BESTSELLING AND AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF WESTERN ROMANCE!
Caroline Clemmons writes historical and contemporary genre fiction. Historical romances, contemporary romantic suspense, mysteries, and paranormals are among her current works. Learn more about her at https//www.carolineclemmons.com
Perhaps
you’ve noticed I’ve participated in numerous multi-author series over the
years. One that proved less like a series and more like a single title was CHARLOTTE’S CHALLENGE. In this sweet
western historical romance, widowed Charlotte Dunn struggles to save her ranch
from a vicious neighbor.
Usually
in a multi-author series, the releases are set in a clearly defined time
schedule with the series’ authors cross-promoting each release for multiple
benefit. Something went wrong with this series and that didn’t happen. So, poor
Charlotte has sat on the book shelf all alone. Bless her heart.
Now
you have a chance to rescue her from loneliness by taking advantage of this limited time99¢ sale. I believe it’s a good story that you’ll enjoy.
Here’s
the blurb:
A
widow determined to save the family ranch…
A
man who inherited cursed pirate gold…
They
must combine efforts to defeat an evil man.
Bret Craigis a wealthy descendant of one of the crew of The
Golden Fleece. Over a century ago the merchant ship had
prevailed against pirates carrying a treasure of cursed Inca gold. The legacy
promises retribution against anyone who misuses the treasure. Bret has heard
the story all his life, but he believes the tale is a myth and that he’s in no
danger if he spends the money selfishly. Ignoring his sister’s warning, he sets
out for a grand adventure heading west.
Widowed former mail-order bride Charlotte Dunnis
in danger of losing her family's ranch.
She lost her husband to a rustler’s bullet when the rustlers stole half her
cattle and killed both ranch hands. When she and her stepsons rescue a man who
fell from his horse, they soon learn the man has amnesia. From his saddlebags,
they discover his name is Bret Craig. Charlotte nurses Bret, manages the ranch,
and cares for her three stepchildren she loves. No sooner does Bret regain his
memory than they learn the remainder of the herd has been rustled. Bret
must reconsider his priorities, especially in light of the romance gently blossoming between Charlotte and him.
Can Charlotte and Bret save the ranch
and recover the stolen cattle?
To
take advantage of this limited time offer, click on the url below:
This time of year, I crave comfort food.
One of my favorites is the following recipe given by a great cook at our
church.
Corn Casserole
(also called
Corn Pudding)
1 can creamed style corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 stick butter (1/4 pound)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup corn meal
1 small can chopped green chillies
1 small onion, minced
Place stick of butter in the casserole
dish or pan. Place in a 250 degree F oven, just until the butter is melted. Set
aside.
In a medium bowl, slightly beat the
eggs; add all the ingredients and mix. Pour into the hot butter and bake in the
preheated oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Moving
into fall brings expectations and memories of changing leaves, chrysanthemums,
cooler weather, and certain foods. One of those (for me) is crisp red delicious
apples. Apples grow in many states—in fact Hero and I used to have a row of 16 delicious apple trees, 1 Granny Smith apple tree, and 1 crabapple tree when we lived in a rural area. When buying the fruit from a grocery store, I usually choose red delicious apples. I suppose it’s a preference ingrained in me by my
mom, who always chose Washington red delicious apples when she could.
That
reminds me of the only book I’ve written that takes place in Washington, PATIENCE, BRIDE OF WASHINGTON. I’ll bet
you saw that subject coming, didn’t you? PATIENCE
is on sale for 99¢ for a limited time!
This
book came about due to an idea by the brilliant (and fun) Kirsten Osbourne. She
wanted a series of a mail order bride in every state. Books were released in the
order in which the states joined the Union. Those of us who knew about the
series clamored for the state of our choice—or our second choice if the first
was taken. I had wanted Texas, but didn’t choose in time. This turned out to be
a good thing, as I learned a lot of interesting things about Washington.
Here's the blurb:
Travel
to Victorian America in 1890 for a humorous romance about two people destined for
one another, but after a turbulent getting acquainted period. This book is sweet and
wholesome.
After
a fire destroys the factory where Patience
Eaton worked followed by a succession of job failures, she travels from
Massachusetts to Washington to marry the man her father chose via a matchmaker.
While Andrew Kincaid appears to be a very nice man, he’s older than her father
and not someone she wants to marry. Her prospective groom places her in a
respectable boarding house and agrees to give her a job in the office of his
commercial apple orchard so she can learn about his life and business. But
working alongside her handsome future stepson presents unexpected
complications.
Two years
ago, an unjust accusation ruined Stone
Kincaid’s chance at happiness. Now he concentrates all his energy on
building the family business. When he meets his prospective stepmother, he’s
angry that his father cares so little for his mother’s memory that he sent for
a mail order bride younger than Stone. He believes Patience to be interested in his father’s fortune. Stone plans to keep
an eye on the attractive woman who’s slated to become his stepmother.
Can two
people working at cross purposes arrive at a compromise?
Don't overlook the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of the post!
Death of a Sculptor in Hue, Shape and Color
by
M. C. V. Egan
Genre: Suburban Women's Fiction
Color coded love stories and revealing female anatomies lead to the murder of world renowned sculptor, Bruce Jones.
In life, the artist loved women, almost as much as women loved him. Adored for his art and colorful personality, Bruce is mourned by the world at large. The tale is launched with the multifaceted perspectives of four ex-wives, the current wife, and his new love interest and their children.
Mary , Bruce’s wealthy first love, is always in perfect pink; the color of love. Mother of Clair the famous actress and Aaron the corporate lawyer.
Leslie The Second’s color is yellow for her sunny nature as much as for her fears and insecurities. Her only son Bobby is vulnerable and lost. Mourning his father’s death, he finds himself.
Petra The Third, is outstanding in orange, representing not only her native Holland but also her love of the fruit. Cherished her freedom and had no children of her own.
Toni The Fourth is a vibrant passionate Italian red and part of the eventual glue that creates and solidifies this dysfunctional Jones family.
Her teenage daughters Tina and Isa are as different as night and day.
Brooke The Fifth a gold-digger. Green, her color, reflects the color of money and envy. Her young son’s Kyle and Caleb are too young to understand why their world has been turned upside-down.
Mara, as blue as the ocean was the last woman to steal Bruce’s heart. Mother to newborn Baby Peter is the unexpected gift and surprise.
Bruce Jones’ eight children speak out, too.
They are as distinctive as the women he loved, their mothers.
Loose ends are tied up by the insights of Sylvia, Aaron’s wife and a trusted keeper of secrets; Scott, the private investigator and family friend; Nona, the quintessential grandmother everyone loves but to whom few are truly related; and Detective Jim Miller
who will not rest until he discovers Bruce Jones’ murderer.
Thunder, lightning, and rain─that was what we had at our wedding. However, on the day of his funeral, the Florida heat and humidity made my face shiny with perspiration. My hair looked like a dark Brillo pad. My children requested I attend the funeral of my first husband, Bruce Jones, the world-renowned sculptor.
The parking lot was already packed with an unexpected variety of cars. I then realized that it was not peak season. The South Florida snowbirds are attached to their cars and they migrate with them back and forth each year.
I noticed a police car and a uniformed man by the entrance. Even for Bruce a bit much; however, since 9/11, security has been tight everywhere.
The valet attendant opened my rental car door. “Welcome ma’am. Your daughter is waiting for you.”
“Thank you. Please make sure you keep the car in the shade. August Florida heat and sun are not my friends.” I pulled a five-dollar bill from my purse to tip him, but he shook his head and mumbled, “No, thank you.”
After all it was Palm Beach. I probably should have pulled out a twenty.
I was surprised that the building looked like an actual church, at least from the outside. The church had a long name. It was Universal something or other─apparently, a place of worship with neither affiliation nor strictures. Bruce’s life had, after all, been too outré to pretend he followed any conventional religious norm.
“Thanks for coming, Mom.” Clair’s voice shouldn’t have surprised me, but I stood still, focused on carefully dabbing my shiny nose. I clicked the compact shut, smiled, and answered, “Anything for you and Aaron, sweetheart.” She nodded as she guided me where to sit. It was toward the back of the church─the ex-wives’ pew.
“Please Mom, don’t look at me that way. This funeral is a time for forgiveness and closure.”
Clair always found a way to get me to do whatever she wanted. The last thing I wanted was to be in the company of the women sitting there. I touched my frizzy hair, regretting my rejection of the keratin treatment.
A word, a single word defines a moment for Anne. She needs to find a new one when her spouse, Frank, leaves her at the age of forty-seven, coming out of the closet literally in a closet.
She finds herself back in her hometown of Skvallerby, Connecticut among her high school friends which she had left in her past.
An inheritance from a frenemy leaves her with the means to meddle and spy on the lives of mutual acquaintances.
In an attempt to run from her reality Anne becomes engrossed in a game of fun and flirtation with her friend and fellow sufferer Connie.
Their fun games turn into a deadly reality. It is no longer a game. Life, death and not even a defining word can stop the reality of manipulation.
On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust.
The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved." Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.
On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust. The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved." Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.
Cooking, like writing, has a variety of layers and flavors. A perfect example is a lasagna. I chose this dish because the character Nona, in my book Death of a Sculptor; in Hue, Shape, and Color, cooks Italian food that brings family closer, and my Lasagna was inspired by Nona. I used to make a lazy version of Lasagna with my homemade meat sauce, Ricotta cheese, and a layer of spinach, often from a frozen pack!
I rarely measure and cook by feel, a bit more like a pantser writer than a plotter.
Preheat oven at 375F degree.
For meat sauce use your favorite recipe, I use only beef, but love sauces made with pork, veal, beef combination. If you are not crazy about making a meat sauce or want a lighter version your favorite Italian tomato sauce in a jar will do.
Mine has tons of Garlic, Onions, Fresh Basil, Oregano, and I use as a base a jar sauce, my husband and son love. I prefer to make my own, but like with writing, the bottom line is; Who is the receiving consumer?
Nona’s Lasagna has a homemade cheese sauce with a traditional bechamel base.
1 cups milk ( may need more) to 1 tablespoons butter to 2 tablespoons flour.
I do not measure, and I use far more butter than traditional recipes. I used half a stick of salted butter, I melt that, add flour to get a roux, I add my milk cold and slowly until I get the consistency I like I then add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese.
If your Lasagna is smaller, just half the recipe.
For my pasta, I used a supermarket brand pasta, and I cooked it al dente (otherwise it rips) in boiling water, olive oil, and salt.
Fresh spinach, I used a tiny bit of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a little crushed garlic.
I layer as follows
• Meat Sauce
• Pasta
• Cheese sauce
• Pasta
• Spinach (if I do not have enough for a full layer I mix it with the cheese sauce)
• Pasta
• Meat sauce
• Pasta
Then another layer of meat a very thin one and cover that with Ricotta Cheese and Mozzarella.
I place the pan on a cookie sheet because it is the kind of thing that bubbles and gets messy and into the oven—placed in the middle rack not too high, not too low.
M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Vergara Egan. Catalina is originally from Mexico City, Mexico. Catalina has lived in various countries and is fluent in four languages; Spanish, English, French and Swedish.
Her first book The Bridge of Deaths revolves around her maternal grandfather's death in 1939. A true-life pre-WWII event. It has over 200 footnotes with the resources of her extensive search through Archival materials as well as the use of psychometry and past life regressions. It is more fact than fiction.
The revised edition of The Bridge of Deaths; A love Story and a Mystery focuses on the story-line as opposed to fact, but all footnotes and facts are available through the website for any curious minds. http://www.thebridgeofdeaths.com
Defined by Others taps into the dark quirky side found even in the best of people. With the 2012 American elections as a backdrop and the fearless reassurance that the world might end on December 12, 2012, as predicted by the Mayan Calendar.
Death of a Sculptor; in Hue, Shape, and Color is a novella written in sixteen different voices. It is a murder mystery. She is currently working on a sequel; Bruce (title subject to change).
M.C.V. Egan lives and works in South Florida. She loves cooking and crafting. She is married and has a son. Aside from writing Astrology is one of her passions and careers she pursues.
There’s still plenty of time to find summer fun and summer
love, new romances and second chances, hot alpha males and heartwarming heroes,
beach bunnies, dudes, and romance popping up when you least expect it.
Throw a log on the beach bonfire tonight and celebrate LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer’s End, a
special collection of 14 short stories from bestselling authors—all new, never
published before—that will thrill the hopeful romantic in you. Some stories are
sweet; some are sizzling hot. All will touch your heart and make you want to
book a vacation to LAST CHANCE BEACH.
LAST CHANCE BEACH
is the island paradise where dreams go to live again and wishes may come true.
It’s Summer’s End on the island, and
the cottages, condos, hotels, and bungalows are filled to capacity. Where is LAST CHANCE BEACH? The island is just
off the mainland—wherever you want it to be.
Hot August Night by Joan Reeves, NY Times and USA Today
Bestselling Author
Can a chef and a hot
dog loving cop resist desire when they’re forced to share the same overbooked
beach cottage?
Something
New by Liz Flaherty, USA Today Bestselling Author
Their lives are all
planned out—until they're not.
I
Do…Again by Nancy Fraser, Amazon Top 100 Author
Can they re-ignite
what they once had and take a last chance on love?
The Man
in Gull Cottage by Caroline Clemmons,
Amazon Top 100 Author
Will the solution to
her dilemma drive them apart or into one another's arms?
That One
Summer by Maddie James, Amazon Top 100 Author
He's the one who got
away. She's the one who couldn't commit.
Romancing
the Spouse by Jan Scarbrough, Amazon Bestselling Author
Can she turn back
the clock to save her marriage?
Blue Sky
Summer by Kathleen Lawless, Amazon Bestselling Author
Of all the beaches
on the coast, who does she see again? Him!
Hangover
Husband by Bonnie Edwards, Amazon Bestselling Author
What happens in
Vegas doesn't always stay there
One Last
Shot by Marcia King-Gamble, National Bestselling Author
She can run, but can
she hide? Will love still find her?
Secondhand
Hearts by Kathryn Hills, Award Winning Author
Life takes you down
many winding paths. Will theirs lead to love on Last Chance Beach?
ParadisePerfume by Connie Vines, Award Winning Author
Fragrance and love
cannot be hidden.
Dreams of
the Past by Laura Hunsaker, Award Winning Author
Can dreams of the
future erase her nightmares of the past?
Beach
Kisses & Sunset Wishesby
Nora LeDuc
She wants someone
interested in a fling. He wants someone interested in a ring.
Can't Buy
Me Love by Hannah Rowan
Things aren't always
what they seem.
That’s not all—we have
a FREE book of recipes for tempting cocktails to drink while you read!
In case you don’t drink alcohol, the recipe I contributed is for an
alcohol-free punch that also doesn’t leave a permanent stain when spilled.
COCKTAILS ON LAST CHANCE BEACH is the companion recipe book to LAST CHANCE BEACH: SUMMER'S END box set.
What's not to love about savoring a fruity, icy cocktail in the dog days of summer? Or sipping a crisp spritzer to wake up your senses after a sleepy afternoon on the beach? Can any of us resist a tart margarita or the lure of a tequila sunrise during a beachside seafood dinner? Perhaps there are those who could resist all of the above--but not the authors of the LAST CHANCE BEACH: SUMMER'S END collection of romantic short stories set--where else?--on Last Chance Beach.
We hope you try out and enjoy each of these recipes soon--perhaps while you are reading our stories!
Please welcome one of my best
friends, Anna Jeffrey, an award-winning author. Not only does she write as Anna
Jeffrey, she has also co-written books as USA Today bestselling author Dixie
Cash. As you'll see below, she's also a gifted artist as well as an accomplished author.
Remember to comment during
Advent to be eligible for the Christmas Eve drawing of the Kindle Fire 7.
What is your favorite childhood
Christmas memory?
Christmas
at my great-grandpa’s house, when all of the family would come and bring
presents. I was around 5 to 7 years old. At that time, my great-grandparents
had 9 kids living, and most of them had kids of their own, so it was a lot of
people. The Christmas tree was usually in the corner of the living room, which
was a room never used at any other time of the year, and the presents would
stretch out to the center of the room. Oddly enough, one of my most vivid
memories is that my grandmas always got pots and pans for presents.
This photo is my great-grandpa's house in West Texas where I spent
the first 8 years of my life. The people on the porch are my great-grandpa and
great-grandma and 7 of their 9 kids. This picture was taken when the house was
fairly new, somewhere around 1900 and was where the whole family gathered every
holiday. The lumber for the house was hauled by horse and wagon from Abilene,
which was about 80 miles away. I don't know who built it in the first place, but
it had 8 bedrooms. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the inside.
This is an oil painting I did of the old gas station
and mechanic's garage not far from my great-grandpa's house. It was also the
post office. The white stuff on the ground isn't snow. It's cotton. The cotton
gin was just down the road from it. It's gone now, but when I was a kid, it was
a thriving business.
What is your favorite adult
Christmas memory?
When
my husband and I lived in Idaho, one Christmas Eve we had a heavy snowfall that
didn’t let up for days. All around our house, the depth was about four feet. My
daughter and her husband had gone to his family’s house for the holiday, so my
husband and I were alone. We and some friends did a progressive dinner riding
on snow machines. We always had a white Christmas in Idaho, but we usually
weren’t out in the weather and usually didn’t have quite that much snow. It
felt very Christmas-y.
Is there a Christmas song that’s
your favorite?
A.Secular:
“White Christmas” sung by Bing Crosby
B.Religious:
“O Holy Night” sung by any large choir
Tell us about your family’s
Christmas traditions.
They
are long gone now, but my great-grandpa used to always give all the kids a bag
of apples and oranges. Don’t know where he got them at that time of year in
West Texas.
The
coat is an opaque water color I painted of my husband George's
old work coat hanging on the
door of his cabin in the mountains about
50 miles from McCall, Idaho. We used
to spend a lot of time up there.
Talk about silence!
What about Christmas do you most
enjoy?
Most
people seem to be happy at Christmas. They seem to work at it.
The
old barn is an oil painting I did and I don't even remember where
it is. Obviously in the Northwest somewhere.
Is there something about this
holiday that drives you crazy?
Not
any more. I used to work in the retail business, so all of it drove me crazy in
those days.
What do you hope for this
Christmas?
Time
and good health and a little more good will.
This is an oil painting of a deteriorating gold mining
dredge in Warren Creek, Idaho. This is how they pulled many dollars worth of
gold from that area. I don't know how old it is, but it wasn't far from George's
cabin. Believe it or not, one year, I won the Blue Ribbon and the "Best of Show"
ribbon at the Idaho State Fair with this gold-mining dredge. Interesting
history.
Do you have a treasured
Christmas food?
Christmas
cookies and candies. I used to make both and give for Christmas presents. In
Idaho, we had wonderful fruit available at that time of year. I always made
chutneys and various jams and fruit honeys to give for presents. One of my
faves was pear honey. Larruping!
Divinity Fudge
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
2 large egg whites, stiffly beaten
1/2 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cream tartar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside. Cook sugar, Karo, water, salt, and cream of tartar until it forms a hard ball in water. Pour over stiffly beaten egg whites. Add vanilla and nuts. Beat and pour into lightly buttered pan to harden.
Warning: Do not make this on a cloudy or rainy day or it may not harden.
Do you have a book you’d like to
share?
Since I mentioned Idaho, I'll share a book set in Idaho: THE LOVE OF A COWBOY, book 1 of the Callister Trilogy.
THE LOVE OF A COWBOY was published as a result of winning a contest. It started out to be a saga about a legendary ranching family: Luke McRae, his parents and his siblings and the various dramas that affected their lives. The editor who judged it and bought it wanted to pluck out only Dahlia and Luke's story. The revision was a daunting process that required cutting around 50,000 words. The editor encouraged me every step of the way and in the end, my debut book became a work I'm proud of.
THE LOVE OF A COWBOY Summary:
When Texas beauty Dahlia Montgomery and her best friend journey to Idaho for a change of scenery for the summer, the last thing she expects to encounter is Luke McRae, a lean, rugged cowboy intent on sweeping her off her feet and into his bed. Dahlia can't resist his rugged cowboy swagger and his sky blue eyes, even though she knows he can break her heart.
Luke is part owner and manager of the legendary Double-Deuce Ranch in the Idaho mountains. With the ranch, and alcoholic ex-wife, a shrewish mother and three kids to worry about, he has no interest in romance. But that doesn't mean he has given up on casual sex with beautiful women...But is either he or Dahlia prepared for the consequences of a sexy summer romp?
Anna Jeffrey is an
award-winning author of romance novels as well as romantic comedy/mystery. She
has written 10 romance novels and co-authored 7 as USA Today Bestselling
author, Dixie Cash. Her most recent book is “The Cattleman.”
She loves most things western,
from the customs and culture to the philosophy of life. She enjoys many
hobbies, i.e., reading, painting and drawing, crafting, needlework and beading.
Anna is a fifth generation Texan. She was born and grew up in West Texas, where
most of her family members were farmers and ranchers or worked in the oil
fields. She left Texas for many years and lived in four of the western states,
a rich experience she’ll never forget. These days, she’s back home in Texas.
She and her husband currently live in a small town not far from the Dallas/Fort
Worth Metroplex.
Stay safe and keep reading!
