Thank you SO much for following along with our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup all week! Our final post features a delightful new romance coming out this April by T.I. Lowe. *** Recipe for a Happily Ever After: Take one independent heroine and add one handsome alpha hero. Mix in conflict, a dash of an obstacle, and a good measure of attraction. Stir until you have one fine mess, then pour in a healthy serving of clarity to resolve any angst. Add the anticipated kiss, a sprinkling of tender caresses, two rapid heartbeats, and combine into an awe-inspiring conclusion. I’d like to introduce you to a couple who fits this recipe to a T: Lincoln Cole and Opal Gilbert. I asked them to describe each other to me, and they sure didn’t hold back. Here’s what they had to say: Opal: “Lincoln Cole is lousy at first impressions. A brooding giant, he reminded me of a puffer fish—prickly yet somehow cute. Sure, there were glimpses of more in the depths of those ridiculously attractive brown eyes, but that stinker wouldn’t let me near enough to get a good look. Eventually, I discovered underneath the thick layer of orneriness was a big…

It’s the final day of our Fall Slow Cooker Recipe Potluck! We’ve enjoyed following along with all of these great authors, their new books, and delicious slow cooker recipes. Comment below for a chance to win yet another book! And be sure to take a look back at all of the fun we’ve had all week:  Day 1 with Elizabeth Goddard  Day 2 with Soraya Lane Day 3 with Laura Lee Guhrke Day 4 with Jenn Burke  *** Autumn: Time for Comfort Food The mornings are crisp now in central Pennsylvania, and the mist hangs in the valleys for an hour or so after the sun makes its way over the mountain ridges. Leaves have begun to turn, orange pumpkins fill the roadside stands, and we bring in the last few tomatoes and winter squash from the garden. At a time like this, with winter not far off, my thoughts turn to comfort food. And for comfort food, what could be better than a slow cooker? Comfort food forms a large part of any collection of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. The farmers, both Amish and English, who settled in these fertile valleys felt the need for plenty of carbohydrates to keep…

We’re back with another stop on our Fall Slow Cooker Recipe Potluck! Don’t forget to comment below for a chance to win an eBook copy of today’s featured book. And be sure to check back at all of the other great posts this week: Day 1 with Elizabeth Goddard: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10267   Day 2 with Soraya Lane: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10269 Day 3 with Laura Lee Guhrke: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10270  *** In the Not Dead Yet series, Wes Cooper and Hudson Rojas have the chance to rekindle the romance they abandoned thirty-three years before–thanks to Wes being a sort-of-but-not-quite ghost and Hudson being a vampire. The paranormal side of Toronto seems to be invested in making them work for their happily-ever-after, though. In the third book in the series, Graveyard Shift, Wes and Hudson have shared all of their secrets and are solidly a team, all-in with each other, their found family, and their business as private investigators. But Toronto’s not done messing with them. Someone’s out there, poisoning shifters with specially made street drugs. There are newbie vampires running amok. And a threat from Hudson’s past might steal his and Wes’s happily ever after for good. Both Wes and Hudson are cooks, but not cooks, if you get my meaning….

Fall is the perfect time to break out your slow cooker and let something simmer all day long, especially when you have a great book to occupy your time! As always, comment below for a chance to win a copy of today’s featured book, HEIRESS GONE WILD by Laura Lee Guhrke. Check back tomorrow for more fun!  Day 1 with Elizabeth Goddard: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10267   Day 2 with Soraya Lane: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10269 *** When Jonathan Deverill promised a dying friend he’d be guardian to the other man’s “little girl,” he’d imagined her to be a sweet little thing in pinafores and pigtails, not a fully-grown, devastatingly beautiful woman with a talent for trouble. Nonetheless, a promise is a promise. Besides, he’d been living in the rough and tumble of Idaho’s mining towns, so he’s pretty sure he can keep one young lady in line. And when Marjorie McGann found out her new guardian was a British gentleman on his way home to London, she thought he’d be the perfect person to help her find a titled husband so she can spend her Yankee millions in style. Both of them turn out to be wrong. And when shady suitors and countess con-artists arrive on the…

Our Potluck continues with yet another delicious recipe and fabulous author with a new book! Don’t forget to follow along all week for more recipes, more books, and more giveaways!  Day 1 with Elizabeth Goddard: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10267    *** When Cody Ford is back home on the ranch, he loves nothing more than the comfort food he grew up with as a kid. So I can imagine Cody and Lexi curled up by the fire at Christmas, while it’s snowing outside, eating this devious beef stew! Aromatic Beef Stew You don’t need a slow cooker for this recipe, it’s equally as good if you do it in the oven, or if you simmer in a pot on the stovetop. The combination of orange peel, star anise, and hoisin sauce makes it aromatic and delicious! Ingredients Approx. 1.5 kg beef blade steak or beef cheeks 2 Tbsp flour 2 Tbsp cooking oil A handful of shallots 1 cup red wine 1 x 400g can tomatoes Half cup prunes 60ml hoisin sauce 1 star anise One approx 3cm length of orange peel Extra water if necessary Trim the fat off the meat, then cut into large chunks. Put the flour in a plastic…

Welcome to the Fall Slow Cooker Recipe Potluck! All week we’ll be joined by awesome authors, talking about their new books, sharing delicious Fall recipes, and book giveaways on each post. Check back tomorrow and every day this week for more fun! And now, Elizabeth Goddard will kick things off. . .  In ALWAYS LOOK TWICE, rancher/deputy Heath McKade grew up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He now runs the Emerald M Guest Ranch and offers cabins, fishing, hiking tours, and horseback riding, and a guided wilderness camp tour. He has worked hard to renovate his life after his difficult childhood and now his ranch’s reputation is growing, but Heath still struggles to overcome the past. He’s more than surprised to save a woman from a bear attack, or rather, she saves him–and discovers that woman is none other than his close childhood friend who moved away–Harper Reynolds. But Harper is in trouble, and Heath isn’t sure he’s the best man to protect her. On the other hand, can he truly trust anyone else to protect Harper? Harper has taken a year off from photographing crime scenes–too much blood and death–especially considering what she witnessed as a child. She’s finally on…

My characters are always sharing food with one another. Food and love are tied up in my brain in ways they probably shouldn’t be, but that knot is never going to get untangled, so my characters love one another and love their food. Sometimes they show they care by making sure their love interest has enough to eat; sometimes they give gifts of pastry and pie. In IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE, a secondary character starts to fall in love with someone based on their cooking skills. It’s a summer book, with lots of picnics and fruit pies, but now it’s almost the holidays, which is prime food-sharing season for many of us. My family has quite a few food sensitivities, so when I figure out a recipe for a favorite food that we all can eat, I’m pretty pleased with myself. These cookies have never yet sent any of my family members running for the epi-pen, they’re easy enough for my kids to make on their own, and they taste exactly the way sugar cookies ought to. Roll Out Sugar Cookies (gluten, dairy, and nut free) Ingredients: 1 cup white sugar 1 cup butter substitute (I use earth balance…

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…

In our home, the holidays are all about family, about coming together to celebrate our blessings and have fun. We’re a global bunch and people travel from all over to gather at our house. There’s lots of laughter and an excess of delicious foods. But the star of the evening is my Mom’s sangria. Ingredients: 1 bottle of your favorite red wine 2 oranges 2 apples 1 lemon 1 tablespoon of sugar 1/2 a liter of Sprite or Seven Up Preparation: Begin with a bottle of wine. I prefer a Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can choose your favorite red. Hint: The wine doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just full-bodied and delicious. Next, slice oranges into thin wheels and cut up a couple of tart apples into small, square pieces. I use a red and a green apple to add variety to the flavors. Set the oranges aside and marinate the apples in a half a cup of wine. You can prepare the fruit early and keep it fresh and cold in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, pour the reminder of the wine into your favorite festive pitcher and add two cups of cold Sprite or…