Pick-me-up?

Wondering what to do today? Need a quick pick-me-up after a round of holiday shopping? Want to get in the holiday spirit? Why not try NORTH POLE NAUGHTY from Ellora's Cave? It's guaranteed to steam up your holidays!

NORTH POLE NAUGHTY
NINA NASH
Rating: 5 Cups by Missy at Coffee Time Romance!

"Steve is the mall Santa and quite a cutie under his beard and Santa costume. He is everything Liz wants, and so much more male than the man that left her...

Filled with fun and sexual tension, this Christmas story was a sweet and sexy romance that was a perfect size for a lunch hour quickie. What a great way to warm up for the holidays. This was the perfect holiday treat." -Missy, Coffee Time Romance

Cream Puffs

I made these last night and they are to die for!

Of course I can't give away the secret canoli recipe from Recipe for Love but I can share one that's always been a hit in our house!I love strawberries. And I love cream puffs. So easy-to-bake cream puffs with strawberry sauce? Enough to steal my heart, for sure.

Okay, here goes. The recipe for Steal-My-Heart Cream Puffs:

Puffs:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup very cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 eggs, whisked together

Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
5 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur

Strawberry Puree:
4 cups strawberries, mashed and passed through a sieve
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees.

Heat water and butter in saucepan over medium heat until water comes to a boil and butter melts. Lower heat to a simmer and add sugar and flour. Stir briskly until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool slightly. When dough has cooled a bit, add beaten eggs and mix well. Drop dough by tablespoonsful onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes. When golden colored, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

While cream puffs bake, whip cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in liqueur.When puffs have cooled, cut in them in half and fill. They may also be filled by using a pastry bag, if you prefer.

If not serving right away, place filled cream puffs in fridge.

Just before serving, make the puree by placing all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly, until mixture thickens. Cool slightly before serving with cream puffs.

Enjoy!

Tools Everywhere!

It's always something, isn't it? I mean, when you've got a guy who watches the DIY network, Bob Villa and every other home renovation show on television you're bound to have some dust in your life. And, if you're really lucky (heavy on the sarcasm here!), some power tools. Some, even, with ridiculously long chords.

Arrgghhh!!

When will that man learn not to leave his drill laying around? I can't even begin to count the number of "discussions" we've had about it.

Last night I got up in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep. I headed to the kitchen, thinking a cup of chamomile tea might put me back to sleep. Instead I got a lump on my head that's going to look fabulous later today.

He says I'm clumsy. I say he's irresponsible.

Whatever.

All I know is I tripped over his damn tool. I nearly tossed it out the window, I was so annoyed.

Yeah, it's always something, isn't it?

Melting the Polar Ice Cap

North Pole Naughty, my second Ellora's Cave title, was released mid-December, 2006. What is the story about? Well, I just happen to have a blurb...

The holidays aren't starting off the way Liz hoped.Arriving in Wyoming the month before Christmas with her belongings in cardboard boxes and her heart in tatters she finds refuge on her sister's couch. While she waits for her ex-boyfriend Rob to come to his senses she takes a job as an elf at Santa's cottage in the local park. And as she focuses on getting her topsy-turvy life back in order she notices something.

Someone, actually. Someone wearing a red velvet Santa suit.

Someone so hot he could melt the polar ice cap. Someone named Steve who is all she ever dreamed of finding beneath her sprig of mistletoe.

Can working as an elf for a few weeks bring Liz a holiday gift that will last a lifetime?

North Pole Naughty

Need a little holiday pick-me-up? A pick-me-up that warms you up...in all the right spots, if you know what I mean?

Why not pick up your copy of North Pole Naughty? Guaranteed to heat your world, one inch at a time!

Santa never looked so good!!

Don't Stop Now!

Oh my gosh, you guys are awesome! I'm getting so many wonderful responses to the Tinsel For Lunch contest!

I've loved reading the responses to the Tinsel For Lunch Contest. I'm amazed by the diversity of everyone's holiday traditions. They're all wonderful and the best part is that each and every one of them is grounded in love.

Keep 'em coming! I'll choose the winner on the 15th!

Today in the Big Apple

Walking the streets of New York is always interesting. You see all sorts of things. Some good. Some not so great. Today I saw something that made my heart sing.

Was walking past the tree in Rockefeller Center. A woman and a small child were standing there, looking up and talking. She was explaining to the little boy what was going on. He listened intently, and when she was finished he asked a question that really, truly grabbed me.

"So will they put a star on the top so the three kings will know where to go?"

Sweet. Very sweet and innocent. And it brought the holiday to a new level in a flash.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

A few days ago Mickey and I watched the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree go up. Every year I think the tree can't get any better but every year I think this year's tree is the best of the bunch. Funny, isn't it?

Take it from me, this year's tree is breathtaking. Huge and full and pretty even without lights. I can't wait to see what it looks like all decorated for the holidays.

We have a real tree every year. If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up a tree? And what kind of tree do you favor?

Ours will go up the day after Thanksgiving. So exciting!

NaNo Noveling

I have been writing a NaNo novel. It's a compulsion, I think, to challenge myself to write a 50,000-word novel in under 30 days. I have so much fun doing the challenge that I can't imagine what November would be like without this event.

I'm almost done with my new novel. I had a blast writing without editing and it just about wrote itself. I plan to put it away until after the new year, then settle down and work on rewrites. Very different from what I usually do, or what I usually write.

Have you ever done (or are you doing) the NaNo challenge? If you're doing it this year, I hope it's going well for you! Remember, we're just past the halfway point so keep writing.

I've got to get back. Chapter 19 awaits!

Holiday Gift Shopping?

Need a holiday gift? One that's a little bit exotic, a tad racy? Why not try my first EC novel, Cairo By Moonlight? It's perfect for stuffing a stocking!

Two Lips Reviews gave it four lips!

Part of the Two Lip Review:

"...Cairo by Moonlight is a suspenseful story about two people relearning their importance to one another. As Layla and Caleb fall in love all over again, their passion ignites the pages. The love scenes are blissfully frequent and erotically creative. Rarely have I read a book that is so sensual in nature. I would have enjoyed understanding more about how they grew apart or even why they married since their issues seemed deeply ingrained into their personalities. That aside, Nina Nash has provided for her readers an engrossing story full of history, culture, suspense, romance and hot sensuality that I recommend reading. The ending alone will leave you wanting more..."

Thanks, Two Lips!

Tinsel for Lunch Contest

I know, Tinsel For Lunch sounds crazy, doesn't it? But in our family it's a phrase that's as ordinary as "Good morning" or "Pass the salt, please." I was three, and it was Christmas Eve. Lunchtime. My mother asked what I'd like to eat. I think she was considering pb&j or grilled cheese. I answered, "Tinsel for lunch." Then I insisted it looked like spaghetti, and that nothing else would do. She served spaghetti with butter sauce which apparently looked similar enough to tinsel to satisfy me. Every year since, tinsel for lunch is something we have around the holidays. Of course, the spagetti has grown more sophisticated but the annual Tinsel Luncheon is one of our family traditions.

Please share one of your holiday traditions with me. As my way of saying "Thank you for sharing!" I'll enter you in the Tinsel For Lunch Contest. The winner will receive a large wicker gift basket filled with holiday goodies ... Godiva chocolate, bubble bath, a NY snowman sweatshirt, a gift card, a couple of holiday DVDs and a bunch of other stuff that will, I hope, make the winner's holiday season a bit more festive. So what have you got to lose? Share a memory, enter a contest and everyone's a winner because I believe remembering past holidays makes the present one even more special. A grand prize winner will receive my stuffed holiday basket!

And you don't even have to eat Tinsel For Lunch!

Email me at ninascontests@gmail.com

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!The drawing will be held on December 15th. I'd like the basket to arrive at the winner's house by Christmas Eve. And yes, there will be fixings in the basket to make Tinsel For Lunch, too. ;-)

Old Favorite

maggie and millie and molly and may

maggie and millie and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

millie befriended a stranded star
who's rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea.

--E. E. Cummings (American poet 1894-1962)

Angel Wings

Aren't they gorgeous?

Almond Sand Dollars

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg, separated
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sliced almonds

Preparation
Beat 1 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating until well blended. Add 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, beating until blended.

Combine flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Shape dough into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.

Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 3-inch round cutter.

Place on lightly greased, parchment paper-lined baking sheets; brush with lightly beaten egg white.

Stir together granulated sugar and ground cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over cookies. Gently press 5 almond slices in a spoke design around center of each cookie.

Bake at 350° for 4 minutes; remove pan from oven, and gently press almonds into cookies again.

Bake 4 more minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Gearing up for the holidays!

Looking for a good holiday read? Why not try North Pole Naughty, available from Ellora's Cave?
Coffee Time Romance gave it a 5-Cup Review!

"Steve is the mall Santa and quite a cutie under his beard and Santa costume. He is everything Liz wants, and so much more male than the man that left her.
Liz is confused why she keeps thinking about Steve. What if Rob comes back for her? Should she not at least wait to find out if Rob will come for her? But she cannot deny her attraction for Steve.

Steve does not know she is on the rebound, so he is confused to see her continue to run away when he knows she likes him just as much as he likes her. She thought she was in love, but the man that left her for Alaska did not see it as more than lust. Could she give Steve a chance without feeling guilty?

Filled with fun and sexual tension, this Christmas story was a sweet and sexy romance that was a perfect size for a lunch hour quickie. What a great way to warm up for the holidays. This was the perfect holiday treat."

-Missy,Reviewer for Coffee Times Romance

Recipe for Love

"Recipe For Love was a super hot, comical short tale that will have you glued to your seat and eagerly turning the pages until the very last words are read. I gobbled this wonderful novella up in one quick setting. I was constantly being flip-flopped between full-blown lustful images to moments that had me bowing over with laughter. Gabi’s Nonna was a hoot and a force to be reckoned with. She was definitely not your typical granny. The sexual encounters displayed in Recipe for Love were deliciously naughty and fun-loving. I really enjoyed reading this Valentine’s Day story and it certainly had me wishing for a sample the famous recipe." - Contessa, Fallen Angel Reviews

Key West Pasta

When we're here in Florida we often eat at a small restaurant nearby. I won't divulge the name of the place but the chef has seen us so often he comes out and talks to us almost every time we stop in. Mickey and I both love his pasta primavera. Last night I finagled the recipe out of him...more or less. You'll see what I mean when you read it. There are no measurements--just a handful of this and a pinch of that, he says. Adjust it to suit your own tastes, I guess. Anyhow, here's the best (if somewhat sketchy) pasta primavera recipe I know. Enjoy!

Pasta Primavera
green beans, trimmed
broccoli florets
asparagus slices
red bell pepper, chopped
olive oil
chopped onion
minced fresh garlic
pinch crushed red pepper
fresh green peas
pinch salt
chopped fresh basil
shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
pasta of your choice

*we've been eating fettucine*

Cook green veggies until just tender; drain. Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and cook until soft. Add cooked vegetables, stir and then add herbs and spices. Serve over pasta. Add generous helping of cheese over top. Open a bottle of your favorite wine and enjoy!