Chrissy Munder's Blog, page 70

Join me for Spookapalooza all this weekend at TRS!

Oh, the best laid plans and all of that. Otherwise known as "if I didn't write it down...". All that muttering translates to my realizing I forgot to put up my "What's happening in October" post earlier this month. Sorry about that.

So here's my quick invitation for everyone to join me and a HUGE assortment of authors at The Romance Studio this weekend as they celebrate their 2nd Annual Spookapalooza! They're giving away a NOOK to one lucky reader plus a lot of other prizes -- over 175! Books, gift cards, jewelry, bath collections and more, more, more... including an ebook copy of my short story, The Scenic Route . It's all at their party site and the event runs through midnight EST Halloween, October 31st.

Weekend Adventures - Hay Rides and Cider Mills

More weekend fun behind us. This time, our third trip to the local cider mill. We're lucky in that we have at least four in a fifty mile radius. Just pick one. This trip we visited Diehl's Orchard and Cider Mill in Holly. An old favorite, this is one of the first mills I ever toured and the press and workings still look the same. The corn maze was closed this year, but there was plenty of our favorite, unpasteurized cider available, the fresh made and deep fried donut line was chugging away, and the selection of fresh apples couldn't be beat. Add in crisp fall weather, the changing colors of the leaves, and the rather large, orange and white tabby that followed us around - perfect.

How about you? Do you have any cider mill traditions/mermories? How do you take your cider, pasteurized, unpasteurized, or hard?

Clare London takes on Chance and the Petit Morts Series

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow, October 25th is the official release day for the final seven stories in the Petit Morts Series - including the latest tales by Clare London. Can't wait? Swing by JCPbooks.com for the pre-release sale going on now!

Clare and Chrissy Reflect on Romance

Clare: Welcome to wonderful October. Autumn is officially in full swing, the apples are crisp, the air is crisper, and filled with the nostalgic scent of burning leaves.

Chrissy: And Anniversaries.

Clare: Pardon?

Chrissy: Anniversaries are in the air as well. Yours. Mine. The vast decades in between.

Clare: Gawd, I'll agree as long as we quickly skip past the decades' part. But you are right, now that we've been wined and dined in celebration…

Chrissy: … or beer and brat'ed as the case may be…

Clare: We couldn't help but chat about a topic near and dear to our hearts and keyboards.

Chrissy: Booze?

Clare: Romance.

Chrissy: 'Cause we're silly that way, (and it will keep us away from another "Autumn" versus "Fall" conversation).

Clare: Did you ever notice how everyone's idea of romance seems to be different?

Chrissy: Which is good, otherwise a lot of us might end up feeling a bit unfulfilled.

Clare: You mean, different strokes for different folks…

Chrissy: Thank goodness ^_~.

Clare: So, this being the Internet age, we started with a little investigation into La Romance. El romance, romantikken, romans ki… In Romanorum.

Chrissy: As you can see, Clare has now exhausted Google translate...

Clare: Languages both dead and alive *hehe*.

Chrissy: Undaunted, we fixed our steely gaze on Wikipedia and The Free Dictionary online.

Clare: Both sites informed us that romance is "the pleasurable feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love".

Chrissy: Interesting description, but like a few dates I can recall, vaguely unsatisfying. I hear the words, but I don't *feel* the sensations. I need more.

Clare: Of course you do. You always do. Fine. What do you suggest?

Chrissy: Seeing as we are authors of erotic romance, and visual learners, my mind immediately flashed to paperback book covers. After all, growing up they were one of our first exposures to what would be considered an expression of romance.

Clare: Those were the days. With nary a headless torso to be found on my Grandmother's bookshelf.

Chrissy: Hey, I happen to be extremely fond of the headless torso book cover.

Clare: *Sigh* I knew it.

Chrissy: And just like a good book and cover, we want our romance to be more about the show than the tell.

Clare: In other words, you can talk a good game, but you'd better be prepared to back it up with some action. Let me repeat that loudly, in hopes the hubby will hear. But doesn't the perception of romance seem to shift according to the times?

Chrissy: Good point. For example, if I believe the residents of my Grandmother's nursing home, romance during WWII flared quickly, burned bright in the uncertainty of the times, and then was pushed aside in favor of the more practical aspects of repopulating a lost generation.

Clare: That does seem a trifle grim. Less mystery and excitement, more about being good breeding stock.

Chrissy: Maybe some of the gals on those "Teen Mum" television shows ought to consider things from this angle. MIght give them a whole new perspective...

Clare: Down, Chrissy. Down.

Chrissy: Right. Do you remember the early days of cover art? Exotic locals, swarthy strangers, and candlelight dinners behind a dewy-eyed heroine? Oh how we longed to be swept away to a tent somewhere in the desert. Sand in tender crevices and all other practicalities be damned.

Clare: And in honour of the unfinished bodice-ripper on my hard drive, how about the Fabio era of romance? All those chiseled torsos, heaving bosoms, and quivering thighs.

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Chrissy: *Sigh* I think the last time my thighs quivered was after my Introduction to Zumba class.

Clare: And I could never get my hair to achieve the same perfectly tousled coif that he did. Quite disheartening.

Chrissy: Still, with one quick glance at the cover of the book clutched so eagerly in the hands of the woman seated beside us in the doctor or dentist's office, (what IS he wearing in that photo, btw...) we instantly knew *there* was romance.

Clare: False advertising, honestly. Nothing in real life ever comes close.

Chrissy: Do you think our idea of romance has shifted again with the times and the cover art? There are still no headless torsos in my day to day routine.

Clare: Given my choice, a swarthy stranger and a candlelit dinner versus a strapping fellow willing to haul the laundry about, change a few nappies, and pitch in when it comes to cooking the evening meal? Swarthy strangers just don't go the distance.

Chrissy: Not even the wounded, or oh so mysterious hero? With or without an eye patch.

Clare: Will his lack of depth perception (or excessive guyliner) interfere with his ability to do dishes?

Chrissy: And just like that, we are back to the more practical side of romance, and a laundry basket on the cover of our favorite novel.

Clare: I don't think we ever really left it. Romance, like all things, is in the eye of the beholder and requires that lovely suspension of disbelief. Let's face it, your idea of romance might be a real yawner to me.

Chrissy: *waggles eyebrows*

Clare: *sniggers*

Chrissy: We are so not going there. Back to the topic at hand, practical or impractical. It doesn't matter if it's the simple touch of skin on skin as we twine our fingers together when the kids finally go to bed, a windswept beach with only two sets of footprints, or a jet waiting on the tarmac to whisk us away…

[image error]Clare: …What matters is how we feel about it. And in the end, that's what determines romance.

Chrissy: Hmmm, those definitions in the beginning weren't so off, after all.

Clare: As long as we perceive the mystery and excitement in the bottom of that laundry basket, it works for us.


Clare and Chrissy: How about you? Where do you find romance in the world around you? Is it expressed in your favorite novel's cover? Do your prefer the practical or impractical, and is it different when it comes to real life and reading? Let us know what you think and be entered in our random drawing for some Clare and Chrissy Swag. Winner to be announced at our next monthly post.


September Winner: anne_barwell - Congratulations! Please email your mailing address to Chrissy at chrissymunder@yahoo.com for your festive Clare and Chrissy Swag.


Let's raise our glass in a special thank you to Ms. London for taking a break in her whirlwind travels and stopping by for this month's chat. Remember, Pictures! We want Pictures! (and leftover chocolates!)


Missed any of our posts? Follow the 'sticky' post for these rambles of ours HERE .


Here's Chrissy! website // blog .


Here's Clare! website // blog .

Friday Adventures: Rogue Wave 1, Chrissy 0

And how was your weekend? As you might guess from the title of this post we went adventuring last Friday. This time to Michigan's Coast Guard City, Grand Haven. I could go on and on about the city; the gentrification of the downtown area, the artsy feel and atmosphere, and the fantastic job they did along the channel walkway, but the real fun can be found in the waves. We've visited the beach before in the summertime and while it doesn't disappoint, it's a whole 'nuther ball game in October. This is why Fall is one of our favorite times to walk the Lake Michigan coast. The crowds are down, the winds are fierce, and the waves are high. It's exhilarating.

After parking in the free public area near the U.S. Coast Guard station and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers building, we casually strolled the entire walkway to the State Park to play along the beach and lighthouse pier access. Two jackets, a headscarf, and a pair of gloves were needed for comfort. Other than a few determined surfers (yes, visit surfgrandhaven.com) and walkers, we had the place to ourselves with plenty of room to brace up against a pole and let the wind and spray batter us around. Then on the way back a sneaky, rogue wave came up behind us and crashed over the rail, hitting us in mid-back, buckling our knees, and soaking us all the way through our many layers. We couldn't stop laughing even though we counted ourselves lucky the rail was there to keep us out of the channel. It was a mile and a half squelch back to our car. Can you say brisk? We couldn't until we finally thawed out. Thankfully, we had plastic bags in the car to sit on for the two hour ride home, but next time we will be sure to bring a change of clothes... just in case.

Here's a video courtesy of jtb4422, taken in September 2009 to give you an idea of what it was like. We were actually across the channel on the lighthouse walkway.

Now available for Pre-Order: 2011 Dreamspinner Press Advent Calendar

With Halloween almost here, Thanksgiving is soon to follow - that means it's time to pre-order "I'll Be Home for Christmas", the Dreamspinner Press 2011 Advent Calendar Story Collection.

It's the most fervent dream of the holidays: to have a life full of blooming romance and enduring devotion with love, joy, and even a touch of lust to warm the cold winter nights. No matter what holidays are celebrated, the idiom holds true: home is where the heart is. Your Christmas present to yourself! A package of 31 stories, all with holiday flair. One story a day will be placed on your bookshelf. The full set is around 1,800 pages of romantic M/M fiction selling individually for a total $92.69. Buy as a set and save!

Pricing: October - $39.99 November - $49.99*
*Sale of packages for daily delivery ends Nov. 25.
Beginning Dec. 1, stories will be available individually as priced or as a bulk package for $64.99.

Story descriptions and information here.

Sad to say I don't have a story in this year's collection, but I'm excited to see the variety of stories and authors available.

Did you give up the search? Here's the link to all 31 Free Reads from DSP!

How did you do in your search for all 31 Free Reads as part of the Dreamspinner Press Halloween Howl? It turned out I needed some extra help. Lucky for me, Goodreads came to the rescue and provided all 31 authors, stories, and clickable links!

Here's the link if you are ready to just get to the reading: http://www.goodreads.com/series/67346-halloween-howl

Apple Crisp - the roundabout way to recipe heaven

Somedays a brain is a funny thing in the way it leaps and jumps about from topic to topic, and the places those leaps and jumps take us. Need convincing?
Now, I was a school lunch kid. Actually, I was one of the Free School Lunch Kids. You know, one of the ones who were forced to go to the front of the line and hand in their pass so that *everyone* knew that your family was too broke to feed you, and could then bully you about it all school year? Yeah, that was me. But despite the horrors you might hear, I loved school lunches. Really.

If you could get past the poor logistics that resulted in the public shaming when it came to your family's finances, (and once I broke Mark S.'s nose in the 4th grade the constant teasing - at least for me - went away) the food was this strange new world to be discovered. There were no pizza or salad lines, lunch was ladled out by someone's mother working part-time in a hairnet. Turkey slop, with the weird yellow-green gravy was a particular favorite. As were the pizza burgers - open faced hamburger buns dabbed with some flavored meat product and cheese; covered with their high gloss sheen of grease. It was there that I was first introduced to the world of the tater tot. Those strange pillows of minced potato that were fried and quick frozen before being oven baked. But my true love was the Apple Crisp. Sugar, butter, and spices magically combined into a chewy crust on top of a bed of baked apples. Good times.

So I looked at Mrs. Q's presentation and the first thing I thought of was: "Hmmmmm, why is there all this styrofoam and paper product that's just going to end up in the land fill? Whatever happened to the trays with the slots for each individual item that were then washed and sterilized in bleach?" (See, I told you the mind is a funny thing). The second thing I thought of was: "Hmmmm, today is National Apple Betty Day." And I started remembering just how good that school lunch Apple Crisp was, and just how many times I've tried to recreate it and fallen short.

Inspired by my brain's leaping and jumping (and totally ignoring the rest of the school lunch kefluffle), I went in search of yet another Apple Crisp Recipe. And this time, with a little fiddling on my part - I think I got it.

Apple Crisp

4 apples, peeled and sliced thin. Any type other than Delicious. Seriously, if you have Delicious apples in your fridge email me. We'll discuss their complete and utter lack of flavor and aroma. Then I will eat this Apple Crisp in front of you without sharing.
A squirt of lemon juice
Handful of raisins or chopped dates, if desired

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, or mix-up the two if you choose
1/2 cup oats, quick-cooking, old-fashioned, or steel-cut. Whatever is on hand
1/3 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening or butter.
Spread apples in pan. Sprinkle a little lemon juice on them an add in the raisins or dates if you choose.
In a bowl, stir the rest of the ingredients together until well mixed; using a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
Sprinkle over apples.
Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.

If you choose, go ahead and melt the butter first - then cut into the dry ingredients with a fork. It will give you a more even texture.

The apples cooked through without turning mushy. The coating melted and oozed across the top resulting in a chewy, almost candy textured treat. And the house smelled wonderful.

Enjoy!

Did you ever eat your school's prepared lunch? Have you ever tried to recreate it? How did it turn out?

Found Another One! How are you doing on the Halloween Howl?

I just happily clicked on Carole Cummings' free read for the Dreamspinner Halloween Howl. How are you doing finding the stories? It's not as easy as I might have thought - the temptation to stop and read story blurbs is strong!

Can't get enough of those Free Reads? 31 Free Stories from Dreamspinner Press

I've not found all the stories yet, but here's a few of the authors who have shorts included in the October Halloween Howl Celebration at Dreamspinner Press.

Clare London
P.D. Singer
Eden Winters
Mary Calmes
Zahra Owens
Lydia Nix
Andrea Speed
Jana Denardo
Devon Rhodes

and many, many, more.

btw - those are links to the authors, heh, not their HH stories. Got to make you work for it.

Just for fun, you can leave me a comment, or send me an email with the names of who else I should add to the list.

And don't forget to look for my short, Birthday Wishes, Birthday Kisses. Part of current WIP titled Get What You Need.