#MondayMunchies - Polka Dot Cake #recipe from @MarciBoudreaux

by Marci Boudreaux

Something can be said for Pinterest. I have learned so much from that site about gardening, decorating, and fashion. So when it came time to plan my daughter’s birthday party, I pulled up my Birthday board and took a gander.

Oh, polka dot cake…my daughter loves polka dots. So much so, that I painted her room pink with purple polka dots just last summer.

Now, anyone who has ever tried something off of Pinterest knows that, generally, it’s not going to go as smoothly as assumed. Well…let me tell you about the polka dot cake.

The first sign of trouble was when I read the directions and I didn’t have the required cake ball pan. Well. I have a mini muffin pan, I can improvise. I’m good at that…as you’ll soon see.

So I took out my three cake mixes, stirred one together, and split the batter. So far so good.

Then I dyed the batter. Well…my colors didn’t come out nearly as vibrant, but that’s okay. We can go with dingy pastel shades. So I made the mini muffins.

Then I mixed up the other two batters and layered the first bit on the bottom of the pan. And suddenly, like a light bulb going off, I realized my polka dots would look like…well, mini muffins. So I gently pried the muffin tops off and decided that was close enough. (These are a bunch of eight year olds, really, they’re just happy there’s cake, right?)

I cover my make-shift muffin polka dots with the rest of the batter and…wait…my muffin-dots are rising. I push them down and hurry up and put the cakes in the oven. Because we all know, the quicker you get it in the oven, the faster we can pretend that everything is resolved and all will work out.

Twenty five minutes later, the timer dings and I tentatively open the oven door to find…more muffins?

Oh, yes, perhaps I overfilled the pans just a touch in my attempt to cover my muffin-dots. The cake had grown up and over the cake pans, making giant, yet thin muffins.

Hmmm. These are supposed to layer, right? How can I layer muffins? I considered this for a long time. I even had an in-depth discussion over the phone with my husband who obviously didn’t care in the least about the ins and outs of layering cakes that looked like muffins.

Finally, it was decided. I’m just going to decorate one cake. There are only a few girls anyway, so I chose the better looking of the two and slathered it in white frosting. I did this because we had picked out lovely glitter infused purple icing (the package said it was pink, that stuff was purple) to put on lovely little polka dots and polka dot sprinkles to go with the awesome polka (muffin) dots inside.

So the icing is set and I get out the purple-not-pink decorative icing and start putting on the polka dots. But even icing doesn’t play nice when it is going on a Pinterest cake. It smeared, it smudged, it taunted me at every turn. I’m fairly certain I heard some of those TV bakers laughing at me as I tried to mimic their squeeze, push, and pull technique for making dots.

Well, at this point all the warm and fuzzy Betty Homemaker feelings were gone. I grabbed the biggest meanest looking spatula I could find and I smeared that damned icing, not giving a crap what it looked like. Damn it, it’s just a cake. They only want it for the sugar buzz anyway.

Then I stood back and I smiled because, despite all the trouble, I had just made a beautiful white and purple-not-pink tie-dye looking mini muffin-dot cake.

And it was lovely.

I set it aside, ready for the glittery candle to be placed, headed straight for my laptop, and deleted that damned polka dot cake recipe from my birthday board. But, I’ll share it with you, just in case you want to give it a try.

Polka Dot Cake
2 boxed white cake mixes (plus the oil, water and eggs to make them according to the package)
You favorite frosting (I used my butter cream recipe, doubled, which you can get by clicking HERE.)
Sprinkles or candy to decorate the cake.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Make one of the cakes according to package directions.

Divide batter evenly into smaller bowls based on the number of colors you want to use (I did 4).

Color the batter using color gels (I love the Wilton brand in particular because it gives such a vivid color)

Following the directions for your particular cake pop maker, make cake balls using each of the colors.

While cake balls are cooling, preheat oven to 350F, and make the second cake mix according to package.

Spray 3 – 6″ round pans with non-stick spray and set a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each one (to keep your layers pretty!)

Spread a thin layer of batter in the bottom of each pan, place cake balls on top in any pattern you choose and divide remaining batter over the top of the balls so they are completely covered.

Bake layers for about 30 minutes. You can use the toothpick test (I recommend it!) but be careful to hit cake and not cake balls…you can kind of tell where they are- they bump up just a bit.

When cooked all the way through, tip over on a cake rack to cool completely.

Trim, if needed, to flatten layers and use frosting to stack all three layers and cover the entire cake with frosting. Decorate as desired.

To see what the Polka Dot Cake should look like, please click HERE.

Here's a little from Unforgettable You, my latest contemporary romance, for your reading pleasure while you sit back with a glass of chilled wine and forget you ever thought of baking.

Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.

Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.

The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.

To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Today Only! #KindleDailyDeal 99 Cents on Bliss Books!

The Bliss Imprint of Entangled Publishing is a featured sale on Amazon today, August 10th, only. The normally $2.99 titles are on sale today only for 99 cents! This includes Construction Beauty Queen and Love Him or Leave Him. So, if you've been considering buying but haven't yet, today is the day to take the blissful plunge!

Construction Beauty Queen

She's on the job...and out of his league.

Chicago socialite Veronica Jamison is determined to shake off her sheltered lifestyle and overbearing parents. She heads to her grandfather’s small town of Kortville, ready to roll up her sleeves and work for the family construction business. She’ll prove her worth, even if it means answering to the company’s ruggedly handsome co-owner, Matt.

Matt Shaw just wants to run his business, spend time with the niece he’s raising on his own, and give back to the townspeople who have stood by him. Managing a spoiled-rotten princess he knows he’ll never be good enough for? Not part of his plan. But as he gets to know Veronica, he learns there’s more to her than her beautiful looks and designer clothes. She’s got a heart as rich as her background.

With the quirky townspeople rallying against Veronica inheriting her grandfather’s business, it’s up to Matt to try to drive her out of town. But how can he, when instead she’s driving her way into his heart?

Sample the first chapter of Construction Beauty Queen here


Love Him or Leave Him
Sometimes dreams are where you least expect them.

Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Connor left to join the military, and Becca stayed, waiting for her younger brother to graduate so she could live her dreams of traveling the world. But now that Connor's back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart.

Connor loves Kortville—its quaintness keeps at bay the painful memories of Afghanistan he’s sure make him unworthy of any woman, particularly the beautiful brunette he’s always secretly dreamed of a future with. But when a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm…and come out on the other side of it together.

Sample the first chapter of Love Him or Leave Him here

Both books are part of The Small Town, Big Dreams series--sweet and sassy small-town romances published by the Bliss imprint of Entangled Publishing. This is an on-going series with more books to come! For pictures that inspired me as I wrote Construction Beauty Queen and Love Him or Leave Him, check out the Small Town, Big Dreams series board on Pinterest.

Friday Friends - New Release for @OliviaStarke from @DecadentPub #DirtyLove #1NS

 DIRTY LOVE

A 1Night Stand story by Olivia Starke

Buy Links HERE

BLURB

Kat goes on the prowl looking for a one night stand to rile up her new friends. A little shock and awe to keep her sane in a life no longer hers. When she’s matched with Jared through 1Night Stand, he seems perfect for her plans. Conservative, sweet, and sexy as sin, she’s ready for one hell of a ride.

But Jared is more than she bargained for—much more. And when her plans for amusement turn dangerous will the two find a way to stay alive?

EXCERPT

“Come on.” She winked. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I thought these things were urban legend. I never imagined I’d see one in real life.”

His date’s gaze glimmered with mischief. “There are lots of big hairy surprises out there for those brave enough to search for them.”

“Like you, for one.” He cleared his throat. “Except for the hairy part. I hope, anyway.”

A slight blush colored her cheeks, and he brushed his knuckles over the soft skin there. Shadows marred the smoothness beneath her eyes. Had she been sick? Or maybe her party girl lifestyle drew out too much. She stepped back.

“Cowboy up, sugar.” She grasped his hand and pulled him forward, again surprising him with her power. Under the softness of her curves lay a fair amount of muscle. He swallowed. She could ride him without tiring, take his maddened pounding for hours. It’d take all night to spend the pent up energy boiling in his veins. He’d passed the point of return; jerking off wouldn’t satiate his needs. Without sex, and soon, he’d run howling through the streets, a crazed animal.

After taking an elevator to the basement level of the parking garage, she led him to a red door and rapped on its freshly painted surface. Dark corners closed in on them. The hairs on his arms and neck rose. He sensed being watched. More cameras. Were as many inside? And maybe a live Internet feed his family could run across in some improbable way?

Don’t create imaginary monsters. He squared his shoulders.

A partition slid open. Dark eyes narrowed, focusing on Kat who lifted a pale brow. The panel slammed closed, and Jared let a small sigh slip. Could he be off the hook? This night had turned out to be more than he’d bargained for, leaving him ready to tuck tail and run. Find somewhere else to indulge his feral wants with his date. The door swung open, and the odor of incense assaulted him. His escape option evaporated.

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Tuesday Toolbox - Twitter Party #BlissBall August 7th, 9-10pm EST #giveaway

As every writer who intends to write for more than an audience of one soon discovers, you can't just write a great book. You have to promote it too.

Luckily, promotion can be fun. It can even be a PARTY with other awesome authors who write the same time of books as you. Which means readers come to party because they're a fan of one author, discover you, and might just fall in love with the books you write too.

In the midst of this glorious exposure, you and your soon-to-be readers are having fun chatting up the Twitter-sphere, and your readers are winning cool swag that they'll love and remember the awesome author who gave it to them. It's a win-win plan for readers and authors alike.

Iif you'd like to check out a Twitter party with cool giveaway prizes (including those cool antique bronze "live your dream" charms pictured above), join the sweet and sassy authors of Entangled Bliss on Twitter on August 7th from 9-10pm EST. Use the hashtag #BlissBall, and you'll be entered for our random giveaways.

#MondayMunchies - Chicken Wings and Cranberry Martini #recipe from @kings_falcon

by Nancy DiMauro

This is a DiMauro family favorite. I have no idea where my Mom originally found the recipe or if she made it up herself. One of these days I’ll remember to ask. But summer always included barbeques on the grill and her marinated chicken wings. I have the recipe written down as both “single” batch and “double”. Can’t remember ever making a single batch. I wrote the recipe down from my Mom’s index card when I was still in high school (many moons ago). These wings went to Beach Week in college and what I was asked to make at most pot-luck parties. The steno book page with the recipe is stained with drops of soy sauce and lord knows what else from the years of use. While these are great hot, they’re amazing cold the next day. That’s why I always make the double batch. If you choose to do so simply double all the ingredients.

It’s one of my favorite recipes and I hope you like it to.

DiMauro Chicken Wings
Soy Sauce ½ cup
Oil ¼ cup
Meat Tenderizer/ Accent 1 tbsp.
Dry Mustard 1 tbsp.
Lemon Juice ¼ cup
Molasses 1 tbsp.
Crushed Garlic ¼ tbsp.*
Chicken Wings 2-4 lbs

* I always use more garlic than the recipe calls for. So if you like garlic, don’t hesitate to use more.

Mix all ingredients, cover, marinate at least overnight, and stir occasionally


Preheat oven to 350°F

Place chicken wings on foiled and greased cookie sheet. Cook for 50-60 minutes and baste occasionally.

If you want something cool and smooth to go down with it, try this Cranberry Martini recipe from my second mom, Phyllis Hussey.

Cranberry Martini
Vodka 1 shot
Cranberry Juice 2 shots
Lime juice to taste – about ½ tsp.

Shaken not stirred.

That’s it - enjoy.

Now relax. Nibble on these yummy wings while you sip a marvelous martini and read a little from Shots at Redemption my latest speculative fiction.


Sometimes even mythical beings need a second chance at love.

We all make mistakes. In this collection, a witch, a goddess, and a dragon each have a second chance at reclaiming lost love.

In "Best Dressed and Obsessed, Janelle, a graduate-level witch, chooses a magic dress to enthrall her professor. Sadly, the dress is cursed. At her graduation ball, will she kiss the man she loves? Or kill him?

Eons ago, Zeus decreed that Odysseus leave Kalypso. In "Kalypso's Song", Odysseus is reborn as a scholar. Can Kalypso convince him to reclaim the love they were denied?
The sea dragon Ryu spares a ship crossing her domain when a human child aboard reminds her of her own lost children. Ryu finds an unlikely surrogate family in "A Sea Serpent's Tale". When her new family is attacked by another dragon, can Ryu save them?

Shots at Redemption. Even supernatural creatures want them. But, do they get them?

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

To read excerpts from Nancy's other Musa Publishing books, please click HERE.

Learn more about Nancy DiMauro and her impressive work on her website Falcons Fables and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

#MySexySaturday - Psychic Lies #WiccanHaus @MusaPublishing @MySexySaturday

He began the uncorking process with an ease and expertise that proved he knew his way around a good wine. The nearly translucent contents sparkled in the sun, as he handed her a glass. Then he poured himself a matching flute and clinked it with hers. “To passion and new prospects.”

“To new beginnings.” She sipped the cool, citrus tang of the white wine and leaned back on the blanket, staring up at the blue sky. She could almost believe a new beginning and prospects were possible. She’d spent the entire morning painting and hadn’t had to lie once about who she was.

Now she was having a picnic with quite possibly the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. As long as he never learned the truth about her, she could enjoy this mutual seduction and savor a few days of normalcy.

“What cheese do you recommend?” Armando asked, surveying the platter. “I can’t tell what any of these are.”

Fiona set her wine aside to join him in studying the variety before her. She tasted a couple, considering. “Oh, try this one.” The moment she bit into it she wanted to share the experience. “It’s cranberry cheddar. I thought it’d be tart, but it’s actually really sweet.” She lifted another cube off the plate and leaned toward him, pressing it to his lips.

He took the square in his mouth, his tongue darting out and tasting her finger. His dark brown eyes never wavered from her face. “Very sweet.”

Her breath hitched. She let her finger linger on his lower lip, sliding across its fullness, longing to kiss him, afraid of moving too fast and losing herself in the way he made her feel.

Buy Links:
Musa Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand
Smashwords
Diesel
Kobo
iTunes

Psychic Lies

Fiona must keep her ability to read minds during sex a secret from those determined to exploit her, especially a sexy truth-finding investigator who needs her psychic power to save his job.

Fiona has spent her life hiding her sexual mind-reading power at the risk of being exploited by the government. Instead, she pretends to have lifebond vetting powers like the rest of her family. When her fake power results in the death of an innocent woman, her life of lies unravels and she retreats to the Wiccan Haus.

Armando is the head of the Department of Truth-Finding for the Syndicate. To prove his unit’s worth to the government, he follows Fiona to the Wiccan Haus to expose her as an infiltrator of an enemy faction. The truth about Fiona is even more valuable to his people and his career.

Fiona uses her power to seduce Armando and stop his plans to betray her. But nothing is strong enough to keep her from falling in love with this man whose power threatens to destroy her. Now she must trust him, not only with her life and her psychic lies, but also her heart.

Friday Friends - @sharonledwith Celebrates Her Canada

Note: Sharon originally created this lovely post to celebrate Canada Day on July 1st, but many provinces celebrate Civic/Provincial Day on August 5th, so it seemed appropriate to share this post now.

My Canada…more than Maple Syrup and Mounties
by Sharon Ledwith

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians! Hope you’re kick-starting your holiday by planning to attend one of the many events July 1st has to offer around the area where you live. Most of the day, we usually hang out with family and friends on our dock until dusk—eat, drink, and be merry—then go watch the fireworks display in town. Note to self—bring the bug spray.

So what about you? Don’t know how you’re going to celebrate Canada’s 146th Birthday? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Sit down, grab a cup of whatever you please (hey, it’s a holiday after all), and check out the list of activities to choose from below:

• Go to the beach. Use the holiday to bake in the sun (don’t forget the SPF), enjoy the warm weather and cool water.

• Go to the park, fly a kite or walk your dog. Most Canucks spend this holiday outdoors so you’ll be able to take advantage of the summer heat and maybe make a new friend.

• Have your family and friends over for an old fashioned barbecue. Sip on your favorite brand of beer and appreciate what it means to be Canadian.

• Go to your town’s local parade. Show your pride by dressing up in all red and white—the Canada flag or maple leaf temporary tattoos are a favorite among celebrants!

• Go to a carnival. Eat fried dough, snack on cotton candy, drink beer, go on all your favorite rides (you may want to bring a puke bag) and play all the games.

• Look up local concerts in your area. Many cities and towns hold festivals where bands will play music at outdoor venues.

• Go for a ride in a hot air balloon. This fun activity lets you admire our beautiful country from thousands of feet in the air.

• Go to your local brewery. Canadians love beer, so there is no better way to celebrate our birthday than to take a tour of your favorite brewery. Many of these tours are free and come with samples. Lake of Bays Brewing Company and Muskoka Brewery are my top picks!

• Go camping. Take a couple days off work, and enjoy everything that the Canadian wilderness has to offer. Tons of provincial parks to choose from!

• There is nothing more Canadian than hockey. Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. Take an exhibit tour and honor your favorite players.

• Go to a citizenship ceremony. There is nothing more patriotic than watching new citizens take an oath to love, honor, and respect our country.

• Go to your local fireworks show. There is nothing more beautiful than watching the colorful explosions light up the sky. Plus saying ‘ohhh—ahhh’ is always fun.

• Go fishing. Canada is famous for their awesome bass (and pickerel) fishing and this is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate Canada.

• Go white water rafting (still want to do this one). Canada’s rivers offer a variety of different difficulty levels so whether you’re a rafting pro or a rookie in search of an adventure, rafting is always a fun activity.

• Last, but not least, lounge by the pool (or on a beach) and read a good book.

May I make a suggestion? The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis is a popular, family read, ready to download on your ereader at your pleasure. Take a peek:

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

To read an excerpt of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, please click HERE.

Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon Link
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers, available through Musa Publishing. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.