Teresa Blue's Guest Post on Anita Philmar's Blog

Confessions of a How-To-Write-Romance Junkie

Pssst. I’ve got a confession. I’ve had a life-long affair with pens and paper, books and…well, men.

So the day I combined them was like emerging from a fog. I remember the moment when the desire to become a writer first hit me. No, it wasn’t during a snowstorm, but a rather dull, quiet time in my life. A time when the voices in my head grew louder and refused to be ignored.

Imagine my relief when I discovered I wasn’t psychotic at all. Nor were the men I dreamed about a subconscious sign of an unhappy marriage.

Sharing the characters that lived in my imagination however, required a lot more nerve. These were fictionalized people that I’d conceived in my head and painstakingly attempted to paint on paper.

Not soon after submitting, the rejections started to fill my mailbox and with them came a growing uncertainty. Maybe I couldn’t write after all, at least not well enough to interest outsiders. So I turned to books, but not for pleasure. This time I was searching for power, for kernels of knowledge, guidance I could use to spin that golden yarn.

 Anyone who’s ever searched this topic knows there are literally hundreds of books available on how to write a romance. Intense classes are taught everyday on ways to create three dimensional story people. ‘Dig deeper’ became a common phrase. Find the bones. Give your characters flaws. Develop personalities and conflicts that tug at a reader’s heart strings.

I explored hundreds of blog universities and websites all dedicated to the aspiring writer. I discovered- not mastered, mind you- how to write a strong opening and the importance of ending every chapter with a hook. I became pretty good at identifying POV and whose voice I should be listening to in any given scene. Notes covered my computer screen, ‘less is more’ and ‘use strong verbs’ ‘patrol for repeat offenders’ and ‘cliché alert!’

The first three to five years into this journey I devoured one ‘How-To’ book after another. Every time I’d hear someone recommend the easiest way to plot your novel, or how to revise and edit the current one, I’d get fidgety. I just knew my manuscript would sell if only I learned what such & such was demonstrating.

But all this research took time. Not to mention the number it did to my self esteem realizing there was still so much I didn’t know. Ten years and I was no closer to learning how to write than when I started. Rarely did I send manuscripts out anymore. I critically judged every line. The word count wasn’t exact, the characters were too edgy. Or worse, the requesting editor was no longer there.

The sands of time were piling up and sadly, my fire to write for publication had started to fade. I knew a manuscript needed to be fresh…original, capable of blowing some unsuspecting editor away with a WOW! A novel needed to grab the throat of a reader in the first paragraph, better - in the first sentence.

All of this left me feeling very small. My manuscript was far from perfect, not to mention in line with many established authors all competing for a contract. I felt defeated before even starting. In essence, I had become an old horse simply standing on the mark.

So what exactly was this article about and how does it relate to the title? Well, only that I’ve come to believe sometimes we can use research or the pretense of fine tuning our craft as an excuse not to fail. And it occurred to me…has anyone ever learned to swim without getting in the water? You simply have to get wet. Why didn’t I realize that before now?

 Bio: Tereasa Bellew writes romance under the pen name Teresa Blue.

I've always had my nose buried in a book and remember the day I was awarded my first library card. I went faithfully on Saturdays checking out my limit. And for awhile reading was enough, until the day it wasn't. For whatever reason, I picked up a pen and just wrote. And I've been at it ever since.

Man of her Dreams, available at most ebook sites.

Blurb:
Leslie Stone stumbles upon her fiancé cheating with the maid of honor just days before her wedding. Determined to put distance between them, she heads to the family’s cabin in Sleeping Falls, Michigan. Unfortunately, her car barely hit the city limits before breaking down. And with no money for repairs, the scrolling marquee above the biker bar advertising a mechanical bull riding contest seems like a perfect solution.
Jay Westfield learned at an early age to avoid women who chase the limelight. After all, his mother had been the star attraction in Harvey’s Traveling show. The minute Leslie clears the door in cut-offs and skimpy tank top, things heat up. She’s on a mission and he wants no part of it. The last thing he expects is the attraction he feels seeing her on the back of Old Iron.
Add in a squeezy rag doll named Mr. Jingles, the colorful antics of newfound friend, and the renowned tarot-card reader Madame Luella. Leslie’s about to discover in order to find the man of her dreams she must be willing to believe in magic.
Sensuality Level: Sensual

For a sneak peek into the funny, lovable characters check out my blog 

at http://tereasa-thingfinder.blogspot.com/

Thanks Teresa for stopping by,

Anita

Beer Blogger Guest Liz Crowe

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Microbrewery owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town.  Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for life as erotic romance author. 

When she isn't sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications. 

Her groundbreaking romance subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)

Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices.  Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.

www.lizcrowe.com

www.brewingpasssion.com

www.a2beerwench.com

www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor

www.twitter.com/beerwencha2

www.facebook.com/romanceforreallife

www.facebook.com/jackgordonrealtor

Paradise Hops

By

Liz Crowe

BLURB:  

A brutal attack left Lori Brockton convinced she was damaged goods. By the time she emerges from hiding two years later, ready to run her family's famous brewery, she's determined to be independent--never rely on anyone ever again. Nearly a year of working in every corner of Brockton Brewing Company, from warehouse to pub, front office to kitchen, teaches her all she needs to know about the business.

Then, she comes face-to-face with masculine perfection in a suit and her world is rocked in more ways than one. Garret Hunter is the new Brockton business manager who takes one look at the beautiful, sad young woman and his entire existence coalesces around winning her heart. 

But standing between Garrett and what he believes is his true love, is a six-feet six-inch blond-haired bad boy brewer.

Eli Buchannan is a craft beer rock star, recently hired by Brockton to drag the company into the 21st century. He brings innovation and attitude plus a prima donna ladies man reputation.  But he's sworn off anything resembling commitment, personal or professional, after getting burned at his last job on both fronts. 

Garret Hunter is “The Perfect Man” -- handsome, successful, stable, eager to settle down. Eli Buchannan... is not.  Compelling, smoking hot, creative and elusive, he represents everything Lori Brockton should avoid.  But just as she makes a difficult choice, a drastic life-changing shift occurs, and nothing is ever the same again.

BOOK VIDEO LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOcC8FMXOpE

Excerpt:

Lori wrestled open the back brewery door, ears already ringing from the curses that echoed through the large, brightly lit room. The brewery boys, and three second brewers stood in a line, like they were in a marine barracks all looking as nervous as mice observed by a very hungry cat.

“And who the fuck,” boomed a voice, “might you be? No one told me there was a girl brewer in this place.”

As a reflex, Lori looked around, seeking out the girl who’d pissed off the faceless angry voice that must belong to Eli Buchanan their new master brewer. She’d been instrumental in convincing her father to hire the guy. He was a brewing celebrity, a genius, temperamental and prone to quit perfectly good breweries if the mood suited him. He was exactly what Brockton needed. They had to to get past their staid, complacent attitude in a rapidly changing craft beer environment.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you. The one who showed up fifteen minutes late for my morning staff meeting.” She flushed, frowning at the line of men, many of whom had worked for her father for years as they shuffled their feet and wouldn’t meet her eyes.  “Who the hell are you, and why are you on my brewery floor?”

She cleared her throat, squared her shoulders and channeled the anger building in her chest. “I’m Lori. Lori Brockton. This is the first day of my brewery rotation.” She hated how thin her voice sounded.

“Your brewery rotation eh?” She stepped back at the vision that emerged from between towering stainless steel fermentation vessels.  “What is this? Brewing Day Camp? I’m supposed to babysit the Brockton kids?” He glared at her, making her blink in the glare of his bright, steely blue gaze. Eli Buchanan was larger than life. At least six foot five, with long blonde hair held back by a small piece of leather. Clad in light blue jeans and a Brockton Brewing grey t-shirt, the span of his shoulders and definition of his torso forced an exhale from Lori’s lips. He kept quiet as her eyes took him in, from rubber boot clad feet to the light red hair covering his jaw. “Well? See anything you like?”

“Uh, no, I mean, it’s not camp. I mean, you are…I’m…” she stuttered, then stopped. The man stood stock still, glaring as if challenging her. She stood up straighter. “I’m here for the next six months to learn this part of the business. You know, so I can be your boss someday.” The man frowned at her. She frowned back.

Then he tilted his head back and laughed, stepped into her personal space and smacked her ass so hard she yelped. “I look forward to that day girl Brockton. Yes, I do.” A couple of the men started forward as if to protect her but she waved them back. This asshole had another thing coming if he thought she’d be intimidated by him. As much as she might have been at one point, something about him was as non-threatening as Garrett, but in a different way—a much more spine-tingling way.

The following ten hours of back breaking work nearly made her throw in the towel. But after an hour scraping out the last of a twenty barrel’s worth of wet, heavy spent mash—the leftover grains from a batch of beer made on their smaller system, she felt sore as hell, but invigorated. The smells, sounds and sights of this place, the heartbeat of the entire operation, the reason all three hundred of her father’s employees came to work every day, this she loved.

“Brockton!” An angry voice behind her made her jump and turn. Wet, sticky malt grains dripped from her face where she’d accidently splashed some onto herself as she cleaned out the large vessel. She swiped at them, smearing even more of the mess across her cheeks. Without warning, Eli wiped her face with a clean white towel, his touch surprisingly tender, lingering longer than necessary. But his frown stayed stuck in place.  She stepped away from him even though her body reacted, compelling her to move closer.

“Some guy in a tie is looking for you,” he jerked a thumb over his shoulder but didn’t move. Lori had no experience with hypnosis, but she’d swear at that moment he’d done it to her. They locked eyes, then the sound of harder heeled shoes on the concrete floor forced her look past him. Garrett’s bright smile was familiar, yet strange in the highly charged environment.

“I’m actually here to see you, Eli.” Garrett stuck out a hand and the other man looked at it, glancing over to Lori then back over before gripping it without a smile. “Glad to have you on board.”

Eli took his hand back, and swiped at it with the towel he’d used on her face. If he noticed the rude gesture, Garrett didn’t indicate it in the slightest. Impressed, Lori moved a step closer to him and glared at the tall, blonde man.

Eli shot her an unfathomable look, but spoke to Garrett. “Sorry, but no suits in the brewery. Wouldn’t want to get you messy.” He walked away, waving over his shoulder. “Glad to be on board, boss, thanks.” The sarcasm dripped from his words like venom. Garrett turned to her, his handsome face calm, as if the odd exchange with the rude employee had never happened.

Also Liz will be awarding a "swag pack" from her brewery, the Wolverine State Brewing Co including 2 tee shirts, a pint glass, a hat and a certificate for a free growler fill plus $15 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during her tour.

Follow the tour and comment; for a better chance to win. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/09/super-book-blast-paradise-hops-by-liz.html

Thanks Liz for stopping by,

Anita

Shrimp Fajitas

Saute some onions and peppers.
Add shrimp and a tablespoon of taco seasoning
cook until done.(if you want them spicier add more taco seasoning.)
Grab the flour tortillas  and your ready to eat.

Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com

Passion, Passion, A Passionate Cook - Jacqueline Hopkins

Thanks Jacqueline for stopping by tell us a little about your recipe.

Mom’s chili was what we ate on our snowmobile rides all over kingdom come of Idaho and it was very tasty and warmed you right up. If she put a lot of Cayenne pepper in it, you couldn’t each too much. If there were other families riding with us and they ate the chili, someone would always ask, “Why doesn’t the chili have beans in it?”

My mother would reply, “Because true chili doesn’t have beans in it and we like it this way.”

So Lyn, my heroine, made the chili for every guiding trip she was on and it always elicited an argument from one of the men about the lack of beans in it, and this trip with Nic was no different in Wilderness Heart.

I hope you enjoy the Wilderness Chili as well as reading about Lyn and Nic’s little conflicts, and the overall book as I did writing it. 

Wilderness Chili

Ingredients

3 pounds stew meat

3 pounds hamburger

1 large white or yellow onion, chopped

2 large cans tomato sauce

1 dozen cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon chili powder

4 teaspoons salt

2-3 teaspoons paprika (approximately, see step 6 below)

2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (approximately, see step 6

below, or depending on how hot you like your chili)

3-4 tablespoons cornmeal to thicken (see step 8 below)

Directions

1. Brown stew meat in a large skillet. Place browned meat

into a large cooking pot or a crockpot.

2. Cook hamburger until done; drain (set aside for use in

step 3 below) and place in the large cooking pot with

the browned stew meat.

3. Chop the large onion and sauté in the grease from the

hamburger.

4. Fill the cooking pot or crockpot with water until it

covers the meat.

5. Add the 2 large cans of tomato sauce, the garlic

(chopped), sugar, cumin, marjoram, chili powder, and

salt.

6. Add the paprika and cayenne pepper until the seething

mass looks like the inside of an old red inner tube.

(Until it has a reddish/orange tint to it).

7. Cook on medium if you are using a crockpot for 3-4

hours. If using a large cooking pot, cook on a medium

161

to low heat (to simmer, not boiling) for 4-6 hours. Keep

checking it for water content. If water goes way below

top of meat mixture, add more water.

8. When stew meat is tender, thicken the chili with the

cornmeal about a half hour before serving.

9. Serve with your choice of crackers or buttered

cornbread. Freeze leftovers.

Lyn Taylor loves her job as an Idaho wilderness hunting guide, but her world is complicated. It is a man's job in a man's world where she must constantly prove she is very capable and qualified to guide men on their hunts. On top of her father barely engaging in life since the death of Lyn's mother, Lyn has second thoughts about marrying and having a man in her life.

But that was before she met Nic Randall, a lumber man, who comes from Montana to find timber to be bid on and milled. He is convinced she can't handle the job as their guide because she is a woman and she is, of course, insulted. Nevertheless, neither has much choice and are forced to spend day and night together for the seven day hunt. Lyn is not happy -- just how much is a confident, independent woman suppose to put up with?

You can find Jacque all over the internet (including an old genealogy web site still floating out there in cyberspace and sadly needs updating) below:

Follow Jacque’s blog over here – http://jacquehopkins.blogspot.com

Check out Wilderness Heart on Amazon - http://amzn.to/rFdoOg Price: $2.99

Createspace Page (for paperback) - https://www.createspace.com/3565575

Smashwords Page – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45556

Kobo link – www.bit.ly/PM9hog

Sony link – www.bit.ly/OZOWNx

Barnes & Noble link – www.bit.ly/Iuqxhe

Diesel link – www.bit.ly/Q20bWL

On Publish My Book link – www.bit.ly/NeJt7c

On XinXii link – www.bit.ly/NVCXh8

Game Page – www.freado.com/users/27790/Jacqueline-Hopkins where you can play games to win a copy of her book.

Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/Author.JacquelineHopkins

Twitter Jacque at @jacquehopkins

Jacque’s Goodreads Page – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4690984.Jacqueline_Hopkins

Amazon Author’s Page – http://amzn.to/wSgCEk

All Romance Ebooks link – https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wildernessheart-563950-173.html

Thanks Jacque for stopping by,

Anita

Erotic Enchants - Book Event - A World of Wild Fun

Are you on Goodread?

But do you know about the Erotic Enchants group?

If you like erotica then you might want to check them out.

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/2344-erotic-enchants

For the last few months they have been hosting a Book event.


September – Cover/Blurb entries were accepted (TWO per member)
October – Voting on most wanted book and authors and/or members can request to write a book
November – Authors/members have time to write the books and submit by the end of the month
December – Books will be posted for free to group members to read

My entry

It’s a hard life living on the western plains. Elizabeth Murphy knows she lives it every day. 

Then just like some medieval knight in shining armor, a stranger arrives at her door. He claims to be a friend, who is down on his luck and looking for work.  

Just looking at him sets her body on fire, and with them sharing a small log cabin, the nights are bound to heat up. Can she resist the chance to take a ride with the cowboy? Or should she trust him at all?

After all, he thinks wearing a shirt is an optional item and he knows way too many facts about her dead gun slinging husband?

I have it written and now working on rewriting it. Will posted to the group first and then add it to my website as a free read at the beginning of the year.

Join the group and give my name as a referral and I win.

The "Membership Drive" contest is back! This time it will coincide with our ♫ HOLIDAY PARTY ♫. ● The contest will run from September 1, 2012 to November 30, 2012. Prizes will be awarded in December 2012. ● The top 5 members with the most new member referrals wins an ebook by one of the participating authors! If we have more than 50 participants, we will bump it up to the top 10 members with the most referrals! ● You must have a minimum of 10 new member referrals to win. ● ♫ New Member Madness ♫ REFER NEW MEMBERS & YOU COULD WIN!!

Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com

Passionate Cook - Sue Swift

Best-selling, award-winning author Sue Swift, a.k.a Suz deMello, has written over fifteen novels, plus several short stories and non-fiction articles. She writes in numerous genres including romance, mystery, paranormal, historical, contemporary comedy and erotica. She’s a freelance editor who’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Ai Press, Liquid Silver Books and Etopia Press. She also takes on private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in PW, Kirkus and Booklist, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, she resides in northern California. Her passion is world travel, and she’s left the US over a dozen times, including stints working overseas for many months. Right now, she's working on her next manuscript and planning her next trip.

Her blog is at http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com. Find her reading picks @ReadThis4fun on Twitter, and befriend her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/SueSwift ). Her sites are at http://www.sue-swift.com and http://www.suzdemello.com.

Travel: It’s all About the Food

Those who know me are aware that food and travel are two of my fave things. And when they’re together, as in eating a great meal in an exotic land, well, my life is complete.

Here’s a few of “the best of the best,” my fave meals from around the world:

Chicken curry in Angkor: served in a hollowed coconut. This dish was so divine that one day I ate lunch twice.

I have traveled in Italy a number of times, and always eaten well. Here’s a photo of one of my most memorable meals, eaten after a friend of mine and I took a gondola-rowing class in Venice.

Note the many tiny plates loaded with vegetarian goodies—my favorite way to eat. Lots of intriguing flavors to enjoy.

And here’s a photo of us on the boat:

When I lived in China, Chinese people didn’t believe me when I told them that Chinese food is famous the world over, and that Americans even know the difference between the various Chinese regional cuisines. But I’ve enjoyed Chinese and other Asian food the world over. Here’s an Indian meal eaten

in Rome:

I often include food in my books, because I feel that there’s few acts more caring than preparing food for someone, especially if my man fixes me a meal. In the Passionate Cooks book, the bouillabaise recipe is one that the hero of SPY GAME prepares for the heroine.

Here’s a little about that SPY GAME:

Fledgling agent Ani Sharif has finally been assigned to her first undercover mission—to seduce software tycoon Richard Rexford, known as the fearsome T-Rex of Silicon Valley. He's suspected of selling software secrets to the Chinese. Ani must succeed at her first assignment, but will handsome, clever Richard uncover her secrets and seize her heart?

Thanks for sharing Sue,

Anita

I Hear A Whisper. Could it be a Witch - Suza Kates

Whisper of a Witch

by Suza Kates

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Suza Kates can’t remember a time when she didn’t love books, but two particular memories stay with her. “As a young girl I picked up Little Women, read it straight through, and promptly turned to page one to start all over again. The next book I did that with was Mind Hunter by John Douglas, tales about profiling serial killers.”

Thus a twisted romantic was born.

Throughout her teenage and young adult years, she read everything from horror to historical romance yet never imagined writing anything of her own.

It was during a long, cold winter in a tiny apartment in Germany that Suza picked up a pen and notebook to entertain herself. “The apartment was so tiny, my bed also served as my living room couch. Plus, I shared it with three cats.”

Missing the warmth, the hospitality, and the food of the South, she wrote about those things with a huge dose of family thrown in. She says she still has a sweet spot in her heart for her first book, Southern Moon, but to date, she hasn’t revisited it for submission to her publisher.

Suza followed her heart to Savannah, Georgia, and it was the gorgeous city with its moss-covered oaks and secrets of history that inspired her to consider paranormal romance. “I had an idea about sisters and magic, so I went to work on the first book of The Savannah Coven Series, Whisper of a Witch. The series is still going strong, and I am grateful every day that I took a chance on paranormal romance, a genre I wasn’t very familiar with and had never actually read before writing it.”

Suza has since joined RWA and can’t say enough about this organization. “The education and support are unparalleled. I am so grateful to all of my fellow writers who have offered advice.”

Suza still resides in Savannah and is currently working on her next book. She considers it a perfect day when she can sit at the keyboard with coffee in her cup and one of her cats purring in her lap. 

www.suzakates.com

http://www.facebook.com/authorsuzakates

BLURB:

Biologist Shauni Miller, a beautiful as she is compassionate, harbors a secret that could alter her life forever. If she chooses to share it. Dr. Michael Black helps Shauni in her time of need, but sees more in the raven-haired temptress than she ever meant to reveal. He knows she’s hiding something, but then, so is he. Both Shauni and Michael have a role to play and decisions to make as a centuries-old prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Only the fates know if they are meant to be together. Or if one of them has to die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Anna shrugged. “Like I said before, magic likes its secrets and will only give us what we need when we need it. I don’t know the order of your trials, it will be revealed in time, as the power deems. There are pieces to this puzzle that even I haven’t found, yet. Things I won’t be allowed to know at all.”

Moving with grace across the dais, she bent to retrieve something from a stand between two of the chairs. She turned back with a chalice, silver and encrusted with precious stones of sapphire, garnet, and amethyst. A large round disc was on the front side as she carried it. From its swirling pattern and opalescence, Shauni guessed it to be moonstone. Usually found in necklaces and bracelets, it was a mineral worn for protection from harm. She had some herself.

“If you feel you are ready.” Anna paused for effect. “I can tell you the first.”

Claudia and Viv both cried out in the affirmative.

Willyn held her tongue, obviously unsure. She had a son to think of on top of everything else.

A few said, “Yes,” quietly, and the rest, including Shauni, nodded solemnly.

“Actually, you already know.” Anna’s lips curved with mischief. “You see, magic does the choosing.” She once again held up an open palm. “And it has made its choice.” She slowly pivoted until the vivid blue of her eyes rested on one witch in particular.

One by one, the gazes of the women followed.

They were all looking at the miraculous hummingbird still sitting on Shauni’s shoulder.

They were all looking at her.

Also, Suza will award signed cover flats and pens to a commenter at every stop, a total of five $15 Amazon/BN GCs to randomly drawn commenters during this tour and her Name Before the Masses tour, and gift basket to one commentator from both this tour and her Name Before the Masses tour, as well as a randomly drawn host prize TBA.

Follow along and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://www.goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/08/virtual-book-blast-whisper-of-witch-by.html

Thanks Suza for stopping by,

Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com

Rework Last Night's Leftovers

Use a jar of spaghetti sauce and the chicken nuggets from the night before and make chicken Parmesan.
Mix together spaghetti sauce with chicken nuggets and heat in the microwave until hot.
Top with cheese and serve with spaghetti
You have dinner for the next day.

Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com

Chicken Nuggets

They're not really that hard and you can make them just like you like them.

Crumble up your favorite cracker about a cup full
cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into small chucks

Take one egg add a teaspoon of water and beat

Add egg to chicken chucks making sure each piece is coated.

Then dip chicken in cracker crumbles and set on a foil cover cookie sheet

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes until brown.


In the picture above I made them with scallop potatoes.

thinly slice 3 or 4 potatoes

In a microwave safe bowl stir together
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 1/2 cups of milk

Heat in the microwave on high, 3 minutes at a time for about 9 minutes.
mixture should be slightly thick.

In a casserole dish layer potatoes, milk sauce, and cheese.
Cover.
Bake in microwave for 20 minutes and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Hope you enjoy,

Anita
www.anitaphilmar.com

Passionate Cook - Rhonda Laurel

Let me tell you a little about my guest today.

Rhonda Laurel is a contemporary romance writer whose two great loves are writing and landscape photography.  She uses both as a vehicle to convey the complexity of the human spirit and the beauty of the world around her.  Her writing career has spanned two decades but has recently gained momentum in 2012 with her debut novella Ebb Tide.  Contemporary, multicultural romance is her ‘thing’ in the form of novellas and novels, but the author also writes poetry, inspirational quotes, designs greeting cards and the occasional essay.  For the Love of the Game, Masquerade and Shutter are tentatively scheduled to be released this year.  She has found a home with Etopia Press Publishing and is happily building her backlist. 

Her recipe is

Blissful Banana Pudding Trifle

Ingredients

2 large boxes of vanilla instant pudding mix
4 cups milk
1 box Nilla Wafers
2 containers whipped topping or whipped cream
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon banana liqueur

Directions
1. Combine instant vanilla pudding mix, milk, and banana liqueur into bowl. Mix until pudding is stiff and firm.

2. Take half of the Nilla Wafers and place into a food storage bag. Break up cookies into chunky pieces. Set
aside until ready to assemble trifle.

3. Give whipped topping or cream a stir to make sure it will distribute evenly.

4. Slice bananas into half-inch slices. Make sure there is
enough for three trifle layers.

5. Place a layer of crushed Nilla Wafers at the bottom of the bowl. Next, add a layer of vanilla pudding and
spread evenly. Place banana slices on top of pudding.  Then spread whipped topping over pudding and
bananas. Finally, gently place whole Nilla Wafers into the trifle layer on the side of the bowl, resting them
against the glass with top of the cookie to face out for good presentation.

6. Continue these steps, building each additional layer of your trifle the same way until you reach the top of the
bowl.

7. Finally, add the final layer of whipped topping and sprinkle the Nilla Wafer crumbs on tops. Then carefully
place six Nilla Wafers in the center of the trifle.

Check out her latest release -

Simmering passion at play.

Natalie Griffin is an attorney who is practical, smart and good at her job. Legalese is the least of her worries, for much of her time is spent keeping her employer, playboy extraordinaire Evan Darchon, out of trouble. Natalie has managed organize everything for him--his company, his home, and his women—but if she could teach him to control some of his wilder impulses, her job would be a heck of a lot easier.

But what about her impulses? Her cool, controlled demeanor is the perfect complement to Evan’s wild side, but she craves the carefree way he makes her feel. His attraction is obvious, but can either of them afford to rock the boat of their professional relationship?

You can find her at

Website: www.rhondalaurel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorrhondalaurel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhondalaurel

Buy links.
http://www.amazon.com/Ebb-Tide-ebook/dp/B008HQEIZC/ref=sr_1_3?
ie=UTF8&qid=1341607997&sr=8-3&keywords=rhonda+laurel

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ebbtide-863381-149.html

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ebb-tide-rhonda-laurel/1111966415?ean=2940014658362

Thanks Rhonda for stopping by, look forward to trying out your recipe.

Anita

Passionate Cook - Cat Johnson

Hello to everyone and a big thank you to Anita for inviting me. I’m romance author Cat Johnson and I have a recipe for Orgasmic Cheesecake included in ARe’s free eBook Passionate Cooks. You can hop on over to ARe and download the eBook for free if you haven’t already, but today I’d like to share with you my grandmother’s recipe for Butter Cookies, which I have been known to rename Cowboy Cookies on occasion, such as when promoting one of my Studs in Spurs series contemporary cowboy romance novels, the latest of which, Flanked (Book 5), just released in September.

But anyway… on to the recipe. So easy. So tasty. Perfect to make for the sweet cowboy in your life, whether he’s 8 or 80 or anywhere in between.

Enjoy!

Cat Johnson

www.CatJohnson.net

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/Cat_Johnson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CatJohnsonAuthor

Cat Johnson’s Butter Cookies

½ lb Butter

1 Egg

1 Cup Sugar

2 ½ Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Lemon Extract

Preheat 325 degree oven

Cream butter. Add sugar then egg & extract. Add flour & baking powder. Chill dough. Roll out flat on a floured board. Cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased pan 8-10 minutes (or until just beginning to brown).

Can be decorated with sprinkles before baking or iced after baking.

Blurb -

Garret James doesn’t need a woman tying him down. Not when the number of buckle bunny notches on his belt—and his position in the pro bull rider standings—are both on the rise. Just when he learns he’s this close to blowing out his bad shoulder, Silver Jordan roars into his life, long, leather-clad legs straddling her Harley. Hell, he might not mind being tied to one woman, if that one woman was her. There's one problem—she’s his friend’s sister. But once their eyes lock, resistance is futile.

 Then Silver offers him a smoking-hot deal. They both get the hottest sex of their lives and he gets access to her health insurance for his career-saving surgery—all wrapped up in a marriage of convenience.

 For a while, dodging questions and hiding their arrangement is easy. But in private, they battle emotions between them they never expected to grow. After all, the marriage is only temporary…isn’t it?

Find at https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-flanked-944732-149.html

Thanks Cat, for stopping by,

Anita