New Mexico Green Chile Chicken #Soup #Recipe and a Southwestern Adventure Novel

I write novels of adventure and romance set in the Southwestern United States. The novels touch on local culture, including food. For my romantic suspense Valley of Gems, I put together a recipe booklet of foods mentioned in the book, including this New Mexican standard. It's perfect as the weather gets cold!

Valley of Gems was first published as The Dead Man's Treasure. See the Treasure Hunting Romantic Suspense series page. (See also my posts Red or Green: The New Mexico Chile, Homemade Green Chile Sauce, Breakfast Burrito, Huevos Rancheros, Green Chile Stew, Enchilada Casserole, Green Chile Cheeseburger.)

by Littlemisslibrarian, Creative Commons License

This recipe is adapted from one given to me by my mother-in-law.

Green Chile Chicken Soup
6 servings.

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk
4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
2 cups cooked, boneless and skinless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chopped green chile or to taste

See additional options below
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder or 1 tsp. garlic

1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add flour and stir the resulting paste over medium heat.
2. Slowly add the milk and chicken broth and whip to eliminate any lumps. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
3. Add the chicken, green chile, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well and cover. 
4. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve.
   
   

Options:

• Add beans.
• Add vegetables – carrots, peas, bell peppers, corn, summer squash, mushrooms, or whatever you like – to make it healthier.
• Try a version with ground beef or turkey and either red or green chile.
• Serve with tortilla chips, green onions, chives, or avocado slices to sprinkle on top

See the Treasure Hunting Romantic Suspense series page.

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. She has lived in ten states and one foreign country but is now firmly planted in the Southwest, where many of her books are set. Readers have called her novels “Like Nancy Drew for grown-ups” and “Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.”

Kris writes for children under the name Chris Eboch. She has published over 60 books for young people, including ghostwriting for some famous mystery series.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit Kris Bock’s Amazon US page or Amazon UK page. (For other countries click here.) Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter  for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

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What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.

Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. She’s busy hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.

Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming he’s a master baker. Surely Marley will fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the sweet Siamese cat who steals his heart.

The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the workers and customers at a small-town cat café, and the adorable cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. Each book is a complete story with a happy ending for one couple. These sweet romances will leave you with the warm, fuzzy feeling of cuddling a purring cat. 

The most recent title is Christmas Cookies at the Cat Café: Christmas isn’t the same since Diane’s kids grew up and her husband died – so when her high school sweetheart comes back to town, maybe it’s time for some cozy new holiday traditions. Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page.

Get Lions and Love at the Cat Café, a sweet romance novella, free when you sign up for the Kris Bock email newsletter. 

Desert Gold, “Smart romance with an ‘Indiana Jones’ feel,” has 4.6 out of 5 stars with over 50 reviews.

The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends—a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider. When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she’s not the only one after the treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy?

Erin isn’t sure she can trust Drew with her heart, but she’ll need his help to track down the treasure. She heads into the New Mexico wilderness with her brainy best friend Camie and a feisty orange cat. The wilderness holds its own dangers, from wild animals to sudden storms. Plus, the sinister men hunting Erin are determined to follow her all the way to the treasure, no matter where the twisted trail leads. Erin won’t give up an important historical find without a fight, but is she ready to risk her life—and her heart?

“The story has it all - action, romance, danger, intrigue, lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship....”

See the Treasure Hunting Romantic Suspense series page.

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. Get a free 10,000-word story set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café when you sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter. You’ll also get a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels.

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Learn more at www.krisbock.com or visit Kris Bock’s Amazon US page or Amazon UK page. (For other countries click here.)

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This is an eclectic group of novellas and novels in all genres, from cute and sweet to horror. You'll find some fantasy, sci-fi, mystery and romance. https://storyoriginapp.com/to/T0Vzq6o

Romancing the Rose: November All Romance Reads

This group has several Christmas novels and some romantic comedies, as well as both sweet and spicy contemporary romance: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/xgF7Hsn

Winter ARC Giveaway

Get books free for review! Choose from mystery, romance (including holiday stories) fantasy, sci-fi and a few weird and wacky options. https://storyoriginapp.com/to/Zjr8sIr

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Fun #YoungAdult and New Adult books you can get for free! (Reviews are not required but you will be able to claim more free books if you read, review, and share your review links on the site.) These are mostly fantasy and paranormal with some other options: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/cVGAJE3

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Check out these new covers and titles!

Desert Gold follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In Valley of Gems, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In Silver Canyon, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle.

This series was originally published as The Mad Monk’s Treasure, The Dead Man’s Treasure, and The Skeleton Canyon Treasure. See the Treasure Hunting Romantic Suspense series page.

“Fast, fun, romance and adventure. What more can you ask for?” 

“Kept me on the edge of my chair. It’s one of those books I couldn’t put down.” 

A legendary treasure hunt in the dramatic – and deadly – New Mexico desert....

The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends—a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider.

When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she’s not the only one after the treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy?

Just how far will Erin go to find the treasure and discover what she’s really made of?

“The story has it all—action, romance, danger, intrigue, lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship....”

“Great balance of history, romance, and adventure. Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.” 

This is book 1 in the Southwest Romantic Suspense series, followed by Valley of Gems and Silver Canyon. Each novel stands alone and is complete, with no cliffhangers. This series mixes action and adventure with light romance in the Southwest.

See the Treasure Hunting Romantic Suspense series page.

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Romance, Small Town, Contemporary, Holiday stories and more. This is a big group with some stories I haven't seen in other group promos, including sexy-looking romances, romantic comedies, and Christmas stories. Everything is in Kindle Unlimited:  https://storyoriginapp.com/to/p0MNUA7

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Get ready for the funniest demolition derby ever! #southern #romcom #booklovers #romance #MFRWorg

Releasing Nov. 25: Book 2 in the new romantic comedy series featuring “Felony Melanie” a decade before the events of the movie Sweet Home Alabama. 

Felony Melanie in the Big Smashup

Summer is almost over, so it's time to have some fun! Jake and his buddies are fixing up old cars so they can destroy them in the Pigeon Creek demolition derby. After all, what's more fun than smashing into things?

Girls don't do demolition derby. Everyone says so. But Melanie is tired of sitting on the sidelines. Why should the guys have all the fun? She can smash up a car as well as anyone! 

The guys don't want a girl intruding on their turf, and it’s not so easy for a broke teenager like Melanie to find and fix up an old car. She recruits some helpers and unearths an old, junked car, but everyone from Jake to the sheriff wants to keep her off the track.

Is the town ready for a female demolition derby driver? Is anybody ever ready for Felony Melanie?

Peek:

Melanie stepped in front of Jake. Her blue eyes flashed. “We’ve wasted half the day on your stupid car. I want to go to the swimming hole.”

Jake looked over at Clinton and Eldon, but they were studying the car, avoiding eye contact. He didn’t want them calling him whipped.

“I’m sorry, Mel. We only got a week. We’ve got to get on this axle thing.”

“Fine. You don’t have time for me? Maybe I don’t have time for you either. I’m not going to wait around to cheer from the sidelines while you boys have all the fun."

She stood as tall as her little frame would allow. "I’ll get my own car for the demolition derby. Then we’ll see what’s what."

Jake stared, his mouth half open. She had to be joking.

Snickers erupted from Clinton and Eldon.

Melanie swung toward them, her hands fisted on her hips. "What’s so funny?"

"No-nothing," Clinton choked out.

Eldon slapped his knee. “Just trying to picture you manhandling a big old junk car around the demolition lot. Or would that be girl-handling?"

"You going to sit on a phone book?" Clinton doubled over in laughter.

Jake let out a chuckle. He dragged his face back into a serious expression and glanced at Melanie, but it was too late. Her eyes had narrowed, and her stubborn little chin was set. Dammit, they shouldn’t have laughed. He might have been able to talk her down. No way would she back down now.

Melanie spun on her heels. "Come on, girls, we need to find a car."

Readers ages 12 and up will enjoy reconnecting with their favorite characters from the Sweet Home Alabama movie. Head back in time to the early 1990s for this laugh out loud rom com based on one of the best rom coms of all time. 

Sign up for our Rom-Com newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. These first two chapters from the novel Felony Melanie in Pageant Pandemonium stand alone as a short story. In the future, you’ll get fun content about upcoming Felony Melanie novels and other romantic comedy news and links. 

Or Visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: A Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novel.

#Christmas Cookies at the Cat Café: A #sweetromance with cats, baking, and #holiday traditions

Old traditions or a new life?

Diane had a great marriage and a wonderful life raising two daughters and a grandson. Now she’s 53 and a widow. Her grown children are encouraging her to do less – but she wants more.

Rick loved Diane in high school, but he traveled the world while she settled down with another man. Now he’s back, but not to stay.

Rick temps Diane to quit her job, sell her house, and travel, but she can’t leave the family that might still need her. Diane tempts Rick to quit his wandering ways, but he can’t replace her husband. As the weeks pass from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the holiday season brings out complicated emotions.

Can Diane and Rick find a way to make a new life together while holding onto the best parts of the past? They'll need more than attraction and affection. They might even need a Christmas miracle.

Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page.

Peek:

The cat did not want to wear a hat.

“Come on, Miles, it’s for your own good,” Diane muttered. “I’m not trying to insult your feline dignity. I’m trying to find you a forever home. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Once again, Diane got the cat settled on a table against the autumn backdrop. Miles seemed perfectly content to sit there and watch the proceedings. But as soon as Diane tried to put the sunflower hat on the cat’s head, he dropped and flailed as if touched by flaming thorns rather than soft felt. Miles wrestled with the hat as Diane rushed to wake up her cell phone. Maybe she could get something cute, with the cat chewing a sunflower petal.

Diane aimed the camera. The hat sailed to the floor.

Miles leapt off the table, streaked across the room, climbed one of the cat trees, and calmly perched on a platform staring out the window, pointedly ignoring her.

“That Cat in the Hat book is nonsense,” Diane said. “I used to get a diaper on a squirming baby in under a minute. You’d think I could get one cat to wear a lousy hat or at least pose nicely.”

The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the workers and customers at a small-town cat café, and the adorable cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. Each book is a complete story with a happy ending for one couple (and maybe more than one rescued cat). These sweet romances will leave you with the warm feeling of cuddling a purring cat.

Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page.