So, this Valentine’s Day I won’t be at home. My hubby and I are off for a month in the sun. But the small hotel we are staying at has a Valentine’s Day Pot Luck luncheon on the deck. Everybody who is staying at the hotel brings something. Last year, the hotel provided some amazing Southern Fried Chicken. I’m hoping they repeat that this year!
I am taking something for dessert. I always do. I think we get invited to pot lucks because our friends know some fun and delicious dessert will arrive. At the last Grey Cup party – which is our version of the US Super Bowl, I made a football stadium and the players all out of Rice Krispie squares and other sweets.
But for this luncheon, I am going to make large heart shape cookies out of the Rice Krispies. I will colour them pink and probably put a little cinnamon heart on them. I can’t get too fancy. We are staying in a hotel after all and I won’t have all my baking supplies. Although, I am going to pack my heart shaped cookie cutter.
Most everyone knows how to make Rice Krispie squares. If not, check the package. It’s listed on the side. https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/recipes/the-original-treats-recipe.html But I will explain the directions. Once you have the melted marshmallows – drop in some red food colouring. Then add the cereal. Spread it out on a cookie sheet and let cool – A BIT. It cuts easier and neater when still a little soft. Then decorate. Not hard at all. And people – even adults – love Rice Krispie squares. It’s a comfort food from childhood.
Now – if you are vegan – I’ve got you covered. There are vegan marshmallows. A bit trickier to work with but totally do-able. For a Christmas party, I made a representation of the yoga studio I go to. I made individual coloured mats and little yogis lying on them in savasana. I wanted to put them in various poses, but the vegan Rice Krispie squares were harder to work with than the regular.
Also, for Valentines, you could divide the melted marshmallow and put different food colouring in each batch. Add the cereal and spread on a sheet. When cool, cut with a gingerbread cookie cutter and put them together, side by side with a cinnamon heart where the hands meet. Valentine’s Day couples.
Let your imagination run.
Title: Desires
Author: Daryl Devoré
Publisher: Daryl Devoré
Release date: Nov 2019
Cover Artist: Daryl Devoré
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 152
When secrets conflict with dreams, love explodes. Desires is Daryl Devoré’s latest hot romance.
After a mistake by a surgeon’s scalpel shattered Fuchsia Quinn’s dance career, she picked up the pieces of her life and moved forward. As the owner of a small, struggling dance school in a depressed neighborhood she supplements her income with a late-night job at a strip club. Haunted by the fear of humiliation, if her secret is revealed, her life was under control until the night he walked into the club.
Peyton Lang, having run from an impoverished neighbourhood, lives the lifestyle of a successful billionaire. Frustrated that his current multi-million dollar project is stalled, Peyton drops in to LEATHER-ICIOUS for a quick drink and late night entertainment. What he saw was a beautiful redhead. What he found was he wanted her.
After a lusty night with a hot pole dancer, Peyton and Fuchsia’s worlds are about to collide.
Interview with Peyton and Fuchsia from Desires
How did you first meet your writer?
Fuchsia – I walked up to the front of her brain and put my foot down and said, “Hey! You’re not doing anything. Write my story.” Unfortunately, poor Daryl didn’t even know I was in her head.
Peyton – I was too busy in my office to notice what was going on until I ended up in a dive bar half way across the country and this sexy-as-hell dancer walked onto the stage.
What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance?
Peyton – The action. Have you seen this lady dance? She’s so hot.
Fuchsia – Wrong answer. The romance is best part. Although it did take us a bit to get to the romantic part.
Do you infiltrate your writer’s dreams?
Fuchsia – Not anymore. Since she wrote our story I’m letting her get a good night’s sleep before the next one steps up and demands to be written. I wonder if I should tell her how many people are bouncing around inside her head?
Peyton – snorts – Oh, that’s who those other people were. Naw, don’t tell her, let it be a surprise.
What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?
Peyton – Can I answer that?
Fuchsia – laughing – We all know what your response would be. And funny enough, it’s the same response as mine.
Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in?
Peyton – uh – yes! It’s an erotic romance so that means there’s lots of —
Fuchsia crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow.
Peyton – There’s lots of romance and I love romance.
What do you do for a living?
Peyton – Business. A lot of real estate investments. I build things, like medical centers, shopping malls.
Fuchsia – Which is how we met, because of his business. I teach ballet in the daytime and at night I’m a pole dancer in a strip club. I don’t strip, just dance.
What is something no one knows about you? Why do you keep it a secret? And what would happen if everyone found out about it?
Fuchsia – My secret is out. I used to be so worried that once people found out I was a pole dancer then all the parents would pull their children out of my school. But they understood that I was doing it to get enough money to keep the dance school open. I teach in a depressed area. I can’t charge huge fees and things cost so much these days. So the pole dancing kept my ballet school open.
Peyton – uh, If I tell the secret then everyone will know and that’s not something I want to have happen.
Fuchsia – What secret?
Peyton – I have no secrets with you. You know everything. It’s them *he points toward the monitor * I don’t want them to find out. Could hurt business.
What other profession would you like to try?
Peyton – Easy one. I’d love to be a chef. I love to cook.
Fuchsia – He’s really good. The first thing he made me was blueberry pancakes from scratch. Not from a premade mix or from the freezer, but from flour, sugar, eggs and so on. Then he had Vermont maple syrup to put on them. He’s fabulous.
What do you admire about your parents?
Fuchsia – My parents are hardworking dairy farmers in Vermont. I’m their only child. They gave me so much love and taught me how to give love back.
Peyton – Don’t admire anything about my parents. Mom’s an alcoholic and dad took off when I was little.
What is your greatest fear?
Peyton grab Fuchsia’s hand – Greatest fear – losing Fuchsia. She is so interwoven into my life. I can’t imagine her not being there.
Fuchsia leans over and kisses his cheek. – I love you, too.
Excerpt: (Heat Rating G)
Spartacus stopped and whimpered. He lifted his nose. Fuchsia griped Peyton’s arm. Pride flowed through him. She wanted his protection. He stood still and listened. He heard nothing.
“Stay here.” He looked at the dog. “Spartacus, lie down. Stay.” Fuchsia sat on a nearby log and tapped her thigh. The dog glanced at Peyton. “Okay.” Spartacus raced over and lay against Fuchsia’s leg, pinning it to the fallen tree.
Peyton dropped the backpack and dug out the air horn. “Press this. It’s gonna be loud. But it’ll scare anything off. I’m going that way. Gonna check out what scent he caught.”
Fuchsia gripped his sleeve. Her eyes were wide. Fear danced in her gaze.
He patted her hand. “It’s okay. I’m not going far and look at him. He caught a scent, but he’s not whimpering. So, he’s not scared.”
Peyton moved off the path and headed in the direction of the cliff’s edge. He knew it ran parallel to the path, but he wasn’t sure how far away it was. He’d give it no more than five minutes. He wasn’t leaving her alone long enough for her to get into trouble. And after listening to her escapades as a child, he knew she attracted trouble like honey drew a bear. He glanced left and right, maybe that wasn’t a good analogy for the wilds of Alaska.
The cliff’s edge appeared sooner than he expected. He crouched low and peered over it, looking into the ravine. At the bottom, he saw a mother black bear and her two small cubs. No wonder Spartacus whimpered. He hurried back to Fuchsia. When he was close enough for her to hear, he shouted, “Come here.” He waved, indicating she should join him. She stood, picked up the backpack and walked toward him. Spartacus stayed beside her.
“Keep your voice low.” He reached into the pack and pulled out a leash which he clipped to Spartacus’s collar. “When I say get low, crouch down. I’ve got something pretty cool to show you.” He held her hand and led the way back to the cliff. “Okay down. Look. Over there.”
Fuchsia knelt next to him. “Oh my God. Is that a bear?”
“Black bear. But it gets better. Wait for it.”
The two cubs waddled around their mother and sniffed at something on the ground. Fuchsia squealed. “Babies.”
“Cubs.”
“Baby cubs.”
Close enough.
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Meet Daryl Devore
Two writers in one. Daryl Devoré writes hot romances with sexy heroes and strong heroines. Victoria Adams is Daryl’s alter ego when she’s inspired to write sweet romances with little to no heat.
Daryl (@daryldevore) lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, two black cats – Licorice and Ginny-Furr Purrkins – and some house ghosts. Her daughter is grown and has flown the nest. Daryl loves to take long walks on her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She has touched a moon rock, a mammoth, and a meteorite. She’s been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter, and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life’s an adventure and Daryl’s having fun living it.
You can stalk Daryl here:
Blog – Romance – Sweet to Heat
Backlists
Two O’clock with the Billionaire
Dark Chocolate and Strawberries
Branwyn’s Love
Love My Fate
Brace for Impact
What Happens in Bangkok
Darien’s Desire
Between Despair and Extasy
Love in the Key of C
The Gift
Writing as Victoria Adams
Dancing in Circles
Circles Divided
Circles Interlocked
A Guy and a Girl
Christmas in a Flash
Coming soon
2 Truths and a Lie
Sunrise
The Dragon Story (working title)
5 responses to “Potluck, Rice Krispies & an Interview #ricekrispietreats #contemporaryromance #characterinterview”
Cool idea for heart shaped rice krispies. What a great interview between your hero and heroine, Daryl. Thanks for sharing, Cathy.
It made me want to make Rice Krispie treats LOL
Thanks for letting me stop by. Tweeted.
Anytiime!
Thanks for sharing. Love that yellow on the cover!