***
UPDATE***
Woot! We have winners! Mel Bourn & Shadow Kohler win The Djinn's Dilemma & the swag packs! I'll be emailing you both soon to figure out the logistics. :)
And a heartfelt thank you, cyber hugs & chocolates for everyone who participated in the Author In Bloom Blog Hop & my giveaway. You all made this a lot of fun!
***
Woot! I'm thrilled to be participating in my very first Authors In Bloom Blog Hop with fun posts, a traveling story and awesome giveaways -- books, swag & even chances to win a Nook or a Kindle!
My assigned line in the traveling story is~
Line 11: "Of course not. You’re beautiful."
(To be eligible for the grand prize, readers must copy each a short phrase posted on each author’’ blog post and assimilate them into the complete passage: “Authors in Bloom,” a vignette about a women’s personal growth and empowerment.)
I love this line, because it reminds me of Shay & Maya, the romantic pair starring in my recently released paranormal romance novella A Tale of Two Djinns (50% of the proceeds being donated to UNICEF):
Maya’s bent legs rested against his, and he moved his hands back and forth across her knees in long, lazy strokes.
“May I wash your hair?”
“My hair?”
“There are some leaves tangled in it,” he said. “From the greenhouse.”
Not to mention tons of dust, maybe even an insect or two. Yikes. She’d have to rethink flying carpet travel. Maya cringed. “Um, yes please. Thanks.”
She hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, shutting her eyes. Deft fingers unraveled her topknot, massaged her scalp and threaded through her hair. She bit her lower lip to keep from moaning.
Warm water poured on top of her head, trickled down her face and neck. Strong fingers lathered soap into her hair, paused to gently unknot tangles. More water rushed through, washing away the soap and the day’s debris. Next she felt the steady strokes of a comb. Stroke after gentle stroke.
“You have beautiful hair.”
“It’s straight and boring.”
The combing stopped. No, please don’t stop. Don’t stop.
“You really don’t see yourself, do you?”
Shagaard had mirrors, and she glanced in them at passing. “What do you see?”
“A beautiful woman.” Akshay wound her hair around one hand, pulled it to the side. He kissed her exposed nape. A soft sigh escaped her. “A woman with silky soft hair that shimmers blue black.”
Another kiss, this time on the side of her neck. Then he let her hair slide free of his grasp. “It’s like running my fingers through night in all her glory.”
What I love about my hero Akshay or Shay is that he's a surprising and complex character. Shay is a battle axe of an earth djinn warrior, but he’s not all brawn. A warrior prince of the earth djinns (genies), he wields swords as easily as breathing...yet he loves plants and agriculture because it means food for his people and he loves taking care of his heartmate.
So if he were feeding Maya he'd choose a dish that celebrated Spring and nourished the soul...like a verdant Pea Soup!
Spring Pea & Mint Soup ( a recipe out of “If it makes you healthy,” the new cookbook by singer Sheryl Crow)
The brilliant color, minty aroma and refreshing taste make this lovely. It tastes good warm or cold from the refrigerator. The mint not only refreshes your senses, but also helps stimulate digestion.
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 pound frozen or fresh shelled peas
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 ½ cups packed fresh spinach leaves
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. When hot, add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the vegetable broth and bring to boil.
4. Add peas and mint, cook 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Turn the heat low and add lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk the soup to mix all the ingredients, and then remove from heat. Let the soup cool for about 10 minutes.
6. Add in the raw spinach.
7. I used my immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot. However, you can use a blender. Just work in two batches. If using blender, you could divide the raw spinach and add it to each batch in the blender.
8. Return soup to pot. Taste and adjust seasoning, then heat gently until warm.
9. Serves 4 to 6. (I served it with a shrimp salsa and chips on the side).
Now for the giveaway...drumroll please:
For my part of the giveaway, you can win a Kindle or Nook version of my first novella, an erotic paranormal romance published by Harlequin, THE DJINN'S DILEMMA, plus some cool genie swag -- a signed postacard featuring the cover of A Tale of 2 Djinns, a genie lamp key chain and a packet of wildflower seeds.
To enter you can do one of several things or a combination for more chances:
1. Leave a comment with your email (earns you one entry).
2. Follow me on twitter (earns you one entry)...but tweet at me: "Found you through Authors In Bloom."
3. Fan me on Goodreads and please leave me a message mentioning Authors In Bloom (earns you one entry).
4. Like my Facebook Author Page! (earns you two entries)
(If you do a combination, please mention all that you've done in a comment at the end of this post)
Tour ends April 18th at 11:59pm EST. TWO winners will be chosen & announced by April 20th.
GRAND PRIZE: Authors In Bloom authors are giving away a Kindle Fire or Nook (winner’s choice) along with a $25 gift card for the same.
Now, go check out all the other authors participating in Authors In Bloom!
