#COOKING WITH CLORIS - AUTHOR KRIS BOCK’S ROCKY ROAD FUDGE BARS AND A BILLIONAIRE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Learn more about Kris and her books at her website where you'll find links to her other social media and also sign up for her newsletter to receive a free 10,000-word story set in the world of her Furrever Friends cat cafe, a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the novels, and an Accidental Detective short story and bonus material. 

Who wouldn't want to be a billionaire? Turns out winning the lottery causes as many problems as it solves.

 

How did you get the idea for this series?

When browsing the top sellers in Kindle romance, I saw lots of billionaires and cowboys, and a few billionaire cowboys. I wondered, how might a cowboy (or rancher anyway) realistically become a billionaire? They’d hardly have enough free time to develop and promote an app that would become the next Tik-Tok and get a billion dollars. 

 

I came up with a family of four brothers and their mother. She plays the lottery, not expecting to win, but simply so she can spend an hour dreaming about being rich. And then she wins. Everything changes, and not necessarily for the better. Friends and family demand a share of the winnings. Strangers come up with scams and sob stories. 

 

People who win huge lotteries are advised to go into hiding, which you can’t really do when you have to take care of animals. This setup allows me to play with questions of dreams, choices, and responsibilities.

 

This is the first book in the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series. The family tries to stick to some Christmas traditions in order to relieve stress – such as the annual cookie exchange. Here’s one of the sweet treats they make.

 

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

NOTE: Carefully read the entire recipe before starting this one; notice that frosting has to be ready when bars come out of oven. Makes 3 to 4 dozen bars.

 

Bar: 

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate 

1 cup sugar 

1 cup flour 

1/2 - 1 cup chopped nuts 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs 

 

Filling:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened (one box, but reserve 2 oz. for frosting)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

 

Frosting:

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate

2 oz. reserved cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 13 x 9-inch pan.

 

In large saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 cup butter and 1 square chocolate. Add remaining bar ingredients and mix well. Spread in prepared pan. 

 

In small bowl, combine 6 ounces cream cheese with next five filling ingredients. Beat 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy; stir in nuts. 

 

Spread filling over bar mixture in pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

 

While bars are baking, make frosting.

In large saucepan, over low heat, melt 1/4 cup butter, 1 square chocolate, remaining 2 ounces cream cheese, and milk. 

 

Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. 

 

Remove bars from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Bake 2 minutes longer.

 

Immediately pour frosting over marshmallows. Use a knife to swirl toppings together. 

 

Cool. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 

 

The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas

The Accidental Billionaire Cowboys, Book 1

 

He has everything this Christmas, but all he wants is the quiet ranch life he’s losing…

 

When Josh Tomlinson’s Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, the formerly tight-knit family is suddenly on edge. Seeking advice, Josh reluctantly contacts family friend and now attorney, Carly Garza. His business is serious, yet he can’t believe Carly’s morphed from a long-legged colt of a girl to a sophisticated woman. Besides, he knows the intelligent Carly has no interest in a quiet, rugged cowboy like him.

 

Carly’s crushed on Josh for years, and she plans to ask him out now that she’s back in Last Stand. She’s hoping he’ll finally see her as someone other than his younger brother’s middle school girlfriend. But when Josh needs advice on how to handle his family’s lottery win, his client and billionaire statuses put him firmly out of reach. If only her heart could ignore the sparks that flare between them.

 

They’re already keeping the family’s lottery win a secret from the town. Can they also hide their budding romance during the most magical time of year?

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES AND A NEW ACCIDENTAL DETECTIVE FROM MYSTERY AUTHOR KRIS BOCK

Today we welcome back Kris Bock who writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Learn more about Kris and her books at her blog and website, where you can find links to her on other social media and also sign up for her newsletter to receive a short mystery story set in the world of her Accidental Detective Series and three short stories originally written for children. 

What Makes The Accidental Detective Series a Cozy Mystery?

In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. The first book in the series, Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, is available now. Book Two, Something Deadly on Desert Drive, will be out June 21^st. The ebook is currently available for pre-order.

 

People have varying ideas of what makes a mystery cozy. There’s little to no graphic violence, sex, or swearing. My series certainly fits. Cozies star amateur detectives rather than police officers or professional private detectives. Many feature a woman who is somehow involved in cooking or crafting, such as in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series.

 

Kate is a war correspondent, and a journalist could be considered a professional investigator of a sort. She’s not investigating these mysteries for a newspaper though. She’s helping friends and family who have a problem they can’t or don’t want to take to the police. This means the Accidental Detective series could be considered a cozy mystery, a traditional mystery, or something in between.

 

Another feature of cozy mysteries is often humor. Kate’s witty observations often elicit chuckles in readers. Readers have also said they love Kate’s family and friends. Kate’s helpers range from teenagers to people in their eighties. I try to avoid stereotypes and treat everyone with respect. I want readers to laugh with these characters, not at them.

 

Kate doesn’t cook or craft, but I have a secondary character who does. Joe Washington, an old friend of Kate’s father, got interested in baking in his retirement. He supplies the investigative crew with muffins, cupcakes, and cookies. You want someone like Joe in your Scooby gang!

 

The books don’t include recipes, but I do feature some of the treats mentioned in the books on my blog. Readers who sign up for my newsletter will also get a download of “22 Recipes from The Cat Café.” Meanwhile, here’s a great treat for parties (or yourself!):

 

Cookie Dough Cupcakes 

If you love chocolate chip cookies, these are for you. A chocolate chip cupcake has a ball of chocolate chip cookie dough in the center. The cookie dough ball bakes less than the outer cupcake, leaving it gooey. Cookie dough frosting adds even more great cookie dough taste!

 

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated  cookie dough (or 1 cup homemade)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup butter, softened

3⁄4 cup sugar 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup mini chocolate chips 

 

Frosting:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 to 6 tablespoons milk, as needed

1 cup mini or regular chocolate chips 

 

Roll a tablespoon of cookie dough into a ball. Repeat until you have 12 balls. Chill them while you work.

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place cupcake liners in the cupcake pan and spray them with cooking spray.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Blend in the vanilla.

 

Slowly add half of the dry mixture while mixing. Keep mixing as you add the milk. Blend in the remaining flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup mini or regular chocolate chips.

 

Spoon the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. 

 

Place a ball of cookie dough on each cupcake and gently press it down until the cupcake batter almost covers the ball of dough.

 

Bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the edge of the cupcakes should come out clean. The central dough balls will still be sticky. Cool while you make the frosting.

 

For the frosting, place the brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix on low until combined and creamy. 

 

Add the flour. Mix on medium speed until blended and creamy. Slowly add milk until the frosting is a good thickness for spreading. Use a spoon to blend in the mini or regular chocolate chips.

 

Spread or pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.

 

Something Deadly on Desert Drive

The Accidental Detective, Book 2

 

Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…

 

Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?

 

Soon Kate and her unusual gang of sidekicks are unofficially, officially investigating. But before they can dig out the truth, a murder raises the stakes. Now they need to prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer. They’ll have to find the real murderer—without risking their own lives in the process.

 

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AUTHOR KRIS BOCK ON HER NEW HUMOROUS MYSTERY SERIES

We’re happy to have a return visit from author Kris Bock who writes mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Today Kris discusses the inspiration behind her new humorous Accidental Detective Series. Learn more about Kris and her books at her Website and Blog where you can also find links to her on other social media sites. Sign up for her newsletter to get a ten-page mystery short story set in the world of the Accidental Detective, information on the series, and three fun short stories originally written for children.

In the Accidental Detective Series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, the first book in the series, debuts April 7^th.

 

When patients are dying at an Alzheimer's unit, a former war correspondent must use her journalism skills to uncover the killer and save her mother. Kate has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world, but can she survive going home? 

 

What inspired the series?

For my Accidental Detective mysteries, I started with a character who is trying to reinvent her life as she turns fifty. She spent thirty years as a war correspondent, so she’s pretty fearless, but that doesn’t always help her with the challenges of aging. She’s dealing with elderly parents who have health problems, a resentful sister, her own lack of retirement planning, and a body that doesn’t recover as quickly as it used to. These challenges provide humor as she narrates her attempts to solve local mysteries and build a new life.

 

Why did you set the series in the Southwest?

I've been in New Mexico for more than twenty years, three times longer than I've lived anywhere else, so this is home. I live with my husband and our two ferrets in a small town, where I enjoy walking, hiking and archery.

 

I love New Mexico, but I wanted to set the mystery series in a big city. In Arizona, I could create a fictional city within the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. That allows me to use this fictional city government for political issues, and make the mayor an old friend of Kate’s, without stepping on any real toes.

 

Arizona also provides tons of mystery opportunities. The large senior population attracts scams and abuse. You have the potential for arguments over inheritance (or even murders to get that inheritance sooner). The border with Mexico creates anxiety over immigration and various kinds of trafficking. Plus, you have all the usual potential crimes in any large population. I’ll be able to keep Kate busy for years.

 

How did your writing journey get you here?

Twenty years ago, I started writing for children, using the name Chris Eboch. I have eight middle grade novels (for ages 9 to 12) published under that name and I’ve been a ghostwriter for some popular children’s mystery series. I also write a lot of educational nonfiction and fiction. 

 

Around 2008, I was starting to feel restless and wanted a change. I had mostly been reading adult romantic suspense novels, so I started writing those under the name Kris Bock. Desert Gold follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found was inspired by finding the body of a murder victim while hiking in the woods. (Read about the whole experience of finding a dead body here.)

 

More recently, I started a sweet romance series set in and around a cat café. These cafés are a relatively recent trend, but you can now find several hundred all around the world. Typically, they partner with a shelter, so all the cats you can visit are available for adoption. In each of my Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series books, a couple falls in love and in addition one or more cats find their permanent homes.

 

So I have over 100 published books now, but that includes fiction and nonfiction, for children and adults. The variety keeps me interested! I have four Accidental Detective novels written and scheduled for publication, and in the meantime, I'm writing a romance series about a ranch family that wins the lottery. It's a lot of fun.

 

Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

The Accidental Detective, Book 1

 

She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

 

Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer’s unit.

 

When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit.

 

If Kate can’t uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ROMANCE, MYSTERY, AND SUSPENSE AUTHOR KRIS BOCK

Today we sit down for a chat with romance, mystery, suspense, and nonfiction author Kris Bock, who also writes books for young people as Chris Eboch.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

I wrote my first novel, The Well of Sacrifice, shortly after finishing grad school. I was looking for work as a magazine editor and wanted to write something other than cover letters. I loved books such as Julie of the Wolves and Island of the Blue Dolphins growing up and imagined a similar young adventure story. The  middle grade (ages 9+) novel is set in Mayan times, inspired by a summer I spent traveling through Mexico and Central America. 

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

Astonishingly, I sold the first book I wrote! This gave me the mistaken impression that having a writing career wasn't so hard. I have since written many novels that I haven't sold, but I've managed to make a career of writing for over twenty years.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

I now have more than eighty published books. That includes fiction and nonfiction, for children and adults, traditional trade books, work for hire educational books, and indie books. The variety keeps me interested!

 

Where do you write?

I live in New Mexico with my husband and our ferrets, and I have a home office. My window looks out on nature, complete with distracting wildlife such as roadrunners, quail, hummingbirds, and foxes.

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

I use voice recognition software, so I have to keep the office quiet.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

In my treasure hunting series, I drew on personal experiences hiking in the desert for the characters’ adventures – though fortunately, I’ve never stumbled on a rattlesnake nest or gotten caught in a flash flood!

 

Another book, What We Found, was inspired by finding the body of a murder victim while hiking in the woods. This blog post shares more about my Southwest Inspiration.

 

Describe your process for naming your character?

It’s less of a process and more like trial and error.

 

Real settings or fictional towns?

Most of my novels include real places in the Southwestern United States, although I might fictionalize the names. For example, in my treasure hunting adventure, Desert Gold, the heroine and her best friend live in a fictionalized version of Socorro, New Mexico. They hunt for the lost Victorio Peak treasure, a real Southwest legend about a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider.

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

I have a sweet romance series set around a cat café. Merlin appeared in the first book as one of many cats named. He quickly developed a distinct personality and became a reader (and author) favorite. In book 2, Merlin literally jumps in to help foster five struggling kittens. The kittens see him as their surrogate mama.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I’m perfectly normal, thank you very much. Just ask my ferrets, Princess Pandemonium and Teddy Black Bear.

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People who dismiss romance novels without ever having read any, usually basing their opinions on cover art from the eighties. In fact, people who dismiss any type of literature, whether comic books or fantasy or erotica. We shouldn’t judge people’s reading habits. 

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

A potable water source, an endless supply of food, and a way to contact rescuers. Wait, does pragmatism count as a quirk?

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

I had a one-day temp job stuffing envelopes, and it was the most tedious day of my life. I also worked as a glacier guide in Alaska for two summers. That was much more interesting, although occasionally wet and cold, not to mention terrifying when the bored helicopter pilots decide to give the guides a thrill on the trip back at the end of the day.

 

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It’s especially fun when you get a group and read it out loud, although now you can just watch the TV show.

 

Ocean or mountains?

Mountains. I’d rather hike than swim or sit on a beach.

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

These days, definitely a small town/desert gal. I can walk out my back door and keep walking for miles without running into other people – which has been especially nice during the pandemic.

 

What’s on the horizon for you?

I have a mystery series launching next year.

 

Something Shady at Sunshine Haven: Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recuperate. When patients are mysteriously dying at an Alzheimer's unit where her mother lives, Kate must use her investigative skills to uncover the killer and save her mother. Kate has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home? Something Shady at Sunshine Haven is the first in a humorous traditional mystery series.

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

I am also writing a young adult comedy series with my brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Now you can follow the crazy antics of teenagers Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our Rom-Com newsletterand get a free preview, or Visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels.

 

Learn more about me and my books at my website, where you can find links to my social media and sign up for my newsletter.

 

Desert Gold

The Southwest Treasure Hunters Series, Book 1

 

A legendary treasure hunt in the dramatic–and deadly–New Mexico desert is “Smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel.”

 

When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she’s not the only one after the treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy? Just how far will Erin go to find the treasure and discover what she’s really made of?

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--AUTHOR KRIS BOCK WHIPS UP CHERRY SCONES AND A CAT CAFE SWEET ROMANCE

Kris Bock writes romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Her romantic suspense novels, set in the Southwest, feature treasure hunting and archeology, along with intrigue. Learn more about Kris and her books at her website where you can also learn how to get a free Furrever Friends short story and printable copies of the recipes mentioned in future cat café novels. 

Have you heard about the growing trend of cat cafés? They're a recent phenomenon, but now you can find several hundred around the world. Each café partners with local shelters, choosing 15 to 20 healthy, sociable cats to house at the café. People can spend time with cats if they can't have a cat for some reason, or if they simply love the idea of hanging out with a bunch of cats. 

If you happen to fall in love with one, all the cats are available for adoption. For example, Catopia Cat Café in Albuquerque has had over 100 adoptions in its first year.

Some cafés charge an hourly fee, while others require a minimum food and drink purchase. In case you’re worried about health codes, no cats are allowed in the food prep areas. Either the café has a separate room for the cats, or all food is made and wrapped elsewhere.

My cat café series features a bakery, so I'm collecting wonderful recipes for baked goods. Each book has a recipe at the end, and I'll eventually put together a collection.

The recipe below is something my mother made on Christmas morning for many years. We have it for breakfast along with Mexican hot chocolate. Of course, it's good at any time of year. Now that the busy holiday season is over, but it's still cold in most places, how about curling up with a good book, a cup of hot tea, and one of these lovely scones?

Cherry Scones 

(featured in Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried cherries, cranberries, or currents

approx. 1/2-cup apple or grape juice

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup cold butter

1 egg

1/2 cup plain yogurt (full-fat preferred)

1 tsp. lemon or orange zest

Preheat oven to 375°. 

Soak cherries in juice for at least 10 minutes while you mix other ingredients.

Mix the flour and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Blend in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. 

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has fine crumbs. 

Stir in the egg, yogurt, and zest. Drain the cherries or other dried fruit well. Mix them in.

Spray a baking sheet lightly with oil. Turn the dough onto the baking sheet. Pat it down into a 9-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Separate them slightly. Sprinkle with additional sugar if you want them to sparkle a bit.

Bake until golden and firm, about 20 minutes. 

Serve warm with butter, clotted cream, orange marmalade, or jam.

What would you serve at your cat café?

Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café

A Furrever Friends Sweet Romance

What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.

Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats – keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.

Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR KRIS BOCK AND GREEN CHILE STEW

Kris Bock writes romantic adventures involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Learn more about Kris and her books at her website. 

I write novels of adventure and romance, set in the Southwestern United States, that touch on local culture, including food. For my most recent romantic suspense, The Dead Man’s Treasure, I put together a recipe booklet of foods mentioned in the book, including this wonderful stew. It’s great for groups, because everyone gets to adapt their own bowl to their own taste.

I called this “Camie’s Green Chile Stew” because Camie is a character in the treasure hunting series, and the recipe is from a friend who partially inspired her character. 

Camie’s Green Chile Stew

Ingredients:

2 medium onions

1 Tbsp. garlic

2 Tbsp. oil

1 pound ground beef or cubed stew beef

chopped green chile to taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup (you might be able to find canned green chile in the Mexican section of your grocery store)

4 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Serve with any or all of the following: 

canned pinto beans or black beans 

cubed, cooked potatoes

hominy 

shredded cheddar or Jack cheese 

shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cilantro 

extra green chile 

chopped avocados or guacamole 

sour cream

Sauté onions and garlic in oil until golden. Add beef and stir until browned. Add chopped green chile and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve the stew immediately, but it’s even better if it blends for a few hours on very low heat.

Put the beans, hominy, cheese, etc. into individual bowls. Let people build their own blend of stew. Add ingredients such as beans, potatoes, and cheese, and heat each bowl in the microwave. Top with cold ingredients such as sour cream and avocado.

For more New Mexico recipes, download the “The Dead Man’s Treasure Bonus Material” booklet from my website or see the “Recipes” tab on my blog, The Southwest Armchair Traveler.

The Dead Man's Treasure

Book 2, Southwest Treasure Hunters series

Rebecca Westin is shocked to learn the grandfather she never knew has left her a bona fide buried treasure – but only if she can decipher a complex series of clues leading to it. The hunt would be challenging enough without interference from her half-siblings, who are determined to find the treasure first and keep it for themselves. Good thing Rebecca has recruited some help.

Sam is determined to show Rebecca that a desert adventure can be sexy and fun. But there’s a treacherous wildcard in the mix, a man willing to do anything to get that treasure – and revenge.

Action and romance combine in this lively Southwestern adventure, complete with riddles the reader is invited to solve to identify historical and cultural sites around New Mexico.

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The first book in the Southwest Treasure Hunters series is The Mad Monk's Treasure. 

Each novel stands alone and is complete, with no cliffhangers. This series mixes action and adventure with “closed door” romance. The stories explore the Southwest, especially New Mexico.

TRAVELS WITH SERENA--NEW MEXICO WITH AUTHOR KRIS BOCK

Battleship Rock, New Mexico

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Each of her books is set in places in and around New Mexico. Today she tells us about four of her favorite places and the books they inspired. To learn more about Kris and her books, visit her website. 

I’ve lived in 10 states (from Alaska to Rhode Island) and one foreign country (Saudi Arabia, as a child), so I always had trouble answering “Where are you from?” But when I moved to New Mexico, I quickly fell in love, and it felt like home. I’ve now been here twice as long as I’ve lived anywhere else. The desert Southwest inspires my work, as I bring suspense with a dose of romance to the land I love. Here are some of my favorite spots in New Mexico - heavy on the adventure. (My book titles in the main text link to my website pages for more info. In the bio at the end, they go directly to Amazon.)

Socorro: This town in the middle of the state is mainly a rest stop between Albuquerque and El Paso, except in October/November when huge flocks of cranes and snow geese fly in to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. But as a local, I know the special places nearby. Hikes can take you out in the desert or up to the mountains, visiting native petroglyphs or hunting for fossils. Hundreds of rock climbing routes provide adventures for everyone from beginners to experts. Plus, you have a good chance of seeing unusual wildlife, from roadrunners to foxes to great horned owls. In my treasure hunting adventure, Rattled, the heroine and her best friend live in a fictionalized version of Socorro. They hunt for the lost Victorio Peak treasure, a real Southwest legend about a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider. I drew on personal experiences hiking in the desert for Erin and Camie’s adventures – though fortunately I’ve never stumbled on a rattlesnake nest or gotten caught in a flash flood!

Jemez Springs: This small town in the mountains of northwestern New Mexico is known for its hot springs. You can also visit the ruins of an old Spanish church; Soda Dam, a cool rock formation formed from the mineralized water flowing in the river; and Battleship Rock, so named because it resembles the prow of a battleship. (Pictures on my Pinterest page.) I’ve attended many writing retreats at a camp north of the town, and those experiences inspired Counterfeits, my latest romantic suspense novel. Of course, in the book, the site isn’t quite so relaxing. When Jenny inherits a children’s art camp outside of town after her grandmother’s death, she discovers that her death might not have been an accident after all. The men who killed her grandmother are searching for stolen paintings, and they think Jenny and her old friend Rob, the camp cook, can help. Doing research at a real camp tucked away in the woods, and hiking above Battleship Rock for a scene where Jenny gets lost, help the novel feel realistic.

Hovenweep National Monument: All right, this one is not actually in New Mexico, but it’s close. Located on the southern border between Colorado and Utah, these ruins once housed 2500 people between A.D. 1200 and 1300. It’s one of many sites left behind by the ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi. It’s a smaller site than some, but that’s part of its charm. You can hike and camp without crowds. Hovenweep inspired my romantic suspense Whispers in the Dark. My heroine is an archaeology Masters student working at the fictional “Lost Valley” monument, which is closely based on Hovenweep. The lonely location allows for an almost Gothic atmosphere – mysterious lights in the canyon, spooky moaning sounds, and plenty of people hiding secrets.

Lincoln County: What We Found is the most mysterious of my novels, and that’s true for the setting as well. I loosely based the mountain resort town in my book on Ruidoso, but more for the general location than the town itself. The forested town at nearly 7000 feet elevation is not what most people probably imagine when they think of New Mexico. Yet it seemed like the perfect place for the story of Audra, a young woman who stumbles on a dead body in the woods. More than one person isn’t happy about her bringing the murder to light. And in a small town, it’s hard to avoid people who wish you ill. This novel was inspired by the true experience of finding a body, as I described in this blog post. I also spent time with a man who raises falcons and hawks (photos on my Pinterest page), and that comes into play in the story. It’s the chance to meet such fascinating people that makes New Mexico a great place for a writer!

I’ve left out many wonderful sights, but these are some of my personal special spots. If you make it to the Southwestern United States, maybe you’ll enjoy them as well. Otherwise, you can visit in books. Either way, we’ll be glad to have you!