It’s everyone’s favourite time of the week again, which means more Feasty goodness. And this week we have just the thing to satisfy the beast in all of us.

But first, in Us Heins Weren’t Meant To Play Golf news, last Saturday’s round saw a crow pinch my ball on the 2nd. I then hit three trees in a row on the 14th, and ruined a magnificent drive on the 17th by smacking two balls, one after the other, straight into the dam.

That crow, it was an omen.

Speaking of omens, today’s guest, Australian author Leisl Leighton, understands them well. After having her dreams plagued by stories, Leisl decided to start writing them down. And a good thing she did too. Leisl’s stories have won and placed in many competitions in Australia and the US, including the STALI, Golden Opportunities, Heart of the West, Linda Howard Award of Excellence, Touch of Magic and many others.

Those dreams are now books, with Leisl’s latest paranormal fantasy hitting shelves next week. Take a look.

DARK MOON

Lately, Skye Collins has been unable to shake the feeling that she’s being watched. After a lifetime spent hiding her true nature, she knows that any unusual attention is something to be wary of.  And the only attention she’s been receiving lately is from the intense and attractive Jason McVale. 

Jason claims to know things about Skye that can’t be true, and it’s obvious he’s hiding secrets of his own. Yet despite herself, Skye can’t resist the attraction between them, and her surrender will set in motion a chain of events that will have consequences for everyone she holds dear.

Gradually, Jason convinces Skye that she has to trust him if she is to solve the riddle of her past and learn the truth about her power.  But believing Jason means that her entire life has been based on a lie.

As her enemies gather strength and the danger increases, Skye is forced to accept who she really is. Will she risk everything and fight for those she loves? Or save herself and let them be destroyed by the forces of darkness?

Doesn’t that sound thrilling? Dark Moon can be pre-ordered now with just a click or two. Try Amazon for Kindle, iTunes, Google Play, Kobo, JB Hi-Fi or your favourite ebook retailer, or direct from the publisher Destiny Romance.

Okay, so you’re all stocked up? Marvellous. Now feast on this!

STEAK – THE WAY TO MAN AND BEAST’S HEART

It’s a thrill to be here again on Friday Feast talking food (and romance). I was trying to think of the things that my characters eat in my new paranormal romance, Dark Moon so I could talk about that. They seem to eat soup a lot with yummy, crusty bread, particularly because it’s winter and they’re up at the snow.

Those of you who remember my last guest blog here will know about my love affair with soup and its hearty warmth in the cooler months – particularly my fond memories of those eternal favourites, minestrone and pumpkin, when we were up skiing at Mt Buller every year. And those are the soups that I mention in Dark Moon (I very obviously have an obsession 🙂 ). However, I didn’t feel like it would be right to go on about soup again. So, I put on my thinking cap and wondered what other things my characters would eat if I hadn’t given my obsession for soup free reign and drowned them in it.

My male characters are Weres – shapeshifters who turn into wolves – and my female characters are Witches and Wiccans. My Wiccan characters are very much into the herbal side of things, but I didn’t feel like banging on here about all things herbal (even though they are pretty great for much of what ails you.) So, I turned my attention wholly to my male characters (not hard given they are pretty gorgeous if I say so myself) and the answer came to me in a flash.

Steak. No. Steak sandwiches.

Big, juicy, dislocate your jaw to get your mouth around it and taste that little bit of meaty- chilli-onion-tomato-cheese-beetroot-egg-and-lettuce heaven. The kind of steak sandwich that has sauce and juices dripping down your chin and across your hands that you lick off with relish, but still leaves you feeling a little sticky – doesn’t sound romantic at all, does it? But wait, if shared with someone else, that very someone could do the licking for you and you for him and…

I’ll leave that up to your imagination.

Anyway (big breath and a moment to still my madly beating heart), my characters would most definitely eat a steak sandwich. It is hearty and warming for the winter setting, but the beauty of a steak sandwich is that it can also be enjoyed in the height of summer when you really don’t feel like cooking, but firing up the barbie to sear a steak quickly and fry up some onions and egg, doesn’t seem like too much of a challenge. This summer, my family and I have enjoyed many a steak sandwich – the boys have got a sudden passion for them, and who can blame them? I cut up a bunch of toppings, put out a bunch of sauces, and they just make themselves up the steak sandwich their heart desires.

Too easy. Here’s a photo of one I whipped up tonight.

Steak Sandwich Recipe

Well, there’s not really 1 recipe for a steak sandwich, but this is how I like mine.

1 beef steak BBQ’d to taste – I prefer porterhouse, medium rare, but your choice really.

2 slices of bread – your choice what sort of bread you pick. We prefer soft sourdough or a good grain bread. You can toast it lightly if you want.

1 onion

1 tomato

1 egg

1 slice of tasty cheese (light if you want)

Sliced beetroot (this is really an Australian thing, but give it a go – it’s delicious)

Jalepeno peppers

Mixed lettuce

Chunky pickle mustard

BBQ sauce

Sweet chilli sauce

Balsamic vinegar

I make a kind of chilli jam out of the onion by sauteeing it in oil until it’s soft, then adding a decent splash of balsamic vinegar and half a cup of sweet chilli sauce. Then I turn it down to low and let it all simmer together until its thick and jammy. I then push it aside and cook my egg in the same pan (saving on the dishes later). I like my egg cooked so it is a little runny in the yolk still.

I toast the bread lightly, then put the chunky pickle mustard on one slice, the BBQ sauce on the other. Then on the chunky pickle side, I put the peppers, beetroot, egg, sliced up pieces of steak my manly man of a husband has BBQ’d to perfection, the cheese, tomato, onion-chilli-jam, and finally some lettuce. (picture 2 here) Then I put the BBQ sauce-smeared piece of toast on the top.

I cut in half and then dislocate my jaw to eat it! 🙂 I lick up the juices that run down my hands and chin, although, if a hunky Were offered to do it for me, I wouldn’t say no – but, my hubby might have a problem with that, so probably not. Sigh. I’ll just have to write about it in a future book.

And there it is, my steak sandwich, good enough to feed man and beast (and little boys), perfect for any time of year and always yummy. I hope all you wonderful Friday Feasters enjoy.

Wow. That is one amazing steak sanga, Leisl. Seriously mouth-watering. There is nothing so lovely as a burger that drips juices. The mess just adds to the taste!

Are you drooling out there, Feasters? Here’s your chance to drool some more. I think we can already tell that Leisl is a generous person from the size of her steak sandwiches. Well, now she’s going to prove it by giving away a Kindle ebook copy of Dark Moon.

Naturally, you’ll have to do something to earn this most excellent book and that’s by answering this question: What meal soothes the heart of your savage beast (or beasties) at home?

That’s easy for me – a big fat juicy steak. The man of the house just loves his beef. ‘Tis the north Queenslander in him.

But what about for you? Does a luscious lasagne satisfy your beasties? Maybe they all go quiet and dribbly with one sniff of a roast chook? Perhaps they’re softer beasties and roll over like puppies at the thought of a quiche?

Simply leave your soothing meal in the comments below and you’ll be in with a chance to win!

Giveaway closes midnight Tuesday AEST, 18th March 2014. Open internationally. Rah!

If you’d like to learn more about Leisl and her books, please visit her website. You can also connect via Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter as @LeislLeighton.