Book Review: TASTE THE HEAT by Rachel Harris (Plus Bonus Recipe!!)

Okay, you know I don't usually read books written for grown-ups. And adult romance novels are usually way too steamy for this G-rated girl. But I'm a big fan of Rachel Harris' writing. I loved her debut Young Adult novel, MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY (which I just realized I didn't post a review for... so that will be coming soon), and after I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of her second Young Adult novel, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES (coming August 6th), I had to sample Rachel's writing for adults as well.

The official blurb:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef. One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she can’t afford to taste. Colby can’t wait to leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. Disillusioned by his past, he knows he should be focusing on finding the perfect mother for his daughter. But when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason can’t say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

My thoughts: 
Okay, first of all, a love story that centers around food and cooking? You have to admit that's perfect for me, right? You see why I was tempted?
So, I admit, I was kind of nervous as I began reading. And I don't know if that's why it took me a few pages to really connect with the characters, or if there were other factors at work, but by the time I was about ten percent through, I was hooked. I loved this story! After the kind-of slow start (which may have been entirely my own apprehension at work), I couldn't put it down. I read the whole book in just a couple of hours and ended with a happy sigh. (Love those happily ever afters!) And I totally fell in love with the characters. Jason was definitely swoon-worthy, and Colby was just as fun and spunky as a girl named Colby ought to be (she totally reminded me of my good friend, Colby)! I'll be watching for the next book in the series, because I'm anxious to see how the stories of the minor characters (particularly Colby's little sister) play out. As for the romance elements, TASTE THE HEAT was steamy enough to give me that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling, but clean enough that I won't freak out if my daughter stumbles across it on our shared kindle account (though I won't be recommending it to her, at her age). A word of warning for my fellow G-rated readers: this book isn't squeaky-clean. It is a romance novel, after all, so it won't be our next read-aloud-as-a-family book. There is some sex, although it's a behind-closed-doors, fade-to-black kind of thing. Like I said, nothing graphic that would make me squirm if I found out my daughter was reading.

BONUS! Of course, I can't review a book about cooking without sharing a decadent dessert recipe of my own, right? So yesterday, after I finished reading TASTE THE HEAT, I pulled out my trusty Crock Pot and started experimenting. The result was a delicious

Chocolate Souffle with Mixed Fruit 

You will need:
9 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. brandy flavoring
1 tsp. hazelnut extract
2 c. powdered milk
1/3 c. baking cocoa
6 c. water (divided)
6 c. whole wheat flour (you can use white flour, but whole wheat is more flavorful)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar, salt, oil and extracts. Beat in powdered milk, cocoa and 3 c. water. Stir in flour, one cup at a time, until fully incorporated. With mixer on lowest setting, drizzle in remaining 3 c. water, scraping down sides of mixing bowl after each cup. Pour mixture into greased 5-quart Crock Pot. Cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Vent the top of the crock pot for the last 30-45 minutes. Makes about 12 large servings. Serve warm, either plain or topped with mixed fruit. (I mixed about 2 lb. of frozen blueberries, strawberries and peaches together with 1/4 c. sugar to make a delicious sauce, but if your fruit is fresh, you probably won't need any added sugar.)


You can find TASTE THE HEAT here:

   

 

 

 

Little Things Really Matter

Lately, my brain has been on constant overload. I've had so much going on (amazing things and not-very-happy things all at once) that I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of too-much-to-do. And my attempts to focus on one thing at a time have led to nothing but a panicky what-if-something-else-is-more-important feeling. And not only have I been unable to complete the simplest tasks, but I feel like I can't even complete a thought.

Today, I sat in church, desperately trying to shut down my overloaded mind and concentrate on the peace I usually feel there. But all I could think about was my growing to-do list and the many issues I still couldn't figure out how to solve. As we quietly sat in the chapel, waiting for the Sacrament, a little girl in the pew across the aisle started softly singing a simple Primary song. (Primary is the children's Sunday school organization for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. - Many of the gospel principles are taught to the young children through songs.)

This particular song has always been one of my favorites. The words come from Jesus' parable about the wise man building his house upon a rock, and the foolish man building his house on the sand. (When the rains and floods came, only the wise man's house was left standing.) As I listened to this little girl happily singing "The wise man built his house upon the rock... and the rains came tumbling down..." all of the little drops of trouble that were flooding my mind came together in one great flood of issues. And I realized that my "house" is pretty sturdy. I have a firm foundation of family, friends, and the Lord to keep me from floating away, no matter how high the flood waters rise around me. And even though I still don't know what to do about some of the problems I'm facing, I know they'll help me through.

So today, I'm thankful for an adorable little girl and a sweet song that helped put everything in perspective!

Oh, and speaking of little things...

Phil (@ArtistHubby to those of you who know him by that name) thought it was really funny to startle our friend's daughter, Natalie Bush, every time he saw her. Because she was so easily scared. She was determined to get him back, but she never could sneak up on him properly (he always saw her and scared her instead), so when she moved, I promised I'd get him back for her. Natalie, this video is for you!! :)

I set up the video camera to record one afternoon when I was home sick, knowing that Phil would come in to check on me when he came home, so I could scare him. Sorry for the dark, grainy image. I couldn't light the area better, or he would know something was up.

Crock Pot Gourmet: Baked Beans

Baked Black Beans with BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, potato salad & mixed veggies

'Tis the season for backyard barbeques!
We have cookouts in these summer months, so we won't have to heat our houses by turning on the ovens. Yet, one of the staple side dishes at any good barbeque is Baked Beans - which are often slow-cooked in the oven. But this is one dish that easily converts to Crock Pot Gourmet cooking. The low and slow cooking method was made for the crock pot!

Happy Birthday, Summer! Nutella-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Monday, I opened up my Twitter feed to see many of my friends wishing Summer (@Fizzygrrl) a Happy Birthday. What? A birthday? And I didn't send anything?? This situation must be rectified immediately!! So I ran to the kitchen and whipped up a delicious peanut-butter cookie-based dessert... and then I remembered. Summer's son has peanut allergies. Ooops!

However... I KNOW Summer loves Nutella! I could make a Nutella-based cookie!... Except, I happen to be allergic to Nutella (it's the palm kernel oil that gets me, not the actual hazel nut and chocolate goodness).

Well, you know me. I'll never let a little thing like allergies stop me. It took me a few days to figure it out, but in the end, the answer was simple. I just made my own HOMEMADE Nutella!! And the cookies are delicious!

So, Summer, Happy Birthday!! This recipe is for you:

Book Review: HOW MARTHA SAVED HER PARENTS FROM GREEN BEANS by David LaRochelle

 Every Tuesday, Martha’s parents tried to make her eat green beans for dinner, but Martha knew green beans weren’t any good.

Broken Things

This week has been a really difficult one for me. Without going into a lot of personal details, suffice it to say that the plans I've made for myself keep going awry. And I've been very frustrated with the way my plans keep breaking to bits. I keep asking myself, "Why can't anything go right???"

But on Thursday night, we had our monthly Relief Society activity (Relief Society is the women's organization for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The theme of the evening was parenting, and one of the speakers (my friend Ana's mom) talked about loving our children, even when they stray into destructive paths. As she quoted a talk from Jeffrey R. Holland (one of the General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), I couldn't help but think of this song by Kenneth Cope:

Crock Pot Gourmet: Barbeque Pork Sandwiches

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches 

Pitch-a-Rama!

I've been trying to hold myself to a 2-contest limit on my manuscripts, so they don't end up seeming overused and old... but even though I've already had successful runs in Pitch Madness and The Write Voice, I saw the line-up of editors participating in Pitch-a-Rama, and I couldn't help myself. So I'm going to throw my pitch in the ring one more time. Wish me luck!

Update: Yay!! I made it to the editor round of Pitch-a-Rama! WooHoo!! :) There are a few publishers on the list of participants that I'd really love a chance to work with, so I'm keeping my toes crossed. (Can't cross the fingers, because that makes it really difficult to type.)

Book Review: ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans

Today is the day!

ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans is officially available now!

I was one of the lucky people who got to read an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of this novel, and I've been waiting to post the review since I read (and loved) it way back in February!! (Didn't want to post the review before it was available, since it would be just mean to be raving about a book you couldn't read yet.) But it's finally available for purchase, and I can share my thoughts.

ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans: Final Comic Teaser

Tomorrow, my friend, Leigh Ann Kopans' book: ONE will be released!

Boring Summer? Try this Instant Fix!

The kids have been out of school for a little over two weeks, and we've already packed a lot of summer fun into our days. We've had movie marathons, sleepovers, all-day pool parties, play dates at the local video arcade/pizza buffet, daddy-daughter dates, manicures, father-son camp-outs, hanging-out-with-mommy nights, trips to the library, monster-brownie-sundae dessert nights, water fights, picnics... and my son just got home from a week-long "trek" (the young men and women from the congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in our area divided into families and handcart companies, then participated in a recreation of the pioneer trek west). We've been so busy, I've barely had time to stop and take a breath. Two-and-a-half weeks into the summer break, and I'm already on the verge of collapse. There's no way I'll be able to keep up this frantic pace all summer long.

Crock Pot Gourmet: Tomato, Artichoke and Zucchini Pizza

The Cinnamon Rolls we made in the Crock Pot were such a success that we decided to see what else we could adapt from oven baking to Crock Pot baking. As I have 2 teenagers & 2 preteens with healthy appetites, pizza is always a welcome choice for dinner. However, in the summertime, I often prefer something a little less heavy than the typical sausage & pepperoni-filled pizza. Luckily, fresh vegetables are plentiful and totally yummy right now, and they make delicious pizzas!

For this Tomato, Artichoke and Zucchini Pizza, we brought out both the 7-quart and the 5-quart Crock Pots, but if you have a smaller family, you might want to cut the recipe in half.

ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans: Comic Teaser #7

On June 11th, my friend, Leigh Ann Kopans' book: ONE will be released!

Book Review: THE PAPER HOUSE by Lois Peterson

THE PAPER HOUSE by Lois Peterson is a heartwrenching true-to-life middle grade story, full of rich images and description that pulls you right into the world of the novel.

Overcoming the Six Destructive Ds

Yesterday, in church, our Bishop spoke about being prepared to face the storms of life, when they inevitably hit. He based much of his message on a talk by Elder Kevin W. Pearson in the April 2009 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon church). And as often happens, I found myself applying the message of this talk to my own life. (Isn't that what we're supposed to do?)

Elder Pearson talked about "Six Destructive Ds" that can harm our spirits, if we allow them to take over our hearts.

1. Doubt: "Doubt is a negative emotion related to fear. It comes from a lack of confidence in one’s self or abilities. It is inconsistent with our divine identity as children of God." - We are children of God!! We have so much potential, and we should not allow ourselves to wallow in fear and doubt. Instead, we should focus on our great gifts and immense potential, striving to turn each failure and setback into a learning experience, from which we can grow. Recently, as I've watched The Writer's Voice competition play out... as so many of my fellow writers have received multiple requests for their entries, and mine sat for the first day of the agent round without a single request, I began to play that devastating "what if" game. What if I'm only fooling myself? What if I don't have what it takes to be a writer? What if "Cupid" only chose me for her team because she felt sorry for me? - Being aware of my weaknesses is a good thing. It's important for me to be able to see where I can improve, and how I can make myself better. But this kind of "what if" thinking doesn't make me a better writer. It won't move me along the path to greater things. And luckily, I have some amazing friends and critique partners who are really good at slapping me silly when I start playing "what if."

2. Discouragement: "Doubt leads to discouragement.‍ Discouragement comes from missed expectations. Chronic discouragement leads to lower expectations, decreased effort, weakened desire, and greater difficulty feeling and following the Spirit." - When we allow ourselves to wallow in self-doubt, it doesn't take long before we start wondering if it's even worth it to try. Because if I'm only fooling myself and don't have what it takes to be a writer, then writing will only lead to one disappointment after another, right?

3. Distraction: "Discouragement leads to distraction,‍ a lack of focus." - As soon as I start travelling down that path of doubt and discouragement, I discover that I truly can't write. I pull out the video games to waste time. My to-do list of chores grows... I even find myself preferring to wash the dishes (a chore I absolutely hate) than sitting and staring at a blank page. Anything to distract myself from the negative thoughts swirling around in my brain. But the thing is, all of the distractions in the world won't eliminate the doubt and discouragement.

4. Lack of Diligence: "Distraction leads to a lack of diligence,‍ a reduced commitment to remain true and faithful and to carry on through despite hardship and disappointment." - The antidote for fear is moving forward with faith. I'll never write anything while playing mind-numbing video games. I need to pick up my story pencils and notebooks and start letting the words pour out of me. And yes, many of the scribbled words will be crap. They'll take weeks and months' worth of revising before they're ready for the world to see. But I can't revise a blank sheet of paper. I'll never get anywhere if I don't take those important first steps.

5. Disobedience: "If not reversed, this path ultimately leads to disobedience,‍ which undermines the very basis of faith." - In every aspect of life, there are rules and guidelines to follow for success. And though it's sometimes tempting, when I start following the destructive path of Doubt, Discouragement, Distraction and lack of Diligence, to adopt a "you can't tell me what to do" attitude, it simply won't help me to start sending emails to tell off every agent that's ever rejected me.

6. Disbelief: "So often the result is disbelief, the conscious or unconscious refusal to believe." - Luckily, I've never reached this stage. But I've seen others reach it. And it's nearly impossible to come back from. Because once you start refusing to believe in the good parts, the negative completely takes control over your life.

Elder Pearson observed: "Disappointment is an inevitable part of life, but it need not lead to doubt, discouragement, distraction, or lack of diligence." And when I look back on my own journey, I can trace every good and amazing thing that's ever happened to me (in every aspect of life, not just in my writing) directly back to a major disappointment. Often, I build up my expectations for one outcome, determined that "I'll be happy if..." only to discover that the Lord has other plans for me. And you know what? His plan is always better than mine. Because He sees the whole picture, and I'm only focused on a little piece of the puzzle.

So I went into The Writer's Voice with the expectation and hope that I'd get at least 3 requests... which would mean I could send my full manuscript to each requesting agent. I got one official request and one ninja request, which means I'll send the partial manuscript instead. BUT those requests were from JOHN RUDOLPH (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) and LAURA BRADFORD (Bradford Literary Agency)... and I'm beyond thrilled to have the chance to send my pages to these amazing agents! Perhaps, once again, a small dose of Disappointment is the key to something better than I dared to imagine.

Only time will tell.