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It’s Super Bowl Sunday as I write this. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, which is appropriate, considering February, in addition to being the month of love, will also see the release of WHEN SHADOWS FALL! The title is not a metaphor for an early spring, though, sorry!

It’s been a big day here. I’ve just finished the first draft of the next Nicholas Drummond novel, THE LOST KEY. My beloved Broncos are about to take the field. The Olympics are coming, and Valentine’s Day, and all around me is the evidence of hard work, and dedication and perseverance.

And in a few weeks, WHEN SHADOWS FALL will be on the shelves. The book has been blessed with some incredible reviews: a starred review from Publishers Weekly, a starred review from Booklist, a Top Pick from Romantic Times. There’s always a moment, when my new baby is out in the world, but no one has read it yet, when I am utterly convinced the book sucks and will be trailed through the mud, so any sort of positive review makes me breath a huge sigh of relief. Stars make me see stars. I’ve done a few interviews about the book, and most will be going up closer to release date, so watch the blog for links. But here’s one I did with ITW for The Big Thrill, and Sam also took the Proust Questionnaire. Get to know her a little better.

This book is a seminal part of Sam’s journey. It was difficult to write, difficult to research, difficult to pull together. And yet, somewhere along the way, the story gelled, and Sam took over. She’s a very different woman by the end of this story, one I hope everyone connects with and loves as much as I do. I’ve done a few interviews about the book, here, and here, but my favorite is Sam’s answers to the Proust Interview. Get to know her a little better here.

Sex, violence, intrigue and betrayal. What better way to spend a winter’s afternoon, right?

The last few weeks before a book releases are hugely important — those pre-sales help determine the course of a novel’s life, and feed the kittehs, so I ask again, please do make your way to your favorite bookseller and library and stake your claim. The audio will be coming soon as well. Thank you!

Tours

I will be reading from and signing WHEN SHADOWS FALL at the Barnes & Noble in Cool Springs on release day, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. Because of deadlines, this is currently my only tour event for this book (and I haven’t been out of the house much these past few weeks, so I am raring to go) I hope you’ll join me for an evening of fun and frivolity and murder.

Get Thee to a Bookstore

I haven’t been reading much this month, simply because of the copious amount of brain energy going into THE LOST KEY. Most of my reading was research related, as the frightening history on my Internet browser can attest. But I did read Daniel Silva’s THE ENGLISH GIRL, and I’m currently reading a superb debut by Gary Kriss called THE ZODIAC DECEPTION. And my friend Ariel Lawhon debuted her mystery, THE WIFE, THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS, which is a spectacular ride through Jazz Age New York. Grab a copy right now, you’ll love it.


I’ve made a commitment to track all my reading this year, so if you’re on Goodreads, friend me, and follow along. I’m always interested in what you’re reading, too!


Contest

The February contest is live now — enter to win win a signed hardcover edition of DEFIANCE by C. J. Redwine plus a $10 gift card (winner’s choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

February Recipe — Succulent Braised Pork and Smashed Potatoes

I watched this, or read, I should say, because the TV was on closed captioning, being cooked on one of the cooking channels and decided to try it for myself, and let me tell you, it is spectacular. The recipe is from Melissa d’Arbanian who does simple, inexpensive meals. She used a big pork shoulder for this, but I’m not a fan, so I used a pork tenderloin. It takes less time, too, which is nice. I saw a few changes I wanted to make as she went, so I took the idea home, messed with it, and here’s my version. It makes a lovely meal, and the leftover sauce is perfect tossed in the blender and poured out as a gravy for the mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin
• EVOO
• Mirepoix (1 onion, 4 carrots, 2 celery stalks) roughly chopped — no need to mince.
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup red wine (something you drink, not something you buy for cooking)
• 1 ½ cups organic beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• parsley
• 1 cup water if needed

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Trim the tenderloin, wash it and dry it with paper towels (always dry your meat before you cook it. It helps the edges crisp and turn golden brown when you brown it.)
• In a large Dutch oven, brown the meat in EVOO
• When it’s crusty brown, remove it and add the mirepoix, cook until onions are translucent
• Add the garlic, allowing it to sweat with the veggies
• Stir in the tomato paste, let it cook for a few minutes
• Add the flour, allowing it to cook off, thickening the base
• Whisk in the wine, and reduce by half
• Return the pork to the pan, then stir in the beef stock, parsley and bay leaves
• Don’t cover meat entirely
• Cover the pan and put it in the oven to braise for an hour
• Season and serve over mashed potatoes

I’ll see you again at the end of the month to celebrate the release of WHEN SHADOWS FALL. In the meantime, Happy Valentine’s Day, my dears! Stay warm, stay dry, and read a good book!

xoxo,