Saturday, April 1, 2017



April 1, 2017

April showers bring May flowers.  Here in Oklahoma it is the start of tornado season, so please be weather aware wherever you live.  Plus, look out for those April Fool’s Day tricks!  Who has seen Beauty and the Beast?  I loved it and well, I have a confession.  Although I know the story and what it is about I had never watched the animated version, nor read the book.  Maybe that comes from having one child who happens to be a boy.

In this Issue:
©     Quote of the Month
©     Check This Out
©     Featured Author
©     New Releases
©     Author Recipe of the Month
©     Upcoming Book Signings/Appearances
©     Coming Next Month

Quote of the Month:There is no friend as loyal as a book.~~ Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961, American Novelist) 

Check This Out:
Is there a young author or poet in your family? There is! 😊  Did you know there's a writing competition for kids between 11 and 18 years of age? You didn't? 😲  Have your little Fitzgerald or Poe enter his/her works for next year’s New Voices Young Writers Competition for 2018 starting in November. FMI on how to enter click here 

Graduation Night from the Chickasha Citizen’s Police Academy was on the 30th. It was one of the most special 11 weeks with a group of people I’d never imagined would become part of my extended family in my heart. I even shot an AR-15 and I’d never picked up a gun before, but the officer who helped me was very supportive and made it easy. Did it change my mind about owning a gun? No. Bottom line is I would take this academy again. I highly recommend that if your city has a Citizen’s Police Academy take it—it’ll open your eyes to a world you may not fully understand. So call your local police department and ask if they have a Citizen’s Police Academy. I promise, you won’t regret it.


Your gateway to Maxine's books:

Featured Author:  Kara O’Neal
     Love’s Redemption is the seventh book in the Pikes Run Series. It features Willa Kramer and Lonnie Davis who appeared in book two, The Sheriff’s Gift. The inspiration for my stories always comes from my characters. I imagine their personality, then put them into situations that reveal who they are.
Willa has a painful past, and she confronts it with a steady will and bravery I envy. One of my dearest friends in the world – I’ve known her since birth – was my inspiration for Willa. She is strong, true, has a very strict sense of right and wrong, and is fiercely loyal. She also hates crowds and prefers lounging at home. I love her dearly. (Can you tell?)
Lonnie is the perfect match for Willa. He is patient, calm, steady and brave. He loves Willa, and it’s this love that leads him to be everything he can for her. Lonnie is based off my husband. He is the kind of person who will sacrifice his own needs and wants for another’s safety and happiness. And this is the hero I needed for Willa. After what she has to overcome, she deserves someone who’ll walk through fire for her, and that is Lonnie.
I draw from the people around me. I am humbled by my family and friends and seek to show them what I’ve learned from them. So, I write characters that reflect their personalities.
My favorite part of publishing a book is writing the dedication. Sometimes I don’t know who the story relates to until I finish, but eventually the characters speak to me. I wouldn’t be an author without the people I love, and I thank them for blessing me with their beautiful imperfections and honest hearts. 

He paused. His chest tightened. He’d waited a long time to see her, had wondered if he ever would. Years ago, she’d wrapped him around her little finger, and he’d grown so attached to her, he’d thought about moving to Tennessee to be with her. But then she had stopped writing. To say it had hurt would be an understatement. But he hadn’t been angry. He could never be angry with her. Never. And now she was back and near. It was too tempting.
After taking a deep breath, he moved forward then went through the screen door. Even though it gave a loud creak, she didn’t turn. Did she know it was he who stood behind her?
The light breeze ruffled her skirt. Her long, velvety hair grazed the small of her back. An ache centered in the pit of his stomach. He’d missed her. And now she was here. “Hello, Willa.”

New Releases This Month:

April 1
Dead Drop
Book 4 Incognito Series
Roan Emory, Network operative, was inducted against his will. 25 years later, Roan is the most dangerous man in the world with the face of a fallen angel and the heart of a machine. Only legitimate death can free him.


April 1
Angel Unleashed
Rhys de Troyes, Blood Knight, knows all about quests. But will grounded angel Avery Arcadia Quinn, who has vowed revenge against the Knights, accept his help when their burning attraction threatens their missions in London?

April 6
The Chocolate Comeback
When a failed fashion model discovers joy as a caregiver, an unexpected chance forces her to choose between a lifelong dream and the man who thinks she’s perfect, just as she is.


April 7
Her General in Gray
Autumn Hartley purchases Allen Hall at a steal, but the northern lass gets far more than a beautiful plantation in the South Carolina Low Country. The house comes complete with its own ghost, a handsome and charming Civil War General—for the Confederacy. The stage is set for another civil conflict.

April 15
SInbad’s War
Book 6 of The Adventures of Sinbad
The United Terran Federation wants his ships for their war and geta a refusal. It's only when the battle is brought to his planet that the eighth richest man in the galaxy enters the conflict, Sinbad lost his wife and child in the attack and there's nothing in the universe more dangerous than a Felidan who's lost his mate.


April 15
Essence of Absinthe
The Marquis Etienne has a secret involving his deceased eldest son. When he takes his family from France to Nouvelle Orleans to avoid the coming Revolution, he doesn't know he's taking his younger son into danger for in that city lurks a woman seeking vengeance and the spirit of a man who wants to live again.

April 17
Marrying the Wrong Earl
Lords & Ladies in Love series
Lady Arabella likes life exactly the way it is. She cherishes her freedom and the animals she rescues. Nash, the Earl of Clarendon has decided to take a bride. However, the one he chose is now beyond reach because Lady Arabella stumbled into his life…at the wrong time and in the wrong place.


April 23
A Sheriff’s Passion
Sheriff Shane McCall has always fought his attraction to saloon owner Silver Adams.  Wanting a reputation above reproach, Silver is the last thing he needs.  Even if she is everything he desires.

April 25
Missing: The Lady Said No
Chandler County Book
The Race is on to find a Killer in the heart of Kentucky horse country. Detective Augustus Grant faces his most baffling case to date.




Author Recipe of the Month:  K.C. Bateman

The adventures of my codebreaking heroine and spymaster hero in A Raven’s Heart inspired me to try this delicious almond cake. Made in cities across Northern Spain, it’s called Tarta de Santiago. Pilgrims who visit the great Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia see it in the windows of every pastry shop and restaurant. It comes in many sizes, often marked on top with the shape of the cross of the Order of Santiago. It’s very easy to make and gluten-free! With the wonderful Spanish combination of oranges, lemons, and almonds, this should put you in the mood for a fiesta! Enjoy!

Tarta de Santiago
  
1/2 pound (1 3/4 cups) blanched whole almonds
6 large eggs, separated
1-1/4 cups superfine sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
4 drops almond extract
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting.


·        Finely grind the almonds in a food processor.
·        With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a smooth pale cream.
·        Beat in the zests and almond extract.
·        Add the ground almonds and mix very well.
·        With clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the egg and almond mixture (the mixture is thick, so that you will need to turn it over quite a bit into the egg whites).
·        Grease an 11-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, with butter and dust it with flour.
·        Pour in the cake batter, and bake into a preheated 350°F for 40 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch.
·        Let cool before turning out.
·        Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.
·        If you like, cut a St. James cross out of paper, place it in the middle of the cake, and dust with confectioners' sugar, then remove the paper.
Optional: serve with a scoop of cream or ice cream and top with toasted slivered almonds. Yum!


K. C. Bateman is known for her witty, intelligent, and sexy Regency / Napoleonic historical romances. The first two books in her Secrets & Spies series, To Steal a Heart and A Raven’s Heart are available to buy now. 

Upcoming Book Signings / Appearances: 
Ø Third Saturday of the Month:  OKRWAMeeting, Oklahoma City, OK
Ø June 14-18: EPICon, San Antonio, TX
Ø July 14-17:  A Weekend With The Authors, Nashville, TN
Ø October 6-8: Rock Island Arts Festival 2017, Chickasha, OK

Coming Next Month:  Pam Thibodeaux, May releases and a new recipe.

With much gratitude, until next time…keep reading. 
Maxine
 Spark your imagination and entice your mind
Be adventurous in your own mind
Take a journey into a new world and be inspired
Enjoy the pleasures of reading ~~
It does the mind and body good.


Above photo from Pinterest
“Disney's Bambi -Little April Shower-” from WaltDisney4Life Channel YouTube