Selena Robins's Blog, page 5
May 29, 2022
Come tour magical Vermont for $0.99
There are times during the writing process when the words flow from from my frontal cortex onto the keyboard with delightful ease.
The scene I am going to share is in such a chapter. I remember writing this chapter, and with each keystroke I was excited for the reader to get a visual of what I was portraying.
I had so much fun creating the different shop names and the story behind their unique names, and visualizing how fun it would be to tour the town even though Rosemist is a fictional town.
Come take a tour with this excerpt, and I hope you enjoy it as much I
loved writing it.
Please note: (I edited out many passages and dialogue in this excerpt as they contained spoilers).
Scene set-up.
Jason and Sabrina bump into each other in town one afternoon:
“I haven’t had a chance to check out the town,� Jason said. “Do you have time to give me a tour?�
“I thought you weren’t interested in seeing the town?�
“I’m interested in seeing it with you.�
The butterflies in Sabrina’s tummy high-fived each other. “Sure.�
“Lead the way.�
They crossed the street. “We’ll start in the park as it circles the town’s core,� she said.
“How about we get a bite to eat later?,� he said. “My treat to thank you for showing me around.�
“Sounds good.� Remembering a conversation with Maggie, she flashed him a playful smile. “Are you going to throw down for guacamole?�
“Anything you want.�
You. Tonight? “I’m teasing.� At her comeback, he looked confused. “I don’t like guac.�
“Do you like sushi?�
“I’ve never tried it.�
He pointed across the street. “You’ve never been to Angler’s Sushi?�
“Angler’s Sushi is a bait shop.�
Blatant disbelieve crossed his handsome features. “Fishing bait?�
“Bait and tackle.�
“You’re messing with me.�
“So many ways to mess with you, but this isn’t one of them.� She led him further into the park. “Some of the small businesses in town have creative names. Great tourist attractions.�
“You mean eccentric?�
“That too,� she said. “There is a reason for the creativity. A lot of these businesses were handed down from generation to generation with a history behind the name.� They walked by the rock garden. “On your left are a mixture of original shops and newer ones. Can you guess what type of business Get-A-Spine is?�
“Chiropractor,� he said, sounding confident.
“Nope. ’s a bookstore.�
“Of course.�
“The next one is an easy one,� she said as they reached the sidewalk. “Guess what The Poppy Pusher sells?�
He placed his hand on her lower back, easing her away from the curb, positioning himself on the street side. “Don’t tell me it’s a drug store.�
She relished in the warm sensation his touch produced. “How did you get a drug store from Poppy Pusher?�
“Opium is made out of poppies.� His hand traveled from her lower back to around her shoulders. “I figured it was a play on words.�
“Not even close.� Goosebumps traveled from her shoulders to her neck. She wasn’t sure if it was his touch or the pink and purple streaks lining the sky behind the flower shop. “The owner’s great-grandfather started the shop after returning home from the first-world war. He designed poppy wreaths to honor the men and women who didn’t make it home. The community nicknamed him Poppy. The shop name and memorial arrangements have continued with each generation.�
He turned and faced her. “That’s a good story.�
“It is. Many of the local businesses have similar stories. They all struggled with the downturn in the economy. Still, the owners work hard to maintain the integrity of the originating businesses and keeping their operations in the family.�
His gaze held a soulful expression. “Like you want to do with Maple Manor?�
“That’s my goal,� she said. “I’m going to give you the name of another shop. Let’s see if you can get this one right. Ready?� At his nod, she said, “Hungry-Hungry-Hippo.�
“You should’ve picked something more challenging.�
She folded her arms. “What is it then?�
“Toy store.�
“Not even close. ’s a—�
He held his hand up. “Don’t tell me. I’ll get this.�
“You will, huh?�
“Yee, who has little faith. Let’s see. Hippos are vegetarian. Hungry people look for a place to eat.� He snapped his fingers. “A vegetarian diner.�
“You’re hot—�
“So I’m told.�
She gave his arm a light punch. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?�
“Not a chance.�
“I meant you’re hot in that your guess is close. Hungry-Hungry-Hippo is a vegetarian grocer.� She took a few steps toward the path. “I’m impressed on how you almost figured it out, City.�
“Cٲ?�
“Maggie likes to anoint people she likes with nicknames. That one’s yours.�
He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked around the marble fountain, heading to the other side of the park. “Did Maggie nickname you Tinkerbell?�
“Tinkerbell?� She enjoyed the pleasant prickles spreading across her shoulders. “That’s not my nickname.�
“I thought I heard Ryland calling you that.� He rubbed his thumb along her shoulder as they walked. “What is it then?�
The prickles joined the feel-good-tingles running up her spine. “If you can guess what the shop across from the Hungry-Hungry-Hippo is, I’ll tell you.�
.�
“The shop’s name is, Say Cheese.�
“A photographer.�
“I wish I had a loud buzzer.�
“I’m wrong?�
She laughed. “You say that like it’s something foreign to you.�
“It is,� he said. “Don’t tell me. Say Cheese sells mouse traps.�
“That’s a stretch.�
His deep chuckle made her soul smile. “You call that a stretch?�
“How could you not get this one right?� she said. “’s a cheese shop.�
“Figures.� He pointed to the shop on the corner where the wooden slats were painted a different color of vivid reds, greens, yellows, and blues. “Sex and Samosas. Interesting name for a store. Should I guess?�
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.� She wanted to hear him say the word sex, enjoying the way it rolled off his tongue. “What do you want to guess?�
“What the shop Sex and Samosas is all about?�
“Sure, give it your best shot.�
“Let’s see,� he said. “Sex and Samosas sells oils, lotions, incense.�
With his hands in his pocket, he rocked back and forth on his heels, making her insides rock back and forth.
“And,� he continued, “I would imagine they sell Indian cookbooks, specializing in samosas, plus books on yoga, Kamasutra, Tantric sex. . .�
Her mouth went dry at the mention of the latter literature, and she wasn’t sure what he said after tantric sex.
“Well, am I close?� he said.
“You’re in the right country, but again you’re wrong about what she sells.�
“This I have to hear.�
“Jasmine, the shop’s owner, sells handcrafted trendy ethnic fashion, tunics, sarees, scarfs, and traditional jewelry.�
“How does that even fit the name of the shop?�
“Jasmine renamed the shop from Colors of India to Sex and Samosas to pay homage to her best-selling novel of the same name.�
“You say this like it all makes sense.�
“Jasmine’s Cookie’s niece, and when you meet her, you’ll get it.� She smiled and pointed to the food truck. “Plus, it attracts a lot of customers. It piqued your interest, didn’t it?�
“It sure did.� He leaned in toward her. “I’m certainly interested.�
Lordy, so am I.
She noticed Fernando and his wife, Doreen walking toward them.
After exchanging greetings, Doreen said, “I’m trying to convince Fernando for a happy ending. Care to join us?�
Jason hiked his brows.
Sabrina rushed to explain. “Happy Endings is a pastry shop.�
Jason’s smile turned wicked, and once again, so did hers. “Of course.� He winked at her. “What else would it be?�
“No pie for me, sweetheart.� Fernando patted his tummy. “I need to add extra steps to my day and less pie. I can’t go getting all soft.�
Doreen smoothed her hand over her husband’s middle. “But I love you all soft.�
Fernando’s eyes lit up as if his wife had announced they’d won the lottery. “Pie it is, then.� He turned to Jason and Sabrina. “Hey, you two. Join us. I’m buying.�
“Thanks for the offer,� Sabrina said. “You two go ahead. I’m going to introduce Jason to M&M’s later.�
“Jason,� Doreen said. “First time dining at M&M’s is an experience, and the food is phenomenal. By the way, Sabrina, Ginette, and Sandra were looking for you. Did you meet up with them?�
“I haven’t seen them since the engagement party. Why?�
Doreen smiled. “I’ll let them tell you about it.�
“Aww, look, honey,� Fernando said, “she looks worried now. Sabrina, it’s nothing to fret about. They’re going to—�
“Shush, don’t give away the surprise. He’s right, dear. Nothing to fret over.� Doreen hooked her arm in her husband’s. “Enjoy your day.� They said their goodbyes and headed toward the crosswalk. “Honey, how about this? We go to RX-Plus first and get our blood pressure checked.�
“Blood pressure game. You’re on,� Fernando said. “What’s at stake today?�
“If yours is lower, we get a scoop of ice cream with the pie,� Doreen said. “If mine is lower, we get two scoops.�
“Win. Win.� Fernando chuckled as they crossed to the other side.
Sabrina let out a wistful sigh, wondering if she’d ever experience that kind of love, filled with affection, teasing, and the simple pleasures in life.
“I’m curious,� Jason said. “Why is dining at M&M’s going to be an experience? Do they serve candy pizza? Steak with chocolate gravy?�
“You’re reaching now.� She hip-bumped him. “’s an Italian, Russian restaurant.�
“You mean fusion?�
“No fusing. One side of the restaurant serves Italian, the other side serves Russian, and there are no menus. One never knows what they’ll be served. Don’t worry, everything’s delicious.�
He gave a strand of her hair a light tug. “Is this how you decided to mess with me?�
“Nope. I have better ways,� she said.
***
You’ll want to read the whole chapter, as Sabrina continues the tour of the town where you will find out about the ONCE UPON A KISS shop, and the adventurous meal Sabrina and Jason shared at M&M’s as they revealed surprising things about their lives and pasts.
Purchase your copy for $0.99 by clicking on one of these retailers: Click play to see what readers are saying about ONCE UPON A KISS.
May 6, 2022
Chocolate Orange Brownies & Sex on the Beach
The heroine in my novel is not only full of mischief, but she is a ninja when it comes to chocolate in all its forms.
To celebrate the book’s current sale price of only $0.99 (great time to pick up this novel) I’m sharing one of Maddie’s favorite treats–brownies with my own citrusy twist.
Chocolate Orange Brownie RecipeThe scrumptious combination of a tangy orange and chocolate make these brownies heavenly showstoppers.
Ingredients:1-ounce good quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
1-ounce good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
4 TBSP cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 TBSP orange zest, finely chopped
Directions:Preheat oven to 350F
Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Boil water in a pot. Place a heatproof bowl over the pot, add the dark and milk chocolate in the bowl, and stir until melted and smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar until creamy (about 5 � 7 minutes)
Add in orange juice and olive oil.
Then add cocoa powder and using a spatula, mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the creamy egg mixture, gradually mixing it.
Add the orange zest and mix.
Add in the melted chocolate and mix.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper. (11 x 9-inch pan, or any rectangular baking pan close to those dimensions)
Pour mixture into pan.
Bake for 35 minutes � 40 minutes.
Ingredients for Icing:
3 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 TBSP orange juice
3 TBSP unsalted butter
3 TBSP sugar
Directions for Icing
Cook all the ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, constantly whisking until the icing is smooth.
Serving suggestion: Drizzle with caramel sauce and a few dollops of whipped cream or ice-cream.
A small portion goes a long way to tease, invigorate and sate your taste buds, andappetite for something sinfully sweet and delicious.Orange Chocolate Brownies & Sex on the Beach
The heroine in my novel is not only full of mischief, but she is a ninja when it comes to chocolate in all its forms.
To celebrate the book’s current sale price of only $0.99 (great time to pick up this novel) I’m sharing one of Maddie’s favorite treats–brownies with my own citrusy twist.
Chocolate Orange Brownie RecipeThe scrumptious combination of a tangy orange and chocolate make these brownies heavenly showstoppers.
Ingredients:1-ounce good quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
1-ounce good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
4 TBSP cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 TBSP orange zest, finely chopped
Directions:Preheat oven to 350F
Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Boil water in a pot. Place a heatproof bowl over the pot, add the dark and milk chocolate in the bowl, and stir until melted and smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar until creamy (about 5 � 7 minutes)
Add in orange juice and olive oil.
Then add cocoa powder and using a spatula, mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Gradually add the dry ingredients into the creamy egg mixture, gradually mixing it.
Add the orange zest and mix.
Add in the melted chocolate and mix.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper. (11 x 9-inch pan, or any rectangular baking pan close to those dimensions)
Pour mixture into pan.
Bake for 35 minutes � 40 minutes.
Ingredients for Icing:
3 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 TBSP orange juice
3 TBSP unsalted butter
3 TBSP sugar
Directions for Icing
Cook all the ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, constantly whisking until the icing is smooth.
Serving suggestion: Drizzle with caramel sauce and a few dollops of whipped cream or ice-cream.
A small portion goes a long way to tease, invigorate and sate your taste buds, andappetite for something sinfully sweet and delicious.March 31, 2022
Pasta Carbonara � My way� #recipe
Italian food is made with love and a few simple ingredients; it’s comforting and best of all quick and easy to make a nutritious and delicious meal in a bowl.
When you’re in the mood for a pasta dinner and you don’t have sauce on hand, not a problem, nothing will solve this as fast as diving into your pantry and fridge (because I’m sure you have all the ingredients already on hand) and whipping up pasta carbonara.
This is my version of pasta carbonara, it alters slightly from the basic recipe, but I guarantee you, it is heartily delicious.
1 pound dry linguini (or any long pasta like spaghetti or angel hair)
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
6 oz pancetta (or bacon), cubed
1 head of roasted garlic, mashed (or 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped)
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon rind
2 tsp. lemon juice from a fresh lemon
1/2 cup pasta water
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 handful of parsley, finely chopped
Directions:Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
’s important to salt your pasta water properly–it should taste like soup, not like sea water. Sea water, bad. Soup tastes good. Taste the water and adjust accordingly.
Once your water comes to a rolling boil, cook pasta according to package directions. I like mine al dente, so I decrease cooking time by 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, as water is coming to a boil–in a bowl, add egg, egg yolks, and beat well. Once beaten, add Romano and Parmesan cheeses. Mix well together. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over MEDIUM HEAT, and add the pancetta (or bacon) until it is crisp, and fat is rendered. Once it’s rendered, toss in the garlic and cook garlic for 1 minute–enough to soften the garlic if using raw garlic.
Turn the skillet heat on LOW.
Once pasta is cooked, drain and RESERVE about ½ cup of the pasta water.
Immediately toss the pasta into the skillet, and coat the pasta well with the bacon and garlic.
Remove the skillet from the heatand add the lemon juice, and toss to coat the pasta.
Pour the egg/cheese mixture into skillet.
Important � whisk the egg mixture quickly into the pasta, but do not scramble the eggs, which is why you don’t leave skillet on the heat. The hot pasta will heat up the eggs.
While coating the pasta, slowly add some of the reserved pasta water (you may not use it all). Pour enough until you like the consistency of the sauce.
Once well coated, season with several freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with lemon rind and toss evenly.
Serve in a warm plate or bowl, and garnish with chopped parsley and add more cheese if desired.
Once you have made this once, you will be able to do repeat the process by memory for another quick and delicious meal.
March 25, 2022
Grief Recovery through Hypnotherapy
I hope this blog post helps someone out there challenged with the overwhelming struggles of grief. Anxiety, panic attacks, numbness, and the intensity of sadness enveloping you where you cannot climb out of the darkness with the overall hopelessness that takes over, making you think you’ll never find joy again.
I’ve been there. I’ve experienced all of the above after my husband died. The waves smashed into me so hard that I felt I might drown in grief and never be able to put one foot in front of the other to move ahead.
Gratefully, I did move ahead, and I did get out of bed, and I’m still working at it and facing all the challenges that come from losing one’s love.
The first year after my husband died was a blur, as my brain was constantly in a stage of fog. I purposely kept myself busy to the point of exhaustion so I wouldn’t have to feel the unbearable heartache and pain.
By the second year, reality hit me. Hard. I knew I couldn’t keep up the manic busy phase as a distraction. I also knew that once I slowed down I would self-sabotage by thinking; “I can’t do this.� “How am I going to do this?”“How can I handle all this?�
I recognized that this type of self-talk would hinder my healing process, and worsen my anxiety and grief-induced depression.
I knew that I had to somehow employ the same self-talk that I had after my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. From the moment we were delivered the devastating news, we decided that we would not only do everything we could to keep him strong, healthy, and alive, but we would shut out all the negative thinking that comes with cancer topics.
It was a struggle witnessing my once viral, strong husband get weaker and weaker. For his sake, I had to keep hoping and keep pushing the negativity out of my mind so that it would not penetrate him. Ever.
In the winter during his illness, when I had to handle things on my own (because winter makes things so much more challenging), I kept saying to myself repeatedly; “I can do this. I can handle all of it. I’m not the one enduring the pain, chemo, and all that cancer entails. If he can do it with a smile and no complaints, I can do everything else.�
This self-talk was my salvation. It truly helped. It got me through handling everything and being an efficient and strong caregiver.
All through his cancer treatments, and right up until the end, I had hope. Hope he would be cured. Hope that we’d continue our beautiful marriage and love story for many years to come. Some may think I was in denial. Maybe I was, but it got me through the hardest challenge of my life. My husband was given three months to live after diagnosis. He lived 14 months. Hope didn’t let us down. Hope gave us time. That’s how I chose to think about it.
That hope I had hung onto for so long during his illness had vanished after he died. I had given up hope.
I recognized that I had to change things, and then I thought, I need to learn how to employ the same strategy that I had during his illness to my grief.
I went to grief counseling. It helped me because it gave me a safe place to vent and talk about my grief without judgment or platitudes. However, I knew I needed more to yank me out of this dark place and get back on track.
My doctor suggested hypnotherapy. I was skeptical. The word hypnosis didn’t sit well with me. I need to be in control.
She explained that Hypnotherapy will help me get my mind into a state of deep relaxation, aiding in teaching my brain to focus on the positive love and life we shared, rather than on the sadness and heartbreak of my grief.
That convinced me that hypnotherapy may be something that will get back to positive self-talk, so I made the appointment with a verified, highly recommended hypnotherapist.
After my initial consultation, my initial skepticism was laid to rest as she assured me that she wasn’t going to hypnotize me to do anything I didn’t want to do (it isn’t a Vegas act, after all) and that I would always be in complete control through each session.
I learned how to reprogram how I think and handle anxiety, panic attacks, and the intense emotional waves through hypnosis.
She helped me embed images of my husband back to a time when he was viral, healthy, laughing (he always smiled), and how he handled his life and death with dignity, grace and love.
I learned how to hang on to the euphoria I always felt in his arms, the years of a strong marriage through the ups and downs, and the joy at remembering his smiles, winks, and teasing, especially on the days I slip into sadness.
Our subconscious is loaded with so much pain when grieving, and she taught me how to clear it so that I can accept more empowering thoughts.
The therapist taught me how to plant memory anchors. These anchors help bring the good memories I’ve been blessed with to the forefront of my mind for when I get anxious or sad. I breathe through each memory until the anxiety diminishes.
I’m not going to lie. ’s not easy. It takes a lot of work, and you have to devote time each day to this process. But, still, I can tell you that by doing this daily, I was eventually able to plant the feel-good-emotions and memories into my subconscious, and it has helped me get through each day, each wave, and when I slip into a dark place, I can yank myself out a lot quicker.
Having said all this, the other day, as I was showering and I had the music on, I was singing and feeling better than I have been in a long time. Then I stopped and cried, as a feeling of guilt swept into me, as I thought, “I can’t be this joyful, it’s wrong, I miss him, I need to be sad again.�
I’ve struggled this past week since the release of my new published book. ’s bittersweet, as I know how much he’d be celebrating with me. I worried about slipping again, so I pulled out my anchors, took time to shed tears (because, let’s face it, nothing will stop those), and then shook it off, lived in the moment, and celebrated with him in spirit, by flipping through photographs and talking about him with my family. It helped.
During one of my sessions, the therapist asked me this:
“Selena, what do want to let go of?�
I said, “I want to let go of feeling guilty for feeling joy and for taking a break from grieving.�
She then asked me to turn it around, “If your husband was the one left behind, what would you tell him? What would you want him to do?�
I said, “I would tell him that there’s still a lot of life to live. He has a lot of love to give to himself. I would tell him to live his best life because he would not lay on his death bed wishing he’d been sad every day, wishing he was grieving me every second. I would tell him not to replace joy and happiness with guilt. I would tell him that he deserves to live his best life and be happy.�
She said, “Take in everything you just said because it was so powerful, and turn it around and say it to yourself. Let that be your mantra.�
So, I did, and while doing this, I touched the back of my neck, a spot where my husband used to kiss me from behind and planted this anchor. So in the future, when I touch the back of my neck when I’m sinking or feeling overwhelmed, I repeat this mantra:
“There’s still a lot of life I have to live, lots of love to give to myself. I will live my best life because I will not lay on my death bed wishing I’d been sad every day or wishing I was grieving more. I will work hard at accepting joy and not feel guilty. I deserve to live my best life in my beloved’s honor.�
I take time out for myself daily to find moments of peace and work at taking a break from grieving. At first, these moments were short, and it was a challenge to accept peace, but as time went on, the moments became longer.
I remember how I drew strength from somewhere (probably from my husband and his fantastic attitude from the moment of his diagnosis) through his treatments and his time in Hospice until the very end, how he channeled positivity and made the most of every single day, not wasting time feeling sorry for himself. He gifted me with that strength and hope.
I think about how we made the most of our time together. Even during chemo treatments, I would pack games, snacks, bring pictures, and paraphernalia to help make the hours of chemo more bearable and fun—yes, as odd as it sounds, we had fun during those times.
I hang on to the memory of his last kiss in Hospice. In the last week of his life, he could not speak, but we communicated by him squeezing my hand when I asked him questions.
A few hours before he died, he bobbed his head up and down. I didn’t know what he wanted. I jokingly asked, “Do you want to make out?�
He squeezed my hand once to indicate yes, then he forced his head up, and I kissed him. It was the sweetest moment that I treasure daily.
His room in Hospice was bright and always filled with laughter and jokes. I hang on to those memories, which helps drown out the memory of holding him in my arms until his last breath. That one still pains me.
It will be four years in July, and I still cry. I still have anxious moments, and of course, I know that I can pull out my anchors and happy memories and keep retraining my brain into positive thinking, but the heartache and missing him will never go away, but taking an active role in my healing, makes life without him more bearable.
I also accepted it’s okay to keep laughing, accepting joyous moments, and embracing happiness whenever I can, even if I smile and laugh through some tears.
I’m a work in progress, and I know I’ll never be 100% of who I once was, but I also know I can do this. I can get through each day. I can face my challenges head-on and figure them out.
Self-talk is important. Realizing how we can sabotage ourselves is the first step, and only WE have the power to change all that.
I had 12 sessions with the hypnotherapist, and it was 12 sessions that have helped me so much, and that’s why I’m sharing them with you, that even if you don’t go to hypnotherapy, you can still apply some of the things I’ve learned to your day and night when you are struggling.
Try not to self-sabotage yourself. Instead, work hard at retraining your thinking and self-talk.
Keep saying to yourself:
“I can do this. I can get through today. I can be happy. I can smile. I can fix…this…or I can handle that.� Daily. Keep saying this as often as you can every single day.
One step at a time.
One thought at a time.
March 10, 2022
Kismet is here! #romcom #romancenovel
Finishing this novel has been internally challenging, creating while navigating a new life without my number one support, cheerleader, and love of my life, however it has also been fulfilling, and I can feel my husband’s pride in spirit that I am continuing with my passion for writing.
Writing is a solitary undertaking, but it also takes a village of love and support, plus a stash of chocolate-covered almonds and Earl Gray tea to see a book come full circle.
This book would not have been possible if not for the beautiful and giving members of my family, friends, colleagues, & fun ladies in the Selena’s Beta Babes group.
My immense gratitude to them all and to all book lovers, bloggers and reviews.
I’m fortunate to have you all my life.
Sassy, reflective and uplifting, ONCE UPON A KISS is a sensually sweet—with dashes of cayenne heat, romantic comedy with an added touch of mysticism.
Jason O’Neil has one job—and it isn’t falling in love with a local�
Known as the Master of Acquisitions and armed with savvy and charisma, acquiring Sabrina Monroe’s land for a golf resort is an easy purchase.
His strategy is sound until the tenacious and unyielding landowner literally throws a wrench into his plans when a mix-up leads him to assume the identity of a handyman.
He’s determined to succeed where other land developers have failed, trading in his designer briefcase for a tool case and concocting clever ways to hide his utter lack of handyman skills.
Being attracted to her is a setback, getting involved is a complication, falling in love was never part of the plan.
Sabrina Monroe doesn’t ask for much�
A steady income, a reliable car, uninterrupted naps, logical explanations for the mystical happenings in her life, and a force field around her land that repels people who threaten her sanity—especially the entitled suits who want to convert her family’s property into an overpriced golf resort.
A man she could trust would be a bonus.
Caught somewhere between fate and Murphy’s law, Sabrina finds herself falling for the handyman, who appeared on her doorstep out of thin air. Stranger things have happened. She should know.
Jason and Sabrina both want the same thing—her land…and each other.
Can their desires transcend the forces that work against them?
Especially when the truth is revealed �
Available On:
December 5, 2021
Un-fry Your Chicken
Do you love fried chicken but don’t fancy deep frying it?
Or if you’re like me, have never mastered perfect fried chicken without it somehow burning on the outside and having raw chicken on the inside, resulting in dialing your favourite pizza place so you don’t salmonella poison your guests.
UNFRIED CHICKEN is not only easy, but this method produces tasty, crunchy chicken that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
UNFRIED CHICKEN
Ingredients:
6 drumsticks, skin removed (you can choose to keep skin on)
3 whole chicken breasts, skin removed (you can choose to keep skin on)
4 cups ice water
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 cup bread crumbs (for extra crunch, I use Panko)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
a sprinkle cayenne pepper (a dash or more, depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions:
PLEASE NOTE: Real Cold Chicken and Greek Yogurt is the secret to this successful dish.
Preheat oven to 400 FKeep the Greek yogurt in the fridge until you’re ready to use itPrepare a baking sheet by spraying with non-stick sprayFill a large bowl with ice water, then add your chicken to this bowl and set aside.Mix breadcrumbs and spices in a bowl, add the chopped parsley and mix well.Once the oven is heated, you’re ready to assemble your chicken.Remove yogurt from fridge.Remove chicken from ice water and shake off excess water.Roll each piece of chicken in the yogurt.Roll coated chicken in the dry mixture, until coated on all sides.Arrange chicken on baking sheet, and spray all the chicken VERY lightly with olive oilBake for one hour.Turn chicken pieces after 1/2 hour.Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 165F
November 26, 2021
An Erotic Prank
Besides writing, I also offer , and I received an email from a new writer, asking if I’d be willing to critique and edit her novella.
To protect this author’s identity, I’ll refer to the author as Felicia Gallant. Anyone who used to tune into Another World will recognize that name–she was my favorite character. Wouldn’t we all love to write in silk PJ’s, a feather boa, and Mr. Rock Hard Abs holding a flower, and a lampshade?
Okay, back to the aspiring author Felicia who contacted me. In her request for editing services, Felicia attached her project—an erotic novella.
I emailed Felicia back to let her know that I don’t writeerotic fiction nor have I read much of it, and asked if she still wanted to go ahead and hire me?
She wrote back, saying that wasn’t a problem as she still wanted me to give her suggestions on how to strengthen her story, and to point out any technical issues.
I accepted, because I could still critique any genre based on a story’s goal, motivation, conflict, characterization, plot, and mechanics.
In her communication with me, Felicia always addressed me asMistress Robins, and her emails read like someone who spoke in broken English.
Felicia then emailed to let me know she wanted to send me payment via snail mail. In cash.
I highly recommended she not send cash through the mail, and directed her to Pay-Pal.
She said she didn’t trust sending funds through the Internet.
I then suggested she send a check.
She said she didn’t have a check account, and could only pay me in cash.
Although I found this odd, I reiterated that sending cash through the mail wasn’t safe, but she insisted, so I gave her my P.O. Box number.
As I started to read her novella, I realized the content was beyond what I had expected.
This was a hard-core erotica tale, more suited for male readers than females, in my opinion.
I have a close friend (for the sake of my friend’s anonymity, I’ll call her Natasha) who reads a lot of erotica stories written by male authors for men.
I emailed Felicia and asked for her permission to allow me to forward her novella to a close friend of mine to get a second opinion.
I waited a week for a response from Felicia, but she never responded. I took her silence to mean it wasn’t okay for me to get a second opinion, so I didn’t share her work, and kept on with my editing and critiquing.
I finished the editand sent it back to Felicia with my suggestions. I explained it was a challenge for me to fully grasp the plot, and the characters behavior in the story. I also highly recommended she get a second opinion on my suggestions, and sent her a few links that I thought could help her with publishing her novella, and encouraged her to keep writing, and wished her well with her publishing journey.
A week later, I received a package in the mail at home. It was Janet Evanovich (one of my favourite authors) CD collection wrapped as a gift with a card attached that said,�Thank you for the wonderful critique and encouragement. Here’s a gift to express my gratitude.”�Signed Natasha (my friend).
I was confused. Why was my friend thanking me?
I hadn’t critiqued anything for Natasha in a long time.
So I called Natasha to tell her I received her gift and to ask her why she was thanking me in the first place.
Natasha couldn’t stop laughing and then imitated a broken English accent:“Thank you, Mistress Robins.�
After a few seconds, it all clicked together.
The erotic author, Felicia, was really my friend Natasha in disguise.
My friend explained it was the reason she purposely wrote in broken English, and why she couldn’t usePay-Palor send acheckbecause then I’d know it was her.
She wanted me to critique this novella, without me knowing it came from her, and because the novella was a lot more hard-corethan she knew I read, she shied away from giving me a heads up about the project.
The phrase laughing my ass off is not an exaggeration in this case.
Natasha said she cracked up when she read the email to Felicia about asking a “good friend for a second opinion,� because she knew if she would have said yes, I’d be calling her to discuss the project, and she knew she couldn’t keep a straight face or stop herself from laughing.
I still laugh when I think about that day.
I’ve had a lot of pranks pulled on me by friends and family, it’s not hard, as I tend to be gullible (sometimes), but I must say, this was epic.
COMING SOON:
Speaking of people in disguise, stay tuned for the release date of my next full length, stand alone romantic comedy with a sprinkle of white magic and lots of sweet heat—ONCE UPON A KISS.
The hero in ONCE UPON A KISS takes the concept of disguise to a whole new level.
November 11, 2021
Stuff it . . . #recipe
Baking cookies, cakes and bread infuse your home with mouth watering scents, turning your kitchen into a five-star bakery, add to that the essence of roasted vegetables and your kitchen will accelerate all
your senses into high gear.
Here’s a recipe that will do just that.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, your choice)
1/4cup ofdryred or white wine (the good stuff that you would drink, not the cooking wine)
1 stalk celery, diced
4 sweet peppers (red, orange or yellow)
3/4 cup COOKED white rice (I cook the rice in chicken broth, to give it that much more flavor)
1TBSP freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP freshly grated Romano cheese
1 tomato, diced
handful of fresh basil, chopped
10 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup mozzarella, shredded or sliced thinly
1/2 cup tomato sauce (
salt and red chili flakes to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 350FCook rice and set aside.
Wash and dry the peppers, slice in half, and remove the seeds and set aside.
Chop the tops youremoved fromthe peppers into small pieces
Heat up a skillet, add the wine, sausage and ground beef, chopped celery andcook for about 5 minutes.
Then add the chopped pieces of peppers and stir, lower heat to medium and cook until meat is brown and done.
Once the meat is done, remove fromheat and add: Parmesan, Romano cheeses, tomato, olives, basil and rice, and stir well until it’s all mixed.
Taste the mixture, so you can season with salt and red chili flakes.
Line a baking dish with parchment, or spray with a non-stick spray
Fill each half of the peppers with equal amounts of the meat/rice mixture.
Arrange peppers in baking dish.
Top each pepper with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Cover dish and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove cover and bake an additional 5 � 10 minutes, until mozzarella on top is melted
October 2, 2021
Tangerine Air Fryer Chicken
I’ve resisted jumping on the air fryer cooking wagon because I thought; I have a convection oven, it does the same thing, and I’m a purist when it comes to kitchen appliances and not into the latest kitchen gadget trends.
I am here to say that when it comes to an air fryer, I was wrong.
I’ve been pandemic-retail-therapy shopping this past year and I purchased an air fryer. I’ve been experimenting with it and it has not disappointed me, especially with chicken dishes.
I am sharing my tangerine chicken thigh air fryer recipe for a delicious, crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside chicken dish.
As with all my recipes, you can substitute ingredients, as most of my recipes are flexible that way, especially since I wing (or in this instance, thigh) most of my recipes.
1 lb. chicken thighs (with or without skin, your choice)
2 TBSP corn starch
juice of 4 freshly squeezed tangerines
zest of 2 tangerines
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP soy sauce, I always use low sodium soy sauce
1 head roasted garlic � or � 3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. red chili pepper flakes (more or less, depending on how spicy you like it)
3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
