I wrote my first book in the fifth grade when my English teacher assigned our class a project: to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library at the end of the year. The book had to be twenty typed pages and could be about absolutely anything. No grade would be assigned, but you had to do to pass the class. I went home and started writing and haven’t really stopped since. Sure there were interruptions here and there, but there was never any doubt that I would write because writing gives me immense joy. The process of it and of course, sharing it with you! I found this quote from Gloria Steinem which I think truly sums up my feeling about writing.
How to Write a Book with Caridad and Cathy Areu – #TuesdayTip
It’s January and a time for New Year Resolutions for many and some of you might have writing a book on that list of resolutions. So join me and Cathy Areu, the publisher of Catalina magazine, as well as a journalist and author as we discuss how to write a book and the publishing industry in general. Settle into a comfortable chair, get your coffee ready, and plug-in those headphones for this fun and informative podcast! You can visit with us at http://bit.ly/CaridadHowtoWriteaBook.
#ManCandyMonday – Ryan Philippe
He first caught my eye in I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and CRUEL INTENTIONS. I was glad to see him back in SHOOTER and if you haven’t caught it, check it out. If I had to cast Ryan in any of my books, I think he’d be a good fit in COLD CASE REOPENED, my March 2021 release from Harlequin Intrigue.
Original work (cropped for this blog): Josh JensenDerivative work: Wren Valmont, CC BY-SA 2.0
First Christmas – #ThrowbackThursday
With Christmas just having passed, I thought I’d share a photo of our first Christmas with a new baby! It was such an exciting time since we’d also just finished a major home renovation the day before the baby was born. Lots of fun. Not! LOL. Hope you all have a fabulous New Year’s Eve and wishing you all the best for 2021.
#WriteWed – COLD CASE REOPENED Excerpt
If you’re like me and love unsolved mysteries and cold case files, I think you’ll love COLD CASE REOPENED, my March 2021 release for Harlequin Intrigue. It was so much fun to write the story about Rhea Reilly who believes that her twin sister is still alive and sexy Detective Jackson Whitaker who is risking his career to re-open the closed case. For now, here’s a teaser and free read for you!
Teaser
They are on a cold trail
And running out of time.
Rhea Reilly is certain her twin sister’s sudden disappearance six months ago wasn’t a suicide, no matter what Colorado authorities think. She can’t afford to trust police detective Jackson Whitaker—even if he’s risking his career to uncover the truth. But a lethal trail of lies is drawing them together…and into an inescapable trap.
Excerpt
Rhea had barely finished unpacking her things when the knock came at the door.
She hurried there and threw it open, expecting to find room service with the extra blanket she’d requested. That earlier chill hadn’t left her, not that a blanket would end it, but it had been worth a try.
It wasn’t room service. It was six-plus feet of lethal male, dressed in police blues, with a white Stetson held in hands that he shifted uneasily on the brim. He had shortly cropped sandy-brown hair that screamed former military and eyes the gray of lake waters on a dreary day. He clenched and unclenched his chiseled jaw as he stood there, obviously hesitant, before he finally said, “You should be more careful and check to see who it is before you open the door.”
Anger ignited instantly at his chastisement. “I was expecting room service. Not the police.”
He tipped his head, seemingly sorry, but he didn’t strike her as the type to apologize. Not willingly anyway. And it occurred to her then that he was the officer she’d run into outside the police station. The one who’d helped her pick up her papers and whom she hadn’t thanked.
“Rhea Reilly,” she said and held out her hand. “I’m sorry I was so rude before. I was upset.”
“I understand. Detective Jackson Whitaker. Jax to my friends.” A ghost of a smile danced across full lips, and he enveloped her hand with his big calloused one.
His touch roused a mix of emotions. Surprising comfort. Unwelcome electricity and heat.
“We’re not friends…yet,” she said as he continued holding her hand, longer than expected. Longer than necessary.
She withdrew her hand from his and wrapped her arms around herself. “And I doubt that you can possibly understand.”
That slight dip of his head came again, as if accepting her statement, and he motioned inside her room with his Stetson. “Do you mind if I come in?”
She both did and didn’t mind. Something about his presence was unnerving, but if he was here, maybe it meant that the chief had reconsidered her request.
“Please,” she said and waved him in.
He entered and, as he did so, his gaze swept the room, assessing. Observant. A cop’s eyes taking in the scene and immediately focusing on the thick folder sitting on a small bistro table beside French doors to a balcony facing the lake. The lake was a constant reminder of why she was here.
“May I?” he said and pointed toward the folder.
“Is that why you’re here? Did Chief Robinson change his mind?”
Order
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3iGCbKr
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3kAloKb
Amazon Kindle Box Set: https://amzn.to/2PSVRyn
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/coldcasereopened
Apple Box Set: https://bit.ly/applecoldcaseboxset
B&N: https://bit.ly/BNColdCase
B&N Box Set: https://bit.ly/BNColdCaseBoxset
Harlequin: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCase
Harlequin Box Set: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCaseBoxset
Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCase
Kobo Box Set: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCaseBoxSet
#ManCandyMonday – Martin Henderson from Virgin River
Good morning and Happy Monday! I hope you all had wonderful holidays! Today I’m sharing my choice for Detective Jackson Whitaker, the hero in my upcoming March release, COLD CASE REOPENED: Martin Henderson from Virgin River.
New Zealand native Martin has actually been working as an actor since he was a young teen and has appeared in a number of movies and television shows, including LITTLE FISH, OFF THE MAP, GREY’S ANATOMY, and even a Britney Spears video!
I think Martin is such a hottie and would be as perfect as Detective Jackson Whitaker as he is as Jack on the series. To find out more about Jackson and COLD CASE REOPENED, please visit https://bit.ly/ColdCaseReopened.
Photo Credit (original image has been cropped): Martinnnhen, CC BY-SA 4.0
#TuesdayTip – Cuban-Style Roast Pork
In our home, Christmas Eve is a mix of Italian, Cuban and American foods, but the signature dish has to be the Cuban-style citrus-marinated roast pork.
Normally I’m feeding anywhere from 15 to 25 people on Christmas Eve, but with us downsizing and the pandemic, we’re having a much smaller gathering. I normally get a pork leg that weighs around 25 pounds, but will be adjusting this recipe to deal with a smaller piece of pork.
In SOUTH BEACH LOVE, my May 2021 release from Hallmark, the two dueling chefs are both working on roast pork recipes for their big events. Tony Sanchez, the hero, is using the Cuban spices on Italian-style porchetta while the heroine, Sara Kelly, is learning the traditional recipe from her Cuban sister-in-law. who do you think will win that challenge? You can find out more about SOUTH BEACH LOVE at http://bit.ly/SouthBeachLove.
Ingredients:
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10-15 navel oranges
10 lemons
10 limes
6-8 Seville (aka Sour) Oranges
6 pink grapefruit
10-20 gloves of finely chopped garlic
Ground cumin
bay leaves
Pork leg/shoulder/picnic ham
Directions:
Juice all the above citrus into a large pot. We use one of those large buckets in which your grocery store deli gets its potato salad, etc. Drop by and ask them for one! Ours is only used for the Christmas Eve pork.
The citrus mix should be sour, but with a strong hit of sweet (the navel oranges and grapefruit really help with that). You should have enough citrus juice to fully cover your piece of pork. Once you’ve tasted the sweet/sour mix, then add 3 to 4 bay leaves, about a half cup of garlic (less for a smaller piece of pork) and about 1/4 cup of cumin. Mix this all up.
Take your piece of pork and make multiple slits in it so that the marinade can penetrate into the meat. Place the pork leg in the citrus juice, cover, and refrigerate. You’re probably wondering how I keep that big a bucket cold? Put the bucket in one of those big party tubs or a cooler, place it in your garage (which should be slightly colder anyway) and fill the tub with ice. It should be icy cold in the morning unless you are in a really hot environment in which case you will need to keep on adding ice to keep the meat cold.
In the morning (around 6 a.m. or so) pre-heat the oven to 425. Remove the pork from the citrus and place it in a large roasting dish. Keep some of the citrus juice, bay leaves and garlic for use as a marinade. Discard the rest. Ladle about 1 to 2 cups over the pork and then stick the pork into the oven for one hour at 425. For a small piece of pork, cut down this initial high temp roast accordingly. For ten pounds make it around 30 minutes, anything smaller than that no more than about 15 minutes.
Do not baste the pork during this high heat roast.
When the high heat roast time is up, baste the pork and lower the oven temp to 325. Then cook until the meat pulls away from the bone in the leg and is starting to fall off. Marinate every half an hour during the cooking process. For a 25-pound pork leg, I will cook it for about 8 to 9 hours. The pork will turn a beautiful mahogany brown and just melt in your mouth.
For smaller pieces of pork, adjust the cooking times. A 10-pound picnic ham may take only about 4 or so hours. The key is to keep on basting and cooking at a low temp to keep the meat juicy.
If the pork begins to brown too much, just cover with aluminum and keep on cooking until the meat is fork-tender.
