Carrie Ann Ryan's Blog, page 72

#RomBakeOff – Week 1: Victoria Mini Sponges

It has begun! As I said last week, a few of us decided to have some fun with baking. We love the Great British Bake Off and cannot wait for more. This week we made Mini Victorian Sponges based off of Merry Berry’s recipe. Dr. Hubby and I actually started last week because we wanted to try the jam first. We’d never made jam so we had to make sure we got it right! I am now a jam convert and will be eating as much of it as possible. As someone who didn’t like jam before this, I’m a little worried about my waist line!

The first step was to make sure we had the right ingredients. While going from UK to US baking, its actually much harder than it sounds. Dr hubby and I are chemists by trade so we’re good with using scales and grams to measure things in the lab, so transferring that to baking was actually pleasant. Finding caster sugar and figuring out the scale for self raising flour for the UK vs the US was actually much harder. BUT we persevered. Go team!

Dr Hubby and I had the jam ready, so we had to make the sponge. The sponge is the cake for you folks who don’t watch GBBO. Everything was weighed separately and then we did our best mixing up the batter while keeping it airy. I think next time we’re going to get the butter a bit warmer than we did this time.

After we filled our tins, we put it in the oven and got ready to bake. The tins we used were actually for mini cheesecakes but it worked perfectly for what we wanted. Next time I won’t fill them up quite as much as the recipe called for since they arched oddly. But they still had a nice bake! No soggy bottoms!

While the cakes cooled, we worked on making up whip cream. This was also the first time I ever did this so we crossed our fingers everything worked out well. It was actually pretty easy! I might have to try this again LOL. To make the victorian cakes, we cut the mini ones in half, piped on the cream, then added a small dollop of jam. And BOOM, tasty yummy, Victorian Sponges!

I had a blast making this. Next time I might try for a slightly less sweet cake. While I love sugar, these were a bit sweet for me. Dr Hubby didn’t agree and said they were perfect. They don’t look as good on top as I would like, but there is always a next time. I’m learning so much and having fun! LOL. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Periscope, Facebook, and Twitter so see what we do next week!

★★Redwood Pack Giveaway★★

★★Redwood Pack Giveaway★★

Are you new to the Redwood Pack series? Want to win a copy of AN ALPHA’S PATH?

Comment here with what book of mine you HAVE read and be entered to win a copy of An Alpha’s Path on iBooks. This is an iBooks only giveaway for now. The iBooks reading app is a free app and easy for you to read on.

Giveaway Ends 12/5/2015 at 11:59 pm EST. There WILL be more than one winner depending on interest.

Redwood Pack Cover Reveals!

★★★★★Cover Reveals★★★★★

Surprise! The entire Redwood Pack Series has new covers! I am SOOO happy about these.

Charity Hendry knows the series so well she actually found each character! Within the next week they will be on each site as well as my website. It’ll take a bit, but they are here!

PLUS each book will now be in PRINT! Yes! PRINT! Yay! Even the novellas!

An Alpha’s Path (Redwood Pack Book 1) – ONLY $0.99!

#Kindle http://amzn.to/1JfsvNL

#iBooks http://apple.co/1Nmgpt3

#Nook http://bit.ly/1apIlLC

#Kobo http://bit.ly/1ctEXjf

#ARe http://bit.ly/1f27Mpg

A Taste for a Mate (Redwood Pack Book 2) – ONLY $2.99!

#Kindle http://amzn.to/1gzzuds

#iBooks http://apple.co/1JOiwzM

#Nook http://bit.ly/1zL4Gt3

#Kobo http://bit.ly/1dGUpdl

#ARe http://bit.ly/1KtpleE

Trinity Bound (Redwood Pack Book 3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GjpZE4

iBooks http://apple.co/1EPLB10

Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/1LMIqq0

Kobo http://bit.ly/1BCLDlX

ARe http://bit.ly/1R5o69D

A Night Away (Redwood Pack Book 3.5)

#Kindle http://amzn.to/1Gjq0YG

#iBooks http://apple.co/1VJwqe5

#Nook http://bit.ly/1FyhJS0

#Kobo http://bit.ly/1AINLgJ

#ARe http://bit.ly/1ItF7oj

Enforcer’s Redemption (Redwood Pack Book 4)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Gjq76x

iBooks: http://apple.co/1O9ifg4

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1I2G8EG

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1K5cBcU

ARe: http://bit.ly/1T71bIF

Blurred Expectations (Redwood Pack Book 4.5)

Amazon http://amzn.to/1IXRsBu

iBooks http://apple.co/1LU16EO

Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/1LXZzfM

Kobo http://bit.ly/1SRnPWd

ARe http://bit.ly/1IOIvG2

Forgiveness (Redwood Pack Book 4.7)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Htv6Dm

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Ot9NGr

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1K5d6U9

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1dalXXI

ARe: http://bit.ly/1IOK7jg

Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack Book 5)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1HgfsNG

iBooks: http://apple.co/1XDWnxs

Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/1AJBDvQ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1GT32gd

ARe: http://bit.ly/1ek8XiX

Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack Book 6)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1M8cijr

iBooks: http://apple.co/1XDT8pU

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1GT3Cul

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1danlK1

ARe: http://bit.ly/1f2pZD3

A Beta’s Haven (Redwood Pack Book 6.5)

#Kindle: http://amzn.to/1UYheu0

#iBooks: http://apple.co/1g6e9Yg

#Nook: http://bit.ly/1JK1gvs

#Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AE4DW8

#ARe: http://bit.ly/1f2rdhF

Fighting Fate (Redwood Pack Book 7)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Htvdif

iBooks: http://apple.co/1IUQ1yG

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1JkIVHW

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FmKvTX

ARe: http://bit.ly/1RSDBwA

Loving the Omega (Redwood Pack Book 7.5)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GjqpKr

iBooks: http://apple.co/1K3Q4xr

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1JZ6ZwI

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1I2L38E

ARe: http://bit.ly/1ItOW5K

The Hunted Heart (Redwood Pack Book 7.7)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1HtvgKZ

iBooks: http://apple.co/1JQ204l

Barnes&Noble: http://bit.ly/1s37jqU

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Kz57gh

ARe: http://apple.co/1hNHVlH

Wicked Wolf (Redwood Pack Book 8) – ONLY $0.99!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1tQt3Dw

iBooks: http://apple.co/1NeGaKm

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1NxXJHA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1amWpFf

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1NxQbEG

ARe: http://bit.ly/1O6zbjV

#TeaserTuesday: Hidden Ink

Teaser Tuesday today is from HIDDEN INK

No, it was the person she wanted to do her ink.

While Maya, Austin, and Callie would bend over backward to help her with her tattoo and the nerves that came with it, she didn’t want them to do it. She had someone else in mind.

Someone she was afraid to talk to for fear of what would spill out.

Someone who didn’t care for her as she cared for him.

Coming Jan 12th, 2016

Amazon http://amzn.to/1L9NGSm

Amazon Print http://amzn.to/1Lq1b32

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1LOXLsp

Amazon AU http://bit.ly/1FE4OU3

Amazon CA http://amzn.to/1JCqQ4o

Four Years

Dec 1st, 2011 I hit publish on a book and changed my life. An Alpha’s Path wasn’t supposed to do what it did. I had hoped my friend on twitter who had once read a sentence of it would buy it and maybe I’d sell to one more person.

I sold 20,000+ copies of it that month.

I still don’t know how I did that. This was the hey-day of publishing as some would say as those numbers mean something different than they do now and rankings are crazy and things change on a dime.

But that book changed my life.

In November 2010, I had been reading romance hardcore for about 2 years. I made a blog where I wouldn’t review books, but put up books I love. I made a twitter account and started following authors I love. I didn’t know they’d actually reply back. It was as if the veil had been lifted and I could now talk to authors and our shared love of romance. I also couldn’t help but get ideas for my own romances. I had always been creative, even with my job in the chemistry department at a local university. I didn’t write fanfiction, but I always found myself adding a character to each book where I could live within those books. I know it sounds weird but I still do that with some movies and books! LOL Its like I wanted to be part of that world without breaking that world. So in 2010, I thought, maybe I could write a world.

I did NaNoWriMo for the first time and ended up writing 50k in two weeks. The book was called Chasing Hope and it will forever be hidden on my computer because its not who I am now.

But OMG it was fun.

It was for me and I never thought I could be an “author”.

Then I talked to Rebecca Royce who said “write it” when I said I had an idea for a book. I wrote The Alpha and the PHD that would later become An Alpha’s Path. Back then, it was a stand-alone novella and I even, after crit partners and edits, was rejected from a small press.

As I figured I wasn’t a romance author, but a reader, that would be the end of it.

Until Kade’s voice came back to me and said he wasn’t finished and he wanted to be part of a series. Behold the Jamensons and their power.

So I planned the Redwood Pack series, changed the title, and went into self-publishing because with my school and work, I wanted my own deadlines.

And I love every bit of the lack of sleep and hardcore work that came with that.

I went on to write 40 novels and novellas in the past four years.

I’ve sold over 1 million books in ebook, print, and audio.

I’ve hit the NYT and USA Today Bestseller lists.

I have seven series and more to come.

And I now have an agent to help with libraries and foreign titles for 2016 and beyond.

I work seven days a week but not 14 hours a day anymore.

I have a publicist, an assistant, an editing team, and a few close others that help me with each and every thing I do.

I have the most amazing readers who have been with me since the beginning and some that find me each day.

I have readers who have formed fan clubs, book clubs, have my series inked on their skin, and come to signings where I can thank them in person for being truly unforgettable.

It’s been four years and I’ve done so much and yet I know there is so much to do. I freaking love this job, even when I’m in pain and lost.

I have found true friends on this path who have held me close and keep me going each day.

I cannot believe it’s been four years since my world changed and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next four years.

Thank you for reading me. Thank you for being amazing. Thank you for sharing my books with others, reading my books, reviewing, and just thank you for being you.

I wouldn’t be here without you.

So, my dear readers, Happy Anniversary. It’s a freaking awesome day.

 

Baking and Reading: #RomBakeOff Begins!

I’m addicted to the show, The Great British Bake Off (aka The Great British Baking Show in the US). They are even doing a version in America though I’m not sure I’ll be quite as happy they only have one of the judges, Merry Berry, and none of the original hosts. Anyway…the idea off the show is 12-13 of the nicest bakers in the UK come together and do 3 challenges a week. A Signature Challenge where they bake the theme with a special recipe of theirs. A Technical Challenge where they have no prep time and they don’t get a full recipe and everyone bakes the same. Then the Showstopper Challenge where they bake in the theme and its bigger and better! Everyone is so nice and happy the the hosts make dirty jokes without making them sound like they are dirty LOL. I adore the show.

As do many of my romance friends. So Kelly Maher, E BookPushers, Dee Carney, Zoe Archer, and Nico Russo and I are making a Bake Off of our own! For 10 weeks from this upcoming weekend until March, we will be trying 10 of the 20 technical challenges available. Things like Mini Victoria Sponges, Sweet Pretzels, and a Mini Lemon Tartlets are coming up! I know at least Kelly and I will be on Instagram and Twitter and perhaps Facebook with our bakes.  We’re having fun with it and trying out new recipes. Most of us will use the hashtag #RomBakeOff, so I hope you follow along.

This weekend Dr Hubby and I prepped for next week with jam for the Victoria Sponges. We hadn’t made jam before this and wanted to make sure we could before next week so we had time to redo it if needed LOL. It was SO MUCH fun! It turned out well PLUS I made homemade biscuits to test out the jam. Next week the true fun begins so I hope you can follow along!

Yay for Bakes!

 

Attention Google Play Readers

Hi All. Google Play changed its practices last night and discounted 90% of my books. To the point that it was actually really scary. Until they fix this, I had to pull my books. I am sorry about the issues. The links will still be on my website for a bit because it will take me hours to take them off and I have to write a book.

First Line Friday: Trinity Bound

Its First Line Friday with Trinity Bound (Redwood Pack Book 3)

Cold spread from a pinprick of sensation as a droplet of water hit Hannah Lewis’s cheek. It trailed down to her eye, forcing her to open them to blink it away.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GjpZE4

iBooks http://apple.co/1EPLB10

Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/1LMIqq0

Kobo http://bit.ly/1BCLDlX

Google Play: http://bit.ly/113DYAH

ARe http://bit.ly/1R5o69D

COVER REVEAL: Mated in Mist

 

Here it is! Charity Hendry did fantastic with it. Mated in Mist (Talon Pack Book 3) releases Feb 16th in eBook and Print (with audio to follow). I am so freaking excited. There’s a tour going on today and so many awesome bloggers revealed the cover and I love them for it. Thank you so much for sharing, loving the Talons (and Redwoods) and being awesome! You can also preorder Mated in Mist now as well! The cover and blurb will show up on retailer sites later today!

Mated in Mist (Talon Pack Book 3) Coming Feb 16th

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play

The Talon Pack continues with an outcast witch and a wolf who can see past the darkness.

As Heir to the Talon Pack, Ryder Brentwood carries the responsibility of not only protecting his Pack, but ensuring its future. Only no one knows that as he does this, he must also shield his people from their past. When a witch with no ties bursts into his life, he must decide if he can overcome the depravity of his secrets and trust the one person who could break the fragile hold on his control.

Grieving over the loss of her twin and on the run from the unknown, Leah Helm knows she is far more alone than she thought possible. Her coven shunned her before she was born and the wolves she sought protection with are in a war of their own. When a wolf with a whisper of secrets is forced to work with her in order to protect their people, she finds she might not be so alone after all.

The world knows more than they ever have before about those shrouded in darkness, while Ryder and Leah are thrust into the center of a conflict they never should have been part of to begin with. On their journey they must not only fight those against them, but the burning temptation that is flaring between them. Fate might have paved their path, but that doesn’t mean they have to follow.

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play

Pre-Order Alert: Mated in Mist

Mated in Mist (Talon Pack Book 3) releases Feb 16th! You can, as of today, pre-order it so its all ready for you release day morning! The Cover Reveal and Blurb Reveal is Thursday so be on the lookout!

Preorder Now! Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play