Live to Love on the Edge Blog

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NOW AND ALWAYS Contemporary #Romance #Freeread

NOW AND ALWAYS, the re-release of my first contemporary romance, is out in both e-book and print. As I mentioned last week, it’s a very special book to me because it’s my first and dedicated to mom, who shaped so much of who I am today.

It’s also special because I wanted to get across a message about discrimination and how it happens in all cultures, in this case, Miami’s melting pot. There is the initial tension between Cuban Connie Gonzalez and Miami-born and bred Paul Stone. With them it’s a clash of cultures and socioeconomics. Paul is wealthy and has had all that he wants in life while Connie has had to struggle for everything.

You’ll find out in the sequel, FAITH IN YOU, that with all that Paul has, he is still a poor man because he lacks love in his life. The love of his family and the love of a very special lady – Carmen Gonzalez, Connie’s younger sister.

But in NOW AND ALWAYS, you’ll also see that even within the Cuban community there is tension between those who have been here since the Sixties and those who came later. Plus there is the class issue as well between sexy and well-off physician Victor and FBI Agent Connie.

Melding with all that is the romance. Hot and sexy and with the tropical feel of Miami’s glittering night life and trendy South Beach environs. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the book and today I’ve got a free read from you that introduces all of the characters I hope you will come to love, including Paul Stone and Carmen from FAITH IN YOU.

FBI Agent Connie Gonzalez actually helped inspire the FBI Agent Diana Reyes from THE CALLING/REBORN Vampire series. After the release of Connie’s book, I had many letters and e-mails saying how refreshing it was to see a female FBI Agent and how they’d love to see more stories with an empowered heroine. Diana Reyes was soon born and I know how much you all like her and those stories.

Without further ado, here is an excerpt from NOW AND ALWAYS. If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here to read it.

Purchase the E-book at Amazon
Purchase the Print Book at Amazon

Now and Always Contemporary #Romance by Caridad Pineiro

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Peach Amaretto Cake #Recipe

It’s summer and that means lots of peaches and nectarines ready to eat in all kinds of ways. Take a bite, cut them up into fruit salad, regular salad, sangria, pies, tarts and cakes.

I’ve never made a peach cake, but I was inspired by this week’s America’s Test Kitchen which had some tips on how to avoid a soggy peach cake. Apparently peaches have less pectin than other fruits which makes them release liquid that isn’t bound up with the pectin.

The solution: Roasting the peaches for 20 to 25 minutes and tossing them with crushed panko crumbs before you mix them in with the cake batter.

I wish I could say that I’d make the cake from scratch, but unfortunately, time does not allow that in my life, so I am substituting a pound cake mix for the batter and since I love nectarines more than peaches, I’ll be using those in my cake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of peaches (or nectarines) cut into wedges.
4 teaspoons Lemon Juice
4 tablespoons amaretto (you can substitute peach schnapps or rum here also)
4 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup panko crumbs

For topping: 3 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon of almond extract

For the Cake: Cake Mix of your choice, but choose a slightly denser cake mix, like pound cake or a mix for an upside down cake. 1 teaspoon of almost extract.

Directions

Place cut peaches into the lemon juice, rum and sugar. Let it macerate for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove about 2 dozen of the peach wedges and set aside. Cut the remaining peach wedges into thirds and place on a greased foil-covered baking sheet Bake at 425 for about 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool and reduce oven temperature to that recommended for your cake mix.

Grease a 9 inch springform pan. If you wanted to really boost the almond taste, you could finely grind almonds and use them to “flour” the inside of the springform pan.

Make your cake mix, adding 1 teaspoon of almond extract.

Once peach wedges are cooled, toss with crushed panko and gently fold into cake mix.

Pour cake mix into springform pan and place the reserved peach wedges on top as a nice design. Sprinkle the almond-sugar mixture over the top. Bake until center of the cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Probably around 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

PeachAmarettoCake

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#ManCandyMonday Bradley Cooper

I have to say that I wasn’t really sure about whether or not I found Bradley Cooper sexy. I don’t know why I was hesitating, but I was definitely on the fence about it.

Then I saw SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. I have to tell you, the beginning of the movie is unsettling. Hubby and I actually said we were going to watch it again because it was tough for both of us to sit through those parts.

But then as the story developed, it slowly happened. By the time Bradley shows up in a simple black suit and white shirt, looking so decidedly handsome, I was off the fence.

So today’s Man Candy Monday is Bradley Cooper and if you haven’t seen SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, by all means go and watch it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be doing a cover reveal for NOW AND ALWAYS and the sequel, FAITH IN YOU, on July 16th. If you wish to participate, please go to this link: http://bit.ly/14ssD9z

You will receive the covers, an excerpt, and some links which you can post on your website, blog, Facebook, Myspace, or anywhere else on the Net.

From all the participants in the cover reveal, I will pick one person to win a $50 gift card. Thank you.

Bradley_Cooper_2011

Photo Credit: Tom Sorensen@en.wikipedia.com

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Release day NOW AND ALWAYS & Cover Reveal #Giveaway

It’s release day! YEAH! The e-book is now available at Amazon and the print book should be up by later today. So excited.

I want to thank those of you who have requested an ARC in order to do a review. It is much appreciated.

I’ll be having a cover release party for NOW AND ALWAYS and FAITH IN YOU on July 16th. If you wish to participate, please fill out the form below. You will receive the covers, an excerpt and some links which you can post on your website, blog, Facebook, Myspace, or anywhere else on the Net.

From all the participants, I will pick one person to win a $50 gift card! Thank you!

Here are some of the earlier reviews for the book!

    Romantic Times: 4 Stars – Pineiro “ignites her own brand of Miami heat in this sexy and humorous romance.”

    Rendezvous: “. . . a fast-paced, well-developed plot . . . anxiously await other books by this gifted author!”

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “. . . a compelling love story. . . beautifully imbued with details of everyday life in Miami….”

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NOW AND ALWAYS Release Day Tomorrow!

OMG! It seems like I’ve been waiting forever! Actually, I’ve been waiting nearly 13 years for the chance to re-release NOW AND ALWAYS, my very first book. It will always be special to me because of that and I am so happy you will finally get to read it.

I’m expecting that both the digital and print versions will be on Amazon by tomorrow!

NOW AND ALWAYS was the achievement of a life long dream: To see one of my books get published.

I had been working at it forever. Since the fifth grade actually when I realized I wanted to be a writer. I kept it up through elementary school, high school, college, law school, career tribulations, marriage and having a child.

And it happened. I got the call. A very exciting moment. I will always remember it and this book that started my journey in the publishing world.

I must say that I’ve updated the book and made some changes here and there. Plus it’s very different from my paranormal romances and romantic suspense, hence the Charity Pineiro name on the cover. Charity is my nickname as some of you may know. I wanted to differentiate the very emotional and romantic contemporary romances I’ll be releasing from the dark and edgy Caridad that you know.

Still, I hope you will like this different side of me. But now a blast from the past!

NOW AND ALWAYS was on the cover of RT Magazine when it debuted. Very exciting. It also featured John DiSalvo on the cover, or so I am told. Whoever he is, he is sexy and much like I pictured Victor in the book.

1999RTMagazine

Photo Credit: Romantic Times Magazine/RT Book Reviews

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Cover Reveal Laura Kaye’s TAKEN BY THE VAMPIRE KING

LK_TakenByTheVampireKingA Story of the Vampire Warrior Kings

Earlier Books in Series:

In the Service of the King

Seduced by the Vampire King

Taken by the Vampire King Blurb:

Henrik Magnusson is supposed to be immortal, but a mysterious ailment leaves the vampire king near death, and not even the blood of the Proffered, human virgins trained to serve the elite, can sustain him. Then he rescues a beautiful young woman from his enemies, and is filled with blood lust and desire he hasn’t felt for centuries.

Photographer Kaira Sorenson’s life takes a nightmare turn when she’s attacked by blood-thirsty creatures—and saved by a vampire. She should be afraid of Henrik, but she can’t deny her intense attraction to this regal, enigmatic being—nor the fact that her blood may be his only salvation. Now she must decide if she’s willing to be his forever…

Releases August 1, 2013

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Taken-Vampire-Warrior-Kings-ebook/dp/B00BNRIK4W/ref=sr_1_12_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371211246&sr=1-12

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taken-by-the-vampire-king-laura-kaye/1114812016?ean=9781460317891

Optional Excerpt:

Henrik’s back slammed against a brick wall, the darkness of the narrow alley sheltering their trio from the tourists thronging Tromsø’s streets.

Lars stood at the entrance, making sure no one developed an unhealthy curiosity.

Jakob got right up in Henrik’s face, forearm pressing into the king’s chest. “What happened?”

He shook his head, swallowing thickly, his hunger burning so intensely it was almost a living thing within him. “Wanted her,” he rasped. It hadn’t been a decision. There wasn’t anything rational or conscious about it. From the first moment she’d approached him, he was awash in her appealing scent, like the smoky berries of a vintage wine or the rich bite of an aged, dignified whiskey.

“Wanted her how?”

“I wanted her.” He knocked his head against the brick. Even now, he couldn’t shake the image of the vein’s rhythmic dance along her slender neck or of the luscious dip of her cleavage, both displayed so invitingly by her upswept hair. His fangs throbbed with a want and a need he couldn’t remember feeling in ages. Not to mention the aching hard-on between his legs.

“Straight out no-shit bloodlust?” Something like hope sounded in the warrior’s deep voice.

“Ja.” Henrik heaved a deep breath of cold January air as his imagination unhelpfully replayed how it would’ve gone down. Tearing the gown from her trim body. Holding her curves in his hands. Bearing her up against the wall. Sinking his fangs and his cock in deep until every dark, needy part of him was sated.

“I’ll get her.” Jakob turned away.

The king slammed his hand down on his brother’s shoulder and gripped hard. “Nei.”

“You want her. You need her.”

“I’ll kill her.”

Because he wouldn’t be able to stop.

Once he got a taste, something base and instinctual told him he wouldn’t be able to make himself stop. He’d been so close to the edge of his restraint in the gallery. Only the sound of her voice had pulled him back from the brink.

All he’d wanted was a night out of their mountain citadel, away from the looming promise of death. He thought the jovial atmosphere of the festival would distract him from all that was to come. Instead, it had thrown it right in his face. Christ, he was a catastrophe waiting to happen, already more beast than man. He shook his head again. “I’ll fucking kill her,” he rasped.

“You won’t.”

Acid washed through his gut. “You willing to risk an innocent woman’s life—or her soul—to see which of us is right? I’m not.” He shuddered, the danger of becoming like his evil enemies one of his greatest fears. “Leave her be. I’ll not have it any other way.”

About Laura Kaye:

Laura Kaye croppedLaura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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