Violet Moons Release Day!

Violet Moons, my new title with Ellora's Cave, will be released on March 28th. THAT'S TODAY!!

This book is one of my personal favorites. It was so much fun to write and I love the cover that has been created for it. It is a story of one woman's journey through the unknown in search of a better life for those she holds dearest. Although set in an imaginary world, it is, I think, a tale that is consistent with the lives so many of us lead. After all, most of us put the welfare of those we love above our own needs, don't we?

The blurb for Violet Moons:

The land of Vestia is forced to replenish its life force from a circlet of power that is kept in a distant kingdom. Wathalia, one of the Vestian princesses, must make a swift, secret journey to retrieve the circlet. Along the way she meets all manner of odd creatures as well as one very handsome man. A man whom she has seen many times before—in her dreams.

It appears that Wathalia’s mission is leading her to something other than the circlet and she realizes that her destiny may include more than a trip to the kingdom of the North. Meeting Priam makes her wonder if all moments in her life have been leading purposefully to the instant of their coupling. She wonders, too, if the man from her dreams is all he seems to be. Could he, too, have secrets? And will his secrets interfere with her ability to save the people of Vestia?

To celebrate my new release, I'm holding a little contest. If you've visited my website, or even if you just look at the title and cover of Violet Moons, you can probably guess what my favorite color is. So my contest is an easy one to enter...just go to my website, head to the link page and drop me an email with your guess about what my favorite color is. In the email, tell me what your favorite color is, too. Because really, I love to hear from readers and I love to learn about all of you.

Tomorrow morning I'll put all the names of those who emailed me in a hat and I'll let Mickey choose one lucky winner. The prize? A download of your choice of any of my Ellora's Cave releases. Good luck to all and in case you don't know where to find me, my internet home is:http://ninanashromance.com/

The site is under construction so please bear that in mind when you visit. I am in the middle of an update but that has had to wait to be completed. Hopefully it will be back to normal soon, so I hope you'll check back in sometime in the future.Until next time, good luck with the Violet Moons send-off contest! And happy reading!

The Undomestic Goddess

Since I posted my thoughts about Blame it on Cupid, several blog readers (and you know who you are!) have commented or dropped an email asking What are you reading now? And are you going to tell us what you think about it? Since I love books--reading them, talking about them, holding them, everything about books makes me happy!--I will share regularly a fast book review. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. And, too, I hope you perhaps pick up and read some of the books I discuss.

I've just finished The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. It's no mystery why this woman is a New York Times bestselling author. She writes with flair and humor, drawing the reader into her stories on the first page.

The Undomestic Goddess is a modern-day Cinderella tale, complete with stress, confusion, Blackberry's, mobile phones and the occasional household appliance thrown in for good measure! Samantha, a lawyer who runs into a bit of trouble at the law firm, manages to inadvertantly secure a position as a housekeeper. The trouble, or at least one of the troubles, is that she doesn't know one end of a vacuum cleaner from another!

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, filled with fun and romance but it's also a story of one woman's journey to a more peaceful existence. If you like to smile while you read, pick up The Undomestic Goddess. You won't be sorry. I wasn't. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!



Today my Valentine Vixens Quickie Assignment is released! I'm so excited about this title. I loved writing it and I'm hoping that readers will enjoy reading it.


I know its snowing across the northeast so in a lot of places Valentine's plans will need to be postponed. So if you find yourself looking for something hot and romantic to read today, please choose Assignment. I think you'll be happy you did!


And Happy Valentine's Day!!

Assignment releases tomorrow!

My Valentine Vixens Quickie, Assignment, releases tomorrow from Ellora's Cave. I am so excited about this--it's sort of a Valentine's Day gift to all of you readers out there who have made my time with EC interesting and fun. I love to hear from you, love to hear that you've enjoyed my books, so please keep sending mail my way. Although I try and answer every email personally I know I must miss a few so please know that I love getting them and I appreciate all your kind words.

I hope you enjoy Assignment!

New York living

I love living in New York. Mickey and I divide our time between Florida and the Big Apple and it's a situation that works well for us. We get the best of both worlds, a bit of the beach while still enjoying the attractions of Manhattan.

Recently we've been to see a few Broadway shows. Now, if you've never been on Broadway before, I completely recommend it as one of the things on you to-do-before-I-die list. (Do you have one of those? I do. Sometime I'll share some of it with you.) Broadway is like no other place on earth, the excitement and anticipation is so thick it surrounds you.

Anyhow, recently Mickey and I were lucky enough to see Spamalot. It's at the Shubert Theatre and has an all-star cast. The story of King Arthur and his knights, it's a telling of the quest for the Holy Grail. If you liked Monty Python's version, you're going to love this. I laughed until I cried, and then I laughed some more. It was, honestly, a wonderful evening.

So if you've never been to New York, perhaps you should plan a visit sometime in the future. And while you're here, why not take a stroll on Broadway? I guarantee you there'll be a show or two you'll want to see.

Recipe for Love Reviews

My first review for Recipe for Love came in and I am tickled! Reader Views said, in part,

Nina Nash is a talented writer. “Recipe for Love” is a great short read for Valentine’s Day. It’s romantic and passionate and written with lots of humor. This lighthearted book is sure to please and lift your spirits. The character of Nonna is wonderful. I want a Nonna like her. I want to be a Nonna like her. This book is sure to please. I highly recommend “Recipe for Love” to those that enjoy humorous erotic romance.

I am so thrilled, it always feels great to know that readers are enjoying what I've written! Thank you Reader Views, very much!

The entire review, along with many other interesting reviews, can be found here:

http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewNashRecipeforLove.html

Say-Yes Valentine's Brownies

If you're anything like I am, food can often make me feel romantic. Candlelights flickering, a fine meal, soft music in the background, then, before the actual fun begins...desert. Yes, I'm talking about the goodies before the goodies, if you get my drift. One of my fave goodies is chocolate, and since chocolate seems to be the food of choice for Valentine's Day, I'm going to share my recipe for Say-Yes Valentine's Brownies.

Ready? The recipe:

Say-Yes Valentine's Brownies

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped almonds

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, eggs and cocoa, mixing well after each addition. Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture and stir until well blended.

Add half of the chopped nuts and mix well. Spread batter in greased and floured 8-inch square baking pan. Top with remaining nuts. Bake in a pre-heated 350° oven for 25 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

Assignment Releases February 14th!

Assignment, a Valentine Vixens Quickie, is being released on Valentine's Day! It is a thrill for me to have my story come out on that day, that special day, meant for love and lovers everywhere.

I love this story. It was a blast to write and I'm hoping that everyone looking for a little Valentine's romance will read it and love it, too.

A blurb? Sure, I've got a blurb. Actually, I was hoping you'd ask!

When Aphrodite, reigning goddess of love, sends Diana on a mission to give a mortal woman the push she needs to be able to be open to romance—just a few days before Valentine’s Day—the “assignment” seems to be an easy one. Nudge the woman toward the handsome, interesting man and hope for the best, right? That’s exactly what Diana does and Kate and Trevor, the mortals, find happiness in time for the big day.

When Diana realizes that there is a second being from the realm of love among the mortals she assumes that Artemis is along to help with her assignment. Art, however, has an assignment of his own to attend to—one that is, to him, much more important than any other.

As I said, I loved writing this story. Assignment is a tale of love, not only among mortals, but among the gods, too.

Yearning

Hmm...you're probably wondering what it is that I'm pining for. Home, I'm yearning for home. Mickey and I have been away for the past few weeks, first in Vermont where we shivered and shook and decided that it was way too cold for us to hang around there any longer. So we went home for a day-and-a-half before heading out to visit the dear man's relations. Don't get me wrong, I love his family but I miss being home. We've still got five days left to the visit but I'm counting each and every one of them. As I said, we love everyone and we're having a great time but really, there's no place like home. Our bed doesn't have nearly as many lumps in it, either. And at home I would be a half a block from a Starbucks...yeah, I know it's shallow but I'm yearning for a caramel macchiato--not a grande but a venti. It's been way too long to skimp on size. With coffee, as with many...ahem...other things in life, bigger is sometimes more desirable. Sometimes. :-)

Recipe for Love release day!

It's release day! I love release days, love seeing my title on the Ellora's Cave homepage! Honestly, although it may sound hokey this is a dream come true for me. I love romance. The idea that I get to write it and people read and enjoy it is enough to keep me smiling all the time .

The Morning Before

Good morning all. I'm writing this in a quiet kitchen, by the light of a nightlight and the glow of the computer screen. Why? Because Mickey (my wonderful, sweet darling man) and I are at his parents' house for a few days. They, along with the rest of his family, are still asleep. Yes, I know it's getting late but this big family has a new member in it. No, not me--yet. Someday, hopefully, but not quite yet. No, the person in question is tiny, just home from the hospital. In his first weeks of life the young one has managed to completely upend the normally-serene household, leaving most of the adults very sleep-deprived. So I'm doing my best to be quiet, lest I disturb the bleary-eyed adults or wake the cute-as-a-button babe.

But still...it's hard to be quiet. My Valentine Vixens Quickie, Recipe for Love, is scheduled for release tomorrow morning! That's right, tomorrow it'll be available for purchase at Ellora's Cave.

Really, I feel like squealing, jumping on the table and clapping my hands. But...I'll keep that to myself...until the baby wakes. Until then, I had to share it with you.

Hope your day is a good one. :-)

Blame It on Cupid

What am I reading? It's a question I get all the time. I guess people think that a writer should have the "inside track" or something on what's hot, exceptional or whatever. I have to admit, I love, love, love to read...I think most writers do. So in deference to the eternal what-are-you-reading-now question, I've decided not to wait for the question. I'm simply going to tell you what I'm currently reading.

Last night I finished Blame It on Cupid by Jennifer Greene. This is the first time I've read one of her books but I can assure you it won't be the last. This was one of the sweetiest, sexiest books I've read in a while. It's the story of a quirky young woman whose free-wheeling lifestyle comes to an abrupt halt when an old friend passes away and leaves her guardianship of his eleven-year-old daughter. It sounds like it should be sad, right? But the way the book is written, the story is anything but sad. It's filled with poignant moments between the woman and her young charge, sexy interludes with the hotter-than-fire neighbor and has an ending that's sure to make you laugh and cry all at once. Yes, I loved Blame It on Cupid and I'll be buying more of Jennifer Greene's books in the very near future!

Steal-My-Heart Cream Puffs

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I thought I'd share one of my favorite love-inspiring recipes with you.

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 flour2 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!

Recipe for Love

And now to the latest release from Ellora's Cave, Recipe for Love. This is one of the Valentine's Vixens Quickies and I'm very excited about it. I remember writing this story and laughing while I wrote it because I could picture it all so clearly in my mind. Yes, I must admit that there are hot, steamy passages in the book, of course. But there are also a number of funny moments. Life, even when it involves love, romance and sex, is not always deadly serious. If you've got a funny bone, Recipe for Love just may tickle it!

A blurb? Sure, I've got a blurb...

Early Valentine’s Day morning Gabriella is summoned to her grandmother’s home with an urgent phone call. When she arrives there all is well—there is no emergency. The reason for the call is the family tale—and recipe—that is about to be passed down to Gabi. It is a treasure that will change her life, the way it has changed the lives of generations of women before her. Can one bite of a decadent canoli seal the destinies of lovers? For some it can.

And for this one, a little excerpt...

“So, are you going to tell me why you called me over here this morning? The morning of Valentine’s Day, when I should be out buying a card or something…else?”

Like teasing my Tom again, riding him like a woman possessed and reminding him of how wonderfully romantic he used to be, before he became so damn successful?

Her grandmother reached across the table and patted her hand.

“I have something to tell you, Gabriella. An old family secret and a recipe that’s been handed down through ten generations of this family,” Nonna said, a cryptic smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “It is time for you to know certain things, time for you to learn the ways of love among our women.”

Love? Sex ed from Nonna? Whoa—wait a minute! I’ve got to stop this before it begins!

“Listen, Nonna—I appreciate the thought, but I don’t really need any advice about love and…other things. Thanks anyway, but why don’t we just spend some time talking about Aunt Jean’s gallbladder or—“

“Basta! Enough!” Nonna held a gnarled hand in the air, as if she was a traffic cop. “You are twenty five now. Old enough to know certain things, certain things that every woman in this family has learned from their nonnas. That, Gabriella, is what grandmothers are for, to pass on the wisdom of the ages. You will listen. You will learn. But you will not turn away from what is rightfully yours. By tonight you will have the tools.”

“Tools?”

“The tools to drive any man you desire out of his mind with longing for you. You will be able to entice any man you choose to do your bidding. You will have the tools to choose a man to become your sexual slave for life.”

Recipe for Love will be released on January 31st. Go one, take a taste of The Recipe. Who knows? Maybe it'll bring you a bit of romance, too!

http://www.ellorascave.com/