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Monday, August 17, 2015

Only Righteous Love Can Conquer All. Chalvaren Rising by Paula Millhouse.



Today I’m thrilled to welcome over Paula Millhouse, author of Chalvaren Rising, a Kingdom of Chalvaren Romance.

Publisher: Boroughs Publishing

Book Description


THE DRAGONSTONE HAS RETURNED

With the love of Kort, Chalvaren’s warrior-prince heir, Mia Ansgar will seize her birthright and become the great dragon-riding wizardess prophesied to free that elven kingdom from her embittered sorceress kin.

TO ASCEND TRIUMPHANT

Twenty-five years ago, Theo Ansgar abandoned the Kingdom of Chalvaren for a hiding place on another world. Some called him traitor. Some, thief. Now his fully grown daughter Mia must return to the land of her birth...and their war. 

It was the elf prince Kort Elias who brought her back. Theirs was an instant connection, an inescapable union of body, soul and sorcery, reminding Mia of what she truly is, and what she must become. There is also Magnus, destined to be more potent than any wyrm Chalvaren has ever seen, a three-day-old dragonlet Mia must nurture and then ride. And then there is the Dragonstone, an artifact of power nonpareil. Joined, they can tip the scales of battle against the wraith-possessed forces of darkness, of Mia’s own embittered kin. Redemption will be offered, the protected will become the protector, and an ancient prophecy will come to fruition, but only righteous love can conquer all.


Giveaway! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter after this post for a chance to win all sorts of goodies including $25 Gift Card to Boroughs Publishing Group, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble - Winner's Choice, 3 custom designed Dragonstone Book Thongs open to US Shipping, 2 e-copies of Dragonstone (Lunchbox Romance prequel to CR) and 2 e-copies of Chalvaren Rising.

Book Trailer



Let’s hear from Paula…


Character Interview with Paula Millhouse and Chef Thorvid and his Royal Recipes

I interviewed Chef Thorvid, an elf from Castle Elias on cooking for the Royal Family and what he loves about his job.

Paula: Chef – I understand you have quite a job on your hands. You’ve worked for King Lachlan and Queen Elissabet for the past 27 years. Could you tell the Readers what you like most about your position with the Royal Family?

Chef Thorvid: I like nurturing the elves of the castle with nutritious fare. Watching the little elves grow up tall and strong with full tummies makes me the happiest guy on Chalvaren. As you might imagine cooking for the family and their staff can sometime amount to a laborious task, what with well over a hundred mouths to feed every day. Sometimes I think the family believes I practice magic, or something!

Paula: So, yeah, that’s a ton of people to cook for. Do you have a staff to assist you? Or, do you practice magic?

Chef Thorvid: Magic didn’t come my way, darling. Everything to do with my menus is hands-on. The king likes it that way.

Paula: Speaking of King Lachlan, what’s his favorite food? Can you tell us?

Chef Thorvid: If I did I’d have to kill you. That’s top secret of course.

Paula: Oh…okay. Well, what about you? A big guy like yourself is obviously keen on his own cooking. What’s your favorite meal to prepare and eat?

Chef Thorvid: That’s a wonderful question, Paula. I like lazy summer afternoons where the entire family joins me outside for a cookout. I don’t usually do this sort of thing, but because you’re as good as family in Castle Elias now, I’ll share my favorite menu with you. Don’t let the word get out on these Dragon-Fruit Margaritas or you’ll have guests returning time and again to hound you for these cocktails. 

Chef Thorvid’s Summertime Cookout Menu

Dragon-fruit Lemonade Margaritas  

Ingredients:
  • In a cocktail shaker add 2 Oz of your favorite tequila
  • 1 Oz of triple sec
  • 4 Oz of coconut water
  • Juice from a half a lemon
  • ¼ of a cubed, skinned, and macerated dragon fruit
  • 1 tsp of simple syrup
  • Add ice and shake, or blend.
Directions:
  1. Pour into salt rimmed glass.
  2. Garnish with a slice of dragon fruit.

Dragon Burgers
(We don’t use real dragon meat – we use beef)

Ingredients:
  • 1lb ground chuck (you want the higher fat ratio ground beef for a burger – it does wonders for the flavor)
  • 1lb ground pork
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Directions:               
1. Combine ingredients. When evenly mixed, divide into four chunks, form patties.
2. Chill for half an hour while charcoal grill warms up.
3. Grill until medium rare, and serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

Thorvid’s Magic Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:
  • 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 cup whole sweet peppers, chopped
  • 3 green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

Directions :
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl combine potatoes and oil. Season with salt, and pepper. Roast for 18 minutes or until just tender but still hold their shape. Remove.
  2. Return potatoes to large bowl. Drizzle with vinegar; stir to coat. Cool completely. Add eggs, peppers, green onions, and dill. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and yogurt. Pour over mixture; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Castle Elias Cucumber Honeydew Slaw

Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon poppy seed (optional)
  • 1 medium honeydew melon seeded and cut in bite-size cubes (5 cups)
  • 1 cucumber (12 oz.), unpeeled, and cubes (2 cups)
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, briefly rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
Directions:
  1. In a large bowl pour lemon juice. Whisk in olive oil in a slow, steady stream until incorporated. Whisk in honey, salt, pepper, poppy seed, if desired, and pepper. Add melon, cucumber, onion, and dill weed. Toss to combine. Just before serving top with feta.  


About the Author



Paula Millhouse grew up in Savannah, Georgia where Spanish moss whispers tales in breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway. As a child, Paula soaked in the sunshine and heritage of cobblestones, pirate lore, and stories steeped in savory mysteries of the south.

Paula lives with her husband at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains with their pack and pride of furry babies. In the southern tradition of storytellers, she loves sharing the lives of her characters with readers, and following her muse on the quest for happily-ever-afters in thrilling romantic fiction.

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11 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello Skye,

First, thank you for hosting Chalvaren Rising today. I thought the interview with Chef Thorvid went well. He's pretty determined to keep his recipes close to the vest, so I'm glad he shared a few of them with your readers.

I think those Dragonfruit Mararitas sound dreamy. What's your favorite August cookout food?

Mary Preston said...

This sounds exciting.

Bonnie said...

I loved the interview and recipes.

Unknown said...

Thanks for checking us out, Mary Preston. I'm excited about sharing this book with people.

Unknown said...

Even vegetarians can enjoy this menu, Bonnie. That Sweet Potato Salad is to die for. I was glad to find out Chef Thorvid doesn't use real dragons in his Dragonburgers. Whew!

CJ Burright said...

I'm ready to join elves for a BBQ. :) Fun post!

Unknown said...

You're officially on the guest list, CJ! We'll sip margaritas and mingle with the elves.

Tracey L Clark said...

This was great. ;)

Unknown said...

Glad you stopped by, Tracey Clark.

We're having fun at Sky's site today chatting up the August cookout menu.

Sky Purington said...

My pleasure, Paula. These recipes sound delicious! Especially the Dragonfruit Margaritas. ;-)

Unknown said...

Good News! Chalvaren Rising is now live. The book comes in at 103,300 words. Hope everyone enjoys the novel.

Here's a list of the links:

Print available soon


BUY LINKS:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0157RBDHO
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/576283
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-chalvarenrising-1887385-153.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26326979-chalvaren-rising