#ManCandyMonday Karen Fenech & the Dangerous Passions Box Set

It’s Man Candy Monday and I have not only some Man Candy for you, but an amazing teaser from one of my Dangerous Passions friends, Karen Fenech! In fact, all this week I’ll be having friends from that box set who will be sharing teasers and more Man Candy!

We’ve actually been at this for a week now and we’ve seen so many awesome alphas- and guess what? There’s no more. Just some wrinkled old man… JUST KIDDING! We’ve got another action-packed story for you today, here’s “Imposter”, bestselling author Karen Fenech’s CIA Thriller! If you want to catch up on last week’s sexy alpha heroes, you can visit our Facebook page or Opal Carew’s blog!

Who framed Dr. Eve Collins? Find out in @karenfenech’s CIA thriller, “Imposter”! Dangerous Passions box set http://bit.ly/DPAmzUS #DPBoxSet

Blurb

Burke must find the assassin — or die trying.

Chemist Dr. Eve Collins, wrongly accused by the CIA of developing a chemical weapon, learns someone has set her up as a scapegoat. That “someone” wants her dead. To save her life, she must join forces with CIA Operative John Burke—the man who doesn’t believe her claim of innocence and the man she’s falling in love with.

CIA Operative John Burke doesn’t believe her claim of innocence. When an attempt is made on her life, he believes her accomplice has turned on her. But something doesn’t add up about Eve and her role in this crime she’s accused of. Burke has too many questions, including — has his judgment been compromised by his fierce attraction to her?

Dangerous Passions eBook box set releases March 3rd for the special price of $0.99! Preorder today!!

DP3D_200
Amazon: http://bit.ly/DPAmzUS
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/DPAmzUK
Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/DPAmzCA
iBooks: http://bit.ly/166itSE
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1z6xv1g

Teaser

Eve left the Porsche and stumbled out onto the asphalt. She was still holding her  phone and dropped it onto the pavement as she ran to the sedan.

She reached it and seized the lid just as the dark-haired man was about to slam it.

“You can’t move Richard’s body. Drive back to the nearest city and send the police.”

What was the name of the last place they drove through? She shook her head in  frustration. She couldn’t recall it. She eyed the two men. “There’s a city about a forty  minute drive east of here. Since you were on this road, you would have passed it as well. There’s bound to be a police station there.”

The man slammed the trunk and turned to his companion. “You’d better get going. I’ll be in touch.”

“Will do.”

The men acted as if she hadn’t spoken. Eve reached out and seized the dark-haired man’s forearm. Beneath the conservative gray suit was hard muscle. Instead of digging into skin, her nails bent. She bit down hard on her back teeth “Did you hear what I said?”

He met her gaze. “Every word. I’m afraid, however, that we will be removing the body.”

She could see the promise in his eyes, and her anger spiked another notch.

“Listen to me— ”

“Dr. Collins—”

“You know me?” She searched her memory, but could not recall ever meeting  him. He obviously knew her though, and though he had yet to harm her, that fact unsettled her, reminded her that this man and his companion had been following Richard.

Who were these men? Eve’s stomach went as tight as a fist. Her body went cold with apprehension but she knew better than to show it. She crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze on the dark-haired man who appeared to be leading the other man. “I asked you a question.”

“We’ve never met. I’m John Burke.” Burke indicated the man beside him. “This is Michael Lanski. We work for a division of the Central Intelligence Agency.” Burke withdrew a small folder from inside his suit jacket and opened it for her inspection. It was his picture ID. He replaced it, then repeated to Lanski, “Get going.”

Lanski got behind the wheel of the sedan, and Eve’s heart thumped. “Where is he going?” she asked Burke. “Why were you following Richard? What does the CIA want with Richard’s body?”

“We’ll talk on the drive to Rowland,” Burke said. “Let’s go, Dr. Collins.”

Eve narrowed her eyes on Burke. “You know where Richard and I were going?”

Burke gave her a level look. “Oh, yeah. We know a lot of things about you and Richard.”

Eve arched her eyebrows at the cryptic statement. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Before Burke could respond—if he’d intended to—Eve’s attention was drawn by the sedan. Lanski spun the car in a U-turn then, tires squealing, sped down the road.

Dust swirled in the air where the car had been an instant earlier, and Richard was gone.

Again, Eve felt tears burn. She forced them back and confronted Burke. “I asked you what the CIA wants with Richard’s body.”

“And I told you we would talk on the way to Rowland,” Burke said.

The sun had lowered and dusk had descended. In the interval between day and night, there was a stillness, a quiet time. In the silence, Eve became aware of the hum of the Porsche’s engine. She’d thought the car was disabled by the accident, but Burke or Lanski had started it. Obviously, Burke intended that they leave there in Richard’s vehicle.

Eve crossed her arms. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Mr. Burke.”

He braced his hands low on his hips. “Are you thinking to wait out here, hoping another car will come along?”

“Oh, no. I am leaving. You’re not. I’m taking the car. You should have gone  with Lanski.” Eve’s cheeks warmed. “This isn’t over. If you won’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll get my answers from your office. I will get Richard’s body released. I will find out why the CIA even knows my name.”

Eve moved past him toward the car.

“You aren’t going anywhere without me.”

She glanced back at Burke. He hadn’t moved, but his eyes had hardened and she knew he meant what he said. He outweighed her by at least seventy pounds and topped her by a good eight inches. Did he intend to use physical force to detain her? When she’d been on the job, she’d taken down men of his size before. Still, he would need a reason to insist that she accompany him. He was an officer of the law, after all, not a thug.

She raised an eyebrow. “If you want to stop me, you’re going to have to place me under arrest.”

Burke reached into a back pocket and held up a pair of handcuffs.

Eve’s lips tensed briefly. “You have to be out of your mind, Burke. I’m a chemist not a criminal.”

“You set the terms, Doctor. We are going to talk. If I have to arrest you to do that, I will.”

“This is ridiculous. You can’t arrest me without cause.”

“Oh, I have cause.” He leaned in close to her, and his voice lowered to a near whisper. “You’ve been named in a terrorist plot, Doctor. The charge for committing an offence against your country is treason.”

And now for our Man Candy!

I hope you enjoyed that teaser from Karen Fenech! Here’s a little Man Candy for you as well as a little video trailer for Karen’s contribution to the box set!
Karen Fenech Imposter

You can click here to see the IMPOSTER Dangerous Passions Trailer if you can’t see it below.

#TeaserTuesday Guest Blog with Jenn Nixon

I’m really happy to have with me today my friend and fellow author Jenn Nixon who is sharing a teaser from her book, LUCKY’S CHARM. Here’s a little bit about Jenn:

Jenn’s love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.

Jenn often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.

Blurb

LuckySale2aTo protect her family and find a killer, Felicia “Lucky” Fascino assumed her adoptive father’s identity and joined the network, an organization of moral assassins to finish the job he began. Eliminating the man responsible for murdering her mother has consumed her for the last five years. While keeping her Uncle Stephen and cousin Elizabeth at arm’s length, Lucky begins to feel the weight of her career choice and reclusive lifestyle. Then a chance encounter with an enigmatic hit man, during one of her jobs, turns into a provocative and dangerous affair. Distracted by the secret trysts with Kenji Zinn and mounting tension within her family, Lucky makes reckless mistakes that threaten her livelihood and almost claim her life.

Excerpt

Things get complicated for Lucky as her feelings for Kenji bubble to the surface.

“I’m not…good at this anymore.” Lucky puffed out a heavy breath and clutched the phone. “I can’t wrap my mind around it. I’ve really tried to forget you.”

“Why?”

“Because, I can’t want…this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Be with someone while doing what I do. Sharing my life… I haven’t for a long time. I don’t see how I can do it with—”

“Another killer?”

That stopped her cold. Lucky shut her eyes and banged her head against the wall. Not only was it the oddest conversation she’d ever have, it frightened her because he was dead on.

“Why add to the torment?” she snapped.

“Being with you was far from torture.” His reply was husky and saturated with innuendo. Lucky ignored the ripples of electricity on her skin.

“We’re not good people, Kenji. I’ve already accepted that, but I think you’ve still got blinders on.”

“No, I have a sense we are more alike than you realize. I know why you eliminated McKowen. He was a vile man.”

“Yeah… We might be the bad guys, but we’re never the villains.” Lucky softened her tone. “We’re not heroes either, just stuck in the middle somewhere.”

“This is what we do, not who we are. It does not change what happened between us. We should not ignore this.”

“I don’t know….” The contact with him did something to her, but finding the words to explain it seemed impossible. Lucky did want to see him again, though, not for all the right reasons.

“Where are you, right now?”

“Miami,” he said immediately. “Let me come to you, wherever you wish.”

“I….” The confusion twisted through her. He was determined without being forceful.

“The choice is yours. Call me after you complete your task,” he said without demand.

“Okay.”

To find out more about Jenn or purchase Lucky’s Charm:

Website: www.jennnixon.com
Facebook: facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor
Blog: www.jennafern.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/jennnixon
http://pinterest.com/jennnixon/

Lucky’s Charm:
Amazon Wild Child Publishing Barnes & Noble

Chicken Cacciatore Thanks to Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers

I’m still a little behind, so today I’m offering up a recipe from my friends Lois Winston and Caroline Mickelson. So click here to visit the fabulous Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog for a very tasty recipe for Chicken Cacciatore!

Did you know “cacciatore’ is Italian for hunter? This style of meal was prepared hunter-style with whatever vegetables and meats were at hand.

Also, please take a moment to visit with me at Paranormal Dimensions! I’m sharing some behind the scenes details on my latest release in THE REBORN vampire novel series.

TO CATCH A PRINCESS #Free Read

I’m so excited about my upcoming romantic suspense release TO CATCH A PRINCESS. It’s sexy and emotional. Action-packed. Set in the very elegant and over-the-top principality of Monaco. Plus, I love not only laid back Detective Peter Roman, but the very determined and in charge woman that Tatiana has become. You may remember her as Alexander’s little sister in THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE.

But I also fell in love with thief in the book, so you know my mind is already wondering what to do about him in the future!

Anyway, here’s a little excerpt from TO CATCH A PRINCESS and I hope you’ll love seeing what’s up with Alexander and Kathleen from THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE.

If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here to read!

TO CATCH A PRINCESS Romantic Suspense by Caridad Pineiro

GHOST OF A CHANCE Free Read

GHOST OF A CHANCE paranormal mysteryToday I’ve got a free read for you from my paranormal mystery/romance e-novella, GHOST OF A CHANCE.

This story first appeared in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF GHOST ROMANCE. As a thank you to fans, the e-book specially priced at .99 until March 31! For all of you who still love a print book, it is also available as a paperback for only $3.99. Here’s what the Paranormal Romance Guild had to say about GHOST OF A CHANCE:

Paranormal Romance Guild: 5 Stars – “This is not just a ghost story and romance but it is a very good murder mystery. Who killed the Ryan’s and why? The wife and daughter’s bodies were never discovered are they really dead? This short story was a wonderful mystery in addition to a wonderful ghost romance.”

If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here to read it.

GHOST OF A CHANCE, paranormal mystery e-novella by Caridad Pineiro

Chicken in Sour Cream – The Way to a Girl’s Heart

THE PRINCE'S GAMBLE Romantic SuspenseFirst of all, many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review of THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE. It really means a lot to me that you did that and I thank you. Reviews really help authors to get the word out about their books. Here is one I just got from Fresh Fiction! Thanks, Annette.

Those of you who have read THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE know that there are a number of Russian foods mentioned in the story. In one scene, Prince Alexander decides to show Kathleen just how wrong she has him by making her a Russian-style meal. Prince Alexander serves up chicken with sour cream and butter with a side of a pilaf chock full of an eclectic mix of ingredients as he tries to work his way into Kathleen’s heart.

This morning I’m sharing with you the recipe for Prince Alexander’s Chicken in Sour Cream. This is a really easy recipe that can be adapted in a number of ways. For example, if you’re not a mushroom fan, just leave them out. You can also add some paprika (about 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika) to the sour cream to make Chicken Paprikash. It’s that simple.

Hope you enjoy today’s recipe from THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE.

Chicken in Sour Cream

Ingredients

2 skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a saute pan. Pat dry your sliced chicken breasts and brown them in the butter/oil. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until just getting brown. Mushrooms have a lot of water so you always want to cook them by themselves and you want to steam away all that water before adding the other ingredients, otherwise you’ll just be steaming the food.

Add the onions to the mushrooms and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to get golden.

Turn down the heat, add the sour cream to the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. You can use low-fat sour cream to cut down on the calories. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all those brown bits. Those are the sugars from the food that have caramelized on the pan and have all the tasty goodness! The acid from the sour cream will also help to deglaze the pan. If you wish, you could also put a touch of white wine to deglaze the brown bits and add a little more flavor to the sauce. A small amount of chicken broth will likewise work.

Once the sour cream is warm, add the chicken breast back to the pan and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. I asked you to thinly slice the breasts to make sure they would cook thoroughly. If you’re using a thicker breast, check for doneness before serving.

You can serve the above dish with white rice, pilaf (next week’s recipe), buttered noodles or even an un-Russian item like spaetzle.