Today's guest blogger to Louisiana Book News is A.L. Vincent, author of several contemporary romances.
“Life was so much better with these people in it. They were her ‘seasoning.’
They added spice, comfort, and laughter to her life. Qualities her life had
been missing until now.”–Tangled Up In
You.
Tangled up in You in the
first book in the Fleur de Lis Series, a series I’ve come to call the Boonie
Books. It follows a group of characters that grew up together in a small
Louisiana town. In Tangled, Emily, my
main character, has come back to Bon Chance. She has started repairing her
grandparent’s house that had been damaged in a hurricane. She finds an old cast
iron pot that she and her Grandmother Ruby had used to make the gumbos, stews,
and sauces that Cajuns are so fond of. These cooking sessions are also what has
inspired Emily to begin thinking about opening her own catering company.
However, the years have weathered the cast iron, and she needs to
“season” it before it can be used again. Basically, what she needs to do is to
show the pot some love.
Emily scrubs the pot, wipes it down and throws it in the oven. As she’s
sitting outside waiting, Carly (one of the Boonies) shows up for a visit. More
people show up and in true South Louisiana style, it becomes a party. During
the festivities, Emily has a few realizations about herself, her life (her love
life in particular), and her friends. And, since it includes the incorrigible
Ryder, it has its humorous moments. Any scene with Ryder is an adventure. Throw in soon to be ex-husband Eddie, and you
have some conflict in the pot as well. It turned out to be one of my favorite
scenes in the book.
Here is an excerpt:
Carly came back with Ryder in tow.
“I found a straggler,” Carly
said.
Ryder grinned. “Never turn down a meal from a pretty female. It’s a
rule.”
Noah said, “You would if you’d eaten Carly’s cooking.”
“Yeah, but Carly’s not cooking. I know better than that.” Carly grinned devilishly. “So, Emily, tell
Ryder what you’re doing.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I sent you that text earlier. What did you say you were
doing?”
“Seasoning my pot?” Emily asked.
“Yes, Ryder. Emily is seasoning her pot today.”
Here we go, Emily thought.
“Is that right?” Ryder asked her. “I bet I can help with that. I’m
spicy enough to season any pot.”
Emily shook her head. “Ryder, you’re about to talk yourself out of a
free meal.”
Ryder took his black cowboy hat off and put it on Emily’s head. “Ah,
but you see, I bet I can talk myself right back into it.”
Want to read more? Tangled up in You is on Amazon, and free on Kindle
Unlimited.
A.L. Vincent is a teacher/writer who lives in the heart of Cajun
Country. Born in Oklahoma, Vincent became fascinated with South Louisiana after
reading Interview With the Vampire. Finally, she became a Cajun transplant in
2001. When not getting lost in a storyline, Vincent can be found cooking or
enjoying live local music. She has one son, and a furball of a dog aptly named
Furby.
Social Media Links:
Amazon
Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.
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