Susan Wiggs's Blog, page 13

Every time you pre-order a book, an angel gets its wings.

Well, that’s what writers think, anyway. In the world of publishing, pre-orders are everything. I always pre-order from my favorite writers. It’s a nice little surprise to open my mailbox e-reader and find the new book waiting for me on its day of publication. Or when I get that “your book is in” call from the local bookshop. Or when the dogs herald the Most Holy Arrival via UPS. Here are a few more reasons I love pre-orders.

 

Order now…get a surprise on January 9.

My publisher’s web site (and my own, come to think of it) features links to pre-order from many of your favorite retailers. And for those who prefer to get their books from the library, you can file a request at your local branch. Most libraries have a way to do this on their web sites, but you can always go old school and turn in a paper form. Here’s a sample:

Just give this info to any librarian or bookseller, and they’ll do the rest:

family tree

ISBN: 9780062425454
ISBN 10: 0062425455
Imprint: William Morrow Paperbacks
On Sale: 01/09/2018
Trimsize: 5.313 in (w) x 8 in (h) x 0.901 in (d)
Pages: 400
List Price: 15.99 USD
BISAC1: FICTION / Contemporary Women
BISAC2: FICTION / Romance / General
BISAC3: FICTION / Family Life

If you’re a commitment-phobe, here’s a sweet little story for just $1.99.

Every great love story has a beginning…(and who doesn’t love pancakes?)

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cookie season

This is really the only rolled cookie recipe you need. It’s simple to the point of being boring, but it’s perfect and everybody loves it. Including Clara, of course.

My granddaughter is very particular about sprinkles.

She says her favorite flavor is “Canada Leaf.” There’s no secret other than using real butter and fresh eggs.

seasonal shapes make them fun

All-Purpose Rolled Cookies

1-1/2 c. butter

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 egg

1 T. vanilla

3 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

Cream butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla; add flour and salt. Roll out

and cut into shapes. Bake at 325 10-12 min. Ice, sprinkle, and enjoy!

This is a basic recipe. You can add spices, like cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice. Or flavorings–extracts of almond, orange, or lemon. Grated orange or lemon peel is nice, too. You can also add different flavors to the icing.

Happy holidays, readers!

Love,

Susan (aka Glamma) and Clara

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thank you for your service

Look at these brave American vets with my hero-worshipping stepson! We are so grateful for those who serve our country.

thank you for your service

Some of the hardest and most humbling books I’ve written feature military members and their families. It’s an honor and a privilege to write about them.

liberation of southern France, August 1944

Map of the Heart features the liberation of southern France in WWII.

The Ocean Between Us is about a family dealing with a mishap on an aircraft carrier.

The Apple Orchard and The Beekeeper’s Ball feature the saving of the Jews of Denmark in WWII.

Sam in Lakeside Cottage is a vet and reluctant hero. The Summer Hideaway has one, too, come to think of it.

With love and remembrance,

Susan

#VeteransDay

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Brenda knows books!

Brenda Novak writes wonderful novels, she’s drop dead gorgeous, super smart, and a first class fundraiser for juvenile diabetes.

I know, right? And she has the same number of hours in the day the rest of us do. Yet she gets it all done.

One of the most innovative authors out there, Brenda and her daughter, Alexa, are bringing books, writers, and readers together in a unique online book group. And you can join it right here. Each month, Brenda selects a book to read, share, and discuss.

She’s coming to visit me and Map of the Heart. You should join us because we are telling ALL. And we’re giving away $100 worth of gift cards during the event. Thursday, 21 September, at 8pm eastern. Be there.

I’m so excited, I made her a delicious cake. And I used gingered pears that were  homemade by my favorite reading group–the Bees of Mineral County in Superior, Montana.

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This is my go-to cake because the ingredients are always on hand. I learned it years ago from Suzanne who got it from Sunset Magazine… Anyway, you should save this recipe because it’s almost impossible to mess it up.

Cake of a Thousand Faces

Preheat oven to 350º (F)

Use any juicy berry (not strawberries), or pitted cherries, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, or sliced almonds.

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder


1 cup fresh, or frozen (non-sweetened), fruit
1 Tablespoon powdered (confectioners) sugar

Method:

Coat a 9 inch cake pan with removable rim with cooking spray.

Cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Then add flour and baking powder and blend into a stiff batter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and spread. Lay the fruit (berries or slices) over batter and press down slightly.

Bake just until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and tests done, about 40 minutes.

Run a thin-blade knife around pan rim and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then brush on a glaze of warm jam, jelly, or syrup, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature. Delicious with tea.

#books #bookclubs #giveaways #recipes

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“Tomatoing” is a verb

This time of year, the tomatoes are begging for attention. There are a zillion ways to prepare them, but here’s the simplest, most delicious way I’ve found.

You don’t need a recipe. You just need tomatoes. Any size, shape, and variety will do. Here’s a day’s pickings of the cherries.

Pick them when they’re ripe or almost ripe. Try to beat your doberman to it. Barkis is very greedy when he finds a ripe one.

It’s even more fun when your granddaughter helps.

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Important! Cut the center slice from each one and have it on buttered toast for breakfast. Homemade no-knead bread is the delivery system of choice. You’re welcome.

Slice them any which way (leave the cherries whole) and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a few herbs from the garden–thyme, basil, and oregano. Garlic cloves if you like.

Roast at about 350F until they start to carmelize. An hour or two, maybe. Then whiz them up in the food processor along with some fresh raw tomatoes. This adds freshness to the mix.

Give the sauce to your very clever husband to can using his grandmother’s canning gear. You can also freeze it, but jars are so pretty.

Label and store. This sauce is versatile. You can use it as-is. Add dried oregano and garlic to make pizza sauce. Make salsa. Simmer with butter for Marcella Hazen’s famous sauce. Reduce it by half, and you have tomato paste. Reduce it even more for ketchup. Knock yourself out.

Happy tomatoing! #homegrown #recipes

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Y’ALL.

Y’ALL.

Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation Weekend :: A MUST For Booklovers

You’re getting a massive party in your honor, thanks to reader-in-chief Barbara Vey. She has a unique gift for bringing readers and writers together for lively book discussions, crazy-fun games, parties, meals, and books books books….

Get to know your favorite authors, and meet your next new obsession. Look at the list of authors. Look look look. I MEAN.

Attending Authors*
Abbie Roads romantic suspense
Alanna Lucas historical
Alex Kava mystery
Ann Marie Walker Contemporary Romance/Comedy/Suspense
Avery Flynn sassy, sexy romance
Brenda Drake YA Fantasy
Candace Havens Hot contemporary romance
Cathy Clamp paranormal
Christine Wenger cozy mysteries, romance
Damon Suede M/M romance
Danica Favorite historical, inspirational, contemporary
Deborah Coonts humorous mystery, thrillers
Denise Swanson cozy mysteries, romance
Desiree Holt erotica
Elizabeth Watson Historical
Elicia Hyder Paranormal, contemporary
Elisabeth Barrett Contemporary and romantic suspense
Elisabeth Naughton Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance
Eloisa James Historical
Erin McCarthy Contemporary romance, New Adult
Gennita Low Romantic intrigue
Heather Graham Paranormal, contemporary
Janna MacGregor Historical
Jeannie Moon Contemporary
Jennifer Ashley romance: paranormal, historical, contemporary; mystery
Jennifer L. Armentrout YA, New Adult, Adult
Jocie McKade Mystery and romantic comedy
Josie Brown Humorous romantic suspense
Julie Moffett Mystery, historical, timetravel
Karen Hawkins Historical, contemporary
Kelly Moran Contemporary romance, paranormal romance
Lenora Bell Historical
Lucy Farago Romantic Suspense
Maggie Marr Contemporary & romantic suspense
Marilyn Baron romantic suspense/historical romantic thrillers
Marina Adair Contemporary Romance
Mary Strand YA, romantic comedy, women’s fiction
MK Meredith Contemporary
Mary Burton  Romantic Suspense
Nan Dixon Contemporary
Nancy Herkness Contemporary
Nancy Naigle Small town suspense
Pintip Dunn Young Adult
Piper J. Drake Romantic suspense, Contemporary
Rochelle Alers Romance and Women’s Fiction
Rose Lerner Historical
Sabrina York Romance (Contemporary, Historical and Fantasy) and Sci Fi/Fantasy
Sandy Parks Thriller
Sharon Hamilton Romantic Suspense
Shirley Hailstock Romance, thriller
Sonali Dev Bollywood
Susan Carlisle Medical Romance
Susan Wiggs Historical, Contemporary
T.M. Cromer romantic suspense, paranormal, contemporary
Tara Taylor Quinn Romance, Suspense, Women’s Fiction
Tiffany Snow Contemporary
Tina DeSalvo Contemporary
Tonya Kappes Small town mystery
Violet Howe Romantic Suspense, Women’s Fiction
Winnie Griggs Historical, Inspirational, Contemporary
*List is subject to change

Click this link to find out more. Click this link to be the first to get your ticket, on sale at 12:01am on September 9. Hurry, because this event is iconic in the publishing world, and it sells out fast!

All with Milwaukee’s own special brand of hospitality.

Y’ALL. This is their MUSEUM:

It’s like the Sydney Opera House only closer to home.

Trivia note: One of Jerry’s favorite clients is Milwaukee Tools. He designs their heated outerwear for them. So I imagine Jerry will come along to hang out with the tool guys.

#BVW18

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mind :: body :: spirit

One of the most unusual stops to promote Map of the Heart is the Lake Austin Spa and Resort. It’s a vintage resort, not owned by a big conglomeration, that still retains its summer-camp charm.

I get in at midnight. They made me a sandwich. There are books in every room of the beautiful complex. I am in heaven.

[image source: Austin Way Magazine]

Some spas are for whispering yoga ladies in robes, eating raw vegan rabbit food. Not this one. Sure, there’s a grilled avocado on the menu and chia seeds at the salad bar. But there’s also a top sirloin, too, and fresh gulf shrimp, and buttery scones and real cream. The kitchen is incredible, and there’s a cooking demonstration each day. A lot of the produce is sourced from the on-premise gardens, including giant squash and gourds hanging from the pergolas.

And the spa. Go. Just go. Do the clothing optional option. Get the signature facial and lavender massage.

Every hour is a different (and sometimes humiliating) adventure for your mind and body. They know me well. Each hour class is 50 minutes long. Perfect for someone with the attention span of a gnat. You can do water sports, hikes, yoga and stretch, meditation, tabata, zumba, barre…I pick the black diamond classes (“challenging”) because I’m old and I’m a beast.

HIIT. The instructor is a tall, ridiculously handsome young man. With an Aussie accent. Yep. The trifecta. Muscles, charm, accent. He takes one look at me and tries to convince me to do the hula hoop workout instead. It would not be the first time a cute guy rejects me. Nevertheless, I persist. Within four minutes, I hate him. Ball slams. Battle ropes. Bosu Burpees. And that’s just the letter B.

Pedal board. I didn’t even know this was a thing. Now that I know, I’m totally getting one. It’s a stand-up paddle board with handlebars and steering. You can go super fast. You can lose your balance and fall into the lake. You can worry about cottonmouths and weird bugs.

Wilderness hiking. The guide points out scat of all sorts–coyote, deer, way too much domestic dog–which makes me like him immediately. I’m told you can find your spirit animal in nature if you close your eyes and see what creatures come to you. Apparently, my spirit animal is the mosquito.

Tribal yoga. With two other unwitting victims patrons, I join the class. My pelvis is a bowl. My arms are wings. My mind is empty. Except I keep trying to remember how to spell savasana. I wonder how old Enya is. I keep hearing the Clorox commercial song in my head. I am instructed to lunge and look backward through my legs. Trust me, no one should have to endure this view. I hear a fart. It may, or may not be, me.

After class I’m supposed to hydrate. I keep trying to like green tea but it tastes like battery acid to me.

They give me a cute yellow souvenir bottle.

Walking on water–this is a workout on something called a Boga board which is floating in the pool. Plank. Side plank. Pushups. Someone fell overboard several times. It may, or may not have been me.

At the end of the class, I get a pair of cute flip flops.

I drag my notebook to scenic spots to get some writing done. Fact: There is no graceful way to get in or out of a hammock.

Good news: the pecan trees are as high as the sky here.

Bad news: the cockroaches are the size of Volkswagens. They call them palmetto bugs but they are frickin cockroaches.

Good news: there are cute little lizards darting around everywhere.

Bad news: there are snakes. I’m guessing scorpions and tarantulas, too, but I haven’t seen one.

There is a new sport called bare-footing. It’s basically being pulled in terror behind a waterski boat. When you fall, it’s like hitting concrete. I gave it a pass.

There’s retail therapy. I may, or may not have, bought Anatomie travel pants made in Italy.

Amenities: I can check all the boxes but one. Reading lamp. Plugs for devices. Fast wifi with no log-in. Bathrobe. Lighted magnifying mirror. Outdoor patio–bonus points for the mosquito candle. Dressing mirror. Bonus points for a light that comes on automatically in the closet. Nice soaps, conditioner, bath salts, cotton things. All-inclusive means all-inclusive except for alcohol and spa treatments. The one demerit is that the print on the daily schedule is too tiny for my old eyes, but there’s an iPad at the activities desk you can enlarge.

I have dinner with a delightful couple, Amy and Ernie, who are great storytellers and they promised to read the book. They’ve been married 21 years and they are still best friends. She is gorgeous and smart. He is loquacious and funny. They are like kids on a date.

The reward at the end of all this is a wine and cheese reception and booksigning. A roomful of nice ladies eating and talking about books? I’m in heaven.

Special thanks to ATX Black Car for safe rides through Hurricane Harvey!

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book review love

Huge thanks to Fresh Fiction for making Map of the Heart a fresh pick!

August 25, 2017

The Fresh Pick is chosen by a group of readers and is never a purchased advertisement or promotion. We’ve picked this book because it appeals to us and we like to share our diverse tastes in reading and hope you’ll give it a try.

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dream job :: a French homegoods store

So Camille, the main character in Map of the Heart, helps out at her mother’s French-themed homegoods store, a boutique called Ooh-La-La. (What else, right?) While writing the book, I was able to claim shopping as a research project.

I even created a Pinterest collection with some of my favorite French things. Enjoy!

 

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let’s go shopping

Thanks to Talbot’s for hosting 2 of my favorite things: A booksigning, and shopping for clothes.

Meet me at Alderwood Mall today.

Just for fun–Camille, the main character in MAP OF THE HEART, has a boutique, too. Here’s the fictional Ooh-La-La on Pinterest.

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