Carla Neggers's Blog, page 4
May 18, 2023
Maine Crime Master Award
This year’s Maine Crime Wave writers conference is in Portland on June 9-10, hosted by the Maine Writers & Publishes Alliance (MWPA), and I’m thrilled and excited to receive their 2023 Maine Crime Master Award. What an honor! I love Maine, I love writing books set in Maine, and I’m a huge fan of so many wonderful Maine authors.
On Friday evening, I’ll be doing a question-and-answer with outstanding author Julia Spencer Fleming, an honor in itself. Join us if you can. The chat is free — you can get all the details and RSVP here.
Saturday is the actual conference with panel discussions and all s… Read More
April 15, 2023
Goodbye to maple sugaring season
When I was growing up in rural New England, I always looked forward to maple-sugaring season. We’d tap trees and boil up the sap on an open-air fire, finishing it off inside on the stove. We were lucky to get a couple of mason jars of syrup and savored every drop. With the warm temperatures, the maple-sugaring season is done for this year. I hope it was a good one.
It was natural for maple-sugaring to feature in my first book with MIRA back in 1998. Kiss the Moon has been reissued with various great covers and continues to be popular with readers. I love this one.
MIRA and I have parted ways a… Read More
March 6, 2023
On to spring!
March arrived here on our Vermont hilltop with a lot of snow. Thirteen inches on Saturday! It’s a great time of year to enjoy winter sports. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are our favorites. Joe and I don’t downhill ski or snowboard.
My Black River series is set during a cold New England winter. I wrote most of Cold Pursuit, the first book, during a particularly snow winter. Just looked out the window for inspiration. 
When I was writing The Cabin, also set during winter, I realized as I was writing a chase scene the villain would leave footprints if there was snow. And there was s… Read More
February 14, 2023
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
It’s a great day to celebrate and appreciate love and those we love.
Also for flowers and chocolate. 🙂
Here in Vermont we enjoy Lake Champlain Chocolates and everything Mother Myrick’s. Our roses won’t be in bloom for a while yet (our gardens are still covered in snow) but here are some Irish roses to enjoy.
Now it’s back to writing for me!… Read More
December 20, 2022
A recipe for mulled wine
A pot of mulled wine simmering on our wood stove is such a treat!
Our wood stove came in handy this past weekend when a nor’easter hit Vermont hard with extensive power outages. We were out from Friday to Sunday evening. Other people are still without power but we see hardworking crews out there and appreciate their efforts. It was quite a storm.
Back to mulled wine…
Below is the recipe included in my Swift River Valley novella, “Christmas at Carriage Hill.” By the way, it’s just $1.99 in digital and now available in audio. And A Knights Bridge Christmas is on sale t… Read More
December 13, 2022
Homemade hot chocolate
We’re expecting snow this week. No better time to repost my recipe for hot chocolate! It appears in my Swift River Valley Christmas novel, A Knights Bridge Christmas, which happens to be on sale in eBook for just $1.99.
HOT CHOCOLATE
Ingredients
1 cup cocoa (I use Dutch-processed Droste)
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Preparation
Combine cocoa and sugar a medium saucepan. Blend in water. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Let boil, continuing to stir, for two minutes. Add milk, heat t… Read More
December 6, 2022
Christmas cookies! A recipe…
I posted this recipe a couple of years ago. It’s a family favorite. When I was growing up, my Dutch father would make spritz cookies throughout the Christmas season.
My six brothers and sisters and I all loved to help.
The buttery smell of the cookies warm from the oven is a great memory and something I can recreate in my own kitchen. The cookies are relatively simple to make and fun to decorate:
SPRITZ COOKIES
Equipment: Cookie-press or pastry bag
Ingredients
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt (or less)
Directions
Ble… Read More
November 2, 2022
CLAIM THE CROWN on sale
Claim the Crown is on sale in eBook for just $2.99! It’s the story of a woman whose life is changed when she and her twin brother inherit a mysterious fortune. There’s romance, intrigue, suspense and, if I recall correctly, pumpkins.
I mention the pumpkins because they evoke one of the key settings in the book, the quiet spot in New England where Ashley Wakefield and her brother were raised, unaware of their dramatic origins.
And because it’s November and I love seeing all the pumpkins on doorsteps and thinking about pie at Thanksgiving (if not sooner).
If you haven’t r… Read More
October 4, 2022
Autumn Giveaway!
We’re celebrating autumn with a giveaway! One lucky reader will receive a limited-edition Swift River Valley mug (only a few left!), an autumn-themed box of Vermont’s own Lake Champlain Chocolates and signed copies of two of my books set this lively time of year, Cider Brook and Rival’s Break.
Click here to enter.
It’s near peak foliage here on our Vermont hilltop. I’m loving the cool, crisp days and stunning views on my walks and runs along the river and in the hills. Great time to write, too.
Enjoy!… Read More
September 26, 2022
Deal Alert: The Widow is on sale!
My bestselling novel, The Widow, is on sale in eBook for just $1.99 through September! It’s set in Boston and Mt. Desert Island, Maine (Acadia National Park), two of my favorite places.
“The Widow by Carla Neggers is an emotionally charged romantic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat…a fantastic read!…The story is riveting and the climax will leave you breathless!“—Romance Reader at Heart
Enjoy!
