Husbandry is at The Log Line Blog

Today, my log line for Husbandry is up at The Log Line Blog at http://theloglineblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/husbandry.html. Anyone who comments on my or any of the other daily log lines is entered in the monthly contest (as outlined by The Log Line Blog).

Chad’s Manicotti

Looking for something delicious? How about Chad’s manicotti. LOL, I’m talking about the manicotti recipe he uses to impress Fila’s family in Husbandry.

Each of Fila’s three husbands has his own personality and advantages, and Chad is the artistic, romantic one who knows how to cook. He can even say something naughty in Italian while he does it. I’ve eaten this spinach manicotti on numerous occasions, and I can testify that it’s delizioso.

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 5 cups chopped tomatoes

• 4 tbsp chopped basil

• Salt, pepper, and garlic salt

• 3 cups ricotta cheese

• 1 cup cooked spinach, chopped and drained

• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 package manicotti shells (10-14 shells)

 

Chop tomatoes and basil and shred mozzarella. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the garlic until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and basil, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. While sauce is cooking, cook the manicotti shells in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain the shells and drop into a bowl of cold water. In a bowl, mix together the spinach and three cheeses with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Drain the shells and pat dry with a towel. Spoon a half cup of sauce into the bottom of a large (covered) baking pan and spread evenly. Fill manicotti shells with ricotta mixture and lay in pan side by side. Spoon the sauce evenly over the shells, then sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Bake the pasta covered for 20 minutes at 375°F. Then remove cover and cook for another 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

 

And now here’s a special excerpt from Husbandry:

… Since my mother hadn’t returned from the kitchen yet, I figured I’d better get in there to rescue Chad.

Sure enough, she’d taken over, though not as badly as I’d feared. Somehow my husband had relegated her to salad duty while he stuffed the manicotti shells. He looked happy, not browbeaten.

“Your mother just gave me a recipe for homemade ricotta,” he announced. “I’ll have to try it. The ricotta you picked up is fresh, but you can’t beat homemade.”

“Sounds complicated.” I hadn’t realized you could make cheese at home without a cow.

“Not as complicated as you might think,” he assured me. “Ricotta isn’t technically a cheese. It’s a dairy product made from whey. All you need is some whole milk and something for acid, like vinegar or buttermilk.”

“Fila was never interested in cooking.” My mother made this announcement as she finished dicing some tomato and threw it into the salad bowl. “I had to drag her into the kitchen when she was a girl to teach her how to make a proper meal.”

I reached for the wine bottle to top off my glass. “That’s because I wanted to go out and play with my friends instead. You insisted I get all my homework done first, which usually took me until just before dinnertime.”

“Well, those lessons must have paid off, Minnie. Your daughter is a terrific cook now.” Chad paused long enough to kiss my cheek. “What about your other children?”

I answered for her. “Oh, my brothers and sister were expected to learn too. Mom believes in equal opportunity.”

“All my children were taught to be self-sufficient,” my mother announced with pride. “No adult should wander around like a helpless pet waiting to be fed. They know how to make a meal for themselves.”

I almost gushed red wine through my nose. Helpless pet? Not a flattering description, especially since, by her definition, that label could apply to Charles, Chuck, and my father. Charles could only reheat or order in, and Chuck was the same except he could grill and barbecue. As for my dad, he was so lost in the kitchen he could barely find the milk in the refrigerator. It was a good thing the three men were out of earshot in the other room.

Chad spooned chunky tomato sauce and cheese over the stuffed manicotti he now had lined up in a baking pan. “I was hoping Fila’s siblings might come with you. I’d really like to meet them too.”

Knowing my mother, I suspected she’d given my sister, Nikki, an earful after I’d sent my unedited wedding photo. Nikki had already complained to me that since my marriage, our mother had turned the pressure up on her to follow suit. Despite my mom’s reservations about my having three husbands, she’d probably thrown it in Nikki’s face: if I could land three men, she should be able to land one. Minnie Leonard was a master at manipulating her children—for their own good, of course.

“Nikki started a new job, and Frank is off gallivanting around the world as usual.” My mom turned to address me. “Sometimes I think your brother will never settle down. He’s still renting that little efficiency.”

“An efficiency apartment makes sense for him.” Defending him was automatic, though I knew she wouldn’t listen. “And he’s not ‘gallivanting.’ Frank is working. He’s a journalist.”

My mother pursed her lips and returned a skeptical hum. “As for Josef, he’s doing very well at the bank. He’s looking at a possible promotion to regional manager, so he couldn’t afford to take the time off.”

“Joe is up for a promotion?” I smiled, genuinely happy for my older brother. “I hope he gets it. He deserves it, and if I know him, he’ll sock away any extra earnings in a college fund for the kids. I think he has dreams of Ivy League for my nieces.”

Mom looked pleased.

“Okay.” Chad slid the dish of manicotti into the oven and set the timer. “While that bakes, I just need to get the garlic bread done. It looks like you’ve got the salad almost ready, so we’re looking good. More wine, Minnie?”

“Yes, please.” My mother held out her glass. Although she kept her lips in a straight line, I thought I caught a glimmer of appreciation when she looked at Chad.

It would take more than a good meal and good hosting to win her approval, but my charming husband was making headway.

5 Heart Sweetheart

I want to thank everyone who voted for Alien Sex 104 during the 5 Heart Sweetheart vote at The Romance Studio. Because of you, my book won and is visible now (scroll down) at http://www.theromancestudio.com/. Thanks!

Contract for In Season

There are still edits and a whole lot of work ahead, but I’m excited to announce that I’ve just signed a contract with Liquid Silver
Books for the sequel to Mating Season. Readers asked for it, and they got it. Tentatively titled In Season, this Quick Silver work (short novella) tells how Gilby finds love in the form of a shifter with a…well, a shifting problem. Be sure to check back in the months ahead for updates. I’ll put this work on my Books & Trailers page as soon as I have a release date and blurb.

5 Hearts for Alien Sex 104

Alien Sex 104 has received a 5-Heart review by Amy Hopkins at The Romance Studio. She writes, “I love Ms. Ritch’s Alien Sex books. Somehow she manages to keep writing great characters that are both alien and incredibly familiar at the same time…” To read the full review, go to http://www.theromancestudio.com.

And because of this great review, Alien Sex 104 is up for the 5 Heart Sweetheart Vote today (4/22/13) through Saturday (4/27/13). Vote now at http://www.theromancestudio.com/5heart_form.php. Thanks!

Cover Reveals: Husbandry

Stop by to learn more about my erotic sci-fi menage romance, available from Loose Id. I’m sharing a blurb, trailer, and excerpt from Husbandry over at the Cover Reveals blog:

http://coverreveals.blogspot.com/2013/04/cover-reveal-husbandry-by-allie-ritch.html

Guest Blog & Giveaway at GG Royale’s

What do you think about having three husbands? Check out the blurb and a special excerpt from Husbandry at author GG Royale’s blog today at http://ggroyale.blogspot.com/2013/04/please-welcome-allie-ritch-with.html. I’m also doing a giveaway through this weekend. Anyone who posts a comment with their e-mail included on my post at GG’s and/or on my home page now through the 7th will be entered for a chance to win an ebook copy of Husbandry. 

Guest Blogging About Husbandry at Tara Lain’s

Today, I’m talking about my new erotic sci-fi menage romance, Husbandry, at author Tara Lain’s blog. Come on over to find out why three husbands are better than two. And leave your e-mail address in a comment for a chance to win an e-book copy of Husbandry.

http://taralain.blogspot.com/2013/03/are-three-husbands-better-than-two.html

Release Day: Husbandry

Yay! My new sci-fi menage romance, Husbandry, is out now from Loose Id at http://www.loose-id.com/husbandry.html. This book has a contemporary setting, but contains an Alternate Earth where the heroine uses a very special sort of matchmaking service.

After turning to Genetic Harmony Inc. for a husband, Fila Leonard doesn’t get just one man to meet her needs, but three! Chuck is the consummate handyman around the house, and he looks sexy in a tool belt and nothing else. Charles fills out a business suit to perfection and uses his alpha personality in the bedroom as well as the boardroom. As for Chad, he can seduce a woman in more than one language and turn even the worst cliché into a romantic fantasy.

Fila should be deliriously happy. Instead, she’s having a hard time juggling everyone’s needs. Chuck is cooped up at home all day and anxious for children. Charles is a workaholic, and Chad is angry she hasn’t introduced the three of them to her parents. Oh, yeah, and Fila hasn’t told Mom and Dad about her genetically identical spouses yet.

It’s not easy being a married woman, not even with three perfect mates.

Trivia Question #100 – Answer

Q:  In Allie Ritch’s novel, Husbandry, Fila Leonard has three genetically identical husbands. Which one is a handyman?

A:  (A) Chuck

Available March 26, 2013 from Loose Id