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#MFRWhooks #ValentinesDay Recipe and Excerpt

Valentine's Day is one week away! And since it's traditionally a day for giving sweets to your sweetheart, I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes. Not only are these brownies fudgy and delicious, they're so easy to make and have minimal cleanup because you're only using one pot. Here's the recipe!

One Pot Fudgy Brownies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3 oz. (84 g) unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened  cocoa powder (the recipe calls for Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but I used regular no-name and it was just fine)

2 1/2 cups (500 g) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. (3g) kosher or coarse salt

1 tbsp. (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (192 g) all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously butter a 13 by 9 inch baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the butter and the chocolate in a medium to large-size saucepan over low heat and let melt together, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove the saucepan the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, sugar and salt, then blend in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring to mix quickly so they don't have a chance to cook at all before they are blended in. Blend in the flour.

Scrape the thick batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth top with a spatula. Bake until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 or 30 minutes. They may seem slightly underbaked in the middle, but trust me, that's what gives them a moist and fudgy texture. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting. 

If you like, you can serve these with ice cream or whipped cream and fruit, like blueberries or sliced strawberries. Personally, I enjoy them just as they are. No embellishments required!

And speaking of Valentine's Day, here's a blurb and excerpt from my Valentine's Day story, CHILL OUT!

Renata Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her large, extended family. Questions like “Why aren’t you married yet?”  Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.

Noah Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come home and mend his broken relationship with his brother. When a friend offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is already occupied. With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor, Renata stirs feelings he thought long dead.

As the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s Day work its magic between them?

Excerpt:
“Dylan wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend, and in some ways, he was like a father. When our mother died, he petitioned the court to make him my legal guardian so I wouldn’t have to go into care. He made sure I studied, pushed me to apply to med school, helped me with expenses.”

“He sounds like a wonderful big brother.”

His lips curved in a sad smile and Renata’s heart ached for him. “He was, and I know he’s going to be an amazing father. I want this animosity between us to end. I want my brother back.” His voice cracked. “But I’m not sure he feels the same way. I said some ugly things…”

“Perhaps, with the baby coming, he wants to mend the rift between you as much as you do.” She hoped she was right.

“Maybe. I’ll find out tomorrow. I’m going to phone Dylan and try to arrange a meeting.”

“It’ll work out. You’ll see.”

He leaned toward her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with his smile. “I appreciate the pep rally.”

“Well, I was a cheerleader in high school. Rah, Rah.”

He laughed softly, then cupped her face with his hand, his thumb idly stroking her cheek. Her breath hitched at his tender touch. “Thank you for making this easier for me, Renata.”

He leaned in and her heart pounded in anticipation of his kiss. When his lips touched hers, a firestorm of longing ignited inside her. She strained toward him, needing his kiss, needing to heal his pain. His lips parted against hers, and she opened her mouth eagerly, reveling in his taste as his tongue danced with hers. The world faded away, and nothing existed for her except this man and all the tenderness she felt for him. It felt so right to kiss him, so perfectly, completely right.

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/Chill-Out 

Check out other posts in this week's blog hop: 

A Snippet from RESCUE ME #sweetromance #MFRWhooks

 

Hello! Welcome to my blog. Today I've got a snippet from my sweet romance RESCUE ME. In this scene, Matt Malone has recently moved into the apartment across the hall from Chelsea Andrews in a century old Victorian mansion in Toronto. When he brings home food from the restaurant where he works, he invites Chelsea to share it with him, but since she doesn't know him very well, she's not ready to spend time alone with him in his apartment. So he proposes a picnic on the floor of the hallway between their two apartments:

“You mean, you want me to come over for dinner? In your apartment?”

Matt felt her reluctance, as well as an undercurrent of fear. She still didn’t trust him, and he couldn’t say he blamed her, considering the way they’d met. “Unless you want to meet out in the hall. I could bring my picnic basket.”

She blinked at him. Then she grinned, her smile transforming her face. The cool, solemn-faced young woman was replaced by a vivacious, charming girl. Matt nearly dropped his bags in surprise. 

“Actually, a picnic in the hallway sounds like fun. At least we won’t have to worry about ants.”

It was Matt’s turn to blink. The Ice Princess had a sense of humor. There was a real human being under all that frost.

“Okay, a picnic it is. I’ll heat up the food and get some dishes.”

He opened the door to his apartment and went inside.

Chelsea peeked through the door, her eyebrows raised. “Maid’s year off?”

Matt followed her gaze over half emptied moving boxes, a sink piled high with dirty dishes, and a basket of dirty laundry by the door. Some days, he regretted being a slob.

“So, it’s a bit of a mess. Give me a break. I only moved in a week ago.”

“I know. I can’t believe you’ve made this much mess in only a week.”

“It’s a gift.”

Matt pushed aside dirty dishes on the counter to set down his bags of food. He rummaged through the cupboards for the few remaining clean dishes. 

“Can I help? Do you need anything peeled or washed? Or fumigated?”

Matt turned sharply to look at her. Chelsea shrugged out of her coat, folded it neatly and placed it on the floor of the hallway. Not so much as the toe of her shoe stepped over the threshold of Matt’s apartment. A smart-ass reply was ready on his lips. But then he saw the sparkle of humor in her eyes and the laughter trembling on her lip. Chelsea the cool Ice Princess might have intrigued him, but this Chelsea, with the laughing eyes and the snappy come backs, was someone he could really like. 

“Don’t just stand there, make yourself useful. Here,” he said, walking over to her and depositing mismatched plates and cups in her hands. “Set the table, or the floor as the case may be.” 

Matt warmed the leftovers in the microwave and brought everything to the hallway, Styrofoam containers and all. Chelsea had retrieved a blanket from her place and spread it on the floor of the hallway between the two open doors of their apartments. A vase of silk flowers sat in the middle of the blanket, giving their picnic an elegant air. Her satisfied smile nearly knocked him on his butt. 

Universal Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008WU7FEY

Blurb, RESCUE ME:

Chelsea Andrews can’t decide who’s more dangerous—the creep on the Toronto city bus, or the handsome stranger who rescues her. Was he acting as he claimed, or is he that weird in real life? She doesn’t stick around to find out. Fate intervenes when her rescuer, out of work actor Matt Malone, sublets the apartment next door. Chelsea soon discovers the most dangerous thing about her charming new neighbor is the damage he’s inflicting on her heart.

Or is it? Soon after Matt moves in, strange unsigned notes begin showing up at the art gallery where Chelsea works. Then she’s followed home from the bus stop late one night, and her apartment is broken into. Despite her growing feelings for Matt, all the evidence points to him as the culprit. 

Matt is at a crossroads. His acting career is stalled and his love life is non-existent. Things begin to look up when he moves in next door to Chelsea. He’s totally captivated by the beautiful blonde and wants to take their relationship to the next level. Though he’s disappointed when he discovers what Chelsea suspects about him, he’s determined to protect her from the real stalker.  

Is Matt the kind, funny, sincere man Chelsea is falling in love with, or some kind of letter-writing stalker? She must decide whether he is a dream come true or her worst nightmare.

Universal Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008WU7FEY

#Erotic #NewRelease from Lisabet Sarai: WILD ABOUT THAT THING

I'm thrilled to have Lisabet Sarai visit today with her new novella WILD ABOUT THAT THING. This erotic ménage story is pretty hot, but I'm giving you a (mostly) PG excerpt! Please welcome Lisabet as she tells us one of the inspirations for her story. Take it away, Lisabet!  

A Moment in Time

Unlike many authors, I rarely base my characters on real people. I might borrow a trait here and there from individuals I’ve known, but for the most part both my protagonists and my villains are fictional inventions.

Wild About That Thing is an exception. The character of Remy Saint-Michel grew out of an actual experience I had, a number of years ago.

I should say, by the way, that I love the blues. Listening to almost any music is an emotional experience, but blues music touches me in a way that few other genres can. I love its passion, its honesty and its recognition of our precious, broken humanity. I feel it in my body as well as my soul; when I am listening to the blues, I can’t sit still.

Anyway, one Saturday night my husband and I went to a nearby pub to hear a local blues band we’d read about. They were fantastic. I sat there, entranced, swaying to the beat. Most of the audience were doing the same. Though the place was crowed, some people were even dancing.

Then I noticed a man sitting on a tall stool, not far from our seats, an incredibly handsome black man with a shaved head, high cheekbones and full lips. He wore slim jeans and a white business shirt with rolled up sleeves. One leg was outstretched; the other rested on a rung of his seat. For some reason I noticed his shoes, expensive, highly polished leather that seemed out of place in the casual venue.

He was gorgeous, but he never glanced in my direction. Indeed, what fascinated me about this guy was his utter stillness. Unlike the rest of us, he didn’t tap his toes, nod his head or drum his fingers on this thigh. Totally focused on the stage, he didn’t move a muscle. The intensity with which he regarded the band sent a little chill down my spine. I couldn’t help wondering who this gentleman was, how he happened to be there, and what was going through his mind.

Years later, I can still summon my odd reaction to this guy. He became the model for Remy in Wild About That Thing. Indeed, I borrowed some of that real world scene for the novella. 

Of course, I’ll never know what was actually going through that stunning black man’s mind as he stared at the band. 

For that, I had to use my imagination.

Blurb:

Ruby Jones has clear priorities. Her teenage son comes first, then her struggling blues club. Her love life ranks as a distant third. Deserted by her cheating ex-husband, Ruby's determined she's going to make it on her own. She's not about to let any man into her heart. Now her hot blood seems to have landed her in an impossible situation. Two lovers…and she wants them both.

Excerpt:

“I thought maybe I could join you two for dinner,” he continued. “Then maybe after, we can all watch a video or something.”

He didn’t say anything more, but she knew what he was thinking. After Isaiah was safe in his bed, maybe Zeke could spend some time in hers.

Ruby remembered her assignation with Remy—remembered the insane lust he’d inspired. It had been intoxicating, but scary too. For a moment, all she wanted was to say yes to Zeke’s unspoken question, to trade the risky promise of a stranger for more familiar pleasures. But she’d given her word to Remy. Anyway, what gave Zeke the right to barge in to her life, assuming she’d be available?

“We’d love for you eat with us,” she began, trying to be gentle. “But afterward, I’ve got a date.”

Zeke’s forehead knitted into a frown. “A date?” His voice was dark as gathering thunderclouds. “Who with?”

Ruby laid her hand on his arm. That was a mistake. The feel of his warm, firm flesh under the fine cotton made her want to take it all back—to swear that she wanted only him, to beg him to fuck her. “I don’t think you need to know,” she said, her eyes cast downward. 

She felt like such a traitor. Of course, they’d agreed when they began that their relationship should be non-exclusive. Still, she hadn’t been with anyone else, not for two years. Why should she, when she had a strong, sexy, generous man like Ezekiel Chambers? 

But Remy…she’d never experienced anything like the magnetic pull she’d felt in his presence. She had to find out what it would be like to fuck him. To get him out of her system.

“Thanks for being honest,” Zeke said softly. “That’s something at least.” 

“I’d never lie to you, baby. That’s just plain wrong. Otis taught me that. It’s just this one time, anyway.”

“You do what you need to do, Ruby. It won’t change how I feel about you.” He blinked once or twice, then stood up. “Guess I should go.”

“No, please—stay for dinner. Just pizza and salad, but we’d love to have you. I’m sure that Isaiah will want to tell you the big news about his band.”

“You sure?” 

“Positive.” Ruby gave him a hug, fighting the urge to rub herself against the still-obvious lump in his groin. “Let’s go call Antonio’s.”

“You got someone to stay with the kid while you’re out?” Zeke asked, as Ruby retrieved the pizza menu stuck onto the refrigerator door.

“Um—no… He’ll be okay. It’s just a couple hours.” Ruby’s doubts resurfaced. Maybe she really should call Remy and cancel. Things were just too complicated…

“I’ll hang out here until you get back, then.”

“What?” Ruby stared at him, astonished and grateful. “You’re gonna babysit, while I go meet another man? What are you, some kind of saint?”

“Nah, I’m just a guy who loves you and wants you to be happy. I know you won’t be able to relax if Isaiah’s home alone.”

Ruby rewarded him with a kiss. What had she done to deserve him? “You know me too well, baby.”

“I do, darlin’. You’re like Skynard’s free bird. Ain’t nobody can put you in a cage.”

Buy Links:

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1342-wild-about-that-thing-/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPDD3JR9

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPDD3JR9

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485627

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-about-that-thing-lisabet-sarai/1110738210?ean=2940167659858

Kobo  - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wild-about-that-thing-4

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6474285642

Add on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203152943-wild-about-that-thing

Add on BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/wild-about-that-thing-by-lisabet-sarai-2023-12-10

About Lisabet:

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh