Welcome to Recipe for Romance!
This week, I’m sharing a snippet of SECOND CHANCE SUCCUBUS, book 1 in the Silver State Mysteries series. This is my first murder mystery romance and it practically wrote itself once I got going. There are two sequels coming, but in this tale, Nik and Chayse Wolffe are trying to solve the same murder from different sides. The thing about family, though, is it can be sticky and sweet, or just plain sticky. With Nik and Chayse, twin werewolves, it’s squarely in the sticky realm.
Available now: Second Chance Succubus
A newly torn branch leaning against a tree caught his eye. He paused, dropping his muzzle to the ground at the base to investigate. Once a CSI always a CSI. Not that this was a crime scene, but he always learned something new by seemingly innocuous artifacts left behind by someone’s actions.
A warning wuff brought Chayse’s head up, his ears flagging forward. A pair of green wolfish eyes met his own. Nik.
:Hello, Brother,: he growled. :I’m here. What did you want to talk about?:
:Good to see you, too.: Nik cocked his head to one side, his tail lowered in neutrality. :I didn’t think you ran in the woods any more, little brother. Glad I was wrong about that.:
Chayse felt his lips pulled back from his teeth. :Just because I like city life doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my true self, brother.:
Nik didn’t sneer, but his expression filled with disdain. :Could’ve fooled me. You’ve managed to forget you had a brother.:
:I haven’t forgotten, I just don’t need to hang out with you.:
:You mean, share.: Nik shifted his weight onto his hindquarters and Chayse tensed. :What the hell happened to you? You graduated from the Academy and suddenly you’re too good for your ‘twisted’ brother?:
:I never called you twisted, Nik.: Chayse growled, sidling to keep from presenting a large target to the other wolf.
:You didn’t have to. It was implicit in your decisions to run from your needs.:
Anger built in Chayse’s heart. Why did he have to defend his decision to anyone, most of all his twin? He eyed his brother’s stance. Nik looked relaxed and nonchalant, but their connection wasn’t so diminished that Chayse couldn’t feel his preparation.
:I didn’t run from anything.: Chayse flattened his ears.
:You ran from everything, and you owe me years!:
Nik leapt, his canines flashing in the sunlight as he slammed into Chayse. Chayse snarled and rolled, stepping on the broken branch in his bid for freedom. He snapped at his older brother and Nik twisted away, but Chayse’s claws raked down his flank, Nik yelped.
Gluten-Free Rice Pudding
Mr. SM LOVES rice pudding. So we made our own and he said it was the best he’s ever had. Thank goodness. We used the Rice Pudding recipe from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring by Nicole Hunn.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (16 fluid oz) lukewarm water
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup short grain rice (we used sushi rice)
- 4 cups (32 fluid oz) milk (we used goat milk)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the salt, butter, and rice, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the water, leaving behind a bit of thick, starchy water. Don’t overcook the rice.
While the rice is cooking, place the milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium heat until the mixture is simmering. Once the rice is cooked, add the simmering milk mixture to the large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed most of the milk mixture and it has thickened and begins to appear pudding-like, about 15 – 20 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Cool the pudding in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least an hour.
