Because books + food = passion! In case you haven't noticed here on my blog, I love to bake and cook just about as much as I love to write. So I thought it would be fun to give away a Penzey's Spices gift set, a signed copy of my book, A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE, and a...
I have read every single Tony Hillerman book and, being raised in the Southwest, loved how he (and later his daughter Anne Hillerman) captured so beautifully the aura of the land and its people. When I heard Hearts of the Missing had won the Tony Hillerman Prize for...
Mike's time-travel novel, Here and Now and Then, is being released by Mira today, January 29, 2019, so this is a celebratory interview. Mike Chen is a lifelong writer. He has contributed to major geek websites (The Mary Sue, The Portalist, Tor), covered the NHL for...
What Doesn’t Kill You is Aimee Hix’s debut novel. She now has a second out in the same series (Willa Pennington, PI Mysteries), Dark Streets, Cold Suburbs, which I am eager to read. If you like strong female protagonists in detective/mystery series such as Sara...
Sadira Stone has been spinning steamy tales in her head since her first kiss. But it wasn’t until her 50s that she tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance and cozy mysteries from her home in Washington...
I was tempted to read this book by its title. Having lived abroad, I have fond memories of Europe and wanted to see if Blackwell’s writing lived up to my memories. The Lost Carousel of Provence is a complex book in multiple points of view in multiple settings and time...
Today's interviewee, Megan Collins, holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University. She has taught creative writing at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and Central Connecticut State University, and she is the managing editor of 3Elements Review....
Judith Leyster (1609-1660) was the first female painter admitted to the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke. After her death, her works were attributed to males, and she was essentially lost to the world of art history. A Light of Her Own, the debut novel of Carrie Callaghan,...
Kate Ryder writes romantic suspense in which her characters often face challenging situations laced with moral dilemma. An avid reader and writer since childhood, Kate always dreamed of being a novelist. However, on leaving school...
Click to Enter Just a quick update to let you know I'm doing a brand-new giveaway for 2019! One lucky winner will receive the following prize package: $20 Amazon gift cardA Freehand brand paint setOne signed copy of A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIREOne handmade, beaded velvet...
SS: Today, I have with me Anne Armistead, author of Dangerous Conjurings, which was released by Soul Mate Publishing on April 18, 2018. When she’s not wearing her story-telling hat as Anne Armistead, historical romance author, she’s Sandra Havriluk—English teacher,...
An interesting premise with a page-turning plot with multiple twists, superb world-building, an compelling protagonist who often acts in her own best interest because she’s a bit of a smart aleck, and a love interest who is as emotionally tormented as the protagonist all make this a good read.
This is called a large cake for a reason. Use your biggest bowl—this recipe barely fits in my Kitchen-Aide bowl. The cake is so good an ex-boyfriend, before we decided to not get hitched, wanted it for his groom's cake. Mom's Large Banana Nut Cake 3 cups sugar 1 cup...
These delicious cookies are the chocolate equivalent of those Mexican wedding cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar. The cookies themselves aren't terribly sweet, which compensates for the powdered sugar. For Christmas, just bake a double batch—you won't regret...
I have been baking the pound cake below sixty years. The recipe originally came from an elderly next-door neighbor in Midland, Texas. Her husband was in the posse that killed Bonnie and Clyde on May 23, 1935. It's so simple I don't even look at the recipe any...
Now thru Midnight/ET 12.22.18 Who's up for books, chocolate and coffee? The question should likely be, who ISN'T up for books, chocolate and coffee? Nobody here, I'm sure. 😉 I've decided to do an Icelandic-themed giveaway (jólabókaflóð), where the gift is...
Unlike last week's boozy fruitcake, this is a "white" fruitcake that can be made at the last minute. It is my grandmother's recipe. My handwritten cookbook shows I also made this one as a newly-wed living in Italy in December 1979, but I remember making it as a child...
With the holidays approaching, I thought I'd share some of my family's Christmas recipes. The first is from my mother. My hand-written recipe book shows I made it as a newly-wed in Italy in December 1979 and have made it most years since then. It's a boozy but...
Baci di Dama or Ladies’ Kisses Cookies (Italian Hazelnut Cookies) In my book A Different Kind of Fire, Francesco d'Este uses baci di dama in his attempts to seduce Ruby Schmidt. These rich, delicate cookies are joined in a kiss by a thin layer of chocolate. They first...
With Thanksgiving heralding the arrival of the December holidays, I'll remind readers that books make excellent holiday gifts. 🙂 Today I'm interviewing Meghan Scott Molin. Her book, a mystery named The Frame-up (Book 1 of the Golden Arrow Mysteries), will be released...
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