Friday Recipes: Summer Sweetness

From Nine Naughty Novelist Erin Nicholas

My upcoming release, Just For Fun, definitely features some food. No surprise, as food is one of my favorite things. In the book, Morgan, our heroine, is a high-class, gourmet food type of girl. Now. But she grew up just like I did in a middle class home, with a working mom where we had typical family meals of lasagna (which was good), meatloaf (which wasn’t so good) and tuna casserole (which was, surprisingly, awesome). Morgan gets back to her roots when she meets Dooley (Doug) and his friends and family. In fact, the first time she meets his dad and best friend they make her chicken enchiladas. She brings over tuna casserole, the whole gang of friends shows up for lasagna one night… you get the idea.

But rather than give you any of those recipes, I decided to share one that’s a little... more fun! *G* Dooley and Morgan have a good time with a hot fudge sundae one night and while there are some fantastic hot fudge sauces out there (and really, how bad can hot fudge sauce possibly be?) my favorite was the homemade hot fudge sauce my grandma made. Now, I’m not sure how grandma would feel having her recipe linked to a fun, sexy, slightly naughty romance novel, but I’m sure she’d love to know that I was passing it around.
So here is my grandmother’s homemade hot fudge sauce (and thanks to my cousin for digging it out of her recipe box for me… I haven’t made it in a long time but now I’m not going to be able to resist!) Enjoy! :)

Heavenly Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ c. butter or margarine
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 3 cups sugar
• ½ tsp salt 1 c. evaporated milk

Directions

1. Melt butter and chocolate together slowly over medium-low heat or over a double boiler.
2. Once melted, add sugar and salt.
3. Stir well.
4. Add milk Stir and cook over medium-low to medium heat until all the sugar is well dissolved.
5. Serve hot over ice cream Store in a quart jar in the refrigerator.
                                                                                             

Just for Fun

The Bradfords, Book 4

There’s having fun… and then there’s falling in love.

It was a chance meeting, a spontaneous, hot moment, a never-to-be-repeated encounter. So when the gorgeous redhead he knows only as Sugar walks into the bar and heads straight for him, Doug "Dooley" Miller knows he’s in trouble. But he’s sure not going to mind.

She needs a date to some swanky something-or-other. He’s a fish-sticks-and-denim guy, but for a woman who's not afraid to get naughty in an elevator, he can stand a couple days of smoked salmon and Armani. 

Morgan James admits she doesn’t really know Doug, but she needs him to keep her mind—and hands—off her ex. A man who, despite the fact he stole her ideas, she's afraid could charm her into repeating her mistakes. Only Doug can make her forget the weasel exists. Besides, it's just this one time.

What started as not even a one-night stand has Dooley feeling things that he’s never felt before.  And that’s outside of the bedroom.  Don’t even get him started on what’s happening between the sheets.  Why does he have a feeling that, as far as flings go, they’re doing something wrong?  Then again, if they’re falling in love, they might just be getting that right.

Warning: Contains a woman who knows what she wants, a man who knows what he doesn’t want, and a proposition that shows them both that they’ve never really wanted anything like this before.

You can pre-order Just For Fun here!

From guest author Jaycee Clark

Easy No Bake, Peanut Butter Pie 

 Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 
• 1 cup peanut butter 
• 1 cup milk  
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed  
• 2 (9 inch) prepared Oreo pie crust. 

*The prepared chocolate pie crusts are best, though graham cracker pie crusts would work as well. 

Directions

1. Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
2. Spoon into two 9 inch pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm--this usually is a couple of hours of freezer time.
3. Garnish with chocolate chips, shaved chocolate, crushed butterfinger candies, oreos, or whatever you choose to toss on top. :)

Deadly Shadows

Shadows whisper and the words are deadly . . . 

A small, friendly Colorado town, nestled in the breathtaking Rockies, cloaks a malevolence, an evil that stalks women. Jesslyn Black, a writer, is content living her now-single, childless life. If she keeps to herself, she can’t get hurt. Haunted by the past, Jesslyn never again wants to experience the soul-shredding pain of losing loved ones.

 But a murder changes that.

Aiden Kinncaid is running from his own secret loss. As the CEO of Kinncaid Enterprises, he travels to this remote Colorado resort town to oversee the opening of the new Highland Hotel. Though he’s not interested in any kind of relationship, he finds himself drawn to this temperamental, brown-eyed beauty. And her rough-edged attitude is a challenge to him. But whether or not either sought a relationship—they’ve found one. Aiden wants to protect Jesslyn even if she claims she can take care of herself, and she finds she can’t stop thinking about Aiden, even when he annoys her. Will they get their second chance at love and life before the killer eliminates one problem he doesn’t need?

http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Shadows-Kinncaid-Brothers-ebook/dp/B005EJALBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342139401&sr=8-1&keywords=deadly+shadows


About the Author 

Jaycee Clark has always loved reading and writing. Even at an early age, she penned stories and poems. Now she taps on a keyboard whenever she gets the chance creating villains with heroes and heroines to beat them. She traded her imaginary playmates for entire families that only exist within her mind until the keyboard brings them to life. You can learn more about Jaycee by visiting her website at www.jayceeclark.com where you can join her on twitter, facebook, and other social networks. Jaycee loves to hear from readers and you can email her at jaycee@jayceeclark.com.

Thursday 13: On the boob toob

What's better than relaxing after a day of work and sipping wine? Doing it while catching up on your favorite TV episodes! As storytellers, we love nothing better than to get lost in some other world, whether on paper or the small screen. Here are some of the shows we can't get enough of! 

P.S. Can you guess who our big TV watchers are?

1. Firefly (Kinsey Holley, publicly professed member of the Joss Whedon FanCult)
2. The Mentalist (PG Forte)
3. Anything on the USA Network! Specifically Common Law, Royal Pains, and Psych. And I love Necessary Roughness. (Erin Nicholas) ***And here I would've thought Kelly or Juniper would pick a show called "Necessary Roughness" --Skylar***
4. Two and a Half Men: The writing is so smart and hilarious (Kelly Jamieson)
5. Justified: Timothy Olyphant. Frequently shirtless. Frequently in bed. What more can you ask for? (Meg Benjamin, Kelly Jamieson)
6.  Castle (Kate Davies)
7.  Breaking Bad: I'm currently on the second season! (Sydney Somers)
8. Food Network Star: I've developed an insane addiction, which is weird because I almost never watch competition shows (PG Forte)
9. Hawaii 5-O (Kate Davies)
10. Dr. Who: Start with the 2005 season and be prepared to fall in love with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. *swoon* (Skylar Kade)
11. Warehouse 13 (PG Forte)
12. Buffy: Funny, sad, and oh so addictive. Another gold star for Joss Whedon! (Kinsey Holley and Skylar Kade)
13. Covert Affairs, Fairly Legal, and Burn Notice. More USA Network! (Erin Nicholas) 

 

I've Never Been To Comic-Con, But...

A few weeks ago I went to San Diego for an educational conference. As luck would have it, the conference was held at the same convention center which would host the granddaddy of all pop culture conventions this weekend, San Diego Comic-Con.

It wasn't Comic-Con, but I did get my picture taken with a Jedi...

Now, I've been to a few science fiction/fantasy conventions, but have never had the opportunity to go to Comic-Con. Sadly, that's still the case. My co-workers and I couldn't figure out a reasonable excuse for staying in town once the conference was over. And the district wasn't willing to pay for an extended visit, either. Sigh.

But I did learn a few things while in town that may be helpful for people who actually ARE going to Comic-Con this weekend, especially if it's for the first time.

1. The convention hall is COLD. I don't care how warm it is outside, you'll want to bring a sweater or jacket.

You could also take a break in the sunshine - there's plenty of space to hang out outside the center.

2. There's lots to do in San Diego outside of the actual convention. Get outside! Enjoy the town!   



Party at the "Float", Sunday afternoon at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Or walk the waterfront any day of the week!

3. Don't try to get to everything on your list. Any convention in a big space like that can be overwhelming, with multiple sessions occurring at the same time. And sometimes the events you want to attend are full before you can get from one end of the convention hall to the other.

Cut yourself some slack. Do what you can, have a back up plan if your first choice is unavailable, and be sure to have fun!



Halls that will be filled with fans tomorrow!

So if you're going, be sure to say hi to Nathan Fillion. And Wil Wheaton. And...

Dang, do you think I could convince the district to send me down there tomorrow? I think I forgot a pen in one of the meeting rooms...

Guest Blogger Tilly Greene - Shifting Preferences

Reading is a joy - I love wherever the adventure takes me and as a writer, I hope to do just that for a reader who picks up one of my books. I read a variety of genres, as well as an occasional non-fiction, although romances are my comfort reads. When shape shifters pushed forward into the erotic realm, I was thoroughly entertained both reading and eventually writing them, but something I discovered as a reader helped shape what I wrote.

What I found in many books was that when let’s say a pack of werewolves gathered in a clearing, ready to change, as in mythology and fairytales, romances followed the poof and characters shift with little fanfare from human to animal. There was no bone cracking, popping or snapping, although there were plenty of muscles bulging and sweat glistening on straining flesh. Oh yes, very hot, but when I read those first-to-me shifters, I wanted it all. I’d signed up for the full ride albeit without being grossed out and that is what I keep in mind when writing a shape shifter romance.

Actually, how I handle shifting differs from book to series. In my Mythological Messes Redux series, there is no shifting except for emotional growth. They are what they are - Cyclopes, Ipotane, Castor and Pollux or Hephaestus. Highland Heat is a different shifter tale altogether, not involving a traditional full body shift, but I do reveal some of his physical change without making it too horrific. The Come series, Come Back being the first book and my most recent release, is a full body shifter and the reader is with the heroine when she sees the change happen for the first time - here’s a small excerpt:

The first thing she tuned into was the sort of sharp cracking noises. It was like twigs were being snapped and broken, non-stop. She looked around and couldn’t see anyone except for Mikhail, and he personified pure horror. Speechless, Cassie couldn’t understand what was happening before all his clothes were shredded from his contorted body.
© Tilly Greene, 2012

As I see it, the reader is there for the road to happiness, bumps and all, and knowing the characters involved also means reading the good, bad and different along with a good dose of spicy sex.

With all that said, it’s your turn. No way is wrong, it’s all personal preference, but how do you like your shifters to switch bodies? Blood and pain, popping and twisting, or voila, they’ve changed? One random commenter will win an eBook of mine - your choice!

Thank you Nine Naughty Novelists for letting me visit with your wonderful readers!

Tilly Greene was born into the easy folds of a sleepy beach town and embraces the laid-back mindset she grew up with. Later, she settled into a polar opposite lifestyle from the one she’d been living by moving abroad to further her education. While traveling with her husband, she researches and writes erotica and erotic romance novels in a variety of genres and sub-genres. Every day she looks forward to writing about women who are independent and confident, the men who love them, and their twisting passionate path to each other.

Recent Shape Shifter Erotic Romance Release

Come Back

Recent BDSM Erotic Romance Releases

Good, Bad and Kinky

Missing in Paradise

Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
www.tillygreene.com

Do you like the way I smell?

“Do you like the way I smell?” I asked my husband. We were sitting there on the couch, me reading a magazine, him watching TV.

Apparently he’s used to my off-the-wall comments and questions because he didn’t bat an eyelash. “Of course,” he replied. (Clearly the right answer).

I asked him that because I was reading my June issue of Marie Claire and there was an article by E.J. Balloch (Scent of a Marriage). She talked about the breakdown of her ten year marriage to a man who was seemingly perfect - smart, a great father, a good friend. There were a number of things that took a toll on their relationship but one thing she mentions on top of fighting and resentment, was the fact that they couldn’t stand the smell of each other.

I thought that was very interesting.

She claimed neither of them had body odor problems. In fact, she thought he smelled too clean, like detergent and cologne. In turn, he disliked her smell, even wrinkling his nose at it.

Given that sex is a pretty important part of a marriage, and getting naked and up close with someone you don't like the smell of might not be appealing, this could definitely be a big problem in a marriage.

 

Now, I like the smell of my husband. In the morning, fresh out of the shower, I like the smell of his antiperspirant and body wash. But even later in the day when that’s faded somewhat, when I hug him I still like to press my nose against the side of his neck and…well…smell him. And I wonder…what if he had bad breath and stinky feet and I really didn’t like the smell of him…how would that change my feelings about him? Would we have ever ended up together?

Researchers have been studying the aromas given off by humans for many years. From Wikipedia: “A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology.”

Then I came across an article in the newspaper about pheromone parties!

Instead of speed dating or getting to know someone on-line, at these pheromone parties you get to know someone first by their smell. Everyone who wants to participate sleeps in a T-shirt for three nights, puts it in a plastic bag and freezes it. Then they bring their shirt to the party. They’re coded blue for men and pink for women, and numbered. Then everyone smells the shirts and picks out ones they like. Apparently this is quite successful at determining a good match.

E. J. Balloch, who wrote that first article I read, is now married to another man, a man whose scent she loves. Even when he hasn't showered for days. Although this is important, she does say this doesn't mean you should marry anyone whose scent attracts you; there has to be more to base a relationship on than that. Wikipedia also says: “Even with all of this evidence, nothing is conclusive on whether or not humans have functional pheromones. Even if there are experiments that suggest that certain pheromones have a positive effect on human, there are just as many that state the opposite or that they have no effect what so ever.”

So what do you think? Real or pseudoscience? Do you like your partner’s smell? Do you even notice your partner’s smell? Ever been with someone who's smell you didn't like?

Sometimes You Really Can't Go Home Again

So I've decided recently that there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who enjoy going back and revisiting the places they used to call home, and those for whom the prospect holds no appeal.

Sometimes it depends on the house or home in question, I guess. Or how you felt about the time you spent there. As a child, I remember my mother taking me to see the house where she grew up--she seemed fine with the idea then, but now she doesn't even want to see pictures of what's been done to the house where I grew up even though it was her home for thirty years.

As I mentioned last month, I took a trip back East recently to visit my parents. They're no longer living in my old hometown, or even in the same state actually, but it was still close enough to get me thinking about the whole idea of going home. And, since I do most of my thinking online these days, that led me to zillow to check out the house where I spent my entire childhood.

It was a disturbing experience.

From the outside, the house looked much the same. At least from the front.

In the backyard, I suspect that the new owners (damn them) might have cut down a couple of trees I'd transplanted from the vacant lot next door. Yes, I've harbored arborist tendencies from an early age.

The big changes were on the inside, however. That's where it really looked all wrong.

This is the kitchen, for example. And, yes, that does appear to be a crystal chandelier hanging over the table.

Why anyone thought that was a good idea is beyond me. In my mind, this is what it should look like:

Those are my brothers, by the way, a very long time ago. I do think it's a little strange that the chair backs are almost the same, though. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose, I guess.


Then there's the living room...

Am I the only one wondering, "What's with all the stuffy Victorian furniture?"  This is a solidly mid-century house, in case the exterior hadn't made that abundantly clear. That'd be the mid Twentieth Century, in case you were wondering. 

Anyway, here's how I remember it looking, back in the day:

It was a lot more casual and a lot more homey. Or is that just how it seems to me? That's me on the left (in case you were curious) with my baby brother.

Another thing I've realized recently is the fact that the idea of "homecoming" has been a major theme in a lot of my books. From Scent of the Roses to This Winter Heart, a fair number of my heroines (not to mention a few heroes and even a villain or two) have either journeyed home or spent a good deal of their story revisiting events in their past.

What about you? Where's home for you? Is it where you live now, or someplace from your past? Do you go there still, or is that something you find too painful?

By the way, that last picture reminds me that there's still time to win a copy of A Clockwork Christmas courtesy of my Aussie Antho Sister, Jenny Schwartz. If you're interested, details can be found HERE.

Thursday 13: Vacation Dreaming

Happy T13 from the Naughty Nine! It's summer time, which has us all thinking about vacations. Here are the 13 places we'd love to go--if money and time were no issue, of course! Don't forget to leave us a comment sharing your ideal vacation destination, or teasing us about where you get to spend time this summer!

1. Erin: Italy

2.  PG: Sevilla, Spain. My daughter's going to be there for several weeks and I'm majorly jealous.

3. Kate: Disneyworld! Last time we were in Disneyland was in 2008, and the kids are clamoring to go again. But this time I'd like to try a different resort.

4. Kinsey: My BIL and SIL have stayed several times at an inn in Banff that sounds like paradise but I never can remember the name of it. It's very old and rustic and the scenery is to die for.

5. Meg: Okay, since this is hypothetical, I’d choose Chaco Canyon. Actually, though, it wouldn’t be a summer trip because that would be insanely hot. I’d go in September or October. Why? Because I’ve always wanted to see it—it’s one of the oldest settlements in the country and one of the most mysterious. And also because I’ve got a thing for Anasazi ruins. And last but not least, it would give me an excuse to drop by Santa Fe.

  

6. Kelly: Nice, France. Even though I was just there, it was only for a few days and I’d like to see more of it and more of the Côte d’azur.

7. Juniper: Jules Undersea Lodge. I want to sleep with the fishes during my summer vacation -- as long as there's room service, of course. 

8. Sydney: Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda. Although I was just there in April, the beach was absolutely beautiful.

9. Skylar: Mykos, Greece. Clear blue water, beautiful houses on hills, and nude beaches!

10. Kinsey: Florida Keys

11. Kate: Jimbaran Bay, Bali. Just the hubby and me, something truly relaxing and decadent. How about the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay?

12. PG: Paso Robles, California.  Specifically the Mid-state Fair and the wineries.  I used to live there and still really miss it sometimes.

 

13. Erin: Grand Canyon--we're going here this summer. Only we would go to the desert in July! Still, it's the Grand Canyon!