Vicki L. Weavil's Blog, page 6

Dec. 17: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Word counting method?

Whatever WORD tells me, LOL. #SnowyWingsChallenge

Dec. 16: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Love/hate Daylight Savings Time?

Mostly indifferent, although the time changes do confuse the cats. #SnowyWingsChallenge

 

Dec. 15th: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Most watched seasonal movie?

My husband and I always watch three — Love, Actually; The Holiday; and It’s a Wonderful Life #SnowyWingsChallenge

 

 

Cover Reveal for REACH FOR YOU by Pat Esden @PatEsden

Reach for You

Pat Esden

(The Dark Heart #3)

Published by: Kensington

Publication date: June 27th 2017

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Her passion is her greatest weakness.

His legacy is his prison.

To reunite, both must fight the demons within.

A world of deception and danger separates Annie Fremont from her mother—and from Chase, the enigmatic groundskeeper with whom Annie’s fallen in love. But she vows to find her way back to them, before Chase succumbs to the madness that threatens his freedom. The only person who can help is the magical seductress, Lotli, a beautiful, manipulative woman . . . a woman who has disappeared.

Annie must stay strong, even as the future she imagined is slipping away. With the help of family and friends, she discovers that Lotli is being held against her will, by those who want to exploit her powers. But though weakened, Lotli remains a powerful ally and adversary. A bargain is struck. And now Annie’s only chance to rescue Chase could also tear them apart . . .

Loyalties will be tested, walls will be breached, and enemies will be fought, yet Annie’s greatest battle lies within her own heart—to trust her love for Chase to overcome its greatest enemy, and to save those she holds most dear from the terrifying realm of the djinn. For all of their lives depend on it.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Previous books in the series:

 

Author Bio:

PAT ESDEN would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts. An antique-dealing florist by trade, she’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

Dec. 14: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Written/planning holiday stories?

No, never written any, although I did write an entire book set in a world of ice and snow! (CROWN OF ICE) #SnowyWingsChallenge

The second edition of CROWN OF ICE will be published by Snowy Wings Publishing this May!

This is my protagonist, Thyra Winther and her wolf companion, Luki, from CROWN OF ICE, as illustrated by artist Anne Drury:

I do think I may consider writing a holiday story involving my cozy mystery characters one day!

Dec. 13: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Favorite seasonal recipe?

Buche de Noel: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Bûche de Noël

Pinterest

Photo by José Picayo

December 2013

Ingredients

butter, for the pan
⅓cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
⅓cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼teaspoon fine salt
4 large eggs, separated
1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1cup heavy cream
1tablespoon sour cream
Chocolate Ganache

The Yule-log dessert served around the holidays, Bûche de Noël is a distinctly French tradition. The sweet log-shaped treat would make a pretty impressive addition to your family’s roster of Christmastime desserts, if you don’t make it already. Inside that thick chocolate ganache lies a little twist of chocolate cake rolled around a layer of whipped cream icing. You actually start with a flat cake baked in a 9×13 jelly roll pan. Each bite is flavorful and festive, but a slice is actually pretty light (read: two slices is perfectly acceptable, as is enjoying a bit of this cake with a few cookies or candies on the side). ‘Tis the season, right?

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment; butter the parchment. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat the egg yolks, vanilla, and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light yellow, 3 to 4 minutes.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites (with clean beaters) on medium-high until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add ½ cup of the remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Bake until the cake springs back lightly when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
Whip the heavy cream, sour cream, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Spread the whipped cream on the cake, leaving a 2-inch border along one of the short ends. Starting at the other short end, roll up the cake toward the uncovered border (letting the parchment fall away as you roll). Place the cake seam-side down on a serving platter. Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the top; let set for 5 minutes. Run the tines of a fork through the ganache to create “bark.” (“Bûche de Noël” is French for “Yule log,” after all.)

 

 

Dec. 12: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Dreamcast your characters!

Well, for my sexy sorcerer, Sten Rask, in SCEPTER OF FIRE — Aidan Turner! #SnowyWingsChallenge

Don’t have actor matches for the rest of the characters in that book, but I do have a collage:

Dec. 11: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Early morning ritual — what helps you get out of bed?

Cats…  #SnowyWingsChallenge

Dec. 10: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Mittens or gloves?

Gloves. Gloves are sexy. #SnowyWingsChallenge

Dec. 9: #SnowyWingsChallenge

Fave place to write besides home?

Don’t have one. I really need my quiet, personal, space to write. Partially because I “act out” scenes sometimes, and that can be a little strange in public places …  #SnowyWingsChallenge