The Last Hero - H.N. Sieverding

Someone releases an ancient sorcerer, one that almost destroyed the world two hundred years ago.  He soon starts where he left off and wages war.  Using the dreaded spell, known as Virus, he infects his enemies and uses them as soldiers in his army.
When he invades Fairway, Cole and his squad are sent to fight him.  Cole’s overwhelmed by the new enemy, and the seemingly impossible to kill, Virus soldiers.  There, he encounters the sorcerer who believes Cole is his son, Nero. He demands Cole come with him, but Cole refuses.  After a tense meeting, Cole’s brain is suddenly flooded with painful visions and he passes out.
When he returns home, the visions only get worse and he is plagued by Nero’s bad memories.  He has no idea what’s happening, and fears he may have caught Virus.  He stays quiet in fear of being taken out of the war. But he can’t stop the visions, and soon realizes the woman he loves becomes a trigger.  He’s afraid he might kill her, so he tries to push her away.  But she never gives up and will do anything to save him from going crazy.
The war then becomes only half of his problem, and he’s left scrambling to stop Nero from driving him insane.  But little does he know, Nero isn’t who Cole thinks he is, and they have more in common than he thinks.

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Lion- B.B Sorores

The City is everything Adam Reid could possibly have hoped for – power and potential. And his scholarship to the prestigious Harton University is his ticket to it all. A chance for a fresh start. A chance to hide from his dark past.
But the City has secrets and its doors only open if you know the right people. People like Jack, Adam's new louder-than-life room mate, and Lia, who yearns for a soul uncorrupted by the City.
Then Castalia Vallas stalks her way into Adam's life. Intoxicated by the seductive professor, Adam learns to confront and control the desire he dares not speak of.
But who is the hunter and who is the prey?

Secret Cravings Publishing

Buried Secrets- Allyson Carter

A message from her dead husband turns Mary Cox’s life upside down. Someone wants to kill her and her daughter, Faith. They’ll stop at nothing to track her down. The only man she trusts is her best friend's brother Jace, except, he lied to her before.  Will secrets from her past destroy the life she's made for herself or bring them closer together?
Just as Jace Smith begins to adjust to civilian life, a cry of help from the only woman he's ever cared for sends him back into the heat of battle. The type where someone—may not come out alive in the end. Secrets are revealed and nothing will ever be the same again. He'd do anything to keep Mary and her daughter safe from the danger after them. But a secret from his past threatens everything. Can they ever get back what they once had or die trying?

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Species Interaction - Cheyenne Meadows

Happy Release Day Cheyenne Meadows

Shyanne McDaniel, a young widow and mother of two small boys, loses her heart to Meat, an exotic dancer and alpha liger shifter, but dating another species proves a challenge.
While trying to figure out how to deal with an alpha shifter that likes the word "obey" way too much for her liking, Shy juggles raising her twin sons, taking local college classes, dealing with an adoptive family that leans heavily toward odd, and her job. She finds herself working for a man called Cannibal and battling for Meat's attention from a cover model shifter, all the while trying not to think too much about her gift prize threesome fantasy weekend, Meat's nun fetish, and her penchant for finding trouble.
Finding love again is never easy, and doing so with an alpha shifter only makes for more challenges. Can they work out their differences and love one another for who they are?

*** Author highly suggests reading Human Interaction before this book, otherwise the reader will be lost and confused ***

Secret Cravings Publishing

Culinary Cravings with Rita Bay- Soul Cakes

Soul Cakes: An Ancient Halloween Tradition

On Halloween in parts of ancient Britain, soul cakes were distributed to the poor. The soul cake’s origins date at least back to Medieval times. In a 14th century manuscript an author refers to ‘olden times’ stating “… wherefore in olden time good men and women would this day buy bread and deal (give) it for the souls that they loved, hoping with each loaf to get a soul out of purgatory.” The cross on the each cake indicates the religious significance of releasing a soul from Purgatory. “Cake” is used in the sense of British biscuits which are cookies to Americans.

A song survives that the poor (called ‘soulers’ during the celebration) sang about the need to help souls out of Purgatory by prayer and alms-giving as they went door to door collecting their cakes.

“Soul soul for a souling cake
I pray you, missis, for a souling cake
Apple or pear, plum or cherry
Anything to make us merry …”

The song addresses fruit filling but the recipe below is plain with the simplicity of the ingredients supporting the claim that the recipe is very old. The recipe for Soul Cakes is converted from English measures.

SOUL CAKES
2 2/3 C plain flour (sifted)
1 C sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter (softened & diced)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg (beaten)
2 tsp of white wine vinegar

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425° and grease two cookie sheets. Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients - sifted flour, spices, and sugar - in a bowl. Rub in the diced butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in the beaten egg and white wine vinegar and mix with a wooden spoon until dough is firm. (I ended up using my hands.) Cover it and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Flour a working surface and roll out the dough to a bit over ¼” thick and using a large round pastry cutter cut into rounds.  Make a cross on each cookie. Place the cookies on the greased cookie sheets and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 425° until slightly colored. Serve warm or cold. Yield – about three dozen 3″ cookies.  (Check out the pic of my soul cakes.)

Ex-Green Beret Ely Locklear is a master chef who loves to cook for his partner Todd Anderson and their ward, Lexie Carter. He tolerates the love of her life, Army Ranger Captain Taylor Jackson. Follow the non-traditional family as they pursue their happily-ever-afters in the steamy contemporary military romance Search & Rescue and the scorching hot M/M romance Ely’s Epiphany from Secret Cravings Publishing.

Search & Rescue. One look at Captain Taylor Jackson at a Career Day at Spring Hill College and wealthy coed Lexie Carter knew he was The One.  In six months they’re engaged and the wedding set for after graduation. When Taylor is reported killed in action in Afghanistan two months before their wedding, Lexie is devastated, her hopes for a family of her own crushed.  Can she survive a future without Taylor or will she succumb to her grief?

Army Ranger Taylor Jackson falls in love at first sight with young Lexie Carter. While on a mission in Afghanistan, he is captured by insurgents after taking his brother’s place on patrol. When Taylor escapes and returns home on what should have been their wedding day, Lexie has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Can he find her in time to rescue her from her fate?

Ely’s Epiphany . For Todd Anderson, a West Point graduate from a wealthy family, it was love at first sight. Living with Ely wasn’t easy, but it was the only life for him. When Ely plays too nice, Todd fears his partner—his first and only lover who introduced him to the gay lifestyle and sizzling hot sex—is preparing him for a Christmas breakup. Will this Christmas be their last together?

Ex-Green Beret Ely Locklear survived a childhood filled with poverty and abuse by building a wall around his heart. Although the millionaire mercenary and entrepreneur has a family and partner who love him, the wall and rough edges remain. When his ward’s new Army Ranger husband shows him that loving someone isn’t a weakness, he wonders if it’s too late for a fresh start with his partner of two decades.

Author Pages/Buy Links: Secret Cravings Publishing / Amazon

 http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=237

http://www.amazon.com/Rita-Bay/e/B0083WWI7U/

Author Links: Webpage / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest /

Rita Bay

http://ritabay.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ritabayauthor

https://twitter.com/ritabayauthor

http://www.pinterest.com/ritabayauthor/pins/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6154370.Rita_Bay http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=237

http://www.bookstrand.com/rita-bay

The Red Vest- J.E. Wiseman

Happy Release Day J.E. Wiseman

Fed up with his dead-end job in a hardware store, Chester walks out and takes the bus from Bayonne, New Jersey to New York. Feeling desperate for romance, he sees a red vest in a store window and imagines how dapper he'd look and how sexy women would desire him. He has to have it, but doesn't have enough money, and though it's too tight on him, he decides to steal it. Feeling transformed, Chester  meets Wilma in a dingy bar and though she isn't the girl of his fantasies, he becomes Charles, a real estate tycoon to impress her. Both are drunk and eager for romance, but when she invites him back to her apartment, they are caught in a down pour and arrive drenched where, in their awkwardness, we see their lonely lives unravel in a hilarious, poignant and ultimately romantic way that will warm your heart.

Secret Cravings Publishing

Blackjack - Desiree Holt

Who better to play a game of Cut the Cards than Nia “Queen of Hearts” March and Jack “Blackjack” Blackwell. It was just supposed hot be hot, inventive sex, led by the cards in the deck. But from the moment they met in the lounge of Club Fantasy, they both knew there was more in play than erotic activities. Strong emotions zapped the powerful Dom and his sought after sub, emotions neither of them were prepared to deal with. The cards they chose from the deck took them into an evening of sensual play that drove them both to unexpected heights and tightened that invisible bond wrapped around them, The evening was all that was promised and more. At the end of the night, as Blackjack brought his Queen of Hearts down from subspace, they had a big decision to make that would effect their lives going forward.

Secret Cravings Publishing

Fleeing Beauty - Mark Love

Jamie Richmond’s life takes another surprising turn.  Her father, who was an accomplished artist before his death more than twenty years ago, had hidden a number of finished pieces in a secret storeroom.  Now Jamie recruits Malone and a few close friends to discover what valuable treasures her father left behind. This is an opportunity for Jamie to learn more about her late father as well as herself.
Malone does his best to support and distract her. They’re not the only ones enjoying the warmth and passions of summer. But someone sinister is lurking in the background with a plan of their own.
Will Jamie be able to unravel the mystery in time?

Secret Cravings Publishing

Dangerous Love. Lost and Found- Jean Joachim and Ben Tanner

Happy Release Day Jean Joachim and Ben Tanner

With danger lurking around any corner, Eden Wyatt, CIA covert operative, traveled solo.  Hopping from one brief affair to the next, she’d be damned if she’d get a guy killed for loving her. But a chance meeting with a sexy, smart Major on New Year’s Eve rattled her resolve.
Hunted by assassins, Eden had forgotten how to trust. Wary, ever on the alert, the stunning woman, ready to kill or be killed, knew what she wanted. Would she dare break her own rules for Major Tom Davis?
Barreling through her defenses, Major Davis insisted on playing his own game. A man used to giving orders, not taking them, he refused to accept her terms. Would Eden put herself in the hands of those who wanted her dead, for love? Or would she kiss happiness goodbye and disappear back into her precarious life of running and hiding? 
 

Secret Cravings Publishing

Redemption of Blood - Michel Prince

Trisha O’Driscoll started tending bar to give her a free schedule and quick cash. She never thought the young solider that wandered in with a fake ID would want a woman almost twenty-years-older. Although they drew the line at commitment, Trisha can’t help falling for this mysterious stranger and his dark past.
James Schmitt took his life to escape his pain. The offer from Gabriel for salvation gave him a chance to take responsibility for his actions, but his inner demons won’t stop tormenting him. Gabriel gave but one order—protect his partner Kiriana at any cost. And he’ll be damned if he lets anyone down ever again.
Princess LaDressa, daughter of Lucifer, has come for revenge on the woman who slew her beloved Damarion. Kiriana holds his ashes, and with them, his only chance for resurrection.  One way or another, LaDressa will be united with her love.

Secret Cravings Publishing

Looted- Sheri Velarde

Happy Release Day Sheri Velarde

Sophia longs for the days when she was worshipped as a goddess and celebrated for her glory. Now she hides in plain sight and does what she must to keep the lifestyle she is accustomed. She has never been close to discovery until one New York City Detective, Bruce Stoker, enters the picture. Now all that she is and has done could come out into the open and destroy everything. She should disappear, but there is something different about this man that draws her to him.
Detective Bruce Stoker has never had an unsolved case, but there is something different about these art heists. Money is taken, but art is given to museums. Strange. If he can find the beautiful woman who seems to be the common link, then everything should be simple. That is what he thought at least until he met the gorgeous suspect in question.

Secret Cravings Publishing

Frederico - Jamallah Bergman

Happy Release Day Jamallah Bergman


Federico Cipriano has everything going for him….he has charm and flair as well as being the owner of his own landscaping business. Plus the fact that his good looks has gotten him with many women in town. But there seem to be one who is playing hard to get and she’s the one he desires the most out of all…..Michelle Bordeaux.
Michelle Bordeaux came with her parents to open up Le Jardin Des Cygnes in Kellington, on the knowledge that she would return back to Arizona after a year, so she could get back with the man she loves. But there has been something, well actually someone who has been nothing more than a thorn in her side since the first time he laid eyes on her….Federico Cipriano.
He wants her as a conquest…..but soon he realizes that he wants more.
She wants nothing to do with him…..but why does she find herself unable to get him off her mind?
What happens when these two absolutely different people go head to head with one another?
Plenty of laughs as well as tons of sparks.
 Also see what happens with Renzo & Jaslyn, Simone & Delia along with Gianni, Maiara and Fiona in the last book of the Cipriano of Kellington series.

Secret Cravings Publishing

Spring's Delight - Kathleen Ball

The last thing cowboy Colt O’Malley needs is another busybody intent on curing him of his grief. Deeply bitter, Colt finds it almost impossible honoring his brother’s last act of kindness.

Spring Reed grew up in the foster care system and when she finally ages out, she relies on her protector and friend, Billy Jack to help them make a life together. To her horror, Billy becomes an abusive bully. Her rescuer arrives in the form of a coffee drinking, hard studying, college student, Caleb O’Malley. With a promise of a new job, he buys her a bus ticket from Texas to his family ranch in Montana with the plan to meet her there in a week. Unfortunately, no one met her.

When Old Ed tries to drop Spring off at the O’Malley ranch, Colt tells him to take her back. One glance at the pain in her eyes and he couldn’t send her away. She reminds her of the abused horses he rescues and he had to try to honor Caleb’s wish.

Can two people with scarred souls learn to love again or will bitterness and doubt drive them apart?

 

Secret Cravings Publishing

Coming Home, MIsty Matthews

Happy Release Day Misty Matthews

Home is where the heart is.

Motorcycle riding, attorney Alana Stewart is a far cry from the shy, teenager who left Chance determined never to look back. Family obligations force her to return to the town that only holds bad memories for her. A stop at her former sanctuary brings an unexpected surprise...the new manager just might be what she needs to get her through the holidays.

When sexy, leather-clad Alana walks into the bookstore, Connor Tate, has a feeling he may be in for the ride of his life. Despite the fact that their lives are headed in different directions, they are drawn to one another. Connor is determined to prove to Alana that Chance isn’t the place she remembers, but will his efforts fail when she discovers he hasn’t told her the whole truth about himself?

Can they trust each other enough to take a chance on love?

Secret Cravings Publishing

Culinary Cravings with M S Spencer - Whirlwind Romance

What do pirates, princes, Puritans, and propaganda have in common? Lacey Delahaye, forager and jelly maker, finds out in this romantic suspense set in the western Caribbean.

Whirlwind Romance

Blurb:

In the aftermath of a hurricane, Lacey Delahaye finds herself marooned on the Gulf coast of Florida with a mysterious man. They are immediately drawn to each other, but before Armand can confess his identity, they are kidnapped and taken far from civilization to a tiny, remarkable island in the western Caribbean. With the help of her son Crispin, a small, but proud young boy named Inigo, and a cadre of extraordinary characters, Lacey and Armand must confront pirates, power-mad ideologues, and palace intrigue if they are to restore the once idyllic tropical paradise to its former serenity and find lasting happiness.

Buy Links:

SCP: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=934

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Whirlwind-Romance-M-S-Spencer-ebook/dp/B00N105I4E/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whirlwindromance-1605591-153.html

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/whirlwind-romance

The heroine of Whirlwind Romance, Lacey Delahaye, makes jellies from wild fruit she finds in the hammocks and coastal areas of Florida. Here is one of her recipes.

Recipe:

Sumac Jelly

The Florida sumac with edible berries is called shining sumac. Collect the dark red berries in the fall. Keep dry to preserve the malic acid on their skin that gives them their flavor. (Note: You can't mistake Poison Sumac for edible sumac because the poisonous plant has white berries.)

2 cups berries

2 quarts water

Stem but do not wash berries. Soak in hot (not boiling) water for one-half hour, stirring occasionally. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth to remove the hairs.

 3 cups juice

4 ½ cups sugar

1 box powdered pectin

 Bring juice and sugar to a full rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Add pectin and, stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, skim off any foam, and ladle into hot, sterilized jelly jars to within ¼ inch of the top. Wipe rims and place the two-piece canning lids on the jars but do not tighten completely. Turn the jars over and leave upside down for five minutes on a padded rack. Turn upright and tighten the lids completely.

Alternative method: Process filled, tightly closed jars in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Cool.

Makes about 4 pints.