Sloane Taylor's Blog, page 117
March 16, 2014
From the Taylor clan to all of youMay the road rise up to...
From the Taylor clan to all of you
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
And may this day be a safe and happy one
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
And may this day be a safe and happy one
March 11, 2014
Cast Your Net for a Tasty Meal
There are days I just want something fast and easy for dinner or a weekend lunch. Homemade fries and fish sandwiches with tartar sauce are the perfect foods.
Homemade Fries
1 Idaho potato per person
2-3 cups vegetable oil
½ cup lard, optional
Salt to taste
Wash potatoes under cool water. Peel, but it’s not necessary. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then lay flat and slice into thirds. Place pieces in a bowl with enough water to cover them. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Heat oil and lard in deep saucepan on medium-high. Test temperature by dropping in a piece of bread. When bread should browns in a matter of seconds the oil is ready.
Drain potatoes then pat dry. Carefully add to hot oil. Deep-fry for approximately 4 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick inserts easily.
Drain the fries on a plate lined with paper towels, salt, then place in the oven to keep warm while you make the fish.
Fresh Fish Sandwiches
2 – basa or swai fillets 2 tsp. olive oil plus more for brushing1 glove garlic, pressed or chopped fine4 sage leaves or ½ tsp. dried sage3 thyme sprigs or ½ tsp. dried thymeparsleyFreshly ground pepper to tasteProvolone cheese2 fresh deli rolls, splitLettuce and sliced tomato optional
Heat skillet on medium-high. Brush a little olive oil onto insides of the rolls. Test the skillet for heat by sprinkling a few drops of water onto the pan. When the water jumps and quickly evaporates place the rolls oiled side onto cooking surface. Carefully toast until the rolls are a light golden brown. Remove to individual plates and lay a slice of cheese on the roll bottom.
Pour remaining olive oil into the hot skillet. When the oil shimmers add the fish. Sprinkle with herbs. Fry 2-3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Remove fish from skillet with a spatula and lay the filets onto the cheese half of the rolls. Add a healthy smear of tartar sauce, the lettuce and tomato, then cap with the other half of the roll.
Tartar Sauce
½ cup real mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, chopped fine
1 tbsp. onion, chopped fine
1tbsp. sweet relish
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust to your preference.
I'll be back Monday. Until then...
Happy Eating!
Sloane
Homemade Fries
1 Idaho potato per person2-3 cups vegetable oil
½ cup lard, optional
Salt to taste
Wash potatoes under cool water. Peel, but it’s not necessary. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then lay flat and slice into thirds. Place pieces in a bowl with enough water to cover them. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Heat oil and lard in deep saucepan on medium-high. Test temperature by dropping in a piece of bread. When bread should browns in a matter of seconds the oil is ready.
Drain potatoes then pat dry. Carefully add to hot oil. Deep-fry for approximately 4 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick inserts easily.
Drain the fries on a plate lined with paper towels, salt, then place in the oven to keep warm while you make the fish.
Fresh Fish Sandwiches
2 – basa or swai fillets 2 tsp. olive oil plus more for brushing1 glove garlic, pressed or chopped fine4 sage leaves or ½ tsp. dried sage3 thyme sprigs or ½ tsp. dried thymeparsleyFreshly ground pepper to tasteProvolone cheese2 fresh deli rolls, splitLettuce and sliced tomato optionalHeat skillet on medium-high. Brush a little olive oil onto insides of the rolls. Test the skillet for heat by sprinkling a few drops of water onto the pan. When the water jumps and quickly evaporates place the rolls oiled side onto cooking surface. Carefully toast until the rolls are a light golden brown. Remove to individual plates and lay a slice of cheese on the roll bottom.
Pour remaining olive oil into the hot skillet. When the oil shimmers add the fish. Sprinkle with herbs. Fry 2-3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Remove fish from skillet with a spatula and lay the filets onto the cheese half of the rolls. Add a healthy smear of tartar sauce, the lettuce and tomato, then cap with the other half of the roll.
Tartar Sauce
½ cup real mayonnaise1 small garlic clove, chopped fine
1 tbsp. onion, chopped fine
1tbsp. sweet relish
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust to your preference.
I'll be back Monday. Until then...
Happy Eating!
Sloane
March 9, 2014
Two Names for One Talented Woman
I'm very excited to have multi-published author Sam Cheever here today to talk freely about her career and life. So let's get right to it.
Where are you from? What is your writing name?
I write mainstream fiction as Sam Cheever and some would say I’m from Mars. But in actuality I grew up in a mid-sized town in Indiana. Kind of the same thing, actually.
I also write M/M romantic suspense and fantasy as Declan Sands.
As a child, who did Sam want to be when she grew up?
I always wanted to be a writer. I believe everyone is good at something, the trick is just finding out what that something is. #:0) I discovered at an early age that I had a knack with words. But I didn’t think I was going to be able to make a living writing. Then I found a degree program at a local 4 year college called Professional and Technical Writing. It was the happiest day of my life! I was able to use my BA degree in writing to offer my writing and editing services to Corporate America until I could get my fiction writing career underway. I feel very blessed to have been able to do what I both love and have a skill for.
Tell us about your first book, the highs, the lows and the unexpected.
My first published work was ‘Tween Heaven and Hell, a fast paced paranormal romance about angels and devils in a futuristic world. I wrote the initial draft as a weekly serial, one chapter a week, for a few dozen subscribers. When it was complete I sent it out to several publishers and received an acceptance from Ellora’s Cave a few weeks later. It was very exciting!
The book was published on the Cerridwen Press side of the house, which was the sensual rather than erotic side of Ellora’s Cave because it wasn’t an erotic book. As a result, my sales figures were not as healthy as I’d hoped. However, the first book in the series has gone on to win several awards and the series has gained an extensive following.
What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?
Probably back story. I try really hard not to do info dumps in my stories so I have to use different tactics to flesh out the plot with the necessary information. Writing series fiction, which I tend to do a lot of, makes that both easier and harder. It’s obviously easier for readers who have read the other books in the series to keep up with the relationships and stories that have shaped them, but readers who start in the middle or end of the series need to feel like they know what’s going on too. I solve the problem by making all the books standalone, and then including self-contained information snippets that tie them together as the story unfolds.
What was the best piece of advice you were given in regards to your writing?
Nothing earth shattering there…the advice is the same for everybody…just keep writing. Much easier said than done as you get rejection letter after rejection letter. But the only writers who eventually make it big are the ones who believe in themselves enough to keep slogging through all the disappointment and criticism. It ain’t easy! But if you truly believe you’ve got what it takes, hang in there, keep writing, it will come, grasshopper.
I see you are published with many houses, Sam. How important is it to diversify your publishers in today’s market?
Extremely important. Each house has a specialized, target market where they sell most of their books. For example, Ellora’s Cave obviously has a big chunk of the erotica market and Changeling Press writes hot, short, serialized fiction. Once you figure out what a house’s market is, you can tap into it and broaden your audience. And since most readers tend to read across genres, you can often draw readers across publishers once they’re familiar with your work.
What is your strangest writing habit?
I write in snippets on multiple projects at once. Many writers sit down in the morning and just crank out an allotted number of words on a single project or even a couple. I might have six projects going at any given time and will write a couple thousand words on 3 or 4 of them, sometimes moving back and forth between two or three of them in the space of a single day.
How do you avoid interruptions?
Avoid them? I embrace them! If something has managed to interrupt me it’s probably because I’m stuck on a plot point or have exhausted my creative energy for that moment. I’ll usually take a break and then come back to it. It works for me.
What is one problematic area you have with your writing and how do you fix it?
Occasionally I neglect to describe my characters. #:0) I see them so clearly in my mind and forget the reader doesn’t know them like I do so I think I just take it for granted they know what they look like. Har! It’s now on my list of things I look for in rewrites but, if all else fails, thank goodness for my editor!
You bring a wicked sense of humor to your books - is this you or just your characters micromanaging you.
Alas, I’m afraid it’s me. I can’t seem to help myself. In fact, my characters sometimes beat me upside the head for the situations I put them in. But that’s a big mistake. I have one of those contrary personalities and I’m likely to torture them even more if they complain. hehehe
Sam, please tell us more about your writing and a little on the personal side of your life.
I write as Sam Cheever for mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for M/M romantic suspense and fantasy. I live on a hobby farm in Indiana with 13 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband. I write books I like to read and read books I wish I’d written. My books are fast paced and fun loving. Not one of them will solve a single world problem, but you definitely won’t be bored while reading them!
My published work includes 40+ works of young adult, romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. My books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. I am published with Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Changeling Press; Electric Prose Publications (my own imprint), and Red Rose Publishing. I look forward to chatting with you today and sharing some of my work!
Sam Cheever links: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog
Declan Sands links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
If lust were flames there'd be scorch marks across the ages!
Ardith is a time traveling witch, a member of the Epoch Mages. Draigh is a Sorceri Bounty Hunter. They H-A-T-E each other. When they’re thrown together by the elders to chase an evil rogue witch through time and save the world from flesh eating zombies, they quickly discover that, while their minds may tell them they don’t like being together, their bodies don’t quite agree. In fact, if lust were flames, there would be a lot of scorch marks across the ages!
~ 5 Stars from SnifferWalk "I don't hand out a ton of 5 Star ratings for books. Like my Ratings Guide says, they have to be practically life changing. But if I read a book and I just cannot seem to forget it, it has to be a 5."
~ 5 Stars from My Cozie Corner Book Reviews "A hard to put down novel that will captivate you from the beginning."
~~*~~Draigh couldn’t believe he was being forced to work with a mage. He was fully capable of capturing the crone Edana without an epoch mage tagging along. He’d hunted rogue magic users for centuries and needed no instruction from the young wench striding along beside him as if she owned the world.
He cast her a sideways glance, taking in the long, well-toned limbs and the lush curves beneath the scant leather costume she wore. The ridiculous clothing barely covered her considerable assets. He wanted to be disgusted by the clothing, hating how it made him hard beneath his own leather breeches.
Very hard.
And he despised the woman. The last thing he wanted was to have any kind of pleasant thoughts about her. Particularly of the carnal kind.
Draigh forced his gaze away from the soft roundness bulging past the edges of the leather top. The woman was a damn temptress. He’d seen her type before. He’d had his balls handed to him by one in fact. He might not be the smartest hunter on the planet. But he rarely made the same mistake twice. The witch was nothing but trouble.
At the moment she stood between him and his prey. That was unacceptable. The first thing he needed to do was rid himself of her. Then he could do the job he’d been hired to do.
Her steps slowed and faltered as they approached the low-slung structure at the edge of town. He immediately realized the same thing she obviously had. It was one of the bunker-style buildings that had become so popular since the great wars. Only the entrance was above ground. Most of the structure was subterranean.
He slid a furtive glance the witch’s way and noted the moisture already beading on her upper lip. Her usual creamy, peach-toned skin had turned a pasty shade of tan. He wanted to celebrate her discomfort. But somehow he just couldn’t. “I can go inside and question the witness. You can wait outside.” He hadn’t meant it to sound like a command. Unfortunately that was the way it had emerged from his lips.
Her head whipped around, flinging the thick, waist-length braid into the air as her gaze snapped in his direction. “I’m fine. I don’t need you protecting me.”
Draigh ground his teeth. So much for learning from his mistakes. He’d tried to give the viper a soft nest to rest upon, and the damn thing had thanked him by attempting to sink its fangs into his throat. “Suit yourself, witch.”
She strode right up to the victim’s door and pounded. Draigh waited a few feet back, his gaze sweeping the area for signs of Edana’s own special type of trouble. The witch pounded on the door again and received no response.
She glanced at Draigh. “Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.” Magic thickened on the air and Draigh swore. “Let me try…”
Ardith sent a focused beam of magic into the door handle and the door swung open. She turned to give Draigh a smug smile, not noticing as a large hand appeared from inside the house and wrapped around the edge of the door. Draigh called out a warning and she started to turn.
The door slammed outward, sending her sprawling.
Before he knew what he was doing, Draigh had thrown himself over the witch.
She landed beneath him with an umph and started pelting his chest with her small fists. “Get off me, oaf.”
Pain pierced his calf as her damn familiar clamped his massive jaws around Draigh’s leg and gave it a warning squeeze, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
The stench of sour, old death assailed his nostrils. Draigh squinted through the shadows beyond the door and saw movement. “Stop it, witch! Call off your dog. We have company.”
He tried to grab her wrists but she was too agitated. Fighting the urge to smack her unconscious, Draigh screamed into her face, “Stop fighting me. Edana’s pets are about to descend on us.”
Fortunately her dog was smarter than she. He released Draigh and stood with teeth bared, snarling at the shadowed entrance.
She peered around his shoulder just as the first pale half-rotted face appeared in the doorway. “Well why didn’t you say so?” The first blast of her magic nearly took his ear off.
He rolled off her. “Damn it, woman.”
She leapt to her feet and sent another blast into the conglomeration of mucus and bone marching stiffly toward them. The zombie’s bloodied, jagged teeth were bared in a warning hiss. When her magic hit, the thing surged backward, a huge chunk of its chest sloughing away under the force of her witch fire.
Draigh pulled one of his knives and leapt on the lumbering monster nearest him, slicing the knife cleanly through its spongy neck with one swipe. Putrid-smelling green slime sprayed in an arc from the blade of his knife, saturating Draigh’s face and arms. The head dropped to the ground and rolled away, and the body sank to the earth.
When Draigh looked toward the door, he was facing a small army of the mangy creatures. Ardith stood beside him, her eyes flashing and her fists fizzling with unshed magic.
He glanced at her. “I hate zombies.”
She gave him a slow smile. “You wanted exercise. I think you’re gonna get it.”
Then she leapt into the fray, witch fire flying, and Draigh reluctantly followed.
Buy links:
Publisher Amazon Barnes & Noble All Romance eBooks
Where are you from? What is your writing name?I write mainstream fiction as Sam Cheever and some would say I’m from Mars. But in actuality I grew up in a mid-sized town in Indiana. Kind of the same thing, actually.
I also write M/M romantic suspense and fantasy as Declan Sands.
As a child, who did Sam want to be when she grew up?
I always wanted to be a writer. I believe everyone is good at something, the trick is just finding out what that something is. #:0) I discovered at an early age that I had a knack with words. But I didn’t think I was going to be able to make a living writing. Then I found a degree program at a local 4 year college called Professional and Technical Writing. It was the happiest day of my life! I was able to use my BA degree in writing to offer my writing and editing services to Corporate America until I could get my fiction writing career underway. I feel very blessed to have been able to do what I both love and have a skill for.
Tell us about your first book, the highs, the lows and the unexpected.
My first published work was ‘Tween Heaven and Hell, a fast paced paranormal romance about angels and devils in a futuristic world. I wrote the initial draft as a weekly serial, one chapter a week, for a few dozen subscribers. When it was complete I sent it out to several publishers and received an acceptance from Ellora’s Cave a few weeks later. It was very exciting!
The book was published on the Cerridwen Press side of the house, which was the sensual rather than erotic side of Ellora’s Cave because it wasn’t an erotic book. As a result, my sales figures were not as healthy as I’d hoped. However, the first book in the series has gone on to win several awards and the series has gained an extensive following.
What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?
Probably back story. I try really hard not to do info dumps in my stories so I have to use different tactics to flesh out the plot with the necessary information. Writing series fiction, which I tend to do a lot of, makes that both easier and harder. It’s obviously easier for readers who have read the other books in the series to keep up with the relationships and stories that have shaped them, but readers who start in the middle or end of the series need to feel like they know what’s going on too. I solve the problem by making all the books standalone, and then including self-contained information snippets that tie them together as the story unfolds.
What was the best piece of advice you were given in regards to your writing?
Nothing earth shattering there…the advice is the same for everybody…just keep writing. Much easier said than done as you get rejection letter after rejection letter. But the only writers who eventually make it big are the ones who believe in themselves enough to keep slogging through all the disappointment and criticism. It ain’t easy! But if you truly believe you’ve got what it takes, hang in there, keep writing, it will come, grasshopper.
I see you are published with many houses, Sam. How important is it to diversify your publishers in today’s market?
Extremely important. Each house has a specialized, target market where they sell most of their books. For example, Ellora’s Cave obviously has a big chunk of the erotica market and Changeling Press writes hot, short, serialized fiction. Once you figure out what a house’s market is, you can tap into it and broaden your audience. And since most readers tend to read across genres, you can often draw readers across publishers once they’re familiar with your work.
What is your strangest writing habit?
I write in snippets on multiple projects at once. Many writers sit down in the morning and just crank out an allotted number of words on a single project or even a couple. I might have six projects going at any given time and will write a couple thousand words on 3 or 4 of them, sometimes moving back and forth between two or three of them in the space of a single day.
How do you avoid interruptions?
Avoid them? I embrace them! If something has managed to interrupt me it’s probably because I’m stuck on a plot point or have exhausted my creative energy for that moment. I’ll usually take a break and then come back to it. It works for me.
What is one problematic area you have with your writing and how do you fix it?
Occasionally I neglect to describe my characters. #:0) I see them so clearly in my mind and forget the reader doesn’t know them like I do so I think I just take it for granted they know what they look like. Har! It’s now on my list of things I look for in rewrites but, if all else fails, thank goodness for my editor!
You bring a wicked sense of humor to your books - is this you or just your characters micromanaging you.
Alas, I’m afraid it’s me. I can’t seem to help myself. In fact, my characters sometimes beat me upside the head for the situations I put them in. But that’s a big mistake. I have one of those contrary personalities and I’m likely to torture them even more if they complain. hehehe
Sam, please tell us more about your writing and a little on the personal side of your life.
I write as Sam Cheever for mainstream romantic suspense and fantasy, all heat levels; and Declan Sands for M/M romantic suspense and fantasy. I live on a hobby farm in Indiana with 13 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband. I write books I like to read and read books I wish I’d written. My books are fast paced and fun loving. Not one of them will solve a single world problem, but you definitely won’t be bored while reading them!
My published work includes 40+ works of young adult, romantic suspense, and fantasy/paranormal. My books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, been nominated and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for Best of 2010 with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. I am published with Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Changeling Press; Electric Prose Publications (my own imprint), and Red Rose Publishing. I look forward to chatting with you today and sharing some of my work!
Sam Cheever links: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog
Declan Sands links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
If lust were flames there'd be scorch marks across the ages!
Ardith is a time traveling witch, a member of the Epoch Mages. Draigh is a Sorceri Bounty Hunter. They H-A-T-E each other. When they’re thrown together by the elders to chase an evil rogue witch through time and save the world from flesh eating zombies, they quickly discover that, while their minds may tell them they don’t like being together, their bodies don’t quite agree. In fact, if lust were flames, there would be a lot of scorch marks across the ages!
~ 5 Stars from SnifferWalk "I don't hand out a ton of 5 Star ratings for books. Like my Ratings Guide says, they have to be practically life changing. But if I read a book and I just cannot seem to forget it, it has to be a 5."
~ 5 Stars from My Cozie Corner Book Reviews "A hard to put down novel that will captivate you from the beginning."
~~*~~Draigh couldn’t believe he was being forced to work with a mage. He was fully capable of capturing the crone Edana without an epoch mage tagging along. He’d hunted rogue magic users for centuries and needed no instruction from the young wench striding along beside him as if she owned the world.
He cast her a sideways glance, taking in the long, well-toned limbs and the lush curves beneath the scant leather costume she wore. The ridiculous clothing barely covered her considerable assets. He wanted to be disgusted by the clothing, hating how it made him hard beneath his own leather breeches.
Very hard.
And he despised the woman. The last thing he wanted was to have any kind of pleasant thoughts about her. Particularly of the carnal kind.
Draigh forced his gaze away from the soft roundness bulging past the edges of the leather top. The woman was a damn temptress. He’d seen her type before. He’d had his balls handed to him by one in fact. He might not be the smartest hunter on the planet. But he rarely made the same mistake twice. The witch was nothing but trouble.
At the moment she stood between him and his prey. That was unacceptable. The first thing he needed to do was rid himself of her. Then he could do the job he’d been hired to do.
Her steps slowed and faltered as they approached the low-slung structure at the edge of town. He immediately realized the same thing she obviously had. It was one of the bunker-style buildings that had become so popular since the great wars. Only the entrance was above ground. Most of the structure was subterranean.
He slid a furtive glance the witch’s way and noted the moisture already beading on her upper lip. Her usual creamy, peach-toned skin had turned a pasty shade of tan. He wanted to celebrate her discomfort. But somehow he just couldn’t. “I can go inside and question the witness. You can wait outside.” He hadn’t meant it to sound like a command. Unfortunately that was the way it had emerged from his lips.
Her head whipped around, flinging the thick, waist-length braid into the air as her gaze snapped in his direction. “I’m fine. I don’t need you protecting me.”
Draigh ground his teeth. So much for learning from his mistakes. He’d tried to give the viper a soft nest to rest upon, and the damn thing had thanked him by attempting to sink its fangs into his throat. “Suit yourself, witch.”
She strode right up to the victim’s door and pounded. Draigh waited a few feet back, his gaze sweeping the area for signs of Edana’s own special type of trouble. The witch pounded on the door again and received no response.
She glanced at Draigh. “Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.” Magic thickened on the air and Draigh swore. “Let me try…”
Ardith sent a focused beam of magic into the door handle and the door swung open. She turned to give Draigh a smug smile, not noticing as a large hand appeared from inside the house and wrapped around the edge of the door. Draigh called out a warning and she started to turn.
The door slammed outward, sending her sprawling.
Before he knew what he was doing, Draigh had thrown himself over the witch.
She landed beneath him with an umph and started pelting his chest with her small fists. “Get off me, oaf.”
Pain pierced his calf as her damn familiar clamped his massive jaws around Draigh’s leg and gave it a warning squeeze, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
The stench of sour, old death assailed his nostrils. Draigh squinted through the shadows beyond the door and saw movement. “Stop it, witch! Call off your dog. We have company.”
He tried to grab her wrists but she was too agitated. Fighting the urge to smack her unconscious, Draigh screamed into her face, “Stop fighting me. Edana’s pets are about to descend on us.”
Fortunately her dog was smarter than she. He released Draigh and stood with teeth bared, snarling at the shadowed entrance.
She peered around his shoulder just as the first pale half-rotted face appeared in the doorway. “Well why didn’t you say so?” The first blast of her magic nearly took his ear off.
He rolled off her. “Damn it, woman.”
She leapt to her feet and sent another blast into the conglomeration of mucus and bone marching stiffly toward them. The zombie’s bloodied, jagged teeth were bared in a warning hiss. When her magic hit, the thing surged backward, a huge chunk of its chest sloughing away under the force of her witch fire.
Draigh pulled one of his knives and leapt on the lumbering monster nearest him, slicing the knife cleanly through its spongy neck with one swipe. Putrid-smelling green slime sprayed in an arc from the blade of his knife, saturating Draigh’s face and arms. The head dropped to the ground and rolled away, and the body sank to the earth.
When Draigh looked toward the door, he was facing a small army of the mangy creatures. Ardith stood beside him, her eyes flashing and her fists fizzling with unshed magic.
He glanced at her. “I hate zombies.”
She gave him a slow smile. “You wanted exercise. I think you’re gonna get it.”
Then she leapt into the fray, witch fire flying, and Draigh reluctantly followed.
Buy links:
Publisher Amazon Barnes & Noble All Romance eBooks
March 4, 2014
It's Wednesday, so What's Cooking?
How about Chicken Thighs with an Italian Flair? This is an easy dish and won't break the bank. Leftovers don't freeze well. But the dish does stay well for two days in the refrigerator and nukes beautifully.
Chicken Thighs with an Italian Flair
Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless 1 per person
Prosciutto 1 thin slice for each thigh
Marjoram
Flour
Olive oil
Medium-sized can tomato sauce
¼ - 1 cup dry white wine, the amount depends on how many thighs you cook.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Handful fresh basil or 1 tbsp. dried
Gently pound the thighs to a slightly thinner size between two pieces of waxed paper. Sprinkle lightly with marjoram.
Lay prosciutto onto thighs and gently pound.
Pour flour into a paper bag. Place one thigh at a time inside bag and shake gently. Remove thigh to a plate while you flour the remaining thighs.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Carefully add the thighs chicken side down. Fry until nicely browned. Turn the meat to finish frying. Regulate the heat so the chicken browns and not burn.
Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken. Add the wine, basil, and gently stir. Sprinkle a good amount of cheese across the top. Heat through.
To Serve:
Place chicken on a plate along with your favorite pasta. Ladle the pan juices over the pasta. Be sure to have a bowl of grated cheese on the table!
I'll be back Monday with Sam Cheever. Until then...
Mangiare Bene!
Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Chicken Thighs with an Italian Flair
Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless 1 per personProsciutto 1 thin slice for each thigh
Marjoram
Flour
Olive oil
Medium-sized can tomato sauce
¼ - 1 cup dry white wine, the amount depends on how many thighs you cook.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Handful fresh basil or 1 tbsp. dried
Gently pound the thighs to a slightly thinner size between two pieces of waxed paper. Sprinkle lightly with marjoram.
Lay prosciutto onto thighs and gently pound.
Pour flour into a paper bag. Place one thigh at a time inside bag and shake gently. Remove thigh to a plate while you flour the remaining thighs.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Carefully add the thighs chicken side down. Fry until nicely browned. Turn the meat to finish frying. Regulate the heat so the chicken browns and not burn.
Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken. Add the wine, basil, and gently stir. Sprinkle a good amount of cheese across the top. Heat through.
To Serve:
Place chicken on a plate along with your favorite pasta. Ladle the pan juices over the pasta. Be sure to have a bowl of grated cheese on the table!
I'll be back Monday with Sam Cheever. Until then...
Mangiare Bene!
Sloane Taylor
Amazon Author Page
March 2, 2014
Hampton and Ledwith Get Down to Business
I am delighted to turn over my blog to my good friends multi published author SS Hampton Sr. and his guest, outstanding Middle Grade author Sharon Ledwith.
Sharon Ledwith, hello! So, who are you, and where do you come from?
Hey, Stan, glad to be here! Oh, such a complicated question. How long do we have? Seriously though (and I rarely am!) I’m a middle-aged broad who writes for the middle-grade/YA genre. Guess you could say I’m going through my second childhood! I come from my parents—mom still has nightmares to this day—via Streator, Illinois USA while my father was under contract by the government to teach meteorology. That makes me a dual citizen. Currently I reside in the wilds of Muskoka, a tourist area deep in the heart of central Ontario, Canada. Cue the haunting cry of the loon…
Lol, the loon! So, why did you become a graphic artist? Was it difficult to give up that career field for writing (I assume you write full-time)?
Well someone has done his homework! I’ve always loved art throughout school, and wanted to parlay that into a solid business career. Plus I didn’t want anything to do with math again! I took the graphic technician course in college which allowed me to work in the printing trade. This was before computers took over, so everything was done by hand. Um, yeah, slow process, but worth it if you applied yourself and worked hard. My hubby and I started Box Office Graphics in the early 80s and we saw so many changes in the industry which included fax machines, computers, and the internet. The graphic businesses that didn’t change fell by the wayside. We sold our business in 2004, and have never looked back. BTW—our former business is still going strong after 30 years! And NO, it wasn’t difficult to give up that career at all. Somehow I knew deep inside I would be pursuing a full-time career as a writer. After all, something had to be done to stop the voices from talking in my head!
Where and how did you meet your husband? Was he aware that he was courting a soon-to-be writer with all of her quirks? I generally assume all writers have their quirks – I know I do.
Poor hubby. I met him at the first job I was hired at straight out of college—a graphic trade shop that specialized in plastic container packaging. Call him my soul mate or a misguided fool, I knew from the moment I met him that we were destined to be together. I believe he was aware of some quirky karma, ’cause he never gave up the chase, even when the odds were against us. I also believe writers should use all their quirks to their advantage!
Any friendly words of advice for writers, particularly when a future spouse “comes a’calling”? Or perhaps for the future spouse who discovers their love interest is a writer?
Run, spouse, run! Kidding. My advice would be to never stop investing in yourself. Invest in the best. That’s in yourself, in your readers, and in your partner. Your readers deserve the best of what you have to offer them. Surround yourself with the best possible team (this includes spouses). Never stop learning. As you grow, so will your readers, so be prepared for this. Oh yeah, and never give up. That’s a given and should be part of any author’s credo.
How did your family and friends react to you becoming a writer?
Say what? You want to be a writer? Good for you! Ten years later…you’re still writing? Anything published yet? No? Humph. Maybe you should get a REAL job. Um, yeah, tried it, didn’t like it, went back to writing, and got published. Yay me! Once I signed the contract, I was cast in a different light, and everyone was supportive and happy for me. You should have seen the release party I threw – hot damn it was fun and VERY satisfying!
I find it interesting that the inspiration for The Last Timekeepers of Atlantis came to you in a dream, that you believe in Atlantis, and you burn incense when writing. You didn’t mention what types of music you like, or favorite artists. So, not to resort to labels, but are you perhaps, something of a “New Ager”?
Yes, very much so. I’m quite a spiritual person and believe we’re all here for a reason and purpose. This comes out in my stories. I don’t want to come off as preachy (in fact I can’t stand it when other people try to shove their beliefs on me) so I try to inject humor whenever I can in my stories. I think we all learn best when there’s laughter present. And if you want a real laugh, when I first started out writing I listened to the soundtrack of Braveheart (sigh) a lot, as well as some native drum instrumentals, Enya, and Enigma. Now I hardly listen to music while writing.
Braveheart, eh? And Enya and Enigma—some of my favorite music too. Just a comment here: I like the first sentence of the opening of your blurb – “Children are the keys to our future.” Truthfully, I have always believed that. Might that have something do with the intended audience of Middle Grade/Young Adult readers regarding Last Timekeepers?
Oh definitely! But it is true – children are the keys to our future. It’s up to us adults to supply kids with good role models, people to look up to, and to aspire to. We need to be the best we can be, and offer children a new hope for a better tomorrow. I mean, how else can we pass along our knowledge and understanding to a new generation if we don’t show up in this life?
Would you please share an excerpt from The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis with us? Or, if you feel comfortable, perhaps an excerpt from your prequel, Legend of the Timekeepers?
Would be honored, Stan. Here’s the blurb and excerpt from my newest release, and the prequel to the Last Timekeepers series, Legend of the Timekeepers:
There is no moving forward without first going back.
Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.
Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.
“Why are you here?” Lilith asked. “You’ve already got your life seal.”
“I have more questions for Istulo.” She continued to stare at the disk.
Lilith sighed. “My name is Lilith. What’s your name?”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. A hint of a smile broke out on her face. Her upturned nose wiggled. “She-Aba. I was born here in the Black Land. Both my parents arrived from Atlantis fourteen years ago yesterday. My mother gave birth to me the next day.”
Lilith perked up. “That would make today your birthday!”
She-Aba beamed. “Yes. That’s why I’m here. For my birthday last year, I had my life reading done by Istulo. But recently, there’s been a hiccup in my plans. It’s like my life seal rearranged itself, and now I’m confused. I’m here for a reaffirmation.”
“What’s the problem?”
She-Aba traced her life seal with the tip of her perfectly shaped fingernail. “My lifetime occupation was supposed to be to design clothing for the people of the various positions in the court and temples.”
Lilith smirked. “That makes perfect sense.”
“I know, right? So why, all of a sudden, would my life seal change from designing clothing to something completely different?”
Lilith arched a fair brow. “How different?”
“Well, instead of clothing people in lavish robes and gowns for others to appreciate, the seal suggests that I’ll be doing the opposite by covering up and hiding the truth. I don’t understand it at all. I thought my life was all planned out for me.”
“I thought mine was too, until my country blew up and slid into the ocean,” Lilith muttered.
“Hey, look at the bright side, at least your hair isn’t red like mine.”
Lilith eyed She-Aba carefully. “What’s wrong with red hair? My uncle has red hair and it suits him fine.”
She-Aba moved in closer. “If you haven’t noticed already, there aren’t many redheads around here. The natives think red is magical, and anyone with red hair is considered a freak of nature.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Lilith said loud enough to cause an echo down the marble hallway. “Is that the reason why those artists were rude to you? Because you have red hair?”
“Red is a very powerful color,” a raspy voice said from behind both girls.
Lilith and She-Aba jumped. They slowly turned to find Istulo hovering over them.
Wearing the same white gown and orichalcum headband Lilith saw her dressed in before, Istulo nodded slightly before she said, “Red represents the essence of life—if we are drained of blood, we are drained of energy. The people of the Black Land understand this, and therefore red is reserved only for their gods and goddesses.”
Lilith giggled. “Don’t tell She-Aba that, she’ll think she’s a goddess.”
Here's the LINK for more information on the book.
Thank you for visiting with us today! Are there any parting words you would like to share with us?
Absolutely! I was once asked by another interviewer to share what inspires me to write, and why am I doing what I do? The truth is that I want to be the change I would like to see in this world. Yes, I stole that from Gandhi, but those words have been my mantra, and have guided me to write stories I would have loved to read as an adolescent. My hope is to give my target audience (upper middle-grade and lower young adult) the kinds of stories the world needs now—force readers to ask why they are here on earth at this time, and what is their major purpose. I guess I’m looking for ways to make the world a better place. I also want to make people laugh out-loud while they’re reading my books, and leave them wanting more when they turn to the last page. Thanks so much for putting up with, er interviewing me today, Stan, and loved your well-researched questions! Cheers!
Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page .
BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing - Amazon Link - Barnes & Noble - Kobo
When Sharon Ledwith is not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog . Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .
Much of SS Hampton, Sr.'s writing is drawn from his extensive military career, including his historical short story The Sentinels.
December 1941 – the German offensive has ground to a frozen halt before an ominous forest encircling Moscow, and a German patrol seeks to discover what secrets the forest hides…
December 1941, and fresh Siberian troops from the Soviet Far East have launched savage counter-attacks against the German invaders. The Eastern Front is torn open with German units driven back, overwhelmed, or isolated. An exhausted Waffen SS infantry platoon outside of Moscow needs to know what the Siberians, hidden in a dark forest before them, are up to. A small patrol is sent into the snowy, otherworldly forest...
To read an excerpt from The Sentinels please click HERE .
SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a divorced grandfather to 13, a published photographer and photojournalist, and a member of the Military Writers Society of America. His military career began in 1974. He retired on 1 July 2013 from the Army National Guard with the rank of Sergeant First Class; he previously served in the active duty Army, the Army Individual Ready Reserve, and enlisted in the Army National Guard in October 2004, after which he was mobilized for Federal active duty for almost three years. Hampton is a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom.
His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, The Harrow, and River Walk Journal, among others. He is also a published photographer and photojournalist, and a member of the Military Writers Society of America.
After 12 years of brown desert in the Southwest and overseas, he misses the Rocky Mountains, yellow aspens in the fall, running rivers, and a warm fireplace during snowy winters. As of December 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Hampton officially became a homeless Iraq War veteran.
To learn more about SS Hampton, Sr. or read excerpts from his books please click a vendor's name.
Musa Publishing - Melange Books - MuseItUp Publishing
Amazon Author Page - Amazon UK Author Page - Goodreads Author Page
Sharon Ledwith, hello! So, who are you, and where do you come from?
Hey, Stan, glad to be here! Oh, such a complicated question. How long do we have? Seriously though (and I rarely am!) I’m a middle-aged broad who writes for the middle-grade/YA genre. Guess you could say I’m going through my second childhood! I come from my parents—mom still has nightmares to this day—via Streator, Illinois USA while my father was under contract by the government to teach meteorology. That makes me a dual citizen. Currently I reside in the wilds of Muskoka, a tourist area deep in the heart of central Ontario, Canada. Cue the haunting cry of the loon…
Lol, the loon! So, why did you become a graphic artist? Was it difficult to give up that career field for writing (I assume you write full-time)?
Well someone has done his homework! I’ve always loved art throughout school, and wanted to parlay that into a solid business career. Plus I didn’t want anything to do with math again! I took the graphic technician course in college which allowed me to work in the printing trade. This was before computers took over, so everything was done by hand. Um, yeah, slow process, but worth it if you applied yourself and worked hard. My hubby and I started Box Office Graphics in the early 80s and we saw so many changes in the industry which included fax machines, computers, and the internet. The graphic businesses that didn’t change fell by the wayside. We sold our business in 2004, and have never looked back. BTW—our former business is still going strong after 30 years! And NO, it wasn’t difficult to give up that career at all. Somehow I knew deep inside I would be pursuing a full-time career as a writer. After all, something had to be done to stop the voices from talking in my head!
Where and how did you meet your husband? Was he aware that he was courting a soon-to-be writer with all of her quirks? I generally assume all writers have their quirks – I know I do.
Poor hubby. I met him at the first job I was hired at straight out of college—a graphic trade shop that specialized in plastic container packaging. Call him my soul mate or a misguided fool, I knew from the moment I met him that we were destined to be together. I believe he was aware of some quirky karma, ’cause he never gave up the chase, even when the odds were against us. I also believe writers should use all their quirks to their advantage!
Any friendly words of advice for writers, particularly when a future spouse “comes a’calling”? Or perhaps for the future spouse who discovers their love interest is a writer?
Run, spouse, run! Kidding. My advice would be to never stop investing in yourself. Invest in the best. That’s in yourself, in your readers, and in your partner. Your readers deserve the best of what you have to offer them. Surround yourself with the best possible team (this includes spouses). Never stop learning. As you grow, so will your readers, so be prepared for this. Oh yeah, and never give up. That’s a given and should be part of any author’s credo.
How did your family and friends react to you becoming a writer?
Say what? You want to be a writer? Good for you! Ten years later…you’re still writing? Anything published yet? No? Humph. Maybe you should get a REAL job. Um, yeah, tried it, didn’t like it, went back to writing, and got published. Yay me! Once I signed the contract, I was cast in a different light, and everyone was supportive and happy for me. You should have seen the release party I threw – hot damn it was fun and VERY satisfying!
I find it interesting that the inspiration for The Last Timekeepers of Atlantis came to you in a dream, that you believe in Atlantis, and you burn incense when writing. You didn’t mention what types of music you like, or favorite artists. So, not to resort to labels, but are you perhaps, something of a “New Ager”?
Yes, very much so. I’m quite a spiritual person and believe we’re all here for a reason and purpose. This comes out in my stories. I don’t want to come off as preachy (in fact I can’t stand it when other people try to shove their beliefs on me) so I try to inject humor whenever I can in my stories. I think we all learn best when there’s laughter present. And if you want a real laugh, when I first started out writing I listened to the soundtrack of Braveheart (sigh) a lot, as well as some native drum instrumentals, Enya, and Enigma. Now I hardly listen to music while writing.
Braveheart, eh? And Enya and Enigma—some of my favorite music too. Just a comment here: I like the first sentence of the opening of your blurb – “Children are the keys to our future.” Truthfully, I have always believed that. Might that have something do with the intended audience of Middle Grade/Young Adult readers regarding Last Timekeepers?
Oh definitely! But it is true – children are the keys to our future. It’s up to us adults to supply kids with good role models, people to look up to, and to aspire to. We need to be the best we can be, and offer children a new hope for a better tomorrow. I mean, how else can we pass along our knowledge and understanding to a new generation if we don’t show up in this life?
Would you please share an excerpt from The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis with us? Or, if you feel comfortable, perhaps an excerpt from your prequel, Legend of the Timekeepers?
Would be honored, Stan. Here’s the blurb and excerpt from my newest release, and the prequel to the Last Timekeepers series, Legend of the Timekeepers:
There is no moving forward without first going back.Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.
Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.
“Why are you here?” Lilith asked. “You’ve already got your life seal.”
“I have more questions for Istulo.” She continued to stare at the disk.
Lilith sighed. “My name is Lilith. What’s your name?”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. A hint of a smile broke out on her face. Her upturned nose wiggled. “She-Aba. I was born here in the Black Land. Both my parents arrived from Atlantis fourteen years ago yesterday. My mother gave birth to me the next day.”
Lilith perked up. “That would make today your birthday!”
She-Aba beamed. “Yes. That’s why I’m here. For my birthday last year, I had my life reading done by Istulo. But recently, there’s been a hiccup in my plans. It’s like my life seal rearranged itself, and now I’m confused. I’m here for a reaffirmation.”
“What’s the problem?”
She-Aba traced her life seal with the tip of her perfectly shaped fingernail. “My lifetime occupation was supposed to be to design clothing for the people of the various positions in the court and temples.”
Lilith smirked. “That makes perfect sense.”
“I know, right? So why, all of a sudden, would my life seal change from designing clothing to something completely different?”
Lilith arched a fair brow. “How different?”
“Well, instead of clothing people in lavish robes and gowns for others to appreciate, the seal suggests that I’ll be doing the opposite by covering up and hiding the truth. I don’t understand it at all. I thought my life was all planned out for me.”
“I thought mine was too, until my country blew up and slid into the ocean,” Lilith muttered.
“Hey, look at the bright side, at least your hair isn’t red like mine.”
Lilith eyed She-Aba carefully. “What’s wrong with red hair? My uncle has red hair and it suits him fine.”
She-Aba moved in closer. “If you haven’t noticed already, there aren’t many redheads around here. The natives think red is magical, and anyone with red hair is considered a freak of nature.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Lilith said loud enough to cause an echo down the marble hallway. “Is that the reason why those artists were rude to you? Because you have red hair?”
“Red is a very powerful color,” a raspy voice said from behind both girls.
Lilith and She-Aba jumped. They slowly turned to find Istulo hovering over them.
Wearing the same white gown and orichalcum headband Lilith saw her dressed in before, Istulo nodded slightly before she said, “Red represents the essence of life—if we are drained of blood, we are drained of energy. The people of the Black Land understand this, and therefore red is reserved only for their gods and goddesses.”
Lilith giggled. “Don’t tell She-Aba that, she’ll think she’s a goddess.”
Here's the LINK for more information on the book.
Thank you for visiting with us today! Are there any parting words you would like to share with us?
Absolutely! I was once asked by another interviewer to share what inspires me to write, and why am I doing what I do? The truth is that I want to be the change I would like to see in this world. Yes, I stole that from Gandhi, but those words have been my mantra, and have guided me to write stories I would have loved to read as an adolescent. My hope is to give my target audience (upper middle-grade and lower young adult) the kinds of stories the world needs now—force readers to ask why they are here on earth at this time, and what is their major purpose. I guess I’m looking for ways to make the world a better place. I also want to make people laugh out-loud while they’re reading my books, and leave them wanting more when they turn to the last page. Thanks so much for putting up with, er interviewing me today, Stan, and loved your well-researched questions! Cheers!
Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page .
BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing - Amazon Link - Barnes & Noble - Kobo
When Sharon Ledwith is not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog . Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .
Much of SS Hampton, Sr.'s writing is drawn from his extensive military career, including his historical short story The Sentinels.
December 1941 – the German offensive has ground to a frozen halt before an ominous forest encircling Moscow, and a German patrol seeks to discover what secrets the forest hides…
December 1941, and fresh Siberian troops from the Soviet Far East have launched savage counter-attacks against the German invaders. The Eastern Front is torn open with German units driven back, overwhelmed, or isolated. An exhausted Waffen SS infantry platoon outside of Moscow needs to know what the Siberians, hidden in a dark forest before them, are up to. A small patrol is sent into the snowy, otherworldly forest...
To read an excerpt from The Sentinels please click HERE .
SS Hampton, Sr. is a full-blood Choctaw of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a divorced grandfather to 13, a published photographer and photojournalist, and a member of the Military Writers Society of America. His military career began in 1974. He retired on 1 July 2013 from the Army National Guard with the rank of Sergeant First Class; he previously served in the active duty Army, the Army Individual Ready Reserve, and enlisted in the Army National Guard in October 2004, after which he was mobilized for Federal active duty for almost three years. Hampton is a veteran of Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom.
His writings have appeared as stand-alone stories, and in anthologies from Dark Opus Press, Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy, Melange Books, Musa Publishing, MuseItUp Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and as stand-alone stories in Horror Bound Magazine, The Harrow, and River Walk Journal, among others. He is also a published photographer and photojournalist, and a member of the Military Writers Society of America.
After 12 years of brown desert in the Southwest and overseas, he misses the Rocky Mountains, yellow aspens in the fall, running rivers, and a warm fireplace during snowy winters. As of December 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Hampton officially became a homeless Iraq War veteran.
To learn more about SS Hampton, Sr. or read excerpts from his books please click a vendor's name.
Musa Publishing - Melange Books - MuseItUp Publishing
Amazon Author Page - Amazon UK Author Page - Goodreads Author Page
February 23, 2014
A BOOK IS BORN
Emilia Mancini dropped in today to share an interesting concept. The blog is all your, Emilia.
As I sat reading the galley for Seducing Kate, I realized what an incredible labor of love this book had been. If you’ve ever raised children, you can relate to the publishing process.
The pregnancy—the creating a new being, the hopes and dreams of what this being will eventually grow up to be, then finally, you start pushing thing out of you. Painful as it may be, there’s just no stopping it. You. Just. Have. To. Push.
Once it’s out, it’s not the most attractive thing, but you love it all the same.
Then it starts growing up and you realize that, much as you love it, your baby isn’t perfect. It’s colicky, cranky, and sometimes it takes a dump on you. You and your parental partner, your editor, go to task to mold this thing into a respectable fully-grown manuscript.
It hurts you, it breaks your heart, but at the same time, you swell with pride as you get ready to release it upon the world.
Seducing Kate was like this. The pushing out process was fairly easy. Kate and Kyle had a solid story and they were ready to share it with the world. It was the growing (editing) part that nearly killed me. Luckily, I have an incredibly patient editor who can see through all my personal writing ticks to the beauty that lies beneath.
She saw through my repetitive wording and my filtering and all those other bad author things I do. She saw through all the bullshit I pile on, scraped it away, polished this up, and made it shine.
I am so excited and so proud to be sending this respectable and fully-grown manuscript out into the world. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this one, and those disgusting bodily fluids weren’t just mine. Jeanne De Vita did a fantastic job helping me raise this little bugger.
I feel like a proud mama and I can’t wait for you to meet my baby.
It took Kyle one look to realize he wanted to seduce his best friend’s mother. And one kiss to realize he didn't have to.
It was lust at first sight for Kyle when he met his roommate Justin’s mother Kate. Kyle, a college transfer, was too far from home to visit on short school breaks, so Justin took him to Minneapolis where his mother was serving up a family meal for Thanksgiving.
One look left Kyle with a healthy obsession for Kate which grew with each visit. When he landed an internship in Minneapolis, he moved in with Kate for the summer, and got in touch with his voyeuristic side. It wasn’t until one late evening and a few too many glasses of wine that Kyle began to suspect his attraction wasn’t one-sided.
When he dared to push the issue, he found Kate more than willing to succumb to his seduction.
To read an excerpt from Seducing Kate, please click HERE .
Emilia Mancini is the naughtier side to author Marci Boudreaux. Emilia stays hidden in the shadows like a nefarious side kick, slipping out only when the stories Marci wants to share are a little too grown up to be called sweet romance.
Seducing Kate is Emilia’s second release and, at least for the moment, her crowning glory.
Be sure to check out the Pinterest board for Seducing Kate .
Visit Emilia on her website . Stay connected on Twitter and Facebook .
Be sure to enter Musa Publishing's January Giveaway.
As I sat reading the galley for Seducing Kate, I realized what an incredible labor of love this book had been. If you’ve ever raised children, you can relate to the publishing process.The pregnancy—the creating a new being, the hopes and dreams of what this being will eventually grow up to be, then finally, you start pushing thing out of you. Painful as it may be, there’s just no stopping it. You. Just. Have. To. Push.
Once it’s out, it’s not the most attractive thing, but you love it all the same.
Then it starts growing up and you realize that, much as you love it, your baby isn’t perfect. It’s colicky, cranky, and sometimes it takes a dump on you. You and your parental partner, your editor, go to task to mold this thing into a respectable fully-grown manuscript.
It hurts you, it breaks your heart, but at the same time, you swell with pride as you get ready to release it upon the world.
Seducing Kate was like this. The pushing out process was fairly easy. Kate and Kyle had a solid story and they were ready to share it with the world. It was the growing (editing) part that nearly killed me. Luckily, I have an incredibly patient editor who can see through all my personal writing ticks to the beauty that lies beneath.
She saw through my repetitive wording and my filtering and all those other bad author things I do. She saw through all the bullshit I pile on, scraped it away, polished this up, and made it shine.
I am so excited and so proud to be sending this respectable and fully-grown manuscript out into the world. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this one, and those disgusting bodily fluids weren’t just mine. Jeanne De Vita did a fantastic job helping me raise this little bugger.
I feel like a proud mama and I can’t wait for you to meet my baby.
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It took Kyle one look to realize he wanted to seduce his best friend’s mother. And one kiss to realize he didn't have to.It was lust at first sight for Kyle when he met his roommate Justin’s mother Kate. Kyle, a college transfer, was too far from home to visit on short school breaks, so Justin took him to Minneapolis where his mother was serving up a family meal for Thanksgiving.
One look left Kyle with a healthy obsession for Kate which grew with each visit. When he landed an internship in Minneapolis, he moved in with Kate for the summer, and got in touch with his voyeuristic side. It wasn’t until one late evening and a few too many glasses of wine that Kyle began to suspect his attraction wasn’t one-sided.
When he dared to push the issue, he found Kate more than willing to succumb to his seduction.
To read an excerpt from Seducing Kate, please click HERE .
Emilia Mancini is the naughtier side to author Marci Boudreaux. Emilia stays hidden in the shadows like a nefarious side kick, slipping out only when the stories Marci wants to share are a little too grown up to be called sweet romance. Seducing Kate is Emilia’s second release and, at least for the moment, her crowning glory.
Be sure to check out the Pinterest board for Seducing Kate .
Visit Emilia on her website . Stay connected on Twitter and Facebook .
Be sure to enter Musa Publishing's January Giveaway.
February 16, 2014
She is All About Reading and Writing Romance
Sexy Sara Daniel is here to share her true feelings about what makes the world go round. Take it away, Sara!
1. The Love Story: Obviously, right? I love to read about two people who care about each other so much that they’ll fight for each other. I love that they believe in each other more than anyone ever has before or will again. There is something so satisfying, so heartwarming to watch two characters fall in love, usually against their will, and rise above all the conflict to live out that love they deserve.
2. The Emotions: No other genre does the roller coaster of emotions like romance. One minute I’m laughing at a particularly witty line of dialogue, and the next I’m sobbing as the hero or heroine takes a figurative (and occasionally literal) punch to the gut. Does your life feel stale and blah? For the hours that you’re reading a romance, you’re living the gentleness of the hero caressing your cheek, the frustration of that one person who always has to make life difficult, the thrill of finally giving said person their comeuppance, the sweetness of a first kiss, the stark terror of falling for the person who could cause you to lose everything, and absolute joy of spending forever with the love of your life.
3. The Happily Ever After: Of course, we all know how a romance novel ends. The hero and heroine get together and live happily ever after. Some people scoff at this guarantee, but it is my number one reason why I will always read and write romance novels. Every day you can pick up the newspaper and read about a life that ends in tragedy. In our own lives and in the lives of our friends and neighbors, there are problems that we can’t wave a wand and make everything magically turn out okay. Who needs to read about more pain, suffering and general cynicism? Definitely not me. Instead, sit down for a couple hours and escape to a romance. Vicariously conquer every roadblock thrown at you. Best of all, no one can take away your happily ever after when you reach the end.
See what I mean with this short intro to one of my favorite books.
Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.
Nicole DeMonde’s car breaks down the moment she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding. The cop who stops to help her is none other than local hottie Wyatt Truman, who slept with her then dumped her when they were teens. She has no choice but to accept his help. However, she knows better than to trust him with her heart twice.
Wyatt is determined to earn Nicole’s forgiveness and make amends for his callous past. Once he lays eyes on her, he can’t help wanting a lot more than forgiveness, despite his intention never to hurt her again.
Just as Wyatt starts thinking his best intentions are of the forever variety, Nicole decides to work Wyatt out of her system with a one night stand. Can either of them make peace with the past in a single weekend, let alone survive with their hearts intact?
To read an excerpt from Wyatt's Guilt, please click HERE .
Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband.
Learn more about Sara on her website and blog . Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter . Stay connected on Facebook , Twitter , and Pinterest .
Be sure to enter Musa Publishing's January Giveaway.
1. The Love Story: Obviously, right? I love to read about two people who care about each other so much that they’ll fight for each other. I love that they believe in each other more than anyone ever has before or will again. There is something so satisfying, so heartwarming to watch two characters fall in love, usually against their will, and rise above all the conflict to live out that love they deserve.2. The Emotions: No other genre does the roller coaster of emotions like romance. One minute I’m laughing at a particularly witty line of dialogue, and the next I’m sobbing as the hero or heroine takes a figurative (and occasionally literal) punch to the gut. Does your life feel stale and blah? For the hours that you’re reading a romance, you’re living the gentleness of the hero caressing your cheek, the frustration of that one person who always has to make life difficult, the thrill of finally giving said person their comeuppance, the sweetness of a first kiss, the stark terror of falling for the person who could cause you to lose everything, and absolute joy of spending forever with the love of your life.
3. The Happily Ever After: Of course, we all know how a romance novel ends. The hero and heroine get together and live happily ever after. Some people scoff at this guarantee, but it is my number one reason why I will always read and write romance novels. Every day you can pick up the newspaper and read about a life that ends in tragedy. In our own lives and in the lives of our friends and neighbors, there are problems that we can’t wave a wand and make everything magically turn out okay. Who needs to read about more pain, suffering and general cynicism? Definitely not me. Instead, sit down for a couple hours and escape to a romance. Vicariously conquer every roadblock thrown at you. Best of all, no one can take away your happily ever after when you reach the end.
See what I mean with this short intro to one of my favorite books.
Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.Nicole DeMonde’s car breaks down the moment she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding. The cop who stops to help her is none other than local hottie Wyatt Truman, who slept with her then dumped her when they were teens. She has no choice but to accept his help. However, she knows better than to trust him with her heart twice.
Wyatt is determined to earn Nicole’s forgiveness and make amends for his callous past. Once he lays eyes on her, he can’t help wanting a lot more than forgiveness, despite his intention never to hurt her again.
Just as Wyatt starts thinking his best intentions are of the forever variety, Nicole decides to work Wyatt out of her system with a one night stand. Can either of them make peace with the past in a single weekend, let alone survive with their hearts intact?
To read an excerpt from Wyatt's Guilt, please click HERE .
Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband.
Learn more about Sara on her website and blog . Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter . Stay connected on Facebook , Twitter , and Pinterest .
Be sure to enter Musa Publishing's January Giveaway.
February 12, 2014
Don't Let the Hours Slip Away
Today is the last day to play
Fall in Love with Musa Publishing
Grand PrizeFour $10.00 Musa Gift Certificates
All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing February 14, 2014Winners announced February 16, 2014
Enter today to win free books!Musa Publishing is giving away two Promotional Paperback Books daily!PLUS each winner receives a download of Cooking with Musa.
No particular order to the daily drawings for the books below
For His Love by Nya Rayne
Marisa's Choice by Kadee McDonald
Only a Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
Storm's Fury by Nya Rayne
Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.
All paperback book prizes must be claimed by February 20, 2014 or they are forfeited.
Giveaway begins February 6, 2014 and ends midnight CST February 13, 2014
Fall in Love with Musa Publishing
Grand PrizeFour $10.00 Musa Gift Certificates
All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing February 14, 2014Winners announced February 16, 2014
Enter today to win free books!Musa Publishing is giving away two Promotional Paperback Books daily!PLUS each winner receives a download of Cooking with Musa.
No particular order to the daily drawings for the books below
For His Love by Nya Rayne
Marisa's Choice by Kadee McDonald
Only a Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
Storm's Fury by Nya Rayne
Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.
All paperback book prizes must be claimed by February 20, 2014 or they are forfeited.
Giveaway begins February 6, 2014 and ends midnight CST February 13, 2014
February 11, 2014
Six and a Half Tips
and a Recipe for Perfect English Muffins
by HL Carpenter
You don’t have to be British to enjoy hand-made English muffins, which is fortunate for the heroine in our young adult novel, The SkyHorse, since Tovi Taggert and her family are southerners through and through.
The Taggerts are also fans of fun, easy menu additions for Sunday morning brunch or a special breakfast. English muffins are a snap to prepare, require only an hour to rise, cook quickly on a griddle or frying pan (no heating the oven!) and taste great, either plain or with butter, jam, or your favorite topping. An added bonus is the delicious, yeasty scent of fresh bread that fills the kitchen.
Here are tips to help you make perfect muffins.
1. While the yeast is dissolving, fill a 13” x 9” pan with hot water and place it in your unheated oven. Muffins rise best in a warm, humid environment.
2. If your recipe calls for honey, spritz your measuring spoon with cooking spray. The honey will slide right off the spoon.
3. Instead of using a rolling pin and cookie cutter to form your muffins, divide the dough into even parts. Then press out the dough pieces in your hamburger patty mold. You’ll get just-the-right-size, perfectly round muffins.
4. Once your muffins have risen, hand-transfer them to the heated griddle. They’ll keep their shape better than if you try to slip a spatula beneath them.
(Bonus tip: Prefer using a spatula? Dip the edge in cornmeal so it slides easily under the muffins.)
5. To test for doneness, lightly tap the top of the muffins with your fingertip. A hollow sound means your muffins are cooked.
6. When you’re ready to toast, split the muffins with a fork instead of a knife. Your toppings will fill the resulting nooks and crannies.
And here’s the perfect recipe for Perfect English muffins.
What you’ll need:
2-3 quart bowl
Standard-size cookie sheet
Griddle or frying pan
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
3/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal
Dissolve yeast in bowl in warm water for five minutes. While yeast is dissolving, sprinkle cookie sheet with a light coating of cornmeal.
Add flour, shortening, honey and salt to yeast-and-water-mixture to form dough.
Coat dough with flour; knead until elastic.
Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Use a hamburger patty mold or the flat end of a glass dipped in flour or sprayed with cooking spray to flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle. Put the muffins on the cookie sheet as you form them.
Cover the cookie sheet and let the muffins rise for an hour.
Heat the griddle or frying pan to 375 degrees (no oil necessary).
Cook the muffins, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.
Split with a fork, toast, and enjoy with your favorite topping.
While your enjoying those delicious muffins, how about settling in with a good book?
Tovi thinks finding a flying horse is fabulous luck - until a mysterious stranger says finders aren’t always keepers.
When fourteen year old Tovi Taggert moves to Honeysuckle Hollow to take care of her grandmother, she has a hard time fitting in. For one thing, she’s been tagged with the hated nickname Too-Tall Tovi. For another, everyone at Honeysuckle Hollow High believes Tovi played the Choking Game with someone else’s boyfriend – and made out with him besides.
As if she doesn’t have enough problems, after the latest stand-off in the school hallway, Tovi finds a gorgeous speckled egg nestled in a feather lined nest.
She takes the egg home – and mysterious visitors begin appearing almost immediately. Even more worrisome, whatever is inside the egg starts chipping its way out.
When the egg hatches, revealing a winged horse, Tovi’s troubles multiply.
As she struggles to return the horse to the magical land where he belongs, Tovi must make a courageous decision – and accept what that decision will cost her.
To read the first chapter of The SkyHorse , please click HERE .
BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon
HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. Learn more about HL Carpenter on their website and their latest story “Going Where You Look”, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers.
by HL Carpenter
You don’t have to be British to enjoy hand-made English muffins, which is fortunate for the heroine in our young adult novel, The SkyHorse, since Tovi Taggert and her family are southerners through and through.The Taggerts are also fans of fun, easy menu additions for Sunday morning brunch or a special breakfast. English muffins are a snap to prepare, require only an hour to rise, cook quickly on a griddle or frying pan (no heating the oven!) and taste great, either plain or with butter, jam, or your favorite topping. An added bonus is the delicious, yeasty scent of fresh bread that fills the kitchen.
Here are tips to help you make perfect muffins.
1. While the yeast is dissolving, fill a 13” x 9” pan with hot water and place it in your unheated oven. Muffins rise best in a warm, humid environment.
2. If your recipe calls for honey, spritz your measuring spoon with cooking spray. The honey will slide right off the spoon.
3. Instead of using a rolling pin and cookie cutter to form your muffins, divide the dough into even parts. Then press out the dough pieces in your hamburger patty mold. You’ll get just-the-right-size, perfectly round muffins.
4. Once your muffins have risen, hand-transfer them to the heated griddle. They’ll keep their shape better than if you try to slip a spatula beneath them.
(Bonus tip: Prefer using a spatula? Dip the edge in cornmeal so it slides easily under the muffins.)
5. To test for doneness, lightly tap the top of the muffins with your fingertip. A hollow sound means your muffins are cooked.
6. When you’re ready to toast, split the muffins with a fork instead of a knife. Your toppings will fill the resulting nooks and crannies.
And here’s the perfect recipe for Perfect English muffins.
What you’ll need:
2-3 quart bowl
Standard-size cookie sheet
Griddle or frying pan
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
3/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal
Dissolve yeast in bowl in warm water for five minutes. While yeast is dissolving, sprinkle cookie sheet with a light coating of cornmeal.
Add flour, shortening, honey and salt to yeast-and-water-mixture to form dough.
Coat dough with flour; knead until elastic.
Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Use a hamburger patty mold or the flat end of a glass dipped in flour or sprayed with cooking spray to flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle. Put the muffins on the cookie sheet as you form them.
Cover the cookie sheet and let the muffins rise for an hour.
Heat the griddle or frying pan to 375 degrees (no oil necessary).
Cook the muffins, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.
Split with a fork, toast, and enjoy with your favorite topping.
While your enjoying those delicious muffins, how about settling in with a good book?
Tovi thinks finding a flying horse is fabulous luck - until a mysterious stranger says finders aren’t always keepers.When fourteen year old Tovi Taggert moves to Honeysuckle Hollow to take care of her grandmother, she has a hard time fitting in. For one thing, she’s been tagged with the hated nickname Too-Tall Tovi. For another, everyone at Honeysuckle Hollow High believes Tovi played the Choking Game with someone else’s boyfriend – and made out with him besides.
As if she doesn’t have enough problems, after the latest stand-off in the school hallway, Tovi finds a gorgeous speckled egg nestled in a feather lined nest.
She takes the egg home – and mysterious visitors begin appearing almost immediately. Even more worrisome, whatever is inside the egg starts chipping its way out.
When the egg hatches, revealing a winged horse, Tovi’s troubles multiply.
As she struggles to return the horse to the magical land where he belongs, Tovi must make a courageous decision – and accept what that decision will cost her.
To read the first chapter of The SkyHorse , please click HERE .
BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon
HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. Learn more about HL Carpenter on their website and their latest story “Going Where You Look”, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers.
February 9, 2014
ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR
Fall in Love with Musa Publishing
Grand PrizeFour $10.00 Musa Gift Certificates
All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing February 14, 2014Winners announced February 16, 2014
Enter daily to win free books!Musa Publishing is giving away two Promotional Paperback Books daily!PLUS each winner receives a download of Cooking with Musa.
No particular order to the daily drawings for the books below
For His Love by Nya Rayne
Marisa's Choice by Kadee McDonald
Only a Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
Storm's Fury by Nya Rayne
Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.
All paperback book prizes must be claimed by February 20, 2014 or they are forfeited.
Giveaway begins February 6, 2014 and ends midnight CST February 13, 2014
Grand PrizeFour $10.00 Musa Gift Certificates
All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing February 14, 2014Winners announced February 16, 2014
Enter daily to win free books!Musa Publishing is giving away two Promotional Paperback Books daily!PLUS each winner receives a download of Cooking with Musa.
No particular order to the daily drawings for the books below
For His Love by Nya Rayne
Marisa's Choice by Kadee McDonald
Only a Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
Storm's Fury by Nya Rayne
Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.
All paperback book prizes must be claimed by February 20, 2014 or they are forfeited.
Giveaway begins February 6, 2014 and ends midnight CST February 13, 2014
