It’s the third week of Carina Prioleau’s Fundraising Party and Sarah Munro (the heroine of ONE DARK WISH) are eating dinner with the rest of the guests. Last week we had Pink Salt Pulled Pork and now we’re being served a Southern Broccoli Salad. Unfortunately, Carina has noticed my presence and is striding toward us. Tonight she’s wearing her blonde hair in a sleek high ponytail and a gold shift that had to cost more than one of my daughter’s semesters at UVA. I’m going to let Sarah handle this since Carina and I don’t get along. And just as Carina reaches our table, the lights in the garden go on. It’s almost sunset but the food is so good I hardly noticed!


Sarah Munro ~ “Carina has reached our table and I decide to stand to greet her. Many of the other guests at our table are so busy eating and pointing to the beautiful colored lights that were intertwined among the branches of the courtyard’s trees they haven’t noticed Carina’s flashing eyes. Since we’re sitting at the end of a table, she stops in front of us.

“What is she doing here?” Carina is focused on me, but is obviously talking about Sharon. “I didn’t invite her.”

I smile to appease our hostess. “Sharon has never seen your house and she wanted to come so she could get to know you better.” I lower my voice and remind her, “The better Sharon knows you, the easier it is to write about you.”

Carina tosses her ponytail. “I already told Sharon I don’t want to be in any more of her books. I was in EVERY DEEP DESIRE and yours.” Carina points to a ONE DARK WISH bookmark on the table that Sharon was sharing with another guest. “I’m done.”

Before I can respond, Sharon stands. “I don’t think so.”

Carina snorts delicately and finally faces Sharon. “You don’t have a say.”

Sharon offers a small smile and tilts her head. “You’re wrong. You’ll be in whichever books I want you in.” Then Sharon leans in and whispers something in Carina’s ear. Carina’s face pales until her lipstick looks like a dark red stain on a white napkin. Finally Sharon sits again and begins to eat the next course which has just been served: Southern Broccoli Salad.

Carina stares at Sharon, but she is eating her rice and broccoli salad (which looks delicious!) and begins to talk to the man next to her.

Finally, Carina faces me again. “Enjoy your evening.” Then she disappears into the darker parts of the garden.

I sit and eat my broccoli salad, which is filled with rice and cranberries and a delicious dressing, and kick Sharon beneath the table. “What was that about?”

Sharon shrugs. “I reminded Carina that I know her deepest secret and that, if she doesn’t behave, she’ll never get the happily ever after she craves.”

“Wow. It must feel wonderful to have so much power.”

“Power over a fictional world?” Sharon laughs and then winks. “It’s quite a rush.”

I nod, then I realize that it’s because of Sharon that next week I’ll get my happy ending. So maybe I should be extra nice to her. “Any chance you’ll share Carina’s deepest secret?”

“Nope.” Sharon takes another serving of broccoli salad. “You’ll just have to read the rest of the books in the Deadly Force series to find out!”


Southern Broccoli Salad

Course Salad
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

Salad

  • 8 cups broccoli florets about 3 heads of broccoli, rinsed and dried well, bite-sized florets
  • 1 cup cooked bacon crumbles
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds dry roasted & salted
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup Vidalia onion finely diced
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar

Instructions

Salad

  1. Combine the broccoli florets, bacon crumbles, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, diced onion, and shredded cheddar cheese.

  2. Slowly, stir the dressing into the broccoli salad and toss gently. Don't use too much dressing and it's okay if there's extra. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir before serving.

Dressing

  1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl or measuring cup.


Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

Her second book, ONE DARK WISH, will come out September 24, 2019 and is available for preorder here: Amazon |  Barnes and Noble Books-a-Million | iBooks |  Google

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | | |  Google

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