Okay, ladies, don’t get too excited by the quickie word! No hunks in the house. Yet! Since I’m running late on my blog day and my new release BEAUTY TEMPTS THE BEAST comes out this Tuesday, I’m doing some quick promotion!

I hope you’ll read through the blurb, the excerpt, and, of course, watch the trailer! Oh, and buy the book next week too.

To celebrate the release, I’ll pick a name from those who comment on WHY they like dark, gothic romances and/or are interested in reading this story! The winner will receive the download format of her choice of BEAUTY TEMPTS THE BEAST!

BLURB:
Is the enemy of her enemy a friend…or a beast?

Lord Ashworth is scarred by a night of terror years ago that left his face in ruins and his life in shreds. He hides in Silverstone Manor, using rumors that paint him as a horrible, murdering monster to keep visitors at bay. Yet he can’t shake the feeling that the rumors might be true. He tells himself it’s better this way. If his memories ever resurface, at least he will be the only one hurt by them.

The woman on his doorstep, however, simply refuses to fear him. That’s not only an oddity, it’s a threat to his secret…and his heart.

Vivian Suttley has seen the face of evil more than once in her young life. She’s on the run from the latest, a cruel man determined to force her to marry him. Whatever the whispers about the reclusive Ashworth, surely it’s nothing compared to the bleak, violent future she leaves behind.

Ashworth saved her once before, and he’s her last hope for refuge. Yet she wonders if she’s truly safer at Silverstone—or if she has just made the biggest mistake of her life.

EXCERPT:
Her fingers fluttered to her throat. Ashworth brought them to his cheek, where her gentleness could soften the hard texture of his skin. “Kiss me,” he murmured.

“My lord?”

He took possession of her mouth, nipped at her yielding lips, and tasted the oranges from her breakfast. A cry chimed in her throat then died away. She hesitated, stiffened in his embrace. Slowly, she opened herself to him, allowing access to the sweetness of her mouth.

His blood burned, groin tightened. Every inch of his body begged to feel a woman’s skin against his. But he knew so little else of them. Women were a mystery. A mystery he could never unravel.

“Nay.” Pulse roaring, Ashworth stumbled away from her to the windows. The sun, warm on his face, added fire to the tempest rampant in his veins. Purple clouds gathered beyond the cliff. Soon they would vanquish the sunlight.

Ashworth wheeled to face her. Her lips glistened still, her cheeks flushed. Those dark eyes shone with an odd hope. He would put an end to that. “We will not marry.”

TRAILER:

FRUSTRATION

The other day I was having such a great time posting on a blog that had a horse theme.  We were sharing our experiences with horseback riding.  Funny how remembrances can bring up frustrations long ago buried.  I was seventeen and working at a summer resort up in the high mountains of California.  One day the wrangler asked me to tie fifteen of the horses to the hitch so he’d be ready when the riders arrived.  Well, you know I tried my best, but my best wasn’t quite good enough.  They had to round up all fifteen horses because my knots didn’t hold.  I was on the top of the Wrangler’s hate list the remainder of the summer.    He never spoke to me again and always did the sign of the cross before he turned away.

I admit it, I am knot challenged.  Even years later I find my stomach tying into knots over knots.  Just mention “bowline knot” to my husband and his blood pressure shoots through the top of his head and blood shoots out of his eyes.  Picture a volcano going off.  Yes, I absolutely pushed him and my dad to their limits while trying to learn how to tie that infamous bowline.  They thought telling me to form a loop a short distance from the end – allow for the size of the loop and the knot itself.  Pass the end of the rope through the loop as though making a simple knot (a half hitch).  Pull the end through, then round the standing end, and then back through the loop to finish the bowline should have been sufficient.  I tried, honestly I did.  I was a Camp Fire leader at the time and it was part of the criteria that the girls learn to tie that evasive knot.  I think rabbits and holes were involved in one set of directions. 

Okay, now we have the Internet.    I actually found a site that shows how to tie the knot.  Much better than an over-stimulated husband and frustrated father.   It actually shows you how to tie a bowline knot in slow motion, step by step, ten different pictures.  I DID IT.  I ACTUALLY TIED THAT KNOT!! 

You know what this shows me.  I can do anything if I try hard enough, have the  Internet and a lot of friends who have patience and will laugh along with me when I am learning something new.  Now that I have told you my story, I am walking upstairs with rope in hand and will proudly show my bowline to my husband.    What do you think his reaction’s going to be? 

We have a winner: Fedora, please email me your address at mona@monarisk.com to receive a copy of my brand new book, Babies in the Bargain, that is not officially on the market yet.

Congratulations.

When I decided to quit my job seven years ago to fulfill my dream of writing romance novels, I was determined to make it an early retirement, a fun time to relax. RELAX.

R-E-L-A-X.

I had more than my share of angst and excitement with exams and waiting for results, dating and waiting for a proposal and a wedding, raising children and waiting for them to grow up and turn into a man and woman of values, happy and successful…

On the work front, my job has been a hectic roller coaster of ups and downs with contracts and fun trips, with deadlines and late hours in the lab that often extended to the wee hours of the day to deliver sample results on time to the customers.

I have spent my life worrying about one thing after another, torturing myself with anxiety and then celebrating with excitement. I was burnt up and needed my early retirement to read, write, walk, exercise, start living without pressure or stress.

Little did I expect that writing romance novels would soon turn into an obsession, an addiction consuming my life and bringing again a whole new set of anxiety and excitement. Participating in contests and waiting for the phone call announcing the finalists; submitting to editors and waiting for the letter or the email with so much hope and so much anxiety, only to be crushed by a form rejection. With time the rejection turned into a two-page letter with suggestions and request for revisions, and then finally the “call” came, bringing such a delirious happiness. But the ups and downs started again when the books were published, waiting for reviews, for fan letters, for book signings…

My third book BABIES IN THE BARGAIN will be released in four days from the Wild Rose Press, on July 3^rd, 2009.

I already received a whole box of paperback copies and I held a book signing yesterday before the official release of my book. So why the stress? The anxiety that burns my stomach and dries my throat?  Is it part of my nature to take every thing to heart, to grind my teeth or bite my nails while waiting for others’ approval?

Do you suffer a hundred deaths when you wait for the results of an important project? Does it cause you physical distress to expect and receive what you want so badly?

Please leave a comment with your experience at handling stress.

A winner will receive a copy of BABIES IN THE BARGAIN.

.

Short Synopsis: With only one year left to complete her medical training in Neonatology, Dr. Holly Collier vows not to let anyone mess up her sacrosanct schedule. Especially not the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Marc Suarez who broke her heart seven years ago.  When a tragic accident transforms the carefree playboy into a dedicated but novice father to his nephew, Holly gives in to her maternal instincts and turns her structured life upside down for the orphaned preemie. But can she learn to trust Marc again and believe in true love?www.monarisk.com          www.monarisk.blogspot.com     www.myspace.com/monarisk

GRILLED ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES  

1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper sliced
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 slices sourdough bread
16 slices Colby-Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, divided
8 slices deli roast beef
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
Garlic salt, optional

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic in oil until tender; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  On four slices of bread, layer two slices of cheese, two slices of beef and a fourth of the vegetable mixture.  Top with the remaining cheese and bread.

Butter outsides of bread; sprinkle with garlic salt if desired.  On a hot griddle, toast sandwiches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

LASAGNA RIBBON SALAD  

At least 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup pine nuts
¼ cup minced shallots or red onions
1 large (about ½ pounds) red bell pepper
8 ounces dry wide lasagna noodles
¼ edible-pod peas (ends and strings removed)
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, stir 3 tablespoons olive oil, pine nuts and shallots until nuts and shallots are just golden (about 2 minutes).  Add bell pepper and stir often until limp, about 2 minutes; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to a boil.  Add lasagna noodles and bouillon cubes; stir to separate noodles.  Cook, uncovered, until just tender to bite (about 12 minutes).  When boil resumes, turn heat down to maintain a gentle simmer.  Drain pasta; add cold water to pan.  When pasta is cool, drain, but leave pasta in pan.

If made ahead, cover peppers and pasta and let sand up to 3 hours.

Return pan with peppers to medium-high heat and add peas; stir until peas turn bright green, about 2 minutes.  Pour over pasta and lift with 2 forks to mix.  Season salad with cheese, salt, pepper, olive oil, and Basalmic vinegar to taste.

I run for comfort food (a security blanket) when my emotions are revolting and on an all-time low. Some of my favorite comfort food is chocolate, burnt hot dogs (don’t laugh), homemade bread, meatloaf, lamb, veal, fried chicken, Mike & Ikes, ice cream, German rice, apple cinnamon iced tea and lemonade. Oooh, and my Grandpansy’s (Grandfather’s) special BBQ chicken recipe.

Supposedly, comfort food is typically related to pleasant childhood memories and inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to prepare. A-M never said she was normal. 

The only comfort foods I relate to my childhood are my Grandpansy’s BBQ chicken and burnt hot dogs. Both my Grandfather and Mommy did a great job with their individual specialties, although my Mommy never intended burning the hotdogs, but she always did without effort. The homemade bread I discovered on my own. 

Did you know most comfort foods are high in carbohydrates or fats, and more satisfying than anything offered to you?. Here’s one of my favorite, fast comfort food recipes. It truly does take five minutes. I hope you enjoy. It’s yummy!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

Trivia: Did you know that Webster’s Dictionary added the term comfort food in 1972?

Here’s a list of the top 25 comfort foods. Check and see if yours is on the list. Apple pie, baked beans, banana pudding, beef stew, brisket pot roast, chicken & dumplings, chicken pot pie, chicken soup, chili (Bill Cosby’s favorite), chocolate chip cookies, corn on the cob, Jell-o, green bean casserole, hot dogs, ice cream macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, potato salad, pumpkin pie, shepherd’s pie, spaghetti, tomato soup and tuna casserole.

Is one of these yours? Do you run to your favorite foods when you need comfort or to your childhood memories, emotional security, special reward, or does your comfort food trigger positive memories ?

I have mentioned before that I’m a late bloomer (on every front it seems) and I have these obsessive-compulsive tendencies. I get tipped in a certain direction and it’s full-bore, in-with-both-feet, man-the-torpedoes! In the past couple weeks I dipped my toe into the wide word of e-books.  E-books have been around for a while, but I tend to hug tradition :)  I’ve been rather stubborn about it–my own books are available as e-books, but I was still firmly planted in the paperback camp.  I never viewed e-books as something I’d enjoy for recreational reading. I mean, I’m ALWAYS  on the computer–writing, researching, critiquing–constantly reading. It’s not often that I read for sheer selfish reasons–frankly, I’d rather be writing–but when I do read non-writing-related books, I tend to binge. The few times a year I plop down to read, I generally have a stack of books and get lost for days…which is why I sooo should have known better. Honestly, I thought I’d read one…I was sorta stuck with my manuscript, a friend had a book out and I thought, hey–I’ll just check it out, and discovered e-books are so like potato chips–right there at your fingertips and the first one merely wets the pallet.  My brain shifted into binge mode and one book turned into twenty-two–only one historical and a certain fairytale featuring a Big Bad Wolf which started this whole detour. I discovered some serious pluses to cyberbooks.

Convenience — they are right there!

Price — way cheaper than paperbacks–you can buy more books

Environmentally Friendly –saves trees and pollution, since you don’t have to drive to the bookstore!

Convenience — for the impatient reader, this is heaven–the books are like right there at your finger tipes–touch of a key and BAM, you have a book.  It’s awesome.  I love them.  Totally feeds into my lack of patience.

Here’s some of my fave e-books sites:

Deisel e-Books — huge selection, makes buying a snap

The Wild Rose Press

Samhain Publishing

Loose-Id

And of course, eHarelquin

You don’t have to have an e-book devise–you can download a PDF file, digital PDF file (free download software for digital PDF reader at eHarlequin) or install a Mobile Pocket Desktop reader on your computer (free software download also available). It’s fair to say, I’ve had my quarterly book binge–I’m cut off, resorting to a PC with no internet hook up, until this manuscript is turned in. After that, I might be in trouble

So how about you–any favorite e-books sites?  Read any e-books lately?  Anyone have one of those fancy-dancy hand-held e-book readers?

One comment poster will be drawn, and can choose one of my two current releases!

Available Now–in paperback and e-book!

***WINNER ALERT! - Barbara, from post #17, has won the $5.00 e-book gift card from Ravenous Romance! Barbara, please EMAIL ME at terrigarey@gmail.com with your mailing info to claim your prize! (Please put “WAP Prize” in the heading of your email.)

I’ve been fascinated lately by the concept of choices.

We tend to think that we just go through life, and sometimes good stuff happens, and sometimes bad stuff happens, and we’ve got our hands full just dealing with it. 

Uh uh.  Not that simple.

Oh, we’ve got our hands full all right, but it’s usually because we reached out a hand to begin with and said, “I want this, not this,” or we threw up a hand - palm up - in refusal of something.  “Don’t tell me what to do!”  “Don’t tell me what to think!”  “Don’t tell me how to behave!”

Sure, we all have things we couldn’t control - who our parents were and how they raised us, where we lived growing up, what color our eyes are, how much we get paid for what we do.  But as adults - informed, consenting adults - we have a LOT of control over the choices we make.

So make one today.  I’m going to give you a couple of hypothetical questions, to which there are NO “right” answers, only the answers you’ll choose.  It’s an exercise in making choices, and from those choices, learning who we are.  No judgements, no right or wrong.  Ready?  Here we go:

A friend confides to you that she has committed a particular crime and you promise never to tell. Discovering that an innocent person has been accused of the crime, you plead with your friend to give herself up. She refuses and reminds you of your promise. What should you do?

Question #2:

You are sitting in a bar, having a drink with a friend you haven’t seen in a while.  After an hour, a handsome man walks into the tavern and sits by himself, and you ask your friend who he is. “Be careful of that guy,” you are told. “He is a man with a past.” A few minutes later, another handsome man enters the bar; he also sits alone. You ask your friend who this new individual is. “Be careful of that guy, too,” she says. “He is a man with no past.” You’re not allowed to ask your friend any further questions.  Both of these men are equally handsome, and both give you a smile.  Which of these men would you find more intriguing?

Give it some thought, and have fun! One lucky commenter will win a $5.00 gift card from Ravenous Romance, good for one free e-book.

** Prize alert** 

Julie couldn’t resist the cow burp story, so congratulations to McH! Heather, please send your snail mail details to Julie at julie@julie-cohen.com and she’l send your fab prize off.

I’m delighted to welcome back my very dear friend, the extremely talented author and Playground favourite, Julie Cohen! We always have great fun with Julie and today is no different! So, without further ado …

Thanks, Anna. It’s great to be back!

I like to write about people with strange jobs. Maybe it’s because being a writer is one of the strangest jobs on the planet; maybe it’s just because I tend to believe people with interesting jobs are probably interesting people. I’m the sort of person who leafs through the Yellow Pages looking for the oddest entries I can find. For example, the Norwich phone book has a whole section devoted to “Chick Sexers”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_sexing

Well, I haven’t written about any chick sexers (yet) but I’ve had my fair share of other unusual professions. The most excellent thing about this, for me, is that I get to do the research.

Philomena Desdemona Brown (Fil for short), the heroine of my latest book, Girl from Mars, is a comic book artist. There are plenty of comic book artists out there, but not that many female ones in mainstream super hero comics, and I wanted to explore the life of a female in a very male world. I read a lot of comics to research this book, and I also talked to a writer for DC comics, but the coolest thing I did was to spend an afternoon at the headquarters of 2000AD, which is Britain’s best-selling weekly comic. I got to sit next to a life-sized cutout of Judge Dredd! This is quite exciting for a geek like me, I can tell you.

I also got my photo taken next to a Dalek when I was visiting the BBC, partly because there’s a Dalek in the book, but mostly because—whoa, who wouldn’t get their photo taken next to a Dalek?!!? I’m the envy of eight-year-old boys all over the planet. Several have told me so. [Note from Anna: For those of you who don’t know what a Dalek is - it’s a cool villain from the Dr Who series! And I’m very envious of Julie too!]

In Honey Trap, the heroine is a fomer private detective turned aromatherapist. I did the usual research for the private detective bit—reading, calling up private detectives to ask random questions about surveillance—but for the aromatherapy knowledge, I booked an hour-long session with an aromatherapist to have a massage and a chat. It was one of the most relaxing research sessions of my life. The hero of Honey Trap, Dominick Steele, is a rock star and my research for that was some of the easiest I’ve done. My husband works for rock bands as a tour manager and guitar tech, and he knows everything about touring, instruments, and what the stars get up to backstage. (No, he won’t tell you. Well, maybe if you buy him a beer first.) He read my manuscript and told me things like the sound that tour bus doors make, and where would be the best place at a music festival to try to kill someone. You just can’t pay for knowledge like that.

I probably did the most research for Rosie Fox, the heroine of Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak. Rosie is a fake psychic and I had a brilliant time researching how psychics work, “real” or “fake”. I had my tarot read, and went to Spiritualist church meetings; but I also haunted skeptic discussion forums and met a magician who wrote the world’s most definitive guide on faking clairvoyance.

The odd heroine out in this lineup is Eleanor Connor, the heroine of One Night Stand. Eleanor is a writer, living in Reading, who gets pregnant. As I started writing the book when I was six months pregnant and living in Reading, it wasn’t too challenging to put myself in her shoes. But hey—I was pregnant, I deserved a break. I loved setting a book in the town where I live, though, and I did end up doing quite a bit of poking around local places as research. I know where her house is and where she works, and every time I pass those places I think of my heroine and what she did there. It’s nice, as if my fictional world has been overlaid on the real one.

I’ll freely admit that I choose my heroine’s professions just so I can research them. For example, right now I’m writing about a woman who runs an ice cream factory. So ice cream tasting is…compulsory! And possibly tax-deductible!

What’s not to like?

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever heard of, or what’s the strangest or most enjoyable bit of research you’ve done for a book you’ve written? I’ll choose a winner out of the comments to receive a signed copy of Girl from Mars, and some glow-in-the-dark bracelets.

LINKS:

My website: http://www.julie-cohen.com

Links to The Book Depository are best for North American readers, because they do free shipping anywhere in the world. So here are links to my books on there. If you’d prefer Amazon ones, then I can give you those.

Girl from Mars:
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755341399/Girl-from-Mars

Honey Trap:
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755341375/Honey-Trap

One Night Stand:
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755334834/One-Night-Stand

Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak:
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755334810/Spirit-Willing-Flesh-Weak

GOURMET POTATOES

6 to 7 medium-size red potatoes
1/3 cup green onion, including tops (minced)
¼ cup margarine
2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

In a saucepan sauté onion in margarine. Add cheese and cook until cheese melts. Remove from heat and add sour cream, salt and pepper. Fold this mixture into potatoes and empty into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

GREEN PEPPER STEAK

Sirloin tip steaks (about 3 pounds)
1/3 cup oil
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 (10 ounce) can condensed beef broth
2 medium green peppers, cut into strips
1 pound fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup cornstarch
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Slice beef into thin strips, 2 inches long. Brown meat in oil in Dutch oven. Stir in salt, pepper, onion, garlic and broth. Cover and simmer until meat is tender – about 20 to 30 minutes. (At this point, meat can be covered and refrigerated for no longer than 24 hours.) At serving time, heat to boiling and proceed as directed.

Stir in green peppers and whole mushrooms. Cover and simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce. Pour into meat mixture stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Welcome to another Sangria Saturday!!

**Prizes Galore!!**

**Winner from Christyne Butler’s visit - congratulations to Lisa Freeman - please send Christyne with your snail mail address at chris@christynebutler.com**

**Winner from Karin Tabke’s visit is Terri Garey!

**And last, but definitely not least, the winners from our Sangria Saturday fun:

Maureen, Chey, Mari, Colleen and Anon 1001.

Please send your snail mail info to me at anna@annasugden.com. Please also let me know which book you would like as your first and second choice - first come, first served!

Congratulations to all our winners! And remember to check back to other posts to make sure you haven’t missed a prize!**

Hope you’re enjoying the glorious sunny weather we’ve had in Cambridge. Luckily, we’ve had a little rain, so the garden is looking a little healthier. Who knew we’d be complaining about lack of rain in England?!

Here on the Playground we’ve been keeping things hot, hot, hot with fabulous guests, fun posts, delicious recipes and, of course, our hunks. 

The Brit Boys in the hot tub have decided to get the ice cream maker working and are busy making mega-batches of all your favourites. Sven and Lars are lining up the sauces and sprinkles and other toppings, so you can enjoy the ultimate ice cream delight. What do you mean are the toppings only meant for the ice cream?!

Time to grab your favourite hunk, drag him over to your favourite area of the Playground and enjoy a nice, relaxing day in the sun!

And don’t forget to check out our gen-u-ine Kissing Booth in the side-bar!

**June Releases!**

Betty Hanawa’s  novella Love the Day is available now!

Stacey Kayne’s  novella Courted by the Cowboy, in the anthology Stetsons, Spring and Wedding Rings.

Mona Risk’s  Babies in the Bargain will be released in e-book and paperback on July 3rd, from The Wild Rose Press.

Janice Lynn’s online read Single Doctor, Single Dad is featured this month at eharlequin.

Her Big, Bad Wolf by Mckenna Chase  and Jana Mercy  is available from The Wild Rose Press.

**Good News!**

More good news to celebrate this month:

Carla Capshaw  got the fantastic cover for her debut novel The Gladiator.

Anne-Marie Carroll’s  The Gavel’s Echo continues to storm the contest circuit with another final in the More than Magic contest and second place in the Sheila!

Janice Lynn’s  Medical Romance, The Heart Surgeon’s Secret Son won the Golden Quill!

**Guests**

The Playground has been hopping with lots of great guests, this month. I’m sure your credit card is like mine, wincing at the thought of still more books to buy. But, how can we resist?! Do we even want to?

Speaking of hunks, Pamela Palmer  celebrated the release of the first book in her Feral Warriors series, Desire Untamed, by sharing the yummy covers for this series and asking what inspired us.

New York Times bestseller, Eloisa James, got us all embroiled in a war of words *g* as we discussed insults, subtle and not very subtle, like the ones in the latest book in her Desperate Duchesses series - This Duchess of Mine.

Karin Tabke shared the delicious cover of the third book in her Blood Sword Legacy series, Master of Craving, and her love of romance-focused communities.

Kerri Nelson celebrated the release of her book Miss Taken by telling us about the gambles she took - and how they paid off!

Anna Louise Lucia entertained us with the story her father shared about the time it rained green beans! Don’t forget to get your copy of her latest book, Dangerous Lies!

More hunks as Adele Dubois talked about her new release Desert Wild and the magical GPS navigator that locates your heart’s desire.

Diana Peterfreund told us about the picture that inspired her new release Rampant.

**Recipes**

Paisley tantalised out tastebuds once again with more delicious recipes. If you haven’t had a chance to try any yet, they are really simple and easy to follow. This month, Paisley told us how to make Brown Rim Cookies and Pizza Meatloaf, Barely Wilted Spinach Salad and Cascade Potatoes, Sugar Cookies and Broccoli Cheddar Bake, Chicken Cacciatore and Cold Rice Salad and Cowboy Coleslaw and Cream of Brocolli Soup.

**Playground Fun**

Thought-provoking, entertaining and, of course, hunks a plenty! That’s what we’ve enjoyed this month as Playpals have penned their thoughts and shared them with our friends. Kathleen Long talked about the me she wanted to be, while Mona Risk discussed of the pain of separation. Tawny Weber invited us to advise her on her new office while Anne-Marie Carroll shared her expertise on computer programs for writers. Leslie Dicken asked for clarification on the rules for e-publishers, while Lisa Pitz-Spindler shared some of the wackiness on the Web. Both Paisley Kirkpatrick and CL Wilson got us to talk about heroes; fictional and real-life. Beth Andrews reminded us of high school graduations, Paisley Kirkpatrick shared her historic treasures with the rest of us pack rats and Terri Garey asked us about the first man we ever fell in love with. Janice Lynn launched her online read at eharlequin.com, Stacey Kayne shared her new video for Mountain Wild and Terri Garey gave us a peek at the recent book-signing she did with other members of Tampa Area Romance Authors.

Phew! Remember, all our posts are archived, so you can catch up with anything you’ve missed.

**Playground Contests**

To celebrate the release of her new book Babies in the Bargain, on July 03, 2009, at The Wild Rose Press, Mona Risk will be running a series of contests on her blog during the month of June: Several prizes will be offered every week to lucky contestants: Paranormals by CL Wilson, Bonnie Vanak, Jade Lee and Helen Scott-Taylor, Historicals by Victoria Alexander and Stephanie Laurens, various Medical Romances, thrillers by Heather Graham, and Mona’s own romantic suspenses To Love A Hero and French Peril. Stop by Mona’s blog and sign up for her newsletter. http://www.monarisk.blogspot.com
 
Tawny Weber’s  HUNK OF THE MONTH CONTEST - Stop by Tawny’s blog  in June and vote for the sexiest Swimsuit Hunk! Leave a comment to be eligible to win a copy of Beth Andrews’ A Not-so-Perfect Past!

Beth Andrews is giving away a copy of Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell! Just sign up for Beth’s newsletter and you’re eligible to win! Check out http://www.bethandrews.net for more details.

On June 29, Betty Hanawa will be part of a blog circle called “Stop and Smell the Roses Blog Bouquet” featuring authors from The Wild Rose Press. Her prize will be a pdf copy of winner’s choice of any of her titles with The Wild Rose Press.

 **Staying in Touch**

Remember, if you haven’t already done so, sign up for our Newsletter. It’s easy - just check out our Blog Home page and scroll down for the sign-up. And, as an added incentive, members of our newsletter list will be entered into monthly draw to win free books and other fab prizes. So, make sure you’re signed up!

Congratulations to our June winner - Helen!

Also, we are on Facebook! We have our own page and we have a WAP group that you can join. We’d love you to be a friend!

What is your favourite ice cream? Do you like it plain or with toppings? On a cone or in a dish? One scoop, several scoops all the same, or a variety?

**A FANTABULOUS selection of great prizes to give away this month for lucky commenters:

Janice Lynn  is giving away a copy of The Heart Surgeon’s Secret Son

Betty Hanawa  is giving away a copy of Love the Day

Terri Garey  is giving away a copy of the anthology Weddings From Hell

Stacey Kayne is giving away a copy of Mountain Wild.

Beth Andrews is giving away a copy of A Not-So-Perfect Past.

**Don’t forget to check back and see if you’ve won a prize this month - the winners are always highlighted at the top of the post. Some people are missing out on goodies!