Colleen Houck's Blog, page 27

Preparations for the upcoming REAWAKENED Launch Party!

AUGUST 11th is JUST AROUND THE CORNER and we have been busy preparing for the BIG EVENT!

REAWAKENED is going to be released on August 11th and to celebrate, Colleen Houck will be appearing at a few book stores to not only sign books but to host a SMASHING PARTY!

Here’s a list of upcoming events you WON’T WANT TO MISS:

August 11th- Book Signing and Giveaways!

Book Bin, Salem East

2235 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem, Oregon

Village East Shopping Center

August 12th- REAWAKENED LAUNCH PARTY!

Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing

3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.

Beaverton, OR 97005

August 13th- Book Signing and Giveaways!

Elliot Bay Book Company

1521 10th Avenue

Seattle, Washington 98122

Here’s a little sneak peak behind the scenes in preparation for these events:

Labeling the water bottles with REAWAKENED stickers! We thought it’d be fun to put something like “Magical restorative powers in every drop of water straight from the Nile” but oh well.

Branding 250 gift bags! That’s right, Colleen SPOILS her loving fans. She is planning on giving away these bags filled with FREE books, candy, and much more.

The gift bags were filled with LOTS of goodies including candy, bookmarks and swag, Egyptian key chains, jewelry, nail polish, pins, and more!

After we finished the 250 gift bags, we assembled more than 20 HUGE prize packages! The one featured above is valued over $150 which, as you might have guessed, is Egyptian themed to compliment the release of REAWAKENED. It includes a high quality Egyptian costume, silk scarf, books, lotions, perfume, candy, tea, and a gift card to Amazon for $50! We were working like mad elves putting all of these amazing prizes together.

Still undecided if this party is something you’d want to attend? So not only will you get to meet Colleen Houck the author, get a signed copy of REAWAKENED, get a gift bag (first come first served), be entered into a raffle for a GRAND PRIZE package, but she will be catering the event with lots and lots of DELICIOUS foods (um can I say cupcakes and chocolate are just a couple of the highlights?)

Still not sure? Well, if you haven’t been convinced yet… sigh… I guess I can understand if you’d rather be watching a re-run on the television in your old pajamas eating leftovers.

RECIPE: Cashew Curry Cheddar Spread

RECIPE: Cashew Curry Cheddar Spread

 

I was first introduced to Cashew Curry Cheddar Spread by a friend about 25 years ago. At that time I did NOT like curry powder, so I didn’t pay much attention to the specifics.  Somewhere along the way my tastes changed, I began to see the merits of curry powder, and eventually decided to try and recreate this recipe. I’ve made it with several variations in my efforts to perfect it and it always turns out delicious.  I like to make the whole thing in the food processor from start to finish since Colleen & I have decided we like the finer texture of the spread when made that way. We’re pretty much addicted to this stuff, so I’ve made 3 or 4 batches in the last couple of months. I’ve tried crushing the cashews with a rolling pin…even once with a hammer!…but I didn’t have the patience to keep pounding away until I got coarse crumbs. Thus, the food processor wins so far. I suppose a blender might work also. The recipe is easy to make, highly addictive, and is one of my most often requested potluck recipes.  This spread goes well with crackers, chips, veggies, bread, you name it. It’s even great on a baked sweet potato!

 

 

RECIPE: Cashew Curry Cheddar Spread

10.5 ounces cashews, roasted

(about 2 cups ground)

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

2t-2T curry powder or to taste

pinch of sugar, optional

salt, optional or to taste

Some notes before we get started:

CASHEWS: I use unsalted cashews so that I can control the amount of salt. If salted cashews are your only option, they work fine as well, but you probably won’t need to add any additional salt. If you have raw cashews, just roast them first. Having not personally roasted cashews before, I can’t really give you any tips on that. I would use google for advice.

CHEESE: You want cheddar cheese here. From there it’s pretty much up to you. I’ve used mild, medium, sharp, 3 cheddar blend, etc… I hate cleaning the cheese grater so I always buy pre-shredded cheese. Some people swear grating it yourself is better. You do what you prefer. You could try low fat or vegan cheese. I’ve not tried either of those options, so I don’t know what the results would be.

CREAM CHEESE: This is going to be your binder…the thing that makes this recipe a “spread” and not “a crumbly mess”. I use full fat cream cheese with as few ingredients as possible. You could use low fat or whipped cream cheese. I have also used mayonnaise, sour cream, & coconut milk, either solo or in various combinations. Eventually I’ll try it with plain Greek yogurt.  Colleen prefers it with cream cheese. I prefer it with half cream cheese and half coconut milk. 

CURRY POWDER: I use a very mild yellow curry powder that is one of the cheaper brands in my area. I like this one specifically because it is very mild. While it lists red pepper in the ingredients, it has no heat to it whatsoever. Which is good, because I don’t do chilies. Use whatever kind you, or the people you’ll be sharing it with, like. The measurements I have listed for the curry are just to give you some idea. I honestly never measure it. I just keep adding it until I’m happy with the resulting flavor of the spread. I usually start with about 1.5T, taste, and add more if I think the spread needs it.

SUGAR: I have gotten into the habit of adding at least a pinch of sugar to any dish I make with yellow curry powder. I just like the curry flavor better when it’s mellowed with that bit of sweet. Use whatever kind of sweetener you prefer, but use it sparingly, and taste before adding more. This is a savory dish and you don’t want to go to some weird curry dessert place. Ew. You could also skip the sweetener altogether if you prefer.

SALT: Sometimes I don’t add any salt, especially if I’ve used salted cashews. This is another one of those “to taste” kind of things. Add a pinch if you think it needs it. Skip it if you want. Usually whatever crispy dipper I’m using has salt (tortilla, potato, pretzel or pita chips) so it doesn’t seem lacking. If I was using something like celery sticks and apple slices with the spread I might want to salt the spread itself more thoroughly.

Okay, now on to the instructions:

-Add the cashews to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to grind the cashews into fairly uniformly small bits. Stop processing before it turns into cashew butter!

-Add the shredded cheese and pulse a few times until the cheese is about the same size as the cashews.

-Add cream cheese, curry powder, and sugar & salt if using. Process until well blended. Taste. Adjust seasonings as desired.

May be served immediately or refrigerated until ready to serve. This spread tends to harden in the refrigerator regardless of what type of binder (cream cheese, coconut milk, sour cream, etc.) is used. A few seconds at a time in the microwave will loosen it up again without melting the ingredients. Alternately, just remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes or so before you want to serve it.

I have not tried freezing it yet as there is never any left! I would recommend using full fat dairy as the binder if you do plan to freeze it. Low fat dairy products tend to separate after freezing, as does mayonnaise.

I’ve been thinking this spread might be great in a Texas Toast type of preparation or as the filling in a grilled cheese sandwich. And I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of trying it with smoked almonds and smoked cheddar cheese. I wonder what would happen if you added some chopped golden raisins, dried apricots or craisins?? We’ll see how it goes!

.

 

4th of July at Colleen Houck Residence

Happy belated 4th of July America!

  This summer has been a whirlwind of activities for Colleen from attending RT Book Convention in May, going to San Diego Comic Con, finishing edits for book two of the Egyptian series, working on the novella, prepping for the REAWAKENED book launch coming up in August and hosting  family for the week of Fourth of July.  I’d like to share some of our highlights these past weeks, some fun, others delicious, a couple exciting and yet tiring, and I’d be lying if there wasn’t a little insanity, but. . . mostly it has been crazy cool!   I begin at the doorstep of the Houck residence. . .

Colleen and Brad worked and worked and worked like Christmas elves getting everything just perfect for our family coming to visit for the holidays. If you know anything about Colleen, you know that she ALWAYS gives 150% and goes way WAY above and beyond anyone’s expectations. So, needless to say, when my  family set foot across the threshold, we were transported to a magical world of stars, sparkles, and stripes, a place where we all feel like children on Christmas morning, a place Walt Disney himself would want to visit.

Here are just a couple pictures of the decorations (keep in mind these pics do not do it justice):

 

 

Colleen and Brad surprised us with goody baskets for each person perfectly presented on our guest beds. I didn’t think to take a picture but everything was themed (of course it was). The children were doted on and spoiled with sticker books, candy, head bands, hats, bubbles, Pez dispensers, toys, children’s books, beach buckets and beach towels, 4th of July outfits and pajamas, oh my goodness, the list goes on and on. Did I say spoiled with love? The adults were treated with tantalizing treats and goodies as well! (Our baskets were much better than this pic, but hey… you can use your imagination.)

The beautiful sunrise in Salem greeted us on the morning of the fourth and we started the day with a run (a necessary preparation for the delicious food we would feast on later). Check out this breathtaking view! Yes, this is Colleen’s view from their very own backyard!

After we showered and dressed in our patriotic garb, the festivities commenced with more family arriving to join in and celebrate. There was berry picking, bubbles, games, puzzles, prizes, playing outside with balls, barbequing, bubbly beverages, firecracker cookies and fireworks, sparklers and glow sticks, giggles and smiles, and brand new memories for all to cherish! Here are a couple snap shots,

Firecracker Snickerdoodles

   

The food was, as expected, over the top AND amazing! I didn’t get pics of everything but there were chicken and veggie skewers, stuffed burgers, corn on the cob, cherry pie and coconut pie, red-white-& blue beverages, and much much more. I didn’t have enough room to try everything. My eyes kept saying “oh yes” but my stomach was saying “for crying out loud woman, take a break”.

The evening’s activities ended with the tradition of lighting and watching fireworks. The weather was cooler by evening and the falling skies held a light breeze that made the evening magical. Colleen, myself and several family members rocked back and forth on the front porch swing. We watched the children wave their sparklers like wizard’s wands while the light danced on their eyes. . We listened to their excitement as each firework lit up the sky. In that moment, warmth filled my heart and I was content.

              

Mom and dad weren’t there and so the holiday wasn’t the same. Dad taught us what it means to be a true patriot and was always a part of the pancake breakfast that took place each and every year at our church. He always wore a patriotic tie and tie tac on the Sunday before and cried when we would sing Star Spangled Banner or My Country Tis of Thee. He is greatly missed as is our mom who still teaches by example. Happy belated 4th of July everyone!

 

 

Movie Review: Jurassic World

Jurassic World

Colleen’s Movie Review

I always give spoilers so consider yourself warned. =)

Romance: For me the romance between the two main characters played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard was half-baked at best. The one kiss they shared was so ill-timed that it just felt wrong and I didn’t buy for a second that these two once dated. They were so dissimilar I can’t see him going for a girl like that at all. She’s way too…prissy for him.

Special Effects: You would expect the special effects to be amazing and they were. The dinosaurs were my favorite part of this movie. I loved the motorcycle scene with the raptors and all the high tech enclosures as well as the park itself.

What I Liked: The special effects, the dinosaurs, the park, the music, the nostalgia of it, and the trained raptors. By the end of the movie, who you ultimately cared about was the dinosaurs, not the people. The T-Rex and the raptors were the only ones with their heads screwed on straight.

What I’d Change:

All the characters except Chris Pratt. Still how is he the animal trainer guy and he has no idea they have a brand new, fully grown hybrid on the island?
The script. There was nothing in it that made me relate to or empathize with the characters in any way. Those that weren’t extremely annoying were just idiots. I was actually rooting for the dinosaurs to eat them.
Everyone seemed extremely unaware of how dangerous the animals are. Even the kid who was supposed to be cute just did dumb things and he was the smartest one there.
From the first scene when mom and dad put their young sons on a plane to another country, by themselves, to go to a park with dangerous dinosaurs, I found it completely nonsensical.
The theme was dumb. Supposedly the film makers were trying to teach us all a lesson about excess and the mindless pursuit of entertainment at any cost…do they not sense the irony? The money spent on toys at a theme park is no different than the money spent on dinosaur toys for a movie. The real theme should have been humans are stupid.

 

The Tagline: The park is open.

The tagline should have been

Still milking it.

With a sub-header that says, “Super expensive thrills-r-us. We know you all will go see anything with over the top special effects and/or dinosaurs so our plan is to do this over and over again until we have enough money to actually open one of these parks.” Reference-Godzilla.

Hunky Hero: Chris Pratt is the hunky boy-next-door kind of hero. The one who was your faithful, nerdy, best-friend-in-high-school-who-turned-out-to-be-extremely-good-looking-as-a-grown-up-and-if-you-were-smart-you-would-have-dated-him-back-then, kind of guy. I loved him in Guardians of the Galaxy, I loved him in this, I’d love him as Indiana Jones, heck, I’d love him in pretty much anything. In a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse…you get the idea.

The Villain: The villain in this film is the newly manufactured hybrid dinosaur they invented called Indominous Rex. I actually felt sorry for it.

Best Line: 

Masrani: You created a monster!

Henry Wu: Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We’re just used to being the cat.

Best Scene: The raptor training was my favorite part. That and the dino battle at the end. It was predictable but I loved the ocean dinosaur as well as the raptors switching sides.

Recommended for YA Fans: Sure, why not. Go and root for the dinosaurs.

Compared to the Book: If you haven’t read Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, it’s really a fun read.

Trailer:

 

 

A Kid’s Perspective

  

Aidan’s Review: (Age 11)  

Q. Who is your favorite character and why?

A. Owen because he is cool and trains dinosaurs.

Q. Who is your least favorite character and why?

A. Vic Hoskins because he’s pretty stupid. He tried to use the raptors as weapons and you can’t do that.

Q. What did you like about the movie?

A. The battle at the end between the In Dominus Rex and the T-Rex.

Q. What did you not like about the movie?

A. When people got eaten and Vic Hoskins.

Q. What did you think about the story?

A. “Delicious” (mom demanded an explanation of this answer). “The dinosaurs feasted a lot on humans. My answer is of course sarcastic mom.”

Q. What part made you feel emotional or awkward?

A. When the dinos were feasting.

Q. What would you say to your friend about this movie?

A. It was funny, crazy, and is full of small human-like reptile snacks.

I give this movie 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Lex’s Review: (Age 8) 

Q. Who is your favorite character and why?

A. Owen because he is really good with raptors and smart. He’s the only one who actually tells everyone to leave when the In Dominus Rex escapes. Plus, he’s the “Star Lord” from Guardians of the Galaxy which is my favorite.

Q. Who is your least favorite character and why?

A. Vic Hoskins because he’s extremely idiotic!

Q. What did you like about the movie?

A. Nothing too much. I liked when Owen was training the raptors.

Q. What did you not like about the movie?

A. Practically everything. I just didn’t like the story.

Q. What did you think about the story?

A. Only 1.5 out of 5 stars. Here’s three reasons why: first, the two boys are lame. They don’t listen when they are told to go back when they are riding the glass vehicle. Second, the story was way unrealistic. And third, there are too many stupid people who think they can just have dinosaurs around them and not get eaten.

Q. What part made you feel emotional or awkward?

A. Nothing did. Well, except when the boy kisses his girlfriend and the beginning. That was awkward.

Q. What would you say to your friend about this movie?

A. It was horrible!

 A Guy’s Perspective

Brad’s Bio: I’m Colleen’s husband, Brad. I’m the youngest of four kids. I’ve been Deaf since I was five so I watch every movie with caption glasses. I love sports and reading (I’ll admit I’ve read Twilight but prefer thrillers like Jack Reacher). My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I’ll never turn down a taco. I write poetry. My man credentials include: a high school career in wrestling, watching sports every time my wife is too busy to notice, a receding hairline, two repaired ACL’s, and a stockpile of Axe body wash.

Brad’s Review: 

Jurrasic World

Following the typical formula of Jurassic plots, this film was the most predictable film I’ve seen in the last ten years, but of course, that was not necessarily a bad thing. You know the formula—a family goes to a Dinosaur park, some people get lost, something goes horribly wrong and all chaos—and dinosaurs—breaks loose; family members and scientists venture out to rescue the lost sheep while trying to avoid getting chomped (well, not entirely), but the chaos is unresolved to pave the way for future blockbusters.

To counter this predictability, filmmakers surged the electricity with more human deaths than the previous Jurassic films, and with monstrous dinosaurs thrashing each other, creating a cinematic visual-and-sound effects-infested experience like no other.  For me, a Deaf movie buff, the effects were pretty thrilling. I was overwhelmed with vibrations assaulting me from every angle–through my seat, my soda cup, the bucket of popcorn, and even the hairs on my chest. It came really close to my 4-D experience at Universal Studios in the T-Rex vs. King Kong ride.

There’s not much else to say. The actors/actresses were fine, though the script was a bit vapid. Even the attempt to infuse some romance was laughable. I loved the horde of raptors (What exactly do you call a group of velociraptors…?). But if you want a movie with believable drama and a real plot, look elsewhere. 

I give this film 7 out of 10 Hulk Smash Fists.

 

San Diego Comic Con 2015 Report

So it has long been a dream of mine to attend San Diego Comic Con and that dream was finally realized this year when my generous publisher chose me as one of the few authors they invited to be a part of the 2015 team.

 

Here’s how my Comic Con experience went…

July 9th-Thursday (Miles walked 7)

We flew in to San Diego and weren’t able to check in until 5:30 or so. Because of that, we left our luggage at the hotel, picked a map, and made our way to the conference to register. We were told it was a ten minute walk to the convention center from our hotel. It was over an hour before we finally found the right place to pick up our badges. Mostly we just walked the convention and looked for the Random House booth where I’d sign on Saturday. There are a lot of cool things to see. Here are some. (Giant Iron Man, Hobbit Dwarf, Walking Dead Zombie)

 

We got a text that our room was ready so we headed back, unpacked, and then were off to a local library for the Random House Author party. I was able to cart off as many books as I could carry as well as meet other Random House authors. There was also a photo booth where we could take pictures with staff. I hopped in there with my husband to take some fun pictures.

 

Colleen Houck & Kim Liggett

 

Colleen Houck & Diana Gabaldon

 

 

Colleen Houck & Sabaa Tahir

 

Colleen Houck & Renee Ahdieh

 

 

 

July 10th-Friday (Miles walked 5)

Despite the protesting of my feet, we headed back to the convention center on Friday even though it was technically my off day. I was searching for a Dr. Who shirt and we really wanted to try to get into Hall H to see the cast of The Walking Dead. We quickly figured out that I had no VIP status and trying to get into a panel a mere two hours early showed what kind of amateurs we were. My husband had a disability sticker since he’s Deaf and though he scheduled an interpreter to go, there was still no getting in.

Turns out people camp out overnight just to get a bracelet so they can be first in line and even if the panel they want to see is later in the day, they will park themselves in the room all day just so they have a guaranteed spot for the one they want. Not an effective way to organize things if you ask me. Any type of event that requires me to spend hours of waiting in line without a bathroom break is just not my cup of tea. We stuck around in line until the panel actually started and then came to the conclusion that we would have a better seat at home watching it on YouTube.

There were lines stretching everywhere and when I asked what the lines were for it was either for some Anime thing I’ve never heard of or for Mattel, Lego, BBC, etc. The short of it is, if you want to buy something cute and fun you still have to wait in line and get pushed and shoved by various overenthusiastic people as you do so. Personally, I’d much rather buy things online. We still saw some cool stuff and we did get my husband a Star Trek shirt and me a set of Star Trek cookie cutters. The women’s shirts (I hate crew neck men’s shirts) only went up to size XL which as we know really means small so I didn’t get a shirt at all though I did consider a men’s Labyrinth shirt. (What man is going to wear that?)

Here are some cool things we saw. (Lego Dr. Who, Life-Sized R2-D2, Yoda, Giant Lego Hulk and Iron Man, Thor and Loki Replicas)

The weirdest thing to me about the conference is that there’s really not much to do other than waiting in lines. Most of the panels were very comic booky. I sat in one that was like the silver age of comic book font. Wow. Not something that would rivet the layman.

Also, there is so much more shopping to do at the smaller conferences. I suspect the big guys make deals that the smaller vendors can’t sell their product at this one.  Between that and the T-shirt problem, I wasn’t a happy buyer.

Also there was a strange lack of food options. In a convention center this size, I’d expect more than Mrs. Fields. I lived on soft pretzels at the convention since there weren’t really any other options. Most people seemed to be wandering around outside. They were probably looking for food or a place to sit down or maybe a private place to adjust their super underoos. Speaking of which…

Holy Moly people! On the one hand, I think Cosplay is fun.

It’s cool to dress up in a costume you worked all year on and parade around in front of strangers who ooh and ahh at your sewing/glue gunning prowess while sweat trickles down your body in all the wrong places and you get a cramp in your wrist from wielding your club/broadsword/ax/Battleth/staff/lightsaber/bow.

I mean, it’s pretty amazing when you think about applying and reapplying makeup all day as your sweltering cape/leather leggings slowly bake you from the outside in while constantly adjusting your wig, or, in some cases, thong.

At least it gives the people in line and second string reporters who can’t get into any of the cool things something to do/gape at as they wait endlessly for someone to save them from the bad decision they made to attend the event/store making them stand in line for hours. And they can take a picture with you which proves they were there since the opportunity to take pictures with any real celebrities doesn’t happen, at least not with anyone famous within the last two decades.

Having said that, could you at least cover your protruding parts? Seriously, there are children at the convention. Wow. I looked up at the second floor window and was treated to a full naked backside from a level down and let’s just say the view wasn’t pretty. I’m assuming there was a scrap of fabric in there somewhere but honestly there are some things you can’t unsee.

I looked up the cosplay policy and there isn’t a ban of any kind on clothing, just on weapons. Perhaps the players go just a wee bit far. There are some things better left to the imagination or, at least, until the sun sets and the glare doesn’t burn the corneas of the hundred thousand plus attendees.

I don’t have any pictures of the cosplay people because I feel a bit like taking a picture with them or of them is akin to feeding bears in the wild. It’s just a bad idea and encourages them to come closer and engage in behaviors I’d rather not see. Sure the little ones are cute but the little ones get bigger.

Book Reviews for Kids by Kids- The Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child

For those of you who are looking for new books appropriate for middle grade that both boys and girls might enjoy, this is the place to look!

Every month, at least one new book will be added for review right here and they will be reviewed by the best critics, KIDS! That’s right, the one’s who read them will be the judge!

This blog is written by my quirky and adorable niece, Madelyn. She’s super sweet and quite ambitious in everything she sets her mind to. She’s quick to help and give hugs, two of my favoritist things!

Introducing the lovely Madelyn,

“Hi, I’m a Seventh Grader and I love to read and write. I also enjoy dancing and acting. I’m in Drama club and Author’s Team at my school. I’m an A+ student and I love my math class. I love to learn and learn and learn.  I have a brother and a sister. . Right now I’m reading The Tale of Despereaux”

 

 

 

And now, introducing our next middle grade book review for kids, by kids!
Book review on The Sister’s Grimm: The Problem Child
by Michael Buckley

 

Book Commercial

This book is a great book for any kid to read. It takes place in the land of Ferryport Landing which is a mysterious town full of strange inhabitants. It starts in a burning house where Sabrina is trapped. Throughout the book, Sabrina gets into a lot of trouble. Luckily, she has a fairy prince and a little sister to get her out of trouble. Her sister, Daphne, is usually the more cheery one and Sabrina is the bossy one.

            The plot of this story is that Little Red Riding Hood has kidnapped Sabrina and Daphne’s parents. She’s trying to create her family again. Red also kidnapped a baby and is trying to get Sabrina’s Grandma and Elvis, her dog. Sabrina is put through a lot of stress through this time. To top it off, the Ferryport inhabitants are trying to destroy the Grimm family. Many things happen in the fight to get the girl’s parents back.

            The book is the third book in the Sister’s Grimm series. The two girls are descendants of the Grimm Brothers. They live in a land of fairytale characters and they solve the many mysteries in the town. The two girls were taken in by their Grandma after their parents disappeared.

            this book has lots and lots of adventure and excitement. It is very enjoyable and fun. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fairytales. This is a great book. If your kids need a book to read or even a book series, read the Sister’s Grimm series.

 

 

Here’s a list of other books we’ve reviewed:

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (In full color) by Dav Pilkey

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

 

Invasion of the Overworld by Mark Cheverton

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Di’Terlizzi and Holly Black

Artemis Fowl, book 1 by Eoin Colfer

The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) by Roald Dahl

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Break a Dragon’s Heart, Book # 8 by Cressida Cowell

~ Till next time,

Linda Louise Lotti

The Reawakened Tour!

My team has been very busy behind the scenes organizing everything for my upcoming tour and I’m so excited to finally be able to announce where I’m headed to promote the release of my new book, REAWAKENED!

 

 

Those of you who follow me online know I just got back from San Diego Comic Con where I was able to give out 100 advanced reading copies of REAWAKENED thanks to my very generous publisher. What a cool pre-release stop that was! 

 

THE US

My first stop in the US is my hometown.

SALEM, OREGON

Join me at the Salem Book Bin on Tuesday August 11th at 7:00 PM! There will be a Q&A and a raffle!

The Book Bin East

2235 Lancaster Dr NE

Salem, Oregon

Phone: 971-600-3831

 

PORTLAND, OREGON

Join me at Powell’s City of Books on Wednesday August 12th at 7:00 PM for the REAWAKENED LAUNCH PARTY!

There will be prizes, photo ops, and refreshments! You won’t want to miss it!

Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing

3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.

Beaverton, OR 97005

503-228-4651

Note: Signed copies of REAWAKENED are now available for preorder from Powell’s!

 

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Join me at the Elliot Bay Book Company on Thursday August 13th at 7:00 PM!

There will be prizes, photo ops, and refreshments! You won’t want to miss it!

Elliot Bay Book Company

1521 10th Avenue

Seattle, Washington 98122

Telephone: (206) 624-6600

Toll-free: 800-962-5311

 

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Join me Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00 PM for a King’s English book signing!

Viridian Events Center

8030 South 1825 West

West Jordan, UT 84088

 

BOISE, IDAHO

Join me Saturday, September 26 from 9:30am – 4:30pm for the Boise Book Fest!

Get your tickets here! For a list of FAQ’s and to get more information, check out the Book Fest’s Facebook page.

Courtyard Boise West/Meridian

1789 S Eagle Rd, Meridian, ID, US

 

BRAZIL

It is so cool for me to finally, finally get to meet my fans from Brazil! I love you guys so much and it’s going to be such a thrill for me and my husband to travel around your beautiful country. For more details on my Brazil tour check out my publisher’s (Editora Arquerio’s) Facebook page. I am so lucky to be able to go to so many cities!

 

 

If you don’t see your city listed, don’t despair. I already know I’m headed to the Tri-Cities area of Washington in the spring as well as Las Vegas for the RT Convention. If you want me to come to your city, leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post and maybe, just maybe we can try to fit in a few more or at least consider some new places for the RECREATED tour next fall.

RECIPE: Firecracker Snickerdoodles

FIRECRACKER SNICKERDOODLES

Firecracker Snickerdoodles

Sweet and fiery, these cinnamon candy glazed snickerdoodles are perfect for the 4th of July or Valentine’s Day!

Yield: 36 3-inch cookies

Ingredients:

2 Bags of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix,

2/3 cup Butter,

2 Eggs,

1 22 oz Bag of Red Hots

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Follow the sugar cookie recipe then make balls of dough about the size of a meatball (I use a small ice cream scoop) then roll them in the ground Red Hots to coat. Place on a parchment papered sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are puffed up. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.Makes 36 three-inch cookies.

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You could also use a Snickerdoodle Recipe such as this:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

I got the idea for these cookies when I was out shopping with my friend, Cindy, and I picked up a bag of Red Hots thinking I’d use them somehow for the 4th of July. I had a couple of ready mix sugar cookies on hand and thought I’d make snickerdoodles for my brother in law who was coming over to visit since its his favorite cookie. When I got home I realized that the Red Hots are cinnamon and then one thing let to another and I ended up pulverizing the candy into a powder and rolling my balls of sugar cookie dough in it to test out how it would taste. 

We thought the cookies would burn due to the high sugar content but were surprised to find that the Red Hots powder actually made the cookie crisp instead. Since I am the type of person who hates throwing anything away, I decided to take the remaining Red Hots powder, mix it with water and cook it until bubbly in the microwave to make a glaze and then dipped finished cookies in the glaze until I ran out. Then I sprinkled the glazed cookies with edible golden stars. 

THE RESULT: A cookie unlike anything we’ve ever tasted. Without the glaze the cookies were good but with the glaze, they were remarkably delicious. I’m definitely doing this one again but next time I’ll make even more of the glaze so they all get a thick coating.

BAKING TIP: Keep the glaze very warm because when it cools it reverts back to candy form. Also the rack in the lower part of the oven may be too hot. The cookies are sensitive to high temperatures and got a little overly browned when too close to the heating element. For an even more powerful cinnamon punch, I’m going to add cinnamon to the dough next time as well. The Red Hots powder was actually a pretty mild flavor on the cookies without the glaze.

 

Layering Your Scent

 

 

There are many ways to get your signature scent to last longer.  Many companies now sell your favorite scent not only in a perfume, but a body wash, lotion, scrubs, and oils.  Layering your scent will help it last longer and allow you to stay in control of how strong the scent will be.  Some enjoy long lasting expensive perfumes you can sample at the mall, other prefer a more subtle approach.  Either way you have options.

You can layer with the same scent like the popular seasonal sweet cool scent of Bath and Body Works Twisted Peppermint. Remember that body washes, body creams, and fragrance mists are the little sister in the perfume world.  They don’t last very long, but they don’t slap you in the face with scent either.  They make others lean in and inhale your sweet minty goodness.

My new favorite scent is Fresh Cream by Philosophy.  My sister teases me about liking food scents, but I don’t just like them I LOVE them.  Vanilla is my all time favorite scent.  It’s sweet, inviting, feels like home, snuggling with my dog, and a blanket warm out of the dryer all at the same time.  Vanilla is comfort to me.  So if anyone puts vanilla in a perfume, lotion, body scrub, or shampoo I gravitate towards it.  I’m waiting for Downy to come up with Frosted Lemon Cookies, Salted Creamy Caramel, and Mexican Vanilla  fabric softeners.

On date nights I want the compelling, expensive, long lasting perfumes.  They make me feel pretty, sophisticated, and far more flirty which I think all marriages could use more of.  You never see liter sized of the department store perfumes so make good use of them.

Do you like to cook, love a fruity drinks, or like to try new things?  Try layering your scents with different products that go together.  I just purchased Philosophy Holiday Spice Rack, Philosophy Sweet Shoppe, and various Body Shop body butters, body scrubs, and body mists.  I mix my own homemade Vanilla Orange Cream Body Scrub with my Fresh Cream perfume and body cream.  My skin is so dry in the winter and every little bit of moisture helps so I don’t feel itchy.  Here are some other yummy concoctions!

Orange Cream

 

Creamy Peppermint Cocoa

 

Strawberry Lemonade

Freshly Baked (3 Ways)

So many to choose from…how about Sparkling Pomegranate?

Have fun with you scents, and remember to layer to keep your scent going strong!

Shara

July Contest of the Month

In celebration of Colleen Houck’s upcoming release of her new Egyptian series, REAWAKENED on August 11th, 2015, we are having one more contest for a chance to win an advanced reader copy, and yes, you’re welcome! Oh, and if you’re one of those lucky winners from last month’s contest, then feel free to participate but the prizes will be awarded to those who haven’t won.

 

 One lucky person will win the GRAND REAWAKENED PRIZE PACKAGE and three runner ups will win the REAWAKENED advanced reader edition !

Here’s how the contest works,

SHARE THE NEWS on Twitter.

How? It’s simple, just choose one of the sample tweets found in the Rafflecopter giveaway below and share it on your twitter news feed. 

There is no limit to how many times you enter this contest. You can tweet the news once every day if you’d like! Hey, it might annoy your friends but it’ll increase your chances to win right?

Of course, if you’re a die hard fan like I am, you can also pre-order your very own REAWAKENED copy today on Amazon!

Good luck everyone!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~Till next time,

Linda Louise Lotti