Thursday, September 30, 2010

Victoria Byllin: Recipe for a Romance Novel

My good friend Vicki has an October release, so I asked her to tell us about it.

I don’t know what it is about recipes and romance novels, but they fit together like bread and butter. For fun I thought I’d share a recipe of my own. This isn’t something you’ll whip up in the kitchen. It’s not food for the body, but rather food for the heart. It’s the recipe for Wyoming Lawman,  my October release for Love Inspired Historicals. I’m calling it “Happily Ever After Cake.”

Ingredients
1 single mother
1 deputy sheriff
2 children -- girl, age 5. Boy, infant.
5 bad guys
1 best friend, slightly grizzled
1 guilty secret, pre-cooked
1 female cousin, borderline spinster
1 saloon fire
5 kisses

Preheat the oven to “Warm & Cozy.” Remove single mother from carriage and place her in danger. Add little girl. Stir vigorously. Add hero with badge. Stir until ingredients are well blended. Add baby boy. Season with a kiss and set aside.

In a separate bowl, crack open the bad buys. Scramble with the guilty secret. Cook on low heat in a frying pan, stirring constantly. Turn up the heat with the saloon fire. Turn it up even higher with the cousin falling for the hero and the best friend being cantankerous. When the ingredients thicken, add the contents of the first bowl to the frying pan. Turn up the heat yet again. Continue to cook, stirring vigorously. Season liberally with kisses.

When the mixture is at a full boil, pour into a heart-shaped pan. Let the mixture cool for exactly one final scene. Frost with an epilogue.

That’s the recipe for “Happily Ever After Cake.” I hope you enjoy it!



The Deputy’s Decision
Matrimony? Never again for deputy sheriff Matt Wiley. The only good thing from his first marriage is his daughter. His little girl might want a mother, but Matt knows that no woman should have to deal with his guilty secret, or his anger at God. He’ll do his duty, serve the town of Cheyenne and keep his distance. Yet when courageous single mother Pearl Oliver comes to town, watching from the sidelines isn’t an option--especially when Pearl lands herself in danger. His heart, Pearl’s life and the safety of their town are all at risk. Only the love and faith he thought he’d left behind can help him win his way to happily ever after.

10 comments:

  1. Hi, Victoria--Love, love, love your recipe for “Happily Ever After Cake.” Very sweet(hehe) and clever. Your book sounds just like my cup of tea. Will be looking to pick it up.

    Hugs!

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  2. Hi Caroline! I hope you enjoy the story. My favorite ingredients are the five kisses :)

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  3. Vicki, I love your recipe for a Happily Ever After Cake. That's so clever. And it's really enticed me into purchasing the book. I can't wait to find out what his guilty secret is. Must be a doozy. But then secrets have a way of being that way. And they always find a way to rise to the top and burst out, usually at the most inopportune moment. Good luck with this book.

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  4. Totally love the recipe, Vicki. And I've got my Kindle set to autoload this as soon as it's available tomorrow, I think. Love the kisses, too. oxoxox

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  5. Vicki - your recipe is as adorable as your
    cover!! I mean, come on - who could resist a hunky cowboy with a child in his arms? Good luck with it. I Want a Piece of that Happily Ever After cake!!

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  6. That's one recipe I want to try/buy. Caroline x

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  7. Hello All, The official release date is Tuesday, October 12th. That's exactly 3 days after my son's wedding. They'll be having a "Happily Ever After" cake of their own :)

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  8. Only an author could think of something that cute. Oh, thanks for sharing.

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  9. Hi apple blossom! The idea sprang from "The Great Soup Round-up" over at Petticoats & Pistols. I've had food on the brain this week!

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  10. Love the recipe, Vicki. Looking forward to getting the book, too. :D

    Anita Mae.

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