Review on: Who Do, Voodoo by Rochelle Staab

I've reviewed a fun mystery called Who Do, Voodoo by Rochelle Staab. This is her debut novel, so obviously I've never read anything by Ms. Staab before. Here's a bit about the book first. I've 'lifted' a blurb from Ms. Staab's website.

Blurb:

When Liz Cooper's friend Robin Bloom finds an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes it off as a prank. Robin refuses to ignore the omen—her late husband drew the same card, the three of swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident. As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is upping the ante.

Liz turns to her brother's ex-college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield. As Nick leads her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, she can't ignore their attraction to each other. Then a woman is found murdered and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz joins forces with Nick to unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from beyond—or risk being outwitted by a cunning killer...

I was pleasantly surprised by this first novel. Very fun mystery with lots of twists and turns. And the best thing of all, I hadn't figured out 'who' the culprit was until basically when it was revealed. One of my biggest pet peeves is a mystery that doesn't keep you guessing, and one that is predictable. I'm happy to say Ms. Staab not only kept me guessing, but it was far from predictable. If there was one draw back it was to much description. I am not a fan. But that's just me. I recommend that you pick Who Do, Voodoo up and enjoy!

I rate this 4 Dahlias.

Available at Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Review on: Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Once again I've read the great Ms. Roberts. And she always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat. Why can't I write like that? I wish I knew how she does it. I loved Chasing Fire, I didn't know much about fire jumping, but Ms. Roberts makes it interesting even as she tells a compelling story.

Here's the blurb (Again borrowed from her web site)

There's little as thrilling as firefighting-at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home-even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever-and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade.

Everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull-any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end-but if she doesn't find someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer. . .

Take about living on the edge. How do real people do it? The only complaint I have, once again, are that the characters do seem very similar to some of her other stories. But I still read them because I can't seem to get enough. I would recommend this to anyone who loves to read!

Nora is where I got the Black Dahlia from. Anyway I give it 4.5 Dahlia's!

Let me know how you like it!

December 26

Hope you've had a good holiday, winter season so far. Or in some places of the world, summer season. We had utter chaos yesterday for Christmas. The kids swooped in opened their presents in a frenzy and swooped back out again! Our kids are the best.

I received my pottery platter I'd been hinting about--apparently not well enough because my daughter in law had to call my friend who creates the pottery to find out what I wanted.

And not only that she had her make me two soup bowls with a U in them. Most of you know I'm a big University of Utah fan, so I love them.

In case you don't know her, Tiffinie Helmer of Hobble Creek Pottery

Another thing I'd like to share is what Santa brought my granddaughter. She's not quite 5 yet. My son is the motorcycle enthusiast, both street and dirt. And of course out of 7 grandkids 5 boys and 2 girls, he has the girls.

I hope the rest of your holiday season is safe and wonderful. Remember to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Click on the bag to the right for details!

Happy Holidays

I hope all of you, no matter what you celebrate whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, the winter solstice or nothing at all, just the season, have a wonderful day! May all your dreams come true in the new year. I hope you are blessed in the new year to come also. 

Thank you for all of your support!

 

Review on: Castle TV Series and Heat Wave by Richard Castle

What should I review first? Mmmm Decisions... First, who actually wrote the books? Richard Castle? Who is the real life author? Does anyone know, I checked Wikipedia and couldn't find out, what's up with that? So if you know, please tell us in a comment! I do know that the screenwriter of Castle is, Andrew W. Marlowe, but does he write the novels?

Let's go with Heat Wave By Richard Castle first.

Blurb: 

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. I couldn't reconcile Jameson Rook as Richard Castle, of course I know it's not really the same but it is. Odd though it sounds. Finally about midway through it began to get mildly entertaining to me. It was okay, not the greatest book, not the worst either. I most likely will NOT read the others.

I give Heat Wave 3 Dahlia's. It's okay to read.

On to Castle the TV Series. I absolutely love Nathan Fillion. The characters are great. Even my husband watches every week. And if my DVR messes up, Comcast watch out! No one messes with my Castle recording.

If you haven't seen it, it's Monday nights on ABC. Check your local listings for time. And if you have Comcast you can find it On Demand. I know so therefore I should never miss an episode.

I give Castle a HUGE 5, I need a 5.5 just for this.

Interview with Caroline Clemmons

Welcome everyone. Have you finished all your holiday shopping and other duties of the season? Settle in for a treat. Fill your plates with treats also--there are the usual hot drinks, so load up and find a seat. Today our guest is Caroline Clemmons, everyone say ‘hi’.

Mary: I’m glad you could join us today, Caroline. Could you please tell us a bit about you? (something not on your web site.

Caroline: My sweet husband has become a house-husband since he took early retirement, and he prepares our meals and takes care of all those annoying, time-consuming errands so I have more time to write.  You can easily understand why I call him Hero on my blog!

I love family history.  My brother and I have almost completed a book on our father’s Johnson/Johnston/Johnstone family and some allied lines. All that’s left before sending it to the publisher is proofreading and adding a gazillion photos. My daughter is arriving early for Christmas to help me proofread.

Mary: I see that you’re a fan of Nora’s (Nora Roberts). I am also, I have a picture someone took for me at RWA Nationals of the two of us together. She is my writer role model. So tell us a bit about what your favorite Nora books are. Which ones do you recommend.

Caroline:  My favorite of her series are the Chesapeake and Born In trilogies. My favorite of her stand- alone books is the one set in Montana about three half-sisters who inherit a ranch. I love almost everything she writes, but prefer those with suspense.

Mary: I agree, the Chesapeake series was awesome. I see that you write full time. What is a day in the life of Caroline Clemmons?

Caroline:  As if there’s a normal day! :-)  After a leisurely breakfast while my husband and I talk and watch the birds at our feeders, I check email. Then I write and/or promote for the rest of the day. Usually I skip lunch and we have an early dinner about five. After that, I often write more. I do love spending time with my Hero, so sometimes we watch a TV show or movie in the evening or just sit and read together.  But--as with everyone--life often turns my plans--and our lives--topsy-turvy.

Mary: And where can her fans find her? Web site? Blog? Social Networks?

Caroline: I post three times a week on my blog, A Writer’s Life, at http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com, where I have guest authors, interviews, book reviews, personal ramblings and an occasional book giveaway.
Website at www.carolineclemmons.com
Twitter: @CarolinClemmons (no E in Caroline)
Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, etc.
I’m also involved with team blogs:
On the 26th each month at http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com
On the 20th each month at http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com (American Victorian)

Everyone need a stretch? Fill up your plate with goodies, and warm your hands by the fire pit and then settle back in and we’ll continue.

Mary: If you weren’t writing, is there anything else you’d be?

Caroline: Of course, I’d still read a lot, probably much more than I do now. I’d probably paint in oils on canvas and I’d engage in amateur photography more than I do now. I enjoy those, but not as much as I love writing.

Mary: What holiday do you celebrate this time of year? Do you have traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation? If so, what are they?

Caroline:  We celebrate Christmas in a big, BIG way at our house! I love the anticipation, sounds, decorations, and celebrations of this time of year, and am always a bit sad when December 26th arrives. Our family tree looks forlorn with no gifts underneath, but we leave it up until at least 12th Night. As Beth Trissel said recently on her blog, “I always take the tree down before Easter, unless it’s early that year.” ;-) (Beth is such a wonderful writer and fun person.)

Family traditions handed down are the Scripture reading of the Christmas story from the Book of Luke on Christmas Eve before we pass out and open gifts. After TexMex, my husband reads the Nativity story, then we have a prayer thanking God for all He’s given us this year. Then our youngest daughter passes out gifts and we dig into our presents.  Then, there are more snacks.

Another handed down tradition is the special food we serve. My mom’s divinity fudge, my aunt’s chocolate fudge, the cookies our now-grown kids love: snickerdoodles, spritz, chocolate chip, and (Hero’s favorite) oatmeal. Due to our waistlines, we try to curb our love of these treats, so I don’t make as much of each as in the past.

Mary: Do you have any new ones you’ve created since your kids were born?

Caroline:  We’ve incorporated two new traditions regarding food. On Christmas Eve, we have TexMex (the favorite of everyone in our family). I grew up always having ham on Christmas Day. Our youngest is vegetarian and the other daughter doesn’t like turkey or ham. Since it’s just the four of us, on Christmas Day we take the easy road. We enjoy a lazy, late breakfast after we check out stockings. For a mid-afternoon dinner we buy Stouffer’s five-cheese lasagna and frozen cheesecake (both favorites of our daughters). No muss, no fuss, all day to enjoy one another.

A tradition our youngest started when she was about ten is surprises for Christmas stockings. When she learned I filled the stockings, she said that was unfair because I always knew what I was receiving in my stocking on Christmas morning. She began slipping a surprise into my stocking. Later, for fear her dad might have his feelings hurt (he wouldn’t have), she included him, then her sister. Now each of us puts a surprise in the stockings of the other three.  Nothing major, just a nice treat like a gift card or something else small.

Mary: You mentioned a recipe in a comment on my blog, can you share with us? I love recipes. If you read my blog you know that.

Caroline: Since I’ve slept since then, I don’t remember to which recipe I referred. ;-)  I think it was the following Sweet Potato Casserole, a truly yummy dish to go with any meat.  It’s from a friend who has since passed away, Doris Shelton. I am always asked for the recipe when I serve this dish or take it to a pot luck.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (I used canned--easier)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 stick margarine
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all together and pour into buttered 9 x 13  casserole and bake in 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with the following topping:

TOPPING
3/4 cups crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick margarine, melted

Combine these ingredients and pour over potatoes. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

Mary: Sounds very good! Thanks for sharing. Before you say ado, please give us a blurb of your latest release along with any buy links.

Caroline: Happy to! By the way, HOME, SWEET TEXAS HOME is available in print or e-book.

Courtney Madison has battled poverty her entire twenty-five years, but is determined to make a safe and happy home for her teenaged brother after the recent death of their mom. Her mom’s illness left Courtney with a mountain of hospital bills, her formerly sweet brother Jimmy is now cutting class and hanging with a rough crowd, and she’s just learned she’s being downsized in two weeks. Hanging on by the threads of a fraying rope, she learns she’s inherited two million dollars from a kind, elderly man she befriended when he was in the hospital across the hall from her mom. She thinks her inheritance in West Texas is the answer to all her prayers--but Courtney learns that, while money improves her life, it doesn’t guarantee happiness. This modern Cinderella encounters problems even a fairy godmother couldn’t imagine.

Rancher/entrepeneur Derek Corrigan has incredible instincts for flourishing in the business world. With women, not so much. In fact, his friends bemoan he’s King Midas where money is concerned, but his judgment of women is pathetic--evidenced by his late wife and now the flamboyant woman he’s been escorting. As far as Derek is concerned, all he wants is to be a good dad to his children Warren, aged 8, and Meg, aged 5. Derek suspects the worst of his new neighbor and vows to fight his attraction for her. The only way he can protect his children and himself is to keep his private life very private. Besides, he knows what women do to him--they always leave and take chunks of his heart with them. He's been there, done that, had the vaccination, and is cured. Isn't he?

Buy link www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html and also at Amazon, Digi-books, and other online stores.

Mary, thank you very much for letting me visit with your readers.  This has been a fun visit.

Thank you, Caroline, for joining us today. I’ve had a great time. I hope you drop by again.

Welcome back Regan!

It’s been a very busy December for me. I have had so many interesting and fun guests in the garden. And guess what? I have another guest. Regan Taylor, has visited before. And we always love having her, today we’re going to talk traditions and you may be surprised by what comes up. Pile your plate full and then find a seat. Don’t forget the holiday blog contest, if you haven’t heard about it you can check my web site.

Mary: Regan, can you tell us a little about your growing up years? Have you always lived in northern California?

Regan: No, actually I grew up on Long Island. I moved to California for college.

Mary: Do you celebrate the traditional Christmas holiday? If not, what do you celebrate, the winter solstice? Can you tell us your ritual?

Regan: I celebrate the winter solstice, Yule. It’s a pretty simple celebration where we have a yule log with three candles. For some pagans they represent Mother, Maiden and Crone. For me they represent Isis, Osiris and Horus. I also have two other candles, one for Bastet and another for Sekhmet. We light the candles, offer blessings, do some readings and end with cakes and ale. This year it is on December 22.

Mary: Can you explain to us a bit about the Solstice, I know it’s an astronomical event that happens twice a year, please correct me if I’m wrong.

Regan: Yes, it is an astronomical event but for us it is something more. For us it celebrates the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god, Cernunnos who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. For Isians it is the time we talk about the story of Isis and Osiris which dates back over 10,000 years. Some Isians believe it dates back over 20,000 years and elements of their story may seem familiar to others.

The Story of Isis and Osiris (from Egyptian Myths – see link below for the full story told with some wonderful drawings and complete descriptions)

Before Ra, who created earth, left the earth he knew that if the goddess Nut bore children, one of them would end his reign among men. So Ra laid a curse upon Nut - that she should not be able to bear any child upon any day in the year.

Full of sorrow, Nut went for help to Thoth, the thrice-great god of wisdom and magic and learning, Ra's son, who loved her. Thoth knew that the curse of Ra, once spoken, could never be recalled, but in his wisdom he found a way of escape. Thoth helped Nut to give birth to four children: Osiris, Horus, Set, Isis and Nephthys.
When Osiris was born many signs and wonders were seen and heard throughout the world. Most notable was the voice which came from the holiest shrine in the temple at Thebes on the Nile where it was proclaimed to all men that Osiris, the good and mighty king, was born to bring joy and peace to all the earth. When Osiris was grown up he married his sister Isis, a custom which the Pharaohs of Egypt followed ever after. And Set married Nephthys.

Osiris, went on to teach the people of Egypt how to live peacefully and happily together.
But evil Set envied Osiris and hated Isis. The more the people loved and praised Osiris, the more Set hated him; and the more good he did and the happier mankind became, the stronger grew Set's desire to kill his brother and rule in his place. Isis, however, was so full of wisdom and so watchful that Set made no attempt to seize the throne while she was watching over the land of Egypt. And when Osiris returned from his travels Seth was among the first to welcome him back and kneel in reverence before "the good god Pharaoh Osiris".
Bet Set was busy at work and with the help of seventy-two of his wicked friends Set obtained the exact measurements of the body of Osiris, and caused beautiful chest to be made that would fit only him. Then he held a feast to honor Osiris and then enticed his brother into the a coffin like box made exactly to Osiris’ measurements and proceeded to nail it shut and sealed every crack with molten lead, so that Osiris died. Set and his companions took the chest which held Osiris’ body and cast it into the Nile to be carried it out into the sea.

Meanwhile in Egypt Isis was in great fear. She had always known that Set was filled with evil and jealousy, but kindly Osiris would not believe in his brother's wickedness. But Isis knew as soon as her husband was dead, though no one told her, and fled into the marshes carrying their child Horus with her. She then went to seek Osiris’ body and finally found him, but he had been separated into thirteen parts. Out of her great love for her husband Isis reformed his body enabling him to rise from the dead. Through Isis’ magic Osiris was reborn.

Their full story can be found at: http://www.egyptianmyths.net/mythisis.htm

At this time of year, on Yule, we celebrate the rebirth of Osiris and the hope that comes with that transformation. We also honor Isis because it is through her great love we can be reborn. Being reborn doesn’t necessarily mean you have to die and return from the dead. It can be a fresh start, a new idea, a new direction or just a change in perception that makes our lives better.

Mary: Thanks Regan, that was a great history on the solstice. I love learning new things. Now I’m going to switch gears to writing. Can you share a blurb with us from your book, Her Eyes?

Regan:

What would you do to be with the one you love? Would you be willing to die and then find a way, any way possible, back to them?

When Frank White married Catherine he took to heart the words “for better or worse.” With Catherine he got the worst of the worse….or did he?

And if I might, please check out the Links page on my website where I have some information on organ donation and the amazing gift anyone can leave behind. http://regantaylor.com/Links.htm

Mary: And where can all your new fans find you? Web site, Twitter, Facebook, Blog and anywhere else you can think of.

Regan: Tweet me at: http://twitter.com/MsReganTaylor
My blog at http://regantaylor.blogspot.com

Thanks for joining us today, Regan. I’ve had a blast as always.

Thanks for having me Mary!  Love visiting the garden!

Review on: In Seconds by Brenda Novak

In September I reviewed the 1st book the Bulletproof series, Inside, you can read the review here. A couple of days ago I finished the 2nd book, In Seconds. Here's a blurb:

In the whole state of Montana, there's nowhere to hide. . . Laurel Hodges has changed her identity twice. She's been on the run for the past four years, trying to outdistance the men who blame her for the death of one of their own. She's finally found the peace and stability she needs, for herself and her two children, in the small town of Pineview, Montana. But just when she thinks they're safe — the nightmare starts all over again. The Crew, a ruthless prison gang with ties to Laurel's brother, will never forget and they'll never forgive. And now that they've finally found her again, they'll stop at nothing. It could all end in seconds. Only Sheriff Myles King stands between Laurel and the men who want her dead.

As always Brenda Novak delivers. Your on the edge of your seat waiting to turn the page. I would recommend that you read this. But first you want to read Inside, because this book will give you a bit of what happened to Virgil and Peyton, and if you loved those two as much as I did, then you want to know! Now I can't wait to read the 3rd in the series. In Close!

I give In Seconds 4.5 Dahlia's

Chat with you after I read the next!

Interview with Judy Baker

Good Morning everyone, today I’d like to welcome a very good friend of mine, Judy Baker. I met her a few years ago at Utah Romance Writers of America. I’ve enjoyed her friendship ever since. Everyone bundle up, it’s a bit cold in the garden. Help yourselves to treats as always. Don’t forget I’m having a Holiday Blog Contest, check my web site.

Mary: Thanks again, for visiting, I’m so excited I don’t know where to start. Tell us a bit about Judy. Where did you grow up, and how and when did you start writing?

Judy:  Mary, I’m thrilled to be here today. Thank you so much for having me.

I was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, and after graduating from college I accepted a teaching position in Nevada.  While there, and to my amazement, this southern girl fell in love with the West, met and married a cowboy. It wasn’t until we had our three children, and while working fulltime that I took a pencil in hand and wrote my first story.  I was so proud of myself because I had actually completed my story, and then, I boxed the 400 plus page manuscript away for fifteen years. As time moved on, so did my children, but my desire to write pushed me to dig out that completed novel from underneath the bed. Now my mind is still spinning with stories.  Check out my Christmas novels at my alter-ego website, Anna Sugg:  http://anna_sugg.coffeecup.com. Blurbs on my historical books can be found on http://judybaker.coffeecup.com.

Judy is a member of several writing groups and credits them with all that she has learned about writing and the many friends that she has made throughout the years.

Mary: Do you have holiday traditions? If so, can you share them with us?

Judy:  Yes, we have a couple of traditions. Christmas Day is spent with all my children and grandchildren. Part of their Christmas present is a prime rib dinner. My husband, Brett, cooks the best prime rib. We started this family Christmas dinner about fifteen years ago with the five of us and now totaling eleven, it’s a tradition that we all love. To set the Christmas atmosphere, there’s a formal table with china, crystal and candles, as well as Christmas music playing in the background. After dinner we open presents and take loads of pictures. This has become a magical evening for our entire family. It’s joy to see the excitement on my four grandkids’ faces when they arrived at Nana and Papa’s house for Christmas.

Our other tradition has been going on for over twenty years – Sherry’s Carrot Cake.  It’s amazing how a tradition happens – it creeps upon you and it a “tradition” without realizing.  For the holidays, we also have a cheeseball that no one wants to do without.  I would give you the recipe, but Brett adds his secret season concoction and would tell you what’s in it, but as he says, he’d have to kill you! Hmm, I could call it “BB’s Special Seasoning” and sell it for $2.00 a bottle. What do you think?

Mary: What is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood?

Judy: As a small child, we would go to my grandparents’ farm in Tennessee for Christmas. While there we would bundle up and walk through the woods, looking for the perfect Christmas tree. I can’t tell you how much fun it was, especially when the snow had fallen, which always brought to mind Robert Frost’s poem, “Stopping by on a Snowy Evening.”
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
My daddy would cut down the perfect tree, and we’d hurry to the farmhouse to decorate our special Christmas tree.

Everyone stand up and take a minute to replenish your plates, jump in place to warm up if needed. I’ll throw some logs on the fire.

Mary: Judy, do you have a favorite recipe you can share with us? (This is really for my benefit, I love new recipes)

Judy: Of course – Sherry’s Carrot Cake (the traditional dessert for our Christmas dinner)
  Sherry’s Carrot Cake
2 cups of sugar
1 ¼ cups of vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 ½ cups cake flour
2 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups finely shredded carrots
3 ½ cups black walnuts
Combined sugar, oil, egg (one at a time) Mix well after each egg
Stir in carrots
Add nuts
Sift together: flour, baking soda, cinnamon
Stir into mixture
Pour into 3 greased 9 inch round cake pans
Bake 30-35 minutes
Cool

Cake Icing
1 8oz package cream cheese – softened
1/4 cup butter – softened
1 lb box soft confection sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon lemon juice
Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth
Add sugar, gradually mixing
Stir in lemon and vanilla

Mary: A little bird told me something exciting is happening July 2012, can you share? Or is that a secret?

Judy: No secret, well, not exactly. I haven’t announced it at work yet. But, then again, I have been living two lives.  My work life and my writing life.  No one at work knows that I love to write romances, or that I’m published. Hence, my alter-ego, Anna Sugg.  There are some people that would not think it appropriate that I’m a romance novelist. It’s sad, but that’s life sometimes. I did blog about a Christian writing non-Christian novels at http://judyswriting.blopspot.com on July 1, 2011.  With that said, I’ll tell you that I’m so excited to move forward with my writing career once I retire. I won’t hold back on marketing my books at that point.

Mary: Where can all your new fans find you? Web site, Twitter, Facebook, Blog and anywhere else you can think of.

Judy: Websites:  http://judybaker.coffeecup.com this site is my historical site and has an excerpt for my work in progress which is an historical western, set in 1858 – I’m really enjoying writing this one and love the research.  You can also see my book cover and blurb for The Quartering Act with The Wild Rose Press.

My alter-ego, Anna Sugg website is http://anna_sugg.coffeecup.com

Twitter:  twitter.com/bakerbooknews
Facebook:  facebook.com/bakerbooknews

Blogs:  http://anna-sugg.blogspot.com; http://judyswriting.blogspot.com

Mary: Will you share a blurb from your latest book? And include a buy link too.

Judy: My latest books are part of Santa Series e-books:  Book two is Santa’s Secret Gift and book three, Mainland Santa.

   Santa’s Secret Gift
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006359FE8
Madison Sanford never dreamed a gift from a secret Santa could give her hope and a chance to take her daughter and run. Once safe in the arms of the sisters at St. Paul’s shelter, their new life melts into days of happiness, until her past catches up with her and her secret Santa shows up at the shelter, homeless. Now, to correct a malicious feat, she must leave the happy life behind and return to the man that could destroy her.

  Mainland Santa
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0063671S4
Dr. Brianna Sanford would miss the smell of the salty ocean air, the winter Hawaiian nights with their perfect conditions for stargazing, and the island’s constant eighty-two degree temperatures.
As her job at the prestigious Hawaiian hotel nears an end, Brianna meets Cagney Malloy. Since breaking off an engagement, Brianna Sanford has decided all men have only two things on their mind: sex and secrets. Cagney Malloy is no different. He has a secret. She wouldn’t care, except her feelings for the man had become more than she expected.

Thank you Mary, it’s been fun. I sincerely wish you, your family and your readers a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Thank you, Judy, for spending the day with us. I had a blast!

Review on: Christmas in Cold Creek by RaeAnne Thayne

As you know, RaeAnne Thayne is one of my auto buys, so naturally she's one of my Fav's. And I love to read Christmas stories around the holidays. Duh who doesn't right? Well RaeAnne has one Christmas in Cold Creek. I remember Trace from A Cold Creek Baby. I have no idea why I didn't review it, but I loved it and wanted to hear more about Trace. WELL I got my wish!

Blurb: Christmas in Cold Creek
She claimed to be a waitress and a single mother, but Rebecca Parsons doesn’t look like any hash-slinger Pine Gulch Police Chief Trace Bowman has ever seen. And she doesn’t seem particularly maternal toward her little girl, either. Still, one look in her vulnerable green eyes and his protective instincts go into overdrive. Attention from local law enforcement is the last thing Becca needs. She’ll do anything to protect her little sister Gabi from their con-artist mother, even lie about their identities. When Trace shows up at their house carrying a Christmas tree and stirring desires she can’t afford to indulge, she longs to surrender to the magic of the season with him. But Becca’s past is catching up—fast. Can her sexy police chief perform a Christmas miracle?”

When this ended I pouted for a few days. I also read until about 3am to finish it because I couldn't put it down, and I had work the next day. I think I was a zombie all day. I wanted it to go on and on. I wanted to find out what happened with Gabi the next day. This is so hard not to give anything away. So you just have to read it!

I give Christmas in Cold Creek 5 Dahlia's!

If you read it, please let me know how you like it!

Interview with Tammy Dennings Maggy

Welcome to my garden, Tammy. It’s the holiday season and I’ve planned accordingly. Please have some holiday treats and don’t forget the wassail, it’s nice an warm. From now until January 1st anyone who is a guest on my blog or comments has their name placed into a drawing for a book bag filled with goodies, click here for the details. Without further ado, please say ‘hi’ to Tammy Dennings Maggy.

Mary: As I always do, I look over my guests web site before I begin the interview. And my biggest question is, how did you go from Veterinarian to writer? Do you use your background with healing animals for your stories?

Tammy: Thank you for having me today, Mary. I've never had wassail and this takes fantastic! Definitely my kind of drink, mmmm.   I've always been a writer, just too scared to send anything in to a publisher until this year.  Becoming a veterinarian was a childhood dream of mine and now that I've accomplished that, I thought it was time to explore my other passion.  With this series, I am actually incorporating a lot of my life as a veterinarian and as an over 40 woman who finally finds her happily ever after.  Having the medical background, I can make those scenes believable for my characters and for the readers.

Mary: I know I jumped ahead a bit, so let’s back track. Tell us a bit about Tammy, where you call home, etc.

Tammy:  I live in the San Francisco Bay area of California, but home for me will always be Michigan.  That is where my family all reside and where I grew up.  Those midwestern values are ingrained in me and are a huge part of who I am as a person and as a woman.  That's why I made several of my characters from Michigan.   I love to cook, bake, knit and crochet.  I guess I am what you would call a modern day nurturer.

But I have to say, living in the Western part of the United States also has it's advantages and quite a bit of material for my writing.  There is Disneyland and Las Vegas too.  Two more of my favorite places on earth and that I write about.  Those places play very big rolls in my own fantasies and I get to share them with the world.  What more can a girl ask for?

Mary: OH! One of my favorite place, San Fran! Do you celebrate the holiday’s, or maybe I should say what holiday do you celebrate? What are your traditions? We’d love for you to share your favorite holiday recipe. (I love recipes.)

Tammy: My family is filled with just about every religion so the traditions are many.  Growing up we always celebrated the holidays big with family gatherings and food...lots of food!  Shopping and preparing for those events sometimes weeks in advance is just as fun as the day itself.  I learned to put a bit of me into all of my preparations so that the day would be special for my family, so that we could feel the love in each decoration and item on the menu.

I've rediscovered my own faith as a Wiccan so the holidays have become even more special for me.  Having a soul mate who supports me in this has been the best blessing.  This will be my first Yule celebration and I am going all out.  With my boyfriend's Irish Catholic background and Druid beliefs we are going to have a very ecclectic house filled with fun and love.

One of my favorite recipes is one that has been passed down from my Grandpa Fila.  He loved Harvey Wallbanger cakes and basically tweaked a couple differerent recipes.  There are several online but this is the one that I follow.

Harvey Wallbanger Cake
 1 box Yellow Cake mix (such as Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker)
 1 small box of vanilla instant pudding
 1 cup vegetable oil/salad oil
 5 eggs
 1/4 cup vodka
 1/4 cup Galliano
 3/4 cup unsweetened orange juice (any brand will do)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
 Grease and flour a bunt or Angel food pan
 Mix together all of the ingredients until well blended, then pour into the pan.
 Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
 While still hot, turn the cake out onto a platter, completely cover and pack in powdered sugar.  Seal up the entire thing for at least 24 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, remove the wrapping and cut the cake into the size slices you wish.  Most of the powdered sugar will be hard rocks and will fall away from the cake easily.  When I was a kid we used to fight over these sugar pieces!  The cake is super moist and full of flavor.  Enjoy!

That sounds delicious, now everyone is hungry so I think it's time for a bit of a stretch. While you're at it, fill up your plates and glasses. I hope everyone is enjoying Tammy’s tale.

Mary: Welcome back everyone. Wiccan, huh? Another time and another interview I think. Another tidbit I found on Tammy’s web site, she’s a poet. Where does that fit in? And can you share some with us?

Tammy:  Poetry helps me express me feelings at any given point in my life.  I've written about love and loss, pain and suffering and a fantasy poem that is the inspiration for another series I am writing.  People have told me that I have conveyed exactly how they've felt in the same situations as I have gone through.  They've thanked me for putting their feelings into words. I think that's the biggest compliment anyone could ever give to me.  The poem I want to share with you today is the inspiration for the second book in my Now and Forever series.

My Love, My Friend
Moving through the years with blinders on.
One track and one goal in mind:
Be the Best in school.
Be the Best and excel in my career.
But in the end these things were achieved alone.
No one to share it with
No one to stand by my side.
No one to call my love, my friend.

Pictures hold precious memories of a love unrequited.
Feelings unreturned and gone unnoticed;
Never confessed to my love, my friend.

Heart and Soul kept locked tight
Behind thick walls of pain and sadness.
Bound by chains of self doubt;
Barricaded behind steel doors of shyness and loneliness.
Terrified of rejection from my love, my friend.

The years fly by.
Lovers come and go.
But none were ever allowed
Completely through all of the defenses
Guarding my secret:
The identity of my love, my friend.

One day we meet again.
Time stands still.
Talk comes with ease.
Secrets shared, pain and hurt confessed.
Forever enduring love finally proclaimed
To my love, my friend.

Could it be true?
He feels the same?
Could we try to see if the fantasy could be our reality?
All signs from our past and present
Point us in that direction…
But will he hold true?
Will he really be my love, my friend?

His heart is torn.
Stay with the life and “love” he knows
And the empty comfort she offers,
Or try something new.
Something he thought was lost
And never could be.
Will I lose him once again…
My love, my friend?

Time will tell and heal all wounds
Laid bare by his rejection.
The feelings get locked away once again.
The walls go back up;
The pieces of my broken heart find each other
And repair ever so slowly and grieve
For my love, my friend.

Our lives move forward.
Messages still sent to each  other.
Wishing to be together;
Unable to break free…
At least not yet.
False promises of love and life changes
Hold him in place.
He knows it will fail,
But is more afraid of rejection from a love
So long endured and cherished.

Afraid to take the chance
That true love will win.
Afraid he doesn’t deserve it.
Afraid he cannot live up to it.
So he settles for the pain he knows
Until the day he realizes he is worth it.
He is special;
He has always lived up to the fantasy.
He is and has always been
My love, my friend.

©Tammy Dennings Maggy
11/09/2010
Days Inn
Detroit Metro Airport

Mary: Very nice! Tammy now that everyone has met you, they’re going to want to be able to find you and your books. Do you have a web site? Twitter? Blog? Or Facebook? Please share.

Tammy: I have two blogs  Behind Closed Doors is also my main web page          http://authortammydenningsmaggy.wordpress.com/
Not Enough Time in the Day http://tammydenningsmaggy.blogspot.com/
Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/Author.TammyDenningsMaggy
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/dochappycamper

Mary: Please give us a blurb for your newest book, and buy links if you have them.

Tammy: 

Quinn Lee Hollis is a forty-three-year-old veterinary surgeon who has reached a crossroads in her life. Stuck in a loveless and emotionally abusive marriage, she decides that she has had enough and vows to cut loose and enjoy herself in Las Vegas with her sister.

There she meets and falls in love with two men. Both bring out the fire and passion in her that she has longed for her whole life. Steve Eischer is a Vegas tycoon who wants to fulfill her every fantasy, and Jake Hartley is a classic bad boy who awakens desire in her so strong that it nearly destroys her.

Both Steve and Jake have claims on her heart, but only one can share a connection so strong that nothing can keep them apart
Siren Bookstrand
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Thank you, Tammy, for sharing the day with us.

Thank you for having me!

Lindsay Downs is back in the Garden

Good Morning! It’s a new day, a new interview! Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay welcome back to the garden. One of my favorite guests. Thanks for agreeing! Everyone pile on the food—I say as I watch ever calorie I take in—you guys eat it all I won’t be tempted. Don’t forget to comment, I have a holiday blog contest going strong. Check the details on my web site.

Mary: So Lindsay, when you were a small one, what was your favorite holiday tradition? And what is the one tradition you’ve let go of and you regret?

Lindsay: My favorite holiday tradition, my parents let us kids open one, and only one, present of our choice before going to bed. First though we had to put up our stockings for Santa to fill and make sure there were cookies and milk for him.

Over the years I’ve developed my own holiday tradition, giving back to the community. To learn more about that please stop back to http://breaessex.blogspot.com.

Mary: Okay to be honest, I’ve had you as a guest so many times I’m trying to remember what I’ve asked you in the past so I won’t repeat myself. However, I just hopped over to you web site, and remembered you have a new Christmas book coming out. SOOOO.. Please share a blurb and a buy link from your new book.

Lindsay: Blurb: When a call for paws goes out, five friends bring their collies without question to a friend’s house. They learn the collies are needed to help seven children with the grief of losing a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. Now, with seven friends, four collie yearlings and their mother, they set out to help the children
Not far away a mother hopefully leads her seven puppies to safety from a man intent on selling them for illicit purposes.
By a miracle of fate the two mother collies find each other right before the man sells the puppies.
That Christmas morning will be one the children will remember all their lives and they are united with the puppies.

LINKS FOR A DOG GONE CHRISTMAS

To request an autograph on your kindle (my author page)
http://kindlegraph.com/authors/ldowns2966

Buy links for A Dog Gone Christmas

Astraea Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance 

Let’s all stand up and dance naked in the snow. Just kidding. It’s a bit cold so why don’t you all warm up your drinks and grab some more snacks.

Mary: What inspired you to write this story?

Lindsay: For those who don’t know or aren’t aware, the original Kebi was a rescue collie. The original plan was to have Kebi, the fictional character, and her first litter, with partners, get together for the holidays. Somehow they would find and rescue a group of puppies and their mother. Then I thought about the children who won’t be seeing or talking with their deployed, in Iraq or Afghanistan, parent because said parent had been killed. These children suffer as much, if not more, than we know or are aware.
One of the many talents the original Kebi had was that of a therapy dog so I thought it would be an interesting idea to have the collies do just that to a group of very young children. And as typical with me I had no idea what was going to happen when.

Mary: And now please tell all the new people who are reading this where to find you. Web site, Facebook, Twitter, blog and anywhere else you can think of.

Lindsay: I would also like to point out that for every copy of the book sold I’ll be making a donation to the collie rescue groups where I found my Kebi.
Murders and Mysteries
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
LinkedIn

Thanks Lindsay for visiting us again. You’re always a welcome guest.

Traditions

Traditions. This month is all about traditions, anyway it is to me. I love the holidays when it snows and your mom fills the kitchen with the smell of vanilla. As you can see I have a holiday blog contest going check out the details here.

I'd love to hear what your traditions are!

One of our traditions is Candied Yams. This year at Thanksgiving, I added a twist--well I didn't dare cut out the candied ones or my kids would never forgive me. So I had two dishes. Traditional and Jamaica Yams. I thought I'd share the recipes.

Candied Yams -- Too many calories to count.
4 large yams cleaned, peeled an sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 bag of miniature marshmallows
 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
dash of cinnamon
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place a row of sliced yams on the bottom of an oven safe baking dish. Put bits of butter over them, sprinkle with brown sugar and add a row of marshmallows. Repeat until the dish is filled. sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for an hour.

Jamaican Yams 
4 Yams cleaned, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Canola butter
1 1/2 tsp Jamaican spice
Add a row of yams to the bottom of a oven safe baking dish, then add some low cal butter and sprinkle with Jamaican spice, then repeat until dish is full.
Spice:
1/8 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/8 tsp Clove (Ground)
1/2 tsp Ground Chili's
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder.
Use mortar and pestle to grind until powdering.
After sprinkling you should have some left. Great rubbed into pork and then grilled.

Remember to comment for a chance to win! Happy holidays.

Interview with Carla Angela

Welcome to the garden today. I must admit I didn’t have a clue that there were so many of my author mates over on Siren-BookStrand who live in Australia. The one place I’ve wanted to go since I was old enough to travel. Anyway, you know the drill, fill your plate with goodies and pour your favorite beverage then find a seat. Don’t forget about my Holiday Blog Contest, click here for details.

Everyone welcome my guest today, Carla Angela.

Mary: So if I say, Good Day Carla, is that lame? Yeah I thought so. Please tell us a bit about your background, where you group, etc.

Carla: Haha, saying G’day is perfectly fine! I’m more of a “hi/hello” kind of Aussie, but there are definitely those crocodile-wrangling types out in the Outback, who would use the Down Under greeting. Oh, and Russell Crowe lookalikes, I’m sure!

Beautiful garden, by the way! My mum’s a green thumb and she’d be very impressed.

My background’s in journalism, though since about the age of five I’ve had a not-so-secret yearning to pen novels (yep, I’m one of those pesky people whose dreamed about it since Day Dot and has bored my loved ones to tears about it!) I’m a member of various writers’ groups now… they help me feel a little less mad, and are more willing to listen ha.

Mary: Don't be too impressed with the garden, well that I had anything to do with it. My picture was taken at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City, UT. Oh and I think Russell Crowe is HOT!

Do you celebrate the Christmas holidays in Australia? And if so, is it the same as in the US? Can you tell us your holiday traditions, if not Christmas whatever holiday you do celebrate?

Carla: Yes, Christmas is a big tradition Down Under, provided you are, of course, Christian. The Adelaide Christmas Pageant is like the starter pistol for the festive season here. It’s said to be the largest event of its kind in the world (reportedly inspired by the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade). Think floats, bands, clowns, dancing groups, and walking performers, all culminating in the arrival of the man himself: Father Christmas. When it kicks off in late November, it gives everyone the green light to suddenly adorn their houses with Christmas lights, put up their Christmas trees, and join the mad rush to buy festive gifts.

I imagine Christmas celebrations in Oz are fairly similar to the US – except for one biggie: it’s summer time here. So there’s less of the roasts and puddings on the menu and more of the salads, seafood and barbecued meat! Oh, and we might hit the beach afterwards to work off all our feasting, and not the ice rink.

Like many Aussies, I tend to spend my day going between the houses of my family and that of my hubby’s. And then wind up on the couch at night with a full belly, making a resolution to cut down on my calorie intake in the New Year (and failing by Jan 2)!

Mary: Do you have a favorite holiday—or non-holiday—recipe you can share with us?

Carla: Gosh, my hubby’s actually the chef in our household sorry haha! So instead, I thought I’d be cheeky and pass on a link from Taste.com.au for an Aussie Christmas banquet (think seafood platters and BBQ classics!) It’s here… http://www.taste.com.au/recipe+collection/articles/1309/aussie+christmas+lunch

I see some empty plates and glasses, let’s take a little break to refresh.

Mary: Everyone comfortable? Let’s continue then. Carla, when did you first know you wanted to write?

Carla: I thank my Mum for giving me a very healthy appetite for reading, which, in turn, inspired my writing. Visits to the library were frequent, and hence, even on family road trips, I’d always have my head buried in some book or magazine. From Enid Blyton to Sweet Valley High, Babysitters’ Club and Judy Blume, I could never devour enough reading material.

In my school holidays, as a teen, I used to hand-write 100-page, young adult-style novels. I’d have a rough idea of a plot in my head and somehow it would all just flow, because there was no pressure back then. I just did it all for my own enjoyment.

It’s taken me awhile to get back to that kind of carefree, creative head space after the hard slog of journalism.

Mary: Do you have a day job? If so, what?

Carla: I’m a freelance writer. I’ve gone from being a full-time print journalist to working from home. The idea was to give myself more time to concentrate on my true love: fiction writing! But somehow I still only manage to get time to work on the fiction side of things a few hours every other night. If I’m lucky. The dream is to do it full-time, combined with going for beach runs in the morning and window-shopping in the arvos. (Yeah, I’m a real dreamer!)

Mary: Hey, I'm right there with you, dreaming! Where can people find you? Website, blog, twitter, Facebook or any other places?

Carla: I have a blog! www.carlaangela.com But I’m an email addict as it is, so I’ve steered clear of Twitter et al thus far.

Mary: Carla, can you share with us a blurb for your latest book, and any buy links?

Carla: For sure! Here’s the blurb… When photographer Lake Silva helps her best friend trawl online dating sites in her search for love, she is appalled by some of the pictures men upload. Totally unflattering!
So Lake takes it upon herself to do something about it with a brainstorm for a new business venture—professional online dating photos. Slick, appealing, and sizzling hot...with Lake behind the camera lens! What she doesn’t count on is meeting one male client who stirs up more than just business sense in her.
Hunter Dex is not Lake’s usual customer. He lives in a palatial abode, and he has ocean-blue eyes and a tanned, muscular body.
Despite a photography exhibition of nudes also keeping Lake busy, she can’t help having dirty fantasies about Hunter. But such a gorgeous, rich playboy like him could never be seriously interested in a feisty tomboy like her...could he?

Oh, and for those who are mad keen to buy it hehe, here’s a link: http://www.bookstrand.com/full-exposure

Thank you, Carla for joining us today. I’ve had a blast.

Interview with Nicole Morgan

Good Morning everyone! I have hot chocolate, coffee and some holiday goodies, help yourselves. If you’d prefer something stronger, there’s also wine and Bailey’s for your coffee. Please welcome Nicole Morgan to the garden today. I’m having a lot of fun with all my guests this month for my Holiday Blog Contest, please check out the details on my web site.

Mary: Nicole I’m so glad you agreed to visit the garden. I read over your web site, and found you write hot erotica. However, nothing really about your background, so of course I’m intrigued and inquiring minds want to know all about you. So??? Tell us about where you call home, please.

Nicole: First Mary, let me thank you for having me as your guest today. The hot cocoa and goodies were an unexpected but pleasant surprise. I live in the Rocky Mountain region, only about a half an hour from the mountains and often times I love to take drives up there to take in the beautiful scenery. Most recently I took a short trip up there and saw the beautiful orange and red colors of autumn as the trees changed, preparing themselves for winter.

Mary: I live near the Rocky's too.... What, if any, holiday’s do you celebrate? Do you have traditions?

Nicole: I generally celebrate all holidays. I’ve always loved to decorate no matter how small the holiday seemed. Entertaining and spending time with family and friends is one of my favorite things to do and would call it one of my favorite traditions.

Mary: This is always my favorite question, do you have any holiday—or non-holiday—recipes you can share with all of us?

Nicole: It’s not much of a recipe, more of a trick I learned. Whenever I cook a roast chicken or turkey I always get rave reviews. Everyone assumes I’ve spent hours coming up with just the right spice combination to give it that fantastic flavor. Then they comment on how the inside is so moist and tender but the outside skin is crispy and brown. I’ve told a few friends my ‘secret’ but they think I’m teasing them, refusing to give up my secret recipe. LOL. I am no Colonel Sanders. My secret is in a can. A spray can to be exact. PAM Cooking Spray has an Olive Oil version. Instead of applying butter to the outside of the bird, I use the Olive Oil spray. It is healthier for you and it gives the bird a much better flavor. Then I just season to taste. I can assure you it is not the few seasonings I use that give it the fantastic flavor. I have made birds with the same spices, using both olive oil and butter. I’m here to tell you, in this case butter does not make it better.

Sounds good to me, so everyone are your plates empty? Let’s take a minute to re-fuel. And warm up. Baby it’s cold outside. Oh that’s a song. LOL.

Mary: Everyone settled? Let’s continue. Nicole, will you please share what your most fond memory of childhood is?

Nicole: I have many fond memories from my childhood, so it would be hard to pick just one. If I had to choose one, I would pick one of my earliest memories. I can remember being very little and building a snowman with my dad in front my Grandfather’s house. I’m not sure why this memory has always stood out to me, but its definitely one of my favorites.

Mary: Would you please share a blurb of your newest book? Also any buy links, etc.

Nicole: Of course, I would be happy to and thank you for asking. My latest book is titled “Beck and Call” and it’s published by Total-E-Bound.

Jenny Somers is the General Manager at a resort hotel in the beautiful Caribbean. She loves her job, but she hates her boss. Constantly cutting corners to meet budget constraints she finds herself doing handyman work just to keep the hotel running.
Beck is a drifter who comes to Jenny’s rescue during a plumbing emergency at the hotel. He is arrogant, cocky and absolutely everything that Jenny despises in a man of his type.
Together Jenny and Beck find out just how real the term “opposites attract” is, and along the way find something they weren’t quite expecting along the way.
Direct buy link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1295

• This book is available in all eReader formats and can also be find on various other eBook sites such as: Amazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble (Nook), ARe and Fictionwise.

Mary: Do you have a place where your new fans can find you? A web site, blog, Facebook and/or Twitter and everyplace else you can think of.

Nicole: In one way or another, I’m all over the web. Places that they can find me are:
My website: http://nicolemorgan1.webs.com
My blog: http://nicolemorganauthor.blogspot.com

Social networking sites:
http://facebook.com/nicolemorganauthor (Friend me here)
http://facebook.com/nicolemorganfanpage (“Like” my Author page here)
http://twitter.com/mornic1

Author pages:
http://amazon.com/author/nicolemorgan
http://manicreaders.com/nicolemorgan
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=104745

Thank you, Nicole, for sharing your time with us here at the garden.

Thank you so much for having me, Mary. It has been wonderful. The hot cocoa and goodies were fantastic! I must admit I think I ate way too much of them though. Thanks again and have a wonderful Holiday season! ~ Nicole Morgan

Interview with Jan Graham

Good morning, or evening depending on what part of the world you’re in. Please welcome Jan Graham to the garden. Go ahead and fix yourselves a plate of goodies, and grab your favorite drink and then we’ll settle in. Also, a quick reminder about my Holiday Blog Contest check my web site for details.

Mary: I’m excited to have you at my garden, Jan. I’ve been reading over your site, very interesting. Can you tell everyone a bit about yourself? Something they can’t find on your web site, where you grew up, things like that.

Jan: Hi Mary, thanks for having me here today. As for a little bit about me, well, I’m Australian, I currently live on the outskirts of Sydney but grew up in a city called Newcastle. It’s about a three hour drive up the coast from Sydney. Newcastle has lots of beaches, a lovely harbor, it’s more relaxed and easy going than the major city’s of Australia. It has some great pubs and cafés and a very nice atmosphere, I love going back there to visit friends.

Mary: What holiday’s do you celebrate? Can you share your traditions with us?

Jan: I celebrate Christmas and Easter although I don’t make a huge deal out of them. I think a lot of our holiday celebrations are so commercial now and we’ve lost the meaning of how they began. The Christmas message, whether it’s a Christian or a Pagan philosophy that people believe, has gotten lost under the hype of what to buy and how much to spend. So I celebrate by being with family and friends, we still share gifts but don’t go overboard. For Christmas I always go back home to Newcastle and stay for a few weeks, I catch up with everyone that’s important to me.

Mary: What is your favorite childhood tradition or memory that you wished you’d continued to honor, or carry on?


Jan: When I was a child every Christmas Eve the family and a whole lot of friends used to gather together for a dinner and then we would sit and watch Carols by Candlelight which is always televised live from the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. I think the carols by candlelight might be an Aussie thing so I’ll explain it because it’s something that happens all over the country throughout the month of December. It’s basically a big concert style sing-a-long of Christmas carols, everyone sits outside, often in a park and has a picnic dinner. As it get’s dark everyone lights a candle and enjoys the festive atmosphere of the concert. It’s always fund and with all the candles burning it’s a beautiful sight.

Mary: Do you have a very Australian holiday—or non-holiday—recipe you can share with us? I love new recipes, especially when they’re from another country. Something will bring a little different culture to my dinner table.

Jan: This is really difficult to answer. Most of our Christmas recipes come from other cultures. Australia is such a multicultural place we’re like a melting pot of a society. So traditional Christmas fair stems from whatever cultural back ground a person has. Because it’s hot in Australia at Christmas we tend to eat a lot of salad, seafood, and roasts are often barbequed rather than cooked on an oven. So I’ve got a prawn recipe (I think in the U.S. they’re referred to as shrimp).

Marinated barbecue prawns with summer salad (serves 4)
• 24 green king prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined
• 1 1/2 tbs rice vinegar
• 3 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 fresh red Birdseye chilli, halved, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• Lemon wedges, to serve
• Summer salad
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• 1 x 100g pkt baby Asian greens
• 100g bean sprouts
• 1 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves
• 1 1/2 tbs rice vinegar
• 3 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp light olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
Thread 3 prawns onto each skewer and place in a glass or ceramic dish. Combine the vinegar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chilli and five spice in a small bowl, and spoon over prawns. Turn prawn skewers to coat in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to develop the flavors.
Meanwhile, to make the salad, use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrot and cucumber lengthways into thin ribbons. Place in a large bowl. Add the baby Asian greens, bean sprouts, tomato and coriander, and gently toss to combine. Place the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, sesame oil and fish sauce in a screw-top jar and shake until well combined.
Preheat a barbecue or char-grill on medium-high. Add the prawn skewers and cook for 3 minutes each side or until prawns change color. Transfer to serving plates.
Drizzle salad with dressing and toss to combine. Divide salad among serving bowls and serve with prawn skewers.

That recipe sounds delicious! Whew, I need a break, what about you? While I throw a few more logs in the fire-pit to keep us warm why don’t the rest of you help yourselves to some more goodies.

Mary: Okay are we set? I’ve always wanted to travel to Australia, do you travel outside of your country, if so where?

Jan: I haven’t been overseas for a few years now, but have traveled around a few places in America. I’m planning on visiting the states again because I have a brother living over there at the moment who I haven’t seen for quite a few years, but I haven’t set a date as yet. I’d like to go to Europe but haven’t managed to get there yet either. As a kid most of our holidays were within Australia, my parents believe that we should see the country we lived in order to understand who were are as people, so I’ve been pretty well everywhere down here.


Mary: Can you tell all your new fans where to find you? Web site, blog, Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else.

Jan: Oh, I’m everywhere on the net…lol. I have all of the ones you mentioned as well as Goodreads which is an excellent site for booklovers. The addresses are:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
So as you can see there’s a social site for everyone. I only go on to the internet once or twice a day, but anyone can contact me through any of the sites and I get an alert. I’d love to hear from anyone interested in my new book Finding Angel and also my upcoming releases, I do like a chat 

Mary: Would you share a blurb from your newest book? Also, a buy link if possible.

Jan: 

Blurb: Angel Wylde is a woman with a complicated existence, a damaging past, and a desire to be normal. Unfortunately, what’s normal to Angel is unconventional to the rest of us. A crime boss will kill to get an incriminating ledger from her. Detective Steve Jax also wants the ledger from Angel, but the infuriating woman has disappeared.
Christian and Daniel Shore, Steve's two best friends, don’t know about the ledger. They just want Angel. A chance meeting has them taking her home and deciding she is the only woman for them—yes, both of them. Obviously, Angel isn’t the only one with unconventional desires. So who does Angel trust? Two kinky Doms she just met, a cop she doesn’t know anything about, or a nasty crime boss? Trusting all of them may save her life, and falling in love with two Dominant brothers is the icing on the cake.
If you’d like to buy the book you can go to http://www.bookstrand.com/finding-angel

Mary: If there is anything, you’d like to share please do.

Jan: I’d just like to say thanks again for having me here today, I hope everyone who reads Finding Angel enjoys it and I’d love to hear from readers about what they think.

Thank you, Jan for sharing your day with us.