Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Marci Boudreaux Gets Her Slow Cooking On!

This recipe meets my requirements...sounds delicious and there will be leftovers!  Definitely have to try this one.  And if you haven't tried Marci's books, you need to add them to your 'gotta' do list too!
 
 
Barbecued Chicken 

by Marci Boudreaux

Though July is closely associated with barbeque pits and charred bits of meat, there is another way to get great tasting BBQ Chicken or pork…without risking the loss of facial hair.

 This year will be known (at least in my family) as the year I discovered the glorious wonders of a slow cooker. Yes, my friends, I no longer stand over a hot stove (or pit) for hours cooking for my starving family. Our home cooked meals are now done slowly, with minimal effort from me.

And this recipe is one of my personal favorites!



Marci’s BBQ Chicken

4-6 uncooked boneless chicken breasts (or small pork roast)
1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce (Hey, this still counts as homemade!)
¼ cup white vinegar
1tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ cup brown sugar
1tsp. minced garlic
½ small onion diced

 Mix bbq sauce, vinegar, pepper flakes, brown sugar, garlic and small onion in medium sized bowl.  Place meat in slow cooker. Pour bbq sauce mixture over meat. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Done!

Seriously?? YES! And it is delicious!

I shred mine and put it on a bun with coleslaw, but my kids eat it straight up with a side of baked beans

This is a great way to have summer flavor without adding to the summer heat. And it’s so easy!

Here's a little from Unforgettable You, my latest contemporary romance, for your reading pleasure while you sit back with a glass of chilled wine and wait for that terrific chicken to slow cook.



Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.

 Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.

 The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.

To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Recovered From Hot Mojave Knights!


HMK was a blast, but the return to the real world...not so much.  A pain surged across my brow when I opened 700+ emails Monday morning.  Several painkillers later I managed to get a few things answered or forwarded to another poor soul's email.  But enough of my problems.  My goal today is to share some of the fun I had in Vegas.

Siobhan & Shannon working hard...NOT!
Add caption
 
Arrived early to help with the final preparations.  Here's a few behind the scenes shots.
Scott Nova had to change is shirt!

 
Shannon Albright & Siobhan Muir showing off their lung capacity.


 






Evelyn got the hard job--sticking cloves in lemons for the knights to carry!


AND THEN THERE WAS THE FUN TIME WITH ONE OF THE MODELS!


Scott Nova and me...would you have been smiling?


 
Wondering where Scott's hiding his lemon...of course, the person who took the picture didn't send the one of him showing me the lemon! Thanks Wendy!!!!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Thurday Brings Us Nancy DiMauro's Book Report

Another summer is behind us, but here is Nancy DiMauro's report on the books she read during the sizzling days.  From one of the authors and her title listed here, I think a lot more than the outside temperatures soared!  Hope Nancy had a TALL glass of ice water handy for that one!


BOOK REPORT From Summer Reads

The summer of “can’t put down” books
 by Nancy DiMauro





Back to school is around the corner and I’m helping my two boys, who waited until the last minute (again) to complete their book reports. I decided to lead by example. I’ve already confessed to being a not-so-closeted romance reader and writer. You also know that my favorite time for reading romance novels is at the beach, and we’ve just returned from our family vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. So, I thought I’d share 10 books from my summer reading list. It’s also a bit more eclectic than normal since I’m researching my next novel, Schrodinger Effect, which features Vonna from Paths Less Traveled. In no particular order:

1.    Neil GaimanThe Ocean at the End of the Lane - Fantasy.

Neil Gaiman started out writing a short story, but ended up with this lovely little novella. A suicide releases a supernatural creature into our world. In trying to send the creature back, Lettie Hempstock unwittingly allows it to lodge inside a 7 year old boy. Years later, that boy returns home for a funeral and discovers he’s forgotten about that summer day and the magic at the end of the lane.

This is a great little story. I fell into the narrator’s voice, spellbound. I finished it in one sitting, pausing only grudgingly to get a plate of food before the teenagers at the beach ate it all. The only criticism I have of it is the price-point. At $15.00 it’s expensive for a novella, and at $9.99 it’s a really expensive e-book. Now, I bought my advanced copy through Barnes and Noble because it was a signed copy. Still, I think the price is well worth it.   





2.    Kevin J. AndersonVeiled Alliances – Fantasy.

In my opinion, Kevin is one of the greatest world-builders writing today. Veiled Alliances is a prequel to his Saga of the Seven Suns series. One hundred and fifty years after the Earth sent out its generation ships, Earth’s government has given way to a puppet king controlled by the Hanseatic League. The generation ships are found and given safe harbors by an alien race. With the gift of FTL (Faster Than Light) engines, Earth is poise on the brink of becoming a major player in the universe.  

I “read” this one on audio book. The 4 plus hour recording got me most of the way to the beach. Unlike some prequels this one wasn’t forced or awkward. A large part of that is likely due to Kevin’s detailed outlining. Before Kevin had written the first word for the series, he would have already known the events set forth in this prequel. Whether you’ve read the other books in the series, or Veiled Alliances is your first journey to the Seven Suns, it’s definitely worth reading. 

3.    Jeaniene Frost -  Halfway to the Grave. – Urban Fantasy with Romance.

Cat, the kick-butt heroine, is half-vampire. She hunts the undead in an effort to find and slay her father for destroying her mother’s life.  Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire and vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. Cat agrees to help Bones cull the undead population in return for his help finding and exterminating her father. Life and unlife is never that simple though, and Cat finds Bones more tempting than any man with a heartbeat.

I also finished this one in a day.  The tone and take no prisoners heroine reminded me a lot of Gini Koch’s Alien Series. One of my friend loaned me this book at the beach when I’d run out of other stories. It was the first time I’d read anything by Ms. Frost. I’m definitely looking up the rest of the series.





4.    Sloane TaylorFrench Tart (Naughty Ladies of Nice) – Erotic Romance.

Donatienne Dubois pins her hope for a “normal” life on an exclusive cooking school in Nice, France. But one by one her expectations are shattered. Donni’s lifesaver is a bad boy too hot not to handle. For his part, Mark Anderson, is incognito, hating every moment. To pose as a student while keeping tabs on a rich wild child is his version of hell, until he partners with the dish of Crème Brulée good enough to eat.

I love Sloane’s writing and her ability to transport a reader to the exotic locations she sets her stories and her characters. French Tart, a novella, lived up to all my expectations for Sloane’s work. I especially loved the foul-mouthed parrot that develops a crush on Donni. 

5.    John E. Douglas and Mark OlshakerThe Cases that Haunt Us – Nonfiction.

Certain homicide cases maintain an undeniable, almost mystical hold on the public imagination. This analysis of seven of the most notorious murder cases in the history of crime -- from the Whitechapel murders to JonBenet Ramsey -- often contradicts conventional wisdom and legal decisions. Using modern profiling techniques, the book reexamines cases we all know, and sometimes reaches fascinating and haunting results.

This is one of the many resource books I’m using for Schrodinger Effect. The writers take you through the criminal investigative process for each of the cases, noting how preconceptions or just investigative mismanagement affected the ultimate outcomes. A great resource and well-handled and sensitive narrative given the topics.

6.    Brenda Novak - Whiskey Creek series – Romance

Brenda Novak’s romances are great examples of the genre. One of the things I like about this series is that the first book, When Lightning Strikes, introduces us to a group of high school friends approximately 10 years after graduation, and each book in the series (so far) has focused on one character’s happily ever after.  The world Brenda Novak builds has a high degree of continuity and characters from the other books continue to interact as they really would have in any small community. 

7.    Lee ChildJack Reacher series, Books 1-5  – Thrillers. Jack Reacher is a retired
Military Police officer with a monster case of wanderlust. His travels seem to leave him in the right places at the right time to become enmeshed in kidnapping, murder and mayhem. Given his military background and specialized MP training, Reacher’s highly competent in many areas, and more than holds his own against FBI and Secret Service experts. I’ve listened to these books on audiotape. Dick Hill is a fabulous narrator.





8.    David FarlandDrawing on the Power of Resonance in Writing – Nonfiction.

A must read for every writer. Dave has long spoken about by drawing power from stories that came before; resonating with their readers' experiences, and by resonating within their own works. Frankly, Dave could sell this book for LOTS more and it would still be worth every penny. He teaches you exactly what resonance is and how to use it to make your stories more powerful with examples of how it is used in literature and other art forms, and how one writer, J. R. R. Tolkien, mastered it in his work.

9.    John Scalzi, Editor - METAtropolis – anthology – Post-apocalyptic fantasy

Audible was running one of its book specials, and out of the audiobooks I could get for $4.95 was this anthology. I have to admit I picked this one because it had one of the longer run times (I drive about 3 hours a day), and the high quality writers who contributed to the work.

METAtropolis is a shared-world anthology, where all the stories take place in the same created urban fantasy world, but it’s more than that. A typical anthology has a common theme – ex. Humorous horror stories – and the writers have little direction beyond that. A braided anthology has a through line and character. This is another step up in continuity. The five writers collaborated on the world. They all had the same blue print when they set their characters free and let them interact with this world.

10.  Harlan CobinSix Years – Thriller/ Suspense

Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty, recommended Six Years on her podcast. I met Mignon several years ago at Superstars Writing Seminar, and have often liked the books she’s recommended. She didn’t let me down. Again, this was an audiobook for me.

Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd. Then Jake comes across Todd’s obituary. At the funeral, Jake gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife…but she’s not Natalie. As Jake searches for the truth, his picture-perfect memories of Natalie begin to unravel. His search for the woman who broke his heart, who lied to him, soon puts his life at risk as it dawns on him that the man he has become may be based on a carefully constructed fiction.

This is another “can’t put down story.” It’s not a romance since the love story plays second fiddle to the mystery Jake’s trying to unravel. Cobin handles both the romance and the mystery with a deft touch. The characters are believable and I was rooting for Jake to solve the mystery, find the girl and live happily ever after. But you’ll have to read it to find out if he did.

Here's another book that will stand the test of time.





To restore Daphne to her nymph form, Apollo must bargain with treacherous Hades, but Death may demand too high a price.

Shot by a golden arrow, Apollo has only truly loved Daphne. He visits her each eclipse, and longs for reunion. He seeks the Fates’s advice and learns he may finally restore Daphne to her true water nymph form by enlisting other gods’ assistance.

If Apollo fails Daphne will be lost to him forever. To regain Daphne’s soul, Apollo must deal with the devil, King of the Underworld. Love-torn and treacherous, Hades would slay the pantheon to remain with his wife for the full year. Apollo’s quest might just give Hades the leverage he needs to do so.

Will Pheobus Apollo surrender the sun to try to reclaim love? Can he break Daphne’s curse or will his attempts destroy her forever? Will she still love him after millennia as a soulless tree? With the end of the quest see Apollo rising, or in sunset?

To read an excerpt from Apollo Rising please click HERE.

To read excerpts from Nancy DiMauro's other Musa Publishing books, please click HERE.

Learn more about Nancy DiMauro and her impressive work on her website Falcons Fables and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Wednesday Travel - A Few Pictures From July's Trip.

Hard to believe it's almost three months since we started out on our trip.  London started out rough with the plunge down the escalator at Victoria Station, but after that things had to get better and they did!  Here are some of the pictures from the trip.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - A VERY old pub with lots of nooks and crannies, steep stairs and tiny rooms on several levels.

Sherlock Holmes Pub - crowded and the staff didn't roll out the welcome carpet to customers.  A real tourist trap that probably has Arthur Conan Doyle twirling in his grave since this is where there is supposed to house his desk and other items upstairs, but can't vouch for that since didn't see any signs.


Tea at Fortnum & Mason - the beetroot cured salmon was delicious!

Inside the St. George Tavern - So glad this pub was close to our hotel.  Very nice staff, and terrific fish & chips!


Here you have a few of the stops on the front end of the trip.  Will share more next week!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tuedays Can Get Wenchy - Holley Trent Proves That

Today, I delighted to have the effervescent Holley Trent arguing with her Muse about writing cowboys...guess who won.  Yep, I know for a fact when a Muse gets set on something things go that way. 

My Muse Likes Cowboys
by Holley Trent




Last fall, I was on Colorado’s 287 driving south to a meeting—doing my usual in-car sing-along to…oh, I want to say "Panic! at the Disco." Suddenly, with the mountains of the Front Range in view, my muse plopped her mouthy self into the front passenger seat and said, “Hey, you need write a cowboy romance.”

Naturally, I scoffed. I’m a Carolina girl (lapsed, but still). We didn’t have ranchers back east. We just had farmers. What do I know about cowboys (beyond the fact they tend to wear their jeans quite well)?

Muse said, “You’re thinking too literally. You can tell a cowboy story without it being a treatise on ranch management.”

And I said, “Oh yeah? You want to tell me what, precisely, this story should be about? ’Cause I’m plenty busy already.”

Muse said, “Picture it. A single dad workaholic living in the middle of the Wyoming boonies.”

I said: “Wyoming?”

Muse said: “Yeah? Remember that road trip through southeastern Wyoming and that never-ending dirt road that tested the mettle of your marriage?”

I said, “Oh. That. That was…educational.”

Muse said: “Now imagine a community so sparsely populated because of the size of the ranches that most of the kids are home-schooled.”

Me: “Uh…”

Muse said: “And because few people are really qualified to home-school those kids, a couple of those ranchers have to hire a tutor from a service.”

Me: “Ah. I see where you’re going here.”

Muse: “Fish out of water. Carolina beauty queen intellectual versus stubborn Wyoming rancher.”

Me: “Hmm. I might could work it. Can I have a big cast?”

Muse: “The biggest. Grey’s Anatomy didn’t have a cast this big.”

Me: “So I can write in some insane secondaries. Can I make it snarky?”

Muse: “The snarkiest, babe. I’ve got an idea for a sidekick named Phil. He can be this book’s resident misanthrope. Oh! And a bossy mother. You can have one of those, too.”

Me: “Okay. I’m tempted. Maybe after NaNoWriMo.”

Muse: “No. NOW. You don’t want to ignore me. Remember what happened last time?”

Me: *glowers*

Muse: “Oh. Since it’s going to be a doorstopper of a book, anyway, why not just go on ahead and add in a secret baby?”

Me: “Leave.”

Muse: “Fine. Be back next week. I have an idea for a—”

Me: “LALALALALALA.”

And, that’s how the story of Ronnie and John came to be. It’s called Teaching the Cowboy and will be trotting into e-readers sometime this fall. Watch the TtC page my blog to learn more.

Holley Trent writes contemporary and paranormal romances with Southern sass. Her previous Musa releases are the chick-litty Executive Decision and Her Resident Jester. Holley's comedic paranormals Mrs. Roth’s Merry Christmas and Love by Premonition.

Learn more about Holley and her upcoming works on her website and blog. Stay in touch with Twitter.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Monday Tidbits - Finally!

Good grief, I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged.  Yes, life got complicated, but over a month without so much as a 'howdy', gads I've been asleep at the wheel here. And that has to stop!

The Heart of Denver Romance Writer's Mini-Conference is one of the things that kept me hopping recently.  All of the last minute details to pull together kept me on my toes, but I'm delighted to report the event turned out great.  Terrific seminar presenter with the very knowledgeable Penny Sansevieri and an excellent kick-off presentation by Sue Grimshaw from Random House and Helen Hardt with Musa Publishing made for an interesting and stimulating day.

At the end of the lunch break, the contest coordinators for the Molly and Aspen Gold contests announced the winners (alas, DEAD Hot wasn't one, but I'm honored to have been a finalist in such a strong group of submissions) and below is three of our Colorado winners.



Now that all the fun is over, it's time to get back to work.  I will be on the blog track at least a couple of times a week, and probably more since I will be sharing fun blogs from my author friends!