Authors in Bloom Blog Hop
Happy Spring! This month, I’m participating in Authors in Bloom Blog Hop. Each author on the blog hop will be posting a giveaway, gardening tip, recipe or both! It’s a spring celebration designed to introduce you to authors and give you a chance to win prizes. You can find the list of authors on the blog hop here.
On my blog, I’m giving away one signed print copy of my newest sweet, contemporary romance book, ROMANCE FOR ALL THE SEASONS. (US entries only for print/International may win an ebook copy). In order to be entered, please leave me a comment with one of your favorite gardening tips or recipe titles. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you!
Blurb: ROMANCE FOR ALL THE SEASONS is a collection of six, sweet contemporary novellas which will delight your heart at Valentine’s Day, sweeten hot summer days, banish Halloween ghosts and goblins and warm your soul during the holidays.
In one of the stories, LOVE’S BID, main character and hero, Eric, loves to garden. Here is a blurb from that story:
Blooming purple lilacs and colorful red and yellow tulips danced merrily in a soft breeze coming off the lake. Someone had a flair for gardening. Cassie climbed four stone steps leading to an impressive three-story brick house. The black door matched the shutters and a small gold plate etched with the last name of “Atkins” hung above the gold doorbell.
Cassie pressed hard on the doorbell and waited. Her stomach roiled with small butterflies. In the flurry of
planning for the auction, she’d overlooked the most important part—securing the procurement forms. And that,
Sadie had explained to her, was something only Eric could do as Board Treasurer. It wasn’t like her to be so
careless, but there had been too much on her plate for months. First, there was the auction for the school district,
then there was the children’s spring art camp, and then a large order came in for her painted mural benches.
She’d been working frantically, night and day. The hard work obviously affected her ability to concentrate.
Cassie stepped back and stared upward at the massive house. Eric had done very well for himself. All his
schemes must have come to something, she mused.
A metal shovel hitting the sidewalk caused Cassie to jump, turn around and meet up face-to-face with
Eric. She breathed deeply and took in his blue jeans covered with dirt, a deep wet line of sweat running down
his black T-shirt, and a long narrow band of dirt across crossed his forehead.
“Cassie.” Eric frowned. “Did we have a meeting?”
Cassie’s mouth parted slightly, but the words didn’t form.
“Cass?” Eric repeated.
“The auction.” Cassie fumbled in her bag. “I need to go over the list of sailors and their items with you.
We need procurement forms. I’m sorry to barge in on you at home, but we don’t have much time. I didn’t want
to wait until our next board meeting.”
“Oh.” Eric cleared his throat. He leaned back on the shovel. His long tapered fingers tapped the handle.
“The auction.”
Was it her imagination or did Eric seem disappointed? No, she thought. It was only her lack of sleep, the
last three nights, getting to her. She felt delusional.
Cassie grabbed a manila folder from her bag. She opened it to the list of sailor’s names. It wasn’t as long
as she had hoped, but with a good amount of high bids, they should be able to pull off a successful auction. A
sudden gust of wind from the lake blew the papers onto the walk-way. Cassie leaned down to scoop them up,
and as she did, her barrette slipped and her hair cascaded around her shoulders. Cassie sighed and yanked her
hair back up into place. When she looked up, a look crossed Eric’s face she couldn’t quite read. Her eyes held
his as he reached out and moved a strand of stray hair away from her cheek.
“Thanks.” Cassie muttered. “Sometimes things just fly away from me.” She didn’t take her eyes from
his. His fingers played with her hair.
“Sorry.” Eric cleared his throat and yanked his hand away as if it’d been bitten. “Come around back to
the deck. It’s more protected from the wind.”
Cassie’s heart pounded as she followed Eric. She would not let herself get swept away with feelings for
him. It didn’t matter how incredibly good he looked in his work jeans, or how his eyes sought out hers in a
dance that ached with the promise of long sensual nights.
Cassie slowly trailed behind Eric. She couldn’t help but notice the colorful beds of red and orange dahlias
and purple lilacs. “The gardens are beautiful. You must have a wonderful gardener.”
Eric stopped abruptly and turned to face her. “I do the gardening.”
Cassie inhaled, took a small step backwards and stumbled. Eric smelled like dirt and a musky aftershave.
It took all her willpower not to step forward, lean against him, and surrender to his charms.
As a part of the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop, there is also ONE GRAND PRIZE of a Kindle or Nook with a $25 Gift Card as well as a second prize of $25 ereader gift card. In order to be entered to win the Grand Prize, you must leave a comment on each blog on the hop. You can find the list here. Only one comment per blog please.
Now for my recipe…I grew up in St. Louis, and one of my favorite recipes is a St Louis class–Gooey Butter Cake! This is a great recipe to bring to those spring parties!
Gooey Butter Cake (From Just a Matter of Thyme, Recipe Book by Roxie Kelly and Friends)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups powdered sugar and some for garnish
Blend cake mix, 1 egg and butter until smooth. Press into a 9 x 13 greased baking pan. Blend cream cheese, 2 eggs, and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over first mixture in the pan. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until edges are brown. The middle will sink a little. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 10-12.
