Shannon here: Hope Toler Dougherty shares insight into her real-life romance, her characters’ romance, and a yummy recipe for Mexican Rollups. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a copy of her Contemporary Romance, Forever Music. Deadline: Jan 8th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Hope:
Forever Music and Hattie’s Rollups
Writing Forever Music took me back to Charlotte, North Carolina, where my husband, Kevin, and I met and dated. While writing about Josie and Ches, I loved reminiscing about that time when we were young and experiencing fun things together.
Forever Music isn’t the story of our courtship, but some of the places named in the story existed back in the day. We frequented the Red Door Tavern for great sandwiches, and Kevin took me to the fancy Lamplighter for my birthday. The gold bangle bracelet he gave me that night is still one of my favorite gifts.
Josie, the protagonist in Forever Music, loves to cook, and Mexican Pinwheels show up at the Thanksgiving celebration.
A dear friend of mine shared the recipe with me years ago, and it appears at all our family holidays thanks to our second daughter, Hattie. In fact, we now call them Hattie’s Rollups. They’re delicious. Try them, and you’ll see.
Hattie’s Rollups
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
2 cloves minced garlic
2 jalapenos, seeded
2 T cilantro
1 T milk
8 tortillas (depending on size)
In a food processor, combine first five ingredients until smooth. Spread about ¼ of a cup of the mixture onto a tortilla. Roll and place on plate. Continue until all the spread is used. Wrap tortillas and plate in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Slice rolls into 1-inch spirals.
Enjoy!
About Hope: Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her novels include Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising, Rescued Hearts, and Forever Music. Her recent novella, “A Hatteras Surprise,” appears in Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams. She and her husband delight in visits with their daughters and twin sons. Learn more & connect:

College history instructor, Josie Daniels is good at mothering her three brothers, volunteering in her community, and getting over broken hearts, but meeting aloof, hot-shot attorney Ches Windham challenges her nurturing, positive-thinking spirit.
Josie longs to help Ches find his true purpose, but, as his hidden talents and true personality emerge, will she be able to withstand his potent charms or will she lose her heart in the process?
Rising star in his law firm, Ches Windham is good at keeping secrets.
He’s always been the good son, following his father’s will to become an attorney and playing the game for a fast track to partnering with a law firm. Lately, though, his life’s path has lost what luster it ever had—all because of his unlikely, and unacceptable, friendship with Josie. He struggles between the life he’s prepared for and the one calling to him now. Opposing his father has never been an option, and spending time with Josie can’t be an option. The more he’s with her, however, the more he wants to be.
When a crisis tarnishes his golden future and secrets are revealed, Ches is forced to reexamine the trajectory of his life. Will he choose the path his father hammered out for him or the path that speaks to his heart?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Hope’s other titles?
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Question for Readers: What favorite appetizer or dish shows up at your holidays?
Come back Dec 31st for Donna Schlachter!
For thanksgiving most years, my contribution is homemade cranberry sauce. Also I usually make broccoli salad while my Mom and sister handle the main dishes.
I love cranberries…even the canned sauce!
We always have a German dessert called cherry torte that has been passed down in my hubby’s German family.
Sounds delicious, and I love the family history!
Christmas Day found us at our DIL mother’s house.
She had fixed the whole dinner by herself!
All we had to do was pray over the food, sit down, and eat.
Nice! What a treat!
Russian cake – Napoleon (I have a sweet tooth 🙂
I have one, too! I’ll have to look up that dessert!
I have a winner! Patty won the drawing. I appreciate Hope for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.
Great! Thank you, Shannon! I’ll get her book in the mail soon!