A Couple Announcements!

Indiana RWA's IGO Contest for unpublished writers opens May 1! Get detailed feedback on up to 55 pages of your manuscript (opening + up to 10 page synopsis). We have trained first-round judges and TWO second-round editor judges in each category! Ten of the twenty-one 2013 IGO finalists received requests for full manuscripts from our editor judges and four are finalists in the 2014 Golden Heart Contest!

Brenda Novak's Diabetes Auction also opens May 1! I have two items up for bidding this year--one for readers and one for writers. Reader item is a signed print copy of Love Served Hot, a "Kiss the Cook" apron, and a pair of oven mitts. Writer item is a signed print copy of WTW: The Writing Craft Handbook, a first-chapter critique, and meet-up at the RWA National Conference in San Antonio.

Enter and bid!!!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Voice Your Opinion!

The Houston Bay Area RWA's contest, Judge a Book by Its Cover, is now open for judging! Yes, you can go choose your favorites and have a say in which covers win this contest! Love Served Hot is in the Single Title category. Bethany Michaels of Dragonfly Press Design does fantastic work, doesn't she? Hint, hint! Judging closes February 9, so go check it out now!!!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Update!

Guess what was waiting for me when I got home from tutoring and the grocery store today. My print proof of Love Served Hot!!! I'll post when it becomes available!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Now Available!!!

After much tweaking and cursing, Love Served Hot is now available from Amazon, B&N, and All Romance eBooks!!! Smashwords and Kobo are soon to follow!

I hope you enjoy it! Reviews on the retail sites and Goodreads are greatly appreciated!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Excerpt!

Here's an excerpt for the soon-to-be-released Love Served Hot!

He returned to the dining room to set a dish at Ms. Montgomery’s place, reciting the information she’d likely want to know. “Entrée number one. Dilled Salmon with Spinach and Brown Rice Pilaf. High in Omega-3 fatty acids, complex carbs, and iron. Moderate sodium content. Most vegetables and fresh mushrooms can be substituted for the spinach. And it’ll be served with a variety of sides.”
The aroma rising from the table made his stomach rumble. Taking the seat across from her, he waited for her to taste the offering.
She lifted the fork to her lips. Several moments passed with no indication of her like or dislike of the fish. The only movement of her face was an occasional blink and rhythmic chewing.
A bite of rice followed, her reaction as stiff and bland as the first one. He might’ve expected unresponsive behavior from a food critic, but not from a potential employer.
Unable to restrain his need to know if the food warranted the lack of emotion, he flaked off a piece of salmon and settled it on his tongue. The texture was perfect—not tough or chewy. A mix of mild fish flavor, salt, black pepper, and freshly chopped dill spread over his taste buds. It tasted exactly the way it had the thousands of times he’d prepared it.
Could the rice be the problem?
He slid the fork under the grains, certain he had the right proportion of spinach to rice. Leaning over the plate, he lifted the bite to his mouth. The rice was firm but not crunchy, the spinach and seasonings adding enough hint of flavor to complement the earthy tone of the dish.
Taking a peek at his dining partner, he finished chewing. He’d no more than swallowed when she shuddered and closed her eyes. They opened again, staring straight at him with a slightly glassy look as she pulled in a shaky breath.
Please don’t tell me she’s allergic to—
“Oh my.” She fanned her fingers at her face as she squirmed in her seat.

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Facebook Page!

I finally got around to creating my author Facebook page! If you're so inclined, give it a like. :)

I've also been busy formatting Love Served Hot. This techno-challenged nerd taught herself how to create hyperlinks today! Release Day is getting closer!!!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Cover Reveal!!! And Updates

The break I've been taking from blogging is paying off! I'm almost ready to release Love Served Hot, the first book in the Love on the Menu series! I'll post as soon as it's available!!!

Being a tiny bit of a perfectionist, I want to be sure my story is the best I can make it before I take the leap into self-publishing. So, I've been immersed in edits and working with my fabulous cover artist and Sextet sister, Bethany Michaels at Dragonfly Press Design, to create a book my readers will love. Here's a peek at the cover and the blurb!

As acting director of her uncle’s retirement village, Lilith Montgomery must hire a chef for the new restaurant. She’s interviewed several candidates, but instantly decides on the sexy Irishman whose culinary creations give her foodgasms. Her rotten luck with relationships makes her determined to resist her attraction to him, even if it means sneaking into the kitchen at night for a taste of his delectable entrées.
Flynn Hastings is finally getting his life back on track after a year of anger and guilt over his sister’s death. He’s returned home to be near his family and has found the perfect job—with one small problem. His boss makes him want to cook in more than the kitchen. Putting aside his hard and fast rule about mixing business with pleasure, he sets his sights on Lilith, hoping their budding friendship turns out to be more than a flash in the pan.

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

New Website Look & Inside Info!

In anticipation of the November release of Love Served Hot, the first book in the Love on the Menu series, I've completely overhauled my website. What do you think of the new look???

Yes, you heard it here first! Book 1 of my foodie series will be out in November!!!

After much thought and number-crunching, I've decided to delve into the self-publishing world. My Sextet sister Bethany Michaels, the brains behind Dragonfly Press Designs, is designing the covers--she does great cover art!--and I'm learning how to format books. Cheryl Brooks, one of my other Sextet sisters, has been answering lots of my newbie questions. I'd be lost without my writer friends!

More updates to come!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Guest Interview!

I'm over at Jennifer Denys' blog today for a guest interview! Learn more about my new foodie series, Love on the Menu, and read an excerpt from Love Served Hot!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

A Quick Update

I'm making progress on my new foodie series, but the muse is giving me a bad case of WIP-lash lately. Book one--Love Served Hot--is still waiting patiently for a read-through and polish. In the meantime, I'm a third of the way done with book two--Red Hot Pepper--and working on a foodie erotic--secretly titled :) and more than a quarter finished, switching back and forth almost daily. Yes, I'd like to get on with the submission process, but this is a big project and I don't want to rush it. I have three 90K+ spicy novels and six 40K erotic novels planned for this series so far. That's a lot of writing. Trying to balance that with family and homeschooling, I don't need the extra stress of looming deadlines...

Time for butt in chair and hands on keyboard!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

My New Favorite French Toast

The sexy chef from my nearly finished WIP, Love Served Hot, inspired me to experiment in the kitchen. Here's what I came up with:

Pineapple Upside Down French Toast

1/4 c. margarine
1/2 c. brown sugar
20 oz. can of pineapple tidbits or slices, drained
whole wheat French baguette, cut into 1" thick slices
5 eggs
1 c. milk

Melt the margarine in a medium deep-dish casserole. Add brown sugar and stir well. Evenly top with pineapple. Place sliced bread over pineapple in a single layer. Beat eggs. Add milk and mix thoroughly. Pour over bread and allow to soak in. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Invert to serve!

Enjoy!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Updates!

I've been writing like crazy on my new foodie contemporary series. Flynn and Lilith are finding out how dark their black moment can be in Love Served Hot. *insert devilish grin here* I'll have this one done and ready to submit soon! In Red Hot Pepper, Drew and Pepper are getting to know each other while they're snowbound in a cabin without electricity. :)

Today I registered for RWA National Conference in July! I'll be heading to Atlanta with The Sextet and a few other IRWA friends for four days of writerly fun!!!

And don't forget that Dirty Dancing is a retro-release at Siren. The e-book version is half price on the Siren website until March 1st!!!

See you in a couple days for Writing Tip Wednesday--Contractions!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!