My Greatest Food Weakness

I’m visiting my family this week and it is a blast! But I have to admit while I may be having a great time, my diet is not fairing so well. It’s not a diet in the sense of losing weight as much as it is a healthy way of eating. And yes, that has gone by the wayside.

We all have our food weaknesses that we struggle with, which usually fall into either the salty or sweet category. For me it’s sweet. I’m one of those strange people who can eat one potato chip or avoid the bacon with my eggs.  But when it comes to sugar, I am a pushover :-(

My biggest food weakness is ice cream. Yup. My name is Lexi Post and I’m an ice cream-a-holic. I find it almost impossible to resist. I actually make my own ice cream because I really, really like it made the right way and with no freezer burn. But there have been a couple of other desserts, in addition to ice cream, I couldn’t resist while on this trip. One was Cannoli, both with and without chocolate chips, and the other was Crème Brȗlée. I’m not a huge chocolate fan, so I went for the vanilla deserts.

But since I am talking about desserts, I have to mention my two absolute favorite desserts. Just in

case I didn’t get you craving a sweet yet :-)  My favorite all time dessert is Passion Fruit Crème Brȗlée from La Vie en Rose restaurant in Marigot, St. Martin. It is to die for. My second favorite has to be Bailey’s Mousse from Tippecanoe Place restaurant in South Bend Indiana. I don’t know if this dessert is still served there, but I have to say it was amazing. Of course, now I make my own Bailey’s ice cream so that helps with that occasional craving.  Hmmm, maybe I need to try a passion fruit crème ice cream.

Anyway, I’m not being very healthy on this trip and was just wondering if anyone else has this problem when they visit family. Do you have a food weakness that you cave into? Or do you have a favorite, all time dessert? I’m always open to finding new desserts :-)

Always,

Lexi

Highlander in Disguise by Julia London

 I wasn’t sure reading a story about a highlander IN DISGUISE would come forth with the picture I have in mind of this hunky, beefy badass type I’m used to, but alas London made me want Grif Lockhart all the same.  Oh yeah, and I did root for Anna Addison, a witty and upstanding woman who knows how to stand tall for her rights.

Grif disguised his name and his powerful machine of a body into a party boy of London for a virtuous reason, which is very manly in itself.  I won’t tell you his reasoning as I’d like to keep you wondering.

Grif does need the help of a young maiden whom he makes a deal with, and she’s quite the deal maker.  After considerable deliberation over the barter, Grif agrees to “teach” Anna how to seduce a man well enough to get her choice interested in marriage.  If Anna is able to do this, she will reveal her secret, which will send Grif home with the conquest of his mission. 

It’s quite obscene to teach a woman flirtatious means when you (as in Grif) decide that the absolutely enticing drills should only be practiced and used on yourself.

Julia London simmers the usual role of a highlander amongst the parties, yet she knows when to show the true colors of the highlander-cunning, sexy, and powerful can never be mistaken in any costume.  Anna is more than just a party girl looking for a man.  She’ll only take him if he takes her as is. 

I just hope Grif realizes Anna will show hers if he shows his-real personalities, of course!

I canna for the life of me see how ye might pass on this scandalously romantic story.

Happy Reading, Dawn 

 

Guest Author: Alexa Bourne

We are very pleased to have Romantic Suspense author Alexa Bourne here with us as she celebrates the release of her newest book CARRY ME HOME. Though she is supposed to be on vacation, she didn't turn me down when I asked her to visit :-)

I’m on vacation. Yes, it’s true. I got on a plane, went several hundred miles away and I’m spending quality time with family and friends, chomping on some awesome seafood and walking the glorious beach. So what’s the problem?

I can’t relax.

Since I’ve been a published author, my mind is constantly churning. I’m plotting books, planning ways to promote those books and interacting with other authors and readers. I’m ALWAYS doing or thinking something related to Alexa Bourne, the author.

When I made my reservations for my vacation, I was ecstatic. I looked forward to leaving my electronics at home and spending countless hours reading other people’s books. I dreamed of walking along the beach listening to the waves crash against the sand. I yearned for a chance to slow down my brain, to smell the roses outside the house, and to just be lazy.

But then my publisher mentioned my next book, CARRY ME HOME, would be released during my trip. And I’d forgotten I agreed to teach 2 online classes for writers during June. And my next manuscript, the one I wanted to submit before my vacation, wasn’t near being ready to submit the night before my flight.

So my vacation plans changed. With the book’s release, the promotion for that, and my online classes, I promised myself I’d only spend a certain (SMALL) amount of time on the computer each day. As for the manuscript, I decided to step away from it for a full week and work on it during the 2^nd week of my trip. I knew, in the long run, the 7 days would be better for me and the story.

Surprisingly, I’ve been able to keep to that schedule for the most part. But each time I sit down to

have a drink with relatives, share some favorite foods with friends or lie on the couch to read, I actually feel guilty. The urge to get up and write or work on a promo spot tugs at me constantly. And secretly, deep down in my soul, I worry if I’ll ever be able to completely relax again. This was supposed to be my 1 and only vacation for the rest of 2013. Relaxing was necessary.

Now my vacation is a few days from being over and I really don’t feel completely rested or relaxed. Yes, I’ve been able to read more, sleep late and hang out with family and close friends, but each day I still felt the tug of the chain urging me back to the computer. You might think I’m upset or annoyed about this, but I’m not. Why? Because this was my dream job, the career I’ve always dreamed for myself. So I’ll take the worry, the busy life, the constant thinking of Alexa Bourne’s life if it means I still get my books published. I’ll just have to force my brain to relax on another weekend later this year.

What about you? Do any of you ever feel you don’t have a moment to relax even during your so-called “vacation”?

For more information on Alexa, visit her at:

Website: www.alexabourne.com

Blog: http://alexabourne.blogspot.com

Twitter: @AlexaBourne

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourne

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5818611.Alexa_Bourne