Thursday Thoughts

Stud is all set to go to my editor tomorrow, thanks to the input from my beta readers, my agent, and my critique partner, Sandy James. All in all, there were five pairs of eyes on it aside from my own, and everyone had different questions and spotted different errors. Of course, the various editors at Sourcebooks will have still more issues.

I've already received the first review of Virgin from a well-known blog site, and the reviewer gave it a 5/5 Top Pick rating. I'm not supposed to say which site, since it hasn't gone live yet, but needless to say, I'm very pleased!

The tentative release date for Sharing, the first of the Sextet erotic anthologies, is May 13th. It'll be interesting to see if that Friday the 13th date brings us good luck or bad. I received my edits for my contribution to that volume (Double Desire) on Tuesday, but they were relatively minor, and I was able to get it finished that evening. I'm still not sure who to dedicate it to, but I have a couple of weeks to figure that out. I'll post the cover for the anthology as soon as I get it.

I'd like to thank all of you Yah Yahs for sticking with me through this long period between books. Ten months is a long time to try to maintain enthusiasm between releases, and for that reason, I wish the Sextet stories had come out a little sooner.

Still, the publishing business being what it is, it has always been the case that readers can read books faster than authors can write them, and WAY faster than a publisher can get them on the shelves. Siren, being an e-publisher, can do it much faster than print, so there will at least be a string of anthologies along with Virgin to keep you ladies happy between now and February 2012 when Stud will be released.

So, while I write Loner, I hope you ladies will hang in there and keep reading! Who knows? You might even find a hunk to read along with you!

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

I went hunk hunting a few days ago and found shockingly few pictures for my trouble. A lot of the guys look a bit silly, but a good many of them are just plain scary.

This one seemed harmless enough. Clean cut, lightly muscled (some of those muscle hunks are downright grotesque), and he has a nice dusting of body hair that should satisfy the Yah Yah need for fur.

Granted, his is not the biggest whopper we've ever seen, but I try to look at the entire package when I'm browsing for models, and this one seemed to fit the bill.

He doesn't even have holes in his jeans!

Tasty Tuesday Chicken Creole!

Donna sent me this recipe earlier this month and was planning on serving it for Mardi Gras. I'm a little late posting it, but I''m pretty sure you could enjoy it anytime you like!

Slow Cooker Chicken Creole(4 Servings)

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• Creole-style seasoning to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole-style seasoning to taste. Stir in tomatoes with liquid, celery, bell pepper, garlic, onion, mushrooms, and jalapeno pepper.
2. Cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 5 to 6 hours.

---

Goes well with a little taste of Cody Cummings for added spice!

Tattooed Monday Moons!

No clue as to what the tattoos have to say, and don't really care, myself.

Sort of wish I could erase them, though. In my humble opinion, they mess up a perfectly good body.

Can you believe March is almost gone???? I certainly can't. Stud is due to my editor on Friday, and I sure hope they like it. The edits to Virgin nearly killed me. My editor also said she wants the next book by the end of the year.

I was able to come up with some more ideas for CSC #9 (currently titled Loner, but that will probably be changed) after talking with her, which is a good thing because I need to get started on it very soon if I'm going to get it finished by Christmas along with all of the Sextet stories for Siren.

Whoever it was who said this job gets easier didn't know what they were talking about!

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

He's pouting because the Yah Yahs didn't like him without his fur.

Poor baby. . . .

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

This is another one who's been staring back at me from my Naked Hunk file for far too long. Enjoy him, ladies!

Friday Fun!

I talked to my editor yesterday, and we discussed the next Cat Star book, which will be released during the Fall 2012 season, which means it could be out as late as Feb 2013. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Well, not really. Anyway, the weather has turned cold again here in Indiana, so I doubt if you'll see anything like this guy running around outdoors. At least not until June, and maybe not even then.

Does anyone know where we can find naked hunks growing wild in the woods?

If so, we need to go there. Soon.

Spring has deserted us here.

Thursday Thoughts

Okay. This is the last I have of this guy. Very nice, but he needs more hair.

My colonoscopy went well yesterday. Nothing there to worry about for another ten years, or until someone else does a test for occult blood and finds something.

Funny how these things will nag at you. I'd had abdominal pain in early February that hurt badly enough that I missed a night of work. It did improve, but then I had a pap smear on the 14th where the stool test was weakly positive for blood.

Then there was the mysterious lump under the skin next to my sternum--a little too close to breast tissue for comfort considering my family history, which is chock full of cancer. An ultrasound, and the fact that it seems to be shrinking, have all but eliminated that scare, but what about the mammogram I had last year that had to be repeated? Talk about something that will give you gray hairs! It turned out to be "overlapping tissue that made the view unclear" or words to that effect. Nothing to worry about; just technical difficulties.

And though the sense of relief I feel when I get the news that, once again, my pap smear is negative is a wonderful thing, is it worth the stress of worrying about it until I do get those results? Not sure. Early diagnosis is crucial for such things, but the rest of the time, I wonder if ignorance is not truly bliss.

Take for example when someone checks out what's going on in ER, or the secretary who used to call us with a heads up if there was a patient we might be getting. Myself, I prefer to keep up with what I need to do so that if, indeed, we do get another patient, I'm ready for them. And we usually get some warning before they whip a patient back there--at least from the ER. If they come from the Medical floor because they're crashing, well, that's a different story. But what I'm saying is, tell me when you know for sure. Don't make me worry about it, because worrying is one of those things I do best.

I've tried to let things go, but when you have numerous demands on your time, it gets to you eventually. That's why it was nice to come home after my procedure still slightly zoned on Versed and Fentanyl, crawl into my bed, and sleep the rest of the day away. I don't get permission to do that very often, and I'm not a bit good at it, but usually I don't have someone telling me to go home and take it easy, and to not bother fixing dinner, either.

So, to that nurse at the endoscopy center, whose name I cannot recall, I say thank you for giving me a day off. Until 11:12 PM when I remembered that I hadn't written a blog for tomorrow. Then it was back to work, and business as usual.

Speaking of that pap smear on Valentine's Day thing, there's joke in there somewhere. I leave it to you Yah Yahs to come up with your own!

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

He's slightly out of focus, but I'm pretty sure this is our fellow from Monday's post. These are some pics that Sharon (aka Professor Penis) sent me a while back. He is, as Sharon likes to say, young and hung!

Still working on my Occupational Hazards Sextet story. I hope you ladies are ready for this one, because it's SO much hotter than the Cat Star books it's not even funny. The sex scenes go on for a couple of chapters, but I guess that's what happens when you start writing menage.

After all, everyone has to get their turn at bat. . .

Tasty Tuesday Fry Bread Tacos!

Donna sent me this one a while back, but the cowboy pic she included was a little scary. So I went through my files and found one that was less intimidating. I hope everyone approves!

Donna writes:

My friend Judy from Kansas and I would get together to make these Taco's. Sometimes we'd cheat and cut up a 8 pkg of Grands Biscuits and thin them and shape them into circles.

She's moving back to White Bear Lake. She'll be living in the apt. next door. And we'll be getting into trouble together again and making fry bread taco's.

Fry Bread Taco's

Ingredients

• TOPPINGS:
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, with liquid
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup picante sauce
• FRY BREAD:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. Combine beans and 2 tablespoons of picante sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until heated through. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef with taco seasoning mix according to seasoning mix package directions. Cover, and keep warm while you prepare the fry bread.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, and mix until the dough comes together. Add more flour if necessary to be able to handle the dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a large, deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep. Break off 3/4 cup sized pieces of dough, and shape into round discs 1/4 inch in thickness, making a thinner depressed area in the center. Fry breads in the hot oil until golden on both sides, turning only once. Drain on paper towels.
4. Top fry bread with beans, ground beef, lettuce and cheese. Spoon picante sauce over. You can also top with other of your favorite taco toppings, such as onion, sour cream or guacamole.
   
5. Add the hunk of your choice!
   

Spring Monday Moons!

Arrggghhhh!!!! The Cat Master almost missed her post today. I'm on my way to work tonight, so not much time to do anything on this first full day of Spring other than to snap a pic of my daffodils. . .





















and say "Isn't he YUMMY????"

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

I'm blogging on Casablanca Authors today. Our topic this month is how to pamper yourself.

I wouldn't know a damn thing about that.

Might be a tough post to write.

Especially since I can't post any pictures like this one.

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

I'd like to introduce you to Miguel,

a handsome fellow who has taken the commando thing to a


whole



new



level!

Friday Fun!

Okay, Yah Yahs! It's time to play. . .

Write Your Own Caption!


















Take it away, ladies!

Thursday Thoughts

I took this picture when I got back from Gatlinburg. More stuff is blooming now, but it's too dark to get a good picture at the moment.

I finished the revisions to the first seven chapters of Stud and sent them to my agent a little while ago. Unfortunately, they won't be the last revisions I have to make to it. My editor at Sourcebooks has yet to see it, nor have the copyeditors or production editors or proofreaders.

My agent had some questions that surprised me, like how much is a credit worth in the CSC series. I'd never given it much thought, nor had anyone else ever asked, but in case anyone is wondering, a credit is worth about $10. Which means that Jack bought Cat for $50. Best deal she ever made, huh?

I got an email and a message on my answering machine yesterday from my editor asking for anything I have on the CSC #9. We'll talk more on Tuesday, but if anyone has any ideas or requests to add to the stuff I mentioned in the blog I posted on Casablanca Authors back in January, now's the time to share them with me!

Anyway, back to the subject of today's post. Springtime is upon us. Maybe we'll get lucky and find a Skins & Scarves volleyball game going on somewhere. I'm guessing this picture was taken at a private camp, so it isn't likely you'd find anything comparable at your local park, but wouldn't it be a hoot if you did????


















Just a little something to ponder on a lovely St Patrick's Day.

Oh, and here's a funny for you:

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

Ever notice how you never see any really hot guys in Walmart? I've been in Walmarts in just about every city I've visited, and I've never seen a one. You see all sorts that would make the People of Walmart files, but no hunks. I mean, where do they shop????

That was a rhetorical question. I'm sure they shop online.

Remember when I said I Googled "hunks with hairy balls" and went to some very strange places? Well, this is one of the pics I found while on my quest for some of the more hirsute testicles.

He is rather hairy on his head.

Not so sure about his balls.

But I am quite certain I've never seen him in Walmart.

Tasty Tuesday Slow Cooker Italian Beef!

Donna sent me this recipe recently, and since the email included that hunk you were all so fond of the other day, I thought I'd better post it sooner rather than later!

Sounds very easy, which is a definite plus as far as I'm concerned!

Donna writes:

This is a great Recipe to feed a group (Feeds 10) for sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (5 pound) rump roast

Directions

1. Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

Serve with a nice Bun that holds lots of Beef. LOL

The Sextet does Nashville, Indiana!

The Sextet's weekend retreat in Brown County, IN went great and we got a lot of writing done. Needless to say, Willy had a ball!

We stayed in this nifty little place called The North House, where we had the whole house to ourselves. Three bedrooms, two full baths, kitchen, living room, and one half bath. That's one and a half bathrooms more than my house has. Ah, what luxury!!! That's Mellanie Szereto and Elizabeth Raines on the porch.





















We had dinner at the Hotel Nashville restaurant on Friday night, and then we got drunk on Geni McGrath's awesome sangria. Willy drank more than his share and had to go to bed early.





















On Saturday morning, I fixed a sausage and scrambled eggs with cheese breakfast and we had Geni's famous breakfast casserole along with it. Willy was a total pig and conked out while we were busy writing.





















He woke up in time for lunch and got a blow job from his favorite chickie. Then the bunnies got jealous and he had to do them all.






















After all that nookie, Willy needed some fresh air, so we went for a walk. The weather was lovely, if a bit windy, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. While we were out, Willy met up with some cherubs who seemed to think he was very sweet.





















Then it was back to our computers to write more blurbs and stories for The Sextet Anthologies. The first one, Sharing, will be out in May. Can't wait!!! Elizabeth will have two novellas released before then, so she's working her little fingers to the bone trying to get them done.

After a bit, Willy needed to stretch his legs again, and since Mellanie's computer was acting weird, we went for another walk. Willy has decided that this is now his motto:





















That evening we went out to dinner at the Muddy Boots Cafe, which was a short walk from our house. Seated left to right, that's The Cat Master, Elizabeth Raines, Geni McGrath, Mellanie Szereto, and Ginger O'Brien. We weren't quite a full Sextet because Annie Morgan was absent, due to the death of her mother earlier that week. We send our condolences to Annie and her family.





















After dinner, we went back to our house and took a dip in the hot tub. Willy thought Mellanie looked really hot in her bathing suit, but he couldn't get in the tub with her because he was afraid his right arm might get rusty. So he had to be satisfied with a bunny/chickie threesome.




















Sunday morning, I fixed bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese, and we had more of Geni's casserole. Then we packed up and headed home. We hope to do this again sometime when we can be a full Sextet. We missed you Annie!

And, since I'm posting this on a Monday, I can't leave out the moons!!!!



























Enjoy your Monday, whether you can get to a pool (or hot tub!) or not!

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

Shhh. . .


No, wait!


His eyes may be closed,


but I don't think he's asleep.


Somebody better lick him


just to be sure. . .

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

Since I'm out of town, Donny is holding the fort for me here on the CBEB and promises to keep you Yah Yahs happy for the whole weekend!

Looks like he's up for the job!

Friday Fun

I recently received this email from a State Police officer via my good friend and fellow Sextet member, Geni McGrath.

He writes:
As a law enforcement officer I have been approached by several people lately wanting to know how to identify a Meth Lab.

Here is a picture of four Labs. I think it's pretty obvious which one is the Meth lab.

I hope this helps.

























I'm heading out for the weekend with the Sextet. Should be a ton of fun, but I'm still not sure about internet service. I'll post the hunks as usual, but if you don't hear from me, you'll know why.

Thursday Thoughts

My son Sam will officially get his driver's license today. That's now two things that his doctors and teachers have told us he'd never be able to do. The first was to graduate high school, and the second was to get his driver's license. Being mildly autistic with a language-based learning disability, anything to do with language is very difficult for Sam, but he passed the test on the third try.

He took the written test on Tuesday, but since you can't get a license until you've had your learner's permit for 180 days, he has to wait until today. So we have to take the papers in to the license branch again and get his picture taken this afternoon, and then he'll get his license. I wish we could've gotten it before today because he has an appointment with his psychiatrist this morning, and I know Sam would've been very pleased to be able to show it to him.

I can't tell you how proud I am of Sam, but I'm also terrified. Letting him out on his own has been a fear of mine since he was a baby. He's rather naive and vulnerable, though not a bit stupid, which is some comfort. Now that he can drive, he's more likely to find a job, which is a good thing. He'll probably never be totally independent, but it's a step in the right direction.

You're probably wondering why I chose to include a book cover with this post instead of a picture of Sam. The reason is that Tarq, the hero of Stud, the eighth book in the Cat Star Chronicles series, has a similar learning disability, though without the autism. In Stud, Tarq overcomes his disability in a slightly different fashion than Sam has, but to me, they're both heroes, which is why this book will be dedicated to my youngest son, the little blond kid who proved that the "experts" were wrong.

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

While scrolling through my WWW file for today's post, I realized that there are too many whoppers in there that will never see the light of day on the CBEB, and, well... I'm getting kinda tired of looking at them.

This is one that's been in there a long time, and, yes, he's a bit young, but he does have a bit of facial hair and at least his legs are hairy!

Since I know how much you Yah Yahs love the furry balls, on Saturday, while I was slogging away on my treadmill (for once!), I went to Google images and typed in "hunks with hairy balls."

Oh, the places you'll go when you embark upon such a search! I went to blogs with which I was familiar, and some I'd never heard of. I spent at least an hour perusing the hunks, most of whom will never be posted here, and though it did keep my mind off my aching feet for an hour, take my advice and don't go there, ladies. Trust the Cat Master on this one. Please.

The photo down below here is one of the tamest pics I found (and you'll probably still say he's too young, though he reminds me of a young Ewan McGreggor, which, in my humble opinion, is a definite plus) but I did my best. I found a few others among the hundreds of pictures of things I wish I hadn't seen, but the unfortunate truth is that if you want guys with hairy balls that won't scare you into the middle of next week, you're going to have to pay some straight amateurs big bucks to get their pants off. The professional models have a marked tendency to shave.

Good luck!

Tasty Tuesday Chicken Zucchini Bake!

I wonder when Donna will run out of recipes. I hope it's not anytime soon. It makes Tuesdays so much easier to post when I've got a bajillion things to do. Bless you, Diva Donna!

Do you like Zucchini? This is pretty good recipe and pretty nice guy with a really nice Zucchini.

Ingredients(Serves 8)

• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
• 4 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Open the cans of crescent rolls, unroll the dough, and place the dough into the bottom of an 11x15-inch baking pan. Do not separate the rolls. Press the edges of the dough up the sides of the pan to make a shallow crust. Spread the honey mustard over the dough.
3. Place the zucchini and a few tablespoons of water into a saucepan over medium heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook the zucchini until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set the zucchini aside. Place the onion in a large skillet with butter over medium heat, and cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the cooked zucchini and chicken into the onion, and mix well. Let the mixture heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread the zucchini mixture in an even layer over the crust.
4. In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder; pour the egg mixture over the zucchini. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the egg mixture is set and the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

---

Monday Moons

You would not believe the stuff I've been writing lately. This Siren deal has really given my imagination a boost, and I hope you Yah Yahs are ready for it. When the Sextet gets together this coming weekend, I have a feeling that even they will be surprised at what's coming out of the Cat Master's head.

Like what to do with these nice buns. Suffice it to say, I've written things that my DH would NEVER let me do to him in a million years.

Elizabeth has been hinting that something really big is in the works for our first Sextet anthology, but she's keeping it a secret until the weekend or our new publisher gives us a call, whichever comes first. She assures me that it's worth the wait, but sometimes anticipation has a way of ending up being better than the actual event. Sort of like Christmas is sometimes.

On the Cat Star Chronicles front, my first beta reader has given Stud an enthusiastic thumbs up. She and Elizabeth both think it's the best one yet. I'd like to think my craft is improving, but time, and harsher critics, will tell. Based on what they and a few other readers have to say, I'll give it another round of tweaking before it goes off to Sourcebooks on April 1st.

*sigh* Then it will be time to officially begin writing Loner, which will be the last of the CSC books.

Unless someone starts begging for more.

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

OMG! I'm not only seeing double, I'm seeing triple!


No, wait. . . .


Not quite identical, are they?

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

If there was ever a picture designed to extol the need for nude sunbathing, this is it!




Anyone want to volunteer to put a little sunscreen on him so his buns don't get burned??

Friday Fun!

Fellow Sextet writer Annie Morgan sent me this amusing little story, and since we're all deep in the grip of tax time, it's something everyone can relate to:



THE LAST NICKEL

A father walks into a restaurant with his young son. He gives the young boy 3 nickels to play with to keep him occupied. Suddenly, the boy starts choking, going blue in the face. The father realizes the boy has swallowed the nickels and starts slapping him on the back. The boy coughs up 2 of the nickels, but keeps choking.

Looking at his son, the father is panicking, shouting for help. A well dressed, attractive and serious looking woman in a blue business suit is sitting at the coffee bar reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. At the sound of the commotion, she looks up, puts her coffee cup down, neatly folds the newspaper and places it on the counter, gets up from her seat and makes her way, unhurried, across the restaurant.

Reaching the boy, the woman carefully drops his pants, takes hold of the boy's testicles and starts to squeeze and twist, gently at first and then ever so firmly. After a few seconds the boy convulses violently and coughs up the last nickel, which the woman deftly catches in her free hand. Releasing the boy's testicles, the woman hands the nickel to the father and walks back to her seat at the coffee bar without saying a word.

As soon as he is sure that his son has suffered no ill effects, the father rushes over to the woman and starts thanking her saying, "I've never seen anybody do anything like that before, it was fantastic. Are you a doctor?"

"No", the woman replied. "I'm with the IRS."

Thursday Thoughts

Just finished the critique of Elizabeth Raine's erotic novella. Great story and virtually no mistakes--unlike the stuff I send to her to critique. I bow down to her greatness as the Comma Queen!

I came up with an idea for the Toy Story themed novella yesterday while I was working on the Occupational Hazards story. Funny how these things will just pop into your head when you least expect them. There was nothing for it but to cut those two sentences and copy and paste them into a new file. Voila! A new novella is born!

One thing I've noticed is that I seem to have a thing for guys with dark, curly hair. The Toy Story hero fits that description, as does my Entanglements man, and the guy in My Christmas novella will be similar. The only difference is that my Christmas novella guy is actually based on a real person.

I spotted him on a cold, wet night in Nashville, TN last February when Terri, Suzie, Angela, and I were walking up and down Broadway looking for a bar that was playing good music and didn't have a line outside. One of the bars had a big window that looked out onto the street, and the band was set up right there where you could see them. The window was at street level and the drummer was sitting with his back about a foot from it. I had a couple of margaritas in me and was feeling a bit silly, and, I gotta tell ya, the drummer looked totally hot from the back. Thick, dark curls. A black T-shirt that displayed some nicely muscled arms with incredible veins. (Yeah, that's the nurse in me talking there!) He looked fabulous enough from the back, but since I practically had my nose pressed up against the glass, he eventually realized that I was breathing down his neck and turned around. He looked slightly foreign, with a Greek or Italian sort of nose, full lips and... well, you get the idea. He was gorgeous, and without even making eye contact, I just waved at him and went off down the street. That was at little over a year ago, and his image has remained with me ever since. And now, he will be the inspiration for the love interest in a very hot Christmas present to all of the Sextet's readers come November.

Speaking of inspiration, one of our blog lurkers sent me some pics of a Brazilian hunk by the name of Eduardo. Take a look and see what you think of him!




















Are you feeling inspired?

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

Well, Yah Yahs, I have signed the contracts for the Siren deal, sent Virgin off to Sourcebooks for the last time, and, are you ready for this Suzy???? I have received the ARCs for Virgin. I mailed one of them to you yesterday. Feel free to share it with the other CBEBers as you see fit. I have three of them, and I'll send one to Cindy L if she ever emails me, but so far, I still haven't heard a word.

Now's the time to kick back and relax with a nice whopper.

No, wait... I've still got to write that Occupational Hazards story for the Sextet and start on CSC # 9, currently titled Loner.

No rest for the weary. . . .

Tasty Ricotta Gnocchi Tuesday!

Bless Donna's little heart. I'm exhausted, hurt all over, and the tequila is making me forget what I need to do tonight, but there's a recipe in the file to post, complete with pictures. All I have to do is download the pics, and copy and paste the recipe. God love you, Donna. Wait. I think I said that already. Sort of. . .

Like I told her when she sent me this recipe, I've never made anything with Gnocchi before. But I'm willing to give it a go!

Donna writes:

Cheryl, This recipe is authentic Italian recipe passed down generations of my old friend Angelina Pucci's family.

Secret: Be sure to strain the Ricotta Cheese, by placing it in strainer over bowl in frigerator for 30 min. previous to making Gnocchi.

Ingredients(serves 5)

serve with a nice glass of Sangiovese or Negroni Cocktail

Gnocchi:

• 1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 
  
• Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 6 basil leaves, finely shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

Directions

1. Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough.
2. Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in shredded basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.
5. To assemble the dish, stir the cubed mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce overtop.
6. Serve with a Salad and Crusty bread