Thank you Fresh Fiction fans for inviting me to join you and helping celebrate
the release of book #2 in my Rakes of St.
James trilogy, TO
THE DUKE, WITH LOVE.
Usually, I'm thinking about how to thicken my plot with twists and turns, drama,
and romance the way I did in TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE. My
main ingredient is a rake of the highest order, add a spoonful of a heroine who
took a vow to never marry, and a dash of street kid who sneaks into her life,
steals her heart as well as some valuable things and you have a thick plot.
But it's December. It's damp, and chilly. And time to think about making a pot
of my favorite homemade soup. Beef and veggie. Unlike my mother, who was a
wizard in the kitchen and could have made Styrofoam taste good, I don't always,
okay seldom, cook from scratch and use a recipe or fresh ingredients. It takes
too long to wash all the veggies, peel them, and then cut or dice them. No, I'd
rather be writing.
So even though it takes a lot of thought and time for my plot to thicken when
I'm working on a new book, it takes hardly no time for me to thicken my soup. A
can of Campbell's Cream of Celery soup does it for me.
I start with a ribeye steak because it has the marbling needed for taste. I
usually let it simmer with two cups of water on low in the pot for an hour or
so—while I write. It's always very tender when I take it out and it's easy to
remove the fat the same way I had to trim the excess descriptions and dialogue
in TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE.
After I cut the meat into small pieces, I set it aside. I then peel a potato and
chop it and a carrot, which are my only fresh ingredients, and add them to the
steak and let them simmer for about fifteen minutes the same way I let the
romance in TO THE DUKE, WITH
LOVE heat and simmer slowly in my thoughts.
When the potatoes and carrots are ready, I take peas, beans, and corn out of the
freezer and add them to the pot. Voilà! That makes a nice combination
of drama in soup, the same way I mix a little drama into my stories.
Last, but not least, I add a jar of chunky salsa—medium heat—to spice it up. No
use in cutting fresh onion, peppers, and tomatoes when salsa does it nicely for
you. But I will say, I didn't take a short cut when I added the heat and spice
to the romance in TO THE
DUKE, WITH LOVE. I never cut corners or hurry the love scenes in any of my
books.
And there you have it! Amelia Grey's happy ending to a cold winter day and a
well-plotted book. Of course soup always tastes better with a lovely place
setting and my latest novel, TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE to
season the bowl just right!
You can email me at [email protected], follow me on
Facebook at Facebook.com/AmeliaGreyBooks or visit me at AmeliaGrey.com
Rakes of St.
James
There may be times when a gentleman is desperate to gain a lady’s
attention, but a gentleman would never resort to desperate measures to obtain
it. —A Proper Gentleman’s Guide to Wooing the Perfect Lady
Sloane Knox, the Duke of Hawksthorn is guardian for his sweet, younger
sister. Due to his misguided past as one of the infamous Rakes of St James, Hawk
is hoping to avoid the Season by securing a match for her before it begins. He
has the perfect gentleman in mind, but for one infuriating—and unexpectedly
intoxicating—obstacle: the intended groom’s own sister, Miss Loretta Quick.
Having narrowly avoided her own arranged marriage to an unacceptable
nobleman, Loretta is determined that her dear brother—a gentle, good-natured
soul—should marry for love. Matching wits with Hawk may be her greatest
challenge yet. . .until she realizes it may also be her greatest pleasure. For
the young duke’s irresistible charm has not only begun to crumble her stubborn
resolve, it has claimed her heart in true love as well. . .
Romance Historical
[St. Martin's Paperbacks, On Sale: December 5,
2017, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250102515 / eISBN:
9781250102522]
Amelia Grey (aka Gloria Dale Skinner) grew up in a small town in the
Florida Panhandle. She has been happily married to her high school sweetheart
for over twenty-five years. She has lived in Alabama, Connecticut, New
Hampshire and now lives in Florida.
Amelia has won the coveted Romantic Times award for Love and Laughter, the
prestigious Maggie award for best historical and Affaire de Coeur's best
American historical award. She has been a finalist for the Golden Heart and the
Holt Medallion awards which are given by Romance Writers of America and
numerous other awards. Her books have been sold to many countries in Europe,
Russia and China.
Amelia likes flowers, candlelight, sweet smiles, gentle laughter and
sunshine.
What is your favorite soup? Tell us below and you could be the winner of a print copy of TO THE DUKE, WITH LOVE (US only)
I am not much of a soups or sauces eater. I try to eat my foods as close to their
original state as possible.
(Joy Isley 2:14pm December 7, 2017)
I eat lots of soups so hard to pick one...I guess chicken noodle is a favorite.
(Jackie Wisherd 10:01pm December 9, 2017)
When I was a young child, I had red measles and had to stay in bed. That was long before the days of vaccines to prevent childhood diseases. My mother let me have some vegetable soup and since then that's been my favorite. I think love was an added ingredient.
(Anna Speed 7:18pm December 10, 2017)
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