#ReleaseDay ~ A Sprig of Mistletoe

Tags

#Holiday Romance, Christmas romance, Holidays, Katherine Bone, romance, sprig of mistletoe, victorian, Victorian Christmas, Victorian romance

This year I’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs, but one of the things I am most proud of is writing my first Victorian Christmas book, A Sprig of Mistletoe. And today is the book’s birthday. Huzzah!!!

This book has everything I love in it: Christmas; orphans; inspiration from A Christmas Carol and The Man Who Invented Christmas; Charles Dickens; a heroine who wants to change the world, a Scrooge-like hero; and the Victorian Industrial Age. As part of the Miracle Express Series, it also includes steam engines. Trains were a huge part of my childhood. My grandfather longed to be a train conductor, but his mother advised him against the profession, preferring him to study music. ‘Grandy’ honored his mother’s wishes, received his doctorate in music, and taught organ and piano at East Texas State University. During his free time, however, he studied trains and their engines, planning adventures and vacations around them. I suspect in his lifetime he rode every steam train still in existence.

And so, me hearties, A Sprig of Mistletoe comes from the heart, and I hope readers will read this story and come away with the spirit of Christmas.

She’s unconventional . . .

Lady Catherine “Kitty” Egerton leads a quiet life in Hertfordshire riding horses, reading extensively to improve her mind, and entertaining one disappointing suitor after another. She desires to marry, but the men her father introduces her to detest a headstrong woman. Kitty wants to help the poor, and Christmas provides ample opportunities when women cannot join organizations that fund these efforts. When she’s invited to London to visit Field Lane Ragged School, it’s the opportunity she’s been waiting for. But she’s only allowed to go if she agrees to spy on her brother and his elusive friend—a key investor in the formation of a new Poor Law Union, a man who’s refused to visit their home in Christmases past. Kitty agrees because she has an ulterior motive: her dearest friend is in love with her brother, and the railway journey to London allows her time to play matchmaker.

He is not who he says he is . . .

Bartholomew “Bart” Fernsby inherited his wealth from a kind man who liberated him from the workhouse in Holborn. Sent to upper-crust schools, he received every consideration: lodging, food, clean clothes, except what he desired most—his mother’s love. But to whom much is given, more is required. Haunted by his parents’ deaths and a scandalous past, he’s determined to change other children’s fates by beating back the crushing blow of poverty taking London by storm. Putting his money to good use, he becomes one of the founding members of a Poor Law Union, which seeks to educate the poorest districts in the city, and enlists an old friend’s help to raise funds for Field Lane Ragged School. Another friend, Charles Dickens, has written A Christmas Carol, hoping the book will draw sympathy for the city’s poor and downtrodden. Bart purchases multiple copies for the Ragged Schools, but there’s only one problem—he hates Christmas.

Can Kitty’s love and a sprig of mistletoe mend Bart’s broken heart?

BUY AMAZON / BUY B&N / BUY iBOOKS / BUY KOBO

Happy Birthday, A Sprig of Mistletoe!!!

Blessings,

Katherine

It’s #ReleaseDay ~ The Pirate Bride’s Holiday Masquerade by Cathy Skendrovich!

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#Holiday Romance, alpha male, Author, blogger, Cathy Skendrovich, Christmas, faithful, guest, hero, historical, historical fiction, Historical romance, Holidays, love story, New Release, pirate, pirates, release day, rich, romance, Sexy, willing

Welcome aboard, Author Cathy Skendrovich. We’re super jazzed you’ve come to share your new release with us today. Holidays and pirates! What’s not to love, eh? And you’re bringin’ ’em both. Huzzah!!!

Lady Cathy: Ahoy, and thank you for having me aboard, Lady Katherine!

For those of you who don’t know me, I write historical and contemporary romance. Today I’ll be talking about one of my favorite characters, pirate captain Andre Dubois, and giving you five reasons why you’ll fall in love with him in my Christmas novella entitled The Pirate Bride’s Holiday Masquerade, coming from Literary Wanderlust publishers on Oct. 1^st. You first meet him in my novel The Pirate’s Bride, when he is forced to marry Sophie Bellard, a spitfire with whom he eventually falls in love. He’s an extreme Alpha male of whom readers, and Sophie, can’t seem to get enough. Read on for a few reasons you might want him for yourself.

#Holiday Romance # Recipe Exchange ~ Quick Peach Cobbler via Author Tina Gayle!

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#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, Author, Fiction, Holiday, Marketing Exec's Widow, Quick Peach Cobbler, romance, Tina Gayle

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day, me hearties!

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope Santa Pirate was especially good to you this year! I’m grateful that my family and I got to spend wonderful moments together, moments that would have been much more satisfying if our oldest son and his family could have been with us. (He’s stationed in Japan, lives there with his family, and had to work on Christmas.) One of the sacrifices military families make each and every day is being separated from the ones they love.

Love, sacrifice, and commitment make the world go ’round. And celebrating the holidays also comes in many forms, like observing Boxing Day, a day my fictional characters would set aside to show gratitude to servants or those in need by delivering a Christmas Box.

Join me as I deliver this prized gem. Author Tina Gayle started this #Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange. And to round out my blog series, she’s come aboard to share her FAVorite recipe with you today.

#Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange ~ Festive Holiday Punch via Author Brenda Sparks!

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#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, Alpha Lover, Brenda Sparks, Christmas Holidays, demons, Festive Holiday Punch, Holidays, paranormal, paranormal romance, recipes, romance, Russia, tourists, vampire, vampires, Vodka

Christmas is almost here! ARR you busy preparing your holiday feast? If so, don’t forget the punch! As part of Author Tina Gayle‘s #Holiday #Recipe Exchange, Paranormal Romance Author Brenda Sparks is sharing her FAVorite and Festive Holiday Punch. So don’t delay, me hearties! Check out the recipe we’re sharing today. Woot!

Take it away, Lady Brenda! 😉

Festive Holiday Punch

” Make a day in advance to allow the flavors to meld.”

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 quart cranberry juice
• 2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons almond extract
• 1 (2 liter) bottle Lemon/Lime soft drink such as Sprite
• 1 pint of cranberries
• Vodka (optional)

Directions

1. In a large container, mix together sugar, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and almond extract. Refrigerate for 1 day.
2. To serve, pour juice mixture into a punch bowl. Stir in Lemon/Lime soft drink.
3. Garnish with cranberries.

Optional:

1. To make an alcohol version stir in vodka to desired taste.

Starved for blood, vampire, Nicholai Peterhof is greatly relieved when two tourists, in Russia for the Christmas holiday, decide to grace his restaurant, but one sip from the pretty brunette and his world is forever turned upside down. Juliette Staint-John is everything he could have asked for in a heartmate; pretty, smart, built with curves in all the right places…and totally unavailable.

Juliette doesn’t want anything to do with the handsome, young-looking Nicholai. As if their differences aren’t enough, the acute grief over the loss of loved ones keeps her heart guarded. He may be her fantasy, but that’s all he can ever be.

To get past Juliette’s defenses and in order to keep her safe, Nicholai must prove himself worthy of her love and trust. Unbeknownst to the couple, her personal demons are not the only ones threatening their relationship. Hiding virtually unseen by the vampires, Demon Royalty plots to destroy not only the couple but the entire vampire breed. Luckily, Nicholai will do anything for Juliette—even if it means sacrificing himself.

Buy Amazon  /  Buy Nook  /  Buy iBooks  /  Buy Kobo  /  Buy Wild Rose Press

~ Excerpt ~

Julie’s gaze swept the landscape. The moon’s rays glittered on the snowy bows. The birch trees stood with their trunks painted white to match their limbs. Thick pine branches held fast under the weight of the new fallen snow, making them appear as if they wore white blankets made of virginal cotton about each limb. Sparkling mounds cluttered the ground between the trees, hiding the forest’s treasures beneath.

Save the sound of the hooves pounding on the ground, they journeyed through the silent night to a clearing in the trees. Nicholai clicked to his stallion, and with a flick of the reins, the steed increased into a rolling canter up a steep incline. Julie’s thighs pushed against the sides of the horse as she tried to match the new rhythm.

Nicholai’s breath warmed her ear when he spoke. “Not too much further. It’s right up ahead.”

“What’s up ahead?” Just as the words left Julie’s mouth, they crested over the ridge.

The frozen valley below took her breath away. A glaciate waterfall stood still as a statue against the rocky terrain. The cascading water, stopped as if by magic, reflected the moon’s soft rays and cast tiny prisms on the snow below.

Julie’s breath hitched in her throat. She took in the serene beauty of the land as they cruised at a slow trot. Debris rolled under Kedar’s hoofs. It created a hollow rattle in the night, barely audible to Juliette.

When they reached the valley, Nicholai pulled up the stallion and handed the reins to Julie. She patted the horse’s steaming neck as her lover dismounted with a fluid grace. He turned, grabbed Kedar’s reins, then reached up for Julie. Her thick coat seemed to melt as his strong hands clasped around her waist. She put her hands on his shoulders, and the bulge of muscle under his coat played under her fingers when he helped her down. A thrill went through her body.

Her breath frosted the air in a white plume. The lovers held each other, his hands about her waist, hers resting on his shoulders. Quiet as the moon above, they stared deeply into each other’s eyes. Nicholai captured her lips in a gentle caress that welcomed her to this special place.

Born in Virginia, Brenda Sparks now resides in the Sunshine State.  Balancing her professional commitment to the local school district with her writing is challenging at times, but writing suspenseful paranormal romances is a passion that won’t be denied. Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure.  Brenda loves to connect with readers.  Please visit her online or stop by her website to say hi.

Ports of Call: 

Facebook  /   Twitter  /  Goodreads  /  Amazon  /  Website  

Thank you for sharing your Festive Holiday Punch recipe with us, Lady Brenda! Happy Holidays! 😉

Wishing you following winds,

Katherine

 

 

 

 

#Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange ~ No Bake Cookies via Anita Philmar!

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#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, Anita Philmar, Author, authors, Cancun, chocolate, cookies, DNA, murder, mystery, no bake cookies, oatmeal, peanut butter, recipes, romance, romantic suspense, security, specialist, Tina Gayle

I’m really enjoying all the delicious recipes from Author Tina Gayle‘s #Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange! If you’ve missed them, make sure to go back through my previous posts this month. (Look for the title #Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange.) Scrumptious eats await!

Today, I’d like to welcome Author Anita Philmar back to Rogues, Rebels & Rakes. Anita writes erotic murder mystery, romantic suspense and we’re oh! so lucky she’s aboard today. Claps hands together with glee. She brought chocolate by way of a no back recipe for us to try this holiday season. Huzzah and Hoorah!!!

Take it away, Lady Anita!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal no bake cookies.

• 1 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 peanut butter
• 2 oz of chocolate unsweetened chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal old fashion

Melt butter and add brown sugar, stir and microwave 30 seconds. Break up unsweetened chocolate and stir into butter and sugar mixture. Microwave 15 seconds at a time until chocolate is melted.

Add peanut butter and vanilla – stir until smooth

Add oatmeal.

Stir until oatmeal is coated.

Then cover cookie sheet with parchment paper, drop spoonful onto parchment paper.

Place pan of cookies in freezer and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Eat when ready.

Other alternatives reduce oatmeal 1/2 cup before add one of the alternatives

• 1/2 cup nuts
• 1/2 cup coconut

Special Security Agent Sebastian Berlin is eager to track down his partner’s killer. Instead, he’s assigned the job of baby-sitting a scientist. His boss thinks she’s the key to an Ancient Warrior Prophecy. Science never interested Sebastian, but the know-it-all female standing at the end of his Alaskan dock could persuade him to do a little experimenting. That is, if he can keep his Neanderthal Warrior genes from taking control.

DNA specialist Lily Sinclair is in need of a vacation, or so her over-protective ex-husband tells her. Arriving in chilly Alaska instead of sunny Cancun, she’s tired and cranky and so not in the mood for her bodyguard’s he-man tactics. Still, there’s something about the sexy eye-candy that makes her want to lick him all over even as she’s demanding to go home.

Then Lily’s ex is poisoned, and Sebastian is certain the two murders are connected and she could be next. She knows he’s hiding something, but with the worldwide release of Neanderthal DNA project only days away, she has no choice but to trust him to protect her. But can she trust him with her heart?

Buy Amazon  /  Buy Nook  /  Buy Kobo  /  Buy ARE  /  Buy Wild Rose Press

~ Excerpt ~

She blinked.

He had to be joking.

Lifting her hand to her chest, she sputtered, “Excuse me, what did you say?”

“Cain was murdered outside your lab.” He rephrased the sentence, but her brain registered only one word…—murdered.

She jumped to her feet and planted her hands on his desk. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this before now?” She glanced around for her purse. “I need to call Mark. We have to call the police and find out what the hell happened. Did they break into the lab?”

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and headed back down the hallway to where he’d left her suitcase. She didn’t see her handbag anywhere near it. Did she leave it in the small, tin-bucket-sized plane? Or had Bruce left it on the dock?

Desperate for answers to a whole host of questions, she rushed outside. “Damn it, Bruce, how do you expect me to stay in touch with home if you fly off with my purse?”

 

Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night she wants her readers to see the world in a new way.

Influenced by old movies, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where special moments come to life in a great read.

Naughty or Nice?

Read her books and decide.

Ports of Call:

Website  /  Blog  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads  /  Twitter  /  Amazon

Contact Anita via Email at: anitaphilmar@yahoo.com

 

Thank you so much for docking with us today, Lady Anita! I can’t wait to try these no bake cookies. I love Oatmeal Scotches so I’m sure these ARR going to be a great hit in my galley. 😉

Wishing you following winds,

Katherine

 

#Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange ~ Cranberry Bliss Bars via Whitley Cox!

Tags

#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, contemporary, Contemporary Erotic Romance, Cranberry Bliss Bars, Holiday, love, passion, power, recipe, recipes, Tina Gayle, Whitley Cox

 

Cap’n loves romance and cranberries! So today’s recipe via Author Whitley Cox is a boon! Welcome Lady Whitley aboard, eh? She’s got a great recipe and she’s also bringing love, passion and power to the table too!

Take it away, Lady Whitley!

Cranberry Bliss Bars – BETTER THAN STARBUCKS! And cheaper too!

For years I would make it a sinful habit to treat myself at least once a week to a cranberry bliss bar and a chai tea latte with egg nog, because they’re only around for a short time, so the belly needs to stock up. But then I decided to try and make my own, that way I could eat a whole pan if I wanted to, and in the comfort of my own home (in the dark in a corner with crumbs all over my face…you get the picture). And voila, I found the perfect recipe that mimics the original, if not improves upon it. Now I just have to figure out how to copy their chai lattes with egg nog and I never have to leave my house again!

Cranberry Bliss Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 10×15 by lining it with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.
2. BARS: With an electric mixer, beat together softened butter and sugars 3-5 minutes until light; gently blend in eggs and orange extract (don’t overbeat eggs). Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly. Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until incorporated.
3. Spread thick batter in prepared 10×15 pan. Bake 350 for 20-24 minutes until light brown AT EDGES and a skewer tests clean. Don’t overbake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely. NOTE: If you use a 9×13 pan, the bars will be thicker and will take 26-28 minutes.
4. FROSTING: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange extract and confectioners sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding 1 t. milk if needed). Spread evenly over COOLED bars.
5. GARNISH: Use a zester to remove rind from an orange; sprinkle zest over frosted bars. Chop 1/3 cup Craisins coarsely; sprinkle over frosted bars.
6. DRIZZLE: Mix white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave 1 minute; stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Use a fork or whisk to drizzle the white chocolate diagonally across the bars.
7. Allow one hour for the white chocolate to set before cutting. **To make signature Starbuck triangles, cut into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles.

Ingredients

·         BARS

• 1cup butter (2 sticks, very soft)
• 1cup brown sugar (some cooks reduce this to 2/3 cup)
• ¹⁄₃cup granulated sugar
• 3large eggs
• 2teaspoons orange extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2cups flour
• 1 ¹⁄₂teaspoons baking powder
• 1teaspoon ground ginger
• ³⁄₄cup craisins (dried cranberries)
• ³⁄₄cup white chocolate chips

·         FROSTING

• 3ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2tablespoons butter, softened
• 3cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla)

·         TOPPING

• ¹⁄₃cup craisins, chopped
• 1 -2tablespoon grated orange rind
• ¹⁄₃cup white chocolate chips

• ¹⁄₂teaspoon canola oil

He was her new beginning; she was his undoing.

When personal trainer Kendra Black saw millionaire Justin Williams walk through her door all she saw was money and a practiced swagger. A man who’s used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But Kendra is startled to realize that there is more to Justin than meets the eye, he’s kind and funny and brilliant, and she wants him, desperately. Unable to resist Kendra or her fiery spirit and zest for life, right from the start, Justin pursues her, only her troubled childhood holds her back. She’s been running from love for so long, she doesn’t know how to stop and let it catch up.

Elated when Kendra finally gives into their attraction, Justin jumps in with both feet, only his hectic and demanding life continues to interfere, and Kendra’s past comes creeping back and the two are tested. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionate and physical adventure, Justin discovers Kendra’s secrets and fears while exploring and uncovering his own wild and dark desires.

Currently available for pre-order!

Amazon  /  B&N  /  Kobo  /  Books2Read

~ Excerpt ~

I turned my head around as I continued up the path and his smile was adorably cocky, shit-eating and amused beyond words. So I quickly spun back around to face the path, wondering if I should give him the satisfaction of playing into his comment and questioning it or if I should play my own game and ignore him, let him sweat -I’m not one for head games!

“What the hell did that mean!?” I asked, stopping in my tracks and facing him.

“Relax,” he said. Smile not leaving his eyes or his lips as he gently placed his hands on my shoulders to ground me, “I’m not asking you to marry me right now. But I KNOW for a fact that I am going to marry you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and I’ll wait until you’re ready and feel the same, but I WILL make you my wife, Kendra Black.” He shrugged again and smiled that adorable triumphant grin that made my heart melt and leap and spin and dance.

A small smile crept its way on to my face no matter how hard I tried to fight it, damn he was handsome. “Now get moving and stop fretting. I can see by that wrinkle between your brows that you’re worrying. Please don’t.” He turned me around by my shoulders and smacked my butt again until I started hiking. My mind reeling and going in all directions about what he’d just said. And maybe, just maybe, if I’m being 100% honest, thinking of bridal gowns, honeymoon destinations and flowers.

Born and raised on the West Coast of Canada and married to her high school sweetheart, with a spirited toddler and a fluffy dog. Whitley spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of every day life into her stories. With mommy wars, body issues, threesomes and role playing, these books have everything we need to satisfy the curious kink in all of us.

Ports of Call:

Facebook  /  Blog  / Twitter  /  Website

Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog and I hope you and your family have a safe and happy holiday season. All the best for a successful and prosperous 2017!

Cheers,

Whitley Cox

What a great pleasure it’s been having you aboard ship, Whitley! Thanks for the yummilicious recipe! I can’t wait to see if I’ll find myself in a corner hiding said crumb face. Huzzah!!! 😉

Wishing you following winds,

Katherine

 

 

 

 

 

#Holiday Romance #Recipe Exchange ~ Alina K Field’s Golden Cups!

Tags

#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, Alina K. Field, Christmas, Christmas Holidays, Christmas novella, Golden Cups, Historical romance, Holidays, Marquess, Midwife, novella, recipes, regency, Regency Romance, romance, Tina Gayle

Ahoy, me hearties! Author Alina K. Field is here to share one of her FAVorite holiday recipes. So gather ’round a cask or two. There be gold in them cups!

Take it away, Lady Alina!

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe many years ago. With all the butter, nuts, and cream cheese, it’s rich and yummy, a holiday favorite at my house!

GOLDEN CUPS

Crust:

2 cups flour

¼ tsp salt

1 cup margarine or butter

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese

Cream together margarine and cheese. Add flour and salt. Mix and then chill dough a couple of hours. Once chilled, divide dough into 4 equal parts, then divide each part into 12 balls and place in miniature muffin tins, pressing around sides and bottom.

#Holiday Romance and #Recipe Exchange ~ M.S. Kaye’s Christmas Cookies!

Tags

#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, Christmas, Christmas cookies, cookies, exchange, fantasy, Holiday, Holidays, M.S. Kaye, paranormal, paranormal romance, recipe, Tina Gayle, Urban Fantasy

December is a joyous time and Author Tina Gayle‘s recipe exchange proves once again sharing recipes is a good thing. Got a hankering for cookies? Author M. S. Kaye is packing a cookie broadside today. So sit back and prep your taste buds, me hearties. Lady M.S.’s recipe is sure to satisfy your sugar cravings.

Take it away, Lady M.S.! Huzzah!!!

#Holiday Romance and #Recipe Exchange ~ Patricia Preston’s Easy Peach Cobbler!

Tags

#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, cobbler, contemporary, Contemporary romance, Easy Peach Cobbler, Holiday, Patricia Preston, peach, recipe, romance, southern food, southern girl, Tina Gayle

Ahoy, crew! Author Tina Gayle‘s #Holiday Romance and #Recipe Exchange continues!

This time, I’m super jazzed to announce that my good friend, southern lady, and very talented Author Patricia Preston brought her famous Easy Peach Cobbler to Rogues, Rebels & Rakes today. Huzzah!!!

This is one recipe you don’t want to miss. Take it away, Lady Patricia! 😉

#Holiday Romance and #Recipe Exchange ~Kris Bock’s Crock Pot Cheese Fondue Dip!

Tags

#Holiday Romance, #Recipe Exchange, cave, cheese dip, cuisine, helicopter pilot, history professor, Kris Bock, Mexican, mystery, New Mexico, peppers, romantic suspense, sinister, southwestern, The Mad Monk's Treasure, Tina Gayle, treasure

It’s #MutinyMonday aboard ship! And to help beat the Monday blues, today’s #Holiday Romance and #Recipe Exchange feature comes via Romantic Suspense Author Kris Bock.

Holy cannonballz, Lady Kris sure knows how to spice up the holidays! Aye, me hearties! Break open a cask. She’s brought along a HOT recipe sure to delight FANs of southwestern cuisine. Huzzah!!!

Take it away, Kris! 😉