Breakfast in Bed or a Dinner in a Romantic Restaurant?

It’s time for some truth-telling! Would you prefer to have breakfast in bed with your loved one or dinner in a romantic restaurant? As much of a romantic as I am, I’d have to pass on breakfast in bed. All those crumbs and stuff all over not to mention that klutz that I am, I’m sure the champagne and/or jelly would end up in all the wrong places! LOL (and get your minds out of the gutter, ladies). So my choice hands down is a lovely dinner in a romantic restaurant. What about you? What would be your choice? P.S. Dinner in a romantic restaurant is what unexpectedly happened to Maggie and Owen from ONE SUMMER NIGHT. If you haven’t read that story yet, it’s on sale of 99 cents and also available in Kindle Unlimited but only until June. Download it at https://amzn.to/3SndEie.

this or that breakfast or dinner

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

It’s a day for the wearing of the green but did you know that St. Patrick often wore blue? Other fun facts: corned beef and cabbage originated in the U.S. and the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in the U.S., not Ireland. I’m actually about 18% Irish according to a genealogy test but that’s not a surprise since my grandparents were from the province of Galicia in the north of Spain which is one of the Celtic nations. What about you? Any Irish connections? Does your town do a St. Patrick’s Day parade? My town does one and this year was the 51st Annual Parade. I captured video of some of the fire trucks that take part as they took off for the parade!

Shoutout Strength & Honor Anthology

I am honored to be taking part in the Strength & Honor anthology with 10 other amazing authors. We’ve banded together for this charity anthology to donate the proceeds to stopsoldiersuicide.org, a veteran-founded, veteran-led, and veteran-focused organization, founded in 2010 by U.S. Army veterans Brian Kinsella, Nick Black, and Craig Gridelli. Stop Soldier Suicide is a nonprofit organization that combats military suicides by addressing underlying issues such as mental health, financial strain, and the difficulties of transitioning to civilian life. Their wellness service, ROGER, provides personalized, confidential support aimed at suicide prevention. You can find out more about the organization at https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/. Please consider downloading the anthology at https://books2read.com/StrengthAndHonor. Here’s a little more about the stories contained in the anthology!

Only You by Sharon Hamilton
After a nasty breakup who could save her heart but another Navy SEAL hero? He’ll not only win her heart, he’ll help her forgive and begin to heal.

Fighting For Harmony by Ash Henry
A Delta Force Vet is tasked to protect the one woman he can never have…
The day I enlisted, I swore that I’d never return home. But when my best friend begs me to protect his sister from a stalker, I can’t say no. Even if it means returning to a place that holds more hurt than happiness for me. Even when I’ll have to stick close to the only woman forbidden to me – the only woman I crave.

Knight Reaper (Dangerous Curves Story/Grinch Reaper Sequel) by Donna Michaels
After almost losing his wife in an attack last year, all Matteo “Reaper” Santarelli cares about is her safety, but when the agency sends them to Texas for special training, his former terrorist hunting wife sniffs out a newly forming cell.

Chef McHughs Reporting for Duty by Jill Shannon
Adam and Makita are both adjusting to new lives as she helps him open his new restaurant. They weren’t supposed to fall in love…

Ghost of Khost by Lynessa Layne
Invisible wounds are the hardest to heal, but love is the best medicine.
Vance’s best friend of fourteen years saved his life when he came down with malaria in Afghanistan. But when he finds out Chris was killed on the mission that night, survivor’s guilt shatters the battle-hardened warrior.

Twisted by Tamsen Schultz
When a shadowed past meets a guarded present, two haunted warriors see a chance for a new life together; now if they can only stay alive to grasp it.

Stay the Night by Caridad Pineiro
A fateful night of passion will change the future both Elena and Rafe had envisioned.
Forced into marriage by an unexpected pregnancy, they find themselves separated by the demands of impending parenthood. Rafe enlists in the Navy SEALs to support his new wife and the child who is on the way, but Fate is determined to throw them another curve.

Saving the Soldier by EmKay Connor
When Kate Dennison’s husband returns from a difficult deployment, he’s not the same man she married. Kate faces a different kind of battle as she fights to save their marriage…and her husband’s life.

Yours or Mine by Reina Torres
Finnegan Murphy left more behind in the Middle East than his Army career when he was medically discharged. He left a dog that he’d rescued and had rescued him right back. Now he finds out that a woman living just around the corner adopted Amin. Close to the brink, Peyton and his pupper pull him back.

It’s Always Been You by PJ Fiala
Harley Jacobs was forced to retire from the military after a nasty injury. The restorative help he needs is at the Canning Cattle Ranch, but he’s not sure he’ll be welcome there. Shannon Canning is not only the youngest of the Canning brood, but a sought-after veterinarian. And his ex-wife.

Saved by Grace by Kennedy Mitchell
What unfolds when a grief-stricken man finds solace in a bar, only to become the unexpected protector of a bartender with secrets of her own?

Delicious Papa Rellena Recipes

It was such a treat whenever my grandmother made papa rellenas for us! Funny thing is, it’s often a treat made from leftovers like the ones in the photo. The potatoes in that stuffed potato were from some “mashed browns” from PJ’s Pancake House. Normally the papa rellenas are made from plain boiled potatoes but I’ll tell you two little secrets about making them easier. For starters, bake or microwave the potatoes. That helps control the moisture (also true for making gnocchis). Second secret: have some instant mashed potato flakes handy. I also use them to thicken soups and sauces when needed instead of either corn starch or flour. Normally the potatoes are stuffed with picadillo which is a tasty ground beef with peppers, onions, olives, and tomato sauce. But feel free to make these your own! Substitute some Sloppy Joe mix. Maybe add some cheese. You name it. The hardest part is making the potato patty (unless you follow my two secrets). Another secret: You can totally air fry or bake these to make them healthier. Papa Rellenas were once only appetizers but are now usually served as a meal with rice on the side. Make a dip with mayochup or a remoulade. I use Yummy Yummy sauce because it’s so – lol – Yummy! P.S. This is totally the kind of recipe that the Gonzalez family from the South Beach Security series would have for a meal. To learn more about them, check out the first book in the series Lost in Little Havana. You can download it at https://amzn.to/48MZZ8U.

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (baked or boiled)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp butter
2 cups picadillo (or other stuffing)
1-2 eggs, beaten
2 cups regular Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup regular Panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil for frying

Directions

Make the picadillo or prep whatever other stuffing you want to use. I make the picadillo ahead and let it cool because it’s easier to handle and also not as wet when it’s cooled.

If you’re boiling the potatoes, peel, cook until fork tender, drain and mash. You may want to let the mashed potatoes cook a little more on the flame to dry them.

If you’re baking or microwaving, leave them in their skin, cook until fork tender, and then cool. Scoop out the insides and mash. Bonus: You can make something else with the potato skins.

Add the cornstarch and butter to the mashed potatoes and mix. The mix should be stiff enough to form a ball and if not, add those magical instant potato flakes. Oil your hands to make forming the patties and balls easier. Form a ball with the mashed potatoes and then flatten it into a patty a little larger than the palm of your hand.

Fill the center of the patty with your filling and then bring all the sides of the potato patty up and around the filling. Smooth out the ball, roll it around in the beaten egg, and then roll around in the bread crumbs (mixed regular and Panko), making sure that the entire surface is covered.

I air fry mine so I place them on the creased wire basket that goes with my toaster oven. I give all sides a spray with vegetable oil.

If you’re baking them, place on a greased baking tray, crank up your oven to 400 degrees and make sure you turn them about halfway through the bake (10 minutes or so).

If frying, heat the oil to about 350 and deep fry until golden brown.

Exciting Trip to the Color Factory

When my daughter and I both worked in New York City, we did many fun and exciting things on our Friday Girls’ Nights. Korean BBQ. The Rose Mansion. 260 Nomad Sample Sales where we scored some amazing clothing, shoes, and a beautiful Mont Blanc crystal fountain pen ink bottle that I still have to find a place to display! But one of the most fun things we did was visit the Color Factory which bills itself as an “interactive art museum.” How can I explain this place? It is an immersive and interactive series of rooms and experiences that fill your senses with color and joy. Today I’m sharing some pictures from our trip and if you’re ever in New York City, I would recommend checking it out. They also have locations in Chicago and Houston! P.S. If you want a story that also gives you a taste of life in Manhattan, check out One Summer Night. Although that book is part of my Jersey Shore-themed series, Maggie and Owen also live and work in New York and you get to see many places that I love in the city.

National K-9 Veterans Day

It’s National K-9 Veterans Day and so here’s a shoutout to all the K-9s who work with our military and law enforcement to keep us safe! Thank you! I’d like to also take a moment to talk about our military veterans, many of whom are suffering from homelessness and a variety of mental health problems. Because our soldiers need our help, I teamed up with 10 other authors and we’ve put together the Strength & Honor anthology to help raise funds for stopsoldiersuicide.org. Here’s a little more about the organization:

Veteran-founded, veteran-led, and veteran-focused, founded in 2010 by U.S. Army veterans Brian Kinsella, Nick Black, and Craig Gridelli, Stop Soldier Suicide is a nonprofit organization that combats military suicides by addressing underlying issues such as mental health, financial strain, and the difficulties of transitioning to civilian life. Their wellness service, ROGER, provides personalized, confidential support aimed at suicide prevention.

The Strength & Honor anthology contains 11 short stories featuring military heroes battling their inner demons and finding their happily ever after. My contribution to the story is Stay the Night, which is part of the Take a Chance military romance series. It’s a sexy read, but also an emotional story about a solider coming home to a wife he doesn’t really recognize after years apart due to his military service. The anthology releases on 5/7/2024. Preorder your copy today at https://books2read.com/StrengthAndHonor.

charity anthology

Welcome Fantasy Author Lydia Weltman

Please give a big hello to fellow author Lydia Weltman who writes fantasy adventures! I’ve invited Lydia to visit and share some info about herself and her upcoming release! P.S. – The books are inspired by Victorian London and you know how much I love London!

Hi there, I’m Lydia Weltmann, and I write fantasy adventures! Thanks so much to Caridad for inviting me here to chat with you all!

I’ve always loved escaping into a book and seeing what new worlds I could visit within them, or visiting other time periods of our own world. London is a favorite destination of mine, both in books and in real life, and I can’t help pulling from London when I’m designing new worlds.

My current series draws a lot of inspiration from Victorian London, but with some fantasy elements and a steampunk aesthetic added in. The series focuses on two long lost brothers reconnecting and learning what it means to be brothers again while facing all the challenges of the growing rebellion.

To celebrate book three’s upcoming release this fall, I’m offering one lucky winner books one AND two!

Here’s a quick teaser of book one:

This was the apple’s fault.

I flailed my way to the river surface with a large gasp, bruised apple clutched in my right hand. I stood a better chance at swimming if I had both hands, but no way was I letting go of the apple now. It was the fruit’s fault I was in this mess.

Okay, technically, stealing the apple might have started the chase, leading to the guards cornering me on the bridge. Which led to me jumping off the bridge to escape.

Admittedly, not my best plan. I regretted the choice the second I sank into the icy river and remembered two very important things.

One: It was March and the river was freezing.

Two: I didn’t know how to swim.

To possibly score a paperback copy of THE STREET RAT’S GUIDE TO SPELLS AND ROYALTY and THE PRINCE’S GUIDE TO BROTHERS AND RITUALS, visit Caridad’s Facebook Fan page and comment on your favorite travel destination!

fantasy novel