Friday Recipe: Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Easy Chicken Enchiladas...why? Because they're easy. Yup. I'm all about easy! Who doesn't like easy, no one I can name. I did follow this recipe, almost to the letter which is a rarity for me. And it came out very tasty!

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min
Ready In: 50 Min

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese (I also added cheddar because cheese is delicious!)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese and salsa. Cook, stirring until melted and well blended. Stir in chicken and pinto beans. Fill tortillas with the mixture, roll and place into the prepared baking dish. Spread cheese over the top. Cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with your favorite toppings such as lettuce and tomatoes, or sour cream.
   

Blitz: Monsters, hot good guys, and Mina Carter

Perfect Mate by Mina Carter

Monsters do exist...and they’re the good guys.

Lillian Rosewood leads an ordinary, boring life working as the manager of a psychiatric hospital. The highlights of her day, other than her skinny hot chocolate, are the hunky guards who work in the secure section. Until a late night emergency is wheeled in.

Captain Jack Harper is insane, drop-dead gorgeous...and just had his abdomen shredded. Despite the fact they're not an emergency room, Lillian can't turn him away and risk a death on her hands. Unable to get the handsome soldier out of her mind, Lillian sneaks into the restricted area to check on him. What she finds is beyond belief. Somehow Jack has managed to heal himself from a near fatal wound in mere hours.

When one of the doctors, Walker, attempts to rape her, things go from bad to worse. In the blink of an eye, Jack is loose and Walker is dead... and Lillian must accept a truth about her rescuer that will change her world forever. What if the patients aren't insane? What if their stories of secret government experiments and monsters are true?

Warning: Contains blood, mayhem and nude werewolves operating heavy weaponry. Large amounts of sarcasm, and smart-ass vampires may offend some readers. No civilian hospital staff were harmed in the making of this story.

More info and buy links

Copyright © 2012 Mina CarterAll rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Excerpt:

She couldn’t believe she was crying. Lillian didn’t cry. Ever. She was tougher than that. Tougher than the stereotypical little woman who fell apart at the first sign of danger… Or the mother who couldn’t cope after the death of her husband and hightailed it to her lover with teary demands to “make the nightmare go away”. And conveniently forgot the fact she’d left her baby daughter behind.

She was not that woman, nor anything like her.

Once in the corridor, away from the stench of death and the sight of all that black, wrong blood, she stepped away from Jack and swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. Despite the fact he’d just killed a man, there was something about him that made her feel safe. Safe with a murderer. Okay, now she knew she was losing it. Perhaps insanity ran in her family and they’d just never told her?

“I’m sorry. I’m not normally like this,” she apologized as she looked up and offered a small, teary smile. Her mouth already open to explain, she stopped.

He was gorgeous.

She’d known that. When they’d brought him in, her mind had told her that he was sex on a stick. But he’d been injured, a patient. Even though she was the hospital manager, she was bound by the patient-doctor thing, surely? The one that said “thou shalt not lust after the patients”.

Now though, without all the blood and the ragged uniform—even in the hospital gown that did nothing for anyone—he was so good-looking it took her breath away. She shook her head slightly, waiting for the hidden cameras and some cheesy reality show host to burst out of the supply cabinet in the corridor next to them. He couldn’t be for real. Soldiers just didn’t look that good.

With warm amber eyes set above sharp cheekbones, his face was bisected by a strong, straight nose over sensually full lips. A severe buzz-cut merely highlighted his attractiveness, concentrating all attention on his face. He should be strutting his stuff on a catwalk, not getting down and dirty playing soldier.

Her eyes travelled downward, and the rest of him more than fulfilled the promise of his face. He was toned…hell no, he was ripped. Even his muscles had muscles. Tall and broad shouldered, he was built like a quarterback, and his life had obviously been one of violence. Old scars dotted his skin like a mad artist had gone to town with his body as the canvas.

“I know you’re not. You’re strong.”

His words drew her attention back to his face. His eyes were blue again. He smiled, which almost robbed her of reason, but she held onto the thought for grim death. No one’s eyes changed that fast. What the hell have they done to him?

“Your eyes… What the hell are you?”

The smile turned cold, his features freezing around it and locking it into place. In hindsight, perhaps a demand for information wasn’t the best way to deal with this, especially after what had gone on in the room behind them. Walker was slumped, dead, but somehow she knew Jack wouldn’t hurt her.

He moved toward her. Only three steps, but with those blue eyes intent upon her, it seemed more like a stalk. With every movement he made, her instincts screamed “predator”.

She held her ground, tilting her head to look at him as he neared. He stopped inches away from her, so close the heat of his body beat at her skin even through her clothing and his gown.

"We don’t have time for this, Lilly.”

He lifted a hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. As though he couldn’t stop touching her, he stroked a gentle finger down her cheekbone to the corner of her lips. It took everything she had not to turn her head and press into the small caress, but she held true to her purpose, her eyes on his.

“Make time.”

His lips quirked, and everything female in her went into meltdown. He had to know the effect he had on women, so she ignored the reaction and met him look for look.

“Stubborn little minx.”

She choked. “What did you call me?”

“Minx,” he repeated, lowering his head and brushing his lips over hers to silence her. As a tactic, it worked. The first touch of his lips, warm and firm over hers, was like setting light to kindling. Heat flared and caught, racing through her body like wildfire.

She moaned, unable to stop her lips parting automatically in invitation. No matter what her mind was screaming about the dead guy in the next room and the possibility the hunk stood in front of her wasn’t just human, her body knew what it wanted, and what it intended to get.

He didn’t pass up the invitation. Groaning, he moved closer and deepened the kiss. With a ruthless sweep of his tongue, he parted her lips farther and slid into the softer recesses of her mouth. She shivered, hot and cold chills chasing over her skin as he kissed her in the darkness of the corridor.

She’d been kissed before and, as she’d thought anyway, she’d been kissed well. This was something else entirely. He kissed her as if there was nothing else in the world. As if she was his sun, his moon and stars…his everything. He didn’t kiss her, he made love to her with his lips and tongue.

Abruptly he broke away, tearing his mouth from hers. With a groan of frustration, he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.

“I don’t want to let you go.” The tone in his voice pulled on her heartstrings. “When they brought me in, there was just pain and blood…so much blood. Darkness was coming for me, and I was ready. But an angel called my name… I had to come back to see if she was as beautiful as she sounded.”

His words reached deep inside her. She already thought he was gorgeous, but to have him spouting words that…romantic wasn’t the word. The claim he’d come back just to see her, that hit her deep down and resonated in her soul.

“And…?”

She almost dared not ask the question, and when she did, her voice emerged breathy and hopeful. Like a teen finally meeting and speaking to her film idol in the flesh.

“Oh yes, she was worth it.”

More info and buy linksAbout Mina:
Mina Carter was born and raised in Middle Earth (otherwise known as the Midlands, England). After a slew of careers ranging from logistics to land-surveying she can now be found in the wilds of Leicestershire with her husband and young daughter…the true boss of the family.

Suffering the curse of eternal curiosity Mina never tires of learning new skills which has led to Aromatherapy, Corsetry, Chain-maille making, Welding, Canoeing, Shooting, and pole-dancing to name but a few.

A full time author and cover artist, Mina can usually be found hunched over a keyboard or graphics tablet, frantically trying to get the images and words in her head out and onto the screen before they drive her mad. She's addicted to coffee and Nutella on toast.

Links:

http://mina-carter.com/
http://twitter.com/minacarter
http://www.facebook.com/mina.carter

Wednesday Regency: Births and War

I mention war because the History Channel had First Invasion: The War of 1812 on and I really enjoy it. Lots of Hey I never knew that! stuff. So even though no battle is mentioned for today, it's still cool to mention.

Births:
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., American physician and writer was born August 29, 1809. He was known as one of the fireside poets and coined several words and phrases such as Boston Brahmins and anaesthesia.

Henry Bergh, founder of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was born August 29, 1811. He was part of the American diplomatic position to Russia under President Lincoln and it was there he witness such cruelty to animals he apparently resigned from his position and returned to America, with a stop in London to speak with the Earl of Harrowby, president of England's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, founded in 1840.

Review: Cowboy Lust

I decided to review each story in Cowboy Lust individually, which may have been a mistake as I'm reviewing as I read so I don't forget anything. Problem is I'm not always able to log into the blog to record my thoughts! We'll see how far I get with this.

If you want to know more about the stories and authors, check out the recent blog tour.

Things to remember: These are short stories, so naturally character development and the HEA is a tad rushed. I'm good with that, knowing they are short stories.

Riding Double: Not the author's fault I had contemporary-shock when I started this one. I'm so used to historicals that the modern dialogue threw me. That aside, I found the first scene confusing between the sisters, Danica and Colleen--I'm positive the scene was in Danica's view, but the tags and internal thoughts didn't always flow that way. All in all, not a bad introduction to the anthology. 4 stars

Under the Southern Cross: It's the accent. No, I didn't listen to this story, but in my head I imagined Hugh Jackman reading it. Even if it was in the heroine's first person voice. Ever see the movie Australia? That's what I pictured here. My only complaint was the stilted dialogue. The background was expertly executed and the internal thoughts smooth, but the dialog never really flowed. 4.5 stars

Banging the Cowboy: Annie really should have coshed her cousin over the head with her drumstick, but other than that, well done. Sure, the cowboy's sudden change of heart was a little too sudden, but as I said, a short story. All in all, very enjoyable with enough kink to foreshadow the rest of their relationship. 5 stars

Ladies Love Country Boys: "What the hell was it about cowboys?" What indeed. City girl out of her element with a hot cowboy to help her while away the hours. Hot, sexy, and just about perfect...with a heavy teaser for a bit more. Yum. 5 stars

Drought: All in first person with little romantic or sexual development in favor of internal thoughts. The sex was hot, but the story left me feeling a little flat. 3 stars

Roped: The sex was hot and the story well written but I have no idea what the problem was between Regan and Jonas. Why was he still mad at her? Why wait 10 years? No idea. 3.5 stars

Rough Stock: I really loved this one. I suspect because it was told from the hero's view, and you could really feel Dawson's love and fear for Kennedy. Alternating between now and the previous day, everything about it worked. 5 stars

The Ranch Hand: For an unconventional woman Charlene sure did conform a lot. I have to say this one left me cold and unconvinced. And the ending didn't really work for me, either--though it was a surprise (one I should have seen coming granted). 2.5 stars

Small-Town: Mixed about this one. On one hand I found it stereotypical, trite, and cringe-worthy, it's clear from Tommy's view (the story was in the hero's POV) that he really did love Bethann and that came sharply through. Plus I loved their sex setting. :) 3.5 stars

The Storm: Brent deserves better. I admit to skimming this one and for that I do apologize to the author. But I couldn't get into this one no matter how many times I re-read the opening scene. I suspect because Candice should have known better and was too stupid in those opening scenes (for no reason!) for me to really believe anything else. 2 stars

Caught Unawares: Best friend's little sister stories are classic and the girl going after who she wanted all worked. An historical woman who knew her mind and wouldn't let something like a man's misplaced honor get in her way. I enjoyed this one; a perfect match all around 4.5 stars

Some Like it Dirty: I like the city girl out of her element story--Jenna however is a snob and the stereotype of the all-too obvious city-girl ick moments rubbed me the wrong way. Especially for someone in a profession where she should know how to hold her tongue. Trent was worth it, though. 3.5 stars

Raney’s Last Ride: I did not expect this story. But I really did enjoy it. Raney is an interesting character and the story, without giving anything away, ended exactly as it was supposed to end. 5 stars

Runaway Bride: Hmm, the Daddy reason was thin but I did like the reason for stopping the wedding then...um, how to say this sans spoilers? I liked Sammi Jo's reasonings, but the daddy thing was strange. Very. 4 stars

She Don’t Stay the Night: I liked the Spanish angle of the story, but the Spanish itself was a little hard to follow given how abysmal my own Spanish is. Nice and sweet story. 4 stars

I love me a hard cowboy :) Who doesn't? An anthology well worth the read.

Sexy neighbors and Mysti Holiday

Today I'd like to welcome Mysti and her very hot story Sugar Walls. I love Mysti's stories, and you should too. :) One random commenter will win a $10 Amazon gift car

BLURB:
When Emilie is dumped by her boyfriend, best friend Jack Voss offers a shoulder and a place to live--the other side of his duplex. He’s always there, fixing her problems, her car, her sink. Emilie doesn’t know what she’d do without him, or with the feelings she’s having for him. His shoulder doesn’t just offer comfort anymore; his touch is a turn-on. Their shared wall is the only thing keeping them from sharing a bedroom—and fanning the flames might risk breaking something that Jack can’t fix.

Excerpt:
Emilie hadn’t lied about the leak in her pipes. Just like she hadn’t broken her dishwasher, or the leg off her couch, or the alternator in her car on purpose. But, to be honest, it was almost a relief when those things happened, because they gave her an excuse to see Jack.
She’d called him first thing this morning when running water for her coffee had resulted in puddles beneath the sink. He’d come over the first chance he’d had and now he was on his hands and knees on the linoleum looking at the pipe that oozed moisture, oblivious to the woman behind him who was also soaking wet, albeit for an entirely different reason.

His ass looked good enough to take a big bite out of. Emilie couldn’t help herself; it was right there, sticking out from under her kitchen sink, and she had to clench her hands into tight fists to keep from grabbing it. Still, that didn’t keep her mind from wandering, and when one of his hands reached out for a wrench, she pictured it on her, cupping her breasts, thumbs circling the rosy buds. Instantly her nipples puckered, as tightly clenched as her hands, and her crotch dampened even more.

About the Author:
Mysti Holiday is the pseudonym of a very busy SAHM who dreams of warm climes and hot bodies. Most people know she writes, but not what she writes about: sexy men and the wanton women who love them.

She's married to a wonderful man who happily sacrifices himself for research, and she spends most of her days dreaming of interesting and unusual situations in which to place her characters. But most of all, she's a sucker for a happy ending.

The Wild Rose Press
Website
Blog

Friday Recipe: Baked Chicken

I was looking for a recipe for baked chicken. Grilled chicken is delicious and perfect in the summertime when the grill is up and running. But baked is supposed to be healthier. Blah.

So I was looking for a recipe. And found this Sweet & Spicy one that is absolutely delicious! My only problem was finding hot pepper jelly. Had to go to a specialty store for that one, my local supermarket didn't carry it. Or if they did I didn't look hard enough!

Didn't use a whole chicken, but boneless, skinless breasts...fillets. What do you call that?

Anyway, used 3 of those, put them in my pyrex, still used the 1/2 cup of (melted) hot pepper jelly and marinated overnight (and well into the day for that matter because I knew I'd never have time in the morning!) so about 20 hours in all. Feel free to do less!

Baked on 375 until they were cooked through about 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven.

I served with corn on the cob and fresh string beans from my garden. Delicious!

Here's the original recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
• 1 cup butter

Directions:

1. To Prepare Chicken: Remove giblets and set aside for another use. Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Pull front skin down over neck cavity and tuck under chicken. Fold wings under breast, and tie legs and tail together securely with kitchen twine or string.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Melt jelly and 1/2 cup butter or margarine together in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter or margarine separately.
4. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and baste with melted plain butter or margarine. Bake for another 30 minutes, basting often with the plain butter or margarine. Then baste liberally with the melted jelly/butter mixture and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
   

Cowboy Lust-because who doesn't love a hot cowboy?

Cowboys, there’s something about them that conjures up vast stretches of openness, a rugged lonely life, and, if you’re like me, then there were those long Saturday afternoons watching every Western ever made.

One randomly drawn commenter at each stop will win one of the following:

Cowboy Bad Boys (digital) by Randi Alexander
Reader’s Choice of any backlisted ebook by Lissa Matthews
Reader’s Choice of any backlisted ebook by Charlene Teglia during her stop
Reader’s Choice of any backlisted ebook by Cari Quinn (x4)
"I'll show you my e-reader if you show me yours" T-shirt (Large size) from Kimber Vale
Reader’s Choice of any backlisted ebook by Delilah Devlin during her stops (x2)
Signed copies of Cowboy Fever by Delilah Devlin to two winners
Love in Short Order (digital), a romance by Michael Bracken writing as Rolinda Hay
Stud (digital), an erotic romance by Michael Bracken writing as Rolinda Hay

Plus one randomly drawn commenter will win a $50 Amazon GC grand prize.

Today's featured story is Banging the Cowboy by Randi Alexander

So what is it that continues to draw us to cowboys?

Thanks for having me here today, Kristabel. I love cowboys because they're the quintessential gentlemen. They tip their hat, stand when a woman comes into the room, and protect anything weaker than themselves, be it human or animal. Their lives fascinate us. A wrangler calming a wild mustang with only his voice, a cowpoke sitting his horse and guarding the herd on a cold winter night, a bull rider just about to lower himself onto the back of a Brahma bull. We want to know more about them, and romantic fiction is the best way to immerse ourselves in their lives.

There are 15 authors in this anthology, what drew them to write their stories? A love of cowboys obviously, but what else?
For me, the chance to work with the amazing Delilah Devlin was too good to pass up. She's a wonderful writer as well as an inspired editor. Also, the fun of writing erotic romance cowboy style. Cowboys are just naturally erotic, with their ropes and whips, their calloused hands and hard bodies. They're men with take-charge attitudes, in and out of the bedroom, and when they meet their match in a strong-willed woman, it's the Fourth of July fireworks grand finale. And we wanna watch!

Talk to me about the anthology—I want to know more! And then I want to know if there’s another cowboy book coming soon.

There hasn't yet been a call for submissions yet for Cowboy Lust 2, but I'm hoping! I do have a few of my own cowboy books available. I'd love for you to check them out on my website.
The authors in the Cowboy Lust anthology and their stories are:

Cari Quinn-Riding Double
Cheyenne Blue-Under the Southern Cross
Cat Johnson-Ladies Love Country Boys
Michael Bracken-Drought
Charlene Teglia-Roped
M. Marie-Rough Stock
Sedona Fox-The Ranch Hand
Lissa Matthews-Small Town Famous
Tahira Iqbal-The Storm
Nena Clements-Caught Unawares
Kimber Vale-Some Like It Dirty
Chaparrita-Raney
Delilah Devlin-Runaway Bride
Anna Meadows-She Don’t Stay The Night

Hope you enjoy our fifteen sexy cowboys!

Randi "Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied"

Find all my books at RandiAlexander.com

Cowboy Lust is available now in Kindle format and paperback at Amazon
BLURB:
These cowboys ride hard...

There's a reason Western romance novels never go out of fashion. The cowboy is an iconic figure embodying the dichotomy of the fiercely independent, earthy alpha male crossed with the male as a nurturer and protector. Cowboys take care of their women in every possible way. Wild and wayward women are gentled by the scent of horse and cow and the sight of sun-kissed skin, the feel of work-hardened thighs and arms, and the sound of a deep-voiced Texas drawl.

Contributors at the top of the Western romance genre, including Charlene Teglia, Randi Alexander, Cat Johnson, and editor, Delilah Devlin, have corralled strong and memorable characters ranging from ranch hands to cattle barons, to a rodeo star and a feisty female gunslinger. Traversing romantic settings from Montana, Texas, California, Mexico, and the Outback of Australia, the stories in Cowboy Lust are risky and risqué, full of studs in spurs hot enough to send you to a vacation on a dude ranch!

Featured story: Banging the Cowboy by Randi Alexander

Blurb:
Every Saturday for a year, Annie Paris has lusted after Rafe McCord from behind her drumset on stage at the honky tonk. The Big Cowboy, they call him, and rumors say he likes it rough in the bedroom. The thought of banging him makes Annie's pussy tingle and cream.
But Rafe is a one-night-stand kind of guy, and Annie couldn't handle seeing him every Saturday, knowing she'd already had her one night with him. That there'd be no more.

Tonight, something's different. Rafe doesn't leave with a woman. And he's been staring at Annie since he came in the door. At closing time, he sets his longneck on the bar, and swaggers toward her, his gaze locked on hers, his smile pure sexual invitation. Annie's slit contracts and her nipples harden. Oh, God, if he asks her to his house for a rough ride on his big, hard cock, where would she find the strength to say "no"?

Excerpt:
Annie folded the legs on her throne and set it aside, and started unscrewing the wing nut holding her ride symbol on its stand but stopped, sensing someone behind her. She turned and nearly tripped on the base drum pedal. “Rafe?”
Standing this close, she could see the faint scar that slashed his cheek, and smell his aftershave, dark and mysterious. Just like him. Then his lips curved into a seductive grin, making her insides shimmy, amping up her desire until it was painful to keep from touching him.
“So. You’re single and rich, huh?”
She blinked a few times.
He bent and picked up her throne, then grabbed her floor tom. “Your van’s out back?”
She nodded, amazed that he was helping, but even more so that he knew she had a van, and where she parked it.
“Unlocked?”
Another stunned-speechless nod from her.
He gave a quiet laugh and walked off, his heavy thighs bunching as he went down the steps, his boots thudding heavily on the wood. And all she could do was stare at his ass.
She unfastened everything and picked up the bass drum just as he came back.

He took it, and as their fingers brushed, their gazes locked. His nostrils flared and she imagined him doing the same thing as he moved his head between her spread thighs, looking at her over her mound as he breathed deep of her woman scent. His lips would open and his tongue would find her secret place, exploring, licking, and kissing. “Oh, yes.”

“Yes?” he said with a wily grin.
Had she just moaned that out loud?
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

When she’s not dreaming of, or writing about, kinky cowboys, she’s biking trails along remote rivers, snorkeling the Gulf of Mexico, or practicing her drumming in hopes of someday forming a tropical-rock band.

Romance novels have been Randi’s hideout since she was a teen. The chance to imagine herself as the strong but vulnerable heroine, and the guarantee of a “Happily Ever After” ending, have always been irresistible.

Erotic romance is her newest passion. It still lets her live the heroine’s life and gives her a lovely ending, but also allows her to witness the attraction between the characters as they explore physical love. She hopes her writing sweeps you away and grants you pleasant dreams of all your fantasies coming true.

http://randialexander.com/

http://randialexander.com/category/blog/

EDITOR Bio and Links:

Delilah Devlin is an award-winning author of erotic romance with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing edgy stories with complex characters. Ms. Devlin has published over a hundred stories in multiple sub-genres and lengths with Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington, Kindle, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Buy links for Cowboy Lust:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

@ReadingRomances asks: What do YOU look for in a review?

Reading Romances has posed the review question: Whether you're writing or reading one, there are certain things you always look for. What are those? What do you think are the most important elements you think the reviewer should include? What would you like see more? Less? What is the role of a review? How important is it?

Leave me your answer and I'll send 5 random commentors their choice of one of my books.

Consistency--if the reviewer gave 5 stars to everything but this particular book then I'm suspicious.

Well written--typos are fine, everyone makes them ad English is not everyone's first language. But if the only sentence under either a 5 star or 1 star review consists of 'This is great!' or 'This book sucks!' then that's no reason to believe the rating.

Why--Why did you love and adore/hate and loathe this story? Give me a reason! If I wanted a synopsis of the story, I could A) Read it myself B) Satisfy my curiosity with the blurb or C) read everyone else's synopsis.

What I try to include: The reasons. If I liked something or didn't, I try to say so. The reason I write so few reviews is time. I'd rather write a review that is more than 'This is great!' or 'This sucks!' but 2 jobs prevents me from reading as much as I want to, let alone write those reviews!

Granted, my thoughts on a book might not be the longest, but they're always honest and they're always at least partially in depth as to why I enjoyed it or why I did not.

So what do YOU look for in a review...or what do you try to write in a review?

Friday Recipe: Margarita time!

This is for a basic margarita. I put it in here because you can never have too many alcoholic recipes! That and I love me a good margarita.

Prep Time:3 Min
Ready In:5 Min

Ingredients
5 fluid ounces tequila
3 fluid ounces triple sec
2 (6 ounce) cans frozen limeade concentrate
4 cups ice cubes
coarse salt

Directions:

1. Salt the rims of 2 large margarita glasses.


2. To do so, pour salt onto a small plate, moisten the rims of the glasses on a damp towel and press them into the salt.


3. In a blender combine tequila, triple sec and limeade concentrate.


4. Fill blender with ice cubes.


5. Blend until smooth.


6. Pour into glasses, garnish with slice of lime and serve.

Vacations, Angels, and Carrie Ann Ryan!

Today I want to welcom Carrie Ann as she talked vacations (sort of) and angels. One yummy angel to be exact!

Flying with no Fear

My lovely host asked me to talk about my favorite vacation and I actually had to think about that! LOL I haven’t been on a true vacation in such a long time, but when I was younger and living in Portugal. Since my parents were in the military, there weren’t many times that we could take vacations. But since I was living on in the Azores (the little islands of the coast of Portugal) we got to take mini-vacations.

I think I walked every square inch of that volcanic island as a kid. I visited shops, saw bullfights in the streets, went caving in volcanic pits, kayaked in the Atlantic Ocean, rode bikes over hills and dirt roads. We learned culture, met wonderful people…and hated it.

I was a bratty 12 year old who wanted a mall. What can I say? Sure, I liked it while I was doing things. But mostly? I was bored without anything to do. So I made things up to do.

Like cliff diving.

I was the slightly overweight, short, blonde girl, who at 12 was a senior in high school. Can you just see the romantic comedy coming from my life story? Well, I was that kid who smiled, loved to talk, was geeky, and didn’t have a boyfriend.

But when the time came to cliff dive off the sides of the volcanic rock into the Atlantic Ocean? I was the only American to do it – the five or six Portuguese kids taught us how to do it safely. The boys and girls who had tormented me and called me CCC for Chubby-Cheeks-Carrie were too afraid of heights and water.

Well screw them.

I jumped over and over again. I dove with turtles and fish. Saw dolphins…even a few sharks (yikes!). But I swam like a fish and flew like an…angel?

Yeah, I think my angel from Dust of My Wings, Shade, would have been proud of me. My favorite vacation was not a vacation at all. But a two year part of my life where I grew up a little, found people I never thought I would, and flew.

A pretty cool vacation for me. Don’t you think?

I love that! Wow, it sounds amazing, Carrie! What...no pictures of the Azores?

Carrie Ann will be awarding Dust of my Wings "swag" packs to one commenter at every stop, a $25 Amazon GC and necklace (pictured to the left) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so don't forget to follow her tour and comment!

Blurb:
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

Neat freak lab tech, Lily Banner lives her life as any ordinary human. She’s dedicated to her work and loves to hang out with her friends at Dante’s Circle, their local bar. When she discovers a strange blue dust at work she meets a handsome stranger holding secrets – and maybe her heart. But after a close call with a thunderstorm, she may not be as ordinary as she thinks.

Shade Griffin is a warrior angel sent to Earth to protect the supernaturals’ secrets. One problem, he can’t stop leaving dust in odd places around town. Now he has to find every ounce of his dust and keep the presence of the supernatural a secret. But after a close encounter with a sexy lab tech and a lightning quick connection, his millennia old loyalties may shift and he could lose more than just his wings in the chaos.

Excerpt:
“Hi.” Shade smiled and tilted his head.

“Hi,” she breathed.

“You look beautiful, Lily.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and she shivered.

“You do too.” She blushed again. Soon she’d be Crayola red. “I mean you look handsome.”

He traced her jaw with a calloused finger. “Thank you. Are you ready to go?”

She swallowed hard. “Uh huh.”

Okay, she really had to remember the English language. This was getting embarrassing.

“Okay then.” He trailed his hand down her arm and wrapped his palm around hers. His warm skin felt like heaven against hers.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. How was she supposed to get through a whole date if she couldn’t even formulate thoughts to get out of the door?

With a nod, she gripped his hand tighter and closed the door behind her. He led her to his bike and she smiled.

“I love it, Shade.”

He gave a huge grin. “Thanks. This is my baby. No matter where I am, I try and take her with me.” He rubbed the leather seat and an irrational urge to knock the bike down went through her.

She would not be jealous of a motorcycle. Would not.

Where to buy Dust of my Wings:

All Romance
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

About Carrie Ann:

Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate - even if its just in her books. Happy endings are always near - even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Her first book, An Alpha's Path, is the first in her Redwood Pack series. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:

Website
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Heartthrob Haven
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Nightfall by Robyn Bachar

I love being a romance writer, but I’ve always been a bit squeamish about writing sex scenes. When I first started writing my erotic space opera Nightfall, I had no intention of trying to publish it. I wanted to write something fun without the constant worry of whether or not my readers would like it. But the more I worked on it, the more I fell in love with this book. So I shared it with my critique group and beta readers, and they loved it too. I thought, what the heck, I’ll send it to my editor.

Much to my surprise, she offered me a contract. Suddenly I’d somehow become not just a romance author, but an erotic romance author, because Nightfall is a M/F/F ménage. It has epic space opera adventure with space battles and laser gunfights—and steamy romance between Captain Carmen Hawke, her crewmate Dack, and his new mate, Talena.

When I saw the Samhain RedHots!!! tag on the blurb, I almost swooned like a Victorian heroine with a case of consumption. Red hot? My book? Yup. Though I’m still a bit bewildered about how I got here, I couldn’t have told this story any other way. Dack, Carmen, and Talena complete each other perfectly as characters, and I loved telling the tale of how they learned that. I could never separate them (they’d only yell at me if I did, and I try to keep the voices in my head happy).

So now I’m an erotic romance author, and I’m rather okay with that. I haven’t swooned once while writing the sequel.

Blurb:

Her heart says “never”. Her body says “now”.

When a wounded runner stumbles into her workshop, sculptor Talena Spenser’s comfortable, quiet life is shattered. Aiding the escaped slave risks losing more than just her freedom. She is in phase, when Cy’ren females are overwhelmed by the drive to mate.

Mordacki Loren, shadow sword of House Nightfall, knows the pain of losing a mate. He never intended to take another. But Talena, raised by humans with little knowledge of Cy’ren ways, leaves him no choice. As the mating lust consumes them, Dack promises to honor her wishes—even if that means letting her go.

Scarred and hardened by a munitions accident that sent her Alliance career up in flames, Carmen Hawke joined the Cy’ren resistance as captain of the flagship Talon. When old flame Dack returns from a mission with Carmen’s childhood friend and first love, Talena, in tow, the temptation to allow someone—or two someones—close to her again cracks her emotional armor.

Pursued by an unknown enemy, the trio works together to discover the secrets of Talena’s past, and to uncover a threat that could destroy the fragile peace of the Cy’ren homeworld.

Warning: If the epic space battles, gunfights and swordplay aren’t enough to get you going, strap yourself in for a male-female-female threesome that’s scorching enough to fire your engines into overdrive.


Excerpt:

When they reached the docking level, Talena hesitated at the door leading into the terminal. “This is as far as I can take you.”

“Come with me.” Dack placed a hand on her shoulder, and she shied away as though the contact burned.

Tempting, far too tempting. She licked her lips as she resisted the sudden desire to kiss him, stepped back and bumped into the wall behind her. “No. I’m happy here. At least I was, until you showed up. Now go.”

“Don’t you want to be free?”

Talena frowned. He thought she was still a slave? “But I—” she began, but was interrupted by the flare of a laser bolt exploding near them.

“The door,” Dack shouted as he drew his weapon and returned fire.

Talena slapped her palm against the scanner as a volley of bolts hit the walls around them. The door opened and Dack grabbed her arm and hauled her with him as he charged through it. More shots followed as they rushed into the arrival area, and crew and passengers scattered. The door shut and Dack blasted the scanner, jamming the lock and keeping the security team from following.

They hurried on into the terminal and more shots zinged their way, this time from ahead of them. Dack skidded to a halt next to an arrival counter and ducked behind it, pulling Talena down with him.

“Let go of me,” she demanded.

Dack peered around the corner of the counter and jerked back as a bolt scored the floor near him. “Malenson’s between us and my ship.”

“That’s your problem. Let go!”

“I can’t leave you here. They’ll arrest you.”

“You put a gun to my head. I think they’ll understand.”

The computer screen on the counter above them exploded, raining pieces of plastic over them. Dack grimaced. “The Eppes aren’t real understanding.”

Panic gripped Talena, and she struggled to breathe past the fear. He could be right—she didn’t know about this mysterious Eppes group, but the authorities might not care if she was coerced. She’d helped a runner, and now she was as guilty as he was.

“Stay behind me. I’ll clear the path, you get the door. Ready?” he asked.

No, she thought, but she nodded. Better to get it over with before she fainted from terror.

Where to buy:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Samhain

Don't forget to comment and follow the tour, because Robyn will be awarding $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter!

Abut Robyn:

Robyn Bachar was born and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, and loves all things related to Chicago, from the Cubs to the pizza. It seemed only natural to combine it with her love of fantasy, and tell stories of witches and vampires in the Chicagoland area in her Bad Witch series. As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in MMPORGs. Her new series, Cy’ren Rising, was born out of a lifelong addiction to space opera movies and TV shows.

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Napoleon's birthday

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy 243rd Birthday, to be exact! (And really it's tomorrow, August 15)

From Biography.com

Born on August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica
Father: Carlo Buonaparte, a lawyer and political opportunist
Mother: Marie-Letizia
The Buonaparte's: A wealthy family from the Corsican nobility, although when compared to the great aristocracies of France Napoleon's kin were poor and pretentious. Corsica's occupation by the French had drawn considerable local resistance. Carlo Buonaparte had at first supported the nationalists siding with their leader, Pasquale Paoli.

But after Paoli was forced to flee the island, Carlo switched his allegiance to the French. After doing so he was appointed assessor of the judicial district of Ajaccio in 1771, a plush job that eventually enabled him to enroll his two sons, Joseph and Napoleon, in France's College d'Autun.

The rest, as they say, is history!

Friday Recipe: Blueberry Muffins

I love blueberry muffins. To clarify, I love the crumbly top of blueberry muffins! Yum. These claim to be To Die For Blueberry Muffins and I have to admit, they are!

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min
Ready In: 40 Min

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).


2. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.


3. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder.


4. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.


5. Mix this with flour mixture.


6. Fold in blueberries.


7. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
   

To Make Crumb Topping:

1. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.


2. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.


3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.
   
   Nutritional Information
   Amount Per Serving Calories: 383 Total Fat: 16.1g Cholesterol: 43mg

Blast: Linda Mercury and vampires

Linda will be awarding a hand-painted fan (see beautiful photo to the left) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

BLURB:

SHE HUNGERS FOR HIS LIGHT

She calls herself Valerie Tate. One of the few vampires left on earth, as beautiful as she is powerful, Valerie has resisted her craving for human blood for years, just as she once hid her true gender. But the night she lays eyes on the most enticing man she’s ever seen, it’s game over. He radiates goodness and light—and searing sexual energy. Valerie must have him. Taste him. Consume him. For he is temptation—and he is her destiny…

Wallachia

November 25, 1431

She swam in an ocean of blood.

The exhausted, dark-haired mother howled in pain and freedom as the crown of a baby’s head emerged from between her legs. The woman panted and heaved, thrashing her sweat and gore-drenched body from side to side. Snow mixed with thunder and rain lashed the tower of the family castle, chilling the already icy room.

Vlad Dracul crouched at her feet, his face stiff and set under his moustache. His outstretched fingers curled into fists and opened again as he waited for the infant to emerge. Blankets, rags, and a pot of steaming water at his elbow kept him company. His jaw clenched with every echoing scream and his shoulders tightened with every passing moment. Not even the usual rushing of the river below covered the cries of Cneajna, his wife.

The violent storm outside had prevented the midwife’s presence. Earlier in the night, the mother had demanded that only Vlad remain with her as the pain worsened. No one defied Cneajna, even as water and blood rushed down her legs and painted her body. Vlad knew, however, that the women of the castle waited in the downstairs chamber, ready to help if he called. He was absurdly grateful for their nearness.

Fearless in the face of death, Vlad had nearly fainted at the sight of his wife in labor. The smell of the birth blood that saturated the bed roiled his stomach in ways a festering abdominal wound never did.

Another contraction. She pulled the ropes tied to the fur-lined headboard of the birth bed. The wood groaned under her strength as wave after wave of labor shuddered her body. Vlad’s heart winced at his woman’s pale, sweating face.

Another scream shook the room and Vlad saw the first peep of a black-haired head. Under the power of the mother’s undulating body, a tiny, angry face emerged.

All Romance

Amazon

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About Linda:

Linda Mercury left behind her varied careers as a librarian, art model, and professional clown to pursue writing. She’s interested in writing, romance, the Middle East, reading, organizing, cooking, hand-made silk Turkish rugs, and the Nike of Samothrace.

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Wednesday Regency: Marriages

I was doing research on I forget what and stumbled across Regency Lore
Faulty 'Facts' in Regency Romances. I found this quite interesting and while I've heard of Special Licences (and have even heard that most nobility only used special licenses) I've never heard of a regular license. I thought that the regular marriage license was just that...the license everyone else used.

Apparently I was mistaken!

Several misconceptions exist about the special license, in particular where to obtain it and what form it took. In the Regency the only place to obtain a Special License was from the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Doctor's Common in London. Only the arch bishop had the privilege to issue such dispensations, which allowed a couple to marry at any place and any time, although still officiated over by a member of the clergy. A regular license could be obtained from any bishop and it allowed dispensation from the reading of banns, yet the marriage had to take place in the morning and at the parish church of either the bride or groom. Both types of licenses were personal and nontransferable, needing the sworn statement by the obtainer that the couple were either of age or had their legal guardians permission to wed. For most situation where Regency authors stipulate the use of a special license, a regular license would suffice.

Guest Claire Adele

Today's guest is Claire Adele with her latest sexy release, Guardian of Her Dream. Haven't read Claire? You should, her menage stories are rugged, sexy, and paranormal. What more need I say?

Texas Inspiration for Guardian of Her Dream by Claire Adele

My Texas family settled in Central Texas in the early 1800’s near San Antonio. In the late 1800’s, my great grandparents moved to West Texas and the rugged desert mountains where I live. I love the mountains of this area where we have our home in the foothills.

The first story I wrote when I was in first grade concerned a little cloud sitting on top of the mountain. However, when visiting Central Texas, I’ve noticed clouds are most often not as sharply defined as they are where I live. I’ve also noticed when visiting Central Texas that the hills are different and not as high as the Rocky Mountains in West Texas. But Central Texas has many intriguing things such as moss hanging from trees that stand with their roots in slow moving rivers.

One evening near the old family homestead in Castroville, Texas, just outside of San Antonio, I noticed shadowed trees with long strands of moss hanging from them in a bend of the Medina River. The picture was impressed on my mind of two men talking in the faint light of dusk beneath the tall trees, the moss surrounding them like dark cloaks. This inspired the background for scenes in more than one of my recent werewolf stories.

Although Guardian of Her Dream takes place in the rugged foothills of West Texas, the bad boys in the story are from Central Texas where they live and work on family owned ranches. I had so much fun writing their story. I hope you enjoy them, too.

Blurb:

As the oldest son in his ranching family, the weight of Rafe Wolfgang's responsibility to protect his family and friends is made heavier by his belief that he failed to protect his best friend, who fell from a cliff and died. Now he craves Darlene's love and must protect her.

Lucky Wolford was bullied all through school because of his weight. Overwhelmed, he confided in Rafe, who dealt with a harsh father. Sharing their problems made Lucky see he was worthy of respect. Now mature, he's lean, strong, confident—and crazy about Darlene.

Darlene Lovejoy has sworn to never marry a man who would dominate her. Since she's taken in Rafe and his brothers and friends while Rafe recuperates from his roll down a steep cliff, she's begun to fall for the fun-loving guy and his sexy friend Lucky.

When the Hawks threaten to kidnap Darlene, Rafe and Lucky must tell her they're werewolves, though they could lose her love.

Excerpt:
He growled softly. “God, that was amazing, babe.” He raised his eyelids halfway and smiled at her, clearly satisfied.

Speechless, she gazed at him. She had never experienced anything quite like that before. “You’re the one who is amazing. I’ve never…”

“Neither have I. I’ve never come that hard before.”

His soft-voiced confession stunned her. She didn’t know what to say to that. Suddenly she felt much differently toward him. What happened? Where did they go from here? She didn’t have a clue. She didn’t know what she wanted to do about this obvious connection with him on a sexual level. She needed to think about this. He shifted as if he knew somehow what she was thinking.

“Come on, babe. Let’s dry off and have a drink.”

“Okay.” Her answer sounded weak to her ears. She didn’t even mind him calling her babe. Their relationship had taken a huge turn. She hoped it was for the better. He took hold of her hands, and she closed her fingers over his.

Blocking the view of her from the house, he helped her to her feet. He covered her bared breast with her top, eased her bikini bottoms up around her naked hips, and helped her up the steps. He walked with her over to the lounge chairs, where they grabbed their towels, and he dried off and stretched out on a lounge chair. She dried off and stood there, still in shock from what had just happened between them.

She wanted to escape to her bedroom. “I’d better shower off.” She needed to come to terms with what she had just done.

“Are you all right?” He reached toward her.

“Yes, I’m fine. Go ahead and stretch out and relax for a while. It won’t take me long.”

“All right.” He leaned back on the lounge chair. “Wake me if I fall asleep.”

“I will.” She headed for the house and the privacy of her bedroom and shower.

Lucky was standing at the window beside the den doorway.

Siren Bookstrand

Monday Romance

I'm changing things up a bit. Still waiting back for the edits on The Devil's Pawn, but have decided to postpone my Parisian Exposition Ménage series for a one-shot contemporary. Just as a change of pace.

This one will be very heavy D/s with a cop investigation mystery. And I already have the cover!

Friday Recipe: Pork Chops in White Wine

Food and wine...what's better together? Don't answer that, I can name several off the top of my head. Still, wine marinated pork chops are delicious! (And make sure you say delicious in a semi-singing voice with the -ious higher than the rest.) All kidding aside, if you like pork chops, try this recipe. It's worth it.

Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr

Ready In:
1 Hr 30 Min

Ingredients:

• 5 pork chops
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed golden mushroom soup
• 10 3/4 fluid ounces white cooking wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 (4 ounce) jar mushrooms, drained

Directions

1. Salt and pepper the pork chops and fry in a small amount of oil until slightly browned on both sides; drain.
2. In a bowl mix together, mushroom soup, wine, water and mushrooms.
3. Combine soup mixture with pork chops. Cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour until chops are tender.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 319 | Total Fat: 12.2g | Cholesterol: 52mg

Wednesday Regency: London Bridge

Not exactly Regency, but with the Olympic Games going on and the cool Olympic Rings displayed on London Bridge, I thought it interesting that in 1831 the new London Bridge opened. The current London Bridge isn't that one, of course; in 1831 who knew automobile traffic would be such that they'd have to tear the bridge down and start again?

The 1831 bridge is currently in Lake Havasu City, which I've actually visited solely because they have the London Bridge! I can't find one single picture, I suspect they're either on my old laptop or (heaven forbid!) they've been taken with film and are in a shoebox...someplace.

John Rennie deisgned this bridge, and work began in 1824 about 100 feet from the then current (and 600 years old) bridge.