#ThrowbackThursday – Visits to the Green Market

One of the things I love is visiting the Green Market on Wednesdays to see what fresh local produce they have. I love picking up some nice greens, turnips, beets, carrots or more to cook at home. There definitely is a real taste difference when your food is that fresh! Yesterday I picked up some candy cane beets that I’m busy roasting for dinner tonight. As for the beet greens, I’ve cleaned them and put them away to cook with some olive oil and garlic tomorrow as a side dish. Nom nom nom. Check out the other photos from some of my other visits to the market.

#TravelTuesday – Come visit with me at the RWA Literacy Signing!

So excited to be heading off to the RWA National Conference this week! While hubby is minding the fort, I’ll be in New York City, mingling with old friends and making new ones. I’ll also be attending workshops, visiting with my publishers: Hallmark and Sourcebooks. More importantly, I’ll be taking part in the Literacy Signing on Saturday, July 27th. This wonderful event is from 3 to 5 pm in the Westside Ballroom (5th Floor) of the Marriott Marquis. Not only will you be able to meet hundreds of authors, but all the proceeds will be donated to a local literacy group. So if you’ll be in the New York City area on Saturday, please drop by and help out for a worthy cause.
RWA Literacy Signing

It’s Turkey Time in NYC!

The city is all ready for the big Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Grandstand is up and so are the decorations. They’ll begin filling up the balloons later today. I just hope the wind and chill doesn’t ground the balloons! This is a photo of the turkey in front of the Macy’s grandstand for the parade. When you see it tomorrow on television, you can tell everyone you saw it first here! LOL!

Hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

#TeaserTuesday – What Happens in Summer

Sourcebooks Casablanca What Happens in Summer Contemporary RomanceWhat Happens in Summer, #2 in the At the Shore Contemporary Romance Series, is now available for pre-order and will release in early June. I absolutely love this sexy and emotional tale between a laid back surfer dude billionaire and an uptight uber responsible NYC lawyer. I hope you will as well and today I’m giving you a little teaser from the book!

Teaser

Connie had vowed never to make the same mistakes as her mother . . .

As the only daughter of a single mom, Connie Reyes knows how hard it is to raise a child alone and without prospects. At an early age Connie vowed she would never put herself or her child in a similar position. But Jonathan Pierce is oh so tempting and a night of passion leads to unexpected consequences with a man she has been unable to forget. But loving Jonathan may upend Connie’s law career and all that she’s worked so hard to achieve.

Jonathan Pierce has always marched to the beat of a different drummer. . .

Jonathan Pierce left home at nineteen, determined to explore his dreams and leave his unhappy childhood behind. A father who was always absent at work and a mother who left them her boys without even a goodbye. His only redeeming family connection is his big brother Owen. In the weeks leading up to the Owen’s wedding, sexual tension sizzles between him and the bride’s best friend Connie. Jonathan would love to show the uber responsible and work-a-holic lawyer that he’s a changed man.

When opportunity presents itself the night of the wedding, mutual desire will bring a lifetime of possibilities. Can Connie and Jonathan find a way to balance their very different personalities and build a loving family together?

Excerpt

Prologue
Sea Kiss, New Jersey

Playing it safe was far worse than taking a risk on what you wanted.
Jonathan Pierce knew just what he wanted.

He grabbed hold of the gnarly branch of the decades-old wisteria vine that climbed the side of the Sinclair mansion and boosted himself up.
He’d made the journey so many times this past summer, he could do it blindfolded.

He scrambled up the vine, finding the familiar foot and handholds until he vaulted up and over the second floor railing, and landed silently as a cat burglar on the balcony. It ran the length of the immense oceanfront mansion, with elegant French doors offering views of the sea.

The first darkened doorway was Maggie Sinclair’s room. He rushed past it quietly; Maggie belonged to his older brother, Owen. Not that Owen had acted on it yet, but Jonathan had known for years that the two were meant to be together, family feud be damned.

The next doorway was usually Maggie’s dad’s, but the old man had stopped coming down to the Shore as often as he once had, so it was a good bet that room was unoccupied.

Reaching the third room, he saw the curtains wafting in the summer breeze and the dim light from behind the partially closed French doors.

He smiled and his heart raced with pleasure.

Connie was waiting for him. Ever-responsible, ever-loyal Connie had broken her own rules to fall in love with him. Or at least he thought it was love. It definitely was on his part. With barely a week left before the girls all went back to school, he intended to let her know just how he felt.

He slipped carefully through the open doors and shut them behind him. He’d gone no more than a step when she launched herself at him, laughing and kissing him as she said, “What took you so long?”

“I missed you, too,” he said, knowing it was more about the separation to come in a week and not about the long hours since last night.

He bent his head and kissed her, his touch tender and caring, and she answered in kind, her lips soft and coaxing.

Although Maggie had been bringing her friends to the Jersey Shore every summer since they’d met freshman year in college, he’d never really paid much attention at first. He’d had his share of girls from his high school class fawning over him.

But when Maggie and her friends had come back the next year, he had finally, gratefully, noticed what a real woman should be. Like Connie: all luscious curves; also proud, smart, and independent,

As impatient as he might be to make love to her tonight, he wanted her to know how much this meant to him. How this wasn’t only a summer romance for him.

He leaned over her, his gaze locked on her face. He wanted to say the words—Lord, how he wanted to—but they stuck in his throat and so he let every kiss and touch tell her what he couldn’t voice.

You Can Order Here:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2y6hi4h
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2y92UIQ
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJNcov
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2hKg3BW
iBooks: http://apple.co/2hKgP1J
Kobo: Coming Soon!

Special Pricing on #1 – One Summer Night

Don’t forget that we’ve got special pricing going on for #1 in the series, One Summer Night which was a Publishers Weekly Top 10 Fall Romance and featured in the NY Times. You can pick up #1 here and also read the first three chapters for free at Radish!

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ik8EfG
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qsqdwx
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2fuEphL
Radish: Read three chapters for free – http://bit.ly/2AERQFk

Turnip Redux Recipe #TuesdayTip #CooksTreat

My hubby and I love root vegetables, especially carrots, beets and turnips. It’s great to be able to go to the farm market near my office and pick up some locally grown veggies and the one vendor actually has them for really reasonable prices. Here’s a photo of what the green market looks like on a regular day!

Last weekend I picked up some lovely turnips whose greens were still fresh and vibrant. Perfect for making what I call Turnip Redux which was inspired by a recipe from A Chef’s Life on PBS. This recipe uses both the turnip and the greens hence the redux.

For those of you who have not tried turnips, please give them a shot. They are cruciferous veggies that have lots of health benefits. Cancer-fighting, bone and lung health, cardiovascular and digestive aid thanks to Vitamin K and fiber in the greens. Plus, low in calories!

Turnip Redux

2 pounds turnips, peeled and cubed
Turnip greens, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 tbsp butter (optional)
2 slices bacon chopped (optional)

Directions

Cook the turnips in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and coarsely mash.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the bacon (optional). Once the bacon is close to crispy, remove from the oil and add the chopped onion. Sweat it out until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute of two. Add the greens and cook until almost soft. Add the mashed turnips to the greens and cook for another five minutes or so. Add the butter and toss. Garnish with the crispy bacon. The last two steps, butter and bacon are optional.

That’s it! This makes a great side dish for any grilled meat and again, HEALTHY! Enjoy.

#ThrowbackThursday A Trip to Hawaii and a Labor Day #Giveaway

Good morning! It’s a rainy morning here in NYC, but it can dim how excited I am about the upcoming Labor Day weekend, a fabulous giveaway that I’m having with some friends and the memories of an awesome anniversary trip to Hawaii! So first, this throwback to that trip! This photo always reminds me of the serene nights we spent on Maui during our anniversary trip. Maui was lovely and we had a great time exploring the island and just relaxing. If you haven’t had a chance to visit this amazing state, I hope you get a chance to go.
hawaii

Labor Day Giveaway

And now, who’s ready for an awesome giveaweay??? We’re having a Labor Day Celebration that starts in just *1* Day! Make sure you tell your friends!

A GRAND PRIZE of…

★ A Kindle Fire 7 pre-loaded with 72 books from 56 amazing authors. ★
And 23 OTHER PRIZES of…

★ GIFT CARDS to the Winner’s choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble: ★
(1) $200 Gift Card
(3) $100 Gift Cards
(4) $ 50 Gift Cards
(5) $ 25 Gift Cards
(5) $ 10 Gift Cards
(5) $ 5 Gift Cards
Awesome right???

*** Entry will start 6am Sept 2nd and close at midnight Sept 5th! Click here for more into and details on how to enter!***
SO. BE. READY!
LDcountdown1