Heroes, Holidays, and Hope: Volume 1 by Dania Voss, Laura M. Baird, Laurie Ryan, Sadira Stone & Lynn Spangler Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours

 

They fought courageously on the battlefield; now they're

 fighting for love.

Heroes, Holidays, and Hope

Volume 1

Genre: Military Romance Anthology

with stories by

Dania Voss, Laura M. Baird, Laurie Ryan, Sadira Stone & Lynn Spangler

Sacrifice. Valor. Patriotism.

They fought courageously on the battlefield, now they’re fighting for love.

We are a group of Veterans and Veterans' family members who are also bestselling and award-winning romance authors! We put our group together to publish a yearly limited edition, military holiday romance collection that also supports military / veteran related charities.

Heroes, Holidays, and Hope Volume 1 supports Fisher House (comfort homes where military & veteran families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital).

Our goal is to raise $3000 (or more) during our yearlong campaign.

The stories in Volume1 are contemporary military romance, taking place during the cold weather holiday months. Various tropes and steam levels are part of this “must have” collection and it’s only available for 6 months after launch day, then it’s gone for good as we prepare for Volume 2!

Pick up your copy today (gift some copies too!) – together we can make a huge difference.

Find us online and get all the details about the Heroes, Holidays, and Hope project!

Stories included in the set are:

Imperfectly Perfect by Dania Voss ~

A runaway bride, scarred from a horrible accident when she was a girl and disillusioned with love.

A former US Navy fighter pilot who had his heart broken years ago and is untrusting of women.

Resigned to interact for business reasons, can these two find their way in Cascade Springs – the wedding capital of Texas Hill County, or are they destined to remain alone forever?

Passion and Duty Forever by Laura M. Baird ~

Spontaneous combustion. That's how Navy SEAL, Antonio Vega, felt when he first bumped into Coronado animal shelter manager, Leesa Colburn. But a fiery night of fun doesn't ignite as hoped when he's called away for a mission.

Each yearns for the other, and when Antonio returns from a tough deployment, he has a life-altering decision to make.

Can Antonio picture a future beyond duty which includes rekindling the passion between him and Leesa, and committing to forever?

The Unexpected Gifts by Lynn Spangler ~

Cyndra “Cyn” Hart hardly ever left her house. After a stint in the US Army involving a child suicide bomber, she spiraled into PTSD-induced isolation, not wanting to be part of a world she didn’t understand.

Brady Jacobs, the local package delivery guy, stirred feelings in her that she had no idea what to do about. Gradually, he begins to pull her out of her shell until a misunderstanding sends him into the cold night air and to the hospital.

Can she find the strength to fight for the life she could only have imagined before Brady?

Saved by Her Marine by Laurie Ryan ~

A single mom. A wounded veteran.

How can Kaedon Powell say no to a woman five thousand miles away from her daughter?

He’s had enough responsibility to last a lifetime, so when the eight-year-old next door asks for help, he’s reluctant to step in, especially since her grandmother doesn’t like him on sight. But the girl’s mother is in Germany as part of her tour. As a vet, he knows what it means to be military. He steps up.

Neurosurgical nurse Holly Miller has no choice but to rely on the stranger next door until a single phone call turns worry into a yearning destined to become more. Their long-distance connection turns personal as they discover how much they have in common.

Can her love help him accept that sometimes, commitment is worth the reward?

The One You Can't Keep by Sadira Stone ~

 Forbidden love is the sweetest Christmas treat.

Stationed in Germany, a lonely teacher and a divorced military dad share a hot holiday liaison. Both crave more, but she’s his troubled son’s teacher! Unless they can untangle this mess, their passionate connection fizzles with the new year.   

**On Sale for only $3.49 – Get it now!**

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

#heroesholidaysandhope #Charityanthology #militaryromance #fisherhousefoundation #supportourmilitary #supportourveterans @LauraMBairdAuthor @laurambaird_author #books #readers #reading #booklovers #booktok #bookbuzz #bookboost #BookPromo #AuthorPromo  #BookBlogger #Bookstagram #bookish #bookclub #Writersofinstagram #AmReading #BookTour #Giveaway #writingcommunity #readerscommunity

Dania Voss and Laura M. Baird co-founded the Heroes, Holidays, and Hope project to share their love of writing military romances, but to also use a portion of the sales to help military and veteran charities. Laura served in the US Army, and Dania's husband served in the Navy. They invite authors who are also veterans or veterans' family member to participate.

Each year, a different holiday theme is written about, with volume one all about stories at Christmastime. Each story is unique to the author, ranging from sweet and heartwarming to steamy and sensual. The anthologies will be available for six months, always releasing on December 6^th. Volume I benefits Fisher House, an organization which provides comfort homes throughout the nation (with some even overseas) to military and veteran family members where they can stay for free while a loved one is in the hospital. 

Https://fisherhouse.org

We're looking forward to giving readers captivating stories that also support a terrific cause. We also have a merchandise shop that offers a wide variety of items, from clothes to bags to drink ware, all with our project logo. 

https://bit.ly/HHHmerch

Website * Merch Store* Facebook

Find the Authors:

Laura M. Baird * Dania Voss * Laurie Ryan * Sadira Stone * Lynn Spangler

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

A Surprise Swag Bag (US only),

$10 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lines of Deception by Steve Anderson Book Tour!

March 18 - April 12, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

The Kaspar Brothers Series

A West German nightclub owner goes behind the Iron Curtain on a desperate mission to save his brother, in this Cold War thriller by the author of Lost Kin.

West Germany, 1949. Former actor Max Kaspar suffered greatly in the Second World War. Now he owns a nightclub in Munich—and occasionally lends a hand to the newly formed CIA. Meanwhile, his brother Harry has ventured beyond the Iron Curtain to rescue an American scientist. When Harry is also taken captive, Max resolves to locate his brother at all costs. The last thing he expects is for Harry to go rogue.

Max’s treacherous quest takes him to Vienna and Prague to Soviet East Germany and Communist Poland. Along the way, dangerous operators from Harry’s past join the pursuit: his former lover Katarina, who’s working for the Israelis, and former Nazi Hartmut Dietz, now an agent of East German intelligence. But can anyone be trusted? Even the American scientist Stanley Samaras may not be the hero Harry had believed him to be . . .

Praise for Lines of Deception:

"In this convincing and atmospheric spy tale set on the haunted landscape of postwar Europe, the engaging Max Kaspar leads us into deepening shadows in which the certainties of loyalty and morality grow dimmer at every turn. An intriguing and satisfying read."
~ Dan Fesperman, author of Winter Work

"Steve Anderson brings the past to life… As close as you'll get to a historical guide to the vagaries and treacheries and to the hidden byways and ratlines of post-war Europe."
~ Luke McCallin, author of the Gregor Reinhardt series

"If you like international intrigue on a grand and gritty scale written in language that moves like the wind, this is your read."
~ Mary Glickman, National Jewish Book Award Finalist for One More River

"Kept me on the edge of my seat, and the unexpected twists left me guessing until the final pages."
~ Roccie Hill, author of The Blood of My Mother and other novels

"Readers who know the Kaspar brothers from Anderson’s other tales will not be disappointed, and those who are new to the brothers’ exploits will be faithful hereon."
~ NCR Davis, author of For the Boys: The War Story of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army

Book Details:

Genre: Espionage, Historical Thriller, Cold War Thriller

Published by: Open Road Media

Publication Date: March 2024

Number of Pages: 200

ISBN: 9781504086134 (ISBN10: 1504086139)

Series: Kaspar Brothers (#4)

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Open Road Media

Read an excerpt:

MUNICH

Tuesday, May 17, 1949
12:01 a.m.

Max Kaspar learned about his brother, Harry, from the little man who brought him the severed ear. The nasty fellow even had the gall to bring it to the Kuckoo Nightclub, keeping it in a small purple box on his table along the wall.

Up on the club’s small stage, Max had just finished belting out a recent jump blues hit from the States, “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” everybody clapping along. He flubbed a couple lines but his few fellow Germans had no idea and the Americans were too drunk to care.

The little man never clapped along. He’d just stared at Max. Max used to be fairly certain that a man watching like that was either a talent agent or a producer. But that was before Total War, before fire bombings, and concentration camps, stranded orphans, souls scarred for life. Before his own rehabilitation.

As the applause died, Max kept the man in a corner of his eye. Small head on narrow shoulders, an outdated curly greased mustache, and a frenzied glare like Peter Lorre, his eyes bulging, never blinking.

Max forced out a grin. “Thank you, folks, meine Damen und Herren,” he said in that mix of English and German everyone used to please both occupier and occupied.

Then he pulled their young waitress Eva onto the stage.

Eva gasped. “Now, Herr Kaspar?” Between them, they embraced speaking their native German.

“You said you want a chance, my dear, so now’s your shot,” Max told her.

Eva beamed at him. Their four-piece band made anyone sound good since they had a hepcat GI playing drums and another on piano, a former Swing Kid from Cologne on the horn, and a steady old Kabarett veteran on bass. Eva’s dimples and curves and sweet voice did the rest. She launched into a rousing version of “Slow Boat to China” festooned by her thick accent and the crowd cheered her on.

Not bad for a Tuesday. But Max was creating diversions. He’d needed to surveil the man, which meant throwing him off. He made for the bar. Then he disappeared into the kitchen and went down into the cellar, passing under the dance floor and tables above.

What could the little man want? He threatened to throw Max’s shaky world spinning out of kilter. The day had started like any other here in Schwabing, that Munich quarter once home to pioneering artists, then to a small-handed, fatheaded blowhard named Adolf, and now to free-spending American occupiers. Max had peacetime, normalcy, a cozy routine. Fresh white bread from his American friends, toasted, with real butter and orange marmalade. Real coffee. He was finally forgetting what ersatz coffee tasted like, thank god or whoever was responsible. He’d arrived early at the club like usual, before noon, before anyone. Drank another real coffee. He went through the ledgers and checked the earnings stacked in the cellar safe, if only to confirm all truly was well and normal. Then he wandered the Kuckoo, his Kuckoo, wincing at the few dirty ashtrays and beer glasses left out from the previous night. He rolled up his sleeves, emptied the ashes and cleared the glasses, and wiped things down. His staff could do this, but a little chore always gave him something like peace of mind. A part of him was even hoping that Eva would arrive early and see him doing it. He went through his mail, finding the usual inquiries from bands and singers, and bills he had no problem paying now, at last. The occasional letter came from Mutti und Vati in America. But, still nothing from his brother, Harry, here in Europe. The void of letters, postcards, or even a surprise visit had been growing, swelling, prickling at him low in his gut. Just this morning, Max had gotten that creeping feeling he knew from combat: Things were all too quiet.

Down in the Kuckoo cellar, Max now felt a shudder, deep in his chest, and the normalcy dwindled as only a memory, a fog. An opened bottle of American rye stood atop the safe and he thought about taking a shot for courage, then decided he didn’t need it. He needed to move.

He came back upstairs on the other side, behind their red curtain at the back of the stage. He eyed the little man closer from the shadows while Eva gave it all she had. The man was now watching the bar, craning his compact noodle for any sight of Max. That purple box stood in equal proportion to his short neat glass of Fernet, to his fresh pack of Chesterfields, to his sterling jeweled lighter, his gnarled knuckles revealing him to be older than his shiny face let on.

Why show off, Max thought, when any secure communication would do? This peacock was certainly not CIA. The Munich desk was more likely to send some new kid with a crew cut.

Eva was bowing now, the crowd whooping and stomping. As if sensing Max, the man slowly swiveled Max’s way, still not blinking.

Max rushed out along the wall and sat down next to the man. They waited for the crowd to quiet, silent like two passengers aboard an airliner off to a rocky start.

“Good evening, Herr Kaspar,” the man said in German, his accent as inscrutable as Max expected. “I enjoyed your routine.”

“It’s not a routine,” Max blurted, sounding more annoyed than he’d wanted.

The man smirked, which released a sniffle. “You did not know all the words, yes? Tricky, keeping up with these Americans.”

“What in the devil do you want?”

His waiter came over, Gerd. Max sent poor Gerd away with a snap of fingers.

The little man lost the smirk. He slid the small purple box over to Max.

It was larger than a ring box, smaller than for a necklace. Max pushed the box open with his index finger. He saw one human ear, lying on its side, with a neat cut and cleaned up.

“Harry Kaspar,” the man said. “Perhaps he hears too much.”

“My brother?” Max’s head spun. Everything blurred and he shut his eyes a moment. “Just tell me what you want.”

“Harry Kaspar is your brother, yes?”

The man had said brother like a curse word. Hot pressure filled Max’s chest, and he wiped away the sweat instantly sopping his eyebrows. He grabbed the man by the collar. He could smell the man’s toilet water, and possibly a bad tooth. “Why, you . . .” he roared.

“Now, now. Listen. You will find instructions with the ear, which I leave with you. You deliver the ransom soon? Perhaps the ear can be reattached, yes?”

Max had to assume it was Harry’s ear. He realized he didn’t know what his brother’s ear looked like, not exactly, and the thought made his heart squeeze a little. He let go of the man.

“Why Harry?” he asked.

“I told you: He hears too much. But I suppose it could’ve been an eye—”

“Listen to me. You don’t know who you’re playing with. Harry’s an American.”

The man gave the slightest shrug. “Naturalized American. Unlike you. Still a lowly German . . .” He gave a tsk-tsk sound. “But with means now, I see.”

Max’s jaw clenched from loathing. “Who are you? I thought kidnappers were supposed to be anonymous.”

The man pressed a hand to his chest. “Oh, we’re better than kidnappers. And we’re confident that you will comply. Because Harry told us that you would pay.”

“He did? Why?”

The man smiled. “I don’t think he wanted his embassy involved, and certainly not the Soviets.”

“The Soviets? Hold on. Where did you come from anyway?”

The man gave another slight shrug. He nodded at the box. He scooped up his Chesterfields and lighter, stood, straightened his black crushed velvet blazer, blinked around the room, and left.

Harry smoked Chesterfields, Max recalled, and the thought stiffened his neck with worry. The ear box remained on the table. He pulled it closer, glanced around for privacy, and then opened it again. Tucked up into the lid was a note, typed on a small white square of paper:

Ransom: $1,000 or equivalent.
Come alone. No tricks.
9 Lessinggasse, Vienna

***

Excerpt from Lines of Deception by Steve Anderson. Copyright 2024 by Steve Anderson. Reproduced with permission from Steve Anderson. All rights reserved.

Steve Anderson is the author of numerous novels, mostly historical thrillers about gutsy underdogs. In an earlier life he earned an MA in history and was a Fulbright Fellow in Germany. Day jobs have included busy waiter, Associated Press rookie, and language instructor. He’s also written historical nonfiction and translated bestselling German novels. A hopeless soccer addict, he lives in his hometown of Portland, Oregon with his wife René.

Catch Up With Steve Anderson:

www.StephenFAnderson.com

Goodreads

BookBub - @SteveAnderson

Instagram - @steveawriter

Twitter/X - @SteveAwriter

Facebook - @SteveAndersonAuthor

Check out his Substack Newsletter: @steveawriter

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The Model’s Last Pose by @nancypennickauthor Book Tour! #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣#nancypennick #ModelsLastPose

 

The Model’s Last Pose
Nancy Pennick

(The Pearl Hotel Cozy Mystery Series, #1)
Publication date: March 26th 2024
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery

In a cozy tearoom of a prestigious five-star hotel, three friends embark on a mission to solve a murder along with a koi that appears to read minds.

Faced with a severe case of writer’s block, best-selling author Serena Tate seeks help from her close confidant, Mia, a popular fashion designer. Mia suggests that Serena observe the inner workings of her forthcoming fashion show for inspiration. What unfolds is beyond her wildest expectations—a shocking murder of a supermodel. Together with their tech-savvy friend, Lily, the unlikely trio embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.

Goodreads / Amazon

Two koi swam away, but a majestic red one with white fins and tail stayed. “Oh, I see how it is. They’re loyal to Nina. But you?” Serena pointed to the fish. “Have sympathy for everyone.” She threw her head back and blew air through her lips. “Where do I begin?”

When Serena looked at the pond again, the koi hadn’t budged. “I loved him, you know. Madly. Passionately.” She stared at the fish. “Who am I talking about, you ask? My ex-husband, Justice Tate. He was a bad boy, and I loved bad boys. He owned a motorcycle, and we’d go on day trips, seeing parts of the state I’d never seen before. We had fun together, so much fun. When he asked me to marry him, I think I fainted. Not literally. But in my mind, I did.”

The koi’s mouth formed in the shape of an “O”. He, because Serena decided it must be a male, seemed interested in the story. “You want to hear the rest? It gets uglier. Sadder. I can’t really label it.”

Other fish swam by, distracting the red and white koi. He turned away but reappeared after a dip underwater. “What do you like to eat?” Serena asked. “Next time I’ll come prepared.”

The fish seemed to like her statement. Serena swore he nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, and she decided he was waiting to hear more of her sad tale.

“Okay,” Serena finally said. “Fine. I’ll tell you. We were young when we got married. Twenty-one, to be exact. We had two great years together, then I got pregnant with twins. Girls. Justice wanted to name the girls Jade and Jewel like the shiny, precious gems they were, and so we did. At first, everything was fine. Justice was the typical doting dad. But they cramped his style. We couldn’t take off at a moment’s notice with a double stroller. That didn’t fit on the back of a motorcycle. We needed a practical car. I encouraged Justice to choose whatever he wanted so he’d feel invested. Once the girls started school, I thought things would get better.” She paused and shook her head. “Nope.” She put emphasis on the ‘p’. “They got worse.”

Nancy Pennick grew up and still lives in Northeast Ohio. After a career in teaching, she began writing young adult and romance books. The Waiting for Dusk series includes a historical fiction prequel, Broken Dreams. The sci-fi romance series about time travel has three books-Waiting for Dusk, Call of the Canyon and Stealing Time. The Swedish influences in the series come from her mother whose parents emigrated from Sweden.

Her second YA series-Twenty Nine-had slowly developed over time. One Leap Year, an idea came to her and she created the characters and story based on that special day, February 29.

Nancy has branched out into historical romance with her Clan MacLaren series and romantic suspense, The Secret Billionaire Society and Billionaire's Bride series.

Nancy is married and has one son who helps her when she's challenged by tech, which may be more often than he likes!

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

#bookstagram #instabooks #bookish #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading

GIVEAWAY!

$25 Amazon gift card

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—

Jasper By Laramie Briscoe Cover Reveal!`

Title: Jasper (Broken Falls, #3) 

Author: Laramie Briscoe 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Release Date: May 24, 2024 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

I never thought my fake marriage, would become real...

Jasper Hamilton I've always been a pawn in the game of chess my grandfather prefers to play with me. It started when I was a child who didn't have anywhere else to go after my parents were killed. Gone was my home full of love and warmth, and in its place was a mansion with a man as cold as a winter night. The only thing that kept me sane were my friends. 

Those blue-collar buddies who didn't care about my grandpa's bank account. I never cared about the money either. Until he threatens to take away the one thing I love in this world. The foundation created in their memory. The only way for me to get it back? Play by his rules, take a wife, and secure an heir. 

Something I never planned to do after growing up the way I did. But the way I respond to Daisy Williams, and the satisfaction I get from calling her my wife makes me feel like I've been promoted from Pawn to King.Tropes Includedsmall townblue collarmarriage of conveniencebrooding for everyone but her  Jasper is book three in The Broken Falls a series of interconnected standalones following a group of friends who have become family in small-town West Virginia, and the women who bring them to their knees. 

You do not have to read them in order, but each book builds upon the relationships of the last.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books, with sales of over half a million copies.

Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Her books have been known to make readers laugh and cry. They are guaranteed to be emotional, steamy reads.

When she's not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband.

⬇️ Start the series with Boone⬇️

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Molten Death (An Orchid Isle Mystery) by Leslie Karst Book Tour Plus Recipe!

About Molten Death

Molten Death (An Orchid Isle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – the Big Island of Hawai‘i
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House (April 2, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448312167
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448312160
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CKWF5VWT

A glimpse of a quickly melting corpse at the foot of a volcano has amateur sleuth and food enthusiast Valerie Corbin shocked. But how can she investigate a murder, when there’s no evidence the victim ever existed?

The first Orchid Isle cozy mystery, set in tropical Hilo, Hawai’i, introduces a fun and feisty LGBTQ+ couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions!

Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have come to the Big Island of Hawai’i to treat themselves to a well-earned tropical vacation. After the recent loss of her brother, Valerie is in sore need of a distraction from her troubles and is looking forward to enjoying the delicious food and vibrant culture the state has to offer.

Early one morning, the couple and their friend – tattooed local boy, Isaac – set out to see an active lava flow, and Valerie is mesmerized by the shape-shifting mass of orange and red creeping over the field of black rock. Spying a boot in the distance, she strides off alone, pondering how it could have gotten there, only to realize to her horror that the boot is still attached to a leg – a leg which is slowly being engulfed by the hot lava.

Valerie’s convinced a murder has been committed – but as she’s the only witness to the now-vanished corpse, who’s going to believe her?

Determined to prove what she saw, and get justice for the unknown victim, Valerie launches her own investigation. But, thrown into a Hawaiian culture far from the luaus and tiki bars of glossy tourist magazines, she soon begins to fear she may be the next one to end up entombed in shiny black rock . . .

The amiable characters, stunning backdrop and culinary delights make this the perfect cozy of fans who enjoy a tropical vacation with a twisty murder mystery and compelling Hawai’ian culture – paired with an added bonus of recipes of local Hawai’ian dishes!

In addition to Molten Death, Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. 

It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife split their time between Santa Cruz, California and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Author Links

Website 

http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/

Chicks on the Case 

https://chicksonthecase.com/

Mystery Lovers Kitchen

 https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/

Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/lesliekarstauthor/

Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/lesliekarst/

GoodReads 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14220589.Leslie_Karst

BookBub

 https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leslie-karst

Purchase Links 

Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org 

CelticLady’s Reviews—Recipe

Leslie Karst—Recipe from Molten Death

Sesame-Shoyu Poke

(serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as an appetizer)

Poke (pronounced “poh-kay”) is a delectable dish prepared with marinated, raw fish—often ahi tuna—similar in some ways to ceviche. It is thought to have been made by ancient Polynesians centuries before Western contact, who prepared it with local reef fish, seaweed, crushed kukui nut (candlenut), and sea salt.

It wasn’t until the 1960s, however, that the name “poke” (Hawaiian for “sliced crosswise into pieces”) was given to the dish, and not until the 1990s that it became well known outside of Hawai‘i. Poke’s rise in popularity is due largely to the efforts of Hawaiian chef and television personality, Sam Choy, who tirelessly promoted the local delicacy and even started a poke contest, an event still held each March in Kona, on the Big Island. 

Modern poke recipes commonly include shoyu (soy sauce) and roasted sesame oil, ingredients brought to the islands by Japanese and Chinese immigrants, as well as new innovations such as avocado, kimchee, and Sriracha mayonnaise.

Sesame-Shoyu Poke

Ingredients

1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into ½ inch cubes

2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil

4 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon oyster sauce

4 tablespoons green onions, coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Direction

If your tuna has a dark bloodline running through it, cut this away and discard, as it has an unpleasant flavor. You’ll need about 1 ¾ pounds of ahi that contains a bloodline in order to end up with 1 ½ pounds of useable fish. 

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate, covered, at least ½ hour (or up to 6 hours) before it’s time to eat. Serve it with crackers or chips as an appetizer, or over steamed rice for a traditional “poke bowl.” 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 29 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT  

March 29 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

March 30 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 30 – Elicia’s Book Haven – REVIEW

March 31 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

March 31 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

April 1 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 1 –Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW*

April 3 – Novels Alive – REFVIEW

April 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

April 4 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

April 5 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 6 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

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