Reader’s Edyn

I always felt like I could do something more than just read. Finally, I have found both a creative outlet and a chance to do something meaningful with my reading. This blog was created in appreciation of and tribute to all of the authors who have brought me joy through their books. These reviews are my way of giving back to authors and providing recognition for the hard work that each one completes every day!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Recipe: Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin Brownies



What I Thought:
Great brownies and a wonderful way to use up the whole wheat flour I had sitting from another recipe. The brownies are not sweet at all. Maybe just a slight bit of sweetness for people sensitive to that kind of thing, but for me ~ a lover of all things sweet ~ they weren’t sweet at all. However, this type of snack is nice to have around when you need a break from the sweetness. Very moist and tasty.

Changes I Made:
I am not a big fan of nuts in recipes so I omitted the walnuts.

I did not have buttermilk, so I used ¼ cup milk and 2 tsp. lemon juice then let it sit for a few minute before adding it to the mixture.

I used 2 eggs. Not a fan of egg substitute unless I have it in the house for something else already.

Tips:
If you want to add a little sweet to this recipe, I highly recommend the cream cheese icing featured in the spiced pumpkin cupcakes recipe posted yesterday.



Yield: 24 bars           Units: US | Metric

Ingredients: 
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or cooked
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, well beaten (further reduce fat & cholesterol by substituting 1 egg + 1 egg
   white, or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Coat a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with vegetable spray.
3. Combine all ingredients and beat well.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Cool on a wire rack; cut into bars.

Original Link Found At:    Food.com

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
This pic is somewhat lame also. I have a new mission and that is to get
to the food and take a picture before the kids get to it! *nods*


What I Thought:
Best pumpkin cupcakes EVER! Oh my goodness! I am going to make these year-round! They are super moist and packed with flavor! And the cream cheese icing … YUMM-O! The icing is the best I have ever tasted! And in fact I will be replacing many previous cream cheese icing recipes with this one from now on. Don’t believe me? Try it! It is fabulous!

Changes I Made:
None. I followed this recipe exactly.  The only difference being that I did not use all McCormick spices.

Tips:
Can’t think of any. I was beyond pleased with the finished product!


Yield: 24 cupcakes           Units: US | Metric

Ingredients: 
1 package (15 1/4 to 18 1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 package (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Cloves, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cloves
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients, except Spiced Cream Cheese
    Frosting, in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened,
    scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes or until well
    blended.
2. Spoon batter into 24 lightly greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup
    2/3 full.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool
    in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
4. For Frosting: Beat all ingredients except confectioners' sugar in large bowl until
    light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.
5. Frost cooled cakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting.

Original Link Found At:   McCormick.com

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Recipe: Best Pumpkin Cookies

Best Pumpkin Cookies

I apologize for this lame pic. My kids snatched all of these up before
I had a chance to get a good shot of them.


What I Thought:
These cookies are fabulous! But they are a bit sweet so for a lot of people I would say the icing is not necessary as you can eat them without it. My kids loved the icing so I did half with and half without.


Changes I Made:
None. I followed this recipe exactly.

Tips:
The icing did harden quickly as indicated in the directions. Definitely keep the icing over low heat and whisk constantly to keep from crusting over on the top.

I also think the icing would be better as a thin glaze. It turned out a bit thick which added a lot of sweetness that wasn't needed. Next time I will try thinning it out a bit.

Discard any remaining glaze. It hardens and cannot be reused.



Yield: 48 cookies           Units: US | Metric

Ingredients: 
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Penuche Glaze Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2-2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Have ready some ungreased baking sheets.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and the sugars together until light and
    fluffy.
4. Blend in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract.
5. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and
    salt.
6. Mix flour mixture into butter-sugar mixture.
7. Drop tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges.
9. Remove warm cookies and transfer to racks.
10. Let cool completely for a least one half hour, then frost with glaze.

For Glaze:
In a medium saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute or until slightly thickened. Beat in the milk. Blend in confectioner's sugar until the glaze is smooth and spreadable. Using a silicone basting brush, which I love and use religiously now, or a butter knife to spread glaze on cookies is the best tip. Please note; this glaze will harden fairly quickly. I suggest that you keep the saucepan over the stove on the lowest heat possible to prevent it from hardening.

Original Link Found At:    Food.com

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

JERR September/October 2012

 Click on the logo to subscribe to JERR

**JERR October 2012**

I know, I know. Many of your are asking – What the heck is JERR? It is amazing to me that an erotic book review site that has been around 6 or 7 years, and has a huge following is still unknown to so many. So, for those of you who missed it, I will take a moment to explain this thing called JERR that I speak of.

JERR stands for Just Erotic Romance Reviews. Name pretty much says it all. Yes? The following snippet I took directly from the website so that you all can see JERR’s explanation:

Beyond Book Reviews

Just Erotic Romance Reviews is...

“First and foremost a newsletter created by readers for readers just like you. For over six years we have helped readers choose where to spend their hard earned money, by delivering a quality newsletter straight to our readers' mailboxes the first Sunday of every month. Every issue is packed with honest reviews of some of the best Erotic Romance books around.
Contests, articles on a wide variety of Erotic Romance topics and author interviews are all here to entertain and provide information on the fast growing, ever changing world of Erotic Romance.”   (quoted from justeroticromancereviews.com)


That about cover it? Not quite. Let me tell you what I like about JERR. First, let me say that I absolutely love my blog and checking in with the review blogs of fellow bloggers. You never know what new author you may discover, what awesome contest may be running, what terrific friends you may come into contact with … the possibilities are endless. I would never give up on my blog. But here is what attracts me to JERR …

With blogs, you hop around and never know what you may or may not find – unless you are searching for something specific and end up on Google, then get directed to the information you seek. JERR has eliminated much of this frustration. And let’s face it, sometimes looking at review after review can be frustrating. Instead of hoping all over the place, you receive one newsletter - once a month - with multiple reviews to check out - in one spot. Sound good? I think so! There is generally a spotlighted author, a contest, and dozens of reviews to read.

But these are not just any reviews. These are reviews from people like you and me. Some of us have our own blogs, many of us have a “real-life” before reviewing, and all of us abide by JERR’s standard to erotic reviews. If the book does not make the cut, you will not be hearing about it. This is not to say that you will find all glowing reviews. No way! But this is to confirm that you will only read reviews about erotic novels, novellas, anthologies, etc …

So what are you waiting for? Head over to JERR and subscribe! A newsletter once a month packed full of reviews in one spot! What have you got to lose?

Oh … but now you want to know why I am telling you about this? Did you figure it out? You got it! I am a JERR reviewer. And why would I do this when I have my own review blog? Because JERR changes things up for me and gives me variety. I have access to books I can review that I might not have access to otherwise. And I have a change of pace. The reviews are nothing like what I normally produce. Variety is good (for me anyway) – it keeps me on my toes and staves off boredom. 

And here is the other part of why I am telling you this information. My reviews are the property of JERR. Perfectly understandable considering I write to their requirements and they provide me with the book I review. But I cannot post my reviews on my blog. And so … once a month I will be posting on my blog – in this similar fashion, the link to the reviews I completed via JERR. Want the review faster? Subscribe to JERR. The newsletter comes out about two weeks before the reviews are loaded onto the website. *nods*

I hope you will all look into JERR. It really is a spectacular idea. And you can search the site for many reviews. Looking for thoughts on a book you are considering? Look it up on JERR. It just might be there. I am sure there is much more I could talk your ear – err … eyes .. off with *grins* but I will let you be for now. Below are the reviews I completed for JERR for the October 2012 issue. Just click on the picture to read my thoughts and see my ratings. And above all, enjoy! 



Whoot whoot! I awarded my first Gold Star to TAKING A SHOT~ Fabulous read!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Review: The Naughty Angel by Sheila Stewart


       Title: The Naughty Angel
                  1 Night Stand Series
       Author: Sheila Stewart
       Release Date: July 24, 2012
       Publisher: Decadent Publishing
       Category: Contemporary Erotic Romance
       Type: Kindle



Blurb:
Even the good turn bad sometimes.
A life of servitude to God has left Ariel Raine feeling worn out. Being an Angel isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Day in and day out of the same routine tends to get tedious. Wanting some spice in her life, she sets her mind on discovering the allure of a sexual encounter. With the help of Madam Eve and her 1 Night Stand dating services, Ariel is about to have her world rocked.
Only problem is…her match is a demon.
Edison Grey has relied on dating services to claim minions for not only him, but for his master Satan as well. 1 Night Stand just happens to be this week’s preference. No use wasting a good service, Edison decides to have a little fun while he’s at it.
Stripping an angel of her purity is an added bonus.
What happens between Ariel and Edison is a surprise to both. Even with the threat of punishment looming over top of them.

Excerpt:
“You’re a demon!”
“And you are an angel.”
“There’s no need to say it with such disdain.”
He leaned one arm on the door, resting his body against it and lifted one eyebrow as he responded. “It’s fitting for how I feel for your kind.”
“My kind? You are the scourge of the earth.”
“Right. And your kind is perfect. I think not.”
“We do not claim what is not ours to take.”
“No, you just possess the bodies of innocent souls to do your bidding.”
“They offer their service to the Lord.”
“Yes, ‘offer’.” He made quotations with his index fingers. “I think we should discuss this in privacy.” He motioned to the couple standing by the door across the hall.
Reluctantly, she stepped inside and he closed the door behind her. “This is a mistake. Surely the woman in charge, this Madame Evangeline, has made a mistake. I couldn’t possibly be fitted with such a detestable creature.”
“Pot calling the kettle black there, sweet cheeks.” She touched her face, confused. “Not those ones.” He motioned to her backside and instantly her face flush with warmth.
“How dare you!”
“What? You came here for sex, right?”
She was aghast at his candor. “Must you be so vulgar?”
“It’s how I roll, sugar. Did you expect your date not to admire your body?”
“I did…well, I assumed he would. That’s not the point.” She stiffened her shoulders. “Keep your eyes to yourself.”
“Happy to.” He let out a long breath. “So…now what?”
“I leave."
“Good luck with that. Storms brewing and they’ve shut the roads down until it clears. I hear it could be several days.”
“I have other ways of leaving.” All she had to do was wish herself elsewhere. No storm could prevent her from returning to heaven.
“Huh, that’s a new one. A cowardly angel.”
She stiffened in response. “I am not a coward!”

Dialogue Highlight:
Laughing, he poured his drink then much to her surprise, plopped down beside her. “Should we see what’s on TV?”
“Do as you wish. I have no desire to partake in such mundane festivities.”
“My, that stick up your ass is jammed in there tight.”
“I have no stick up my…derriere, and how dare you insinuate such a thing.”
He patted her leg and made her pulse speed up. “Oh darling, you are too much fun. Okay, let’s see what we have here.”
He selected a channel called Adult Entertainment while she wondered how long she had to stick around to prove her point. He had said all night, but surely an hour was enough. Ariel lifted a magazine from the coffee table and flipped the pages as he perused the selection on the TV screen.
She could admit to herself that she found him attractive, but she couldn’t tell him. His dreamy stare made her heart flutter, not to mention the way it sent moist heat in her loins. Her pulse had quickened when he’d touched her leg. What a horrible creature. He sat on the sofa, staring at the TV. One hand held a glass, which rested on his thigh, the other lay on his crotch. Her mouth watered. His long legs stretched out before him, his feet on the coffee table.
Relaxing, she let her gaze fall to the TV screen. She bolted forward. The male and female actors behaved like wild animals, their hands tearing away the clothing concealing their bodies. “What in the heavens are you watching?”
“It’s called pornography. Damn, that chick has nice tits!”
“That’s repugnant.”
“That’s sex, baby.”
She jumped to her feet, repulsed by his comment. “I refuse to be a party to this.” Her rage showed once more when her wings broke loose. Their flapping didn’t deter him from making the clucking noises again. “Stop that!”
“Not going to happen as long as you continue to be such a prude. Sit down and enjoy the show.”
“I will not, and don’t you dare make that infuriating noise again.”
“If it walks like a chick and talks like a chick then it’s a chicken.”
“You’ve spoken the metaphor wrong. It’s a duck, not a chicken.” What a buffoon.
“Semantics.” He began to flap his arms like wings.
“Stop it!” He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her down onto his lap so quickly she barely had time to think. The warm sensation in her loins struck even harder, and her heart began to hammer. “Release me!” Yet, she remained there, not even trying to break his hold. The intoxicating spicy, woody scent coming off of him made her head swim.
He pulled her closer so that their chests bumped and his breath scorched her sensitive skin. “Prove you’re not a prude. Watch the show with me.”
She planted a hand on his chest. “It’s disgusting.”
He held it securely in place “That’s what you came here to do, is it not?”

Review:
Argh! I am struggling just a bit to write this review. The story wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as great as all of the other 1 Night Stand books I have read so far. I am not quite sure what it was about the characters that I didn’t like that much, but I will figure it out as I write this. That is generally how the reviews play out for me; especially those that I have difficulty explaining when I first begin to write. The best thing to do is start by explaining the story.
Ariel is an angel and watches over children. Children can see her, but adults cannot. She has been doing this “job” for centuries and over time has become curious about the opposite sex. She is at the point in her life where she longs for something more. A connection to someone else. Someone to share her life with. So she decides to hook up with someone for one night just to experience all that she has wondered about for so long. She talks to Cupid and comes up with Madame Eve’s information. Before you know it a match has been made and a 1 Night Stand planned. Against her sister’s advice, she continues with this plan despite the risking everything. If she is found out she will be cast out forever.
Edison is everything that Ariel despises. He is a demon for starters and he is on a mission; to grab another soul. Lately he has been frequenting dating services such as 1 Night Stand, finding a soul to capture, and moving on to the next service. But those other services were not 1 Night Stand and he is about to meet an unexpected match in Ariel. And Edison has a bit of a problem as well. If anyone finds out he is with an angel, he will become a laughing stock. But something about Ariel draws him in and he immediately goads her into staying the night with him … but not for sex … unless Edison has anything to say about it.
Ariel is, of course, offended to be in the presence of a demon, but after Edison pushes the right buttons she finds herself staying with him even though she tells herself to leave several times. He is crude, disgusting, completely gorgeous, and Ariel desires him – but she will die before she admits that to him. After watching the “adult entertainment” channel with Edison, Ariel starts to get some ideas of her own … looks like Madame Eve knew what she was doing once again, but then she always does.
I think that my problem with this story is that the characters do not stay true to who they are presented as. Ariel as flat out against Edison, which wasn’t hard to believe. But then she completely turns around and is ready to run away with him. And Edison is straight bad ass, but instead of getting down and dirty with Ariel, he flips and treats her tenderly like he says she deserves. I don’t know. I guess they characters just didn’t seem consistent. Good girl and bad ass. And while that combination generally works well, they characters also have to maintain some sort of sense of self or else they get lost in all of the sex and I think that is what happened with this story. The end is abrubt and realistically makes no sense. I do not want to give anything away, but their “plan” for afterward seems rushed and ill planned. And again, doesn’t seem to fit with the characters.
The sex was hot and the basis of the story was steamy. I just felt like it didn’t quite work the way I had expected it to. I would say that if you are looking for a way to pass the time without getting overly invested in the characters, then this story is still a good pick. And yes, this is a novella, so overly invested is not really a big concern, but I still like the thoughts/actions of the characters to make sense. People who enjoy the 1 Night Stand series and Ms. Stewart will more than likely find the read enjoyable. But if you are a little more particular, then you might agree with me. Either way, the story is still steamy and entertaining. I just wish it had met my expectations to a higher level. 
 (eBook copy provided by author/tour company in exchange for an honest review.)

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Promo with author Joanne Kenrick

Promo with author Joanne Kenrick

So I have to tell you all that I still have not yet had the chance to read either book 1, SWEET IRISH KISS, or book 2, SHAMROCKED. And now book 3 is out and I feel like I am going to have to make a Joanne Kenrick/1 Night Stand day where I read all of them that day. And I will. I promise. I just need to figure out when. But … a fellow Blogger and friend of mine had a lot of good things to say about SWEET IRISH KISS, so when I saw this promo, I knew I absolutely had to share it with you all as well as upcoming book 4, which I will be sharing with you all in about a week or so. And those of you who have been around for a while know how much I adore Decadent Publishing’s 1 NIGHT STAND series. This series is frickin fantastic! It has contributions from a great many authors so there is one heck of a variety to choose from. Not to mention that these are novellas, so are a great way to pass a couple of hours if you find yourself with not enough time to read a full length novel. I highly recommend this series! But enough about that. You should really find out for yourself. So without further adieu, please allow me to introduce to you once again, Ms. Joanne Kenrick.

**JOANNE KENRICK**

**BIO**
Born n bred Brit, JoAnne Kenrick grew up in a wee sea-side town in North Wales and has enjoyed a variety of vocations such as holistic healer, window dresser, and ghost tour guide. Having lived in Wales, England, and Scotland with her dear family, she finally escaped the dull British summers to reside in sunny Australia. After two years, they moved to the States where she endured three harsh winters in Minnesota. She now lives in North Carolina with her husband, two kids and two puddy cats. When they aren't demanding her attention, or jumping on her head, she strums away on the keys of her little laptop, creating worlds and adventures she could only ever dream of. Come across the pond and faraway....with JoAnne Kenrick! www.joannekenrick.com

Get exclusive sneak peeks at her new and upcoming releases by signing up to her quarterly newsletter here: http://tinyletter.com/joannekenrick

THREESOME SWEETNESS Released 9th November 2012
Book three in the bestselling Irish Kisses series.
Bell's Irish Pub, where the drinks are cool and the service is HAWT. Tasty treats await you.


**THREESOME  SWEETNESS**
**Irish Kisses, Book 3**
PAIRINGS: m/f/m m f/m
FLAME RATING: four
GENRE: contemporary romance
PUBLISHER: www.decadentpublishing.com
PAGE COUNT: 43

**BLURB**
A shot of Threesome Sweetness stirs up emotions….

Elizabeth, a part-time manager of Bell’s Irish Pub and business student, is newly hitched. Her marriage could use a serious shake up, but she finds shopping a more therapeutic use of her time.

If Todd’s wife is happy, he’s happy. But it seems nothing is putting a sweet smile on her face these days, not even her friends at Bell’s. So he contacts 1NightStand and arranges the one thing he knows she doesn’t necessarily want but definitely needs for her thirtieth birthday; a threesome.

Enter cowboy Cade, who’s in London, England hoping to make a restaurant franchise deal. After weeks of doors slamming shut, he uses the 1Night Stand agency in hopes of sprinkling some fun over his overseas business trip and perhaps to learn what he’s missing out on by being relationship shy.

A harmless night of intimacy is planned.

Is a dash of Threesome Sweetness the remedy each is looking for, or will the date leave a bitter aftertaste each will regret for the rest of their lives?

Buy Links:
AMAZON US         Joanne Kenrick




ALSO AVAILABLE:
Sweet Irish Kiss, book 1
Shamrocked, book 2


Coming November 30th 2012
HOT WINTER KISS, book 4
Hot winter kisses are all this couple needs to stay warm this Christmas, but will the heat stay long after the magical season of mistletoe has finished?

**EXCERPT**
         “Ten minutes in here and I’ll need ta strip down ta nothing. Phew.” She wafted
her hand over her face, puffing out her cheeks.

         “My dear, that is the plan.” Winking, he slipped out of his robe and bundled it to make a pillow before lounging back.

         “We can’t strip in a public sauna.” Peering through the tiny glass window, she prayed nobody was around to see her husband butt naked.

         “Here’s the fun part—the sauna is ours for a whole hour. We can do whatever we like in here.”

         “Really? What if someone happens ta look in?”

         “The main door to this area is locked, so we’re safe.”

         “In that case....” She untied the belt around her waist and let the material slide over the curve of her hips to the floor. Pulling in a deep breath, she paraded in front of him. A click. Sounds of the door opening. Her back stiffened, she dared not look behind her.

         Oh crap.

         “Hmm, your photo does not do you justice, Elizabeth.” Someone slid his hand around her waist then spanked her buttocks.

         “How dare ya?” Jerking in response, she spun to face the intruder. He loomed over her, devilishly handsome...and butt naked! Her knees almost gave way at the delicious sight of him before anger bubbled at the crude intrusion.

         “Ma’am, I do believe I’m apart of your birthday present...if you accept it, that is.”

         “What have ya done, Todd? Did ya go ta a strip club ta arrange a threesome or something? Gross!” She turned to her husband, trying to avert her stare from the new eye candy.

         “No, no, ma’am. I’m not a whore. I’m your date for the evening. It’s all very tasteful and safe...through 1Night Stand. I guess this birthday present was somewhat of a surprise for you.”

         “Good guess.”

         He traced his thumb over the peak of her breasts, causing the sensitive flesh to tingle and send heat rushing down to her tummy. Then, with a whisper-soft touch, he stroked under the curve of her fleshy mounds and groaned. “I do hope to be buried deep inside you soon, if you’re agreeable.”


**BONUS  EXCERPT**
         Strutting the length of the suite, he wore nothing but a cowboy hat and a smile. Cocky bastard. She had insisted he leave it on. Heat twisted and turned within, saturating her inside out as she skimmed the length of him from behind her lashes. From his ruggedly handsome face and strong jaw line, to the beads of sweat glistening on his rippled chest, she was tempted to trace her hand over his ass.

         He turned his head and set his gaze upon her, looking like one of those heroes from one of Sandra’s romance covers. Except without pants. Her pulse quickened.

         “Ma’am.” He dipped his hat, shading his stare with the dark shadow caused by the rim of the Stetson. “Said you wanted more excitement in your life on your 1Night Stand profile. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”


I hope you all enjoyed getting to know a bit about Ms. Kendrick and her book, SHAMROCKED. I truly hope you will all check it out. I you’d like to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you. Tell me anything, especially if you have something to say about Ms. Kendrick’s books or this series. I love comments, so feel free. Thanks so much for spending some time with me today!
Until next time …
HAPPY READING!!!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Guest Blog with author Lisa Mondello

Guest Blog with author Lisa Mondello

Hello to all of my lovely readers! I have an appropriate post for you all today for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the holidays are in full swing. Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away and SHEESH! the grocery store is a mad house! I am beyond happy I got all of my needed ingredients over a week early because some of those shoppers are straight brutal, Yo! And to go with the almost-Thanksgiving time, Ms. Mondello has provided a guest post about Thanksgiving and her favorite recipe. Yay! Ridiculously appropriate because just the other day I decided to add a recipe page to the blog. I am going to be baking up a storm and wanted a place to keep track of the recipes I use and what better place than the blog? EXACTLY! GENIUS! And the next few days will start my recipe posts so stay tuned. Weeeee! And, now that the holidays have arrived, it is time to start talking about holiday-themed books to read. SO … kicking off the holiday spirit is Ms. Mondello’s book, ALL I WANT OR CHRISTMAS IS YOU. See? It’s a festival of appropriateness. So let’s get started! Please allow me to once again introduce to the blog:

**LISA  MONDELLO**

Lisa Mondello (a.k.a. LA Mondello) has held many jobs in her life but being a published authors is the last job she'll ever have. She's not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she'd still be penning stories with paper and pen.  Her first book, All I Want for Christmas is You, was the winner of the Golden Quill contest for Best First Book and to date has had over 400,000 downloads worldwide.
She is currently the author of 14 novels under the name Lisa Mondello and LA Mondello.
You can find out more about Ms. Mondello in the following places:

**GUEST  POST**
**Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes**
I love food.  I know I’m not alone in this.  The holidays always have me struggling because there is just so much great food to make during the holidays and you can’t possibly eat it all!  So I pick and choose those favorite things that make each holiday special.
Take Thanksgiving.  Most people love to make those pumpkin and apple pies on Thanksgiving. They’re good.  But my favorite Thanksgiving treat isn’t even a dessert!!  It’s my mother’s Sweet Potato Casserole.  It’s meant to be served with turkey dinner.  But truth be known, it tastes more like a dessert than most of the confections on the dessert table.  Okay, call me strange.  But when everyone is looking for the sweets after dinner, I’m looking for leftover Sweet Potato Casserole.
I’ve seen a ton of Sweet Potato Casserole recipes, but I like my mom’s the best.  No marshmallows or pecans, but with a healthy dose of butter and brown sugar on top.
What about you?  What’s your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?  If it’s Sweet Potato Casserole, like mine, do you like it with marshmallows and pecans or without?  I know there are strong feelings on the subject, so let me know!
~Lisa Mondello

**ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU**
**Fate With A Helping Hand, Book 1**
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ASIN:  B005KDG236
Number of pages: 192
Word Count: 40,000
Buy Links:
Amazon               Barnes and Noble              iTunes              Smashwords

**BLURB**
Sometimes fate needs a little hand...

Santa Claus is going to have a rough season... Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. She wants Santa to bring a Daddy. Delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag.

But this Santa has a plan...

Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town.
Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But with a little helping hand, a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.

**EXCERPT**
"You don't have to be afraid. This will explain it all. I promise you." He smiled warmly and Lauren wanted to trust him if only to believe in simple kindness.

With shaking hands, she took the piece of paper, warm from being in the pocket close to Kyle's body. She held it up straight so that she could see Kyle while reading the words on the paper.

"Dear Santa..." she read out loud, then read the next part silently. "Oh, no," she groaned.

"I know. That's just how I felt."

Lauren shot him a skeptical glance. "How did you get this?"

"Kristen gave it to me."

"That's impossible. Mrs. Hopkins just helped her with it this afternoon and-"
"And she gave it to me in the Mall," Kyle finished for her.

She looked at him quizzically, still trying to comprehend the course of events leading up to his seizure of her daughter's precious note.

"It's not that hard to figure out, Lauren," Kyle said warmly.

His dark eyes gleamed with the light from the lamppost. He wore no hat to protect his head from the falling snow. Now his hair was filled with powdered flakes, matting it down.

His grin was bright and wide as he informed her, "I'm Santa Claus."

Fate with a Helping Hand Series includes:

Book 1 ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU
Book 2 THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
Book 3 THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE'S BABY

So what did you all think? Have you read Ms. Mondello before? Maybe you have even read this book before. Tell us what you thought. If you haven’t read either, tell us if you would be likely to read this story and why. And don’t forget to answer Ms. Mondello’s question:
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?  If it’s Sweet Potato Casserole, like mine, do you like it with marshmallows and pecans or without?
I can’t wait to read your responses! Thanks so much for spending some time with us today! And don’t forget … if you enjoyed what you read today, be sure to support this fabulous author and buy the book! Be sure to come back for some great recipes over the next few days. See you all soon and until next time …
HAPPY READING!!!