#ABA Valentine Blog Hop - A Simple Romantic Dinner

A list of all the blogs in the hop and a Rafflecopter of prizes follows at the end of this post!

Valentine's Day is definitely a time for love, but it's also a time to eat a romantic dinner with your sweetie!

I love going out with my husband for a nice meal at a great restaurant on Valentine's Day. But sometimes it's fun (and more economical) to stay home and cook together. Here's an easy dinner just special enough for Valentine's Day.

Here's the menu for a Valentines Dinner for Two:

Salad greens with apple, walnuts and brie

Sumptuous Seafood for Two

White or Brown Rice (optional)

Roasted Asparagus

Deluxe Brownie Dessert

Start with a crispy salad.

Salad Greens with Apples, Walnuts and Brie 
Prep time: about 10 minutes

1 tbsp. cider vinegar
3 tbsp. (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. (5 ml) Dijon mustard
2 tsp. (10 ml) honey, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups (1 litre) baby salad greens, washed and dried
12 to 16 thin, half slices of red apple
2 to 3 tbsp. (30-45 ml) walnut pieces
75 g brie cheese, cut into small cubes

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Divide and mound the salad greens on two salad plates. Top with the apples, nuts and cheese. Drizzle with salad dressing and serve.

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Next, the main event!

Sumptuous Seafood for Two
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time:11-13 minutes

1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine
2 tbsp. (30 ml) butter
1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
pinches of paprika, cayenne pepper and dried tarragon
1 - 3 1/2 to 4 oz. (100-115 g) lobster tail, thawed if frozen, split in half lengthwise
4 large scallops
4 large shrimp or prawns, peeled with tail portion intact
1 6 oz. (170 g) fish filet, such as halibut, cod or salmon
1 tbsp. (15 ml) chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (230 C) Place the butter, wine, lemon juice, garlic, spices and tarragon in a small pot. Set over medium heat and heat 3 to 4 minutes, just until the butter is melted. Remove pot from the heat.

Use a paper towel to pat and remove any excess moisture on the seafood. Arrange seafood, setting the lobster cut side up, in a single layer in shallow-sided baking dish. Drizzle seafood with wine/butter mixture. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until the shellfish and fish are just cooked. When cooked, fish and shellfish should feel slightly firm, not hard (overcooked) and not soft (not cooked through). Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Roasted Asparagus
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 12 - 14 minutes. The asparagus has the same cooking time and temperature as the seafood, so they can go into the oven together.

12 - 14 asparagus spears, stems trimmed
1 1/2 tbsp. (22 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp.  (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C). Bring a wide skillet of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 2 minutes, until bright green, but not quite cooked through. Drain well, cool asparagus in cold water, and then drain well again. Place the asparagus in a casserole dish just large enough to hold it in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Roast 11 to 13 minutes, or until hot and delicious.

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And for dessert, let's go real easy with ready made store bought brownies. Or make your own, if you're so inclined.

Deluxe Brownie Dessert
Prep time: 10 minutes

8 small to medium fresh strawberries
1 tbsp. (15 ml) icing sugar
1/2 oz. (150 ml) orange liqueur, or to taste (optional)
2 squares or wedges of brownie
2 scoops mango or other fruit sorbet

Place strawberries and icing sugar in a small bowl and toss to combine. Flavour with orange liqueur, if using. Divide and spread on two dessert plates. Set a brownie on each plate. Set a scoop of sorbet on top of each brownie. You can garnish with a sprig of mint if you like. Enjoy!
Enter the Rafflecopter. We've got two $50 Amazon gift cards up for grabs!

To hop back on the ABA Blog Hop and check out more interesting blogs, go to http://casimclean.com/a-time-for-love/

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#AuthorInterview with SciFi Author Adera Orfanelli

Science Fiction writer Adera Orfanelli is my interview guest today. What does a science fiction writer have in common with a chicken? Read on and find out! 

Why did you choose this genre?

I love science fiction and have from a very young age. This serial actually began some time ago as part of a website that has since closed down, and I love the episodic feel of a serial, much like watching episodes of a beloved television series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

I tend to write when I can. So for example, when I worked at a major bank, I used to write in the 30-60 seconds between calls. I literally crafted some of my work a sentence at a time. I’ve cultivated the habit of being able to write whenever I have the opportunity.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I’d love to do some steampunk or alternate history.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes, as a teenager my career goals were to write romance novels and work on a horse farm. Well, I live on a homestead with 3 horses, which means I made it, I guess.

Do you work on more than one book at a time?

I tend to work on a couple of different projects at once, though usually they are in separate genres like fiction and nonfiction.

Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?

I live on a homestead in the Ozarks right on the Missouri/Arkansas border and I’ve been writing for over twenty-five years and I’ve been published for fifteen of those (more if you count numerous newsletter/magazine publications.)

If writing is your first passion, what is your second?

Chickens! Seriously, I run a website called charmedchicken.com, which is under some renovations, but is my farm-to-table advocacy site. I love my chickens. They provide laughter and breakfast. I consider them my stress relief.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it? Does it help you with your writing?

I am a technical goddess. I’ve done technical support for about a dozen years and currently work as a virtual assistant to authors and entrepreneurs through my company Unscramblet Author Solutions. (www.unscramblet.com). I also have My Author Home, which offers free websites to authors (www.myauthorhome.com) as well as numerous promotional opportunities. I love the technical side of things and it allows me to work a different part of my brain from writing, yet I’m still able to help authors.

How can readers reach you or find you online?

Facebook: http://fb.com/mwaowmk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mwaowmk
Website: http://marywinter.com

What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?

For my main pen name, Mary Winter, my tagline is Seasons of Passion, and it’s something I’ve used for many years playing off the seasonal nature of my last name.

Do you have an event coming up you’d like to tell us about?

On February 19, I have a free webinar on having a storefront on your website to drive sales to your page. You can register for this free event here: https://charmedchicken.webinarninja.co/my/wnwebinarlist/index?webinar_id=52285

Book release:
The Tobine Chronicles: Episode 3
In the battle to save the planet she loves, one woman must discover the truth about her past, and if she has the strength necessary to not just save Tobine–but rule.

Episode Three - As Tenni learns more about the Vilos' plans, she wants nothing to do with the frog-like creatures. With the slave Kavin, she begins to make plans to escape only to discover that she's been given a horrible twist of fate.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tobine-Chronicles-Episode-3-ebook/dp/B01N0IR2JV/
My website: http://marywinter.com/shop/tobine-chronicles-episode-3/

Linda Palmer and MOST WANTED

My guest today is fellow Uncial Press writer Linda Palmer. She's sharing the story of the inspiration for her Psy Squad series. I love stories about psychics so this sounds right up my alley! Please welcome Linda Palmer.

It all started with a movie called Vampire Academy, based on the first novel in Richelle Mead's delicious six-book series. I read them all and was sucked right into that supernatural world--no pun intended. Around this time, I also watched Divergent, a movie based on the first novel in Veronica Roth's dystopian trilogy. I loved that world, too. While the series were very different from each other, they had one thing in common: the hero and heroine fall into inconvenient, unwanted, and inappropriate love. No wonder I got so caught up. I mean, what's more tantalizing than forbidden attraction?

The result of all that was my novella Most Wanted, set slightly in the future when psychics have gone underground to escape public persecution. Kate Lawless, a waitress temporarily suspended from her job, is nineteen and fatally poor when she sees a World Security League all-call for anyone who has ever had "women's intuitions" or "gut feelings" that turned out to be right.

Is this a trick to lure mentalists out of hiding? Or does this reputable organization really need help? It honestly doesn't matter to Kate once she reads the small print that promises monetary reimbursement for simply showing up. She's weeks behind on her rent, and her car is stuck in the shop until she can scrape up enough money to pay for repairs. If the WSL is promising cash, she's going to be there. Never mind that she's not one bit psychic. All she has to do answer a few questions, get paid, and get the heck out of there.

Easy, huh?

Um…not so much.

It turns out that Kate shows promise. Even more shocking, the WSL wants her to undergo further testing. Meanwhile, she'll be paid a per diem, put up in a very fancy St. Louis hotel, and mentored by Nikolai Zycov, a several-years-older guy whose East European accent, alone, takes her to her knees. Never mind his formidable size and good looks.

Of course she agrees. Nikolai drives her to her apartment to pack a bag, dropping her off at the entrance.

The moment I unlocked my door, I shrugged off my jacket and began frantically straightening up. Dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Dirty clothes in the hamper. I made up the Murphy bed before folding it into the wall, kicked spare shoes into the closet, and tried to think what else deserved my attention. Realizing I was down to clutter that had no place to go, I grabbed an overnight bag and began cramming everything I might need into it.

While getting my toothbrush, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the bathroom mirror and groaned. No wonder Nikolai had helped me cross the street. The winter wind had done a job on my long hair and somehow erased my make-up, making my oval face appear younger than usual. I pulled the snarled strands into a messy ponytail, all the while wishing I had time to hide my freckles with some foundation. But I didn't. In fact, a knock on the door made me jump even though I'd been expecting it. A quick peek confirmed it was Nikolai in the hallway. I unlocked the door. "That was fast."

Nikolai stepped inside, his cool gaze sweeping me and then the entire room that was my apartment. I wondered what he thought of the place. Trying to see it through his eyes, I guessed it must look pretty shabby, from my second-hand couch to my boxy, outdated TV. There were movie posters on the walls—Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Spiderman. I did love my superheroes. And while the idea of being rescued by a man would only appeal to me if I was flat out of options, these guys were eye candy that brightened my walls. 

"No Christmas tree?"

"Actually, I will have one this year. I'm just a little late putting it up."

Nikolai's gaze lingered on the book cases on each side of the bed frame, in particular a Harry Potter snow globe. "Just the one bag?"

"Yes."

We left the apartment. Once my door was locked, I turned to Nikolai. "I have to make one more stop before we go."

He nodded.

We rode the elevator down to ground level. "Stay here. I'll be right back." I pushed open a door with Office on it. "Hello, Mr. Bruno."

"Katydid. Come to pay me this month's rent? You're now three weeks late."

"I know. I know. And that's actually why I'm here. I've got some money coming in a few days, so if you can just hold off a little longer—"

His heavy sigh said it all. Blowing him a kiss for his patience, I turned and smacked into Nikolai, who'd apparently followed me inside. My face flushed. Unable to look him in the eye, I slipped past and hurried outside. 

Back in the Jeep, I stewed a little, imagining what he must think of me. "I usually carry more cash. I mean, my job more than pays the bills, plus I always get good tips. But I got suspended without pay from my waitressing gig a couple of weeks ago."

Nikolai gave me an incredulous look. "Why?"

"I poured a glass of iced tea over some jackleg's head."

He considered that for maybe two seconds before inserting his key in the ignition.
Was he judging me? "He deserved it, okay? Tried to feel me up. How was I supposed to know he was my boss's third cousin?"

Nikolai pulled out of the lot and drove for a good ten minutes before he spoke again. "You're what? Seventeen?"

Ouch. "Nineteen almost twenty."

That clearly surprised him. "Well, your parents should still help so you don't have to work in a place like that."

"I don't have any, and the grill is usually okay."

"What about siblings?" That word had never sounded so sexy.

"No family."

"Cousins, aunts, uncles…"

"No family at all."

I'd surprised him even more. "You're alone in this world?"

That sounded so dramatic that I laughed. "Me and a zillion other people. And I'm not that alone. I do have friends." I hoped he wouldn't ask how many.

"Boyfriends?"

"Nosy much?" I tried to change the subject. "What about you? Parents? Siblings?

Girlfriends?"

"Yes and no."

"No which?"

"Girlfriend. There isn't time."

"You're what?" I took a wild guess. "Twenty-one?"

"Older."

"Well, don't wait too long. Love might pass you by."

"Love isn't for everyone."

I snorted a laugh even though I actually agreed with him. "Several of the friends I mentioned, male and female, are single. I could set you up."

"I'm not gay, and your female friends would be too young for me, just as you are."

Double ouch. "So you've given this some thought?" I could hope.

He didn't answer. We made the rest of the trip in silence. At the hotel, he simply made a left, crossing traffic to drive under the overhang. Realizing he was scattering protestors by dropping me off at the door again, I climbed out of the Jeep and got my bag from the back seat. "Will I see you around?"

"No."

"May I have your cell number?"

"No."

"Do you want mine?"

"No."

"Actually, you already have it. My number is on my registration form. Call me if you change your mind about my friends. Any one of them would love to go out with a babe magnet like you."

His jaw dropped. 

I pivoted on my toe and went straight into the hotel.

Uncial Press released Most Wanted in November 2016. By then, my editor had suggested that I give one of the secondary characters, Miles, a book of his own. The result was Psychic High, which became book two in a series I'm calling Psy Squad. The third installment is Here and There, also already written. Both novellas will be released this year. These novellas have been a lot of fun to research and write.

Why? you ask. Because I'm a believer, of course.

Linda Palmer

Blurb, Most Wanted:

Kate Lawless, nineteen, is all alone in the world and struggling at the moment to make ends meet. Although answering a World Security League all-call for psychics is dangerous in these phobic times, she is tempted by the promise of reimbursement for just showing up. Screenings take place in a hotel conference room. When hers goes very well—a shocker—she is checked in so that she can undergo further testing. Staying at the ritzy hotel is quite a treat for Kate. The Christmas decorations are beyond beautiful. The festive background music reminds her of past holidays, most of them celebrated with a foster family or with other kids living in the youth ranch or orphanages that have been her life since the age of two. Her holiday plans this year? Enjoy this surprise vacay to the max, take the money, and pay her past-due rent.

 Nikolai Zycov, a Russian member of the WSL team, is assigned to her. While he claims that he's only interested on a professional level, he won't stop meddling in her personal life. He comes off as deliberately distant one minute; helpful, the next. Although annoying, this actually intrigues Kate, as does the fact that her clairvoyance gets a psychic boost whenever Nikolai is physically close.
Distracted by her growing feelings for him, she finds it harder and harder to lock onto Mbali Tinibu, the ruthless Sierra Leone civil war criminal she is helping the WSL locate. Kate finally asks to work alone and is given permission in spite of Nikolai's objections. Only then does she realize how unpredictable and dangerous her psychic gifts can be. And having an annoying Russian around? Well, sometimes that's not a bad idea.

Buy link: http://tinyurl.com/j6q668g

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindacvpalmer

Fall in Love With Romance Giveaway

#AuthorInterview with J.J. DiBenedetto

Mystery writer J.J. DiBenedetto is my interview guest today. He's talking about his newest release in the Jane Barnaby Adventures series. Take it away, J.J.!

Do you work on more than one book at a time?

I can’t.  My brain is very much a one-track setup.  I can’t do more than think in the most vague terms about a different story while a book is still unfinished.

What comes first for you – plot or character? And why?

Definitely character.  I need to know exactly who my characters are, what they’re like, really get inside their heads.  Once I do that, they tell me what happens to them.  Which leads nicely into the next question…

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Totally a pantser. I didn’t know what my villain was after, or even who he really was, until halfway through my new book. Honestly, it often feels more like retelling stories that my characters have told me, than me creating something.

What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

I think the first book of this series, FINDERS KEEPERS, has been the most fun, just because it was such a departure from my previous series, and Jane is such an entertaining character to write.

What’s your least favorite thing about being a writer?

The sales/marketing side of things. It’s not my strong suit, and everything is changing so fast, it’s difficult to keep up with the latest techniques and channels and approaches and all the rest of it.

If writing is your first passion, what is your second?

Travel, or at least it would be if I had the money to do more of it!

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it? Does it help you with your writing?

Yes, I have a day job, and considering how much I don’t enjoy the marketing side of writing, it’s ironic that my job is in marketing.

Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?

We have a white cat named Danny. I’m not sure it’s really right to call him a pet, though, since he sets the schedule for the household, and me and my wife are the ones being trained to adapt to it.

If money were not an object, where would you most like to live? Why?

Paris!  Although that’s only going from a 3 day visit there.  I might not feel that way after a couple of months – but I’d love the chance to find out!

What do you like best about your heroine in HER BROTHER'S KEEPER?

Jane is just so much fun to write. Her heart’s always in the right place, but she doesn’t really think anything through, she just pushes ahead and often ends up making decisions that are somewhat less than wise.

How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?

For my main characters, usually the name just comes along with the character. Jane was always Jane from the moment I created her. As for physical characteristics, usually I have one or two in mind very clearly, and then I look for an actor/actress who seems like a good fit, and then I work backwards from that.

How can readers reach you or find you online?

Lots of places!
My website – http://www.writingdreams.net
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JJDiBenedettoauthor
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JJDiBenedetto
Amazon – http://viewAuthor.at/JJDiBenedetto

Tell us a little about your current work in progress.

I literally just wrote the first page of the next Jane Barnaby Adventure.  It’ll be called SHIP OF FOOLS, and it takes place on a cruise ship.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

I’d start with the first Jane book, FINDERS KEEPERS.  It’s a quick, fun read, and I think you’ll be hooked right away.

Tell us about your next release.

HER BROTHER’S KEEPER is the third Jane Barnaby Adventure, and it’s out on January 31st. Jane has decided to bring her family together for what she hopes will be a peaceful vacation, but that goes out the window when her brother gets seduced by a Russian jewel thief and ends up in jail…

Blurb for HER BROTHER’S KEEPER:

Jane Barnaby thought she’d planned the perfect Christmas vacation.  She’d invited her father and his fiancé to join her in Spain at her archaeological dig.  They’d see her work, meet her mentor and enjoy a few days of sunny Mediterranean beaches in the dead of winter. What could go wrong?
Her annoying brother tagging along, and then landing in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, for one thing.

To clear her brother’s name and make her vacation perfect again, all Jane has to do is chase the mystery woman who set her brother up across Europe, find her in a dangerous and unfamiliar city and deal with her accomplices.  Oh, and outwit an ex-KGB agent and his personal goon squad, too.
It’s going to be an exciting and action-packed Christmas for Jane, whether she wants it or not!

AUTHOR BIO:

J.J. DiBenedetto is author of the Dream Series and the Jane Barnaby Adventures and lives in Arlington, Virginia with the love of his life and a white cat who rules the roost.

His passions are photography, travel, the opera, the New York Giants, and of course writing.

Mr. DiBenedetto is devoted to writing books with a sense of mysticism to entertain and perhaps invite his readers to suspend belief in a way they might never have.

Since he was very young , he has always been intrigued with the supernatural and things that can't be explained rationally.

By always asking way too many questions, it piqued his interest to the point of setting his writing off and running when he grew up! All the curiosity building up all those years were finally getting put into words to captivate readers. And it hasn't ended. His main goal is to share all the stories he has inside, putting pen to paper. And that's how the Dream Series was born.

Mr. DiBenedetto welcomes queries and feedback from his loyal readers. You can email him at jamesd@elevendayempire.com or at his website www.writingdreams.net .

The next Jane Barnaby Adventure will be ready soon and he's anxious to hear what you think!

Excerpt from HER BROTHER'S KEEPER:

Cassie came downstairs expecting to have her breakfast waiting for her, as Joe had promised.
It was not. Instead, the only thing waiting for her was Sheryl and Jon, both of whom were wearing nervous expressions. Sheryl – already dressed, in a dress, and who wore a dress to come down to breakfast on vacation anyway? – tried to force a smile.

“Your fiancé had to – well, there’s no easy way to say this – I mean, I don’t know what I’d want to hear.”

Jon sighed.  He seemed to do that a lot. “Joe and Jane had to leave suddenly.  Apparently, George landed himself in jail last night.”

Jail? George? The quiet, socially awkward one?  Maybe even, if she was being brutally honest, the boring one, in jail?  In a foreign country?  How was that possible?

Sheryl was talking, interrupting Cassie’s thoughts, such as they were. “Very nice.  Way to just rip off the band-aid. Can’t you see how upset she is?  What kind of bedside manner is that, anyway?”

Cassie shook her head. “No, it’s fine.  It’s just – that’s not what I was expecting to hear.”

If one of Joe’s kids was going to be calling from jail, she would have put all her money on Jane. She’d told Cassie all about her crazy chase halfway across Europe a couple of years ago, and the girl had broken at least a dozen major laws.  It had all been in a good cause, and it had all worked out in the end, but there was no question Jane acted first and thought about the consequences later.  Or sometimes, not at all.

Secondary Monday with Shari Elder

Science fiction romance writer Shari Elder is my guest today, and she's here with one of her favorite secondary characters. In fact, she liked him so much he got his own book! Please welcome Shari Elder.

Not so Secondary

Thanks so much for having me over to your blog, Jana. I’m pleased to introduce one of my favorite secondary characters in my recent release, Race to Redemption.  Gold Captain, or Cap for short, is a stealth cyborg, capable of sneaking himself, or anyone with him, into almost anyplace – physical or virtual.

It’s a science fiction romance, set far into the future, where the known universe is organized into political coalitions, funded by mega corporations.  Cyborgs provide the security, and military muscle, when required. They are, consequently, universally feared. In the book, the heroine, Elaina, who hates borgs, finds herself unexpectedly needing Cap to sneak her into her own company’s headquarters. Cap proves to be something quite different than a killing machine. The easiest way to introduce you to Cap, is to share the snippet where Elaina meets him.

She shivered since the news-vids of cyborgs going off half-cocked and killing innocents seemed to be on the rise. This must be what siting next a rabid beast feels like.

“Know any good jokes?” she asked her companion, not expecting an answer. She needed to let out some steam and keep it friendly. Sitting in a small space with a volatile weapon that could go off any minute had her on edge.

“Yes.” His body remained taut, as if a tent pole had replaced his spinal cord.

Okay, that was unexpected. Enough to get her out of her own head, which was a place she didn’t really want to be. “You going to tell me one?”

“No.” He remained rigid as a statue. Maybe he was all machine?

“You guys always this much fun?” His hands loosened around the clutch. “Oh, my God, you’re joking with me.” 

“I am human.” His voice vibrated like a tuning fork. “Parts of me, anyway.”

“What’s your name, partial human?” A grin tickled her lips. 

“Gold Captain. My squad calls me Cap.”

To her own surprise, she chuckled. She hadn’t thought she had it in her, but she’d never met a borg that interacted, let alone joked.

“Tell me your real name. It’ll be our secret.”

 “I don’t have one. They wipe our memories.” 

“Right now, that doesn’t sound like such a bad deal. Where do I sign?”

“Don’t.” His black-gloved hand clenched the shift. If it weren’t perma-steel reinforced titanium, she was sure it would have shattered.

“You feel?” She had assumed otherwise. 

Cap and Elaina become friends, of a sort, as she is forced to lay low at StormTech HQ. It’s their friendship that has her questioning everything she ever knew about how the world works even as her proximity to a cyborg confirms their dangerous nature. Here’s another view.

“I like you, Cap. Have I misjudged an entire race?”

“No, and don’t misjudge me either. I can and would kill you in a heartbeat if I’m ordered to do so. Once an order is given, a cyborg must obey. Something about you pushes at me. If I were fully human, I’d say you remind me of someone, but since that isn’t possible…”

Was that regret in his voice?

Like many writers, I fall in love with my characters.  I fell so much in love with Cap, that he’s getting his own story.  I’m working furiously trying to finish the Scent of Memory, Book #2 Green Rising, which is Cap’s romance.

What’s your favorite secondary character in any book and why?  Thanks for visiting.

Race to Redemption Blurb

A woman who lost everything.
Intergalactic storm racing champion Elaina Carteret had it all – fame, wealth, men – until a horrific accident took it away. To get it back, she agrees to pose as Lainie Carter, medical transport pilot and corporate spy. Her risk-taking attitude infuriates Dr. Erik Johansen, who runs the outpost with an iron hand, a permanent scowl and the tightest bod on the planet.

A man desperate for redemption.
Unable to forgive himself for a past tragedy, Erik works himself into an early grave. He has no patience for the insubordinate Lainie Carter, who can’t take an order, disrupts routine and flames his body to ash.

A planet at risk.
When the outpost is attached, they’re thrown together in a race across the desert to stop a deadly biogenetic weapon As a fragile trust blossoms between two damaged hearts, their pasts resurface and threaten their growing bond.

Be warned:  Erotic romance, level five heat designation, gender neutral characters.

Buy Links:

Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/race-to-redemption-by-shari-elder/

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Race-Redemption-Green-Rising-Book-ebook/dp/B01MYSULFR/

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/race-to-redemption-shari-elder/1125257895?ean=2940153884363

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/race-to-redemption

Excerpt:

Erik tilted his head. Speech didn’t seem to be in him. She followed him to the bathing room at the back of the building. The small lump in the bath couldn’t be Sen. Whatever it was had gill-slits and grayish-green skin, no remaining golden hue of the Ranharran air breathers. No, definitely not Sen.

“I don’t understand.”

“Biogenetic tampering that forced his DNA to rewrite itself into Den Vedran but it was only partial. His gills are not fully formed, but the Ranharran lungs collapsed. I believe the Den Vedran lungs would have grown over them but not in time. The changes left him unable to take in oxygen from any source.”

She couldn’t get her head around what Erik was saying. Every cell in her body froze into numbness. Her blood stopped flowing. That just couldn’t be Sen.

“We should return him to the dust. Sen had a soft spot for Ranharran ceremonies.” How she coughed up those words she’d never know, but it was what Sen would want. If that lump were Sen, which it wasn’t.

Erik shook his head. “He’s not dead. I injected him with a stasis drug. It only lasts about two months. I’ll need to do so some tests on him.” His low growl told her the idea appalled him as much as it did her. She swallowed back an instinctive retort. He didn’t need her crap on top of the pile he already carried.

“For Qirta,” she said instead.

 Gratitude flickered in those ancient eyes. She took his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder, desperate for touch. He let her without balking. A heart did beat underneath Erik’s scowl.

They stood together without moving for what seemed like a century. Fintarl brought in an air gurney at some point to move the body that wasn’t Sen to the lab. Everyone in the camp stumbled like the walking dead to get through the next hours. Ranharrans did not have tear ducts because their bodies were built to retain every ounce of water. They hummed in grief and the camp was awash in a low, melancholy drone.

Author Bio:

I'm Shari.  By day, I crawl out of bed, mainline coffee, get my kid off to school, walk the dog, then save cities within the four walls of my office. Usually by email.

At night, I take off the suit, curl up with my computer and save cities on a jet-powered skateboard, make six-toed footprints on the sixth planet in the Andromeda galaxy and bring men and women, who had given up on romance, another chance to find it.

Join me on this journey.

Find Shari

Web/Blog:   www.sharielder.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ShariElderBooks/
Twitter: @ShariElderBooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shari-Elder-Stories

#AuthorInterview with Robin Leigh Morgan

Robin Leigh Morgan says she's an author who doesn't want to be pigeon-holed; she writes in several genres. I love her versatility! Welcome to Journeys with Jana, Robin!

Where did you get the idea for your debut romance novel? Why did you choose this genre?.

My writing “I Kissed a Ghost” I would say is due in essence to my watching “Casper the Friendly Ghost” cartoons as a child of the 1950’s, as well as the movie of the same name. And the reason I wound up writing my first romance as a MG/YA Paranormal is that I had belonged to a writing group where one of its member, seeing I’ve been having a lot of difficulty in writing a Contemporary romance suggested I write for a younger audience.

What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?

I would have to say it had been trying not taking “side trips” away from the storyline I had in mind. Side trips which I thought had been interesting but which I had to remove later in a self-editing of my manuscript because it didn’t really move the storyline forwards.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book?

I’d like them to remembering their special experience really kissing a boy for the first time.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

Becoming an author I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself in writing only in one genre. So as my second book I wrote an anthology of 100 Flash Fictions, where the vast majority consists of only five sentences, which I aptly entitled “Micro Fiction – An Anthology.”

Going forwards I’ve got three W.I.Ps which I’m currently working on: an adult Contemporary novel entitled “His Darkest Secret,” a MG/YA Urban Fantasy novella entitled “The Secret of the Well”[which is a standalone sequel to my first novel]; and stepping out of my comfort zone, I’m writing an Erotic Shapeshifting LGBST novella entitled “The Transformation.”

Did you always want to be a writer?

Prior to my writing romance I had written items for a community newspaper for several years.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I consider myself to be both, Like a sculptor I start with a framework of storyline points I want to hit, and then I proceed to flesh it out until I’ve got my final product.

What question would you like to be asked that I haven’t asked here?

That would have to be: “What advice would you give to an aspiring author?”  And my answer would be not to take any criticism from another author as criticism, take it as a form of guidance and support from one author to another.

Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?

I’m a retired NYCity employee who’s been married for 23 years, alas no children, and live in the NYCity metropolitan area. From the mid-1990’s and for about 11 years I’d written items for a community newspaper.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it? Does it help you with your writing?

I’m a decently ranked Book Reviewer on Amazon with over 470 books. I also post all of my reviews on GoodReads and LibraryThing; in additional I post some of them on my two blog sites. [NOTE:  I do not accept requests to review books]  By reading the books of other authors, especially those who write romance, I see ways of improving my own writing endeavors.

Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?

My dear OH and I have always had cats, especially since they don’t allow dogs where we have lived. Besides, cats are much simpler to take care of, since you don’t have to walk them in all sorts of weather.

What genre is your favorite to read?

I have to be a little bias here. Since my writing genre is romance it would have to be romance. Although as a book reviewer I love to read practically any genre.

How can readers reach you or find you online? Tell us a little about your current work in progress.

The best place to find the answer as to who I am, my writing current endeavors, all of my internet links as well as links to buy my books, and several excerpts to my first now,  etc; is to go to
http://www.about.me/rlmorgan51