Terry Odell's Blog, page 127
November 9, 2016
It’s About Reviews
**The election is over. Some people are pleased with the outcome, others are not. What’s important is to be civil and move on. No gloating, no name-calling. Behave with dignity, people. And with that, the subject is closed.**
On with today’s topic. Reviews. Yes, we need them. Amazon’s policy is changing, and things relative to books are still in flux. Authors can give away free copies of books (publishers distributing ARCs for review is a long-standing marketing policy), but they can no longe...
November 8, 2016
What’s Cooking Wednesday – Crock Pot Chili
Don’t run when you see “elk” in the recipe’s title. This is a favorite of Hubster’s. He’s done it with hamburger, bison, buffalo and this week it was elk.
Crockpot Elk Chili
Ingredients:
1 pound ground elk (or bison, or buffalo or plain old ground beef)
1 t ground cumin
t cayenne
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 10.75 oz can tomato soup
1 14.5 oz can kidney beans drained
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained
medium onion, chopped
t minced garlic
1 Anaheim chile, chopped
1 Pobl...
November 7, 2016
November 6, 2016
Back in the Saddle
The year isn’t over yet, but it’s been a very busy time for me. After finishing Deadly Places, my Mapleton mystery novella, I wrote and released three full-length novels in a new series (which means I had to write them), a short story, as well as two audio books. I travelled to conferences and went on a research trip to a working cattle ranch.
When In Dire Straits, book 3 in my Triple-D Ranch series, was ready to go, I stepped back and took a much needed break. When you work from home, you’re...
November 4, 2016
Friday Field Trip – Red Rock Canyon
A while back, Hubster was dog-sitting for our daughter’s pup down in the Springs. He took both her dog and ours hiking in Red Rock Canyon, and managed to take a few pictures while dealing with double leashes.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
November 3, 2016
Don’t Let the Prose Stop the Story
There’s a saying about journalists—they never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Today’s post is more about “don’t let the prose get in the way of your story.”
On Monday, I talked about characters making the book, using The Martian by Andy Weir as an example. In continuing with my “I don’t normally read these books” theme, I’ll continue with another book club selection from my book club group.
The book was assigned for October, and something spooky was the theme. The choice was Odd...
November 2, 2016
What’s Cooking Wednesday – Spaghetti with Mussels, Tomatoes & Basil
Hubster found this one in the Williams Sonoma Weeknight Fast and Fresh cookbook our daughter gave him. Unfortunately, our local store didn’t have fresh basil; he substituted dried, but the picture isn’t as pretty without the bright green leaves. He also exercised a little creativity and threw in some shrimp as well.
Spaghetti and Mussels with Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients:
Coarse kosher salt, to taste
6 oz. spaghetti, preferably multigrain
2 T. olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
tsp. red pe...
October 31, 2016
Characters Can Make the Story
A recent selection of my library book club group was The Martian by Andy Weir. I hadn’t read the book nor had I seen the movie, and since a former favorite genre of mine was science fiction, I thought there was a chance I’d enjoy the book. (Most of the club’s selections are more literary fiction, which is not my preferred genre, but I try to read, or at least sample, whatever they pick.) Forces me to expand my reading horizons.
Even though the book was filled with highly technical science, al...
October 27, 2016
More Release Celebrations
Release Day is more like Release Week for In Dire Straits. First, thanks to everyone who’s bought a copy and triple thanks to those who have left reviews.
Here’s what’s been going on.
A giveaway of an ARC of In Hot Water–the version that contains the embarrassing typo on page 308.
A Goodreads giveaway for 2 autographed copies of In Dire Straits
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size:...October 26, 2016
What’s Cooking Wednesday – Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine. Minor modification – didn’t have fresh rosemary, so I used dried. The recipe suggested serving this with Israeli couscous, but any favorite starch would be fine. I used barley, which we had on hand.
Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
c d...
