Author, Author Saturday April 14th

...read all about it!!

                                       Saturday April 14th

 
Thanks for joining us today and please welcome a great author,

            Lynna Banning       



Welcome Lynna, can you tell us a little about yourself?
           
            I’m an Oregonian, raised in California, and I write westerns mostly (except for two medieval a couple of years back) and one memoir, just recently published (Gauchos & Gumption).  I’m older.  Widowed.  I started writing fiction when I retired from an editing job in 1993 and was published in 1995 (Western Rose was my first book). 

            I live in Northern California, within sound of the Roaring Camp Railroad train whistle.

 
  
What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

            A friend challenged me: “why don’t you write a book” she said when I wondered what I’d do in retirement.  So I did.

 
What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

            I do mostly book research and I get very extensive.  I have one whole wall of books pertaining to the Old West, and another wall of books about medieval Spain and England.  I also have bulging file cabinets full of information on horses, guns, medieval castles, maps, etc.

 
Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

            I write longhand on a yellow tablet (and later type the pages into the computer).  Most often I write in bed at night, with a clipboard propped up on my knees; my second favorite place to write is a coffee shop where I can feel “not alone” and screen out the noise.  This works well.

 
As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

            I read LOTS of nonfiction (history/culture mostly), literary fiction, and some genre fiction—mostly westerns (Elmore Leonard is a favorite) and some romance—preferably historical and preferably well-written.  Favorite periods are medieval and the Old West.

 
What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper??  And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?
           
            Method of writing is old-fashioned pen/paper.  I’m a “pantser”; I don’t plot the story in advance but try to let the characters take me where they’re going.

 
When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

            I play with a medieval music ensemble on harp, psaltery, recorder, etc.  I also play the piano (classical) and harpsichord.

 
Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??

            Nobody knows (yet) how tired I am getting of social media!

 

For fun, I have a few personal questions, 

Your Favorite 5

1) Favorite color -     Blue
2) Favorite dessert -     Carrot cake
3) Favorite Season -     Fall
4) Favorite sad song-      September Song
5) Favorite Romantic movie -  Casablanca

 
And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??

            My ideal vacation (romantic or otherwise) is within sound of the surf, alone (or with significant other), with nothing I “have” to do.

 
Where can our readers find you??
            I’m on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Turquoise Morning Press (www.turquoisemorningpress.com).
            My books are also listed on Goodreads.
   Links: webpage is www.lynnabanning.com. www.amazon.com. www.montereybayrwa.org. www.historyhoydens.com.

 
Is there an upcoming or current release          
 you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

            My most recent release is “Gauchos & Gumption”, a fictionalized memoir about my grandmother’s 1910 trip to Argentina to raise cattle.  This is available through Turquoise Morning Press.  In 2013 I will have a new western historical out, “Smoke River Bride,” about a young Chinese mail-order bride on an Oregon ranch.

                       Book blurb:  In 1910 new bride Marie Banning sails to Argentina to join her husband on his cattle ranch.  Far from Civilization Marie learns to make ostrich egg omelets, converse with the gauchos in Spanish, and wear “bombaches,” the baggy, calf-length pants worn by the Argentine cowhands.  Then, camped on the pampas a thousand miles from Buenos Aires, Marie discovers she is pregnant.  Photographs included in the printed book are those Marie herself took during her Argentine honeymoon.  The author’s mother was born in Buenos Aires at the end of a 1000-mile cattle drive.

            

It's been wonderful having you with us today but before we let you leave us, do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.

            CB’s Hors d’Oeuvre:  Top a block of cream cheese with chopped red onion and top the red onion with chopped olives.  Spread on Triscuits.


Thanks again for sharing with us today and we hope you'll come back and visit again.

Readers, make sure you grab Gauchos & Gumption.



Happy Reading,

Krista

Finally Friday April 13th

Good day, back again for another fabulous back list book from Turquoise Morning Press.  Today we are sharing ....

Texas Iron

by

JadeMorgan

War veteran Mack Harding has little experience with men, but it’s hard to miss the signals the new blacksmith is sending him. Rebuilding his family ranch takes up all of his time, and he honestly doesn’t think anybody would want to be with him, what with the scars on his face and the flashbacks that plague him. But Caleb leads him into a night of sensuality he’s never felt before.

Caleb Lucas isn’t really looking for a relationship, but he’s always ready for a tumble. And the sexy new client is certainly ringing all his bells. When an interlude in the barn leaves him wanting more, can he convince Mack to take a chance on his own brand of Texas Iron?



Review:

What a good story! Fans of cowboys and well-written M/M will love this one. The characters were vivid and the love scenes extremely sensual. The connection between the two men was excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to read this author again!  ~ a customer


Meet our Author:

  Jade Morgan is an Ohio native who grew up reading her mother’s romance novels, then re-reading the sex scenes (although there wasn’t much to read twenty years ago). Romance has always been in her heart, fed by the fact she’s been married to the love of her life for seventeen years. Jade has two kids and too many animals to list. She’s an average stay-at-home mom writing contemporary erotica and urban fantasy.

Jade loves to hear from readers and you can contact her at www.jademorgan.webs.com or authorjademorgan@gmail.com.

Texas Iron is available at Amazon, make sure you get your copy today !!!




Author, Author

...read all about it!!  

                     Thursday April 12th

Thanks for joining us and please welcome a wonderful author and a really great person,



                    Judy Alter

Hi Judy, so glad to have you here today, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Although I wrote about Texas and the American West for years, I am not a native Texan. I was born in Chicago. Came to Texas in 1965, got a Ph.D. in English at TCU, and worked at TCU Press, the book publishing division of the university, for almost 30 years, over 20 of them as director. I was the single parent of four for much of that time and wrote fiction at night. A longtime member of Western Writers of America, I wrote what are now considered western historical romances—Libbie, about Elizabeth Bacon Custer, Jessie, about Jessie Benton Frémont, and Sundance, Butch, and Me, about Etta Place and the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. I retired from TCU in 2009 but didn’t really retire—I just changed jobs. Now I write full time and am busier than ever. But I’ve switched to cozy mysteries.

What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

I think I always wanted to write. I wrote my first short stories at ten, submitted to Seventeen Magazine in high school (promptly rejected), and have done public relation and publishing ever since which is, to me, a form of writing. I kept going to graduate school and majoring in English because I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I read all the usual things—Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Frances Parkinson Keyes, but I can’t say there was any one inspiration. Reading and writing have been my life, and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself now if I weren’t writing.

What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

For western historical I did a lot of research because I wanted to get the history straight. I read all of Libbie Custer’s memoirs and lots of book about George Armstrong Custer; for Etta Place, I read a lot of books but no one knows the true story and I ended up interpreting history my own way.

For my current mysteries, I don’t do much research—they’re set in the neighborhood adjacent to mine that I know well—including the restaurants, schools, etc.,, and they’re not police procedurals where I have to get things down right. The most research I’ve done is on Craftsman houses, because my heroine, Kelly, is a real estate agent specializing in renovating older homes and her neighborhood has lots of Craftsman. That kind of research can be mostly done on the Web.

Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

I have a wonderful office, made from a small bedroom off my living room. It’s where I spend my life—if I’m eating alone, I eat there; when I read late at night, I do so at my desk. I have book shelves all over the house, but keep the books I refer to most often in my office. It has French doors that open up to the living room and wonderful windows, so it’s a cheery space.

As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

I’ve read cozy mysteries all my life, and I’m sure that influenced my writing today. I thought if others can write these, so can I. I like Diane Mott Davidson’s culinary mysteries. Julie Hyzy’s White House Chef and curator of an old mansion books (because cooking and old houses are two of my passions), along with some more complex mysteries like Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James books and the work of Julia Spencer-Fleming. But I’m always delighted to find a new cozy author whose work I enjoy.

What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

I write on a laptop at my desk—but it has a remote monitor and wireless remote keyboard and mouse. I’m spoiled. I don’t do well with the laptop keyboard—really slows me down. I am definitely a pantser—I start with a rough idea of what’s going to happen, get that first sentence, and go from there, though the first sentence changes often during the process. When I wrote young-adult westerns, I used to sort of plot—I’d number from one to ten and roughly figure out what was going to happen in each of ten chapters. But as I neared the end of a current mystery, I still had no idea who done it or why. Then inspiration struck. Of course I had to go back and rewrite to stick in parts that made it plausible.

When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

Taking care of a kindergarten grandchild (every afternoon after school), eating out with friends or entertaining at home, cooking and reading, plus caring for my two dogs. I have a full and active life and don’t devote nearly as much time as I’d like to writing.

Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??

My mother once said to me, “Do you have to tell everything you know?” I’m afraid I’m an open book, and there’s not much people don’t know about me, especially if they read my blog. I’m the besotted grandmother of seven, but I drive a VW bug convertible because I didn’t want to be a stodgy grandmother—and because I love VWs; I sort of always wanted to be a chef, but now my feet and back wouldn’t take all that standing. I’m addicted to Redstone’s milk chocolate with jalapenos and crushed peanuts, and I’m perpetually trying to shed 15 lbs. I’m a vocal liberal in politics and an active member of my church.

Where can our readers find you??

http://www.judyalter.com

http://www.judys-stew.blogspot.com

http://potluckwithjudy.blogspot.com

Pinterest and Facebook - I spend way too much time on those sites, but I learn a lot and enjoy them.

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

Yes, definitely. My newest Kelly O’Connell Mystery, No Neighborhood for Old Women, http://www.amazon.com/Neighborhood-Women-OConnell-Mystery-ebook/dp/B007SH90OA/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334089214&sr=1-2 went up on Kindle and Nook on Monday, April 9. It will be in print by May 1 and on other e-readers soon.

 In addition I’ve just put my 1990s novels, Libbie http://www.amazon.com/Libbie-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B007Q3EJ74/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1334089097&sr=1-2)

  and Butch, Sundance, and Me http://www.amazon.com/Sundance-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B007Q3LUGM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1334089155&sr=1-1 with ePublishing Works, so they’re available on Kindle, Nook, and other platforms. Pretty exciting times for me.

It's been wonderful having you here with us today.  Before we let you leave, do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share with others.

When I had a signing luncheon at TCU, they served this dish.

Doris’ Casserole

One of my family’s favorites is Doris’ Casserole. A friend served this years and years ago. I think it came from a Mrs. America contest winner and was simply called Beef Casserole, but since the hostess was Doris, we call it Doris’ Casserole to this day. Doris was the wife of a radiology resident who was in training while my ex-husband was in surgical residency—we were all poor, and our entertaining featured frugal recipes. I almost never see Doris these days but once when I did I told her how important her recipe was in our family, and she barely remembered the dish. I also found out that another friend at that party still serves it to her family and calls it American lasagna.

First layer:

1 lb. ground beef

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed in garlic press

2 tsp each sugar and salt (I cut back on those but sugar is important in tomato-based sauces—my mom taught me years ago it sort of rounds it off.)

Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain grease and return to skillet. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, until it thickens a little, while you fix the noodle layer.

Noodle layer:

5 oz. (approximately—they don’t come in this size pkg.) egg noodles

3 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 c. sour cream

6 green onions chopped, with some of the tops included

Cook egg noodles and drain. While the noodles are hot, stir in cream cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

Layer meat mixture in a 9x13 pan. Spread noodles over meat mixture.

Topping:

2 c. grated cheddar

Sprinkle cheddar over casserole, bake 35 minutes at 350 or until bubbly and cheese is slightly browned.

Supposed to serve 8, but you’ll be lucky if you can feed six with it. Freezes well.

I have a recipe for something called Hill Country Casserole, which is basically the same thing, using ground venison. Haven’t tried it, but I bet it would be good. I sometimes use ground bison in this and nobody can tell the difference—but it’s cheaper and much better for you.

From Cooking My Way Through Life with Books and Kids

By Judy Alter

Judy thank you so much for being with us today and please come back and join us again.


Readers, make sure not to miss these great books by Judy Alter!


Happy reading,


Krista

Author, Author

...read all about it!!    Thursday April 5th


Thanks for joining us and please welcome a terrific author,

Suzanne Barrett

Hi Suzanne and welcome.  Would you start by telling us a little about yourself...

I'm California-born but have lived in a number of states. I went to school in California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. After a career in engineering, I left Corporate America to write full time. I divide my time between writing, jewelry design,gardening and teaching water fitness. I love early music, British mysteries, gourmet cooking, cats and staying at home. I write content for and maintain an Irish Travel website(www.irelandforvisitors.com) in addition to my jewelry site(www.bellerustique.com) and my author site(www.suzannebarrett.com).

 What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

 Since childhood I've always enjoyed writing, but my foray into writing romance fiction came after reading LaVyrle Spencer's"Hummingbird". I had read many other romantic stories, but hers resonated with me and made me wonder if I could write a romance. I began my first story in early 1989, a few days after purchasing my first computer.

What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

Some of my research is extensive. For In Love and War, which is a contemporary set in Ireland, I spent part of a winter in the little Co. Waterford town of Cappoquin where I interviewed dairy farmers, cheese makers, villagers, even a couple of old ex-IRA men in a local pub. When I wrote Taming Rowan, a story set in Northern England, I had the area research down because at one time we were going to move there. My heroine is a structural engineer who's sent to England to design an antenna support platform. I got the idea when I was...wait for it...working on an antenna support platform here in the States.

 

 

My most ambitious research project has been for A Terrible Beauty, a story set in Ireland between the time of the Easter Rising and the formation of the Irish Free State (1924). This involved another trip to Ireland, and obscene investment in Irish history books from Kenny's in Galway, tours of countless battle sites, greathouses, and a course in weaponry. There was also a tremendous amount of research in the local culture, products of the time, even automobile colors. With history so recent, you have to be accurate. So, if anyone wants to know what cigarettes were smoked, what was the favorite chocolate of the time or what color a Silver Stream automobile was likely to be, just ask.:-)

Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

 I have an office in my house. It's an 11 x 14 room off the kitchen with a sliding glass door onto a deck with a pergola. Beyond that is our meadow and orchard. My computer is a desktop with a flat screen, so I'm pretty much stuck in a computer chair. However, I have a comfy down sofa at one end of the room and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves along one wall.

As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

I read romantic suspense, British sagas, women's fiction, historical fiction, biographies and political books. Each has some influence in what I write.

What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

 I write on the computer. I have arthritis and carpal tunnel which makes paper and pen writing difficult. I have a rough outline and a GMC for each protagonist, but generally I'm a pantster.

When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

Making jewelry or digging in the dirt or trekking out to watch my chickens (believe it or not, watching chickens is very relaxing). And then there are the trips to the gym. The treadmill and exercise bikes are great venues for reading on my Kindle.

Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??

 I'm terrified of needles but pierced my own ears(my parents were horrified). I trained to be a shot putter.

For fun, I have a few personal questions,

Your Favorite 5

1) Favorite color - Green

2) Favorite dessert – Lemon Sponge

3) Favorite Season - Autumn

4) Favorite sad song- Sonny (I like the Liam Clancy version, also the one by Emmy Lou Harris, Dolores Keane and Mary Black) 

5) Favorite Romantic movie - Reckless(the Robson Green, Francesca Annis film)

And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??

A trip to Ireland

Where can our readers find you??

www.suzannebarrett.com

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

Risking it All (available as of 3/12/12)

Loving Luke will release in May

Both available from Turquoise Morning Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and several digital outlets.

Risking it All(http://www.amazon.com/Risking-It-All-ebook/dp/B007JQTEU0/ref=sr_1_12?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331688567&sr=1-12)

A GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

Pushed out of his own start-up company, Tom McKittrick is ready to lickhis wounds in private at the rural family estate he’s inherited. But heisn’t prepared for his Garden of Eden to have a built-in Eve­a reclusivenaturalist with a long-term lease on the caretaker’s cottage, a knack forgardening, and an incredibly beautiful face.

A PARADISE FOR TWO

April Fairchild is not about to let Tom McKittrick order her out of thehome that has been her cozy retreat from the world. But she has to feel sorry for him ­the corporate bigwig is clearly out of his element in,well, the elements. April knows she can teach this hunky guy a thing or two about how to relax. All she has to do is sow the seeds of romance…and let nature take its course.

Before we let you go today Suzanne, do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.

Lemon Sponge

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, separated

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup flour

1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups milk

pinch cream of tarter

sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Using an electric mixer, cream butter together with sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, the lemon juice, and the flour, the lemon rind, and the salt. Combine mixture well.

 Add milk in a stream, beating, and combine well. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tarter until they hold stiff peaks. Stir one forth of the whites into the lemon mixture. Fold in remainder of whites gently,and transfer the mixture to a buttered 1 1/2-quart glass souffle dish.Set the dish in a deep pan, adding enough boiling water to pan to reach halfway up the sides of the souffle dish. Bake dessert in a preheated 350degree F. oven for 50 minutes, or until it is puffed and the top golden.

 Sift confectioners' sugar over top and serve dessert warm or chilled.(The sponge will separate, forming a custard sauce on the bottom.)

Spoon the top onto dessert plates, and spoon sauce over each serving. This is my all-time favorite dessert!

Seriously, I cannot wait to try your Lemom Sponge, it sounds sooooooo good.  Thanks again Suzanne for being with us today. It was great to learn more about you.  I hope you'll stop by anytime!

Readers, don't miss out on Risking It All, get your copy today and keep an eye out for the release of Loving Luke to grace our stores soon. 

Happy reading,

Krista

Author, Author Sunday April 1st.

...read all about it!!


Thanks for joining us and please welcome a great author,


           Tamaria Soana


Welcome Tamaria, great to have you here today. Can you tell us a little about yourself??

I'm a forty year old stay-at-home mom of two very active young girls three and seven.  I live in western New York and yes it snows a lot here.  I love curling up with a good book (on  my kindle) on cold nights.  I've been married for twelve years.



What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

My love for reading. I really just dabbled in writing until three years ago. I was a closet writer up until just last year.



What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

Depends on the story. For Obsession I had to research social stalkers. I read a few articles and case studies so I could understand how their mind works.



Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

No not really. I have a small corner in the rec room in our basement, it's cold and not well lit. So I usually I'm at the kitchen or dinning room table typing away.



As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

I read romance/erotica. I don't think reading influences me so to speak. I think it's important for any author to read. Last week I took a week of from writing and read 6 books.



What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

Laptop. I do often write in a spiral book with a pen.



When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

Reading or shopping!



Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??

I love crazy, funny, out there movies that make you laugh. Like Soap, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man,  Weekend at Bernie's



Where can our readers find you??

My website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Beachwalk Press



Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

Obsession which just released March 19th !

Is there anywhere safe when you're the object of someone's obsession?

Alexandria Stevens is a New York Times best-selling romance novelist. After she makes a guest appearance on a popular TV talk show, she creates a Twitter account. Within a few short weeks she meets a fan, and they become fast friends…or that's what Alex thinks. When Alex finds herself being stalked, the person she least suspects is her new friend Jillian. What she doesn't know is that Jillian has been obsessed with her for years. She wants everything Alex has, even her husband.



Excerpt

Alex went into her study to answer some emails and go over the script for her movie again when the doorbell rang. Knowing Hudson was on a conference call, she went to answer it. She looked out the window to find a deliveryman with a long, white box. Her heart melted, Hudson had flowers delivered for her. He was always so romantic and thoughtful. God, she loved him.

Alex opened the door and signed for the flowers. As she took them to the kitchen to place them in a vase, her mind wandered to all the ways she could thank Hudson properly after his conference call was over. Her favorite one involved her being down on her knees. Alex couldn't wait to see and smell the beautiful flowers. Giggling, she untied the ribbon and anxiously lifted the lid.

She screamed and dropped the box. It was filled with a dozen black roses, a purple plastic butterfly attached to one stem. Fear rocked through her body as she remembered the note left on her car. Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly. I will collect you and capture you. Alex fell to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Alex, oh my God. Are you okay? What happened?" Hudson asked as he placed his arms around her trembling body.

She pointed to the black roses. "I thought you sent me flowers," she stuttered in between her sobs.

Hudson looked at the roses with confusion, then Alex pointed to the butterfly and told him about the note she'd found on her car and how Colleen said it was nothing, probably a sick prank.

"You should've told me, baby. I'm calling your father, this isn't just a prank." Hudson dialed Anthony, Alex's father and a police detective. Hudson held her tight and assured her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her and they would find out what was going on.

Anthony was at his daughter's side within fifteen minutes with two policemen in tow. He asked a few questions and took the flowers for evidence. Alex just clung to Hudson as her father lectured her for not telling anyone about the note that had been left on her car. He was upset that the note had been destroyed, because there could've been forensic evidence on it that would help them figure out who was doing this.

Alex looked into her father's eyes, he looked both angry and conflicted. She knew this had to be hard on him. He had to be both her father and the detective on the case. He assured them he would try and keep a lid on it for as long as possible. Alex let out a moan knowing what would happen if the media found out about it.

Hudson asked Anthony about the possibility of the police providing some sort of security for Alex. She objected, saying she didn't want to be babysat. Her father quickly dismissed her objection, stating it was a good idea and he would arrange regular patrols of the street. He swore to her that he would catch the psycho who was stalking her. He hugged her before he left, which took Alex by surprise because he never showed emotion.

When everyone was finally gone, Hudson got Alex some water and two sleeping pills. Soon she was in bed wrapped in Hudson's arms. Although she was both emotionally and physically exhausted, she felt safe next to him. She sighed and snuggled as close to his warm body as she could as she wiped away a tear and drifted off to sleep.

Alex woke to her cellphone ringing over and over again. Who the hell keeps calling? She moaned as she grabbed her phone from the bedside table. When she looked at the screen and saw who the caller was, she rolled her eyes.

"Mom?"

"Oh my God, Alexandria, are you okay? Why do I have to find out from the media that someone is stalking my daughter?"

Alex just let her mother rant—no good would come out of trying to stop her and explain things until she had it all out of her system.

"And a movie deal? Why am I the last to know everything? Well, I'm waiting."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I was going to call you today. Things have been a bit crazy. What do you mean you heard it from the media?"

"It's all over the entertainment news."

"Christ!" Alex took a deep breath. She needed to focus and find out what was being said. "Mom, I have to go. I promise I'll call you later and fill you in on everything. I need to find out exactly what has been leaked."


Available now at:

Beachwalk Press  and  Amazon




Before we let you go today, do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to share with readers and try out myself :)

Here is my all-time favorite quick dinner to make. I sold the Pampered Chef for years!

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
1   medium red bell pepper 1   medium green bell pepper 1   large onion 1   plum tomato 1   pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves		1   package (1-1.25 ounces) fajita seasoning mix 2   garlic cloves, pressed 1   small lime, cut in half 8   (7-8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed Optional toppings: salsa, shredded cheese, guacamole, sliced pitted ripe olives and sour cream

Directions:
1.	Cut bell peppers into 1/2-inch strips. Cut onion and tomato into 1/4-inch wedges. Set vegetables aside. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch strips. Combine chicken and seasoning mix in small bowl; toss to coat and set aside.
2.	Heat Grill Pan over medium-high heat. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Add bell peppers and onion; cook 3 minutes without stirring. Stir and cook an additional 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan; set aside.
3.	Spray pan again with vegetable oil. Add chicken; cook 2-3 minutes without stirring. Add garlic. Stir and cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add reserved vegetable mixture and tomato to pan. Squeeze lime over chicken mixture. Cook 1 minute or until heated through; stir.
4.	To serve, spoon a portion of the chicken and vegetable mixture in center of each tortilla. Top with desired toppings, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings  Tamaria thank you so much for being with us today!  It was great to learn more about you and thanks so much for that yummy recipe.  My family will love it.  Can't wait to get your new release, it sounds really good. Readers, don't waste any time, follow the links above and get your copy of Obsession  today!!! Happy reading, Krista