Jillian Chantal

Jillian:  Everyone say hello to the super-awesome Laurie Ryan. She and I “met” on line as part of a yahoo group and immediately liked each other’s cyber personalities. I’m pleased to say we met in real life at the RWA conference in NYC and she still likes me!! She’s as wonderful in person as she is on line and did I say, she likes me?  LOL!

Welcome, Laurie. 

Laurie:     Breakfast Casserole – Great for a holiday brunch…and for romance.

 Thanks for having me here today, Jillian. I always love visiting. J

 Last week, Jillian posted a picture of an Italian cannoli dessert one of her heroines loves. It looked delicious!  I thought I’d piggy-back on her idea and give you a recipe my heroine in Healing Love uses when she cooks breakfast for the hero. Okay, get your minds out of the gutter. They haven’t made love…yet. J  I particularly like this scene because my hero and heroine doctors are celebrating a successful joint effort with a patient and this is where they make that first tentative agreement to see where their relationship can go. Here’s the excerpt. And the recipe for a mout-watering, stomach-satisfying breakfast casserole is after that.

 Excerpt:

When he leaned forward, Nicole’s heart began to pound against the inside of her chest. He’s going to kiss me.

He paused a fraction of a second from her lips. She sensed no indecision. Maybe he, like her, wanted to savor this moment. To feel it unfold like a slow ripple in time.

When their lips touched, that ripple expanded until there was nothing in her world except Damien and the paradise she felt as they kissed.

This was no hot and bothered I-need-sex-now kiss. Instead, there was a sweetness, a gentle discovery to it that wove a cocoon of emotion around her heart.

When he pulled away, she could have sworn she heard a softly whispered “wow” before he sat back. She wanted to echo the sentiment. One gentle kiss and she’d fallen off the edge of a precipice. She took a deep breath, trying to slow her heartbeat.

Nicole realized she was falling for Damien Reed, something that should not be happening. It would complicate her life to no end.

“You know,” he said. “We can’t really date.”

She knew it. It wasn’t what she’d figured would be the first words out of his mouth after kissing her. Disappointed, she tried to hide it, tried to put on her poker face. There was only one problem. She’d been told again and again that she didn’t have a poker face.

“But,” Damien continued. “I’m not always going to be your boss.”

A flicker of hope brought a slow smile to her face.

He reached again for her hand. Several long moments passed as he moved his fingers across hers. Nicole enjoyed the sensation and waited.

When he spoke, it once again was not what she’d expected to hear.

“Come spend Christmas with me,” Damien said.

“Christmas?” She couldn’t switch gears that fast.

“Yes. At my home, well, my parent’s home. Come spend it with us.”

 Breakfast Casserole Recipe

 You’ll need:

1 package hash browns (in the refrigerator section at the grocery story, use O’Brien or unflavored)

1 pound sausage, cooked and drained (I do this the night before)

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1 cup shredded cheese

10 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13 x 9 baking dish. Melt butter in frying pan, Stir potatoes and chopped onion into pan and cook until potatoes are browned and onion is tender. Sprinkle with seasoning salt.

Spread potatoes in baking dish. Cover with sausage. Sprinkle with cheese. Pour eggs over top. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then bake for 30 minutes or until eggs are thoroughly cooked.

 You can vary this casserole by the type of hash browns you use, by using bacon instead of sausage, or trying different seasoning to taste. My son-in-law likes to top his with salsa. My hero Damien, however, found the very tasty when Nicole made it this way.

 Nicole and Damien’s story is part of a two-story, emotion-wrapped anthology calledHolidayMagic-The Gift of Love released with a good friend and writer I respect, Lavada Dee.

 Priceless Love by Lavada Dee

“For Richer, For Poorer.”

Taylor Hamilton, dissatisfied with a life designed by her parents, attends a friend’s fall wedding and finds small town life agrees with her. The problem is, her wealth doesn’t agree with the man she falls for. Is their love strong enough to find a bridge of trust where money isn’t an issue?  

 Healing Love by Laurie Ryan

“In Sickness and in Health.”

Nicole Milbourne’s single-minded focus on a medical research career is thrown for a loop when charismatic Dr. Damien Reed shows her there’s more to life than studying diseases. Will an unexpected Christmas fill Nicole’s lonely heart and show her the healing power of love?

 You can find more information about Laurie Ryan, Lavada Dee, and these stories on their websites:

http://www.laurieryanauthor.com/index.html

http://lavadadee.com/