Mountain Survival (in more ways than one!)

With: Julie Miller

Congratulations to "Carissa", the winner in Julie's giveaway. 
Please contact JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE to claim your prize!

Was the man with ghostly gray eyes supposed to make her feel safe?

A reclusive ex-military man with post-traumatic stress takes on a harrowing rescue mission in the rugged mountains of Wyoming. But will saving a kidnapped heiress bring redemption? Or heartbreak…

A brief excerpt from RESCUEDBY THE MARINE:

Why take out the pilot and trap them on the mountain?

Jason’s nostrils flared at the pungent odor he’d noticed earlier, and an idea began to take shape. He knelt to swipe his fingers through the snow and soggy grass underneath. Fuel. He visually followed the trail of discolored snow back to the chopper, and tracked the oily residue up to the tank near the engine. The pilot. The radio. And now the fuel tank—all with nice big bullet holes in them.

A man wouldn’t need to shoot them if he could make all their deaths look like an accident. Jason glanced down the incline to see where the fuel had pooled in a snowy depression. This was bad. “Sam?” He pushed to his feet, backing toward the chopper. “Sam?” When he heard rustling in the trees, and spotted at least three upright shadows moving, he ran. This was very bad. He slapped the passenger window. “Sam!”

            She popped up, holding a Swiss Army knife in one hand, and a backpack in the other as Jason waved her toward the exit. She was stuffing the tool she’d scrounged into the emergency gear bag and hooking it over her shoulder as he slid the door open. “Your friend had a backpack. Warm clothes. A couple of protein bars. Water. Do you think he’d mind if I—”

“We need to go. Now.”

She flinched at the crack of a gunshot, tilted her head to the sky as a flare arced like a comet above the clearing. “Is that…?”

Very, very bad. “Run!”

            Jason grabbed her around the waist, set her on the ground, snatched her gloved hand and ran back the way they came. The flare hit the fuel, igniting a fire that ran up the slope like a charging bear. He forced Sam into the race of her life as he lengthened his stride and sprinted toward the trees. They’d barely reached the three scrawny pines at the edge of the forest when the helicopter exploded.

Stranded in the mountains with mercenaries tracking them, Jason and Samantha would love a warm, easy meal like this one instead of protein bars and dried fruit. Do you have a favorite go-to meal for a cold day?

AMAZON

Easy Potato Soup

(I often fix a big pot of this for Christmas Eve when the family gathers, but it’s easy enough for a weeknight meal.)

Ingredients:

1 package of frozen hashed browns (I like cubed Southern style for this recipe)

1 carton chicken stock or broth

1 pint whole milk

¼ grated fresh onion or 1 tsp. dried minced onions

3 TBS. butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Utensils: 1 pot on top of the stove, a wooden spoon to stir, ladle to serve

Thaw hashed browns (you can start with frozen, but it takes longer to cook); Melt 3 TBS. butter in a large pot. Add ¼ grated onion (hubby doesn’t like to bite into onions, so I grate or use dried) and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until translucent. Add the thawed hashed browns and stir to coat. Barely cover potatoes with chicken stock (may not need entire carton). Cover pot and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft. Pour in ½ quart whole milk. Bring back to simmer. Adjust seasoning if needed. It’s ready to serve. Store it in your fridge. Reheat in microwave.

I usually fix a potato toppings bar to go with the soup, then my family can doctor the soup as they like. Diced ham or bacon. Shredded cheddar or Colby-jack cheese. Chopped green onions. Sliced sautéed mushrooms. Steamed broccoli florets. Chopped herbs. And so on. I almost always have shredded cheese on hand, then the rest is whatever falls out of my fridge. It’s a great use for leftovers.

With the toppings bar, this is a one-pot meal. I’ll serve it with toasty bread or crackers. For a heartier meal, add a grilled cheese or BLT sandwich.

It’s easy to halve this recipe, too, which makes enough for hubby and me to get dinner and lunch the next day.

What are your favorite meals to warm you up when the weather turns cold?

Giveaway:
I’ll give away a copy of RESCUED BY THE MARINE to one lucky poster (print or digital) who leaves a question or comment.

Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST September 18th. Due to GDPR regulations you no longer need to submit your email address in the comments. If you have been selected as a winner your name will be posted at the top of the post. You may then contact maureen@justromanticsuspense.com to claim your prize. Your email address will be shared with the author/publicist providing the giveaway.