Friday 31 January 2014

Let's get the Party started with Wenches of Words' Guests Holley Trent and Sam Cheever...

Holley Trent is a team player. Her meatloaf spin-off even has ground up tortilla chips - a fan favorite at any party. Its airier texture is due to rolling the meat rather than patting it into shape. This dish is a perfect substitution for pickier eaters, and the cheese in the middle adds a little something for the kiddos.

Holley’s Tex-Mex Meatroll
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. mustard powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (can substitute Pepper Jack) 3 cups crushed corn tortilla chips
¼ cup mild salsa

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix meat, egg, and seasoning in a bowl.

On waxed or parchment paper, pat the meat mixture into a rectangle as wide as your loaf pan or slightly less wide than the width of your paper if you're baking on a cookie sheet.

Cover the surface of the beef with the tortilla chips. Just eyeball it. You don't need to use the full three cups - just make sure you have good coverage. 

Spread the cheese over the top. Pretend you're building a pizza.

Take one end of the paper and roll the meat as if it were sushi, but don’t catch the paper in the roll. Gently tease the roll to the end and carefully transfer to a greased pan.

Pat the ends so they're rounded and the ingredients inside don’t fall out.

Brush the top of the loaf with salsa. Water it down a bit if doing so makes it easier to spread.

Cover with foil. Mold it against the roll a bit to provide structure to the meat holds its shape as it cooks. 

About 45 minutes in—when the roll has firmed but not completely cooked—remove foil. Apply another brushing of salsa.

Bake until a thermometer reads 160°F. Let the meatroll rest for at least ten minutes before cutting.

Holley Trent is the author of Executive Decision, Mrs. Roth’s Merry Christmas, and Her Resident Jester – all available now from Musa Publishing's Calliope Romance Line.

To see all of Holley Musa Publishing books, please click HERE. Learn more about Holley Trent on her blog and follow her on Twitter.

Sam Cheever has the perfect starter for your team on Super Bowl Sunday or any get-together. Get your game plan set and score big with the fans.

COCONUT CHICKEN
1 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 large eggs
¼ cup coconut milk-any milk will do
½ cup flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
½ tsp. salt
½ cup vegetable or coconut oil
Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut the chicken diagonally into strips.

Prepare three separate bowls for breading your chicken: Bowl 1, combine flour and salt. Bowl 2, whisk eggs and milk together. Bowl 3, mix breadcrumbs and coconut together.

Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. To test, drop a little flour into the oil. When it sizzles the oil is ready.

Then dip the chicken in the bowls, starting with bowl 1 and on through 3. Lay the coated strips on a plate until you have coated them all. Don’t stack the strips.

Place some of your chicken strips in the hot oil. Be sure to leaved space between each strip. Fry them until golden brown. Drain them on a paper towel. Move to an ovenproof dish.

When all of the chicken is browned, bake for 10 minutes (or until done). Remember, chicken like all meat continues to cook a short while longer after it is removed from the heat.

Serve this tasty chicken with the chili sauce for dipping!

To purchase Sam's latest romantic romp Cupid Only Rings Twice please click the vendor's name:
 Musa Publishing | Nook | Kobo | Sony | ARe | Kindle | Amazon.uk | Amazon.ca

Sam Cheever writes mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for M/M romantic suspense and fantasy. Her books are fast paced and fun loving. Not one of them will solve a single world problem, but you definitely won’t be bored while reading them!

Sam’s published work includes 40+ works of young adult, romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. Her books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. She is published with Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Changeling Press; Electric Prose Publications (her own imprint), Musa Publishing, and Red Rose Publishing.

She lives on a hobby farm in Indiana with 11 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband.

Learn more about Sam Cheever on her blog Eclectic Insights. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. You can also find Sam on Goodreads.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

An Honorable Mention…

I’m still in shock. First to be named an nominee by the Love Romances Café’s Best of 2013 Book awards for the Young Adult/New Adult category, and… wait for it…winning Honorable Mention. So what does this award mean for me? I had to think about it, as technically I won ‘third’ place. Then it hit me: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.  I finally received acknowledgement from my peers and readers for a job well done. This warmed me to my core, and believe me with the cold weather we’ve been having it was quite a bonus! I feel very grateful for this honor, and I could not have received this accomplishment without the support, kindness, and skills of the following people:

First, to Dawn Roberts of Love Romances Cafe who put together these awards, I thank you for all your hard work and effort you are truly a supporter of the Arts!

Second, thank you to the staff at Musa Publishing, especially to my rock-star editor Tricia Schwaab who pushed my creative buttons so far I thought I was going through the change of life all over again. Seriously, Tricia, you made me a better writer. Hugs to my head editor, Jeanne DeVita who pushed me extra hard to get this manuscript presentable. Also, high fives go to my line editors, Helen Hardt and Ralph Gallagher, both of you made my book clearer and cleaner. Cheers to my book designer Cera Smith—I don’t have a clue how you do what you do, but you do an awesome job! And finally, huge hugs to my book cover artist Kelly Shorten, who knew exactly what I wanted on her very first attempt at designing my beautiful cover—you are truly gifted.

Third, a special shout out goes to my Wenches of Words family, especially to my cohort, Sloane Taylor—a first place winner for her Contemporary Romance, Photo-Op. You Wenches have made this past year a special one with your show of kindness, support, caring, solidarity, and teamwork. Love you gals! May your lives be blessed with many bestsellers!

And last, but never least, to all my wonderful and supportive readers. Thank you for investing in me and my books.

Monday 27 January 2014

Introducing MG Author Michelle Isenhoff's Taylor Davis Series...

Taylor Davis would get stuck with an archenemy that won't stay dead.

TaylorDavisBook2_cover_600x900

Taylor Davis is back, and he just can’t catch a break. Most of his friends only concern themselves with girls and grades, but he has to worry about retaliation from hellish warlords. When three of his classmates succumb to a strange malady, Taylor becomes the target of irrational violence. Is it a coincidence, as Elena so firmly believes? Or could there be a more dangerous explanation? The epidemic soon spreads to national leaders. Taylor and his team are called on to uncover the root of the problem before violence breaks out on a worldwide stage. Their quest leads them to the heart of Africa, to the underworld, and to a second encounter with an enemy who just won’t stay dead.

Book two of the Taylor Davis series is now available for Kindle, Nook, and paperback formats.


And book one is now FREE!

TaylorDavis_FlameOfFindul_cover nook

Sometimes life gooses you when you’re not looking. You might be happily coasting through days in a little New Jersey suburb, dreaming about Jennifer Williams and making plans to see the new movie showing uptown when—bam!—everything changes in an instant. Your family moves overseas and suddenly you’re hacking at water demons with a four-foot blade.

Taylor Davis didn't want to move to the Caribbean, and he certainly doesn't want save the world. But when he's sucked into a supernatural world of angels and their adversaries, that's exactly what he must do. The Flame of Findul--the sword that guards the Tree of Life--has been allowed to burn out. Taylor and his new teammates must relight it in the forge of Findul the firesmith before the tree falls into the wrong hands. But Findul hasn't been seen for several centuries. And a formidable enemy, one who has eaten of the tree, stands in their way.

Free on Amazon and Smashwords!

Michelle Isenhoff writes adventures for kids up to age 79 (so far). When she’s not writing imaginary adventures, she’s probably off on one. She loves roller coasters and swimming in big waves. She’s an avid runner. She likes large dogs, high school football games, old graveyards, and wearing flip-flops all winter. Once an elementary teacher, Michelle now homeschools two of her three kids and looks forward to summer break as much as they do.

Saturday 18 January 2014

And the Nominees are...

With all the excitement of the Award show season, a person can get caught up in all the hype, glamour, and glitter. I was never one for all that craziness and elation. Until now. This week, the unexpected happened. My book, Legend of the Timekeepers was nominated for BEST YA BOOK of 2013 by the Love Romances Café Yahoo Group! Say what? BEST? MOI? I’m still pinching myself.
Now the Love Romances Café group is a fair size with over 4000 members, and most of the membership I don’t know on a personal basis, which added to the shock factor. Below is a list of authors and their nominated books. I thought I’d post them because you may find a gem of a book from a genre you enjoy reading. BTW—two fabulous authors in my Wenches of Words group have also been nominated: Sloane Taylor and Sam Cheever. I'm so very proud of their accomplishments and wish them all the success in the world. I also share the spotlight with friend and fellow YA author Jane Dougherty, so I'm in great company. I’ve highlighted their names, along with mine, as well as the publishing company I’m signed with since they got the nod too! Congrats, Musa Publishing! Now, without further ado… here are the nominees for 2013:

The Main Categories Nominees.....

Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book Nominees:

Louisa Kelly’s Nareen of the Draco (Loose Id)
Sally Max’s The Medusa’s Gargoyle (Breathless Press)
Susan Laine’s Hunter’s Moon (Dreamspinner Press)
Andrea Speed’s Infected: Undertow (Dreamspinner Press)
Jenika Snow and Sam Crescent’s Taken by Her Mate (Evernight Publishing)
Marteeka Karland & Shelby Morgan’s Memphis Heat: Streetwise (Changeling Press)
Cynthia Sax’s Dragon Lord’s Destiny (Changeling Press)
Desiree Holt’s Branded by Lust (Ellora’s Cave)
Marie Harte’s Prey & Prejudice (Samhain Publishing)
Sarah Gilman’s Ashes (Entangled Publishing)
Karenna Colcraft’s Try the Tofu (MLR Press)
LE Franks & Sara York’s Prodigal Wolf (MLR Press)

Best Science Fiction/Futuristic book Nominees:
Jessica E. Subject’s Never Gonna Say Goodbye (Decadent Publishing)
Vivi Anna’s The League of Illusion: Legacy (Carina Press)
Anne Kane’s Stargazers (Changeling Press)
Mychael Black’s Coriolis: Kill Fee (Changeling Press)
Sally Max’s Island Urges (Breathless Press)
Shannon West’s Konnor and his Omega Mate (Secret Cravings Publishing)

Best Historical/Regency book Nominees:

Raven McAllan’s Miss Simpkin’s School: Flora (Breathless Press)
Heather King’s A Sense of Ridiculas (Musa Publishing)
Charlie Cochrane’s Promises Made Under Fire (Carina Press)
Marilyn Kelly’s Sounds of Love (Ellora’s Cave)
Kirsten S. Blacketer’s An Irresistible Shadow (Breathless Press)
Summer Devon & Bonnie Dee’s The Gentleman’s Madness (Samhain Publishing)
Jianne Carlo’s Vengeance Hammer (Etopia Press)
Norse Jewel by Gina Conkle

Best Young Adult/New Adult book Nominees:

K.D. Rose’s Erasing Shadows (Breathless Press)
Jane Doughtry’s The Dark Citadel (Musa Publishing)
Sharon Ledwith’s Legend of the Time Keepers (Musa Publishing)
EM Lynley’s Snow Job (Loose Id)
Lisa Burstein’s The Next Forever (Entangled Publishing)
Jus Accardo’s Ruined (Entangled Publishing)
Molly Daniels’ Endless Love (Secret Cravings Publishing)

Best Thriller/Suspense/Mystery Book Nominees:

Terri Rigg’s Resolutions (Decadent Publishing)
Wendy Robert’s Grounds to Kill (Carina Press)
Daryl Anderson’s Murder in Mystic Cove (Carina Press)
Ditter Kellen’s The Seeker: Ember Burns (Loose Id)
Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of Shadowlands 8: If Only (Loose Id)
Desiree Holt’s Lock and Load (Totally Bound)
JD Robb’s Thankless In Death (Putnam)
Laura Harner’s Moving Mountains (Hot Corner Press)
Angel Martinez’s Rarely Pure and Never Simple (MLR Press)

Best Series Nominees:

Decadent Publishing’s 1NS Multi-Author Series
SJD Peterson’s Guards of Folsom Series (Dreamspinner Press)
Kim Knox’s Agamemnon Frost Series (Carina Press)
Karina Cooper’s St. Croix Chronicles (Carina Press)
Cindy Spencer Pape’s Gaslight Chronicles (Carina Press)
Declan Sands’ Blood-Hound Series (Changeling Press) – Sam Cheever
LA Witt, Marie Sexton & Heidi Cullinan’s Tucker Springs Series (Riptide Publishing)
EM Lynley’s Precious Gems Series (Dreamspinner Press)
Lee Brazil and Raven McAllan’s Behind Closed Door Series (Evernight Publishing)
T.A. Webb’s City Knight’s Series (A Bear on Books)
Laura Harner’s Willow Springs Ranch Series (Hot Corner Press)
Tara Lain’s The Aloysius Tales (Loose Id Publishing)
Jean C. Joachim’s Hollywood Hearts (Secret Cravings Publishing)

Best Western Book nominees:

Amanda McIntyre’s Rugged Hearts (Decadent Publishing)
LB Shire’s The Damned (Breathless Press)
Cathryn Fox’s A Cowboy’s Way (Entangled Publishing)
Sandy Sullivan’s Trouble with a Cowboy (Secret Cravings Publishing)
RJ Scott’s Crooked Tree Ranch (Totally Bound)

Best Publisher (includes their imprint lines) nominees:

Decadent Publishing
Entangled Publishing
Changeling Press
Breathless Press
Loose Id
Secret Cravings Publishing
Dreamspinner Press
Manlove Romance Press
Riptide Publishing
Ellora’s Cave
Musa Publishing
Carina Press
Totally Bound

Best BDSM/Kink Book nominees:

Virginia Nelson’s Dom of the Dead (Decadent Publishing)
Lyn Gala’s Fettered (Dreamspinner Press)
KC Wells’s An Unlocked Heart (Dreamspinner Press)
Sean Michael’s Shibari Auction House: James (Changeling Press)
Rachel Haimowitz & Heidi Belleau’s Flesh Cartel 4: Consequences (Riptide Publishing)
Melinda Barron’s Dungeon Building (Loose Id)
Joely Sue Burkhart’s Lord Regent’s Price (Samhain)
Jasmine Hill’s Serena’s Seduction (Totally Bound)
Sierra Cartwright’s For the Sub (Totally Bound)

Best Anthology nominees:

Mischief Corner Books Horns and Halos
Riptide Publishing’s Bump in the Night Anthology
Down on the Farm Vol. 1 by Dianne Hartsock, SJ Thomas, Leona Bushman & Raven McAllan (Breathless Press)
Ad-Dick-Tion Vol. 3 Anthology (Breathless Press)

Best Author in 2013 nominees:

Scotty Cade
Cate Marsters
Megan Slayer
Charlie Cochrane
Kim Knox
Jenika Snow
Cindy Spencer Pape
Ashlynn Monroe
Sam Cheever
Andrea Speed
Marie Sexton
LA Witt
Mychael Black

Best Contemporary book Nominees:

CR Moss’s Sunset Heat (Decadent Publishing)
Cardeno C’s Something in the Way He Needs (Dreamspinner Press)
Sloane Taylor’s Photo Op! (Musa Publishing)
JS Wayne’s Even Groomsmen get the Blues (Changeling Pres)
Megan Slayer’s Watch Me (Changeling Press/Razor’s Edge line)
Rowan Speedwell’s Illumination (Riptide Publishing)
ZA Maxfield’s The Brothers Grime: Eddie (Loose Id)
Emily March’s Miracle Road (Random House)
Andrew Grey’s Crossing Divides (Dreamspinner Press)
Rick R. Reed’s Raining Men (Dreamspinner Press)
Carol Lynne’s Fingerprints and Muddy Feet (Totally Bound)

Best Erotic Romance Book in 2013 Nominees:

Christine d’Abo’s Choose Your Shot (Carina Press)
Ashlynn Monroe’s My Heroes (Changeling Press)
Stephanie Burke’s How to NOT date a Bear (Changeling Press)
Jodi Redford’s Three Ways to Wicked (Samhain Publishing)
Cherrie Lyn’s Take Me On (Samhain Publishing)
W. Lynn Chantal’s Beneath the Mistletoe (Evernight Publishing)
Tara Lain’s F.A.S.T. Balls (Etopia Press)
Diana DeRicci’s Learning to Live (MLR Press)
Selena Illyria’’s Mate Not Wanted (Etopia Press)

Best Book All Around Nominees:

Lauren Dane’s Drawn Together (Berkley)
Kevin Hearne’s Hunted (Del Ray)
Aleksandr Voinov’s Scorpion (Riptide Publishing)
Abigail Roux’s Shock and Awe (Riptide Publishing)
Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of Shadowlands 8: If Only (Loose Id)
JR Ward’s Lover at Last (New American Library)
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Styxx (St. Martin’s)
Andrew Grey’s Love Comes in Darkness (Dreamspinner Press)
Jo Ramsey’s Nail Polish and Feathers (Harmony Ink Publishing)
Jean C. Joachim’s Lovers & Liars (Secret Cravings Publishing)

It would appear that I’m in good company, and the competition is stiff (pun intended for those Erotica authors!). LOL! Wishing all the nominees listed above best wishes and good luck! Winners will be announced on January 28th at noon EST (USA). So may the BEST authors rise to the top! Cheers and salute! 

Monday 13 January 2014

Guest Post: YA Author S. G. Rogers shares her Special Seven...

Today I welcome author S.G. Rogers to my blog. Tell us, Suzanne, what seven periods/events of history would you like to visit and why?

1) Opening day at Disneyland, Anaheim, California (July 17th, 1955).  I can’t think of a place that has given as much happiness to more people.  It would have been great to be there at the beginning, back when I could afford the entrance fee.

2) Signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). What a thrilling moment for a country about to embark upon a brave new experiment in governance.  The atmosphere in the room must have been crackling with electricity.

3) Victorian England (1837 – 1901).  To borrow a phrase from Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  Beautiful mansions, balls, clothes, and sheer spectacle of the Upper Tens were juxtaposed with immense poverty.

4) Dresden, Germany before it was bombed in WWII. (before February, 1945).  By all accounts, it was an amazing city of wonderful historical and artistic significance.

5) Colossus of Rhodes - (280 BC) – This statue of the Greek Titan Helios was 107 feet tall,
built on pedestals 50 feet high.  I would have loved to watch it being built, especially when you consider they had no access to cranes!

6) Fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9th, 1989) – I saw it on television, but it would have been better to be there in person and grab a chunk of history.

7) It would have been cool to watch Johannes Gutenberg inventing movable type printing (around 1439).  Could he have ever predicted all these centuries later we’d be reading print on a liquid crystal display?

What a great tour of history! Do you use a lot of history in your writing?

Yes, in fact 2013 seemed to be the year of historical romances for me. I focused on the Victorian era and Edwardian era, and wrote four separate titles. But I’ve been known to go WAY back to the medieval and Norse mythology eras too, with my fantasy titles. I expect 2014 will find me juggling between romance and fantasy, since I enjoy both genres.

Thanks, Suzanne, and happy writing! Where can we find you?

Visit my blog at http://childofyden.wordpress.com. My twitter handle is @suzannegrogers, and I’ve also got an author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers. I’d love to hear from you!









Wednesday 8 January 2014

Beat the January Blues with Musa Publishing's Month-long Giveaway...

Enter daily to win one of 17 promotional paperbacks  
Outlaws by William Weldy
Only A Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
First Frost by Liz DeJesus
Glass Frost by Liz DeJesus
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt
Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
2012: The Rising by Joanne Hirase
Typical Day by Gary K. Wolf
Obsession by JoAnne Keltner
Stained Glass byMindy Hardwick
Grape Bubblegum by Beth Bowland

Dragon Drop by Jerry Ackerman
New Girl by Joan B. Flood
The Fox's Mask by Anna Frost
Unforgettable You by Marci Boudreaux
Storm’s Fury by Nya Rayne
And one of 30 e-books:
3.99 by Richard Satterlie
100,000 Midnights by Aaron Smith
A Company of Thieves by David Pilling
A Place to Call Their Own by L. Dean Pace-Frech
A Reason To Stay by L.S. Murphy
A Sense of the Ridiculous by Heather King
A Willing Spirit by Cindi Myers
Alaska Heat by Vella Munn
An Incident on MSR Tampa by SS Hampton, Sr
Apple of My Eye by Elizabeth Botts
Baiting The Hook by Mary S. Palmer & David Wilton
Between by Clarissa Johal
Black Widow by Lena Austin
Bring Me To Life by Scarlett Parrish
Captain Westwood's Inheritance by Lynda Dunwell
Contingency Plan by Anita Ensal
Crazy Greta by David Hardy
Daughter of the Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis
Deep Into The Night by Tracie Ingersoll Loy
Dragon Revealed by Nulli Para Ora
Enchanted Realms by Eleni Konstantine
Forget the Misteltoe by Lizzie T. Leaf
Her Goblin Prince by Thalia Frost
High Stakes by Chad Strong
ICE blue by Susan Rae
Identity Thief by Milo James Fowler
Keeper of Directions by L.K. Mitchell
Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhashi
Little Bird by Liza Gaines
Looney Dunes by Anne Skalitza
Masquerade by Sloane Taylor
All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing January 31
Grand Prize 
Warm Up for Winter Basket
Snuggly Blanket
$20.00 Musa Gift Certificate 
Starbucks Coffee
Coffee Mug
Specialty Chocolates
 PLUS  5 paperback books: 
Marissa's Choice by Kadee McDonald
The Dominus Runes by Peter Lukes
Walking the Dog by Linda Benson
Love Lies Bleeding by Laini Giles
For his Love by Nya Rayne


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