Friday Recipe: New Years

Plans? Party? Quiet night at home? Whatever you're doing this New Year's Eve, don't drink and drive, bring a small discrete roll of tums (just in case) and hope nothing you do ends up on YouTube or Facebook.

From All Recipes top New Year's recipes!

Honey-Garlic Glazed Meatballs:
Prep Time:25 Min
Cook Time:15 Min
Ready In:40 Min

Ingredients
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions
In a large bowl combine eggs and milk. Add the bread crumbs, onion and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place in two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Cocktails:
Hot Buttered Rum Batter (because Baby it's Cold Outside!)
Prep Time:10 Min
Cook Time:10 Min
Ready In:40 Min

Ingredients
1 pound butter
1 pound brown sugar
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Blend in brown sugar and confectioners' sugar. Remove from heat, and whisk in the ice cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into a plastic container, seal, and freeze.

In a coffee mug, measure 1 tablespoon Hot Buttered Rum Batter and 1 fluid ounce of rum, then fill cup with boiling water. Stir, and sprinkle top of drink with nutmeg.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 78 Total Fat: 4.3g Cholesterol: 12mg

The Escape: A Hellfire Club Erotique

This is the second in my new Hellfire Club series. Which really should have been the first, as I'm planning on giving away this one. Why? The better question is...why not?

Why shouldn't I give this story away? It is Christmas after all...or the season at least!

And just because this one won't be ready for public consumption for another week or two (don't worry, I'll let you know when it's up!) doesn't mean it can't be billed as:

After Christmas Sale!

My way of saying thanks, happy happy, and stay warm during the bitter winter that begins with January. Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case how about a nice tall cool drink instead?

Blurb:
Gabrielle Bertrand believed the men she loved had been beheaded during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Now promised in marriage to a general of the revolution, she still fears for her life and has resigned herself to the union.

And then fate intervenes and she sees Eric LeClaire and André St. Germaine again.
Eric and André have spent the last two years searching for Gabrielle, terrified she’d been killed during one of the revolution’s roundups. Now that they’ve found her again, neither will let her go.

But with National Police after them, and years spent apart, will Gabrielle return to her lovers? Or will all three of them face the wrath of Madame Guillotine?

Wednesday Regency at Sweet N Sexy Divas

Today I'm at Sweet 'N Sexy Divas talking Regency, menage, books, and more. What's your favorite bit about the Regency--do you even LIKE the Regency Era? Are you so over it you won't even watch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? (With hopefully more zombies than were included in the book.)

I'm giving away a download of Risqué: A Regency Ménage Tale and a $5 gift card to Barnes and Noble.

What do you expect from a series?

Continuity and yet new and exciting plots? Recurring characters? An overall plot? Do you read specific series for the world an author has created or the ever changing plots? The big end game? The good vs evil?

Continuity. By this I'm talking about the world. It's the little things that matter, right? But what if a hint of those little things had been introduced in previous stories? Would that be acceptable? Little clues to mysteries and such.

But what about the characters? Do you like to see characters from previous books make cameo appearances? Or do you prefer more substantial roles? Or do you even prefer a series of books following a couple?

Now personally, I like a good over-arcing plot. I like to ferret out details, the mystery, the whodunit of a longer story. My problem is when an author elongates the mystery for the sake of sales. Now, as an author myself, sales are important. But as a reader, don't cheat me.


What are your favorite series? What do you like to see included in one?

How was your Christmas?

Everyone get what you wanted for Christmas? Or at least the gift cards to get what you want during this week's after-Christmas sales?

What are your favorite Christmas traditions? What do you have to do every year? What do you wish you didn't have to?

Favs:
Christmas tunes
Christmas movies
Christmas cookies (which are just cookies but I don't make them any other time of the year!)
Christmas presentes
Christmas decorations
Christmas trees

Not so favs:
Crowds at the malls

Merry Christmas

To one and all.

Friday Recipe: Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary

In my family this is usually an Easter meal but this year we switched it up a bit. And it's always so delicious I wonder why we don't have it all the time! So this is the recipe I'm making this year for Christmas dinner. You?

Prep Time:15 Min
Cook Time:1 Hr 20 Min
Ready In:1 Day 1 Hr 35 Min

Ingredients
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 pounds whole leg of lamb
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, rosemary, ground black pepper, lemon zest and garlic. Mix well and apply to the lamb. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and roast for 55 to 60 more minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 790 Total Fat: 55.4g Cholesterol: 224mg

Excerpt: The Masque: A Hellfire Club Erotique

This is an excerpt from the start of chapter 2 for The Masque, the first in my Hellfire Club Erotique series.

“Comtesse.”

The short man held a ledger and greeted her with a cordial nod and a slight bow. He held himself as if he owned these catacombs, the tilt of his head, the sharp look in his eye. Still, Olivia detected a hint of relief in his voice, as if he worried about her. Or Louise in this case. It had been hours since Olivia returned to the apartment, she’d long missed the final ball. Clearly he had expected her long before now.

“Good evening,” he said warmly. Your usual accommodations are ready for you. If you require anything else please do not hesitate to ask, Madame.”

The dichotomy of it all jarred her. One moment Olivia made her way through cold, dark alleyways and down ancient steps as the race of her heart echoed in her ears. Fear of discovery combined with the scuffling of rats and whatever other unknown creatures lurked in such places had her all but sprinting away. Then this massive door opened and the whole world changed.
Before her lay a world of the King’s court in manner and dress.

“Merci, Bernard.” Olivia’s words stumbled out as she placed him. Her aunt’s description had been most detailed, down to the mole near Bernard’s left ear.

With masque securely in place, Olivia walked by Bernard and his baroque desk, which would have been better suited in a Marquis’s estate rather than this dark and dank stone chamber. She held her head high as she sidestepped several members, wearing intricately painted masques also firmly in place, and walked through the arch of the entrance room into the main corridor.

People walked by her and nodded, some as formally dressed as if they did, indeed, attend the king’s court; others, Olivia noted, ate sumptuous pastries and meats the likes of which she hadn’t enjoyed in far too long. Tapestries covered stone walls and tall wrought iron candelabra illuminated the many passages leading in every direction.

Olivia tentatively walked down the corridor then stopped and took a moment to study the tapestries. Shocked, she blinked and leaned closer. Each beautifully weaved tapestry, well-preserved and still vibrant even in the candlelight, depicted a variety of sexual acts that left her awestruck. Heart racing anew, not with fear but with scandalous fascination, Olivia stared.
It took her several minutes to tear her eyes from the images, and even when she did they stayed with her, causing her breath to shorten.

As she made her way further down the path, careful not to look at any more tapestries, she heard unusual sounds from several antechambers. Her curiosity bade her to investigate. At a juncture, Olivia paused, glancing down the corridor she was supposed to take then in the direction of the anteroom. If she diverted from this path she might lose her way. Louise had only told her how to find her room from the entrance and had warned of the labyrinthine and endless corridors of Paris’s Hellfire Club.

Now available at Amazon and All Romance eBooks

New Release! The Masque: A Hellfire Club Erotique

And here it is! I'm pretty excited it's available before Christmas (eek--Christmas is next week!) Here's the blurb and cover, I'll post an excerpt later today.


Olivia Reynard must leave Paris tonight. It's the height of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror and as a nobleman's daughter, she knows it's a matter of time before she's sent to the guillotine. Fleeing to the notorious Hellfire Club, she soon finds a world of sexual pleasure she's never imagined.


Comte Sebastian de Courville has promised to help Olivia get out of Paris, but he didn't expect such instant attraction to the beautiful maiden. He wants to show her every pleasure known, but time is short and their lives are in ever increasing danger. And then there's his lover...


Julien Laruent has survived the treacherous streets of a Paris in turmoil. Now permanently ensconced in the Hellfire Club, he hasn't look back on that time. A dangerous man to have in one's bed, he took one look at Olivia and vowed to keep her safe.


But when old enemies exact vengeance and Madame Guillotine an ever present threat, will the three of them survive long enough to find love?

Amazon

All Romance eBooks

Wednesday Sexy Regency

Or why writing menage stories in the Regency era is so much fun. I'm not the only one. I once heard a comment that went something like The lack of the death of the Regency. It's too true. Even big mystery writer P.D. James has a new release (at 91 years of age!) called Death Comes to Pemberley.



But what attracts readers and writers to this time? And if it has so many more social restrictions, why is the Regency sexy? Amelia Grey, author of An Earl to Enchant, did a post on this for Love Romance Passion. In it she states in #7:

The love scene in a Regency is like silk and satin, a falling of clothes
so gentle and grand, it's like the reader is a part of the fabric that ties the scene together. There is a definite feeling in a Regency when the hero and heroine succumb to the moment they know they must be together. There is no greater element of sensuality and romance. Now, that moment we've been waiting for as our hero finally touches our heroine, we let out our breath and savor the feelings we get as we read onward.



This is very true, but on a deeper level, I think that it's also the eroticism of fooling society. The thumbing one's nose at the old gossiping biddies and having everything (and everyone!) you want without being ostracised from society. Or worse, put to death. Because same-sex sexual relations was punishable by death.



Photo from Regency Revisited header. I absolutely adore it! And it's so true. If you get the chance to take a peek around their site, please do so, they have gorgeous fabrics there.

Another Great Review

From Booked Up. 4 stars from RedHibiscus for Risqué: A Regency Ménage Tale:





I could feel the attraction between Alix and Kane from the first moment they met...While Brent and Kane's relationship became closer and more loving everyday, their relationship with Alix became more distance...When the three of them finally begin their relationship, I could feel the love they had for each other, even as they prepared for the consequences.

Gold Star Review!

A wonderful review from Just Erotic Romance Reviews for Risqué: A Regenc Menage Tale

Gold Star Review:

Holy smokes, Risqué: A Regency Ménage Tale is an incredible book! Not usually one for historical romance novels, I was immediately transfixed by the characters in Risqué....Ms. Reed has a real talent for seduction of the senses, making the reader feel both involved in the outcome and highly aroused at her erotic prose. For all these reasons Risqué: A Regency Ménage Tale gets the highest rating, a JERR Gold Star Award!

The Hellfire Club

Or as it was spelled in the day, The Hell-Fire Club. I like my way better. More 21st century than 18th.

What was the Hellfire Club? If you guessed a place for like-minded individuals to gather and indulge in all manner of sexual exploits, you'd be right. Half right. Because despite that, or because of it, the Club was also a place for political intrigue.

This is from The Victorian Web. No--I don't know why the Victorians have an article on the mid 1700s Hell-Fire Club, but their information condenses much of what I've found.

West Wycombe, a village in the Chiltern Hills, was where the Dashwood family owned its landed estate. Sir Francis Dashwood founded the "Order of the Knights of St. Francis of Wycombe" — better known as the Hellfire Club.

Below the mausoleum is the entrance to the West Wycombe caves, carved to look like the entrance to a Gothic church. The caves were enlarged by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1750s in order to create work for the local men who were unemployed because of a succession of harvest failures. (As an aside, he couldn't have been all debauched if he willingly did this for his workers. He could have ignored their plight, after all.)

The chalk from the caves was used for building part of the road to London but Sir Francis also had the caves cut in intricate patterns. The caves crossed a stream of water known as the 'River Styx', a reference to the Greek mythological river of Hades, over which the souls of the dead were ferried by Charon.

Medmenham Abbey is situated on the River Thames between Hambleden and Hurley Locks. It was founded as a monastery by the Cistercians in 1200 but at the Dissolution of the Monasteries it passed into the hands of the Duffield Family. In the late eighteenth century, Francis Duffield granted a lease of Medmenham to Sir Francis Dashwood where he and his wealthy friends held the infamous 'Hell Fire Club' meetings and lived up to its motto Fay ce que voudres Do whatever you will.

The Hell Fire Club initially was based at Medmenham Abbey, which Sir Francis bought and converted into an erotic garden. The members of the Hell-Fire club took part in mock religious ceremonies and used masks and costumes to allow them to indulge in varying degrees of debauchery. Medmenham gained some notoriety so the Hell Fire club moved to a more secluded site at West Wycombe caves. Members of the club included Sir Francis Dashwood, the Earl of Sandwich, Thomas Potter (the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury), John Wilkes, William Hogarth, the Earl of Bute, the Marquis of Granby, the Prince of Wales, and possibly Benjamin Franklin and Horace Walpole.

It was alleged that the 'monks' took prostitutes down the Thames from London in barges to act as masked 'nuns'. The members of the Club also were accused of celebrating the Black Mass over the naked bodies of aristocratic ladies, one of whom was Lady Mary Montagu Wortley, the mother-in-law of the Earl of Bute.

Friday Recipe: Chocolate-Filled Crescents

Because who doesn't love chocolate-filled Crescent rolls?

Prep Time:5 Min
Ready In:25 Min

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Separate dough into 8 triangles.
Place tablespoon of chocolate chips on wide end of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle, rolling to opposite point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 164 Total Fat: 9.3g Cholesterol: 0mg

Thinking of others during Christmas

I'm not talking about buying gifts for friends and family, but in the true sense of it's better to give than receive. There's a photo going around on facebook about necessity. I think it speaks very well for itself.

During this time, when stores are mobbed and tempers are short and shelves are nearing empty, remember our unemployeed and underemployed. Remember all those who can't afford a Christmas dinner or gifts for their children.

There are lots of excellent charities in need of donations and there's Toys for Tots donation dropoff locations run by the US Marines. If you want something more local, try your neighborhood Boys & Girls Club. If you're not in America, the UK has lots of local organizations such as Miller Homes and Everyday Hero UK.

Wednesday Regency

Georgette Heyer's Regency World.

The blurb says:
Georgette Heyer fans will delight in Jennifer Kloester’s definitive guide to her Regency world: the people, the shops, clubs and towns they frequented, the parties and seasons they celebrated, how they ate, drank, dressed, socialized, voted, shopped and drove. A fun read for any Heyer fan.

Well, I'm partly a Heyer fan. Mostly because I adore taking her Regency cliches (which she may have invented mind you) and twisting them. Because I'm sure a menage never occurred to Ms. Heyer, which is fine, but I do so love them.

I own this title both in eBook and print. It's got loads of history with Heyer novels as references tossed in. I enjoy reading about both--the history and the books. Included in this are fascinating tidbits about the period that are both obscure enough to enjoy and enjoyable enough to put in Regency books as extra background information.

Highly recommended for all Regency fans.

eBook pricing 2

Yesterday I talked about publisher set pricing, what I would and wouldn't pay and a bit about the way royalties work. I got comments that talked about what people would pay, wouldn't, and what as an author, they would charge.

So today let's talk about what's worth the price. All being subjective, naturally, I think anything around $5.99 to $7.99 is reasonable, depending on length, quality of writing, how I enjoy the author's work, etc.

For instance, I'm not paying $5.99 for a story that's only 12,000 words. That seems excessive. But I will pay $5.99 for a story over 50,000 words. I'll even pay $7.99 for a 100,000 word story.

What do you think? Are you a self-pubbed author--what are you willing to set your prices at?

eBook pricing

I've recently read a lot about eBook pricing and whether publisher set prices are too high. Now I guess that depends on whether you're the taking a bigger chunk from the price publisher or the getting the lesser percentage author. I don't think publishers think about readers, though they really should considering without readers, the whole thing crumbles.

Being a reader, I like the lower priced eBooks. If a publisher thinks I'm going to pay $9.99 or higher for an eBook they're crazy. There are lovely brick and mortar places called libraries where I can borrow the book for free and return it for someone else to read and enjoy (or not as the case may be).

I'm not so attached to my Nook that I need to read everything this instant. Though that's a convenience I absolutely adore. Still, if I can show restraint for my physical book purchases then I can show that same restraint for my Nook purchases. Even if there are loads more eBooks I enjoy than print.

Over the summer there was a brouhaha over Harlequin's pricing and the measly percentage their authors get for their eBooks. Now most e-only publishers give between 35% and 40% (give or take a percentage) for sales. Harlequin offers the same rate as on their print books, about 5-8%. This is from Bob Mayer's blog, which I also read reguraly and enjoy. Harlequin, author royalty rates, non-compete: Business reality but is it smart?

Anyone else see the discrepancy there? Plus I've read on Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog, The Business Rusch, a rather informative bit (April 2011) on Royalty Statements Update. This is her personal experience, but read it, read the comments, and laugh over major publisher's wonderment at the changing world of publishing. There are major gaps in the Big Publishers royalty statements.

Then there's this from the Wall Street Journal...and how little it surprised me that 1) it barely made a bleep in the publishing news I read and 2) that it exists at all.

Justice Department Confirms E-Book Pricing Probe
The publishing companies named in the EU investigation included Hachette Livre, owned by Lagardère SCA; News Corp.'s HarperCollins Publishers Inc.; Simon & Schuster of CBS Corp.; Pearson PLC's Penguin; and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck.


What are your thoughts? How much would you pay for an eBook. Now granted, I know there are always exceptions. That favorite author, the best bestseller this year, etc. But for all us voracious readers, what's the eBook pricing limit?

Friday recipe: Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat

Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat
I used ground beef (because I had it) and cooked it on low for 5 hours and it came out just fine. It was also frozen when I started, though I'm not sure if that had anything to do with anything.

Prep Time: Cook Time: Ready In:
30 Min 10 Hrs 10 Hrs 30 Min

Ingredients
1 (4 pound) chuck roast (I used frozen lean ground beef)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups diced green chile pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce (I used medium salsa)
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Trim the roast of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meat in hot skillet, and brown meat quickly on all sides.

Transfer the roast to a slow cooker, and sprinkle onion over meat. Season with chile peppers, chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.

Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 to 4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 260 Total Fat: 19.1g Cholesterol: 69mg

I've joined a new social networking site

And I have very little clue how to work it. It's called Triberr. TWO Rs for those counting.

This was yesterday. I've barely looked around it, have no real idea what is involved, and have seemingly been locked out of the account.

For clarification, I don't blame Tribber. The developer emailed me a couple times to help me through this, but since I tried to log in at exactly the wrong time (during that one key second of the final install of an upgrade) it messed everything up.

I'm excited to start using Tribber, but will patiently wait for everything to be sorted out. I have every confidence it will happen shortly. But until then, I'll use twitter as I always have. Or have for the last month + I've been on Twitter.

Until then, if you want to know more, try here and here. One warning: There's a lot of white space between the top banner and the content. Don't know why, it took me a while to realize the page loaded correctly.

The Masque: A Hellfire Club Erotique

Finished editing The Masque: A Hellfire Club Erotique and have sent it off. I'm excited for this one, it's the start of a new series, it's set in a different time and place than I normally write. Here's the blurb, what do you think? I'll post an excerpt later in the week.



Olivia Reynard must leave Paris tonight. It's the height of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror and as a nobleman's daughter, she knows it's a matter of time before she's sent to the guillotine. Fleeing to the notorious Hellfire Club, she soon finds a world of sexual pleasure she's never imagined.

Comte Sebastian de Courville has promised to help Olivia get of Paris, but he didn't expect such instant attraction to the beautiful maiden. He wants to show her every pleasure known, but time is short and their lives are in ever increasing danger. And then there's his lover...

Julien Laruent has survived the treacherous streets of a Paris in turmoil. Now permanently ensconced in the Hellfire Club, he hasn't look back on that time. A dangerous man to have in one's bed, he took one look at Olivia and vowed to keep her safe.

But when old enemies exact vengeance and Madame Guillotine an ever present threat, will the three of them survive long enough to find love?

Surviving?

It's the first full week of December. And yes, I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, but with all the hoopla, it's hard not getting caught up in the season.

So...what are you all doing to stay alive? I mean sane. Yes, that's what I mean!

First review for Risqué: A Regency Ménage Tale

This is from Coffee Beans & Love Scenes, a site I frequent. It's a truly wonderful review from Susan, a winner from last weekend's Black Friday Blog Hop. She won a copy of Risqué, but I swear on every book I plan to write, that's where our relationship ended! Though I would like to thank her for not only reviewing the book, which takes time and effort, but for saying such lovely things about it.

You can read the review in its entirety here, but here's a snippet.

Living in Regency England wouldn't have been bad if delicious rogues like Kane Huntington and Brent Rowan were part of the picture. Widow Alexandria Prescott returned to the Ton a year after her husband died hoping to slide back into society as a respectful woman. But thanks to a wonderful writer, Kristabel Reed, the widow found happiness and kink in a time when sexual prowess would have been a huge no-no.

Friday Recipe: Veggie Chili

Slow Cooker Veggie Chili
I don't use they're little brand names. Not these at least. I stick with what I like (all organic) and it tastes just fine. But this, as with most of my recipies, comes from AllRecipies.com and apparently this one likes these brandnames. *shrug* To each cook her own!

Prep Time: Cook Time: Ready In:
15 Min 4 Hrs 4 Hrs 30 Min

Ingredients
PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 (14.5 ounce) can Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
1 (8 ounce) can Hunt's® Tomato Sauce-No Salt Added
1 (15 ounce) can Ranch Style® Beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can Van Camp's® Red Kidney Beans, drained, rinsed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon Gebhardt® Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Directions
Spray inside of 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place remaining ingredients in slow cooker; stir to combine.
Cover; cook on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 hours or on LOW 3 to 4 hours. (As I was at work, I did low)

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 180 Total Fat: 0.3g Cholesterol: 0mg

Keeping up with the months

In this case I feel the need to say What? It's December already?! When did that happen?

Then comes the panic: I have deadlines! I have Christmas shopping to do! I have baking to do! I have less than 25 days to do all this in!

Then comes reality: Just like every other year there are things that are going by the wayside. Whichever side that happens to be.

• Christmas cards? Probably not


• Christmas breads? Well, I'll have cookies. Isn't that enough?


• Days spent strolling down sidewalks, window shopping? The sad reality is that no matter how I support buying local (which I wholeheartedly do) that, too, may fall to the wayside in favor of online shopping. Luckily, many of those stores also have sites. And I intend to shop there, first!

Good news? I'm motivated to start shopping earlier next year. And this year, I plan to substitute more gifts with more donations. Like to the National Parks Service.

Now about those deadlines...my first Hellfire Club Erotique story is soclose to being done! A good edit and a quick copy edit and it'll be set for publication. Then it's a 50,000 word Regency Ménage Tale tentatively titled Covet. That deadline is New Year's Eve. Gulp.