Happy
Holidays! Did you get everything you wanted on Black Friday and Cyber
Monday? Me neither. I’ll be out shopping for those gifts for the
next 24 days! But let’s not forget what
Christmas is really about and that’s celebrating the birth of Christ.
In
this Issue:
Quote of the
Month
Featured Author
New Year’s Eve
Traditions
Winter Solstice
and Snowflakes
Recipe of the
Month
News/Updates
Upcoming Book
Signings/Appearances
Coming Next Month
Quote
of the Month: “Our
Creator would never have made such lovely days, and have given us the deep
hearts to enjoy them, above and beyond all thought, unless we were meant to be
immortal.” ~~ Nathanial Hawthorne,
American Novelist (1804-1864)
It
is a simple fact that Amber and Charley both have a strong interest in Vikings
and in Norse mythology. They are both avid readers of everything. As readers of
everything they noticed that there was a need for a book about Norse Mythology.
Most books based on Mythologies are Greek and they wanted to change that. This is the
first novel for siblings Amber Daniels and Charley Swanda, who grew up in a
small Oklahoma town. Both have written all their lives, including music, poetry
and short stories. They are currently working on 3 other books including book 2
in this series.
Odin,Oklahoma
– Fifteen-year-old Charles wakes up
yet again to a recurring nightmare with thousands of circling spheres and an
infant’s cry. But this time it’s different because it’s his 15th
birthday, and a new adventure is about to start. Growing up in his small
Oklahoma town with his mom, Charles never knew his dad who was believed to be
dead. A best friend who is a drug dealer doesn’t help his reputation. But
things change forever when he learns the secret about his true identity.
The
young man learns the woman he thought was his mother is not his mother, and his
father was a member of Odin’s guard but may be a traitor, and Kletrix was sent
to Earth to protect him. Even his own name is a lie: He is actually Magnus, a
child of prophecy, who receives his father’s ring – and its power to create a
quasar – on that fateful birthday. When an accident at the mall almost kills a
school athlete because of the ring, Magnus is whisked away to Asgard to learn
how to use his powers properly.
His
new world contains fellow immortal warriors the Odinites, also known as
Berserkers, but not all seem to be on his side, as one beautiful female warrior
may either like him or want to kill him. Soon he learns that his power and
courage will be needed to save the nine worlds from Loki and his ally, the evil
goddess Hel, who want to rule instead. They hold the power – knowledge -- to
lure Magnus from his path and destroy the worlds instead. A rescue mission back
at Magnus’ Earthly home unearths traitors, and a final battle will determine
the fate of the nine worlds and Magnus’ destiny.
New Year’s Eve Traditions: We all have
them. In my household, the Christmas Tree and decorations must all be put away
before the stroke of midnight. Whatever your tradition is to ring in the new
year, here are a few others from Boston.com:
The first New
York City celebration happened in 1904. This year’s ball is illuminated with
32,256 LED lights and is made up of 2,688 Waterford crystals. We couldn’t
picture New Year’s Eve without it!
You just might
find your soul mate in 2015 or, at the very least, have an amorous year if you
wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve. At least, that’s what’s widely believed
in Latin America. We’re guessing December is a good time to own an intimate
apparel shop over there.
Oh, and in
Colombia, they’re wearing yellow underwear (for happiness and peace) and in
Puerto Rico, white (for fertility and health). So if you’re traveling to any of
these places, pack accordingly.
On New Year’s
Eve, thousands gather, many wearing white, at Copacabana beach in Rio de
Janeiro to offer white flowers and other gifts to Yemanja, the Afro-Brazilian
queen of the sea. It is believed that she will bring energy and strength. Many
toss their gifts into the sea, some on makeshift boats, hoping the goddess will
grant their new year wishes. It is hoped the boats will find their way to her.
In Ireland,
folks bang bread against the walls and doors of the house to chase out the bad
luck and bad spirits away in the new year and invite the good spirits in.
Winter Solstice: Every December around
the 21st or 22nd marks the first day of winter, as well as the
shortest day and longest night. Here are a few interesting facts and links
regarding the solstice and how it is celebrated.
Behold!
A year has passed since the great Mayan apocalypse of 2012 — newsflash: we’re
all still here — and the winter solstice is again upon us. The solstice marks
the shortest day of the year for dwellers in the Northern Hemisphere, and
the longest day of the year for those south of the equator. Time
Winter Solstice has been celebrated in
cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is
a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. In old Europe, it was known
as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel. Circle Sanctuary
The Winter
Solstice is unique among days of the year — the time of the longest night and
the shortest day. The dark triumphs but only briefly. For the Solstice is also
a turning point. School of the Seasons
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied across
cultures, but many have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays,
festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time. Wikipedia
Snowflakes:
Snow is a type of precipitation in the
form of crystalline water ice,
consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. The
process of this precipitation is called snowfall.
Since
snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular
material. It has an open and therefore
soft structure, unless packed by external pressure.
Snow
crystals form when tiny supercooled cloud droplets (approx 10μm in
diameter) freeze. These droplets are able to
remain liquid at temperatures colder than 0°C
because, in order to freeze, a few molecules in the
liquid droplet need to get together by chance to form an arrangement close to
that in an ice lattice; then the droplet freezes around this 'nucleus'.
Experiments show that this 'homogeneous' nucleation of cloud droplets only
occurs at temperatures colder than -35°C.[1] In
warmer clouds an aerosol particle or 'ice nucleus' must be present in (or in
contact with) the droplet to act as a nucleus. Our understanding of what
particles make efficient ice nuclei is poor - what we do know is they are very
rare compared to that cloud condensation nuclei which liquid droplets form on.
Clays, desert dust and biological particles may be effective,[2]
although to what extent is unclear. Artificial nuclei include silver
iodide and dry ice, and
these form the basis of cloud
seeding.
The
shape of the snowflake is determined broadly by the temperature, and humidity
at which it forms.[3] Rarely,
at a temperature of around −2 °C (28 °F), snowflakes can form in
threefold symmetry — triangular snowflakes.[5] The
most common snow particles are visibly irregular, although near-perfect
snowflakes may be more common in pictures because they are more visually
appealing.
Recipe
of the Month:
Broiled
Lobster Crostini with Champagne Sauce
Lobster Tail,
about 1 lb.
1 tbsp of
organic unsalted butter
Kosher Salt
ground pepper,
freshly ground
1. Preheat the
broiler.
2. Place lobster
tail on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, carefully cut
top side of lobster shells lengthwise. Pull apart shells slightly, and season
meat with butter, salt, and pepper.
3. Broil lobster
tails until lightly browned and lobster meat is opaque, about 5 to 10
minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.
Note: If you are making the
champagne sauce the same day as cooking the lobster, make the sauce first.
|
|
Champagne Sauce,
Ingredients
·
3 large vine
tomatoes
·
Pinch super fine
sugar
·
3 1/2 tbsp
organic unsalted butter
·
1 cup champagne
or sparkling wine/Italian prosecco etc.
·
Tabasco hot sauce
·
Kosher Salt
·
ground pepper,
freshly ground
1. To make the
sauce, cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze the pips and juice into a small
saucepan set over low heat. Cut the remaining tomato into very small pieces
and add to the pot
2. Turn up heat
to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes then add a pinch caster sugar and butter
and allow it to melt, add in the champagne/sparkling wine and simmer
everything for a further 10 mins.
3. Pour mixture
into a blender, in batches, and whizz until smooth.
4. Pass through a
fine sieve into the same pot and return to the heat to simmer over low heat
until reduced by 2/3rd the original volume. This will take a while ~ about
40-50 mins. Keep an eye on it as it goes. You want the consistency to be
similar to that of a tomato soup.
5. When it’s
reduced down, add another small knob of butter, a dash or two of Tabasco hot
sauce, and season to taste with a little kosher salt and ground pepper. Add a
bit more superfine sugar if needed.
|
|
To Serve
·
Hollandaise sauce
·
Lobster meat
·
1 small white
crusty baguette
·
Fresh dill or
parsley
·
Freshly ground
black pepper
1. Cut lobster
tail meat into bit-sized chunks.
2. Lightly toast
the slices of bread on both sides (you can also chargrill them) then spread
each one with a teaspoon of hollandaise sauce, top with a lump or two of
lobster meat then drizzle with a teaspoon of the tomato champagne sauce and
snip a few fresh dill leaves or parsley on the top.
3. Give them a
final seasoning with a little black pepper and serve. Preheat the broiler.
4. You can also
add a small squeeze of lemon if you like {optional}.
|
Jack Frost Martini
1 cup pineapple
juice
1/2 cup blue
curacao
1/2 cup light
rum or vodka
1/2 cup cream of
coconut, ice
Blend (in
blender) until slushy. Serve with flaked coconut rim.
News/Updates:
Readers
of all romance genres, do you love free books from great authors? Or are you an
author with a 2015 publication? The National Reader’s Choice Awards (NRCA), OKRWA’s
prestige yearly contest, is now open. Go to this link for more information on
contest rules and signing up to judge: http://okrwa.com/contests/nrca/
Upcoming Book Signings /
Appearances:
Coming Next Month: A new year and resolutions.
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.
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