Friday Recipe: New Year's Plans?

What do you do for New Year's? Do you stick to traditions? Plan something new every year? Go with the flow? Hope someone else has the party? Or don't you remember the party? ;)

We usually do hors d'ouervers and drinks. I'm a big fan of the pomegranate martini, but we have to have other drinks.

Pomegranate Martini
2 oz citrus vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz fresh pomegranate juice
1 oz simple syrup

As I browsed the internet for new drinks, I came across this I might try this New Year's:

Ingredients:
3 cups Apple Juice
1.5 teaspoons ground Cinnamon
0 stick Cinnamon
0.75 teaspoon ground Cloves
6 cups Cranberry juice
0.75 cup Maple syrup
0.75 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
3 cups Orange juice
2 teaspoons powdered Sugar

Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a very large heavy pan, except the cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and turn to simmer for few minutes. You can put the ingredients in a crockpot after it has boiled and keep warm over low heat.

At least someone's reading!

It makes me happy to know this. Doesn't matter what you read or who you are. It's impressive all round. A book can change a life after all!

Horoscope and the New Year

I admit to looking at my horoscope. Not every day or eve week/month. But I like the overall yearly predictions. Even if I never look back, if none of them come true, it doesn't matter. I like thinking the new year will be more positive and productive than the previous.

And if nothing else, it gives me a sense of stability for the first few weeks. Before the madness once more descends.

2011 looks to be busy, productive, and satisfying. I'm good with that! What about you? What do you hope for in the future?

Succumbed

Yes I have. I'm bowing to the temptation of more writing! I do enjoy it, don't consider it work, and love creating new characters. One day I'd love to write full time! But until then...

I'm going to write a 20Kmenage (m/m/f) story due by the middle of January. I have it plotted and the opening scene written. It's so exciting to start a new story!

But what's the difference between m/m/f and m/f/m and f/m/m? Is there one?

To Facebook or not to Facebook part 3

How little I know about Facebook. Apparently they have an ad section similar to google ad words. Pay per click a friend tells me. But is it worth it? And what's the difference between a regular page and a fan page? Other than the terms?

More research is required me thinks...

Any suggestions? Thoughts?

Friday recipe

Last week's FRIDAY recipe posted on SATURDAY because I can't seem to read a calendar. Huh.

THIS week's Friday recipe is actually posting on Friday (I double checked)

Sweet Potatoes and Brown Sugar is a favorite in my household but we only really have it around the holidays. I don't know where the recipe originated, but it's very tastey. The brown sugar sauce is really good with ham, too. :) This one is from MyRecipes.

Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half crosswise, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, water, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Discard cinnamon stick. Combine sugar mixture and potato wedges in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange potato mixture on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until tender, stirring after 20 minutes.

Cold season

I've caught something. Which, now that I type that and knowing what I write, might not be the best start to this post. By caught, I mean I have, and by something, I mean a cold.

Just a cold, not the flu, or bronchitis, or pneumonia. I know this because I've had all those and this is just a cold. Sleep and sleep and chicken soup and sleep should cure it but when does sleep factor into anything the week of Christmas? huh.

A friend sent this article to me about the common cold, and while I like OJ, and drink it every day, I may have to look into echinacea.

What I'm reading: The rest of the stories in Passionately Ever After: Erotic Fairy Tales. Got sidetracked with plotting and baking and shopping and wrapping and such. But now I'm on Alice by . A treat to myself.
Amber Kallyn

All Romance eBooks

Wickedly Wanton: a Regency Ménage Tale is in the top 10 under Regency on All Romance eBooks. I know this because it has a cool silver star beside it.

Facebook part 2

And now I feel really out of the loop. Last week a friend emailed me this article. It's about a 103 year old woman who uses facebook to keep in touch with friends and family. Once it got out that she was the oldest person on facebook, she received over 1000 friend requests.

If 103 year old woman who has seen everything from World War I to the invention of televisions, the first man on the moon, and the internet can facebook, then I should probably as well.

Does it count as peer pressure when she's several generations older than I am?

Ms Lowe is thought to have become the oldest person among Facebook's 500m users following the death of 104-year-old Ivy Bean, from Bradford, in July.

"I use it just for amusement really. I'm only a beginner. I do enjoy it, very much."

She said that someone her age would need "an active brain" to use the social network site.

The friends requests began pouring in when her activity on Facebook won widespread publicity.

She said she has heard of Twitter but does not know what it is.

She said: "We've had messages from all over the world. I'd like to say thank you very much".

Short stories

I promised myself I wouldn't write until after the holidays. Did not need another thing juggling in the air. And yet.

Short stories. I enjoy them. I like writing them, reading them, and finding the differences between stories. For instance, the anthology call for Passionately Ever After: Erotic Fairy Tales includes retellings of fairy tales far and wide.

Last week I posted about Ravenous's new anthology call. I'm tempted (no pun intended) to contribute. The football one sparked some interesting plot ideas, while the shapless love had me thinking all sorts of things.

To Facebook or not to facebook

That is the dilemma. I know I could find everyone I ever went to high school with and their mother and possible her mother on there, but I really have no desire to relive high school. :shudder:

And yes, I know I could use it as a marketing tool to promote myself. But so do a thousand other authors.

Yup, could even get to know some of those thousand other authors, and while I like friends (in person and virtual) no.

Aside from the time constraint, Facebook has so many security issues it's not even funny-at least oce a month I read something new. Then last week I hear Mark Zuckerberg was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year? They must have been short of candidates.

What to do, what to do. To Facebook or not to Facebook. That is the dilemma.

Friday recipe: Peanut Butter Blossoms

If I'm going to post recipes, I should do so consistantly, yes? It'll be on Fridays, I have decreed. Ypu, it was a random choice.

Peanut Butter Blossoms don't last long in my household. There could be fights over them. Especially when they're down to the end. Why I make them only once a year, I don't know but they've always been a holiday cookie. I should change that, maybe there'd be less fights?

Ingredients:

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates-unwrapped
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

What I'm reading: The rest of the stories in Passionately Ever After: Erotic Fairy Tales. I'm up to The Frog Princess by Carolyn Heaven.

EDIT: Huh...it's Saturday. Oops!

Happiness is...

I found this cool site by The Happy Guy. *shrug* I don't make it up, I just re-post here.

Be happy. It's one way of being wise.
Sidonie Gabrielle (the author of Gigi)

Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords.
Samuel Johnson (18th century author)

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. Mahatma Gandhi (Yeah, that Gandhi)

Why the happiness post? Because it's the holiday season and people are miserable. It's not like this year was a surprise and someone said "Hey, let's celebrate something during the cold winter months!" Nope, this comes round every year. Relax, enjoy, celebrate friends, family, accomplishments. Worry will always be there, but if you let it eat at you, then where will you be. Most likely in the hospital.

And that's my philosophising for the month. Happy Holidays! :)

Unusual Historcals

While doing non-writing, non-holiday, non-work related Internet surfing this weekend, I came across a blog anniversary for a site called Unusual Historicals. I love the concept! I also love some of the eras they write in. I never really thought about it, but it's true: most of the historicals I read are set in familiar times and places.

It's time to branch out!

Sure, it's great writing about menages and foursomes, and kinky sex in times I know were what we, today, consider prudish, breaking the sterotype so to speak. But there's so much history out there just waiting to be corrputed. J

I have a new goal...Yes, I love my Regency menage stories, and I plan on making it a series, but I can work on other series, too, yes?

New anthology call

I missed this last year, but Ravenous Romance did a m/m football anthology. This year, they want to do another one. Interested? Here are the details. January 10 is really close, but I might give it a try.

They are also 3 other anthology calls: Hunks with Hammers, Asking for it, and Shapeless Love. All of which sound like fun, but I promised myself I wouldn't do any writing until after December 27. Deadlines for these loom.

What else is going on? I love anthologies because you can read a lot of authors covering the same subject and no two are remotely similar.

Blogger confusion

When I first created this blog, I added a whole bunch of erotic author blogs to follow. Now I realize some of those sites haven't updated in months and I'd like to unfollow them.

How, Blogger, how? I clicked on UNFOLLOW to no avail. If it's not unfollow to stop following a blog then what on earth could it be?

Wickedly Wanton: Excerpt

I'm still psyched over the release of my first fill-length story. Anthologies are really cool, don't get me wrong.  I'm looking forward to being in the Passionately Ever After one, plus I'm still waiting to hear back on a couple of my submissions.

But my first solo story? I now know why people celebrate, you can be sure I did!

Wickedly Wanton: A Regency Ménage Tale

Excerpt:

The closer they got to the manor house, the more nervous she became. Sabine watched the landscape roll past, alternatively glad Lord Severn sent his plush, gilt-edge carriage and wishing she’d insisted they’d walked. But she feared that if they’d walked, she would have changed her mind and convinced Faith to forget about this mad adventure.

This was more than sneaking out from their dormitory or playing pranks on her townhouse neighbors.

She smoothed her fingers down her gown, striving to unclench them from the material. She’d agreed to this because she wanted to know the sensuality of passion as well as to thumb her nose at Mr. Reddick—and her father.

But with each rotation of the carriage’s wheels, her resolve failed her, and Sabine wished she hadn’t accepted Lord Severn’s invitation.

“What did the footman say?” she asked Faith again, for possibly the fifth time since her friend had returned from her errand yesterday, flushed, excited, and whispering incessantly about today’s escapade.

“Nothing,” she said, and Sabine swore she bounced in her seat. “He nodded, bowed, and disappeared. If what Lord Severn promised us at the picnic is true, this will all be as silent as the grave.”

Sabine nodded and as they pulled up the long drive, the house came into view. It was a beautiful structure, large and equally proportioned. Curtained windows sat evenly spaced, and not a soul stirred in the open courtyard. Not even a dog, Sabine thought as she stepped out of the carriage.

The carriage pulled away, the driver and footman not looking in their direction. Eyes closed, Sabine turned to the entrance, praying she wouldn’t lose her nerve. It was far too late now. There was a note pinned to the highly polished oak door.

In strong, clear writing across the front read Miss Sabine Stanton.

Ladies,
The servants have been discharged and we’ve the house to ourselves for an afternoon of games and merriment.
We shall begin with a hunt. Through the house, into the gardens, make your way to the statue of Hermes. There you’ll find your first instructions.
Severn

Release day!

I'm so excited to announce my first full length book, Wickedly Waton: a Regency Ménage Tale is released today!

Blurb:

Sabine Stanton has struggled all her life to be the prim and proper English miss. She knows she must marry a man older than her father but doesn't want to go to her marriage bed untutored in the ways of sex. When Aiden, Lord Severn, catches her kissing her closest friend, he offers to show the both of them one afternoon's worth of erotic delights.

Aiden is intrigued with Sabine, her wantonness, her desire to experience life, even the protection and love she shows her friend. One afternoon isn't enough, but she's promised to another. Intent on having her, Aiden sets out to destroy the other man and have Sabine to himself.

Faith has always loved Sabine, and with her impending marriage knows she'll never have the chance to show her closest friend just how much. Jumping at Aiden's offer of an afternoon together, she realizes she can't give up Sabine. Vowing to do whatever it takes to keep her friend happy and sated, Faith doesn't imagine the danger their happy threesome can stir. 

Passionately Ever After

My short story, The Thirteenth Fairy, is out today in the anthology Passionately Ever After. I downloaded the anthology, and there sound like a lot of really great stories in there! My story is a retelling of The Sleeping Beauty fairytale, but told from the 'wicked' fairy's view. Morgannia is a scorned woman and King Lukas is the father of the prince determined to awaken sleeping beauty.

Excerpt:“Who are you to disturb me?” she snarled. “What lies have you told to enter this place?”

The man offered a low sweeping bow, elegant with no hint of fear. “I’m Lukas, King of the Northern Lands. It is my son who is the next to attempt to breach your thorns.”

Morgannia laughed, a low wicked sound. “Then I suggest you plan his funeral.”

Lukas walked forward, clearly not intimated by her threats. She laughed again and said, “Or perhaps he is a son you don’t wish in your kingdom.”

Angry now, his eyes narrowed. “The Prince will be the next king in my lands, make no mistake. And he will possess the beauty and riches purported to be locked away in that cursed castle.”

Intrigued, she studied the king before her. By rights, he should be cowering, begging for his son’s life. Several had done as much before, only to share the same fate as their foolish sons who attempted to rescue the sleeping beauty.

“You’re a bold man,” she allowed, eyeing his crown, “perhaps you truly are a king.” But then she dismissed him with a flick of her hand. “You’ve sent your son on a fool’s journey, one that will result in his death.”

Something in Lukas’s face relaxed and he offered a slow, erotic smile. Suddenly wary, Morgannia braced herself. She was positive this mere mortal could not harm her magickally, and yet the way he looked at her, the way he opposed her, her sparked through her veins.

A warning? Or was this…desire?

Bread baking

I plan on making the bread this weekend, and thought I'd post the recipe here.

This Gorilla Bread recipe is from Paula Deen's site on the Food Network, I have the recipe, which looked pretty much the same as this one, but not on my computer which is where I keep most of my recipes. Hence the copy/paste method, as opposed to the tedious typing it all in. Yes. It's also called laziness. I can accept that.

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan.

Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

News

Just learned that my first story, Wickedly Wanton: A Regency Ménage Tale may be released within the next couple of weeks. I'm already doing the happy dance!

Plotting

Edits are out! Woot! (Ok they went out yesterday afternoon...)

That was really cool, I didn't realize how many grammatical errors I had. Rather embarrassing, but then I guess no matter how fine your fine-toothed comb is, you're bound to miss something

Cover-check
Edits-check
Contract-check

What's left? I guess just waiting for it to be published. When I have a date, you can be sure I'll post it ASAP. :) In the mean time, I'm dividing my time between my Christmas food planning and plotting another book.

Since I know December won't be spent writing, it's a little more relaxing to spend my time working out the plot of my next book. Also a Regency, I'm thinking this time it'll be m/f/m. Possibly in France, yes, I definitely think so. Two French officers enchanted with the same woman.

Holiday planning

Thanksgiving was a huge success...as were those extra pepperoni rolls I made and hid so I could have some after the crowd left! Now I'm gearing up for Christmas. Between the rolls, breads, cookies, cakes (possibly) and actual meal, is it any wonder I have no time to write?

In lieu of writing, I'm going to post some recipes I plan on making this year. Today will be the appetizer I'm making: Taco dip...yum!

1 8oz. pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 pkg. powdered taco seasoning
1/2 bottle taco sauce (not salsa!)
2 cups taco style shredded cheese
lettuce (to taste, I like a lot)
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped (to taste, I like a lot)

Mix softened cream cheese and powdered taco seasoning in a bowl. Add taco sauce and spread in shallow Pyrex dish. Spread lettuce, tomatoes and onions evenly, then another layer of cream cheese & seasoning mix. Top with cheese.

Copy Edits

Am excited I received my copy edits in the emil last night! Will be working on them this weekend in between trimming the tree and baking.