December Recipes: No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Slice

by Shona Husk

It’s hot in Australia during Christmas so the last thing you really want to be doing is baking. This recipe is super quick and only uses one pot… it’s no bake peanut butter chocolate slice!

As the name suggests there is no baking, just the painful 2-3hrs as you wait for it to set in the fridge. On the plus side you can lick the pot as there are no raw eggs!

Here is the original recipe: http://www.barefeetinthekitchen.com/2013/03/no-bake-chocolate-peanut-butter-coconut-bites-recipe.html

I changed some of the cup measurements to weights because you can stick the saucepan on the scales and add to the pot (plus have you ever tried to put peanut butter in a cup and then scrape it out? Not fun. Ditto for the honey.).

Melt these together:

• 1 cup peanut butter (250g, crunchy or smooth it doesn’t seem to matter. Maybe live dangerously and try almond butter?)
• 1/2 cup honey (150g)
• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil (80g)

Stir these into the saucepan with the melted stuff:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, whatever you have in the pantry)
• 1 1/4 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (220g dark chocolate)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Press into a slice tin or whatever pan you have handy and put in the fridge. Lining the pan with baking paper will make it easier to get out.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

No you can’t cut a slice off the edge…okay you know you want to…

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Okay! Now you can cut it into small pieces. Small because this slice is rich.

Enjoy!

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Shona Husk’s sexy new adult series about emerging rock band Selling the Sun concludes this month with a story about a woman who doesn’t want to connect, a man who’s forgotten how and the friendships that save our lives.

May Showers the First New Releases!

From Allison Butler, bestselling author of The Healer, comes a sexy new Scottish romance about a man in search of a bride, a woman in search of a home and an inconvenient attraction that can’t be denied.

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Have you fallen for the members of Selling the Sun yet? New from Shona Husk comes a hot, fresh quartet about an emerging rock band: every musician is desperate for that first big break—but what happens after that?

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In Rayessa and the Space Pirates, Rae made a startling discovery about her past. Now her twin sister Essa has her own adventures to pursue.

Suspense, Urban Fantasy, and Rock Stars – what April Has in Store!

now available!

From Shona Husk comes a New Adult series set in Australian indie rock scene: They might be one of the hottest up-and-coming bands in Australia, but the members of Selling the Sun have a lot to learn about life, love, sex, and each other.

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From Romantic Book of the Year winner Kendall Talbot comes an adrenaline-fuelled new series with sexy characters, exotic locations, and action-packed adventure.

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The Sydney coven is suffering from a man drought – some witches complain, and some witches just get creative.

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From the witty, clever, dramatic pen of Rebekah Turner comes the final instalment of the Chronicles of Applecross trilogy finds Lora left in charge – and quickly losing control. (Definitely check out books 1 & 2 for more Lora goodness!)

The Making of ‘Out of Rhythm’ – Rock Stars Done Differently

by Shona Husk

The story behind Out of Rhythm started in 2013…yep 2 years ago. I love rock star romance but two things stuck out at me.

1. It was only guys having all the fun (Since 2013 I have discovered a few other female rock stars).
2. They were already successful millionaires.

To me that seemed to be missing a prime opportunity for angst (mmm love me some angsty romance) and drama and tension and struggles—all the good stuff. So as a challenge between other projects (I do this quite a bit as I like to play with ideas without the pressure of due dates and it’s fun to just write) I decided to write a female wanna-be rockstar, and because I was feeling extra adventurous that day I thought it would be a good idea to write my first lesbian love story.

As with any experimental piece, there were teething problems (it was also my first contemporary romance) and then I got busy with other works and Out of Rhythm languished on my laptop…but it didn’t leave me alone. I knew it was there and I knew what I needed to do to fix it. I just didn’t know what to do with it when I did fix it. So I let it sit a bit longer…

Last year I had a huge gut instinct to fix it NOW and send it to Escape. I have learned not to ignore those feelings. I changed the character names (maybe that’s just me, but it helps me get fresh perspective if I have to do big fixes). There was also a title change at the last minute (I was about to hit send and I decided that I’d change the title).

I’m glad I didn’t ignore that feeling as I am delighted that Gemma, Ed, Mike and Dan each get a story – hopefully they will also make it big, not get too drunk after the shows (you’ve got to keep your eye on Mike), find love, not screw up aforementioned love (not naming names…but it begins with D).

Book 2, Out of Place, is out May 8th so there isn’t long to wait before the next instalment which is Ed’s story 🙂 8th so there isn’t long to wait before the next instalment which is Ed’s story 🙂

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They might be one of the hottest up-and-coming bands in Australia, but the members of Selling the Sun have a lot to learn about life, love, sex, and each other.

Coming off a successful Australian tour and prestigious industry award nominations, Gemma Field’s life should be perfect. Instead her parents want her to get a real job, the second album isn’t coming together, and her best friend, Kirsten wants nothing to do with her.

Falling for her best friend was never going to make life easy. After an almost accidental drunken kiss almost six months ago, they aren’t even talking. Gemma can’t even talk about it with anyone – not her family, not her bandmates, not even the one person she used to share everything with. Instead she lives in a space of indecision and pain, and it’s affecting all aspects of her life, including the band.

Kirsten Vincent missed Gemma like crazy, but did she miss her as a friend or as something more? She’s confused and Gemma is hurt, and the consequences of a bad decision will affect more than their personal lives. Will another kiss, a sober kiss, a kiss with intent, do more damage, or could it be the start of something more?

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Every band is desperate for that first big break – but what happens after that?

Ed Vincent, front man of Selling the Sun, has a really bad case of second album jitters. Nothing he writes measures up to the expectations placed on him after the success of the first album. The tensions between band members are rising and everything seems to be falling apart just as they get started. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be: not every band gets to write their name on the pages of history. But the band has always been Ed’s dream, and if Ed gives up, will he have any dreams left?

Chasing dreams is something that other people do. Olivia Doyle put her life on hold after a car accident killed her fiancé and nearly claimed her life. Now with a three-year-old son and a part-time job, she knows she is stuck in a rut, but has no idea how to climb out. Then she meets Ed.

He can’t have the distraction of a relationship, and she has no time for anything casual. On the surface, they’re in completely different places, but love has a way of finding middle ground.

Ten Rock Chicks to Inspire Every Little Girl to be Awesome

by Ainslie Paton

Ditch the Fairy Dress. Bust the Crown. Swap out the Sparkles.

Those rock star boys hog all the limelight. It’s time for more rock chick romances. Because if you want kick arse, you need a rock chick – she’s the definition of making it in a world where men are used to dominating.

Here are 10 rock chicks to inspire.

1. Suzi Quatro

Suzi was the first female bass player to become a major rock star. She kicked ass and proved women could rock a guitar. A star in the 70s, she’s sold 50 million albums and is still performing.

2. Joan Jett

Considered the Queen of Rock. Joan sang I love rock n roll in 1982 and we’re still singing it. She’s still performing.

3. Tina Turner

Rolling Stone ranked her number 63 on their 100 greatest artists of all time. In 1991, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

4. Debbie Harry

Rock and punk icon Debbie Harry of Blondie was also one of the first rappers. She’s also a film star with 30 films to her name.

5. Linda Ronstadt

Linda has 11 Grammy Awards to her name has recorded on over 120 albums and is one of the best-selling artists of all time.

6. Chrissie Hynde

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and lead singer of The UK band The Pretenders. She was considered the female Mick Jagger. One of the first women to sing about women’s desires. She released a new album in 2014.

7. Chrissie Amphlett

Lead singer of the Aussie band the Divynls and Aussie rock pioneer, Chrissie had a global number one hit with I Touch Myself.

8. Alanis Morissette

The Queen of Alt Rock Angst. She has 7 Grammy Awards. Her Jagged Little Pill album spawned six singles and a lot of confusion about what is and isn’t ironic.

9. Madonna

The Queen of re-invention. Madonna makes the list, though she’s pop not rock, for her cultural significance. Madonna puts Lady Gaga in second place where changing her style and aiming for shock value is concerned, for this—she rocks.

10. Pink

Singer, songwriter, actress and acrobat, Grammy Award winner, and Queen of the stadium concert. She is top 6 in Forbes list for highest earning women in music. She makes approximately $1M per live show.

Ainslie Paton has written a rock chick to rule them all in Getting Real.

Rielle Mainline is a rock star with a hardcore image, a troubled heart, and a twenty-five-city tour to front with her band, Ice Queen. She should be ecstatic. But the tour includes Sydney and Rielle has spent years running away from that city.

Jake Reed knows Rielle’s reputation as a prize bitch will make being Ice Queen’s tour manager a challenge, but Jake’s confident he can handle her — until he meets her. Then he’s off-balance, not sure if he wants to kiss her or throttle her. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and boundaries are crossed.  It’s rock star verses roadie, alpha girl verses boy-next-door and neither of them will survive unchanged.