Beth Cato's Blog, page 60
December 10, 2017
Sunday Quote ponders gifts
“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.”
~ William Styron, Conversations with William Styron
December 8, 2017
Giftmas Guest Post: Jennifer Lee Rossman on Shining a Light and SAD
Rhonda Parrish, editor of Mrs. Claus, has put together this Giftmas blog swap to raise money for the Edmonton Food Bank.
She’s also organized a Rafflecopter giveaway filled with great prizes (including custom cross stitch by yours truly).
This year’s theme is “Shine a Light.”
It’s winter, which means long, dark days for us in the northern hemisphere. Around this time of year, Seasonal Affective Disorder can start to depress us.
Less natural light, more isolation from family during what’s supposed to be a time of gathering and joy… it’s no wonder a lot of people feel hopeless.
Maybe I’m the odd one out, but I’ve always found winter to be the most beautiful, hopeful season. Snow clinging to trees in the moonlight, getting to snuggle under the blankets with a cat and watch football…
The world is stripped of color and life and everything seems bleak, but I see it as more of a blank slate so we can get a chance to start again in spring.
Jennifer Lee Rossman is a science fiction geek from Oneonta, New York, where she cross stitches, watches Doctor Who, and threatens to run over people with her wheelchair. Her work has been featured in Circuits & Slippers, Syntax & Salt, and Cast of Wonders. Follow her blog and her Twitter account.
December 7, 2017
Through the Fog: A Giftmas 2017 Blog Post to Benefit the Edmonton Food Bank
Rhonda Parrish has organized the Giftmas Blog Tour to benefit the Edmonton Food Bank. You can also enter to win loads of prizes! Scroll down to find a Rafflecopter giveaway.
The theme of Giftmas this year is to “Shine a Light.” Therefore, I am sharing a memory of foggy darkness… and the light of home that awaits.
I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley of California, a broad swath of terrain that was once grassland and marshes, now converted to agriculture. Each winter, a phenomenon called tule fog occurs often from November through February. Think of horror movies that feature fog–a completely impenetrable cloud where the world ceases to exist beyond five feet, where driving at night requires that a car door be held ajar so that the driver can follow the painted lines directly below.
The fog is at its worst soon after a rain, though it can happen any time through the winter, as the land remembers it once was swamp and radiates moisture. The fog often lingers into the morning, too. When I went to school, I never experienced a snow day, but I often had foggy day schedule, where school didn’t start until about 10am. Sometimes the fog was still awful at that time, too. Those are the kinds of days where people avoid driving, if they have any choice. Car accidents are inevitable. Every few years, there are disastrous pile-ups on I-5 or Highway 99, some involving as many as a hundred cars.
As a child, the fog both awed and terrified me. Driving through it was the stuff of nightmares. The car rolling along at a mere ten miles an hour, Christmas lights and street lights nonexistent. Hoping that no one was walking in the fog, that no cars flew at us out of the ether.
Waiting, praying, for the faint lights of home to glimmer at the end of the driveway.
Home felt especially welcoming on those cold, isolating, foggy nights. It provided a refuge where my heart could resume a placid rhythm, where I could warm myself by a crackling fire. Where I was safe, supper awaiting in a hot crockpot.
Not everyone has that refuge, that hot food to await them after the strain of the day. That’s why I’m asking for you to contribute to the Giftmas fundraiser–and to your local charities, too. Everyone everywhere needs some help and hope. We need that faint light that penetrates the fog.
#SFWAPro
December 6, 2017
Bready or Not: Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
Do you love those peppermint meltaway candies that dissolve in your mouth with such refreshing flavor? Imagine that, in cookie form. Yes. Really.
This recipe essentially makes very lightly-textured shortbread cookies. That texture arises from the use of confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch. These are like cookie clouds.
Then you top those small cookies with a smear of frosting and some crushed peppermint bits. The combo… yeah. These are called meltaways, and that’s exactly what they do.
Plus, these things literally LOOK like the holiday season. Like snow and peppermints.
If you’re searching for a recipe to wow everyone in a cookie exchange, these are your cookies, and they don’t even taste or act like cookies. They’ll blow your mind. Blow the minds of everyone there.
Modified from Taste of Home, November 2015.
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OM NOM NOM!\n","cookTime":"P","prepTime":"P","totalTime":"P"}
Bready or Not: Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
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These cookies taste and act like peppermint meltaway candies! The cookies are like light little clouds, and are the perfect conveyance for the refreshing frosting with peppermint bits.
cookie dough
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
frosting
2 Tb unsalted butter, softened
2 Tb milk or half & half
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 - 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, then add peppermint extract. Gradually beat in the flour and cornstarch.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is firm enough to work with.
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Using a teaspoon scoop, dole out dough onto a cookie sheet. Use a spatula or the bottom of a glass to lightly compress the cookies, as they may not spread much while baking.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until set. Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a rack to finish cooling.
When the cookies are room temperature, prepare the frosting. Mash the two tablespoons butter until creamy; add the milk and peppermint extract. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until it is smooth. Add more sugar or milk, if necessary, to reach a thick yet spreadable consistency.
Use the back of a spoon to frost the cookies then sprinkle with peppermint candies. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper or parchment between layers. Makes about 25 teaspoon-sized cookies.
OM NOM NOM!
December 4, 2017
Goodreads Giveaways for Clockwork Crown & Call of Fire
I wanted to finish off the year by giving away some sequels! I’m running Goodreads giveaways for Clockwork Crown and Call of Fire through December 26th. Please enter, and spread the word to friends who might be interested!
Also, don’t forget that ebooks of Clockwork Crown are on sale this month! $1.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and Google Play.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Clockwork Crown
by Beth Cato
Giveaway ends December 26, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Call of Fire
by Beth Cato
Giveaway ends December 26, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
#SFWAPro
December 3, 2017
Sunday Quote isn’t ready for December
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
~ Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
December 1, 2017
B&N SFF Blog loved my new collection!
Wow, this was an incredible surprise this week: the Barnes & Noble SFF Blog reviewed Red Dust and Dancing Horses and Other Stories, and they had some pretty nice things to say!
There is no feeling quite like reading a Beth Cato story, and it’s time more people experienced the sensation. The ones found in Red Dust and Dancing Horses would be a great place to start; they are intense, heartfelt epics in miniature, often focusing on the relationships and people at the heart of broader, more overtly magical events.
They discuss many stories and what they enjoyed about them, and wrap up everything with this lovely note.
In short, the stories in Red Dust and Dancing Horses are intense, sincere, and unusual, revealing their creator as a truly versatile talent, spanning fantasy, science fiction, horror, and all the subgenres in between. At the very least, it’s the rare book that will make you cry while reading about a fight between giant robots.
Well, dang. I’ll happily take that kind of feedback.
You can buy the book in paperback or ebook at Barnes & Noble, request it through your local indie store, or snag it at Amazon.
#SFWAPro
November 30, 2017
CLOCKWORK CROWN on sale for $1.99
Happy holidays indeed–The Clockwork Crown, the 2nd book in my Clockwork Dagger duology, is on sale for $1.99! Buy it for yourself, or give it as a gift. The prices is good across all major ebook retailers:
#SFWAPro
November 29, 2017
Bready or Not Original: Peppermint Oreo Truffle Brownies
If you’ve ever had Oreo Truffles–those luscious bon-bons of pulverized Oreo encased in chocolate–you’ll love my original take, which is a heck of a lot easier and prettier, too.
The original Oreo Truffles always irritate me because I can never get a nice, smooth chocolate covering on the balls. You’ll see what I mean next month when I feature a different take on such truffles.
Therefore, I removed the balls from the equation. This recipe has a brownie base, topped with an Oreo-cream cheese mix, then topped with a ganache. Oreo crumbs and peppermint bits give it a showy finish.
No dipping balls in chocolate for an hour. No mess everywhere. This recipe is easy-peasy.
Plus, the cut-up bars will keep for as long as a week if they are sealed in the fridge. That makes them convenient to make-ahead for holiday gatherings… and lets you finish them off at your leisure afterward.
You can use a number of different kinds of Oreos here, too. Mint Oreos are great, but regular Oreos are fine if you add some extra peppermint extract. You can use all-chocolate kinds of Oreos–even the new Thin Oreo version–but I don’t advise using Double Stuf. You do want a lot of cookie crumbs.
OM NOM NOM!\n","cookTime":"P","prepTime":"P","totalTime":"P"}
Bready or Not Original: Peppermint Oreo Truffle Brownies
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This Bready or Not original remakes traditional Oreo Truffles in a brownie bar form that’s a lot more convenient to make.
*Note that original or all-chocolate Oreos or even new Thin Oreos may be used; just add another 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to either the Oreo layer or top chocolate layer. However, don’t use Double Stuf. You want more cookie crumbs!
brownie base
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp espresso powder, optional but awesome
1 1/3 cups flour
Oreo layer
1 package Cool Mint or Peppermint Oreos*
8 ounce cream cheese (1 block), softened
topping
10 to 12 ounces of chocolate (mint, semi-sweet, dark, or milk; add more peppermint extract if desired)
1/4 cup crushed peppermint bits
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray or butter well.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, followed by the two extracts, salt, cocoa, and flour. Don't overbeat.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22 to 27 minutes. Cool completely.
While the brownies are cooling, make the Oreo truffle layer. Crush Oreos in a food processor or by putting them in a sealed gallon bag and smashing them with a rolling pin until rendered to crumbs.
Reserve 1/4 cup of Oreo crumbs for topping. Place the rest of the crumbs in a large bowl, and use a big spoon to mash the Oreos into the softened cream cheese until the color is consistently black.
Smooth the Oreo-cream cheese mix atop the cooled brownies, using an offset spatula to get right to the edges.
To finish off the truffles, melt the chocolate either on the stovetop or in the microwave, and pour it over the Oreo layer. Smooth it out evenly. Immediately top with the reserved Oreo crumbs and peppermint bits.
Refrigerate until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. If it's too soft, and it will smear when cut; too hard, and it will crack. Use the foil to lift the brownies onto a cutting board, then slice into bars.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge, with waxed paper between the stacked layers. Keeps for at least a week.
OM NOM NOM!
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November 27, 2017
My 2017 Works for Award Consideration
The end of the year is nigh, which means it’s time for awards buzz to build up within genre fiction. I have three works in three categories that I wish to bring to readers’ attention.
SHORT STORY CATEGORY: “With Cardamom I’ll Bind Their Lips,” Uncanny Magazine issue 15. Available to read online; podcast version can be downloaded here.
Reach out via the Contact Form to request a different format.
COLLECTION CATEGORY: Red Dust and Dancing Horses and Other Stories, Fairwood Press. Available in print and ebook at all major booksellers.
NOVEL CATEGORY: Call of Fire (#2 in Blood of Earth Trilogy, following Breath of Earth), Harper Voyager. Available in trade paperback and ebook everywhere.
Thank you for your consideration!
#SFWAPro
