April 27, 2013
Pocket Books
From the Publisher via Edelweiss
Urban Fantasy
The hotly anticipated ninth novel in the hugely popular Elemental Assassin series finds Gin Blanco on a dangerous mission to rescue a friend.When a terror from the past threatens Gin’s friend and body-disposer, Sophia, Gin will stop at nothing to protect her, even if it means walking straight into a killer’s trap. Meanwhile, the rocky romance between Gin and Owen reaches a turning point—can they reunite and rekindle their love? Or will the things Gin has been forced to do in her line of work as the deadly assassin the Spider keep them apart forever? Assuming, that is, she survives long enough to find out
Read my chat review with Lee over at She-Wolf Reads for
HEART OF VENOM here
If you're an ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN fan, you'd know that Gin Blanco's knife skills aren't limited to killing people, she's also very handy in the kitchen. Reader her books not only sets me off into a blood lust, it also get me hungry because of the foods she makes! So Lee of She-Wolf Reads and I can't help but ask her foodie questions. Bon Appetit!
Gin: Thanks for hosting me on your blog! I appreciate it.
BRAINE: So every time Lee and I read your books, we always get so so hungry! Also Lee and I are both believers that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach... except if you have sharp knives or something like that. Anyway!
If your close family and friends: Finn & Bria, Owen, Jo-Jo & Sophia, Xavier and Roslyn, are food or dishes, what would they be and why?
Gin: I would say that Finn would be a hot fudge sundae – something really decadent that you know isn’t good for you, but that you just can’t help but enjoy anyway.
Owen would be a chocolate chip cookie – a classic dessert that you never get tired of and that’s always in your pantry when you need a sugar fix.
Bria would be a spinach salad – something that’s very healthy for you, since she’s so good and honest.
Jo-Jo would be strawberry cotton candy – light and fluffy – while Sophia would be bittersweet chocolate, to match the sisters’ respective personalities.
Xavier would be a spinach salad like Bria, since he’s her partner on the police force, while Roslyn would be a mojito, since she runs the Northern Aggression night club.
BRAINE: Geez, it's too early for sweets but how can I NOT crave a sundae & some dark choco w/a glass of mojito to wash it off?!
LEE: Ha! Too bad, Braine, I have access to some of the best chocolates in the world *smirks*. Now Gin, as a cook and an assassin, have you ever thought about what you want for your last meal? As a foodie, I'm sure you kinda thought about this.
Gin: I would probably want some traditional Southern comfort food for my last meal – fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, buttermilk biscuits – all my favorite foods.
BRAINE: See?! *shakes fist* You Gin Blanco are my diet's kryptonite! Sigh...Lastly, if you were to prep a special meal, entree and dessert, for your man, Owen, what would it be?Gin: I would go with dessert, and since it’s summertime, something that’s easy to make and doesn’t require turning on the stove, like this recipe:
Easy Strawberry Shortcakes
Sweet Summer Strawberries (recipe below)
1 frozen pound cake
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both)
Thaw and slice the pound cake according to the package directions. Place one slice of cake on a plate. Top with a generous scoop of Sweet Summer Strawberries and either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both). Repeat with another layer of cake, strawberries, and cream. Top with a final scoop of sweet summer strawberries. Serve immediately.
Note: You could use fresh strawberries or other summer fruits – peaches, blueberries, etc. – in place of the Sweet Summer Strawberries.
Sweet Summer Strawberries
1 gallon fresh strawberries
Sugar, to taste
Wash and cap the strawberries. Let the strawberries dry, then cut them into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Starting with about a cup of sugar, add sugar to the strawberries until desired sweetness is reached. (The more sugar you add, the sweeter they will be.)
Stir the sugar until it is dissolved and has formed a syrup over the strawberries. Serve immediately, store in the refrigerator for a few days, or ladle the strawberries and syrup into airtight containers and freeze until ready to use.
Note: These strawberries are great on toast, as part of a PB&J, or over vanilla ice cream. Also, this recipe works with all kinds of summer berries, as well as other summer fruits, like peaches.
Owen would be a chocolate chip cookie – a classic dessert that you never get tired of and that’s always in your pantry when you need a sugar fix.
Bria would be a spinach salad – something that’s very healthy for you, since she’s so good and honest.
Jo-Jo would be strawberry cotton candy – light and fluffy – while Sophia would be bittersweet chocolate, to match the sisters’ respective personalities.
Xavier would be a spinach salad like Bria, since he’s her partner on the police force, while Roslyn would be a mojito, since she runs the Northern Aggression night club.
BRAINE: Geez, it's too early for sweets but how can I NOT crave a sundae & some dark choco w/a glass of mojito to wash it off?!
LEE: Ha! Too bad, Braine, I have access to some of the best chocolates in the world *smirks*. Now Gin, as a cook and an assassin, have you ever thought about what you want for your last meal? As a foodie, I'm sure you kinda thought about this.
Gin: I would probably want some traditional Southern comfort food for my last meal – fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, buttermilk biscuits – all my favorite foods.
Easy Strawberry Shortcakes
Sweet Summer Strawberries (recipe below)
1 frozen pound cake
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both)
Thaw and slice the pound cake according to the package directions. Place one slice of cake on a plate. Top with a generous scoop of Sweet Summer Strawberries and either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or both). Repeat with another layer of cake, strawberries, and cream. Top with a final scoop of sweet summer strawberries. Serve immediately.
Note: You could use fresh strawberries or other summer fruits – peaches, blueberries, etc. – in place of the Sweet Summer Strawberries.
Sweet Summer Strawberries
1 gallon fresh strawberries
Sugar, to taste
Wash and cap the strawberries. Let the strawberries dry, then cut them into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Starting with about a cup of sugar, add sugar to the strawberries until desired sweetness is reached. (The more sugar you add, the sweeter they will be.)
Stir the sugar until it is dissolved and has formed a syrup over the strawberries. Serve immediately, store in the refrigerator for a few days, or ladle the strawberries and syrup into airtight containers and freeze until ready to use.
Note: These strawberries are great on toast, as part of a PB&J, or over vanilla ice cream. Also, this recipe works with all kinds of summer berries, as well as other summer fruits, like peaches.
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