Laura Chapman's Blog, page 30

reading in the kitchen - heart-shaped cakes

With Valentine's Day upon us--and my resolve to try as many Little House recipes still strong--this month I selected heart-shaped  cakes. They're mentioned in Little House on the Prairie , when they appeared inside Laura and Mary's stockings on Christmas morning. Ma must have baked these little cakes with love, which made this treat seem extra fitting this month.

Once again, I turned to The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker for instruction.

The ingredients are few and basic for this dish.


White flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, buttermilk, and lard (or butter in our case). The simplicity of the ingredients makes sense. The Ingalls family lived on the "unsettled" Kansas frontier. The nearest town was a long hike away. In winter, or ever really, Ma and Pa wouldn't have been able to pop out to the store for extra baking ingredients.

(Look for the recipe on pages 200-201 for the full recipe with portions.)

I started by mixing the dry ingredients together.


Then I got my hands dirty by mixing the butter in by hand. Then I made a well...


And poured the buttermilk in it for some more hand-mixing.


Worked together, the dough had a consistency much like pie crust, only a bit stickier and much better smelling (that sugar and nutmeg at work).


As instructed, I rolled the dough into an 8-inch circle, cut it into six wedges, and turned those wedges into hearts.


I placed them on parchment paper (which I'd also oiled down), and placed them in the oven at 425 degrees. That's where this story takes a bit of a downward turn...


In the cookbook, Walker suggest that the outcome of these efforts would be something between a sugar cookie and shortbread. Mine turned out more like a nutmeg-flavored scone. That was burnt.


Yep. After baking for only 12 of the 15 minutes suggested minutes, I detected the scent of burning bread wafting from the oven. In disbelief, I double-checked the temperature and time listed in the cookbook, and my approach had been correct.

I can only guess that ovens today are much hotter than the ones in the 70s and 80s (though I swear the oven in my apartment has to be ancient).

Though the cakes were too crisp for a sprinkling of sugar across the top, when served with apple butter or jam, the cake was actually edible.


Not totally satisfied with how this attempt at heart-shaped cakes turned out, I would like to give this recipe another try. I liked the taste of the dough, and I can only imagine how delicious it would be if it wasn't overcooked.

Better luck next time, I suppose. Thank goodness I'm still rocking the spinster life, otherwise I'd surely have disappointed my would-be Valentine with this dish.


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

post-movie monday: 'cloudy with a chance of love'

Blogger's Note: It's no secret I devote much of December to following the latest (and past-time favorite) Hallmark movies. So I was thrilled to learn the channel would count down to Valentine's Day with a new movie each weekend leading up to the holiday. Naturally, I couldn't resist watching, live-tweeting, and ultimately blogging about my take on each new flick.


Cloudy with a Chance of Love
Original air date: February 8
Starring Katie Leclerc, Michael Rady and Stacey Dash

Quirky meteorologist Deb spends most of her time finishing the passionate pursuit of her Ph.D. in meteorology. The wind of change starts blowing, however, when a handsome news director recruits her to fill in as an on-air weather personality. While the new job comes with a glamorous makeover that catches the eyes of both viewers and her handsome colleague, it also takes her away from her studies at a critical time. When her TV job, academic commitments and new romance swell into a perfect storm, Deb must decide if her future will be spent studying the sky, or broadcasting over the air.

We're a day late with this Movie Monday recap on account of yesterday's Fairy Tale Blog Hop (a totally worthy cause when you consider there is a brownie prize package up for grabs AND I had the chance to compare the heroines of my novels to Disney princesses), but let's do it...

I was casually looking forward to Cloudy with a Chance of Love, because it's a pretty cute premise--meteorologist takes a part-time gig as an on-air weather girl and ends up falling for the dishy news director, who has bigger ambitions that might make him forget about her own. But what made this movie really shine was the superb casting. The leads--Katie Leclerc and Michael Rady--were brilliant, but so were their supporting cast. And without throwing in anything too droll or over-the-top, each of the characters had a back story and history that supported who they were in this moment and where they wanted to go.

Super adorable, with just enough sweet romance and humor, this one will go in my re-watch vault.

Like on Saturday night, I joined in with some of the greater conversation, including a couple of exchanges with a couple of the stars of the show.

[View the story "#CloudyWithAChanceOfLove w/ @lmchap" on Storify]
Not only was this banter totally a blast, but I think I have some inspiration to create my dream cast for The Marrying Type...

Overall, this was a solid Hallmark movie with characters that showed believable depth who were easy to cheer on the whole way through.

Who watched Cloudy with a Chance of Love? Let's discuss.


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

fairy tale fun blog hop

I may be twenty-eight years old, but I'm still as much of a sucker for Disney princesses as I was when I was three. Or six, like I am in this picture of me dressed up as Princess Jasmine from Aladdin.

Rocking the Jasmine costume like
a total #blessedballer. (My sister is
Princess Butterfly if you're curious."When I was asked to find parallels between the heroines of my own writing and my beloved princesses, I was obviously excited. But once that wore off, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, it seemed like there weren't enough comparisons to make a firm case. On the other, it seemed like there were countless. I mean, I am a child of Disney princesses, so it's only natural that traits from some of those most beloved characters would sneak their way into my own.

Then a couple of weeks ago while eating a mixture of leftover Christmas candy and newly stocked Valentine's Day candy (my co-workers and our candy bowl need an intervention) I realized that each of my heroines does in fact have a pretty distinct connection to a specific Disney princess. Talk about a huzzah moment.

(That could have been the candy buzz, but since the excitement lasted well after the presumable sugar rush crash, I figure I may be on to something.)

For the sake of this exercise, I'm going to focus on two of my leading ladies: Lexi Burke from my debut novel, Hard Hats and Doormats , and Elliot Lynch, from the soon-to-be-released The Marrying Type .


Lexi Burke of Hard Hats and Doormats is...
Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid
On living arrangements:
Lexi is dissatisfied with her life in Houston and at Gulf America.Ariel isn't so happy under the sea.
I mean it's nice in theory. (Source)
On dominant male figures:
Lexi feels disrespected by her boss at Gulf America.Ariel wishes her dad wouldn't "reprimand" her.
On sidekicks:
Lexi's BFFs Brenna and Kara like to squabble, but have her best interests at heart.Ariel has Flounder and Sebastion, who make an unlikely pair to be her partners-in-crime.
On romance: 
Lexi has a seemingly one-sided crush on Jason Beaumont, who she figures barely knows she exists. Plus, dating him would be a major faux pas based on her job in HR and his in the field.Ariel loves Eric, who only knows her to be some mystic vision of a singing, swimming woman who saved his life. And her aforementioned father has forbidden. I could wave at that face all day. (Source)
On what they want:
Lexi wants more.Ariel wants more.  You better believe they want more. (Source)
Plus, both of them have awesome moments on boats. I swear I didn't mean for this story to have so many connections to my favorite Disney movie. Not even when I made two references to The Little Mermaid in the book. (You'll have to look through the book and see if you can find them for yourself.)


((Pick up a copy of Hard Hats and Doormats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Marching Ink.)

Elliot Lynch of The Marrying Type is...
Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast

On living arrangements:
Elliot lives in a mansion that has been passed down from generation to generation in her family.Belle eventually moves into a castle.
On dominant male figures:
Elliot's father is a bit of a hot mess who loves his daughter, but needs a strong woman to guide him.Belle's father... ditto. But a cute hot mess. (Source)
On sidekicks:
Elliot is kind of a loner until the story begins, and she ends up developing a new support system of people she meets through her job as a wedding planner.Belle is also presumably alone, aside from her horse, until she stumbles upon a castle of enchanted servants who are down for friendship.
On romance: 
Elliot was willing to let go of the love of her life to appease her father.Belle was willing to leave the love of her life to save her father.
It's a tale as old as freaking time, y'all. (Source)
On what they want:
Elliot wants to see the world.Belle wants adventure in the great wide somewhere.  Who doesn't want so much more than they've got planned? (Source)
Okay, so maybe this one is a bit of a stretch, but one of the biggest similarities I see between Elliot and Belle is how uncomfortable they are in their own skins at the start of their stories. They're both total catches (beautiful, smart, independent), but neither seems to have the total confidence to go for what they want. And while neither of them needs a man to live a fulfilling life, they both find themselves with men who they can improve, but who also bring out the best in them, too.


(The Marrying Type will be released on February 24. Until then you can add it to your "to-read" list on Goodreads and sign-up to receive email notification via my e-newsletter when it is available.)

If you are a reader from the U.S., you're invited to enter to win the Congratulations Magic Morsels 48 Gift Box from Fairytale Brownies, which includes a bite-size assortment (Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Original, Raspberry Swirl, Walnut, Cream Cheese) of 48 delicious gourmet brownies.


Entering is easy, answer the following question and include your email address so we can notify you. Plus, you can hop around to the other participating locations for more chances to win.

Question: Do you "want more" like Ariel and Lexi or "adventure in the great wide somewhere" like Belle and Elliot? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Hop on over to these other locations to increase your chances of winning:

Isabella Anderson Christine Ardigo Glynis Astie Heather Balog Tracie Banister Jayne Denker Whitney Dineen DelSheree Gladden Kat Halstead Cindi Madsen Jennie Marts Robyn Neeley Engy Neville Colleen Oakes Katie Oliver Fern Ronay Meredith Schorr

Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

pre-movie monday: 'so you said yes'

Blogger's Note: It's no secret I devote much of December to following the latest (and past-time favorite) Hallmark movies. So I was thrilled to learn the channel would count down to Valentine's Day with a new movie each weekend leading up to the holiday. Naturally, I couldn't resist watching, live-tweeting, and ultimately blogging about my take on each new flick.

So You Said Yes
Original air date: February 7
Starring Kellie Martin, Bruce Boxleitner, Chad Willett, & Jennifer Dale

When Annabelle, the owner of a specialty bridal shop, falls for Sam, the son of her fierce bridal shop competition, she must fend off Sam's mother's attempts at sabotage to be with the man she loves.

Last night we had another new Hallmark movie--and another one prominently featuring a wedding. With kind of a fun and different twist on the wedding business theme, Annabelle, the main character, owns a vintage wedding dress shop. (Interestingly enough, I've recently been wondering where one would find a vintage gown if you'd rather not wear something brand new.)

And I liked this one, as you'll soon see. Rather than being a story where we wondered how the girl would get the guy (or vice-versa), this one was more about how the girl and the guy would work through their obstacles to make it down the aisle. And the on-screen chemistry between Kellie Martin and Chad Willett was so great, there was never any doubt that they would get there.

With a lot of the movie taking place inside two bridal shops, it was also fantastic to see all of the beautiful gowns--both the vintage ones from Annabelle's shop and the new gowns from Sam's mother's shop.

This live-tweet got a little out of control, because there were just so many feels. And because the director and a couple of the cast members were involved, which kept everyone so engaged. (No pun intended.)

[View the story "#SoYouSaidYes with @lmchap" on Storify]
All in all, this has been one of the stronger movies premiering during this six-week countdown to Valentine's Day. And with the countdown to the release of The Marrying Type inching closer and closer, it was particularly enjoyable to watch another wedding-related movie. It's like Hallmark is celebrating my new book with me. (I know, I know. Calm down, Miss Vanity. This isn't all about you.)

Did any of you catch So You Said Yes? What were your thoughts?


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

pre-pre-movie monday: 'i do, i do, i do'

Blogger's Note: It's no secret I devote much of December to following the latest (and past-time favorite) Hallmark movies. So I was thrilled to learn the channel would count down to Valentine's Day with a new movie each weekend leading up to the holiday. Naturally, I couldn't resist watching, live-tweeting, and ultimately blogging about my take on each new flick.


I Do, I Do, I Do
Original air date: February 6
Starring Autumn Reeser, Shawn Roberts and Antonio Cuppo

An architect heads to the altar with her fiancé, unsure of her marriage and their future.  She relives her disastrous wedding day, put together by her fiance’s overbearing mother, over and over until, with the help of her fiancé’s brother, she begins to face her biggest fears and discover what she really wants in herself and in her life.

I came into this movie with a fairly bad attitude. A fan of Antonio Cuppo's performance in other Hallmark Channel movies, I had reservations about him playing the man our leading lady would ultimately realize she couldn't marry. So I went into this movie not planning to like Autumn Reeser's character, Jaclyn. It wasn't too hard at first. Totally uptight and opinionated on some things, but pretty spineless on others, I was worried this would be yet another movie where I didn't like the main character, because she was mean.

But after she goes through several instances of reliving the same day, she showed a lot of signs of softening. We learned more about her background, and it made her initial behavior make a lot more sense. That's something that has been missing from a few of the other more recent movies. The back story and the gradual and total shift in the lead's behavior.

And while it did my heart sad to see Antonio's character Peter have to go to the wayside (though, like in Bridal Wave, the story handled this pretty well, showing he wasn't an awful got, but just not matched well for her), I'll admit she found herself falling for someone pretty adorably deserving in the form of Peter's brother Max.

Here's the live-tweet (which I interestingly enough wasn't the only participating in given the lateness of my viewing).

[View the story "#IDoIDoIDo with @lmchap" on Storify]
So while I went into this movie with some reservations, and while I found myself pretty irritated with Jaclyn during the first half hour or 45 minutes, the last half was really solid, and I was satisfied with the resolution.

Did any of you catch I Do, I Do, I Do? What were your thoughts?


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

excerpt of 'give your heart a break'

Today I'm sharing an excerpt of Helen Peterson's debut novel, Give Your Heart a Break, as part of her Chick Lit Plus blog tour. Helen is the latest author to join the Marching Ink team, and I'm looking forward to reading this book.

And be sure to check out the giveaway at the end of the post after you read this excerpt.

Excerpt of Give Your Heart a Break

I was opening up portfolios when Sydney appeared by my side. “There you are! Where have you been hiding all morning?” Her sugary sweet voice made my skin crawl. Why today? 

“I’ve been here all day, Sydney. At my desk. You saw me this morning.” And gave a weirdly enthusiastic wave at me, which freaked me out. I was just waiting for this moment all day. She probably wanted to brag about her new boyfriend or some other mundane thing that I didn’t give a hoot about. 

“Right, right. Anywho, I wanted to ask you something.” 

She paused, just smiling and blinking at me. “Okay. What?” Was I walking into a trap? Should I run away? 

“How is your relationship with Mason going?” 

I forced a smile on my face, surely fake, and said, “None of your business. Do you have something important to talk to me about?” My patience was waning. 

“Oh, I do,” she said, looking down at her fresh manicure, then back at me. “But it’s none of my business, right?” 

“If you have something to tell me, please just spit out. I’m busy and tired and need to get this done before—” 

“You’ll want to make time for this,” she said, cutting me off. I noticed then the devilish spark in her eyes. Oh, fuck. I started to get concerned at that moment. 

“Fine. Tell me.” 

“So, I was at Kittachai in Soho last night. Do you know where that is?” she asked. 

I was familiar with the restaurant but had never eaten there. “I’ve heard of it.” 

“Well, it’s a super fancy restaurant in the Thompson Hotel. Quite expensive. Anyway, I went with some guy who wanted to take me out. I didn’t really care for him much and I wasn’t going to go, but I am so glad I did.” 

“Okay, and?” 

“I saw your little hot stud dining with some supermodel hot blonde,” she said smugly. “And to tell you the truth, he seemed smitten with her.” 

Before I panicked at what Sydney was telling me, I remembered Mason did a lot of dinners with clients. And since Bradley had called him on our drive back to the city, I assumed he was working through dinner when he didn’t respond to my dinner invite text last night. 

“Yeah, so Mason has lots of dinners with his clients. So nice of you to drop by and . . .” 

She cut me off again. “I thought that may be the case as well. But you might want to stick around and here this.” 

Goosebumps rose on my arms. Where the hell was she going with this? My fingers itched to check my cell phone to see if Mason had sent me a text yet. 

“I just happened to run into the girl in the bathroom. Crazy, huh?” So she ran into Mason in the huge city of New York and managed to be in the bathroom with this chick at the same time? A paranoid part of my brain was sending out warning signals. Was Sydney a stalker? What was going on here? “I started making light chit-chat, talking about my boring date, and yadda, yadda. I asked if she was out on a date and guess what she said?” 

“What?” I dreaded her answer. 

“She said she was!” Sydney practically crowed, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “What’s even crazier—she said her date was actually her ex-fiancé. Wow. Crazy, huh?”  

I didn’t say anything, just sat there and felt sick as she continued on. “It was great talking to her. Her name is Emily and she just moved back from Washington, where she moved for a work thing, and now work has moved her back. So, she’s back and here and her and her ex—Mason—are giving it another shot. Isn’t that a special story? She’s beautiful, too. And funny and smart and really personable.” 

My heart was breaking listening to Sydney talk. What the hell? His ex-fiancée was back in New York and he hadn’t told me? He was—seeing her again? Was the wedding back on? Why would he take me and my friends to his house in the Hamptons if he was dating Emily? And why was Sydney talking this girl up like she was the next Miss America? My head throbbed, but I forced the tears to stay in my eyes. I couldn’t show weakness in front of Sydney. 

“Sorry, Sydney,” I said. “Mason’s told me all about his ex.” I stressed the word, trying to keep my voice calm. “So, you can move along now.” 

“So you know all about her, huh?” Sydney was challenging me. “You know that they are getting back together then? Emily told me about how Mason is the love of her life and they’re working on their relationship. Funny, she didn’t mention anything about him having a girlfriend that was in her way.” 

With that, she turned on her heel and flounced away. My fears were full blown. Mason having dinner with his ex. Her being back in town, period. Him seemingly not mentioning the fact he was seeing someone. Her wanting him back. A tear slipped down my cheek then, and I was grateful Sydney was long gone at that point. Off to torture another co-worker no doubt.

About the Book
Gorgeous? Check.

Wealthy? Check.

Sweet? Double check.

When Rachel Thomas meets Mason Conner, it seems she has found a man who is everything she’s ever wanted. After years of the single girl life in New York City, she’s due for some luck in the romance department. But with her less than stellar track record, Rachel can’t seem to let go of her past failures to fall too hard.

That is until Mason’s ex-fiancé reappears, determined to steal him back. With more than winning Mr. Perfect’s heart on the line, is Rachel finally ready to give her heart a break?

Buy the Book
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

About the Author
Helen Peterson is a native of Toronto Canada who went to college to pursue marketing. She currently works at a bank as an administrative assistant but her love of writing and telling stories that others can relate to has helped her complete her first manuscript Give Your Heart a Break. Helen has always loved telling a story especially through song, staring in all her high school musical theatre productions Like Oliver! and Anything Goes. Helen currently resides in Markham, Ontario.

Stay Connected
Facebook
Twitter

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9d17395a140/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="9d17395a140" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_bezfhk0k">a Rafflecopter giveawayrafflecopter.com/launch.jsscript>

Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

the call to create

Creation is an interesting thing. (And using the word "thing" to describe it would've earned me a docked point from my high school creative writing teacher, who wouldn't allow us to use the word in our writing.)

As a writer, sometimes I find myself working on demand. You have a story to write, and you have to just sit down and make yourself do the work. It was something I had to do as a journalist, it's something I do at my day job as a communications coordinator, and it's something I frequently do now as a novelist.

Creating is different. Creating is more of a calling. More than desire, it's a need to make something. To develop characters. To tell a story. While writing can be exhausting and rewarding, creating is more draining and exhilarating. For me, it's more emotion, more intense, more everything.

In short: Writing is what I do, but creating is when I really live.

What's strange is that creating and writing don't always happen for me at the same time, but one does help the other. There are times when I find myself jotting down story idea after story idea, character after character, trying to document as much as I can about the concept before I'm too spent to do anything else. Even when I can't find the words, I get lost in my thoughts imagining the world I want to one day share through my writing.

I rely on these files when I'm filled with the inspiration, or at least the inclination to write. Reasonably, with as many ideas as I have had, I doubt I'll ever be able to write them all. But even having the idea and creating the story in my head is a rewarding experience all on its own. Truthfully, it's my favorite part of the process, while also being the most conflicting for me.

There's something about winter and the story ideas it gives me. Maybe it's being cooped up all the time. Maybe it's having to rely on my imagination for entertainment, because I can only watch so much Netflix. Maybe I'm inspired by all of the heavy reading and watching I do while it's too cold to be outside. Maybe it's that the story I want to read or see or hear isn't readily available to me on a bookshelf or TV. Maybe it's just the way my brain works.

Whatever it is, I'm definitely in idea/creation mode right now. And in the last week, my "future projects" folder has grown bigger. I actually woke up early Monday morning with an idea so pressing, I had to write down everything I could--the main characters, the supporting cast, the details of the beginning and ending and what I imagined going in the middle. Luckily we had a snow day on Monday, because I was still taking notes well into mid-morning when I stopped for a break. This came on the heels of five concrete story ideas from last week, which are now anxiously waiting in the to-write pile.

Here's hoping one of those ideas sticks when the time comes for me to write. Even if they don't, my mind has been delightfully occupied. I suppose this is also my way of saying that if I come off aloof or inattentive when you're talking to me right now, I hope you won't take it personally. My mind is on vacation.


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

five questions with caroline fardig

Lizzie Hart is back—snooping, lying, and chick-fighting to uncover the truth, hoping not to break any hearts along the way…especially her own.

That Old Black Magic…will it put Lizzie under its spell?

To celebrate the release of Caroline Fardig's latest Lizzie Hart mystery, I invited Caroline to visit Change the Word to play a round of Five Questions. Caroline is also holding a giveaway in conjunction with the release, so be sure to read all the way through to the end for details on how to win a fabulous prize.

Change the Word: Who is your favorite supporting character in this book?
Caroline Fardig: My favorite is Brad.  He has a very small role, and I didn’t even bother to give him a last name.  However, his dialogue was the most fun to write.  I had to put on my “jerk” hat for that one.  I also got to use the Urban Dictionary extensively.

CTW: What was the biggest lesson you learned between writing your first book and this one?
CF: I think it was how to have a better flow to my writing.  I wrote my first novel years ago, and I’ve written several since then (yet to be published), so I think it’s a matter of practice and experience.  I’m much better with grammar and sentence structure now.  I don’t have to look up as many writing rules anymore!

CTW: When do you find yourself most inspired as a writer?
CF: Sometimes inspiration strikes suddenly.  I’ll just be daydreaming while doing something else and a situation will pop into my mind that would be great to use in a book.  Other times, I consciously sit down and try to come up with new ideas.  Being a musician, I’m also often inspired by music.  Sometimes I turn the music on, sit back, and let the ideas flow.

CTW: Where do you do most of your writing?
CF: My office.  I have a lovely office at home filled with artwork made by my daughter and me and other pieces that have special significance in my writing.

A glimpse of Caroline's fabulous office.
(I don't know about you, but I have built-in envy!)
CTW: Why should everyone drop what they're doing and pick up a copy of the book this second?
CF: That Old Black Magic is the most fun you’ll have all day.  There’s a zany cast of characters, and Lizzie Hart is, as always, getting herself into messes.  As a bit of a change from It’s Just a Little Crush, this book delves deeper into what makes Lizzie tick. You’ll laugh with her, you’ll cry with her, and you may just find out her deepest, darkest secret.


About That Old Black Magic

Lizzie Hart hoped her first day back at work after nearly being killed would be uneventful.  No such luck.  Before she can finish her morning coffee, Lizzie and her co-workers find a dead body on the rooftop of their office.  Media vultures that they are, the Liberty Chronicle employees are psyched to have first-hand news to report.  Lizzie, however, is devastated when she realizes that the victim is her ex-boyfriend’s brother.

When evidence begins piling up against one of Lizzie’s friends, she reluctantly dons her detective hat once again, determined to find the real killer.  She’s not thrilled about chasing another psychopath around, but she’ll do anything for a friend.  Lizzie’s love life is rapidly becoming a hot mess, too.  Her latest attempt at sleuthing isn’t leaving much time for her budding romance with town hunk Blake Morgan.  Add that to the fact she’s hiding a secret so big it could rock the very core of their relationship, it’s no wonder that Lizzie’s in a tizzy.  

Poor Lizzie ends up juggling a murder investigation, a wacky Wiccan coven, and two men vying for her attention—all while nursing injuries left over from the last time she decided to play Nancy Drew.  It’s a good thing she always has a few tricks up her sleeve.

Buy the Books
In honor of the release of That Old Black Magic, It's Just a Little Crush will be on sale for $0.99 the first week of February!

It's Just a Little Crush
Kindle
Nook

That Old Black Magic
Kindle
Nook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

cover reveal & giveaway for 'the marrying type'

The wait is finally over! I am pleased to announce that my second novel, The Marrying Type, will be published on February 24, with Marching Ink. Big thanks and props go to Ashley Byland of Redbird Designs for creating this fabulous cover.

And now for a closer look...


Here's the blurb for The Marrying Type:

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it).

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress. 

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

And the official book trailer:


To celebrate the upcoming publication, we are giving away three digital ARCs of The Marrying Type. (Note, these are ARCs that have not gone through a final round of edits so there may be a few typos and changes that come ahead.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also now add the book to your to-read list on Goodreads  and join the virtual launch party on Facebook .

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped make this upcoming release possible. It really does take a lot of people behind the scenes to bring a book to life, and I couldn't have done it without you. There was a lot of love and fun (and of course some moments of hair pulling) that went into making this book, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. (And I hope it doesn't leave you pulling out your hair. I hope I did enough of that during my revision process so you won't have to do any on your end!)


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.

movie monday: 'a wish come true'

Blogger's Note: It's no secret I devote much of December to following the latest (and past-time favorite) Hallmark movies. So I was thrilled to learn the channel would count down to Valentine's Day with a new movie each weekend leading up to the holiday. Naturally, I couldn't resist watching, live-tweeting, and ultimately blogging about my take on each new flick.


A Wish Come True
Original air date: Jan. 31
Starring Benjamin Hollingsworth and Megan Park

On the night of her 30th birthday, Lindsay Corwin, an unlucky environmentalist with a string of bad relationships, decides to make the ultimate wish: for all of her birthday wishes to come true. When her nearly three decades of wishes, including everything from losing weight to meeting Mr. Right, start magically coming true all at once, Lindsay is awestruck - until she realizes the life and the man, she’s always wished for might not be the one she really wants.

I must confess, I spent the prior week of trailer watching and first 15 minutes of the movie thinking, "This is the girl from The Secret Life of the American Teenager who had sex with her boyfriend and decided that sinful behavior got her father killed in an airplane accident." If you have no idea what I mean by this, then bless you. You clearly have better taste in television than I did when I was 23. If you do get it, well, am I right or what?

Regardless, the premise of this movie was cute enough. Girl makes a wish each year for her birthday, keeps track of them on a list, but they never come true. Until she turns 30 and wishes for all of her wishes.

And that's when I went a little tweeting crazy...

[View the story "#AWishComeTrue with @lmchap" on Storify]
I don't know... This one just wasn't working for me totally and completely. I found myself struggling to relate with Lindsay, which made it hard for me to be happy for her when her wishes came true. I realize she was supposed to be learning a lesson about appreciating what you have, not what you wish you had, but I could never shake that she didn't quite seem to deserve any of it. Not that she's awful or anything, but, I would've liked to see her be a bit more endearing.

And just like he did in the last Hallmark movie I saw him in (the one where he's again the long-suffering friend watching the woman of his dreams have her wishes come true without him) Benjamin Hollingsworth kind of stole the show for me. Maybe that's what made me have a hard time liking Lindsay. She has such a good friend in Benjamin, but she doesn't seem to appreciate it or him, even for what she thinks it is at first. Again. That's what this movie was about. I just get defensive of my Hallmark movie boyfriends.

So, overall a cute premise. Lots of potential, but this one fell a little short for me. I didn't hate it, but I probably won't find this one on my re-watch list.

Did any of you watch A Wish Come True? What were your thoughts?


Stay connected. "Like" Change the Word on Facebook. Follow my other adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Receive news updates via my e-newsletter.