Today, I have a motorcycle club romance novel to share! Learn about Riot from the Kiss of Death MC series by Marteeka Karland--and you can check out the other books of the series and preorder this book today on Amazon! 

(Kiss of Death MC)

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap

Date Published: June 20, 2025

Violet -- In my world, girls aren’t deemed useful for much other than to be married off, creating a tie to a rival family. I did my job. I married the man my family chose, and I got pregnant right away. Now my life is a nightmare, wondering if this is the day someone will kill me, or worse, take my son. When Caleb witnesses the abuse I live with, he gives me an ultimatum. Leave his father, or Caleb will kill the man himself. That’s when my lawyer introduces me to Quinn Devereaux, the man known as Riot. He asks me a question I’ve never heard before. What do you need, Violet? 

Riot -- I was gone the first moment I laid eyes on the tiny woman with the suspicious twelve-year-old guarding her like a pit bull. She’s my service requirement assignment -- to protect her and her kid from her husband and father. Domestic abuse is never pretty, but her story hits way too close to home. I’ll watch over them, and in the end, I’ll do whatever it takes to prevent history from repeating itself. Even if it means I risk going back to prison.

Warning: Riot (Kiss of Death MC 4) deals with issues of domestic abuse that may be triggers for some readers.

About the Author

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.

Connect with the Author & Publisher

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Save 15% off any order at ChangelingPress.com with code RABT15

There's a certain magic to a farmer's market. It's the vibrant chaos of colors—the deep purple of an eggplant, the sunny burst of a lemon, the earthy brown of a potato still dusted with soil. It's the smell of fresh basil mingling with sweet kettle corn. It's the hum of community, of chatting with the person who grew your food.

When you bring that canvas tote bag of seasonal treasures home, the next chapter begins in the kitchen. For many of us, cooking is more than just following steps; it's an act of storytelling. We're connecting with the land, with the season, and with the people we're about to feed.

If you believe the story behind the food is just as nourishing as the meal itself, this reading list is for you. We're going beyond the standard cookbook to explore the memoirs, novels, and guides that capture the true spirit of farmer's market cooking.

The Cookbooks (That Read Like Stories)

These aren't your average recipe-a-page collections. These are beautifully written seasonal cookbooks that teach the why behind the what, empowering you to look at a pile of fresh vegetables and see endless possibilities.

For the Authentic Farm-to-Table Experience:  

Dishing up the Dirt: Simple Recipes for Cooking Through the Seasons by Andrea Bemis

If you've ever wondered what it's really like to run a farm and cook with its bounty, this book is your answer. Andrea Bemis isn't just a chef; she's a farmer at Tumbleweed Farm in Oregon. This cookbook is a genuine reflection of her life, filled with personal stories, stunning photography, and 100 recipes organized by season. Her food is rustic, accessible, and completely inspired by what’s being pulled from the ground. It’s the perfect bridge from the market stall to your kitchen.

Available on Amazon  

For the Intuitive Cook: 

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat

If the farmer's market is your palette, Samin Nosrat's masterpiece is the art class you need. This book is less about rigid recipes and more about teaching you the fundamental principles of flavor. By understanding how salt enhances, fat carries flavor, acid balances, and heat transforms, you'll be able to approach your market haul with confidence and creativity. It's a book that reads like a conversation with a brilliant, encouraging friend, and its lessons will stick with you forever.

Available on Amazon 

For the Seasonal Devotee:  

Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden

This is the ultimate farmer's market companion. McFadden, a chef with a background in farm management, divides the year into six seasons—not four—to better capture the nuances of what's truly fresh. He'll change the way you look at a simple carrot or a humble cabbage. The recipes are rustic, restaurant-quality, and designed to make vegetables the star of the plate. This book is an ode to seasonal eating in its purest form.

Available on Amazon 

The Memoirs (When the Kitchen is the Main Character)

Sometimes, the most memorable meals are seasoned with memory and emotion. These are the best food memoirs for readers who understand that a kitchen holds more than just ingredients—it holds a life.

For the Unflinching Foodie:  

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton

Available on Amazon 

For the Cozy Home Cook:  

Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin

 Available on Amazon

The Fiction (Where Recipes Drive the Plot)

Looking for novels for foodies? These food-centric novels use dishes and ingredients to reveal character, drive the plot, and immerse you in a world where food is a language all its own.

For Lovers of Character and Local Flavor: 

Kitchens of the Great Midwest J. Ryan Stradal

Each chapter in this masterful novel is told from the perspective of a different character and centers on a specific dish, like lutefish or chocolate habaneros. Stradal traces the ingredients back to their Midwestern roots, creating a rich tapestry of flavors, people, and places. It’s a story that truly explores the connection of food with community and identity.

Available on Amazon 

For a Touch of Magic: 

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

A classic of culinary fiction, this novel explores how emotion can be physically infused into food. The protagonist, Tita, can only express her powerful feelings through her cooking, with magical and dramatic results for those who eat her food. It’s a beautiful, imaginative story that perfectly illustrates how cooking can be the ultimate act of emotional expression.

Available on Amazon 

The next time you visit the farmer’s market, let these stories linger in your mind. Cooking and reading are both acts of connection—to the earth, to our history, and to each other.

Now, I’d love to hear from you! What are your favorite food-centric books that go beyond the cookbook? Share your recommendations in the comments below!

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

A Len Buonfiglio/St. Pierre Caribbean Mystery

Len Buonfiglio is a former New York bar owner and family man. He has the perfect life until he yearns for more—for something he knows will destroy everything he had, but something he can’t resist. He makes his choice and that, along with a traumatic event, shatters his world. His life and what he had now broken, his only choice is to leave the city and his family. His flight takes him to the remote Caribbean island of St. Pierre where he opens a sports bar that he runs with his friend and partner, a young local islander named Tubby Levett.

In Freedom Drop, a genial tour guide, Rawle “Big Tree” Johns is a suspect in an American woman’s fall from a cliff and held in custody. John’s mother enlists Buonfiglio to help free her son and to prove that he had nothing to do with the woman’s death. Conflicted by the need to spend time with his sixteen-year-old daughter who he hasn’t seen in two years, Mr. Len as he’s known on the island, reluctantly agrees to help.

Buonfiglio’s search for the truth reveals that there are other, much more powerful forces involved in the woman’s death that threaten both his life and his family. In the course of his investigation, he confronts a high-ranking island politician, the local superintendent of police, the dead girl’s mother, and, ultimately, a shady yet powerful outsider investor. Was the girl’s death an accident or did Johns cause that accident? Or was she murdered? The lack of clarity—the mystery of what really happened to the girl—he realizes, reflects the enigma that is St. Pierre. It’s a riddle that, despite living on the island for several years, he still cannot solve.

Genre: Mystery
Published by: April 7, 2025 by Down & Out Books

My Review

Expect an Engaging Mystery. This was a great first book to the Len Buonfiglio/Caribbean mystery series. Readers will be immediately pulled into Len's life in St. Pierre and the island mystery that he is drawn into. The mystery itself is interesting, with enough action and thrills to hold your attention from beginning to end. I think a larger part of the mystery is Len himself! While we get to know Len in stages, we don't know all there is to know about him and his past. While the main mystery of the novel is resolved, you will definitely want to read more books to try to piece together some of the character's missing pieces or secrets!

Freedom Drop Blends Drama and Mystery Well. The author does a great job keeping his characters real and even relatable. Len's family dramas are not brushed aside in light of the crime drama that unfolds--nor are the sleuthing adventures overly done or unrealistic. The characters feel real, and the novel blends the various aspects of Len's life into a believable, entertaining storyline. 

Would I Recommend Freedom Drop by Brian Silverman? I enjoyed Len's character and following along with this first adventure. I enjoyed the author's writing style, realistic characters, vivid settings and the well-written mystery plot. If you enjoy tough, strong characters who jump in to find the truth--the author sets Len up well to fill this role in this novel and in future ones. I look forward to reading more from this series and the author--and seeing what other "mysteries" surround the main character. 

Praise for FREEDOM DROP:

"An impressive debut…Silverman capably captures the feel of his setting en route to a satisfying conclusion. A sequel is warranted."
~ Publishers Weekly

"Silverman had me at the Caribbean setting, and held me with his fully human characters—of both good and bad natures—and their situation."
~ SJ Rozan, Edgar-winning author of The Murder of Mr. Ma

"A mystery steeped in authentic Caribbean atmosphere. Silverman knows his territory, as does his hero, an ex-Marine-turned-sleuth who discovers that, even in paradise, things aren’t always what they seem."
~ Wallace Stroby, author of Heaven’s a Lie and Some Die Nameless

"A buddy book, a whodunit, and a family drama, Freedom Drop is mystery magic."
~ Reed Farrel Coleman, author of Sleepless City

"Brian Silverman’s Freedom Drop is an exciting and welcome new addition to the crime writing pantheon." ~ S.A. Cosby, author of Razorblade Tears and All the Sinners Bleed

 Buy the Book

 Amazon | Goodreads

Meet the Author

Brian Silverman’s writing career has spanned over 30 years. He has written about travel, food, and sports for publications including the New York Times, Saveur, Caribbean Travel and Life, Islands, the New Yorker, New York, and others. From 2004 through 2013, he was the author of the annual Frommer’s New York City guidebook series. He co-authored the acclaimed Twentieth Century Treasury of Sports with his father, Al Silverman.

His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Mystery Tribune, Down and Out Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. His stories have been selected to appear in The Best American Mystery Stories in 2018 and 2019, and The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories 2021. His other short fiction has appeared in publications such as Down and Out Magazine, Mystery Magazine, Dark Waters, and Vautrin. Freedom Drop is his first published novel. He lives in Harlem, New York, with his wife, Heather, and his sons, Louis and Russell.

Connect with the Author

www.BrianSilvermanWrites.com
Goodreads
BookBub
X - @BSsilverman

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