Virginia Wright's Blog, page 6

May Day | Make a May Basket

It is May Day 5/1/2020. Did you ever hang a May Basket as a kid? I grew up in New England, and I did. You would hang it on the door handle of a potential sweetheart or set it on the neighbor’s door stoop. Then ring the doorbell and run away.

If you got caught before getting away, you had to kiss them. And of course, if you had your eye on someone you wanted to kiss, you would let them catch you. TeeHee.

@Dennis Higgins, couldn’t you take us back to the good ole days? You write time-travel books. :-)

I am including a link that I found online to New England.com, to what my May baskets looked similar to as a kid and instructions on how to make a May Basket. https://newengland.com/today/living/crafts/make-a-may-basket/ This year with social distancing due to COVID-19, it would not be advisable to hang May baskets. But next year, you might want to start a new tradition. MAKE A MAY BASKET!


Happy May Day!
Wishing you all well–Stay safe!
–Virginia Wright

April Showers bring May flowers…

[image error]Visit INSTAGRAM for more Virginia Wright photographs.

Practice Your Way to Perfect | Coloring Books

Coloring Books – Insects & Butterflies

Practice Your Way to Perfect coloring books,  includes five designs to color and five pages of each design. Having numerous pages of the same design gives the colorist lots of chances to color their way along until they get it just right, to perfect! The fifth page of each design embedded inside of a decorated picture frame gives the colorist a framable page. Also included in the book are blank Draw Your Own Pages with art from the coloring book so that the colorist can also draw the illustration item from the coloring pages in the book. Some of the Practice Your Way to Perfect coloring books include bonus pages with the cover art. 

Do you color outside of the lines? Have you ever colored or painted a page and then wished you used a different color or shading?  Practice Your Way to Perfect addresses these issues. 

Find these Practice Your Way to Perfect Coloring Books as well as Birds of Maine Coloring Book, Seashore Coloring Book, Halloween Coloring Book, and Christmas Coloring Book here.

Hugs,
–Virginia Wright

Most Anticipated Romance Novel of 2020…An upcoming Release by Virginia Wright, Maine Author

So excited to be writing in a new genre. I’m writing chapter 10 of a new romance. I’m unsure of the release date, but it will be in 2020. And definitely in time for stocking stuffers next year…Hmmm. Could that be a hint? (Perhaps the book is surrounding Christmas time? And maybe a Maine setting?) You must follow for updates. :-)

I have never been so excited about writing as I am right now. If you aren’t following me on my Amazon Author Page, you can do so here: http://www.amazon.com/author/virginiawright then you will be notified by email when my new book is released. Xx

You can also follow me on Twitter @virginia_wright or Facebook: virginiabrownwright and my favorite pastime besides writing is photography, follow me on Instagram if nature and food photography is your thing: https://www.instagram.com/wright.virginia/
Until then…

-VXo

Writing a romance novel

As long as I can remember I have wanted to write a romance novel. When I was a teenager, I would read romance novels all night long. Then I took a trip to the mall and walked past the book store and saw romance bestsellers in the display outside of the store. When I started writing and publishing, I started with children’s books, later went on to write non-fiction. But…my heart always wandered back to romance and for the last several weeks I have been writing a romance novel. I’m on chapter nine. I am so excited and have enjoyed every minute of writing. I would love for you to stay tuned for updates.

Until then…check me out on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/author/virginiawright

Following my heart…

Xx

Spicing up ground turkey

Cilantro is a perennial in frost-free areas and is a fun herb to grow. I planted cilantro last year and mulched it well, I summer in Maine, and when I came back this year, up through the mulch I saw green, I was so excited as it was one lone cilantro leaf growing with pride– now that is what I call a hardy plant.

You can use cilantro in many recipes to spice them up, chopped and used in salad dressing, mixed in sour cream to top a baked potato with a sprinkle of color, and my favorite is in ground turkey.

Turkey Burgers
To rev up your ground turkey, use about two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh cilantro for 1-lb of ground turkey. Then add two cloves of minced garlic, black pepper, and salt to taste, a couple of shakes of cumin and mix well. It sure changes the flavor– you go from bland to grand! And instead of making a regular size burger, I make little round balls and then flatten them and cook in a little Olive oil in a frying pan. The small turkey patties cook quicker and more thoroughly, and are a big YUM! Serve with a side vegetable and rice or potato. I enjoy them in pasta and a marinara sauce, too.

Are cilantro and coriander the same thing?
The leafy portion of the coriander plant is the cilantro, and the seeds that come from the plant is the coriander. That’s right…two spices in one plant. Super cool!

Do cilantro and coriander taste the same?
No. While cilantro and coriander come from the same plant, their flavors are very different. Cilantro, the herb, is a bit bold with a peppery to sage type flavor with a hint of lemon, and to some, described as having a soapy taste. While coriander, the seed, is sweet and also described as having a nutty, warm aroma and an orange-like flavor.

Why does cilantro taste like soap to some people?
According to an article, I read online by Melissa Petruzzello at Encyclopaedia Britannica, the “soapy” taste that some people describe when eating cilantro leaves is coming from their olfactory-receptor genes and that this perception is only found in a small percentage of people.

Parsley is a good alternative for that small percentage of people who find cilantro soapy tasting. :-)

COOKING WITH HERBS|Chives, Chive Blossoms Are A Beautiful Edible Garnish

Love cooking when I can use fresh herbs! You can use chives for many dishes such as in potato salad, cooked with shrimp, cold pasta salad, and chopped fresh to top off a dish. The flowers make a stunning garnish and are not only beautiful they are edible, too. Check out my free recipe section on my blog: http://virginiawright.com/blog/recipes/

[image error]Chives with edible blossoms

Confessions of an Internet Scammer by Dennis Higgins

Review by Virginia Wright
Author of Who the Hell Are You? Alzheimer’s the Wrong Diagnosis

Confessions of an Internet Scammer based on research the author, Dennis Higgins, compiled as he infiltrated the seedy underworld of the scammer, is a current topic (internet scamming), a romance, and an enthralling well-written story and in my opinion, made for the big screen!

Wow! Wow! Wow! Great read, Author Dennis Higgins.Thumbs up!

Another recommended read by Dennis Higgins is Pennies From Across the Veil

Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do Bronze Medal Winner in AUTHORSdb Cover Contest

[image error] Just notified that “Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do” brought home the Bronze medal in the AUTHORSdb 2018 Cover Contest in the Education category. Thanks, to all who voted for my cover. Your votes helped bring home this win!!!

[BUY NOW!]

Photography is my second love…especially nature photography, it is everpresent in photographs that I take. I’m also a beekeeper.

Hugs,

-Virginia Wright

Christmas Returns to Pottersville by Dennis Higgins 2018 Christmas Classic

[image error]Oh, my gosh…If you have been looking for a new Christmas classic this year to read, Christmas Returns to Pottersville by Dennis Higgins is the one to get!

Description: Frank Capra’s, It’s a Wonderful Life was the ultimate parallel universe story. George Bailey was shown by an angel a world in which he had never been born. A world where the cute little town of Bedford Falls no longer existed and in its place was the seedy town of Pottersville. But imagine if Pottersville still existed in the current age, along another path of existence. Welcome to Pottersville, a town owned and operated by Peter F. Potter. A sleazy, corrupt town where Christmas was discouraged and people were miserable. What if Potter was taken to this town, in a world in which he had never been born?

Christmas Returns to Pottersville by Dennis Higgins

Steampunk Leggings by Illustrator and Designer Virginia Wright | Steampunk Colorful Gears Fulll-Length Leggins

Steampunk Gears Full-length leggings by illustrator and designer Virginia Wright, Nobody will judge you for wearing them all day, every day - they’re that comfy. That’s because these tights are constructed with breathable, antimicrobial polyester spandex that keeps you dry while staying cool.

Constructed with antimicrobial polyester spandex
Breathable, moisture-wicking qualities
Six panel cut and sew construction
Adjustable waistline