Candy Cane Kink

Candy Canes make sweet Christmas decorations, especially with the various colors and flavors available these days. But what do you do with them after Christmas? How about turning those leftover candy canes into another sweet treat? Here's a couple of recipes I found, courtesy of Recipes4Living.com.

Candy Cane Ring Cake

Ingredients

§  1 pkg. super moist white cake mix

§  3 egg whites

§  1 C. water

§  1/4 C. vegetable oil

§  1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

§  1/2 tsp. red food color

§  crushed peppermint hard candies

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour 12-cup bundt cake pan. Beat cake mix (dry), egg whites, water, oil and extract in large bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, until moistened. Pour about 2 cups of the batter into pan. Pour about 3/4 cup and the batter into small bowl; stir in food color. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Carefully pour remaining batter over pink batter. Bake until cake pulls away form sides of pan and springs back when touched lightly near center 45-50 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes; invert on wire rack or heatproof serving plate. Remove pan; cool completely. Spread glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down side. Sprinkle top with peppermint candies. 

Peppermint Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients

§  2 C. (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips

§  1 C. (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

§  1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

§  Dash salt

§  1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

§  1/4 C. crushed hard peppermint candy

Directions

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in peppermint extract. Spread evenly into wax paper-lined 8- or 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with peppermint candy. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

Got any recipes of your own? Share them with us or just comment with your email address for a chance to win $5 in Strand Bucks on me :) to be spent at Siren-BookStrand.

And don't miss my latest release coming at Siren-BookStrand on Christmas Eve!

For a man who vowed never to fall in love, how can it be possible FBI agent Cameron Stone managed to fall twice? Hot on the trail of a missing fellow agent, Cameron finds himself in Silver Springs, hometown of DEA agent Adrien Bingham and Firefighter Thaddeus Carter, and the last place Cameron needs to be. When emotions run wild and attraction explodes, can the self-proclaimed playboy hold onto his resistance?

Adrien never intended to fall for Cameron. Too bad his heart wouldn’t listen. Then Thaddeus walked into his life and his heart ended up on a train wreck of confusion.

Thaddeus knew Adrien’s heart already belonged to someone, but that didn’t stop his pursuit. When he meets Cameron, he realizes the man is the one standing in his way. But when his own attraction to Cameron detonates, he’s left in a hell of a mess.

Holiday Gifts of Love

I often tell my boyfriend of 2 years that he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. He's an alpha male with a capital A and has, what I tell him, "cave man" views and values. As we head into our second Christmas together, I've realized that romance isn't just candlelight dinners, or sensitive words, or sky-gazing on a starry night.

His recent shopping trip for my Christmas gift(s) brought this to my attention. Suddenly, I found myself sitting back and thinking, "Aww, that's so romantic." Why? He could've taken the easy way out. When he asked me for a Christmas list, I emailed him ideas complete with purchase links. Simple...click, add to cart, purchase. He would've been done in less than ten minutes. A lot of men would've jumped at the ease of that.

Instead, he subjected himself to a full day of doing the one thing most men hate: Shopping! He left the house at 10:00 am and didn't return until nearly 5:00 pm. I have no clue exactly where he went or what I'll be opening on Christmas morning. I do know, thanks to a few phone calls exchanged throughout the day, that he spent hours at the dreaded mall, then hopped all over town, and enlisted his sister's help via phone as well. By the time he returned home, he was totally frazzled, exhausted, and teetering on the edge of a foul temper, but he had done it all for me.

I realized then that, while he may not be traditionally romantic, there are little things he has done throughout our 2 year relationship that stood out to me as being sweet at the time, but should have set off my romance meter, too. Maybe it did subconsciously. I know it certainly made me fall head over heels in love.

Enter to win tons of prizes!

Comment on this post for a chance to win $5 in Strand Bucks to be used at Siren-BookStrand. Hmm, maybe you'll want to use it to get started on The Heroes of Silver Springs series before the Christmas Eve release of the latest edition, Going Under. :)

For a man who vowed never to fall in love, how can it be possible Cameron Stone managed to fall for two? When he finds himself in Silver Springs, hometown of Adrien Bingham and Thaddeus Carter, emotions run wild and attraction explodes. Can the self-proclaimed playboy hold onto his resistance?

Hop around the blogs in the list below to enter to win 200 other prizes AND get your name in for one of the THREE Grand Prize drawings.

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Next Big Thing

Last week my fellow Siren author Rebecca Joyce tagged me in her Next Big Thing, so this week it's my turn. The idea is that I answer 10 questions about my latest project (My Next Big Thing) and tag three to five more authors who will talk about their next big thing on their blog next week.

So, here we go:

1. What is the title of your book? Going Under
2. How did you come by the idea? It was a general progression of the series. Going Under is book 9 of The Heroes of Silver Springs. While it can be read alone, Adrien Bingham, Cameron Stone, and Thaddeus Carter have been appearing in earlier books of the series in subplots that have led them to where they are now in Going Under.
3. What genre does your book fall under? M/M/M Erotic Contemporary Romantic Suspense
4. What actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie? Hayden Christensen would be a good match for Adrien Bingham. A sandy blond haired Colin Farrell would be a match for Cameron Stone. Matt Bomer would be a good match for Thaddeus Carter.
5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book? Cameron Stone ends up in Silver Springs, the hometown of Adrien Bingham and Thaddeus Carter, and he knows he's headed for temptation with a capital T.
6. Will your book be self-published or traditional? Traditional, releasing at Siren-BookStrand on Christmas Eve, 2012
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Almost exactly 2 months
8. What other books would you compare this story to in your genre? I suppose it would be a mix of Tatum Thorne's High Heat because of the fiery M/M plot, Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters, and a little Catherine Coulter thrown in.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? All of The Heroes of Silver Springs titles have been inspired by our country's men in uniform, the jobs they perform to keep our country safe, the dangers they face, and the sacrifices they make.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? Readers drawn to nonstop action and suspense with a whole lot of heat and bed-burning sex will love Going Under.

Watch for Going Under [The Heroes of Silver Springs 9] at Siren-BookStrand on Christmas Eve, 2012!

I don't have 3-5 authors to tag like I should, but I do have the very special author, Michelle Graham. Check her out next Tuesday, 12/18/12, when she posts her Next Big Thing.

Hot Wintery Nights Blog Hop Winner of Sexual Games

Sexual Games [The Heroes of Silver Springs 8]

The winner of the Hot Wintery Night Blog Hop prize is Jean MP. Congratulations, Jean!! Jean won a free copy of Sexual Games.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter the contest. I have other blog hops starting soon. If you missed your chance to enter this one, keep checking back and don't miss the next one!

Tonya
http://www.tonyaramagos.com

Make the Wintery Nights Hot this Holiday Season

It's cold outside, but it doesn't have to be in the bedroom. A few weeks ago, I shared some ways to bring fun and heat to the wintery nights upon us on The Four Seduced Muses Sultry Saturday. Here are a few more ideas to keep the heat going through the holidays.

1.      Webcam chat. Sit in front of your computer with your boyfriend and log onto any webcam chatting sites like omegle or chatroulette. You don’t need to have sex in front of your webcam if you don’t feel like it. Just indulge in a bit of foreplay while watching other couples or singles on the cam. It’s a sexy time killer that’s also exciting and a lot of sexual fun. But just a word of caution, avoid showing your face on your webcam to protect your identity if you’re getting naked.

2.      The sexy 20 questions. Cuddle up next to each other or get in bed and cover yourselves completely so you’re in the dark under the blanket. Kiss each other or start making out. But while doing that, take turns to ask each other sexy intimate questions about crushes, fetishes or favorite times. When you’re horny and in the dark, the truth will flow easily and both of you will feel less awkward to confess any dirty secrets. This game will not only be fun, but it’ll also bring both of you and your sexual desires closer.

3.      Beach Blanket Bingo. You need a big towel or blanket and a bottle of massage oil or cream. Spread your towel on the bed or carpet and grease each other up with massage oil -- legs, torso, breasts, everywhere. Now roll around for awhile and see what happens.

4.      This one doesn’t happen in the bedroom, but you can still heat things up under a wintery starry night and feel like a teen again.

      Twister. You need a car and a parking spot where you won't be interrupted (your driveway and your garage late at night are possibilities). Have sex in the car. Pretend that one of you is a virgin. The other is going to teach him or her how it's all done. Give a step-by-step lesson on how to use hands, lips and other body parts to stimulate the teacher. Part of the game is to correct and improve technique as you go along.

5.    Doctor and Nurse. Role playing is a game that’s definitely fun and sexy. You can dress up as characters and try to force/convince each other to have sex. One of you can be the doctor while the other is a patient or a nurse. Just choose your own characters and have fun enacting them.

For more ways to have fun while heating things up with your lover, visit http://www.lovepanky.com/flirting-flings/naughty-affairs/10-sexy-games-to-play-with-your-boyfriend and http://www.redbookmag.com/love-sex/advice/fun-games-to-play-in-bed or make up your own and see how steamy your holidays can really get.

Contest: Comment on this post for a chance to win a .pdf download of Sexual Games [The Heroes of Silver Springs 8].

You'll also be entered into the drawing for the Grand Prize offered by our hosts, Nicole Morgan, Tammy Dennings Maggy, Amber Lea Easton and May Water. You must include your email in your comment to be eligible  The Grand Prize is worth over $100 in value and includes 11 eBooks and $60 in eGift Certificates:

1. $50 Amazon Gift Card
2. $10 Bookstrand Bucks
3. eBook prize package including: 

A Double Service Day

I'm excited to reveal the new cover for the next installment of The Heroes of Silver Springs! Book 9, Going Under, will be available on Christmas Eve! Watch this blog for the blurb and excerpt coming in a few days.

Also, I get a lot of reader e-mails wondering when a specific book will hit Amazon. The Siren-BookStrand general rule is 4-6 weeks after the release. That time frame is up now for Hands on Justice [The Service Club 4]. You can pick it up at Amazon and I would greatly appreciate if you would click the "like" button while you're there. :)

The Heroes are having a Happy Thanksgiving

Turkey Day is upon us. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I just came across a review for Sexual Games [The Heroes of Silver Springs 8] that made my turkey day even yummier. Check it out:

5 Stars: "The Heroes of Silver Springs is such an amazing series, and Sexual Games is definitely a fantastic addition.  While the characters often span throughout the series, there is enough back-story and history to make it a stand alone read.  The chemistry between Mallory and Jackson is top notch, but surprisingly, I found myself even more drawn to the secondary story in Sexual Games, the burgeoning love triangle between firefighter engineer Thaddeus, FBI agent Cameron and DEA agent Adrien. Thaddeus finally meets Cameron, the man who has made his sometimes lover Adrien back off from a commitment to him, and the two find they have much in common, including a mutual attraction.  I sure hope Ms. Ramagos gives me their story soon!  Those two hot as sin story lines, combined with impeccable writing of danger and intrigue, make Sexual Games an off the charts sexy read!  Between the sex scene in the kitchen and Mallory and Jackson’s scorching reactions to each other, this is one book that has the potential to burn up your ereader fast! Sexual Games is another great addition to the Heroes of Silver Springs series, Ms. Ramagos!" -- Sillia Beaumont, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Sexual Games is available at http://www.bookstrand.com/sexual-games

And watch for Going Under [The Heroes of Silver Springs 9] coming Christmas Eve!

Tonya

http://www.tonyaramagos.com