June 1, 2016
Happy Father’s Day to all the “daddies” in your life. There’s nothing more special than watching a father/grandpa/uncle/brother, etc., play catch with his little boy or sitting down at a table ten times smaller than he is having tea with the little princess in his life.
In this Issue:
Quote of the Month
Check This Out
Featured Author
June Traditions
Recipe of the Month
Upcoming Book Signings/Appearances
Coming Next Month
Quote of the Month: “Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable.” ~~ Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
Check This Out: I am close to finishing my first suspense novel—Simply to Die For! And I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be writing my first historical western romance starting in July! I haven’t a name for it just yet, but it’s a mail order bride story that I hope you’ll enjoy. If you have Kindle KU, be sure to check out my Amazon author page downloads.
Bren MacLeod is the brain child of two unlikely best friends, Brenda Wagner and author Lynn Crain. Unlikely in the fact that they are polar opposites in many ways but on the important items, they are unnervingly the same. So when Lynn asked Brenda to write in a somewhat new genre, it was no surprise to anyone that she said yes.
The original idea had been Lynn’s long ago when she decided she wanted to write a cowboy story but set it in the old west. She loved the idea of a cowboy as inspiration but since historicals aren’t her normal genre, she passed it to Brenda to get a second opinion as she loves the genre. She decided the story was definitely salvageable but they needed to come up with a whole new approach to the cowboy thing. Let’s face it, cowboys tend to be overdone but hot, interesting characters in cowboy boots…you get the picture.
After much discussion, it was decided that they needed to use what they had in their own back yard. The state of Nevada is ripe for tales told from a true western perspective and the perfect place to have the story unfold, the Carson Valley in Northern Nevada. When looking at the bigger picture, they understood they could add the essence of the Victorian Era, history as well as the steam gadgets from the industrial age.
Add those two things to the already well-known cowboy tropes and one has the making of some awesome tales. Throw in a Pinkerton man or a millionaire miner, a transplant from England or a mail order bride or two, and you’ve got the inspiration for many stories. The overall era defines a time when life was simpler, industry was new and the world changed daily. Pull in the history of Mark Twain, the Comstock Lode, the Chinese workers or the ranchers of the area and it’s obvious the rich history of their home state adds unique layers to their love stories.
So, if truth be told, where they live has become the driving force for the Wild West Victorian Tales as Nevada has a vibrant past that has only been touched upon in the romance genre. The other inspiration lies with the Steampunk genre. We just can’t seem to get enough of the ingenious gadgets. We wanted to incorporate steam into the stories.
Of course, we can’t forget the romance and the hot cowboy.
Coming Home is a Wild West Victorian Tale about undercover Pinkerton man, Jackson Sinclair, and Carson Valley homesteader, Kate McBride. When Jackson ends up on the wrong side of a bullet, Kate finds him in a pool of blood on her land. She knows she can put her skills as a healer to good use but the bad guys are looking for Jackson and it's only a matter of time before they are found. Keeping them safe is his top priority but falling in love was never part of his plan.
Coming Home won’t go on pre-order until August for a September 1st, 2016 release. Join
them as they share with you tales with a touch of wonder from when the West was
wild, Victoria was queen and steam was the new kid on the block. Welcome to
their Wild West Victorian Tales.
June Traditions:
June 2: Children’s Day (China)
June 7: National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
June 12: Lover’s Day
June 14: Flag Day
June 18: National Splurge Date
June 19: Father’s Day
June 20: Summer Solstice
Recipe of the Month:
Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
1-1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
ü Whisk together milk, cocoa powder, and sugar to combine. The sugar and cocoa should close to completely dissolved.
ü Stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract.
ü Refrigerate the chocolate ice cream base for at least 30 minutes before putting it in your ice cream freezer, so it is completely cold. This will help it freeze faster, improving the texture, and allow the cocoa powder to become fully hydrated by the milk and cream.
Upcoming Book Signings / Appearances:
© September 30-October 2, 2016: Rock Island Arts Festival, Chickasha, OK
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 found on Pinterest
Happy Family Stock Photo by photostock @ www.freedigitalphotos.net
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