Eccentricities. We all have them. And as long as we aren’t too eccentric, we and the people around us think we’re “normal” or “okay.” If you’ve read my books, then you know that I love writing eccentric characters. The Down South Café series has an abundance of them. Aunt Bess is an octogenarian who has discovered the Internet. She has Pinterest boards such as People I’ve Outlived and Lord, Have Mercy. Aunt Bess has also been known to use dating sites during their free trial periods. Still mentally sharp as a whip, Aunt Bess has an opinion on everything. Dilly Boyd, an older woman who comes to the Down South Café for breakfast every morning, feeds a raccoon a biscuit every evening. I have to admit that I didn’t come up with that scenario on my own. A few years ago, my family stopped at a house near my mother-in-law’s home to see some puppies. As we talked with the dogs’ owner, she mentioned that a raccoon came out of the woods and down to her back porch every evening at dusk. She said, “I give him a biscuit, and he goes on his way.” “You have to give him…

Exclusive Excerpt: She crossed her legs. “So how else do you intend to take care of me today?” she asked coquettishly. Derek’s hand stilled from squeezing a lemon to look at her. “First, I’ll feed you. Then I’ll ask what you want to do next, and so on.” “So it’s all up to me?” Derek walked to her and placed a kiss on her lips. “That’s how I plan to take care of you today, babe.” Bernadette sighed. She was trying to be sexy, but she was so touched that she had to battle to stop her eyes from misting. “Are you really my boyfriend? My real boyfriend.” “Your one and only,” Derek said with a wink before going back to his task of fixing them lunch. “What if I want to stay inside all weekend?” “No problem. We have enough food to last us for days. I made sure.” “So you were expecting me to want to stay in for the whole weekend.” “A man can hope,” Derek said with a grin. She got off the stool and walked to his side of the island. “You better let me help you, then, so we can start lunch earlier.” Derek…

In my new book, THE HEARTBREAK CURE, sixteen year old Cat Turner finds herself dumped and humiliated a week before starting her junior year at high school. She also finds herself the recipient of some heartbreak brownies. For years, Birdie, the old woman who once lived next door has been handing out these chocolate sugary delights to anyone who needs them.In the past Cat’s always scoffed at the idea, but when her own brownies get delivered by Birdie’s gorgeous ,but bad boy grandson, Alex Locke, Cat starts to discover that brownies can work in mysterious ways! And while the true healing takes a bit more than biting into a brownie, I loved the idea that in a strange way it was the gift that helped Cat find a way back to a new normal. So, I thought it would be fun to look at some other ways to get over heartbreak. The healing power of comfort food. Okay, so this might not be scientifically backed up, but there’s something so delicious about indulging in something we really love, and I like to think of it as an act of self-care. It’s allowing ourselves to feel the trauma and hurt of…

Mari Carr is the author of over 80 erotic, contemporary and romantic suspense stories. Her latest release with co-author, Jayne Rylon, INTO THE FIRE, released today! Mari Carr’s Top Five Favorite Movies Star Wars series. Not all of them because I’m sorry—Episodes 1-3 suck, but anything from the original franchise (yes, I saw all of them IN the theater) and the newest ones—episode 7 and Rogue One. Hidden Figures. It’s new to my faves list, but damn, man, that movie is powerful and beautiful and wonderful. You’ve Got Mail. Spent Thanksgiving weekend doing a “T. Hanks Giving” marathon and while I realize there’s always a lot of hype around Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail is WAY better. I mean…Tom and Meg actually TALK prior to the last five minutes of the movie in this one! Harry Potter series. All of them. Know every single line. Honest! Also—I never watch one without a wand in my hand. Overboard. Greatest movie ever! Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, a yacht and mini-golf. Hollywood magic. INTO THE FIRE by Jayne Rylon, Mari Carr Compass Boys #2 James Compton is a man of two worlds. For half the year, he’s Seth’s oldest boy, working with…

Latkes, in case you don’t know, are potato pancakes, fried in oil. The holiday celebrates the Maccabees (the Hebrew word for “hammer”) victory over the Greeks who wanted the Jews to reject their one G-d and worship pagan gods. When the Jews reclaimed the Temple, they found only enough uncontaminated oil to light the menorah for one night. Instead, the oil lasted for eight nights, a miracle. On each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, we light candles to commemorate this miracle. We also cook in oil to remember the special oil in the lamp. Some families make donuts. We make latkes. Everyone’s family has a different recipe. Now I’m seeing recipes for latkes with jalapeno peppers! My mother-in-law, may she rest in peace, would not approve. Herewith, I share with you two of my mother-in-law’s recipes for latkes. Latkes (Serves small army, but remember you want leftovers!) 5 pound bag of white potatoes 2 large sweet onions 1 large container of egg substitute Black pepper Olive oil for cooking (lots—don’t skimp or the latkes will stick!) Sour cream Applesauce Using food processor or hand grater, grate onions and set aside in large bowl. (You will cry.) Drain onions and…

I’d chose Gage’s Peppermint Mocha because I love peppermint, coffee, chocolate and the very handsome Gage McKenna from my Alaskan Courage series novel—STRANDED. Gage is quite the chef and loves to mix up flavors and this drink is layered with plenty of yummy warmth for a cold, winter day. My family and I love to sip holiday drinks like these sitting by the fire or in front of our lit Christmas tree and just soak in the season, and peppermint Christmas just go together perfectly. Try it with some Christmas cookies or even a Pettrey Family Favorite like our Holiday pretzels, which I’ve included as well. This tradition started when our kiddos were young and they’d have a blast squishing the M&Ms into the melting Hershey Kiss as they came out of the oven. Really gets you in the festive, Christmas mood. Hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas! STRANDED by Dani Pettrey Alaskan Courage #3 Eager Fans Await Bestselling Author Dani Pettrey’s Latest Romantic Suspense When her friend vanishes from a cruise ship, reporter Darcy St. James isn’t satisfied with their explanation that she simply left her job of her own accord. Something isn’t lining up, and Darcy believes the…

As a kid, my creativity took the form of re-creating. I took clothes apart and remade them into something different. I turned my mother’s gown into a dress. Mom was horrified. I also took apart radios and clocks and put them back together. Dad was supportive. I sometimes needed his help. I also began drawing when I was a kid. I drew faces and comic book characters, like Wonder Woman. Everything around me was an inspiration – to create. Music has always been a joy. I love to play piano and guitar. If only there was more time in a day to create new things, including all the ones in my dreams. Then there’s my professional life as an interior designer where I photographed the spaces I created. The interior design school I founded gave others a way to expand their horizons. Currently, my passion is writing and painting. Painting landscapes has been a way of connecting to nature and to explore the beauty of a sky, a sunset, sunrise, a body of water, a wave. I see a painting in everything, even a building, a portrait of my grandchildren, and a snowy Christmas tree. Everyone loves the creativity Christmas…