Friday, June 29, 2018

"THE DRAGONFIRE SERIES"--Author Deborah Cooke's fantasy-fueled paranormal tales breathe fiery romance into dragon-shifter lore

Dragonfire is a paranormal romance series featuring dragon shape shifter heroes on a quest to save humanity. Although each book stands alone as a complete romance, it’s easier to follow the over-riding story arc by reading the books in sequence

https://www.goodreads.com/series/45034-dragonfire


Kiss of Fire
Kiss of Fury
Kiss of Fate
Winter Kiss
Harmonia's Kiss
Whisper Kiss
Darkfire Kiss
Flashfire
Ember's Kiss
The Dragon Legion Collection
Kiss of Danger
Kiss of Darkness
Kiss of Destiny
Serpent's Kiss
Firestorm Forever
Here Be Dragons: The Dragonfire Companion

Deborah Cooke

Deborah Cooke

Deborah Cooke also writes under the names Claire Delacroix and Claire Cross.

Bestselling and award-winning author Deborah Cooke has published over fifty novels and novellas, including historical romances, fantasy romances, fantasy novels with romantic elements, paranormal romances, contemporary romances, urban fantasy romances, time travel romances and paranormal young adult novels. She writes as herself, Deborah Cooke, as Claire Delacroix, and has written as Claire Cross. She is nationally bestselling, #1 Kindle Bestselling, KOBO Bestselling, as well as a USA Today and New York Times’ Bestselling Author. Her Claire Delacroix medieval romance, The Beauty, was her first book to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Deborah was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library in 2009, the first time TPL hosted a residency focused on the romance genre, and she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America PRO Mentor of the Year Award in 2012. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and of Novelists Inc. Currently, she’s writing paranormal romances as Deborah Cooke, and medieval romances as Claire Delacroix. Deborah thinks a lot about publishing and writing, and also knits too much.

"GOOD THINGS" FROM MARTHA STEWART--four cookbooks featuring slow-cookers; vegetables; appetizers; one-pot cooking, and more!

Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker: 110 Recipes for Flavorful, Foolproof Dishes (Including Desserts!), Plus Test- Kitchen Tips and Strategies

Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker: 110 Recipes for Flavorful, Foolproof Dishes (Including Desserts!), Plus Test- Kitchen Tips and Strategies

Leave it to the experts at Martha Stewart to figure out the best ways to use this favorite appliance. The 110 recipes in this book make the most of the slow cooker's assets (low heat, hands-off cooking), while also uncovering its hidden potential. Readers will find that they can not only braise cuts of meat until meltingly tender and let soups and stews simmer away untended, but also gently poach fish, cook up creamy scalloped potatoes, and bake a perfect cheesecake. This book has everything home cooks need to maximize flavor and make life a whole lot easier.

MY REVIEW:  When it comes to preparing food with slow cookers, there are usually two types of cooks: those who regularly make use of this wonderful kitchen helper, and those who dust the cooker off now and then for holidays, pot-luck dinners, and the occasional pot roast. Slow cookers come in a wide range of sizes, functionality, and visual appeal. I still have my original Crock Pot (avocado green), and it still works quite well. I have newer cookers, one small and one large, but the “green machine” is still my favorite. It holds a lot of memories of good food and good family times. “Martha Stewart’s Slow Cooker: 110 recipes for Flavorful, Foolproof Dishes (Including Desserts!), Plus Test-Kitchen Tips and Strategies” shines a new light on this old kitchen favorite, making it a “go to” meal-maker for modern families. More than a year’s research went into developing recipes and cooking techniques which make the most of the slow-cooker’s steady, even heat, minimal pot-watching, and the added benefits of less fat and more moisture in the prepared dish. Try poaching root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and beets (Root-Vegetable Confit), and serve them over cooked grains, or as a flavorful side dish. Slow cookers are unbeatable at taking tougher, less-expensive cuts of meat like flank steak and turning them fork-tender (Ropa Vieja). Fish fillets will cook to perfection (Indian-Style Fish Curry). For richer flavor and deeper color, brown meats and sauté onions before adding them to the slow cooker (Persian Lamb Stew). It goes without saying that soup is a slow cooker classic, and you can make a spectacular vegetarian version (healthy, hearty Italian Ribollita Soup). For your sweet-tooth try delicious desserts (Cinnamon Buns) which are made even more scrumptious by the moist heat of the slow cooker. This is a delightful cookbook filled with mouth-watering food photos and recipes that will have you rethinking your tried & true menus and meal preparations, and you will appreciate the savings of food costs and time.

Book Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers via Blogging for Books 


Martha Stewart's Vegetables: The Essential Guide, with Recipes

Martha Stewart's Vegetables: The Essential Guide, with Recipes 

An essential resource for every cook
 
In this beautiful book, Martha Stewart—one of America’s best-known cooks, gardeners, and all-around vegetable lovers—provides home cooks with an indispensable resource for selecting, storing, preparing, and cooking from the garden and the market. The 150 recipes, many of which are vegetarian, highlight the flavors and textures of everyday favorites and uncommon varieties alike. The recipes include:

   • Roasted Carrots and Red Quinoa with Miso Dressing
   • Swiss Chard Lasagna
   • Endive and Fennel Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
   • Asparagus and Watercress Pizza
   • Smoky Brussels Sprouts Gratin
   • Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Martha Stewart’s Vegetables makes eating your greens (and reds and yellows and oranges) more delicious than ever.


MY REVIEW:  Step up to the plate, and eat your veggies. The "V" in "Martha Stewart's Vegetables" stands for vibrant, versatile, and veggielicious. We eat with our eyes first, and then with all of our senses, and the beautiful color photo accompanying each recipe will definitely tempt your taste buds. The layout of this book is clean, uncluttered, easy-to-read, and easy-to-follow. The chapters are divided by the type of vegetable, such as Bulbs, Roots, Stalks & Stems, Leaves, and more. "Tubers", featuring potatoes and sweet potatoes, is my favorite--yes, I love my spuds. Each chapter is prefaced with a mini-bio of the vegetable group, and then followed by "The Basics"of varieties, storage, usage, and cooking. "Four-Onion Soup with Ginger" is perfect for those not shy about their fondness for onions. "Herb-and-Scallion Bread Pudding" is a savory side dish for roasted meats. "Moroccan Vegetable Soup" is hearty and surprisingly quick to prepare. "Carrot Fries" are oven-baked and crisply satisfying. "Yukon Gold and Sweet Potatoes Anna" is simple and combines the best of both worlds. "Roasted Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples" is the fantastic flavors of Fall all in one pan. "Sweet Potato Yeasted Rolls" and "Potato Dinner Rolls"--make both, and serve with lots of creamy real butter. "Caldo Verde" is a filling stew of kale, potatoes, and sausage. "Broccoli, Shrimp, and Shiitake Stir-Fry" offers a bountiful bowlful of tastes and textures. The fruits that we call vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, peppers and chiles, and more, are also given a shine by the spotlight. "Skillet Steak Peperonata" is sirloin steak cooked with a skilletful of peppers and onions. "Corn Soup" made with half-and-half and bacon-and savory seasonings-invites you to pick up your spoon and dig in. All together, "Martha Stewart's Vegetables" includes 150 recipes for main dishes and sides. You may not embrace a total vegetarian lifestyle, but incorporating more vegetables into your food intake will be more healthful, and it will expand and enhance your daily menus. MARTHA STEWART is one of America’s leading lifestyle experts, and she is the author of more than 80 books on cooking, entertaining, crafts, homekeeping, gardens, weddings, and decorating.
 

Book Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers via Blogging for Books


Martha Stewart's Appetizers: 200 Recipes for Dips, Spreads, Snacks, Small Plates, and Other Delicious Hors d'Oeuvres, Plus 30 Cocktails

Martha Stewart's Appetizers: 200 Recipes for Dips, Spreads, Snacks, Small Plates, and Other Delicious Hors d'Oeuvres, Plus 30 Cocktails

Hors d’oeuvres made modern: Today’s style of entertaining calls for fuss-free party foods that are easy to make and just as delicious as ever. With more than 200 recipes for tasty pre-dinner bites, substantial small plates, special-occasion finger foods, and quick snacks to enjoy with drinks, Martha Stewart’s Appetizers is the new go-to guide for any type of get-together.

MY REVIEW:  An "appetizer" is defined as "a small portion of tasty food to stimulate the appetite". Yes, indeed. An "hors d'oeuvre" is noted as an appetizer served before a meal. Why, thank you--I will accept a nice sampler plate. "Martha Stewart's Appetizers: 200 Recipes for Dips, Spreads, Snacks, Small Plates, and Other Delicious Hors d'Oeuvres, Plus 30 Cocktails" offers up tasty tidbits and tempting treats accompanied by lovely libations. This is a glorious graze-fest, done in "Martha Style", and it truly is a fabulous feast for foodies. It also introduced me to one of my new favorite food phrases: "substantial small plates". Oh, goodness! While the traditional image for appetizers and hors d'oeuvres is associated with cocktail parties and social gatherings, I will say that the foods and drinks featured in this book are also mighty appealing for times when you want something really good, but you don't want to cook a full meal. I am writing this review in the sultry days of late August here in the South, and a cold plate of assorted goodies with a nice cool drink seems like the perfect after-work supper. Divided into five sections of recipes--Snacks, Starters, Small Plates, Stylish Bites, and Sips--the book also offers rules and tips for party planning and hosting. Organization plus inspiration makes things easier for you and goes a long way to ensure a houseful of happy guests. You can't go wrong serving them delicious delights like these: "Summer Crudites with Green Goddess Dip"; "Cranberry Sparkler"; "Horseradish Deviled Eggs"; "Rosemary Cheese Straws"; "Plum Blossom"; "Mini Cheese Biscuits"; "Salty-Sweet Party Mix"; "Honey-Roasted Salted Figs"; "Gin and Grapefruit Fizzes"; "Turkey and Avocado Sliders"; "Sour Cherry Mojitos"; "Papaya, Mango, and Pineapple with Spiced Salt"; "Seasoned Potato Chips"; "Spiced Nuts"; "Seasoned Popcorn"; "Apple Cider Sangria"; and so much more. Contemporary cuisine has its own casual chic, and eclectic style can be an intriguing ice-breaker.

Book Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers via Blogging for Books


One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More

One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More 

The editors of Martha Stewart Living take 30-minute meals and everyday food to the next level with one-pot meals; more than 120 innovative, comfort-food recipes make use of just a pot, a sheet pan, a skillet, a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker for meals that are delicious, satisfying, and quick to clean up, too.

MSLO's latest cookbook features something everyone wants more of: all-in-one meals. Packed with 120 gorgeous images and recipes for one-pot wonders (including their food hack for One-Pan Pasta that went viral over the summer), this cookbook helps you get in and out of the kitchen with only one vessel to clean. From chicken and vegetables that roast on the same sheet pan to skillet lasagna, baked risotto, soups, and down-home casseroles, this is the volume that gives you the biggest flavor payoff with the smallest efforts. Here, too, are a dozen recipes for one-bowl desserts that can be ready when you are.


MY REVIEW:  "One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More" is simply a pleasure from cover to cover. This delightful cookbook from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living is one that you will reach for time and time again. With its trimmed-down size, easy-to-read font, and clean layout, this tempting collection of "one pot" meals and delicious desserts is definitely user-friendly. Each recipe is accompanied by a full-color photo. The cooking categories are: Dutch Oven; Skillet & Saute' Pan; Slow Cooker; Roasting Pan & Baking Dish; Pressure Cooker; Stockpot & Saucepan; and Desserts. Each of the different type of cooking pots is featured with a photo and usage directions and tips. Preparation time and clean up is reduced, and the convenience of preparing good-for-you comfort food encourages more shared family time around the dinner table. Here's a sample of the irresistible recipes included in "One Pot": "Chicken with Creamy Corn and Bacon"; "Sausage with Acorn Squash and Onions"; "Pork with Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes"; "Rib Eye with Root Vegetables"; "Pasta with Lentils and Greens"; "Corn and Shrimp Chowder"; "Salmon with Cabbage and Kale"; and "Mustard Salmon with Cabbage and Potatoes". Now, on to the wicked-good desserts: "Rustic Apple Tart"; "Skillet Chocolate-Chip Cookie"; "Molten Chocolate Cupcakes"; and "Baked Blackberry Custard". With such appealing spirit and style, and fabulous, family-favorite foods, "One Pot" is one terrific cookbook.
 

Book Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers via Blogging for Books


Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart 

Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. Over the last two decades Stewart has held a prominent position in the American publishing industry; as the author of several books, hundreds of articles on the domestic arts, editor of a national homekeeping magazine, host for two popular daytime television programs, and commercial spokeswoman for K-Mart. In 2001 she was named the third most powerful woman in America by Ladies Home Journal. In 2004 she was convicted of lying to investigators about a stock sale and served five months in prison.

"MARTHA STEWART'S FLOWERS"--Decorate your home and garden and add color and beauty to your own world



A rare glimpse into Martha Stewart's personal gardens, this book features her very favorite blooms and will include everything you need to know, from cultivation to display, with instructions for successfully growing flowers and arranging them, along with practical tips, foolproof techniques, and plenty of inspiration from Martha's own homes.
 

Gardening has long been a favorite pasttime of Martha Stewart. Having grown up working in the yard with her father, a master gardener, she relished the moment when she would be able to have her very own garden--and has since owned, loved, and developed six additional gardens, one of which is also a farm. In Martha's Flowers, she brings you into her personal gardens, walking you through rows and rows of tulips, daffodils, peonies, poppies, hydrangeas, dahlias, and more, while sharing stories of what these flowers mean to her. She also invites Kevin Sharkey, a longtime Martha Stewart Living editor and dear friend, to teach how to beautifully arrange these flowers yourself. In the back of the book, she includes a helpful, hardworking list of tools and vessels that are good to have, information on how to plan a cutting garden, and a tutorial on forcing branches. Martha's Flowers is one of Martha's most intimate books ever, and the authoritative advice included will make this a must-have for every gardener and flower enthusiast.



MY REVIEW:  From Martha Stewart comes "Martha's Flowers: Growing and Arranging My Favorite Blooms"--an exquisite and expansive exploration of the floral world. Along with fabulous photos, growing and gardening tips, and the perfect tools to use, Martha shares personal insights into her love of flowers. Contributor Kevin Sharkey offers valuable advice for creating uniquely lovely floral arrangements that range from supremely simple to stunningly spectacular. Decorate your home and garden and add color and beauty to your own world with "Martha's Flowers".

Book Copy Gratis Clarkson Potter Publishers via Blogging for Books 



MARTHA STEWART

Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. Over the last two decades Stewart has held a prominent position in the American publishing industry; as the author of several books, hundreds of articles on the domestic arts, editor of a national homekeeping magazine, host for two popular daytime television programs, and commercial spokeswoman for K-Mart. In 2001 she was named the third most powerful woman in America by Ladies Home Journal




Martha Stewart