Day 7 of 15 Days of Christmas - 3 Guests, 1 Day - Finding Ms. Right

Today is a special guest and prize day—3 for 1.  That’s right, on this one day we have three guests.  All of the authors in the anthology Finding Ms. Right are here to share holiday wishes and recipes as well as a prize for each.  And there recipes are as special as their stories...I know, I've read the book!  Readers, we hit the jackpot on this!  Each of our guests will draw a winner and all 3 will be entered into the "Brit Trinket" drawing. 

So grab your coffee, tea or whatever your drink of choice is and read until it’s time to comment.  You want to make sure your name is entered! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

From M.L. Guida – Cassandra

Ho! Ho!  It’s that time of year again where we are all frantic to find that perfect gift for that special someone.  Down in the Underworld, Eric is frantically looking for a present for Cassandra.  He’s never gone Christmas shopping before and has no idea what human females want.  In the Underworld, female demons have a different taste on what they want – usually something naughty in the bedroom.   But Eric doesn’t believe Cassandra would want that.  She loves Disney, skiing, working with kids and living in Frisco, Colorado.  His mind is as blank as a white board.  He’s out of his element.  To make things worse, she’s already got his present wrapped and under the tree.  Hmmmmm…., I wonder what he’ll get her. 

What about you?  Have you started the mad rush to find gifts for your loved ones or you one of those lucky people who get their shopping down two months ahead of schedule?  As for me, I usually get gifts bought for my friends early, but my family is another matter.  We like to do lists and trying to get my sister and her family to get their lists down runs into the Nightmare Before Christmas, but like the Pumpkin King, I wouldn’t want it any other way. 

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays.  I love taking out the tree and decorating it.  My tradition is hull the tree out of the basement the day after Thanksgiving and then, my mom and niece come over and help me decorate.  During the next coming weeks, I like sitting in my chair and looking at the soft white Christmas lights shining on my ornaments. 

Another tradition I have is whenever I take a trip, I buy an ornament.  I have some from Scotland, London, France, Bahamas, and Australia.  However, one of my cherished ornaments is actually of my second oldest nephew.  It’s a photograph of him when he was nine months old and wearing a Santa’s hat on and wearing only a diaper.  His picture is set in a Christmas frame that can be hung on the tree.  The determined look in his eyes and half smirk makes me laugh.  He’s still got that same look at fourteen years old.    

To be truthful, I like Thanksgiving the best, because it truly is a time to give thanks and this year, I have a lot to be grateful for – I got published!  Yeah!  Being an author has always been a dream of mine and now it finally came true.  Like in Pinocchio, I can’t tell you the number of times I wished upon a star and only have it crash to Earth, but this time, the Blue Fairy granted my wish.  This has to do with all of you.  I’d like to thank my readers for supporting me through this time.  I wish each one of you a safe and Happy Holiday Season!

Pizzelles (Family Tradition Straight from Italy!)

Melt one pound of margarine (do not use butter, will burn on the pizzelle iron)

Beat 15 eggs - add 2.5 cups of sugar

Add 1 bottle of Anise oil

and then beat in margarine

Keep stirring then add 5 - 6 cups of flour unsifted 

Let sit for about a half hour.

Dab about teaspoon of dough onto pizzelle iron.

Makes about five to six dozen.

Keep track of what’s happening with ML at http://www.mlguida.com/

Happy Holiday’s to You!
Hillary Seidl - Sia

            What a wonderful time of year to be around friends and family.  This year has been extremely busy.  From the shopping to the holiday parties it’s always good to reflect on what 2011 has meant to you.  To me it has been an exciting year with my first novella Sia that’s included in Finding Ms. Wright from 5 Prince Publishing.  Huge support from family and friends made it possible, so a big thank you.  I love writing about the paranormal so look for more from me in 2012!

I’m a gluten free girl so I thought I would I would share a cake recipe that I love and it’s without flour! 

·         I prefer PAMELA’S Gluten Free Chocolate Cake mix

·         Always add the extra egg for a fluffy cake

·         When done baking poke random holes and drizzle a little caramel and chocolate sauce

·         Whip some REAL cream.  I know it’s tempting to buy Cool Whip but trust me.

·         Break up Heath Bar and sprinkle it on top of the cream.

·         Drizzle more sauces on top and enjoy! 

I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday!  Reach me at www.hillaryseidl.com 

Happy Holidays to All! 

Lori Corsentino - Evelyn

There’s nothing quite like the holidays. Love them or hate them, they are something everyone looks forward to or dreads every year. Time seems to speed up as the year approaches it end. The days ARE literally shorter!

I’ve been pretty lucky in that most of my holiday memories are amazingly good, or funny. I don’t really have very many horror stories to tell. My family is in Colorado, so none of us have had to brave planes, trains, or cross-country automobiles to get to each other. The furthest we usually had to go was south to Englewood, north to Windsor, or east to the farm my Uncle and Aunt own just outside of Keenesburg, Colorado.

One year not too long ago I went out to the farm. It was just me in the car – no co-pilot or navigator.
Now, there are several things you can be sure of when you visit the farm:

1) The lane may or may not be passable

2) You may or may not see livestock

3) The bridge may or may not have a loose board

4) You’ll likely to take home kitty graffiti

1) The lane may or may not be passable.

Depending on the recent amount of rain/snowfall and your intrepid nature, you can usually enjoy a trek up the lane from the country road to the farm house. It passes several fields, including one where, after harvest, the cattle are usually let loose to clean up the remainder of the hay. Now, I’ve seen my uncle bounce along that track fearlessly in his Buick or any of the other myriad farm vehicles he has in most any condition, even in those where I’d hesitate tackling it in a Hummer. I think that’s a city vs. country thing, though. He knows he’s got a tractor he can go fire up and haul the Buick back to the house if needs be. Me - I wouldn’t know the first thing about driving a tractor, but it kinda sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Luckily on this Christmas Eve night, the weather was beautiful and the lane was free of weather restricting conditions.

2) You’re going to see some livestock.

Notice I didn’t say that the lane was passable, did I? Well, in this case, the weather didn’t block the lane – but the herd of cattle loitering in the middle of it did. There are a couple electronic fences you have to go through to get to the main house. To get through the fence, you have to get out of your car, pray you choose the right hook and unhook it, lower it, drive over it, then hook it back up, again hoping you hook it right. I know a bit more than I’d like about unhooking and hooking the fence. That zap sure gets your attention!

In any case, when there are a few dozen head of cattle around and no friendly cowboy on his horse to herd them, you gotta be resourceful. That being said, until you “stand” next to a cow, you don’t realize how big they really are! And don’t even get me started on that bull, and how he stood there, tall, broad shouldered, tail swishing, eyeing this city girl trying to come into his territory. I know my Uncle really didn’t mean to laugh so hard when I called from my cell phone, freaked out that bull. Needless to say, my chuckling Uncle came and bailed me out, letting down the fences and clearing the way for me to approach the infamous bridge.

3) The bridge may or may not have a loose board

Now the bridge is another matter. It crosses a fairly deep irrigation canal, and is on, I believe, its 4^th or 5^th iteration. The 1^st iteration was downright scary. It was functional, and did its job, but man oh man, you went through more bumps and hops to get across it than a 70s disco revival. The 5^th or so iteration is nothing so adventurous, I’m sorry to say. Sometimes I miss the sheer adrenaline rush you got crossing those earlier versions, not quite knowing if you were going to make it in one piece. That’s why discovering a new loose board in the more modern version is such a good/bad thing. You get the rush, but you know you’re probably going to make it OK.

4) You’ll likely to take home kitty graffiti

If its daylight and the kitties are out, or it’s night time and one managed to escape the nightly ritual of going to bed in the barn, you’re gonna come out and find some kitty graffiti on your car. Like those kids that just gotta tag their territory, my Uncle’s cats gotta tag things that come in to their territory. Sometimes it’s a singular signature, while other times it’s a multiple misdemeanor effort. In this case, it was night, and only one had missed bedtime in the barn. Needless to say, he/she found my unmarked vehicle irresistible and “tagged” it. There’s nothing like muddy paw prints right across your field of vision.

Visiting the farmhouse and celebrating the holiday with an excellent meal and even better company was amazing. I enjoyed that Christmas Eve so much. I suppose part of it was just because of the adventures I experienced along the way. Another part was because of the warmth of tradition, family, and good food and laughter. You see, I was really missing my Mom and Dad. It was the first year we celebrated the holiday without them. They’d both passed in the year since the previous December, so instead of being with us, they were celebrating with those that had gone before them.

 When it came time for me to leave, we’d had so much fun we were all in a mellow glow. It was well into Christmas Day, and so it was well past their early riser bedtime and fast approaching my night creature own. I was actually looking forward to the long drive home. It seemed the night held a bit of magic. The weather was calm, with nary a cloud to hide the moon or breeze to mar the stillness. Scraping away the kitty prints as best I could in the chilled air, I let the car warm a bit before I enjoyed one last loving hug from my Uncle. He jumped in his car and led the way back to the electronic gate and the loitering herd of cattle. Only a few were left, nibbling and dozing in the field along the lane.

 Once on the highway, I drove into the darkness, occasionally glimpsing the bright colors of Christmas lights that indicated the presence of one the small towns that line I-76. For some reason, I decided to get off the highway and drive through Brighton on my way home. To this day, I can still remember the sight of that small town, decked in its finest, celebrating the season with decorative lights blazing. The night was cold, and a light mist covered the landscape like a veil, making the festive lights twinkling and bright. Although my Mom and Dad weren’t there physically, I know they were taking that drive with me, enjoying the lights, and the company.

 That’s a Christmas Eve I will always remember.

 I hope everyone finds a bit of magic in this season’s celebrations. Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!

All my best –

Lori Corsentino

http://loricorsentino.com/

And a nummy recipe: 

Eggnog Cookies

I love the rich, creamy taste of eggnog, so these are a definite favorite of mine. It’s a nice, soft cookie with great flavor. I hope you enjoy!

     1/2 cup butter, softened

    1 cup sugar

    2 eggs

    2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon eggnog

    2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/4 teaspoon baking soda

    1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

    ICING:

    2 cups confectioners' sugar

    1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional

    4 to 5 tablespoons eggnog

    Liquid or paste food coloring, optional

Cookie Directions 

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in eggs.

3. Stir in eggnog.

4. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness.

7. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters.

8. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. 

Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

 Icing Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, nutmeg if desired and enough eggnog to achieve icing consistency.

2. Add food coloring if desired.

3. Spread over cooled cookies; let stand until set.

 Yield: about 4 dozen.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with commercially prepared eggnog.

Blurg:  Finding Ms. Wright 

Three men, each on a crucial mission to save their way of life, seek their true mates – women who unknowingly hold the key to their very survival.

Cassandra

Demon Prince Eric Wyvern must have Cassandra. Boldly, he kidnaps the gifted psychic from a mountain inn, taking her to his dark underworld. Held captive, her key to freedom is agreeing to his terms. Neither expects to fall in love and unlock the secrets that can save both worlds. – M.L. Guida

 Sia

Paranormal hunter Andrew Grant has less than a week to locate a stone and thwart a wizard’s bid for ultimate power. Sia holds the key to his success and to his heart. Only together can they discover love and save the world. – Hillary Seidl

 Evelyn

Five hundred year old Prince Alexander needs a woman, and only archaeologist Evelyn will do. Their magical kiss sparks more than mere romance – it creates a key that will open their hearts to a true love that will save their worlds. – Lori Corsentino

 Finding Ms. Wright is being produced by the indie press, 5 Prince Publishing. Look for the eBook November 15th – distributed through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and All Romance eBooks. 

The trade paperback will be released in December, 2011 and distributed through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and 5 Prince Publishing.

Website links:
5 Prince Publishing

www.5princebooks.com 

Lori Corsentino

www.loricorsentino.com 

M.L. Guida

www.mlguida.com

Hillary Seidl

www.hillaryseidl.com

 Buy links:

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Ms-Wright-ebook/dp/B0067U7OPQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323758782&sr=1-1 

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-ms-wright-m-l-guida/1104456058?ean=2940013457935&itm=1&usri=finding+ms.+wright 

Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/105200

All Romance Ebooks

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-findingmswright-641772-140.html