By: Ronlyn Howe(artwork courtesy of www.celestebradley.com)
The Pretender is the first book of the Liars Club series (which leads into The Royal Four series) and features Agatha Cunnington and Simon Rain. Set in 1813 England, The Pretender builds a world filled with spies and liars, sneaks and servants, intrigue and intelligence. From the moment Simon steps into Agatha’s parlor we’re trying to figure out who is telling the truth as well as what is the truth. Who is the spy master vs. who is being played? A series of assumptions (which of course are wrong) lead us down a path of hilarious twists and turns.
Agatha is on the hunt for her brother and is willing to go to any lengths, or tell any lie she needs to in order to find him. I admit that I typically believe in honesty to a fault, but Agatha is so wholly loveable while she lies through her teeth that I can’t help but adore her. Simon is also on the hunt for James Cunnington, who he is forced to believe (due to surrounding circumstances) has turned traitor against the crown. He erroneously believes that Agatha is James’s mistress and sets out to find out what he can through use of trickery and…yes, lies. Poor Simon is so bound by his service that he’s fighting his attraction and interest nearly from the moment he crashes into her while posing as a chimney sweep. Agatha hatches a plan for Simon to pose as her fictitious husband, Mortimer Applequist, in order to gain her entry into parts of society that are strictly accessible to the married or jaded. Simon agrees to go along with it since it will serve his purposes as well.It’s no secret I love the Liars. I’ve been telling everyone about them since I stumbled onto the series several years ago. The heroines are vibrant and fun, the heroes are strong and sexy and the world of the Liars is filled with a supporting cast of characters that bring a smile to my face and make me wish I was capable of such subterfuge. Ok, maybe not that, but I’d love to match wits with any of the Liars.
I’m thrilled Celeste Bradley has agreed to join us today to talk about the Liars as well as the journey she’s been on since leaving the Liars behind.
OREO TRUFFLESIngredients
1 package (1 pound, 2 oz.) Oreo cookies, finely crushed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
sprinkles or additional crushed Oreos for coating truffles
Directions
Mix cookie crumbs and cream cheese until well blended. Refrigerate Oreo mixture for at least one hour. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sprinkles or crushed cookies to coat. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
Ronlyn’s Notes
You can use low-fat Oreos and low-fat cream cheese. It really won't affect the flavor, but your truffles may be a little bit softer. You can also make these with mint Oreos, or for peanut butter truffles, try using crushed Nutter Butter cookies. Yummy!
