Embracing Romance! And Eileen Dandashi's Featured Author, too!

I'm very happy to announce that I've joined a brand new group blog, Embracing Romance, with a bunch of other authors. We all write historical romances, but we write other genres, too. It's a fun new venture, and maybe I will actually get around to blogging regularly. I hope so. Click here to see our great new blog site.

I'll still keep this blog open, but it will be used much as before -- mostly announcements to redirect you elsewhere, and the occasional recipe.

Also, I'm thrilled to bits that Eileen Dandashi has chosen me as her Featured Author for March on Booktalk with Eileen. The first post is already up, with my bio and a review of Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil. Thank you so much, Eileen! I'll have more news about this as the month goes on.

Eileen does wonderful, thoughtful reviews, and I encourage you to visit her site regularly.

Just for fun, a cat pic. If I'd snapped it a second sooner, both cats would have had their eyes closed -- sleeping in tandem.

#Giveaway of 2 novellas at Collette Cameron's blog, and... SOCKS!

Today I'm at Collette Cameron's blog talking about what inspired me to write about incubi and succubi--and I'm giving away a download of my two novellas (the top two on the left) about these sexy non-demonic people who send erotic dreams (or at least that's how I see them). Hop on over for a chance to win.

Now for the socks. Ta-da!

 OK, so they're not perfect, but they're my first completed pair of socks. (Please ignore the dirt on the carpet. I vacuumed IMMEDIATELY after taking this picture. No, seriously, I did. I'm a terrible housekeeper, but what with all the snow and melting snow and resultant debris carried in on people's shoes, it really, really needed doing.)

I have a thing about socks. I buy more socks than any other item of clothing. But I've always wanted to knit some, like the ones my grandmother made for us when we were kids, heels (shudder) and all. My first try, years ago, was argyle socks. Really dumb of me! I got so tangled up with various threads that I didn't even make it to the heel. Next try (with one color of wool), I got as far as the heel (argh) and gave up. Then, entirely by chance, I found The Big Book of Socks by Kathleen Taylor.

Yes! Start with easy and work up was the route for me. I made this pair of tube socks. I only dropped a few stitches along the way (and picked them up, too). Onward and upward. :)

Stuffed Pork Chops

I misnamed this blog. I should have called it Ingredient Lists and Romance. There's no alliteration, but it's more honest. I've tried to make myself measure ingredients (but not very hard). I mean, why waste all that time if the recipe turns out to be a dud?

This one turned out great, though, so here goes:

Thin-cut, boneless pork chops
Thick slices of bacon -- one per chop
Onion, chopped fine
Celery, chopped fine
Spinach, chopped
Other finely chopped veggies, such as bell peppers (red or yellow add color), cabbage, mushrooms, etc. Whatever you have that needs using up!
Grated sharp cheddar or other sharp cheese
Butter, ghee, or oil (I used ghee)
Salt, pepper, oregano

Saute the onion and celery in the butter. Add the other chopped veggies and saute. The spinach should be added last, as it wilts very quickly. Add the grated cheese and stir until it melts. Season to taste and remove from the heat.

To assemble: Spread the slices of bacon on a baking pan. Put a pork chop on top of each slice, right in the middle. Divide the cooked veggies among the pork chops. Fold the pork chops up and wrap the bacon over them to hold them closed.

Bake at 350 degrees F. until done. I forgot to record how long it took (Can you tell I will never write a cookbook??) but I think it was 25 to 30 minutes. They tasted absolutely fabulous. :~))

Barbara

Visiting Mia Marlowe with a #Giveaway, talking about Roman stuff

Sometimes I put stuff in a story just because I feel like it. Because I find it interesting. That's why I put some Roman ruins and a buried hoard of coins in my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. It turned out that my Regency characters were just as fascinated with the Ancient World as I am--and sometimes, encouraging a mutual interest is a means to get closer in other ways. :~))


Go on over to Mia Marlowe's blog today to read more and comment for a chance to win a download. Mia's giving away free copies of Plaid to the Bone as well, so it's a double giveaway today.

I don't have any pics of ruins or coins, but here I am (in red) at the Doge's Palace in Venice -- about as close as I can come to a Roman pic today. We didn't get to tour the palace during that visit, but I hope to go to Venice again some day.

Barbara

My #Giveaway at Sharon Buchbinder's - and Thanks!

Just a quick note -- Sharon Buchbinder is kindly doing a spotlight today of my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. Hop on over and comment for a chance to win a free download.

http://sharonbuchbinder.com/blog/?p=3326

Hampshire, 1816

Garrick, Lord Westerly, has forbidden the hanging of mistletoe, yet the holiday house party at his country estate sizzles with sensual desire. And though Theodora Southern decided long ago never to marry, she enjoys the erotic fantasies that haunt her each night—fantasies featuring her handsome, brooding host….

Since returning from the war, Garrick has been in no mood to celebrate. But suddenly the nightmares that plague him are making way for much more pleasant dreams—dreams in which his childhood friend Theodora is very much a grown woman. The question is, has he fallen in love—or under a wicked spell?



 Also, thank you very much to everyone who voted for me in the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer's Choice Awards! The Magic of His Touch took first place in Romance Novellas, and Under a New Year's Enchantment took third. The Bayou Gavotte series took second place in Romance Series. :~)

Five Nominations! And a #giveaway...

Imagine my astonishment when I learned I had received five nominations for Reviewer's Choice at the Paranormal Romance Guild! I'm in three categories, so in two of them I'm competing with myself.

Paranormal Romantic Suspense -- Heart of Constantine and Tastes of Love & Evil

Romance Novella -- The Magic of His Touch and Under a New Year's Enchantment

Romance Series -- Bayou Gavotte

I would love some votes from anyone who has the time and inclination. Voting ends on Sunday January 12th at 5 pm. EST.

http://www.paranormalromanceguild.com/2013reviewerschoice.htm

Thanks!

Also, today I'm blogging at the Harlequin Paranormal Romance blog about my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. I'm giving away a copy to a lucky commenter. Please stop by!
http://paranormalromanceblog.com/2014/01/10/who-doesnt-like-a-good-sex-dream-by-barbara-monajem-giveaway/(This post is now up!)

Under a New Year's Enchantment - Release Day

Today is release day (in North America and Australia) for my new novella, Under a New Year's Enchantment. (It won't be out in the UK until February 1st, alas.) It's the sequel to Under a Christmas Spell.

Hampshire, 1816

Garrick, Lord Westerly, has forbidden the hanging of mistletoe, yet the holiday house party at his country estate sizzles with sensual desire. And though Theodora Southern decided long ago never to marry, she enjoys the erotic fantasies that haunt her each night—fantasies featuring her handsome, brooding host….

Since returning from the war, Garrick has been in no mood to celebrate. But suddenly the nightmares that plague him are making way for much more pleasant dreams—dreams in which his childhood friend Theodora is very much a grown woman. The question is, has he fallen in love—or under a wicked spell?




The story picks up where Under a Christmas Spell left off. I had a lot of fun writing it -- for one thing, I got to put in bits and pieces about my current fascination with Ancient Rome -- but it was also a hard slog for me. I made several false starts and did a lot more rewriting than usual. It seems ridiculous that after writing a novella -- not a huge job -- I simply had to take some time off.

But now I'm back again, writing another story in the same universe. I'm using the title The Reluctant Succubus. It's only a placeholder title, but it says a lot about the heroine of the story. ;~)

Are you making any New Year's resolutions? Setting any new goals? I'm still not sure yet -- about both the resolutions (which I don't usually make) and the goals (which I'm too superstitious to put into words).

***Happy New Year!***