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Mia Hopkins: COWBOY VALENTINE (Sale + Giveaway + Recipe!)
Monday, February 15th, 2016

UPDATE: The winner is Colleen C.!

* * * * *

Hi, everyone! Mia Hopkins here. I write contemporary romance and erotic fiction. I’m also a food-obsessed home cook and baker. Today I’m happy to be back on Delilah’s blog sharing a sweet recipe.

In my book Cowboy Valentine, hero Caleb MacKinnon is a rancher’s son whose family also owns an almond orchard. Before his girl Cora leaves for college, Caleb spends long, sweet afternoons under the almond trees making out with her (and um, doing other stuff).

Cowboy Valentine is the first installment of my Cowboy Cocktail series. It’s also my first published book, so Cora and Caleb will always have a special place in my heart.

Caleb’s almond orchard was on my mind last week as I was making a fresh batch of marzipan. If you’ve never had marzipan, it’s sweetened almond paste that’s often shaped into little fruits or pigs. Like almost everything in the world, it tastes even better with chocolate.

The following recipe is ridiculously easy. You can get almond flour and almond extract on Amazon; I got mine at the local Whole Foods. Blitz everything up in a food processor and in a couple minutes you’re ready to roll (literally).

Today only, Cowboy Valentine is on sale for 99 cents. To sweeten the deal, I’d also like to offer a $5 Amazon gift card to one commenter below who answers this question: Inquiring minds want to know. Where did your sweetest, most romantic kiss take place?

Please include your email address. Contest ends at midnight PST on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. I’ll contact the winner the next day.

Good luck! Thanks, everyone.

Wishing you good reads (and good eats),

Mia
XOXO

MARZIPAN KISSES

mhMarzipan

adapted from Korena in the Kitchen
makes about one pound

For marzipan:

1 ¼ cup almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill blanched finely ground almond flour)
2 cups powdered sugar plus more for rolling
¼ cup corn syrup
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. water
red food coloring

For decoration:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
sprinkles, nonpareils
small paper baking cups

In a food processor, pulse the almond flour and powdered sugar to break up any lumps. Add corn syrup and almond extract. Pulse to combine. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 1 tbsp. of water. Stop as soon as the mixture begins to form clumps.

Line your work surface with plastic wrap. Dump the marzipan onto your work surface. Carefully add a tiny drop of red food coloring and knead the marzipan until the color is evenly distributed. (You might want to wear disposable gloves.) Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Roll marzipan into balls; use a little powdered sugar to help with any stickiness. Decorate some balls with nonpareils in a daisy design. Use a small spatula to top the other marzipan balls with chocolate. Leave as is or add sprinkles.  Let chocolate cool and place in paper cups. Store in the refrigerator.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COWBOY VALENTINE

mhCowboyValentine_300final

“Cowboy Valentine delivers a fast-paced, well-written smoking read.”
Reader Girls Blog

“This is a yummy erotic romance…You can expect some really erotic scenes and a fast moving plot in this steaming novella.”
V’s Reads

“From the beginning, the chemistry between Cora and Caleb is hot and stays hot.”
Travels n Reads

“Cowboy Valentine was a scrumptious little treat filled with sizzling chemistry, hot sex, and just enough sweetness to leave me wanting more.”
Crystal Blogs Books

BUY THE BOOK

Kindle
Nook
Samhain
Books-A-Million
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good “teacher voice” and “teacher stare.” She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.

Connect with Mia!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+ | Instagram

11 comments to “Mia Hopkins: COWBOY VALENTINE (Sale + Giveaway + Recipe!)”

  1. Faye Gates
    Comment
    1
    · February 15th, 2016 at 10:12 am · Link

    I was a waitress at this seafood restaurant, and I fell in love with the chef. We kissed in the freezer. We went out after work, and one thing lead to another. Then, his wife came in to have dinner. JERK!



  2. Diana Huffer
    Comment
    2
    · February 15th, 2016 at 10:29 am · Link

    I crushed on the neighbor’s youngest son since I was about 10 years old. He went into the service after he graduated and we didn’t see each other again until he came home for Christmas during my senior year of high school. I got a call from him asking me to go out with him and we dated during the whole time he was home. It was just as I dreamed it would be. He was attentive, funny, and so freakin’ handsome! Tall, blonde and blue eyed… 😉 Our choir at school always went caroling during the holidays and I asked him to come with me. During the caroling, he pulled me in close and kissed me. We had kissed before, but this one just felt different. I think it was the fact that it was in front of all my closest friends… **swoon** A very warn and wonderful memory…



  3. Brenda gremli
    Comment
    3
    · February 15th, 2016 at 11:26 am · Link

    My sweetest kiss took place in a parking lot the night I met my future husband. He was so romantic!!



  4. Colleen C.
    Comment
    4
    · February 15th, 2016 at 1:05 pm · Link

    Years ago, in my neighbor’s kitchen… her grandson snuck a kiss in… greenshamrock at cox dot net 😳



  5. Linda
    Comment
    5
    · February 15th, 2016 at 8:34 pm · Link

    The observation deck on the tallest building in downtown Dallas, TX on my Birthday in 1990. The lucky guy was my now hubby. We met on Christmas Eve, 1989 and was married on Aug, 1990!!

    fulltimer56 at hotmail dot com!



  6. DebraG
    Comment
    6
    · February 15th, 2016 at 8:43 pm · Link

    Under a tree during a rain storm.



  7. Mia Hopkins
    Comment
    7
    · February 17th, 2016 at 1:12 am · Link

    Omg, I am SWOONING over these kiss stories. I’ll leave this giveaway open until tomorrow. Stay tuned.



  8. Mary Rose Benipayo
    Comment
    8
    · February 17th, 2016 at 5:32 am · Link

    There’s nothing more romantic when he kissed me on the cheek right after he told me he loves me ☺



  9. jane kramer
    Comment
    9
    · February 17th, 2016 at 7:15 am · Link

    my most romantic kiss was on the beach while watching the sunset .



  10. Mia Hopkins
    Comment
    10
    · February 18th, 2016 at 5:21 pm · Link

    ****CLOSED****
    The winner, courtesy of Random.org…Colleen C.! Congratulations! I’m contacting you now.

    Thank you for playing, everyone!



  11. Colleen C.
    Comment
    11
    · February 18th, 2016 at 6:01 pm · Link

    😀 Thank you so much Mia! I responded to your email!



Comments are closed.