Kathleen Rowland's Blog, page 23
January 8, 2015
Wordsmith– I also write books
If you enjoy watching book trailers, there’s one for DEEDS OF DECEIT.
Suz DeMello is featuring my adults only book on��her blog today, The Velvet Lair!�� Thank you, Suz.�� DEEDS OF DECEIT is a hot romantic suspense with sizzling magnetism and an adrenalin rush.
��
January 1, 2015
People craft– getting long with yourself
Ringing in the New Year with a pledge to ring the changes is far from a modern phenomenon. The ancient Romans began each year by making promises to lead a better life to Janus, the God after whom January is named. The Babylonians, too, would vow to their gods at the turn of the year to pay back their debts. And the theme of self-improvement carries across different cultures and religions – along with fasting and atonement for sins. In my experience one resolution is enough. Pick the most important one. Mine is swimming laps at 9 a.m. every single day unless it’s raining with lightning. If I do this one thing, exercising, everything else seems to fall into place!
December 30, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Photo above is courtesy of John Kernick
Today I’m posting the eDiet’s Cucumber Salad. This is from their Mediterranean plan.
Ingredients for Cucumber Salad
2 cup (8 fl oz) Nonfat Plain Yogurt 2 cucumber (8-1/4″) Cucumber, with peel, raw , seedless 2 clove Garlic, raw , minced 1/8 tsp Salt, table 1 tsp, whole Pepper Black 1/3 Cup Mint, fresh ,chopped 1/3 cup Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw , chopped 2 tsp Olive Oil
Directions:
Peel the cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4 inch slices. Add garlic to salt to make a paste. Stir yogurt into the paste. Add pepper, mint, and cilantro. Toss to mix. Drizzle with olive oil.
May be used with pita bread.
December 29, 2014
For good reasons the soft bob layered hairstyle is among ...
For good reasons the soft bob layered hairstyle is among the top ten featured cuts for 2015 according to Celebrity Hairstyles.
The photo above is courtesy of Suzanne Shaw Haircuts: Soft Blonde Short Bob Hairstyles/Bauer Griffin
The blonde short bob hairstyles with side-swept bangs is created sleek and slicked down. The cute choppy layers make the whole hairstyle look more voluminous and full of life.
The chic and ultra-voguish style can earn you many admiring glances. The straight cut is ideal for people with fine to medium hair. The fullness of the mid-length hairstyle is at about shoulder level. The splendid and silky hairstyle is great for people who search for a fabulous and cool hairstyle that is simple to style.
Comb all the hair to rid the tangles. Leave the hair at the back and at the side longer than the front one. Create various layers to add texture and shape to the whole look. Create face-framing layers and side sweeping bangs to stress the big and shinning eyes and to pair the smooth short bob hairstyle.
December 24, 2014
People craft– taking care of yourself
Let the holidays make you healthier and happier. From carolling to giving gifts, holiday magic isn’t just great for your soul– it’s great for your health. Boost immunity by carolling. Singing regulates breathing patterns, allowing your lungs to take in more energizing oxygen. You’ll get mood-lifting endorphins. Melt stress by taking a whiff of your tree. Some scientists say we associate the fresh evergreen scent with nature. No tree? Light a pine scented candle. Up your popularity by decking the halls. Neighbors tend to rate those fellow residents who hang a wreath at their front door and put out a string of lights as friendly. Strengthen holidays bonds by keeping family rituals. Do you enjoy walking or driving around to see holiday lights? Maximize health by going to holiday parties. Socializing fights depression and this fortifies your immunity. Increase self-esteem by giving small things– a homemade treat or holiday scented soap.
The photo below is from Can Stock.
December 22, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Ingredients:
24 Ounces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, Uncooked, all averages , halved
1/2 cup Chicken Broth, low sodium
2 fl oz White Wine , dry
2 cup Artichokes, (globe or french), frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt , quartered
1 medium (2-1/2″ dia) Onions, raw , diced
1 medium (approx 2-3/4″ long, 2-1/2″ dia) Green Bell or Sweet Peppers, raw , chopped
1 tsp, leaves Tarragon , fresh minced
1/4 tsp, ground Pepper, white
1/3 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 medium whole (2-3/5″ dia) Tomatoes, red, raw , cut into wedges
Directions:
1. Saute chicken in large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
2. Add chicken broth, wine, artichokes, onion, green pepper, tarragon, and white pepper; stir well. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables and chicken are tender. Add a parsley sprig! Calories per serving are 200.
3. Combine cornstarch and water; add to chicken mixture along with tomato wedges, stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Serve. Makes 6 servings.
Photo below is courtesy of James Carrier, and the recipe is from eDiets.
December 20, 2014
Wordsmith– I also write books
I’m having fun focusing on my villain today. What a bad-ass! I don’t want to give away the plot which would ruin the book for potential readers, but here is an excerpt. Below it is Amy’s condo overlooking Lake Arrowhead.
A soft breeze picked up along the lake shore. Cooler than his cabin at Fuller Ridge, he shivered and crouched low in the trees. To warm himself as he waited, he’d built a small fire between boulders. A full moon glowed over the lake. Coyotes crooned mournfully. Unseen like him, their hollow yowling drifted off densely wooded Rocky Point. A silvery mist lingered like a death shroud above the ground. He watched it drift among trees along the lake and surveyed. Behind a rustic stone wall sat a row of stylish A-frame condominiums with the architectural flair of Lake Arrowhead.
Above the mist, Amy materialized, taking shape at her second story window, tormenting him, luring him with her shapely silhouette until she closed the shutters. Tonight she had a visitor. Who was the tall figure walking behind the slats? Her guest was one too many at her lakefront condo.
That home was about letting the outdoors in. Skylights on the roof ridge showcased blue skies and wildlife in the trees above. The spacious wrap-around deck looked out onto Blue Jay Bay. He knew all about the separate guest quarters on the bottom level with the additional half bath. Convenient for a convalescing patient. Often he followed the stone path through the back yard and sat on a lawn chair. That was when the sufferer was alive.
Tonight he hid among logs of pine and boulders, his hands slick with sweat on his semi-automatic and waited. The pistol, chambered for the 9mm Luger cartridge, was designed for concealability in mind. Light and flat, it felt comfortable in his hand, but he had to control himself. Tomorrow morning he’d “join” the Saturday work crew and replace the skylight’s hinges. Soon he’d drop down for a visit.
December 18, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
Heroines in my books are up against problems but take care of themselves by eating healthy. Readers tell me they enjoy the food choices these story people make. Today in my work-in-progress, Deadly Alliance, heroine Amy Kintyre leads hikers up a mountainous ridge with water, almonds and a tangerine in her backpack. I “pepper in” these real life items. Amy faces danger on the trail. The day before she’d witnessed a gang fight in a hotel through a vent in the mezzanine bathroom. She runs smack into a member but escapes this time. Later she’s with the hero, a former army ranger. He grills Filet Mignon, and she makes corn-on-the-cob and a tossed salad. Below Amy is an excerpt from her experience in the bathroom:
Sweet! Amy entered the bathroom and faced an exit door labeled Harp Hotel-on-the Lake. No wonder this bathroom was elegant. Waffle towels and an assortment of fragrance mists, lotions, and a milk-glass soap pump sat on a marble counter next to a vintage-looking faucet. If she weren’t in a hurry, she’d spray herself with Vanilla Sugar Cologne or Moonlight Path.
There were two large stalls, and she peeked under the shiny white painted doors to make sure she wouldn’t intrude upon someone. Seeing it empty, she headed in and hung her little handbag on a hook. About to use the toilet, she heard muffled voices. Was she not alone?
Glancing upward, she spotted a vent. The voices came from a room in the hotel. To ease her mind, she stepped up on the toilet seat. On tip-toe, she strained to raise herself higher. As she peered through the vent, she looked over a balcony and onto a large ballroom. The bathroom, where she was on the second level of the parking structure, was on the hotel’s mezzanine.
About twenty feet below, the waxed ballroom floor gleamed up at her, but the scene below wasn’t dancing. About a half dozen men wore flowing robes extending half-way below their shins. Amy didn’t recognized the head cover and robe style from her Survey of Desert Wear class.
The robed men surrounded four men seated with their hands on a round table. Held captive, she was certain. The two facing her with Claddagh rings on their third fingers had visited Les. That day they’d dressed in Levis instead of the suits they wore today.
She knew the mafioso understated appearance. In her hometown of Long Beach, the Waterfront Roaches, went about their infamous business in match-match suits. The Irish Kings of Cocaine ruled the warehouse district. After scrutinizing the backs of the other two suits, she zeroed in on the man with the short cropped white hair. He’d joined the other two at her condo as well. Was one mob infringing on the other’s territory?
Fearing they’d see her, Amy cringed, but the hoodlums were far below. Concentrating, she tried to make out what was happening down there. She looked through the vent. They were talking again.
One of the robes said, “You failed, Rourke.”
Where had she heard that name?
She concentrated on the robed leader. He contorted his face in anger, but he didn’t appear to be Arab.
“Let me impress upon you,” came words from Rourke, “we can both win.”
“Nada,” the robed leader continued. “This is our territory now. You’re in our way.”
“Wait! Hold on!” stammered a young suited man facing her direction.
Hold onto what? When Amy watched the leader gesture toward his guard, she feared something bad was about to happen.
The guard raised his arms in the air. Coming from under his robe, light reflected on a long sword. He wrapped both hands around it and whipped the sword through the air. Like lightning, his arms and body made a complete circle. Amy gasped. The sword was aiming for the seated guy’s neck.
Rourke whipped out a blade at thigh level and threw it, striking the robed man in the shoulder. The sword thudded onto the floor.
She focused on a robed man bringing up a pistol. Rourke was in its cross-hairs. The gun discharged and ripped through Rourke’s shoulder and out the other side.
Another robed man picked up the sword, tried to use it, but a suited man shot him twice. Three times in the chest. He crashed to the floor. A puddle of blood seeped through his robe.
In all her twenty-eight years, nothing prepared her for this horror.
Amy shivered from fright but steadied herself against the stall wall. After a few frozen seconds passed, she told herself she must serve justice. Take photos! Pulling out her iPhone, she touched camera and held it at several different angles. Could the click-click-click heard below?
Again, she glanced through the vent. Running his hand through his blood-spattered white hair, Rourke stumbled. His companions supported him through the ballroom’s double doors.
The robed leader looked up at her. A coincidence? She ducked. No, he couldn’t have seen me. She snapped two more photos of the gruesome scene. Enough evidence. Time to scram. Leaping off the toilet, she darted through the door to the parking structure. The cold air brushed her skin.
She charged down the ramp. Around and around, she sped with all her might. She took a quick glance over her shoulder. A shadow from a careening SUV. She dove behind a parked car. As the SUV passed, the tinted windows rolled down. The barrel of a rifle appeared. Tires squealed, and the SUV zoomed off.
December 11, 2014
Eat– for Good Health
A Brand New Address, book one of my futuristic sweet romantic suspense INTERVENUS series is free on Smashwords with the coupon NQ97R! In the story taking place on Ice Age Earth, Yardley Van Dyke grows vegetables in the greenhouse she inherited from her late mother. The only plants that grow there are root vegetables, and she makes this casserole for Marchand’s family and neighbors–
Ingredients for Yardley Van Dyke’s Root Vegetable Casserole
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
3 1/2 cups milk
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsleyPreheat an oven to 350°F. Butter a bistro pan or a 3-quart baking dish. Put the parsnips, sweet potatoes and russet potatoes in a large bowl of water. Set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, kosher salt and pepper and heat just until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain the vegetables and pat dry. Arrange a layer of parsnips, sweet potatoes and russet potatoes, alternating the slices, in the prepared pan. Pour part of the cream mixture on top and sprinkle with part of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Cover the pan with the lid or with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid or foil and continue baking until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour more. Let the gratin stand for 15 minutes before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley. Serves 10 to 12.
December 9, 2014
Wordsmith– I also write books
As a little gift to twitter followers and blog visitors, I’m giving away FALLEN EVERMORE for free. You will use the coupon LN59L at checkout for the hundred per cent discount.
Criminal attorney Sophia Mercola makes a name for herself by saving petty thieves from trips to the Big House. When a madman leaves victims not quite dead along the beach, her good intentions work against her. Witch hunters believe she knows who’s behind the freaky cruelties. Tough and dedicated to keeping his daughter and everyone in town safe, Mayor Cordell Smith must protect the outspoken attorney. Acquainted with everlasting life, secret immortal Cord fears exploitation of its source, kept under wraps for a hundred and fifty years. As Sophia and Cord piece together clues, they fall for each other until he resents her slick lawyer tactics. When his ex-wife, accused of Munchausen by Proxy against her son from her second marriage, becomes a client, Sophia plays into her twisted mind. Cord’s fearless exterior shatters when he’s accused as the last person to talk with a victim and his daughter digs up her past. With daughter Kerrigan at risk, Sophia sacrifices herself. Will she uncover the chilling legacy in time?
Available formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html
The cover model, Via Aclan is engaged to son Ted!
