Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth
My laptop has been dying a slow death for days and is now in accelerated death throes. It brings to mind a line from the very first Indiana Jones movie. It’s not the age, it’s the mileage. If keystrokes were miles, I’d be halfway to the sun by now!
The very last thing I wanted to do to end 2013 was learn a new operating system. I hear Windows8 might be hard to get the swing of for moderate tech fossils like me. I’ve learned every single Windows operating system you’ve come up with since Windows95, Microsoft. I deserve a break. If you won’t give me a break from constantly retraining myself to use your products, then the least you can do is make my Office software transferable instead of forcing me to pay for a new Office Suite each time. How many has it been? Five…six?? *sigh*
Because I have to move files from this rapidly sinking ship, I’m seeing the early Rose Anderson. My my, how afraid I was. A timid fish out of water. I have a romantic soul and have loved reading romances for the last thirty years. Never in a million did I conceive I’d be among the likes of Kathleen Erin Hogg (a.k.a Kathleen Woodiwiss), Johanna Howard (a.k.a Johanna Lindsey), and Jeanne Hines (a.k.a Valerie Sherwood) and thousands of others who call themselves romance novelists. But I’ve said before, I’m no romance writer.
People who know me well would tell you this shy writer is the last person to write erotic romance. How I became a multi-published award-winning romance author is curious, especially because I never set out to do more than simply learn the ropes. I’m in this genre because a synchronistic series of events appeared in my life just as I was writing the final chapters of my Magnum Opus (my M.O. — the as-yet-unnamed 500,000 word, 5-book labor-of-love stab at literary fiction). All fingers pointed to erotic romance as the sure-fire fast track to learn this writer’s world. It’s crazy but true. It did exactly that and all it required was me stepping way outside my comfort zone to do it. My mind is filling with adages right now. (morning coffee on a sleepy brain does that sometimes) This one fits: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
My writing is a blur between vocation and avocation. It’s more than my stay-at-home career. It’s almost necessary to me. With 40 years of rheumatoid arthritis stealing my crafty mojo, writing has become my main creative outlet. Sometimes it feels like half my life has been crammed into these three short years. I suppose it’s because I put so much of myself into it. My writing is all an expression of me –my experiences, my emotions, my beliefs, opinions, and more. Add to that, the interesting details and personalities found in the world around me. And add to that, an intense creativity.
The end of this month marks my 3-year anniversary as a published romance author. Thank you Siren-Bookstrand Publishing for taking me in and getting me pointed in the right direction. I’ve learned an amazing body of knowledge from A to Z, but more importantly, having been immersed in the occasionally painful editing process, the mechanics of my storycraft has improved as I hoped it would. My Magnum Opus is steeped in theology, philosophy, theosophy, physics, metaphysics, history, prehistory, quantum physics, and energy medicine. In it I make a social statement because that’s the point. It’s also a timeless love story, and the ultimate battle between light and dark. It’ll be epic. And hopefully people will understand it. lol ;) 
Though I still have several partial romances to complete, it’s time to return to my labor of love. Come January, I’ll rewrite my Magnum Opus with all I’ve learned and feel confident that when I send it out into the world, it’ll be its best. The best message I can possibly convey. The best of me.
As Archimedes once said, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth.”
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So…while digging in my files I found something to share. Think of it as my gift to you. A gift of deliciousness.
Food is such a sensual thing. It nourishes the body and mind in so many ways. I worked at a school years ago where this heavenly dish was offered at a staff party. OMG. Our office manager/chef made these delightful little creamy hearts swimming in a sea of raspberries. Begging the recipe, I immediately rushed home to make it myself. Believe it or not I’ve only made this twice in 19 years because it’s highly addictive, fat and calorie dangerous to eat often, but oh so good. I hope you try it at least once. I know you’ll lick the beaters. I might have licked the bowl too!
To Die For Crème de la Crème **
1/2 c. farmer’s cheese
1/2 c. creme fraiche or sour cream
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 c. heavy cream, very cold
Combine farmer’s cheese, creme fraiche (or sour cream), sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Whisk in heavy cream and whip until your mixture has the texture of whipped cream. This will happen pretty quick. As soon as it looks like thick whipped cream stop or you’ll get lumpy butter chunks in sweet whey. Refrigerate. If you’d like a prettier presentation, this mixture molds really well but be sure to line molds with cheesecloth. If you chill this a little first, you can blop it onto waxed paper and roll it into a log. Then chill and slice when firm. While that’s firming up, prepare the topping.
4 pints raspberries, rinsed and drained (I suppose any fruit would be good, berries, peaches etc.)
1 c. sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Mash and mix. Unmold, spoon or slice your crème mixture into serving dishes. Top with raspberries.
** Disclaimer: This is so good you’ll have a hard time deciding if you should eat it or rub it all over your body. I take no responsibility for stains the latter incurs.
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Just 1 day left!
For 99 days I’ve posted
something
from my
chosen topic of Words &
Quotes of Love for the
100 Things Blogging Challenge
. There’s just 1 entry
to come!
Here’s another:
“To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others.”
~ Anne-Sophie Swetchine
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If you’re here for the first time, my husband and I are building a vintage holiday postcard scrapbook one card at a time. I’ve been posting one or two each day and plan to keep it up from now until January. They’re charming keepsakes from days gone by.
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* FREE * FREE * FREE * FREE * FREE * FREE * FREE *
My blog presence is smaller this month because I’m taking a holiday break to see to gift making and cookie baking. Even though I’m not blogging much, you can still discover my books and a little bit about me. Just click on the Links tab above to see my book trailers and other blogs filled with snippets, insights, challenges, recipes, writer tips, chatty things, and more. My novels in ebook and paperback can be found wherever books are sold.
Sample my novels too!
Love Waits in Unexpected Places – Scorching Samplings of Unusual Love Stories https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/333971
A Holiday Anthology Vol. 1 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374815
>>Subscribe to this blog for all my news<<
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Several promotional opportunities for romance authors can be found on my Exquisite Quills group blog.
Join us tomorrow for our open promo ~ First Kiss Wednesday
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
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author
R. Ann Siracusa’s blog day.
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/
RB4U is participating in author Nikki Barrett’s READER APPRECIATION GIVEAWAY — Lots of prizes. Enter today!
https://www.facebook.com/NikkiLynnBarrettauthor/app_228910107186452
Last week I had my blog day on Romance Books ’4′ Us. Come see how much I love snow. http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2013/12/timing-is-everything.html
And…our new contest has approximately 30 prizes for one winner, including a $75 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. I’m adding a free book from my backlist to the loot. Read the pages and find the dancing Santas!
http://www.romancebooks4us.com/
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