Elizabeth Boyle's Blog, page 29

Five Things about Debra Mullins

Debra Mullins is another of my Avon Author sisters. Someone I have known for as long as I've been writing at Avon. Let's not count the years . . . really, let's not. LOL. But I always love the chance to see Debra and find out what she's been up to.

What I truly envy about Debra is her work ethic which has her doing both writing full time and working full time. She is one dedicated writer. And apparently one who was willing to fall on the Five Things sword!

So here are Five Things About Debra Mullins:

1. Did you have a nickname growing up? Motor Mouth. As you can see, I have taken my penchant for communication and made it work for me through writing.



2. Where is the most beautiful/romantic place you've ever been? The island of Hawaii. Absolutely stunning–not a bad view anywhere you look. We even took a picture from a Walmart parking lot.

3. If you could go on a date with any superhero, who would you choose and why? I'm torn here. On the one hand I am a long time fan of the "Lois & Clark" TV show, and if Superman was Dean Cain, there would be no contest. (Shout out to all the FoLCs out there!) However, I must admit to having a fondness for X-Men's Gambit. He's so smooth with the ladies, and I LOVE the accent.

EB: I've got to admit a fondness for that accent.

4. If you were not writing, what job would you have? Probably the one I have now: technical support. Though I've been doing my family tree for the past year or so and sometimes fantasize about being a professional genealogist.

5. Print or ebook? I am a convert: ebook. It cuts down on the clutter in my house, and therefore, I end up buying more books!

Debra Mullins is bringing back a number of her early classic romances, including Once a Mistress, which is available now. You can learn more about Debra and her books, at her website.

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Getting Festive

First things first. Winners. We've got two this week. I love sending these out but at the holidays it is just sort of special. So claim them early so if you have a moment to spare, you'll have a brand new pile of books to pick from!

The first winner is blog post #21, Betty Hamilton, who posted on December 5, 2011 at 9:35 AM and said:

What a wonderful Christmas present winning this would be!! I plan on doing a lot of Christmas cookie baking this week!

Merry Christmas!!! and TY for the contests!



I hope Betty baked extra for me. LOL.

And my second winner is Twitter poster, ToryMichaels who tweeted her contest entry on December 6th.

Betty and Tory, please Contact me and let me know your address and I'll get your boxes off to you this week.

For those of you who didn't win, how about this: my favorite quick candy recipe. It makes tons, everyone loves them and they make a great hostess gift or anyone gift. Piled on a plate, or a handful in a cellophane bag is awesome.

Crispy Peanut Butter Cups

Blend:

2 cups of creamy peanut butter

1 stick of melted butter

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 cups of Rice Krispies

Pour the peanut butter/butter combination over the Rice Krispies and sugar and mix well. Form into small balls and put into paper cups.

Some people would consider this better than chocolate. LOL!

Melt together:

1 1/2 pounds of chocolate Almond Bark

1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter

Spoon the melted chocolate mixture over the cups to cover the Rice Krispie mixture and let set.

Enjoy! And if chocolate isn't your thing, what about a new color Nook? Make sure you've entered my Contest to win. The drawing is next week!

Got a quick and easy candy recipe to share? Post it below!

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Quick & Easy Holiday Gifts

I love crafting or making holiday gifts–especially all those small gifts you have to take to parties or because all of a sudden you remember you forgot a gift for someone. I think something you have made or put together yourself just means a little more than a bottle of wine you snagged on the way to a holiday party.

So here is something I am doing this year: Homemade Seasonings.

I got empty spice jars at a local wrap and container store, and then I mixed several large bathes of my favorite Taco Seasoning [image error] and a favorite Steak/Chicken Rub, and filled up the jars, made some fancy labels on my computer and voila! Easy peasy gifts.

You could also do a spiced tea mix, a mix for making spiced cider, the ideas are endless. There are tons of recipes out on the web–find the ones you think your friend's will enjoy and off you go. If you have one you like, please post a link down in the comments–I love collecting and sharing new recipes.

The added benefit of doing spice mixes right now is that so many grocery stores have their spices on half price, making these gifts very reasonable to put together. Personally, I like to get my spices at my local health food store–they sell spices in bulk and tend to be a fraction of grocery store prices. Also, it means shopping locally which is something I try more and more to do.

Any way, have fun mixing and gifting! Don't forget, if you have a great recipe to share–post it below.

Psst: Come Monday, I'll be sharing my favorite candy recipes. Homemade candy tops my list for great gifts!

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Five Things about Candis Terry

I met Candis Terry years ago in rather an odd fashion–I was leaving a conference and she and some other friends of mine were on their way to the airport. Since I live near the airport, I offered them all a ride to save the taxi fees. Filled my minivan with old friends and new and tons of luggage and off we went. So you could say I was her driver before she was "Candis Terry." Teehee. So without further ado, Five Things About Candis Terry:

1. Did you have a nickname growing up?

Yes, unfortunately it was Mouse. I had an older cousin with the exact same name as mine. She didn't want to be referred to

as Big Candi so she got to go by the real thing and I got Mouse. Not sure Little Candi would have been any worse.

2. Where is the most beautiful/romantic place you've ever been?

Quite honestly, a mountaintop in Idaho. My husband and I had packed a lunch, grabbed a bottle of wine, and jumped on our

ATV to look for a nice picnic spot. We found one where we could see for miles and miles. It was a beautiful sunny day with an

endless blue sky and we were surrounded by lupine, poppies and daisies. For some reason the wine tasted especially good.

3. Do you celebrate when you finish a book and what you do?

Yes, I do celebrate. Even if I'm alone. I make a nice martini and take a nap. I know, I'm so boring.

4. What new authors have you recently added to your TBR pile?

I have two of them. The first may not be new but she's new to me. Kristina Douglas' book Raziel and the second is KC Klein's

Dark Future.

5. If you could go on a date with any superhero, who would you choose and why?

Mighty Mouse. Love the ears.

EB: Really? Didn't see that one coming. Candis, you should meet Anna Campbell, she has the oddest obsession with big noses.

Candis has a brand new ebook release from Avon Impulse, Any Given Christmas. To find out more about Candis and her stories please visit her website, www.candisterry.com.

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Winner. . . New giveaway

Got a whole bunch of work to do this week–so I am going to make this quick and get right to business. I have a winner from last week and two boxes to giveaway this week. So check and see if you won and make sure to comment and enter below for a chance to win one of this week's prizes.

Last week's winner is Commenter #39, Linda, who posted the following:

Linda says:

November 28, 2011 at 10:00 PM (Edit)

Christmas songs are all so lovely; it's hard to pick one fav but probably "Hark the herald angels sing" if I had to choose one.

If this is you, email me with your mailing address and I will get your prize off to you.

And if you didn't win, then it is time to try again!

This week's drawings (yes, there will be two prize boxes) filled with, what else, books–a number of them signed, along with some fun author swag!

This is how you can enter for a chance to win:

1) Leave a comment below and tell me what on your To Do list you are determined to get done this week,

and/or

2) Tweet the following: @ElizBoyle hopes one of you #wins this box of #romancebooks. http://elizabethboyle.com/blog/?p=1792

Do both and you are entered twice! I'll give you all until midnight, PT, Saturday, December 10th to get your entries in.

Make sure to check back here Monday December 12th to find out if you won. You'll have a week to claim your prize.

PS: If you haven't already, hop over to my Contest page to enter for a chance to win a Barnes & Noble Nook!.

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Five Things about Margo Maguire

Margo and I have been Avon Authors together for ages! It's sort of a sisterhood of friends and chatty buddies and it affords one the chance to meet some great authors and call them friends. Margo is dropping by Five Things this week because that's what the Avon ladies do for each other–show up, pitch in, help out. So welcome, Margo Maguire!

1. Do you celebrate when you finish a book and what you do?

I read. It's something I LOVE to do but don't have enough time while I'm in the midst of writing a book. So when I finish, I gorge myself on romantic suspense novels and literary fiction.

2. What new authors have you recently added to your TBR pile?

Laura Griffin. Although she's not really new to the scene. New to me.

3. If you could go on a date with any superhero, who would you choose and why?

Superman. Because he doesn't really have any deep dark secret. Secret identity, yes – but nothing creepy in his past.

EB: Margo, this answer totally cracks me up. It's not because he can fly, but because he isn't creepy! LOL.

4. What blogs do you visit?

I'm part of the Jaunty Quills but I only blog about twice a month, so I enjoy reading my fellow Quills' blogs on all the other days. I also check out Riding With The Top Down and Risky Regencies.

5. If you were going to an island for a long time, name 5 things you would bring.

My iPad, loaded with hundreds of unread books by my favorite authors.
My pillow. I'm very particular.
A row boat
Some tools, including fishing equipment
My husband

Margo's new book, Brazen, is available now! To find out more about Margo Maguire and her adventurous stories, please visit her website.

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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The Holiday Rush is ON

Did you survive Thanksgiving? And if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, are you looking forward to the next few weeks of Christmas music, shopping, gatherings and good cheer? I am. This is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. So let's start off the Season with a giveaway:

This week's drawing (in honor of the holidays!) is for a Chapters book bag filled with, what else, books–a number of them signed, along with some fun author swag!

This is how you can enter for a chance to win:

1) Leave a comment below and tell me what is your favorite holiday song or what is the most pressing thing you need to find for the holidays.

and/or

2) Tweet the following: @ElizBoyle hopes one of you wins this box of romance books. http://elizabethboyle.com/blog/?p=1771

Do both and you are entered twice! I'll give you all until midnight, PT, Saturday, December 3rd to get your entries in.

Make sure to check back here Monday December 5th to find out if you won. You'll have a week to claim your prize.

Enter today! And if you haven't already, hop over to my Contest page to enter for a chance to win a Barnes & Noble Nook!.

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Five Things about Sabrina Jeffries

I always love running into Sabrina Jeffries at conferences–we swap stories of our kids–but our stories have a very unique twist–we both have sons with autism. Sabrina has given me great advice over the years–her son is much older and she's got this great, "been there, done that" attitude that really helps me meet the challenges that she's conquered. She's so giving, she even went overboard with answering down below. I owe her so much! All you need to know is that besides being a talented writer, she is a kind, lovely lady who always makes me laugh.

Here are Five Seven Things About Sabrina Jeffries:[image error]

1. Did you have a nickname growing up?

Yes. Sadly, it was Debbity Dog (since my real name is Deborah)

2. Where is the most beautiful/romantic place you've ever been?

The Cameron Highlands of Malaysia

3. Do you celebrate when you finish a book and what you do?

I eat pizza and do a puzzle!

4. What new authors have you recently added to your TBR pile?

Meljean Brooks, Nalini Singh, but I guess they aren't new, are they?

5. If you were not writing, what job would you have?

I would probably be a tech writer, but what I'd WANT to be is a singer. *G*

6. Most embarrassing song on your iPod.

"Coconut" As in, "Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up…"

7. Print or ebook?

Both![image error]

Sabrina has a brand new book out–which happily can be read in print or ebook, lol!– To Wed a Wild Lord, part of her Hellions of Halstead Hall series.

If you devour (which you probably will) To Wed a Wild Lord, never fear, A Lady Never Surrenders comes out January 24, 2012, so you won't have long to wait. To learn more about her books, visit her website at http://www.sabrinajeffries.com

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Recipes for the Holidays

My family is full of cooks. We all love to bake and cook and try new recipes, get together and share our discoveries. On the holidays though, we trot out the family recipes. The ones that have been passed down for generations. No one would think–horrors upon horrors–of doing anything but the recipes we all know and love.

In our family, that means "Tess's rolls" (my mom's recipe that she's made forever), that cranberry relish we all love, and a few years ago, in what was dubbed Anarchy Thanksgiving, I snuck in a new dish, Spicy Pearl Onions. It was truly rebellious of me, but it has since been given a place of honor in the pantheon of holiday meals. So I thought I would share these, just in case you are feeling rebellious and want to try out something new or you are starting your own traditions and looking for some inspiration.

Tess's Rolls

These rolls make the holidays. Prepare for the roll battle over who gets the first one out of the oven and who gets the last. The only thing about making these, is that you have to get up early to get them rising so they can be baked and done before the turkey needs to go into the oven. I've done these in my sleep and gone back to bed! This recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled, or . . .

Start with:

1 package of yeast

1/2 cup warm milk

Mix the yeast and milk together in a large bowl. Meanwhile combine:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 well beaten eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4/cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add to the milk/yeast mix and stir well. Turn into a large greased bowl. Cover loosely and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, divide the dough into two sections and roll out on a floured surface into a circle. Brush with more melted butter. Cut into 8 pie wedges and roll them up, starting at the larger end. Place on a greased baking sheet and cover loosely and place in a warm spot to rise for 3-4 hours. Once they've risen, bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Watch to see that they brown evenly and adjust oven temp and time accordingly.

Cranberry Relish[image error]

You will need one kitchen tool for this that isn't everyone's essential appliance: some type of grinder. I have a grinder attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. If you don't have a grinder, ask around and see if you can borrow one. You really do need one to get this right. Yet it is so worth the effort, because this relish kicks cranberries over that jellied mess you slop out of a can.

4 cups of cranberries

1 large orange

2 cups of sugar

Rinse and sort the cranberries, discarding any mushy ones. Then run the cranberries through the grinder. Quarter the orange and remove any seeds, then run the quarters, peel and all, through the grinder. Add the sugar to the cranberry/orange mix and stir. Let it sit for a bit then check to see if it needs more sugar. Then put in a sealed container and keep in the fridge until Thanksgiving.

Spicy Pearl Onions

This recipe can be found here on the Good Housekeeping site. These can be made the day ahead and then just reheated.

Pumpkin Pie[image error]

I use the recipe on the can of pumpkin–simple and straightforward.

For the crust, you can never go wrong with Martha Stewart's recipe for Pate Brisee. My favorite pie crust recipe. Ever! Make the crust ahead of time–if well wrapped in plastic wrap, it can sit there for several days in the fridge. Then pull it out ahead of time to warm a little. I made mine a few weeks ago, and it is waiting in the freezer.

Orange Spice Pumpkin Bars

If you are not a fan of pumpkin pie, these are a great pumpkin sub. I bake it in a 9X13 pan and it comes out more cake-like. And the brown butter frosting must not be skipped. Unbelievable! Try them and see that they don't make it onto your dessert table. Recipe.

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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T-Day and Counting

I posted something over on Twitter earlier this week about Thanksgiving coming and got a panicked reply back from Christina Dodd. "Not next week!" she hollered through the Twittersphere. Yes, people. It's nearly here.

I've blogged about my Thanksgiving trials and tribulations over the years. Take Thanksgiving 2008, when my husband declared he was going to cook Thanksgiving. Lesson learned: a man who says he is going to cook Thanksgiving is only going to delegate. Don't get sucked into the fairy tale that you won't have to cook. I've also gone on about the stress of counting down to the big T-day. But this year I thought I would give you three helpful tips if you care cooking Thanksgiving. (And even if you aren't, but need to bring something, there's help for you as well.)

The real trick to pulling off the perfect Thanksgiving (aside from not including the relatives that make it one of those Thanksgivings), is planning ahead. So let's get planning.[image error]

1) Decide your menu NOW. Don't wait until the Wednesday to come up with what you are going to serve–sit down and write out a menu. Keep the menu simple. Mine usually includes: Turkey, Gravy, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, two sides (a dish of spiced pearl onions and brussels sprouts) rolls, cranberry relish, and pumpkin pie. Sometimes I go crazy and depending on the number of people coming, do up a big tray of cut up vegies, dip, crackers and cheese.

Next: Get out all the recipes beforehand and write out a shopping list. And then stick to it. But make sure you have extra butter. You always go through way more butter than you think you are going to. Oh, and don't forget drinks and beverages. And whipped cream for the pumpkin pie. You see? It is easy to forget essentials.

2) Don't try to do it all on Thanksgiving. In the old traditional Yankee Thanksgiving, that was precursor to our modern Thanksgiving, the New England housewife did not get up Thanksgiving morning and decide to throw together a dinner for twenty. Heck no! She'd been preparing and cooking for months to set a fabulous spread. Jams. Pickles. Side dishes. Pies. Breads. Choosing the turkey, the ham, the joint of beef, and all the rest of the dishes were done in the weeks prior to Thanksgiving.

Happily for us, all we have to do is the shopping. My recommendation: Do the shopping early Sunday morning or, if you can, first thing Monday morning. Then vow to stay away from the craziness that is the grocery store until Friday. Buy a frozen turkey and just let it thaw in the fridge over the next few days. Fresh veggies will last just fine in the crisper.

3) Start cooking and organizing on or before Monday. I will pick a few things that I can make ahead and do them one at a time over the week, until on Thanksgiving, it is just down to baking off the rolls[image error], doing the stuffing, getting the bird in the oven, and peeling potatoes.

My grandmother, who had a lovely dining room, would set the table and arrange all the serving platters and silver a few days before Thanksgiving, so she wasn't rushing around with that chore with family about to arrive.

I don't have a dining room, so I haven't that luxury, but if you do–take advantage of it! Instead, I stage it all on a sideboard and have it at the ready so the table can be set when it is finally free. Those tasks also can be assigned out to family–even the little guys. Even if it isn't set perfectly, kids love being able to proudly add that they "helped." If you are looking for table inspiration, check out this blog. Besides, there is no reason to arrive at the table only to collapse.

Next up on Monday: Some of my favorite family recipes for Thanksgiving: homemade cranberry relish, spicy pearl onions, and home baked rolls.

What do you do to make the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving easier?

©2011 Elizabeth Boyle Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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