Author S.G. Rogers is having a free day for her latest Victorian Romance novel DUKE OF A GILDED AGE, today only (August 1st)…..
via Freebie alert!.
Author S.G. Rogers is having a free day for her latest Victorian Romance novel DUKE OF A GILDED AGE, today only (August 1st)…..
via Freebie alert!.
Welcome! My friend, romance author Linda Joyce, got together with some of the romance authors she knows, and decided to cook up–erm, post–a little virtual dinner party. And she invited me *smiles* Linda chose the theme of the Summer Solstice to offer you a sumptuous supper and a buffet of books to satisfy your reading hunger. A good meal and a great book—summer doesn’t get any better than that.
Each author is sharing a favorite dish, and the menu is chock-full of mouthwatering delights. The buffet of books offers a flavor for everyone: Romance of many genres, historical stories, cocktails made simple, and secrets to an enriched life. Also, the menu contains the title of one of the author’s books and a web link.
Keep scrolling down for the eye-candy book covers and some insights about each author.
I invite you to visit each author, make a new friend or two, and celebrate the summer with us.
Happy Reading!
***
My contribution to this little summer dinner party is an old favorite around our house: Peach baked chicken.
In in my series, Antique Magic, my heroine Caitlin lives in Florida so, even despite the heat of the oven *gasp* she would likely make variations of this tasty summer dish from time to time.
Ingredients are on Linda’s blog here.
And now for the preparation:
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Instructions.
1) Defrost your chicken.
2. Cut off the fat and those bits of tendons the store sometimes leaves in (eww), dip the chicken in some egg beaters will keep it moist, believe it or not.
Once you’ve done that, put tin foil in your pan, Crisco the bottom so (hopefully) the chicken won’t all stick.
3. Put the chicken breasts/pieces in and pour over the peaches.
You can either pour the juice with the peaches or save it to marinate with*
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your taste.
This time out we also added some cinnamon–which made it very tasty indeed!
5. Cover with foil and bake for one hour, flipping the chicken a few times, and marinating with the juice.
*I cover mine with foil to make sure the juice doesn’t spit all over the oven.
When the chicken’s finished (I always check it with a knife just to make sure the middle is “white and cooked”) like so
serve with whatever your favorite sides are. I usually serve potatoes, mashed or, baked with some sea salt as well would be tasty, if you have the time or are lucky enough to have one of those dual ovens, and of course veggies of some sort. Mmmm….I think it’s lunch time!
Now on to the books!
The balance between good and evil can be an art… or a curse.
Trevor and Caitlin were once happy newlyweds, profiting from Trevor’s art. Until Trevor inherits his brother’s house, and with it, his part of a family curse. Now, Caitlin will stop at nothing to save her beloved husband from insanity and suicide, even if it means she must embrace her destiny and become a witch.
If you’d like to check out the novel it’s available at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble. Createspace, and Smashwords
The follow up story to The Artist’s Inheritance, called Caitlin’s Book of Shadows, takes place a little later in the year, but Caitlin would no doubt make the chicken then too…and the heat of the oven in the winter is particularly useful, towards fall and winter, isn’t it? That story goes something like this:
Something terrifying stalks Caitlin and her beloved Trevor. Something the bits and pieces she left claimed she had to make sense of–or so legend says. When the curator of their collection finds Caitlin’s long forgotten diary, she wonders will it tell the whole tale? Will it tell why Caitlin seemed so determined to tell the difference between reality and nightmare even as she continued the fight to defend her family from evil? Will it explain why she thought her world twisted? If she really became a witch?
Perhaps the answer lies between the lines of her story, one of lessons, struggles, and the hopes she carried like a warrior’s shield.
**This is a side (or supplemental, if you will) short story in the Antique Magic series, a companion to The Artist’s Inheritance (Antique Magic, Book One).
It too is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords
Check out more authors and tasty dishes:
Cocktails
Blackberry Gin and Tonic by J.K. O’Hanlon –Three Ingredient Cocktails ~ www.thirstyjane.com
Pomegranate Martini by Kathy L Wheeler – Quotable ~ http://kathylwheeler.com
Appetizer
Japanese Chicken Wings by Jan Morrill –The Red Kimono ~ www.TheRedKimono.com
Sweet & Sour Hawaiian Meatballs by Vonnie Davis – Rain Is A Love Song ~ ttp://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com
Easy Stuffed Mushrooms by Alicia Dean – Liberty Awakened (Isle of Fangs, Book 1) ~http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/
Salad
7 Layer Salad by AJ Nuest – She’s Got Dibs ~ http://ajbooks.blogspot.com/
Mandarin orange & spinach salad by Barbara Barrett – And He Cooks Too ~www.barbarabarrettbooks.com
Entrée
Pesto Chicken by Nancy Parra – Gluten for Punishment ~ www.nancyjparra.blogspot.com
Taquitos by Calisa Rhose – Risk Factors ~ http://calisarhose.com/chit-chat/
Linda’s Summer Shrimp Boil by Linda Joyce – Bayou Born ~ http://lindajoycecontemplates.wordpress.com/
Oven Fried peach chicken by Juli D. Revezzo – The Artist’s Inheritance ~ https://julidrevezzo.com/blog/
Betty’s Nutty Pork Chops by Betty Bolte – Hometown Heroines ~ www.bettybolte.com/blog.htm
Dessert
Kolaches by Gina Hooten Popp – The Storm After ~ https://www.facebook.com/ginahootenpoppauthor
Chocolate-Cherry-Coconut Cupcakes by Luna Zega –author of Tokyo Tease
Fruit Compote by Brenda Sparks – A Midsummer Night’s Demon ~http://www.brenda-sparks.com/blog.html
After Dinner Drinks
After Dinner Iced Coffee by Sandra Sookoo – Winging It ~ http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/
Good morning! I hope y’all are doing well this morning. I’m just popping in here (with coffee! ;)) to let you know, I have a little feature over at Mad Gods. You can see it here.
Have a great day, y’all!
And now for a little something different… For your reading pleasure…
BTseMag January 2013
This issue features our friend Emily Guido and the romance author Felicity Heaton. So do check it out!
Kimberly Llewellyn is the author of five best selling romantic comedies, she also divides her time between giving writing workshops, writing articles, and she’s even been known to show up on television now and then! So we were pleased when she took time out of her busy schedule to give us a few minutes of her time. So as always, without further introduction we present another author’s visit…
Hi, Kimberly. Thanks for taking the time to visit today. I know you’re busy today, so let me just jump on in. You’re better known for your romantic comedies, what made you write I Want to Be An Author?
Kimberly: I spoke to so many beginning writers who had the same burningquestions on how to get started. I recognized a need for a compact, easy-to-follow primer and so I Want to Be an Author: Now What? was born.
Ah. I see, paying it forward a little. Cool. Judging by your bio, it looks like this has been sitting in the back of your mind for a while. On your website, your bio says you’ve worked in all sorts of fields in writing (Publishing project coordinator, corporate writer and editor. Etc); can you tell us how you got started in those fields and how they may have helped your fiction?
Kimberly: My love of writing and editing led me into publishing-related jobs in the corporate world. I was an English major with a concentration in Media. My college didn’t offer Journalism, but that was okay, because I always knew I wanted to write novels. In my job searches of the past, I kept my eyes and ears open for writing-related jobs that I’d enjoy, would pay the bills, and let me write fiction in my spare time. This included advertising/marketing, coordinating publishing projects, editing, proposal writing, and working on corporate publications). Writing as a day job teaches you to “show up” at your computer every day, keep a deadline, and just “write”…whether your muse shows up or not. That has transferred over well to my fiction. The key to writing success is sitting in that chair and putting down the words. Every day, if you can.
Are there any particular non-fiction authors that influenced your work here?
Kimberly: My favorite nonfiction authors all happen to teach the craft of writing! Dwight Swain (Techniques of the Selling Writer), Jack Bickham (Writing and Selling Your Novel), and Donald Maass (The Career Novelist, Writing the Breakout Novel) have all influenced me as a writer. Which brings up a very good point. A writer must be a reader! Read everything you can. Fiction and nonfiction!
You heard her! 😉 Get thee to the library, ladies and gents!
Now that I Want to Be an Author, Now What? is out, what can readers and longtime fans expect from you next?
Kimberly: Ohhhh, my newest WIP is a secret!
Aw, please? A hint?
Kimberly: Think, “a dash of mystery, a bit of suspense, lots of intrigue, and plenty of whirlwind romance!” It’s a bit of a departure for me, but I am loving it. And yes, wedding stuff will be in there, too!
But all in all, it’s a new endeavor for you. Cool! We’ll be looking forward to that.
If you weren’t a writer, what career might you have pursued instead?
Kimberly: Supermodel. Heiress. Or wedding planner. Then again, anything in the wedding field, I would have loved. I did work weddings at a banquet hall as a part-time gig for years, and it was a party every weekend!
That does sound like fun!
Are there any other writing secrets or tidbits, maybe something not included in the book that you might like to share with aspiring romance authors?
Kimberly: The secret to writing a romance novel is this: it is all about emotion. The emotional journey between the hero and heroine and how they grow. They must grow and overcome their resistance to love if they are to get together in the end. Are you up for the challenge?
I dunno. What do you say, my dear readers? Gonna try it?
Thank you, Kimberly for taking the time to speak with us today, and good luck with I Want to Be an Author: Now What? And in all you do. We’ll be watching out for you!
Folks, if you’d like to know more about Kimberly’s work, see her website at http://www.kimberlyllewellyn.com/; and don’t forget to check out our review of her latest book I Want to Be an Author: Now What? Until next time, then, good writing, good luck and thanks for reading! Or if you’d like to get the book, you can find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any of your local versions of those stores. If it’s not on the shelves, they should be able to order it for you.
This is an interesting post I found (thanks, Julie!) at the Ninc blog about how an editor works (and chooses new authors!). Thought other budding authors might find it so too.