Heather Thurmeier's Blog, page 10
March 4, 2014
Deadline Dishes — Chocolate Cake with Nancy C. Weeks!
Hi Heather,
Thanks so much for inviting me on your lovely blog today so I can share my absolute favorite recipe. Who doesn’t like a great slice of chocolate cake? Well, the one I brought is my family’s favorite. I have made this recipe more times than I can count for all kinds of occasions. It’s a toss in a bowl and mix type of cake. It taste so much better than any cake mix from a box and just as easy. Believe or not, I have even mailed it to college kids across the country, and according my kids, it arrives tasting like I just made it.
Now a little about me:
I spend my days creating happy-ever-after romantic suspense novels with a unique supernatural element. I have been reading romance novels non-stop since college where I met and married my hero. We spent the next several years honeymooning and working overseas. Thirty-three years later, we still hold hands under the table. My son is off on his own now and my daughter is almost through college. Most days, you can find me typing away at the kitchen table now called The Mommy Cave. In the summer, I spend my day outside airing out my brain writing away as the local bird population keeps me company.
Writing has become my second passion. Next week, March 10th, I’ll be release the third book in my Shadow series called In the Shadow of Malice. I’m so excited about this new book I can’t sit still. The cover and blurb are below for just a little tease. In the meantime, try out this cake. I promise you will love it.
You can find more about me here:
(Oh, by the way, for a free read of Chapter One from In the Shadow of Malice, check out my blog .)
Twitter: @NancyCWeeks
The Best Everyday Chocolate Cake Ever
2 C sugar
½ C butter (one stick)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C milk
½ C cocoa powder or 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate
2½ C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 C very hot water
Melt chocolate in microwave for 1 minute. In a mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add chocolate slowly. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, alternating with milk. Mix well for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the hot water. This batter will be very liquidly. Mix until well blended. Pour into a buttered 13×9-inch baking pan or 2 round cake pans. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Cool before frosting if you have time. It is wonderful warm too.
The Most Wonderful Chocolate Frosting in the World
[It takes all of 5 minutes. I suggest you make a double batch, one for the cake and one for your spoon]
Bring to a boil:
1 stick of butter
4 Tbs. cocoa or 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate
¼ C of milk
Optional: ¼ tsp almond extract
Pour over 1 pound of powdered sugar. Mix well and pour over cake. The cake can be served warm or once cooled, the frosting will taste like fudge.
Now that you have a delicious new chocolate cake in the oven, stop over to Amazon and grab your copy of Nancy’s newest book!!
Adam Blake, ex-CIA operative, has gone to great lengths to keep his identity a secret from his maternal grandfather, who controls the most brutal crime syndicate in Eastern Europe. The moment he lets his guard down, the unthinkable happens and his best friend, the mother of his child, is tortured and murdered. To protect his daughter, he must seek the help of his father’s family—who has no idea of his existence. What Adam could have never foreseen is the unusual attachment between his daughter and her most unlikely protector.
After months of living in an emotional vacuum after her roommate’s murder, Calista Martin takes a chance and befriends a handsome regular at the diner. What is supposed to be just a ride home hurls her headlong into Adam’s world of murder and revenge. To add to an already explosive situation, Adam’s traumatized little girl refuses to release her hold on Calista. Knowing what it’s like to lose a loved one, Calista insists on staying with Adam to protect Anna.
After Calista risks her life to protect Anna, Adam begins to see the waitress from the diner in a different light. But the Vasnev threat is heating up and Calista, while willing to help him, really doesn’t trust him. Can he find a way to eliminate his enemies to become the father Anna deserves and the man Calista needs—or will he fail again, taking his future out of his hands forever?
Ode to…
Every night I fall asleep knowing you’ll be there for me the next day.
Dawn breaks and sunlight streams in my windows.
The kids come in for their morning cuddles. Wiggling, chatting bodies wake me far earlier than I want.
And yet, I know you’re there too, waiting, ready, supportive.
You call me from my slumber, tell me it’s time to rise.
And as I begin my day, it’s you I turn to.
You surround me with warmth.
You are bold, yet sweet.
You encourage me to go on when I want to stop.
You fill me with energy.
You are the bringer of ideas. My sounding board. My creative counterpart.
It’s you I want the moments when I just need to sit and contemplate.
You are my strength when I am weak.
You are my rock.
Oh, coffee, how I love you so.
February 28, 2014
Friday Reads — 2/28/14
Friday reads have been on hiatus for a while since I had to read my RITA contest entry books. Now that those are done, I’m free! While I enjoyed the stories I read, it feels nice to be able to read whatever I want again. *happy reader sigh* So here’s my Friday Reads for this week:
1. Impact by Douglas Preston. I don’t know what it is about his books, but I just love them. Adventurous and interesting characters, complex stories with twists I don’t see coming. All good!
2. Paranormalcy by Kiertsen White. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and the start of a series. So far so good! Very paranormal but different. I’m definitely digging it.
We try to read with the kids every day. Sometimes they read out loud to us, sometimes we read to them, sometimes we take turns. It’s great and something that makes me so happy! I really love that we’re passing on a love for reading to our children. Our Family reads this week are:
1. Pete & Pickles by Berkeley Breathed. This story has so much heart I usually tear up at the end. It’s about love and friendship and sacrifice. It’s just awesome. And the illustrations are beautiful too!
2. Franny K Stein, Mad Scientist by Jim Benton. These books are so fun and creative and different. The kids are really having fun with these stories!
So, what are you reading this week?
February 19, 2014
Hey! How’s it Going?
I feel like I’ve been MIA from my website for a long time. Sure, I’ve had a Friday Reads post here or there, a recipe or two, even a cover reveal (So pretty!), but not much news from me directly. Of course, I love all of those other things, which is why I put them on my blog, but it feels like time to reconnect with all of you who come here to hang out with me.
So, hey! How’s it going with you? Whatcha been up to lately? Are you completely over winter as much as I am yet?
The last couple of months, well since October really, have just gone by in a blur. We’ve had some work stuff with my husband come up that has been stressful. It’s all going to work out, one way or the other, but it’s definitely been a distraction. I’m looking forward to having it all squared away soon—please, soon!
I wrote 2 novellas in the fall and then submitted them to publishers in December. The whole writing process is fun and stressful all at the same time. But I’m thrilled that the hard work paid off and both books were picked up by the publishers I had them targeted to! It’s so awesome when stuff like that works out. PINCH OF ME, DASH OF YOU, will be out in 2015 with Fated Desires Publishing. It’s a delicious foodie romance about a food critic and chef. SURVIVE FOR MY LOVE is coming very soon from Decadent Publishing! I don’t have a definite release date yet, but I’m betting it will be in the spring or early summer. I’m nervous and excited for you to read the continuation (and conclusion!) to Sara and Dane’s prepper story. If you read ESCAPE TO MY ARMS, I think you will find Survive very exciting, adventurous and satisfying. And if you haven’t read Escape, you should because it’s really good! I don’t usually toot my own horn, but that book was just so different and amazing to write. I really love the characters, the situation and the journey they go through. I enjoyed that process so much, that I might even consider writing a full-length adventure romance novel some day.
Aside from that, I’m awaiting news and edits on a couple of projects. I really can’t wait until the announcements can happen. But all in good time I guess. If all goes as planned, I have some big things happening this year! I hate to be a tease, but I’m just not allowed to say yet…
Between holidays and snow days, I have maybe only had one or two full weeks with the kids at school. It’s been a treat to have them home to hang out with. We’ve done a lot of playing in the snow, cuddling on the couch with movies and video games, and reading books. I love having them home! But it’s definitely put a damper on my work progress. I’m not too worried, but it will be nice to someday get used to writing M-F again. Someday…
Speaking of writing, I’m hard at work—or trying to be, at least!—on Parker and Olivia’s story. I’m just starting chapter five and they have already found themselves in a few tricky situations! I’m looking forward to seeing how this all turns out for them. I mean, I sort of know because I did write out a full synopsis, but characters often surprise me along the way to The End.
Lately, hubs and I have been talking a lot about our overall health and wellbeing. We’ve decided to start making positive changes. For the last few weeks or so, we’ve been getting up 45 minutes early a couple of times a week to do yoga and short circuit training app. And we recently started adding in walking on the treadmill. I’m proud to say I’ve been getting 10,000 + steps each day for the last couple of weeks. I’m hoping it will help counteract all the sitting I do while writing! It certainly can’t hurt, right?
So enough updates about me. What are you all up to? I hope things are finding you happy, healthy and enjoying 2014!
February 11, 2014
Deadline Dishes — Mac & Cheese with Katie Kenyhercz
The fantastic Katie Kenyhercz is here to share with us her recipe for Mac & Cheese! Oh, yum. I can’t wait to dig in… But first, you can find out more about Katie below and by connecting with her on your favorite social media!
I live in Little Rock Arkansas with my Air Force hubby, and I write hockey romance. I played one season of roller hockey when I was fifteen–it hurt enough that I decided I liked it better as a spectator–and it’s been true love ever since! My fictional team is the Las Vegas Sinners, and my real-world team is the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I like strong, capable heroines who bring out the vulnerability in their tough guys.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20560351-full-strength
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiekenyherczauthor
Blog: http://lovemewrite.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.katiekenyhercz.com
Twitter: @katiekenyhercz
And here’s Katie!
Katie’s Mac and Cheese
I’m a vegetarian, and don’t cook many things, but my mac and cheese is famous with family and friends. I loooove cheese! I experimented with recipes until I developed this one, and it hits the spot on a cold, winter day. It’s even fantastic left over! The ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients:
2 boxes Original Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
8 oz sour cream
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs butter
20 Ritz Crackers
1 red bell pepper
Powdered cayenne pepper (to taste)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Butter a casserole dish (mine is 7×9 and 3 inches deep)
3. Prepare both boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese Dinners as directed on the stove
4. When done and gooey, mix in the sour cream until incorporated
5. Sprinkle in one Cup shredded cheddar cheese and stir until it melts in
6. Chop the entire red pepper
7. Sprinkle mac and cheese with as much cayenne pepper as you’d like. My rule is I should be able to see the little red dots but not too many of them (like that helps!)
8. Fold in the chopped red pepper
9. Spread mach and cheese into the casserole dish
10. sprinkle 2nd Cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the mac and cheese
11. In a small bowl, melt about 1.5 Tbs of butter
12. Crumble up the 20 Ritz Crackers in a bowl
13. Pour melted butter over the crumbled Ritz Crackers and mix until crackers are coated
14. Spread buttery Ritz crumbles over the whole casserole
15. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 20 minutes
16. Let sit 5 minutes to cool before serving
After a bum knee ended her soccer days, Alexandra—Allie—Kallen has dedicated her life to helping injured athletes cope and get back in the game. As the new team sports psychologist of the Las Vegas Sinners, she starts out with just one player, but he’s a handful. Goalies are stubborn, and she would know. She’s determined to figure him out and return him to the net good as new, especially after she sent her last patient back to the ice too soon. The problem is, she sees so much of herself in Shane, and their chemistry is off the charts. Falling for him isn’t in the plan. Is love worth losing her career?
Shane Reese’s entire identity has been wrapped up in being a goalie since he was five years old. When he gets a high ankle sprain right before playoffs, he doesn’t exactly take it well. After putting his fist through the physical therapy room wall and hitting a few joking teammates, he’s ordered to see the new shrink. All he has to do is convince her he’s seen the light, and he can get back to defending his team as soon as his ankle heals. The problem is, she sees through him like no one he’s ever met, and the more time he spends with her, the less hot he is to get back to the ice. Could something mean more than hockey?
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE
February 4, 2014
Deadline Dishes — Apple Pie with Jayne Denker
Author Jayne Denker is here and she’s going to share with us her amazing Apple Pie recipe. I cannot wait to try this one!! Yum! Before we got to that, here’s a little about Jayne!
Jayne lives in a small village in western New York with her family and a very sweet senior-citizen basement kitteh who loves nothing more than going outside, where she sits on the front walk and wonders why she begged to go outside. When she’s not hard at work on another novel (or, rather, when she should be hard at work on another novel), she can usually be found frittering away stupid amounts of time on social media.
Social media:
Blog: http://jaynedenker.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/JayneDenkerAuthor
Twitter: @JDenkerAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Jayne_Denker
Now bring on the pie!!
The Best Apple Pie in the World Recipe
George’s pies are made with the most amazing recipe that I learned in high school home ec. The class was taught by Sister of Mercy Sr. Mary Dismas. She ruled. How many other people do you know who could teach students how to bake, how to sew, and how to slaughter the New York State Regents exam in geometry, all with equal (fantastic) success? (Plus, when she was a missionary, she hung out with cannibals. She always had great stories.) Anyway, I’ve been using this recipe for many, many years. It truly is the best.
Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon shortening
1/4 cup cold water
Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
6 cups apples, peeled and sliced thin
Several pats of butter
Fluff flour with a fork, then lightly scoop into the measuring cup (do not pack) until overflowing. Skim off the excess till the flour is level with the top edge of the measuring cup. Mix salt into flour using the fork to keep the mixture fluffy. Cut shortening into flour with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle on water a little bit at a time. Mix first with fork, then hands. Press into a ball. You might want to refrigerate it overnight, but you don’t have to. Cut ball approximately in half—the half used for the bottom crust should be slightly larger. Knead the half to roll out for the bottom a bit, adding a little flour if it’s too sticky. Roll the bottom crust and place in a pie tin.
Mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Pour about three-quarters of the mixture over the apple slices in a large bowl and mix to coat the apple slices. Arrange the filling evenly in the bottom crust and sprinkle the rest of the sugar and cinnamon mix on top. Place pats of butter on the filling. Knead and roll out the top crust and place it carefully over the apple mixture, crimp closed, and cut a vent. Bake at 425 degrees for almost an hour; check after 40 or 45 minutes to prevent over-baking.
Oh man, I don’t know what sounds better—the pie or Jayne’s book!
When it comes to love, she’s a professional skeptic. Is it too late for a career change?
If there’s one thing Georgiana Down is an expert in, it’s bad relationships. That’s what inspired her blog, Down on Love, where she gives snarky advice–usually along the lines of “dump him.” In fact, George is abstaining from men all together. At least that’s the plan–until she makes a trip back to her tiny hometown in the Catskills, where meddling is an art form. . .
George loves helping out with her new baby niece, but she’s counting the days until she returns to Boston. Then she runs into Casey Bowen, her high school crush. The boy she once loved is now a handsome grown man–and suddenly George needs a little advice of her own. She’s in the right place, because when she drunk posts on her blog, everyone in Marsden has something to say about George and Casey. It’s like high school all over again–but maybe this time she’ll get things right.
You can grab your copy at:
February 3, 2014
Big February Sale!!
For the whole month of February, all my Crimson Romance titles are on sale for only $1.99 each instead of $4.99!!! That’s a $3 saves per book!! If you haven’t read the series yet, now’s your chance to get all three books for less than the price of one paperback!! Grab your copy of these Kindle Bestsellers today!
Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One. But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.
After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.
Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.
Paige Anderson agrees to be on a new reality show called Treasure Trekkers, a show where contestants use handheld GPS units to find hidden caches filled with prizes, with her good friend Cassidy. But when Cassidy is unable to compete, Chip Cormack, the show’s producer, steps in with a last-minute replacement to be Paige’s partner – Zoe Oliver, reality TV’s favorite bad girl.
Jack Miles (aka Miles) is a mountain climber with the body to prove it. Miles convinced his climbing partner Ben to come on the show with him for one reason – to prove to Ben that they can still hike together, regardless of the fact that Ben lost his foot in a tragic accident. Miles isn’t about to let anything get in his way of winning – not even beautiful Paige.
But when Miles and Paige are thrown into an alliance with their teammates, working closely together leads to more than just good strategy. Can Paige steal Miles’ heart while surviving Zoe long enough to win the game?
Zoe Oliver never wanted to be on another reality TV show . . . until Chip Cormack made an offer too good to refuse. He’s guaranteed her a payday this time and a chance to redeem herself in America’s eyes. But Zoe worries she won’t be able to focus as her desire for Chip grows and her strength to resist him weakens.
When she learns she’ll be roughing it in the woods with Chip and without luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity, she’s instantly on edge, feeling naked and terrified that her scars will be exposed and her secrets revealed. When Zoe’s past turns up on the show, she fears she’ll lose not only the life she’s sacrificed everything else to have, but also the affections of the only man she’s ever trusted with her heart.
January 29, 2014
Cover Reveal! Pinch of Me, Dash of You
My foodie romance is coming out in 2015 from Fated Desires Publishing as part of their Give me a Taste line! Even though PINCH OF ME, DASH OF YOU is almost a full year away, I already have the cover! My publisher is awesome! So without further ado, here’s my beautiful cover!! It’s just a little tease for the delicious story that’s to follow…
January 27, 2014
Lost Without You is now in PRINT!!!
Hi all, I love having exciting news to share and today is no different… LOST WITHOUT YOU, the 3rd book in my Reality TV Romance series is now available for order in PRINT!!! If you still love reading paper books, now is you chance to grab a copy of Zoe’s story! Buy it from AMAZON HERE!!
Zoe Oliver never wanted to be on another reality TV show . . . until Chip Cormack made an offer too good to refuse. He’s guaranteed her a payday this time and a chance to redeem herself in America’s eyes. But Zoe worries she won’t be able to focus as her desire for Chip grows and her strength to resist him weakens. When she learns she’ll be roughing it in the woods with Chip and without luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity, she’s instantly on edge, feeling naked and terrified that her scars will be exposed and her secrets revealed. When Zoe’s past turns up on the show, she fears she’ll lose not only the life she’s sacrificed everything else to have, but also the affections of the only man she’s ever trusted with her heart.
January 24, 2014
Friday Reads — 1/24/14
TGIF!!! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a weekend full of hanging out with the family, seeing friends and reading! Here’s what I’m reading right now:
1. Impact by Douglas Preston. I’m only about 80 pages in, but so far so good. I’ve read a couple of his other books and loved them! They are very adventurous and exciting. I’m hoping this one is the same.
2. RITA Award books! I’m currently reading book 3 of the 7 I was assigned to judge. I’d love to tell you which ones, but that’s not allowed. 
The RITA Awards are for romance novels/novellas. Every year a couple thousand books get entered into the contest, they are read by RWA members like myself (this is my first year judging!!), then the finalists are chosen and go on to a second round of judging. The winners of the RITA Awards in each of the categories are announced at the big RWA conference during the summer. This year it’s in San Antonio, TX. I’m currently not scheduled to go since finding childcare is challenging and hubs isn’t sure he can get time off work. But who knows, maybe I’ll end up there this year too so I can see who wins as it all unfolds!
Family Reads:
Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows. So far my little one is really enjoying the book! She’s reading it on her own with just a little help from us. I’m so proud of her!
So what are you reading??
