Another month down

It's kind of depressing actually. When I was a kid time dragged, and only the summer flew by. Now it seems every morning it's a new month. Or close to it.

Still, I'm pleased with this month's progress. And I KNOW I'll kick a$$ this month!

Amwriting

I don't know much about Twitter except what I hear from others or see online. But I know the #amwriting tag means just that. And that's what I'm doing...writing. Slowly. But I am.

My goal for this summer/fall is to finish 3 books. I have confidence!

Friday recipe

I've made this one before, it's time consuming but delicious and I highly recommend it. This doesn't look anything like my creations, but it's a great picture nonetheless.

Prep Time:      Cook Time:      Ready In:

15 Min              12 Min       1 Hr 27 Min

Ingredients

• 1 quart strawberries, sliced
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup white sugar
•  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (7 ounce) container marshmallow creme
•  
• 2 1/3 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick ®)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch square baking dish.
2. Mix strawberries and blueberries with 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl, and set aside. Mix the cream cheese with the marshmallow creme in a separate bowl until smooth, and set aside. In another bowl, mix the baking mix, milk, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and melted butter into a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan.
4. Spread the berry mixture and juice over the cooled shortcake, saving a few pretty berries aside for garnish. With a spatula, gently press down on the berries to allow the juices to soak into the cake. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the fruit, and garnish with the reserved berries. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cutting in squares to serve.

Weekend plans

A three-day weekend. Never has a phrase sounded so wonderful! BBQ? Beach? Pool? Lounging around the house?

I'll be doing the BBQ, lounging around the house (or someone's house at least) with friends and family, and writing. Not going to let a bonus day pass me by!

However, Memorial Day is much more than me having a day off. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Thank a soldier or remember a loved one who fought in a war.But don't forget that they did it out of a sense of honor, not obligation.

What are you doing?

Hawaii Five-O

First let me say that I had mixed feelings about the show. Hawaii Five-O was a staple in my house growing up, and the theme song rocks. But remakes rarely turn out worth watching.

Yup, I was one of those who watched Alex O'Loughlin in Moonlight...but somehow, Scott Cann steals every single scene. There's something oddly attractive about him, plus it's the whole sarcastic attitude.

Now, the pair of them...together...yum!

Aside from all that, it's a surprisingly great show. And the finale was excellent! If you haven't watched it, jump on the band wagon and catch the reruns. They're worth it...after that first episode where if I hadn't known it was James Marsters in his itty-bitty role, I wouldn't have known based on the 3 minute air time he got.

Ohhh...James Marsters, Alex O'Loughlin, AND Scott Cann? I may swoon.

Relief

I'm really glad with the way this story is finally moving along. After so many stops and starts, RL interference, and everythign else that's been going on, I'm please that a full quarter of the book is done and done to my satisfication.

IE: Words on a page that make sense rather than fill the white space.

Catching up

Writing, writing, writing. And TV watching...what? I DVR'ed a bunch of episodes the last 6+ weeks and needed to catch up.

Friday Recipe: BBQ Veggies

To go with the BBQ theme of May and Memorial Day, how to do up your veggies to go with last week's oh-so-delicious ribs. There are many ways, and I admit to not trying this one (yet) but veggies are important to every cookout. Fresh, grilled, whatever.

Prep Time:     Cook Time:     Ready In:
20 Min             5 Min           1 Hr 25 Min

Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
• 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and cut into wide strips
• 3 zucchinis, sliced
• 6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Directions

1. Place eggplant, red bell peppers, zucchinis and fresh mushrooms in a medium bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, basil and garlic. Pour the mixture over the vegetables, cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
4. Place vegetables directly on the grill or on skewers. Cook on the prepared grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, brushing frequently with the marinade, or to desired doneness.

Why I write what I do

In the interest of not bringing readers down, but of staying true to the time period, I'll talk about my reasons for writing when I do.

Same-sex or three (or more) relationships happened. No matter what religious or country law said, they happened. People were careful about it, secretive in every aspect of their lives, but just because it was illegal and immoral doesn't mean it wasn't real.

Why do I enjoy writing m/f/f and m/m/f? Because everyone needs to find love and frankly my love isn't your love and all that...plus it's super sexy and ever so fun!

Today a same-sex affair wouldn't be looked at twice (in Western society that is, can't speak for other parts of the world). People may not like it for a variety of reasons but it is, quite literally, out in the open.

Threesomes...not so much. We're still a monogamous society no matter what we say. In that respect, my FBI lovers in Killer Valentine (and soon to be sequels) can't reveal their relationship to anyone because of the stigma attached. My sexy agents have to hide their love much like Sabine and Faith have to hide theirs from the Regency world.

The sad fact is that many people can't accpet. Pity.

Very real historical issues

Yesterday I posted how fun it is to break the established rules in Regency England. But sneaking around behind a chaperone's back and a same-sex or ménage relationship are totally different issues.

The first will get you married off. The second will get you killed.

Every 'traditional' Regency book you read has some sort of rule breaking going on. Why? Because it's fun, it happened, and it makes for damn good drama.

In Ann Herendeen's interview she talks about bi-and homosexuality in Regency England.

It was repressive and dangerous, from the late 17th century through the early 19th century. Sodomy was a capital offense; the church was in agreement with the laws; and most of society was either ignorant or antagonistic.


The only major change that occurred during this time was that there was an increase in arrests and prosecutions of men in the Regency [1811-1820], not because there were more gay people, but because society became more aware of the concept of same-sex activity.

My characters in both Wickedly Wanton and Seduction of a Proper Lady would have been hanged if caught. Well, first they would have been publicly humiliated, jailed (possible trial though it'd be a complete farce) then hanged. Their family and friends would also be caught in this public humiliation, and gossip like that wasn't going away.

What they're doing in finding both sexual gratification and lasting love is (according to Regency and Church Law) highly illegal and immoral. There were secret clubs for gay men, with secret codes and locations for just that reason-discovery meant scandal and death.

So while it's fun and sexy to write about threesomes, there is a very real underlying danger to what they're doing.

Regency Rules

Breaking the rules is always fun. But the Regency era there were so many rules! No gifts, no first names, no sitting together, no privacy together...

You can't tell me Regency couples didn't sneak around all those rules...but just how far did they take it? That's the fun part...seeing what I can push in a world of constraints. And yet not as constraining as the Victorian era. Odd how that works.

Moving right along

Spent some time last week editing the several chapters of Seduction of a Proper Lady I already had written. I did this for two reasons: To edit of course, but also to get back into the story. I've been gone for too long for my mental tastes.

So I read over what I had, added a few more touches (changing he said/she said to a tag with more meaning) and making sure the plot was deep enough to counter all the sex I'm about to write. *wink*

Friday Recipe: BBQ Ribs

From my all-time favorite foodie website, All Recipe, this is unbelivably delicious! It's worth ever ingredient, every moment cooking, and you really must savor every delicious bite.
Scott Hibb's Amazing Whisky Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Prep Time:     Cook Time:     Ready In:
20 Min            2 Hrs 40 Min    3 Hrs

Ingredients

• 2 (2 pound) slabs baby back pork ribs
• coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground red chile pepper
• 2 1/4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring
• 2 teaspoons whiskey
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dark molasses
• 1/2 tablespoon ground red chile pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degree F (150 degrees C).
2. Cut each full rack of ribs in half, so that you have 4 half racks. Sprinkle salt and pepper (more pepper than salt), and 1 tablespoon chile pepper over meat. Wrap each half rack in aluminum foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions in oil for 5 minutes. Stir in water, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, liquid smoke, whiskey, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, dark molasses, and 1/2 tablespoon ground chile pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/4 hours, uncovered, or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and set sauce aside.
4. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
5. Remove the ribs from the oven, and let stand 10 minutes. Remove the racks from the foil, and place on the grill. Grill the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Brush sauce on the ribs while they're grilling, just before you serve them (adding it too early will burn it).

Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 1043 | Total Fat: 68.5g | Cholesterol: 234mg

Editing

It's nice being back in the story. And amazing how stress falls away while writing. I can immerse myself in a different world and enjoy every second of it.

Shame I can't do that on a regular basis, but last month all I wanted to do was collapse into bed after yet another long day.

Seduction of a Proper Lady: A Regency Ménage Tale. This is the second in my loosely-related Regency ménage series. Meaning the only thing they have in common are Regency, ménage, and me.

There will be no character cross-overs. At least there are no plans for such.

Setting: April, London 1815

Our intrepid heroine: Laurel, is in Town for her second Season, determined to find a man to marry whom she can tolerate at the very least. When a major and his captain take a shine to her, will she succumb to their advances? Or will propriety win out? And with it her chance at love?

Slow

April was not what one might call a good month. I don't know where those 30 days went but am I ever glad they're over!

I'm getting back into my writing now, slowly going over what I have for Seduction of a Proper Lady and my next ménage project, Flowers in the Tower. I've missed (or will miss in a few days) my deadline for Seduction but am unbelievably grateful to my editor for her understanding and willingness to extend my deadline.

This month I'll finish Seduction, June and July will be Flowers, then July ad August I'm going to try and get back into my contemporary FBI serial hunter ménage series, with a full-length, Killer Vacation, to go with my short Killer Valentine.

Friday recipe

I made this cake last week for a birthday, shaped like a sun. It's from King Arhur's Vanilla Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, soft
• 1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 13 3/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces unsalted butter, soft
• 10 ounces milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

14 ounces sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour your choice of pan(s): one 9" x 13" pan, two 9" round cake pans, three 8" round pans, or the wells of two muffin tins (24 muffin cups). You can also line the muffin tins with papers, and spray the insides of the papers.

1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.

2) Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at low speed, until the mixture looks sandy.

3) Combine the milk and vanilla and add, all at once. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

4) Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.

5) With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

6) Repeat this procedure with the second egg. Continue adding the eggs, scraping after each addition, until all 4 are added.

7) After the last egg is added, scrape the bowl once more, then beat at medium-high speed for 30 more seconds.

8) Transfer the batter to the pans of your choice. For layers, divide the batter among the pans. Smooth out the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon.

9) Bake for 40 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan; 27 minutes for 9" layers; 24 minutes for 8" layers, or 23 to 25 minutes for cupcakes.

10. The cake is done when it's golden brown around the edges and just beginning to pull away from the edge of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

1) Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool before removing it from the pan.

Never a truer quote was copied

Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference.

 

~Nolan Bushnell

Founder of Atari

Slacking

It's hard to keep up with everything, but May is a new month (I'll use any excuse!) and this month I'm making a concentrated effort to be a better blogger.

Yup.

5 days a week for 4 weeks that's my goal. Well, and to finish my newest menage story. :)