FREE June 16th - 20th! AN HONORABLE MAN #Kindle

 Download Today!

FREE TODAY! An Honorable Man, Bk 1

The Black Bear Brothers Series ~ #Kindle

United States Kindle Store

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“I loved this book because it was filled with Native American history and traditions.” ~Kindle Reader Review

“The essence of romance is creating characters who complete each other as the story comes to a satisfying close. An Honorable Man delivers.” ~D. Taylor

“A well written story embracing Native American traditions and loyalty to family.” ~Jeanette A.

“...deals with some heavy topics. I read it in two parts and loved the characters.” ~Kindle Reader Review 

Find all the books in The Black Bear Brothers Series by clicking here.

Marriage Advice by @Donna_Fasano

Because June is the most popular month for weddings, many of you will be celebrating anniversaries this month. If you were a June bride (or groom), Happy Anniversary to you! As I was researching for this post, I found some great marriage advice offered by the Farmer’s Almanac. (Yes! The Farmer’s Almanac is still in publication.) Here’s what they say are the keys to a happy marriage:

“Be prepared to give more than you are receiving and you will receive more than you know.”

“The secret is Communication, Compromise, Cooperation, and Compassion.”

“Listen, listen, listen.”

Those pieces of advice are great, but I also found these delightful tidbits that feel a little more down to earth and they made me chuckle:

“Never hate each other’s guts at the same time.”

“The four most important words in any marriage—I’ll do the dishes.”

“Never laugh at your spouse’s choices. You are one of them.”

And my favorite piece of marriage advice:

What’s your best piece of marital advice?

I have some books that feature weddings and marriage. Whether inspired by a love match, a second-chance, or a marriage-of-convenience, each one of these beach-reads offers a heartwarming happily-ever-after at the end.

As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, I earn a few pennies from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies #Recipe by @Donna_Fasano

Now that I’ve been fully vaccinated and life is opening up a bit, I was able to celebrate Mother’s Day in style. My son, his wife, and my granddaughter came for a 4-day visit. It was so nice to spend time with the ones I love. I baked White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies for the event. I had never baked these cookies before because white chocolate never appealed to me and macadamia nuts are so darned expensive. But I decided to give them a try and they were a bit hit. Here’s my recipe:

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 11 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup macadamia nuts

(Note: coarsely chop 1 cup of the nuts and leave 1/2 cup whole)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Cream the sugars, butter, and shortening together. Once they’re fully incorporated, mix in the eggs and the vanilla.
2. Add flour, soda, salt. Stir to combine.
3. Add white chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I use non-stick baking mats). Bake until light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.
5. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

This month I am offering a 2-book boxed set for just 99¢. You save $6 off the regular price of FALLING FOR A SINGLE MOM. But please take advantage of the offer soon as the book is only on sale through the end of May.

If you’re a mom, I hope you had a WONDERFUL Mother’s Day. If you have a mom, I hope you celebrated her! Please comment below to tell me how you celebrated the day. I love to hear from you! 

Fully Loaded Blondies by @Donna_Fasano #Foodies #Desserts

Sometimes, you just need something DELICIOUS. These blondies are loaded with good stuff! I hope you enjoy them.

Fully Loaded Blondies 

5 Tablespoon butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to thoroughly combine.

Stir in nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan. Batter will be stiff. Press batter into all corners and flatten top evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool. Cut into squares.

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This month, I'm offering TWO HEARTS IN WINTER for just 99 cents. 

Save $3 during the month of March.

 As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, Awesome Romance Blog earns from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

 

Gluten-Free Muffins with Banana Powder by @Donna_Fasano

Because I have family members who suffer with celiac disease, I have been playing around with gluten-free recipes. I also purchased banana powder and decided to incorporate it into this recipe. If you don’t have banana powder, see the note at the end of the recipe. These muffins are light and airy and delicious! If you didn’t know they were gluten-free… you couldn’t tell. Yum.

Banana Millet Muffins  

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup water*

3/4 cup millet flour

1/3 cup banana powder*

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1.    Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by spraying with baking spray (or line with cupcake paper.)

2.    In a medium size bowl, blend together the brown sugar and the eggs until there are no lumps of sugar. Add the oil, lemon juice, and water. Mix to combine.

3.    Add the flour, banana powder, baking powder, and soda. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in walnut pieces until evenly distributed in the batter.

4.    Fill muffin cups three quarters full. Tap tray on the counter to remove large air bubbles. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

*If you don’t have banana powder, omit the banana powder and the water and add 1 ripe, mashed banana.

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This month I’m offering SECOND CHANCE VALENTINE on sale in the Kindle Store for just 99¢. Here’s more about the book:

As teens, Josie and Alex met under golden sunshine, frolicked in the surf and sand, and fell head over toes in love. But their one glorious summer ended in ruin and Josie fled Ocean City with a broken heart.

Now Josie’s grandmother is ill and needs help with the family business, a thriving harbor-side diner called Joe’s Place. So after more than a dozen years, Josie returns to her hometown only to discover she has a 180 pound problem—Alex is the Kitchen Commander at Joe’s Place. Surely, Josie can work with Alex until her grandmother is back on her feet. However, when Alex’s little girl starts scheming, not a single heart will be safe against the little matchmaker.

This book contains bonus recipes from Joe’s Place!

SECOND CHANCE VALENTINE is also available (at regular price) in Paperback. 

 As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, Awesome Romance Blog earns from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

 

Take A Romantic Stay-cation This Holiday!

The holiday season is here! I am offering 3 of my Christmas books on sale for just 99¢ each. All of these titles are stand-alone stories that take place in Ocean City, Maryland. I have had more than one book reviewer say that my sweet romances are like Hallmark movies. That description always makes me smile!

I am also featuring below a book that takes place during the winter months that is a little spicier and the story features more complicated issues. If you haven't yet read it, I hope you'll check it out.

Books on the sweeter side:

Grown-Up Christmas List is a romantic suspense novel. Dina Griffiths witnesses a brutal act that puts her very life in danger. Trusting no one, she flees to Ocean City, Maryland where she meets a local police officer who senses she’s in trouble. Can he gain her trust before it’s too late? This book is a free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

For fans of ‘Me Before You’ and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’—An Almost PerfectChristmas brings together two people in need of the kind of love that can overcome tragedy. A heartbreakingly romantic novel that challenges each of us to live—and love—to the fullest… even when life is less than perfect. This is a free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

Veronica “Ronnie” Clark has had it up to here with her family. So she shoves her suitcase into the trunk of her car along with that billowy, lacy, monstrosity of a bridal gown and hits the road. Unfortunately, her old Volvo gives out, leaving her stranded on Christmas Eve in the nearly deserted seaside town of Ocean City, Maryland. Oh, boy, does she ever need a miracle! Free read for Kindle Unlimited members.

And on the spicier side…

Reminiscent of Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks and culminating in a happily-ever-after similar to the great Nora Roberts, Two Hearts in Winter is a story about learning to let go of the past, about realizing that, though hardship affects us, it need not define us, and about coming to understand and truly believe that beauty is sometimes covered in scars. The human heart has an amazing ability to forgive, to heal, and to hope, especially when touched by love. This book is available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, and is also available in Paperback. 

Two Hearts in Winter is Book 2 of the OC Boardwalk Series and is best read after Book 1 because the first 3 books of the series feature 3 girlfriends who grew up together in Ocean City, Maryland. Once you read Books 1 and 2, you will surely want to read Book 3. 

I send you warm wishes for every 

wonderful thing this holiday!

As an Amazon, Nook, and iTunes Associate, Donna Fasano earns from qualifying purchases. This post may contain paid links.

Cranberries And Cream Cookie Bars #Recipe

I found a recipe online that combined a cream filling with an oatmeal crust and I fiddled with the recipe a bit. I added extra vanilla and cranberries to the cream filling. And I decreased the salt and swapped out the white sugar for brown sugar in the crust. The result is a cookie bar that is wonderful served warm (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream???) or cold (with a cup of hot tea!). I hope you enjoy!

Cranberries and Cream Bars

Ingredients:

CREAM FILLING:

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup dried cranberries

CRUST:

1 cup butter, very soft

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Set pan aside.

2. Prepare cream filling. In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt until well combined; stir in the cranberries. Cook and stir over simmering water until mixture is thickened, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Prepare the crust. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and coconut. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Press HALF of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake the bottom crust until set, about 10 minutes. (The remaining dough will become the topping.)

4. Remove the bottom crust from the oven. Spread cranberry cream mixture over crust and crumble reserved dough evenly over the top of the cream. Bake until filling is set and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.