Xio Axelrod's Blog, page 20

Cookie Swap with Romance Writers Weekly!

‘Tis the season for yummy baked goods and we at Romance Weekly are sharing our favourite cookie recipes.

The last time we donned our aprons, I gave you a recipe for Jewish Apple Cake. This time, we’re back in bubbie’s kitchen with a classic recipe for Hamantaschen. They’re usually made for Purim, but I love having them around for Chrismahanukwanzika as well.

What the heck are Hamantaschen, you ask? They are the perfect cookies, and I’ll tell you why. Traditionally, these delectable little triangles are filled with fruit (lemon, cherry, apricot) or a sweetened poppy seed mixture. But, as long as you have the basic triangular shape, you can fill these puppies with anything you like! And I mean anything: sweet, savoury and everything in between.

But let’s keep it kinda basic today.

For the dough, you will need:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a nice, heavy-duty mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract, and 2 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add to butter mixture until just combined. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While that chills, we’ll make the filling. You can cheat and use a good cherry pie filling, or even fruit preserves, but I’m going old school.

You will need:

4 cups pitted tart red cherries (I use frozen fruit.)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch (dissolved in 2-3 tbsp. hot water)

Cover and heat the cherries in a saucepan, over medium heat, until they release their juice and come to a simmer. Stir often. In a bowl, whisk the sugar with the cornstarch until smooth. Stir the mixture into the hot cherries and juice, and thoroughly combine. Over a low heat, bring to a simmer and cook until the filling has thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and chill for 30 minutes. Have a glass of wine.

Okay, time to have some fun!

Preheat your oven to 350F and grab your chilled dough and filling. Flour a nice, big surface for rolling. You’ll want to roll the dough out to about 1/8″ thick in order for the triangles to keep their shape when you fold and pinch.

Cut out 3-inch circles and place them on a baking pan. (I find it’s better to line the pan with parchment or Silpat.)

Fill the center of each circle with your fruit mixture. Don’t go overboard, or the cookies will fall apart. Now for the folding.  First, fold the right side of the circle toward the center . Next, fold the bottom side of the circle toward the center, overlapping the bottom part of the right side flap. Finally, fold the left part of the circle toward the center to create a third flap and tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This creates a pinwheel effect which is not only pretty, but will also help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake. Pinch the corners to help keep it together. Here’s a handy, dandy visual aid:

After you finish folding, your pre-baked cookie should look like this:

Once you’ve done all of your triangles, pop them in your oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they’re nice and golden. Cool them on wire racks before serving. For an extra festive touch, sprinkle them with a little powered sugar.

That’s it for me this week. Pop over to see what culinary delight Brenda Margriet has in store for you. And don’t forget that we’re having a HUGE giveaway today over on Facebook. So much great stuff up for grabs, so click on the hottie below!

Big, huge, gigantic holiday giveaway! #LoveChatWrite

Come join us on Facebook tomorrow, 2nd December, for some really fantastic giveaways and stocking stuffers. The party kicks off at 12:30 ET, and I’ll be hosting from 7PM to 7:30PM. Who knows what I might decide to give away? Look who else is playing Santa tomorrow:

Come one, come all and bring friends!

 

Coming soon: The Calum

Is there such a thing as a title reveal? There is now. =)

Being Thankful – Romance Writers Weekly

It’s that time of year again! Unless you’re Canadian, in which case you’ve already done this. Or if you’re neither American nor Canadian, in which case you get to hear all about our sumptuous feasts while waiting for Chrismahanukwanzika to roll around.

Anyway, as I was saying, it’s the time of year when many of us stop for a moment and assess the things for which we feel thankful.

Friends, family and loved ones.

The new job.

That awesome car.

Those amazing cookies.

Breathing.

We at RWW are no different. We’re each asking ourselves “what am I thankful for?” Nina Mason just shared her gratitude with you, so it’s my turn. Since I’m last on the blog tour today, I’m going to cheat a little.

This year, I am grateful for the (man and) women of Romance Writers Weekly. I didn’t know many of these people four months ago but they welcomed me – an unpublished author – into their fold with open arms. It’s impossible to accurately calculate everything that I have learned from these folks. They’re some of the most generous, kind, talented, and laugh-out-loud funny people that I’ve ever known. I am especially grateful to the other half of my brain, Sarah Hegger, for inviting me to join.

I’m also very thankful for the support of you guys, my readers. Without your encouragement, I never would have taken these baby steps into publishing. I can’t remember who coined the term Xiomaniacs, but you have all certainly lived up to the name. So, thank you!

If you want to start at the beginning of this love fest, head over to Sarah‘s blog and hop on through.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~Xio

In the kitchen with Romance Writers Weekly!

Hello lovelies! Each week, we at Romance Writers Weekly like to share something different with you. With Thanksgiving just around the corner for most of us, we’re each sharing our favourite seasonal dish. You’ve probably just popped over here from the lovely and talented Carrie Elks. Did you print out her recipe for her grandmother’s fabulous Christmas Pud?

I grew up in Philadelphia where the summers are so hot, you’d be crazy to go near your oven anytime between June and September.

My grandmother was queen of cold foods – pasta salads, potato salads, tuna salads, green bean salads (you get the idea) – and they got us through all that sweltering heat. But when the air turned crisp, and the leaves began to fall, it wasn’t be long before the heavenly scent of Gram’s Jewish Apple Cake filled the house.

There are so many apples packed into this thing, you could almost call it healthy. Almost.

You will need:

6 cups peeled thinly sliced apples (about 3 large apples or 6 small apples)
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) – I love it with pecans!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan. Combine the butter, ground cinnamon, brown sugar (and the nuts, if you’re adding them) together with 2 tablespoons of flour and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and the rest of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/2 of the sliced apples and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter over the top and layer the remaining sliced apples and cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 70 to 90 minutes.

Now here’s the most important part. Let it cool before you cut into it. The temptation will be great, I know, but trust me. You’ll regret cutting it before it’s had a chance to settle down. It’ll just fall apart on you, and what you want is a nice big slice, especially if you’re serving it at Thanksgiving dinner. Imagine the ooos and ahhs. There will be a lot of mmmms as well. In fact, you might want to make two of these bad boys.

That’s it for this installment! If you’ve already done the hop, we’ll see you next week. If not, head on over to see what Betty Bolte has cooked up!

FOX Friday with Author Leslie Hachtel!

What if your car broke down on a deserted highway in the middle of Texas? Would you think it was fate and that it would change your life? That’s the question asked by super-talented friend of Xio, Leslie Hachtel, in her new release, TEXAS SUMMER.

When Wylie Nichols walked toward the nearest town, his future was forever altered. Waiting was earthy, sexy, enigmatic Kennedy. With a convoluted family history and the power to make his dreams come true.

The problem when you’re a stranger in a small town is you never know what you might discover. In this particular town, there is murder, greed, lust.

TEXAS SUMMER is a contemporary romance set against the backdrop of murders in a small town and the passion matches the heat of a Texas summer. It’s available now on Amazon and at Secret Craving Publishing.

The lovely Leslie Hachtel was born in Ohio, raised in New York and has been a gypsy most of her adult life. Her various jobs, including licensed veterinary technician, caterer, horseback riding instructor for the disabled and advertising media buyer have given her a wealth of experiences.

However, it has been writing that has consistently been her passion. She sold an episode of a TV show, had a screenplay optioned and has so far produced five novels, including three historicals. One of her romance novels, “Captain’s Captive” will soon be published by Black Opal Books. Her second historical, “The Defiant Bride” has been sold to Breathless Press.

Leslie lives in Memphis, Tennessee with a fabulously supportive engineer husband, a wonderful stepson, Matt and her writing buddy, Jakita, a terrier.

You can catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter and on her Website.

FOX Friday with Victoria Barbour!

Hello my lovelies! This week’s FOX is author Victoria Barbour. Victoria is revealing the sparkly cover for her upcoming release, GEEK GROOM.

So pretty!

Normally, we like to share a blurb, excerpt or synopsis, but Victoria had something different in mind. She wants to share some of her favourite quotes from the book. Let’s see what she chose!

“Sometimes falling in love is just the beginning of the romance.”

~

When I was a little girl there were a lot of things I imagined I’d be doing in the months leading up to my wedding. Going for a mani-pedi. Check. Trying on a million gowns. Check. Choosing a china pattern. Check. Groping the hairy legs of what I hope are men while trying to determine which one is my clearly up-for-anything groom. Nope. That was most certainly not on the list. 

 ~

“My love, your family would have to be pretty bad to stop me from wanting to spend the rest of my life with you. Like, lich-king bad. Demon-spawn bad. And even then, I could be swayed to the dark side because you’re a pretty fine temptress.”

 ~

I know girls. I know all too well that feeling that hits you in the stomach the first time you lay eyes on him. It doesn’t go away. Sometimes he’ll be putting milk in the fridge and I’ll look at the way his shirt pulls taut across his back. It’s swoon-worthy. But nothing, not his arms, his face, his hair—not even his ass—is as remarkable as the man he is inside. And he’s all mine.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to read this! Book one in the Forever Geek trilogy, GEEK GOD is available now on Amazon. GEEK GROOM will be out at the end of the month. Congrats Vicki!

Victoria Barbour lives on the island of Newfoundland, and is fiercely proud of her home. She can imagine no better setting for her works, and hopes that her readers will one day come to witness Newfoundland and Labrador’s rustic beauty for themselves.

She was born in St. John’s, and raised above her family’s fish and chips restaurant. She has traveled and lived in other parts of Canada, but chose to make her home where her heart has long resided. Victoria has a degree in History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a minor in Newfoundland Studies. The only thing that stands between her and a Master’s degree in History from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia is her thesis. She has a background in broadcast journalism, advertising, and marketing. She is a proud member of several writing organizations including the Romance Writers of America (RWA)  their affiliate chapter, Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada (RWAC), and the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL). She’s also thrilled to be considered a Scribe Wench, and a part of Romance Writers Weekly.

Victoria counts herself lucky to be surrounded by an incredibly supportive family, and thanks her husband daily for his unerring faith in her, and for being a wonderful father to their energetic but always entertaining son.

You can find Victoria on Facebook, Twitter and on her Website.

 

Let’s talk book boyfriends! – Romance Weekly

Welcome to another round of Romance Writers Weekly! Each week we give you a behind-the-scenes look at our processes, our obsessions and our inspirations. This week, Sarah Hegger asked us all about our book boyfriends (or girlfriends) and we’re only allowed to share three. Hopefully, you just popped over here from Veronica Forand, one of the fantastic authors behind Tackled by the Girl Next Door. Did she stick to the rules?

*rolling up my sleeves*

Okay, here goes.

It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that knows me to see James Alexander Malcom MacKenzie Fraser at the top of my Book Boyfriend list. Jamie stole my heart several years ago, and I think no other BB will ever replace him.

For those not in the know, Jamie is from the wildly popular, genre-defying Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon. He is tall, rugged and handsome, of course, but also fiercely loyal to those he loves. He puts their well-being before his own at every chance. And when he meets our heroine, Claire Beauchamp, we also discover that he is irrepressibly romantic.

“You are my courage, as I am your conscience,” he whispered. “You are my heart—and I your compassion. We are neither of us whole, alone.” (Diana Gabaldon – Drums of Autumn – book four in the series)

Theirs is an epic, centuries-spanning love story full of passion, danger and intrigue. Much to my joy, Jamie has come to life in the Starz series, portrayed beautifully by actor Sam Heughan pictured above. And boy howdy, can the man can wear a kilt! I’m just sayin’. Je Suis Prest, mmmkay? Oh, uh…hi there Sam! *blush*

I read Outlander long before I ever picked up my first romance novel. One of the first was Playing the Part by Robin Covington. Robin does fun, sexy, flirty heroes like no one else.

Mick Blackwell is an A-list, Hollywood action star looking to break into more dramatic roles. Despite being a fairly decent guy, he’s sorely lacking in emotional vulnerability. In short, Mick wouldn’t know what love was if it bit him on the ass. Which it does, naturally, in the form of a romance author (squee!) Piper James.

Mick can’t grasp the emotional motivations of his character, so Piper – as the author of the book the film is based upon – is brought in to school him. Boy, does she. And Mick’s got more than a few things to teach her as well. What follows is explosive, as only Robin can deliver.

He tucked a curl behind her ear, surprised to see his hand shaking a little. Shit, this was such uncharted territory for him. “C’mon throw me a bone. I’ve never been here before.”

“Been where?”

“Here. With you. Hoping to stay there.”

Mick is dashing and attentive, arrogant and yet self-effacing. He is everything we hope our celebrity crush would be, and then some. In my mind, I’ve cast Victor Ross in the role, shown above to the right. And let me just say that I can never look at a beach lounger without thinking about Mick. Ahem.

Finally, I need to talk about my current love (aside from Jamie, of course.) Duff is the hero in my work-in-progress. As much as I have loved the heroes in my stories, I have never fallen in love with one before. Duff is different, somehow, and the more I write of him, the more important he becomes to me.

Duff’s not had an easy life. He carries the weight of a very public shame; one not earned by him, but by his father. Forced to move away from his home, along with his mother, Duff – physically inspired by Felix Bujo, left –  returns years later to find that the stigma still burns like a brand. Whether or not its all in his head is the question to be answered, but its clear that he carries the weight of it as if it were his cross to bear.

Duff has traveled the world alone for a decade, never staying in any one place long enough to plant roots. Never making any real connections. Coming home is a reminder of all that he has lost, and it’s almost too much for him to bear. When he meets our heroine, Lovie, the circumstances aren’t great but her pull is too much for him to ignore. He tries and fails spectacularly. Whether or not he allows himself to have something real with her remains to be seen. Duff has a wonderful talent for self-sabotage.

I’ll stop there because I don’t want to give away too much.

So there you have it! Three book boyfriends. There are many more, believe me. (Gideon Cross, anyone?!) Let’s hop over and see who made Leslie Hachtel‘s list. Til next time!

FOX Friday with debut author, Kerri Carpenter!

It’s time for another Friend Of Xio update!

This week’s FOX is fellow Tasty Tuesday curator – and debut author (I love saying that!) – Kerri Carpenter.

Kerri’s novella, FLIRTING WITH THE COMPETITION was released just this week, and already the buzz is hot. As well it should be, this story is smokin’! Here’s a synopsis:

Under normal circumstances, Whitney March might have appreciated sharing an elevator with a ridiculously attractive and clearly wealthy guy. Even enjoyed it. But when her companion turns out to be the man who almost ran her over in parking garage moments earlier? Nope and nope. Besides, she’s on her way to a job interview at a prestigious law firm, and she needs to stay focused. Not staring at the rich and sexy jerk.

Then the elevator comes to an abrupt stop. They’re stuck.

Jordan Campbell has every intention of acing the interview for his dream job, and he’s not about to let anything stop him. Not even the sexy, capable, and fiery woman who turns out to be his main competitor he’s trapped with. The only thing they have in common is determination to get the job…and an escalating attraction. And it’s only a matter of time before these competitors indulge in a very sexy little connection between floors.

I told you it was hot. Grab your copy of FLIRTING WITH THE COMPETITION on Amazon, B&N, iTunes, or on KoBo. Congratulations, Kerri! xox

About the Author:

Kerri Carpenter began writing in her grandmother’s kitchen at the age of seven in a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA. A life-long fan of reading, she got lost in the worlds of The Baby-sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. She also assumed that everyone had characters and plots forming in their heads at all times.

Once she turned to romance novels, she couldn’t get enough of books with happy endings, so she started writing her own. Now, Kerri writes contemporary romances, usually set in small towns. She enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies, taking Zumba classes, rooting for Pittsburgh sports teams, and anything sparkly. Kerri lives in Northern Virginia with her adorable (and mischievous) poodle mix, Harry.

You can catch Kerri on her Website, on Facebook and Twitter. And remember to follow our #TastyTuesday tag each Tuesday on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and G+ for scrumdiddlyumptious eye candy!

Halloween – Romance Writers Weekly #LoveChatWrite

Welcome! You probably just came over from reading Mishka Jenkins. Did she frighten you? Mwahahahaha.

I confess, when Jo Richardson challenged us at Romance Writers Weekly to write a spooky story (real or fake) in 300 words or less, I took it personally. I mean, I love Halloween. No, you don’t understand.

I looooooooooooooove Halloween. Jack Skellington is my spirit animal. I have a trunk filled with decorations, makeup and outfits. Between the creative costumes, scary movies, and copious amount of candy, Halloween is my Christmas.

Only 300 words, Jo? Really?

That’s a challenge, but here goes. *cue creepy music*

When I was five years old, my grandmother passed away. She’d had a stroke when I was an infant that left her in a coma. So I didn’t really know her, but on our weekly visits I would sit at her bedside and tell her about my day. It didn’t seem odd to me to do the same at her viewing.

“I made a turkey with my hand, unci. It’s orange with purple feathers. Julie Lightfoot said it was stupid ’cause turkeys aren’t purple, but I told her to shut up.” Mortified, my mother shushed me and pulled me away from unci’s coffin.

After the funeral, we all gathered at my aunt’s house. The children were sent to cousin Libby’s room. I sat with her on her bed while our out-of-town cousins played on the floor. What did we know of death? We laughed and joked and monkeyed around, until Libby went very quiet.

“What’s wrong, you wet the bed?” Our oldest cousin teased.

Libby pointed over my shoulder.  Turning briefly, I saw nothing but the expression on her face made me anxious. “What is it?”

There was a tickle on the back of my neck. As one, everyone else jumped up and flattened themselves against the wall. Only I was left with my back to whatever it was that had spooked them.

“Somebody’s…brushing your hair.”

Sure enough, I felt the gentle pull as the thick curtain of my hair parted, lifting and falling in sections. This went on for a minute or so; me with my back to the cold, empty space and my cousins all watching me with wide eyes.

It soon stopped and the cold dissipated. As I ran a hand over my head, my fingers caught on something.

Libby blinked. “W-what was that?”

I smiled at the purple feather in my hand. “Oh, unci just came to say goodbye.”

So what do you think? Not really scary, just kinda…creepy. A nice creepy, though. Did this really happen? Let’s float on over to JJ Devine’s and see what she has scared up. Til next time.

Boo!