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!***

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This is really just an ingredient list and a few instructions.

Sweet potatoes
Onions (regular or spring), chopped
Mushrooms, chopped
Spinach, chopped
Sharp cheese, grated
Sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil or butter

Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, wrap in foil, and bake until done.  Scoop the flesh out into a bowl, being careful not to tear the skins, which are quite fragile. Put the skins in a baking pan. I didn't grease the pan, but it wouldn't hurt to do so.

Look at the amount of sweet potato and take a guess at how much onion and mushroom to use. For three medium sweet potatoes, I used maybe half an onion and several mushrooms. Saute the onions and mushrooms in oil or butter.

As for the spinach, it wilts down to almost nothing, so use lots of it. Add to the onions and mushrooms and saute until the spinach is wilted.

Turn off the heat and mix in a dollop or so of sour cream and some grated cheese. I add quite a bit of cheese, but this is a matter of taste (well, so is everything else in this recipe). Sharp cheddar is good, but other sharp cheeses work well, too. Add the mixture to the sweet potato flesh. Season to taste, bearing in mind that the cheese has some salt in it. 

Fill the skins with the mixture and sprinkle some grated cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. I usually cover them for the first 15 or 20 minutes...it depends on how moist you want them. I tried this recipe once with regular potatoes. They aren't as moist as sweet potatoes, so I think more fat and sour cream would be needed and maybe even a little milk or water...

Sorry, no picture... Maybe next time. 

My Contest is Today!!

It's Harlequin Historical Giveaway time! Every year, a group of Harlequin Historical authors hold a series of individual contests in the weeks leading to Christmas. Each author offers her own prizes, and there's a Grand Prize at the end. This year, it's a Kindle Fire HDX WiFi tablet!
 
Today, December 5th, is my contest day. I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, a paperback copy of the anthology A Scandalous Regency Christmas, and a pair of Christmas socks (because I love buying socks, and I have too many of my own). To enter my contest, to to my website (http://www.BarbaraMonajem.com). There you will be directed to read an excerpt from my new historical novella, Under a Christmas Spell, and answer a question. You can even make up your own question about the excerpt and answer it, if you prefer.

Hampshire, 1815

Dissolute aristocrat Lord Valiant Oakenhurst hides a sexy, supernatural secret—as a powerful incubus, he is able to influence others through erotic dreams. At an exclusive Christmas house party, his latest mission is compromised by the beautiful but deadly succubus Lucille Beaulieu. Though still drawn to his former lover, Val cannot forget her betrayal….
Hoping to atone for her past, Lucie uses her seductive powers to help couples find happiness. But she is distracted from her task by her own delicious dreams of the dark and dangerous Val.
As the riotous festivities begin, their passion is rekindled, but can a little Christmas magic restore their lost trust?

Here is this year's calendar for the Harlequin Historical Giveaway. For a calendar with clickable links, go to Jeannie Lin's blog. (http://www.jeannielin.com/harlequin-historical-holiday-giveaway-3/) For the rules, go to Michelle Willingham's website. (http://www.michellewillingham.com/official-rules/) Enter every day for more chances to win!

Harlequin Historical Giveaway Starts Today!

Here is a list of participating authors with links to their websites or blogs. At the end there's a grand prize of a Kindle Fire LDX Wifi. Enter every day and have fun!

Cheryl St. John – November 27
Elizabeth Rolls – November 28
Michelle Willingham – November 29
Annie Burrows – December 2
Ann Lethbridge – December 3
Marguerite Kaye – December 4
Barbara Monajem – December 5
Amanda McCabe – December 6
Louise Allen – December 9
Blythe Gifford – December 10
Kate Bridges – December 11
Michelle Styles – December 12
Georgie Lee – December 13
Jeannie Lin – December 16
Diane Gaston – December 17
Terri Brisbin – December 18
Julia Justiss – December 19
Lynna Banning – December 20
Grand Prize Drawing – December 23

Giveaways Small and Large!

Today I'm at Preternatura, the blog of the amazing Suzanne Johnson. (She writes such exciting books!) I'm giving away a download of Under a Christmas Spell.

http://suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com/2013/11/incubi-rampant-sex-and-holiday.html

 And coming soon:






The Harlequin Historical Authors are once again holding their Advent Calendar Giveaway!  This is an awesome contest with prizes each day and a grand prize at the end. I'll post details here and on my website soon.

NO-No-Wri-Mo

No, that's not a typo. November for me this year is No Novel Writing Month. It's partly burnout and partly chaos in life in general, so I'm taking a break.

But I'm still guest blogging and giving away books. Today I'm at the Paranormal Romance Blog giving away a download of my latest Regency novella, Under a Christmas Spell, to one lucky commenter. Hop on over to tell me what you would love to give someone for Christmas, and you might just win a download in return.:~)

http://paranormalromanceblog.com/

Happy After Halloween Giveaway! (And Release Day)

Greetings from the ghost cat, who hopes you enjoyed your spooky night. 

Another bulletin on the non-blog blog: Today I'm at the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers doing the Writerly Blog thingummy and also a giveaway of my new novella, Under a Christmas Spell. Hop on over there for a chance to win.

http://pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.com/