Quantcast
Channel: Hillary Manton Lodge Fiction
Viewing all 131 articles
Browse latest View live

Fresh from the Oven Sweepstakes - with Katie Ganshert!

May 12, 2015, 12:12 pm
$
0
0


It's a day to celebrate! Katie Ganshert's The Art of Losing Yourselfand my Reservations for Twoare officially three weeks old today!

To celebrate, we're giving away a copy of each book, as well as a bag of cornbread mix and a handmade, hand-stamped necklace. The pendant on the necklace reads faithful, a word that Katie and I agreed fit both books.




Katie here: God is faithful. It's one of my favorite things about Him. He's faithful when we mess up. He's faithful when life turns messy. He's faithful when we doubt His faithfulness. He's even faithful when we doubt His existence altogether. It's a truth Carmen Hart discovers in my latest novel, The Art of Losing Yourself. It's a truth I hope readers discover too.

Hillary here: In Reservations for Two, Juliette faces all kinds of new challenges, both professionally and personally. And it's the ones that hit close to home that feel the most heartbreaking. Juliette fights to continue to believe in God's faithfulness - even when the future ahead feels difficult and confusing.

And the cornbread? The peach cornbread Juliette enjoys in Reservations is already a fan favorite.

Katie here: The story is set on the panhandle of Florida, so there's a fair share of Southern flare, including the cuisine. There's one scene in particular where 17-year-old runaway, Gracie Fisher, finds herself completely out of her element, eating dinner in the home of a local pastor. Chicken fried steak and cornbread are on the menu

Use the mix as it is - it's Organic Marie Calendar's Cornbread mix, I promise it's delicious. Or you can add about two cups of peaches to it and have something extra-special that's great for family gatherings and potlucks, or for your own enjoyment on a warm day. 

Cornbread mix - It's surprisingly difficult to get an
aesthetically pleasing shot of cornbread mix. 
How to enter: use the entry form below, and leave a comment to share what your favorite fresh-baked good is! Or a couple. You can leave a list - because personally I'm torn between chocolate chip cookies and rhubarb pie. Share in the comments, and good luck!

↧
Search
↧

What's Up, Melissa Tagg? A Q&A and Book Giveaway

May 15, 2015, 2:22 pm
$
0
0
Delighted to have one of my very favorite people on the blog today - Melissa Tagg!

Melissa's latest book, From the Start, is recently out, and it's one of my favorite recent contemporary romances. Melissa is so incredibly sharp and witty in her writing - her dialogue pops, and her scenes are perfectly paced.

And because I always want to know more about things I love, I invited Melissa over to give us the backstory.



Hillary: Let's get to it! Tell us about From the Start - what inspired the main concept?



Melissa: This question was so easy for me to answer on my first couple books, but when it comes to From the Start, I’m kinda clueless! Unlike Made to Last or Here to Stay, in which I had a pretty solid concept from the beginning, this one came together in a more fluid, organic way…which is really just my euphemism for “messy and complicated.” The story came in fits and spurts.

But I do know that early on one of the things driving the story—which stayed on throughout all its variations (we’re talking multiple, hard core rewrites)—was the idea of two people whose dreams have let them down. Because I think that happens to all of us in different ways, no matter what our dream looks like.

Hillary: What inspired Kate and Colton’s characters?

Melissa: I hate to say it, but I’m pretty sure Kate was unintentionally inspired by me. I kept trying to make her NOT me, but she kept tugging on my own emotions and vulnerabilities and insecurities. She’s a romance writer who is convinced she’s not making a difference and feels like she should be doing something “more important.” I can empathize with that.

Colton…he is the anomaly. The guy I never expected to write. He’s a football player…I am not a football girl. But he ended up being an interesting contrast to Kate. Because while she is desperate to do something real and leave her Hallmark-y type career behind, Colton has this whole very real past he can’t even remember and doesn’t want to remember and he craves this sort of make-believe world he’s created for himself. He’s chosen to hide out in a national NFL spotlight…and when that’s ripped away, he’s stuck.

Hillary: You’ve got a number of secondary characters in the book. Which ones are your favorites? Which ones will we see more of?

Melissa: Ooh you’ll see more of so many of them. My favorite, hands-down, is Bear. He randomly showed up in the novella prequel Three Little Words and I totally fell for him. *insert a bazillion heart emojis* I really love Raegan Walker, too, and look forward to writing her book.

One side character I’ve received a lot of feedback on is Megan. She’s young, snarky, and has a little subplot of her own. I had fun with her and she’ll definitely shows up again in the next book.

Hillary: Three Little Words is totally free on Amazon, y'all should get it. So - tell us more about YOU. Because you're awesome. For starters, you’ve got a number of direct references to classic Hollywood films in this novel, such as The African Queen and Bringing Up Baby. What are some of your favorite classic movies? How do you find they reflect in your work?


Melissa: This question is like catnip for me! My very favorite classic movies are rom-coms from the late 1930s and 1940s: His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, Holiday, My Man Godfrey…

Actually, click here to find my top ten picks. Oh and I adore What’s Up Doc so much that I have trouble talking about it with any semblance of level-headedness. That one is “newer,” though—from 1972. Gasp!

I think classic movies reflect in my work in a couple ways. Dialogue is the biggie. There’s just something about the dialogue in those Golden Era rom-coms…it’s snappy and witty and rhythmic in a way, so often, current movies aren’t. (Not that there isn’t some great dialogue in some current movies—it’s just not as prevalent. Mostly, I think, because Hollywood today leans toward “lowest common denominator” humor.) So I think you’ll see that kind of ping-pong dialogue in my books.

But also, I love how Golden Era Hollywood portrays romances. And I don’t even necessarily mean the morals of it, so much as the drawn-out depth of it. In movies today, people tend to just see each and boom, a conversation or two later, they’re ALL IN and desperate for each other. In the 1930s and 40s, they let us actually see romance develop—experience it right alongside the characters. It wasn’t as rushed or haphazard. I hope that’s reflected in my books.


Hillary: You’ve also got a number of references to Gilmore Girls in this book (Here to Stay, as well). What elements of Gilmore Girls do you enjoy mining the most?

Melissa: Dialogue. Small-town personality and charm. Side characters who are vivid enough that they don’t even feel like “side” characters.
And I have out-and-out “borrowed” from the show. In Here to Stay, I pulled heavily from the Dragonfly Inn and Lorelai’s ownership. In From the Start, I include a picnic basket auction and a “town meeting” scene. 

(Hillary interrupting: The town meeting scene is the best.)

Melissa: Sometimes I actually wonder if I take my GG influence too far in my own stories, but then I think, no, there’s something Easter egg-y and fun for people who are simultaneously readers of my books and also GG fans.

Hillary: What other TV shows or movies influence your work? What other ones do you look forward to referencing in the future?

Melissa: Fun question! There are small ways in which the TV show West Wing influenced my upcoming book—Like Never Before. Oh my goodness, writers need to watch that show. It’s soooo well-written.

I’d like to say 24 might be an upcoming influence, but I don’t see terrorist suspense in my immediate future. Still, it’s possible a Jack Bauer reference might show up.

But I have to say, it’s probably the classic movie thing that will most play into future books…at least at this point. And as you already know, someday…someday I will write the book I was always meant to write. A Golden Era Hollywood novel with dual storylines…someday…sigh…

Hillary: I hope so! I want to read that book! In the meantime, tell us about your next book – who are the main characters? What are do you like most about it?

Melissa: I love my next book! It’s called Like Never Before and it features Logan Walker, a former reporter turned political speechwriter (he’s a bit Sam Seaborn-ish, I will admit) and Amelia Bentley, a small-town newspaper reporter. What I love most is that I got to tie in some of my personal loves: newspaper reporting, Charles Lindbergh, and just a hint of mystery. Plus Logan Walker is adorable…in my admittedly very biased opinion.

Hillary: Seriously, I can't wait for that one. Thanks so much for the fabulous interview! Can't wait to have you back when Like Never Before comes out! 





Be sure to enter the giveaway below! Tell us in the comments what your favorite classic movie is, and why you love it.

And - if you're new to Melissa's books, her debut novel, Made to Last, is free across e-book platforms for a limited time!





↧

A Table by the Window E-Book Sale!

May 18, 2015, 11:42 am
$
0
0

For a limited time only, A Table by the Window is on e-book sale! This is a rare, rare thing, so if you've been wanting to start the Two Blue Doors Series, or if you want to get a friend hooked (yes, you can gift e-books!) this is the perfect time!

And the other three novels - can't say enough about them, either. It's a great way to stock up your e-reader for the summer! Click the graphic to purchase any of the four titles on the e-book platform of your choice.


↧

Summer Breeze

July 30, 2015, 12:32 pm
$
0
0

Does it feel like this summer is breezing by for you? It feels like it to me!

First, I'm working my way through book three of the Two Blue Doors series, Together at the Table. Not unlike it's predecessors, it's wiggly and squirmy and has thoughts. Yes, I do realize I described Shiloh as a puppy (really, Shiloh now).



Don't get me wrong - I think you guys will love it. But every time I try tackling it from a new spot, it slips around and insists on a different angle, a new approach. But it's getting there! And it's so swoony. I can't say that enough.

The closer I get to a deadline, the more I go looking for new music to enjoy while I work. Lately, I'm enjoying Vance Joy, Kodaline, and Melody Gardot.



We've had a few opportunities to get outside and enjoy the weather - this coastal hike in particular - but mostly it's been a working summer.



Secondly, I got to fly down to California to chat with the ladies at Walnut Creek Presbyterian. So much fun! I made Tarissa's Peach Cornbread and the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (for sixty, mind you), and they were so good!

Triple batch of cookie dough! Amazed that all but
the chips fit into the KitchenAid.
What else? We've been house shopping. I KNOW. It was something I was hoping we could put off longer, but plans shifted and we started looking for a home to call our own. Now, if you're not familiar with the area, the housing market in Portland is a contact sport. Several homes we've looked at have moved within hours.

It's exhausting - but also often funny. We've seen homes with ghastly color palettes (forest green carpet, metallic tangerine walls, purple walls, aqua walls - yes, that was all the same house. Same room, actually.), bathrooms with the toilet separated by swinging saloon doors, and a home with a freestanding, plug-in sauna in one of the guest rooms.

But there's time.

The month of August holds more adventures - and a few surprises. Stay tuned!


What about you? What's kept you moving this summer?

↧

My Local Flavor

August 1, 2015, 1:21 pm
$
0
0

Swing by Monday for the full reveal!




↧
↧

Eat Clean. Eat Fresh. Eat Local.

August 3, 2015, 1:01 pm
$
0
0




To celebrate the month of August and the recent release of Reservations for Two, my publisher and I are spending the month celebrating local flavors.

How do you join in? Snap a picture of celebrating fresh, local food (could be a recipe or a particularly lovely radish…be creative!). Post your photo to social media using #mylocalflavor and #ReservationsForTwo and you’ll be entered to win a Kitchenaid Mixer as well as a shot at one of 5 kitchen gift baskets put together by me! The gift baskets will include my favorite kitchen items, one of my favorite cookbooks and a copy of the book Reservations for Two.



Need help getting started? Find a list of seasonal produce in your area here. And if you still need inspiration, our Pinterest board is here for you—day or night.

Here's what I made today - a simple kale, fresh cherry, pistachio, and feta salad.


What you need: 

6-8 leaves of kale, torn into 1-2 inch pieces off of the stem
2 oz feta, crumbled
6-8 fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2 oz pistachios, shelled and chopped (make sure they're unsalted



And for the dressing:

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2-2 tablespoons oil (I prefer olive, avocado, or grapeseed)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons white vinegar, such as white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

How to mix it:

Whisk dressing ingredients together, or place in a small lidded container and shake well. Adjust sweetness or acidity to taste.

Toss all ingredients together, and enjoy! Happy eating!

**Update. So when I was posting earlier, it was a "get the blog live and jet out the door" kind of morning. So what I was going to say is that it was the Smitten Kitchen cookbook that got me hooked on kale salads. I know that kale is trendy. I also know that if you don't treat it right, kale tastes of sadness and self-loathing. But it doesn't have to! 

As Deb noted (in her very delicious kale salad with radishes, pecans, and dried cherries), if you pretend that kale is mesclun greens and add a honey mustard vinaigrette, cheese, fruit, and nuts, it's worth eating. 

The other thing I love about a kale salad is that it holds up. The leaves are so sturdy that you can make a large batch and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. I actually like a kale salad that's been in the fridge for at least 24 hours - the acidity of the vinegar breaks down the leaves a bit.

So I promise you - this goes on the list of "things to make because it's actually good, not just because it's good for you"!


Entries will be accepted through 11:59 PM on 8/31/2015. Winners will be announced via social media on 9/7/2015. Please allow 4-6 weeks for your prize to be delivered.
↧

Fresh Flavor Monday: Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

August 10, 2015, 6:20 pm
$
0
0



If you're looking for a satisfying dish with a lot of flavor but not a lot of effort, heirloom tomatoes are here for you! They're right in season at the moment, so check out your farmer's market and better-stocked grocery stores.

Heirloom tomatoes are varietals that have been passed down in a family for several generations. We're accustomed to tomatoes that are round and evenly colored. Heirlooms can be yellow, purple, red, and orange, They can be lumpy and asymmetrical - no two are identical.



They also can run more flavorful, with a nicely balanced acidity. They also tend to have more flesh and fewer seeds, which makes them perfect for a caprese salad.

The other key ingredient in a caprese salad is fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is sold either in sealed packages - not unlike your classic "string cheese" mozzarella - or in tubs with salted water.

The key to fresh mozzarella is moisture - it should be soft and creamy, with a bit of mozzarella's classic elasticity but overall much more fragile. The taste is mild, and a good bite of fresh mozzarella will have a long, flavorful finish.

Traditional mozzarella is made from the milk of water buffalo, but the more economic versions are made from cow's milk.

When I make caprese salads, I like to slice the tomato and arrange it on a plate or platter, depending on the size of the tomato. Sprinkle some salt over the top - this will help bring the flavors of the tomato forward.

Place slices of the fresh mozzarella over the tomatoes - feel free to be generous. Sprinkle a little more salt and freshly ground pepper over the top.

Take some fresh basil leaves (don't even think about using dried) and roll them up lengthwise before slicing them thin. Sprinkle (there's a lot of sprinkling in this recipe) the basil over the cheese and tomatoes.

Drizzle olive oil  over the cheese and tomatoes, followed by a full-flavored balsamic vinegar.

Serve and eat immediately. The salad is also delicious served on toasted ciabatta - just toast and throw a little more olive oil on the bread first.

What's your favorite simple salad? Let me know in the comments!

Have you entered to win one of the foodie gift baskets yet? Click here to find out how.




↧

Fresh Flavor Friday: Adventures in Gardening with Katherine Reay + Book Giveaway!

August 21, 2015, 1:52 pm
$
0
0
Hillary here - so delighted to have guest Katherine Reay to chat about her adventures in gardening!

My family loves food. When we lived in Ireland, another family and ours would get together and share a huge Sunday dinner – one that took hours to cook and an equally long time to enjoy. Now that we're back in the states, Sunday dinner remains one of our favorite family traditions. The menu varies – barbeque one week, Coq au Vin another and some multi-course Italian extravaganza at least monthly. We love the time together, searching for the menu, and the cooking. We endure the clean-up. In fact, when writing Lizzy and Jane, I tapped into this passion. Most of Lizzy’s food comes from family favorites.

But this summer we tried something new. We started our first garden. It was an amazing experience and changed the way we cook and even think about food. Last spring, we built our raised beds, filled them with buckets and buckets of dirt, planted the vegetables, cultivated and pruned them, and now we’re still harvesting the bounty.

There’s much to learn, but we’re pleased so far. Tomatoes are everywhere – one family does not need eight plants – and the zucchini tried to take over the world. Wilber (my name for the much anticipated ginormous pumpkin plant) was the only true disappointment – no pumpkins.

As the garden started to flourish, we found ourselves looking at our produce first rather than our recipe books. The food drove the decisions and we devised new ways to cook.


We devoured more fresh salads (even converted a kid to actually liking them), sautéed vegetables with new spices, and packed zucchini into practically every course – bread, risotto, as a “boat” for meatloaf and even shredded as pasta. It was an adventure – and not every meal a success. Warning: If you shred your zucchini too fine, you don’t get pasta strips; you get mush.

Summer is ending now and the garden will soon go dormant, but I expect much of what we learned will remain. We’ll look for fresh offerings, keep as close to local as possible and, come spring, start all over again. This time, I’m determined to solve the Wilber Situation.

One of our favorites this year was Stuffed Zucchini. This recipe is from Taste of Home. Happy Cooking!

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced – don’t touch your eyes.
1-1/4 cups soft bread crumbs – we made our own with GF bread
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes – we used fresh, 2 tbsp.
1 teaspoon dried basil – we used fresh from the garden, a full tbsp.
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped –
4 to 5 medium zucchini
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Photo Credit: Taste of Home
1. In a large bowl, combine first 11 ingredients and one can of the tomato sauce; mix well. Stir in tomatoes. Halve zucchini lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Fill with meat mixture; place in two 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each.

2. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with cheese during the last few minutes of baking.

Yield: 8-10 servings.


Hillary here - thanks for sharing, Katherine! And for readers, don't miss out on one of the gift baskets or grand KitchenAid Mixer Prize - click here for entry instructions! (It's easy, I promise!)

And because it's Friday and Sunny out but *not* 90+ degrees here in Portland, giving away two books today - a copy of Katherine's Lizzy and Jane and a copy of Reservations for Two. Use the form below to enter!




↧
Search

Fresh Flavor Sunday - Blackberry Banana Cake

August 30, 2015, 6:37 pm
$
0
0




It's been a summer of mood swings here in Portland - we've had very hot, very cool, and very stormy weather, as well as smoke from recent wildfires blanketing the valley.

So I haven't been as on-top of my blackberry picking as I have been in past years. We live near some wonderful walking paths, a lot of them lined with blackberry bushes, so I've been anxious to go out. Well, I finally got to it yesterday with my niece. We were fairly certain we'd get rained on, but this was a rare Pacific Northwest moment where the dark clouds blew away from us!

We had a good time, but didn't find the kind of volume I would have hoped for. A lot of the berries were either unripe, out of reach, or shrivelled on the vine. We hiked through some tall grass in hopes of finding better berries, but only found dried ones - and wound up covered in burrs for our trouble.

Seriously - it took about 45-minutes to comb and scissor all of them from Shiloh's legs, belly, chest, and ears. We're talking around a hundred burrs.

A not very focused picture of the blackberries.

However, the whole point of the excursion was not just to have berries, but to do something out of them. Because we didn't get a ton, I supplemented with some from my freezer and made a version of my favorite banana bread! Actually I usually call it a cake, because I bake it in a round Springform pan.

My nephew and I argued over its identity as a cake - the recipe it's based off of, the Cinnamon Banana Cake from Amber Rose's Bake, Love, Nourish, is called a cake. And it's got fruit in it. My nephew alleged that the fruit on the inside made it a pie. Cue more arguing.

Anywhoodle - here's the recipe:

~ Banana & Blackberry Cake ~

1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 stick plus one tablespoon (9 tablespoons total) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup honey
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, well-mashed
2 cups blackberries (I eyeballed this one)
1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste


Set the oven rack to the lower center and preheat to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch Springform pan by greasing and flouring it; if you’re using a glass and silicone pan, no need to prep.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the bananas, honey, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until well-blended but still slightly lumpy. Add most of the blackberries, and then pour into the pan. Dot remaining blackberries onto the top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake has pulled from the sides and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

So this was my version of enjoying local flavors this week! What was yours? The My Local Flavor promotion ends tomorrow - there's still time to enter! Just snap a pic of your local flavor, and share it with the tags #MyLocalFlavor and #ReservationsForTwo in order to be entered to win one of five gift baskets or a KitchenAid stand mixer! For full rules and details, click here.

↧
↧

Out of the Box

October 8, 2015, 8:55 pm
$
0
0
Hi friends!

I didn't mean for the blog to go dark through September, but that is (clearly) how it shook out. We made an offer on a house on my mom's birthday - August 5th, had it accepted on the 6th, and closed on the 11th of September. Danny and his older brother moved the heavy furniture over the weekend of the 18th, and we moved most everything else the weekend after.

We spent the next week making trips back and forth (about an hour each way, in traffic) to finish packing and some fairly intensive cleaning of our rental townhouse.

Those keys we happily relinquished on Sunday - we are now all in.

Cluttered, unpacked - but in.

Up next: I need to finish Together at the Table. Did some plotting with Katie Ganshert and Melissa Tagg, and let me tell you - I've got a slam-bang finish cooked up for you (high-fives if you recognize that movie quote).

Also, I'm teaching at Oregon Christian Writers' Fall One-Day Conference on the 17th. We'll be talking about character building! So if you write and you're within reasonable driving distance of PDX, swing by!

While I've been unpacking and cleaning, I've also been catching up with the new slate of Fall TV programming.

Doctor Who is at the top of the list with a bit of a character rewrite for the Doctor - much needed after last season. We've also started The Grinder and Quantico, as well as returned to Brooklyn 99. Not keeping up as much with Project Runway as I have in the past - even though the original iteration is leagues higher quality than All Stars, last season of All Stars broke me. So I'm periodically checking in with it, but forgetting to do so more often than not.

But really Doctor Who is quite interesting this season. One of these days I'll write a proper post about Who, but I have some boxes to unpack in the meantime.

I'm also reading Antoine Laurain's The Red Notebook, not quite into it yet? Book recommendations much appreciated!

What are you watching, reading, and eating these days? Let me know in the comments!
↧

Together at the Table: The Update

February 19, 2016, 1:32 pm
$
0
0

Galley edits are officially done! That means that after a few tweaks, it'll be off to print shortly. So excited to have that one on its way to shelves - it's been a long year of hard work. Wrapping up a three-book series, especially when it's sequential, is not easy. But the work paid off, and I love this book - I love the romances (yes, romances, plural), I love the food (the fresh pasta with beef ragu, seriously), I love the very final scene. I can't wait for readers to get their hands on it!



In other news, WaterBrook is giving away copies on Goodreads!


If you'd like to enter, click here, and if you want to add it to your shelf, click here.

Quick note: if you entered the giveaway earlier and noted the previous description, know that it was taken from a much earlier synopsis of the book, and it changed a TON by the end (which tends to happen). Like, I was on the phone with my agent at Panera shortly before the book was due, figuring out the end of the romance plotline (spoiler: there is romance).

What I can tell you is that if you love Caterina, you will love this book. And that this book is divided into two parts, and one gives more from Mireille, whose letters I fell in love with while writing Reservations for Two. So we connect the dots between the end of the letters and the life her family knew about, and it's surprising and lovely. I tell you, this book almost ended me but I love it so much!

In other news, if you don't follow along on Facebook or Instagram (and if you don't, you should), you haven't been subject to the flood of pictures of Sylvie.


Aka Sylvie Lou, aka Sylvie Lou Kazoo Who.

She and Shiloh continue to navigate their relationship, but when the going gets tough and the tough get baths, they are there for each other.

But aside from most of the usual puppy escapades, she's been an easy puppy and a perfect addition to the house. Also, she's starting to sleep in in the mornings. You must know how grateful I am.

So that's what's going on here! Putting Together to bed, getting my next project, Jane of Austin, off the ground, keeping the pups out of trouble and continuing to settle into the new house.

The Jane research has been lots of fun! I've got a compilation of her letters on its way, and I've really been enjoying What Matters in Jane Austen?The book really examines and parses the details and subtext that Austen employs in each novel, and after just a few pages I have an even stronger respect for Austen as an author and crafter of fiction. If you consider yourself a dyed-in-the-wool Austenite (you know who you are!), then I'd recommend getting your hands on a copy.

 That's it for me. What about you? What are you reading these days? Are you an Austen fan or prefer other classic authors - or modern writers only? Let me know in the comments!
↧

Coloring Books for Grown-ups: Five Picks

February 25, 2016, 1:50 pm
$
0
0

I love that coloring books for grown-ups is now a thing.



Really, really love. I hit a spot a couple years ago when I decided that I needed a coloring book, and Johanna Basford's books hadn't made it big, yet. 

So I started out with a set of entry-level pencils and a book of fairy tale illustrations geared toward children. And that was fine. But when Basford's books did start to get buzz on this side of the pond, I was totally on board.

I've got a collection of books, now, and while my time to sit can come and go, sometimes it's reassuring just to know they're there. Also, I've got a selection of Prismacolor, Caran d'Ache, Progresso, and Irojiten pencils to keep things bright and lively. Here are the books in my stash - 



Enchanted Forest: My gateway drug to the genre. I managed to get my hands on several copies at my local New Seasons, back when adult coloring books were just becoming a thing, and Johanna Basford’s books were sold out with most retailers.

Inside Imagery: Forests, flowers, some fairy-tale elements.



Color palate: I quickly got bored with the greens and browns that came with my original Prismacolor set. At my local art-supply store, I stocked up with shades like Moss Green and Mushroom, and that made it a lot more fun.



Paper stock: Nice and thick, though I do know there are reviews of people who wish it were thicker for pens. Basford addresses this on her website, though, and recommends her favorite pens. I have gotten some bleed-through just with pencils, though. 



Time to Complete a Page: Sharpen those pencils, there is a lot of detail work. Depending on how much time you spend on a section, you can easily find yourself devoting multiple evenings to a single page.




Secret Garden: It was on back-order for the longest time, but I was super happy when it showed up in my mailbox! If you like flowers, this one’s for you. 


Inside Imagery: Mainly flowers and foliage. 


Color Palate: More opportunities for color than in the Enchanted Forest book. But I was happy to add some carmine red, goldenrod, and pale blue to my color stash.



Time to Complete a Page/ Paper Stock: Same as Enchanted Garden. 




Whatever Is Lovely: WaterBrook’s first foray into coloring books is extremely pretty. There are quotes from scripture, hymns, and non-fiction authors written out in trendy calligraphy and surrounded by flowers or designs.



Inside Imagery: What’s interesting is that the book isn’t all by the same artist, so there’s a larger variety than in many books. Some feature larger designs that are faster to complete, others feature more intricate designs.



Because of the nature of the book, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. If I come to it feeling hopeful and peaceful, I enjoy the text. But if I come to it feeling frustrated and angsty? Some of them just won’t hit me right, especially the ones exhorting me to feel peaceful. I don’t turn to coloring for a spot of exhortation, I turn to it for distraction with colored pencils. But seriously, some of them will hit me differently on different days.





Update: I really want you to know I like this book a lot. I do. I reach for it often, and I think one of the reasons is that it's just so pretty. So as long as I'm not in a complete mood spiral, this one is at the top of the pile these days.

Color Palate: Bright and varied! You can really go to town with this one.

Paper Quality: High – it's actually a bit heavier than Enchanted Forest and Secret Garden. Also, opposite the pages are text explaining the quote, so if you have bleed-through, it’s not like you’re hitting another illustration on the opposite side.

Time to Complete a Page: Because you've got different illustrations from different artists, it's going to vary - and that's something I like. 


Secret Paris: This is my most recent and least explored acquisition! The artwork has a sketchier aesthetic than most of the available coloring books, making me wish that you could remove pages to watercolor over. They remind me of some of my grandmother’s pen and ink sketches, in the best way.

Color Palate: You may want to stock up on some neutrals for this one. 

Paper quality: The lightest weight of the bunch, but it’s not bad. I probably wouldn’t use markers on it at all.



Time to Complete a Page: Fairly long. The architectural ones less so, but the pages full of shoes, teapots, and pastries are pretty intricate.


Great Fairy Tale Illustrations: And this is my first coloring book! And you know? It's still great. 



Inside Imagery:Fairy Tales! And all kinds. So you've got your princesses, but you've also got your Goose Girls, mermaids, kings, and giants. And because each illustration is based on classic fairy tale illustrations by artists such as Kay Nielsen, Edmund Dulac, and Charles Folkard, you get a wide variety of styles. 

Color Palate:Everything! Lots of forests, so having a good selection of browns and greens is important. And there are people, so you'll want a nice variety of skin tone options. But if you want to color pretty clothes, this is your catnip.

Paper weight: heavier than typing paper, but not by much. What I did was scan the illustrations and print them out for my personal use, so that I don't biff the other pages while I work. 

Time to Complete a Page: Long - there's quite a lot of detail. But they're fun, and there's lots of room for interpretation.





What about you? Have you taken the coloring book plunge? What books and color mediums do you prefer?
What do you do to relax? Sound off in the comments!
↧

Off the Shelf: Liz Johnson & The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

March 7, 2016, 12:40 pm
$
0
0
So delighted to have a new installment of Off the Shelf for you today! Liz Johnson, author of The Red Door Inn, is stopping by today to share about her favorite book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's a novel that's been on my re-read list for quite some time, and Liz's blog is an eloquent reminder why. 


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - read it only if you 
want to be delighted.

A little over a year ago, I met the new girl at work. She was outgoing, funny, and loved books—maybe, almost as much as I do. We hit it off right away, and I knew we could be good friends.

And then we hit a bump in the road. During one of our countless book discussions, she confessed. She’d never read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer.



I repeat—a self-professed book lover had never read the most enchanting book of all time. She hadn’t even picked it up. (Of course, if she had picked it up, she absolutely would have finished it, because how could you not finish such an endearing book?) I wasn’t sure this budding friendship could withstand such a hiccup.

The Potato Peel Pie book, as I affectionately call it, is the book that I recommend to everyone I meet. I had the very good fortune of working for the publisher when the book was released in paperback, and I managed to end up with a hardcover and three paperbacks. And I’m proud that I’ve given away half of those. But I always like to keep at least two on hand. One to share and one because I never know when I’m going to feel the urge to curl up with it and a hot cup of chocolate on a cool winter night.


So, what is it about this book that’s so special, you ask? I’m glad you did.

First, it’s told entirely through letters. We’re first introduced to our heroine Juliet, as she’s corresponding with friends while hunting for the topic of her next book. She’s a writer, so I love her already. And the epistolary format allows us to hear the unique voices of each character—including the ones we’d rather not hear from at all. It’s 1946 when she receives a fan letter from the tiny island of Guernsey, one of two English islands that were occupied by the Germans during WWII.

Which leads us to the second reason this is such a special book. There are plenty of books out there about WWII, but this one looks at the war and the plight of people stuck in terrible situations from a whole new angle. The good people of Guernsey and the members of the aforementioned literary society share with Juliet stories of their beloved friend Elizabeth and the terrible toll the war has taken on them all. But also the hope that they discovered in the midst of the occupation.

That hope brings us to reason number three why I love this book so. Hope allows the book to be absolutely enchanting. Even in the midst of tears, I was so in love with the people who pepper the town. I was so beyond delighted with their joys and broken by their sorrows that I felt I knew them. Felt I belonged with them just as much as Juliet does.

Fourth, and finally, through it all blossoms the sweetest romance, one that had this particular reader cheering out loud in an airport upon my first reading. But the love story isn’t only between Juliet and her man. It’s also between the wild and witty cast of characters who find their way into the reader’s heart, who share life and love and loss and somehow bring it all back to hope.

Isle of Guernsey - read more here.

In the end, I think the book says it best itself. “Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” I count it as my duty to make sure this book finds its way into the hands of as many perfect readers as possible.

And I’m pleased to report that my friend took my suggestion, borrowed my book, and read the Potato Peel Pie book. And she was just as enchanted as I am. Friendship saved.

Have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society? How enchanting did you find it on a scale of one to dancing in the rain?


About Liz: By day Liz Johnson works as a marketing manager, and she makes time to write late at night. Liz is the author of nine novels—including her first contemporary romance, The Red Door Inn (Prince Edward Island Dreams, book 1)—and a New York Times bestselling novella. She makes her home in Nashville, where she enjoys exploring local music, theater, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories of true love filled with heart, humor, and happily ever afters. Connect with her at her website and Facebook page. 


About The Red Door Inn: Marie Carrington is broke, desperate, and hoping to find sanctuary on Prince Edward Island while decorating a renovated bed-and-breakfast. Seth Sloane moved three thousand miles to help restore his uncle's Victorian B and B--and to forget about the fiancée who broke his heart. He wasn't expecting to have to babysit a woman with a taste for expensive antiques and a bewildering habit of jumping every time he brushes past her.



The only thing Marie and Seth agree on is that getting the Red Door Inn ready to open in just two months will take everything they've got—and they have to find a way to work together. In the process, they may find something infinitely sweeter than they ever imagined on this island of dreams.


We're giving away a copy of The Red Door Inn! Log in and comment below to enter. Tell us - if you could go to any setting of a fictional book, from PEI to Merryton, where would you visit?


↧
↧

Writers' Round Table: What We Listen to, and Why

March 11, 2016, 7:00 am
$
0
0


Welcome to the first ever Writers' Round Table on this blog! I'm super excited about this post, and it's a feature I'll definitely want to do again.

It all started when I settled in to starting Jane of Austin and began scrounging about for new music before getting to work. That action sent me on a mental rabbit trail about writing and music and the interaction between the two.

And if it's a big deal, I knew it would be for other writers, too. So to chat about it today I've got a crackerjack group of super talented storytellers who know their way around a playlist! So settle in with a cup of tea - you might just find your next favorite song!



Hillary Manton Lodge: What do you listen to when you write?


Rachel McMillan: Everything. I am someone who has wide musical tastes so, seriously, anything from Corelli (I love the Baroque period) to the Hamilton soundtrack (Broadway + Hip Hop= awesome) to Billy Joel. I wrote a sequence where the characters are at a production of Marriage of Figaro so I had a lot of Mozart going on for that in Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder. While I was editing, I listened a really exceptional cast recording of the Titanic musical by Maury Yeston a lot. It was playing in Toronto while I was finishing up for my editing deadline and I saw it three times. That is how amazing the orchestration is! Yeston studied the music of the Edwardian period immensely while crafting his stage show so it draws authentically on musical styles of the time: from Edward Elgar to Vaughan Williams to Ragtime. That definitely helped embellish my Edwardian world.

Laurie Tomlinson: I alternate between instrumental nerd movie soundtracks and super mellow music that makes it easy to tune out the lyrics (i.e. City and Colour or Sleeping at Last). The low music of coffee shops also works really well, and Spotify has a channel going specifically for that kind of ambiance! 

Hillary: I’m all over the place. If it’s instrumental, then I tend to reach for soundtracks a lot. Right now I’m loving the soundtracks to Far From the Madding Crowd and A Little Chaos. But I listen to a lot of indie artists, too - Lucius, The Oh Hellos, The Lumineers, and Darlingside are favorites.


Courtney Walsh: I only listen to instrumental movie soundtracks when I write. My favorite is probably The Piano soundtrack by Michael Nyman, but I’m also a huge fan of James Horner, Thomas Newman and Michael Giacchino. I also find myself really enjoying anything by The Piano Guys and anything with a Celtic feeling to it as well as the music from Harry Potter and the Bourne movies. Sometimes, though, I have to close my eyes and just listen to the music...but if there are words, I skip the song. I can’t concentrate when there are lyrics.


Carla Laureano: Up until this point, I listened to instrumental or dance music while I wrote, depending on the mood of the story, and saved the vocals for editing, which is more of an analytical process for me than a creative one. Lately, though, I’ve been using brain.fm which uses embedded frequencies to help you focus - I was completely skeptical, but my productivity has doubled while using it, so I don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular music when first-drafting. That said, I usually pick a few albums that fit the mood of the entire book, and I’ll listen to them on the way back from school drop-off in order to get into the right frame of mind to write.


Karen Barnett: It really varies for me. Sometimes I stick to straight instrumentals so it’s less distracting - either film scores or instrumental hymns. Other times it’s romantic songs or worship music.

Hillary: Does it change according to your mood, your scene’s mood, or neither?

Rachel: Not really. I always have music going but it is never intentional. I will say that I am a little OCD so if a scene I am particularly fond of --or a memory stirs of a good writing bout ---and I associate it with music then I am most likely to try the same playlist again in hopes of finding some good luck.

Laurie: Rachel, I do that, too! I have a playlist for each book, the songs of which either match the mood of a scene or have fitting lyrics. While I can’t listen to it while writing, I do listen to it before writing to set up the scene in my mind.

Hillary: I’m more likely to make up a playlist for a mood than a book, but sometimes I’ll go looking for types of music in particular. The best I can explain it is music cravings - my brain needs something in particular but doesn’t always tell me what. When I was working in the historical scenes in Together at the Table, my brain really liked the soundtrack to Outlander.

But in general, I think my brain is super moody. When I was doing edits for Reservations for Two, I needed something energetic and really different. Sooo - bhangra music! I also reached for the adventure theme ("I am the Doctor", "Words Win Wars") from Doctor Who - if you need to feel cheered on by your music, it’s solid.


Courtney: Not really. I don’t find myself wanting to write action just because the music from The Bourne Identity suggests it, though I’m kind of wondering if I should try that. One thing I did do in my last book, Change of Heart, was to find a version of a song that played an important part in the hero/heroine’s story and listen to it while I was writing the scene where it would’ve been playing in the background. I do think that helped make that scene come to life for me.

Carla: I don’t change according to the scenes or my mood, but rather according to the kind of emotion I want to evoke in the overall book or something that brings to mind the setting. The last book I finished writing, Under Scottish Stars, had a bit of a feminist theme to it, so I found myself listening to Sia a lot. When I was writing my fantasy series, I listened to Irish/Scottish trad and fantasy soundtracks like The Lord of the Rings. Probably the biggest departure was my playlist while writing Jilted. To get the Caribbean/South American vibe, I listened to punta, reggae, and paranda on Pandora, which are way outside my usual musical choices.

Karen: I like what Hillary said - music cravings. I have one particular playlist on Amazon music that I’ve filled with songs that build up my confidence. I’m often riddled with anxiety when I’m writing a new book and these songs help me to remember that God is with me throughout the process. It includes songs like Lord I Need You, Voice of Truth, Oceans, Remind Me Who I Am, and others. I also have a series of stations on Pandora that fit the mood of particular scenes or books. Currently I’m writing a book set in the 1920s, so I’ve been listening to 20s jazz. I’ll switch to Pandora’s Film Scores station when I’m working on a suspenseful or action-driven scene.



Hillary: For those of you who listen strictly to instrumental music, why do you think that is?

Laurie: I’m no neuroscientist, but I think the super technical answer is that my muse can’t talk over any words in music :)

Hillary: That’s valid. I think my muse gets laryngitis on the regular.

Courtney: What is this muse of which you speak??  I can’t even listen to instrumental versions of songs I know because my mind sings the lyrics (loudly and with the gusto of a Tony-award winning actress.) I just cannot concentrate when there are words--drowns out my own words.

Carla: I am a neuroscientist...no, wait, I’m not, but I’m pretty sure Laurie’s super-technical answer is right. I can listen to music with vocals, but only if I’m so familiar with the albums that I can tune them out.

Karen: I can usually screen out lyrics after a while, so it’s not a problem for me.

Hillary: Are there songs or soundtracks you find yourself reaching for over and over? Any specific ones that only fit specific scenes?

Rachel: When I first heard Keane’s "Somewhere Only We Know" a billion years ago, it immediately brought to mind the Winter Garden Theatre: this amazingly intimate theatre atop a historic vaudeville space in Toronto. The Winter Garden is made to look like a forest: gorgeous leaves, trees, stars, embellished paintings and pastoral fire curtain and every time I hear that song I think of that theatre. It was a space I always intended to use in a book because I love it so much and it ended up being a perfect space for a few key moments in the Herringford and Watts series so I cannot separate those scenes from that song. (Also, it’s so cliché, I know. EVERY writer loves Keane).

Laurie: A nice mellow writing or editing song I come back to is “Your Hand in Mine” by Explosions in the Sky. 




Hillary: Rachel - I was going to say “I have never heard of Keane” and then the song got going on YouTube and I totally recognized it. But the thing with a lot of those borderline cliché songs is that they’re reached for often for a reason.

Laurie - I really like that! It was giving me major Friday Night Lights feels, and then I googled things and realized it’s because Explosions in the Sky did the score - that’s so cool!

I kept returning to the soundtrack for A Series of Unfortunate Events for a lot of Together at the Table. And Thomas Newman, in general, but the Unfortunate Events music was such an atmospheric and mysterious but also positive - "Drive Away" is the perfect sum-up track for that, for the experience of working through but coming out the other side. Both Events and Together are about problem solving and resilience, so it’s probably why I responded to the music the way I did. For a lot of the tough scenes, "The Letter that Never Came" is really bittersweet and fit with those feelings of conflict and loss. A Little Chaos’s "When You Are Strong Enough" enough hits the same tone, as well.

Courtney: I mentioned the soundtracks from The Piano (which is a movie I really did not like), Harry Potter and the Bourne movies but I also really love the music from Far and Away and oddly, The Incredibles. None of these necessarily suit my genre, but they make me happy. 

Carla: Borderline cliché songs are awesome. I think they resonate with so many people because they evoke recognizable and universal emotions. Yep, I will totally go for the contemporary emo pop when I’m writing emotional sections of the book. Give me OneRepublic or The Fray or anything with a properly emotive major-minor chord progression and I’m totally going to make you cry with that scene. 

Courtney, I can’t believe you didn’t like The Piano...but I agree with the soundtrack love. If you liked that, you would love the soundtrack from Far From the Madding Crowd. To me, it feels like The Piano crossed with the strings arrangements from the Twilight: Breaking Dawn score, which in my opinion were the best things about the movies.




Hillary: Twilight movies - come for the nonsensical plot and bad makeup, stay for the score.

Karen: I was listening to a lot of Owl City when I wrote my first novel, Mistaken. The clever lyrics reminded me of the goofy first-love feelings where everything is magical and awkward all at the same time. I still come back to those songs when I’m trying to write romantic scenes that occur early on in a story. Lines like these get my heart fluttering:

“The silence isn't so bad
'Till I look at my hands and feel sad
'Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly.” 
(Owl City, “Vanilla Twilight”)

And also sweet songs like “Honey and The Bee."


Hillary: What music would you tell your readers to listen to while reading your books?

Rachel: This is too hard because my tastes and my soundtrack are so eclectic. I will say that when I first got the idea, I holed up in a cafe I like for a weekend and white-boarded while listening to the Broadway cast of Newsies and of Ragtime. Ridiculous, I know. But Emma Goldman (a featured character in Ragtime) is now a featured character in A Lesson in Love and Murder so there’s that.




Hillary: I love that you listen to Broadway while writing, and added Emma Goldman.

When A Table by the Window released, I actually made a Spotify playlist for it. I love it - it’s a mix of very Portland-y indie picks mixed with French and Italian language songs mixed with some mid-century favorites. Looking at it again makes me want to make another list!

Courtney: Hillary, I LOVE French language songs. Now, that would certainly evoke a different mood!! For me, I’d say it would be best to listen to Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat, Norah Jones and a mix of love songs from Billie Holliday and Etta James. In Change of Heart, the song "The Very Thought of You" was one of the songs I worked into the story.



Karen: It’s been a little eerie, but each time one of my Golden Gate Chronicles books released, a worship song popped up with almost identical themes to the story. For the first book, Out of the Ruins, it was “Glorious Ruins” by Hillsong Worship. As I finished writing Beyond the Ashes, I started hearing “Broken Hallelujah.” Both of these songs have imagery that are perfect matches for those stories. The last book of the series, Through the Shadows, releases in May. God has yet to surprise me with the perfect song, but the hymn “Amazing Grace” plays a key role in the plot. Maybe sometime in the next two months someone will do a beautiful new rendition of this old hymn. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Hillary: What song/track do you keep coming back to?

Rachel: I do have a kind of emblematic song for Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder. The book has a romantic subplot but I just couldn’t get these two characters together. I really needed a reason for them to be together without falling into a puddle of saccharine. My hero is riddled with doubts about the whole thing. I had promised my agent I would have the draft of Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder at the beginning of May as publishers had already seen sample chapters! In mid- April, I was on a work trip to Thunder Bay: this very far Northern Ontario town. You take a tiny plane to get there. It’s not a happening spot in April and it was freezing and blizzardy and every evening after my meetings were done I would eat at the hotel restaurant trying to get some writing work in before the onslaught of meetings and presentations ebbed over again.

One night, notebook in hand, James Morrison’s You Give Me Something started playing and I had it: something nuanced and a bit of a challenge that would carry through the subsequent books in the series.. I found myself listening to that song a lot as I finished the manuscript. For a two-fold reason: it reminded me of that scene and propelled my fictional romance, sure, but also it emblemized the fact that the process of writing this world was making me fall in love with my city in a brand new way. The romances in my series are nothing without Toronto as a lead, romantic character.

So, thanks James Morrison.

Hillary: I love that story! I’m super obsessed with Lucius’s "How Loud Your Heart Gets". I’ve got, like, three different recordings, and if I found another I would pay money for it. Cold hard cash, no questions asked. My favorite is the Spotify Sessions version - it’s the closest to the version I heard live a couple summers ago.



The song is joyful and yearning and romantic and hopeful - I just love it so much. 

Courtney: The music from How to Train Your Dragon and UP come to mind... I love both of those. Animated movies have the best soundtracks!

Carla: I’ve ended up with an emblematic song for each of my MacDonald Family books. For Five Days in Skye, it was “Say (All I Need)” by OneRepublic. For London Tides it was Colbie Callait’s “Magic”, which really encapsulated my lead couple’s long history. (The iTunes Session version is particularly good.) Under Scottish Stars ended up being all about The Fray’s “Break Your Plans”. I’ve now made such good associations between the songs and the books that they’re inseparable in my mind - they get me every single time!





Laurie: When I’m trying to write a sweet first kiss scene between my hero and heroine but am not really feeling it because, well, I’ve been chasing children all day, nothing makes me feel all the feels like Ben Rector’s song, “When I’m With You.” I have a super cheesy and random playlist that also includes a little Elton John, Sleeping at Last, All-American Rejects, and other random artists - but it works!

Karen: This might make you laugh, but I’ve got two songs that get me past writer’s block. One is MercyMe’s “Word of God, Speak.” The very first line is “I'm finding myself at a loss for words, and the funny thing is, it's okay.” I think of it as an inside joke for writers, but it also reminds me that God is with me in the writing process. Another song that helps, but it a less spiritual way, is John Mayer’s “Say.” There’s something about hearing “Say what you need to say” about a hundred times to unclog the old writing pipes.

Hillary: Thank you guys so much for sharing! This was so much fun, and it’s added lots of ideas to my next writing playlist.

~ Round Table Guests ~



Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.

Laurie Tomlinson is an award-winning inspirational romance author and regular contributor to TheWritersAlleyBlog.com. She also runs a freelance copywriting, editing, and PR consulting business from her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, her books have received the Genesis Award twice and runner-up in the 2015 Lone Star Contest's Inspirational category.


Carla Laureanois the RITA Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.



Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theater director, and playwright. Change of Heart is her fifth novel and is set in the same town as Paper Hearts. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well as two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing and visual arts studio. They have three children.


Karen Barnett, author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken, lives in Oregon with her husband, two kids, and three mischievous dachshunds. When she's not writing, Karen enjoys binge-watching episodes of her favorite shows on Netflix and dragging her teenagers through dusty history museums. Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) honored her with the Writer of Promise Award in 2013 and a Cascade Award for her debut novel, Mistaken, in 2014. 
↧

Ray De Luca & Logan Walker Appreciation Post - with Rachel McMillan and Melissa Tagg

March 17, 2016, 3:00 am
$
0
0



Two of my VERY favorite people have fresh new novels, and there are some striking similarities.

If you follow either of them on social media (which you should, links below), you'll know that they have a lot of affection for their male protagonists. A lot. A lot of love. SO MUCH LOVE, YOU GUYS. So obviously, an interview was in order.

Hillary: Okay, clearly you both have a thing for reporters. Elaborate.



Rachel:For me, it seriously started with John Murphy from Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene. Before the internet and instant communication, their words informed what the public thought. They had the ability through word-smithing to influence public opinion. They’re also detectives. And I love detectives. Ray is a muckraker (a term coined by Theodore Roosevelt to refer to journalists who often went into dismal slums and conditions, institutions, prisons and the like to dig up dirt and muck). He pursues this type of journalism because he feels so strongly about social advocacy. That mission and that empathy to the lower class is a huge part of the series and he represents it so well. 

Melissa:Well, Logan is actually a former reporter turned political speechwriter, but he gets the chance to return to small-town reporting in Like Never Before. And he’s actually the second reporter I’ve written! I think the reason I love reporters is because, to me, the best ones aren’t just people who have a knack for words…but they’re people who know how to listen. Like, really listen. They sense and observe and capture and preserve humanity and all its stories. And really, that’s what I like best about Logan. Sure, he’s got a thing for the written word…but more than that, he has this way of seeing and hearing people that goes deeper…and I love him for it.


Hillary: You both have experience writing other male characters. So why do you get so five-alarm-gushy about these guys?  

Rachel: I never know what he is going to do! I try to outline and keep tabs on him, but he has really surprised me.   I also really love his tenacity.  English is his second language and he has basically mastered it –especially because he uses words to scrape a living. But he takes words a step further: wanting to write poetry, keeping a running lexicon of new and interesting words he hears in his journal. Mostly, I love that he is such an unexpected romantic lead: Jem thinks he’s handsome but I describe his features (other than his smile) as almost-handsome. He has a quirky temper and he isn’t the dashing prince that my heroine assumed would sweep her away when she was young. He can’t afford electricity and his bowler hat is a little worse for wear. Nonetheless, early readers have fallen for him!  And I am all: see! see! I get it!

Melissa:Logan is not an alpha hero. He is not the guy who swoops in with the quippy line and flirty exterior and charmingly cocky need to save the day. Nor is he kinda your typical broody hero, either. He’s just…softer. And maybe a little sadder. And because of that, he tugs on my heart…like, hard core! He has doubts, his faith is pretty foggy and he’s confused about what his life is supposed to look like when Like Never Before opens. To me, he’s just so relatable in that way. He doesn’t have these huge big epiphanies, and while he has dreams and hopes and goals, at the end of the day, he honestly, sincerely just wants to do the right thing…for himself, his family, especially his daughter. He’s just a good, good guy AND I LOVE HIM!!


Hillary: So. Hypothetically speaking, Ray/Logan takes you on a date...where do you go?  


Rachel:To a play! Or an opera!  Ray knows his way around the veins and arteries of the city: even how to sneak into its theatres.  We’d use the fire escape and settle amongst the ropes and pulleys and watch everything overhead. He’d have made a picnic of bread and lemon curd and wine and he’d find some amazing garden or moon-splattered courtyard that everyone else walks by but he has found some inner magic with.       (note for readers: I actually wouldn’t date Ray--- he was created for Jem but he is not my type. So, see: there *is* a difference between fiction and real life  ;) )


Melissa:(Unlike Rachel, I would date, marry and live a long happy life alongside Logan in a heartbeat.) Oh my gosh, he’d so totally recreate the date scene from Like Never Before—which takes place in a library after-hours. Because, I mean, dude…you sneak me into a library after-hours and you’ve pretty much earned my undying love and devotion. Another option: find a showing of His Girl Friday in a theater. No, better yet! Sneak into the library after-hours and use a projector to watch His Girl Friday on the wall. THERE! I have just crafted the most perfect date ever for myself. Real life men, please, take note…



Hillary: You can write a telegram to be delivered to Ray/Logan in their fictional world. The telegram reads: 

Rachel: I bet your poetry sounds better in your first language STOP nevertheless, I appreciate the effort STOP love, Rachel


Melissa:I will never get tired of your crooked tie STOP Never ever ever STOP love, Melissa



Hillary: Your heroine. Why is she the right girl for your hero?  

Rachel:I think the mushiest line in Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder is “when God made a Jem, He must have made a Ray.” On paper, they’re not suited for each other. He is a dirt poor Italian immigrant in a largely prejudice WASP society whose first loyalty is to his sister Viola and his little nephew. Jem is a well-bred lady primed for handsome suitors and social gatherings.   

But, at core they’re both hopeless romantics. They’re also both outliers who don’t really fit: Ray because he is relatively new to Toronto with no connections other than his sister, brother-in-law and nephew and in a profession that is viewed as the very lowest and Jem because she is “on the shelf”, cut off from her parents and living with Merinda Herringford as a trouser –wearing bachelor girl detective.  They both want to change the world starting with their city. Jem has the ideas Ray does but Ray has the voice and platform to do it.  I initially outlined a Police Constable interest for Jem and then I thought: no. This series is about turning expectations on its ear.  What is the suitor least likely to win the hand of a lady from a refined background?  And I got Ray. He symbolizes how her time with Merinda and her pursuit of justice has altered her ideals.

Melissa: Because she gets him out of his own head! Amelia brings out a side of Logan that’s been pretty much lost underneath his grief and overblown sense of responsibility. She gets him to think in possibilities instead of just practicalities. And really, I think more than anything, she just delights in him…she’s sorta idolized him from afar for a long time but as she actually gets to know him in Like Never Before, we see her completely and totally just delighting in him. Which, to me, is one of the happiest things in life—to delight in someone else, to know someone else delights in you--and it’s something Logan needs when his story opens.



Hillary: How is your hero similar to Melissa’s?

Rachel:Even while Logan pursues (unexpected) attachment to Amelia, he is still plagued by his past: his wife’s death and learning to raise his little daughter. Even as Ray pursues a new life in Canada, his past is always at his heels.  His abusive brother-in-law’s treatment of his sister makes it improbable for Ray to think about pursuing his own happiness. He is also devoted to his nephew, Luca, much in the same way Logan is devoted to Charlie and his own nieces and nephews.   

Logan sometimes wears a tie crookedly, Ray always has the two top buttons of his shirt collar undone (which is really quite rogue in Edwardian times).  I think a major similarity is how our heroines steal into their words.  Jem pilfers Ray’s journal to sneak into his thoughts secretly and Amelia gets Logan’s sister to send her Logan’s campaign speeches.   Logan takes the revelation that there is a second eyes on his speeches better than Ray takes to Jem having stolen his journal.   Mostly, they both sacrifice parts of themselves and their pride for the heroine’s sense of purpose. In each case, they stand on equal intellectual footing with the heroine.  They respect their heroines immensely and part of why Logan falls for Amelia and Ray falls for Jem is their strength.  (That and the fact that their heroines challenge them!)

Melissa: What Rachel said!



Hillary: Favourite moment the book?

Rachel: I find it nearly impossible to write a man who doesn’t have a sense of humor, so Ray has this sarcastic edge that I love. At one point, Ray is teasing Jem by flirting with her.  Seeing that she will melt the moment he lapses into Italian, he boasts that he has a perfect romantic line for her.  “Io ti preferisco in pantaloni” Jem has no idea what it means as he watches her drip into a puddle. But, it translates to “I prefer you in pants.”  And that, I think, summarizes the entire Jem and Ray relationship throughout the Herringford and Watts series.

Melissa:I can’t handle this question! I can’t pick a favorite! But okay, here’s one of my favorite exchanges in the book…Amelia is pestering Logan with questions about something fun he has planned. And he says…



“Again with the questions.”

“Just call me Barbara Walters.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I just kissed you, Amelia. And I’m pretty sure at some point tonight—possibly multiple points—I’d like to again. I’d rather not have the picture of you as an eighty-year-old in a pantsuit in my head when I do.”

“Fair enough.”


Hehehe…I just love it. And then what happens later in that scene….gah, it’s gooey and romancey and I will stop now…




Hillary: Only if you have to! Thanks for stopping by, you guys!
           



Seriously, check out Rachel McMillan's The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder, and Melissa Tagg's Like Never Before. Read them both, and check out their swoon factor!


Giveaway Embed Code:



↧
Search

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #24

April 21, 2016, 11:02 pm
$
0
0

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 33 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!



• The hunt BEGINS with Stop #1 at Lisa Bergren’s site.
• The hunt is BEST VIEWED using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer)
• It is open to INTERNATIONAL entrants.
• PRIZES include 3 sets of all 32 books, $500 in Amazon gift cards and many authors are offering additional prizes!
• There is NO RUSH to complete this hunt—you have ALL WEEKEND. So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books you might want to learn more about!
• Submit your ENTRY for the GRAND PRIZE at Stop #33 (back on Lisa’s site) by Monday night (4/25) at midnight mountain time.

Hillary here: My guest today is my friend Leslie Gould, a lovely author I've had the pleasure of knowing for years through Oregon Christian Writers. She's a top notch writer and teacher; we also occasionally run into each other at Target. Her latest release is Amish Sweethearts - isn't that cover adorable? Makes me miss autumn! 


Here's a brief summary - For years Zane Beck and his Amish neighbor Lila Lehman were the best of friends. But just as Zane gathered the courage to discover if their friendship could develop into something more, her controlling father arranged for her to be courted by their bishop's son. Zane, heartbroken and frustrated, joined the Army, running away from his shattered dreams.

The passing of time and the distance between Zane and Lila haven't been enough to halt their--now completely hidden--feelings for each other. Any hope for their love grows even more impossible though as Zane's service takes a dangerous turn when he's deployed to Afghanistan. Being on the frontline, confronted with the hard choices of war, has him questioning everything, including whether he can continue to serve or not. But all choices have consequences, and with Lila preparing to marry another, will these one-time sweethearts ever find the life together that they both still long for?
Today Leslie is sharing about the inspiration behind the book. Read on to find out more!


Three very different experiences that helped shape Amish Sweethearts

1. Several years ago I was in a shop in Nappanee, Indiana talking with an Englisch clerk about the Amish community in the area. She shared that when she was first married and then a young mom, her best friend was the Amish woman who lived next door. She went on to share details about the back-and-forth between the two families and how sad she was to move away after a few years. Oh, my goodness! Her story resonated with me, and my story generator started spinning!




2. That same year my husband, Peter, was in Afghanistan, commanding a field hospital. It was pretty surreal that I spent my days writing about non-resistant and pacifist people while he treated American, NATO, and Afghan soldiers, along with insurgents. (I also spent my days single parenting our teenage and young adult children!)



Almost every morning (for me, evening for him) Peter and I would SKYPE. On several occasions I could hear rockets exploding in the background. A couple of times he quickly said goodbye and ran out the door of his hooch, headed back to the hospital. I would spend the rest of my day imagining my story in Lancaster County and trying not to worry.


Overtime, I started thinking: what it would it be like if a military family moved next door to an Amish family? What if the women became best friends? And what would be the impact on the children from both families?


3. Sometime later, I was at a book signing in a mall in Vancouver, Washington when two sisters came in. One wore a Mennonite head covering. They chatted with me and soon revealed that they’d grown up Amish in Indiana, near Nappanee, close to where I’d visited. The sister who was Mennonite was visiting from Colorado, but the other one, Marietta Couch, lived nearby. Besides my fascination with the Amish, lol, we are both adoptive moms and also kindred spirits. Through the last few years, we’ve become close friends, and Marietta has definitely influenced my stories!


All three experiences came together and helped create the Neighbors of Lancaster County, a series about a military family who moves next door to an Amish family. Amish Sweethearts is the second of the three novels in the series. The story starts when the oldest boy from the military family and the oldest girl from the Amish family are grown. They won’t admit that they’ve fallen in love, but they have. Both try to deny it, leading Zane to join the Army and Lila to court the bishop’s son. You’ll have to read Amish Sweethearts to find out how their love is resolved!


Leslie Gould is the #1 bestselling and Christy Award winning author of twenty-two novels. She and her husband, Peter, are the revolving-door parents of four children and three cats. Visit her at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Hillary again: I love how seemingly disparate personal experiences can come together to form compelling stories. Thanks for stopping by, dear readers! 



Here’s the Stop #24 Skinny:


You can order Leslie’s book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD, Powell's Books, or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: to the person 

To continue, head to Stop #25, on Leslie Gould's site! 




But, wait, there's more!

I'm giving away copies of all three books in the Two Blue Doors series, including the almost-but-not-quite-on-shelves Together at the Table! I'm so excited to finally have the whole series out and about in the world, and trust me when I say they make for excellent (and delicious) binge-reading! Enter below to be eligible for the drawing. 






↧

Guest Q&A with Lisa Bogart!

April 26, 2016, 3:11 pm
$
0
0
Super excited to have Lisa Bogart on the blog today! Lisa is the author of Knit, Purl, Pray, a devotional geared towards creatives in general, knitters in particular.

I see you there, you yarn hoarder. You know who you are. May I assure you, this is your jam, and Lisa is our people.

I've invited Lisa to share more about Knit, Purl, Pray, as well as her new coloring book, Drawn from the Heart. Because YES she authored a coloring book too.



Hillary: Thanks so much for coming to the blog today! Tell us more about what inspired Knit, Purl, Pray. 

Lisa: Knitting is one of my favorite past times. I try to grab some quiet time with my needles everyday. Spending that much time with the hobby I love gives me a lot of time to think. Sometimes I think about work I’m avoiding like chores, but more often than not I think about my family and friends. I take time to pray for the people I love. It’s very quiet and relaxing.

Devotions are my favorite thing to write and I get the spark of an idea at any moment. But it really helps to get quiet then there is more chance for God to offer an ah-ha type thought to pop in my head. I know there are many other people who love to knit just as much as I do and who use their knitting as quiet time. So I thought it would be fun to
write some knit related devotions. The book grew from there.


Hillary: How did you get your start in art and graphic design?

 Lisa: I grew up in a crafty home. My mom was a kindergarten teacher before I was born so she wasn’t afraid to let us fingerpaint and create a mess! She also had a ceramic studio in the basement. My sister and I got to play with clay and paint a lot. And mom was always letting us try different arts and crafts. Paper mache, needlepoint, woodworking, lots of coloring and drawing and just plain goofying around with art supplies. We had a blast.


When I went to college it was without a major in mind or a plan. I took general studies. This meant I could take just about any class the university offered. I took a bunch of art classes and landed on being a graphic design major. This was decades before digital design. I learned to do things the old fashion with pens and xacto knives. When I got out of school I worked at a variety of small design studios. It was great fun.

I quit full time design work when my son was born. But I didn’t give up art. Now it was my turn to let my kidlet fingerpaint and not worry about the mess.


Hillary: What coloring books do you enjoy?

Lisa: I’m impressed by the variety of coloring books out there now. Some of them are so complicated they seem hard to color. I admire their artistic value but don’t want to add color. I like the old Altair Design books. They came out in the 70’s. I colored them over and over. I like them because the books have multiple pages of the same design. This meant I could try different color combinations and design ideas. And since they are geographic designs there are endless possibilities. Readers can see them here and here.


Hillary: What were your goals when you wrote and illustrated your own coloring book?


I had several goals with this book. First I wanted to have something for the reader to ponder while they became the artist coloring. They say coloring is a stress reliever and very calming. It is! I wanted to open up some room for an ah-ha moment for the reader. Another goal was to incorporate words in my artwork. I love letter-forms and hand-lettering. I liked the puzzle of making the quote I used for the devotion be an intricate part of the drawing to color. I also wanted to make sure there was enough to color in the drawing but not so difficult it was frustrating. That would take away from the desire to have some quiet time. Finally, for fun I wanted to see how many different styles of drawings I could do. You will find ones that look like stained glass, or needlepoint samplers, or puzzles, or hand-lettered advertisements. Getting all those goals and ideas in one book was a challenge I really enjoyed.



~ Geeky Knitting Questions ~

1. What projects do you gravitate towards? 

I like fine gauge things. So I make a fair number of socks. I also have started making more sweaters with sock yarn. Again, the fine gauge appeals to me.


2. What’s your favorite fiber to work with?

I’m a sucker for cashmere but my budget goes for alpaca blends.


3. Do you consider yourself a process or product knitter? 

Hmmm. I do love the process a whole lot, but producing a new sweater is VERY satisfying. I’m both, teehee!


4. Favorite pattern book/pattern writer? 

I have bought three kits now from Sunday Knits. Carol Sunday is a lovely thoughtful designer and her patterns are very well written. Shakespeare in Love was a cabled delight! I wear it with pride. You can see her site here.


Lisa is giving away a copy each of Knit, Purl, Pray and Drawn from the Heart! To enter, login to the Giveaway Tools form and leave a comment. 

Tell us - what's your creative passion? Are you a knitter? Coloring enthusiast? Miniature garden designer? Share below!



↧
↧

Together at the Table Release Day Cupcakes!

May 3, 2016, 6:00 am
$
0
0

Today is the day! Together at the Table is finally out in stores! It's been a long, long time coming (as several readers have enjoyed reminding me), but I'm so happy that Juliette and Mireille's stories are now out and about in the world.

So I'm celebrating, as I have with each book in the series, with a recipe and a giveaway! The recipe below has a slightly different name in the book - but I'll leave you to read and discover what it is. These cupcakes are extremely aromatic - not only is there a lot of vanilla, proportionately, but the orange blossom water in the frosting makes it extra special.




Look for orange blossom water at well-stocked grocery stores, often shelved with the drink mixers. You can find it on Amazon, too. The orange oil/orange extract will be in the baking section.


~ Orange Blossom Cupcakes for Two ~

For the Cupcakes:

1 egg white
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops orange oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt


For the Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1-2 tsp milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon orange blossom water
Edible flowers, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a six-cup muffin tin with two liners and fill the remaining cups with water.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, sugar, and milk. Stir in vanilla, orange oil, and melted butter. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, whisking until smooth. Pour in milk, and mix until just incorporated.

Carefully pour the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake the cakes for 12-15 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and turned gently golden. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, blend together all of the frosting ingredients, using an electric mixer. Add more milk if it feels too thick. Spoon into a plastic bag – a pastry bag or sandwich bag, both will do the job - and cut ½ inch off of one corner. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and top with the edible flowers. If edible flowers aren’t your thing, try candied orange peel or candied ginger.




To enter the giveaway, tell me what about Together at the Table you're most looking forward to!

Is it the romance? The mystery? The recipes? Quips between sisters? (All valid answers, by the by.)

Login to the form below to be eligible to enter! Giveaway ends May 10th.






↧

The Toast: A Nostalgia Tour

May 13, 2016, 6:39 pm
$
0
0


Founders Mallory Ortberg and Nicole Cliffe announced today that they're shuttering The Toast on July 1st.

I get it. I understand all of the reasoning, motivations. I understand the practicalities, I understand being creatively exhausted. Still? I'm heartbroken. The Toast featured some of the very best humor writing on the internet alongside think-pieces on faith, gender, and race. Also: Ayn Rand.

The good news is that the posts will remain online until the heat-death of the universe (their words), which means that you'll be able to mine the goodness forever.

So if you're new to The Toast, or want reminders of brighter days, here are some of my own favorites, in no particular order:



Alternatives to Writing Your Thesis

This could also have been titled "Alternatives to writing your book," and it is on-point.


All the Comments on Every Recipe Blog

THIS IS A TRUE THING.


How to Tell if You're in a Jane Austen Novel

Not the first in the series, but the first to go viral, and also the one that best shows that the comments - THE COMMENTS - on Toast boards are the best on the internet. That's probably one of the things I'm saddest to lose - the reminder that there is a place on the internet where  the faceless commenters are completely awesome. It also inspired this piece of joy from Rachel McMillan.


Men Who Have Finally 'Found Their Song' in Western Art History

This whole series is amazing, and I picked this one because, I don't know, it makes me think of That Thing You Do and that's never bad. Honestly, you'll experience museums differently after this. You'll start narrating paintings. It's awesome.


Two Medieval Monks Invent Art

Really, you guys. We've come a long way.


How I Pray

A beautiful, irreverent, and personal look at prayer from Nicole Cliffe.


The Convert Series: Leah Libresco

Mallory Ortberg interviews Leah Libresco about her conversion from atheism to Catholicism. It's a fascinating look at how and why people come to faith (and if you follow the series, all kinds of faith) as adults.


Loco Parentis: You Pretty Much Get It

This struck a chord with me, and a tour through the comments show that I'm not alone. New parent Aubrey Hirsch writes about her experience as a new parent, affirming those without children, sharing that having a child did not, in fact, rewrite her love experience. That people without children are still loving, whole beings. Lots of infertile women showed up to support each other and receive support in the comments. Aaaaannd now I'm getting teary all over again.


If Stanley Tucci Were Your Boyfriend

Probably the best in the "If X were your Y" series; but then, I really, really love Stanley Tucci.


Texts from the Dashwoods

If you haven't picked up Mallory Ortberg's Texts from Jane Eyre, you are missing out in a real and visceral way. Seriously. FOMO was inspired in response to that book. My mother may have stolen my copy (but then, I've moved so many times that the location of any of my books at any given time is a mystery. But that also means it's best time to steal a book, right?)


I Am Visiting Nicole Today And By The End of The Weekend Sansa Will Be Mine

Toast writer Jaya Saxena shares her devious plan to win the affections of Nicole Cliffe's puppy, Sansa. Be forewarned, having read this I have precautions in place to protect Shiloh and Sylvie. Speaking of dogs, here are Hamilton Lyrics To Sing To Your Dog.


Seriously. there is so much. There's a recipe for Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Pecan Babka that is a thing that I need. There's a list ofOwl Faces, In Order. There are valid notes on those Bleach Commercials. It's an embarrassment of riches, and it will be missed.



↧

All the Chocolate

May 17, 2016, 6:26 pm
$
0
0
The Chocolat Movie Night is just days away! Want to join in? Click here to check out the event. Hope to see you there!

Looking for something chocolate-y to enjoy during the party? I highly recommend these gluten-free chocolate crinkles, which I first shared on the blog in 2012. They're fudgey and amazing, with a deep chocolate flavor that will satisfy the truest chocolate craving. Also, they come together really easily!





~ Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkles ~

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided (I had mini chips and some leftover baking chocolate squares - technically, this is one of those recipes where if you have high-quality chocolate, you should use it, but if you don't, don't let it stop you)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.) Pull the eggs out of the fridge so they can achieve room-temp status.

2.) Preheat oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets (or one big one and one small one, which worked fine for me) with parchment paper.

3.) Melt 1 cup of the chocolate in a glass bowl/measuring cup in the microwave, heating it in 30-60 second bursts and stirring in between until smooth.

4.) Mix the cocoa powder, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl. Give it a stir.

4.) Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar until well incorporated (the original recipe says "until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme." What does that mean?? I didn't know exactly, though having cooked with marshmallow fluff over the weekend I have a better idea, but how exactly do marshmallow cream and marshmallow fluff differ? I do not know. I do know that I hate vague recipe instructions. So beat the stuff until it seems mixed up enough. This recipe seems pretty forgiving).

5.) With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients to the sugary egg whites, followed by the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate. (Note: I used my Kitchenaid whisk attachment for the egg white beating, but found the paddle attachment to be more effective for the rest of the ingredient mixing).

6.) Depending on where you live and the temperature of your home and the position of Mercury, the cookie dough will either be. 1.) stiff or 2.) runny like brownie batter. If it's the latter, just chill the batter in the fridge for 20 or so minutes - it'll firm right up.

7.) Place about 1/2 c. or so powdered sugar into a small bowl. With a tablespoon measure, scoop dough, roll it in your hands, and roll it in the powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet; give them a teeny smoosh onto the sheet, just so they don't roll all over the place when you move the sheet.

8.) Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed and crackled and set just enough to not make a mess.

Makes about 18.



↧
Viewing all 131 articles
Browse latest View live
More Pages to Explore .....
Search

Latest Images

Very Hungry Caterpillar™ Shirt: World of Eric Carle™+ Little Goodall by...

Very Hungry Caterpillar™ Shirt: World of Eric Carle™+ Little Goodall by...

April 14, 2024, 8:14 am
Have you seen Michael Wines? Burien man has been missing since Saturday,...

Have you seen Michael Wines? Burien man has been missing since Saturday,...

April 12, 2024, 3:59 pm
Stay Salty POTS Awareness Stretchy Stacking Bracelets | Set of Three|...

Stay Salty POTS Awareness Stretchy Stacking Bracelets | Set of Three|...

April 11, 2024, 5:27 pm
19 Reader-Favourite March Purchases — From Steals To Splurges

19 Reader-Favourite March Purchases — From Steals To Splurges

April 11, 2024, 5:07 am
Fake lip ring, silver lip ring, simple lip ring, unisex lip ring by AIRlab

Fake lip ring, silver lip ring, simple lip ring, unisex lip ring by AIRlab

April 9, 2024, 4:00 pm
People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

April 8, 2024, 1:08 pm
First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

April 8, 2024, 1:08 pm
People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

April 8, 2024, 1:08 pm
Highlights - Bringing young people to the forefront of EU policy making -...

Highlights - Bringing young people to the forefront of EU policy making -...

April 8, 2024, 8:41 am
People's Blog • Germany Bans the Number 44

People's Blog • Germany Bans the Number 44

April 8, 2024, 2:19 am