I'm So Excited!!

By Kate

Since we Romance Bandits are on the verge of making our BIG ANNOUNCEMENT (it happens TOMORROW! Be sure to be here!), I’m leading off with that news:

We're kicking off Trick or Treat in the Lair with a BIG announcement tomorrow, October 14! We’ll be giving away Tricks and Treats every day, leading up to a special fun (BIG!) TREAT on Halloween. Everyone's getting excited! The Cabana Boys are concocting fabulous drinks for everyone, Sven is exercising his magic massage fingers, Ermingarde the Dragon is blowing smoke (he does that when he’s confused), and that wily Golden Rooster is up in arms—er, wings—because nobody tells him nothing!

But all will be revealed TOMORROW! Don’t miss out on all the BIG FUN in the LAIR!

Okay, I got that out of the way. Now back to your regularly scheduled news of the day. Believe me, I had something extremely serious and pithy to talk about today, but since I’m over-the-top excited about tomorrow’s announcement, I'm struggling to remember what that serious topic was. Darn. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can get pithy with you.

That being the case, I’ll simply have to amuse and entertain you with some blatant self-promotion. Wheee!!

I have a new cover to show you! It’s my December Desire, AN INNOCENT IN PARADISE. Isn’t it beautiful? And the story is so much fun. Here’s a little preview:

She knows everything … but desire

Grace Farrell is a genius scientist first, a woman a distant second—until she meets Logan Sutherland. The self-made millionaire is wickedly sexy, and with him, Grace learns a new lesson—how it feels to want a man.

Logan has his roving eye on Grace from the moment she steps on his tropical island. But when he discovers she’s there under false pretenses, he orders her to leave. Faced with her refusal, the cynical bachelor works it all to his advantage. He’ll let her stay—in his bed! But will one night be enough?

I hope you’re intrigued! And there’s even more intrigue to come. My Harlequin Desire pal, Maureen Child, also has a tropical island Desire coming out in December, so the two of us are getting together to give away a fabulous Christmas in the Tropics goodie bag stuffed with tons of cool prizes. We'll get the contest started next month and you won’t want to miss it!

Whew, blatant self-promotion is exhausting! :-)

So … let's talk! Even though it’s warm and sunny in my neck of the woods today, I can still detect a hint of Autumn in the air. I love this time of year, with the changes in the light at the end of the day and all the spicy new scents wafting in the breeze. That's my favorite part about the changing of the seasons.

Oh, who am I kidding? I want fall fashions! That’s what I really love about Autumn. Clothes! I want to go shopping for cozy new sweaters and wooly plaid scarves to wear.

What about you? What’s your favorite aspect of Autumn? What makes you happy this time of year? Tell me all about it! I'm giving away two Harlequin Desires to a random commenter today - one from my Duke Brothers trilogy and one from Maureen Child's popular Kings of California series!

P.S. Did I mention that TOMORROW in the Lair we make our BIG announcement? See you here!

3 Easy Steps to Getting into the (Halloween) Holiday Spirit

By Kate

I want to welcome my fabulous friend Regan Hastings to the Lair today! Regan is the dark alter ego of my equally fabulous friend Maureen Child. As Regan, she writes The Awakening, a series of sexy paranormal romances, in which a coven of reincarnated witches must atone for their actions 800 years ago, when their thirst for power led them to open the gates of Hell. VISIONS OF SKYFIRE, the second book of The Awakening is available now.

And now here’s Maur – I mean, Regan Hastings…



Christmas is taking over the calendar, and I resent it. Santa Claus must have a good press agent. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas. I just want it to stay in December, where it belongs. I’m okay with a slight encroachment into November. The Christmas season has my permission to begin the day after Thanksgiving.

But in my opinion, Halloween should have exclusive rights to October. Unless Santa is dressed in a zombie costume, I don’t want to see him.



Let’s band together and take the fat boy down! Let’s reclaim October. This month, the “holiday” in “holiday spirit” shall be Halloweeeeeeeeeeeen!

3 Easy Steps to Getting into the (Halloween) Holiday Spirit

1. Eat candy. Buy a huge bag of miniature candy bars in early October. Brand name candy bars, the ones that kids really like. You want those tiny goblins to tell their little friends to be sure to go to your house. Test one, just to be sure they’re okay, then put the bag in the freezer. Out of sight, out of mind. It won’t hurt if you sample one every now and then throughout the month, though, right? On Halloween, check your supply, realize that there are only two bite-sized candy bars remaining, and they’re unlikely to procreate. (Even if one does have nuts, and the other doesn’t.) Rush to the store to buy whatever meager pickings are available at the last minute, hoping desperately that they’re good enough to keep kids from toilet-papering your trees.




2. Decorate your yard. In October, you can always tell where the really cool people live by the number of tombstones in front of the house. Freak out your neighbors even more by putting their names on the tombstones. Add a zombie arm clawing its way out of the ground, and you’re Halloween gold, baby.




3. Read a book filled with witchy goodness. I was thrilled when I learned that VISIONS OF SKYFIRE would be released in October, because I knew that diving into the dark paranormal world of the Awakening would help put readers in the Halloween spirit. (Take that, Santa Claus!)

As VISIONS OF SKYFIRE begins, Teresa Santiago can feel that her powers are on the verge of Awakening. Since she was young, her abuela has told her that she’s destined to become one of the most powerful witches who has ever lived. If the Bureau of Witchcraft gets its way, she won’t live for long. In this modern day world, witches are hunted and killed. The instant her powers Awaken, the BOW will detect her magic… and they’ll come for her with every weapon in their arsenal.

Her only hope is that her Eternal warrior-protector will get to her first. Rune was forged from the sun to be her mate. With him by her side, she’ll find her piece of the artifact that will save an ungrateful humanity from the demons of Hell… or die trying.

Click here to read a free excerpt: VISIONS OF SKYFIRE



How do you get into the Halloween spirit? Do you decorate your house? Do you dress in costume? Do a lot of trick-or-treaters come to your house? What is your favorite kind of Halloween candy? If you’re from another country, how does your Halloween tradition differ from what we do in the U.S?

Kate here again! Another great thing about October? Well, I can't tell you. It's a secret. But it's good, and you'll love it, and... okay, I better stop now before I spill the beans. All will be revealed later this month!

Guest Linda O. Johnston asks: YES or NO?

Hosted by Kate
Please join me in welcoming back Linda O. Johnston to the Lair! She's here to tell you all about her latest Pet Rescue mystery! Take it away, Linda!

Hi, Romance Bandits and fans. Thanks for inviting me here. Now, ready for a challenge?

Here it is: What do you do if you’re given two choices--yes or no? You must go one way or the other--and you have reasons you don’t like each of them. How do you make your decision?

The lesser of two evils? The one you’re most likely to succeed at?

I’ll tell you in a moment what I’ve done to Lauren Vancouver, the protagonist of my Pet Rescue Mystery series, by giving her that kind of decision in her latest adventure, THE MORE THE TERRIER.

First, though, I’m going to provide you with that decision. You can choose to read THE MORE THE TERRIER, or not. Guess which one I’m aiming for! Better yet, you can also choose to read its predecessor in the series, BEAGLEMANIA, if you haven’t already. If you choose yes, I’m betting you’ll have fun with them. And, by the way, THE MORE THE TERRIER is a Mystery Guild selection!

Now, let me tell you about Lauren. She’s a skilled and dedicated administrator of a private, no-kill pet shelter. She’ll do anything to save animals, and she despises those who harm them. Most of the time.

But in THE MORE THE TERRIER, Lauren is faced with a decision she doesn’t like at all: ignore her one-time cherished mentor, who is the major suspect in a murder case, or help her. Sounds easy, right? But that mentor has apparently become the kind of person Lauren hates most: one who abuses animals.

So what does she do?

Here’s the background:

At the beginning of THE MORE THE TERRIER, Lauren is horrified to learn that her former mentor, Mamie Spelling, has become an animal hoarder. Of course Lauren does all she can to save the animals. Every one of them comes out of it just fine. It’s fiction, after all. And in the Pet Rescue Mysteries, “no-kill” means pets, not people!

It doesn’t hurt that Lauren’s love interest, Matt Kingston, is a captain with Los Angeles Animal Services who can let her know when the abused animals that are taken into official custody are ready for private shelters to come and rescue them. Oh, yes, my mystery protagonists always have a love interest, just like my romances always come with suspense.

Anyway, a woman who has been hounding Mamie is soon murdered, and Mamie becomes the major suspect. But Mamie is aging and confused. Lauren lost touch with her after she, and not Mamie, was chosen to run HotRescues, a generously funded private pet shelter.

What do you think Lauren does? You undoubtedly guessed it. She helps Mamie. That means that Lauren once more must solve a murder. She’s already had to do that, in BEAGLEMANIA, when she was the main murder suspect.

The Pet Rescue Mysteries are a spinoff series from my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries, in which Kendra comes to think of herself as a murder magnet. Kendra makes cameo appearances in the Pet Rescue Mysteries, and the person who supports Lauren’s shelter HotRescues financially is Kendra’s wealthy guy friend Dante de Francisco.

That adds to Lauren’s dilemma, by the way. She likes Kendra well enough but she doesn’t want to be like her--especially in solving murders. Not that I’m giving her much choice. And the murder in THE MORE THE TERRIER isn’t the last one Lauren will need to solve!

The next Pet Rescue Mystery will be HOUNDS ABOUND, which will be published in 2012.

So--how do you make those yes or no decisions? And if your decision about THE MORE THE TERRIER is to read it, please let me know!


Kate here. I want to thank Linda for stopping by the Lair today! You can visit Linda at http://www.lindaojohnston.com/ and at http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays. You can also friend her on Facebook.

P.S. Tricks and Treats begin on October 14 so be sure to stick around for the fun! And later this month, a BIG Bandita Surprise!! More Prizes will be involved! :-)

The Cutest Guys of the New TV Season

By Kate

Here in southern California, the average high temperature in August is 85 degrees. In September, it’s 83, and at night it gets down into the mid-sixties. We can’t exactly say “Fall is in the air.” No, here in the motion picture capital of the world, we say “Fall is on the air.” The change of seasons in sunny southern California happens on TV.

It takes a lot to tempt me away from my books. And by “a lot,” I mean “cute guys.” And if there are a lot of cute guys on the show, I’m even more tempted! Here is my take on the Top 10 TV Shows of Fall 2011, based entirely on the cute factor of the male actors on the show:


Hawaii Five-0
Alex O’Loughlin in swim trunks. ‘Nuff said.




Castle
While “researching” this article (sighhhhhhhh……), I discovered that there’s a Castle Convention in Los Angeles on November 12. They have a website and everything: Castle Convention. Alas, Nathan Fillion won’t be there!



Blue Bloods
Tom Selleck still curls my toes! This is a man who has aged very well.



NCIS
Mark Harmon, another example of a man who got better with age.



Covert Affairs
A non-traditional hottie, Christopher Gorham.



White Collar
Matt Bomer. Ohhhhhh, Bomer!
I love you so much,
I want to write a poemer.



Dancing with the Stars
Who cares about the celebrities when we can watch Maksim dance? The man can moooove!



The next three shows are brand new. I haven’t seen them, but I’m tempted to watch because the cute guy factor is off the charts!

A Gifted Man
Doesn’t Patrick Wilson look a *lot* like Paul Newman? I’m a sucker for blue eyes!



Grimm
David Guintoli looks man enough for the job of capturing or slaying storybook creatures.



Person of Interest
Jim Caviezel in a slick weekly thriller, produced by J.J. Abrams? I’m there!



Best show of the summer: Suits
Gabriel Macht is an honorable lawyer with a slickster veneer. Love him!



Who do you think are the hottest guys on TV today? Let’s play a game. Tell us what book you're reading right now, and what actor you picture in the role of hero. I’m reading Maya Banks’ THE DARKEST HOUR and I picture … mmm … decisions, decisions ... I picture Alex O’Loughlin in the role of the hero, Ethan. (Oh heck, I picture Alex O’Loughlin in almost everything!) Okay, your turn!

HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE ... Winner!!!

By Kate

Thanks to everyone who came by to wish me well at my HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE launch party last week! The randomly chosen winner of a signed copy of the first two books in my Duke Brothers trilogy, THE MILLIONAIRE MEETS HIS MATCH and SWEET SURRENDER, BABY SURPRISE is ...

KIM FROM HAWAII!!!!

Congratulations, Kim!

Please write me at katecarlisle99@yahoo.com with your snail mail address and I'll send the books out to you today!

Thank you again for all the good wishes!

HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE Launch Party!

By Kate

Just when you thought it was safe to venture back into the Lair for a quiet afternoon of meditation …

IT’S PARTY TIME!!!

That’s right! Welcome to the official launch party for my latest release from Harlequin Desire, HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE! This is the third book in my Duke Brothers trilogy and I’m so excited to celebrate its publication this month.

The story takes place in the beautiful Napa Valley wine country, so that's where the party is! Please step right out onto the wide terrace and check out the sweeping view of the Valley and its rolling hills covered in grapevines. As a special party treat, along with our fabulous selection of fine wines and champagne, we’re serving Millionaire Mojitos! We’ve also got a delicious array of Trillionaire Tapas served with exuberance and charm by our Billionaire Bandita Cabana Boys.

So help yourself to a drinkie and some luscious hors d’oeuvres while you peruse the back cover blurb:

The first step…mix business with pleasure

New hairdo? Make-up? A dress? Where did his efficient secretary go? Because the woman in front of Brandon Duke is not the Kelly Meredith who left on vacation two weeks ago. He is shocked—and curiously enchanted—by her transformation.

She says this makeover is all part of her plan…to become more seductive. And this billionaire is just the man to give his suddenly sultry assistant a few lessons in love. He’ll go slow, savor every moment and then say good-bye—as long as he can remember just who is seducing who!

And here’s a short, PG-13 rated excerpt that takes place after a confrontation in the hotel lobby:

“Who’s the ice queen?” Brandon asked as they strolled back to the office together.

Kelly frowned. “I just assumed she was his assistant, but she was awfully pushy, wasn’t she?”

He glanced at her sideways. “Yeah, kind of like you.”

“I’m not pushy,” she said in mock outrage.

“Yeah you are,” he said as he led her into their office suite and closed and locked the door.

“Well, I guess I can be pushy once in a while, but I’m nothing like—”

Without warning, he spun her around. She let out a tiny shriek as he urged her back against the wall.

“Just look at the way you push me around,” Brandon said. “The way you force me to do this ...” He lowered his head and began to nibble her neck. Kelly felt the electric sensation all the way down to her toes. “And this ...” Brandon used both hands to flip her short jacket off her shoulders, trapping her arms behind her and causing her breasts to be thrust forward.

“But ... oh, yes.”

“So damn pushy.” He held her jacket with one hand while he slid his other hand under her thin sweater until he reached her breasts.

“Brandon,” she whispered, then moaned when he swiftly maneuvered her bra out of the way and used his fingers to tease and excite her nipples. But through the thick haze of pleasure, she remembered something important and grabbed his hand. “Brandon, wait. We weren’t going to do this anymore. We should stop. We should ...”

“We’ll stop after this, I swear,” he muttered, pulling her sweater up and off. “But I can’t wait any longer. I’ve got to have you now.”

“Yes, please,” she said, straining to remove her jacket as he bent to lick her breasts. “Hurry.”

“Pushy,” he murmured again as he kissed and nibbled his way back and forth between her breasts.

“Oh, shut up and kiss me,” she grumbled as she reached up and whipped his jacket off.

His laugh was deep and full. “I do love a pushy woman.”


I’m thrilled that RT Book Reviews gave HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE 4-1/2 stars, saying “Laugh-out-loud funny in spots and a consistently entertaining read, the unexpected romance of Brandon Duke and Kelly Meredith will give readers a wholly warm and joyful feeling.”

Now, I don’t mean to be pushy, but to celebrate my book launch, I’m giving away a signed copy of the first two books in the Duke Brothers trilogy, THE MILLIONAIRE MEETS HIS MATCH and SWEET SURRENDER, BABY SURPRISE, to one random commenter today.

So ... which do you prefer? The dark, tormented hero or the one who can laugh out loud? Sweet heroines or pushy ones? Vanilla or chocolate? Champagne or mojitos? Let’s talk!

Billionaire Booty!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the other day to say hello and talk about Moms, billionaires, and books. :-)

The random winner of the first two Duke Brothers books, THE MILLIONAIRE MEETS HIS MATCH and SWEET SURRENDER, BABY SURPRISE, is . . . [drum roll!!] . . .

DEB!!!!!

Congratulations, Deb!

Please send your snail mail address to me at katecarlisle99@yahoo.com and I'll ship your books out ASAP!

Cheers!

How to Seduce a Billionaire

By Kate

Today I'm showing off the cover of my upcoming Harlequin Desire, HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE! This is Brandon Duke's story, the third book in my Duke Brothers trilogy, and I'm thrilled that RT Book Reviews gave it 4-1/2 stars, saying: "Laugh-out-loud funny in spots and a consistently entertaining read, the unexpected romance of Brandon Duke and Kelly Meredith will give readers a wholly warm and joyful feeling."

Now, even though HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE won’t be on the shelves for another few weeks, I’m talking about it today because my mother has been on my mind a lot.

Now, you might be asking yourself what my mother has to do with seducing billionaires. My mother is definitely asking herself that question! (Hi, Mom!) So I’ll tell you why.

Beyond the powerful heroes, the beautiful settings, and the hot romances, one of the constants in my Duke Brothers trilogy is their delightful matchmaking mother, Sally. I enjoyed writing about her so much. She’s smart and funny and charming, and she loves her three adopted sons unconditionally. Lately, she’s made it clear that she wants grandchildren and to make that happen, she needs her sons need to hurry up and fall in love and get married. Having overheard Sally talking to a friend about lining up eligible women for them, the three Duke men (who have no interest in marriage, naturally!) realize they now must be on their guard at all times.

I grew up with four brothers. They each had dozens of friends who hung out at our house, and my mother was the person they all went to whenever they had problems with girls, with school, with their own parents. It’s not that my mom was particularly cool or overly permissive—trust me, she wasn’t! But she was friendly and smart and always willing to listen. I based Sally Duke on my own mother, which makes Sally one of my favorite characters ever.

I hope you fall in love with Sally, along with Brandon Duke and Kelly Meredith, my hero and heroine in HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE. You can read an excerpt or buy the book right now (at a reduced price!) on the Harlequin website or find it on bookstore shelves two or three weeks from now.

When you were growing up, was there one mother in your circle of friends who was the “cool mom,” the one who always listened to everyone’s problems and gave common sense advice? Did your mom pressure you and your siblings to marry, or did she have a more hands-off approach? Do any of your friends have a matchmaking mama?

In anticipation of the third book in the Dukes trilogy, I’m giving away a copy of my first two Duke Brothers books, THE MILLIONAIRE MEETS HIS MATCH and SWEET SURRENDER, BABY SURPRISE, to one random commenter today!

From Deadline Hell to Conference Madness

by Kate Carlisle

I did it! I met my deadline for ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, the next Bibliophile Mystery. Pretty good, considering that I’ve been working in the midst of a total kitchen remodel and my family visiting. When I reached the final sentence of the final scene, I paused, took a deep breath to savor the moment, and then slowly typed: T. H. E. E. N. D.

Moment savored, moment gone… and instant panic set in.

The Romance Writers of America conference is mere days away, and I have done nothing – nothing! – to prepare. I have nothing to wear. My nails have suffered the double mutilation of hammering away at the keyboard and of being gnawed at while I tried to work my way out of plotting quagmires. My scalp has little bald spots from me tearing out my hair, trying to get the book done in time.

Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration. If you’re going to conference, promise me you won’t look for bald spots!

The truth is, I have a lot of work to do to get pretty enough for conference. Because you know that we all want to look good for each other. It doesn’t matter that 98% of the attendees are female. It’s soooo not about the men. We want to look fresh and relaxed so that when we reunite with friends we haven’t seen for a year, they’ll tell us how great we look, and we’ll be able to believe that they’re not just being polite.

(Yeah, I dream big.)

We also want to look professional so that when we see our editors and agents and other industry professionals, they will get the impression that we easily handle the stresses of this writing life. In the hopes, of course, that they’ll pile on more stresses by giving us more, bigger, and better contracts.

(I do actually dream big.)

Which means, of course, that I must go shopping. And I can’t rely on the internet this time. There’s no time to have clothes shipped to me, try them on, realize I ordered the wrong size, return them, and get a second outfit to try on in the comfort of my own home. No, I will have to brave the harsh light of the dressing room.

And don’t get me started on shoes. Ack.

I can’t possibly visit the clothing stores until I get a mani/pedi. Otherwise the sales clerks won’t take me seriously. Getting a manicure is an exercise in patience for me. It’s hard to sit still long enough for the polish to dry. Almost invariably, I end up with at least one ding. So I repair the ding by adding a glop of polish, which leaves a little raised bump on my nail that looks like I have some sort of medical condition.

If you’re going to conference, promise me you won’t look for deformities on my fingernails!

My hope is that all the panic and craziness I’m going through now will pay off in the end. That I’ll arrive at conference looking polished and chic precisely because I am worried about it now. Which means at conference, I’ll be able to relax and enjoy the experience without giving a second thought to how I look.

That is, perhaps, the biggest dream of all.

The RWA conference is part professional networking event, part high school reunion. When is the last time you attended a big conference or reunion? Did you stress about what to wear, how your hair looked, how your nails looked, whether your shoes were scuffed… ? When you look back on that event, what sticks out most strongly in your memory?

The Most Comfortable Bed in the World

by Kate Carlisle

Please don’t think I’m bragging when I tell you this. I’ve traveled a lot, and through my travels I have discovered that The Most Comfortable Bed in the World is at my house. In my bedroom. I don’t mean to rub it in or make you jealous. I’m simply stating proven, scientific fact.

As you all know, I was on book tour recently, promoting MURDER UNDER COVER. I traveled to Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and North Carolina, and I had an amazing time. I even got some face-to-face with a couple of Banditas and Buddies. (*waving wildly at Caren and Nancy and Deb*)

I’m a social person and an adventurer, so I love getting out of the house, hitting the road, going places I’ve never been and meeting people I’ve never met. It’s fun, frantic, and exhausting. When the tour is done, I’m thrilled to come home to The Most Comfortable Bed in the World.

You probably wouldn’t recognize it as such if you saw it. It’s not a massive sleigh bed with mattresses you’d need a ladder to climb into. It’s not a four-poster draped with a luxurious canopy of fabrics. It’s just a bed… but it’s my bed. Well, mine and my husband’s, but the fact that he’s in it is part of what makes it The Most Comfortable Bed in the World.

It has exactly the right number of blankets. It’s firm but not too firm, and if there are any lumps, they’re me-shaped lumps. The lamp on my nightstand is precisely an arm-length away, as measured by my arm. And I always have a stack of books waiting to be read.



The sheets – oh, the sheets! Sighhhhhhhhhhhh. Climbing into those sheets instantly releases the tension of the day. If you take only one thing away from this post, let it be this: indulge yourself in the best sheets you can afford. You can get great deals on quality sheets when stores have sales. It makes such a difference to lay your cheek against a soft, tightly woven pillowcase. And my pillow? Oh, my. That’s a whole ‘nuther blog post altogether.



I’ve stayed in some really wonderful hotels while on tour, but no hotel can hope to compete with The Most Comfortable Bed in the World.

It’s good to be home.




Do you think your bed could compete with mine for the title of Most Comfortable Bed in the World? What do you do to make your bedroom comfortable? What do you miss the most when you’re away from home?

Say Cheese!!

By Kate

I'm excited to welcome back to the Lair my friend Avery Aames! Not only does Avery have a new Cheese Shop Mystery out (LOST AND FONDUE -- don't you just love her titles?), but she just won the prestigious Agatha Award for Best First Book for THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE!! Please join me in welcoming Avery!

Sexy is as Sexy does

Do you think cheese is sexy? I do. It has sensual textures, aromatic scents, and luscious flavors. Ooh, la, la! It tastes good with beer, wine, champagne. You can pair cheese with fruit, jam, honey, nuts and chocolate. Ah, chocolate. But that’s another subject to be discussed at a later time…or maybe in just a moment. Cheese tastes great alone, but it also tastes fabulous in entrees, side dishes, salads, grated on pasta, on rice, on potatoes, on soup.

What doesn’t cheese taste good on…with…beside? Some might say ice cream, but I would beg to differ. I made a delicious Parmesan ice cream that was salty and fun. I added chocolate, and the dessert was sassy, and yes, sexy bordering on decadent.

Did I say yet that I love sexy? And sensual? Delicious words, don’t you think?

But back to cheese. Other than those who can’t eat cheese for allergy reasons, do you know anyone who doesn’t like cheese? Do you know anyone who doesn’t make a beeline to the cheese platter at a party?

So why do I rave about cheese? Because I write A Cheese Shop Mystery series (the first, THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE is a national bestseller and an Agatha award nominee, I’m happy to say). While doing research, I’ve fallen in lust with cheese. That’s right, lust. I’ve tasted, I’ve baked, I’ve shared. With family, with friends, with strangers. I’m caught in its clutches and I can’t get away. (Please don’t tell more than five of your friends.)

Did you ever see the movie Like Water For Chocolate? Talk about sensual! The movie is based on the debut novel by Laura Esquivel. Each chapter begins with a recipe. The story follows a young girl, Tita, who longs to marry Pedro, but she cannot because her mother’s family tradition says the youngest daughter may not marry until the day her mother dies. Tita, in the only way she can, expresses herself when she cooks. In quite erotic detail. In one scene, after a rich meal of quail in rose petal sauce (flavored with Tita’s sensual thoughts), Tita’s older sister becomes lustful and flees to make love with a revolutionary soldier. Need I say more? Sadly, the heat of Tita’s passion for Pedro ultimately consumes them.

I’m hoping this will not happen to me during my love affair with cheese. (I pray I have more self-control than that. No running away with a Roquefort. Time will tell.)

However, to honor this blossoming relationship, I’d like to share a cheese platter that I created at Valentine’s Day. I’ve named it: Like Cheddar for Chocolate. (Okay, so it’s not that unique a title, but it says what it is.) The question is, where did I come up with the combination. I knew I could use chocolate in cheesecake and in cookies, but I didn’t know that chocolate on its own would taste great paired with a bite of cheese. So I wanted to test my theory. Talk about sensual. The result was dessert and appetizer rolled into one.

I’m giving away three signed books today to commenters: your choice of either THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE or LOST AND FONDUE. So answer me this. Do you prefer dessert to appetizers? Do you like to dine in or out? What is the most sensual meal you can remember…ever? And if you’d like to share, with whom did you dine? I won’t tell more than five of my friends. LOL

Say cheese!

Thanks for visiting today, Avery! Banditas, if you'd like Avery's delectable recipe for Parmesan ice cream, click here!

Avery Aames is the Agatha Award winning author of A Cheese Shop Mystery series. The first, The Long Quiche Goodbye, is a national bestseller. Avery blogs at Mystery Lovers Kitchen, a blog for foodies who love mysteries, and some of her characters show up on the Killer Characters blog.