Terry Odell's Blog, page 212
January 14, 2014
What’s Cooking Wednesday — Turkey-Quinoa Meatloaf
This makes a nice, moist meatloaf. And if someone in the family doesn’t like quinoa, they’ll never know it’s in here.
Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf
Ingredients:
¼ c quinoa
½ c water
1 t olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 glove garlic, chopped
4 mushrooms, diced fine
1 20 oz package ground turkey
1 T tomato paste
1 T hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 ½ t salt
1 t pepper
Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t water
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and wat...
January 13, 2014
In the Interview Room — Linda O. Johnston
Today I welcome Linda O. Johnston to the Interview Room.
Plotter or Pantser?
Plotter. I like to know where I’m going–even though my characters sometimes surprise me and do something different from what I thought they were up to.
Setting: real, totally made up, or based on a real place?
That depends. My Pet Rescue Mysteries are all pretty much set in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, as were my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries. But I’ve written other stories set in locales that were e...
January 12, 2014
Writing Conferences — Part 3 — Readers
In part 3 of my series on conferences, I’m taking a look at reader conferences. These would be number 3 on my list of value for investment, but they’re a big draw for a lot of people. I can only speak to the few I’ve attended, which fall into the genres of romance and mystery. I know there are all sorts of conferences for science fiction and fantasy, but since those aren’t my focus, I’ll let you dig into them yourself.
In romance, the biggie is RT, or Romantic Times. Another is RomCon. Ellora’...
January 11, 2014
Contest Reminders
The Booklover’s Bench contest runs through January 18th. You can win a $25 gift card, eBooks, or a chance to win a character in my upcoming book. Go to Booklover’s Bench and click the Contest Info tab in the nav bar for all the details.
And, if you’re a newsletter subscriber (and why not, I ask?), you should have received your newsletter with a special link to an exclusive contest where I’m giving away a Nook Simple Touch. Runners up will win books from best-selling authors or another chance t...
January 9, 2014
Friday Field Trip — McGinty’s
Last week, I showed you our Sunday morning haunt, the Costello Street Coffee House. Many of my followers on Facebook and Twitter know we also go to McGinty’s Wood Oven Pub on Sunday evenings. Here’s a look around.
Some libation choices
The patio for when the weather is nice.
Sometimes they have live Irish music
No clock, but they’re always counting down to St. Patrick’s Day (That’s Mike, our friendly bartender)
And if you want pizza, this is where they’ll make it
Irish “stuff” on the walls (and a l...
January 8, 2014
Writing Conferences — Part 2 — Craft
I’m continuing my series on writing conferences. If you missed Part 1, the business-oriented conference, you can find it here.
Perhaps my favorite kind of writing conference is the craft-oriented one. In the romance genre, in addition to the huge national RWA conference, many local RWA chapters have their own smaller conferences. If you’re new, these are less overwhelming.
Some that I’ve participated in include NOLA Stars, Emerald City, Colorado Romance Writers, and South Florida Romance Writer...
January 7, 2014
What’s Cooking Wednesday — Chicken Tagine
Chicken Tagine
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
(these aren’t as easy to find as they used to be; I bought a whole chicken and cut it up, but I’m not a great butcher—one plus: I did use all the ‘extra bits like wings and backs for stock (which I used in the recipe). Next time I make this, I’ll either use all legs/thighs or all breasts. But this is the way the recipe was written, and it’s usually a good idea to try it ‘right’ the first time, then make modifications.
1 ¼ T paprika
½ t g...
January 6, 2014
In the Interview Room — Linda Gordon Hengerer
Today I welcome Linda Gordon Hengerer to Terry’s Place. Linda is the author of American Football Basics, and is working on a mystery series set on Florida’s Atlantic coast. She loves to cook and bake, and sends out a recipe each week in her newsletter, Letter from Linda.
Plotter or Pantser?
Definitely a Plotter. I like having a title and I like knowing the ending; both elements help me keep the story on track. I also do light outlining of key scenes, to guide my writing and keep it on the story...
January 5, 2014
Writing Conferences, Part 1 — Business
Last chance to sign up for my newsletter (use the Nav Bar tab above) to have a chance to win a Nook, or books from some best-selling authors. Also, the Booklover’s Bench January contest is open. Hop over for a chance to win a $25 gift card, books, or a chance to name a character in my next book.
It might be January 6th, but I’m looking ahead to February, when I’ll be attending two conferences. I’ve cut back on conferences over the last few yea...
January 2, 2014
Friday Field Trip — Costello Street
Those who follow my Facebook Page (and if you don’t, why not?) and Twitter accounts (always happy to have new followers there, too) probably know that we go out for Sunday breakfast at the Costello Street Coffee house in Florissant (next town up the road). So, here’s your chance to see where we go every week.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
