Hi Chicklets and Roosters! I’m super excited to introduce this week’s guest chicklet, Robin Covington. She an author who burst onto the scene last year with her hot release of A NIGHT OF SOUTHERN COMFORT. A book RT Reviews gave 4 1/2 stars. She’s got a new book out that looks to be just a sexy and scintillating as the last. Best of all, she’s come to visit with us today and she’s brought along a recipe to share as she talks about her latest book, HIS SOUTHERN TEMPTATION. Take it away, Robin!
In my latest release, His Southern Temptation, my heroine makes the comment that the Southern Comfort Diner is the heart of my fictional town of Elliott, VA. I’ve made no secret of the fact that this town is heavily based on my hometown of Danville, VA and my college town of Staunton, VA. Writing about this town is a walk down memory lane and remember all the good times I had growing up there and one of those memories is going to the Schoolfield Diner with my Dad on Saturdays.
It was a place where everyone knew my name – it just doesn’t happen in Boston- and I wanted a place like that for my guys to go to and to introduce the women who would change their lives. And I find that I love writing the scenes set in the diner – they are like coming home. I can see the booths and tables, hear the clank of the silverware and dishes in the kitchen, and taste delicious pie that is the signature dish.
For me, this diner is the heart of my town. It is the safe place for characters. It is my selfish preservation of one of the best memories of my childhood and I am so excited that I get to share it with other people.
I’m also excited to share with you one of the recipes from my Granny’s stash – and it is a favorite at the Southern Comfort Diner:
Chicken n’ Dumplin’ Casserole
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups cooked chicken
- DUMPLINGS:
- 2 cups biscuit/baking mix
- 2/3 cup 2% milk
Directions
- In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened; reduce heat. Stir in chicken. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
- For dumplings, in a small bowl, combine baking mix and basil. Stir in milk with a fork until moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls into 12 mounds over chicken mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Cover and bake 10 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Think back to favorite book of yours – is there a place/location in that book where you wish you could visit? I’ll give one lucky commenter a copy of my latest release, His Southern Temptation and Southern Comfort coffee mug.
About His Southern Temptation:
Some women are bad. Some women are a bad idea. The best ones are both…
A former Black Ops assassin, “Lucky” Landon has had more near-misses than a man should ever have. Now he’s out of that business and settling into the simple life in his small hometown. So the last thing he ever expected was to end up at gunpoint. Or that the woman holding the gun would be his best friend’s little sister and Lucky’s on-again/off-again lover.
Taylor Elliott is Trouble, and she likes it that way. And seeing Lucky again? Well, he’s been her dirty little secret for the past few years and everyone knows that secrets in a small town are almost impossible to keep. But Taylor has bigger problems on her plate. Like the local mob boss who wants her dead.
And right now the only thing standing between Trouble and disaster is a hottie named Lucky…
Robin’s Bio:
Robin Covington, who NYT Best Selling authors, Robyn Carr and Carly Phillips, said was their new “auto-buy author”, writes sizzling hot contemporary and paranormal romance.
A Night of Southern Comfort, her best-selling debut novel earned 4.5 stars and was touted by RT Book Reviews as bringing a “fresh, modern feel to the genre while still sticking to the things that get our adrenaline pumping — sex and danger”. When she’s not exploring the theme of fooling around and falling in love, she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Joe Mangianello.
Robin is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Washington Romance Writers, a faculty member at Romance University, a member of the Waterworld Mermaids, and a contributor to the Happy Ever After blog at USA Today. You can find Robin on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter (@RobinCovington).
Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children, and ginormous puppy.
