#Thursday13 Favorite Foods @Akaria_Gale #MFRWauthor

Akaria Gale is a native New Yorker, slow cooker enthusiast, hard cider advocate who occasionally finds time to write about the secret world right underneath our noses.

Today, she shares her favorite foods and her newest book.

Thirteen Favorite Foods

Wasabi

Garlic

Homemade marinara sauce

Medium rare steak

Whiskey

Jerk Chicken

Mangoes

Salmon sashimi w/jalapeno peppers

Dumplings

Saag Paneer

Basil

Massaman curry

BBQ ribs

Angel's Awakening (Awakening #1)

Paranormal Romance
After a disgraceful two thousand year demotion, Charouth is a heartbeat away from regaining her status as one of Heaven's Elite angels. Her final mission: to retrieve five rare artifacts and prevent Satan's escape from Hell. A formidable task that becomes nearly impossible when Azazel, Satan’s top relic hunter and her ex-lover, joins the quest.

Bloody confrontations with the worst the Netherworld has to offer land her further away from redemption than ever, forced to choose between duty or desire. Two thousand years ago, their passion defied Heaven and Hell. Will love blossom again, or will ancient allegiances tear them apart forever?

BUY LINK

EXCERPT

In a blink, the bald Fallen rushed to strike. She brought her arm up to block. Damn that poisoned bite. Too slow again. With the flick of a wrist, he grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall. She winced as her wings made contact. Chunks of concrete fell to the ground. His nails lengthened into deadly claws. Blood oozed from her flesh. He reeked of the Netherworld. Her eyes watered, vision dimmed, face flooding red in shame. Oh, the embarrassment of it all. Outmaneuvered by a Fallen. Incapable of protecting humans. Mauled by a friggin’ hellhound. Talk about demotion. She’d be lucky if they allowed her a Watcher position after this.
“I'm gonna love ripping your head off, sheanar.”
The air thrummed with tension and power. Less potent than what the Fallen, radiated but more recognizable, this was the energy she’d felt earlier.
“Release her."" A new voice entered this little get together. It was dark and ominous, yet strangely familiar.
The Fallen loosened his grip a bit and turned his head toward the tunnel. It was so quiet. No rats scurrying in dark corners. No dripping water. Not even the distant rumble of a train. Just eerie, disconcerting quiet.
“No worries, man. I just found us a little bitch to play with.”
“Let her go.” The newcomer cocked his weapon. It echoed loudly in the underground silence. “Now.”
“Oh, come on, man. She's a spunky one. We could have fun with her. Before we kill her.”
“Amazarek, let her go. This woman is mine.”
Charouth twisted her head toward the newcomer. Her jaw dropped. She saw a ghost.

CONNECT with Akaria
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9805223.Akaria_Gale
http://www.pinterest.com/04zfvvgygotwfib/
https://twitter.com/akaria_gale
https://www.facebook.com/akariagale?ref=hl
http://www.akariagale.com/

A QUICK AND QUIRKY #MFRWauthor Interview To Save a Lady @Pat_Preston

A Quick and Quirky Interview with MFRW Author Patricia Preston
Patricia writes stories that have strong characters, some humor, some romance, some adventure, and lots of emotion. She has won several awards for her fiction, and she is currently working on a series, the French Quarter Brides and a series of contemporary romances set in  Lafayette Falls, a fictional city near Nashville. She had a Western romance available from Carina Press entitled Almost an Outlaw, and two humorous short stories, “The Yard Sale” and “Laid to Rest” available on Amazon.

If money were not an object, where would you like to live?
I’d love to live in a townhouse in the French Quarters where I’d have access to Pat O’Briens and Café Du Monde on a daily basis. Gotta love them beignets and Hurricane cocktails.

If you were a tool, what would people use you to do?
I bet somebody already said ‘screwdriver’, huh?

What song best describes your life?  
“Another Day in Paradise”

Picture yourself as a store, what would be sold there?
Definitely books and music. There would be free e-readers and internet access. And there’s a music room where you can sample an entire song instead of a 30-second clip. And you can sit in massage chairs and chill with music and books. Also, there’ll be a wet bar. Yes and maybe pole-dancing classes. We’ll call the store Books, Ballads and Bottoms Up! We’ll open soon.

What is your secret guilty pleasure?
I don’t think you should attach the word guilty to pleasure. You should never feel guilty about enjoying yourself, regardless of what that involves. Just make sure you don’t electrocute yourself and remember you can take guilt-free pole dancing classes at my store.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, who would it be with?
Rick and Daryl from The Walking Dead!!! They know how to survive and plus they are sexy and Southern. That’s a plus, y’all.

What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?
Besides being born?

If you were on a reality show, which one would it be? 
Well, I don’t watch reality shows. Maybe America’s Got Talent for Writers. Everyone gets up there and reads a chapter…Naw…What about a bunch of redneck pole dancers taking classes at Bottoms Up. They are vying to a win a spotlight performance at Big Earl’s Place. You gotta let your imagination go there, people.

Tell us about your latest book.

To Save a Lady, Book One, French Quarter Brides

Mainstream (PG13) Historical  Romance

Romance & Adventure in old New Orleans. . .
A move from Paris to New Orleans brings disaster to Elise Plaisance’s predictable life as a lady’s maid. The son of her grief-stricken mistress disappears, and Elise is drawn into a web of espionage and lies as war threatens the city. Captain Jesse Cross doesn’t fancy himself as a lovelorn soldier desperate for a woman until a mysterious French spy captivates his imagination. 

Elise’s romance with the captain is a frail illusion, born in the darkness of a French Quarter courtyard and never meant to last forever. Amid war and betrayal, Elise must risk everything to rescue her mistress’s son before all is lost, and Jesse knows he has to save her even if it means sacrificing his honor and his life. 

During the War of 1812, a dauntless American captain and a desperate lady’s maid from Paris finds romance and danger in the sultry French Quarter of New Orleans.

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EXCERPT
December 1814
Captain Jesse Cross strode through the blanket of thick fog that rose from the banks of the Mississippi river and filled the dark streets of the French Quarter. A discarded playbill from an opera house lay in a mud puddle, and the muffled sound of piano music came from a closed theater where a musician practiced after the show.
New Orleans was on the brink of war. Nevertheless, on any given night, a man could attend an opera, a play, or a concert in this muggy city filled with wealthy residents who loved to be entertained.
Also, on any given night, a man could be robbed, shot, or stabbed to death. Crime thrived in the cultural city, which had its share of cutthroats and thieves who prowled the streets at night, looking for unwitting victims.
Jesse had no plans to become one of those victims.
The navy greatcoat he wore over his uniform brushed the tops of his riding boots and concealed the flintlock pistol he cradled against his thigh. As the moon ducked behind a cluster of heavy clouds, he listened carefully to the quiet footsteps that echoed his own. He had been followed since leaving a tavern on Rue Dauphine.
He continued at a steady pace, walking south on Rue Toulouse. Townhouses and shops jammed against sidewalks called banquettes in this city where French was the primary language.
The midnight hour approached. The houses were shuttered, and the streets deserted. There was no good reason to think the man trailing behind him was just out for a jaunt, not in the middle of a winter night.
Jesse picked up his pace as the damp, cold air breezed about him.
He longed to be elsewhere. Lying in front of a warm fireside, with a glass of good wine and a woman eager to ride him. That would be such a joy right now. When had he last known such pleasure? He would have to dig deep in his memory to answer that question.
He tightened his grip on his pistol. The sound of footsteps grew closer. Faster now in the darkness. Coming up behind him while he walked along the banquette as if he suspected nothing. He drew in a steadying breath.
There was nothing like the element of surprise.

CONNECT with Patricia Preston

Website: www.patricia-preston.com

Blog: www.patricia-preston.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/16kagF5

Twitter: http://ow.ly/E8xdW

Pinterest:   http://ow.ly/E8xD5

Goodreads: http://ow.ly/E8xY2

#MFRWauthor BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Welcoming His Man @BerengariaBrown

Welcoming His Man

The Bath House Boys book 2
Berengaria Brown
Erotic GLBT Romance
Siren Publishing

In the small town where he grew up, Jethro Wraight was persecuted, harassed, and traumatized because of his sexual orientation. Now living far away from where he grew up, Jethro’s only just starting to learn that it’s okay to be gay. Jethro goes to the gay bath house and meets Bart Moreton there. Bart still lives at home with his parents, even though his dad keeps telling him to get a real job, because he’s determined to become an artist. His work is good, and sells well at craft markets, but he doesn’t make enough money to survive on alone as yet.

Jethro’s never had a boyfriend before, but the two men instantly form a bond. Jethro is taking his very first steps in displaying affection openly. Bart’s focused on becoming an artist. The immediate friendship between them surprises them both.

Jethro was persecuted, harassed, and traumatized because of his sexual orientation. He meets Bart, an artist. Will he find happiness at last?

BUY LINK

EXCERPT
A black-haired man walked over to the pool and stuck a toe in the water. Apparently satisfied with the temperature, he laid a towel on one of the chairs and left his sandals neatly beside it. He was wearing plain black board shorts, the first person in this section of the bathhouse that Bart had seen wearing anything other than his bare skin or a towel.
Well, perhaps he was shy or just new.
Bart watched as the man carefully climbed down the ladder into the swimming pool instead of diving in, and then swam a length in a neat style, scarcely making a splash. Everything about him seemed designed to prevent anyone paying attention to him, except for the fact that he wasn’t naked. It was an interesting conundrum. Was he just a neat, quiet person, or did he really wish not to be noticed? If so, why wasn’t he naked? He seemed to have a perfectly nice body. He was average height and build, not flabby or unfit looking. Unless maybe he had some scars hidden under those board shorts. Perhaps that was the reason he kept them on.
After the black-haired man climbed out of the pool and collected his towel and sandals, he walked across to the hot tubs and read the sign on the wall carefully. Once again he laid the towel and sandals neatly on a chair, reread the sign, pressed the button to activate one of the hot tubs, and climbed in.
Bart was fascinated by the man and decided it was time he experienced the hot tub as well. He dropped his towel on the chair next to the black-haired man’s towel and stepped down into the hot tub.
“Hi, I’m Bart. Do you mind if I join you?”
The man seemed a little nervous and hesitant but smiled and said softly, “I’m Jethro.”
Bart smiled back, wanting Jethro to relax. “That’s an old name. What do they call you? Jet?”
“Jet? I like that, but people usually just call me Jethro.”
“My full name’s Bartholomew, but my folks only ever used it to yell at me when I was in trouble. As soon as my mom called out, ‘Bar-thol-om-eeeew’ I knew it was time to start running.”
“Was Bartholomew a family name? I was named for an uncle.”
“Nope. Not that anyone ever said. Was your Uncle Jethro your godfather or something?”
The black haired man shook his head. “I hardly knew him. But he left me his store and his apartment when he died, so I really appreciate that.”
Bart grinned. “I would, too. What kind of a store is it? Are you managing it now?”
Jethro shook his head. “He’d had to close it when he got ill, and I haven’t decided what to do with it yet. I’m living in his old apartment though. I just recently finished cleaning it out and sorting all his furniture and possessions properly.”
Bart leaned back against the edge of the hot tub. “What do you think you might do with the store?”
Jethro looked thoughtful. “It’s in a small row of other stores. So far I’ve been talking to each of the owners about what they think would work best in the area. The consensus seems to be something that will make casual passersby stop and look in. All the stores are opposite a park and sports ground, and there’s quite a lot of foot traffic in the warmer weather. Not so much in winter, I’m told. There’s a café in the block, and people do go there all year around. It’s all very new to me, you understand. I need to think carefully about everything.”
“I do understand, but I also envy you. You have the most amazing opportunity to make it into whatever you chose. Well, within reason. I guess whatever you decide to sell can’t really compete with one of the other stores already there. But it sounds as though you’ve gone about choosing what to do very thoroughly.”

ABOUT Berengaria Brown
Berengaria is an award-winning, best-selling, multi-published author of erotic romance with over one hundred published digital, print and audio books.  She writes contemporary, paranormal (magic, ghosts, vampires, fairies, dragons, and werewolves), futuristic, medieval, and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: MMF, MFM, FMMM, FFM, MM, FF, and MF. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/  |  http://berengariabrown.com/

https://www.facebook.com/berengaria.brown/about  |  https://twitter.com/BerengariaBrown