Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Irish recipe and spotlight on Dark Brew by @DianaLRubino!

St. Patrick's Day comes a wee bit early on The Maze with Dark Brew by Diana Rubino and an Irish recipe! In Diana's words:

Dark Brew is set on modern-day Cape Cod, when Kylah isn’t traveling back in time to 1324 Ireland. I have a home on the Cape, and spend as much time there as I can when the weather cooperates. The Cape Cod Irish Village is a restaurant/pub/hotel where my husband and I have been going for many years. We have a traditional Irish dinner there and dance up a storm to the live Irish music they always have. I mention the Irish Village in DARK BREW and their great Irish cuisine.

Traditional Irish fare has been a long-standing theme at the Irish Village where Chef Chris Lynch has headed the kitchen for the better part of 16 years. New American cuisine with a slant on old Irish staples is how Chef Lynch would characterize the menu at the Irish Village. Having spent many years honing his craft in kitchens all across the Northeast, Chris realized that most of the guests who come to the Cape and have frequented the Irish Village for decades in some cases want to feel at home and his team tries to match the daily specials to their memories of meals taken at the tables of their own families. Simple and plentiful is a formula that has kept many repeat customers coming back to the Village year after year.

Here’s a recipe from Chris for “Breadan Eireann.”

This recipe serves 4 people

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4 ea. – 6oz Salmon Fillet
4 ea. – Jumbo Shrimp
12 oz. – medium sea scallops
4 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup sauteed onions & mushrooms, sliced thin
6 oz. dry sherry
8 oz. clarified butter

DIRECTIONS

In a baking dish or in individual casserole dishes arrange salmon, scallops & shrimp closely together.  Pipe mashed potatoes around salmon and seafood encircling all of the fish.  Pour 1 ½ oz. of sherry and 2 oz. of butter over the fish and potatoes.  Bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until salmon flakes under the touch.  Remove and top with ¼ cup sautéed onions & mushrooms.  Return to oven for 2-3 minutes to finish browning the potatoes and to heat the onions & mushrooms.  Serve immediately.


Dark Brew
by Diana Rubino
Genre: Time Travel Romance

Accused of her husband’s murder, Kylah McKinley, a practicing Druid, travels back through time to her past life in 1324 Ireland and brings the true killer to justice.

Two months of hell change Kylah’s life forever. On her many past life regressions, she returns to 14th century Ireland as Alice Kyteler, a druid moneylender falsely accused of murdering her husband. Kylah’s life mirrors Alice’s in one tragic event after another—she finds her husband sprawled on the floor, cold, blue, with no pulse. Evidence points to her, and police arrest her for his murder. Kylah and Alice shared another twist of fate—they fell in love with the man who believed in them. As Kylah prepares for her trial and fights to maintain her innocence, she must learn from her past or forever be doomed to repeat it. 



Excerpt:

Kylah shut Ted’s den door. She couldn’t bear to look at the spot where he gasped his last breath. His presence, an imposing force, lingered. So did his scent, a blend of tobacco, pine aftershave and manly sweat. Each reminder ripped into her heart like a knife. Especially now with the funeral looming ahead, the eulogies, the mournful organ hymns, the tolling bells . . .

These ceremonies should bring closure, but they’d only prolong the agony of her grief. She wanted to remember him alive for a while longer, wishing she could delay these morbid customs until the hurt subsided.

Throughout the house, his essence echoed his personality: the wine stain on the carpet, the heap of dirty shirts, shorts and socks piled up in the laundry room, the spattered stove, his fingerprints on the microwave. But she couldn’t bring herself to clean any of it up. Painful as these remnants were, they offered a strange comfort. He still lived here.

“I’ll find that murderer, Teddy,” she promised him over and over, wandering from room to empty room, traces of him lurking in every corner. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure justice is served. Another past life regression isn’t enough anymore. I know what I have to do now. And I promise, it will never, ever happen again—in any future life.”

She inhaled deeply and breathed him in. “Go take a shower, Teddy.” She chuckled through her tears as the doorbell rang. She cringed, breaking out in cold sweat when she saw the black sedan at the curb.

“Not again.” No sense in hiding, so she let the detectives in.

“Mrs. McKinley, we need your permission to do a search and take some of your husband’s possessions from the house,” Nolan said.

“What for?” She met his steely stare. “I looked everywhere and found nothing.”

“Mrs. McKinley, the cupboard door was open, four jars of herbs are missing, and the autopsy showed he died of herb poisoning. Those herbs,” Nolan added for emphasis, as if it had slipped her feeble mind. “Foxglove, mandrake, hemlock—and an as-yet unidentified one,” he read from a notebook. “The M.E. determined it was a lethal dose.”

Sherlock Holmes got nothin’ on him, she thought.

“Where’s this cupboard, ma’am?” Egan spoke up.

“Right there.” She pointed, its door gaping exactly the way she’d found it that night. Nolan went over to it and peered inside.

“Ma’am, it would be better if you left the house for a half hour or so. Please leave a number where you can be reached,” Egan ordered.

Nolan glanced down the hall. “Where is your bedroom?”

What could they want in the bedroom? “It’s at the top of the stairs on the right. But we didn’t sleep together,” she offered, as if that would faze them. It didn’t.

After giving him her cell number, she got into her car and drove to the beach.

An hour later, she let herself back in and looked around. They’d taken the computer, her case of CDs, her thumb drive, her remaining herb jars, Ted’s notebooks, and left her alone with one horrible fact: This was now a homicide case and she was the prime suspect.

Buy links: Kindle US | Amazon Paperback | Barnes & Noble | Wild Rose Press |


Contact Diana via Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

#HolidayRecipe and #99cents sale on Marketing Exec’s Widow by @AuthorTinaGayle


Today I'm proud to present a yummy holiday recipe for peach cobbler by longtime Maze contributor Tina Gayle, who is also sponsoring a sale on her romance Marketing Exec's Widow!

Quick Peach Cobbler
1 large can of peaches
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 box of vanilla wafers
1/4 cup of butter

Preheat the oven to 350.  Pour peaches, sugar, and cinnamon in a casserole dish large enough to hold everything; I use the 2-quart size. After stirring these items together, then add most of the box of vanilla wafers; set enough aside to put on top.  Once you have the wafers arranged on top, slice the butter in to small pieces and set one pat on top of each wafer.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with ice cream or whipping cream.


Marketing Exec's Widow
by Tina Gayle
Genre: Contemporary romance

Synopsis:
Letting go and rebuilding a life comes at a price.

Having come to terms with losing her husband, Jennifer is ready to move on, but she faces opposition from her friends, in-laws, and brother-in-la. He see himself as her future husband. None of them know of Jen’s marital problems and she is afraid of their reaction when they learn she has a date for Friday night?

Hagan Chaney is not anything like Craig. He tempts Jen into the future but is she willing to give love another chance after the heartache she faced the 1st time around?


Excerpt:

“Thank you.” Jen tilted her head and narrowed her gaze. His tall, lean form topped hers even with three-inch heels on, a welcome rarity from the men she usually met. In addition, he had strawberry-blond hair, a known weakness of hers. The reddish-gold locks danced along the collar of his black shirt, teasing her with the idea of running her hands through the thick mass. Her fingers twitched. She dropped her gaze. Tight jeans covered a round, squeezable butt. Hot awareness suddenly sizzled, stunning Jen with its power. She knotted her hands into fists and fought the unwelcome attraction.

No way, I’m his real estate agent, not his date for the evening. And it’s only been four months since...

“Elkhorn’s main street isn’t large, but the Little League baseball field and the restaurants should attract people to the area.” Hagan’s dark brown…no, hazel, his eyes were hazel she realized abruptly when his gaze met hers. He cocked a brow. A sexy smile teased the corner of his lips. Oh, darn, the man had nailed her ogling his backside.

Heat burned her cheeks. The air between them sizzled. Goose bumps popped out on her arms. Her internal timer ticked off each day she’d gone without sex—well over a year.

His smile grew wider and visions of his mouth melting onto hers slammed home the impossibility of the situation.

Give it up, girl. It’s not happening.

She swallowed and searched the room for a distraction, some way to gain control of her raging hormones and maintain the professional image she’d strived so hard to develop the last five years. “I agree. It is in a great location.”

Buy links: Kindle US | All Romance Ebooks | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Smashwords |


About the Author:
An author with over 30 books, Tina Gayle writes in a number of different genres: Romantic contemporary (as Tina Gayle) and Erotic Romance. Her books range from contemporary, paranormal to mystery and suspense
As an indie author, she has worked hard to have a social presence and reach her readers. You can visit her website and read the 1st chapter of any of her books. Or you can download a free ebook and join her newsletter group.

Sign up for Tina's newsletter.


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***

I'm running a giveaway for an e-copy of my latest novel, Raging Sea: Enemies and Allies!
To enter, click HERE.

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Subscribe today
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All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books.

Please enter often, and good luck!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

#HolidayRecipe for Easy Chocolate Pie and spotlight on To Save a Lady by @pat_preston

Looking for a last-minute dessert idea? 
Look no farther than
Easy Chocolate Pie
contributed by To Save a Lady author 
Patricia Preston!


#Holiday Recipe: Easy Chocolate Pie

You need a baked pie crust. (For me, that definitely means store-bought.)

You mix together:  3 tablespoons self-rising flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 cup sugar

Separate 3 eggs.  Mix the egg yolks with 1 ½ cups of milk and tsp of vanilla.

Add to the dry ingredients, add a dash of salt. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan, add mixture and cook until thick, stirring constantly.

Pour into baked pie crust. Then make meringue using the three egg whites and 2 tablespoons sugar. Use mixer on high to beat egg whites until fluffy, add sugar, and continue mixing until peaks are formed.

Spread meringue on top of pie and bake at 350 until lightly browned.


To Save a Lady by Patricia Preston

A DARING MASQUERADE
A move from Paris to New Orleans brings disaster to Elise Plaisance’s predictable life as a lady’s maid. The son of her grief-stricken mistress disappears, and Elise becomes involved in a web of deceit when she turns to a cunning gentleman for help finding the missing boy.

A CAPTAIN BEWITCHED
Captain Jesse Cross has journeyed to New Orleans with General Jackson’s army, but his biggest battle is one of the heart when he falls for a French girl cloaked in mystery.
With the city on the brink of war, their romance is born in the darkness of a moonlit courtyard and never meant to last forever.

A FUTURE IMPERILED
Deceived by an adversary and haunted by her tragic past, Elise must risk everything to rescue her mistress’s son before all is lost, and Jesse knows he has to stop her even if it means sacrificing his life to save a lady.

Read Chapter 1French Quarter Brides

Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1tz2HIq 


Christmas Special!  December 24th and 25th pick up a copy of To Save a Lady, an Amazon Countdown Deal at $0.99 and/or get a copy of my humorous short story, The Yard Sale, for free! http://amzn.to/Jmog8Z

Patricia Preston is a Southern author who writes historical and contemporary romance as well as humorous Southern fiction. Her publishers include New Love Stories, True Romance, Affaire de Coeur, Cloverdale Press, The Blue and Gray Magazine, Sea Oats Review, and Carina Press. She won a William Faulkner Award for Short Fiction, the Lone Star Writing Competition for Historical Romance, and the Harlequin’s World’s Best Romances Short Story Competition.

Her current titles include a historical romance, To Save a Lady, two humorous short stories, “The Yard Sale” and “Laid to Rest” available on Amazon, and a historical novella, Almost an Outlaw.

For info on new releases and contests, sign up for her newsletter

Visit her Webpage

Follow her Twitter (
@pat_preston)

Like her page Facebook



As always on The Maze, you are invited to...
— Add Kim as a Favorite Author on Amazon.com
— Join her Street Team,  Kim's All-Stars
— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Add Kim to Google+
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Amazon, Twitter, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Liberty. Please enter often, and good luck!

Monday, December 15, 2014

#HolidayRecipe Creme Eggnog and Fallen Leaves by @TinaGayle #MFRWAuthor #Giveaway

Author Tina Gayle shares on The Maze her recipe for a cup of Christmas cheer along with her latest release, Fallen Leaves!

FESTIVE CREME EGGNOG
1 c. milk
1 (7 oz.) jar Kraft Marshmallow Creme
6 eggs
1/4 c. rum
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) container (3 cups)
Cool Whip non-dairy
whipped topping, thawed
Ground nutmeg

Gradually add milk to marshmallow creme, mixing with electric mixer or wire whisk until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in rum and vanilla; fold in whipped topping. Chill. Mix well. Top with additional whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Approximately 10 (1/2 cup) servings. Preparation time: 15 minutes plus chilling. Variation: Substitute 1 teaspoon rum extract for rum.

As Captain Jack Sparrow would say, "Why is all the rum gone?"
Now we know why -- thanks for sharing this yummy recipe, Tina!


Fallen Leaves Synopsis:

As autumn comes to the Winston estate in Ohio, Amber Harrison learns further lessons in her new position as keeper for the spirits and ghosts who haunt the estate--and further lessons in love, too. She and her love, Carter Miller, grapple with the fears and passions of new love, while caught up in the storm of ancient family drama.

This is the second book in the unfolding saga of the psychics and talents associated with the Winston estate, a sheltered place where past, present, and future are woven into a single dramatic tapestry of love and desire. The tale spans multiple generations, multiple eras, and offers something special for all ages of reader. A sexy, erotic winner, with an assortment of couples to appeal to most tastes.


Excerpt:
“How long before you install the new cabinets?”

He turned on the ladder. His dark brown eyes captured her, engulfing her in an encompassing warmth. She melted under his heated gaze, which ran from the top of her head to the white socks on her feet. He lifted a brow at her attire, but he didn’t comment on her pink sweat suit.

“With the old cabinets out of the way, I need to knock down this wall and tear up the flooring. The electrical work is next on the agenda.” He climbed off the ladder, yanked off his gloves, and slid a hand through his thick, wavy hair.

“It might be awhile before we install the new cabinets. Right now, we’re simply working to remove the old stuff so we can start fresh.” He smiled, which didn’t hide the dark circles under his eyes or the fatigue in the slump of his shoulders.

“There’s no hurry. If you’re busy with something else, this can wait until your Dad and Mattie come home next week.”

“No, Dad doesn’t want her dealing with this mess.” Carter unbuckled his tool belt and placed it on a workbench. “I promised him I’d have it done.”

“Is Grant helping?” Amber stepped around several pieces of sheetrock and stray bits of wood, to the bottom of the stairs.

He walked to the backdoor. “Friday, his classes are over at noon.”

With his hand resting on the doorknob, he appeared anxious to leave. “I’m headed to lunch, and then I need to drop by the office for a while. Are you sure you’re okay here by yourself?”

Amber toyed with the idea of saying no. She missed the taste of his lips and the strength of his arms, but she nodded instead. “Yes, I’m fine.”

After opening the door, he paused. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

She waved and turned to head to her room, satisfied she’d at least gotten him to talk. Her leaden feet trudged up the steps. Unexcited, she contemplated her latest assignment from the family council. How could she achieve such an impossible task of convincing her great grandmother’s ghost to cross over?

Purchase links:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JOTY270
Smashwords  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/428955
allromanceebooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fallenleaves-1479048-140.html

About Tina Gayle:
Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.

After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a mother into her books.

Currently working on a series about four executive wives, she is excited about combining elements of women fiction with the passion of romance. The first three books have been released and the last one is coming out in 2014.
She’s  also started a paranormal romantic mystery series called the Family Tree series. With a family of spirits guiding the lives of their keeper, Amber has a number of tasks to accomplished like solving a two hundred year old mystery.

Married twenty-five years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do more of both.
Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina  everywhere:

Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_GayleFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Google + - https://plus.google.com
Linkin - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

And don't forget to enter this great giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For more chances to win all month, you are invited to...
— Add me as a Favorite Author on Amazon.com
— Join my Street Team, Kim's All-Stars 
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Amazon, Twitter, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Liberty. Please enter often, and good luck!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

#HolidayRecipe for Super Easy Fudge and Deputy's Bride by @anitaphilmar #Giveaway

Today on The Maze I offer two temptations—well, three, counting the giveaways, LOL—
Super Easy Fudge, and the sexy Western novel Deputy's Bride by Anita Philmar!

#HolidayRecipe for Super Easy Fudge

1 (8 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand milk
1 tsp. of instant coffee
Dash of salt
1/2 to 1 c. nuts
1  tsp. vanilla

Melt bits in milk over low heat, remove from heat and instant coffee, nuts and vanilla. Spread in lightly buttered 9 inch pan; chill until firm, cut.
Remove from pan. Store at room temperature.
Better after 24 hours.

 
Synopsis:
Deputy’s Bride is an erotic, historical western that is a stand-alone story with a satisfying HEA. Texas Deputy Bo Kildare is looking for a special kind of lady, one that is willing to meet his special requirements. No sweet little virgin will do, he wants a woman who knows how to please a man, perhaps two.

Recently widowed, Sarah Elizabeth Foster-LaFever has lived in the public eye for the last few years and wants out. Her reputation as Micah LaFever’s wife has left her penniless and without many viable options until Bo comes calling. Now, she believes she found the perfect man until her past rears its ugly head.

Can murder and corrupt dealings keep these two lovers from making it to the altar?

Excerpt: 
“God, when is he going to get here,” Sarah muttered and strolled to the freestanding, oval mirror in the corner.

Critically, she examined her silk dressing gown’s high collar. Unable to breathe with every button running down the front of garment secured, she’d only connected a few at her waist. The dark red robe highlighted her creamy complexion and light blonde hair.

Through the open at the top, she viewed the curve of her breasts and the tight fit of her corset. The cream color almost matched her skin, creating the illusion that she was nude underneath. Tugging aside her wide skirt, she examined the long line of her legs. She’d opted to omit her bloomers. One, because with the fire raging in the fireplace, she was hot. Two, because she thought Mr. Kildare should get a glimpse of what he’d receive if he decided to make her his wife.

Granted from what Madeline had told Sarah, the man wanted more than a dutiful wife. He sounded as if he were more like her deceased husband. Micah enjoyed playing extreme bedroom games.

She frowned, thinking how much she’d missed sex in the last year. Not because she hadn’t had the chance to indulge. More because she hadn’t wanted to fall victim to the same power hungry crowd that Micah had belonged. She’d done enough for those bastards and she had no intentions of doing... 

Knuckles hammered against her door.

Brushing a nervous hand over her hair, she offered up a silent prayer that everything would work out before she rushed back to the doorway. After a quick breathe, she asked, “Who is it?”

“Bo Kildare, I was sent by Madeline Cowden.”

A masculine tone rang from the other side.

His voice alone sent shivers racing over her skin. She flipped back the lock and inched open the door. “Yes, she said you might be stopping by.”

Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night, she wants her readers to see the world in a new way. Influenced by sci-fi programs, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where erotic moments come to life in a great read. Naughty or Nice? Read her books and decide.

Website:  http://www.anitaphilmar.com/
Email: anitaphilmar@yahoo.com
Blog: http://www.anitaphilmar.blogspot.com/
FB: www.facebook.com/anita.philmar
GR: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1329767.Anita_Philmar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anitaphilmar
Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/anitaphilmar
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Anita-Philmar/e/B002BMBE8C


And don't forget to enter this giveaway for Liberty!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win all month, you are invited to...
— Add me as a Favorite Author on Amazon.com
— Join my Street Team,  Kim's All-Stars
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Amazon, Twitter, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of Liberty. Please enter often, and good luck!

Friday, December 12, 2014

#HolidayRecipe Chocolate Crack and Her Best Man by Jana Richards #Giveaway

Rest easy, Mazeites, I'm not corrupting anyone's morals today by sharing this recipe for Chocolate Crack, contributed by 
Her Best Man author Jana Richards!

Chocolate Crack
Ingredients
Approximately 200-250 grams whole graham wafer (about ½ of a small box)
250 ml. (1 cup) salted butter
250 ml. (1 cup) brown sugar
500 ml. (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Line a 25 x 38 cm. (10 x 15 inch) jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray or grease well with butter or margarine. Line the pan completely with a single layer of graham wafers, breaking wafers up, if necessary, to make them fit. Set aside.

Combine the butter and brown in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring constantly. You might need to adjust the heat; if the mixture sputters too much, reduce the heat. If it stops boiling increase the heat; a bull boil will have breaking bubbles all over the surface.

Pour the mixture over the graham wafers as evenly as you can. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let the chips melt for a minute or two and then spread them as evenly as you can with a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon. Let cool to room temperature and then place pan in the fridge to chill. When the pan is chilled, peel the foil from the wafers and break the slab into random pieces.

Baker’s note: The name of this cookie comes from the fact that you “crack” the final slab into irregular chunks, but the taste is almost as addictive as the other stuff! The boiling time and stirring is important for the success of this cookie, so pay attention. For variation you can sprinkle the warm chocolate with nuts, marshmallows or crushed candy canes.


Her Best Man
by Jana Richards

Synopsis:
Sarah Stevens experiences a bride's worst nightmare; being dumped at the altar. When she goes on the Caribbean cruise meant to be her honeymoon in order to lick her wounds, she discovers her ex-fiancé has sent his brother, Will Marshall, the former best man, on the cruise as well. Everyone on board thinks they're newlyweds, and Sarah is too embarrassed to set them straight. How is she supposed to share a tiny cabin with a man she barely knows? How is she supposed to pretend that she and Will are on their honeymoon? Even worse, how can she keep from falling in love with him? Sarah discovers the best man for her really is the best man.

Excerpt:
“You have a beautiful engagement ring,” Josie commented.

Sarah felt her positive resolve slip a little.  She stared at the ring, uncertain why she still wore it.  Did she miss Brad that much, or was it the idea of being married she missed?

“Thank you,” she said simply, hoping Josie would drop the subject.  Apparently, that was too much to hope for.

“Why is it you and Will don’t wear wedding bands?”

“Josie, that’s really none of our business,” Ted rebuked gently.  He took his bride’s hand and planted a tender kiss on each of her fingers.  “We talked about this, sweetie.  Boundaries, remember?”

Ted’s love for Josie shone in his eyes, despite her lack of tact.  He knew all her foibles, weaknesses and plain old stupidities and he still loved her.  Sarah wondered why someone couldn’t love her like that.  She stared at her engagement ring and thought of the day Brad had given it to her.  She’d been so happy and so hopeful of a wonderful future.  But now all her plans and dreams were gone, her hopes of having a family of her own dashed.  How could he have done that to her?

The sob seemed to come from the pit of her stomach, working its way up her body until it just burst uncontrollably out of her mouth.  She covered her mouth with her hand, shocked by the emotion as well as by the tears flooding out of her eyes.  To her surprise she found herself being drawn into Will’s embrace.  She sniffled against his shirt, embarrassing herself further by getting his shoulder wet.

“It’s okay, Sarah,” he whispered.  In a louder voice she heard him speak to the rest of the group who had stopped in mid-chew to stare at her.

“Sarah’s had a very difficult couple of weeks,” he began.  This was it, she thought.  This was where she got outed as a fake bride.  She sucked in a breath.  If he told the truth would he go to jail?  Would she?

“We don’t have any rings because a few days before the wedding the jewelry store where we purchased our rings burned to the ground.  Our rings were lost and Sarah was devastated.  As you can see, she’s still emotional about it.”

Sarah sniffed against Will’s shoulder.  What?

“Oh Sarah, how awful for you!” Josie said.

“But that’s not everything,” Will continued, his voice taking on a serious note.  Sarah stopped sniveling to listen to what he’d say next.  “The wedding dress she’d ordered was lost in transit.  She had to wear a dress off the rack.”

Josie took in a sharp breath.  “No!”

“But the last straw came when a pipe broke at the hall where our reception was going to be held and the place was flooded.  We had to cancel.”

Again, more ohhs and ahhs sounded around the table.  Where did he come up with these crazy stories?

Beatrice chuckled. “I’ve heard some wedding disaster stories, but yours take the cake. Don’t worry, Sarah. Someday you’ll look back and laugh, I promise.”

Gladys raised her glass. “Here’s to Sarah and Will. May their marriage be luckier than their wedding.”

“Hear, Hear.”

Everyone raised his or her glass in a toast. As Sarah wiped her eyes, Will made a toast of his own. “To Sarah. Nothing but blue skies from now on.” He took a drink from his glass, his blue eyes full of compassion, with a hint of humor twinkling under the surface.

Sarah picked up her wineglass. How had he done that? She knew Will’s stories were more about saving his butt than protecting her from humiliation, but still, she’d rather be thought of as the girl whose wedding blew up then the girl who got dumped at the altar. For that she was grateful.

And how had he made her feel so safe and comforted in his arms? She shivered a little, remembering the gentle touch of his hand sliding up and down her back. For that she was less grateful. She was confused enough already about her feelings.

Sarah reluctantly tipped her glass to Will. “To blue skies.”

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Home for the Holidays Blog Hop and Mega-Giveaway!

Click on the button to visit all the hop sites for more chances to win!


Hosted and Sponsored by the authors and bloggers of: THE ROMANCE TROUPE

Grand Prize: Shopping Spree on a $450 Amazon Gift Card

Second Prize: (1) Ebook from every participating Author,
including Dawnflight by Kim Headlee.

To enter the mega-contest: Leave a comment with this post and include your email address and the type of ereader you have. Then go visit my author site (kimheadlee.com) and the other stops for more chances to enter and win!

On my blog only: Follow this blog, add me to your Google+ circles, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and leave a comment on this post about your favorite holiday recipe or tradition for up to four chances to win an ebook copy of Dawnflight—which is the Indie Book of the Day for 11/18/2013!


The phrase “Home for the Holidays” may mean different things to different people—different holidays, different religions, different countries, different traditions, and so forth—but one thing we humans all have in common is the need to gather for special occasions, usually accompanied by food! And in the 21st-century hustle-bustle of our lives, augmented by holiday stresses and pressures, we can all use the “Easy” button now more than ever.

To that end I offer a quick, simple, inexpensive treat that can be served as a dessert or breakfast pastry. And if your kids are old enough, they’ll have fun helping you with this baking project, or perhaps even doing it themselves!

Jam-filled Crescent Rolls

 Ingredients:
  • 1 tube of pre-cut crescent roll dough
  • Your favorite jam(s)
  • Melted butter (optional)

Instructions:
  • Preheat oven as directed on the package for the type of baking sheet or pan you plan to use.
  • Open tube and unroll each triangle.
  • Spread a small amount of jam across the base of the triangle, no more than halfway toward the point. This is the tricky part, because the jam can ooze out and burn during baking.
  • Roll the triangle loosely and place on baking sheet.
  • Brush with a little melted butter (optional).
  • Repeat for the remaining triangles, leaving at least 2 inches between crescents.
  • Bake as directed on the package, and do not over-bake!
  • Cool before serving. The jam can get very hot.


Enjoy your treats, and have a safe and blessed holiday season!