Pam Binder's Blog, page 4

Romance is in the air – December 3, 2016 – Romance booksigning!

Date: Saturday, December 3, 2016 1:00 – 3:00pm
Location: Writers Cottage, Gilman Village – 317 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, WA  98027

 

Eight romance authors have banded together to get you into the mood for fun reading this winter. These authors write everything from sweet contemporary romance, steamy historical romance to women’s fiction and paranormal romance.

Join authors Pam Binder, Heidi Hostetter, Gerri Russell, Sibelle Stone,  and Sabrina York .

There will be a Scottish bagpiper, raffles, holiday themed desserts and giveaways.

 
 
 

Is The “Kilt” A Noun Or A Verb?

Is the “Kilt” a noun or a verb?  —–   Actually, it’s both!

Because I write about stories set in Scotland, naturally I’ve done research on the topic. And what better way to do research than to actually visit the place.

When my husband and I visited Edinburgh I bought a book on the proper way to wear a kilt. The author definitely had a point of view on the topic and said that there is a wrong way to wear a kilt, and the Scottish way.

According to the author, the pleats of the kilt are in the back, and the unpleated area crosses over in front. He also had pages to say about the right length. The kilt should reach only to the top of the kneecap. In the time of Queen Victoria the kilt was supposed to come to the middle of the kneecap. The author considered this length an “extreme fashion,” and a “trollopy” (I’m still not sure what that means, but I’m sure it’s nothing good). The message was clear: guys must wear their kilts above the knee! The shorter the better. Hummm?

We can’t talk about kilts without mentioning the different plaid patterns of fabric used in its construction. The plaid kilt of Scotland is considered a unique symbol of the ancient clan system. The pattern identified your clan, or family. As you can imagine, this instilled a strong sense of pride and unity. So much so that in 1741 Great Britain, in an attempt to break up the clan system, banned the custom of wearing kilts. Anyone who violated this law were treated as outlaws, and those caught wearing a kilt could be killed. It got even crazier. In Edinburgh a woman was arrested for wearing a tartan-patterned dress. It took over thirty five years for this law to be overturned.

Taking into consideration how seriously a Scotsman considered the length of his kilt, you can imagine how he would feel if he couldn’t wear one. I think this passion is what draws visitors to Scotland. You can feel it in the air.

Scottish Lore, Folklore and Superstitions!

 

With the re-release of THE QUEST, I was reminded how much I love anything to do with Scottish Highlanders. So much so, that I have started to write the sequel to THE INSCRIPTION about my clan of immortal highlanders. (Yes, I was a HUGE fan of the Highlander TV series with Adrian Paul).

A sequel means research. And where better to start than with Scottish lore, folklore and superstitions.

Because the Scots lived close to the land, many of their stories were based on nature. The rowan tree (mountain ash) was considered a good luck charm. Most Highland huts had one growing by the door to protect everyone living inside. No boat set sail without a sprig of it to guard against storms.

Crows were associated with death and disaster. If you heard a raven call before you set off on a journey that foretold misfortune on the way. The eagle was a symbol of strength, its feathers thought to possess magic that insured longevity. (This magic feather fits perfectly into my sequel as my main characters are immortals).

We’ve all heard that cats are the familiars of witches, but Highlanders considered toads and hares a witch’s familiar as well. You could kill a witch with a silver bullet when she shifted into a hare. A dog howling at night was a bad sign, but if a strange one entered the house it meant a new friendship would soon follow.

There were stories about the days of the week. Sunday was considered a lucky day on to be born or get married. It was unlucky to kill hogs on Monday, but a lucky day for visions. Tuesday was the day when you were most likely to feel unsettled. It was unlucky to travel on a Wednesday. Thursday was a day for work, Friday the day for lust, love and pleasure and Saturday a day for planting. All these rules confirmed the belief that the Scots were very organized. They had a day for everything.How does research lead to story ideas? If you haven’t come up with any so far, I’ve included a few writing prompts to help jump start your inspiration.

What happens when your hero shoots a hare with a silver bullet only to discover it is a beautiful witch?
What happens when your main characters believe they don’t need to bring along a spring of a rowan tree when they set sail on a long journey?
What happens when your heroine only gets visions on a Tuesday?

Have fun!

Pam

Scottish Lore, Folklore and Superstitions!

With the re-release of THE QUEST, I was reminded how much I love anything to do with Scottish Highlanders. So much so, that I have started to write the sequel to THE INSCRIPTION about my clan of immortal highlanders. (Yes, I was a HUGE fan of the Highlander TV series with Adrian Paul).

A sequel means research. And where better to start than with Scottish lore, folklore and superstitions.

Because the Scots lived close to the land, many of their stories were based on nature. The rowan tree (mountain ash) was considered a good luck charm. Most Highland huts had one growing by the door to protect everyone living inside. No boat set sail without a sprig of it to guard against storms.

Crows were associated with death and disaster. If you heard a raven call before you set off on a journey that foretold misfortune on the way. The eagle was a symbol of strength, its feathers thought to possess magic that insured longevity. (This magic feather fits perfectly into my sequel as my main characters are immortals).

We’ve all heard that cats are the familiars of witches, but Highlanders considered toads and hares a witch’s familiar as well. You could kill a witch with a silver bullet when she shifted into a hare. A dog howling at night was a bad sign, but if a strange one entered the house it meant a new friendship would soon follow.

There were stories about the days of the week. Sunday was considered a lucky day on to be born or get married. It was unlucky to kill hogs on Monday, but a lucky day for visions. Tuesday was the day when you were most likely to feel unsettled. It was unlucky to travel on a Wednesday. Thursday was a day for work, Friday the day for lust, love and pleasure and Saturday a day for planting. All these rules confirmed the belief that the Scots were very organized. They had a day for everything.How does research lead to story ideas? If you haven’t come up with any so far, I’ve included a few writing prompts to help jump start your inspiration.

What happens when your hero shoots a hare with a silver bullet only to discover it is a beautiful witch?
What happens when your main characters believe they don’t need to bring along a spring of a rowan tree when they set sail on a long journey?
What happens when your heroine only gets visions on a Tuesday?

Have fun!

Pam

Is The “Kilt” A Noun Or A Verb?

Is the “Kilt” a noun or a verb?  —–   Actually, it’s both!

Because I write about stories set in Scotland, naturally I’ve done research on the topic. And what better way to do research than to actually visit the place.

When my husband and I visited Edinburgh I bought a book on the proper way to wear a kilt. The author definitely had a point of view on the topic and said that there is a wrong way to wear a kilt, and the Scottish way.

According to the author, the pleats of the kilt are in the back, and the unpleated area crosses over in front. He also had pages to say about the right length. The kilt should reach only to the top of the kneecap. In the time of Queen Victoria the kilt was supposed to come to the middle of the kneecap. The author considered this length an “extreme fashion,” and a “trollopy” (I’m still not sure what that means, but I’m sure it’s nothing good). The message was clear: guys must wear their kilts above the knee! The shorter the better. Hummm?

We can’t talk about kilts without mentioning the different plaid patterns of fabric used in its construction. The plaid kilt of Scotland is considered a unique symbol of the ancient clan system. The pattern identified your clan, or family. As you can imagine, this instilled a strong sense of pride and unity. So much so that in 1741 Great Britain, in an attempt to break up the clan system, banned the custom of wearing kilts. Anyone who violated this law were treated as outlaws, and those caught wearing a kilt could be killed. It got even crazier. In Edinburgh a woman was arrested for wearing a tartan-patterned dress. It took over thirty five years for this law to be overturned.

Taking into consideration how seriously a Scotsman considered the length of his kilt, you can imagine how he would feel if he couldn’t wear one. I think this passion is what draws visitors to Scotland. You can feel it in the air.

Killer Whales – legends – myths – folklore

 

When I started doing research for Warrior Rising, I already knew it was going to involve killer whales. What I discovered was that the First People tribes of Canada and Alaska had an amazing legend.  They avoided hunting killer whales because they quite literally believed that killer whales were their ancestors.  Also, when they saw a killer whale close to the shore, that meant he or she was an ancestor looking for a way home.  This worked into my story line perfectly as my main character, Max’inux (which means killer whale) is a shape shifter. Very cool!

 

A writer’s dream come true!

Writing WARRIOR RISING felt like a dream come true and all because Terry Persun asked if I wanted to write a spin-off story based on his Doublesight series that is on Kindle Worlds.  The story was so fun to research and write. The evolution of why I chose whales began in February, 2015.  It’s always interesting that wen you think of someone they appear.  that’s how it happened with me. Because of health issues that my family was experiencing “healing” was on my mind.  and just like that I started seeing stories about killer whales everywhere. So when Terry asked me if I’d write a story, I knew it had to involve killer whales.  Terry Persun created a rich and multi layered world that he calls DOUBLESIGHT, where humans can shift into animal or human image.  This world has the texture and storytelling appeal of Native American legends and mythology.  I was honored that he asked me to participate.

The series will launch on September 1, 2015

Vegan Mama

Vegan Chocolate Date Delights

For fun, I thought I’d talk about vegan desserts.  It’s true that you won’t have as big a sweet tooth once you venture into “Vegan Land”, but there are times when a sweet treat is a MUST HAVE.  If you’re in a hurry for that sugar high, try snacking on dates. Just a few is all it takes. I also mix a combination of raisins, pecans, almonds or walnuts ( I use pecans)  together for my own trail mix version.  For an added treat, you can add organic 80-100% chocolate chips or nibs. I included photos of both the energy snacks and cookie version. Now for a dessert recipe. The dessert discovery was an accident.  The Vegan Chocolate Date Delights, started out as an energy snack. I still use them that way and they really help me get through a long morning, or a busy afternoon — but every once in a way it’s fun to have a cookie. One day I wondered what they would taste like warm – with chocolate chips! Ta Da! A cookie was born Vegan Chocolate Date Delight Recipe 2 tsp. dark chocolate nibs 6 dates, chopped. 2 tsp. cocoa powder 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1 cup old fashioned oats 1/3 cup honey 1/2 cup ground flax seeds 1/2 cup almond butter Combine ingredients and roll into 2 inch balls.  These can be used as energy snacks. Cookie Version. To turn them into cookies, flatten slightly, press dark chocolate chips on top and back at 300 degrees for only a few minutes.  Eat them right away!  I like to eat mine with a cup of tea while I’m writing scenes for my latest romance novel. If you try them I’d love to know your thoughts or how you changed them to fit your taste buds. Enjoy! Vegan Mama

Vegan Mama

 

This vegan zucchini recipe was a surprise.  First it was a lot easier to make than I’d thought it would be.  Second, it looked very pretty, and third, it was delicious, especially with the Horseradish Beet Dressing.  I used a lot more than the ½ lemon the recipe called for and it didn’t ruin the taste. I’d never bought fresh horseradish before and now I’m a believer. It smells wonderful and you can taste the difference.

Stuffed Zucchini

4 large Zucchini (cut in half lengthwise and the seeds removed). Layer in a glass dish with hot water covering the bottom of the pan and let the zucchini steam in the oven for about 20 minutes before stuffing.

6 large leaved of Chard (roughly chopped)

2 carrots (grated)

3 stalks of Celery (chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (grated or crushed)

3 large Tomatoes (chopped)

Cook altogether with a small amount of water to prevent burning.  Cook until tender.  Using a slotted spoon fill the zucchini “boats” with the veggie stuffing.  Bake in covered glass dish for about an hour.  Serve with a small amount of horseradish beet dressing.

Horseradish Beet Dressing

2 small beets (cook until tender)

2” piece of horseradish (grated)

2 green onions (chopped)

½ – 1 whole lemon worth of juice until it is the consistency you like.

Let me know if you try the recipe.

Have a great day,

Vegan Mama

Potato Pizza

Potato Pizza

Maybe because I love pizza and this seemed as close as I had gotten in a month, I was gobbling it up. I used a baked, and cooled, russet potato, sliced it and then layered it on a glass baking pan I’d greased lightly with Flax Seed oil. When the potato pizza was done, I drizzled it with the sauce mixture over the pizza. I’d soaked the sundried tomatoes as instructed but they were still very chewy on the pizza so I sliced tomatoes and made the substitution. That made a big difference. This dish felt like a treat. I kept having to remind myself that the potato pizza was hundred percent vegan.

 

Cooked Potatoes (sliced thinly)

Zucchini (thinly sliced)

Roasted onion.

Sauce:  Sundried tomatoes (soaked in thyme and marjoram). Lemon juice, garlic and parsley.

Blend the sauce altogether. Layer each potato with roasted onion and zucchini.  Bake until slightly crisp.  serve with the sauce. Note: if you have small potatoes, the only thing to do differently is when serving stack them rather then only giving them “one slice”. Option – Mash the cooked potato and line the bottom of the glass baking pan like a “crust”.

Enjoy!

Vegan Mama