When I was creating the backstories for the vampires and angel in my vampire Christmas novella, WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING, it seemed only natural that someone who chose a pirate’s life in the 1800s might decide to become a rum runner during Prohibition.
It was so much fun exploring that period of time, that when the opportunity presented itself to write a novella, GHOST OF A CHANCE, I decided to do some more research and created a story with a mystery that had occurred along the Jersey Shore during the height of Prohibition.
Those were exciting and dangerous times along the shore then. Bootleggers ran rum from the Caribbean and whiskey from Canada in various forms and a great deal of the liquor that was sent throughout the country made its way through Newark at one time.
Anyway, I thought it would therefore be appropriate this morning to offer up a recipe for a Rum Runner’s punch for you! If you don’t drink alcohol, feel free to leave out the rum or substitute some rum flavoring in the recipe.
Rum Runner’s Punch
2 cups rum (light or dark. Dark is sweeter)
1 bottle sparkling apple cider (about 25 ounces)
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1 quart fruit punch (feel free to use a sugar free product)
Shot of grenadine for color
Ice
Mix all of the above in a punch bowl or large container. Slice up some oranges, pineapples and maraschino cherries as a garnish. Serve over ice.
You can also substitute a sparkling wine or ginger ale for the sparkling apple cider. Also feel free to go with a spiced or coconut-flavored rum for some variety.
With New Jersey Stronger than the Storm (#STTS) as Memorial Day approaches, I thought it would be nice to pick a fellow Jerseyan this morning for your Man Candy!
Paul was born in Passiac, New Jersey, but raised in Kansas. You’ve seen him in countless movies, from his 1995 appearance in CLUELESS to his latest appearances in THIS IS 40 and PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (fabulous movie by the way!).
There is just something aw shucks, sexy boy-next-door about Paul that is so appealing. I hope you’ll think so, too!
Photo Credit: Author=lukeford.net Creative Commons License Use
Whether you are a cat owner or a dog person, you will appreciate this look at the world from a cat’s perspective. My favorite is the one about the door and the in-out in-out. Seriously, my cat will sit there and meow, prance out and then in. Out and then in as if it was my role in life to be her doorman.
If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a house cat.
Without further ado, Diary of a Sad Cat. If you can’t see the video below, you can click here!
TO CATCH A PRINCESS is the tentative title of the sequel to THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE and I am so loving this story! Tatiana is Alexander’s college-age sister in THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE and her story is set three years later. Tatiana is all grown up and helping Alexander manage their various casino properties. Unbeknownst to Tatiana, her parents and a Grand Duke have made a bargain to marry her off to another Russian prince.
But first Tatiana has to deal with sexy detective Peter Roman and a possible jewel heist at an upcoming event that the Ivanov family is holding in their fabulous Monaco casino. TO CATCH A PRINCESS is exciting, action-packed, glamorous and sexy, much like Tatiana and the man who wants to win her heart – none other than a prince who has been in hiding right beneath Tatiana’s nose!
I hope you enjoy this excerpt from THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE where you first meet Tatiana. If you cannot see the excerpt below, you can click here!
Even though it was a chilly 36 degrees this morning on my way to work, my mind turned toward something cool and smooth to sip on while at the beach or after a workout. Something healthy and full of fruit goodness, but not high on calories.
While you could go to a smoothie shop, why now make your own for a cool snack or quick breakfast?
One of my all time favorite combos is Peach Mango! Check out this quick and easy smoothie that you can make year round by using frozen peaches and/or mangoes. You can also use fresh fruit and/or canned. Just make sure that when you purchase the canned fruit it’s packed in 100% juice and not a heavy syrup.
For those who are not big fans of the tang of yogurt, you can substitute 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and really cut down on the calories. One cup has 30 calories compared to 100 calories for a cup of fat free plain yogurt.
Peach Mango Smoothie
1/2 cup frozen mangoes
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1 cup fat free/low fat light vanilla yogurt (or substitute 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk and 2 tablespoons of fat free/low fat light vanilla yogurt)
1 teaspoon honey
If you are not using frozen peaches and mangoes, toss in 3 cubes of ice for that frostiness! You can also change this up and use blueberries and strawberries or a banana for a slightly thicker smoothie.
My daughter said, “Mom you’ll love this!” Well, she was right. The new TEEN WOLF show seems really interesting and enigmatic werewolf Derek Hale immediately and totally caught my eye.
Derek is played by hottie Tyler Hoechlin. Tyler has appeared on various shows, including 7th HEAVEN and CASTLE. Tyler began acting at the age of 9 when he appeared in ROAD TO PERDITION.
For more of Tyler as Derek Hale, here’s a video interview with him. If you can’t see the video below, you can click here.
I cannot wait until the release of this movie! They’ve done an amazing reboot of the series and Chris Pine is a major hottie. Counting the minutes! So this Friday, I’m sharing one of the trailers with you. Hope you all have a great weekend.
Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorites: THE FIFTH KINGDOM, a romantic suspense I did for Carina Press early last year. Why is it one of my favorites? Both the heroine and hero, Bill and Deanna, are wounded characters who need love to help heal the wounds of the past.
I loved bringing them together as well as something very shocking in the middle of the book. I can’t say what and spoil it, but it involves Bill and it’s a biggie. A life-threatening biggie.
I hope you like this excerpt. Please note that it is for mature audiences.
You are probably wondering how there could be any “Cons” in healthy eating, but the reality of it is that trying to eat all the right things comes with a number of hidden negatives.
First, there is the cost of all those fresh fruits and vegetables that will improve your diet and provide the nutrients and fiber that you require for staying healthy.
When it comes to the cost, there are some ways to keep the costs down. First, buy seasonal. Second, buy local. Fruits and vegetables that are both seasonal and local will be much cheaper than those which are being shipped in from overseas. In addition, because they’ve had a shorter trip to the shelves, they will be fresher. That will help them stay fresh longer once you buy them. Plus, you’ll be helping the local economy.
Of course, there is my issue: I buy at the big box store and it’s hard to eat that many berries, pears or lettuce in a week. Or at least it is for me and it’s upsetting to see them go bad and have to be thrown out.
Next, there is the risk of contamination in fruits and vegetables. According to the Wall Street Journal eating leafy vegetables accounts for 23% of food borne illnesses and eating fruits and nuts sicken more people than tainted meat products.
Despite that, there are things you can do to protect yourself. First of all, do a thorough cleaning of yourself and your fruits and vegetables. You can click here for some FDA guidelines.
You can also understand which are the best and worst in terms of contamination.
You can click here to see a list of the dirties fruits and vegetables. Sadly, most of my favorites are on this list.
You can click here to check out a list of the least contaminated fruits and veggies.
One thing that may help with both the costs, spoilage and contamination is actually a quite simple practice: Use one part vinegar (either white or apple) to ten parts water mix in your clean sink. Dump in your assorted fruits and veggies. The vinegar will help wash off any coatings and kill mold spores and other bacteria on the surface of the fruits and veggies.
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful today! Of course, what do you do with all those fruits and veggies? You can click here to check out my Pinterest board of recipes or visit the Cook’s Treat section of the website for more!
When I was creating the backstories for the vampires and angel in my vampire Christmas novella, WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING, it seemed only natural that someone who chose a pirate’s life in the 1800s might decide to become a rum runner during Prohibition.
TO CATCH A PRINCESS is the tentative title of the sequel to 
Even though it was a chilly 36 degrees this morning on my way to work, my mind turned toward something cool and smooth to sip on while at the beach or after a workout. Something healthy and full of fruit goodness, but not high on calories.
My daughter said, “Mom you’ll love this!” Well, she was right. The new TEEN WOLF show seems really interesting and enigmatic werewolf Derek Hale immediately and totally caught my eye.
Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorites: 
You are probably wondering how there could be any “Cons” in healthy eating, but the reality of it is that trying to eat all the right things comes with a number of hidden negatives.
