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Book launch day! Love and Turmoil is available for purchase! At The Wild Rose Press, Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.  Is any day more fabulous than this? Aside from giving birth, of course. And getting married. That was a fabulous day. Also when our kids graduated from high school and university. More fabulous days. But after all that, seeing my book out in the real world is pretty darn special. Knowing that other people are going to meet the characters and hopefully enjoy their antics is thrilling. But also a little nerve-wracking. Like sending your kid off on the first day of school and hoping they make friends. The characters in my books are very real to me and hold a special place in my heart and I want other people to like them as much as I do. Or hate them as much as I do if the character in question is a bad guy/gal. I still think about the characters in my previous books and wonder how they’re doing.
I can’t wait for you to meet Arabella and Sam and discover how they met, why they’re attracted to each other, and witness the troubles they face. Boy oh boy, they face some tough times. <insert maniacal laugh> I’m guest blogging at Night Owl Reviews today and sharing an old family recipe for the most delicious cookies. Stop by to grab the recipe and whip up a batch. Your friends and family will think you’re more brilliant than usual! Here’s the last excerpt I’ll be sharing for Love and Turmoil (NOW RELEASED!!!) “Please stay a bit longer. This will take but a minute, and then we will find somewhere to be alone.” He touched her cheek. “You haven’t eaten your supper.” He rested his hand on her waist and pulled her close. “I could survive feasting on you.” He kissed her neck, his warm breath heating her entire body. She leaned into him, turned her head, and captured his lips. He was indeed hungry, and she gave him all she could, teasing his lips with her tongue, biting his lower lip before sucking it into her mouth. She grasped his shoulders and pressed closer, wanting to absorb him into her skin. He trailed his kiss along her jaw and nipped her earlobe. “Yes?” She nodded before resting her head on his chest. She’d been seconds away from pushing him to the ground and mounting him like a horse. Here’s the story premise, aka the blurb, aka the back-cover copy: Six months after burying her wastrel husband, Lady Arabella Woodbridge has resigned herself to a lonely life in the countryside with only her two adopted nieces for company. Being a young, respectable widow is – frustrating. Then the charming and wickedly handsome Samuel Payn takes up residence in the neighboring manor house. Retired explorer and occasional pirate Samuel Payn is on a two-fold mission – retrieve buried loot, and locate the father who abandoned his mother to a life of poverty. But a gang of murderous villains is also after the buried treasure. And someone is threatening to tear apart the lovely widow’s family. Will Sam’s single-minded determination to uncover his true identity threaten Arabella’s happiness - and his life? Cheers!
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National Brownie Day (today) should be celebrated more than once a year, in my opinion. Seriously. Does anyone eat brownies only one day a year?
There are two camps when it comes to brownie texture – fudgy and dense, or lighter and more cake-like. I fall in—both camps. I confess that I more-often-than-not bake a fudgy brownie but I wouldn’t refuse a cakey brownie if offered one. (Full disclosure, I won’t refuse any sweet baked good. And if it’s chocolate there had better be another portion with my name on it.) Here’s the recipe for brownies I make most often. Actually, this is the brownie recipe in my house. Super easy and super chocolatey. Quite often – ah, most of the time – erm, all the time I put icing on these babies. Vanilla icing is good. Vanilla icing with the addition of finely grated orange zest and a few tablespoons of orange juice instead of milk or cream is even better. (Makes a chocolate-orange kind of flavour – yum!) Cocoa Brownies (adapted from Bon Appetit) ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 ¼ cups white sugar ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) Preheat over to 325F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a one-inch overhang, pressing firmly into corners, and spray with non-stick oil spray. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. With a spatula or wooden spoon stir in white sugar and cocoa powder until blended (sugar will not melt). Remove from heat, stir in salt and vanilla. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then stir in eggs, beating well. Stir in flour and chocolate chips (and pecans if using). Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until centre is set. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Using edges of foil, lift from pan and cut into squares. Makes 16 (for normal people, makes 8 in our house - ha!). Are you a fudgy brownie or a cakey brownie person? Cheers! P.S. Pre-order links for Love and Turmoil, just in case you’re in the mood for a fun, steamy romance. This book goes well with brownies. Amazon B&N Happy December! How did that happen? said everyone everywhere.
As you read this (provided you’re reading this on Friday) I’m on my way to the mainland for a much- needed haircut. Also to conduct house business, and to visit friends. Hopefully, I’m also celebrating my “winning” of NaNoWriMo. (I’m writing this blog post early so all I can say is if I didn’t “win”, I came mighty close.” We’re approaching intense baking season, at least in my house. All the seasonal recipes are being dusted off – cookies and cakes and breads. ‘Tis the season to get fatter, fa la la la la, la la, la la. Ah, but it’s only once a year and we all deserve a treat. Especially after this past year of craziness, national, international, and personal. Just remember moderation in all things. In the spirit of sharing, I’m a guest blogger today and am sharing my favourite recipe for sugar cookies. Come visit me at Karen Doctor's blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card. Perfect for holiday shopping, or to buy one of my books if, you know, you want to. Do you go all out baking for the holidays? Or do you let other people do all the hard work? Cheers! Or what I call the day I don’t leave the house for love nor money. During the 30+ years I lived in the States I managed to avoid the mass hysteria that is the start of the holiday shopping season. I knew people who partook, though. Lining up at the butt-crack of dawn, and earlier, to snag a deal. Just the thought of the crowds and the turmoil made me want to find the nearest cave. In recent years, today has also become Buy Nothing Day. I’m glad I’m not alone in my retail avoidance. Heck, the average day is BND for me because I really, really, really, dislike shopping. Thank goodness for the Internet and online retailers! Tomorrow is Shop Local Day, or Small Business Day, or something along those lines. That’s a day of gift shopping I fully support. But not at the crack of dawn.  Here’s a lovely photo of a lovely dawn spent in a lovely spot that is not the mall.
Do you enjoy the excitement of Black Friday? Dread it but do it anyway? Hide in your house with a good book? Cheers! |
| Luanna Stewart | Welcome to my Blog! |