Psst! My apologies to Ane! I’m posting this a day late. My mother went into the hospital on Friday, so we’re a bit upside down at Devlin house! Enjoy the post!

*~*~*

I am fully aware The Holiday is not quite here, but this year will be the first time I’ve had the opportunity to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my family in about five years. When I retired, my husband and I opted to travel the country, living fulltime in our RV, clearing our bucket list and volunteering in State parks. That five-year trip was an exceptional adventure. Now, as I get ready to move back into a “Brick and Stick” house and wait for the delivery of my personal belongings from storage, I’m recalling the incredible number of disasters—both imagined and real that happened over the fifty odd years when I was in charge of the kitchen, menu, turkey, etc.

So, what I’d like to do is share a few ground rules guidelines that might help you get through the holiday with less stress and, hopefully, a little more peace on earth.

Again, and this bears repeating: What can go wrong usually will.

Typically, it takes about five days to thaw a 24 lb. turkey. I found out the hard way, that this feat can be accomplished in about two to three hours. It requires a large, clean cooler. Place the cooler in a bathtub. Fill it with lukewarm water, immerse the frozen turkey and spin until the water cools. Dump the cold water and begin the process again. Repeat until the turkey thaws.

You’re wondering how I know this. One year, when newly a nurse and far from my hometown, several of the single nurses decided to have a “friends” holiday. Since our employer provided each of us a turkey, as a group, we donated the excess birds to a local church for their holiday food drive. We also opted to split the Thanksgiving “on call” hours into eight-hour shifts. At eight AM on Thanksgiving Day, the nurse relieving me from call handed me a frozen turkey. That’s right. 24 lbs. to be cooked by 4 PM.

My friends and I survived with a few adjustments and had a terrific holiday. But I learned a few things that day which have served me well over the years. These are not really rules for holidays but think of them as guidelines. Please use what you can and ignore the rest.

When you have a galley kitchen in a tiny apartment, people don’t usually invade your space. Unless they really want to help you cook. Make a plan and stick to it. Check back with the people who agree to help with the cooking to make sure you stay on the same page.

This Frozen Turkey event exacerbated the control freak in me. I never approached a large gathering or a family holiday in the same frivolous way as I did on that single girlfriends Thanksgiving.

Rules Guidelines for Holiday Survival

1. Don’t panic.
2. Plan ahead.
3. Clean out the fridge before the big day. This will assure the storage containers are clean and available.
4. Make a list of things you can cook ahead that will not suffer in reheating. Desserts, rolls, snacks, are an excellent choice.
5. Assign side dishes, dessert, etc. to relatives who want to help. This only works with reliable people who will stick to your plan.
6. Remember your company will probably show up early, to assure them a good parking spot.
7. Be prepared for people who want to help in the kitchen on the day. Leave chores you can trust them with and set up for them. I usually set the table but don’t add napkins, silver, serving spoons to the table. I assemble these things on a tray. Assign the chore, relieve the stress on the kitchen and appreciate the help.
8. When you assign side dishes to relatives, be specific about what you can cook. You cannot cook your turkey when friends and relatives show up expecting you to manage the cooking or reheating for 120 side dishes at different temps while you are cooking turkey. Remember, 1 oven, 1 microwave, 1 toaster oven, is usually all that’s available. In a pinch, you can empty the dishwasher, turn on the drying cycle and load the reheated food into the top rack while you manage shifting other sides around for reheating. Rolls do okay but keep an eye out for food drying out. Short term use.
9. Make sure you have extra foil and plastic wrap on hand as well as containers you don’t need to have returned. I buy a pack of easily forgotten containers at the Dollar Store, along with a multipack of shower caps. The shower caps are great for covering pies, cookies, and individual plates. I think you get twenty for $1.
10. Remember, the oven is only so big. In an apartment you might not be able to fit a giant bird in there. Two birds are better than one. Double the dark meat. Two wishbones, need I say more? You can cook the smaller birds back to back. When you carve and serve the first, slip the other precooked turkey into the oven while your guests are enjoying the first bird.
11. If you’re also having a houseful of company, make sure you plan for a good breakfast. I usually do an egg, sausage, and bread casserole assembled the night before, cooked first thing in the morning and served with fruit, coffee, and sweet breads. This breakfast is hearty enough to keep the family satisfied till dinner is ready midafternoon. It holds up well for stragglers, too.

And I’m including a real southern recipe for Corn Pudding just in case you can’t take one more year of looking at the green bean casserole.

Corn Pudding Recipe

¼ cup of all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 cups fresh or frozen corn, drained, and divided
3 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
1 ½ Tbs. scallions chopped, optional

Grease and flour an 8×8 baking dish or casserole dish of the same size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, and pepper, set aside. Pulse one cup of corn in a food processor until smooth. Set aside. Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then stir in flour and milk until combined. Whisk in melted butter and corn puree, add scallions and the rest of the corn. Stir to combine well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake in preheated oven until puffed and lightly browned. Takes about 40 minutes. Sprinkle the top with chopped scallions if desired. Enjoy. FYI, this dish is delicious served hot or just warm.

Happy Thanksgiving!

About the Author

Ane Ryan Walker is an author and adventurer who believes in Angels, Demons, Witches and Magic. She recently settled in Alabama, after traveling the country with her husband and living fulltime in her RV. Ane is a member of Romance Writers of America©, Greater Houston RWA, and Women’s Fiction Chapter of RWA.

Born and raised in the great northeast, she writes a fictional series Survivors of Salem, about the witches who survived the Salem Witch Trials. She is also currently working on books about fulltime RVing.

In addition to Return to Angels Cove, look for the second book in the Survivors of Salem, The Covenant.

There are many milestones in our lives—birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, new jobs, new homes. The list is endless. Some families use any excuse to get together and celebrate, while others only do major holidays, and some even none at all.

I’ve had many amazing milestones in my life. I’ve cherished the time spent with family and friends celebrating all their successes. When I was growing up, the extended family would get together—rotating to each home—at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, not to mention birthdays and anniversaries.

But times have changed. As I grow older, many of my family has passed. Those of us who are left get together as often as we can. These times are special in my heart.

This year marks two major milestones for me. The first is my 100th published book. When my first book was released in 2004, I never dreamed I’d actually reach this high. I was more worried about trying to write the second book. It’s been fifteen years of up and downs, highpoints and low ones, both professionally and personally. Writing changed my life for the better in so many ways. I’ve done things I’d never dreams of and met so many amazing people along the way. Heck, I even went to my first convention this past summer. If you knew me, you’d understand just how huge that is.

The second milestone is my birthday. Now we all have them every year, if we’re lucky, but this year seems special to me. I’m 55 today. Maybe it’s the double numbers. Fortunately, I still feel young and am in good health. I feel as though I’m embarking on a new chapter of my life. I have no idea yet what will be written on those pages. When I was fifteen, I never could have imagined where I am now or everything that has happened to me along the way. Life always has surprises in store for us all.

No matter when my path leads going forward, I know that writing will always be a part of it in some shape or form.

I hope you celebrate all your milestones, including the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Blessings to all of you and your families.

And if you’re looking for a sexy holiday read to help you unwind after the holiday madness, you might want to pick up Naughty Temptations: Collection Two—a collection of bestselling stories from the Naughty Literati (Berengaria Brown, Katherine Kingston, Nicole Austin, and N.J. Walters). It includes two of my previously published stories—Unmasking Kelly and Lady’s Minstrel.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z219NXQ
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940163576005
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/naughty-temptations-collection-two
IBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1483717734
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1699316228
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/bPRlNA

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

“America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of success while the public is occupied with their trash.”

Sounds like contemporary critics of the romance genre, doesn’t it? This little gem was penned by Nathaniel Hawthorne to his publisher in 1855 because his female contemporaries were reaping critical acclaim and outselling him.

I first heard this quote in a keynote speech this past October given by Maya Rodale. Intrigued, I wondered who was “Mr. Scarlet Letter” complaining about. This 2013 article gave me more than a clue:

https://www.bookslut.com/the_bombshell/2013_06_020173.php

Among this damned scribbling mob was the woman to whom Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have said, “So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.”

That’s right: Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Harriet Beecher Stowe? A writer of trash? Hardly.

Stowe had been writing for fifteen years before Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1852. In addition to novels, she wrote non-fiction, poetry and a drama based on Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin has gotten a bad rap through the years, but think about how radical it was for a White woman in the 1850’s to have a Black slave representing Christ at a time when her society was debating whether or not African-Americans were even human. We don’t have to imagine the impact of seeing slaves depicted with dignity, loyalty, and willing to be self-sacrificing had in that era. Even Lincoln recognized the power of her novel. What I never imagined was the backlash it received. Her depiction of African-Americans as human beings was so despised there was a slew of anti-Uncle Tom novels written to offset her novel’s impact. Needless to say, they failed.

As I’ve learned more about Stowe’s religious views and social justice activities, I understand better why her novel hit the nerve it did when it did. She wrote from her heart about a cause she believed in, unlike Mr. worried-about-having-no-chance-of-success Hawthorne. I’m eager to read more of her works and more works about her because I want to be a scribbling woman like her.

Better to Marry Than to Burn

Wife Wanted: Marital relations as necessary. Love not required nor sought…

A bridal lottery seems the height of foolishness to ex-slave Caesar King, but his refusal to participate in the town council’s scheme places him in a bind. He has to get married to avoid paying a high residence fine or leave the Texas territory. After losing his wife in childbirth, Caesar isn’t ready for romance. A woman looking for a fresh start without any emotional strings is what he needs.

Queen Esther Payne, a freeborn black from Philadelphia, has been threatened by her family for her forward-thinking, independent ways. Her family insists she marry. Her escape comes in the form of an ad. If she must marry, it will be on her terms. But her first meeting with the sinfully hot farmer proves an exciting tussle of wills that stirs her physically, intellectually, and emotionally.

In the battle of sexual one-upmanship that ensues, both Caesar and Queen discover surrender can be as fulfilling as triumph.

Excerpt:

WARNING! This is hot!!

With thanks to God, he pushed past her flimsy drawers to the moist welcome of her center. Her vaginal walls gripped his fingers with surprising force. No amount of twisting or turning wrenched them free. God, to have that grip surrounding his shaft.

He pulled back and studied her face. Eyes still closed, a sly smile bowed her perfect lips. She enjoyed this battling as much as he.

“Was I too brutal for your enjoyment, Mrs. King?”

Her eyelids rose with the slow grace of sunrise. A gleam as sly as her smile shone in her gaze. “You call that brutal, Mr. King?”

She unclenched her lower muscles, allowing his fingers momentary retreat. With great care, she grasped his hand then slid his fingers between her folds once more.

“Holy Christ, woman. What—?”

The gentle rubbing robbed him of his ability to think.

“Jesus, have mercy,” he wheezed.

She slid his fingers from her wet sex into his mouth. He moaned, lost in her delectable taste.

Without taking her gaze from his face, she raked her gloved hand down his chest, across his belly, to his groin. Anticipation tensed his muscles in the wake of her touch. He watched mesmerized as, with a practiced ease, she unbuttoned his fly, pushed past the fabric, sought, found and stroked his cock. Her woolen gloves imparted a delicious friction he couldn’t oppose, even if he’d wanted. Delight enlivened every muscle in his body, including his jaded heart.

Jesus. This couldn’t be more than arousal. Could it?

Her fingers squeezed and his body arched upward on the yes swelling his spirit with joy. He threw back his head, mouth open, ready to shout as he neared the point of release.

Then she let him go.

He doubled over, slain by the abandonment. His lungs constricted, bereft of air. Reason deserted him too.

She stood and smoothed down her skirts with the hand that had massaged his shaft more deftly than he ever had. Reseated, she grabbed the reins and snapped the leather against his horse’s rump.

“Get up there.”

The wagon jostled Caesar from side to side. Still unable to straighten up, he looked into eyes gleaming with triumph. Her lips curved in a regal smirk.

“Was I too brutal for your enjoyment, Mr. King?”

Buy links:
Wild Rose Press – https://www.thewildrosepress.com/books/better-to-marry-than-to-burn
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Better-Marry-than-Michal-Scott-ebook/dp/B07BK1JPKX/

Thanks to Delilah for letting me pop onto her blog on my birthday. Shout out to all my fellow Scorpios!

I just launched the latest novel in my steamy contemporary Thirsty Hearts series. For a few years, I’ve outlined some books that added a paranormal twist. I’m fascinated by the world of psychics and cartomancy and have developed a total tarot card addiction that’s finally under control now that I’m channeling that energy into my writing. Kisses & Kismet features an enemies-to-lovers story with a twist of magic. There’s a psychic, a ghost, and a hero with a sly secret.

Kisses & Kismet

The heroine, Lilith Carver has suppressed her abilities as a psychic and a medium since a frightening incident with her foster sister when they were teenagers. Lilith and Kali, her sister, have been estranged, but the death of Kali’s boyfriend brings them back together. It also puts both women at odds with the man’s son, Jamie Wylde. Jamie and Lilith have sparks from the start as they’re on opposite sides of a fight over the Wylde family estate.

Lilith will do anything for her sister—even use the gifts she’s tried to ignore to uncover Jamie’s secrets. Jamie’s plan to exclude Kali from the Wylde fortune has one obstacle. Lilith. Equally matched and battling to win, Lilith and Jamie find themselves wanting to win at love above all else.

For more on Kisses & Kismet, read the excerpt below. As happens when I’m writing, I fall in love with the characters and the world. I have a story brewing in my mind for Kali as well, so stay tuned! It will be a second-chance romance, and when you read Kisses & Kismet, I’ll bet you’ll be able to guess with whom.

Buy Links:
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XHT9FPY
Apple – https://books.apple.com/us/book/kisses-kismet/id1479304700
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940160899992
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kisses-kismet

Excerpt from Kisses & Kismet:

Jamie lifted his chin to a haughty angle, but his evasive glance told me I was right. Preston was trying to tell me something. If I wanted to help Kali, I would have to set fire to the carefully reinforced walls at the edges of my psyche and listen.

“And you should be more careful of the truth,” I snapped.

“No. Your sister should.”

“What does that mean?” I edged closer to him.

“Ask her.”

“You’re deflecting.”

“I don’t have to listen to this.” He flipped the watch at his wrist to eye level. “Shit. I’m supposed to be somewhere.”

“You can’t run away. This isn’t over, you know.”

“Oddly, I do,” he grunted with a grim smile. “You’re relentless.”

I took another step forward and poked the center of his chest. The grumble of my own voice through gritted teeth shocked even me. “You have no idea.”

His gaze snatched down to mine as he took a half step back, trapped against the open door of his fancy car. The electricity between us crackled on my skin. My breath quickened.

The dim light of the parking garage played with the angles of his face. The perfection crumbled. A rogue curl of dark hair slipped to his forehead. The arrogant mask he wore fell away revealing confusion, trepidation, and hurt.

He straightened his shoulders, adding to his height as he stared down at me, and sneered. “Is this your plan? You corner me in a parking garage and start touching me and giving me your best siren’s eyes?”

“Siren’s eyes?”

He cackled and lifted his hands up as if touching me might give him some incurable disease. “God, you and your sister are alike. But I’m not my father. I’m not going to let a little horniness make me lose my mind.”

I covered my mouth and mockingly wretched. “Ugh. I’m going to lose my lunch.”

“Really?” He snickered under his breath. “Yes. That’s why you touched me.”

“I was making a point. If you’re horny, that’s your problem.” Still, I stepped away from him. “Understand this: I’m not going to let you railroad my sister.”

I spun on my heels and stormed away, not totally sure where I parked or if I was even on the right level of the parking garage, but I didn’t dare risk looking confused. I kept walking to the other side of the elevator. Finally, the screech of his car down the exit ramp pierced through the roar of rushing blood in my ears. I closed my eyes, clenching and unclenching my fists to relax.

If I was going to fight for Kali, I needed to control my emotions. Because when they controlled me, that was a disaster.

About the Author

Kris Jayne is a devoted writer, reader, and traveler. She spends her days blissfully sweating out the writing process in the Dallas area with her dogs, Otis the Shih Tzu, Rocco the Terrier, and Red the Foxy Mutt.

Her passion for writing is only matched by her passion for the adventures of travel. In 2008, she let a friend talk her into sleeping outside for the first time in her life when she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. If you’re buying her a gift, she has a penchant for single-malt Scotch and scarves.

In addition to Kisses & Kismet, Kris launched two holiday romances in November and has a sexy, friends-to-lovers book launching in January.

For more about all of her books, follow her online:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/krisjayneauthor/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/krisjayne/
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kris-jayne?follow=true
Join my VIP offer list – https://krisjayne.com/join

Coming February 2020… Ice Gladiators
Preorder: www.books2read.com/icegladiators

The game begins when the gloves come off. 

Taz has problems: a stalled career, a coach threatening to destroy him, a meddling matchmaking roommate, and a thing for his other roommate’s boyfriend.

The first three are manageable, but the last… well, that’s complicated. Because as much as Taz is attempting not to notice Liam, Liam is noticing him.

Enjoy sports romance and athletic bad boys? Check out my adult romance, Defending the Net. It is the second in my hockey series and guaranteed to melt the ice. DTN is the second in my gay sports romance novel series and guaranteed to melt the ice. Order a copy now at www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Missed the first book in my sports romance series? No frets. Out of the Penalty Box, where it’s one minute in the box or a lifetime, out is available at https://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. Visit www.books2read.com/penalty.

Life’s Roux: Wrong Doors, my steamy romantic comedy about what could go wrong on vacation, is available at Red Sage Publishing. To order, follow the link to https://bit.ly/2CtE7Ez or to Amazon at https://amzn.to/2lCQXpt.

Copies of my romance short stories, anthologies, books, and novels are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed on my Writing Projects page (https://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my stories or novels.

NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click https://genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com/newsletter/ and signup today.

Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou. New posts are made on Wednesdays, where no Creole, Cajun, or Louisiana topic is left unscathed. Plus, get how-to self-help tips, how to writing tips, and keeping the romance alive and fresh suggestions. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

Resources:
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Gailxy/Gailygrind
• Huffington Post Queervoice
• Joe.My.God
• Romance
• Romance Writers of America
• Southern Writers of Louisiana
• Sports Romance
• Towleroad

Delilah, Thank you.

Marketing is a big part of our writing experience and I am horrible at it so really appreciate the opportunity to post on your blog.

I had a hard time selecting a book to present on this blog. Than a friend and fellow author, suggested For Love of Money because it has been a favorite. It also is one I loved writing. When I devised the plot I was enthralled with the movie, Pretty Woman. And, like so many of us do, I played the “what if” game. What if…Richard Gere in the movie had it wrong and Julie Roberts wasn’t a prostitute? Oh my gosh, that opened up a lot of possibilities, and For Love or Money was born.

For Love or Money

Wealthy hotel owner Alexander Colin King wants a child and heir. He is used to getting what he wants, and he wants Megan Moore for the mother of his baby. Alex knows he can make his proposal easier if he takes a more traditional approach, but he will be honest with Megan. No courting, no wine and roses.

When Alex presents her with his business proposal, Megan at first thinks he’s asking her to be a surrogate mother using AI, but he quickly makes it clear he intends to create a child the traditional way. Further, to mitigate the risk of her changing her mind and keeping the child, he insists on marriage with a prenuptial to insure he gets primary custody.

I am a reader first and love unconventional marriages. No wonder I enjoyed writing this one.

Happy reading to all.

Lavada Dee
Lavadadee.com

There is something so sexy about a man with silver in his hair… Look, I’m not saying that only silvers are sexy! But I wasn’t fanning myself over Taylor Kinney until he got some silver in his hair… Same for George Clooney… I watched him on ER and shrugged, but add some grey? Hello, George!

So, it might not be surprising that I’m enjoying writing about Silver Foxes in my romances.

First, it was Trace in Justice for Miranda and now Fire Chief Ethan Blaise in Shelter for Viviana. There’s something amazing about a man with some maturity and the drive he has because of it… like a force of nature!

Link for Justice for Miranda:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RZQM21M/
Link for Shelter for Viviana:  https://www.amazon.com/Shelter-Viviana-Police-Fire-Operation-ebook/dp/B07Z5LSL1G/

I want to thank everyone for reading Delilah’s blog and this post. I hope you’ll take a chance on one of my Silver Foxes… or both of them! 🙂

Contest

But I’m also a giver and a lover of readers! So… tell me… Who are your favorite Silvers??? For every 5 entries/replies, I’ll give away an ebook copy of the winners choice from my Amazon.com single titles!!

Shelter for Viviana

When Ethan Blaise became Fire Chief at Station Seven, he set aside any ideas of having a relationship outside of work, let alone marrying and starting a family. He had one at the station house. While attending the wedding of one of his own firefighters, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the woman catering the event. Warm and giving, she calls to a part of his soul that has been dormant for too long.

Making and keeping a date isn’t easy when you’re on call at all hours of the day for emergencies, but he’s determined to try because she’s everything he’s ever wanted and never knew to ask for. Falling for her is only too easy, having a relationship? Well, that’s hard.

Viviana Martinez has shouldered burdens alone for so many years. Raising her daughter on her own and struggling to make ends meet, she’s never stopped giving to others in honor of those who have helped her along the way. Becoming a caterer was an accomplishment supported by so many friends along the way and she’s determined to make it work. There’s no time or need for anything else, until she meets Ethan. In one amazing man, she finds a silver fox with a heart of gold.

Even with their crazy schedules keeping them apart, they find whatever time they can to see each other, building on the connection they feel.

When a part of Viviana’s past pushes back into her life, will Ethan be the rock she can lean on? Can Ethan get past her determination to conquer obstacles alone?

Don’t bet on the Chief of Station Seven to remain a bachelor for long. Not when his heart and soul have given Shelter for Viviana.