One thing I love doing in my book is putting in different foods that would have been popular in the time and setting in which I’m writing. Montana is filled with huckleberries, cherries, and asparagus. So I must confess that these often make appearances in my books. In book 2 of the Montana Mountain Romance series, WILD PASSION, the heroine is a camp cook.

I once had a friend ask me if huckleberries were real. She thought it was nothing more than a famous phrase uttered by the ever so sexy Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone. But what does “I’m your huckleberry” or “I’ll be your huckleberry” mean? According to urban dictionary, it was a popular nineteenth century slang phrase meaning “I’m the man you’re looking for.” It’s such fun phrase that it has become a popular answer in my own family (as my husband is a huge Tombstone fan…both the movie and the actual town).

But I digress.

Huckleberries are one of the most delicious berries I have ever tasted, and they are a Montana staple. Many Montanan’s wait all year for huckleberry season so they can go up to the mountain slopes and pick gallons upon gallons of berries. Jam, syrup, honey, even huckleberry pies and shakes are a popular guilty pleasure in the Big Sky State.

I am currently working on putting together a free downloadable cookbook which will feature recipes featured in all three Montana Mountain Romance books. For you, I’m going to give you a preview of one of my favorite Wild Passion recipes. And guess what…it’s huckleberry. 

 

The half-shell heroes go full throttle on their final missions!

First, the turtles clash with some classic movie monsters before traveling to another dimension and allying themselves with the great rabbit samurai Miyamoto Usagi. And in a post-apocalyptic feature, a battle-worn Raphael and Donatello must fight their way through a mutant wasteland in order to reunite with their long-lost brothers. Plus, old enemies return for a shocking rumble in a special double episode!

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Illumination, the studio that brought you Sing, The Secret Life of Pets and the Despicable Me franchise, continues the adventures of Gru and his family in Despicable Me 3. After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker, “South Park,” Team America: World Police), the latest evil mastermind to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother — a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps — the former super-villain rediscovers just how good it feels to be bad.

Academy Award® nominee Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) reprises his hilarious role as reformed criminal mastermind Gru, as well as his newly discovered twin, Dru. The all-star voice cast also features Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids, Despicable Me 2), Miranda Cosgrove (Despicable Me 1 & 2, School of Rock), Steve Coogan (The Secret Life of Pets, Philomena), Jenny Slate (Zootopia, The Secret Life of Pets), Dana Gaier (Despicable Me 1 & 2) and legendary singer and actress Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins).

• All-New Mini Movie — The Secret Life of Kyle 
• Minion Moments — Watch the Minions cause more hilarious mayhem with Gru.
• Deleted Scene — With intro by Dana Gaier, the voice of Edith
• Character Profiles — The inside scoop on the most popular characters, from the actors who play them. 
• The Making of Despicable Me 3 — A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. 
• Developing Dru — Behind the scenes character development of Dru. 
• The AVL Files — Through the lens of the Anti-Villain League’s hi-tech database, this ultra secret, interactive surveillance briefing showcases all of the agency’s amazing creations and top agents. 
• Freedonia Visitors Guide — Welcome to Freedonia! See all that the town has to offer with this interactive map. From its world class cheese, to its beautiful coastline, Freedonia has it all!
• Despicable Me TV — Tune in for some fabulous fun with these Despicable Me 3 infomercials. Includes “Balthazar Bratt Action Figure,” “Bad Boy Bod by Balthazar Bratt” and “Agnes’ Super Cute, Incredibly Amazing Toy Sale.”
• “Doowit” Sing-Along — Sing along with Pharrell Williams as the Minions plot their escape from prison.
• “Yellow Light” Music Video — Official music video by Pharrell Williams Minion Mugshots — The Minions add to the long list of celebrity mugshots in their very own “rogues gallery.”
• Wanted Posters — Have you seen these Minions wanted for various crimes?

• Conquest & Rebellion: An Animated History of the Seven Kingdoms- From the Game of Thrones realm comes the never-before-seen story of the tumultuous events that shaped the world of Westeros for thousands of years before the series start. Cast members Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger), Conleth Hill (Varys), Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) team up to narrate the animated telling of Aegon Targaryen’s attempts to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, written by show writer Dave Hill. 
• From Imagination to Reality: Inside the Art Department- Extensive two-part featurette detailing the astonishing work of Production Designer Deborah Riley and her Art Department, dissecting the process behind the creation of this season’s incredible new sets, including Dragonstone, Casterly Rock, Highgarden, the Dragonpit, and more. 
• Fire & Steel: Creating the Invasion of Westeros- Revisit this season’s most pivotal moments with this behind-the-scenes featurette, including interviews with key cast and crew breaking down how fans’ favorite moments were created. 
• Audio Commentaries - Commentaries on every episode with cast and crew including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Jacob Anderson, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, and more.

In winter and autumn when the rest of the garden dies, do your garden a favor and add an outdoor water fountain. A pot fountain, nestled in a boulder, adds structure and beauty to the outdoor area. Keep all-season charm in mind when selecting the size and placement of a water garden, chiefly if the material can endure the elements. Even if the water is tapped in the winter, the pot fountain or garden can be a lovely sculptural element.

Best For: Gardeners who prefer all-season concern for their courtyard fountains. A pot fountain or water garden with natural character acts as a focal point when greenery is less prominent and a subtle accent when the garden is in coloration.


A little stand-alone pond on a deck or patio or in a garden can be a stimulating architectural article. Plus: It can be a cheap way to begin working with water plants and possibly even a few fish.

Best For: Gardeners who want to explore into backyard fountain potentials but at a controllable level. A self-confined pond needs more upkeep but also offers more garden prospects.


As a borderline, a small water aspect is a good way to taper off and vividly end a flowerbed. For example, the large boulder assortment can signal a discontinuing point for the planted region that jewels the back patio; it also inspires visitors to admire and stop both the flowers and the stream. The sound of dwindling water adds an attractive element to the neighboring deck.

Best For: Gardeners who need the structural and sound appeal of flowing water but not essentially water plants. A small waterfall can be enclosed by plants but might need to not include water plants.


Particularly for bigger backyard fountains with realistic design, a stream can be an amazing way to encompass backyard fountains and add an extensive sense of adventure to an outdoor space. Garden fountains don't require to be excessively wide, but they can make use of both the hardscape articles such as rocks and a diversity of plants to mix it with the surrounding landscape.

Best For: Gardeners who want to emulate the desire of a woodland stream. As it gurgles and trickles along, a fountain stream can lead visitors to resting spots and secret niches.

JUMANJI: The Complete Animated Series DVD

If you celebrate Christmas, do you feel the need to stop reading anything but Christmas-themed romances as the holiday season starts?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer:

Not really. While I do read a few Christmas-themed books around this time of year, I also read other books.

Now available on Digital HD from HBO Home Entertainment is the 1970s drama The Deuce: The Complete First Season, featuring all 8 episodes. The series will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 13, 2018.

The series is set during the early 1970s in New York City's Times Square, The Deuce gives viewers an up-close look at the gritty world of sex and crime, as the porn industry begins its climb to legitimacy, cultural permanence, and billion-dollar profitability.

This eight-episode series, which has a 93% Certified Fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes, is “Vibrant…relentlessly interesting.” (The New York Times). The DVD and Blu-RayTM include exciting bonus content including exclusive audio commentaries from the cast and crew, including James Franco (Oscar® nominee for 127 Hours), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Oscar® nominee for Crazy Heart), and David Simon (The Wire, Treme, Show Me a Hero), cast interviews on this unique period in history, and more. 

Digital Download Bonus Features Include:

• The Deuce in Focus- Delve inside The Deuce with Michelle MacLaren, James Franco and Roxann Dawson as they talk about bringing the show to life. 

• The Wild West: New York in the Early '70s- Head back in time in this featurette that focuses on the frontier of the pornography business--New York City in the early 1970s--with the cast and crew of The Deuce. Creators David Simon and George Pelecanos plus James Franco and his co-stars open up about this unique period in NYC history as porn moved from the street to the mainstream screen.

• The Deuce: The Complete First Season Digital HD
• 2 Winners
• Sponsored by HBO Home Entertainment
• Must be 18+ age to enter.
• USA Entries Only
• Note: Blogger is responsible for sending the digital code to the winners.
• Digital HD code can be redeemed at: www.hbodigitalhd.com/

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