Lyncee Shillard's Blog, page 6
December 20, 2018
Tasty and Thirsty Thursday
Welcome! This week’s tasty and thirsty is inspired by my love for Christmas lights. I’m blogging about it over on Romancing the Genres
[image error]
These are my top 2 recipes for when we head out to go light seeing – Over the Top hot cocoa and hot cocoa cookies.
The over the top hot cocoa is even more incredible when spiked with Kahula, candy cane vodka, or raspberry vodka.
Over the top hot cocoa
[image error]
What you need
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
What you do:
Add sugar and cocoa to food processor. Pulse until well-mixed. (Or, combine ingredients in large bowl and whisk until well mixed.) Add salt, and cornstarch; pulse until mixed. Add powdered milk; process for 20-30 seconds until well mixed. Transfer mix to bowl and stir in chocolate chips. Store in airtight container.
To make:
Fill 1/3 to 1/2 of mug with cocoa mix. Add 1 cup hot water or milk and stir until mix is dissolved.
Hot Cocoa Cookies
What you need:
1 cup butter – soften
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup over the top hot cocoa (or your favorite)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 3/4 cups flour
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup marshmellows
What you do:
Preheat over to 350
Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add the hot cocoa. Mix until blended.
Add in eggs and mix. Mix in flour and baking soda.
Stir in chocolat chips.
Drop rounded tablespoon on pan and bake
[image error]
My cookie helper
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
December 7, 2018
Friday Read
This week’s Friday read is by one of fav authors… Rebecca Zanetti.
Hidden is book 1 in her new series Deep Ops. To say I loved it is sort of like saying I like doughnuts. I want to hang out is Pippa, seriously. She’s funny, spunky, and a great cook. She’s my kind of girl!
And Mal is the prefect combo of dark tortured hero. Which is the hardest hero for me to get behind. They usually aren’t my jam butttttttt Mal, well, he’s the one.
I read Hidden in less then 3 days, my daughter in 1. It’s that good!
[image error]
Hide. That’s all Pippa can do to escape the terror chasing her. But now that she’s off the grid in a safe house, she finds plenty of interesting things to watch through the window. Like her new neighbor, with his startling green eyes, killer smile, and sexy bad-boy tattoo . . .
Run. Malcolm West is fleeing the hell he unleashed in his last assignment as an undercover cop. A backwoods bungalow sounds like the perfect place to start over. Until he discovers he’s been set up . . .
Fight. Someone’s gone to a lot of trouble to bring them together. No matter how much he resents that, and his own driving needs, Malcolm will have to dig deep and let loose the banished killer inside himself, or Pippa’s fears could come true faster than the flip of a bolt in a lock . . .
Check out Hidden
December 6, 2018
Tasty and Thirsty
Welcome!
This Thursday I’m all about the Christmas joy! I’m over on Viviana’s blog chatting about the tricks to putting together a Christmas cookie tray…Cookie Tray Secrets
If Christmas is a time to forgo calories for read on…
[image error]
Look Mr. Penguin is sooo excited and so am I. A buttery Christmas makes me smile – every time! I mean there is whip cream…there is butterscotch ice cream drizzle…there is vodka, coffee liquor, and Irish cream… the things that makes Christmas 
December 3, 2018
Mindset Monday
It’s December. How the heck did that happen??? Besides all the holiday stuff, I need to really nail down 2019.
I have a vision board to make.
A time capsule journal to set up.
Figure out my writing schedule.
My yearly budget.
Yikes! I need doughnuts… lots and lots of doughnuts.
And while I’m focusing on 2019 yet I need to stay planted in 2018. I have set up 2019 personal journal. I’ve picked my focus word and personal growth goal.
[image error]
[image error]
I feel I have become very fragmented over the years so this year is all about connecting those pieces (last year was defining who I was and I do believe that I did. I have a much clearer picture of who I am. I just need to connect these roles. Find a balance of sorts. Now I have no false ideas that I will have an equal balance. Life or at least my life doesn’t work like that).
My word last year was complete. I’m the overlord of unfinish projects. I did do better which led me to this year’s word. Commit. Not only do I need to commit to projects but also for the roles I have claimed for me. I can’t waffle every other day on if I really want to run a Virtual Administrative Assistant business. I need to commit.
As part of my yearly budget I’m going to focus on minimalist life style (not I’m not going hard core – let’s be real. I need books. They are a part of me) for 2019. I did Dave Ramsey last year (I may do a recap… I’m on the fence for this). But as a kick-off I’m planning a no spend month for January and I’m reading…. 31 days of living well and spending zero by Ruch Soukup. Guess what day 1 is all about? COMMIT.
[image error]
So what am doing to end 2018 with a bang??? Edits for A Witch’s Curse, promo The Christmas Reunion and baking. I’m doing a blog post on Thursday about the secrets for the prefect cookie tray. I’m also doing Christmas crafts with my 7 year-old. Check out my Instagram Lyncee_shillard for overload cuteness.
I’d love to hear what you working on for the present and future…what’s your mindset?
November 29, 2018
Tasty and Thirsty Thursday
Happy last Thursday of November!
Today’s Tasty comes from The Great Grilled Cheese book (Amazon).
I’m a fairly brave eater but some of these sammies are over the edge for me and others are just to much work. I love to cook but to be honest I don’t want to spend 3 hours making a grilled cheese. By this I mean I’m not making a beef roast just for a grilled cheese, I’ll be overjoyed to use the leftover after I’ve eaten it with mash potatoes, green beans, and garlic cheese rolls.
November 27, 2018
#MFRWhooks: The secret is out…
Hey Hey! Welcome to MRFW Hooks!
[image error]
This week I’m hooking from my SWEET Christmas romance! There are NO…
Steamy love scenes
Dead bodies
Vodka!!!!
But there are animals, a cute 7 year old , and good food (recipes included)!
[image error]
Blurb:
Five years ago, Joleigh Nelson turned her back on the only man she’d ever love to save her father and unborn son’s lives. Now that man may be the only one who can save her home, the New Forks animal reserve.
Spencer Thompkin has spent the last five years in an emotional wasteland. Unable to let anyone in after Joleigh disappeared without a word.
On a routine foreclosure of an animal reserve, he finds not only Joleigh but a son he never knew about.
Can he get over the feelings of betrayal and help Joleigh save her home – the animal reserve? Or will the heartless lawyer part of him prevail leaving Joleigh homeless and without her son?
A Christmas Reunion may not even be enough to save the animal reserve and restore their love.
HOOK:
Silence hung between them. She waited for the yelling, for Spencer’s angry words.
“You weren’t sure of what?” Spencer whispered and moved away from her. “That I’d want to be a part of my child’s life?”
She took a deep breath and lowered her hands. Tell him the truth, Spencer had always been a reasonable man. Rage twisted his face into a repulsive mask of hatred and she knew nothing she’d say would matter.
“Come in and have some coffee. We can talk everything over.” She muttered as tears brimmed her eyes. She couldn’t breathe. For some reason her lungs refused to allow air in.
“A little late for that offer, don’t you think? That would have been appropriate five years ago, but instead you chose to run.” Spencer crossed his arms. “There really isn’t anything to discuss. I’ll see you in court.”
“Don’t, Spencer. You’ll confuse him.” Joleigh moved toward the only man she had ever loved or wanted. “You’re too far away to be a weekend dad.”
“I have no intentions of being a weekend father.” He reached out and opened the door. “Good-bye, Joleigh. Don’t try to run this time, I’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth if need be. I will be a father to my son.” He turned to face her. Hatred filled his face. “And don’t worry, I’ll be as generous with visitation as you were with me for the first five years.”
To find out how they work it out…pick it up 
November 26, 2018
Mindset Monday
I’m struggling to find a pair of my yoga pants that fit me… Because Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday.
It’s the first snowday of the year….and I have NO doughnuts… BUT I do have vodkak.
So the 7 year old has been home for a life because of Thanksgiving. But I still love the holiday…For several reasons:
It’s a time to spend with your family and friends with no expectations – well besides there will be lots of food. No stressing if the gift will fit or will it be liked. Just food and in my case vodka.
It’s a time that is focused on thankfulness and gratitude. Something that I think is often over looked in today’s world. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are is a lot of bad stuff going on. Stuff that breaks my heart, but I also know you need to remember the good.
It’s a time to start looking ahead. What do I want 2019 to look like? I actually like this. I start thinking about my vision board. Determining my focus – personal, professional, and spiritually.
While it’s my favorite holiday, I know it begins a dark time for many. A time of loneness, a time of stress, a time of feeling unworthy, etc. I get all those feelings. Because while Thanksgiving is my favorite, Christmas is my least favorite. Always has been. No self-pity party but I have no good childhood memories of Christmas. As a young parent, I was always stressed about giving my children good memories of this holiday. Because you are suppose to love Christmas, right? If you don’t scary ghost are going to come and visit you or you will be a grinch of some sort.
Christmas has become less stressful for me, I still struggle. My Facebook feed is filled with friends enjoying Christmas movies, decorating, etc, and I’m not. And that’s okay. My daughter loves Christmas movies. She binge watches them for 3 months… And that’s okay. The biggest thing I’ve come to realize with Christmas is that I don’t need to love it to enjoy it. I can find things to enjoy … eggnog doughnuts and cranberry vodka martini’s… and let that be it.
So my mindset is to remember, I don’t have to watch Hallmark movies. I don’t have to decorate my house to look like Whoville. But I can enjoy parts of the holiday – make it my own.
November 24, 2018
Cover Reveal!
BOOK 1
‘Don’t make promises you cannot keep!’
#contemporary #romance #tearjerker #heartbreat #trust #friendship #Loyality#innocence #HollyJGill #MFRWauthor #preorder
COMING
10th December 2018
For Release Party Join here:
PRE-ORDER:
UNIVERSAL LINK : AMAZON INNOCENCE
Goodreads TBR: ADD TO GOODREADS
[image error]
Blurb
Calvin Edwards has everything he could dream of running the family real-estate company back in London. But what was just a holiday up north, visiting his parents, turns into him talking a young pregnant woman from taking her life. Wishing desperately to help, Calvin befriends her, only fears he may be out of his depth. Just when he thinks he has it all under control, his past resurfaces, sending his life crashing.
Kacey is pregnant and her life has spiralled out of control. With nowhere left to go, she returns home in one last attempt to get help. only to have the door slammed in her face. At her wit’s end, she’s alone, scared, and helpless, until Calvin comes along. He becomes the only friend she’s had in years, offering her kindness, something she thought no longer existed in the world. Only her past is knocking at her door, mistakes she’d made and pain she’d buried have all come back to life!
Would either of them survive a truth lost with innocence?
Follow Holly:
FB Holly J Gill-Author: https://www.facebook.com/hollyjgillauthor
Holly’s closed group VIP’S: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HollyJGillsVIPs/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/HollyJGill
Instagram –: https://www.instagram.com/hollyjodygill/
Website –http://hollygill.wixsite.com/hollyjgill
Pinterest –https://uk.pinterest.com/gill0839/
Amazon Author Page –https://www.amazon.com/Holly-J-Gill/e/B00AYGFOE2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1520614047&sr=8-2
Adult Romance Blog –http://hollyjgill.blogspot.co.uk
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6860426.Holly_J_Gill
October 29, 2018
Mindset Monday
Today’s mindset is …. crazy time and chapstick. I just came off a weekend of parties with 7 year old guest. It was beyond brutal! And we have 3 more parties before Halloween.
To this maddness I have decided to participate in NANOWRIMO (write a book in a month). And I have content edits for Witch’s Curse. And I have 2 book releases. So I’m really counting on the force of the doughnut to be with me…
[image error]
I have set up my NaNoWriMo planning book. I’m a total pantser… I’m going to write To Trust a Demon. (I’m hoping it makes it into the 2019 publishing schedule). I’ll have a blog post and youtube video on how to set a NaNoWriMo notebook on Wednesday on Tasarla’s blog
So besides writing NaNoWriMo I’m kicking off my VA blog which will have a grandparent raising or co-raising their grandchild(ren) slant. I go live on Novemember 1 so I’ll have a link next Monday if anyone is interested. I’m talking about getting back into the groove of menu planning. I’m going to use the post as examples of my content skills.
I’m also launching my Journaling site November 1. November will be focusing on the Tree of Life – your tree of life. Who are your roots? Who are your branchs? Who are your leaves? I’ll have the sign up link here on Thursday.
Because you know who needs to sleep???
I’ve waited for things to ‘settle’ down. To find my groove with the seven-year-old being in school. I’ve decided there is no groove and I’m loosing time trying to find it. So, I’m setting my own groove. If I don’t try, I’ll never know. I’ve waited a lot of years for things to settle down. For there to be a time for me to get my hustle going. No more, I’m hustling and everyone is going to have to just come along with me.
[image error]
I told my seven-year-old that I was going to start a new dance and he would have to keep up. He asked me if we were dabbing or flossing! I love him so hard.
And now onto the second thing consuming my mindset…chapstick. And lotion. But mostly chapstick. Every fall, all the mositure leaves my lips and moves south. I swear!!!! It’s brutal. It’s not a one tube problem. I need a tube by my bed, in my purse, by my computer, in the kitchen, EVERYWHERE! And I need to replace them almost weekly. Right now my favor flavor is sugar cookie (it tastes like a doughnut). Am I the only that has a favorite flavor?
Does the season change cause your body to go crazy?
October 26, 2018
Read It Friday
[image error]
BLURB
Inspired by real, hundred-year-old love letters.
My great-grandmother’s name is bold across the cream envelope, now golden at the seams with age. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen graceful, purposeful handwriting with a fountain pen and not the hasty scrawl of ballpoint.
Alice Hirshhorn, Astoria Hotel, Seattle Washington.
“Letters to Great-grandma Alice,” I say with wonder, tracing my fingers over the faded postmark and foreign stamps.
December 1915. Philippine Islands.
I turn the thick envelope in my palm, slide out the tightly folded pages, and unfold the thin paper, taking care not to tear the letters that were important enough to keep for a century.
My dearest Alice
“Great-grandpa was in the Philippines?” I ask.
“Oh no. Not your great-grandfather,” answers Grammie, her eyes twinkling with her mother’s secrets. “Elliott.”
~~~
At thirty-three and with her future unclear, Ali Waller finds her way home again. A box of long-forgotten love letters written to her great-grandmother holds the unlikely key to Ali finding her new path.
As she tracks down the letter writer and his descendants, Ali learns the magic of love, hope, and resilience.
Told by three characters, and across century and an ocean, Genealogy is an enchanting story about love and loss, taking chances, and embracing the surprises that life brings.
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41039278-genealogy
PURCHASE LINKS
US: https://amzn.to/2CWVOgn
UK: https://amzn.to/2NPHK9D
CA: https://amzn.to/2PLUUWH
AU: https://amzn.to/2EJs4VQ
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/genealogy
[image error]
AUTHOR BIO
Mae Wood is a mommy, bookworm, and lawyer (in that order).
A while ago Mae decided that she needed to give up the fear that she couldn’t write “great literature” and write what she wants to read.
And she wants romance. And laughter.
She wants heroines who are brave. Brave enough to be themselves and brave enough to fall in love.
She wants men who are strong and kind.
Mae lives in the Southeastern United States and sets her books in hot and steamy Memphis, Tennessee.
AUTHOR LINKS
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mae-Wood/e/B00PPAVB1M
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormaewood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maewoodwrites
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MaeWood
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maewoodwrites/genealogy
GIVEAWAY
There is a giveaway for everything you need to snuggle up with a good read! A soft and snugly blanket, an adorable mug for some hot cocoa, coffee, or tea, some fuzzy slipper socks, and a $50 Amazon gift card to stock up on all your favorite reads (US only)
Direct Link:
![[image error]](https://lynceeshillard.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/cheese.jpg){kind=link}