Kit Wilkinson . com/BLOG

Protector's Honor, 4 stars

2009-08-01T08:18:00.002-04:00

by Kit Wilkinson

RT Rating:
Category: SERIES
Publisher: STEEPLE HILL
Published: September 2009
Line: Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense

Moving Day!!!

2009-04-29T08:46:00.001-04:00

My blog is moving to my new website...please join me at

www.KitWilkinson.com

Protector's Honor

2009-04-26T16:44:00.002-04:00

I'm excited to share my cover blurb and front cover (to right).

AGENT TO THE RESCUE!

It's instinct. When NCIS agent Rory Farrell hears a woman scream, he reacts. But even after he saves her from abduction, Rory can't get the beautiful and fragile Tabitha Beaumont out of his mind. Especially when he finds a connection between Tabitha and his latest murder investigation. She needs protection--Rory's protection--while Rory needs answers Tabitha doesn't even realize she holds. Yet how can he find the truth without betraying Tabitha's trust? Soon, Rory must decide what matters most--keeping his objective distance, or keeping Tabitha, in his arms and under his protection, forever.

Definitely tell me what you think.

You can pre-order my debut novel, Protector's Honor, winner of the 2008 Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance, on Amazon (follow link to right).

Also don't forget to check out Brenda Novak's On-line Auction for Juvenile Diabetes during the month of May. There's fantastic items, books, critiques, and reads available.

NYT Bestseller shares info on earnings

2009-04-19T13:38:00.003-04:00

Here's an insider view of just how little authors make on books. I pulled this from http://www.genreality.net/the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller.

The Reality of a Times Bestseller

A few years ago I made a promise to my writer friends that if I ever had a novel hit the top twenty of the New York Times mass market bestseller list that I would share all the information I was given about the book so writers could really see what it takes to get there. Today I’m going to keep that promise and give you the stats on my sixth Darkyn novel, Twilight Fall.

We’ve all been told a lot of myths about what it takes to reach the top twenty list of the NYT BSL. What I was told: you have to have an initial print run of 100-150K, you have to go to all the writer and reader conferences to pimp the book, you can’t make it unless you go to certain bookstores during release week and have a mass signing or somehow arrange for a lot of copies to be sold there; the list is fixed, etc.

I’ve never had a 100K first print run. I don’t do book signings and I don’t order massive amounts of my own books from certain bookstores (I don’t even know which bookstores are the magic ones from whom the Times gets their sales data.) I do very little in the way of promotions for my books; for this one I gave away some ARCs, sent some author copies to readers and reviewers, and that was about it. I haven’t attended any conference since 2003. To my knowledge there was no marketing campaign for this book; I was never informed of what the publisher was going to do for it (as a high midlist author I probably don’t rate a marketing campaign yet.) I know they did some blog ads for the previous book in the series, but I never saw anything online about this particular book. No one offered to get me on the Times list, either, but then I was never told who to bribe, beg or otherwise convince to fix the list (I don’t think there is anyone who really does that, but you never know.)

Despite my lack of secret handshakes and massive first print runs, in July 2008 my novel Twilight Fall debuted on the Times mm list at #19. I’ll tell you exactly why it got there: my readers put it there. But it wasn’t until last week that I received the first royalty statement (Publishing is unbelievably slow in this department) so I just now put together all the actual figures on how well the book did.

To give you some background info, Twilight Fall had an initial print run of 88.5K, and an initial ship of 69K. Most readers, retailers and buyers that I keep in touch with e-mailed me to let me know that the book shipped late because of the July 4th holiday weekend. Another 4K was shipped out two to four weeks after the lay-down date, for a total of 73K, which means there were 15.5K held in reserve in the warehouse in July 2008.

Here is the first royalty statement for Twilight Fall, on which I’ve only blanked out Penguin Group’s address. Everything else is exactly as I’ve listed it. To give you a condensed version of what all those figures mean, for the sale period of July through November 30, 2008. my publisher reports sales of 64,925 books, for which my royalties were $40,484.00. I didn’t get credit for all those sales, as 21,140 book credits were held back as a reserve against possible future returns, for which they subtracted $13,512.69 (these are not lost sales; I’m simply not given credit for them until the publisher decides to release them, which takes anywhere from one to three years.)

My net earnings on this statement was $27,721.31, which was deducted from my advance. My actual earnings from this statement was $0.

My advance for Twilight Fall was $50,000.00, a third of which I did not get paid until the book physically hit the shelf — this is now a common practice by publishers, to withhold a portion of the advance until date of publication. Of that $50K, my agent received $7,500.00 as her 15% (which she earns, believe me) the goverment received roughly $15,000.00, and $1594.27 went to cover my expenses (office supplies, blog giveaways, shipping, promotion, etc.) After expenses and everyone else was paid, I netted about $26K of my $50K advance for this book, which is believe it or not very good — most authors are lucky if they can make 10% profit on any book. This should also shut up everyone who says all bestselling authors make millions — most of us don’t.

My next royalty statement for Twilight Fall probably won’t come until October or November 2009, but when it does I’ll post copies of it so you can see what a top twenty Times bestseller does in the first year after it’s released.

In Publishing telling the truth about earnings smashes the illusions publishers and writers want you to believe and, like breaking mirrors, it never brings you good luck. Thing is, when I was a rookie I wanted to know exactly what it took to have a top twenty Times bestselling novel, because that was such a big deal to writers. Everyone I asked gave me a different answer, told me a bunch of nonsense, or couldn’t/wouldn’t tell me at all. For that reason I want you to see the hard figures, and know the reality, and the next time someone asks you what it takes, you can tell them the truth.

Good News for Romance

2009-04-08T17:53:00.004-04:00

The NY Times posted this article today:

Recession Fuels Readers’ Escapist Urges

Damon Winter/The New York Times

By MOTOKO RICH

Published: April 7, 2009

In a recession, what people want is a happy ending.

At a time when booksellers are struggling to lure readers, sales of romance novels are outstripping most other categories of books and giving some buoyancy to an otherwise sluggish market.

Harlequin Enterprises, the queen of the romance world, reported that fourth-quarter earnings were up 32 percent over the same period a year earlier, and Donna Hayes, Harlequin’s chief executive, said that sales in the first quarter of this year remained very strong. While sales of adult fiction overall were basically flat last year, according to Nielsen Bookscan, which tracks about 70 percent of retail sales, the romance category was up 7 percent after holding fairly steady for the previous four years.

At Barnes & Noble, the country’s largest book chain, where its chief financial officer, Joe Lombardi, recently warned that overall 2009 sales were likely to fall between 4 percent and 6 percent, sales of romance novels are up. And in the first three months of this year Nielsen Bookscan tracked a 2.4 percent rise in romance sales compared with a slight decline in sales of general adult fiction for the same period. Those figures may underestimate the demand for romance, since a significant portion of sales come from retailers like Wal-Mart that are not tracked by Bookscan.

Like the Depression-era readers who fueled blockbuster sales of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” today’s readers are looking for an escape from the grim realities of layoffs, foreclosures and shrinking 401(k) balances.

“Given the general dismay and gloominess,” said Jennifer Lampe, a lawyer in Des Moines and avid romance reader who runs a book blog under the pseudonym Jane Litte at dearauthor.com, “reading something like a romance with a happy ending is really kind of a relief.”

Such escapist urges are also fueling sales of science fiction and fantasy, said Bob Wietrak, a vice president for merchandising at Barnes & Noble. Mr. Wietrak said sales of novels with vampires, shape shifters, werewolves and other paranormal creatures were “exploding,” whether they were found in the romance, fantasy or young-adult aisles, where Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series continues to dominate and inspire look-alike books like the House of Night teen novels by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast.

Romance readers are considered among the most loyal fans, sticking to a series or an author once they have grown attached to one. “It’s a very dedicated audience who doesn’t see it as a luxury as much as a necessity,” said Liate Stehlik, publisher of William Morrow and Avon, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers.

The romance genre may also be especially attractive to consumers during difficult economic times because so many of the books are sold in the mass-market format, smaller paperbacks often found on racks at the grocery store or in airport bookshops. These books sell for $7.99 or less, compared with $12 to $15 on larger trade paperbacks.

Romance novels also often appear in discount chains like Wal-Mart or Kmart, where shoppers make impulse buys.

“If you’re going to Wal-Mart or Target anyway, you’re more likely to go and pick up a book,” said Ms. Hayes of Harlequin. “And a book is such incredible value in this environment.” Several retailers including Kmart, Wal-Mart and Kroger have been running three-for-$10 or two-for-$5 specials on Harlequin’s new titles.

Romance readers have always tended to buy in much higher volumes than people who read other genres like literary fiction. So even though some romance readers may be cutting back — Sue Grimshaw, the romance buyer at Borders, says people are buying four or five instead of five or six books a week — they are still buying more than readers of other book categories.

Some publishers have seen such strong sales on particular authors that they are willing to test hardcover editions for the first time, even in this market.

New American Library, a division of Penguin Group USA, has published six paperback-only versions of vampire romance novels in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward. Later this month it will publish Ms. Ward’s “Lover, Avenged” in hardcover, with a planned first printing of 125,000. (These numbers are generally known to be exaggerated, but they are a sign of the publisher’s confidence.)

Click here to read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/books/08roma.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

A Bad Name

2009-04-05T17:18:00.005-04:00

I'm away for the week, enjoying some nice weather for a change. This afternoon I promised my daughter I'd find her a new pair of flip-flops and ended up in this strip mall where there is a Chinese restaurant called No1 Chinese Food. Don't believe me? I took a picture of it.

Gowns Galore

2009-04-02T09:56:00.005-04:00

What is more romantic than a beautiful wedding ceremony? Today, I'm sharing a video of my cousin Lori, owner/designer of bridals by lori, one of the premiere haute couture bridal retailers in the United States (and yes, my own gown came from lori's...it's a Lazaro seen to the right here...and no I'll never fit into again).

So, anyway, when my cousin's daughter Molly married last fall, they went all out on every detail. The whole affair was filmed by Extreme Weddings. Here's a clip of Molly's SIX gowns!!! Just a little preview of the episode that is to air in May. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c1p8zScHrk

Touch Table Writing Tool

2009-03-28T10:11:00.003-04:00

Wow. This is amazing technology. The video is a little long but totally worth watching. Just think of how useful this could be in developing your setting. You could write about anywhere in the world with complete accuracy. Wow. My mind is exploding thinking of all the possibilities.

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/231-touchtable..html

Planet Walmart and a good Vampire

2009-03-19T15:01:00.005-04:00

I don't know what to talk about first, the strange weather we are having here in central Virginia or my visit to Walmart. I'm probably not going to be able to write about either because my son is home and has decided it would be really cool to scream at the top of his lungs. Fortunately, I have this amazing gift for completely tuning him out. Yes, that built-in radar that all moms have, I can turn mine off. It's a gift. I think it comes years of teaching high school and middle school. I quickly learned that it was best to ignore certian behaviours and comments. Turns out it's a strategy that works at home too.

Okay, so Walmart. It IS the best place to buy certain things. But O how I dread going there. It's like traveling to a foreign country--and I don't mean that in a good way. Even though the customers are Americans, for the most part, they don't live in my neighboorhood. Or anywhere near it. Where do they come from? It's very curious.

Anyway, I once heard if you sell your book at Walmart that it's bound to be a success. Well, I heard something like that. And the truth is you can't beat their prices on books. Even the Love Inspired books are almost a dollar off the cover price.

Speaking of books...Anybody read any good ones lately? I tried to read one of the Stephanie Meyer books. Yikes. I usually like paranormal but I'm gonna pass on those. I also think the guy they cast to play Edward Cullen in the movie version ( Robert Pattinson) is horribly unattractive. I guess he's supposed to look dark and brooding, but he can't hold a candle to "Angel" (David Boreanaz) from Buffy. Seen here as cast in the TV series Bones where he plays an FBI agent. I would much rather look at him.

The Dreaded Synopsis

2009-03-13T14:55:00.003-04:00

No one likes to write a synopsis, but, alas, it must be done. I will admit that I am not particularly good at it. But as with anything in writing, the more you do it the better you become. Well, we hope, at least.

I belong to a yahoo loop with over 100 published authors writing for the same house and we were discussing this very topic over the past week. I was amazed at how differently everyone goes about the synopsis. Some authors admitted they tend to be vague and try to keep it short. Others said they wrote synopses that were often over 20 pages long.

I fall somewhere in between those two extremes. I don't know where I heard this but someone somewhere in the writing world once said to "write one page of synopsis for every 10,000 words of manuscript." I find this to be a great rule of thumb. To those pages I like to add a character sketch for the hero and heroine. I think this is great for the editor to check out the motivations for the characters actions and emotions, even though most of the information will not appear in the actual novel. I like time-lines too, but I have never turned those in to my editor.

Diana Cosby, an author friend, says that one of the most important jobs of the synopsis is to show the emotional growth of the characters. I think as new writers we sometimes forget to develop this part of the summary, because we are so focused on the action plot points. But really, the characters' emotions are what drive our stories and make them unforgettable.

If you want more tips from a great teacher, try this link.
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2007/08/27/why-synopsis-writing-is-hard/

And below, please share your own synopsis writing tips. Why do you love or hate them?

Can You Spell?

2009-03-10T18:55:00.003-04:00

See if you can pass this fun little spelling test...

http://www.businesswriting.com/tests/commonmisspelled.html

Author DiAnn Mills and Breach of Trust

2009-03-02T11:02:00.007-05:00

Hi folks, I've been busy writing and with the family, but a nice snow day is allowing me to get this great interview posted. I met DiAnn Mills at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. She's a dynamite lady, a fabulous author and experienced writing coach. I've posted her bio, interview and a review for her March release, Breach of Trust, a romantic suspense from Tyndale. And she's offering one signed copy to one lucky drawing winner. Leave a comment if you'd like to be included in the drawing (winner announced March 10).

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold a million and a half copies. DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008. DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild. She lives in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Website: www.diannmills.com

INTERVIEW

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: Romance is a mutual attraction and admiration between a man and a woman. Inspirational romance is more than a love story with a happy ending. It’s more than boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl. Inspirational romance is a blend of emotions, truth, a crafted plot, and distinct characters, but the romance is the central theme. No matter if the genre of romance is contemporary, historical, mystery, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy, or western, the weaving of the love story is the plot.

Q: You write both suspense and historical novels. Do you have a preference? Tell us how your writing methods might differ between the two sub-genres.
A: Actually, I like both genres. Both require intense research. Suspense is faster paced with higher stakes – today time. Think about how fast you can snap your fingers, then had characters, plot, and emotive conflict. Historical novels are a little slower, just like the time period. Language may be a little more poetic, depending on the character.

Q: How do you match up your hero and heroin? Do you just start writing and see what happens? Or, do you carefully consider traits, personalities, and backgrounds as you develop your characters?

A: I think opposites – they attract, remember? I do extensive work to establish my characters, everything from physical attributes to mental and spiritual. I begin with an Online Meyers-Briggs assessment (free) for personality types. Then I consult a whole stack of books to develop psychology, careers, dialogue etc.

I believe in back story. My last book had 14 single-spaced pages of back story. I “live” with this for a while before I begin with page one.

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life?

A: Hmm. I’m thinking. For my professional life, I love to read historical and suspense books. I want to see how a writer weaves the story.

I also mentor for Jerry Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild and teach at writing conferences. Helping writers achieve their goals is a huge satisfaction for me.

Neither of those above mentions how much I love the creative aspect of what I do. I love to dive into a story and let time just pass me by. ☺

When I’m confused and don’t know which way to go with a plot – I pray and cook.

Now, do you want me to talk about my 21 month old granddaughter? ☺

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: Soft lights, soft music, all dressed up, and my sweet hubby.

Swordfish with Capers and Fresh Tomatoes

1 ½ Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 Swordfish steaks, each about 6 ounces and ½ inch thick
1 ½ Teaspoons salt, divided
½ Teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ Cup dry white wine
3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Rub fish steaks with 1
teaspoon salt and the pepper and place in skillet. Cook, turning once,
until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add wine and stir to
scrape up any bits, clinging to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and
top each steak with an equal amount of tomatoes and capers. Sprinkle with
remaining salt. Cook until fish is just opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes
longer.
Transfer fish to warmed plates or a platter and garnish with parsley. Serve at
once. Makes 4 servings.

This one is worth the time!

Toffee Crunch Meringue Torte

5 or 6 large egg whites at room temperature. Do not let one bit of yolk into the mixture. Blend medium speed.

Add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon real vanilla
Beat until soft peaks form
Gradually add 2 cups of sugar – 1 tablespoon at a time
Beat 3 minutes
Divide evenly onto 2, 9” circles of parchment paper – will take 2 cookie sheets
Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes
Switch pan levels
Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes
Turn off over and do not disturb for 12 hours

Next day:
2 cups of whipping cream – best until soft peaks form
Add 1 package of heath bits

Place one meringue circle on serving plate
Place whipped cream mixture clear to edges
Repeat until last layer. Frost tops and sides with remaining whipped cream.

Refrigerate. Top with shaved chocolate

REVIEW

Small-town Oklahoma meets big government deception in this carefully mixed-up tale of betrayal and redemptive love. Paige Rogers, former CIA Agent, is living a lie to protect those she loves, but her past will not stay buried. Unless she agrees to more lies, her former team leader threatens to remove that net of safety from the ones Paige has hoped to protect. Paige must find a way to bring the truth to light without hurting those she loves. But even in her small-town haven, it’s not so clear who she should trust.

DiAnn Mills delivers a true page-turner. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going on there's a new twist. Breach of Trust is action-packed romantic suspense at its very best.

Childrens' Essays

2009-02-16T07:36:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I judged some 5th and 6th grade essays for a writing competition with our local newspaper. What does the pursuit of happiness mean to you? Most of the kids wrote on topics beyond their understanding such as the right to education or the right to freedom, no doubt as prompted by their teacher. However, one of the essays was head and shoulders above the others and I look forward to seeing that name in the paper soon.

But, I started thinking about the pursuit of happiness. Our forefathers obviously believed that happiness was attainable only through the rights to certain actions, but I don't think so. Don't get me wrong I'm not missing the point of our freedoms. But happiness is a state of mind. It cannot be bought or achieved through accomplishments.

Many people ask me if I am happy because I sold my first novel. I never know quite what to say to this. I'm certainly not unhappy about it. I'm very pleased and grateful, but happy? No. I'm not going to hinge my happiness on whether or not I sell my writing and neither should you.

Today, I chose to be happy. No matter how many times my kids scream my name, wreck the living room, dump juice all over the floor, and do the exact opposite of what I ask, I'm going to chose to be happy. How about you?

Writers Wednesday

2009-02-12T15:19:00.005-05:00

A fellow member of James River Writers and blogger was kind enough to share photos and a summary of Writers Wednesday, last night where I spoke briefly about using contest to get published.

http://richmondwriter.blogspot.com/

Thanks Laura.

Lyn Cote on Romance and Writing

2009-02-09T07:06:00.012-05:00

This week I have guest blogger/interviewee Lyn Cote and we're celebrating her latest release, Desires of her Heart with Avon Inspire. I met Lyn at the Faith, Love, Hope chapter's mini-conference in San Fran where she spoke and shared her nuggets of wisdom with us. Below is an interview with Lyn and ways to win books by Lyn Cote and more!

There are 3 ways to win books which include Lyn’s.

1-Enter the quarterly drawing at http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com

2-Drop by Lyn’s blog http://www.StrongWomenBraveStories.blogspot.com in MEGA Month May. A large basket of goodies and autographed books will be given away in a drawing from the names of those who send in stories about brave women in their families (including their own) or a friend which I will post as a blog; also those who post a comment this coming May.

3- Drop by my website http://www.LynCote.net and click Meet Lyn Page and scroll to the bottom to join the ChapterAWeek Club. Several times a year, this group gives away a prize of 10 lbs. of autographed books by notable Christian Authors.

Q. What’s your favorite meal/comfort food?

A. I am kind of a “foodie.” I love going to a larger city and trying restaurants that have foods I couldn’t get at home. Recently on a trip to Chicago to visit friends, they took us to an Armenian restaurant. The food reminded me of Greek food, but just a little more spicy. It’s winter now and I make a lot of pots of homemade soup. It’s economical, healthy, easy and it lasts for more than one meal! My family’s favorite soups are Chicken with Dumplings and Beef Vegetable with Noodles. Right now I have a pot of Ham and Northern bean soup on the stove.

Q. What do you feel is the best and worst part of writing/publishing?

The uncertainty. I fear for writers who think that their publisher and their editor are their bosom pals. Business is business. Publishing is an EXTREMELY competitive business. If your books don’t sell well, the editor whether she likes you or not will cut you from her list. She has to show a profit to keep her job. So if you become published, never-never take anything for granted. And never forget you can be up one day and down the next. Stuff can happen that fast.

Q. What practical advice do you have for unpublished writers?

Never stop learning. Never think that your writing has come as far as it can. There is always room for improvement. Also never believe what your publicist says. GRIN. Remember what Jesus said about taking the important seat. If you do, you might be embarrassed when the host comes and asks you to move to the humbler seat. Because someone REALLY IMORTANT has arrived. Ouch!
FYI, I will be teaching a class on conflict in May ’09 at http://www.rwaonlinechapter.org

Q.What do you find romantic about (your) life?

I married an electrical engineer. So being romantic is not his forte. However, he has learned to be romantic. I get unexpected flowers and little gifts occasionally. But most of all, he supports me in everything I do. It took me over a decade to go from starting my first book to my first sale. And he never once doubted that I would be published even when I had doubts.
I also love that he reads my books. He just finished my February book, The Desires of Her Heart, the first in my “Texas Star of Destiny” series for Avon Inspire.

In 1821, Dorritt Mott is a woman ahead of her time. When her family is forced to leave New Orleans, she meets Quinn. The New Orleans lady and the half-breed scout, become unlikely allies on the trek to the Austin settlement in Texas. Two armies, marauding Comanche and a traitor in their midst stand between them and their destination. All Dorritt thinks she wants is her own independence, but is it possible that she will gain the unrecognized desires of her heart? And teach Quinn to enlarge his vision also?

My dh really loved it and I hope others will too.

Visit Lyn at her own blog and website too.

Lyn’s Recipe

Well, since I said it’s soup season and chicken is my family’s favorite, here’s my chicken and dumpling soup recipe. I’m guessing that your family will love it too!
Basic Chicken Soup
1-2 lbs. chicken (either uncooked or leftover chunks)
8 cups water
2 regular carrots, peeled and sliced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
8 cubes chicken bouillon (These are the salt source and the secret of the rich chicken flavor.)

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, brown the chicken lightly with a little olive oil (or other oil of choice) and then add water and simmer the chicken until tender and no longer pink. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. When chicken is cooked, take it out. And when cool, (de-bone it if necessary) and chop it.
Mix together the water, carrots, celery, onion, and chicken bouillon and add to pot with meat. Simmer the mixture approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer at least 2 hours before serving with dumplings which are made at the end.

Dumplings:
2 c. flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ c milk

Blend and drop from rounded spoon into hot soup. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. SECRET OF LIGHT DUMPLINGS: Don’t lift the lid. That’s what makes them tough.

Serve hot and yummy with a dash of nutmeg on top of each bowl. (The dash of nutmeg will bring out all the flavors, but just a dash. This is from my maternal grandmother.)

Remember soup is one of those recipes that vary so you may have to add water or more bouillon or whatever. Learn to taste soup at its various stages (after the meat is cooked of course!) and make it the way YOUR family will like it. You can add green pepper or more veggies if your family likes that. Or less too. Add noodles. Or rice. Or not. Be creative. Soup is a fun meal to experiment with. (And a good way to use up leftovers.) Just keep tasting and adding till tastes right for your family.

Free Downloads

2009-01-30T14:43:00.002-05:00

Harlequin is celebrating its 6oth year in romance and is offering free downloads of novels from several of their lines.

http://www.harlequincelebrates.com/

Enjoy!

Writing Organizations: James River Writers

2009-01-30T09:31:00.009-05:00

I've been posting some about steps to take toward getting published in fiction and while every writer will have his or her unique journey there will be some similarities in that walk. One of these similarities should be belonging to a writers organization. There are local and national organizations devoted to educating and promoting excellence in writing. If you're a writer published or not, you should belong to at least one of these, if not multiple organizations.

One group that meets near my home is the James River Writers. Last night, I attended my first monthly meeting with them. And even though I'll admit it's a pain for me to get out of the house on a weeknight, the meeting was worth the effort.

The guest speakers were Joshua Kendall, a senior editor at Viking, and Alan Cheuse, an author and longtime NPR book critic. They passed on some great nuggets in a colorful manner; some on the direction of the fiction marketplace and some general discussion on writing. I'm not going to recap everything that was said but I will giveaway one statement from each--the one that stuck with me the most.

Here's what Joshua K. said about getting published: (I'm paraphrasing) Look for agents who represent writers that have an affinity with your writing and seek representation from then--because they are most likely to get passionate about your voice and content. When you send material to them make sure it's ready because you only get that one chance to make an impression.

Here's what Alan Cheuse said to the young writers in the room: Learn to read like a writer. An artist looks at the world with different eyes. A writer should read with them.

Mom is Great, Chocolate Cake

2009-01-22T16:31:00.005-05:00

I have to admit I have been slack with my cooking recently. But today I made a great Chocolate Cake.

Now, let's talk about MRUs. In writing, an MRU is a Motivational Reaction Unit. This is a handy concept to keep in mind as you write. The idea is that your character must have a stimulus and then react to it. It sounds really simple and it is. But sometimes writers don't follow this and it can cause the reader problems.

1. confusion-character's actions are not chronologically logical

2. useless words-sentences which do not move the story forward

I love this concept because you can look at it on may levels. First, on the novel level. Your character has a crisis. He/She must react. Second, apply that to a scene. Novels are really just scenes strung together. Each scene should follow the MRU too. The character has a crisis and must react. And then, the MRU works on the paragraph level. Character motivation, then reaction.

Here's an example just in two sentences: The pot boiled over. Mary ran to the stove and moved it.

This is a physical reaction. But charcters can react with a feeling or by speaking too.

To learn more about MRUs read Randy Ingersol's article on "Writing the Perfect Scene".

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/

Ever wondered how to make Truffles? Here it is... And remember, according to that new belly fat diet dark chocolate has all sorts of health benefits!

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Yield: 30 Truffles

2 cup(s) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup(s) Unsweetened Cocoa
1/3 cup(s) heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl.

Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

Using a melon baller or small spoon, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cocoa. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Note: The Unsweetened Cocoa can be replaced with 3/4 cup of chopped almonds or pecans.

Title Changes and the Double Drawing Deal

2009-01-12T12:09:00.015-05:00

Hi all!

If you're coming over from Keli's Romance Writers on the Journey, WELCOME!!! And you already know about today's deal, so feel free to skip the next paragraph.

If you came here first, then WELCOME also and here's the DEAL: Today, January 15, if you leave a comment on my blog and a comment on Keli's Romance Writers on the Journey (where there is a short interview with yours truly), you will automatically be entered in two drawings. Each drawing is for a 10 dollar gift card of your choice to either Borders, Sees Candy, or Starbucks.

Now, let's talk titles.

Every week I get an update from eharlequin.com. I enjoy looking over their top ten lists just to read the titles. Here's the weeks top ten best-selling titles:

My favorite is The Prince's Waitress Wife. It's laced with alliteration while raising all kinds of images to my mind. And apparently, millionaires and billionaires are IN this week. There's also a definite foreign theme going on here. Not to mention the boss thing. So, coincidence we ask? I have no idea. What I do know is that a lot of thought goes into these titles and it's not necessarily thoughts from the authors of the books. Surprised? I was.

As I indicated in my interview with Keli, I'm green in all of this, and I'm finding out lots of things about publishing that I never expected to be true. One thing that surprised me was learning that authors don't always have much (if any) say in their final title. In the end, it's the editor or a committee of editors who get to decide. For example, my story Running from Trouble has been renamed Protector's Honor (Sept. 09). Another 2008 Golden Heart winner, The Kinds of Wanting by Kris Kennedy, is releasing a few weeks with Kensington. It is now The Conqueror. And yet a third 2008 Golden Heart finaling story, Hot Pursuit by Lynn Ray Harris, was retitled Spanish Magnate, Red Hot Revenge. The truth is at least half of the Golden Heart finalists who've sold have had title changes and I think that percentage will increase as more sell and go to committee.

Now, you may think... why? Obviously, the original titles were good. Kris's so poetic and Lynn's super catchy...but that's not the point. That's not why titles are changed. It's marketing.
Editors and committees of editors carefully choose the title for each work that they think will generate the most sales and best represent the novel while it's sitting on the shelves.

My agent who's been in the business for 30 years told me that 7 out of 10 titles are changed before going to print and it's all to increase sales. And let's face it...We are writers, not marketing specialists. We shouldn't get upset when an editor decides that our work will do better with a different title. One very experienced author told me, "I learned a long time ago not to get attached to my titles." I think that's good advice.

So...What's your favorite title? Least favorite title? Funniest?

Keeping it short today because of the double deal, but thanks for coming by and don't forget to leave a comment on both blogs to be entered in the drawings.

Love Inspired Author Lenora Worth

2009-01-04T09:10:00.011-05:00

A bunch of us ACFWers got together at the RWA conference in San Fran last August. Lucky me sat next to seasoned romance author Lenora Worth which meant a dinner of laughter and fun as she told us all about her family's cross country drive. Lenora can truly spin a tale, whether it be told in person or on paper. Here's her interview on romance and her recipe for Southern Seafood Stuffing . Don't forget to leave a comment and have your name entered in a drawing for a signed copy of her latest release, Heart of the Night. (Drawing January 11)

Q. Define Romance.

Romance is that feeling you get when you meet someone you were destined to meet. Everything is glowing and beautiful and shiny new and even after many years together, that feeling never leaves. We try to capture that feeling in our stories.

Q. How many hours a day/number of pages do you write? Describe a good/bad work day.

I try to write about four to six hours per day or at least ten pages. Sometimes on a good day, I get a whole chapter done. (About 16 pages.) On a bad day, I just sit staring at the computer, wondering why I didn’t stay in retail!

Q. What are some of the goals you (would like to) accomplish through your writing?

I’d like to continue writing steadily for a very long time. I’d like to win a major award and I’d love to write a big, lush book that truly touches people.

Q. What in life do you find inspiring?

I find other women inspiring. I enjoy what I do but I know women who go to work each day in hospitals and in non-profit organizations and they see the worst of life. But they also find the best in life. I try to remember these brave women whenever I’m tired or whiny.

Q. Tell us how you perceive the romance genre in the world of literature. How is it changing?

I think romance has always been in literature. After all, love makes the world go round. It’s just that today, romance is defined as a genre for women and we’ve taken it and made it into a category that women can recognize and buy.

Q. What’s the most interesting/strangest thing (writing-publishing related) that has happening to you?

After I sold to Steeple Hill, I was at RWA in Orlando sitting at the Literacy Signing. I was across from Nora Roberts. (This was the year of the big scandal about plagiarism of her books. A reporter was waiting to interview her and I guess he got bored (there was of course a long line☺) Anyway, he asked me a few questions while waiting for her and lo and behold that tiny interview wound up in a hometown paper and my mother-in-law read it and saw me quoted there. She was finally impressed with my writing career! 3. What do you consider your greatest work-related achievement? What are your current goals? My greatest work related achievement and one that is special to me is my first big award. I won the Romantic Times Award for Best Love Inspired in 19989 for “Logan’s Child.” It’s special because that was a book that almost wasn’t. I changed the tone of the story and resubmitted it to Steeple Hill and it turned out to be one of my bestsellers. But I guess the greatest achievement is really to just touch one person’s life with my words. That will always be my current goal.

Q. Tell us about the most romantic dinner you’ve ever had or heard of?

My most romantic dinner was when my husband “kidnapped” me and took me out to dinner then whisked me off to a hotel for our anniversary. Of course, I kept asking “Uh, where are our children?” He’d taken care of everything from a toothbrush and nightgown to a baby sitter for our missing children.

Q. What’s your favorite meal/comfort food?
Chocolate. And I love any type of seafood.

Q. What do you feel is the best and worst part of writing/publishing?

The best part—having a story that just needs to be written. The worst part—trying to write that story the way you see it inside your head.

Q. What practical advice do you have for unpublished writers?

Read, read, read. Listen and learn. Be patient and don’t stop writing. If you really want this, you will find a way to make it happen.

Q. What do you find romantic about (your) life?

I try to find romance in the small things. I think it’s romantic when my husband vacuums or sweeps. Even when he cooks Hamburger Helper. It’s the little gestures that add up to romance. People expect romance to be this big, grand thing that just sweeps them away, but it’s the little quiet gestures that make the difference.

This is one of my husband’s favorites. All of his friends request this each Christmas. (The original was given to me by a friend—Renee. I added a few things to it! )
Southern Seafood Stuffing (Dressing)

1 lb crawfish tails
1 lb shrimp (peeled—fresh or frozen)
1 lb Jimmy Dean rolled sausage (or any brand that is spicy)
1 large container of chicken broth (The kind in the big box.)
1 stick of butter
1 recipe of buttermilk cornbread (cooked and cooled)
½ bag of seasoned stuffing croutons
1 bag of frozen mixed seasoning vegetable (onion, celery and peppers)
Sage and poultry seasoning to taste
A couple of teaspoons Cajun spice mix (I use Tony’s)
Two shakes of Tabasco sauce.

Cook the sausage until crumbled and brown.
In big soup pot, heat chicken broth and butter. Stir in vegetables and seasoning mix and Tabasco. (Add black pepper if needed.) Bring to a boil then add shrimp and crawfish and sausage. Stir to mix until shrimp and pink. Crumble cornbread into this pot and mix. Stir in croutons and mix. Let set for a few minutes. (Can add two beaten eggs if you want and mix) Butter a big pan and pour this mixture into pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until its brown and bubbly.

Thanks Lenora.

Please visit Lenora at any of the following sites:

www.lenoraworth.com

www.LoveInspiredAuthors.com

www.eharlequin.com

Get Your Word On interview

2008-12-29T10:31:00.002-05:00

Here's my first interview. It's in this month's James River Writers e-zine called Get Your Word On.

2008 Best Unpublished Contest Winner Will be Published!

Kit Wilkinson entered this year's contest with her manuscript Running From Trouble and it was one of the two runner-ups. In September of 2009 her novel, now Protector's Honor, is due to be published by Harlequin Enterprises! Laura Jones interviewed Kit about this success and summed up the highlights.

Kit said that the most unexpected benefit has been "the supportive attitude of other authors and their willingness to answer questions and offer guidance as I take these first steps to becoming published."

It took her several months to write the first draft, "And help? Yes, I have an indispensable critique partner who's not afraid to tell me when something doesn't work."

Her best writing time? The morning. "But, I also have two young children, so things don't usually go like that. I often follow them around with my laptop."

Any advice for writers? "Get thee to a conference. Not only do you get to learn good stuff and meet lots of cool people at these conferences, you also get the opportunity to meet agents and editors and very seasoned writers. It's important to have these connections and to build these relationships."

Can you sum up your life in six words? "Mon Dieu, mon amour, mes enfants."

Click here for full interview and to visit the James River Writers website and or enter this year's Novel contest.

That Time of Year

2008-12-24T10:52:00.003-05:00

The holidays bring a lot of fuss and activity. We decorate, shop, have cookie swaps, get together with friends and family, eat too much. But for me, it's also a time of reflection. A time to thank God for what He's given me and a time to mourn over what I've lost. I think over the goals I set for myself and revel in the ones I've accomplished. I chastise myself and make excuses for the ones that I failed. I promise to try harder next year... I wonder what I can do to be more like Christ. And if I'll do those things. Can I transcend?

He's given me all I need.

How about you?

Here's a youtube video that talks about transcendence, reflecting on the strength we have in friends. Enjoy. And Merry Christmas!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

Book Review

2008-12-14T13:46:00.004-05:00

Margaret Wise Brown and The Moon Shines Down

Brown is the well-known author of the children's classic Goodnight Moon, a book, which I'll be honest here, I've never really cared for. The Moon Shines Down, however, is more engaging.

Based on the sampler prayer "God Bless the Moon and God Bless Me," the picture story follows a cute Koala bear around the world, while the words describe the scenes, customs, and children saying goodnight to each setting. My daughter really enjoyed the book and asked lots of questions about the different children, their houses and the animals that appear in the scenes. But I had some problems with the book. While the pictures are nice, and what kid doesn't like a big moon and lots of rhyming words, I do not like the way the story flits from one end of the Earth to another. And then, right in the middle of the story, it's suddenly Christmas and there is the Christ child and the Nativity. I'm assuming that's part of the original prayer, but, to me, it didn't seem to fit right there in the middle of the book between France and Africa. I just found that strange. But if you don't care about stuff like that then you'll probably love it.

And, I'm being too negative, because the real questions with a children's book is this...Will we read it again? And the answer is yes. And that is an important consideration when purchasing a children's book, especially as the hardback versions have gotten quite pricey. Still, there's something about the progression that leaves me feeling like I'd like to reorganize the pages.

Diana Cosby and Pina Colada Cake

2008-12-06T17:24:00.010-05:00

If You Like Pina Colada's...

Welcome back my most popular guest, Diana Cosby, with her second release, His Woman, a great historical romance available now... Click on the Amazon link below to order your copy or leave a comment and enter yourself in my drawing for a free copy. Last day to enter drawing December 13.

Diana with her own Naval hero...

DIANA'S BIO:
U.S. Navy Chief Meteorologist/Oceanographer, Diana Cosby began her last tour in the military by re-enlisting on the back of a camel in Tangier, Africa. With 31 moves and an incredible career, she decided to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met over the years. Her years of living in Europe influenced her decision to write in the medieval time frame, hence the MacGruder brothers were born. Diana now lives in Texas with her husband who recently retired from the Navy after 24 years and their youngest son. Her older son is serving in the Marine Corps, and her daughter is attending college to become an art therapist.

HIS WOMAN

4 Stars - HOT
"Former lovers find each other again in book two of Cosby's Scottish trilogy. She deftly combines historical accuracy, well-rounded characters and continuous action in this sweeping romance, which should keep readers engaged until the last page."

- Romantic Times

Order His Woman now!
Amazon.com

Interview with Diana

1. Define Romance.
~To me romance is that of giving of self, of sharing the moments of life and being there when it matters to the person you love. Romance is the easy smiles, the twinkle in your lover’s eyes, and their taking your hand. It’s easy to be together during the good times, but it’s the tough times that define a relationship, of being there when it matters, and of creating the magic of romance that lasts forever.

2. How many hours a day/number of pages do you write?
~When I’m writing new pages, I write a minimum of five pages a day. The number of hours is dependent upon how long it takes me to reach my goal.

3. Describe a good/bad work day.
~A bad day is when I fight for every single word, then look at what I wrote and cringe. But, I can edit junk. :) A good day is when my muse is in overdrive, the scenes flow in my head like a movie, and I look down and realize that somewhere along the way, I’ve written ten pages.

4. What are some of the goals you (would like to) accomplish through your writing?
~One of the most important things to me is that of giving of self, which is why I tithe 10% of my royalties to a charity of my choice. Future goals are to make enough to buy a working police dog, a fire truck and my favorite, to sponsor a home for Habitat For Humanity. How cool would that be!

5. What in life do you find inspiring?
~I find inspiration in about everything. From God, to a gust of wind, to the tumble of leaves as they clatter across the road, to times of crisis. In everything that happens, however terrible, there is a silver lining – all you have to do is look. For me, everything is about perspective. You can’t understand good until you’ve lived through tough times, then, when the good times roll around, not only do you recognize them, but appreciate them as well.

6. What’s the most interesting/strangest thing (writing-publishing related) that has happening to you?

~When I lived in Spain, I entered a very old church in Andalucía. I could feel the presence left by the people who’d visited it over the ages, a heaviness, but it felt welcoming. I always remember that visit and am inspired by those old world feelings I sensed that day.
~I will add that when I visited the witch house in Salem, Massachusetts, I felt totally weird vibes and was more than ready to leave. Definitely one of those woo woo moments.

7. What do you consider your greatest work-related achievement?

~To have done a book signing with Nora Roberts – it was a life dream come true. She’s an amazing, gracious woman, and is one of my all time favorite authors.

8. What are your current goals?
~I’m currently working on my third novel in the MacGruder brother’s series. In the future, I have another four book medieval series that I’ll be working on, and in the more distant future, I’ll move up to present day with a suspense/thriller series.

9. What’s your favorite meal/comfort food?

~I love love love chocolate! My favorite is the Lindt Excellence Intense Orange chocolate bar. If you have not tried this, it IS to die for! *G*

10. What do you feel is the best part of writing/publishing?

~The best part of writing is the interesting people I meet. :)

11. What practical advice do you have for unpublished writers?

~To follow your heart, believe in yourself and persevere. Never doubt yourself. Only you can write the story of your heart.

When I lived in Spain, a friend shared this recipe with me. I use it for Christmas, as it’s the perfect party cake!
Piña Colada Cake

1 package white cake mix
1 package (4oz.) instant coconut cream pudding
½ cup water 1/3 cup rum
4 eggs ¼ cup corn oil
Directions: Mix above ingredients and beat until combined. Pour into two greased and floured 9” cake pans. Bake @350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Once cool, remove and frost with Piña Colada frosting. See below.

Piña Colada Frosting

1 – 8 ounce carton Cool Whip
1- 4ounce package instant coconut cream pudding
1 – 8ounce can crushed pineapple
1/3 cup rum
Directions: Blend pudding, pineapple and rum, then mix in cool whip.
*Chill until served.

Random Thoughts on Queries

2008-11-24T17:19:00.005-05:00

I mailed a lot of queries out over the past year and had, what I would call, a fairly typical response record. About 1/3 of the agents queried asked to see a full/partial. And I think if I had done just a tad more research on the agents before sending them out, it would have been about 50% which is pretty good.

Some agents are very specific on their website about what they like to represent and what they don't. It's worth the time to look up this information since you're probably there looking up their address anyway. Another thing to do before writing to agents is look at the other authors they represent. Are they writing the same genre? It doesn't always matter. My agent handles all sorts of fiction and non-fiction, but many do not. Be especially careful if you write inspirational or erotica.

And queries are easy to write. Still, take your time and make sure it's perfect before sending it out. It's so easy with email now I think we sometimes rush these things when we shouldn't.

Start out with a one sentence request to your audience that tells them the title, genre, length of work and line that you want to sell to. For example: Please consider representation of My Best Romance, a 50,000 word contemporary romance targeted for Harlequin Desire.

Follow with a great blurb. Name the hero and heroine and introduce the main conflict. End with a hook. Read the back of all your favorite books to get some ideas. This is the fun part of your letter and the most important.

Next, tell why your story is unique. If you have a long blurb you won't have room to do this. I think keeping the query short is more important.

Finish with a quick summary of your previous sales or contest wins and any other writing related information about you. Make sure it is professional looking and sounding. Keep it to one page. Only query one story at a time.

Keep track of your letters. See how long the agent clams to take for a response. If it's three months, then wait the three months before contacting them. But after that, I think it's okay to check back and ask for a response. If you don't hear back after that, don't write again. You don't want this person as an agent.

One other issue...beware of agents who ask for an exclusive read. Unless they promise to read it over a single weekend they should not expect you to wait on them to read over some indefinite amount of time. That's not fair to you. I had an agent ask me that. My story was already out with several other agents so I couldn't comply, but I wouldn't have. She read the story anyway and offered representation. I didn't go with her and it had nothing to do with that, still I don't think it is a fair request and I don't think any of the big agents do that.

So queries really aren't so bad...just remember the letter is important but it's your manuscript that going to sell not the query.

Thomas Nelson Book Review

2008-11-19T10:24:00.003-05:00

I got in on this cool deal that Thomas Nelson Publishers has going for bloggers. They give us a book. We read it, write a review about it, and post the review. Pretty simple and since I love books it’s a deal that had my name written all over it.

For my first review, I picked a children’s book by Tim McGraw. Yep, that’s right. The country-singing star has written a children’s book with songwriter Tom Douglas. Why not? All the other stars are doing it. It’s titled My Little Girl and it’s about a little girl named Katie and her daddy hanging out for a nice day together.

Now, there is no real conflict and resolution in this story and by that I mean no one gets a flat tire or loses her favorite hat. There’s nothing like that. Instead, the book is composed of “snapshots” of their day together—short descriptions and dialogues from their daddy-daughter day (as we call them at my house), which strung together show that you don’t have to do anything extraordinary to have quality time together.

My Little Girl makes a great bedtime book. And of that I have proof. Just read it to my five-year-old daughter who highly approved, especially of the pictures, which I’ll admit are nothing short of fabulous. Julia Denos provided those. Well done, Julie.

And if you’re not sold on it yet, there’s a forward by the beautiful and talented Faith Hill and a place at the end for you and your daughter to write about your own special day together.

Nice book. Thanks Thomas Nelson. And Tim.

Below is a link to the book. However, there's a better deal on Tim McGraw's website.

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/custom/top20/My_Little_Girl_Tim_McGraw_Tom_Douglas.asp

And please, come back next week for the rest of the getting started writing tips.

Helping Yourself to Published

2008-11-12T15:31:00.008-05:00

As I promised last week, I'm going to post some tips for new writers, but first, let me give my disclaimer. Everything I'm getting ready to say about helping yourself get published I'm saying because it worked for me. It doesn't necessarily mean that it will work for you. You'll have to decide, like I did, what makes sense for you and what doesn't. There's lots of advice out there, some of it good, some of it vague, some of it not worth knowing. So what I'm trying to do here is name what I feel to be the most important factors that helped me get published and put them in some sort of order as to when it's right to do them.

So first off, I'm just going to list a couple of things that you can do right off the bat, whether you've finished or even started putting the pen to paper so to speak.

1. Writer's Groups. If you're not in a writer's group then get in one. Most groups are open to both published and unpublished writers. Some groups have some hefty membership fees but the benefits of joining greatly outweigh the costs. Not only do you network in these groups, you learn about writing and you learn about the business of publishing. Some groups are online and work like a giant forum. You never actually meet the people. Others are actual groups that hold monthly meetings you can attend. One group that I belong to invites speakers each month who talk about different aspects of writing and publishing. Some speakers are better than others but I dare say that at every meeting I attended I learned something worth knowing. I also met my critique partner at a meeting. And don't be shy in these groups just because you're not published. My experience has been that the published writers in the group have been very helpful in answering questions and giving suggestions to others who might not be as far along in their career. Hey, they started out there too. So don't delay. Join a group and start asking questions.

Here are links to a couple of writer's groups:

Romance Writers of America

American Christian Fiction Writers

Writers Guild of America

2. Start writing your book and don't stop until you finish. This may seem like a silly thing to say, but lots of people think that they want to be a novelist...that is, until they find out how much work it is. It takes lots and lots of time and dedication to write a whole novel. I'm pretty sure for some people it's much more fun to talk about than to actually do. So, sit down and write. Commit to it. You're not a writer until you do that. Once you start writing, keep writing.

3. Read. Read. Read. I don't think I need to explain this.

4. Get feedback on your writing. Join a critique group. A critique group is formed of people, writers, who read your story and make comments and you do the same for them. Sounds simple, but critique groups take time and commitment. And you don't want people in them who are just going to pat you on the back and say, "that's so great." You want people who are going to knit-pick and find things wrong with your story. Yes, it's a little hard to take at first--one of the reasons it's sometimes better not to know the people too well. But having several people read while you write or revise can save you from sending in something to an agent or editor that is just not ready. And you don't want to do that. The editor or agent is most likely going to be even pickier. So let a critique group help you. They will find inconsistencies and show you things that you may think are working in your story but are not. I'm in one group with three other people, so on any given chapter I submit to the group I'll get three opinions on what I've written. On top of that I have a critique partner and several other people I can send things to when I need a fresh pair of eyes. I think critiquing is essential to developing your craft.

5. Get thee to a conference. This is something I waited too long to do. I'm not sure why. I guess I didn't see the point until I actually went to one but there is a point. Not only do you get to learn good stuff and meet lots of cool people at these conferences, you also get the opportunity to meet agents and editors and very seasoned writers. It's important to have these connections and to build these relationships. So go to a conference and when you're there make the most of it, meet as many people as you can and go to as many classes as you can stand. Take notes. Keep in touch with people afterward.

Now, there are lots of conferences to choose from. RWA has a national conference each year, as does ACFW, and there are also lots of smaller conferences which I recommend if you're a first timer. The big conferences are really big...you have a better chance of meeting people at the smaller ones.

Okay, so there's some things to get you started. Next week, I'm going to talk about contests, pitching, and query letters.

Questions? Comments? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Romance Books

2008-11-06T14:05:00.006-05:00

I know. I know. Another name change for the blog But this is it. Cookin' Up Romance is where I'm going and by that I mean that the blog is getting back to talking about the Romance genre, about writing Romance, and about reading Romance. So, yes, sometimes the "cooking" will be meant only in the metaphorical sense. Other times there will be real recipes from me and from your favorite authors. I am also getting back to my monthy contests/giveaways starting in December with a signed copy of Diana Cosby's newest release.

Did you know that...

Romance fiction is the biggest fiction category. It's a billion dollar a year industry, outselling other literary genres by nearly double. For example, in 2007, romance books grossed over 1.3 billion dollars. That's over 12% of the total book market. The closest any other genre comes to romance novel sales is the religious/inspirational category which in 2007 produced a mere 819 million. According to experts quoted by Romance Writers of America, these sales are expected to increase in 2008.

I am anxious to see these figures. For one because on other writing related blogs I have seen a lot of negative talk about book sales and our bad economy. People are saying that ebooks might affect regular book sales, that the book market--along with other markets, like real estate--will take a dive. There's all sorts of speculation about sales. And a lot of unpublished writers worry that if sales go down then they'll have even less of a chance to get published.

I have never thought in this way. These statistics, while very interesting, have little if any power over whether or not I get published. At least that's the way I see it. To me, I am the one with the power. I'm the one who needs to write a great book and then get it in front of the people who need to see it. Editors are going to acquire a certain number of books each year. Yes, that number may increase or decrease. But they WILL be buying so what you have to do if you want to sell is make sure you get something in front of them that they will buy. I'm making it sound simple because...it is. Simple but also a lot of work.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be talking about ways to increase your chances of making make that sale. Check back next week for more...

Prayer

2008-10-26T10:54:00.011-04:00

Yesterday I was honored to be a part of one of the most amazing weddings. I stood up for my 24 year old niece who is not only one of the most beautiful people in the world (not exaggerating... see for yourself) she's also kind, smart, and has the faith and wisdom of someone much older.

Anyway, I was touched when she asked me to be a part of her wedding last winter. But when Guillian-Barre struck over the summer, I feared I would not be able to participate in the ceremony. I even feared I wouldn't be able to attend.

But five weeks ago I came home from the hospital. I was barely walking 10 yards and that was with the help of a walker/cane and then taking a rest. I put off going to the dress shop to be fitted for the bridesmaid dress, afraid I couldn't stand up long enough to get the dress on. When I finally did go, I almost passed out in the fitting room and could barely stand the seamstress's touch on my back.

But a month is a long time. Long enough for a change. Long enough for a little miracle. Long enough to show the wonderful people who have been praying for me how God worked their efforts.

Above is a picture of me taking some of my first steps after a month of being in a hospital bed. Below it is me at the wedding five weeks later. A big difference. I know, the left side of face has not completely healed, I'm still weak and fatigue easily, but what a difference a month made. So, I could go on and on but the point is...

I'm glad to be a living testimony of the power of prayer.

The Pledge

2008-10-19T15:54:00.004-04:00

This is not a political blog and I am not what you would call a political person. I shy away from political discussions and dislike when being asked what party I belong to. I think living in Europe for five years has something to do with my apathy, but the truth is the corruptness of the system disgusts me. Unfortunately, I can offer no better solution, so who am I to complain? Anyway, right now, it seems impossible to stick my head in the sand. But, still, I don't feel the passion that everyone else seems to. So I wonder... Is something wrong with me? Am I alone in my thinking? Is anyone else sick of campaign slander? Anyone think it really matters who's president? I'd like to think that is does. But I wonder, really.

I wish I was this excited about being American. How about you?

8 Cylinders to None and back: my story with Guillian-Barre (part 3 of 3)

2008-10-13T11:13:00.015-04:00

And then there was rehab.

Two days out of intensive care, I was moved to yet another floor of the hospital and into a physical rehabilitation facility. The first morning a young man came into my room pulling a cart that had a computer atop. "Hi, I'm Seth," he says. "I'm here to evaluate your ability to dress."

A nurse is in the room crushing pills and feeding them to me in a lump of applesauce. I swallow the meds and turn my head to look at Seth. I tried to give him an incredulous stare down but the nurse was pulling up my shirt and sticking me in the stomach with a shot of blood thinner. Ouch. "Really?" I say. He nodded and tried to smile. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Glasses. No sign of facial hair. I decided he was all of twenty. "It will be a short evaluation, Seth. I can't move."

"Well, that's okay," he says with a heavy West Virginian accent. "I'll help."

I suppose he was trying to make me feel better, but his words had quite the opposite effect. I didn't want this boy to help me dress. I wanted him to leave so I could go back to sleep. And just as this thought was crossing my mind, the nurse scampered out of the room and I was left alone with Seth, the boy occupational therapist. A new thought came into my head: Therapy is not only going to hurt, it's going to be embarrassing.

I decided right then that I was going to hate therapy as much as I hated the ICU, as much as I hated GBS, as much as I hated being paralyzed and in the hospital and away from my family. And while I was deciding to hate therapy, I decided to hate the therapists too. Why not? All those silly exercises were their ideas, right?

For over a week, I moaned and groaned my way through hours of occupational and physical rehab. It was painful and exhausting. I didn't have to pretend to hate it. Somedays I was so tired and beat up from the day before that I refused to leave my room. Other days, I was in too much pain to leave my room. But, without my really noticing it, a little feeling started to come back to me. My arms were moving around without my giving it a whole lot of thought. I could brush my hair, put my socks on, scoot around in my bed without help, get my dinner tray the way I wanted it. I was improving and so was my opinion of Seth and the other therapists.

And soon it was time for me to try standing. I was a little worried. One of the techs had already dropped me to ground (yes, me, who barely weighs 100 lbs.). I knew the therapists would be right there and grab me if i slipped. But I still couldn't feel anything below my knees, so I really wasn't sure if my feet would remember what to do, or if I could even get them to do anything at all.

Seth placed my hands on a high table, positioned my feet on the ground, then lifted me up using a special belt that hung loose around the midsection. And I was up and although my body did not remember what to do at all, and although I had little weight on my feet, and although it hurt like crazy, I was standing again. I had no idea that for a patient with severe Guillian-Barre to be standing after within three weeks time, well, it was nothing short of incredible.

Now, don't get me wrong. I didn't go dancing off into the sunset or anything. I stayed for two more weeks in the rehab facility, re-learning to dress, to walk, to write. I still had many, many bad days. I had liver trouble and low iron. I needed a blood transfusion. I still could not blink one eye and lived with it open and full of "lacri-lube" which blurs and distorts your vision. But the bad days became fewer and further between.

And now just a little over two months since my first symptoms, less than a month since I was still getting around in a wheel chair, I am completely independent. I'm walking, talking, smiling, driving, reading and writing again. It is miraculous. My doctors and I are in wonder at how quickly the GBS nerve damage reversed and repaired. I can do nothing but give God the glory and smile a lot.

SARAH PALIN PUMPKIN and some other, less interesting, news

2008-10-12T09:41:00.006-04:00

I'm interrupting my story on Guillian-Barre syndrome to share the exciting news that I made my first book sale. (Notice, I say first because I hope to sell many more.) The book will be published by Steeple Hill Books under their Love Inspired Suspense Line. More details will, of course, follow soon.

The other announcement I'm making is that while I'm anxious to get back to my Romance in the Kitchen author interviews, I've decided to wait a little longer on restarting them. I AM making a miraculous recovery, but I do still have lots of down time. And the blog is an easy thing to reschedule in my life. But the interviews and giveaways WILL be back! In the meantime, I'll post things of interests such as...

The Sarah Palin Pumpkin carved by my niece who, if she hasn't scared off her fiance with this pumpkin, is getting married in two weeks. BEST WISHES to Laura and Mitch.

Eight Cylinders to None and back: Guillian-Barre Syndrome (part 2 of 3)

2008-09-28T21:12:00.009-04:00

Guillian-barre is diagnosed by symptoms, then confirmed by a spinal tap. My neurologist also performed an EMG (an electromyogram). This is a somewhat barbaric procedure where the doctor placed what looked like a taser gun up and down my arms and legs and zapped me with varying strengths of electric current. I didn't feel a thing. But the doc said that he could tell from the readings that only the sheath of the nerves had been destroyed. This, of course, was a good thing. It meant a faster recovery for me.

So, I thought things were looking up. I was in the ICU with great nurses pampering me. I had a diagnosis with a 90% recovery rate. The doctor kept saying that the condition had stabilized and we could start treatment. I imagined a few more days in the hospital and then pictured myself good as new.

I don't know if wasn't listening or if not even doctors can predict the exact course of Guillian-Barre, but after a few more days in the hospital and one day of treatment, I found myself paralysed--in all four limbs and in my face. Thankfully, I could still talk with much effort; however, swallowing became difficult too as did my breathing. It was only thanks to a little machine called a Bi-pap that I avoided being intibated.

I think I can say without hesitation that the nine days I spent in intensive care were the worst of my life. I wasn't going to die. I knew that. My family knew that. For that, we were all grateful. I was strong enough to begin treatment, but I couldn't move. I had to be feed like a baby, changed, someone had to fix my hair, ... at one point I couldn't blink either eye, so they had to be taped close. I kept reminding myself that it was temporary. But this was scary. In my mind I kept thinking... what if I don't regain my motor functions? What kind of mother or wife could I be then? What kind of horrible burden would I become to my family?

There are two treatments for GBS. One of plasmapheresis and the other is Intravenous Immonoglobulin (IVIG). Supposedly, the first is given to patients without insurance and IVIG to the insured. I gad the latter. Two units a day for five days. The units took about six to eight hours to drip in through the pick-line. The treatment caused itching, irregular blood pressure, hot and cold sweats, burning and shooting pain.

But by the end of the week, I could lift one arm high enough to feed myself some Cream of Wheat. I was so happy I cried and thanked God.

Eight Cylinders to None and back: Guillian-Barre Syndrome (part 1 of 3)

2008-09-25T09:42:00.021-04:00

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an uncommon inflammatory disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves, typically causing severe weakness and numbness that usually starts in your extremities and quickly worsens. Eventually your whole body can become paralyzed, even the muscles used for breathing. Luckily, this potentially deadly disorder is relatively rare, occurring worldwide in only one or two people per 100,000.

My onset with Guillian-Barre began on August 7, 2008. So many of you have prayed for me, sent me cards and emails and asked how I've been. It would take me a life time to answer all of you, so instead I am writing my story for those of you who are interested. My most humble and sincerest thanks to you all--my family, my friends, and those of you who prayed just because you were asked to.

I love days when the weather matches my mood. Today is one of those days. It's cold, gray and wet. A good day to do nothing. Except that I never do nothing. Nothing doesn't relax me. I cannot do nothing. That is not to say that I'm always doing something productive, just that I like to be active.

Last August, when I contracted Guillian-Barre, I went from fine to a strange new state of pain and fear. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I want to start where it started, where I felt fine--actually, more than fine. I had just come home from a trip to San Fransisco where I had won the Golden Heart for Inspirational Romantic Fiction, had one of my manuscripts with a prominent editor, had a month more of vacationing to look forward to, including a couple of fun weddings to attend, one for which I was giving a bridal shower. I was on a real high, running hard with all eight cylinders pumping, just the way I like it.

It started with a tingling sensation in my hands and feet accompanied by a dull back pain which came in the middle of the night. I thought a little stretch and movement might help, so I got up and checked on my kids then tiptoed down the back stairs to the kitchen for some milk. When I climbed back into bed, my husband asked me if everything was okay. I whispered to him about the weird feelings in my extremities which already seemed more intense. He put his arms around me and said it would be fine. We fell back asleep, blissfully unaware of what lay ahead.

By morning, the back pain had become extreme and I went to see my primary care physician. Since he was on vacation, his college drew some blood (for a West Nile Virus test) then sent me and my tears of pain back home. I took some ibuprofen.

The next day the pain grew even more. Pain like I've never had in my life. I didn't get out of bed. I even made my husband miss his Saturday golf game which in turn had him dragging me to the ER. Five long hours there resulted in a nurse telling me I was tired. She also sent me home.

By Monday, I hadn't eaten for four days. In fact, I had done nothing for four days. Me, who doesn't like nothing. So, instead of going back to my primary, I went to see a friend who practices internal medicine. She admitted me to the hospital (a different one) through the ER. I was poked, prodded, cut open, and inquisitioned by a new team of doctors. None of them had a clue what was wrong. None except for one. (And I give him full accolades for that and for being there when I needed him). But at that time, his correct diagnosis was ignored because of the results of the West Nile test done the previous week.

So, I stayed in the hospital as a West Nile patient. Doctors and nurses checked on me but it was really just that one doctor who noticed my further demise. My body continued to weaken. The feeling in my arms and legs started to leave. And I began to fall. In fact, couldn't walk to the bathroom, a mere ten feet away, without falling. One of the nurses brought me a walker and I fell over the walker. I had bruises from head to toe. This troubled me, but I refused to admit to myself how weak I really was was. I wouldn't call the nurse when I needed to get up, but continued to stumble my way or crawl to the bathroom and the rest of the time I stayed in bed. When my husband and other family members came to visit, I would lie and say that I felt better. This seem to make everyone happy. Especially me. I wanted to believe it so badly myself.

And I suppose I was fairly convincing because some doctors were talking about sending me home. Home did sound good. But, who was I kidding, how could I be at home? I have a three and a five year old and I couldn't walk to the bathroom. I couldn't take care of me, much less of them. This finally stoked some real fear in me, but it was still the kind I could push away with hopes that this was a fleeting experience, sure to be gone by morning.

Friday morning, a nurse came in first thing and said I was going home. But within an hour or two, my chest grew tight and my speech started slur. It wasn't long before a team of nurses flew into my room with a crash cart. I felt like I was in an exciting episode of House. Well, actually, I was in and out of consciousness. I don't remember a lot, just bits and pieces like my family arguing and lots of medical people hovering over me. Most of it was a blur.

I learned later my sodium had lowered to nearly a brain boiling level and that my blood pressure had raised to stroke range (205/140). And the family arguing was about what to do with me since one of my doctors was missing--not just any one of the doctors, the one in charge of my case. This doctor is called a hospitalist, that's a non-specialist assigned to every case in a hospital and he's supposed to be there all the time and make big decisions for his patients based on the specialists' findings. Well, for whatever reason, this hospitalist had shirked his duties and gone AWOL.

My neurologist, the doc who was right about Guillian-Barre, was paged but since he was working on the other side of town, no one expected him to get there in time to help. He was the first doctor on sight. And looking back I think that was no small miracle.

That night I woke up in the ICU feeling weak but better than I had in days. My doctor was doing a lumbar puncture which soon confirm my condition and allow me to get treatment. I, having never heard of Guillian-Barre Syndrome, figured I was over the worst of it.

I mean, ... how could it get worse than that?

I learned later that was a very ignorant assumption.

Steven James' Interview

2008-09-23T17:09:00.004-04:00

Critically acclaimed author Steven James is one of the nation’s most innovative storytellers. Since developing his skill as a performer at East Tennessee State University (MA in Storytelling), he has spoken more than 1,500 times throughout North America.

In addition to public speaking, he has written more than two dozen books that have won numerous awards including four Storytelling World Honor awards, a nomination for an ECPA Gold Medallion Award, and two Publishers Weekly starred reviews.

Steven has taught writing throughout North America and India, and hundreds of his stories, articles and scripts have appeared in more than 80 different magazines and books including Writer’s Digest, Decision, Campus Life, Guideposts for Teens, and The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing.

Recently he launched a new series of high-octane thrillers featuring FBI agent Patrick Bowers. The first book in The Bowers Files, The Pawn was a 2008 Christy Award finalist. The second book, The Rook, will be released in August 2008. Steven lives with his wife and daughters in the hills of Tennessee.

The Interview:

Q: From conception to final revision, how to organize things? What’s your writer’s plan? Your time line for completion? Plotting method?

A: I’ve found that when I try to plan too much in advance my stories are boring and formulaic. I think writers need to be have an idea of where their story is going, but also be responsive to the characters and the flow of the story as the actual writing progresses. Admittedly, writing organically like this tends to take more time, but I think the stories are sharper and more complex and to me, that makes it worthwhile.

As far as a timeline, I try to stay on target and write for four to six hours a day. I don’t worry so much about word count, but rather story progress. My novels are longer than typical novels published by inspirational publishers (mine are about 125,000 words long, most others are closer to 85,000). So, it will take me six months to a year to write a novel, as opposed to the shorter timeframe it takes some of my friends.

Q: How do you balance your devotional and other non-fiction writing with your fiction?

A: I’ve written a number of nonfiction books and just finished a collection of prayers while working on my latest thriller. I like the ability of going back and forth, or thinking in different ways, and collecting and clarifying my views in both areas. It’s like exercising – if all you do is run, it’ll get boring. But if you can through in some other activities you keep everything fresh.

Q: What techniques do you use to build suspense in your writing?

A: I flip between different character’s points of view. So, you might see the killer enter the woman’s home and climb into her closet to wait for her. Then, in the next scene, she arrives and walks inside. By letting the reader see what the characters don’t you build dread and suspense is the period between when you promise danger and then fulfill your promise.

Q: Tell us about your next release.

A: The Rook is a high-tech thriller that fans of CSI or 24 will love. FBI agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into an intricate biotech conspiracy where nothing is as it seems to be. With a killer on the loose and one of the world’s most deadly devices missing, Bowers is caught in a race against time to stop a criminal mastermind’s trap before it closes around the people he loves.

Q: As you attempt to inspire others through your words, what brings you inspiration?

A: I believe that fiction has the ability to help us believe the things we already know. For example, we all know that life is fragile, that this might be our last day on the planet, but we don’t really believe it. If we did, we’d live differently. But when we enter a fictional world, we begin to recognize truths like this and actually let them touch us in the deepest parts of who we are.

STILL HERE, Still bloging

2008-09-17T21:48:00.010-04:00

A long pause without posts, but as most of you know I've been a little ill. Thank you so much for your prayers, cards, gifts, phone calls. It truly helped me to "get well sooner." I am home now (with full Internet access, YAY) and feel certain that I'll be completely back to my old self in a few short months.

I have some interviews saved and some others coming in, but before I start in with those I wanted to announce that I'd like to change a few things about my blog. For starters, the title. Romance in the Kitchen does not quite fit some of my quest bloggers. Nor all of the material that I'd like to cover. I keep trying clever French titles but now that my website is down (long story) I'll just call it Kit Wilkinson. Com. Clever, huh?

The other changes: guest authors not in romance, posting about my recent experience with Guillian Barre Syndrome (GBS), and just being open to whatever I think you readers might be interested in...

Check back soon for Steven James's interview and my first entry on GBS.

RWA Nationals in San Francisco

2008-08-07T15:03:00.011-04:00

Since this was my first RWA conference and only my second writer's conference ever, I have little to compare last week with. But I can certainly tell you what I liked and what I didn't.

Of course, it was fun winning the Golden Heart for Inspirational Romance. I was truly shocked when Carla announced my name. Especially since the other finalists in my category are such formidable opponents. It was all very exciting and is such a great honor.

But I have to be honest, the conference, in general, had a very different feel to it than I expected. Don't get me wrong. I had a great time and connected, in particular, with two very cool women, ironically from opposite ends of the continent. Overall, there were a great mix writers and most of them had smiles and pleasant attitudes. Still, there was a bit of an institutional feel to the conference that surprised me. It didn't scream ROMANCE--that's for sure.

I attribute this, in part, to the sheer size of the conference. But there were other contributing factors. For one, it was next to impossible to scope out an agent or editor you might want to speak with and even harder to get an appointment with them. I had one scheduled appointment with an editor from Bethany House, but I also wanted to meet with the editor from Revell. I went both days to the designated appointment area to see if she had an open slot which she did, but I couldn't just sign up for it. I had to put my name on a list and wait. Well, by the time, they got to my name, her open appointment had already come and gone. I don't know what the answer is to this. I know they have to try to fill the slots in some sort of fair order. I heard many people say that there is no better way to conduct the appointments. But, honey, there's always a better way. If nothing else, something could be done about the atmosphere in the appointments area which I would liken to an inmate's visit with his lawyer. The solution? I don't know. But my advice is to skip those appointments and try to find the editors or agents at a mini-conference or in a workshop.

My other complaint is the awards reception. Why bother? It was utter madness. Way too many people. If my agent or critique partner had actually been at the ceremony, I'm fairly certain we would never have found each other afterwards. Not without the help of a cell phone, anyway. And that was fifty bucks??? For what? The Golden Network had a dessert reception which cost only ten dollars. I don't know. For fifty dollars, I was expecting something a little less like the cafeteria.

The positive, to me, was certainly the workshops. Very high quality. I attended two publishing house spotlights, a workshop on writing romantic suspense, two agent/editor panels, and a workshop on the first year after the call. All of them were extremely informative, professional, comprehensive...very well done. There were others I wanted to attend but some of the rooms were too small for the audience. I was turned away from one workshop on pitching and I walked out of another just because there was no where to sit. They are on a CD and can be listened to later. But when you're there, it seems it would make most sense to just go ahead and listen, right?

The two mini-conferences I attended were very nice and totally worth the extra expense. At Faith, Love, Hope, we heard from three prolific authors and were able to lunch and mingle afterwards with several editors and some top notch agents. The Golden Network conference was not quite as involved, but included a panel discussion of editors and agents and a "speed pitching" session--very fun and relaxed.

I also enjoyed the sit down luncheons. I thought the Marriott did a great job serving that many people at one time. Very impressive. I enjoyed both speakers. Although one was head and shoulders better than the other, they both imparted some wisdom from their writing journey.

But the best of all, in my opinion (beside making new friends, of course) was the city--I love San Francisco. And I'm not really a city gal. But what a great town! It's clean, safe, friendly and just a great place to be. I had a fabulous time there, during and even after the conference.

(Above, Dave and me after awards ceremony. Here, me at Benziger Vinyards, Sonoma.)

Cafe Mason Veggie Omelet

The food in San Francisco is phenomenal. I had some really great meals there and good service too which in Richmond, where I live, is not the standard. Next to my hotel was a diner called Cafe Mason. There's always a line out the door of this place, but it's worth the wait. (Recipe coming.)

Out Grilling

2008-07-16T15:20:00.006-04:00

RWA Nationals is only two weeks away so while we're all busy preparing and perfecting our pitches and assembling our finest ensembles Romance in the Kitchen will take a short break.

Please check back in mid-August I've got a complete new line-up of authors, columnists, and agents. Lots of book giveaways and more...

RECETTE GRILLADE

I love to grill in summer. Especially fresh veggies. If you can get you hands on some good zucchini, yellow squash, Vidalia onion, mushrooms and red pepper then you can do this....

Cut up the veggies and toss them in Italian dressing*. Wrap in foil and grill until tender.

Yes, it's that easy.

Serve with Bratwursts or Polish Kielbasa...

Homemade dressing is best but if you're in a hurry Good Seasons works.

Bon Appetit and see you in San Francisco!

Interview with Christy Award Nominee Tom Morrisey

2008-07-09T07:53:00.008-04:00

The Christy Awards will be announced this Saturday. Go Tom! The drawing for a copy In High Places will be held July 15th. Leave a comment below if you'd like to be included.

Q: How did you get into writing?

A: Genetics. I grew up in a largely Irish-American and German-American farming community in which story-telling came naturally. And although I didn’t know it until well after I’d already become a writer myself, I had an aunt on my father’s side who wanted to write and associated with the Beat poets in San Francisco. She died young, so we never got to workshop together. That’s too bad.

As for writing professionally, I was already doing that in college. I wanted to do things like rock-climb and backpack, but I couldn’t afford the equipment. So I got magazine assignments to subsidize things. Once I got going and got a name, equipment manufacturers began to supply me with gear for free. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

I published my first non-fiction title (a mountaineering travelogue, with Contemporary Books) while I was in grad school. My first novel didn’t come out until a little over 20 years later. Strangely enough, I had pretty much given up on writing novels after I had a couple die on the table. Then Dave Lambert, who was then the fiction acquisitions editor at Zondervan, asked me for a novel after I’d shown him some nonfiction. That turned out to be Yucatan Deep, my first novel … the first of six, to date, and I am working on the seventh.

Q: From conception to final revision, how to organize things? What’s your writer’s plan? Your time line for completion? Plotting method?

A: That varies book by book. In High Places was written seat-of-pants (no running outline) over seven years between other books, and I wrote a draft of the ending first. Wind River (my current release) was written by a running, scene-by-scene outline, and it was written in sequential, chapter-by-chapter, order over about 10 months (it took a year to turn in, but that’s because I had a motorcycle accident in there and wasn’t writing for a couple of months because of the pain).

When I have to finish a book within a year or less, I need to do scene-by-scene bullets first to keep from having to rewrite later on. But when I have the luxury of the time, I really like to make it up as I go along.

I’d say about 80% or more of what I write, first draft, is what ends up in the book. That’s only because I don’t write until I have already really worked out the scene in my head. Not every writer does it this way. I have friends who do six or seven drafts. You do what works for you.

Q: In High Places, nominated for the prestigious 2008 Christy in contemporary fiction, is written in first person. Oddly enough, I just heard an agent declare that no one wants to read first person POV. Obviously, that’s ridiculous….As an unpubbed author, I often hear statements uttered as true “rules” on writing—like “no omniscient narrating” or “no telling” or “no clichés.” Did you ever find yourself struggling with this type of criticism/advice? Are there any statements you would like to defend or share?

A: I believe it was Somerset Maugham who said, “There are three rules for writing a novel; unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” That said, I would have to agree that no one wants to read first-person point of view done badly … and it is very, very easy to do it badly. It’s like singing “The Star Spangled Banner” – if you really have the range and polished, solid technique, you can bring a crowd to its feet. But if you don’t, it’s just embarrassing for all concerned.

That might be where these so-called rules come from: they generally indicate the truly dangerous ground. I know that Elmore Leonard once told me how much he enjoyed my first novel, Yucatan Deep, and that surprised me, because it violated every single one of his ten “rules” for writing fiction. When I pointed this out, Elmore said, “Yeah, it does, but you can get away with it.” It remains, by far, the nicest compliment I’ve ever received on my writing.

My major “don’t” when it comes to writing a novel is, “Don’t be lazy.” Lazy writing includes head-hopping (multiple POVs in a single scene), dependence on adverbs (my copyeditors have standing instructions to remove every instance of “suddenly” and replace it with nothing), trying to convey emotion through speaker attributions (“she grumbled”) rather than description, and storytelling (unless tell-don’t-show is being used for a specific artistic purpose). These aren’t rules violations so much as they are indications that the writer isn’t thinking things through sufficiently and visualizing before he or she sits down to write.

My major “do” is “write for the ear.” You know that little voice in the head we all hear when we are really reading, rather than just skimming? You want that voice to mesmerize, coax laughter and tears, and generally be hypnotically addictive. Remember that books are, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively recent entry to the field of fiction. Before that, it was somebody sitting next to a fire, spinning a tale for the community as the stars whirled overhead. Voice is craft and craft is voice. Word-pictures and content fall short unless the medium itself is disarming and seductive.

As for struggling with rules-based criticism, I hate to say this, because it can so easily be misconstrued, but if you are confident in your craft, you quickly learn to ignore that sort of stuff. By this, I don’t mean that I can’t be edited. When Dave Lambert edited my first book, his comment letter was something like 40 pages long—I am not exaggerating—and he really took me to school on some points, but he did that by talking about specific instances, rather than making blanket statements. And I love that—being told by a professional how to make my book head-and-shoulders better than it is.

One thing about the most common rules (like “show, don’t tell”) though – every editor knows them. So if your writing is running contrary to one of ‘em, your work is going to have to show that you have so mastered your craft that you have earned that privilege. Ideally, you want the writing to be so powerful that an informed reader won’t realize that you’ve violated a “rule” until you point it out to him. And until your craft has reached that point, crossing one of these more common lines is just asking the editor to reach into that cup at the side of his desk and pull out a pencil.

Q: How do you balance your career in speech writing and other non-fiction writing with your fiction?

A: There is a method to the madness. There was a time when my nonfiction work consisted of just about anything that came flying in over the transom. But today, I concentrate on things that are separated by no more than one degree from my fiction work.

When I write an adventure-travel story for a magazine, I am trying to write the very best magazine piece that I can – but I am also soaking in a new, exotic setting that I am probably going to use in a novel in the future. And when I write a corporate speech, I am trying to create the best speech possible – but the only way I can do that is by making myself write in the voice of the person who will be delivering the address … and that is tremendous practice both for writing dialogue and for writing in-character.

So I do not view my nonfiction work as a distraction. Rather, this work is foundational. It reinforces the fiction. It hones perishable skills.

Q: You do a great job of staying in the head of a young man in this novel. The romance and especially Patrick’s walk to the Lord did not seem obscured by the wisdom that you surely now possess on these topics. How difficult was that to achieve?

A: It wasn’t that hard at all. Maybe the male of the species is always 17 in his heart.

Actually, the narrator of the book is not 17. He’s an adult, recalling the summer of 1976, when he was 17. So if you do the math, he’s pushing 50. Not a stretch at all for me. Yet in dreaming the dream along with the narrator, the reader easily falls into the illusion of being there with a 17-year-old. And that’s really the only way I could have written this book. I mean, if I had tried to write it as a 17-year-old point-of-view character, what language and syntax would I have been using—that of a 17-year-old in 1976? And who would be able to relate to that today? But by doing it as a story remembered, I can avoid that pitfall.

As for my lead character drawing close to Christ, here’s something most of my readers don’t know about me – I was an atheist most of my adult life. Christianity is now central to who I am, but I have years and years to look back on when that wasn’t the case. And I have witnessed to enough people that I know that seekers rarely show up saying, “I am burdened by my sins—save me.” It’s usually more along the lines of, “My life is all screwed up—fix me.” And in Patrick’s case, he doesn’t come to church at first because he wants a relationship with Christ. He’s there because the pastor has a cute daughter.

That was a central reason I wrote the book; when I read the Gospels, I know that I can’t find the place where Peter embraces a saving faith in Christ. Yet he’s obviously the proto-Christian. So I wanted to write a book in which the character warms to the Lord by degrees. Because I think that is considerably more faithful to the experience many people have, especially today.

Q: Tell us about your current release.

A: The name of the novel is Wind River, and it’s published by Bethany, the same house that published In High Places. The situation of the novel is that a twenty-something guy, an Iraq war veteran, is making good on a childhood promise by taking his grandfather-like mentor up into Wyoming’s Wind River Range for one last high-mountain trout-fishing trip. If you look only at the first chapter, you might thing you’re getting into a lyric, feel-good novel.

But beneath the surface, other things are happening, and both men are soon wrestling with the ghosts of their guilt and their pasts. Publisher’s Weekly recently said it was emblematic of a “new norm” that “includes books that sometimes have no supernatural element at all, including crime dramas, medical thrillers and police procedurals.” And while I didn’t sit down and say, “Okay—I’m going to write a book that redefines ‘suspense’ as it applies to the CBA” … I think that’s a fair assessment. It’s also been called “edgy,” but that term has been used so often recently that it’s become a bit vague.

The thing about this novel is that it shows a couple of guys attempting to deal with the way they screwed up their lives after they became Christians. And I did that because, while the blood of Christ pays our debts and guarantees us happiness on an eternal scale, we still have to deal with what we’re doing in the waiting-room, here on earth.

Christians divorce, alienate their kids, act selfishly and otherwise drop the ball at pretty much exactly the same rate as the unchurched. Too often, we try to pretend that’s not the case, and when that happens, we end up with entire churches full of people sitting there, thinking, “I’m the only one here who’s faking it.” I’m hoping this book helps set the cards on the table, and gets people thinking about candor.

Q: What do adventurers like to eat besides all that healthy stuff?

A: In Wind River, I’d actually considered having my lead character prepare Truite au Bleu—better known as “Trout au Bleu” or “Blue Trout”—but I decided against it because it was too distracting and it upset the timing of my story. Yet it’s something I often like to do myself on the first night of a fishing trip in the backcountry (when I’m apt to have non-wilted vegetables with me) because it is both a great-tasting and a visually striking dish; the trout actually turns a distinctive, metallic blue when it is cooked.

But for it to do this the trout has to be very, very fresh and very gently handled—trout only minutes or seconds out of the water works best, and you don’t want to priest them (strike them on the head to kill them) until just before you gut them. That’s why most people are unfamiliar with trout served this way; it’s very difficult to find fish this fresh unless you are in the field.

In a kitchen what you would do is prepare a vegetable-and-fish court bouillon, strain it through cheesecloth, and then poach freshly caught and carefully gutted trout in the strained bouillon, using a fairly deep skillet or pan. This runs less risk of the fish separating as it cooks. But in the field, where I’m cooking on a single-burner camp stove, I use a large billy pot and just simmer the trout in the unstrained bouillon; if you’re careful, you can still maintain the presentation.

Confession here; I cook like a guy, meaning that I don’t measure ingredients. I go by heft and taste, and I often use what’s at hand. So the following recipe is approximate, but I think it’ll work:

TRUITE AU BLEU

3-5 quarts water (use enough to totally submerge whole trout)
½ pint white wine or vermouth
½ pint white wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons salt
4 medium white onions, sliced
4 large carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 peppercorns, whole or (if, like me, you really like pepper) cracked
1 freshly caught trout, filleted, skinned and cut into finger-size slices
4 freshly caught trout—preferably caught just as the court bouillon is getting done, and gutted only, leaving heads, skins, fins and tails on. Do not wipe or overly handle skin.
¼ cup butter
1 large lemon, quartered

Bring water to a boil. Add wine, vinegar, salt, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf and parsley flakes. Cook on low boil until vegetables soften to al dente firmness. Place thyme and peppercorns in bundled cheesecloth or a tea infuser, and add both the herbs and the single cut-up trout and cook on low boil about ten minutes longer. Taste and add additional salt as necessary.

Then, handling the fish by the tails, slide the remaining trout gently into the bouillon and simmer for about 8-10 minutes (time will vary according to size of trout). When done, skin will lift easily from trout, and flesh will just begin to flake with a fork.

Remove billy from stove and melt butter in a small skillet. Remove fish from bouillon by tails, place on plates, and serve with melted butter and lemon (in the field, I just drizzle butter on the fish and place the lemon quarter alongside). Garnish with sprigs of fresh, young pine needles, and serve with vegetables from the bouillon.

* * *

This method only works with freshly caught trout; the blue color and distinctive flavor are the result of a reaction between benign bacteria in the mucous layer on the skin of the live trout and the wine and vinegar in the court bouillon. Commercially purchased fish usually will not react because they have been out of the water too long.

# # #

Christy Award Nominee Tom Morrisey

2008-07-01T21:18:00.010-04:00

I can't believe it is already JULY!!! This year is moving along faster than any other I can remember and I'm only forty. If time goes faster the older you get, then I can't image how quickly the years must pass later. Scary thought!

It's my pleasure to announce my new blog guest, Tom Morrisey, one of the 2008 Christy Award nominees in Contemporary Fiction. Tom is one of these guys that you want on your team. You know what I mean? I don't care if the competition is based on brawn or brains, you don't want to go up against him...Although you might be able to lull him to sleep. I met Tom at the Blue Ridge Christian Writer's Conference back in May where he kindly allowed me to practice my pitch at dinner. I think he's still trying to recover. Anyway, his writing is emotionally gripping and he gives fabulous advice...

I will be posting his interview next week but because so many of us are vacationing and because he gave such a thought-provoking (and lengthy) interview I have decided to post his bio this week.

Tom is giving away a signed copy of In High Places to one lucky drawing winner. Please leave a comment or email me if you'd like to be included in the contest.

Meet Tom Morrisey

Good reading precedes good writing, and for that I thank my Irish-American grandmother, who set me down with a Bible when I was four years old, and taught me to read, mostly to shut me up. I wish I could report that was a spiritual awakening for me, but I labored on primarily so I could close the book at the end of Revelation and get to the second-thickest book in our house, A History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II—a tome to which my father had contributed a photograph (of tracer fire crisscrossing over his foxhole on Guadalcanal). It thrilled me just to think about reading up on my father’s adventures in the Pacific, and it would be many, many years—decades, really—before I would come to understand that the Bible was about my father’s adventures, as well.

From that I progressed to our village library, a pueblo-ish anachronism in rural Illinois, where I devoured everything that was age-appropriate in very short order, and swiftly progressed to the inappropriate (age and otherwise). I wondered about the people whose names were on the books, and while I never thought of writing a book at that age (who had that sort of time?) I did entertain the idea of making a living as a poet (certain slow starvation) or a short-story writer (ditto, albeit with an increased consumption of typing paper). Finally, at age twelve, after hearing career-day presentations at our school from a policeman, an insurance agent and—could this memory possibly be accurate?—the Archbishop of Canterbury, I came home and announced that I was going to write for a living and gave my mother a poem as proof of my commitment. The poem was about climbing Mount Everest and contained lots of exclamation points, and Mother, may God bless her gray head, still has it, and won’t give it back.

I was still an undergraduate with no declared major at The University of Toledo when I discovered that I could subsidize activities I enjoyed—such as rock-climbing—by writing about them. I wrote a piece on the subject for The Toledo Blade Sunday Magazine, and then a piece on climbing-gear technology for Popular Science, and on the strength of that, Contemporary Books asked me to write a book, a mountaineering travelogue called 20 American Peaks & Crags, which I amortized by doing articles on the individual destinations for magazines such as Mariah (later Outside) and Off Belay. The book came out while I was still in grad school and made me neither rich nor famous.

It did, however, get me into the MFA in Creative Writing program at Bowling Green State University, and that was where I ran into Al Lee, a Detroit-area fiction writer who also wrote for the auto industry, and invited me into a quarter-century digression from which I have not yet fully extracted myself. Al introduced me to people at the Campbell-Ewald Advertising Agency, the same agency that had employed Elmore Leonard some 20 years earlier, and I freelanced for them a few times before being hired as an editor in their custom-publishing division. That in turn led to a spectacularly brief career with General Motors as a science writer in their research laboratories, followed by more custom publishing, and ultimately by the realization that I didn’t like, to paraphrase Woody Allen, the sort of job where one has to show up. So I returned to freelance writing, doing a considerable amount of work for Ford Motor Company, editing the Advanced Diving Journal section of Scuba Times magazine, and generally leaving the transom open for anything that might come flying through.

Well into midlife, I came to Christ, and spent a year searching for my spiritual gifts before realizing that writing probably qualified. In response to one query (for Wild by Nature, which Baker Books eventually published), Zondervan editor Dave Lambert replied that he didn’t think it was the sort of thing that Zondervan could find a market for, but he said that he liked my writing, and he was wondering if I would like to propose a novel.

That easily qualified as the silliest question I’d ever been asked. I set a lunch date with Dave, and kept it, but failed to arrive with an idea to propose, the intervening two weeks having been filled with freelance assignments. Then, as we were walking through Zondervan’s lobby and passing the fountain statue of Jesus washing the feet of St. Peter, an idea began to dawn on me. By the time we got to Zondervan’s front door, twenty feet away, I had the entire novel in my head, and I pitched it to Dave.

That idea became Yucatan Deep, which was published just a little over a year later and was a finalist for the Christy Award.Today I try to concentrate my writing around my interests, which are spirituality, fiction, adventure and suspense, in that order.

I enjoy what I do and live in daily fear that someone will eventually discover how much I love it and stop paying me. But it hasn’t happened yet. Thank God.

In High Places
For Patrick Nolan, every climb tells a story. And now maybe it's his own . He's right at the rim, staring over the cliff's knife edge and wondering how things went wrong so quickly.It all started after arriving home from a weekend climbing trip with his father, Kevin. That's when word reached them. In a silent moment, they'd lost the person most important to them--her death raising unanswerable questions and dangerous doubts.Launching a new life in a new town to escape their pain, son and father find themselves in danger of being torn apart forever. As his father seeks a route to solace on the dangerous high face of the rock, Patrick finds a path to hope with the unlikeliest of allies--a pastor's daughter. Together they must discover the one answer that can bring Patrick and Kevin back from the brink of the precipice.

You can read more about Tom and his works at http://www.tommorrisey.com/.

RECIPE COMING SOON>>>

June Drawing and Writer Links

2008-06-11T09:38:00.009-04:00

Hi folks!

The kids are home full time and something has to give so I purposely do not have another author guest scheduled for the month of June. However, Romance in the Kitchen will go on. At least one recipe per month and something on writing...

I will hold an end of the month drawing--a gently used version of Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont. Please leave a comment on this post to be included in the drawing.

Writer Links

While there are literally thousands of writer blogs and websites, I have made a quick five-link list of the sites that I have either found helpful or interesting.

1. Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writing. Here, Randy is mostly trying to sell his articles and lectures on writing, but there are several he offers for free. One is on the Snowflake Method for plotting: another on Scene and Sequel. Both theories are powerful fiction tools that he's condensed into short articles which will keep you having to read entire books on the same ideas. www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ezine/

2. Writer Beware. Let's face it there are a lot of writer scams and hustlers out there. This website lists agents, publishers, and any other writer groups who have earned a bad wrap and explain why. Definitely check it out before sending off for that free lance edit or mailing out your agent queries. sfwa.org/beware/

3. Agent Blog. There are two that I have glanced at from time to time. One belongs to Rachelle Gardner and the other to Chip MacGregor. Both sites answer writer's questions sent in to their agencies, but I'm going to go with Chip's just because I have a thing for nicknames. http://www.chipmacgregor.com/

4. Novel Journey. This is a hodge-podge of author, agent, and editor interviews and giveaways. It's updated daily. noveljourney.blogspot.com

5. Seekerville. This is a blog devoted to writing contests and other roads to publication. It's a fun, informative and very active blog site. seekerville.blogspot.com

Feel free to add to or comment on my list...

Black Bean Chili

It's not really chili, but it does have that Southwestern zing. Can be made in less than 30 minutes. Really!

1 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, diced
1 can black beans drained
1 tomato, diced
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 1/2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup broccoli florets
4 slices of ham steak cut into bite size peices
salt and pepper

Heat oil in large pan/skillet oer med. heat. Saute onion. Add garlic and red pepper. Then add beans, tomato, corn and spices. Mix paste with broth and add. Simmer 10 minutes add broccoli and ham. Simmer 5 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice with Montery Jack cheese or sour cream.

Marta Perry and Final Justice

2008-06-02T14:04:00.009-04:00

This week's guest is so special to me. Her June 2006 release, Land's End, was not only my very first Steeple Hill novel, it was the very first inspirational romance I ever read. I still have the book, not just because I enjoyed the story but because I like the structure of Marta's novel. I outlined it and used it as a reference for my own writing. Probably not what Marta intended--hope she takes it for the compliment that it is.

Please check out my interview with Marta, her recipe for Mock Cheesecake, and her latest release, Final Justice.

Leave a comment and you will be included in a drawing for a free signed copy of Final Justice. Drawing open 'til June 10th.

Meet Romantic Suspense Author Marta Perry

I knew I wanted to become a writer when I was eight years old and picked up my first Nancy Drew mystery. "The Secret in the Old Clock" -- remember that one? Somehow that dream was put on the back burner for a long time, but eventually it re-surfaced. I've written everything from educational materials to devotional articles to travel pieces to children's fiction, but the books I'm writing for Steeple Hill's Love Inspired line have to be the most satisfying I've ever done. It's such a joy to tell a romantic story that includes the spiritual lives of the characters. I’m delighted that I’m also writing romantic suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense. And coming up next year will be a series of three Steeple Hill single titles about Amish characters.When I'm not writing, you may find me visiting my grandchildren, helping out at church, or enjoying an evening out with my husband and friends. And several times a year you can track me down on my favorite island beach. I'll be the one in the deck chair with a new novel and a blissful expression!

Interview with Marta

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: REAL romance comes when you find your true mate—the person who will be your best friend, who will always be on your side, who will back you up with the kids even if he doesn’t entirely agree with you, who will fix you scrambled eggs when you’re sick and talk you up to his colleagues and willingly do the little chores you dislike. Now, that’s romance!

Q: How do you match up your hero and heroin? Do you just start writing and see what happens? Or, do you carefully consider traits, personalities, and backgrounds as you develop your characters?

A: I do a lot of pre-planning before I ever start to write. I know a great deal about my characters, because without characters who feel ‘real’ the story will never fly. The hero has to be the one person in the world who will help the heroine face and overcome her fear or weakness, and she has to be the one person in the world who will do that for him. I consider also all the ways in which they are opposite and how I can show those traits in the story—not just because that adds to the conflict, but also because while they may be opposites, they’re also complementary.

Q: What techniques do you use to build suspense in your writing?

A: Well, I give a whole workshop on this, but I’ll give you the short version! I consider the SETTING: is it inherently scary, or is it such an ordinary setting that violence or threat seems impossible? Either will work. Once I’ve decided on that, I consider what will add to the suspense in that setting. Can the character be cut off from help? Can there be natural dangers in the setting which will also frighten the character? What in the setting can be used as a weapon by either the protagonist or the villain?

I also like to use, if possible, a TICKING CLOCK. The protagonist has to rescue someone or achieve something by a certain time, or disaster will ensue. The less likely it seems that your protagonist will meet the deadline, the higher the suspense.

The protagonist’s SITUATION MUST WORSEN throughout the story. The danger builds, comes closer and closer, and the stakes grow higher. Perhaps at first she thought that only her job was at stake—now she knows it’s her life.

ISOLATE THE PROTAGONIST. Maybe literally, as in trapped by a snowstorm or a hurricane or in a cabin in the woods. Or psychologically: she knows people won’t believe her, or they’ll think she’s having a breakdown. Or maybe she fears that they’re in league with the villain. Maybe she can’t tell them the truth because it will put them in danger. The more you can isolate your character, the better.

BUILD SUSPENSE THROUGH CHARACTERIZATION. What is your character most afraid of? Whatever it is, that’s what he or she has to face. What is his or her weakness? Make sure the villain uses that against him or her.

And a few more—I’m a big fan of old Alfred Hitchcock movies, and he did it better than anybody!

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it, but boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life? And to your marriage of so many years?

A: My husband and I have been married for more years than I intend to tell! But we still have to be sure we’re taking time for each other. A candlelight dinner for two, a special trip, a night or two at a bed and breakfast, even a quiet evening in front of the fire—they can all remind you of why you married this special someone.

Q: As you attempt to inspire others through your words, what brings you inspiration?

A: I am inspired by daily devotional and scripture reading, by spending time working in my flower garden, by taking a walk in the woods, by anything that brings me in closer touch with God.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the meal? Why?

A: Dessert, of course. Since I’m constantly trying to eat healthy, I look for low-fat versions of my favorites.

Here’s my mock cheesecake recipe:

Make a graham cracker crust using crushed graham crackers, two tablespoons of Promise margarine, two tablespoons of Splenda.

For the filling, combine an 8 oz package of low-fat cream cheese with a cup of Splenda (or less if you prefer it less sweet) and a generous cup of low-fat whipped topping. Beat until light and fluffy. Spoon into the crust and put in the fridge for an hour or two. Serve with fresh berries.

For more about Marta visit her website: http://www.martaperry.com/

Final Justice
By Marta Perry
Love Inspired Suspense
Book Six in the Reunion Revelations series
June, 2008

Reunion Revelations: Secrets surface when old friends—and foes—get together.

A DNA test revealed that Mason Grant had a nine-year-old daughter. He’d had no idea that the woman he’d loved and lost had been pregnant. Or that his own child had been in the custody of the woman’s murderer all these years.Now the killer wanted Mason to pay—in more ways than one—for the return of the child. And for daring to find love with old friend Jennifer Pappas. But the only payback the cold-blooded murderer would get was final justice.

Kit's Review: Final Justice has all the ingredients for a great beach read—romance, action, and suspense. A nice story about old friends finding love and forming a family. And something new from LIS--the villain’s POV. Mason and Jennifer have their hands full trying to stay one step a head of that crazy former coed…

The Upstream Salmon

2008-05-26T10:02:00.023-04:00

I tend to expect little from new experiences. For example, when a friend talks up a new movie or sends me to their favorite restaurant, I sit down with one eyebrow lifted and wait for that one off scene, that one bad bite, that makes me shake my head and say, "I knew it."

Attending my first writer's conference was no different.

Driving to Asheville last week, I looked more forward to catching up with my college roommate on the Saturday before than I did to attending the conference. And Sunday morning when she headed home and I went to Ridgecrest, I experienced utter dread. I wondered if it would be the longest four days of my life. If all the scrambling for childcare, getting business cards made up, and buying a few new blouses for my one-on-ones had been a complete waste. I wondered if I had taken 700 dollars of my husband's hard earned money and blown it to the wind. But I went on.

And as it rarely happens-because of my very low expectations- I was disappointed. I checked in and my room wasn't ready. I discovered the dining was buffet style. I met one or two people I could only describe as unstable. And for the worship, there was a hand bell choir. (Yikes!)

But I didn't pack it in. I was, after all, sans enfants, and buffet-style or non, I didn't have to cook. I did, however, cross my arms over my chest and sneer, like the snob that I am. And, by the time the first keynote speaker took the stage, I'll admit I was barely listening.

But, Al Gansky got my attention. And quickly too. He was not only a good speaker, his message on the irony of life struck me to the core. It applied utterly and completely to me.

Twelve years ago, if someone had told me that I would marry, live in Yuppieville, and spend half of my day in carpool lines, I would have smirked. If, ten years ago, someone had told me that I would teach hundreds of students how to speak bad French and hundreds more to write the "5 sentence paragraph," I would have shaken my head in great doubt. And three years ago, if someone had told me I would write a romance novel, I would have laughed them out of the room.

No way. I had a very serious plan. I was going to be a professor who used big words and lectured on the lack of feminine voice in medieval literature. And, of course, I would marry a traveling businessman, jet around the world with him, and summer on Cap Ferrat.

You have to admit...it was a pretty darn good plan. One I worked hard to accomplish for many years.

But it didn't happen. I didn't finish my Ph.D. I didn't marry a business entrepreneur. God placed other things in my path that changed my direction. And planned or not they were right. It was right for me to marry a dentist and stay home with my kids. It was right for me to teach high school and middle school kids and encourage them to make good decisions. And I don't regret these unplanned acheivements. Not in the least. But, I was surprised by them.

And I was surprised by the conference. It was not a waste of time or money. Not so much because of the redundant advice from multi-published authors on the craft of writing--the basics of plot and structure which I begrudgingly admit didn't hurt me to hear again. But I learned more from observations of the business in motion. I got to watch some of the greats in publishing try not to make huge eyes when asked ridiculous questions. I saw them try to say "no" without being rude. I shuddered to witness unpublished authors attack agents and writers with pitches and bizarre requests at the worst possible moments. On the other end of the spectrum, I saw an agent's eyes light up when a cute girl at my dinner table pitched a fabulous idea for a devotional. I also heard some pretty amazing story lines from little old women whom I'm fairly certain have never stepped outside the state of North Carolina. More than ever, I recognized that writing is a strange business, requiring a certain uncalculable mixture of talent, perseverance and timing. And honestly, I don't know if I have any of those things. Writers are like salmon. We're all swimming upstream. Some of us will get tired and quit, while others move on just to get caught by a hungry bear.

Only God knows if I'll be one of the few to make it out to sea, but I'm okay with that. I'm okay if there's another turn in my road. And I won't regret the bumps and curves it takes me to get there.

Like Al said: "Life is rarely what we expect."

And to that I add... Thank God, it's almost always better.

Salmon Steaks

You really can't mess up Salmon if you grill it. But here's a marinade if you're feeling fancy. It works for both Salmon and Ahi Tuna.

1 cup Soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic
4 tbl spoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix. Marinade no more than 20-30 minutes. Grill.

Fine Art and Fabulous Veal

2008-05-16T09:24:00.011-04:00

Hi folks-

I'm at a writer's conference this week, but Mr. Delcambre has allowed me to share his article on my brother's art. Yes, my brother is an artist!!! His work is available in fine galleries across the US and Canada.

You can see more of Matt's paintings at http://www.mattlively.com/

Enjoy! Comments welcome.

Flutterings, flitters, and fancies

By Dave Delcambre

Matt Lively - Recent Works at Adam Cave Fine Art

Raleigh NC March 28 - April 29, 2008

Turgid Type, oil on paper, 30"x40"

(all images courtesy of Adam Cave Fine Art)

Matt Lively creates paintings that live up to his surname. His works are never dull but instead are about the fanciful flights of everyday objects that foray off in unexpected directions. The Richmond based artist has developed a style imbued with a tremendous dose of whimsy and often a good bit of surrealism thrown into the mix for good measure. His paintings recently on view at Adam Cave Fine Art in Raleigh depicted stage set-like tableaux of domesticity: sitting parlors with groupings of striped and patterned chairs, living or bedroom like spaces with large windows and wind blown curtains, ironing boards fraternizing with high chairs, and staircases that curl around small tables like your grandma's that held the family telephone. Ordinary household items, often of the old-timey, made-in-USA era variety, are a common thread that reappear in the canvases and visually tie this series of works together. These items are central in the paintings and are typically actual objects the artist owns- an antique film projector for instance, an old circulating fan, a rotary dial telephone- and they simultaneously lend an air of nostalgic familiarity coupled with an unsettled air of mysterious tranquility.

The paintings share much with the fundamentals of still life painting in that the main subject matter consists of carefully composed objects, attentively painted, within a supporting background. Yet in Lively's paintings these objects are always strongly metaphorical and seem to be stand-ins for the missing occupants of these spaces. This in turn gives rise to all sorts of associations that your mind begins to draw. Has the occupant of the room just left for a second and we're catching the precise moment when they are absent? Or are they ever really coming back? Why are their belongings blowing all around in the drafty breeze like that? Who really owns that many chairs and how can their house have so many little rooms?
Indeed for all the tendency of your mind to have a traditional Westerner's point of view (i.e. focusing on the objects rather than the space around them) it is a more intangible element that recurs throughout that gives these works their chutzpah: namely the continual breeze that appears to be blowing across the scene. It is a constant presence whether blowing the papers out of an antique typewriter in the painting titled "Turgid Type"or loosing the dots right off the pattern of a hanging dress in "Fall in Place" leaving them tumbling down onto the floor. It is a tough task this; the painting of the wind, yet this abstruse breeze seems to me to be the true inhabitant of these spaces. It flutters and flows about, making its way around and between the objects in the rooms as handily as we viewers survey the painted subjects themselves.

Fall in Place, oil on canvas, 30"x30"

A few live elements do occur to bring a sense of the living into the fray: a bird just flown out of a birdcage, a comical swarm of bees in flight mounted on curious little miniature unicycles. But one particular inanimate item that caught my attention is the recurring old fashioned plug-in electrical cord that is generally present with each painted appliance. This cord curls out and away from the fans, clothes irons, and movie projectors towards a wall socket as if to seek out some broader harmony for the objects within their surroundings. It is a tangible element of connection -a literal power source- that suffuses Lively's work with a sense of tactile linkage. In our accelerated present, a time of wireless and unplugged everything, sometimes it takes an honest time-worn item like this to connect us back to fundamental notions of inhabitance and spaces we might call our own.

Flutter and Click, oil on paper, 30"x40"

a postscript...

The painter, I learned from his recent interview on WUNC radio's "The State of Things," also has an intriguing alter ego- Matthew Lively- who is more the brooding type, preferring to work with darker, more menacing themes. Matthew is more prone to show his work in bars and pubs - his own art underworld if you will- whereas Matt's work is more content in hanging (no pun intended) with the traditional gallery crowd. The work done under each guise rarely crosses over into the realm of the other and Lively (who I have to imagine must have to constantly refer to himself as the Artist formerly known as the other M) is perfectly ok with that. Indeed it is a modus operandi that serves him well as it has many other creative types through history from Duchamp / Rose Selavy to the multi-heteronymical Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. The overall benefit is that Lively is able to cleverly pursue multiple, simultaneous streams of thought in his work in a fruitful way. He in fact becomes his own multi-tasking editor as this working method allows him to let varying ideas and concepts be utilized (or not) in a pluralistic variety of working styles. In doing so he is able to tinge his works with various subtle shades of meaning that have the benefit of broad resonance with viewers...whatever sort of art venue they tend to frequent. The artist noted in this same interview that practically none of Matthew's fans are likely to cross over to see the paintings done by Matt and vice versa due to the differences in venue and the type of crowd each attracts. But do yourself a favor if you get a chance; break this trend and check out what's going on in both places. It's well worth the trip to see what's coming out of the flip side of this artist's palette.

Recipe of the week:

Veal Cutlets with Salad -straight from my mom's kitchen

Salad Dressing

1 Tablespoon chopped shallet
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon sherry vinager
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and papper to taste
For salad use a combination of baby greens
2 cups cherry tomatoes
Shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese

Veal

2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
Place flour in a plate and add half teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to flour, mix well.
Place bread crumbs in plate.
Beat egg and add to shallow bowl.
Pound veal until it is about 1/4th inch thick
Dredge in flour then in egg and then in bread crumbs.
In large skillet add the butter and melt. Add the breaded veal and let it cook until lightly brown and then turn and do same on other side. Remove from heat and place the veal on plates. Cover with foil to keep warm
In a clean dry skillet add the two cups of cherry tomatoes and place over high until the start to char and pop open, turning often. Remove to salad bowl and mash just slightly.
Add salad greens and dressing. Then add the shaved cheese Serve on plate along side of the veal.

Have a great week, everyone.

Diana's Captive Romance and Canolli

2008-05-10T13:02:00.010-04:00

Meet Diana Cosby

Most people think of retirement as a time to relax. For me, retiring at 36 from my job as a Navy Chief Meteorologist/ Oceanographer allowed me to pursue my passion—writing romance novels. With 29 moves behind me and having traveled through many more countries, I was a was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people I’ve met over the years. (For a more indepth bio go to http://www.dianacosby.com/)

Diana has been so gracious to offer one copy of His Captive and a 10 page critique of a writing sample or synopsis (her specialty). Please leave a comment and mention if you are interested in either or both drawings. Drawings will be held Friday May 16.

Diana's Books

Diana’s first novel, His Captive, was released in November 2007 and is still available. The second book in the MacGruder brothers’ series, His Captive, Duncan’s story, comes out in December 2008. Pre-order information for His Woman is available on her website: http://www.dianacosby.com/

HIS CAPTIVE

STRANGERS
With a wastrel brother and a treacherous former fiancé, Lady Nichola Westcott hardly expects the dangerously seductive Scot who kidnaps her to be a man of his word. Though Sir Alexander MacGruder promises not to hurt her, Nichola’s only value is as a pawn to be ransomed.
ENEMIES
Alexander’s goal is to avenge his father’s murder, not to become entangled with the enemy. But his desire to keep Nichola with him, in his home—in his bed—unwittingly make her a target for those who have no qualms about shedding English blood.
LOVERS
Now Nichola is trapped—by her powerful attraction to a man whose touch shakes her to the core. Unwilling and unable to resist each other, can Nichola and Alexander save a love that has enslaved them both?

HIS WOMAN

TRUSTING HER WAS UNTHINKABLE
Lady Isabel Adair is the last woman Sir Duncan MacGruder wants to see again, much less be obliged to save. Three years ago, Isabel broke their engagement to become the Earl of Frasyer’s mistress, shattering Duncan’s heart and hopes in one painful blow. But Duncan’s promise to Isabel’s dying brother compels him to rescue her from those determined to bring down Scottish rebel Sir William Wallace.
RESISTING HER WAS IMPOSSIBLE
Betraying the man she loved was the only way for Isabel to save her father, but every moment she spends with Duncan reminds her just how much she sacrificed. No one could blame him for despising her, yet Duncan’s misgivings cannot withstand a desire that has grown wilder with time. Now, on a perilous journey through Scotland, two wary lovers must confront both the enemies who will stop at nothing to hunt them down, and the secret legacy that threatens their passion and their lives…

INTERVIEW WITH DIANA

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: Real romance is giving of your soul, being there when times are tough, and encouraging each other pursue their dreams.

Q: Tell us about your road to publication.

A: An avid reader, throughout my Naval career, I always said, once I retire, I want to write. After I retired, I sat down and began my first novel. I learned that I absolutely loved writing. After nine years and well over a hundred rejections, I received “The Call.” I was stunned, and the best parts were sharing it with my children, and my husband’s congratulatory call from Baghdad, where he was serving a year tour in Iraq.

Q: How much time do you spend on research for your historical settings (i.e. compared to plotting)? How do you go about it?

A: Plotting out the rough idea of a book normally takes 2-3 weeks. It truly depends on the project. As for research, for me it’s a continual process; i.e. years. For the William Wallace/Robert The Bruce time period I’m writing now, I began researching after I watched the release of Braveheart, which was around 2000.

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life?

A: Interesting people I meet, the unexpected, and travel add spice to my life. On a recent trip to Baltimore, MD., with my daughter for a college open house, I was amazed at old world feel of the architecture of the city. It truly touched my soul. Other places that I’ve visited are the witch houses in Salem, MA. The energy within the houses was tangible. When I lived in Europe, the centuries old homes, the people and their beliefs as well as their deeply engrained roots inspire my creativity as well. As you can see, it’s not one thing that moves me, but a combination.

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: Sitting out on the veranda with my husband. The meal, savory cannelloni, Brussels sprouts, and for dessert, bittersweet chocolate cake. (Left, Diana and hubby out for a special night.)

Savory Canelloni
1/2 c. butter 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T chicken bouillon granules 1/4 t white pepper
1/3 c flour 2 c half and half
1/2 c each of grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses

Heat butter over med-low heat. Add garlic and sauté, being careful not to burn, about 2 minutes. Add flour and spices, and stir for about 5 minutes, not to brown. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in cream, stirring well to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly to avoid scorching the sauce. When you start to see slow bubbles rising, stir one minute more and remove from heat. Immediately add cheeses, stirring well to melt and blend. Set aside.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and chopped in 1/4 inch dice approx. 1 1/2 cups finely chopped smoked ham
1 10 oz package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed out well
2 eggs
4 green onions, chopped
1 T dried Italian seasoning
1/2 c each parmesan and romano cheeses, grated
1/2 c butter

10-12 manicotti or canelloni shells -- cook to package directions

Melt butter, saute green onions till wilted. Add chicken, ham, spinach and Italian seasoning to pan. Turn off heat. Beat eggs and stir into mixture well. Add cheeses and stir into mixture well. Cook pasta shells, and rinse to cool.

Carefully stuff the shells with the mixture, and place in a well-buttered casserole dish. Pour sauce over top, spreading evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and slip under broiler for just a few seconds to sort of brown the top -- BE CAREFUL! WILL BURN QUICK! Serve!

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
3-1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour [*I usually leave the flour out.]
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray a 9 inch round cheesecake pan with Pam. Dust pan with flour.

Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water,
stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl until pale yellow. Mix in flour then
chocolate mixture. Using electric mixer, beat whites in another bowl until stiff
but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out
with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. *It usually takes me
longer.

Cool completely in pan on rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of pan to
loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter and cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours
ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

Sift powdered sugar over cake, garnish with fruit and serve.

***Note: I topped with a mixture of 1 shot of black raspberry liqueur pureed
with 1-1/2 cups black berries. Strain mixture to remove seeds. *I use a metal
strainer with small holes and run the puree through several times until all seeds
are out.

Please visit Diana on her own website http://www.dianacosby.com/

Romance, Writing, and Mary's favorite Chicken Dish

2008-05-04T12:38:00.014-04:00

More and more, I am finding that behind all these classy authors is a husband who does the cooking. My husband, who is a pretty handy guy when seperated from his golf clubs, can man the grill and heat up frozen pizza under minor supervision. However, I believe that even he could manage Mary's Chicken and Rice dish (see recipe below).

Meet author Mary Conneally
This week Mary is offering a copy of Petticoat Ranch To be included in her drawing please a comment.

Mary Connealy is the author of Petticoat Ranch and Golden Days. She has recently signed an exclusive contract that includes Calico Canyon, a sequel to Petticoat Ranch. Calico Canyon will be out this July. She writes for three different divisions of Barbour Publishing; Trade Fiction, Heartsong Presents, and Heartsong Presents Mysteries. Mary’s dream is to tell love stories that make people laugh. She lives on a farm in Nebraska with her husband, Ivan. For more about Mary...http://www.maryconnealy.com/

And to blog with Mary...
http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/ or http://www.mconnealy.blogspot.com/

Petticoat Ranch

Sophie Edwards’ life is one long struggle for survival, and, more importantly, the survival of her four daughters. She wants to avenge her husband’s murder, but she has no idea how to do it. And as if she hasn't got enough to do, now a wounded man is disrupting her family’s lonely life.

Clay McClellen left an idyllic, all-male world in the mountains. But, after plunging headfirst over a cliff, Clay finds himself at the mercy of a widow and her four girls.
A suspenseful romantic comedy about a mountain man trapped in a pretty, sweet smelling, confusing all-girl world.

Coming soon a Sequel to Petticoat Ranch

Calico Canyon

Let yourself be swept away by this fast-paced romance, featuring Grace Calhoun, an instructor of reading, writing, and arithmetic, who, in an attempt to escape the clutches of a relentless pursuer, runs smack dab into even more trouble with the 6R's - widower Daniel Reeves, along with his five rowdy sons. When a marriage is forced upon this hapless pair - two people who couldn't dislike each other more - an avalanche isn't the only potential danger lurking amid the shadows of Calico Canyon. Will they make it out alive? Or end up killing each other in the process?

INTERVIEW with MARY

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: Real romance is a day my husband is in a good mood, not worrying about any of the zillion things that can torment him. He can make me feel beautiful if he puts him mind too it. I think of my husband as a passionate man, but maybe manic/depressive fits better. When he’s in a good mood we can have so much fun but he feels everything deeply the good and the bad so sometimes our lives are a little too much of a whirlwind. I cast myself as the eye of the storm with him and all my four daughters. They’re all a passionate crowd.

Q: Tell us about your road to publication.

A: It was a long and winding road, Kit. I wrote my first book, a romance novel, when I was about twelve. I wonder what ever happened to that book? It was probably like…two pages long…who knows. It seemed like I wrote forever.
I have a degree in Mass Communications, so lots of journalism. I started writing seriously when my youngest child went to school and wrote about twenty books in ten years before I finally got someone to publish one of them…they’ve now bought quite a few more of those books.
I received my first contract at the ACFW Conference in 2005. Barbour Publishing, every year, gives one new author a contract. They get up in front of the whole conference and announce it. That year, they announced me. It was an amazing, thrilling moment.

Q: How much time do you spend on research for your historical settings (i.e. compared to plotting)? How do you go about it?

A: I spend a lot of time on research. Too much. I hate research in a way because it really draws me in when I should be writing and pretty soon I’m reading all about the discovery of automobiles when all I really wanted was to know when they first found oil in Texas…you know…I follow rabbit trails and get way off track.
So when I hit a spot in my book and know I’ve got to pin some detail down, like I need a range war in the 1880 that drove my hero off his land. So I go start researching range wars and pretty soon I’m reading about Billy the Kid and sheep versus cattle and squatters and barbed wire fence. It’s fascinating but I hate being pulled out of my book.
I do research almost exclusively online…though I like maps, too, and have had good luck contact state tourism departments. They mail out great stuff and, since I do historical, a lot of museum info gives me good details.
A site for fans of western romance...http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life?

A: Writing is what I do for entertainment. It’s just pure fun for me. My children are all grown and my husband and I have a nice, loving relationship. We’re used to the quiet house. We visit our daughters (we have four—two are married) who all live about one hour away and go out for dinner with them quite often. Does any of that sound spicy? J

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: My husband does almost all the cooking. There is absolutely nothing like stepping out of the car after work and smelling chili cooking. Just knowing there is food, all ready. It is WONDERFUL! A romantic dinner? When we go out alone we usually go to this little bar in our hometown, the only place that serves food at night…well, the mini-mart has pizza and subs. So there’s a crowd and we usually end up sitting with some acquaintances. So not real romantic. We have our romantic moments.

My husband is a very simple cook. Grilled meat, steamed vegetables. It’s actually insanely healthy. He never cooked before I had a job. But he’s got a few recipes that are more complex and the best of them is this chicken rice dish that he discovered himself and learned how to cook all by himself. I don’t even have that recipe but I think this is about all there is too it.

1 pound raw, cubed chicken breast shaken in taco seasoning mix, and browned.
Pour 1 cup salsa and 1 cup orange marmalade over chicken
Serve over rice.

YUMMY.

He asked if I wanted to go out for my birthday and I said, “Can we have the chicken and rice instead?”

Stacy Hawkins Adams

2008-04-23T14:51:00.013-04:00

Stacy's interview is coming Monday. You can leave a comment here or on the interview for a chance to win a copy of Water Colored Pearls. Click here to know more about Stacy. Or visit her at My Space. www.myspace.com/stacyhawkinsadams

MEET STACY

Acclaimed author, speaker, and journalist

Her debut novel, Speak To My Heart, was voted 2004 Best New Multicultural Christian Fiction and has been used in the English Department curriculum at James Madison University. Stacy was named 2004 Best New Multicultural Christian Fiction Author by Shades of Romance Magazine. Black Expressions Book Club dubbed her a literary "Rising Star."

Her second book, Nothing But the Right Thing, has been a Barnes & Noble local bestseller, a Black Expressions Book Club Main Selection, and was chosen as a 2006 Summer Reading "Featured Selection" for Sybil's Book Club on the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. The book was nominated for a 2007 Library of Virginia Literary Award in the fiction category.

Watercolored Pearls, her recently released third novel, deals with the issues of self-esteem, grace, transformation and God's abiding love. It continues to garner rave reviews from readers and book critics.

In April 2008, Stacy's first novella, My Mother's Shadow, will be featured in This Far By Faith, an anthology containing three tales about mother and daughter relationships. The anthology (published by Harlequin/Kimani Press) will also feature the short novels of bestselling authors Linda Hudson-Smith and Kendra Norman-Bellamy.

A former reporter and columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Stacy now freelances for a variety of mainstream and faith-based publications. Her work has appeared in the AARP Bulletin, Gospel Today and Heart & Soul magazines, and on http://www.crosswalk.com/. She publishes a nationally-distributed electronic newsletter called Life Untapped™ that highlights inspirational fiction and nonfiction authors and writing industry news each month. She also pens an online parenting column for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine's Smart Beginnings initiative and writes Life Notes, a bi-monthly newspaper column for busy mothers.

Stacy regularly appears on national and local radio programs to discuss the themes of self-acceptance, forgiveness and unconditional love that provide the foundation for her novels. Her journalistic work has allowed her to serve as an occasional broadcast reporter, and she has been a featured guest on the Montel Williams Show.

Inteview with Stacy

Q: Stacy, tell us about your road to publication.

A: I've loved to write since childhood and always dreamed of becoming an author. As I grew older, I realized I could make a difference with my writing through journalism, and wound up pursuing this as a career. I became a newspaper reporter and eventually an inspirational columnist. In 2002, while I was still writing for The Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia, I began to seriously pursue my long-time dream of writing novels. Because I had two young children (an infant and a 3-year-old), was still working full-time, and had a husband working full-time and completing a graduate degree, I "stole" the only time I could to write: I woke up three times a week and wrote from 4 to 6 a.m. This was my only "me" time, plus I was most creative first thing in the morning. I wound up revising the manuscript twice, and by the third revision, felt like I had penned a book I wanted to share with the world. I had been corresponding with an agent who seemed very interested; however, the book didn't excite her. I tucked it away and went on with life, until I connected with an editor from Revell Books, who asked to see the manuscript. He liked what he read and passed it along to the fiction editor and then to the acquistions committee with the publishing house. Before the end of 2003, I had a contract for my first novel, "Speak To My Heart."

Q: With Mother's Day right around the corner, let's talk about the tie between mothers and daughters. It is definitely a huge focus in your fiction. What inspires your various representations of this relationship? What methods/studies/techniques do you follow to develop these character relationships? How much of it is personal? (Just share what you're comfortable with)

A: Would it be okay to answer these questions in reverse order? Let's tackle the "How much of it is personal?" question first. :) Most people ask me this question, and many people think I'm Serena, the lead character in my first three books. No, I'm not Serena or any of the other characters. Like Serena, I grew up with one parent, so I do understand her close bond with her mother. (Before her death three years ago, my mother and I had a wonderful and loving relationship. She read and loved "Speak to My Heart," but died just before the publication of my second novel.)
Otherwise, much of what I write is taken from the everyday issues of life that many of us wrestle with. I also spent more than a decade covering social issues as a reporter - everything from welfare reform and domestic violence to murder trials and feature profiles of people overcoming adversity. Connecting with people from all walks of life as a reporter has given me a deep well from which to create fictional, but believable characters.

With regard to character development, I typically do a very basic character sketch of each of my main characters in a book that details where they were born, their birth order in the family, their personalities and the personalities of their close family and friends, any tragedies or secrets the family may have, etc. Even if these details don't become part of the book, having this knowledge about each character helps me decide how he or she would react in a particualr situation, deal with traumatic or unethical issues, etc.

Regarding your question about my focus on mothers and daughters in my novels, I am writing women's fiction and in particular, about women's connections to and support of one another. The relationship between a daughter and her mother is so important, because that relationship helps shape who the daughter becomes, how she values herself and how she approaches the world. In my first novel, "Speak To My Heart," this relationship is a pivotal part of the story because Serena pushes her mother away and refuses to forgive her when she learns a family secret. Eventually Serena realizes that even mothers aren't perfect; she learns to love and forgive and as a result, takes her relationship with her mother to another level.
On the flip side, in the second book, "Nothing But the Right Thing," Erika's lack of a relationship with her mother colors every aspect of her life, eventually leading her into an abusive relationship, because she feels unworthy of something better. By the time you read "Watercolored Pearls," you realize that women who didn't birth you can still provide unconditonal love, guidance and support that can help you thrive.
Earlier this month (April 2008), my first novella was published in an anthology titled "This Far By Faith." It also features a story about a mother and daugther. In this story, the mother and daughter must confront secrets and truths that, if handled properly, could bring them closer to each other and to God.

Q: I'm amazed at all you do. Truly. Your accomplishments are so impressive, you're a mom, and wife of a Rev. Adams…seriously, how do you get so much done?

A: The grace of God! I just take one day at a time and try to fit in as much as I can. After my relationship with God, my family is my priority, so I'm often busy with carpool shuttles, playdates, after school practices and all that other mothers juggle. Writing comes next. Yes, it's my profession, but it's also my ministry and I'm passionate about it, so I take it very seriously. My kids are used to seeing their mom with her laptop. :)
I try to write three to four days a week and often devote three to four hours to working on a manuscript. The rest of the day is filled with freelance writing assignments, speaking engagements and some marketing consulting work. I can't function without my calendar, because it helps me stay organized and keeps me from double-booking myself. I also try to pace myself. I get to bed at a regular time (despite the temptation to work longer) and when I need to, I'll take time off to recharge and relax. I ask God each day to help me know which responsibilities to prioritize, and I ask everyone else to please be patient with me on the rest!

Q: And since you must be exhausted from all you do…we want to know what do you do to kick back?

A: I take power naps! :) I also love hanging out with my family and friends, listening to music (mostly gospel, jazz and R&B), dabbling in tennis and occasionally catching a good movie.

Q: I'm sure you don't have much time for cooking. How about sharing a fast and easy favorite?

A: My husband is a great cook and shares cooking duties with me; still, I'm the "chief chef" three to four times a week. The key is just what you said - fast and easy. Spaghetti is a quick and simple favorite in our house. When I have more time, my husband, loves a good southern meal, such as smothered pork chops.

Smothered Pork Chops

1 Tablespoon Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups broth, beef, chicken or a combination of the two
4 bone in pork chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons water
salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork chops with pepper and any other seasonings you prefer. Brown the pork chops in the oil, turn and brown the second size. When brown, transfer to a platter and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter and onions and a little salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are softened and browned. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the flour is lightly browned. Stir in the minced garlic and thyme and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

Increase the heat to medium high. Add the broth slowly, whisking until well mixed. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Return the chops to the skillet and cover them with the onion gravy. Reduce the heat again to low and simmer until the pork is tender and done, about 30 minutes. Remove the chops to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Increase the heat to medium high and cook the gravy rapidly until the sauce is reduced to a gravy thickness. Remove the bay leaves. Add the parsley.

Adjust seasonings if needed with salt and pepper.

Pour the gravy over the chops and serve.

Kit, thanks for the great interview. I'm honored to know you and to be featured in your blog!

Katy Pistole, Not Exactly Horsin' Around

2008-04-16T13:28:00.008-04:00

Meet Katy

Children's Author

The SONRISE FARM SERIES

God first used a horse to draw me to Himself in 1976. I was 13 and living in Botswana (Southern Africa). Black Jack was my first horse, he had been my Christmas present when I was 11. I loved that horse. African Horse Sickness was a terrible and usually fatal disease in that area of the continent. It struck our barn and we all waited as several horses including mine contracted the virus. I was devastated. My parents, new believers, suggested a prayer meeting. We prayed for my horse and the next day I went back out to my barn to find him healed! I accepted Jesus as my savior in that moment and have spent the rest of my days learning as much as possible about my Lord. I am truly as excited about knowing Him today as I was 25 years ago.I grew up as a Foreign Service "brat". We lived in Asia and Africa. Much of my education was in State Department, independent, missionary, boarding, or English schools. My education includes a B.A. in English Literature from George Mason University, and a post-graduate teaching certificate for grades K - 5 from James Madison University. As an adult I married, and convinced my unsuspecting husband to take over a small rustic horse farm. I flourished there, teaching buckets of horseback riding lessons to young people. It was at my little farm that many of Jenny’s adventures actually happened. Then we had children and it was time to move into a real house. I still have my horses and I am still teaching a little. I have recently begun holding Creative Writing Workshops to help kids begin the wonderful process of writing. I love learning, teaching and writing. I believe words are a powerful tool when used by God. He is the ultimate creative writer. I am humbled to be used by Him.

Here's a link to Katy's website where you can order her book and learn more about her.

http://www.thepalominobook.com/palo.htm

Katy will be giving away one book at the end of the week.

Please let me know if you'd like to be in the drawing.

Interview with Katy

Q: Tell us about yourself and your horses.

A: I have loved horses my whole life. I got my first horse when I was 11 years old and living in Botswana (southern Africa). The Lord allowed Black Jack to become very sick with African Horse Sickness, an untreatable, usually fatal disease. My parents, new believers, suggested a prayer meeting. I was desperate enough to agree, though I was skeptical. When I got to the barn the next day I found my beloved horse healed. That was 1976 and I have walked with Him ever since and He continues to use my horses to show me surprising things about Him.
Right now I have 3 horses. They are: Scooter- a chestnut Arabian, Dreamsicle - a palomino Quarter Horse/Welsh cross and WhiteStar - a bay snowflake Appaloosa/Quarter Horse cross. I teach horsemanship lessons with Dream and WhiteStar and Scooter is my personal horse.

Q: How did God call you to writing children's books?

A: First He gave me a story - almost like a movie in my head. Then He gave me the burning desire to write. I often write very early, like at 3:00 AM. When I have a story I cannot stop thinking about it until I write it. Many of Jenny's adventures happened to me or to someone I know.

Q: What messages do you try to send to your readers? How do you show them through your characters?

A: The message in The Sonrise Farm Series is that Life in Christ is an adventure. The books are full of rescue, redemption and passionate love. My heroine, Jenny Thomas, comes to know about God's love for her through her love for a horse she rescues. I have been told that my characters seem real and are easy to identify with. That is the highest compliment I can receive.

Spinach Kathryn:

2 Tbl Olive Oil
1 large Vidalia onion (or any sweet onion)
1 large package of fresh or 2 boxes frozen spinach
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Saute the onion in olive oil until onion is translucent.
Add the spinach (if fresh, allow to reduce, if frozen squeeze excess water off before adding to pan)
add cheeses, turn off heat and cover until mozzarella is melted.
serves 4 as side dish or 2 a main course.
I chose this recipe because it's a great summer dish. Yummy!

Holly Payne on Writing and Shoofly Pie

2008-04-06T09:24:00.009-04:00

I hope you will leave Holly a question or comment this week. She has lots to share about writing and ways to improve our craft. She has been kind enough to offer one ten page critique. I'll draw for the lucky winner at the end of the week, April 12. Please leave a comment if you'd like to be included.

Welcome Holly Payne, author and writing coach

Holly Payne is a novelist and screenwriter living in San Francisco. She is the author of two novels, The Virgin's Knot and The Sound of Blue. Published in eight countries, The Virgin's Knot received critical acclaim as a Contra Costa Times Book Club Pick 2003, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection 2002, a Border's Original Voices Book 2002 and was nominated for The First Novelist Award by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program of Virginia Commonwealth University. Payne's second novel, The Sound of Blue, set during the Balkan conflict, chronicles the heroic journeys of three strangers who find refuge in music and each other.

Payne serves on the faculty of the California College of the Arts MFA Creative Writing Progam where she teaches screenwriting with an emphasis on story development. She is the founder of the Skywriter Series Fiction Workshops and Skywriter Ranch, a summer fiction workshop held annually in Crested Butte, Colorado. She received a MFA from the Master of Professional Writing Program at USC. She is currently writing a third novel set in her native Amish country.

Interview with Holly

Q: As a writing coach, what is the most common mistake you see with beginning authors?

A: If it's about beginning writers, I'd say something about underestimating the time, effort and persistence it takes to get the story right -- meaning the amount of rewriting that goes into all great writing and the commitment to staying present when the going gets rough.
Everyone seems to want to get to Carnegie Hall without practicing. Writing is a discipline. As much as it's meant to be a joyful dance, it's also meant to humble us and strengthen our resolve to do it again, and better. They forget that writing is not about performing. It's about a process.

Q: Let’s talk structure. Is there one perfect way to plot? (I hope not!) What are some essentials for building a strong story?

A: I'm laughing out loud, and grateful you have a sense of humor about this too. There is no one way to plot, but there is a helpful way to think about 'plot' which is not the way most people are taught. For starters, I never think of plot any differently from my main character. Essentially, and this point will be argued until tulips no longer bloom in spring, story IS character and what a character does IS the plot. And if you've ever heard of a man like Robert McKee, he'd tell you STORY IS CHARACTER. So when people say, oh, there's wonderful character development in that story, what they're usually saying is that the writer did a decent job of portraying realistic and/or logical character traits of that character. But, traits do not make for a great story. It's what a person does, what choices they make under pressure that reveal who they really are. We all know that about ourselves. And what makes a story compelling is the ultimate choice, and hopefully it's a moral one, that a character will have to make before the story ends. This is what makes us turn the pages, not because we know what kind of shoes they wear, or how they dress.

A good story, and therefore, a tight plot is really is about deep character, it's about the revelation of some aspect of truth about that character, and as a result of them discovering their truth, how it affects those around them. Does that make sense? I never sit back and say, "Wow, I'd like to write a story in which this and that happen." I might be intrigued with a culture, or a particular place and I use it as inspiration for who might live there, how they might be affected in that place or by that culture and what they are missing and want, which is where the action starts, and my 'plotting' begins. If you want to think about plot in this way, which is much more organic than thinking of it as separate and something concocted by the writer, consider who the story is about, what they want, what their plan is in getting that, who and what get in the way of that plan, and what it is that they need to learn (versus what they think they need) and see where that takes you. This way, you open to the grace of the story, and you are in service to it, not forcing your way as 'author' into the pages. I believe that great storytelling and those writers whose craft reflect that, understand this at their core, It's a humbling endeavor to face the pages with patience and be willing to wait for the right moment or scene to 'record'. Perhaps really great plots are essentially the bearing witness to an event and portraying it with honesty and accuracy. The more you can remove yourself from what you want to happen as a writer, and allow the plot to develop from what a character does to get what they think they need (and we all know the wonderful danger of allowing our intellect to guide us at all times) only then, do you have the right plot.

Q: And characters?

A: What a character does is the plot! The Black Box theory of psychology says that what a person does reveals more about who they are than what they say (or again, how they're dressed, what they drive, or any other physical characteristic we can state about them). If you can be open to looking at character in this light, there is no separation between it and plot.

Q: Do you work much with Romance writers? Other genres? Your own writing tends toward Woman’s Fiction. Is it difficult to coach writing that’s differs from your own interests?

A: This is an interesting question because I am not a reader who chooses one genre over the other. It's like music. I don't have a specific predisposition, but I know when I like something. I love a good story, period. If it resonates, moves me or touches me or if I'm seduced by the rhythms of the language (like Jose Saramago, Michael Ondaatje, Annie Proulx) then you've got my attention. However, I try very hard not to impose any kind of taste or preferences to the work I read and the writers I coach. That's one of the aspects I love most about coaching -- the exposure to different genres, subjects, people and places that I might not have chosen to explore on my own. When I jump around in the different genres as a coach, I get a chance to understand more completely the conventions in all of them, and to use that knowledge to improve my own work. The bottom line for me is if a story is good and the writing delicious, regardless of genre or whether or not it's 'women's fiction,' I'm going to devour the pages; and if I have the honor of helping another writer make their work stronger, or better, then it's the sweetest kind of bonus.

Q: Since you write about exotic people and places, how about sharing a recipe of one your favorite delicacies…

My most recent novel, Big Ugly, is set in Amish Country of Lancaster County, PA, where I spent 18 years of my life. The Amish culture of simplicity has always been exotic to me. I have much respect for their choices, especially because they give their children the choice to become Amish when they are adults. And I love that they make some of the best baked goods on the planet, most likely because of their Swiss-German ancestry. The Shoofly Pies are my favorite and they're easy to make. But, proceed with caution when you eat this addicting confection. I brought a small one back from Lancaster to a friend here in San Francisco and he said, "I wish you had told me not to eat the whole thing at once! It was like an affair I should have never started." In Big Ugly, Shoofly Pie is named Leroy's Affair after one of the characters.

Leroy's Affair

(otherwise known by the Amish as Wet-Bottom Shoofly Pie)

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell ½ tsp. cinnamon
1/3 Tbs. baking soda 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
¾ cup boiling water 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
½ cup dark molasses ½ cup dark brown sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten 2 TBS. shortening + ½ tsp. salt

Dissolve soda in the boiling water. Add molasses. Cool. Beat in egg yolk. Pour mixture into pie shell. Top with crumb mixture of the flour, spices, sugar, shortening and salt. Bake in 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F and bake another 30-35 minutes. Pie should be firm when done.

A Big Milestone

2008-03-30T17:56:00.011-04:00

Golden Heart finalist. Wow. What a huge sign of affirmation for me and my favorite pasttime. Not to mention a great excuse for my husband and me to head out to San Francisco for a long weekend. It's all very exciting and a little overwhelming.

Writing inspirational fiction is a relatively new thing for me. In fact, the manuscript I submitted to Golden Heart was my first attempt at the genre which I started only a year ago. But inspirational romance seems to fit not only my beliefs, but my voice and storylines too. I love creating strong and intelligent heroines with big goals and big challenges. And of course, her counterpart must also be a driven individual, and, I think, it doesn't hurt if he's a little bit sexy too.

What have I learned in the two years I've been writing fiction?

A lot.

First of all, while it's fun to just sit down and write, you need a little bit of a plan. You may not stick to it through writing the entire novel but you need to set down some basic goals and conflicts for your hero and heroine before you get started. Those you cannot change or add mistream.

Next, I'd say it's important to get feedback from others. Again, some of it is not helpful. At first, I made the mistake of revising according to every single comment judges and CPs offered. And while many, maybe even most of their comments are helpful, there are some that aren't and you must filter through them. Never take comments on your writing as personal. I had one judge in a contest tell me that I should take an English class. Now, I just laughed about that because, not only was I an English major undergrad, I taught English for years at every level from middle school to college. But did I disgard everything she said? No. There was something she didn't like about my heroine. It set her off and that I felt needed consideration.

Finally, I would say that you have to make time to write. I know. It's such an obvious thing but being a good writer is like losing weight. You have to keep at it or it will never happen. Stay focused. Make goals and keep them. And do it because you love it...the recognition from contests and contented readers is just icing on the cake.

I've read on several author blogs where writers have said that they couldn't live without writing. I find this disturbing. Could I live without writing? Of course. I hope God doesn't ask me to do that, but I could. Could I live without Him? No.

Now for something sweet...

Banana Nut Bread

2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ripe bananas
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, and soda. Mix well. Add bananas and nuts. Place in greased 9x5x2 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes.

Hint: I place foil over the pan until the last 15 minutes to keep the top from browing too dark. And depending on your oven you may want to place a cookie sheet underneath too.

Spring Break

2008-03-22T20:55:00.002-04:00

Away on break...will return first week of April.

Natale in the Kitchen

2008-03-16T10:20:00.005-04:00

Natale Stenzel has been kind enough to share with us this week--two recipes, lots about her writing romance, and all about her paranormal Pandora's Box... As always, leave a comment and I'll enter you in a drawing for a signed copy of Natale's latest release.

About Natale...

A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with degrees in magazine journalism and English literature, Natale Stenzel currently resides in Virginia with her husband, two children and an incorrigible hound named Maxwell Charming. After making her first sale at the 2002 Romance Writers of America conference in Denver, she went on to publish four romantic comedies with Harlequin Flipside. Her fifth book, PANDORA'S BOX (released in February 2008), is the first in a series of funny paranormal romances to be published by Dorchester for its Love Spell line. Her next book in the series, THE DRUID MADE ME DO IT, will hit bookstores in August 2008, and a third is scheduled for February 2009.

You can visit with Natale at the following sites...

http://www.natalestenzel.com/
www.myspace.com/NataleStenzel
www.DeadlineHellions.blogspot.comPANDORA'S BOX

PANDORA'S BOX
from Dorchester Love Spell

February 2008
ISBN-10: 0505527529
ISBN-13: 978-0505527523

HOPE REMAINS...All Pandemina Dorothy Avery ever wanted was to be beautifully, blessedly normal, with a stable career and a love life leading to a white picket fence and a happily-ever-after. That seems impossible now. Penniless and parted from her unfaithful boyfriend, unfairly shunned by her coworkers, not even Mina's recent inheritance can help -- especially not when it amounts to a ten-pound rock box and guardianship of the horny, devious puca she released from inside. His name's Riordan, and he ain't no Harvey.

What's a puca, you ask? A tricky faery-type, whose magic not only includes shape-shifting into a magnificent black stallion and a snarky mutt, but the ability to manipulate human perceptions. And Riordan is hardly shy of manipulations: Wasn't that why he was imprisoned in the first place? He seems set upon making Mina's life harder than ever, whether it be with Jonathon Teague, the handsome contractor who wants to work on more than her house, or Mina's penitent ex-boyfriend. But as Riordan's very existence proves, things are not always what they seem, and what stepped out of that box might be the key to her dreams.

Interview with Natale

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: Romance and not love, huh? Romance between two people who only recently met, I think, is the concerted and enjoyable effort to seduce attraction and infatuation into something deeper . . . something approaching love. Sometimes it gets as far as love and sometimes it doesn't, but simply testing the waters is a lot of fun if done well. The butterflies in the belly, the weak knees, the nervous anticipation, the mutual discovery and wallowing in one another's senses and emotions. It's playful and exciting. Early on, it's also idealistic and larger than life, the edges still blurred, any flaws relegated to the background. For two people who are already in love, I'd say romance is a sensual reminder and celebration of a deep, emotional connection between two people.

Q: How does the male perspective of ROMANCE differ from that of the female? How important is that distinction in your characters?

A: Once upon a time, I would have said that the male had a more practical approach to romance, while the female's was more idealistic, i.e., that men used romance as a means to an end while women considered the romance an end in itself. Now I think that's too generalized. People are individuals and have individual perspectives. I do think women see the layers and the complexities more -- we read something into everything! -- while men are more willing to trust what they see and hear. I also think men tend to equate physical love with feeling loved, but you know, women do, too. Guys, especially younger ones, probably focus more on the act, but I think both genders need the little touches that say, "Hey, I feel close to you and I'm constantly aware of you. You're mine and I care." Let's face it. Romance is a sensual experience right along with the emotional one. I think the important thing to do when you're developing characters is to spend a decent amount of time in deep point of view, where you are inside that person's head, seeing, hearing, experiencing the inner monologue. Not just stating or delineating facts and details, but *emoting* and showing how the sensual environment evokes and heightens feelings.

Q: Where does your humor come from?

A: It's a mindset, really. You look at things a little sideways, probably naturally, and that comes across on the page, in the way you twist words and situations and highlight one thing instead of another. There's a huge amount of people watching at the root of it, a lot of absorbing and identifying the different nuances and the peculiarities that tickle and intrigue. Humor's a fabulous tool, both in real life and on the page. You can use it to respond to a question that's too personal or too controversial, or bring up a possibly delicate topic without shoving it immediately in someone's face. So I guess you could say that it serves to lubricate sticky situations. It's also often a defense mechanism, used to deny pain or create distance.

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life?

A: Laughter, my husband and kids, wine and candlelight on the weekends, a captivating story idea, shopping (a good deal gives me goose bumps), something wonderful to anticipate (a vacation, a new book, a night out with my husband or a lunch out with friends). Can you tell I'm not big on cooking?*g*

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: Something I don't have to cook for myself. I want it long and leisurely and full of conversation, without either of us worrying about the price -- either because we're knee-deep in cash at the moment or because it's not massively expensive. I'm not choosy; I just don't want the guilt to detract from the enjoyment. Most importantly, I want to share it with my husband. The food's not really the point for me, although hey, I love it as much as the next girl. Especially dessert. Anything the menu lists with the words "death by chocolate" will generally make my heart go pitter-patter. Otherwise, we can always head to an ice cream place afterward. I love that. Nothing makes you feel silly in love quite like dripping ice cream onto the pavement together does*g*.

I asked my daughter which recipes to share with you, and, being a sweet freak like her mom, she immediately said Nighty Night Cookies. So I'll give you that one first. ("Life is short; eat dessert first." Excellent motto.) I've seen different versions of this recipe in different cookbooks, but the one most readily at hand was in the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church cookbook. (Mil got this cookbook from a friend and gave to me soon after my wedding. I've used it so much that it's falling apart now.)

Nighty Night Cookies

2 egg whites
2/3 c. sugar
½ c. chopped pecans*
1 c. chocolate chips**

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil (no greasing). Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they're stiff and form peaks (consistency of hair mousse). Dump in the sugar and continue mixing on low. It's gonna get sticky. Then set the mixer aside and use a spoon to mix in the nuts and chocolate chips. Then drop by teaspoonfuls onto the lined cookie sheet (you'll be grateful for the foil later -- trust me). Go ahead and put them as close together as necessary to fit all on one pan, since they don't expand or anything, just harden. When you're done, put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the oven door, and turn off the oven. Leave the oven door closed and the pan of cookies undisturbed overnight. In the morning, take the pan out and peel the cookies off the foil. Munch. Yum.

*You really do want to use chopped pecans. I've tried walnuts and they come out too sticky. Oils or something, I guess.
**In place of chocolate chips, I've also used M&Ms (festive colors) and I've seen others use busted-up hard candies or candy canes.

And since woman cannot live on Nighty Nights alone, I also have a jambalaya recipe to share. I tend to make mongrel dishes, in that I don't follow recipes to the letter and end up making substitutions based on which ingredients I typically have in my cabinet or on what my kids will or won't eat. The following recipe is (very) loosely based on a couple of jambalaya recipes in Roger's Cajun Cookbook. (Vernon Roger -- pronounced Ro-jhay -- was this adorable news anchor down in Baton Rouge when we lived there. He loved to cook and did some cookbooks . . . Yeah, yeah. You want food. Stop yapping, Natale.)

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

1 lb. smoked sausage links, chopped into bite-sized pieces (or you can use tasso or andouille)
1 lb. de-veined, tailless shrimp (frozen or fresh)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I like red best but green's what I usually have in the fridge)
1 tbsp minced garlic (or more if you love it)
Cajun seasoning (I use Tony's or Louisiana brand), to taste
Parsley (to taste)
1 can diced tomatoes*
¼ cup salsa*
1 can (the standard, short, stubby one) tomato sauce
1 tsp thyme
¾ tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
2 cups uncooked brown rice**
Water

Using a large cooking pot, brown the sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic in the oil. I usually sprinkle lots of Cajun seasoning over it, too. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, salsa, thyme, oregano and bay leaves, then mix and simmer ten minutes. Add rice and parsley, then stir and add enough water to cover ingredients plus one inch. Bring it to a boil, then cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice is tender -- about 45 minutes with the brown rice. You might need to add more water as it's absorbed, but you don't want it soupy, either, so a little at a time is good. During the last five minutes of cooking, add the shrimp and cook until the little guys curl up and change color, usually just a few minutes. Cook too long after this, though, and you'll end up with tough shrimp.

*The recipe actually calls for a can of Rotel tomatoes, but these are too spicy for one of my kids so I substitute a can of tomatoes and a judicious amount of salsa for some tang.
**You can use white rice if you want, but not instant or you'll have mush.

Thanks for having me, Kit!

Cheryl Wyatt, An Injured Soldier, and Ms. Hot Tamales

2008-03-09T13:53:00.020-04:00

If you loved Joel and Amber from Cheryl Wyatt's debut novel A Soldier's Promise, don't worry because they're back in her second, watching their two best friends fall in love.

Cheryl Wyatt's closest friends would never dream the mayhem she plots during announcements at church. An RN-turned-SAHM, joyful chaos rules her home, and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She's convinced that having been born on a Naval base on Valentine's Day destined her to write military romance. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room.

Both of her debut novels (Books 1 and 2 in her Wings of Refuge Series from Steeple Hill) have received Romantic Times Top Picks.
Visit Cheryl on her site http://www.cherylwyatt.com/
or at her blog http://www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com/

On A Crash Course With Love

She was the woman of pararescue jumper Manny Pena's dreams. But he'd stuck his foot in his mouth the last time he met Celia Munoz. Now, grounded after a parachuting accident, he was desperate to make amends with the beautiful widow.

But Celia wasn't having it. The last thing she needed was another man with a dangerous job—even if he had given his life to God. Yet Manny's growing commitment to her and her troubled son began to convince her that perhaps she should take her own leap of faith.

A Soldier's Family
brings more of Cheryl's humor , romance, and action to the pages of Christian fiction. A fun read!

For a chance to win a free copy, leave a comment.

My recipe of the week...

Ro*tel and Sausage Dip

Okay, as soon as I started reading A Soldier's Family I thought...of course, make Hot Tamales. You know since Manny refers to Celia as Ms. Hot Tamales. It was a perfect idea...until I read about six different recipes and found out that Hot Tamales are for cooks with a lot more time on their hands that I have.

Instead I'm posting a recipe for a Mexican Style Sausage and Cheese Dip. My next door neighbor makes it all the time. It's easy, delicious, a little spicy, and always the party favorite...

1 Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 can Ro*tel (or any diced tomatoes seasoned Mexican style)
1.5 sticks of cream cheese
2 TBS Mayo

Brown sausage in crumbles. Mix with other ingredients and microwave until soft. Serve hot with Tostitos chips.

Enjoy!

Margaret Daley on Romance and Writing and Cabbage Soup

2008-03-01T18:13:00.004-05:00

I'm so pleased to have award winning author Margaret Daley. She writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense and has sold over forty books.

This week she's giving away her latest release, Don't Look Back. To participate in the drawing please leave a comment.

(To find all of Margaret's work and other Steeple Hill releases, click on the my black box GoogleAd to the Harlequin/Steeple Hill website or simply go to eharlequin.com.)

Margaret's Latest: My March 2008 Love Inspired Suspense is Don’t Look Back. It is the third book in Reunion Revelations, a six-book continuity that LIS has running from January through June. Reunion Revelations: Secrets surface when old friends—and foes—get together.

Don't Look Back -- Clues to a killer: Who, what, where, when and why. Those were the questions journalism professor Jameson King lived by. But the murder of his protégé, a young newspaper reporter, remained a mystery. One that Jameson—and the reporter’s grief-stricken sister—vowed to solve. But working with Cassie Winters wasn’t easy. A former student ten years his junior, the stunning redhead was too young, too full of life, for a man like him. A man with a secret concerning her brother…a secret that might tear them apart forever.

My May 2008 Love Inspired book is Family Ever After, my third story in the Fostered by Love series (book 1 Once Upon a Family, April 2007; book 2 Heart of the Family, December 2007). This is Noah Maxwell’s story, one of the three foster brothers. Next year in July and November I will have the fourth and fifth books in the series. Fostered by Love: A family guided them to faith, but only love could heal their hearts.

Family Ever After -- Independent Bachelor No More…
Three foster kids fell into Noah Maxwell’s lap and turned his life upside down. The successful businessman knew nothing about children, so he hired single mom Cara Winters to help care for his new brood. Cara sensed that despite Noah’s confident façade, old wounds trouble him. But he refused to discuss his past pain, despite her desire to help him heal. Perhaps her love could inspire Noah to relinquish his independence and give Cara and the children the fairy-tale ending they all deserved.

INTERVIEW WITH MARGARET

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: Showing how much you cherish someone is what romance is to me. Often it is doing the little things for a person—sewing a button on his shirt, fixing his favorite meal, calling him at work to tell him you love him.

Q: How do you match up your hero and heroine? Do you just start writing and see what happens? Or, do you carefully consider traits, personalities, and backgrounds as you develop your characters?

A: I think I fall in the middle of both of those methods. I know who my main characters are before I start writing, but as I write the book, I learn a lot of things about them that I didn’t know at the start of the story.

Q: I saw that you were recently on a panel that talked about why you write for Steeple Hill. I couldn’t be there, so…Why do you? Do you/have you dabble(d) at writing longer stories?

A: I like writing shorter stories. It forces me to keep things moving. In longer books I often find fillers that could be cut. What I like about Steeple Hill is that I have been able to write inspirational romances and romantic suspense. I like changing back and forth between the two types of books. Yes, I have written longer books. I try never to say never. We don’t know what the future holds. I never thought I would write a non-fiction book and yet I just finished part of one. I am one of five authors of a book called The Overcomers, written by five Christian authors who have dealt with a learning disability in their life. It should be out next year in 2009.

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life? And to your marriage of so many years?

A: My deep friendship with my husband, my (our) love of traveling and my love of good books have added to my marriage. I have been to a lot of places in the world and have loved each one. I have learned so much about people and history firsthand. My husband and I have had quite a few adventures from scuba diving to trudging to a rain forest in 100% humidity to climbing to the top of a Mayan temple and looking out at the turquoise sea.

Q: As you attempt to inspire others through your words, what brings you inspiration?

A: Mostly the Lord and my husband bring inspiration to me, but also a good story, a certain song, a beautiful sunset, and an intriguing picture—all may bring inspiration.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the meal? Why?

A: The bread and sadly I don’t have a recipe for bread (I don’t make my own—perhaps now that I’m retired I will). I’ve included another recipe, however, that I enjoy making during the winter and eating with some kind of bread. Years ago I got this recipe from the Food Section of the Tulsa World Newspaper. My husband and I love this soup and eat it a lot.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

1 pound lean ground beef
½ large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup diced celery
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1-28 oz can of tomatoes
2-5 ½ ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups raw, diced potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
4 cups beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
6-7 cups coarsely chopped cabbage

Sauté beef, onion, garlic, celery and pepper in oil. Add remaining ingredients except cabbage. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add cabbage. Simmer for 1 hour more, adding more water, up to 3 cups, if necessary. Yield6-8 servings.
(Because my husband doesn’t care for cooked carrots, I substitute broccoli in for the carrots and it taste great that way, too.)

My Everyday Hero and the Best Taco Soup Ever

2008-02-24T21:15:00.001-05:00

Sorry folks. No NY Times best seller this week. Just little old me who has been thinking a lot about heroes...
When I was a kid, there were all sorts of cool shows on prime time like The Six-Million Dollar Man, Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, to name a few. These were shows where real moral lessons were acted out, where the bad guys got caught and punished, and the good guys got a pat on the back. The main characters were not shown in bed with anyone. It wasn't ever part of the storyline. But they helped people simply because they could. They displayed courage, self-discipline and moral excellence on a weekly basis. I miss those shows. I miss what they stood for. I miss the TV hero. And I'm wondering what happened to him/her.

I guess nowadays if you want a fiction hero you'd better pick up a book because you're not going to see one on TV.

I think that's sad because heroes are important. They set standards. Ideals. Values. They pose as models for our behavior. I think every child deserves a hero... So I'm wondering... where will ours find them? Not on TV, that's for sure. And probably not at school. Not on the internet...What does that leave? Us. Yikes. Are you hero material?
It's a tough question to ask yourself, huh?

Well, here's an easier one...Who is your everyday hero?

I have a several, my hubby and my mom, to name a couple, but for today I want to talk about the one in the picture above. My cousin. She's a stay-at-home mother of three and, for me, a true inspiration in the way she lives. I'm sure many who know her think she lives the charmed life--she's pretty and smart, has a cool family, knows all the right people, goes to all the right places, and--let's face it--everybody loves her. It's true she's been blessed in many ways...but it's the way she handles those blessings that I find heroic. She's gracious, humble, and uses her incredible personality to witness her faith to so many people. A few years ago, when her mother lost an agonizing battle with cancer, I'm sure it was the worst time of her life, but Kelly even in her mourning was able to have this amazing positive attitude. She's an encourager, a great listener, and a quick problem solver (which comes in handy when you have three girls). Wherever she goes, whoever she's with, she makes a positive statement. And isn't that what a hero should do? Make a positive statement?

This week, I would love to hear what you think about heroes, real or fiction...If you comment, I'll be sure to include you in a drawing for a gently used paperback from my overflowing shelves. (I'll give some choices...)

So, here's to my everyday hero... Thanks, Kelly. You've been a blessing in my life.

Kelly's Taco Soup

olive oil
5 chicken breasts
1 large onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 bunch of green onion tops
1 bunch of cilantro chopped to stems
5 large carrots sliced
6 cups of chicken broth
4 cans of diced Mexican tomatoes (or zesty Jalapeno)
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 bag of frozen corn
1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced

Clean chicken and cut into 1 in. cubes. Saute in olive oil, garlic, and onion. Add corn. As it starts to brown add other ingredients. (Cilantro and Jalapeno last) Heat to boil and then simmer until spices are blended. I say the longer the better. And this makes a lot. I like it like that. I freeze half of it. But it will work if you half it.

Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

(My apologies to the Chicago publication this picture came from. I have no specifics.)

Cathy Maxwell in the Kitchen

2008-02-18T09:00:00.016-05:00

A few years ago, I took a teaching job at a small Catholic school. My first or second day, my boss mentioned that a student's mother was New York Times bestselling author, Cathy Maxwell. He said it like it was no big deal. He taught biology so he didn't care, but I did. I was the English teacher! After that, I read my first romance--Cathy Maxwell's Tempation of a Proper Governess. Thanks Cathy. You hooked me! At some point after that, while I was driving her son mad with homework, I grew brave enough to confess my secret desire to write. I'll never forget what she said. "Kit, if you want to write, you just have to sit down and do it!" Well, thanks Cathy. It was truly your words that made me sit down and begin my adventures in writing. I love it.
Thanks for visiting with me this week...

Cathy's latest release
In the Highlander's Bed
is available in bookstores everywhere. If you'd like a chance to win a copy, leave a comment on this post or email me at kitwilkins@gmail.com
I'll be sure to include you in the drawing, Sunday, February 24.

INTERVIEW WITH CATHY

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: Romance is the adventure of life:

It’s looking into your child’s eyes and recognizing the 15 billion years of evolution that brought the two of you to this moment.
It is the joy of a puppy chasing a ball or the happiness you feel successfully setting a kite flying.
It is the way light goes through stained glass or the scent of incense left after all have gone.
It is the laughter of children and lovers.
It’s the despair of loss.
It’s the easy camaraderie amongst friends and the comfortable trust between spouses.
It’s the amazement of a baby when she discovers her toes for the first time or that we have when faced with any wonder of the world.
It’s the happiness of music or hearing the voice of a loved one reporting he’s safe.
It’s experiencing the “life altering” from the first time you learn to dress yourself to education to marriage to childbirth to death and all the time in between.
It’s living completely in the moment and realizing that nothing is more sacred than now. Nothing is more important than taking full advantage of what you’ve been given.
It’s understanding that Love alone makes life meaningful. It’s all that matters. It creates communities and families and brings us peace.

Q: How does the male perspective of ROMANCE differ from that of the female? How important is that distinction in your characters?

A: I don’t think the male perspective differs that much. We are not writing about Penelope waiting and waiting and waiting for Ulysses. We write about women who decide to take charge of their fates. That’s actually a “male” idea. There are differences in speech patterns (i.e. men don’t like to talk so much) and actions (a man will use force more effectively than a woman—although that is not true in paranormals) but the Romance Novel deals with two protagonists who are each passionate about their goals and will do whatever is necessary to achieve them.

Q: After writing for so many years, how do you keep your stories and characters so fresh and alive, book after book?

A: Thank you for saying I keep the stories and characters fresh. Early on I realized the danger wasn’t that I could be plagiarized but that I would start plagiarizing myself. That is the kiss of death to a writer. I try to begin fresh and keep working the characters until they sound authentic. I believe good books are found in the rewrites. Of course, that makes me a slow writer. My philosophy is there are two ways to make a living in commercial fiction: be a prolific writer or be a writer who works on the book until she gets it right. Readers will wait and support an author they like. However, if you can do both, then you are headed for bestsellerdom.

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life?

A: Living fully and completely in the moment. I like waking each morning with a host of things to do and the energy to enjoy them.

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: Eating out. I love good food and wonderful wine and not having to worry about the dishes. A dirty kitchen is unromantic. I can cook (so I will attach a recipe), but I don’t. Not when I’m being romantic.

Q: As you attempt to inspire others through your words, what brings you inspiration?

A: I don’t set out to inspire others, although it is a wonderful compliment when someone says I do. I’ve had readers write and tell me they were able to work out some knotty problems in their lives through the decisions of my characters. Fiction has that ability. My inspiration comes from everyday living. I never know when an overheard fragment of conversation or a news story, or something as mundane as the sunlight on an arrangement of flowers will inspire a story in my head.

Mother Berta’s Carrot Cake

3 medium sized carrots peeled
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
¾ can canned crushed pineapple drained

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 T butter softened
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar shifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 T lemon juice

Cut up two carrots, nuke and puree.
Grate remaining carrot
preheat oven 350 and grease a 9x13 pan
mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the carrot puree, grated carrot, walnuts, coconut and pineapple
Pour the batter into pan and ban until a toothpick comes out clean—about 50-60 min.
Cool cake and frost. If you take cake out of pan, line pan bottom with wax paper before baking and grease paper. Cool 10 min and unmold onto plate or rack. Cool before frosting.
Prepare frosting: Mix cream cheese and butter. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.

You can visit more with Cathy at http://www.cathymaxwell.com/.

Leave It To Jenny and Her Italian Grilled Tuna

2008-02-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

This week we have Jenny Gardiner in the kitchen. Her February 2008 release, Sleeping with Ward Clever, winner of the prestigious American Title III is on bookshelves everywhere. As a huge fan of writing competitions, I have been excited for Jenny to visit with us and tell us all about her contest experience. As you've probably guessed from the title, it’s not an inspirational romance. Sleeping with Ward Clever is a humorous women's fiction novel leaning more towards a PG-13 rating.

Q: Tell us about your experience with American Title. How did it affect your writing career? What made your novel stand out above the rest?

A: Hi Kit! Thanks for having me here (and yes, important disclaimer, I’ve got some language, etc so don’t want someone to buy it expecting it to be something other than that, but it’s not raunchy or anything LOL).
The contest has been phenomenal for me--really a huge event for me professionally. It gave me such a fabulous chance to get my book out there and be read. I feel so very very fortunate to have been selected as a finalist and to have won it.
I think my novel was different than the rest--different enough that it did stand out. Not that it was necessarily preferred--the judges didn’t always like mine so much!

Q: Do you still support/enter contests? Judge them? If so, what do you look for in an entry.

A:I think contests are a really great idea. You get feedback, which is always a good thing (although sometimes the feedback isn’t so useful, but that’s when it’s important for you as a writer to trust your gut). You get the potential to have editors and/or agents reading it. Plus you’re exposing your work to potential readers--all the members of the RWA chapters are also people who might one day buy your book.
I haven’t been so great about judging them for two reason--I think I’d be a lousy judge. I can read something and know if I like it or not, but I’m not good at parsing grammatical things and saying, well, your heroine’s motivation is questionable here, etc. I’m a very seat-of-the-pants writer and I think I’d be a very seat-of-the-pants judge, which might not be much help! But also since this contest I have been so slammed that finding extra reading time is sometimes a challenge. Right now I’m backlogged with 6 books I have to read for two panels I’m on at a conference, and another book I’m reading to do a blurb. This with virtually no time to read. Plus 3 teens, one about to graduate with all that entails, one with the lead in the school musical and all that entails, and one who plays travel soccer, with all that entails (and a senior who is playing varsity soccer). Lame excuse, I know! But in due time I’ll be able to contribute!

Q: Why do you think we crave ROMANCE?

A:I think it helps us all remember those great times in our lives when we were falling in love, always fun to remember. Also great escape from reality, which isn’t such a bad thing!

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it, but life would be dull! What adds spice to your life? To your marriage?

A: I’m with you on haute cuisine. I love to cook and if I had more time would be cooking very elaborate meals on a regular basis (I used to do this a lot to my husband’s chagrin, because he is totally a meat and potatoes guy!). In marriage I think just getting away, traveling together.

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: Nowadays, the most romantic dinner for me is one eaten out at a restaurant! That said, I love to cook. Here’s a nice easy meal:

Italian Grilled Tuna
(from Above & Beyond Parsley by the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri):

6 (8-oz) tuna steaks, 3/4 -inch thick
¾ c. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. minced parsley
½ (7-oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
½ c. thinly sliced scallions
¼ c. fresh lemon juice
2 tbl. Capers, drained
2 tbl. Minced fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine ½ c. olive oil w/ parsley, red peppers, scallions, 1 tbl. Lemon juice, capers, oregano & salt. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. Remove from heat and set aside.
Arrange a single layer of tuna in a glass baking dish. Drizzle remaining ¼ c. olive oil and 2 tbls. Lemon juice over fish. Season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat both sides. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Prepare grill. Place fish on an oiled rack set 4-6 inches from coals. Reheat sauce. Grill tuna, turning once, till opaque throughout but still moist (about 8-10 minutes total). Spoon sauce over each steak and serve.

Can serve this with orzo, pasta, rice. I like to also serve alongside grilled asparagus.

For dessert, chocolate soufflé (this from a cooking class I took years ago at Hotcakes in Charlottesville):

Individual Chocolate Souffles
Makes 4 or more servings
Butter and dust with sugar soufflé molds or straight sided cups (such as coffee mugs)
Preheat oven to 375°

4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 tbl. Coffee, liqueur or water
3 tbl. Unsalted butter
3 eggs
pinch cream of tartar
¼ c. granulated sugar

In a double boiler melt together the chopped chocolate, butter and liquid (or use microwave).
Separage eggs. Stir yolks into the chocolate mixture after it has cooled a bit. Whip whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and gradually add sugar. Beat to firm shiny peaks. Fold ¼ of the meringue into the chocolate, then fold in the rest. Divide among cups. Bake. Check after 12-15 minutes.

Crème Anglaise

3 egg yolks
3 tbl. Sugar
1 c. milk or light cream
2 tsp. vanilla or liquier
scald milk or cream. Beat yolks and sugar until very light. Add hot milk. Cook the custard over medium heat stirring constantly to 170° or until the sauce heavily coats the back of a spoon. Immediately strain into a bowl set over ice. Add flavoring.

Q: What’s up next for Jenny?

A: My agent will soon be shopping Mary Kate Goes Over the Falls --about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who goes to pick up her husband’s dry cleaning and instead picks up a handsome hitchhiker on the side of the highway, the lure of whom reminds her of the lip of Niagara Falls, rumored to tempt people into jumping into the falls.

You can learn more about Jenny at her website http://www.jennygardiner.net/

and her blog http://www.thedebutanteball.com/.

Missy Tippens in the Kitchen

2008-02-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Please welcome my guest Missy Tippens. She is an award-winning writer and was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Contest. After ten years of pursuing her dream, she made her first sale of a full-length novel to Steeple Hill Love Inspired. She still pinches herself to see if it really happened! Her debut novel, Her Unlikely Family, was released February 2008. (Full bio and links below.)

Congratulations to Lisa Jordan, winner of this week's drawing. She'll be receiving a copy of Missy's book. Enjoy!
Scroll down for book blurb.
Click here to go to Steeple Hill Books and get a copy yourself. Her Unlikely Family.

Q: Describe ROMANCE. Not necessarily what you write in your novels, but real ROMANCE. What is it?

A: To me, romance is the process of falling in love and staying in love. In the beginning, when you’re in the infatuation stage, it happens naturally and easily. But later, after years of marriage, it can take a little work! (Joking)I think it’s worth the work, though, because it’s what strengthens your marriage and reminds you (even when the bills are overwhelming, or the kids are demanding) of why you fell in love in the first place.

Q: How does the male perspective of ROMANCE differ from that of the female? How important is that distinction in your characters?

A: You know, I don’t think it’s so much a male/female difference as it is a difference in personality. My husband is actually more romantic than I am.

When writing, I think we do have to make sure that our hero doesn’t come across as feminine. But we can make him romantic—he can do small, caring things for the heroine. But even if men are the romantic type, I think they do think and speak differently. A guy won’t share with a good friend how great his date went--he won’t be all chatty about it. J And the things he’ll appreciate about the heroine will be different from what the heroine will appreciate about him. So it’s important to show that in the characterization to be able to tell the characters apart.

Q: Why do you think we crave ROMANCE?

A: I love to read as escapism. So I love (and crave) a happy ending. There are some stories that are great stories, but I about croak when they have a tragic ending! There’s enough of that in real life. I don’t need to read about it. Give me the hero and heroine riding off into the sunset any day!

Q: I equate my craving for ROMANCE to my need for HAUTE CUISINE. I could live without it. But boy, would life be dull! What adds spice to your life? To your marriage?

A: Well, with three children, it doesn’t take much to add spice to my life! All it takes is a little time away with friends or my husband—dinner, a movie, a shopping trip, a stop at Starbuck’s. My husband and I used to have a regular weekly date night, but that ended when we moved here eight years ago because we couldn’t find someone willing to baby-sit every Friday night. Now we have to try a little harder to make time for an evening out together. We’re lucky that our oldest can baby-sit for us, and we are almost to the point where the kids are old enough to stay alone. So there’s hope for more frequent dates. In the meantime, I love to call him at work and have him meet me for lunch at a favorite restaurant—especially when the weather is nice and we can go somewhere with tables outdoors.

Q: What do you consider a romantic dinner?

A: A romantic dinner is anything I don’t have to cook! (Joking) Seriously, though, since we always have children at home, a romantic dinner means eating out somewhere nice. But even with our kids around, I do like to make food my husband loves, which includes pasta of any kind. I’ll post a recipe below for one of his favorites—fettuccine alfredo.

Q: As you attempt to inspire others through your words, what brings you inspiration?

A: I’m inspired by so many things. The ocean, a beautiful blue October sky, a peaceful morning outside on the deck with coffee and my Bible, a sweet hug from one of my children, the fragrance of a rose or carnation, my husband running his fingers through my hair as he walks by, the ending of Mahler’s Symphony no.2 (“Resurrection”) which makes me sob every time I hear it, the lyrics/music from some of my favorite Christian artists (David Crowder, Casting Crowns), a smile from a stranger, singing a moving anthem with the church choir, watching a good movie, hearing my husband preach a good sermon, reading a Bible verse that God uses to speak to me. And of course I’m inspired when I read a great story.

Fettuccine Alfredo
From Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

They say this makes 4 servings, but I have to double it for my family.

½ cup half-and-half, light cream or whipping cream (I use half-and-half)
1 Tbs. butter or margarine (I use the real thing!)
6 ounces dried fettuccine or spinach fettuccine (I use regular)
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use the bagged, shredded fresh Parmesan and use probably a full cup)
cracked black pepper

Allow half-and-half and butter to stand at room temp. for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain. Return noodles to sauce pan; add the half-and-half, butter and Parmesan cheese. Stir gently until fettuccine is well-coated. Transfer to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately.

It’s amazingly rich and yummy—and so quick and easy!
More about Missy Tippens

Born and raised in Kentucky, Missy met her very own hero when she headed off to grad school in Atlanta, Georgia. She promptly fell in love and hasn’t left Georgia since. She and her pastor husband have been married 20-plus years now, and have been blessed with three wonderful children along with an assortment of pets.

In L.B.C. (Life Before Children), Missy worked as a clinical microbiologist. Once she had her first baby, she retired to become a stay-at-home mom. She’s grateful to God that she was able to do that for 16 years and had the opportunity to pursue her writing during that time. Nowadays, in addition to her writing, she teaches as an adjunct instructor at a local technical college.

Missy would love to hear from readers through her website, http://www.missytippens.com/, or by email: missytippens@aol.com. And don't miss her own blog at http://lifewithmissy.blogspot.com/.

Kit's Blog and Sweet Chili Recipe

2008-01-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first post, I thought I'd tell you a little about what you're going to find here. Some weeks I'll be interviewing my author friends so you can get to know the wonderful people who write the books you love. Other times, I'll be posting myself--chatting about the things I love like God, family, romance, sports and food. Welcome. I hope you'll come back often.

About the title: Romance in the Kitchen

Is the kitchen not the heart of your home? It certainly is at my house. It's where we start and end our days. It's where everyone goes when we have a party. It's where we live. Am I saying that I stand in there cooking all of the time? Hardly. I'm saying the kitchen is a special room in the house...a "feel good" room.

Now what's the kitchen got to do with romance?

Lots.

Okay. Brace yourself because many of you are not going to like what I'm about to say.

Are you ready?

Okay.

The wife in the kitchen is a romantic image. For men, it triggers something in their brains that says "My wife loves me and likes to take care of me."

Ridiculous Neanderthal thinking? Not at all.

I'm not saying men want us in the kitchen all day long. Our men don't expect us to be slaves. They don't want us wearing aprons and hovering over a hot stove all day long. That is not what I'm talking about. I'm saying they want us to make an effort. For them, that's romantic.

"Great," you say. "I can't boil water." Well then, you've come to the right place. I'll be posting EASY recipes that will make you feel like a gourmet. And if you are a seasoned chef, you will want to add these dishes to your repertoire.

This week, with the Superbowl coming up, I thought it only appropriate to go with a Chili recipe. I got it from a friend years ago and I still love it.

3 lbs. Lean Ground Beef

2 x 14 oz. cans of Hanover Kidney Beans

2 x 28 oz. Hunts Diced Tomatoes

2 x 15 oz. Hunts Tomato Sauce

2 cans of Miller Lite Beer

4 x 12 oz. Heinz Chili Sauce

1 tbl. sp. Chili Powder

1 tbl. sp. sugar

Brown meat. Mix ingredients. Bring to boil then let simmer.

I like to serve it over rice and have lots of garnishes like chopped onion, chopped green pepper, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream. It has a slightly sweet taste so if you want a kick add a little Heinz Hot Sauce. (Serves about 12)

Enjoy.