Look Out -- I Could Become Dangerous

I'm playing around with Rafflecopter...no idea if this will work or not. This first "giveaway" is a bit of a trial run for more giveaways to come.

Help me out, please. Give my first Rafflecopter a try, enter to win one of three Kindle editions of my latest historical romance from Sweet Cravings Publishing, "Happily Ever After", and assure me that this really is working. Then -- if, indeed, it is working -- watch for more contests with more prizes in the future.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Sweet Treat and a Stroll in the Orchard

   Hand in hand, they strolled deeper into the orchard. Apple, peach, cherry, and pear trees stood in haphazard arrangement, dotting the landscape like fruit-laden scarecrows, their odd-shaped branches silhouetted against the moonlit skies. Anne breathed in the sweet fragrance that filled the night air.

   She saw both hope and hesitation in George's dark eyes as his gaze searched hers. She tried to look away, fearing that he might too easily see her true feelings, but she could not. She was not asking George to break his vow. Only to love her. Only tonight. 

From: Happily Ever After

Welcome to my blog! I'm so glad you've stopped by as part of the "Just Desserts" blog hop. It's a perfect hop for those of us who love "sweet" romances.

But...to tell the truth, I'm not a desserts lover. Nope. I don't drool over chocolates, and the mere thought of sugary cookies, cakes, and candies makes me cringe. When it comes to desserts, for me, only one thing will do.

Fruits. Fresh delicious fruits. Tasty, mouth-watering, delectable, healthy, wonderful fruits! Fruits are good for us -- a claim most desserts can't make -- and the truth is, most people don't eat enough fresh fruit. Nutritional guidelines suggest we have five servings a day.

Here's one delicious way of getting those five servings with a scrumptious fruit compote dessert:

Ingredients:

1/2 medium lemon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 cups sliced peeled apples
2 cups sliced peeled peaches
1 cup sliced peeled pears
1/3 cup apricot spreadable fruit
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup seedless red grapes
7 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

Directions

Cut two 1-in.-long strips from lemon peel. Squeeze juice from lemon. In a large saucepan, combine the water, honey, lemon juice and lemon peel strips. Add the apples, peaches and pears. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until fruit is softened.

Remove from the heat; discard lemon peel. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fruit to a large bowl; discard poaching liquid. Stir in spreadable fruit, strawberries and grapes. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon. Top each serving with yogurt. 

Yield: 7 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3/4 cup fruit mixture with 1 tablespoon yogurt) equals 166 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 14 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein. 

~ ~ ~

What's your favorite fruit?

Leave a comment below, and you'll be entered for a chance to win an e-book copy of

"Happily Ever After".

Contest runs through midnight, Sunday night.

Two lucky readers will win!

Drawing will be held early Monday morning, and winners will be notified.

~ ~ ~

Can't wait to read "Happily Ever After"? 

Here are the links to use for purchasing the book. "Likes" are also appreciated, so please check out the different booksellers and share a little love for historical romance.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

$5.99

Available at:

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Bookstrand

For more "Just Desserts" from Sweet Cravings Publishing, click HERE!

To Hook...or Not to Hook

Yes, that IS the question today. I submitted my link earlier, but with our on-again/off-again internet connection and the heavy snows we've had here in the midwest, I'm not sure my link actually went through. Yesterday, I had a message saying it had been submitted, but when I checked the blog earlier, Time for Love wasn't showing up. I tried re-submitting, but it's anybody's guess as to whether or not it will work.

In case it does...here's a little hook for you:

From Summertime.

Star of the stage in San Francisco, Linn Sparks has returned home to Brookfield, Kansas to attend to a bit of business. In this scene, she's taking an evening stroll with Ed Ferguson, the young man she left behind when she ran away to California seven years before. A little jealousy rears its ugly head.

~ ~ ~

Now and then, she glanced his way. Although she smiled each time, Ed detected something else in her expression, something he couldn't quite read. Finally, when they reached the end of the drive, Linnie stopped, leaned back against the gatepost, and stared up into his eyes.

"I saw you with Polly this morning.” She stood so close, her breath whispered against his cheek. “Does she know you've come calling on me? Do you plan to tell her?"

~ ~ ~

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

For more HOOKs click here!

Saturday's Sweet Treat

A couple days ago, I shared a "sweet treat" recipe: Snow Ice Cream.  Well, over the last two days, I've had more than enough snow. It's been miserable here in the midwest, and throughout other parts of the country, too, I know.

I may hate snow, but ice cream will always be one of my favorite treats. In "Happily Ever After", it's a nice treat, too, for Rowena Mather on the Fourth of July.

"How come you're home so early, Papa?” Rowena tugged at his sleeve.

George smiled down at his daughter. “Because it's a special day. I sent everyone at the newspaper office home to enjoy the day with their family, and I figured I'd do the same.” He put a finger to the little girl's nose. “I bought some fireworks in town, just for you. I thought after dark we'd have a little celebration. I went to the dairy too. Mr. Johnson made ice cream today.” He turned and glanced at the buggy sitting at the side of the road beneath the hot, July sun. “It's probably melted now.”

“Maybe you should check on the ice cream, sir,” Anne suggested. “I'll take Rowena to the house.” She reached her hand out to the girl.

Suddenly the earth trembled beneath her feet. An explosion shook the grove of trees that stood beyond the gate. Clouds of grayish-white smoke billowed through the air.

For more Sweet Saturday treats, click here!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

$5.99

Available at:

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Bookstrand

It's Snowing! Here's a Treat to Enjoy!

Today's sweet treat is ice cream. Who doesn't love it? Whether it's plain vanilla or some fantastic concoction of fruits, nuts, berries, cookies, or whatever else you come up with, ice cream is always delicious. We've all heard that old cry: "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" How true!

Although we tend to think of ice cream as a "summer food" for a hot day, many people actually crave ice cream more during the cold winter months. Why? It's due to the high sugar content in ice cream. We might not realize how much sugar it contains, I've been told, because of the low temperature. Sugar seems less noticeable in cold foods. The "scientific" reason for our sweet cravings in the winter is that because we're getting less sunlight, and usually getting less exercise, as well. Our brain craves sugary treats because they cause blood sugar to spike, which in turn raises blood insulin levels, which leads to the release of trytophan to the brain, which is then converted to serotonin -- the "feel good" hormone.

Which is all probably more information than you really wanted to know on a cold, snowy morning.

Now, here's a little more cold, snowy information about ice cream. Did you know you can make your own fresh ice cream from that new-fallen snow? Sure, you can.

When I was a little girl, rushing outside to scoop up snow and make bowls of delicious snow ice cream was always fun. It seems to be a lost art these days, so I thought I'd share a little "how-to" from experience. It's actually quite simple.

Home-Made Snow Ice Cream

1 Large bowl of fresh snow
Sugar (about 1 cup for a gallon of snow)
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup Milk or Cream

Just mix and enjoy!


I did a bit of browsing online, and I actually found several recipes for Snow Ice Cream, including a chocolate variety, so if you're feeling adventurous, hungry, or just needing to indulge those wintry cravings, you might want to check out this site: Snow Ice Cream Recipes.

Originally, I planned this post as part of the "Sweet Saturday" hop, but I decided to go ahead and share it today while the nation is being blanketed with the falling white stuff.

Yes, ice cream will still be my Saturday "sweet treat", so don't forget to stop by then! Be watching, too, for a few other "snowy" ideas!

Let's Hump!

Hump Day Hook Day... always so much fun to play. Today, I'm posting a quick snippet from "Irresistible", one of my sweet historicals from Sweet Cravings Publishing.

I will say this... it's not what you're thinking!  Enjoy.

"But-but—," Amelia blubbered. "What am I going to do?" She reached up and snatched the handkerchief Lorraine offered and dabbed it to her eyes. "I don't want to marry him! I don't want a wretched, sick husband!"

"Well, then, don't do it. It's as simple as that." Lorraine pulled up a chair and sat down beside Amelia. "He hasn't actually proposed yet, so I don't see any problem." To her surprise, Amelia wailed anew.

"You don't understand! I have to marry him!"

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HUMP DAY HOOKS!

Note: This links to the Facebook group while the blog site is under construction.

IRRESISTIBLE

Available in Ebook and Paperback from Sweet Cravings Publishing and other online booksellers.

A Knight in Not-so-shining Armor

I love Valentine's Day, and I especially love the theme of this Valentine's Blog Hop. "Swept Away" conjures up so many visions in my imagination. Falling in love is always a thrill and nothing compares to the feeling of being swept away by romance.

 Love is a powerful force, and it truly can sweep us off our feet. Romance novels can carry us away to different times and places, giving us opportunities to fall in love over and over again. That's why I write love stories.

When I wrote "Happily Ever After", my latest historical romance, I truly let myself be "swept away" by the story.  As George Mather, the story's leading man, came alive on the page, he became a true knight -- although his armor wasn't exactly bright and shining. I won't divulge what his physical armor was made from, but I will share a few of his thoughts about another sort of armor he wore: an emotional armor.

George is a lonely man. Two years earlier, his wife passed away. Before she died, he swore to Margaret that he would never marry again. Now, Anne Hopkins has come into his life. He's drawn to her, but bound by the vow he made.

He and Anne have spent a bit of time planning a very special birthday celebration for his daughter's tenth birthday. The party will have a fairy-tale theme, and Sir George will ride his valiant white steed.

Here's a quick excerpt:

He made a courtly bow. “Good day, fair lady.”

The sound of Anne's laughter lingered in his mind and heart as he hurried toward the stable.

Ah, to be a true knight, to rescue damsels in distress. He had his horse, and, in truth, he had his armor too. No one could see it, but he felt its weight upon him. His unseen armor had protected his heart since Margaret's death. It had kept him true and faithful.

Only now, Anne had found a chink in it, had gotten through it.

Sometimes when he thought about her—and even though he'd managed to avoid seeing her all week, he hadn't found a way to keep her from his thoughts—he wished he could throw off his armor.

But promises were sacred, love was forever, and marriage vows could not be broken.

~ ~ ~

I'll be giving away four copies of "Happily Ever After" during this Valentine's celebration.

To enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment on this post. 

Be sure to include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you're a winner!

My giveaway contest will run until 11:59 PM on February 17 -- Central Standard Time.

The following morning all entries will be counted, and Random.org will select four winners.  

I will contact all winners immediately after the drawing.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Currently ranked #8 Best-Seller at Sweet Cravings Publishing

$5.99

Available at:

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Bookstrand

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