Cindy A. Christiansen's Blog, page 22

Recent Review: Worth the Wait

I rated Worth the Wait as a 5 because it was a great book full of action. The book also had romance and true emotions. A great novel. So glad I had a chance to read it.  ~ Darlene L.

Worth the Wait is a prequel to my Merchant Street Mystery series. It takes place fifteen years before the series begins and deals with the beginning love story of Zeke and Zach Abberley's aunt Adele. You can download it for FREE from:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EBGBXQESmashwords: http://bit.ly/157zni5Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/11dVKy6
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs!Fly into a good book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.comCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Recent Review: Hunting for Happenstance

HUNTING FOR HAPPENSTANCE by Cindy A. Christiansen is a mystery romance well done and interesting. I enjoyed the rugged feeling to the tale and the candid love story.

Daniela Estrada’s uncle had disappeared and she gets Duston Cooper, the gun shop owner, to take her on a trip that will have both of them out of breath and frustrated by the end. He is over Daniela because of the thought that he is like his brother who almost killed his ex-wife. Daniela is over the cold treatment she received from Duston and the thugs who have her uncle.

Will they find a way to become that which both want or will their dreams never come to pass?

One again, Cindy A. Christiansen has included dogs in her book and, once again, they have a heroes part in this great tale. It is fun to learn more about different breeds of four-legged companions and the love their human companions have for them.

HUNTING FOR HAPPENSTANCE is a very clean romance that will keep you turning the pages to the end.
~Anna Del C. DyeCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Personal Prose: A Jelly Roll to Die For

What did my husband bring home with him when he returned from his mother's? Only about five dozen eggs. That's right. Don't know if you have noticed but the price of eggs has really gone up. I couldn't just waste them.

So I remembered from my childhood what Mom used to do when we had an abundance of eggs on the farm...  She made jelly rolls and froze them. I set out on a journey to find a really good recipe that used A LOT of eggs. LOL

The one that really stood out was this prize-winning recipe from Taste of Home . Apparently the woman won two county fairs with this recipe. Although absolutely delicious, it is a fair amount of work. Even though I had help and set up a production line to make several many jelly rolls, we were exhausted by the end of the day. If you plan on making only one, it would be great. Save this one for a special treat!


TASTE OF HOME RECIPE
FYI, I did two different fillings:  Lemon sauce and Strawberry Jam with Cream Cheese Frosting. Let me know if you would like those recipes.

I love including food in my books and, of course, I love a good treat while I'm writing too!

Happy Snacking!


Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Humor, Suspense...and Dogs!
Fly into a good book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com


Dog Image credit: damedeeso / 123RF Stock PhotoCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

NOTEWORTHY NEWS: New Release

Hunting for Happenstance:  A Merchant Street Mystery Book 2 !

available now through
Sweet Cravings Publishing!
(Available through third-party distributors in one week.)

Use COUPON CODE:  SALE50 to receive 50% off.
(You can use this code on all SCP books today through Sunday only!)

About the book: This book is a contemporary sweet (clean) romantic suspense suitable for young adults and up. It is a mystery under the definition of: something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain and not a mystery novel with clues.
Blurb:  High-spirited Daniela Estrada is tired of waiting for life and love to come to her in her poppa’s butcher shop. She wants to open her own doggie grooming business on Merchant Street and get practical Duston “Buck” Cooper, who owns the Bird Dog Gun Shop, to step out of his shell and ask her out.
Instead, while her Uncle Benito is deer hunting, he ends up missing and the area is swarming with aggressive black bears which holds up the search party. Duston and his dog, Ruger, have helped the police on other cases, and he is training a Karelian Bear dog. Will he help Daniela find her uncle?
Duston adores Daniela but secrets about his brother prevent him from getting close to anyone. He believes that if something is meant to be, it will just happen. Is Daniela’s missing uncle just the shot in the dark the two need to find love and happiness?  

5 Star Review: "In her next book for the Merchant Street series, the author Cindy Christiansen, weaves a mystery filled with knowledge which provides the reader with facts not fluff on a variety of subjects.  The very likeable characters, Daniela and Buck, must work together to find Daniela's missing uncle.  As the search progresses, each one strives to overcome personal issues in order to find their "happily ever after" which culminates amidst the warmth of family and friends at the town's yearly gathering.  Several aspects of the book that I particularly enjoyed were Daniela's high-spirited nature, the portrayal of a close-knit family and community, the familiarity of characters from previous novels in the series, and the author's inclusion of factual information, all of which contributed greatly to my enjoyment of this novel." D. AndersonCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Recent Review: One Reader's Review of Worth the Wait

"I enjoyed reading this novella, [Worth the Wait], and can't wait to read Time Will Tell to get the rest of the story. It is a unique story that is unfolding as Adele is finding out what she wants to do with her life instead of living a life of every one else. She has stumbled upon some letters and found who they belonged to. This is a great romance. A clean book and great reading for all ages." 5/5 Stars, Sammy


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EBGBXQESmashwords: http://bit.ly/157zni5Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/11dVKy6Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Personal Prose: A Yummy Triple Chocolate Cake Recipe

Just had to share this delicious chocolate cake my youngest son made! 
Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 pkg chocolate cake mix1 pkg (4 oz.) chocolate instant pudding4 eggs, beaten3/4 cup water3/4 cup sour cream1/2 cup canola oil1-1/2 cups chocolate chipspowdered sugar for top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray.Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, sour cream, and oil in large bowl; beat 2 minutes.Stir in chocolate chips.Pour into pan.Bake 55 to 60 minutes.Cool, invert, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
My husband is a big butterscotch fan so we are going to try it with a yellow cake mix, butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips.Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Personal Prose: An Unusual Experience

Never got the chance to tell you the unusual experience we had over Christmas break.

My husband and I had traveled to collect presents for a needy family just before Christmas.  It was a cold, dark night, but the roads were clear.  We were travelling along Bangerter Highway, which has dedicated left-hand turn lanes with a barricade separating the turn-lane from the ongoing and oncoming traffic.

A man in a green SUV was moving slower than the traffic speed, and he kept swearing into our lane.  No telling what his problem was, but we assumed he must have been drinking.  We tried to stay back but with his slow speed and ours, we were blocking lanes.  With the snow piled along the side of the road, pulling over was an impossibility.  Everyone else was trying to pass and get away from him.  I told my husband that Judge Judy had said that was not the thing to do in a court case where the drunk driver then rear-ended the plaintiff.

After continuing to swerve into our lane, we followed suit and sped up anyway.  Apprehension filled me, and I kept stealing a look behind us.  After two lights, my husband maneuvered over into the dedicated left-hand turn lane. We both gave a sigh of relief, but low and behold, the man in the SUV pulled incredibly close behind us.

My pulse skyrocketed.  Although pedestrians, two of my family members were hit by drunk drivers on Christmas Eve.  You could say I was a bit panicked, but would you blame me? I said a prayer to keep us safe.

The light changed and we moved forward: us and the SUV were the only ones there.  I suggested we move over into the other lane since he was right behind us.  My husband did.  When we looked back, the headlights had disappeared.  Where did he go?  He couldn't have run off the road.  We still would have seen his headlights or shadow.  He couldn't have pulled back into the traffic because of the barricade.  He couldn't have turned around that quickly either.

What happened to the SUV?  Was it a little Christmas miracle in the making?  My heart tells me so.



Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Very excited to announce the release of Hunting for Happenstance: A Merchant Street Mystery Book 2 !It will be available throughSweet Cravings Publishing on January 10th and at other ebook retailers a week later.

Blurb:  High-spirited Daniela Estrada is tired of waiting for life and love to come to her in her poppa’s butcher shop. She wants to open her own doggie grooming business on Merchant Street and get practical Duston “Buck” Cooper, who owns the Bird Dog Gun Shop, to step out of his shell and ask her out.
Instead, while her Uncle Benito is deer hunting, he ends up missing and the area is swarming with aggressive black bears which holds up the search party. Duston and his dog, Ruger, have helped the police on other cases, and he is training a Karelian Bear dog. Will he help Daniela find her uncle?
Duston adores Daniela but secrets about his brother prevent him from getting close to anyone. He believes that if something is meant to be, it will just happen. Is Daniela’s missing uncle just the shot in the dark the two need to find love and happiness?  

5 Star Review: "In her next book for the Merchant Street series, the author Cindy Christiansen, weaves a mystery filled with knowledge which provides the reader with facts not fluff on a variety of subjects.  The very likeable characters, Daniela and Buck, must work together to find Daniela's missing uncle.  As the search progresses, each one strives to overcome personal issues in order to find their "happily ever after" which culminates amidst the warmth of family and friends at the town's yearly gathering.  Several aspects of the book that I particularly enjoyed were Daniela's high-spirited nature, the portrayal of a close-knit family and community, the familiarity of characters from previous novels in the series, and the author's inclusion of factual information, all of which contributed greatly to my enjoyment of this novel." D. AndersonCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

It’s a New Day… It’s a New Life…

Well, it’s a new year anyway, and I’ve decided to make some changes. I’ve streamlined my website and done away with all those pages to have to update, I’m changing the way I blog, and I’m going to focus on writing more and promoting less.

Can’t you just hear Michael Bublé singing, Feeling Good?
Dragonfly out in the sunYou know what I mean
Butterflies all havin' funYou know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world, For me, for me…
And I know how I feelIt's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life!

I keep hoping that life will get less challenging but 2013 proved me wrong. My husband was out of work for five months and home every day. Then I was tied up with my dog Callie’s surgery. After that my oldest son injured his knee and is still convalescing. He has been home for the last five months. (Big sigh.)
Already in this new year, we are facing a rigorous medical schedule for 3 out of 4 in our family and also Callie’s newly diagnosed renal failure. I think it’s time to cutback and make life easier.  What do you think?
I love connecting on Facebook and other social media sites about my personal life and my writing, so I wanted to somehow bring that to my blog and connect with more friends. Although I will be posting my normal blogs and author interviews, I will also do short snippets to keep us more connected and up-to-date:
Personal Prose
Recent Reviews
Noteworthy News

Look for these pics to keep up-to-date and always feel that you can post comments and email me at: cindy@dragonflyromance.com
Here’s looking forward to a hearty, healthy, happy year!
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com
All Image credits: damedeeso / 123RF Stock Photo




Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

From a Humbug to a Humdinger of a Christmas

               The holiday season can be a sad, depressing, stressful time for some people.  I found myself in one of those yucky moods this year after dealing with my son’s injury and recovery (of which we are still going through.)  I had no desire or interest to decorate or put up a tree. I wanted to go to bed, pull the covers over my head, and wait for December to be over.  But life doesn’t work that way.
                We started going through the motions, including our annual outing to a local antique store, Vine Street Antiques.  Our oldest collects antique Tonka trucks and our youngest collects vending machines, pocket watches and unusual lighters.  Even my husband enjoys collecting antique light bulbs. 
                I scanned the store, assisting the boys with price checks and helping them with their decisions.  I wasn’t really interested in looking for anything myself.  Then I had a vague memory of a Christmas tree I had seen last year—something to do with photos of Hollywood Stars and antique cameras.  I rushed up to Marcie, one of the owners, and told her about the tree I remembered and asked if she had any items like that.  She got this huge smile on her face and squealed.  That was their tree in the shop last year.  She quickly started gathering items together to show me and telling her partner, Rusty, all about my remembering their tree.
                We found a roll of 35mm film, film reels, cameras, glittery silver stars, and postcards of movie stars.  As we gathered together these things, I started to overflow with excitement.  My whole family loves the old classic stars and TV shows.  It was something we could all relate with.  If you ask my boys what their favorite movie is, they are apt to say, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”  If you haven’t seen it, you should.  Their favorite stars are Ethel Merman and Phil Silvers.
                Anyway, we had a wonderful time at the shop and we were so happy to see Marcie’s dog, Louigi, again.  He’s a rescue Greyhound and a sweetheart.  We left euphoric and had just stowed our treasures in the back when Marcie rushed out saying they had more Christmas surprises for us.  Rusty dashed out with a large flash they had used as the tree topper last year, another camera to hang as an ornate, and a couple of camera parts.  They gave them to us and wished us a Merry Christmas.  My heart overflowed with the Christmas spirit they had shown us.  Are there really still shops like this?  Are there really still people like this?


                I felt like the Grinch whose heart grew three sizes that day!
                Over dinner, we decided we wanted photos of our favorite classic movie stars to hang on the tree.  Composing the list made me feel like we were inviting all of these marvelous friends to our house for Christmas.  We kept going and going until I finally said we had way too many guests for the size of our tree.  We rushed home and started picking and printing out black and white 3x5s.  Later I made popcorn boxes from cardstock and taped them together while we watched Miracle on 34th Street.  I also bought a beautiful red tree skirt to represent the red carpet.
                On the weekend, we prepared snacks and punch, put on our favorite Christmas music, and began putting up the tree.  We made popcorn to fill the boxes for the tree, stealing some for ourselves here and there!  What a glorious day!  And, what a treasure to look at each photo and remember a special movie, a funny scene, or a pleasant time we had together eating popcorn and watching a star-studded movie. I also found my mother’s old Brownie camera and placed it under the tree.  Even it brought back many happy memories.  It feels like all those loved ones who are on the other side are here with us also to share our Christmas.


                I hope this post triggers happy memories for you and that you can somehow incorporate them into your holiday season this year.  Find the joy in Christmas.  It doesn’t have to be expensive.  It doesn’t have to be a Hollywood tree.  Fill your Christmas with happy thoughts and memories while creating new ones with your family.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Humor, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book at:  www.dragonflyromance.com
P.S.  In the video, can you find the dog pictured on our tree?  If you can name him, leave YOUR name and email only in a comment, and I will enter you in a drawing for a free ecopy of Time Will Tell.  Please do not name the dog in your comment.
Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author