What is Summertime for you?

Although summer vacation started three weeks ago, my vacation hasn’t started yet!

On the contrary, I am busier than ever driving the grandchildren to camp, gym, swimming pool, and others. The only thing that makes me feel summer is really here is to swim in the pool.

Swimming is my new relaxation, my new passion. I can spend two to three hours in our building pool, swimming or lazing with a noodle behind my back while plotting my next scene. Unfortunately, I don’t often find the time to indulge in my new hobby.

Why? Because duty calls. Duty is half babysitting and driving, and half writing and publishing.

So how do you plan to spend your summer vacation?

HER FRENCH COUNT –previously published in paperback as French Peril– was part of the BBC Summer Lovin’ box set. I still don’t have a link for it. But here are some reviews previously garnered by this romantic suspense from official review sites.

Barbara Vey’s Beyond her Book Blog on Publishers Weekly- French Peril is a great romance with an excellent mystery. Who wouldn’t want to lose themselves in Mona Risk’s French Peril? Her traveling to the beautiful French countryside, staying in a marvelous, ornate chateau, eating fine food and drinking the chateau’s wine, and let’s not forget the charming and handsome host. Sign me up, Ms Risk, I’ll be looking for your next foreign escape.

Review Your Book- Mona Risk offers her fans a great read. She creates a swirling air of mystery around the excavation of a chapel ruin. Murder, mystery, and intrigue seem to follow Cheryl as she assists François on his project. A great contemporary romantic read.

Romance Studio- This is a wonderfully exciting romantic suspense novel. The characters are appealing and the setting is very romantic, a chateau in the Loire Valley. There is an interesting cast of characters. The plot is full of action and the reader is never sure who is on the side of good or evil. The love story between François the Comte and Cheryl is very engrossing all on its own.

Two Lips Review-  Mona Risk brings old-fashioned romance back into style with French Peril… French Peril is full of mystery and intrigue.  I loved Ms. Risk’s injection of humor into the story. The ending was every romance readers dream! I love happily ever afters! A sweet mystery romance you’re guaranteed to enjoy.

Simply Romance Review- Ms. Risk does a nice job of building the relationship between the main characters while exploring the mystery of the lost statue.

Night Owl Romance Book Reviews- Mona Risk will pull you in with her amazing characters and in-depth twisting suspense. She takes armchair travel to whole new heights as her characters travel to their heart wrenching and spine tingling doom.

Coffee Time Romance- French Peril is a great romance with an excellent mystery. The instant attraction is met with a slow and sure build up of emotions. The couple are very complementary, compelling, and wonderfully romantic. Ms Risk writes outstanding dialogue and this, combined with the lushness of the Loire Valley, are the final elements that make French Peril an excellent story.

 

Summertime Fun

I tend to be a recluse, spending most of my time at the computer either writing or interacting with my fans and friends on Facebook. It takes a lot to drag me out of my cave, but an invitation to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law’s house always does the trick. That’s especially true in the summertime, when the water in their pool sparkles and promises a chance to relax, cool off, and enjoy the company of family and friends.

Along with the fun, there’s usually great food, contributed by everyone who shows up. Sometimes I’ll take a fruit platter and a cheesecake platter. Other times I’ll be a little more adventurous and try a recipe I’ve found online–usually on Pinterest. So far each one has been a big hit. Also, because I am gluten-intolerant, I try to take something that’s safe for me to eat.

The recipe that follows is one I can see  Mandy making for the Triple S crowd in Beneath a Texas Star.

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Gluten Free and Grain Free) You can find the recipe here: http://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/2012/gluten-free-double-chocolate-cookie-recipe/ The picture also came from their website. (Be sure to check it out. Great recipes!)

30 minutes

Yield: about 2 dozen depending on size

Ingredients

8 ounces/228g bittersweet chocolate, 4 ounces melted and 4 ounces coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups /188g almond flour

1/2 cup/60g unsweetened natural cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) /112g butter, cubed

1 cup (7 ounces)/200g coconut sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt half of the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.

In the bowl of a food processor combine the almond flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar; pulse together.

Add the cubed butter and process until the dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the eggs vanilla and melted chocolate and process until the dough is smooth (The dough will seem thin, it should look more like a brownie batter than a dough). Fold in chopped chocolate.

Drop dough by heaping Tablespoons, a few inches apart, onto two parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until just set, about 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. (Do not bake the cookies to a crisp; they will be soft when you take them out of the oven, but firm up as they cool, so be careful not to over bake.)

Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Trust me, they are decadent.

What’s your favorite dish to take to a summertime party?