What's on your summer reading list?

   This month, I'm on sale, dirt cheap.  The You I Never Knew and Passing Through Paradise are near and dear to my heart because they're my first full-length books with a contemporary setting, and they rocketed my writing off into new directions. The original publisher, Warner Books, has changed hands. Now held by a French company, Hachette, the imprint is called Grand Central Publishing or GCP. What's remained steady is the readership. My agent calls these "iconic" books, meaning they define a certain type of story with broad appeal. Boy, I hope so. The books are back in stores at a special price-$4.99. And in Target, they'll be just $3.99 the week July 14. At Sam's Club, they'll be part of a 3-for $10 promo. [Scary thought: My novels will cost less than a gallon of gas.] Grand Central Publishing has a fun new web site-check it out here. There's a bio and a couple of articles here. Also this month, you'll see a new edition of the anthology That Summer Place with novellas by Debbie Macomber, Jill Barnett and me. All this good reading! [Thanks to the ultra-clever Celeste Faurie of Writerspace for the peeling cover art.]

Recipe time! Rosemary Olive Oil Cake - you'll love the subtle flavors in this. Perfect to nibble on while reading in the hammock. 3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup triple sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
3 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup orange or lemon marmalade
Rosemary sprigs and powdered sugar, for garnish Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil and flour a bundt pan.
Beat the eggs, sugar, olive oil, milk, liqueur, orange juice, and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients, including 1-2 teaspoons chopped rosemary, and beat well. Pour into bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until it tests done. Place on a rack to cool. Run a knife around the edges and invert on a plate. Warm the marmalade in the microwave and drizzle over the cake. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, sprinkle with powdered sugar.