Sweets for the Sweet

from Dominique Eastwick

Candied Cranberries

2 cups sugar, divided into 1½ cups and ½ cup
½ cup of water
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
thinly sliced oranges, optional

Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. For those of you who mix your drinks this is simple syrup for those of you from the south this is the Sweet in your tea :)

Remove from heat. Let the cranberries/fruit soak. I have heard some people soak the berries for a couple of minutes, other a few hours. I prefer a few hours. Just stir occasionally.

Working in batches, roll cranberries in remaining sugar until well coated. Allow the berries to dry on rack for at least 1 hour.

Use how the mood fits. Give as a gift, top a cake as we did above, or put on the table for a friendly gathering as a munchy.

The Twins are Back

Sometimes one infiltrator isn’t enough. When a long lost Tao pack member is located in Europe, D and 7 accept the challenge to rescue the missing wolf. But sometimes, it takes crossing thousands of miles to find what your soul most desires.

Natalia remembers nothing of her life before being enslaved in a traveling circus. When tall, dark and mysterious strangers show up to help her escape, she feels a connection she’s never experienced before. Should she trust her heart to follow them, or will it land her in another case of captivity.

Danger may be in the blood of infiltrators, but what will D do when his soul mate is the one threatened? And how will two twins, who have shared everything, deal with a female who comes between them?


EXCERPT
Natalia awoke alone and without a blanket to find D closing the gate.

“Sorry, they have just awoken above us. I didn’t think it would bode well for me to be there with you. At least not until we can get that blasted collar off you.”

Well-rested and colder than she had ever been after a night of warmth, she felt the chill more acutely. She also had a sense of loneliness accompanying his retreat. “Why do I desire to touch you when all other men make me want to hit them?”

“We don’t have enough time right now to go into a conversation you will have a ton of questions about, but I promise if we haven’t figured out how to get you to safety by this evening, as we sit here in this cage again, I will tell you anything you want to know.”

“And if we get out of here? What then?”

“I will sit in a safe, warm room and tell you anything you want to know.” He indicated the small brown bag beside her. “Eat quickly before they come. Don’t eat or drink anything they give you. I will return for you later.”

“Where will you be?”

“Within hearing distance.” He reached through the cage and cupped her cheek. “I will never be far, even if you can’t see me.”

“I can sense you, why?”

“Because, we are mates.” He put a finger to her lips. “No time.”

He shifted and gave her one last long glance before he left seconds before the cover was pulled off and sun flooded in. She wanted to asked what the hell he’d meant by mate? Needed to know why they seemed connected.

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Award-Winning author Dominique Eastwick currently calls North Carolina home with her husband, two children, one crazy lab and one lazy cat. Dominique spent much of her early life moving from state to state as a Navy Brat. Because of that, traveling is one of her favorite pasttimes. When not writing you can find Dominique with her second love…her camera.

Learn more about Dominique Eastwick on her website, blog, and Amazon author page. Be sure to join her Newsletter for up to the minute info on new releases, contests, and more.

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Feel the Rhythm of the Wolf

I'm excited to share with you AMAZON, Book One in The Ushers series, a hot, new release from VANESSA NORTH.

Jack's routine investigation of rogue wolf sightings threatens to uncover both Bianca's secrets and her passionate nature. Can she trust him enough to make the sacrifice her destiny demands?

BLURB:
Born albino, Bianca was spared death in infancy when her mother found safe haven among the ghosts and misfits of Amazon Pack. As Guardian of Amazon, she protects the hidden pack with a ferocity that belies her delicate appearance.

Jack’s routine investigation of rogue wolf sightings in his territory uncovers both Bianca’s secrets and her passionate nature. He finds her alluring and terrifying: he’s convinced she’s his mate, but is she also the Usher--key to their culture’s most sacred prophecies?

The Usher’s destiny requires a sacrifice to repair a rift in wolf culture and set the Goddess free. Can Jack and Bianca trust each other enough to pay that price?

EXCERPT:
Bianca pulled her v-neck t-shirt over her head, shucking off her shoes and jeans. Jack immediately started shedding his clothes as well. Growing up among wolves, he’d never really given much thought to nudity. Their bodies grew in size as they shifted, so he was accustomed to stripping down before a run in order to preserve his wardrobe.

He glanced over at the Albina as she shook her hair out. Standing in the moonlight, she was stunning. He saw her delicate pink nipples were still hard and aroused from his kiss. The curls of hair on her mound were as fair as her hair, and he saw the delicate pink folds glistening, swollen with arousal, peeking through the white curls. Her beauty was astounding.

He saw marks on her skin, leaned closer to examine them. Tattoos, he realized. All wolves were tattooed after their first shift. Most of them were tattooed in black ink with colors for emphasis, but several of hers were done in white. As befits Albina, he thought as he admired the elegant symbols. Her entire back was covered, here and there a shadow in grey? or a bit of color drawing attention to some of the more consequential tattoos. Clearly, she was a powerful Guardian for her pack--she’d not have been tattooed so many times without having achieved her place of power by virtue of her skills.

As she turned to fold her discarded clothes, he could see some scars on her body, remnants of fights won. The tattoos glimmered in the dark, beckoning him to trace them with his fingers, his tongue. He groaned, and she looked over her shoulder at him with a smile.

“Kathy has changed already, are you ready?” she asked, turning to stare at his body in the moonlight. Hard and muscled everywhere, his upper body hairy and tattooed all over. She looked at his signs and symbols of strength and honor, a visual representation of his place in his pack. They confirmed that he was a fit mate for her--his beautiful body bore scars of fights clearly dominated, and the tattoos that marked him as a leader curled around them.

She smiled, her gaze lingering at the proof of his arousal, standing proudly from the bed of black curls at the top of his legs. She blushed slightly as she realized he had followed her gaze. He grinned back at her with a wink as he sank to his knees.

She had seen many wolves shift before. However, she found herself curiously watching him, to see if her mate--there was no longer a doubt in her mind that he was indeed her mate—would seem different from those others.

It was sensual, witnessing his change--his body shook and he turned his head with a loud cracking noise. He owned his change like only a powerful wolf could--it was masterful, graceful almost, as his black fur grew over his body. Then he sat, watching her, a huge black wolf with golden-brown eyes. He was resplendent. She knelt next to him, still in her human form, and caressed between his ears. His fur was soft and his eyes kind. He closed them and rolled his head into her hand like a dog seeking a touch from his mistress. His essential masculine scent still surrounded him in his animal form, and as she stroked his head, he snorted and his tongue lolled out between sharp lethal teeth to lap at her hand. She loved the feel of his fur between her fingers, and he clearly enjoyed her attentions. But then he shook his head, took a couple of steps towards the woods and whined back at her. If they were mated, they’d be able to read each other’s thoughts, as pack-mates could, and even more than that, they’d be able to share their feelings through their mate bond. But even without that bond, she could sense his eagerness to run.

She grinned and let loose her wolf, feeling the change work over her, bringing forward the animal, tucking the woman away inside.

BUY LINK

Vanessa North was born in New England but moved to the South as a teenager, where she learned to appreciate biscuits and gravy, bluegrass, and that most welcome of greetings: “Hey y’all!”

She has a degree in Mass Communication, but has long since abandoned journalism in favor of writing romance. Instead of telling the news, V would rather tell stories. Vanessa has a voracious appetite for books and loves all kinds. She writes obsessively: every day brings new ideas and stories to tell. When she’s not buried in a book—hers or someone else’s—you can find her taking thousands of photographs of the people she loves.

She lives in Northwest Georgia with her handsome husband, not-quite-civilized twin boy-children, and a pack of dogs.

Learn more about Vanessa North on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
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