Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Kerry Mand, Musa Publishing Financial Director, has swapped her desk for the stove to share her delicious recipe for enchiladas.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
4 medium chicken breasts
1 box chicken broth
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 can green chile enchilada sauce
1 small can diced green chiles
¾ cup sour cream
½ tsp. ground cumin
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Cooking spray
1 pound pepper jack cheese shredded
10 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pour the chicken stock into a medium saucepan. Add chicken. Top off with tap water to cover. Bring to a boil. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Allow chicken to cool uncovered in stock.

Shred chicken into a large bowl. Add ½ cup enchilada sauce, small handful of cheese, half the diced chiles, sour cream, cumin, and cilantro. Combine well.

Coat a 13x9 glass casserole dish with cooking spray.

Lay ¼ cup or so of mixture onto one end of a tortilla, then roll-up. Place in casserole rolled end down. Continue until you have filled all the tortillas.

Evenly pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas. Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese across the top and bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with a side of sour cream.

Salud!

Kerry

Monday, April 28, 2014

A New Look for Eva Scott

Australia has produced some fine writers. One of them is Eva Scott who is here today with her two latest release. So without further delay take a gander at these gorgeous covers and read a little about these wonderful contemporary romance books!

Talia's marriage to Nick becomes her ultimate renovation project.

Nick and Talia Carmichael were childhood sweethearts. Grief over the death of their baby daughter from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome crushed their marriage. Talia moved to a new city, with a new career and life. Now it’s time to close the door on the past and ask Nick for a divorce.

Nick has other ideas. Once his wife, always his wife. He has no intention of letting Talia off so lightly and proposes terms and conditions to his agreement. It will mean moving back into their marital home, and force her to face long buried grief. Can she do as he asks?

Being with Nick causes her to question everything she thought was true. Has she made a mistake thinking her love for Nick is dead? Can he still love her? More importantly, can he again trust after everything they’ve been through?

To read an excerpt from The Marriage Makeover please click here.

Not only flowers bloom...
Dr Camden James is a rural vet, not a wedding planner, so he quickly feels out of his depth when, in a fit of generosity, he offers to glam up his sister's budget wedding in a secret move designed to surprise her. With only six weeks to make this the wedding of his sister's dreams he needs to move fast.
Stumbling around in the largely female world of weddings he gets a lead on the go-to girl for wedding flowers - Georgiana Mac Intyre. Georgi, reeling from a very public breakup, is not interested in men in anyway shape or form. Not even super-cute vets - even when they are clearly interested in her.
Cam shamelessly uses his story to get her to help. It has all the elements; romance against the odds, true love, orphans (you can't have good story without an orphan or two), and a bride.

To read an excerpt from The Reluctant Wedding Planner please click here.



Eva Scott lives on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland Australia with her fabulous husband and gorgeous little boy. When she's not writing romance, you can find her on the water kayaking, fishing or swimming. When on dry land its all about the shoes and the coffee.

Learn more about Eva Scott on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

TEASE YOUR TASTEBUDS

Baked salmon steaks are a delightful treat and not outrageously expensive. Tease your taste buds with this combination of sweet and spicy. Add your favorite green vegetable, rice, and a cool white wine like Pinot Grigio for a delicious and quick dinner.

Salmon Steaks
3 salmon filets no more than 1 inch thick
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Splash white wine
2 tbsp. butter
3 green onions sliced

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Pam aluminum foil and lay the piece on a cookie sheet. Place the fish on the foil.

Combine sugar, mustard, and wine in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Spread the blend evenly over the salmon to cover it. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes.

Turn the oven to broil. Move the fish to 4 inches from the heat. Broil for 2 minutes or until golden.

While the salmon is baking prepare the green onion topping. Melt the butter in a small frying pan. (Add a tablespoon of pine nuts for extra crunch.) Add the onion and sauté until the onion is soft and lightly colored. Set aside.

Add a dollop of green onions to the top of each salmon steak and serve.

I'll be back next Monday. Until then...

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Monday, April 21, 2014

SIZZLING SAM CHEEVER

is visiting with her just released erotic romance The Biggest Poser! This sexy contemporary is the ideal read when you're with that special someone.

May the biggest liar win. Or die trying!

Personal trainer for the ever popular, Lose it! reality show, Jillie Maxwell is up for the most important award of her career. And she’s competing against the biggest b-eye-itch she’s ever met. Fortunately for her, she has the sexiest man alive in her corner. Problem is, each and every one of them has a dirty little secret that could tank a career.

For the contestants, the race is on to lose the most weight and win everything. For the staff of the popular weight loss show, the clock is ticking to the culmination of their lies and the possibility of losing it all.

Will the Biggest Poser win? Or will the lies just grow and grow until they sink the whole show? Only one thing is certain. Whatever happens, it’s gonna be an entertaining ride!

EXCERPT:
He was so close she could smell the clean musk scent of his aftershave and feel the moist heat of his breath. His muscular thigh flexed against her leg as he leaned in to cut a bite of asparagus.

As he lifted it to her lips, his gaze fixed on her mouth. His tongue swept over his bottom lip as if anticipating her taste. Jillie’s body tightened with need and her mouth quivered in anticipation of kissing him.

She took the spear of green off the end of the fork, sliding her tongue over her lips to get every ounce of its flavor.

The asparagus was perfect. Slightly crisp and tart with balsamic vinegar.

Brandt watched her chew and licked his lips. “I love balsamic. Let me try.”

She expected him to cut himself another bite, but instead he leaned close and slid his tongue over her slightly parted lips.

“Mmm. Delicious. I need to try the steak too.”

He cut another sliver of meat and doused it liberally with the rich sauce. As he placed it on her tongue, she drew it in, curling her tongue slowly around it, before chewing.

Brandt lowered his head and took her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking gently. He moaned. “Incredible. The sauce is exquisite. What’s your secret ingredient?”

She closed the distance between them and nibbled on his full lower lip. “There’s a reason they call it a secret ingredient.”

He slid his hand up her bare arm, over her shoulder, and wrapped it lightly around her throat, tipping her chin so he could trail kisses along the place where her blood pulsed with growing excitement. “I bet I can get it out of you.” His voice had deepened and grown husky with lust.

The sound of it abraded her overcharged nerves, making her shiver. “Just as long as you know I’m holding out as long as I can.”

He sucked an earlobe into his mouth and gently bit down. “As you know, I love a challenge.”

She gasped. When her nipples peaked hard against the soft cotton of her thigh-length T-shirt, Jillie figured he had to be able to feel them against his arm. She pressed closer, driving the painfully hard peaks into his muscular flesh. “Are you hungry?”

His lips feathered along her jaw line and lifted, stopping a mere breath away from her lips. “Starving.” Then he lowered them and claimed her mouth in an aggressive, hungry kiss.

Jillie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in, draping her legs across his lap and allowing him to pull her onto the tiny chair with him. His arms enveloped her, holding her close enough to feel every hard, sexy line of his long body.

She pulled away after a moment and reached for her wine, needing to give herself a moment to cool down or she was going to lay him out in the thick grass and have her way with him right there.

She took a sip as he skimmed his hands along her bare legs, fighting the urge to spread her knees and let him in. They could so easily be discovered in that very public spot. She sipped her wine and placed it against his lips, tipping it for him to drink.

When she pulled away, a drop of wine trickled down his stubbled chin. She leaned in and swept it away with her tongue.

Brandt groaned. “I think I’ve turned permanently blue in some of my favorite parts.”

BUY LINK

Sam Cheever's published work includes 50+ books of romantic suspense and fantasy/paranormal. Her books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy and The Swirl (interracial romance) Award. They've been nominated for and/or won several CAPAs, have been nominated multiple years for “Best of” with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and have won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. Sam is published with Musa Publishing, Changeling Press; and Ellora’s Cave. She also publishes as Declan Sands, writing m/m fiction, and under her own imprint, Electric Prose Publications.

In real life, Sam lives in a cabin in the woods with 13 dogs and one husband. A self-proclaimed dog-aholic, Sam insists she's holding at 13...maybe...

Learn more about Sam Cheever on her website and blog Eclectic Insights. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. You can also find Sam on Goodreads, her Amazon Author Page, and About. Me.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Sinfully Delicious

from Sharon Ledwith

Make any day special with my dynamite dessert Legend(dairy) Chocolate-Banana Split Dream. Here's how the ymness came to be. In my book, Legend of the Timekeepers—the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series—my adolescent characters Lilith, her BFF She-Aba, and an annoying goat-herder named Tau are transported from the Black Land through the seventh Arch of Atlantis, and travel back in time to Atlantis one hundred years before its final destruction. There, Tau finds that he has an insatiable taste for a strange, long yellow fruit he’s never seen before. Fortunately for us, this long yellow fruit—a.k.a. bananas—are readily available at our local markets, and used in some wicked-awesome recipes. The following recipe is easy to make, and is a great pick for families to create together on those cool or rainy weekend afternoons or family celebrations:


Legend(dairy) Chocolate-Banana Split Dream
30 Oreo Cookies (or generic brand), finely crushed (about 2¼ cups)
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (250 g) your favorite brand of Cream Cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp. cold milk
3 cups thawed your favorite brand of whipped topping, divided
4 bananas, sliced
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) of your favorite brand chocolate instant pudding
3¼ cups cold milk
1 third cup maraschino cherries, halved
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup

MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and 2 tbsp. milk in medium bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping; spread over crust. Top with bananas.

Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk for two minutes; spread over bananas. Let stand five minutes or until thickened; cover with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate four hours.

Top with cherries, nuts, and syrup just before serving.

Did I forget to mention that this fantastic dessert serves twenty-four of your closest friends? That’s a good thing, seeing as Tau has a big family! Now, while you’re waiting for this dessert to set, why not partake in an afternoon of cozying up on the couch with a good book?

There is no moving forward without first going back.

Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.

Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.

To read an excerpt from Legend of the Timekeepers please click here.

Legend of the Timekeepers Buy Links:

Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, available through Musa Publishing, and is represented by Walden House (Books & Stuff) for her teen psychic series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.

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

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

FAST and EASY

This week's dinner is delicious and a breeze to prepare. The perfect meal for busy schedules. Please join me for Seared Tilapia and Baked Potatoes.


Add tossed salad and crisp white wine like a Riesling for a wonderful meal you and your family will want to repeat.

Baked Potatoes
1 Idaho potato per person
olive oil
butter
sour cream
fresh chopped chives
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Rinse potatoes in cool water then wipe dry. Stab each potato in 6 or 7 different locations to allow steam to escape and stop the vegetable from exploding.

Coat the potatoes with a small amount of oil. Set them on a cookie sheet you’ve covered with aluminum foil.

Roast in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick may be easily inserted in the potato.

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

Seared Tilapia
¼ cup flour
3 tilapia filets or any mild white fish
4 tbsp. butter
1 lime, ends trimmed and sliced into thin circles
1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

Pour flour into a paper or plastic bag. Add one filet and gently shake the bag to coat fish. Shake to remove excess flour and set filet on a plate. Do the same with the next fillet skillet.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium – large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lime to skillet. Cook until lime is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Push limes to the side.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the fish. Fry until the tilapia flakes easily, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Add the remaining butter and capers. Remove skillet from the heat and tilt the pan to swirl the butter until it melts.

Transfer the fish and limes to individual plates. Spoon the caper and butter sauce over the top.

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

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Monday, April 07, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS, VIKI LYN

Multi-published and multi-genre author and good friend Viki Lyn is visiting with hew new erotic contemporary romance novel Formula for Love. This book just released last Friday. I guarantee Formula for Love will be a bestseller. See for yourself.

Kenneth believes everything—even love—can be solved logically, until he meets a flower child who challenges him at every turn.

Kenneth Hailey, an uptight conservative mathematician, believes he's in control. After all, every problem can be solved in a deliberate and logical manner. Even love. When his fiancée dumps him for his best friend, he leaves Manhattan for the West Coast. What better place to forget his past. It's 1967, and San Francisco is the place to turn on, tune in, and drop out.

But is he ready for Rose Red?

Rose Red, a free-spirited flower child, challenges Kenneth, thrusting him into her world of love-ins, protest rallies, and rock concerts. Kenneth finds himself falling down a rabbit hole, hanging on for dear life.

Old habits die hard, and he retreats, but Rose Red has other plans for him.

EXCERPT:
Rose patted his hand. “Forget it. You already said too much. You think girls don’t have the brains for math. We’re too emotional for such discipline. So do you want to sleep with me?”

Kenneth choked, and a spray of coffee spurted across the table, barely missing Rose. He wiped up the mess with his napkin, while muttering an apology. “I might be behind the times, but I like to be the one to invite the girl to bed.”

“If I waited for you to make the first move we’d never get past first base.”

“There’s the unwritten teacher-student rule.”

“You said our paths would never cross, so why worry about it? Do you always follow the rules? We can bend them a little. I’m not talking about a relationship here.”

“You’re talking about loving the one you’re with.” He smiled at himself for using her phrase. The sunlight broke through the window and Rose’s hair shone a burnished copper. Luscious, silky hair he’d like to touch again. “What do you mean by bend?”

“We can sleep together, and since we’re not looking for love, and we’re not each other’s type, and don’t want to—”

“—form any attachments.”

Rose sat back and crossed her arms. “Are you going to let me finish my sentence?”

Kenneth sank in his chair, uncomfortable with the conversation, but riveted.

“Yes, since we don’t want any attachments,” she continued, “it would be ideal. What do you say?”

He scratched his chin. “So I’m going to love the one I’m with after all? I don’t know.”

Rose waved off Kenneth’s worried expression. “Sex can be fantastic, and I’m horny, been without it—”

“—for a day?”

BUY LINK

What inspires Viki is the reality that romance between lovers is a hope more than a guarantee. Her stories are an eclectic mix of contemporary and paranormal, but it is always romance that drives the story to its final happily-ever-after.

Learn more about Viki Lyn on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Check out her bookshelf and be sure to Join Viki’s Street Team!

Viki is also an award winning author of male/male paranormal and contemporary romances. You can find all of her books at the following sites: Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and GLBT Bookshelf.