Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida, page 128

HURRICANE SEASON

HURRICANE SEASON

And so it begins…Tropical Alex has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, the forecast track doesn't appear likely to threaten Florida but this could be considered a warning to get prepared. Last year we were lucky, and it's easy to get complacent until something springs up in our neighborhood. Stocking up on a few items each time you're in the supermarket won't pinch your budget too much. So take stock of what you have in your pantry, test your flashlight and lantern...

THE WRITER'S MIND

I'm sitting in the car at a traffic light, and my mind wanders. My hero accesses the villain's fortress to determine how they are keeping open a dimensional rift. He's been there before but missed some important data. What is different this time? He has gone shopping in the interval. Did I have him buy electronics so he could use his spacefaring skills to assemble a sensor device? Oops, better add that into the story.  What data would he collect this time that he wasn't able to acquire...

MARCO ISLAND, FL

If you'd like to escape for several days to a beach haven away from it all, visit Marco Island. There's as much or as little as you want to do here, with expansive sandy beaches, boat rides, fine dining, shopping, water sports, and more. Driving onto the island, a two hour drive west from Fort Lauderdale and just south of Naples, we stopped at the Snook Inn for lunch. Located on a waterway, this rustic restaurant offers a scenic view along with outdoor dining. I had Baked Stuffed Shrimp...

CONTEST WINNER

Congratulations to Karin Tillotson from Sharpsville, PA for winning my MAY MADNESS CONTEST. Since Karin is a newsletter subscriber, she has also won the bonus prize. 

The winner is selected using a random integer generator at http://www.random.org/integers/

We had 91 entries.  Thanks to all who responded! 

Keep watch here or on my CONTEST website page for the July book launch contest to celebrate the debut of Silver Serenade.

CONTEST

Only three more days to enter my May Madness contest!  

PRIZE: A free signed copy of one of my books, your choice of romance or mystery.

To enter the contest, please send an email to contest@nancyjcohen.com

 In the Subject line, put Contest

In the Body of the message, put the following:

 Your first and last name

Your email address

And the answer to this question:  

 Who does Silver intend to kill on Al'ron? 

Answers can be found in the excerpt on my website at http://bit.ly/9Yk8nI or on the Romance...

RESEARCH: ON-SITE LOCALES

When you research an area in person for your story, observe your surroundings with the Writer's Eye. What does this mean? Use the five senses in recording your observations. Back up your notes with photos and recordings if you wish. But later, when you have plenty of reference materials, you might forget just how hot it was outside or what sounds    you heard unless you've jotted it down. So what are you looking for in your on-site research?                                      

SIGHT means m...

AUTHOR SANDRA SOOKOO

Interview with Author Sandra Sookoo     

Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction.  Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romances and she loves to blend genres and spice them up and often times will add humor as well.    

After catching the writing bug at the young age of ten, she's gone on to grow her unique writing style.  She's a regular contributor for the Paranormal Romantic's blog and blogs bi-monthly with a great group of women at Embrace the Shadows.

When not...

FRW CRUISE CONFERENCE

FLORIDA ROMANCE WRITERS FUN IN THE SUN CONFERENCE ABOARD A CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP!  

The Florida Romance Writers are proud to present              

Independence of the Seas

Heather Graham, Joan Johnston and Sally Schoeneweiss

Join us and Cruise with your Muse January 20th-24th, 2011

Confirmed Agents and Editors are:
Wanda Ottewell...

JUPITER, FL

Last weekend, I gave a talk at Jupiter library, but first, my husband and I drove around to explore the town.  

We  stopped at Dubois Park but it was Memorial Day weekend and the park was mobbed with picnickers. It looked to be impossible to get a parking spot so we drove on. We went next to Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, in service since 1860 with a museum and gift shop. Tours cost $7 but you can get a good photo from the parking lot. We took another photo from across the Intracoastal where we...

TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE

Kitchen Fiasco Number One 

I am having a dinner party tonight, and I wanted to prepare two items for the first time. One was called Olive Cheese Nuggets that I ate at a friend's house many years ago. The couple coming tonight likes olives, so I thought this would be a great time to try the recipe. Essentially, it's medium sized stuffed green olives wrapped in pastry. So I follow this recipe:

4 oz grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup...