Gentle Readers:

Happy Independence Day to all my American readers!!!!!! I hope your celebrations are grand tonight.

Here we are, halfway through 2015, and the year is just getting going for me! I've had a nice calm summer so far, (if you consider a book tour calm), but now it's time to get back in the writing saddle to edit my standalone, NO ONE KNOWS (3.22.16). It is so cool to come back to a book that was finished a year ago — there's a sense of wonder at the story, and perspective one doesn't have when the actual writing is going on. I think you're really going to like this one.

So, of course, no 2015 newsletter is complete without some release news. KILLER YEAR has been reissued in mass market, with a snazzy new cover and some updates inside. And for the first time ever, there is an audio edition! It is so cool to see this little project back in print and better than ever. Grab yours today!

Also, here's a quick rundown of what to expect for the rest of the year:

• 8.25.15 -- THE LOST KEY mmpb (Nick and Mike #2)
• 9.15.15 -- THE END GAME (Nick and Mike #3)
• 10.1.15 -- Digital Boxed Set: Taylor Jackson vol. 1 w/ books 2-4
• 10.13.15 -- CROSSED (Taylor Jackson #0 in print and ebook)
• 11.1.15 -- Digital Boxed Set: Taylor Jackson vol. 2 w/ books 5-7
• 11.24.15 -- WHAT LIES BEHIND mmpb (Sam Owens #4)

How fun is this schedule? Books, books, and more books!

One last thing, I've had some great guests on the blog this month; I highly encourage you to check them out!

Events

My July schedule has changed, and I am so incredibly excited to share that I will now be at Comic-Con in San Diego for a Thursday afternoon horror/thriller panel called, "I'm Sleeping With The Lights On."

I will then scoot to New York for the Saturday portion of Thrillerfest, where at 4 p.m. I'll be paneling with the divine Catherine Coulter about co-writing thrillers and making an appearance at the star-studded banquet. It's going to be a crazy week!

Get Thee to a Bookstore

Tons of great books this month, the highlights of which are below. Several of these haven't released yet, but they're coming your way soon!

FINDING FRASER ‐ K.C. Dyer
FLIGHT OF DREAMS ‐ Ariel Lawhon
SEIZED ‐ Elizabeth Heiter
THE ICE TWINS ‐ S.K. Tremayne
WHAT YOU SEE ‐ Hank Phillippi Ryan
THE LAST GOOD PLACE ‐ Robin Burcell

If you’re on Goodreads, friend me, and follow along. I’m always interested in what you’re reading, too!

July Contest

The July contest is live now: enter to win a paperback copy of both Terry Spear's A SEAL IN WOLF'S CLOTHING and B. J. Daniels's ATONEMENT, plus a keychain, pen and a $10 gift card to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million OR iBooks (winner’s choice).

Enter here to win.

July Recipe — Jamaican Chicken Patties
(Click here for printable PDF)*

DH and I are celebrating our 20th/23rd anniversary this year, and we thought it would be cool to revisit the spot where we took our honeymoon, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Great beach, warm waters, and the food, oh the food! I remembered this little treat fondly, and was thrilled to find it hasn't changed a bit. Patties are like pasties in the UK, a dough pocket filled with minced meat. I love these—they are delicious. Not necessarily good for you... but delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 1 ½ tsp curry powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup butter (or vegetable shortening or margarine)
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 5 Tbs ice water

Filling:

• 1 pound ground chicken (or beef, or turkey, or pork)
• 1 small onion - chopped fine
• ½ red bell pepper - chopped
• 1 large clove garlic - minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 teaspoons curry powder or to taste
• 1 Scotch Bonnet chili pepper, seeded and fine chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water or beef broth
• 1/4 cup flour

To make the pastry:

• Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Working quickly and using your fingertips, squeeze together the flour mixture and butter and toss it together by scooping under the mixture with both hands. When the mixture resembles a very coarse meal, add the water to the bowl.
  
  
• With floured hands, mix and squeeze the dough just until it forms a ball. Knead it once or twice to combine it fully (the less kneading, the better). Spread the dough into 2 pieces, flattening each into a thick pancake. Wrap in plastic and set them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes. (The dough will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Remove it from the refrigerator a few minutes before using it.)

To make the filling:

• EVOO sauté onions, peppers, garlic and chili pepper until softened.
  
  
• Add ground meat and cook and stir and break up meat until meat is browned and cooked. Add remaining ingredients and cook and stir until mixture is fully cooked and thickened. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings and cool.

Assemble Your Patties:

• Remove pastry from refrigerator and let soften at room temperature about 15 minutes.
  
  
• Roll pastry out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.
  
  
• Cut out circles with a 4 inch circular cutter or cut size as desired.
  
  
• Place some filling in center of circle and fold over edges to seal and prick edges with tinges of a fork.
  
  
• Bake 400F until golden, about 15 mins. for small pieces, 20 mins for medium pieces and 25 to 30 mins for larger pieces. Yield: 12 medium, 6 large or 24 appetizers.

I hope you're staying cool, and that I'll see some of you in San Diego and New York! Keep reading!

xoxo,

*You can see all of my previous recipes and download them here.