Jill Shalvis - The Sweetest Thing

Simply Irresistible

1 layer of tater tots

1 layer of ham or sausage cubes

(or crumbled bacon, whatever makes your skirt blow up)

1 layer of grated cheddar cheese

(theres no such thing as too much cheese for breakfast)

6 beaten eggs

1/2 tsp. salt (or more, if no ones looking)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 cup of chopped onion

3 cups of milk

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dear Reader,

I know its right out of the Romancing The Stone opening credits, but I do usually get a little teary when writing the final scene of a book. Maybe my heart and head are fried from months of storytelling, maybe the looming deadline gets the best of me, or maybe I just adore a good Happily Ever After and cant resist writing one that tugs at my heartstrings.

But when I wrote SHIVER OF FEAR, I admit I shed some serious waterworksand not just because the hero, Marc Rossi, has found true love after never believing he could again and the heroine, Devyn Sterling, is finally part of a big, happy family after a lifetime of loneliness. I was emotional because I set the scene during La Vigilia, also known to Italian families as The Feast of the Seven Fishes. What better place for a happy ending than around the dining room table during a meal that has deep personal meaning for me and for most members of a big Italian clan? No, Im not Italian by descent, but my husband is first generationthe son of an immigrant and, therefore, deeply entrenched in some of the countrys best customs. I have no doubt that the fictional blended family that peppers the pages of The Guardian Angelinos series would embrace this time-honored tradition as we do.

No one really knows the origin of the required seven fishes that are served on Christmas Eve in Italian families. Some say the number reflects the seven sacraments and others believe the fishes represent the seven hills of Rome. It doesnt matter, because most of us go way past seven that night. From the scungilli salad to the baccala amalfi and all of the salmon, swordfish, clams, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and calamari in between its a night to celebrate the gifts of the sea and the season. I rarely make it through the evening without looking around at my loved ones, blinking back a tear of gratitude, and going back for seconds on the lobster.

During an earlier scene in SHIVER OF FEAR, I used Marcs description of the evening to highlight Devyns aching for a family and intensify her belief that she isnt destined to have that kind of love in her life. While he takes the tradition for granted, she is left to imagine the magic of that night and the warmth that comes from celebrating with food and family. Most of the story is set in Northern Ireland, where Devyn and Marc are on a hunt to find her birth mother and discover a hornets nest of terrorist activity along with an unexpected attraction that soon blooms into love. But when it came time to give the reader the ultimate dolce momentthe sweet dessert of a lifetime togetherit seemed natural to set that scene on a snowy Christmas Eve with the loud, laughing, loving Angelino and Rossi families gathered to celebrate.

So, I wiped a few tears when I typed the end of SHIVER OF FEAR and hoped that whatever traditions my readers honor and celebrate, they can relate to the atmosphere of joy that fills a home during The Feast of the Seven Fishes. If nothing else, Ill send them all out in search of good seafood!

Best,

www.roxannestclaire.com

Dear Reader,

Marriage of Convenience. Those three words alone will convince me to buy a book. I cant think of anything I enjoy more than a romance where two people who would never have chosen each other, find themselves having to negotiate a marriage neither one wanted. So when I had the chance to write historical romance, I knew that it wouldnt be long before I wrote a Marriage of Convenience book.

NEVER A GENTLEMAN is that book. Diccan Hilliard is known among Society as The Perfection. Suave, smooth, sophisticated, with a taste for only the most beautiful women, he has a keen wit and rapier tongue. The fact that he is also a member of Drakes Rakes, a group of aristocrats caught up in espionage, is a well-guarded secret. That secret, though, leads to marriage vows, when he wakes to find that his enemies have left him naked in bed with Grace Fairchild, the woman known to his friends as The Most Notorious Virgin in Britain.

Poor Grace. As tall as a man, painfully plain with an ungainly limp, Grace has spent her life following her father around the world with the army. She has no female accomplishments, no wish to mingle in a society that has long since shunned her, and even less desire to be shackled to a man who did not choose her, especially since she has long been fascinated by him. But Grace has secrets too. The question is, will those secrets help her gain Diccans love, or condemn her to loneliness? And will Diccans secrets cost them not just the chance at a lasting love, but their very lives?

Do you like Marriage of Convenience books as much as I do? What draws you to them? Let me know at my website, www.eileendreyer.com.

Enjoy!

Dear Reader,

Writing a romance called THE SWEETEST THING, which centers around a decidedly not sweet heroine, amused me. Tara Daniels is wound a little tightly and likes things her way. Shes also a former southern belle who appreciates the fact that shes right. A lot.

The Sweetest Thing? Not exactly.

But her hearts in the right place, always. And, as it turns out, theres a man who melts her like butter on a hot roll. Not only that, but he can soften her in a way that she isnt sure she likes. See, Tara thinks she has it all together, but it turns out she doesnt. She doesnt know a lot about herself. About all she has is the fact that she can cook like nobodys business. Oh, how she loves to cook.

Tara was a challenge for me becauseheres where I must admit itI got a lot of her recipes from my husband. True story. Im married to a big guy who works with his hands and is the ultimate Alpha Manand yet he can cook. Dont try to figure him out; itll hurt your brain, trust me.

Good Morning Sunshine Casserole is all his. Just dont tell him I borrowed it and am telling the world that its my heroines. It would just go to his head.