Thank you to Maureen for point me to this:
The Romance Reader
The Lawman’s Bride
by Cheryl St. John
(Harl. Hist. #835, $5.50, PG-13) ISBN 0-373-29435-2
Sophie Hollis has only ever wanted her freedom and her independence. As a child, she saw her father and brothers killed when Sioux attacked their wagon heading west. She and her mother were taken captive, with her mother eventually dying in an epidemic. The chief, who doted on her, raised Sophie, but once he died the Sioux sold her to a white man, Tek Garrett. She was about 12 years old.
Garrett is a con man and teaches Sophie everything he knows. Together they cross the country swindling greedy men out of their money. Abused by Garrett, and yearning for an honest life, Sophie sees her opportunity and takes off. She lands in Newton, Kansas where she lies through her teeth and takes employment as a Harvey Girl. She’s making good money, making friends and for the first time is truly happy. However it all gets complicated when the Marshal, Clay Connor, takes a shine to her and her past comes calling.
Fearful that she might still be found out, she dodges Clay for a while. In fact, she dodges all men – having known only the worst that the gender has to offer. But circumstances and persistence on his part begin to wear her down. Plus, Clay is a genuinely nice man. Honest, hard working, the kind of man that Sophie has never known on a personal level. He intrigues her, and she him – for Sophie seems so different from the other girls at the Harvey House.
The plot in St. John’s latest western is fairly straightforward – girl running from a past that finally catches up to her once she finds herself falling in love with the hero. The question remains on how Clay will handle her deceptions. They are deceptions born out of necessity, out of shame and fear – but nonetheless this is a girl who has been lying to everyone and has spent her entire teenage and adult life breaking the law. Sure, she was under the thumb of the villain, but Clay is nothing but an honest and good lawman.
Sophie really carries this story. Without her, it doesn’t work. While the author gives her a violent and tragic past, Sophie is not a victim. She is not a beautiful martyr, cowering in a corner waiting for a man to rescue her. She is running away, but she’s using her wits to survive. This is a woman hungry to control her own destiny – away from Garrett, and away from anyone who threatens that dream. She has seen the worst, and knows that if she wants that dream she has to rely on herself.
Clay begins to crack her resolve however. So different and sweet from anyone she has ever known. He treats her with respect; a good man when she thought none existed. But by then she has lies to keep up, and when her past shows up in Newton, she finds herself backed into a corner once again. This time though, she’s not giving up her freedom without a fight.
St. John continues to write sweet, wonderful and emotional western romances in a time when publishing keeps telling readers that the sub genre is played out and dead. Fans know differently, and as long as talented authors continue to mine a western landscape filled with second chances and redemption, it gives readers hope that a sub genre that so exemplifies everything that’s good about romance novels will never truly die. St. John is one of the few entertaining and consistent western authors who hasn’t thrown in the towel, and for that romance readers everywhere should give thanks.
--Wendy Crutcher
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Busy McWriting
Most of our snow melted over the past few days, and today the sun will probably -- hopefully -- finish it off. We're having spring temperatures!
I've been writing up a storm this week, which is a good thing, you must agree.
American Idol is now in full swing with the tryouts over and the viewers voting. Bones is on hold until late in March. FYI you can watch all the past season's episodes on the Fox website. :-( but tonight is part 2 of McGray's Anatomy and we get to see Meredith revived and apparently someone else die.
Teaser: I'm using your pet names in another story.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Great Endorsement
Friend, Sally Walker posted this to the Romance Readers Connection and was kind enough to send it to me as well. She picked up the book at last Saturday's signing.
"Right after finishing Garwood's KILLJOY, I dived into THE LAWMAN'S BRIDE by Cheryl St. John, a Harlequin Historical. Books under 300 pages have to work hard to impress me, especially period pieces. Well, Cheryl took me by storm. The intrigue and character depth were gut-wrenching and very credible. I have read other "short books" where the author repeated the "angst points" as the characters thought about their dilemmas. This author did NOT rehash what was previously explained, but touched on aspects of the dilemma as the character tried to figure out how to cope . . . just like normal humans do. She did not "beat a dead horse." AND the fact that the heroine was flawed and fighting to overcome that as well as the doubts triggered in the lawman hero were also credible. The love that grew between the couple was intensified by the events, not a "little side trip" of the events or gratuitous. Of course, Cheryl has a LONG list of credits and I have read several, but this is her finest, ladies. You gotta buy it!"
Sally J. Walker
Editorial Director, The Fiction Works, www.fictionworks.com
Script Supervisor, Misty Mountain Productions, www.mistymtnproductions.com
On Amazon: LETTING GO OF SACRED THINGS , DESERT TIME
My Webpage: http://members.cox.net/sallyjwalker
"Right after finishing Garwood's KILLJOY, I dived into THE LAWMAN'S BRIDE by Cheryl St. John, a Harlequin Historical. Books under 300 pages have to work hard to impress me, especially period pieces. Well, Cheryl took me by storm. The intrigue and character depth were gut-wrenching and very credible. I have read other "short books" where the author repeated the "angst points" as the characters thought about their dilemmas. This author did NOT rehash what was previously explained, but touched on aspects of the dilemma as the character tried to figure out how to cope . . . just like normal humans do. She did not "beat a dead horse." AND the fact that the heroine was flawed and fighting to overcome that as well as the doubts triggered in the lawman hero were also credible. The love that grew between the couple was intensified by the events, not a "little side trip" of the events or gratuitous. Of course, Cheryl has a LONG list of credits and I have read several, but this is her finest, ladies. You gotta buy it!"
Sally J. Walker
Editorial Director, The Fiction Works, www.fictionworks.com
Script Supervisor, Misty Mountain Productions, www.mistymtnproductions.com
On Amazon: LETTING GO OF SACRED THINGS , DESERT TIME
My Webpage: http://members.cox.net/sallyjwalker
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Booksigning!
Today was a whirlwind, but a good one. The local booksigning with eighteen authors was a success. I saw lots of familiar faces and was pleasantly surprised by some I hadn't seen in a long time.
It was Sue's birthday and I have a picture, but I promised her I wouldn't post it without her permission.
Lucky Lou had her cruise pictures in glorious living color and it was obvious that she and the dh had a wonderful time. He looks like a fun guy!
Brenda stopped by and it was great to see her. Brenda's typing up her present employment and nearly ready to job hunt. Good luck!
These are two wild and crazy friends I used to work with, Paula and Courtney. It was great to see them and catch up. They hadn't changed a bit. Hope they come blog with us from time to time.
It was Sue's birthday and I have a picture, but I promised her I wouldn't post it without her permission.
Lucky Lou had her cruise pictures in glorious living color and it was obvious that she and the dh had a wonderful time. He looks like a fun guy!
Brenda stopped by and it was great to see her. Brenda's typing up her present employment and nearly ready to job hunt. Good luck!
These are two wild and crazy friends I used to work with, Paula and Courtney. It was great to see them and catch up. They hadn't changed a bit. Hope they come blog with us from time to time.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
McDreamy to the Rescue!
All the hype about Gray's Anatomy was on the mark -- and someone did die! Meredith Gray! Of course she is having a life-after-death experience and can't stay dead. After she chats with the dead bomb squad guy and Dead Denny, they'll revive her. It is GRAY'S Anatomy after all. A little hokey imho, but what the hey, they're looking for ratings. But it's wonderful watching McDreamy in emotional torture. At first I hated Addison, but now I love her. Izzy shouldn't have said what she did to George, I hope she's forced to take it back when Kallie makes him deliriously happy.
Not At All Mad Scientist
Teacher's conferences Thurs and Fri so no school. The Boy got himself dressed this morning and remembered a stack of my husband's cast off ties. He tied it himself and it looks better than I could have done! He came into my office and said, "I look like a scientist, don't I?" He loves to wear ties and often puts on a tie with a pullover shirt. LOL Kids are a riot, aren't they? My daughter LeighAnn had a favorite long dress that she wore with a Burger King crown all the time and wanted to wear it when we went places. Eventually she graduated to a lime green tunic top and matching pants with yellow smiley faces all over it that my neighbor gave her from her garage sale. I had to fight it from her little body to get it in the washer. Will have to see if I have a picture of that ensemble.
He took this one of us.
Not a joke
From my inside source at Nash Finch:
IF YOU USE PETER PAN PEANUTBUTTER AND THE NUMBER 2111 IS ON THE LID, REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF THE JAR. . .DO NOT USE IT!
CONAGRA IS ASKING THAT YOU DESTROY THE PEANUT BUTTER AND MAIL THE LID TO
CONAGRA FOODS
P.O. BOX 57078
IRVINE, CA 92619-7087
IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO TALK TO CONAGRA THE NUMBER IS
866-344-6970
IF YOU USE PETER PAN PEANUTBUTTER AND THE NUMBER 2111 IS ON THE LID, REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF THE JAR. . .DO NOT USE IT!
CONAGRA IS ASKING THAT YOU DESTROY THE PEANUT BUTTER AND MAIL THE LID TO
CONAGRA FOODS
P.O. BOX 57078
IRVINE, CA 92619-7087
IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO TALK TO CONAGRA THE NUMBER IS
866-344-6970
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Ice Cream Dessert
I almost forgot your prezzie!
In a 9x13 pan layer half of a 24 count box of ice cream sandwiches.
Spread 1/3 a container of Cool Whip over the top.
Over that pour half a melted jar of chocolate sauce.
Sprinkle on peanuts or sliced strawberries if desired.
Repeat first three layers.
End with last 1/3 of Cool Whip.
Melt 3/4 cup peanut butter to drizzle over the top.
Freeze until firm and cut to serve.
Take this to pot luck or serve to guests and they think you slaved over a decadent dessert!
In a 9x13 pan layer half of a 24 count box of ice cream sandwiches.
Spread 1/3 a container of Cool Whip over the top.
Over that pour half a melted jar of chocolate sauce.
Sprinkle on peanuts or sliced strawberries if desired.
Repeat first three layers.
End with last 1/3 of Cool Whip.
Melt 3/4 cup peanut butter to drizzle over the top.
Freeze until firm and cut to serve.
Take this to pot luck or serve to guests and they think you slaved over a decadent dessert!
now looking for places to visit on the web
Remember a while back when I was incommunicado because my PC was in the shop? Back then the diagnosis was that I needed to reformat my hard drive, but I wanted to wait until my book was finished and mailed off. I procrastinated.
But now that I'm brainstorming new stories I couldn't put off the deed any longer and I bit the bullet. I stayed up until 3 AM Monday morning after storing all my files on jump drives and deleting programs and reformatting. I got some of the stuff reloaded, but it was a nightmare.
I spent all day Monday working on reloading the software and getting the peripherals running: scanner, printers, floppy drive, speakers. My head was ready to explode. But it's amazing and kind of weird how some of that stuff loads itself. By late afternoon I had all restored except sound, one printer and AOL. Kristin took pity on me and figured out the printer first. The software CD had three models on it and kept loading the wrong one then giving me error messages. She figured that out. Then, and this was a big DUH moment: I had the speakers plugged into the wrong jack. LOL Kind of ironic that I reformatted the hard drive and figured out everything else, but I couldn't plug one jack in right. Oh well. I was tired and my head was exploding--that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Then after about 45 minutes on the phone with two Internet providers (I use the Internet through a high speed connection, but I use AOL for email) and having no success in recognizing my modem, Kristin put her head with mine and we figured out that one, too. Sometimes it's beneficial just to have another person sit in the chair so you can look over their shoulder with a different perspective.In the end: I got rid of the fatal error that wouldn't let me plug in the scanner, and I'm sure I freed space, and with only one loss: my favorite places/bookmarks. I lost all the places I visit on the web, research, blogs, writer and reader sites. Bummer. :-(
I'd love it if you sent me your top ten favorite sites on the web. Maybe they're some of mine, too, or maybe I'll find new ones.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Fred Harvey Changed the West
See a sample menu of what Sophie (The Lawman's Bride) served to her customers in my post at the Harlequin Historical Authors blog.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Guest Blogger: LIZ FIELDING ON WRITING “THE VALENTINE BRIDE”
Some of you may already be familiar with Liz Fielding's books, but if not, I'm excited to introduce you. Liz's February release is perfect for our month of love and chocolate. Welcome, Liz!
LIZ FIELDING ON WRITING “THE VALENTINE BRIDE”
Hi! I’m absolutely thrilled to be invited by Cher to make a guest appearance on her blog during February and talk about writing THE VALENTINE BRIDE.
This is the final book in a series set around the family who founded and run the fabulous BELLA LUCIA restaurants. As in all series, each book stands on its own. They have been set in the US, Europe and Australia and now the moment has come for both Max and Louise, who have a rather stormy history, to confront the past, look to the future – the future of Bella Lucia and their future together.
It won’t be easy. Louise has just discovered that she was adopted and that everything she believed about herself was a lie. But angry as she is, she knows how much she owes her family and she’ll use her PR skills to help launch the Bella Lucia restaurants into a new era before she walks away to build a new life with her newly discovered half-sister in Australia. A relationship with her birth mother.
That means working with Max and the last time they worked together, he sacked her very publicly, in front of a restaurant full of diners. Right after she threw a fully loaded vase at his head.
Their relationship has always been, well, let’s listen in on them for a moment...
“Dammit, Louise, you haven’t changed one bit –”
“Dammit, Max, neither have you!” She was on her feet, in his face. “You’re still the same arrogant, over-bearing, despotic, pig-headed idiot you always were!”
...um, explosive.
She’ll work with him. But it’s going to cost him. And she’s going to name her own price!
* * *
It was a very challenging experience to take on characters and a back story that were part of an ongoing series. It took me a while to get to know Max and Louise and I have to admit that my first reaction to their back story was that Max needed to get himself PDA and Louise needed to grow up and get over it.
But a writer knows that people don’t always act rationally – we’d be very short of inspiration if they did! – and I began to dig for the “what’s driving them” answers. Search for the reason why Max would put the restaurant ahead of everything, everyone. To have real respect Louise for what she’d achieved entirely on her own – once Max had thrown her out of the family business. Feel her pain when she finally admits that loving Max had ruined her chance of a fulfilling relationship with any other man.
They both grew so much as people in the pages of their book; as I learned about them, they discovered, finally admitted to the buried truths about themselves and each other.
* * *
This was my first “continuity” and writing with seven other authors was huge fun. From the beginning we bounced ideas of each other, talked through scenes – especially the Christmas party where all the characters were together. Louise’s bad-girl Christmas outfit was born out of an hilarious exchange with Linda Goodnight who wrote Married Under the Mistletoe – Daniel and Stephanie story.
And Ally Blake (Wanted; Outback Wife -- the story of Louise’s half sister, Jodie and Heath) and I became really close as we exchanged scenes; she sent me hers with Louise, I send her mine, with Heath’s half brother, Cal – making sure that we got the voices right.
It wasn’t all plain sailing. There was my big scene where Louise was talking up an upcoming royal wedding, only for my editor to inform me that the wedding had happened in a previous book. I’d checked with Raye Morgan (The Rebel Prince), and she’d left it with the Prince showing his future bride to his people. It was Teresa Southwick (Crazy About the Boss) who had them appear at that Christmas party already married, sending me back to the drawing board. This was a steep learning curve!
Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat.
Romantic Times said --
Liz Fielding brings The Brides of Bella Lucia to an extremely satisfying close with THE VALENTINE BRIDE (4½ stars). Strong-minded Louise and attractively arrogant Max are well matched, and their sparring is especially memorable.
BRIEF EXCERPT:
She shivered, despite the heating, but still he didn’t touch her, even though her body was doing everything but scream at him to go for it, even though she could feel that his hand, still supporting her elbow, was not quite steady…
He was giving her total control. Her call...
NOW…
The word shimmered from an epicentre at the core of her womanhood, spreading out through her arteries, potent, intoxicating, driving out everything but the need to consummate a desire held in stasis since she’d been woman enough to understand the yearning it fired.
Tell him…
‘Show me,’ she said, her voice scarcely strong enough to reach him and lifting her hand, she touched a fingertip to her cheek. ‘Kiss me here.’
His eyes seemed to take on a new intensity and for a moment she was afraid that she’d unleashed a passion that he wouldn’t be able to hold in check but when, after a pause that seemed to last a lifetime, his lips touched her cheek she felt no more than a whisper of warmth. Enough to send a flash of heat through her and for a moment she swayed towards him, dangerously close to flinging herself on him. If he’d made one move…
But he didn’t. He was leaving her to set the pace, take it where she dare.
If she had the courage.
Responding to his unspoken challenge, she moved her hand, touched her chin.
‘Here,’ she said, on a breath.
His eyes, darker than pitch, warned her that she was playing a dangerous game. Did he think she didn’t know that?
This was their time. Now. It would be brief, glorious but brief, like a New Year’s Eve rocket and afterwards, when it had burnt out, she would be free of him.
They would both be free…
‘Here,’ she said, raising the stakes, touching her lower lip, anticipating the same exhilarating, no-holds-barred kiss with which he’d stopped her walking away. That this time would carry them both over the threshold of restraint and beyond thought.
But he did no more than touch her lower lip, tasting it with his tongue. It was all she could to remain on her feet, her only compensation was knowing how hard this must be for him. To hold back, wait. It would have been difficult to say which of them was trembling more, but he was forcing her to make all the moves, insisting that she be the one to tip it over the edge from a teasing game into a dark and passionate reality.
LIZ FIELDING ON WRITING “THE VALENTINE BRIDE”
Hi! I’m absolutely thrilled to be invited by Cher to make a guest appearance on her blog during February and talk about writing THE VALENTINE BRIDE.
This is the final book in a series set around the family who founded and run the fabulous BELLA LUCIA restaurants. As in all series, each book stands on its own. They have been set in the US, Europe and Australia and now the moment has come for both Max and Louise, who have a rather stormy history, to confront the past, look to the future – the future of Bella Lucia and their future together.
It won’t be easy. Louise has just discovered that she was adopted and that everything she believed about herself was a lie. But angry as she is, she knows how much she owes her family and she’ll use her PR skills to help launch the Bella Lucia restaurants into a new era before she walks away to build a new life with her newly discovered half-sister in Australia. A relationship with her birth mother.
That means working with Max and the last time they worked together, he sacked her very publicly, in front of a restaurant full of diners. Right after she threw a fully loaded vase at his head.
Their relationship has always been, well, let’s listen in on them for a moment...
“Dammit, Louise, you haven’t changed one bit –”
“Dammit, Max, neither have you!” She was on her feet, in his face. “You’re still the same arrogant, over-bearing, despotic, pig-headed idiot you always were!”
...um, explosive.
She’ll work with him. But it’s going to cost him. And she’s going to name her own price!
* * *
It was a very challenging experience to take on characters and a back story that were part of an ongoing series. It took me a while to get to know Max and Louise and I have to admit that my first reaction to their back story was that Max needed to get himself PDA and Louise needed to grow up and get over it.
But a writer knows that people don’t always act rationally – we’d be very short of inspiration if they did! – and I began to dig for the “what’s driving them” answers. Search for the reason why Max would put the restaurant ahead of everything, everyone. To have real respect Louise for what she’d achieved entirely on her own – once Max had thrown her out of the family business. Feel her pain when she finally admits that loving Max had ruined her chance of a fulfilling relationship with any other man.
They both grew so much as people in the pages of their book; as I learned about them, they discovered, finally admitted to the buried truths about themselves and each other.
* * *
This was my first “continuity” and writing with seven other authors was huge fun. From the beginning we bounced ideas of each other, talked through scenes – especially the Christmas party where all the characters were together. Louise’s bad-girl Christmas outfit was born out of an hilarious exchange with Linda Goodnight who wrote Married Under the Mistletoe – Daniel and Stephanie story.
And Ally Blake (Wanted; Outback Wife -- the story of Louise’s half sister, Jodie and Heath) and I became really close as we exchanged scenes; she sent me hers with Louise, I send her mine, with Heath’s half brother, Cal – making sure that we got the voices right.
It wasn’t all plain sailing. There was my big scene where Louise was talking up an upcoming royal wedding, only for my editor to inform me that the wedding had happened in a previous book. I’d checked with Raye Morgan (The Rebel Prince), and she’d left it with the Prince showing his future bride to his people. It was Teresa Southwick (Crazy About the Boss) who had them appear at that Christmas party already married, sending me back to the drawing board. This was a steep learning curve!
Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat.
Romantic Times said --
Liz Fielding brings The Brides of Bella Lucia to an extremely satisfying close with THE VALENTINE BRIDE (4½ stars). Strong-minded Louise and attractively arrogant Max are well matched, and their sparring is especially memorable.
BRIEF EXCERPT:
She shivered, despite the heating, but still he didn’t touch her, even though her body was doing everything but scream at him to go for it, even though she could feel that his hand, still supporting her elbow, was not quite steady…
He was giving her total control. Her call...
NOW…
The word shimmered from an epicentre at the core of her womanhood, spreading out through her arteries, potent, intoxicating, driving out everything but the need to consummate a desire held in stasis since she’d been woman enough to understand the yearning it fired.
Tell him…
‘Show me,’ she said, her voice scarcely strong enough to reach him and lifting her hand, she touched a fingertip to her cheek. ‘Kiss me here.’
His eyes seemed to take on a new intensity and for a moment she was afraid that she’d unleashed a passion that he wouldn’t be able to hold in check but when, after a pause that seemed to last a lifetime, his lips touched her cheek she felt no more than a whisper of warmth. Enough to send a flash of heat through her and for a moment she swayed towards him, dangerously close to flinging herself on him. If he’d made one move…
But he didn’t. He was leaving her to set the pace, take it where she dare.
If she had the courage.
Responding to his unspoken challenge, she moved her hand, touched her chin.
‘Here,’ she said, on a breath.
His eyes, darker than pitch, warned her that she was playing a dangerous game. Did he think she didn’t know that?
This was their time. Now. It would be brief, glorious but brief, like a New Year’s Eve rocket and afterwards, when it had burnt out, she would be free of him.
They would both be free…
‘Here,’ she said, raising the stakes, touching her lower lip, anticipating the same exhilarating, no-holds-barred kiss with which he’d stopped her walking away. That this time would carry them both over the threshold of restraint and beyond thought.
But he did no more than touch her lower lip, tasting it with his tongue. It was all she could to remain on her feet, her only compensation was knowing how hard this must be for him. To hold back, wait. It would have been difficult to say which of them was trembling more, but he was forcing her to make all the moves, insisting that she be the one to tip it over the edge from a teasing game into a dark and passionate reality.
Mills & Boon facts
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited is owned by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd,
one of the worlds leading publishers of women's fiction and the
largest publisher of romantic fiction.
• We publish around the world in 25 languages and our books are
sold in more than 94 international markets.
• Impressive coverage of female audience – minimum monthly
readership estimated at 1.4 million
• We enjoy 97% brand awareness in the UK
Romance never goes out of fashion
In 2004 more than 14 million copies of romantic novels were purchased
in the generating a turnover in excess of £70 million. Within this
sector Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited is the undisputed market
leader. This is hardly surprising as Mills & Boon has been publishing
its unique brand of fiction for almost 100 years.
Originally founded in London in 1908, Mills & Boon Limited began as a
general fiction publisher. Although early authors included PG
Wodehouse and Jack London, it was the launch of Georgette Heyer as a
romantic fiction author that paved the way for the company's later
specialisation.
Canadian book publisher Harlequin Books acquired the North American
rights to some of the Mills & Boon titles in the 1960's and the two
companies fully merged in 1971.
Since then, romantic fiction has continued to grow and evolve as the
day's fashions and social mores have changed through each decade.
However it has remained a constant that all Mills & Boon novels are
well written love stories that offer readers the perfect escape.
Readers can identify with the heroine, meet the hero of their dreams
and travel the world all in one afternoon.
one of the worlds leading publishers of women's fiction and the
largest publisher of romantic fiction.
• We publish around the world in 25 languages and our books are
sold in more than 94 international markets.
• Impressive coverage of female audience – minimum monthly
readership estimated at 1.4 million
• We enjoy 97% brand awareness in the UK
Romance never goes out of fashion
In 2004 more than 14 million copies of romantic novels were purchased
in the generating a turnover in excess of £70 million. Within this
sector Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited is the undisputed market
leader. This is hardly surprising as Mills & Boon has been publishing
its unique brand of fiction for almost 100 years.
Originally founded in London in 1908, Mills & Boon Limited began as a
general fiction publisher. Although early authors included PG
Wodehouse and Jack London, it was the launch of Georgette Heyer as a
romantic fiction author that paved the way for the company's later
specialisation.
Canadian book publisher Harlequin Books acquired the North American
rights to some of the Mills & Boon titles in the 1960's and the two
companies fully merged in 1971.
Since then, romantic fiction has continued to grow and evolve as the
day's fashions and social mores have changed through each decade.
However it has remained a constant that all Mills & Boon novels are
well written love stories that offer readers the perfect escape.
Readers can identify with the heroine, meet the hero of their dreams
and travel the world all in one afternoon.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Novel Writing Not For The Faint Of Heart
Book Review: Authors--Novel Writing Not For The Faint Of Heart
By: Regis Behe, Pittsburgh Tribune Review
The Evening Bulletin
It's a situation every writer faces at one time or another. At a book signing, reading or other literary function, a person approaches. They hesitate, smile, then state their purpose:
"I want to write a book."
Which is akin to an out-of-shape, middle-aged guy telling LeBron James he wants to try out with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"Most people know they can't play professional basketball," says best-selling author David Baldacci. "They're not tall enough, they're not fast enough, they're not quick enough. But people think, 'I've got a brain, I've got a hand, I've got a computer - I can be a writer.' They don't understand the skill sets that go into being a writer as well, and sometimes they're almost as unique as being an NBA or NFL or professional athlete."
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, there were 172,000 books published in the United States in 2005. Only in the United Kingdom, where 206,000 books were released, were people more intent on putting their ideas into print. And that's not counting the thousands of books that never see the light of day and those that are self-published.
Which is why Richard Ford, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel Independence Day and has just published the novel The Lay of the Land, has this sobering message for budding writers:
"I always say the same thing: Talk yourself out of it if you can," he says, "which is the same advice I would give somebody if they're about to get married. Because, if you can't talk yourself out of it, you're on your way to a vocation, I think."
Writing, however, is not always a choice. Chuck Kinder teaches fiction writing to graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh. He's taught a Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael Chabon, and Keely Bowers, who won a Nelson Algren award for short fiction and a Scott Turow Fiction Prize.
Compulsion is what drives the students in Kinder's classes. They have to be willing to submit to often-scathing critiques from fellow students, to have paragraphs, sentences and word choices dissected, to have their motivations questioned, to swallow their pride every time the class meets.
They do it, Kinder says, because "they have no choice. They have to be here."
But without talent, Kinder says, it's not possible to teach a person how to write a book.
"I think not," he says. "I don't see how you could. I don't see how you would."
Still, people want to write. There's a cachet in having the title "author" appended to one's name; prestige-wise, it's infinitely more glamorous than being a doctor or lawyer. Authors are famous. Their books get made into movies. Sometimes they meet Oprah Winfrey. They occasionally hobnob with movie stars, and nothing in America is more alluring that attaching oneself to some stray filament of stardom.
Which makes writing all the more attractive despite a degree of difficulty that rivals scoring a 10 in an ice-skating competition. Ford especially wonders if writing is a productive use of time. Not only is the ability to write, and write well, a rare gift, it's also a process that frequently produces more frustration than achievement.
"And I would not really like to encourage people along a line of endeavor which will finally not reward them," Ford says. "And, much more importantly, not reward other people. Because once you've found you can do this - which is to say you can write to the end of a novel; you can write a novel that someone can read - then all of your attention finally turns outward to those people who will be reading it to the point of 'What can I do for you? What can I make that you will find useful?' And that's very unlikely to happen to anybody. It has nothing to do with talent, it has nothing to do with genius. It maybe doesn't have anything to do with perseverance. It has largely to do with luck."
Baldacci, however, never discourages anyone from writing - as long as their expectations are measured and reasonable.
"I think it's great," he says. "If you want to write, you don't need to write to be published. You can write just as an outlet, just for fun."
Fun might be the best that most writers can hope for by way of accomplishment. Carl Hiaasen, the author of the novels Tourist Season, Basket Case and the recently published Nature Girl, says that because companies have consolidated, it's harder than ever to place a book with a major publisher.
"Obviously, it's not something that many, many people can do," Hiaasen says. "It's not just an issue of talent - it's the time that's invested, it's the solitary nature, if you have a family, if you have a life, if you have a job. That's how all of us started out: in our spare time, with the hopes of maybe getting lucky and having a book published."
"When people tell me they want to write a book, I tell them 'good luck,'" says Michael Connelly, the author of the crime novels The Narrows, Blood Work and the recently released Echo Park. "The road to publication is hard and full of obstacles."
So, how to even begin with such a daunting task ahead? Connelly advises any would-be writers to first be good readers.
"They must know the best work out there if they are hoping to join the ranks of published authors," he says, noting that finding an established literary agent, especially one that represents new writers, also is a must.
Then, a writer must remain true to his or her vision.
"My biggest piece of advice is keep your head down," Connelly says. "You can't put your finger up into the wind to try to read the currents of commerciality or publishing favor. You have to keep your head down and write a story you would like to read. You have to believe as a writer that you are an everyman. If you like what you have written
read the rest here
By: Regis Behe, Pittsburgh Tribune Review
The Evening Bulletin
It's a situation every writer faces at one time or another. At a book signing, reading or other literary function, a person approaches. They hesitate, smile, then state their purpose:
"I want to write a book."
Which is akin to an out-of-shape, middle-aged guy telling LeBron James he wants to try out with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"Most people know they can't play professional basketball," says best-selling author David Baldacci. "They're not tall enough, they're not fast enough, they're not quick enough. But people think, 'I've got a brain, I've got a hand, I've got a computer - I can be a writer.' They don't understand the skill sets that go into being a writer as well, and sometimes they're almost as unique as being an NBA or NFL or professional athlete."
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, there were 172,000 books published in the United States in 2005. Only in the United Kingdom, where 206,000 books were released, were people more intent on putting their ideas into print. And that's not counting the thousands of books that never see the light of day and those that are self-published.
Which is why Richard Ford, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel Independence Day and has just published the novel The Lay of the Land, has this sobering message for budding writers:
"I always say the same thing: Talk yourself out of it if you can," he says, "which is the same advice I would give somebody if they're about to get married. Because, if you can't talk yourself out of it, you're on your way to a vocation, I think."
Writing, however, is not always a choice. Chuck Kinder teaches fiction writing to graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh. He's taught a Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael Chabon, and Keely Bowers, who won a Nelson Algren award for short fiction and a Scott Turow Fiction Prize.
Compulsion is what drives the students in Kinder's classes. They have to be willing to submit to often-scathing critiques from fellow students, to have paragraphs, sentences and word choices dissected, to have their motivations questioned, to swallow their pride every time the class meets.
They do it, Kinder says, because "they have no choice. They have to be here."
But without talent, Kinder says, it's not possible to teach a person how to write a book.
"I think not," he says. "I don't see how you could. I don't see how you would."
Still, people want to write. There's a cachet in having the title "author" appended to one's name; prestige-wise, it's infinitely more glamorous than being a doctor or lawyer. Authors are famous. Their books get made into movies. Sometimes they meet Oprah Winfrey. They occasionally hobnob with movie stars, and nothing in America is more alluring that attaching oneself to some stray filament of stardom.
Which makes writing all the more attractive despite a degree of difficulty that rivals scoring a 10 in an ice-skating competition. Ford especially wonders if writing is a productive use of time. Not only is the ability to write, and write well, a rare gift, it's also a process that frequently produces more frustration than achievement.
"And I would not really like to encourage people along a line of endeavor which will finally not reward them," Ford says. "And, much more importantly, not reward other people. Because once you've found you can do this - which is to say you can write to the end of a novel; you can write a novel that someone can read - then all of your attention finally turns outward to those people who will be reading it to the point of 'What can I do for you? What can I make that you will find useful?' And that's very unlikely to happen to anybody. It has nothing to do with talent, it has nothing to do with genius. It maybe doesn't have anything to do with perseverance. It has largely to do with luck."
Baldacci, however, never discourages anyone from writing - as long as their expectations are measured and reasonable.
"I think it's great," he says. "If you want to write, you don't need to write to be published. You can write just as an outlet, just for fun."
Fun might be the best that most writers can hope for by way of accomplishment. Carl Hiaasen, the author of the novels Tourist Season, Basket Case and the recently published Nature Girl, says that because companies have consolidated, it's harder than ever to place a book with a major publisher.
"Obviously, it's not something that many, many people can do," Hiaasen says. "It's not just an issue of talent - it's the time that's invested, it's the solitary nature, if you have a family, if you have a life, if you have a job. That's how all of us started out: in our spare time, with the hopes of maybe getting lucky and having a book published."
"When people tell me they want to write a book, I tell them 'good luck,'" says Michael Connelly, the author of the crime novels The Narrows, Blood Work and the recently released Echo Park. "The road to publication is hard and full of obstacles."
So, how to even begin with such a daunting task ahead? Connelly advises any would-be writers to first be good readers.
"They must know the best work out there if they are hoping to join the ranks of published authors," he says, noting that finding an established literary agent, especially one that represents new writers, also is a must.
Then, a writer must remain true to his or her vision.
"My biggest piece of advice is keep your head down," Connelly says. "You can't put your finger up into the wind to try to read the currents of commerciality or publishing favor. You have to keep your head down and write a story you would like to read. You have to believe as a writer that you are an everyman. If you like what you have written
read the rest here
Monday, February 05, 2007
Saturday was the booksigning at Dog-eared Books in Independence Missouri. 
Behind us is a wall of signed bookcovers and bookmarks. Tina and Connie love authors!
There are two cats who runs the store. Tina is holding Harlee Quinn.
The girls there, Connie (left) and Tina (middle) are great! Tina owns the store and Connie runs Once Upon A Romance website. I met them several years ago at a Romantic Times conference and we've been pals ever since. They've even come to visit me in my city!
This is me guarding the chocolate.
This is my smiling friend Victoria Alexander. My friend Robyn was the driver for this road trip. Robyn is sending a pic of us together. We had great fun and after the signing we all went for Italian.
Behind us is a wall of signed bookcovers and bookmarks. Tina and Connie love authors!
There are two cats who runs the store. Tina is holding Harlee Quinn.
The girls there, Connie (left) and Tina (middle) are great! Tina owns the store and Connie runs Once Upon A Romance website. I met them several years ago at a Romantic Times conference and we've been pals ever since. They've even come to visit me in my city!
This is me guarding the chocolate.
This is my smiling friend Victoria Alexander. My friend Robyn was the driver for this road trip. Robyn is sending a pic of us together. We had great fun and after the signing we all went for Italian.
Emalee (left) and Haleigh (right) are future romance readers. Who knows maybe future writers! They visited with their mom and older sisters and we became fast friends. Who wouldn't fall in love with these two, eh? They love Dog-eared Bookstore and spend time browsing for reading material. I would have taken either one or both of them home with me.
Here's a good pic of Harlee Quinn. The other cat is named Pyewacket. he's huge and furry and totally black, so my picture didn't come out well. Maybe someone else will have one for me.
One last important thing for you to see. These are Connie's homemade cookies. Yes, homemade. Symetrical and lovely and oh so delicious. So next time I'll send you a mapquest to Independence, no?
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Whoodathunkit? Slow-Cooker Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
2 pounds white almond bark (it comes in this big block at Wal-Mart)
4 1-oz squares German's bittersweet chocolate
12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
24 oz jar plain or honey roasted peanuts
* Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
* Cook on high for one hour.
* Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
* Turn slow cooker on low and stir every fifteen minutes for about another hour until completely smooth and melted.
* Drop onto waxed paper in bite-size drops.
* Cool.
* Remove and store covered for up to one week.
(Freeze well.)
2 pounds white almond bark (it comes in this big block at Wal-Mart)
4 1-oz squares German's bittersweet chocolate
12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
24 oz jar plain or honey roasted peanuts
* Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
* Cook on high for one hour.
* Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
* Turn slow cooker on low and stir every fifteen minutes for about another hour until completely smooth and melted.
* Drop onto waxed paper in bite-size drops.
* Cool.
* Remove and store covered for up to one week.
(Freeze well.)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
local signing after all
Lou and Brenda, I hope you'll be happy to hear that Barnes & Noble asked me to come sign books on the 17th and I said yes, so I will be at Oakview on that day from 2-4. Apparently they have about 18 local authors scheduled to appear Saturday and Sunday.
Interview at History Hoydens
History Hoydens interviewed me regarding The Lawman's Bride and the interview was posted this morning. CLICK HERE to read it. Tomorrow my research blog will be posted.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Karen W and Michael Biehn!
Just as Karen promised, here she is with Michael Biehn!
Here's Karen's clip:
"This is me (Karen W.) with Michael Biehn at the "FX" science fiction convention in Orlando, FL on Jan. 29, 2007. Michael was very gracious, and even though it has been 20 years since "Terminator," you can see he's still a handsome guy. :-) Enjoy!"
Thank you for sharing, sweetie!
America's Top 20 Richest Women in Entertainment
You know I love lists, so this appealed to me big time.
Gleaned from current megastars, not retired women or those living off royalties.
America's Top 20 Richest Women in Entertainment
1. Oprah Winfrey
2. J.K. Rowling
3. Martha Stewart
4. Madonna
5. Celine Dion
6. Mariah Carey
7. Janet Jackson
8. Julia Roberts
9. Jennifer Lopez
10. Jennifer Aniston
11. The Olsen Twins
12. Britney Spears
13. Judge Judy
14. Sandra Bullock
15. Cameron Diaz
16. Gisele Bundchen
17. Ellen DeGeneres
18. Nicole Kidman
19. Christina Aguilera
20. Renee Zellweger
Now, my questions for you:
Which one would you make disappear if a fairy gave you magic powers?
Which one would you like to see a two ton elephant sit on?
Which one would you like to meet over dinner?
Which one is the best humaniarian?
Which one is on the list by sheer audacity and luck?
Which one deserves every penny?
Answer any or all.
Gleaned from current megastars, not retired women or those living off royalties.
America's Top 20 Richest Women in Entertainment
1. Oprah Winfrey
2. J.K. Rowling
3. Martha Stewart
4. Madonna
5. Celine Dion
6. Mariah Carey
7. Janet Jackson
8. Julia Roberts
9. Jennifer Lopez
10. Jennifer Aniston
11. The Olsen Twins
12. Britney Spears
13. Judge Judy
14. Sandra Bullock
15. Cameron Diaz
16. Gisele Bundchen
17. Ellen DeGeneres
18. Nicole Kidman
19. Christina Aguilera
20. Renee Zellweger
Now, my questions for you:
Which one would you make disappear if a fairy gave you magic powers?
Which one would you like to see a two ton elephant sit on?
Which one would you like to meet over dinner?
Which one is the best humaniarian?
Which one is on the list by sheer audacity and luck?
Which one deserves every penny?
Answer any or all.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Fudge Frosted Brownies
Fudge Frosted Brownies
from Godiva Chocolatier
Yield: 9 brownies
Difficulty: *Easy
Preparation: 45 minutes plus baking and cooling times
Brownies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
5 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 bar (1.5 ounces) Godiva Dark Chocolate
1 bar (1.5 ounces) Godiva Milk Chocolate
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish (optional):
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Make the brownies:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil so that foil extends 2 inches beyond two opposite sides of pan. Lightly butter bottom and sides of foil-lined pan.
2. In medium saucepan, combine butter pieces, brown sugar and chocolate. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until butter and chocolate melt and mixture is smooth. Transfer to medium bowl.
3. With wooden spoon, stir in granulated sugar. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until there is no trace of yolk. Mix in vanilla extract. Add flour and salt and mix vigorously until mixture is shiny and smooth. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
4. Bake brownies for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out slightly moist. Do not overbake. Place pan on wire rack and let cool for 45 minutes. Using two ends of foil as handles, lift brownies out of pan. Invert onto cooling rack and peel off foil. Let cool completely (brownies will be frosted on smooth side).
Make the frosting:
1. Place butter and chocolate in medium saucepan. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt and mixture is smooth. Transfer to bowl of electric mixer. On low speed, add half of confectioners' sugar, salt, then half of heavy cream. Blend in remaining confectioners' sugar and remaining heavy cream. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat frosting on medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth and shiny.
2. Spread frosting over uncut brownies, making it as smooth as possible. Garnish top with chopped walnuts, if desired. Cut into 9 squares and serve at room temperature. Store covered, in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Brownie Secrets
frpm C&H Sugar
Brownie Types
The classic brownie consists of just a few ingredients: butter, sugar, chocolate, eggs, and flour. Fudgy brownies (which purists often claim are the only real brownies) have a minimum of flour–about half a cup–and no leavening such as baking powder at all. Melting the butter rather than creaming it with sugar yields a denser, fudgier outcome. Unsweetened chocolate is the standard, with a full cup of sugar required to balance its bitterness. Either granulated or brown sugar may be used; substitute one for the other in equal proportions. The deeper the color of the sugar, though, the more pronounced the molasses flavor. It's all a matter of personal taste.
Cakelike brownies are really … well, little cakes! They contain less butter and more flour than fudgy brownies, as well as a bit of baking powder to make them softer and lighter. Often the softened butter is creamed with the sugar rather than melted with the chocolate. (Creaming incorporates air into the mixture, which causes the brownies to rise higher.) Many cakelike recipes also call for a bit of milk to add tenderness.
Chewy brownies usually get their texture from two factors: an extra egg (or even two) and a combination of different types of chocolate. Of all the chocolate types, unsweetened chocolate has the highest proportion of starches, which create a stiffer-textured brownie. Semisweet chocolate produces a creamier texture. Put the two together, often with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to round out the flavor and thicken the texture, and you get a rich, satisfyingly chewy result.
Blondies are really butterscotch bars, made with brown sugar, butter, and eggs (and usually nuts as well), but no chocolate. Typically, blondies have a cakelike texture.
Preparing the Pan
First, use the pan size specified in the recipe-usually but not always 8 inches square. Baking in a too-large pan will yield thin, dry bars that may taste fine but won't resemble true brownies. Baking in a too-small pan may result in brownies with undercooked centers.
Be sure to select a light-colored, shiny pan, which will conduct heat evenly. Glass or dark-colored pans can cause the edges to overbake or even burn.
Always grease the pan thoroughly with shortening, softened butter, or cooking spray. (Do this even if the recipe doesn't specify.) After greasing the pan, many bakers like to line it with pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil that have been cut larger than the size of the pan so that the edges hang over the sides like a sling. Thoroughly grease the lining. After the brownies have baked and cooled, the lining may be lifted out of the pan and inverted on a platter. Gently peel away the foil or paper, then cut the brownies into squares.
Brownies can also be baked very successfully in a well-greased mini-muffin tin, which eliminates the problem of cutting into squares.
Mixing and Baking
Most brownie recipes begin with melting butter and chocolate together. The safest way to do this is in a double boiler or any small pan placed over a pot of gently simmering water. If you're an experienced baker, you can place the butter and chocolate directly in a saucepan over a low flame. Be sure to stir the mixture constantly. Butter and chocolate may also be melted together in a microwave oven on medium power, opening the oven and stirring the mixture every 20 to 30 seconds.
Overmixing the ingredients can cause brownies to turn out tough or for a thin crust to form on top. Mix wet and dry ingredients just long enough to blend them, taking special care not to overbeat after the eggs are added.
To improve the texture of brownies, place the unbaked batter (in the prepared pan) in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight.
How Long to Bake Brownies?
Experience is the best guide, but here are some general rules. For fudge-style brownies, remove the pan when the sides have shrunk slightly away from the edges of the pan. The center will still be slightly gooey, but will firm up during cooling. Cake-style brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs attached to it.
To prevent burning the bottoms of your brownies, place the pan on a preheated cookie sheet or pizza stone.
Cutting and Storing
Brownies will be easier to cut if you place the pan in the freezer for several minutes. Dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and move it across the pan in an up-and-down sawing motion.
Pastry chef and chocolate expert Alice Medrich, who has written several books about baking with chocolate, swears by something she calls the "Steve ritual," after a friend who discovered the technique by accident. She bakes her brownies for a shorter time at a higher temperature (375 to 400 degrees), then placing the hot pan in ice water about ¾" deep. The sudden change in temperature produces a crisp crust and a soft, dense center.
After you cut the brownies, either cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or remove the brownies and place them in an airtight container. If they contain perishable ingredients such as cream cheese, place them in the refrigerator. At room temperature, they'll keep for three to four days; in the refrigerator, about five days.
Freezing brownies may affect their texture, so it's best to take a few precautions. If the brownies have been cut into squares, wrap each square in plastic wrap, then in foil, and then place the wrapped squares in an airtight freezer bag.
Alternatively, you can freeze the whole pan briefly-just long enough to harden the brownies. Then remove the brownie "block," wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Place the block into a large airtight freezer bag and freeze.
frpm C&H Sugar
Brownie Types
The classic brownie consists of just a few ingredients: butter, sugar, chocolate, eggs, and flour. Fudgy brownies (which purists often claim are the only real brownies) have a minimum of flour–about half a cup–and no leavening such as baking powder at all. Melting the butter rather than creaming it with sugar yields a denser, fudgier outcome. Unsweetened chocolate is the standard, with a full cup of sugar required to balance its bitterness. Either granulated or brown sugar may be used; substitute one for the other in equal proportions. The deeper the color of the sugar, though, the more pronounced the molasses flavor. It's all a matter of personal taste.
Cakelike brownies are really … well, little cakes! They contain less butter and more flour than fudgy brownies, as well as a bit of baking powder to make them softer and lighter. Often the softened butter is creamed with the sugar rather than melted with the chocolate. (Creaming incorporates air into the mixture, which causes the brownies to rise higher.) Many cakelike recipes also call for a bit of milk to add tenderness.
Chewy brownies usually get their texture from two factors: an extra egg (or even two) and a combination of different types of chocolate. Of all the chocolate types, unsweetened chocolate has the highest proportion of starches, which create a stiffer-textured brownie. Semisweet chocolate produces a creamier texture. Put the two together, often with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to round out the flavor and thicken the texture, and you get a rich, satisfyingly chewy result.
Blondies are really butterscotch bars, made with brown sugar, butter, and eggs (and usually nuts as well), but no chocolate. Typically, blondies have a cakelike texture.
Preparing the Pan
First, use the pan size specified in the recipe-usually but not always 8 inches square. Baking in a too-large pan will yield thin, dry bars that may taste fine but won't resemble true brownies. Baking in a too-small pan may result in brownies with undercooked centers.
Be sure to select a light-colored, shiny pan, which will conduct heat evenly. Glass or dark-colored pans can cause the edges to overbake or even burn.
Always grease the pan thoroughly with shortening, softened butter, or cooking spray. (Do this even if the recipe doesn't specify.) After greasing the pan, many bakers like to line it with pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil that have been cut larger than the size of the pan so that the edges hang over the sides like a sling. Thoroughly grease the lining. After the brownies have baked and cooled, the lining may be lifted out of the pan and inverted on a platter. Gently peel away the foil or paper, then cut the brownies into squares.
Brownies can also be baked very successfully in a well-greased mini-muffin tin, which eliminates the problem of cutting into squares.
Mixing and Baking
Most brownie recipes begin with melting butter and chocolate together. The safest way to do this is in a double boiler or any small pan placed over a pot of gently simmering water. If you're an experienced baker, you can place the butter and chocolate directly in a saucepan over a low flame. Be sure to stir the mixture constantly. Butter and chocolate may also be melted together in a microwave oven on medium power, opening the oven and stirring the mixture every 20 to 30 seconds.
Overmixing the ingredients can cause brownies to turn out tough or for a thin crust to form on top. Mix wet and dry ingredients just long enough to blend them, taking special care not to overbeat after the eggs are added.
To improve the texture of brownies, place the unbaked batter (in the prepared pan) in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight.
How Long to Bake Brownies?
Experience is the best guide, but here are some general rules. For fudge-style brownies, remove the pan when the sides have shrunk slightly away from the edges of the pan. The center will still be slightly gooey, but will firm up during cooling. Cake-style brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs attached to it.
To prevent burning the bottoms of your brownies, place the pan on a preheated cookie sheet or pizza stone.
Cutting and Storing
Brownies will be easier to cut if you place the pan in the freezer for several minutes. Dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and move it across the pan in an up-and-down sawing motion.
Pastry chef and chocolate expert Alice Medrich, who has written several books about baking with chocolate, swears by something she calls the "Steve ritual," after a friend who discovered the technique by accident. She bakes her brownies for a shorter time at a higher temperature (375 to 400 degrees), then placing the hot pan in ice water about ¾" deep. The sudden change in temperature produces a crisp crust and a soft, dense center.
After you cut the brownies, either cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or remove the brownies and place them in an airtight container. If they contain perishable ingredients such as cream cheese, place them in the refrigerator. At room temperature, they'll keep for three to four days; in the refrigerator, about five days.
Freezing brownies may affect their texture, so it's best to take a few precautions. If the brownies have been cut into squares, wrap each square in plastic wrap, then in foil, and then place the wrapped squares in an airtight freezer bag.
Alternatively, you can freeze the whole pan briefly-just long enough to harden the brownies. Then remove the brownie "block," wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Place the block into a large airtight freezer bag and freeze.
Emeril's Chocolate Challenge
Emeril Live
Episode EM0622
Emeril asked viewers to send in your best chocolate recipes and thy did. Indulge in America's favorite passion and enjoy the best of what white, dark, and milk chocolate have to offer. Recipes include Lisa’s B-52 Chocolate Shots, Double Chocolate Buzz Buzz Cookies, Jakes’s Explosive Turtle Cheesecake and Chocolate Dream Supreme Pie.
The Food Network
AIR TIMES:
February 11, 2007 8:00 PM ET/PT
February 12, 2007 3:00 AM ET/PT
Episode EM0622
Emeril asked viewers to send in your best chocolate recipes and thy did. Indulge in America's favorite passion and enjoy the best of what white, dark, and milk chocolate have to offer. Recipes include Lisa’s B-52 Chocolate Shots, Double Chocolate Buzz Buzz Cookies, Jakes’s Explosive Turtle Cheesecake and Chocolate Dream Supreme Pie.
The Food Network
AIR TIMES:
February 11, 2007 8:00 PM ET/PT
February 12, 2007 3:00 AM ET/PT
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Fantasy Saturday
You've just won Eric Stromer for the day!
Whoo hoo! Don't you love virtual reality? He'll be at your place in ten minutes and you need a LIST! Five things for him to complete and check off before he returns to TV land.
What can Mr. Fix-it do for you today?
Whoo hoo! Don't you love virtual reality? He'll be at your place in ten minutes and you need a LIST! Five things for him to complete and check off before he returns to TV land.
What can Mr. Fix-it do for you today?
Friday, January 26, 2007
From Katrina: Richards Simmons' exploding steamer
I'd seen this before, Katrina, and you are very right -- it's hilarious. I think Richard is a hoot. Don't you think they did this to him on purpose? That's why they had the tray underneath and why Dave only laughed.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
another contest
These new Harlequin/Silhouette authors are holding a contest for signed copies of:
FALLING FOR THE FRENCHMAN (Romance) by Claire Baxter
CHOSEN AS THE FRENCHMAN'S BRIDE (Presents) by Abby Green
PRICELESS (Promotional Presents) by Kelly Hunter
THE CEO'S CONTRACT BRIDE (Desire) by Yvonne Lindsay
HER MIRACLE BABY (Medical) by Fiona Lowe
BLACK WIDOW BRIDE (Desire) by Tessa Radley
THE MILLIONAIRE'S SEDUCTIVE REVENGE (Desire) by Maxine Sullivan
THE GREEK'S CONVENIENT MISTRESS (Presents) by Annie West
Visit Annie's website and go to the contest page for details. You must send an email telling what you'd like to do for Valentine's Day to annie@annie-west.com. The email address from her webpage didn't work for me, so that's why I posted it here.
FALLING FOR THE FRENCHMAN (Romance) by Claire Baxter
CHOSEN AS THE FRENCHMAN'S BRIDE (Presents) by Abby Green
PRICELESS (Promotional Presents) by Kelly Hunter
THE CEO'S CONTRACT BRIDE (Desire) by Yvonne Lindsay
HER MIRACLE BABY (Medical) by Fiona Lowe
BLACK WIDOW BRIDE (Desire) by Tessa Radley
THE MILLIONAIRE'S SEDUCTIVE REVENGE (Desire) by Maxine Sullivan
THE GREEK'S CONVENIENT MISTRESS (Presents) by Annie West
Visit Annie's website and go to the contest page for details. You must send an email telling what you'd like to do for Valentine's Day to annie@annie-west.com. The email address from her webpage didn't work for me, so that's why I posted it here.
another contest -- books!
My pal Shari Anton is giving away autographed copies of Midnight Magic and Twilight Magic, as well as The Marriage Bargain by Diane Perkins, and On Blue Falls Pond by Susan Crandall. Deadline to enter is Feb. 15th, so hurry over to Shari's website and enter!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
How to get an autographed copy!
If you'd like to order an autographed copy of The Lawman's Bride or either of Victoria Alexander's newest books, A Little Bit Wicked or What A Lady Wants, you can find all the information at Dog-eared Books website. Victoria and I will be there February 3rd autographing books. Connie and Tina will be glad to mail yours to you.
S'More Brownies
I don't know what February really is, but here it's chocolate month, and I'm preparing you ahead of time.
Get ready for some really awesome recipes, and please share yours!
Courtesy of The Food Network Website:
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt
Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.
Copyright 2007 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Get ready for some really awesome recipes, and please share yours!
Courtesy of The Food Network Website:
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt
Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.
For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.
Copyright 2007 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Enter to win an RT registration! & a $50 savings bond
You know I like to share opportunities to win contests and discover other authors, so here are a couple drawings of interest.
Brenda Novak is giving away a Romantic Times Houston conference registration in a contest promoting her new book, Dead Giveaway. Enter at her website. You have to answer questions from the excerpt of her book.
Ann Roth is giving away a $50 savings bond to promote ANOTHER LIFE. Some of you have already ordered this one. Enter the drawing here. CLICK HERE Nothing to supply but your name and address.
Brenda Novak is giving away a Romantic Times Houston conference registration in a contest promoting her new book, Dead Giveaway. Enter at her website. You have to answer questions from the excerpt of her book.
Ann Roth is giving away a $50 savings bond to promote ANOTHER LIFE. Some of you have already ordered this one. Enter the drawing here. CLICK HERE Nothing to supply but your name and address.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Guess Who?
Someone we all know and love is in this photo. We've had a couple of hints, so if you've paid attention, you may guess right off.
Which person is one of us?
Monday, January 22, 2007
eharlequin's Readers Choice Nominations
FYI you can go to eharlequin and nominate your favorite books of 2006 in the Readers Choice Awards. There is a category for your favorite anthology! And fun categories like favorite sexy hero on a cover. Check it out and give your favorites kudos.
Seeking Christmas Gold?
For anyone seeking a hard-to-find out-of-print book (I don't even have any copies) there is a copy of Christmas Gold for sale on ebay.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
WINNER - EVERY WAKING MOMENT
Selecting a name from the fishbowl for the autographed copy of Brenda Novak's EVERY WAKING MOMENT.
And the winner is...
There you are!
Sybil!
Congrats Sybil. Hoping you don't already have this book. Let me know, okay??
And the winner is...
There you are!
Sybil!
Congrats Sybil. Hoping you don't already have this book. Let me know, okay??
WHY YOU NEED CHOCOLATE EVERY DAY
We're having a snow day in my city, but instead of talking about snow, I'm going to blog about chocolate. My favorite food group.
Ounce for ounce dark chocolate contains more of the potent antioxidants called flavonols than any fruit or vegetable out there. SHOPPING TIP: The darker the chocolate, the greater boost to your health. A daily ounce of chocolate that contains at least 60% cocoa provides all the flavonols you need.
WHAT FLAVONOLS DO:
* Improve the ability of blood vessels to expand and contract > Better blood flow in your brain, hands and legs.
* Help the body use nitric oxide which regulates blood pressure > Lower blood pressure.
* Like aspirin, decreases stickiness of blood platelets > Reduced risk of blood clots anbd stroke.
* Increase HDL (good) cholesterol > Less risk of a heart attack.
FUN FACT: Each adult American eats an average of TWELVE POUNDS of chocolate per year.
(They haven't polled me or that average would have been higher!)
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
you're going to love this....
There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
Looked in the mirror,
And noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Wonderful
Day.
The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror
And saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Grand
Day.
The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Fun
Day.
The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEA!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything.
Looked in the mirror,
And noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Wonderful
Day.
The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror
And saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
"H-M-M," she said,
"I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Grand
Day.
The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
"Well," she said,
"today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did
And
She
Had
A
Fun
Day.
The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
"YEA!" she exclaimed,
"I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
a new season
I've heard a few people say much what some of you have said about Grease - that they enjoy the competition, but not the tryouts. For most of us the tryouts are sort of like watching a train wreck. You can't stop looking because it's so awful.
Anyone watching?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
the first review for The Lawman's Bride
onceuponaromance.net reviewer Connie Payne had this to say about The Lawman's Bride:
"The Lawman’s Bride isn’t the normal sweet and tender romance we usually expect from Ms. St.John. Yes, it’s poignant and has its sweet moments, but Ms. St.John explored a plot that may have left the reader unaffected and disconnected from Sophie had another written it. Yet she’s gained the reader’s trust, which allows her the freedom to explore.
This is not a cut and dried yes I loved it type of book. This is one where you’re left pondering; wondering about Sophie and the story even after the book is finished.
Ms. St.John once again shows us that her writing has multi-facets. It’s fresh, thought provoking, and ultimately good conquers evil. I expect nothing less from her."
Rating 4.75
Thank you, Connie! I'll be seeing you in a few weeks.
(This is Connie from Dog-eared Books in Independence)
"The Lawman’s Bride isn’t the normal sweet and tender romance we usually expect from Ms. St.John. Yes, it’s poignant and has its sweet moments, but Ms. St.John explored a plot that may have left the reader unaffected and disconnected from Sophie had another written it. Yet she’s gained the reader’s trust, which allows her the freedom to explore.
This is not a cut and dried yes I loved it type of book. This is one where you’re left pondering; wondering about Sophie and the story even after the book is finished.
Ms. St.John once again shows us that her writing has multi-facets. It’s fresh, thought provoking, and ultimately good conquers evil. I expect nothing less from her."
Rating 4.75
Thank you, Connie! I'll be seeing you in a few weeks.
(This is Connie from Dog-eared Books in Independence)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
From Minna: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
in case you missed it:
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Makes about 24
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13" baking pan. In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread on top of the mixture in the baking pan. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before cutting into bars.
Note: Yield depends on how big or small you cut the bars/squares. That's the recipe I use, but I never follow this recipe to the letter: I usually have to use something else but graham crackers, I use a bit more chocolate and it never comes in chips, and instead of peanut butter I mix cream to the chocolate.
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Makes about 24
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13" baking pan. In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread on top of the mixture in the baking pan. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before cutting into bars.
Note: Yield depends on how big or small you cut the bars/squares. That's the recipe I use, but I never follow this recipe to the letter: I usually have to use something else but graham crackers, I use a bit more chocolate and it never comes in chips, and instead of peanut butter I mix cream to the chocolate.
February Books
I absolutely love Valentine's Day, and I always always schedule at least one book signing during the month, usually on that weekend, but not always. In February I'm doing a signing in Independence, MO - it's a KC suburb - with the great ladies at Dog-eared Books. I met Connie and Tina at an RT convention and we became pals right off. My friend Robyn is my road-trip buddy and we have a great time when we head out.
I am planning some fun stuff involving February books, and I want to get the ball rolling asap, so check back often.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Did you tune in?
My husband calls it the GOLDEN BOOB awards for obvious reasons. Couldn't anyone keep those puppies tucked in tonight? People's Choice was the same way. A little modesty goes a long way, ladies. Shocking: Jennifer Lopez had on a tasteful dress. Apparently she's already shown all, so she's trying a new tactic. Remember the year she wore the see-through number?
Every Waking Moment - revisited
I'm drawing a name this week for another autographed copy of EVERY WAKING MOMENT by Brenda Novak. This is a great book, and I'm excited to have another to give away. (I got it in my goodie bag at the retreat.) If you already have one, you might want to mention that. I looked back and saw that Lou has a copy.
what are you hungry for?
Do your tastebuds ever scream for something in particular? What are they clamboring for this week? Pizza? A cheeseburger? Cheesecake? A savory pot roast? When you get those cravings, do you indulge them? For me it's almost always some form of chocolate, but this week I want salad, a big crisp salad with lots of greens and tangy dressing. Mmmmm. I need to go to the grocery store in the AM, but I may need to invite a friend to lunch one day.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
BOOKMARK BONANZA
Okay, bookmark collectors, I have a deal for you. A real deal. Free. Easy. No drawing, no contest -- everyone's a winner. Romance writers are generous by nature and serious promoters, and my chapter got so many bookmarks and promotional items for our retreat that we couldn't use them all. I brought the box home and will share with you first and then take what's left to book signings.
So Blogettes, all you have to do is send me a stamped self-addressed envelope and I will send you bookmarks--many of them autographed. If you put on one stamp, I'll send you a few; if you put on two stamps, I'll send you more. Some of these are postcards and bookcovers and they take a 5x7 envelope and adequate postage. There are also a few magnets, which are heavy - consider that when you add postage. You get the drift. Maureen McKade sent posters which would require an 8 1/2 x 11 envelope if you want one of those (please specify).
The only rule is a deadline. I want to send these out and be finished and not have requests dribbling in forever. I live miles from my PO box. So...
Mail your request by JANUARY 22nd. That's one week to read this and stick an envelope in the mail. Send to:
CHERYL ST.JOHN
PO BOX 24732
OMAHA, NE 68124
I will wait until the 26th to make sure I have all the requests and then I'll mail out your envelopes. That way I can divide up fairly and make sure everyone gets a good selection.
Who loves ya?
Friday, January 12, 2007
off retreating
I'm off to a writer's retreat for the weekend and will check in first thing when I return. Praise God, all the ice and snow passed us by, so I can make the drive.
Gray's Chat
I had a meeting last night, so I watched the new episode online just now. Of course Izzy is going to write a check to pay for the curved-spine girl's back. Things are getting interesting with Addison! whoo hoo George and Kallie are making up -- and Meredith snores. LOL
Did you see Dr. McDreamy up there at the People's Choice awards?
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Something I never knew
Did you know Lily Munster was the wife of Moses? Yes, it's true! Yvonne DeCarlo just passed away, and the clip I watched this morning showed her playing opposite Charleton Heston in The Ten Commandments. What a knockout!
(Can you tell I'm making up for lost time! LOL I missed you!)
Did you discover a new author last year?
In 2006, did you read an author you'd never read before and discover you wanted to read more? I did! I know a lot of you are already fans, but I discovered Susan Wiggs. Brenda Novak was another author I read for the first time and then went back to find more. I also discovered western writer Jory Sherman and now have a stack of his books on my nightstand.
I'm making it a goal in 2007 to read more authors I've never tried before.
I'm making it a goal in 2007 to read more authors I've never tried before.
Free Cookbook Download
I visted Roxanne Rustand's website, and there is a link to a free downloadable cookbook. Click here and it will take you directly to the download.
author newsletters
If you'd be interested in subscribing to other author's newsletters, check out this page and simply check the boxes to subscribe.
Coke Cake: from WDMCuz
COKE CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 sticks margarine
1 cup Coke
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine flour and sugar; heat Coke and butter to boiling. Pour over
flour and sugar and blend well. Beat together
buttermilk, eggs, soda, marshmallows and vanilla; add to flour mixture.
Mixture will be thin with marshmallows on top. Pour into 9x13 pan and
bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
FROST WHILE HOT WITH FOLLOWING:
1/2 cup margarine, 3 tablespoons cocoa and 6 tablespoons Coke - heat to
boiling and add 3-3/4 cup (1 lb.) powdered sugar. Spread on cake and
sprinkle with 1 cup pecans, if desired.
Refrigerate.
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 sticks margarine
1 cup Coke
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine flour and sugar; heat Coke and butter to boiling. Pour over
flour and sugar and blend well. Beat together
buttermilk, eggs, soda, marshmallows and vanilla; add to flour mixture.
Mixture will be thin with marshmallows on top. Pour into 9x13 pan and
bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
FROST WHILE HOT WITH FOLLOWING:
1/2 cup margarine, 3 tablespoons cocoa and 6 tablespoons Coke - heat to
boiling and add 3-3/4 cup (1 lb.) powdered sugar. Spread on cake and
sprinkle with 1 cup pecans, if desired.
Refrigerate.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Good, the Bad and the Very-Very Ugly
The good news is I got my PC back. The bad news is it has an HP error that the techie says must be fixed by reformatting my hard drive. So...I've been backing up files this morning, and now I'm on my way out to buy another jump drive. I know, I know, I should do this all along...whatever.
But hey! The great news is that there are NEW episodes of our favorite shows! I missed Supernanny and Wife Swap, darn, they looked pretty good, too. Tonight is __YES__ BONES! Tomorrow night an all new Gray's Anatomy, I did catch the entire cast accepting their People's Choice Award last night.
(Holy Cow, did you see some of those dresses? And I use the term "dress" loosely.)
And am I the only one ready for a new season of American Idol?
Did anyone watch the Grease Broadway show tryouts Sunday night? Okay, I loved it, and will be following. I'm a Danny Zuko fan, and they have to pick the right one!
But hey! The great news is that there are NEW episodes of our favorite shows! I missed Supernanny and Wife Swap, darn, they looked pretty good, too. Tonight is __YES__ BONES! Tomorrow night an all new Gray's Anatomy, I did catch the entire cast accepting their People's Choice Award last night.
(Holy Cow, did you see some of those dresses? And I use the term "dress" loosely.)
And am I the only one ready for a new season of American Idol?
Did anyone watch the Grease Broadway show tryouts Sunday night? Okay, I loved it, and will be following. I'm a Danny Zuko fan, and they have to pick the right one!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Technical Difficulties
I'm experiencing technical difficulties with my computer. Check back later for updates.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
One more winner!
Katrina has an extra copy of The Lawman's Bride since she ordered one already, so she will be sending the copy to the next person whose name I draw from the fish bowl! Thanks, Katrina, you are always generous to share with us.
And the winner of a copy of The Lawman's Bride is.......
Nickol !!
Congrats, Nickol! Katrina will send you your book.
Katrina, I'll let you know where to send it.
And the winner of a copy of The Lawman's Bride is.......
Nickol !!
Congrats, Nickol! Katrina will send you your book.
Katrina, I'll let you know where to send it.
speaking of resolutions for the new year....
Thank you to Mel for sharing A Cat's New Year's Resolutions. Too funny!
Friday, January 05, 2007
How To Clean Your Toilet
How To Clean Your Toilet
(JUST KIDDNG, MEL! We love our kitties!)
1. Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the
water in the bowl.
2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids.
You may need to stand on the lid.
4. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that
come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power-wash" and
rinse.
6. Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no
people between the bathroom and the front door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
8. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and
run outside where he will dry himself off.
9. Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.
Sincerely,
The Dog
(JUST KIDDNG, MEL! We love our kitties!)
1. Put both lids of the toilet up and add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the
water in the bowl.
2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids.
You may need to stand on the lid.
4. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that
come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power-wash" and
rinse.
6. Have someone open the front door of your home. Be sure that there are no
people between the bathroom and the front door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
8. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, streak through the bathroom, and
run outside where he will dry himself off.
9. Both the commode and the cat will be sparkling clean.
Sincerely,
The Dog
a story to check out
I just pre-ordered this book because I saw the excerpt on Ann Roth's website and thought it sounded good. Another Life.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Let's Chat.....RAIN SHADOW
If you haven't read it yet, GET ON IT!
This will be our first chat about one of my books, so it's trial and error. Why don't a couple of you make a list of questions (yea, lists!). They can be questions for each other, or for me, and we'll see how that goes.
I will find my original folders and come up with tidbits that you may find interesting about the creation of the story.
First off, I will tell you that though it was my first book published, it wasn't the first book I ever wrote. It was probably about the, oh, eighth maybe. And I wrote HEAVEN CAN WAIT before I wrote RAIN SHADOW, but HCW made the rounds of several agents and publishers and was rejected. While it was being rejected I wrote RS with spin-off characters because I loved Anton so much. I remember that time in my life vividly. I was giving the writing thing my very best most-devoted shot. I had been in an RWA chapter and a critique group for a couple of years and was learning the craft in a whole new way. I was working a full time job as a sign-maker and customer service rep at a grocery chain, had young children still at home, and got the call from my agent at work. I remember taking the call in the money room and hearing my agent say, "I can sell this book for you." She called me a couple months later to say we had indeed received an offer from Harlequin Historicals.
That was what everyone refers to as "The Call." That first sale. I had no idea what I was in for, but I was thrilled and so excited I could hardly contain myself. Everyone in that store heard my rejoicing! It's nothing like you see in the movies or on TV. The agent doesn't fly to your house to offer you $300,000.
And then the day I got the call from my wonderful editor whom I learned to appreciate and respect and enjoy working with -- and she said the senior editor thought Rain Shadow sounded too sixties, too hippyish and they wanted a new title. What? Come up with a list of ideas and call her back. What? It was 1992, but I remember bemoaning the fact that they wanted to change my precious title - I wrapped up in my comfy afghan, sat in front of the fire and whined.
My husband, God love him, went walking past and said four little words that changed my outlook for all time. Writers are infamous for saving slogans and mottoes and quotes and plastering them all over their work areas. Well, I'd found one a year or so before that and had taped it right to my monitor. "NOTHING IS SACRED." Meaning, everything is subject to change and changing or omitting might even make the work better. I had diligently applied that philosophy to my writing/critiquing/editing, so why was it that a title suddenly became the end all/be all of my publishing experience? It wasn't.
Jay said in passing that day, "Nothing is sacred, eh?" That did it. I didn't need my own philosophy flung back at me. I got busy and made a list of new titles. A day or so later I called my new editor to share them. She took the list and said she'd get back with me. A few days later, she called and said nothing I'd come up with nor anything they'd come up with fit the book better than my original title. Rain Shadow was staying. So there you have it.
In the years following I've kept most of my titles. Some are clearly not my own (did I ever mention THE LAWLESS MISS HOLLIS? LOL) but I don't sweat it any more. I have learned that my publisher spends the big bucks on studies and market research and they want to make money as much as I do, so I trust their judgement and roll with the flow. I've been fortunate with covers. I've never had the Pillsbury dough boy or a three-armed woman on my cover, though a skinny Anthony Perkins (of Psycho fame) made it to one of my covers. Yes, that skinny guy playing with the toddler on the front of The Truth About Toby is an iron-pumping body builder believe it or not -- and he never met the kid until the very end, but let's not get picky. He only had two arms!
When my covers showed up that first day I was enthralled. Stared and stared. Ogled, even. And a Linda Howard quote referencing LaVyrle Spencer on the front! Mind you we didn't have email back then, hard to believe in this day and age, isn't it? so I didn't get first glimpses of my covers via email or at amazon. LOL! amazon wasn't around yet.
Then I invented the wheel and had to figure out how to promote and get quotes and reviews and all that stuff that is at our fingrertips today. When I felt really bold I picked published author's brains and am to this day forever grateful for their generosity.
Well, that's my behind the scenes trip down memory lane.
Maybe next I can tell you how I came up with the setting....
Winner #3
All right. The third authentically signed first edition of The Lawman's Bride goes to....
where's that fish bowl?
oh, right here...
okay...boy, there are a LOT of entries! good job guys!
and the winner is...
Rose O!
Congrats, Rose. I'll have your book in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for blogging with us this week!
where's that fish bowl?
oh, right here...
okay...boy, there are a LOT of entries! good job guys!
and the winner is...
Rose O!
Congrats, Rose. I'll have your book in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for blogging with us this week!
read an excerpt....
This link will take you right to the excerpt from The Lawman's Bride at eharlequin!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Winner #2
Did this early enough in the evening so that Elijah could help. He loves to draw names from the fish bowl.
And the second winner of an authentically autographed first edition (hey, it just keeps sounding better, doesn't it?) of The Lawman's Bride is...
Remember I originally titled this book THE LAWLESS MISS HOLLIS...?
Oh, yes, and we're going to do a discussion about Rain Shadowm per request, let's do that asap.
Oh, and the winner is....
meljprincess !!
Whoo hoo! Mel, girl, you rock!
Your copy will be winging its way toward your abode in no time. Enjoy!
And the second winner of an authentically autographed first edition (hey, it just keeps sounding better, doesn't it?) of The Lawman's Bride is...
Remember I originally titled this book THE LAWLESS MISS HOLLIS...?
Oh, yes, and we're going to do a discussion about Rain Shadowm per request, let's do that asap.
Oh, and the winner is....
meljprincess !!
Whoo hoo! Mel, girl, you rock!
Your copy will be winging its way toward your abode in no time. Enjoy!
a new list: 5 Wonderful Things
You may not count chocolate.
1 falling leaves and crisp air
2 gold lockets
3 cottages with shutters
4 soft fluffy towels
5 chicken noodle soup on a cold day
1 falling leaves and crisp air
2 gold lockets
3 cottages with shutters
4 soft fluffy towels
5 chicken noodle soup on a cold day
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Winner #1
I'm drawing a name for the first winner of the week. Remember there will be two more! (Elijah is in bed - school tomorrow - yeah! - so I'm drawing.)
Drum roll please.......
The very first winner of a copy of The Lawman's Bride is...
KATRINA!
Good job, chickie! We loved your contributions this week, but don't stop now. Remember I often keep all the entries for the next drawing.
Just happen to be going to the post office first thing in the morning, so look for your book soon.
Drum roll please.......
The very first winner of a copy of The Lawman's Bride is...
KATRINA!
Good job, chickie! We loved your contributions this week, but don't stop now. Remember I often keep all the entries for the next drawing.
Just happen to be going to the post office first thing in the morning, so look for your book soon.
As Minds Age, What's Next? Brain Calisthenics
Science is not sure yet, but across the country, brain health programs are springing up, offering the possibility of a cognitive fountain of youth.
click here to read more
click here to read more
More about covers
Okay, I confess that on New Year's Eve I watched Terminator 1 & 2. You know the character of Kyle Reese who is John Connor's father in the future and Linda Hamilton's love interest (the guy who came from the future to save her), well I started wondering about him and googled him tonight. His name is Michael Beihn. He was in Tombstone and The Magincient Seven series and Alien and a boatload of movies.
And one fan thinks she spoted him on a couple of bookcovers. Tell me what you think:
And one fan thinks she spoted him on a couple of bookcovers. Tell me what you think:
Monday, January 01, 2007
Desperately Seeking Joye
Not the joy of the Lord, I already have that! LOL Joye the reader is the lady I'm looking for. WAY back when I gave away a stack of pre-read books, she requested The Gunslinger's Bride as her choice and she won the draw, but never posted me her address.
Joye, I need an address so I can send you this book!
Joye, I need an address so I can send you this book!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Bring it on!
We may have snow and extreme wind in Nebraska, but Huskers are staying warm dreaming of winning the Cotton Bowl tomorrow. Yes, Nebraska used to rank more highly esteemed bowl games, but we're making our way back. Unfortunately for fans, this is Zac Taylor's last year to play - our senior quarterback was a local hero this year. We've been invited to watch at freinds' tomorrow.
We have invitations for tonight, as well, but we're thinking the fire in our family room looks pretty appealing this evening. Last night we had three darlings while mommies and daddies went out, tonight we'll have only one. He'll go to bed early because he was up late last night, and the evening will be ours. Alone together. We'll toast in the new year with spinach dip and sparkling cider. Hey, we're big partiers, ya know.
I'm enjoying hearing from everyone!
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
What's wrong with this picture?
This one is courtesy of Hazel. Kind of freaky once you see the error. I do remember seeing this in the past. Kind of makes you wonder where the proof editors were in the art department, doesn't it? Or what the artist drank with lunch.
Thank you, Hazel!
Greetings!
Nothing like a new drawing to get everyone together, is there? So good to hear from everybody, and I'm adding your names to the fishbowl!
Good luck!
Ring Finger in Question
Minna found this cover to share. Apparently the bride is wearing her wedding ring on her middle finger. Odd....
Thanks, Minna!
New Year's Drawing!
I'm holding a drawing the first week of January. THREE readers will soon have their very own autographed hot little advance copies of my February release THE LAWMAN'S BRIDE in their hands. As usual entry is easy. Each comment on one of my blogs is an entry. I'll try to make interesting blogs so you'll have something to respond to. Well, I usually try to make interesting blogs so you'll have something to say, but I'll try exceptionally hard to be interesting. LOL Hey, weren't the GUYS enough to make you post? Everyone must be really busy or hung over from too much Christmas turkey and ham. Couldn't have been the fudge.
You know how I love lists.
I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. They're a waste of time and leave you feeling like a loser when you blow it the second week. But I do firmly believe we all need to set goals for ourselves. Achievable steps toward larger accomplishments. For example if a beginning writer wants to set goals for the year, the goal of publishing a book is unrealistic because it's out of his control. What that writer can do is set goals to write X number of pages per week, find a critique group, study a particular book on writing and apply the techniques, contact an agent, submit to X number of editors.... You get the idea. So let's start the new year's weekend with our lists of goals for the coming year.
Yes, I'm trying to make you think. Yes, I want you to be successful.
Here are some of my goals for 2007:
* first week of January - finish novella
* January/February - work on & finish new proposals
* write 100 words for 100 days
* writing improvement (techniques I'm working on)
* register for classes and honor study time
* promotion/website update
* faithful use of desk calendar for page counts and deadlines
You know how I love lists.
I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. They're a waste of time and leave you feeling like a loser when you blow it the second week. But I do firmly believe we all need to set goals for ourselves. Achievable steps toward larger accomplishments. For example if a beginning writer wants to set goals for the year, the goal of publishing a book is unrealistic because it's out of his control. What that writer can do is set goals to write X number of pages per week, find a critique group, study a particular book on writing and apply the techniques, contact an agent, submit to X number of editors.... You get the idea. So let's start the new year's weekend with our lists of goals for the coming year.
Yes, I'm trying to make you think. Yes, I want you to be successful.
Here are some of my goals for 2007:
* first week of January - finish novella
* January/February - work on & finish new proposals
* write 100 words for 100 days
* writing improvement (techniques I'm working on)
* register for classes and honor study time
* promotion/website update
* faithful use of desk calendar for page counts and deadlines
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