-genre author who writes stories about fearless women and dangerous passions. She has taught literary analysis and writing for almost twenty years. This year Autumn is a presenter at the Historical Novel Society conference. Autumn was the featured author on Stoya's Book Club; has an article on BooksbyWomen.org; and was a guest speaker on several podcasts, library panels, and writing clubs. Autumn is currently writing her next novel and posting informational videos on her YouTube channel.
Autumn has a passion for history and a special affinity for the unsung courageous females that history neglects or misunderstands. She lives in Southern California with her husband and ever-growing family. She wishes she was one-tenth as brave as the women she writes about.
Autumn also writes as LZ Marie.
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BOOK BLITZ: She Feels Like Home by Lisa Hughey #GIVEAWAY
She Feels Like Home
Lisa Hughey
Publication date: March 1st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
He’s a billionaire.
Peter Nguyen has achieved everything he ever wanted. So why isn’t he happier? He goes to his high school reunion to show up all the people who didn’t give the time of day to the skinny, nerdy boy he’d been. But then he runs into his old friend Britt.
She can barely pay her bills.
Brittanica Jones watched her future evaporate when she had to leave college after a brutal attack left her mother incapacitated. She hasn’t done anything she set out to do, and the only reason she even goes to her high school reunion is to reconnect with her old friend Peter . . . even though he ghosted her back when she needed him most.
They’ve got nothing in common…except each other.
When Peter sees Britt again, he realizes how much he misses her. Her acerbic quick wit and “take no shit” attitude are a welcome change from people who fawn all over him. When he realizes that he’s got the means to help her out, he offers her a temporary job.
However, grown-up Britt inspires sexy thoughts, not friendship thoughts. Their relationship deepens into a romance. Britt’s downtrodden heart blossoms with the opportunity to work with Peter and explore their changed relationship. But this interlude has an end date, and when disaster strikes, she’s got no choice but to leave.
Can these old high school friends overcome the hurts from the past?
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—
EXCERPT:
“Your assistant buys your groceries?” Britt countered.
“Yes,” he said defensively.
“You’re too good to hit the local Safeway?” She shook her head. “Man, we live in different worlds.”
That didn’t sound like a compliment.
“It frees up my time.” He felt compelled to defend the practice.
Britt tugged open his fridge, making herself at home. “Whatever.”
He loved that about her. No hesitation. The birds rippled in response as her muscles moved. He desperately wanted to lick his way along the path of those swallows.
Then he noticed her stillness.
“You have Dom Perignon in here.”
“Ah, I guess.” Pete couldn’t decipher the note in her voice. “Is that a problem?”
“It’s insanely expensive.”
“Okay?”
“I could feed my mother and myself for a week on what that bottle costs,” she said wistfully.
“Well, then, let’s open it.”
“You’re supposed to drink it to celebrate something momentous.”
He didn’t give a rat’s ass about momentous. Besides, she was looking at the bottle longingly. “You like champagne?”
“I love it, but I don’t have it very often.” She laughed but it was a sad sound. “That’s a lie. I never have it.”
Then he was going to change that. He pulled the green bottle out of the fridge.
She gripped his arm, the touch burning through his shirt. “You can’t open that,” she cried.
“Yes, I can.” He popped the cork before she could object.
“Oh my God. Don’t let it spill.” She grabbed the bottle and caught the bubbles cascading out the top with her tongue. “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and pursed her lips, making sure none of it was wasted.
The look of bliss on her face propelled him forward, unable to stop the impulses clanging through him.
He kissed her.
The moment her mouth met his, angels began to sing. She tasted of the tartness of white grapes and fermentation. He wanted to delve further into her mouth and taste her. He cupped her jaw in his hand, his fingers tunneling into the loose collection of curls at her nape, and he brushed his thumb over her cheekbone.
Britt’s eyes drifted closed.
He rubbed his nose along hers and plundered her mouth, holding her in place as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. The champagne bottle thumped against his back, and a little of the cool liquid spilled between his shoulder blades.
He slid his arm around her waist and tugged her closer, her breasts snug against his chest. The full skirt of her dress pouffed around him as he tested and tasted, trying to figure out what she liked.
What made her moan. What made her soften against him. She’d gone all-in on the kiss.
He didn’t want to pressure her. But the kiss was off-the-charts hot. His brain had definitely moved from wanting the kiss to wanting more.
He pulled away to give her a moment.
And maybe him too. To assess the attraction. After all, this was Britt. His old friend. And yet…not.
“What was that for?” she asked breathlessly.
“I wanted to capture that treasure.”
“Very pirate-like of you,” she teased.
He took the bottle from her hand.
“Open your mouth,” he commanded. “Tilt your head.”
She blinked at his authoritarian tone, but she complied.
He poured a shot of champagne into her mouth.
She swallowed and moaned. “So good.”
The look of bliss on her face made him want to be the one who caused that reaction rather than the champagne.
Then she said, “But it’s meant to be sipped.”
“Life is meant to be swallowed whole and gorged upon.”
“Good point.” She took the bottle from him, took another swig, and then placed it on his quartz countertop. Then she hoisted herself onto the counter and spread her legs. The move put her breasts level with his mouth. Her fancy ballgown flared out as she grabbed him by the waist and pulled him to her.
“What are you doing?”
She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him again. “Gorging.”
His smooth fingertips traced the line of her dress over her breasts, dipping his finger into her cleavage. His fingertips sizzled at the sensual contact.
Britt arched her back.
Pete pulled away from her mouth and trailed a line of kisses over her chin and down her neck until he buried his face in the plump valley of her breasts. She clutched his head to her.
“You taste amazing.”
“It’s the Dom.”
He licked a path over her skin. She shivered at the light caress. His arms reached around to unzip her dress. “It’s you.”
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa Hughey has been writing romance since the fourth grade, which was also about the time she began her love affair with spies. Harriet and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys later gave way to James Bond and Lara Croft and Jason Bourne.
Exploring the complex nature of a profession that requires subterfuge and lies fascinates her. She loves combining her two passions into fiction. As evidenced by her Black Cipher Files series.
Archangel Rafe was her first foray into the paranormal but after spending time in the Angelic Realm, it won't be her last. At their heart, the Seven novels are about the dynamics of family relationships. But the really hot Archangels don't hurt.
And recently she's been immersed in the Stone Family novellas, four stories about a blended family of brothers and sister who have a lot more in common than they realize. But of course she couldn't just write about family and romance. There are complex plots, bad guys, and suspense too.
Lisa loves to hear from readers and has various places you can connect with her, although, shh, Twitter is her favorite.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
GIVEAWAY!
Join Lisa Hughey for her NEW RELEASE, She Feels Like Home! Have a chance to win one of nine amazing prizes!
1 Winner for a $50 Amazon Gift Card
3 Winners for a signed paperback of His Semi-Charmed Life
3 Winners for a signed paperback of Everything He Wants
1 Winner for Mike’s Pastry Cannoli Kit https://www.goldbelly.com/mikes-pastr...
1 Winner for a $25 donation to the winner’s choice of charity in their name
—
Hosted by:
March 16, 2021
B@@K REVEAL: Woman Inside by Cherime MacFarlane
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A second chance Alaska romance.
Trudy worked full time and a major side hustle to get enough money for her own slice of the American dream, land. Not just a box she slapped money down on, but acreage. Only problem, it’s in interior Alaska, where the temperature can fall below minus 25. Her next-door neighbor doesn’t think this cheechako will make it without a man. Trudy has no choice, there is no backup plan.
Deak has problems of his own. His wife died in an accident and he can’t move forward. Still, something about his new neighbor is appealing. Maybe it’s the dark hair she can’t seem to keep tamed that has his fingers itching.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Meet Cherime MacFarlane, Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author. A prolific multi-genre author, she has a broad range of interests that reflect her been there-done-that life which has carried her from New Orleans, LA to Alaska. Romance, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, all sorts of characters and plots evolve from a vivid imagination fueled by a voracious appetite for knowledge. Nothing is too esoteric.
#CookingWithRachel: Ratatouille (and an excerpt from Wanted)!
From https://www.merriam-webster.com/ ra·ta·tou·ille | \ ˌra-ˌta-ˈtwē , ˌrä-ˌtä-, -ˈtü-ē \Definition of ratatouille: a seasoned stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, squash, and sometimes meat.
Let's be honest. Ratatouille is a GREAT way to clean out the vegetables in your fridge begging not to be tossed. As long as you have garlic, you can cobble together a batch. It's as simple as gathering your ingredients, slicing them up (in pretty, concentric pieces if you want to create a statement dish to WOW your guests; meanwhile, cubed and done up as a stew tastes just as fabulous). For this most recent batch I made (as pictured), I used yellow and zucchini squash, eggplant, button mushrooms, sweet potato, carrot, bell pepper, tomato, and red onion. Flavoring came from garlic, green onion, fresh thyme, and parsley, which I sauteed down before layering in the sliced vegetables. Cover for first 20 minutes of baking to encourage steaming, then uncovered until the veggies are all done. Can be eaten alone, or as a hearty side. If you have some red wine on hand to add to the steaming liquid, even better!
I like to include cooking escapades in my books when writing. In my latest release Wanted, I have (what I think) is a fun excerpt between Gypsy and her young niece...EXCERPT:
Abandoning the food prep for packing her suitcase, Gypsy froze when she heard Tina’s small voice behind her.
“What’s going on, Aunt G?”
Shit. In her manic state, she’d forgotten her niece. Gypsy was letting the “old” her decide her current actions, which translated to get the hell out of Dodge. Except, she couldn’t do that this time. Because this time she had responsibilities. She had Tina.
“Oh, hi. Are you done reading and sunning already?” Her brain raced for any excuse. “I was checking my stash of fall clothes. What do you say to some real shopping before school starts? We could call a cab to the bus station in the morning, then hitch a ride into Spartanburg and hit the mall.” Even as she began voicing plans, a part of her brain was checking her bank balance and questioning how smart this was. She could take the Mustang, she supposed, now that she had a license again, but that would be relying on hisgraciousness. Something lacking of late.
“Um, yeah, it’s getting warm out there and I figured dinner would be ready soon so I’d come in and clean up—”
“Shit, dinner!” Remembering the state she’d abandoned the kitchen in with her moment of panic, Gypsy found it all too much. She slumped onto the edge of the bed then buried her head in her hands.
“Hey, are you okay?” Tina came over to console her. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know how to do this, Tina,” she confessed in a blubbery sob. “I can’t even keep my own crap in order, how am I supposed to take care of you?”
Small arms slid in around her waist and tightened as Tina whispered, “We’ll figure it out together, Aunt G. For what it’s worth, you’re doing great so far.”
“Yeah?”
Tina pulled back and smiled. “Yeah.”
“You’re not so bad, kiddo, you know that?”
“And you’re not such a bad aunt… when you feed me. I’m starved. When do we eat?”
Gypsy snorted hard enough a bubble of snot escaped her nose, which sent both of them into a fit of disgusted laughter as she lunged for the tissue box. Once she’d dealt with her nose, she nodded toward the door.
“Come on, we’ll eat faster if you come help me.”
“Let me change and put my book away, and I’ll meet ya in the kitchen.”
Gypsy had already washed and dried her hands, and resumed slicing the vegetables into thin discs when Tina joined her. “Hands clean before you touch anything,” she directed her niece, earning her the eye roll Tina had perfected.
“Did it upstairs. Where can I start?”
Setting the knife on the cutting board, she assessed the kitchen and what was left to do. “The garlic spread should be softened, so you can go ahead and get the bread ready to toast right before we eat. The cheese is in the fridge still. After that, we’ll need to get the pasta pot ready to go once this goes in the oven.” Gypsy indicated the baking dish to her right. “The ratatouille will take about an hour.”
“The rat what?” An expression of abject horror appeared on Tina’s face.
Pointing at the pile of vegetables in front of her, Gypsy refrained from laughing and described the dish. The girl’s face relaxed at the mention of tomatoes, herbs, and garlic.
“So, no rat, right?”
“I promise. Can you pass me the bowl of tomatoes next to you?”
Tina did as asked, and the two of them settled into a serene silence while they worked side by side. It took them about twenty minutes before Gypsy was sliding the artisan-looking pinwheel of veggies into the oven and setting the timer.
“Thanks for your help, kiddo. Did you have fun?”
“I did actually. Thanks for letting me help. Anything else I can do?”
“Nah, I’ll handle the clean-up. You can take off, just be back in about an hour if you want your meal hot.”
Not that it would taste bad reheated, or even cold, which is why it was one of her chosen recipes. So Hyde could fit a real meal into his nocturnal hours.
The quick, unprompted hug Tina gave her before she darted off left Gypsy with a warm spot in her chest, and she set about cleaning. Several minutes later, while humming to herself as she wiped down the counters, an icy shiver wracked her body, and she turned to find the blonde watching her from the doorway.
ABOUT THE BOOK:🎙🎙🎙STAND ALONE ROMANCE!🎙🎙🎙
Hyde Johnson is an erotic audiobook performer. A ‘Read By’ byline is too plain, and ‘Narrated By’ still doesn’t capture what he does. His livelihood is his passion. Performance art, the air he breathes. Which translates to a recluse who is a hot mess. He’s not eating right, he’s drinking more, and his family’s meddling is making it harder to stay on task.
Being designated the guardian of her young niece Tina is the last thing Gypsy Hartford expected. But when the State of South Carolina unceremoniously puts Tina in her care, Gypsy accepts it’s time to grow up and stop floating from town to town. Where does she start when she has no degree, no real friends, and no family besides Tina?
A want ad could be the answer to both their conundrums. Or it might open a whole new can of worms. Especially when you throw in a crazed author with an unhealthy obsession for her narrator.
AUDIO (narrated by Tor Thom & Charley Ongel) ✔ https://www.audible.com/pd/Wanted-Audiobook/B08PCCT5H9
AMAZON✔ https://amzn.to/3aVJQBO
eBOOK✔ https://books2read.com/WANTEDrehB@@K REVEAL: It's a Curse Thing by Lisa Wells #PreORDER
It’s a Curse Thing
Lisa Wells
(Singles Town, #2)
Publication date: April 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Paranormal, Romance
It’s not forever. It’s not freaking forever.
What’s a witch to do when her magic’s been hacked and her tongue wickedly cursed! No matter how hard Eloise Redd concentrates on keeping her thoughts to herself, she blurts them. The only option is to lie low and wait for the hacker’s ransom note —and hope the demands aren’t too steep. In the meantime, she hides out in a haunted town as a palm reader. What could possibly go wrong reading palms?Jeffrey Bales, Chief Operating Officer of Think Tank Innovations, is excellent at peopling. What he’s not good at is fending off a multitude of women convinced he’s their souls’ missing puzzle piece. This thanks to the town’s magical palm reader. A woman whose mouth should come with a hazard warning. He has no choice but to turn his charms on her to silence those wayward words. Just a tiny, fake relationship should work…
Unless it takes place under the roof of a bewitched house. One determined to bind them together eternally. That ransom demand can’t arrive soon enough.
What if this is forever?
Author Bio:
Lisa Wells writes romantic comedy with enough steam to fog your eyeglasses, your brain, and sometimes your Kindle screen. On the other hands, her eighty-year-old mother-in-law has read Lisa's steamiest book and lived to offer her commentary. Which went something like this: You used words I've never heard of...
She lives in Missouri with her husband and slightly-chunky rescue dog. Lisa loves dark chocolate, red wine, and those rare mornings when her skinny jeans fit. Which isn't often, considering the first two entries on her love-it list.
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BOOK BLITZ: Hockey Hunk by Kat Obie #GIVEAWAY
Hockey Hunk
Kat Obie
(Loving the Puckers, #4)
Publication date: March 10th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Out on the ice, the season’s going great, but in the locker room the pranks are getting out of hand. It was time for me to remind everyone not to mess with me— so I came up with a prank the team, and my best friend, would never forget.Renee Weber is my best friend’s sister. And like me, she’s also ready to teach her brother a lesson. Together, we work out the ultimate April Fool’s prank— telling everyone that Renee is having my baby.Our plan works perfectly, except for the part where I fall for Little Weber.What’s the worst that could happen? Either lose my best friend or Renee. Quite frankly, I don’t know which one is worse.It’s not in my DNA to lose so I’ll have to come up with something big. I’ll pull out a win one way or another.
Hockey Hunk is your best friend’s sister romance filled with sexy hockey players where a fake pregnancy prank goes horribly awry— or did it go perfectly?Grab the fourth novella in the Loving the Puckers series for hockey-filled dreams tonight.
—
EXCERPT:
I was lounging on my sofa and reading a book when I heard my phone go off. It was weird to see Matt Shoresy’s name pop up on my phone. He was my brother’s best friend. We’d chatted a few times since my last trip to visit Colton. Anytime he called, I would think the worst, like my brother was at the hospital, even though most of the time he was just checking in with me.
My interest piqued when he asked for a favor. “What’s the favor?”
“So, your brother and Lager have been relentless with the pranks lately and I want payback.”
I laughed. Colton had always been a bit of a prankster in the locker room at school. Since Lager joined the team, Colton had increased his pranks because he had a partner in crime. “How big are you talking about?”
“Fake pregnancy big.”
I was so glad that I wasn’t drinking anything at that moment, although I still choked on my saliva. Once I could form a cohesive thought, I asked, “Seriously? A fake pregnancy?”
“Yup.” He was so calm about the idea. This was going to have consequences. They were best friends, and there was no way Colton would be cool with the idea of me sleeping with Shoresy. If he hadn’t been my brother’s friend, I might have tried to make a move on him since he was totally my type.
“Okay, what’s the plan? Besides, why do you want to do something this big? What has Colton done to deserve this?” I was all questions at this point, but I had to stop asking them so he could answer.
“Mainly things are adding up. He and Lager thought it was hysterical to hide my pants and nail my favorite sneakers to my stall earlier today. So, I want to make sure those two won’t ever mess with me again, and this was my first idea. Please tell me you’ll do it.”
I could see that adding up after a while. The idea was huge, but what did he want from me? “It’s not exactly easy to fake a pregnancy.”
“Sure it is. We all got super drunk when you came over for All-Star break. Webs passed out before we did. Easy to claim we did something after we put him to bed. All I need you to do is come into town proclaiming that you’re pregnant. Then we play it from there.”
Author Bio:
Kat Obie is a passionate hockey fan. She plays, she watches, she dreams of it so she decided to start writing hockey romances.
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