November 1, 2017
It is the season
where we begin to give thanks for all that we have. May your days and nights be filled with many blessings. Happy Thanksgiving from my
home to yours.
In this Issue:
© Quote of the Month
© Check This Out
© Featured Author
© New Releases
© Author Recipe of the Month
© Upcoming Events
© Coming Next Month
Quote of the Month: “Gratitude can
transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and
change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~~ William Arthur Ward (American Author, 1921-1994)
Check This Out:
So excited to let you all know that The Marshal’s Bride finaled in the Internal Digital Awards (IDA)!
It tied for second place in the Short Historical category! And in celebration, The Marshal’s Bride is at a special price of $0.99 thru Sunday (11/5)
at most online retailers like Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Google, etc. Click
here for buy links.
Eagle Eye is the second book in my
series, Like No Other, a charity
foundation that works with teenage girls. The inspiration for my heroine is
Jill Jeffrey, who is a secondary character from my first novel, Keeper of My Heart. Jill is a teen
fashion designer making her the perfect heroine for Eagle Eye.
My undercover journalist hero was inspired by a
young homeless man from Los Angeles, Ca. One morning I witnessed this man eat
off a dirty plate on the table next to me at a sidewalk café. I share the story
and the inspiration for my hero, below…
One morning a couple of
years ago, I was at Hugo’s Restaurant in West Hollywood having breakfast. I sat
outside at a small table for two. A couple seated at the small bistro table
next to me had recently left and the waitress hadn’t yet picked up their
plates.
A handsome young man,
dressed in loose clothing, with wavy longish hair and a short beard walked by
at a nice clip. He briefly stopped at their table and grabbed a napkin. To my
astonishment, without missing a beat, he lifted a spoon, scraped the last bit
of food onto the napkin, then shoveled it into his mouth as he continued
walking. He acted without the least hesitation. Without thought. As if he’d
done this many times before.
I sat stunned. Horrified
at what had transpired, I watched him walk the length of the restaurant, then
turn right before he disappeared.
When the homeless young
man strode off, my heart cried out to stop him, to offer him a meal. But what
60-year-old woman runs after a thirty-year-old homeless guy? So, I did the
normal, sane thing, simply sat there and watched him leave. I glanced around at
those seated near me and not one of them seemed to have noticed him.
I’ve thought about that
young man many times since then, replaying the scene over and over in my head.
In my daydream, I call out to him. He stops and turns. I offer to buy him
breakfast, and although surprised, he accepts. We sit at the bistro table on a
beautiful California morning and I discover more about him over a hearty
breakfast.
But, that’s not how it
happened.
I thought about those who
loved this young man, who worried about him. And mostly, I thought about his
mother. As I pondered this man’s condition I played several scenarios in my
head. Maybe he was a spy, undercover, and fleeing his most recent captors.
Nearly starved. Why else would he eat off the plate of a stranger?
I knew someday I’d give
him a story and a reason to do what he did. Thus, my undercover journalist hero
was born. Then I gave my heroine the heart I’d wished I’d had that day. The
heart that was in me, but afraid to act. I gave her the courage to actually go
after the homeless man and the will to at least try and change his life.
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Undercover journalist, Cameron Phillips, is
known for his forthright exposé articles uncovering scandals of New York
City’s rich and famous. Using the pseudonym Eagle Eye to hide his identity,
he is free to wield his finger pointing, no-holds-barred articles at leisure.
Jillian Jeffrey, teen fashion industry’s latest darling, has a heart
for the less fortunate. Her goal is to raise enough money for fashion icon
Anna Delany’s, Like No Other charity foundation. The donation will not only
keep the charity afloat, but will place Jill in the running for a coveted
position on LNO’s board of directors.
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In a moment of weakness, at the charity gala, Jill reluctantly accepts a bet from her ex-boyfriend and uses a homeless man to raise twenty thousand dollars. Unknown to Jill, the homeless guy is the cynical, undercover journalist, and Jill has just become his latest exposé target.
In a twist of fate, Cameron is soon hired to shadow Jill as she volunteers with the charity. Shorthaired and clean-shaven, he looks nothing like the bearded, disheveled man Jill had encountered the night of the gala. During their time together, he not only discovers the noble reason behind the bet, but witnesses first hand his article’s negative impact on her business. Faced with the prospect of losing her, will Cameron come up with an antidote for Eagle Eye’s toxic exposé before Jill loses everything she’s worked for?
Available at These Online Retailers
Contact Links
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New Releases This Month:
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N O V E M B E R 1
Hard
to Handle
Book 8: Incognito Series
Network operative Dez Luttino
has been instructed to prepare the head-strong, hunting machine Nova Granger for
an undercover mission. In the process, he realizes he’s gone beyond duty and
done the unthinkable by falling in love with her.
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N O V E M B E R 6
A
Secret Scottish Christmas
Book 4: Agents of the Crown
Spend Christmas in
Scotland with Spies, Scots & Shipmasters as twin brothers vie for the
love of a Scottish lass!
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N O V E M B E R 2 2
Beachcomber
Test
Book 7 Beachcomber Investigations series
Ex-special ops legend
Dane Blaise is staking his life on passing every one of his partner Shana's
tests for him. Desperation is making him crazy or he would never have agreed
to the divorce case.
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N O V E M B E R 2 8
Knight
Treasures
Knights of the Swan Book 3
In 15th Century
England, alliances can be deadly for a Knight of the Swan. Especially those
made in the heat of passion…
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Prinny's Plum Cake
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1
c oil (I use organic Canola oil)
2
cups granulated sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
3
eggs (I use extra large organic eggs)
1
cup buttermilk
1
teaspoon baking soda
1
teaspoon vanilla
2
cups flour (I use organic pastry flour)
1
teaspoon each: nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice
24
pitted prunes
1-2
cups diced walnuts
Powdered
sugar
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Preheat oven to
350 degrees (can lower to 325 degrees if a dark pan is used)
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Prepare Bundt
pan: Oil and flour a large Bundt pan. You can make two smaller ones using two
6-cup Bundt pans, but you must reduce the baking time to about 35 minutes.
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Cut up 24 prunes
into small pieces and set aside (I use one bag of the Sunsweet ones as they
are moist and I sometimes add more than 24.)
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Measure out 1-2
cups chopped walnuts and set aside
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Sift 2 cups
baking flour with 1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice and set
aside (I use organic pastry flour, sometimes mixed with hazelnut flour).
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In an electric
mixer combine:
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1 cup oil
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2 cups sugar
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3 eggs (1 egg
each time beaten w/fork before being added)
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1 cup buttermilk
mixed with 1 teaspoon baking soda (I measure the buttermilk first, then add
the soda using a 2 cup
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measuring cup as
the mixture will expand. I also prepare it just after I prepare the flour
mixture so it can rise a bit)
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1 teaspoon
vanilla
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When well mixed,
add in the flour mixture, the prunes and the nuts and mix to evenly
distribute.
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Pour into your
prepared Bundt pan(s).
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Bake for 60
minutes and check to see if done . Check for doneness with a toothpick and by
pressing your finger slightly to the top to see if it “bounces” back. If the
toothpick comes out clean and the cake bounces back when pressed, it's done.
If not done then, leave it in for another 5 minutes (it usually takes 65
minutes for me).
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Cool 10 min.
before taking out of the Bundt pan. Cool another 15 min. before dusting with
powdered sugar.
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Store in foil in
the refrigerator. It will keep for 2 weeks if not eaten before!
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This cake goes
well with my Agents of the Crown series in which the Prince Regent is
frequently mentioned.
I didn't start
out as a writer of romance. Although I wrote stories as a child, by the time
I got to college, and at the urging of my professors, I became a lawyer.
After years of serving clients in private practice and several stints in high
levels of government, I decided it was time for a change. Becoming a
bestselling author and winning awards were the subject of dreams when I first
began writing historical novels. But dreams sometimes do come true.
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Upcoming Events:
Coming Next Month: Linda
Nightingale, December releases and a new recipe for you to try.
With much gratitude, until next time…keep reading.
Maxine
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Spark your imagination and entice your mind.
Be adventurous and take a journey
into a new world to be inspired.
Enjoy the pleasures of reading ~~
It does the mind and body good.
Photo from Pinterest
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Hi Maxine! Thank you for featuring me on your wonderful newsletter this month! Happy November!
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