Thursday, July 5, 2012

Today's Special - - Virginia Kantra


It's my pleasure to welcome New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra back to The Romance Dish.  I fell in love with Virginia's writing about seven years ago when she released two romantic suspense novels (CLOSE UP and HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT).  I immediately searched out her earlier Silhouette books then happily followed her into her contemporary paranormal Children of the Sea series and now into her straight contemporary Dare Island series. No matter what sub-genre she's writing, she never fails to capture my reader's heart.  


Virginia loves reading romance novels, taking long walks on the beach, and cookies. (Which is why she needs to take those long walks!) She loves hearing from her readers.



Find her on line  http://virginiakantra.com
This coming Saturday, July 7, Virginia is very excited to be signing her latest release, Carolina Home, at Nora Roberts’ Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro,MD. To order your signed copy or for more information, visit  


“Home” Cooking – Virginia Kantra

I’m so happy to be back at The Romance Dish! And since we’re “dishing,” I thought I’d talk about food. Sooner or later in my books, the hero always feeds the heroine. Why?  Well, it could be because food has a long history as an aphrodisiac. Alcohol lowers inhibitions. Chocolate contains both a soothing sedative and a stimulant to increase desire. Oysters, which change their sex between male and female, are supposed to put you in touch with your feminine side. Or your masculine side. Whatever.

Maybe the hero feeding the heroine has to do with that whole hunter-gatherer thing. You know, we’re genetically programmed to want a man who can drag a woolly mammoth chop back to the cave.

I think it’s likely that on some level food = dating. The pacing of our lives – and our novels – rarely allows for leisurely meals where we can savor the food and the company.  But women, and women readers, want more.  We want courtship.  We crave conversation.   We believe in…dating.  When the hero and heroine share a meal and the events of their day or their lives, the connection feels authentic to us. We can believe in their happy ending.

Of course, my preoccupation with food in romance could spring from the fact that I’m married to a man who can cook. It’s sexy. The setting doesn’t have to be a five-star restaurant. Not every woman craves champagne and caviar. But when the hero feeds the heroine, he is being attentive to her needs. And a man who satisfies his partner’s appetites in one way, well...

Matt Fletcher, the hero of Carolina Home, is no gourmet chef. But he’s definitely capable of giving the heroine, Allison Carter, what she needs.

He grabbed a quilt from the back and spread it over the truck bed. “Up you go.”
He boosted her onto the tailgate, his hands hard and strong. She caught her breath as he swung up beside her, the truck bouncing beneath his weight. His thigh brushed hers, his body warm and close. He stretched an arm behind her, making her heart beat faster.
Making his move, she thought.
He dragged a cooler forward from the back and began to unload it.
A picnic.
Her lips curved as he laid out grapes and cheese and wrapped sandwiches. She found the simple spread more appealing than her mother’s themed and catered menus, more romantic than an overpriced meal in some fancy restaurant. Matt lifted a bottle of wine from the cooler.
And far more seductive.
She watched as he lit a Coleman lantern, as he pulled a corkscrew from his pocket.
“Very nice,” she said. “Do you come here often?”
“I used to. With my grandda, fifteen, twenty years ago.” Expertly, he uncorked the wine. “It hasn’t changed much.”
“You don’t like change?”
“I didn’t say that. You can’t live on an island without accepting change. Storms come, beaches erode, families die out or move away. Old houses are bulldozed to make way for a parking lot or a septic tank.”
He poured wine into two plastic tumblers, handed her one. “You live with loss, you learn to appreciate the things that endure. The sea. The moon. The lighthouse.”
The things that endure, she repeated softly. “I like that.”
Wasn’t that what she’d come to Dare Island to find?
She wanted to build a life here, to make a permanent place for herself, something solid, something lasting.
She didn’t want to be another in the long line of Women Who Had Dated Matt Fletcher, the summer girls who lasted a few days or weeks.
It was both tempting and dangerous to believe she could be more.
She sipped her wine. “Thank you. You’re very good at this.”
He paused, unwrapping a sandwich. “This?”
She flapped her hand, encompassing the scene. “The secluded beach, the private picnic, the bottle of wine. It’s really nice,” she said again. “You’re awfully . . .” Practiced. “Prepared.”
“Not me. My mom.”
Allison blinked. “Your mother?”
“The inn keeps supplies on hand for the guests, wine and cheese, box lunches, that kind of thing. Those are my mother’s cookies.” – from Carolina Home

* * *
When Matt feeds Allison, he’s offering her a piece of himself, a part of his history, along with the cookies. And that, to me, is better than chocolate.

Here’s Matt’s mom’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies from Carolina Home.

Cream together until light and fluffy:
½ C butter, softened
½ C Crisco
½ C sugar
½ C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add: 2 eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine:
2 ¼ C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Add flour mixture gradually to butter and sugar, beating well.

Stir in:
2 C bittersweet chocolate chips
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 mins.

***

Tell me, what is your “perfect date” food? Does the man in your life cook for you?

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment today will receive a signed copy of Carolina Home!  

60 comments:

  1. I'm only familiar with Virginia's paranormals, so I'm excited about her new contemporary. I like variety, so sometimes it'll be Italian food and sometimes the perfect date food will be Japanese cuisine.

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    1. Mmm...since I'm married to an Italian Guy with a taste for aushi, I can totally relate to both your choices!

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    2. I adore Italian food! Now if I could only find a sexy Italian man to cook it for me. ;-)

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  2. Perfect date food would be Italian for me. It's pretty much perfect any time food actually.

    Thank you for the recipe.

    I would love to read CAROLINA HOME.

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    1. You're so welcome! Like Tess in Carolina Home, I make these for my kids a lot, even now that they're grown.

      Good luck in the drawing!

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    2. Hi Virginia! Chocolate chip is my "go to" cookie recipe. My co-workers descend upon them like a swarm of locusts whenever I bring some in. ;-)

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  3. Welcome back, Virginia! I loved CAROLINA HOME! I already feel like the Fletchers are good friends and can't wait to visit with them again.

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    1. Oh, PJ, thank you! Especially with the shift in genres, I really appreciate the chance to talk a little about the new book. I'm visiting my son at grad school today on my way to the signing with Nora - this is the first I've been online today. Thank you for the lovely welcome!

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    2. Hope you have a wonderful time at the signing!

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  4. Congratulations on the new book! It looks like a good one. For me, any meal I don't have to cook is a great one. My husband likes to grill which has worked out well in this brutal heat.

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    1. Thanks, Maureen! (And after several hours touring campus, all I can say is: I want ice cream!!!)

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    2. For me, any meal I don't have to cook is a great one.

      LOL @ Maureen! I like the way you think!

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  5. Thanks for the recipe. The perfect food for date is Italian food. I'd like to have a man who can cook since I can't cook.

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    1. Yum, yes! I'm not a bad day to day cook, but I can't touch my husband's skills.

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    2. Italian seems to be the food of choice around here!

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  6. CAROLINA HOME sounds like a book I would enjoy reading!

    My husband does cook. I think steaks or burgers on the grill are our favorite quick date meals. We like grilled potatoes and veggies in foil too. YUMMY!

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    1. Love grilling. Tastes good and doesn't heat up the house (see "ice ccream" comment above!) :-)

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    2. I love grilled food; veggies in foil are one of my favorites!

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  7. I've been looking forward to Carolina Home since I first heard of it. And PJ's raves and Eloisa James's praise of it have me even more eager to read it. I plan to do that just as soon as I meet my deadline next week and have reading time again.

    I do like a man who's handy in the kitchen, but honestly as long as there's wine and candlelight, I'm happy with a variety of cuisines on date nights. Moonlight picnics are good too, preferably with strawberries. :)

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    1. Janga, I hope you enjoy. Whipped cream with those berries? ;-)

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    2. Janga, CAROLINA HOME is right up your alley! I've never been on a moonlight picnic. I think I need to change that. ;-)

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  8. Can't wait to read your new book. I didn't have a perfect date food, usually too nervous to.eat. I do all the cooking at my house, good thing I like to cook.

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    1. Aw...I can eat. I just worry about lettuce in my teeth afterwards. Hope you like Carolina Home! This series is very dear to my heart.

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    2. Hope you enjoy the book, Trish!

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  9. What's the difference between Christmas and my husband cooking dinner? None. They both happen once a year! But we've had a great time food-dating before we got married: we met in Italy and we used to have incredible dinners in very charming restaurants, and then romantic walks hand in hand through the streets of an old medieval town.
    minadecaro at hotmail dot come

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    1. And are good for presents? : D
      Food date totally counts!

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    2. we met in Italy and we used to have incredible dinners in very charming restaurants, and then romantic walks hand in hand through the streets of an old medieval town.

      This is my definition of romance!

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  10. What a great excerpt. Thanks for sharing.

    I would love it if Hubby cooked for me, but that doesn't happen. Maybe someday...

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    1. Maybe the two of you should go shopping the gourmet deli aisle together...Matt in Carolina Home doesn't actually cook on their beach picnic. But he does manage to give her everything she needs!

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    2. Matt is very good at giving her what she needs! ;-)

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  11. My husband loves prime rib, so I know an evening out with a good prime rib meal and an irish coffee afterwards will be most enjoyable. We both enjoy cooking and he is quite good at it. There are many favorites on our list, but this is one best had out. The irish coffees are my contribution when we get home.
    I have enjoyed your books, and look forward to returning to Dare Island. Best wishes for a successful release.

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    1. Thank you so much!!! The Dare Island books are closer to my MacNeill brothers stories than anything I've written in a while, so they feel like "coming home" to me.

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    2. Virginia, I think both new readers and those who have read your books for years will also experience a sense of "coming home." I know I did!

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    3. Librarypat, that sounds like a delicious dinner and a lovely evening!

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  12. Sounds like a set of interesting books! :)

    I like Japanese food so that's perfect date food for me. But I really don't mind as long as the company is good. :)

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    1. The company is definitely the most important part! Good luck in the drawing.

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    2. My niece's husband is Japanese and a wonderful cook. When they visit her parents, he always cooks for our family. I love when they visit! :)

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  13. DH acuually does most of the cooking, and we all know anything tastes better when we don't have to cook it ourselves! But he is especially good with a grill and some salmon ;)

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    1. I'm a big fan of being waited on! And grilled salmon sounds yummy.

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    2. My late dh was a terrific cook. We shared cooking duties but coming home from work to discover a delicious meal waiting for me was always extra special.

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  14. I think date food should be appetizers/finger foods - you have to like each other to share like that lol. Unfortunately, my husband never cooks although he is good at take out lol. Great excerpt!!

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    1. Takeout totally counts as "feeding the heroine." So glad you enjoyed the excerpt!

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    2. I agree! Takeout totally counts!

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  15. Hello and welcome, Virginia! I love the sound of CAROLINA HOME. Congrats on its release!

    My husband and I (and our kids) love to eat at Texas Roadhouse. They have the best steaks (though, my husband grills a mean steak, too *g*). I love seafood, as well, but we rarely eat at a seafood restaurant since my husband is allergic to shellfish.

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    1. Thanks for the welcome Andrea! And thanks so much! I'm super excited about this release.

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  16. Thanks for a great post and giveaway!

    I don't cook, so any man who will "feed" me will get brownie points! My BF actually likes to cook, so I let him :) I especially like his outdoor grilled stuff.

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    1. Hi, Erin! I love watching my husband and sons standing around the grill. Meat and fire seem so...so manly. Must be that caveman thing again.

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  17. Thanks for the recipe and excerpt. I think any kind of dessert would be a good date food.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Yeah, I can be had for an Irish coffee and anything with strawberries. Er...With my husband of course! Thanks for commenting!

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  18. My favorite date food? Hmm. Honestly, if we go to a movie, once I've had popcorn I'm no longer hungry. Yep, I'm a cheap date. It's one of the things my hubby loves about me. That and that at my favorite movie theater (around the corner from home)we can both get in, get a large popcorn and 2 medium drinks for about $20.

    I'm very excited about visiting with Matt and Allison!

    Di R

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    1. Oh, thank you, Di! they were a fun couple to write because they're both such really good people.
      Love your movie story. Must see if I can talk Italian Guy into seeing Magic Mike with me...

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  19. Great date food is pizza or sandwiches. Something easy to eat. My hbusband is a chef,c so he definately likes to cook. This book sounds great, loved the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway.
    Christinebails(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Yum! Lucky you, to be married to a chef! Good luck in the drawing!

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  20. My husband has been feeding me for the last 20 years and I know that I am blessed among women! Not only is he a great cook, but he cooks with my tastes in mind. I like to read about men taking care of the women in their lives in small but significant ways.
    quiltlady44-bks2ATyahooDOTcom

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    1. TxDee, "small but significant ways" sums it up beautifully! Sometimes love really is in the details!

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  21. Loved hearing from you here today, Virginia, and CAROLINA HOME sounds wonderful! Date food for us started as pizza after a late movie in Westwood, the college town surounding UCLA. My future husband and I spent many a Saturday Night Date on these old stomping grounds. He still says he married me for my UCLA Parking Pass!

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    1. LOL on the parking pass! Thanks so much for sharing your sweet story and for commenting.

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  22. I think a man who can cook is so admirable! My perfect food date is something easy and fun to make such as snadwiches. That way we can have a bunch of ingredients and everyone make it to their own liking...egg salad, cold ham, wrap-style - anything goes!

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    1. Na, I like "do it yourself" menus, too. Lets everyone relax!

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  23. Perfect date food is something easy to eat, not messy, no garlic or onions - maybe something that you share - at a place that is comfortable & not to loud so you can talk. Since we're talking Carolina, probably a casual seafood place on the water.
    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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