MUSE MONDAY
I have a very yummy post for Muse Monday on Discover... today. Patricia Preston's book sounds delicious, and she's got a yummy recipe for us too!
In To Save a Lady, the heroine, Elise, loves pralines. From Paris, she is a stranger to the French Quarter, and life has not been easy since she arrived in Louisiana. She finds some joy in a French Quarter delicacy called pralines (prawlins). Throughout the book, she is often treating herself to a praline.
In 1727, when the Ursuline nuns came to New Orleans, they reportedly brought a French recipe for sugared almonds. Over time, the recipe was modified to use pecans because almonds didn’t grow locally, along with other ingredients. By 1762, pralines were being sold in the French Quarter. These pralines were made using molasses, cream, sugar, and pecans, which were local ingredients that were plentiful and gave the pralines a sweet, buttery flavor. In the early 1800s, pralinieres, who were among the first Black businesswomen in the Quarter, made and sold pralines. A favorite with locals and tourists, pralines have been a part of Louisiana culture for almost three hundred years.
1 c brown sugar, 1 c white sugar, 1 cup pecan meats, ½ cup cream, 2 Tbl butter
Dissolve sugar in cream; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the butter and pecans. Cook until soft-ball stage (238 degrees). Cool without disturbing. Then beat until somewhat thickened. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined surface or well-greased pan. The candy will flatten into large cakes and harden. Makes about 20 pralines.
Blurb:
SHE'S BOUND BY A PROMISE. A move from Paris to New Orleans brings disaster to Elise's
predictable life as a lady's maid. As war approaches, the son of her
grief-stricken mistress disappears, and to find him, Elise must turn to a
devious gentleman whose motives are as shadowy as the city itself.
HE'S BOUND BY DUTY. Amid the unrest of a worried city bracing for war, Captain
Jesse Cross crosses paths with a mysterious French spy whose courage and charm
defy all reason. Their forbidden romance ignites in a moonlit courtyard, and
Jesse soon learns that his greatest battle will not be fought on the front
line, but in his heart.
UNTIL LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING. As the British surround the city, an unexpected betrayal
puts Elise and Jesse at odds as their mission and their hearts are at risk.
Love and loyalty collide with sacrifice and duty as the dangerous plan to
rescue the missing boy could cost them far more than they ever imagined.
Jesse
headed for General Jackson’s headquarters on Rue Royale. Seated at his desk,
with lamps burning brightly, he couldn’t focus on the pile of correspondence
awaiting his attention. He drummed his fingers on the top of the desk, and his
thoughts drifted back to the seductive spy hidden by a hooded black cloak and
luminous silver mask. “I am your liaison.”
The
way she had said that. It filled his mind with candlelit rooms and sweaty sex.
He straightened the papers on his desk. He wondered what had possessed her to
get involved in such a risky scheme. She could have sinister motives.
For
all he knew, she could be spying for the British. The city teemed with agents
working for the enemy. Plus, the French Creoles harbored deep animosity toward
the Americans. It was likely she intended to kill him.
Buy Links: https://books2read.com/ToSaveALady
Author
Bio:
Patricia loves writing swoonworthy romances with charming heroines and irresistible heroes. When she isn't happily holed up in her writing cave with her characters, she loves taking care of her houseplants, streaming music and movies, eating chocolate truffles, and creating digital artwork. Fangirl of The Gilded Age series. Check out her website at https://patriciapreston.com
