We have your favourite table ready and waiting and a selection of tasty and unusual dishes for your delectation and delight (but do bear in mind that the kitchen closes shortly as the Chef needs to go to his second job, rodding out blocked sewers). We have a few choice 'nostalgedy' stories for Starters, some meatier ones for your Mains, a selection of 'curmudgeonly rants' or keen observations (you take your choice) for Dessert, and something unspeakable to go with your Coffee and Mints.Philip Whiteland tickles your fancy (it's not a crime yet) once again with this compilation of stories, often with a food-based theme, from today and yesterday. Pull up a chair and tuck in!

    . . Um, excuse me Rayven, but you doing the most right now! It’s bad enough my name ain’t on the damn cover. I got this. Well, hello there boys and girls, this is Juju. First off, I want to thank all of you for convincing Rayven to write my autobiography. Well, I guess it isn’t quite an autobiography, since I have to share the spotlight with Janea, Angelle and Kabo, but I’ll take it. As you all know, I’m the new owner of Cut N’ Curl, where you can get yo’ hair fried, dyed, and laid to the side. Of course, just like any other salon with a multitude of personalities, we have our occasional drama—as you shall read, but there ain’t a jealous b@*&h out there who can hold a candle to me when it comes to doing hair. So, sit back, grab you a glass of Moscato, as I share my world. Smooches!

    Orgasms? Yeah, I give those. Fairytales? Never wanted to live those Because I'm simply not that chick Hearts? Yeah, I broke some Love? These niggas can't get none Commitment? I'm probably the wrong one But you can stop by and lick this clit If a freak is what you're looking for Be prepared when you step through my door On the bed, couch, or kitchen floor I can give you what you need I prefer my kisses down low We can do this fast or we can take it slow Either way, I think it's best I let you know When it's over, please, get up and leave My name is Melody Bledsoe and I got some freaky things to tell you. You ready? Probably not!

    He has a new contract, a new team, and has reconnected with his college friends. He has made himself a vow – to never fall in love again – but life back home has different plans for him. Baylee Alexander has finally come out of hiding and released the shambles left behind after making a grave mistake that shifted her view on life and love. Attempting to rid herself of the baggage she carries, her sight is set on the perfect distraction, which is work. With her dreams under attack, she takes a leap of faith that lands her in a situation she isn’t prepared for. A whirlwind romance develops, and falling for each other is uncontrollable for both Dakari and Baylee. But how long will it last when the skeletons of their past come tumbling out of the closets they thought they sealed? Find out if Dakari and Baylee can bounce back in Everything is Love. *Please note: This is a re-release.*

    All she knew was that he’d hit on her a couple of times in the gym, and she’d rebuffed him each time. Her only thought was God, do they all subscribe to the same gym introduction newsletter? Never had a woman made Rivers feel like such an idiot, but giving up on her now was not possible. The challenge was just too great.

     Not until she woke up with one trying to kill her. But now she knows the truth. The paranormal world is real and all sorts of weird magical beings like vampires, elves, werewolves not only exist but live among us. In fact, she is one of those weird paranormal beings. Now with the help of her new friends in the Magical Bureau of Investigation she'll learn how to use her magical powers and hopefully survive the next attack.

    I ran away because I couldn't face the embarrassment of what took place at the party. Now he's back in the picture and I don't think I can face him. Will he remember who I am? SAM Sam Ellis was not your average Sutton Hill resident. The quaint, coastal town known for its sunshine, crystal clear water, and waspy, upper-class residents. No one was more unfitting than Sam. Sam used to live a fast life: the exotic cars, big house, women that threw themselves at him but when asked to take over his father's estate all he wanted to do was be left alone. JAMIE A little rough around the edges, Jamie never had the best luck. After years of playing venues with her bandmates, she met Sam, entrepreneur and high-profile member of the Sutton Hill Country Club. After crossing paths, Jamie could not get Sam out of her head. Would Jamie be enough for the hot billionaire who already had everything? AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is an HEA story with no cliffhangers! For mature audiences only, must be over 18 years of age! Please also note this is a rerelease and rebranding on an improved newer edition. This book is an extended version with more content, new cover, and a preview of Book #2 in the Serendipity series: Twelve Weeks

    But after a PR disaster, Reggie is off the list for a lunar mission. To rehabilitate her reputation with NASA, she agrees to a different kind of assignment: astronaut “training” with a Hollywood action hero.Jon Leo is a charmer. With credits that include an underperforming sitcom and a campy action flick called Space Dude, his upcoming role in a prestigious movie could prove he’s a star. But Jon isn’t just big muscles and an otherworldly smile—he’s also a total space nerd. He’s pumped about his own personal space camp…until he meets ice-cold Reggie.Although Reggie and Jon are polar opposites, their mutual attraction is undeniable, and it only takes a few weeks in close quarters for them to give in to its magnetic force. Jon is set on convincing Reggie this is a match made in the heavens, but her future is in space, and his is among stars of the Hollywood kind. The odds of successfully launching a real relationship outside the confines of the training base are anything but optimal.Reggie, content with keeping things casual, is forced by a sudden turn of events to confront the possibility of losing Jon forever. Now, she’ll do whatever it takes to win both the man and the moon.

    Boy, is she wrong. Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton's sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to settle up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets. Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams - a novel - with recipes. *Winner of the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013*

    Never did he expect to find the unplanned result of that fling - a healthy, wailing baby named Samantha - strapped into a car seat on his back porch, along with a suitcase full of diapers and infant apparel and a note informing Jamie that he’s her father.Maybe he is and maybe he isn’t. But first things first. He’s never fed a baby or changed a diaper in his life. He doesn’t own a crib or a stroller. In a panic, he phones the nearest hospital, where neonatal nurse Allison Winslow takes his call and tells him about a class she teaches called the Daddy School.Classes on how to be a dad are exactly what Jamie needs. But when he attends his first class and sees the tall, earnest, amazingly beautiful and even more amazingly competent Allison, he realizes that he might just need more from her than her lectures on how to hold a baby.Jamie’s efforts to be a father to this precious baby touch Allison. His sense of humor amuses her. His striking good looks turn her on. But how can she trust the sort of guy who’d sleep with a stranger on vacation, without giving a thought to the consequences? How can she give her heart to such a reckless man?

    Then she meets a handsome stranger/secret admirer named Michael Vale one fateful late night at a bookstore café. As a focused but struggling photographer with a passion for art, her outwardly happy world is turned upside down during this life-changing encounter when she quickly realizes she has met her soul mate. The undeniable attraction between them and their intense, immediate connection seem picture perfect as they discuss the shop’s local artwork, until Rebecca abruptly ends the chance meeting with no explanation.Betraying Brett, her loyal, loving boyfriend, is something Rebecca can never bring herself to do. Driven by a strong moral code and molded by divorced parents and a tumultuous childhood, she struggles to stay away from Michael, but fate and circumstance intervene, bringing them back together time and time again. As much as she resists, there is no denying her true feelings for him and the simple fact that Michael understands her in a way Brett never has. Michael proves to be everything she’s ever wanted, but remains just out of her reach.Behind the Glass tells the story of Michael and Rebecca’s extraordinary love and the many unconventional stages their relationship must go through. Their morals and their faith in true love and in each other will be put to the test as they learn that meeting one’s soul mate does not come without obstacles.

    A small-town paramedic in need of healing... Will a season of romance bring them together or pull them apart? Businessman Andrey Sergeyev's organized life changes in ways he never planned when he becomes guardian of his orphaned nephew. He moves to small town Rios Azules to care for grieving Ilya in the boy's familiar environment. Andrey's fiancée breaks off the engagement because of Ilya's health challenges. Another romance is not on Andrey's agenda, no matter how much paramedic Melinda Macalister attracts him with her sweet smile, kindness, and neighborly support for Ilya...Melinda isn't looking for love, either, especially after her last boyfriend left her because of her health issues. She'll just have to hide her crush on her new neighbor. He's going back to Houston soon anyway. But she can't refuse to help him with Ilya, who needs her more than ever. Problem is, the more she gets to know Andrey, the more she realizes he might be the one for her.Will Andrey and Melinda choose to keep holding on to old hurts? Or will they find love in Rios Azules, Texas?This book, Season of Romance, was first published as Love's Ransom, as part of the First Street Church Kindle World. The book has been revised, improved, and greatly expanded in length, so it's nearly twice longer.

    If life isn’t living up to your expectations, is it possible to stop and start again? Rachel Asquith thinks so. She escapes the city for Bluebell cottage in the tiny Hamlet of Perivale, one of those twinkling stars that fell to earth and took root. This place has it all. Beautiful beach, pretty cottage, fabulous views and a set of neighbours who take her in and make her one of their own. Then there are the men. Logan - hot, angry and intriguing. Jack - the local handyman who is extremely handy with his… um tools. Then there’s Max. The pilot/playboy who thinks life should be lived in the fast lane and does everything at supersonic speed. Rachel soon finds that choices need to be made. At some point, she needs to head home and face the mess she’s caused. At some point, she will need to choose between her new life and old, and at some point, she needs to decide if she’s just fooling in love again with the wrong person. However, the decision faces her much quicker than she thought when she needs her old life to rescue the new one. She will have to leave the place she now calls home to save it and in doing so may just lose the man she loves. Love is a complicated business – it’s just a good thing business is what she does best.

    Dating has proven tiresome and worthless, so she’s decided to put her efforts into her work at the salon she owns.In search for evidence against a crime family, Hunter Reeve stumbles upon a woman who may be the key to solving the case. Except she’s unaware of the lurking danger. His growing attraction to the spunky hairdresser complicates the relationship further.As enemies weasel into Grace’s life, Hunter is forced to make a choice between his work and Grace. And the wrong choice could have consequences neither one is ready for.Warning: Intended for mature audiences