Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with KAT MARTIN!

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, KAT MARTIN, and her favorite recipe for BACON, TOMATO, BALSAMIC PASTA!

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THE PERFECT MURDER
Maximum Security Novel Book 4
BY KAT MARTIN

Blurb

“Kat Martin is a fast gun when it comes to storytelling, and I love her books.” —Linda Lael Miller, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is back with her most thrilling novel yet in the Maximum Security series—The Perfect Murder. Fans of Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and Julie Garwood will fall in love with The Max.

The eldest of the three wealthy Garrett brothers, Reese Garrett is in the middle of a major purchase for his multimillion-dollar oil and gas company, Garrett Resources. The Poseidon offshore drilling platform venture will greatly enhance the company’s value.

But when Reese is on a trip out to see the rig, his helicopter crashes, leaving him hospitalized and two men dead. It’s discovered the chopper was sabotaged, and Reese is determined to find out who’s behind the crash—and whether he was the intended target. Then, when his lover, Kenzie, is accused of her ex-husband’s murder—a man with a vested interest in the Poseidon deal—clues start pointing to a connection that puts Reese, Kenzie and her young son in the sights of a killer.

From the Texas heat to the Louisiana bayous, Reese and his brothers must track down the truth before the body count gets any higher.

THE PERFECT MURDER
Maximum Security Novel Book 4
BY KAT MARTIN

Reese Garret’s story was the most difficult of the series to write.  The eldest Garret brother was a complex character, the CEO of a huge oil and gas corporation, a man with secrets as well as hidden desires. Add to that, his newly hired executive assistant, McKenzie Haines, had become a critical member of his staff, making her a forbidden temptation.

Submerging these characters in an effort to purchase an offshore drilling platform that is coveted by several of Reese’s most ruthless competitors led Reese and Kenzie into deadly intrigue.

As you can imagine, the research was extremely difficult–what do I know about off-shore drilling?  A lot more now, I can tell you!

And there was Kenzie’s son, Griff, to worry about.  A target of completely scrupulous individuals willing to do anything for the millions of dollars in profit they could make off the oil rig.

I hope you enjoy Reese and Kenzie in The Perfect Murder.  Very best wishes, Kat

THE PERFECT MURDER
Maximum Security Novel Book 4
BY KAT MARTIN

Excerpt

Chapter One

Galveston, Texas
Last Day of July

Seconds after the chopper lifted off the pad, Reese felt the odd vibration.  Along with the pilot and co-pilot and five members of the crew, the Eurocopter EC135 was headed for the Poseidon offshore drilling platform.

For a moment, the ride leveled out and Reese relaxed against his seat.  As CEO of Garrett Resources, the billion-dollar oil and gas company he owned with his brothers, he was always searching for the right investment to expand company holdings, the reason he was flying out to the platform.

For months he’d been working with Sea Titan Drilling, the owner of the offshore rig, to complete the five-hundred-million-dollar purchase, an extremely good value when the average price of a similar rig was around six-fifty.

The vibration returned and with it came a grinding noise that put Reese on alert.  The men in the cabin began to glance back and forth and shift nervously in their seats.  A sharp jolt, then the chopper seemed to fall out of the sky.  It climbed again, began to dip and sway, dropped then climbed as the pilot fought for control.

The pilot’s deep voice rumbled through the headset.  “We’ve got a problem.  I don’t want you to panic, but we need to find a place to set down.”

There was definitely a problem, Reese thought, as the vibration continued to worsen.  The chopper was out of control and the whole cabin was shaking as if it would break apart any minute.  His pulse was hammering, his adrenalin pumping.

Along with the men in the crew who rode back and forth from the rig every few weeks, he stared out the window toward the ground.  They were no longer above the heliport.  Clearly the pilot was looking for an open space big enough to handle the thirty-six-foot blade span.  All Reese could see were the rooftops of warehouses and metal commercial buildings.

The chopper kept shaking.  The crew was grim-faced but resigned.  The pilot did something to take the pitch out of the rotors and the chopper started falling.

“No need to worry,” the pilot said.  “We’ll auto-rotate down.  I’ve done it a dozen times.”

Auto rotate down.  Reese knew the concept, the technique helicopter pilots used to land when the engine failed.  The trick was to find a safe place to hit the ground.

Both engines went silent.  The blades were flat now, the wind whistling through them, tying his stomach into a knot.

“Brace for impact,” the pilot said.  Below them, Reese spotted an open flat slab of asphalt in the yard of a small trucking firm–the only possible landing site anywhere around.  Trouble was it didn’t look wide enough to handle the blades.

At the last second, the pilot flared the helicopter in an effort to slow the descent, then the ground rushed up and the chopper hit with a jolt that wracked Reese’s whole body.

For an instant, he thought they were going to make it.  Then one of the spinning rotor blades hit the corner of a building and tore free.  The Plexiglas bubble shattered as the long metal blades exploded into a hundred deadly pieces, careening like knives through the air, slicing into buildings and the cabin of the helicopter.

Reese didn’t feel the impact.  One moment he was conscious, then the world suddenly went black.

Karen

P.S. We’re at 536 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right-hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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BACON, TOMATO, BALSAMIC PASTA
By: Kat Martin

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Sauté tomatoes, garlic, and onions in drippings until tender. Drain spaghetti; stir into skillet. Add the spinach, bacon, vinegar, salt and pepper; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• ½ cup minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese

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Special Giveaway: Enter Kat’s Monthly Contest here:

https://www.katmartin.com/monthly-contest/

Thanks, Kat, for sharing your story with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!