Guest
Post & GIVEAWAY
with author Christine Warner
Welcome
back everyone! This post is on time and as scheduled! Yay! We are
approaching “caught up” status! I am thrilled! Anyway, Ms. Warner
is a new-to-me author. When I read the blurb for this book I knew
that I absolutely had to feature it! I mean who doesn't like to read
a story that includes food, sex, and cooking? Let me tell you that
ever since I started reading this “type” of book, I was hooked
immediately. I never knew I would enjoy the food/cooking component so
much. Although I loved the movie No Reservations, so I should have
known that in a book, it would be that much better. In any case, I
have a new love for the cooking and romance genre. Does it have its
own genre? If not, it should! I am pretty darn sure you are all going
to really enjoy the blurb so the rest of the post will just be icing.
And did you ever know what a Sous Chef actually does? Well Ms. Warner
is here to tell us all about it! AND … there is more! Ms. Warner
has a wonderful GIVEAWAY for all of you to enter at the conclusion of
this post, so don't forget to enter before you hop out! Please allow
me to introduce to the blog:
**CHRISTINE
WARNER**
**BIO**
Christine
Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three
children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.
Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time
with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic. A
confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in
everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes
and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines. A girl gone wild, at least
where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid
readers and writers on Facebook, Twitter and her Website.
You
can find out more about Ms. Warner in the following places:
**BACHELOR'S
SPECIAL**
Publication
Date: June 10, 2013
Published
by Entangled
Publishing - Indulgence Imprint
**BLURB**
Saute,
simmer, and flambé…
Chet Castle is a prosperous businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved with any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce.
Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: Work for him for the next eight weeks as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking with her commitment-phobic employer is a recipe for disaster…but it’s just too tasty to not take a bite.
Buy
Links
**GUEST
POST**
In my latest release—Bachelor’s Special—my heroine Jill Adgate is a down on her luck chef. Due to an incident which involved Chet Castle—the hero who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life, or at least put up a large road block—Jill’s career has taken a detour.
She
lost a coveted position at Creations restaurant as a Sous Chef—a
high ranking position in the kitchen and a definite sign she was on
track to reach her goal as Chef de Cuisine and then hopefully top
spot as Executive Chef. Do you know exactly what a Sous Chef does?
The job of Sous Chef
involves a lot of responsibility and isn’t an easy one. He or she
needs to be organized, be able to hold the kitchen staff’s respect,
and be driven to make smart decisions in an instant during kitchen
hours. They often work long hours with little of the overall credit,
but their creativity will be a key element in helping them shine on
their way to becoming an Executive Chef.
A
Sous Chef is in command after the Chef de Cuisine in a professional
kitchen. Although they answer to the Chef de Cuisine or the Executive
Chef (who is tops in the kitchen, but not always on site), the Sous
Chef does have authority over the other kitchen staff.
If
the Chef de Cuisine is unavailable or off for the evening the Sous
Chef is in command and the kitchen staff is expected to offer the
same respect to him or her as they would the Chef de Cuisine or the
Executive Chef.
The Sous Chef is
expected to be intimately familiar with all the activities of the
kitchen and be prepared to step in and take over in a pinch.
Basically the Sous Chef is a “Jack” or “Jill” of all
functions. The Sous Chef can prepare and cook foods and should know
all the styles of cooking done in the kitchen, including such food
skills as French, Italian and more. They are also responsible for
overseeing kitchen staff—which can include such chores as
scheduling, training, or dealing with personnel conflicts.
Another responsibility
of the Sous Chef is to make sure that the food being prepared and
served is of top quality, and that staff are mindful of cost
standards. As assistant to the Chef de Cuisine and the Executive
Chef, the Sous Chef helps in menu planning, inventory, and supply
management. He or she may also aid in making sure the kitchen is up
to safety standards, and that staff are obeying sanitation rules.
As you can tell from all
the functions a Sous Chef handles, they need to possess a strong
personality and not be one who backs down.
Jill Adgate has all
these qualities and more, but her axis is thrown off kilter on the
night she meets Chet and loses her job due to a knee-weakening kiss.
Her confidence takes a hit and she struggles to gain her footing, but
when she reconnects with Chet about twelve months later during a not
so “blind-blind date” her confidence and strength reappears
slowly but surely.
I hope you enjoy the
blurb and excerpt from Bachelor’s Special and decide to grab a copy
of the book to add to your TBR pile!
~
CHRISTINE WARNER
**EXCERPT**
By
reading any further you are stating you are at least 18 years of age.
If
you are under the age of 18, it is necessary for you to exit this
site.
Her
body hummed as his smile wavered. Although he wore sunglasses, she’d
bet her last dollar his gaze swept across her chest, lingering on the
betrayal of her pert nipples pushing against the fabric of her suit.
Until this moment,
shyness had never been a trait she possessed. Air stalled in her
lungs, her palms grew sweaty, and she itched to cover herself with a
towel. Even though her replica vintage swimsuit hid more than most
sets of women’s underwear, she felt too exposed. She turned to the
side slightly and folded her legs up. Not that it helped, but it made
her feel a bit less exposed. Chet slid his feet from his sandals,
brushing a hand through his hair. The heat from the sun wasn’t the
only thing scorching her skin. She trickled several droplets of water
over her arms, but she couldn’t drag her focus from his toned
flesh.Jill soaked in his ripped abs and the obvious package of goodies covered by his brown swimsuit—the same sexy brown as his hair. Damn, did a man have a right to fill out a pair of swimming trunks like that? Flecks of hair, just enough to give him a manly appeal, covered the etched muscles of his long, tan legs. She licked her lips, hoping she could still speak.
“Do you want some privacy?” Yes, say yes. She needed an excuse to make an escape without coming off like someone desperate to be making an exit.
* * * * *
Hell no, he
didn’t want privacy. Through the shield of his sunglasses, he
inspected her body from the tips of her pink-painted toenails to the
top of her brightly flowered swimming cap. Did people still actually
wear those things?
“No, you look
comfortable. Stay and enjoy the day.”“Oh…are you sure?”
“Sure.”
Amazed at his own ability to talk without his tongue hitting the cement, Chet turned to throw his towel and sunglasses on a nearby lounge chair. Damn.
The red and white polka-dot halter-style suit featured a tight bodice, but her slender hips and shapely thighs hiding beneath a matching skirt grabbed his attention until all oxygen left his blood. Even showing less skin than the average girl on the beach, she far exceeded sexy and alluring.
Get a grip, Castle. She’s off limits, no matter how delectable. He turned and stepped onto the diving board. He bounced along the surface as he made his way over the water. When he looked at Jill’s bathing cap covering her head, he held back his grin. The neon rubber flowers reminded him of something his grandmother would’ve worn, but there the similarity ended. Everything beneath that cap was far from making him think of Grandma.
**GIVEAWAY**
$25
Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card
So
what did you think? Pretty fricking great! Yes? I want to know more
about Ms. Warner's books because she is a new author for me. If you
have had the pleasure of reading any of her work before, please tell
me what you thought. If you are unfamiliar with Ms. Warner as I am,
no worries. You can comment on any portion of this post that you
would like. Tell me what you thought, if you are likely to read, and
if you like the whole idea of cooking and romance.
I
want to thank Ms. Warner for being here with us today and for taking
the time to create the guest post for us to enjoy. I never knew so
much about a Sous Chef. If you were intrigued by what you experienced
here today, please consider showing your support for this author by
purchasing a copy of this book for yourself. And do NOT forget to
enter the GIVEAWAY before you hop out. You have nothing to lose
except your chance to WIN, so why not give it a go? I wish all who
enter the best of luck!
I
hope that you all enjoyed getting to know a bit about Ms. Warner and
her book. Have a fantastic rest of the day and I will be seeing you
all very soon! But until then ...
HAPPY
READING!!!
Happy Wednesday! Thank you so much for featuring Bachelor's Special on your blog. I hope you get the chance to read Jill and Chet's story and that you enjoy their journey.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm thrilled you like the idea of foody romances...I enjoyed writing this one so much I hope to add more to my menu :)
Thanks so much for being here! It was a pleasure getting to know about you and your book. I too hope to be able to read it soon. Please feel free to come back anytime!
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