KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

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THE GOLDEN LEGACY BOX SET
BY NANCY RADKE, REBECCA YORK
SUSANNE MATTHEWS, & KATY WALTERS

Blurb

FIVE stories of passion and excitement, all the result of THE GOLDEN LEGACY.

The legacy of a pirate treasure is either a curse or a blessing depending on if it’s used for good or evil.

Early in the 1700s, a modest merchant ship sailing the Caribbean is attacked by pirates. Although smaller, The Golden Fleece bested the brigands’ craft loaded with a treasure trove of gold and jewels. The last words of a dying pirate claimed the Incas had cursed anyone who misused the treasure but anyone who used it for good would be blessed. The greedy merchant captain was killed during the battle, but his 18-year-old daughter survived. Mindful of the curse and to thank God for their salvation, she asked the crew members to split the treasure equally. They made a binding pledge to keep only twenty percent for their own use and give ten percent to help others. With the rest, each was to buy something of great value that could be given to their descendants. The curse, though, would be passed onto anyone who broke the oath and used the gains selfishly.

Love survives despite the trauma of pirates, kidnappings, and murder; villains and slave uprisings, lies and deceptions. Travel from the eighteenth to twenty-first century and find what perils and pleasure await in this box set collection of romance stories based on the purloined pirates’ treasure of THE GOLDEN LEGACY from USA Today and NY Times Bestselling Authors.

THE PRISONER RETURNS by Nancy Radke: His love for her means more than his inheritance. He’s willing to lose it all to save the woman he loves.

TWIST OF FATE by Susanne Matthews: Can a cursed treasure unite two lonely outcasts?

RACE FOR THE GOLD by Rebecca York: Can they stay alive and out of harm’s way long enough for her to enjoy her inheritance?

DANGEROUS INHERITANCE by Nancy Radke: Great wealth can bring great problems – including kidnapping and murder – and may make it harder to protect the woman you love.

THE PRICE OF LOVE by Katy Walters: Two couples find love as they deal with murderous family members and a mysterious time portal while trying to stay alive long enough to enjoy a generous inheritance.

$.99 for five connected stories by 4 authors.  Kindle Unlimited.

THE GOLDEN LEGACY BOX SET
BY NANCY RADKE, REBECCA YORK
SUSANNE MATTHEWS, & KATY WALTERS

Quick, Easy, and Delicious Chocolate Depression Cake

By Rebecca York

My story in The Golden Legacy boxed set, Race for the Gold, takes place in the 1930s when times are hard.  The hero, Matthew Connor, has three big problems. As his horse farm fell on hard times in Depression-era Maryland, his wife left him for another man, abandoning their five-year-old daughter, Jenny. Now he suspects someone is trying to sabotage his business. When Hannah Henry snatches Jenny from the path of a speeding car, Matt is sure fate has intervened and hires Hannah as the girl’s nanny. As he watches them bond, he falls for the young woman who is giving his daughter a renewed sense of security. Yet he’s reluctant to risk his heart again. When Hannah comes into money from the Golden Legacy, she tries to find a way to banish his financial worries without wounding the pride of the man she loves. But will the saboteur succeed before Matt realizes that Hannah’s heart is the only treasure that matters.

While he’s worried about finances, Matt is trying to save money any way he can. And he’s delighted when his housekeeper comes up with this cake that’s rich, moist, and simple to make, but surprisingly cheap because it has no milk, eggs, or butter. After baking, top with creamy chocolate frosting. For modern cooks, this cake is a real time-saver. I assembled and combined the ingredients in eighteen minutes. And I baked it in the toaster oven.

CHOCOLATE DEPRESSION CAKE
9 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup bland cooking oil such as canola
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water

CHOCOLATE ICING

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder until well combined.

In a two-cup liquid measuring cup, combine water, vinegar and vanilla extract.

Add the oil to the bowl of dry ingredients, followed by the water mixture. Stir until the chocolate cake batter is mostly smooth. Make sure no dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl.

Pour the cake batter into an 8×8″ or 9×9″ baking pan. Transfer to the oven and bake the cake for 32 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

TO MAKE THE ICING:

When the cake is completely cooled (for at least 1 hour): Combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and stir to mix well. Add the vanilla extract.  Begin adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring, until it forms a thick but pourable icing (about 3 tablespoons total).

Immediately spoon the icing over the cooled cake and spread until the cake is evenly covered. Slice the cake into 9 pieces and serve.