BOOKS and FOOD: HOLIDAY PAIRINGS - You like food? You like books? Pair tasty treats and delicious reads with these #recipes plus #romance #RomCom and #mystery novels #BookTwitter

Pair tasty treats and delicious reads for a happy holiday or any time!

For Armchair Detectives
 
Do you like to pit your wits against fictional detectives as they try to solve complicated cases? In The Accidental Detective series: A witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Book 1, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, made Barnes & Noble's list of Handpicked Favorites You'll Love! “This is a remarkably enjoyable start to a brand new cozy mystery series,” said Books a Plenty Book Reviews, while the ~Reading is my Superpower blog said, “A great start to a new series... Readers will enjoy this new cozy mystery and eagerly wait for more sleuthing with Kate and the Coffee Shop Irregulars!”
 
In the series, one of the senior men got into baking in retirement. He likes to show up with cookies, brownies, or cupcakes, such as these 
Salted Caramel Blondies 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup  nuts or coconut, optional
¼ cup salted caramel sauce (make your own with this recipe)
 
Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Cream together butter and  brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Blend in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt, and mix just until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and  nuts or coconut if using. Spread into baking pan.
Drop tablespoons of salted caramel sauce onto the blondie batter.
Use a butter knife to swirl the sauce into the  blondie batter.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until set in the middle and lightly golden brown.
Cool on a rack, cut into pieces, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

For Animal Lovers

Do you think the best way to spend winter is curled up with a good book, a hot drink, and a furry companion? 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). Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page on Amazon US or Amazon UK. Book 1, Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café, is only 99 cents or free in Kindle Unlimited!
 

The series is set at a cat café, so tea or coffee and cookies are practically required while you're reading. Join my newsletter and get a glimpse into the Furrever Friends Cat Café with a free sweet romance story complete at 35 pages. You’ll also get a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels, such as these very yummy Chai Tea Shortbread Cookies.
 
For Rom-Com Fans
 

Before Melanie Smooter became hot fashion designer Melanie Carmichael, she was known as Felony Melanie, the teenage troublemaker of Pigeon Creek, Alabama. Aching to escape the boredom of small-town life, she gets into many reckless adventures. Her boyfriend, Jake, is always by her side – and the local sheriff is usually close behind. This romantic comedy series features teen “Felony Melanie” a decade before the events of the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Visit the Amazon US series page or the B&N page or find the books at other E-book retailers.
 

If you like your sweets Southern style, Black Bottom Pie is about as sweet as you can get: start with a crust made with crumbled cookies. Add a chocolate pastry cream flavored with rum and vanilla. Top it with stiff meringue peaks or whipped cream, and chocolate shavings for garnish. Here’s a recipe from Southern Kitchen.

For Adventurers
 
Do you crave adventure in a dramatic setting? Each of the Southwest Treasure Hunters books stands alone in a series mixing action and adventure with light romance. 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. Learn more on my Amazon US page or Amazon UK page.
 

If you like spicy rather than sweet, try this New Mexico Green Chile Chicken Soup Recipe. You can also download a printable list of the clues for the riddles in Valley of Gems, plus Southwestern recipes from the book, from the Romantic Suspense page of my website!
 
For People Who’d Rather Be Riding the Range (or at least reading about it)
 

The Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series starts with The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas: When Josh Tomlinson’s mama wins a fortune in the lottery, the formerly tight-knit Texas ranching family is suddenly on edge. Josh contacts family friend and now attorney, Carly Garza for advice. Carly’s crushed on Josh for years, but now his client and billionaire statuses put him firmly out of reach. They’re already keeping the family’s lottery win a secret from the town. Can they also hide their budding romance during the most magical time of year?
 
Ranch families have to get up early and work hard taking care of all those animals, so they need a hearty breakfast. Perhaps this Breakfast Skillet or Cheesy Bacon and Egg Breakfast Enchiladas.
 

I hope you’ve found something tasty to inspire your eating or reading!
 
Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Learn more at www.krisbock.com or visit Kris Bock’s Amazon US page or Amazon UK page. (For other countries click here.)