Dinner with Lizzie T. Leaf

This recipe has a beautiful flavor and is easy to prepare. Add a fresh salad and a chilled bottle of white wine and you have the perfect dinner. The extra bonus is that leftovers freeze very well.

Zucchini with Meat Stuffing
6 zucchini of the same size, weighing about 1¾ pounds (800 g) in all
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized onion
1 clove garlic (or more if you like garlic)
1 small bunch fresh parsley or 2 tbsp. dried
¾ cup brown rice (cooked)
1 egg
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan or mixed Italian cheeses plus extra for topping
½ pound Italian seasoned ground turkey (or add seasonings to regular ground turkey)
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh thyme or basil
Small can tomato sauce


Preheat oven to 375°

Cut zucchini in half and scoop out the pulp. Place the shells into a pot of boiling water. Return the water to a boil. Boil shells for 5 minutes. Remove and place upside down to drain and cool.

Mince the pulp with onion, garlic and parsley. Sauté the mixture in oil until it is lightly browned.

In a medium size bowl combine the vegetable mixture, rice, egg, cheese, and the meats. Mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Pam a baking pan or oven-proof dish.

Fill the shells with the stuffing, pressing it down firmly but carefully so as not to tear the shell.

Arrange the zucchini in the /pandish. Spoon tomato sauce on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with additional cheese and bake 5-10 minutes more.

Now that you have dinner in line, take a moment or two for yourself with my latest adult paranormal.

Following the Powers directive to unite soul mates, a Scottish Cailleach's magic will have repercussions in several realms.

Mixed-blood author Ian McCabe, grandson of Fae and gods, tries to deny his powers while hiding his true origins from the human world. When he discovers mortal, Emma Grant unconscious at his front door, his world starts to change.

Tour director Emma Grant leads a group of senior ladies through Scotland. The breakdown of their bus on a rural Scottish backroad has her sloshing through the rain and mud on foot. Her efforts to seek help results in a fall that knocks her unconscious. She awakens to find the man of her dreams staring into her eyes.

Both feel an instant attraction, but will his secrets and her distrust of men keep them apart.

A few lines that tweak a grin.
Yep, at this rate, a long three weeks lay ahead. No one had told Emma that the dozen school teachers ranged in ages from sixty-nine to eighty-eight. Good grief, what happened to women at this age sitting on the front porch and enjoying their rocking chairs?

Mildred waved away the correction “Of course, dear. Whatever you say. I just want to know, will we see any men in kilts soon? I want to see what they wear under them.”

Dirty old woman. She asked that question at least half a dozen times before we got on the bus and stated the reason just as often.

Read the first chapter on Amazon.

To read excerpts from other books by Lizzie T. Leaf please click onto Amazon.

Lizzie T. Leaf has loved books since she opened her first one. Her dream was to write them herself. Lost in the hectic day to day world of family, job, laundry and housework, writing became a distant memory. When the twinkling ember did spark, it was usually doused by someone demanding their share of her time.

Lizzie's life went full circle. The desire to put the stories that continued to play in her head on paper emerged stronger than ever, and at a time when there was someone who encouraged. Now she lives her dream.

Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog. Connect with Lizzie on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

by SS Hampton Sr.

It is a 3-day holiday weekend! Time to take off with the family to the vacation cabin or maybe just go set up tents and make a campfire around which to toast marshmallows. Or maybe stay home, have a few friends over, break out the BBQ for steaks, cheeseburgers, chicken, and hot dogs, and open a few beers. And music to dance to. Oh yes—and hit a few of the many tempting sales, all of which promise big savings.

Sounds like fun, right? Well, it is! All 3-day holidays are fun.

Except, to some people a 3-day holiday is just another three days…

“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses row on row…” From the poem “In Flanders Fields” by LTC John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army. You may read the poem in its entirety HERE.

We have all heard the phrase, “freedom isn’t free.”

Well, it isn’t free.

Take a moment and ask yourself if you really know what it is to be wet, hot, cold, freezing, thirsty, hungry, dirty, and stink. Ask yourself if you have ever really known fear or the joy of being alive. When was the last time you truly enjoyed something as simple as a hot shower, a breeze on your cheek or the smell of green grass?

I suggest you take a moment to reflect on what the day really means. The day is meant to remember those who have fallen in the service of our country. That means those ill-trained volunteer Soldiers who first met the British regulars at Concord and Lexington. Years later those volunteers, trained and dedicated, forced the British regulars to surrender and brought the war to a close at Yorktown, Virginia. The day is for those in blue and gray who fell at Antietam, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor. It is for those who died in the disease, rat-infested, and gas-filled trenches of the Western Front in World War I. It is for those of the Greatest Generation who fell on a thousand battlefields around the world, and for those in Korea, Vietnam, Koh Tang Island, Desert One in Iran, Panama, Grenada, Mogadishu, and the Persian Gulf.

And now the day remembers those who have fallen in the Global War On Terrorism.

The spirit of Memorial Day is to attend a memorial service in a combat zone for a fallen Soldier killed by an IED. There is no more lonelier and heart-breaking sound than to hear from the hot desert night the playing of “Taps” for a fallen comrade. The meaning of Memorial Day is in the actions of those who risk, and sometimes sacrifice, their lives for one another. The meaning of Memorial Day can be seen in the eyes of Soldiers, male and female, who have faced and seen death on behalf of their country.

And sometimes…see a Soldier critically wounded when an IED strikes his vehicle and a white hot chunk of shrapnel rips through his body; watch three medics work frantically to keep him alive; listen to the radioed request for a medevac chopper; look at the faces of worried, angry Soldiers marking a landing zone and providing security while stealing glances at the sky, searching for the medevac; watch the medevac land in the LZ with an on-board medic ready to go to work to keep the Soldier alive; and watch a surgical team of doctors and nurses labor to save the Soldier’s life…sometimes, thankfully, there is one less name to be remembered that day.

This Memorial Day I urge you, your family, relatives, and friends to put a red poppy on your shirt and take a moment to consider what Memorial Day really means. Think about this truly special sacrifice from those who never returned to their families. And take a moment to consider all of the men and women who stepped forward to replace the fallen.

“To you from falling hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high.” From the poem “In Flanders Fields” by LTC John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army. You may read the poem in its entirety HERE.

SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a grandfather to thirteen, and a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom. He served in the active duty Army, the Army Individual Reserve (mobilized for the Persian Gulf War), then enlisted in the Army National Guard; he was mobilized for active duty for almost three years after his enlistment. He continues to serve in the Guard, where he holds the rank of staff sergeant.

He is a published photographer and photojournalist, an aspiring painter, and is studying for a degree in anthropology—hopefully to someday work in underwater archaeology.

Hampton's first short story was published in 1992. His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, Ruthie’s Club, Lucrezia Magazine, The Harrow, Penumbra E-Mag, and River Walk Journal, among others.

Make Your Summer Sizzle

FRENCH Tart Book 1 in Naughty Ladies of Nice series is now released from Musa Publishing.

Bon Appétit...Satisfy all your cravings at cooking school.

Determined to prove herself and shed her party girl image, Donatienne Dubois pins her hopes on the exclusive cooking school in Nice, France. One by one her expectations are shattered by a foul-mouthed parrot, a bogus Michelin chef, and a headmistress with a heart of tungsten steel. Doni's lifesaver is a bad boy hunk too hot not to handle.

Mark Anderson is incognito and hating every minute. To pose as a student while keeping tabs on a rich wild child is his version of hell, until he partners with the dish of Crème Brule good enough to eat.

Class takes on a whole new meaning as Doni and Mark heat up the kitchen when they discover honey has better uses than sweetening tea.

PG EXCERPT:
Mark pasted a cheery smile on his face. Hell, he was getting the hang of this cooking stuff. He tipped the mountain of cheese piled on his platter and leaned closer to the stove, eyeing the pan that looked too small to hold it all.

“Stop!” Doni held up her tiny hand. “You cannot toss all that in here.”

He stumbled backward. What the hell? He’d done exactly what she told him. She couldn’t blame him because the damn block of cheese grated up to Matterhorn size.

“Are you sure you’re in the right cooking school?” She threw in a handful of the white shreds and shuffled the pan until one side of the omelet flipped over the other.

“Are you sure it’s cooked?” He pointed at the pan. “Looks kind of pale to me.”

“Are you sure you know anything about food?” She glared at him while wiping her slender fingers on a striped blue towel. “This is the easiest dish we’ll prepare. What’s going to happen when we advance to boeuf à la mode and present it?”

Now she had him on this present thing, let alone whatever the hell kind of food she meant. If it even was food.

“No problem. I’m your man and ready to step up to the plate.” Dammit. How stupid was that, to make a baseball reference? Quick, change the subject. “What’s next?”

She handed him a coffee cup.

Good, a caffeine jolt would go good about now.

“Snip the chives.”

“Ah, sure.” He gingerly took the mug, wondering what the hell she expected of him.

“These”—she waved a handful of limp skinny green sticks at him—“are chives. From the onion family.” She shook her head, then slid the omelet onto an oval platter. When he didn’t move, she slapped a pair of scissors into his palm. “Do I have to do it for you?”

“You don’t have to be insulting.”

“I apologize.” She tossed her head to move a thick strand of hair from her cheek. He looped the blonde lock around his finger—pure silk—then curled it behind her ear. Her breath quickened and his heart swelled. He leaned into her, needing to taste her pink lips. The sweet aroma of flowers filled his lungs.

“Chives.”

Before he could say anything, Chef edged between them.

“Interesting.” Chef took the platter from Doni. “Perhaps a bit plain, do you not think?”

She gasped when he grabbed a handful of some chopped green thing and plopped the wad on her omelet, obliterating the light-colored food.

He dropped the plate back into Doni’s hands and strolled on to the next pair of fledgling chefs.

Doni blinked rapidly as she pressed her lips tight. Mark slung an arm around her shoulder, feeling guilty as hell that he’d done nothing to stop...

BUY LINK

Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back Monday with SS Hampton Sr.. Until then...

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

Busy spring days don’t allow for much time in the kitchen. This is a tasty dinner that helps to keep your life free and easy.

Sautéed Pork Tenderloin
Sautéed Broccoli
Baked Potatoes
White Wine – Riesling 

Sautéed Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin for every two people*
Olive oil to cover
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tsp. garlic powder
6 sprigs fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried
8 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried


Carefully cut away the silver streaks and connective tissue from the tenderloin.

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl or plastic bag. Marinade in the refrigerator for 2 – 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Discard marinade. Lay meat on a foil lined cookie sheet. Roast 20-20 minutes.

Let meat rest 5-10 minutes under a foil tent. This allows the juices to remain in the meat when sliced.

Carve into ½ inch thick slices and serve.

*Pork tenderloin packages usually contain 2 pieces of meat. If you only use one, the other freezes well for use at a future date.

Baked Potatoes
1 russet potato per person
Olive oil
Aluminum foil
Butter
Sour cream
Chives
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash potatoes under cool water. Pat dry. Poke several sets of holes in each potato with a fork. This stops the potato from bursting as it bakes.

Rub potatoes with a small amount of olive oil to keep the skin soft.

Wrap each potato in a section of foil, then lay on a cookie sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the potato shows no resistance.

Serve with butter, sour cream, chives, and pepper.

Set the foiled potatoes on top of the stove while the tenderloin is roasting. They will remain toasty hot.

Sautéed Broccoli
1 head broccoli
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
¼ cup Gorgonzola crumbles or amount to taste

Trim off the broccoli stalk. Cut the flowerets into serving pieces.

Pour olive oil in a medium-size frying pan. Heat on medium high. Stir in the broccoli and butter when the oil shimmers. Stir to coat the broccoli well. Sauté until crisp tender.

Sprinkle Gorgonzola crumbles over the broccoli and serve.

I'll be back Monday with SS Hampton Sr.. Until then...

Happy Eating!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

ROMANCE AS IT'S MEANT TO BE

Is the buzz about Marci Boudreaux's new release Unforgettable You. Here's a little for your reading pleasure.

When life throws a widowed innkeeper and a world-famous movie star together they share an unexpected romance. But is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

BLURB:
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law, Doreen, in the woman’s home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a handful of Hollywood’s most elite actors at the manor. Despite her resentment of the demands being placed upon her, she can’t help but be taken in by actor Will Walker.

Will, in a last-ditch effort to save his career, has agreed to a project he has no interest in. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to Carrie. Long nights spent talking about the paths their lives have taken make him realize he’d rather have a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. aren’t as willing to let him go.

With the temptation of stardom pulling Will in one direction and the need to care for Doreen tugging Carrie in another, the couple struggle to hold onto the happiness they were missing until finding each other.

EXCERPT:
“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.

Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”

“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”

“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she looked at the menu. She glanced at the clock again. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”

“This is a lot for one person to handle.”

“I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

“Carrie.” He coaxed gently.

Turning from the menu, she seemed to plea with her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Will?”

“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”

“How the hell do you think I’m doing?”

He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes. “Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”

“Falling apart is not an option right now.”

“Well, burying it isn’t either.”

Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back, putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink to fill with water.

Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What I’m thinking?” she asked. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”

“The disease—”

“I know,” she said turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”

He saw fresh tears shimmering in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer where she’d hidden the knobs for the stove to prevent Mama from turning on the heat.

She tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, Carrie slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that,” she said as the tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks.

“Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her causing her shoulders to shake and he soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.

BUY LINK

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

This week is dedicated to comfort food, specifically Southern comfort food. Our meal is tasty and easy because it’s a one pot event.

Chicken & Dumplings
Tossed Salad
White Wine – Riesling

Chicken & Dumplings
1 qt chicken stock - my favorite brand is Kitchen Basics*
2 carrots scraped and diced
Pepper to taste
1 lb cooked chicken breasts and/or thighs skinned and boned**
1 tbsp. cold water
2 tsp. corn starch
Dried parsley for garnish

Chicken
Pour the stock in a 5 quart saucepan. You need that size so the dumplings cook properly and you have leftovers to freeze. Add the carrots and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Tear the meat into bite size pieces. Add to the pan.

Combine water and cornstarch, then stir into the saucepan.

*Kitchen Basics is made by McCormick. KB stocks are made from real chicken or beef which makes your dish more savory. And most important - they are not “flavored” as are so many other brands. KB stocks also tend to be the lowest priced on the shelf.

**It’s no problem if you don’t have cooked chicken on hand. Simply place your fresh or thawed chicken pieces in the same pot you’ll use for the meal with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool before you tear it. Pour the cooking water into a bowl to cool. Skim off as much fat as possible then pour into containers and freeze for future use when you boil potatoes or heat vegetables.

Dumplings
2 cups Bisquick®
2/3 cup milk

Combine Bisquick® and milk in a bowl. Mix until a soft dough forms.

Return chicken and stock to a boil. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto the stock.

Reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover the stock and cook another 10 minutes.

To serve: Ladle into large soup bowls then sprinkle with dried parsley for color.

Leftovers freeze beautifully for up to 2 months.

Tossed Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces, red leaf and head are excellent choices
Tomatoes chopped
Cucumber peeled and sliced
Zucchini diced
Green Onions sliced, be sure to add some of the green
Mushrooms sliced
Black Olive

Combine everything, or any grouping you like, in a bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Toss with your favorite dressing.

I'll be back Monday with Marci Boudreaux. Until then...

Happy Eating!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

BE AN OUTSTANDING AUTHOR!

by Sharon Ledwith

There’s so much for an author to do nowadays. Writing, rewriting, polishing, promotion, marketing, social networking—the list goes on. So much to do and not enough time, it seems. So how can an author in today’s publishing market survive? The answer is simple—be outstanding.

However, this process, like any great work, requires time, perseverance, patience, and practice.

As a writer, you need to develop the constant urge to innovate. Understand what the best writers and exemplars in your chosen field do well and figure out why, then mix, match, and reconstruct these elements into something new and better.

Another great piece of advice is to stay diligent in the one field of writing you’re trying to master. Focus on that one specific point on your map or plan, and go for it. Make it your single quest and saturate yourself in it. Become like an alchemist and dilute these desires to fill the gap.

The trick is not to compare yourself with other writers in your field who have had success. Go beyond that and work toward being so good you can’t be ignored. Remember, success leaves clues. Search for them through books, manuals, audio and video programs, college or university classes, online course, seminars, and workshops. Then implement, take your place on the author’s stage, and shine.

If you haven’t already checked out my young adult time travel read, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, here’s the blurb…

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

To read an excerpt of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, please click HERE.

Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon Link
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers, available through Musa Publishing. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

It's Wednesday. So, What's Cooking?

How about a tasty plate of Pasticcio accompanied by a tossed salad and topped off with a glass of dry red wine?


This is one of our favorite dishes to prepare and eat. This recipe easily serves 4 and the leftovers are amazing out of the microwave or oven.

Pasticcio
Tossed Salad
Italian Bread
Red Wine – Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon



Pasticcio
The Sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion sliced thin
1 red pepper cleaned and chopped
2 garlic gloves chopped
5 ½ cups ground chuck
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
½ cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped or 1 tbsp. dried
2 tbsp. anchovy paste Reese is my preferred brand
Fresh ground pepper to taste

The Pasta
2 cups dried fusilli
1 tbsp. olive oil plus extra for brushing
¼ cup heavy cream

The Topping
2 ½ cups natural yogurt
5 eggs
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

The Sauce
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the red pepper and onion until soft, but do not let them brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 45 seconds. Add the meat and cook, stirring often, until browned.

Mix in the tomatoes and wine. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the parsley, anchovy, and black pepper.

The sauce can be prepared early in the day, then held to the side until you’re ready to assemble the pasticcio. If the wait is longer than a few hours be sure to refrigerate the sauce to preserve it.

The Pasta
Bring a medium size saucepan to a hard boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until almost tender. Start timing when the water returns to a boil. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the cream.

The Topping
Use a wooden spoon to beat the yogurt, eggs, and nutmeg together in a medium size mixing bowl.

The Assembly
Brush an ovenproof dish with olive oil. Spoon in half the pasta and cover it with half the meat sauce. Repeat with remaining pasta and sauce.

Spread on the topping and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

To serve: Cut the pasticcio into medium size portions, but only enough for the present meal. Use a spatula to lay the slice onto a dinner plate.

I'll be back Monday with awesome middle grade author Sharon Ledwith. Until then...

Mangiare Bene!

Sloane
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Cupid Only Rings Twice

But The Love Demon Rings Once Too!

By Sam Cheever

I’ll bet you never knew there was such a thing as love demons did you? Who did you think the unscrupulous people, the cads, the womanizers used to get fresh victims for their unwelcome advances? That’s right, love demons. What exactly is the difference between a love demon and a cupid you ask? Well, let’s see, I’m pretty sure my fun and sexy book, Cupid Only Rings Twice covered that. Yup, here it is:

Love Demon was directly across the street from Delivery by Cupid. The two businesses advertised basically the same services, but definitely didn’t go about things the same way. Delivery by Cupid truly believed in helping lovers enhance their love experience. The cupid-run business focused all of its considerable efforts on building a loving bond between two people.

By contrast, as the name implied, Love Demon was run by demons and any type of sexual or emotional interaction sufficed for them. They didn’t discern between hook ups and lifetime love, which made them at once the perfect complement to their competition across the street…and a huge thorn in the cupids’ sides.

What the description above doesn’t tell you, is that Zach, the head demon at Love Demon, was also not bothered by scruples. If he had to resort to devious (and ridiculously unethical) means to get the job done, he did it without qualms. Which was why Damios, our sexy Greek hero in the story, is so upset about his client threatening to go to Zach with his ugly little job. Damios is already falling for the lovely Rori and doesn’t want her tricked and humiliated. What exactly is Zach planning to do, you ask? Well, let’s see, I think I can find the part where it explains…ah yes, here we go:

The room thickened with magic. Papers flew off Damios’s desk and swirled in the power-drenched air. The shades on the windows swayed in it, banging against the wood frame as the energy built.

The outer office door opened and Melody from the front desk came in, closing the door firmly behind her. Melody was one of Aphrodite’s granddaughters and had more power in her little pinkie than either man would ever have. “Stop it you two! You’re sucking all the love out of the air and people are starting to squabble. I just had a client tell me my dress was ugly!”

Melody was more beautiful than the sun and the moon, and had vanity to match. She was used to being told how incredible and perfect she was. Nothing put her in a black mood faster than being criticized.

Damios took a deep breath and forced himself to back down. He threw Melody a sheepish look. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Zach stared at Damios for a moment, his dark blue gaze filled with speculation. Then he inclined his head and turned toward the door. “You’ve lost the client. He hired me this morning. I’m gonna make the pretty girl cry.”

Damios clenched his fists again, but Melody arched a single mahogany eyebrow at him and he bit the rage back. “Rori isn’t going to fall for a bunch of meaningless, pretty words, Demon. She’s too smart and careful for that.”

Zach stepped around Melody and opened the door. When he glanced back his grin was filled with mischief. “You must think I’m stupid, Cupid.” He chuckled. “That’s why I’m gonna put a little extra somethin’ somethin’ on the love note.” He grinned at Melody. “The client’s an idiot, darling. That dress is stunning. But then, you could make an oil-stained newspaper look like Versace, couldn’t you?”

Melody’s mood brightened immediately. She didn’t even notice that Damios vibrated with anger as she followed Zach out of the room.

Damios dropped into his chair, his heart pounding with concern. If the demon used magic against Rori, she wouldn’t have a chance. She’d read the love note, cry, and the ass who’d fired him would get a notch in his belt at her expense.

Or worse, what if Zach’s spell impelled her to sleep with the guy?

Ugly huh? But don’t worry, Damios is determined to stop Zach from humiliating the lovely Rori. Unfortunately, he’s almost certainly going to make her hate him in the process because of his part in the whole mess. Yeah, it’s a tricky business, this love match stuff, which is why only a cupid should attempt it.

Now let me leave you with this final warning, if a love demon ever sends a smile your way, try to ignore the extremely gorgeous and sexy exterior (I’m serious, close your eyes if you have to!) and kick his perfect butt to the curb. No good ever comes from letting those bad boys into your life.

This Valentine’s Day, Rori’s gonna meet an honest to god Cupid. And he’ll use more than arrows to win her love.

Rori Foster is too beautiful to find love. Men just can’t seem to look past her exterior to recognize the human being inside. But, this Valentine’s Day, Rori’s gonna meet an honest to god Cupid. And he’ll use more than arrows to win her love.

Unfortunately he’ll have to save her from the bad intentions of a cocky Love Demon first. But Damios is determined to protect her. Even if he loses her in the process.

Bitten by Paranormal Romance
gives Cupid a 4 – A Pack Howl!

"This is a delightful and sexy story of competition not only in the office, but between a cupid and a demon."

Buy from Musa Buy from Amazon.com Amazon UK Amazon CA Buy from B&N Buy from ARe