It’s hard to believe that Labor Day Weekend is already here! It’s the unofficial end of summer here on the Jersey Shore and come Tuesday it’s the start of what we call Local Summer. The beaches are way emptier but September and October are two of the most beautiful months on the beach. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I’m going to spend some time with friends and family and with a good book!
Exciting New Giveaway
It’s been a while since I’ve done a giveaway and I’ve got a good one for you today! I had a chance to visit with my buddy Brenda Novak a couple of months ago and she was nice enough to autograph her book and tote bag for me. I also have her bookmark and pin as well as well as the DVD of South Beach Love, a fun Kozie and The Family She Never Met bookmark for you as part of the giveaway. For a chance to win, please visit my Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author/posts/pfbid024Rf2tW6RzriERmbDcAQzXq3FBThhrCs3S9LLAj1LbNiTssvhjpAe2XqD6ayz1fW9l.
Rainy Days and Monday
When I had my full-time job I used to dread Mondays and going back to work. I don’t dread them anymore now that I’m writing full-time because writing is my dream job! It was especially tough when it was either snowing or raining. It’s pouring today but I’m actually happy about that since we really could use the showers after weeks without a drop. It also makes it easier to just huddle here in my office to write. I’m on my comfy futon, covered with my soft Villanova blanket, television on while l sip my coffee. Yes, I write with the television on and I know some people find that weird, but after years of writing on the train while I commuted, noise and action don’t bother me. Today I’m watching Ted K which claims to be a reenactment of the Unabomber’s actions as told through his own words in his manifesto. You may want to check it out! As for the writing, I’m still working on the first book in the SBS K-9 series and it’s really moving along well. I’m really pleased with it and I think you’ll love Matt, Teresa, and Butter, the heroes of the book! For this rainy Monday, I’ll leave you with the Carpenters and this thought: May your coffee be strong and your Monday be short.
Exciting Cover Reveal for Lost in Little Havana
I’m so so excited about my upcoming new series for Harlequin Intrigue! The South Beach Security series debuts on November 29, 2022 with Lost in Little Havana which is the story of two Miami Beach police detectives investigating the murder of one of their partners as well as missing college students who may have been taken by a human trafficking ring. It’s an action-packed story but also very romantic as the two detectives give into the attraction they’ve been fighting for years. On this Write Wednesday I’m sharing a teaser for Lost in Little Havana as well as a cover reveal! Isn’t it pretty?
Teaser
Each brush with death…
…makes their shared desire harder to ignore
Detective Roni Lopez has been keeping a secret from Detective Trey Gonzalez her whole life. When his partner is gunned down in a Miami Beach nightclub, she has a new secret to keep. Trey can’t know that she’s working for Internal Affairs—just like he can’t know that she’s always loved him. But when their lives are on the line, she has to make some tough choices about what really matters…
Order
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/36KrDcR
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3L6Svlt
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/lost-in-little-havana/id1617070775
BN E-book: https://bit.ly/3wS0AqN
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lost-in-little-havana
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/LostLittleHavana
Woo Hoo National Avocado Day
I love avocados in any way! I even tried making some fried avocado the other day and it was delicious. I just breaded them like I do my chicken and popped them into the air fryer. One of my fav ways to eat avocados is as a salad with just some salt and pepper, thinly sliced onions, oil and vinegar. But I know that many people love avocados as guacamole and to celebrate this National Avocado Day, I’ve got a recipe for you!
Caridad’s Guacomole
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped into big chunks
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 10 oz can ROTEL diced tomatoes and green chiles (drained)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp apple or white vinegar
Juice of either 1/2 a lemon or if you have 1 lime
1 ripe tomato chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
A few good shots of Cholula hot sauce
Directions
Place your salt and garlic in a mixing bowl. Mash together with a fork until close to a paste. Then add the oil and vinegar and mix. Add the avocado chunks and mash with a fork, but leave some nice chunks in there. You may want to put in half and mash it well, and then add the second half and only partially mash it. Add the Rotel tomatoes and chiles plus and mix. Add the ripe tomatoes and mix. Finish with adding the lemon or lime juice and Cholula. If you like it spicier, add more Cholula or a shot of Tabasco.
P.S. – If you liked this recipe, you can check out more of my recipes at https://www.caridad.com/meet-me/cooks-treat/.
A Majestic Omen
On the way to breakfast this morning I spied this hawk. It made me wonder if it was an omen especially since I am teaching my workshops today. Maybe it’s telling me I should step back and decide what to do before swooping in to take action.
Thoughts About a New Book
I’m busy writing my bible for the first book in the South Beach Security: K-9 Division series for Harlequin Intrigue, tentatively titled Rescue at Redlands. This book is about the owner of a racehorse stable who is being attacked, possibly because she’s supposed to testify against a former trainer who is accused of doping racehorses. The SBS K-9 officer has to secure her racing stables and keep her from harm. One of the things I do to get started is to research where the book will be set and what the characters will look like. I also look for images I can share with you to create the story’s mood, like what I did for you in some of my video trailers. Here are some images that had crated the mood for Decoy Training, my very first K-9 story (besides the free read for Deadly Chase).