November 1, 2016
November already? Wow hard to believe
Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks.
It’s the beginning of the holiday season to spend time with your loved
ones. Time to start thinking about what to put on the Thanksgiving Day table as
well. May your Thanksgiving table be blessed with love and family as you give thanks for your bounty.
In this Issue:
Quote of the Month
Check This Out
Featured Author of
the Month
Top 10 Turkey Tips
Recipe of the
Month
Upcoming
Appearances
Coming Next month
Quote
of the Month: “A historical
romance is the only kind of book where chastity really counts.” – Unknown
Check this Out: The Reluctant Bride is available not
only in the boxset Wanted:One Bride ($2.99 or Free KU), but now in print as a standalone at most
online outlets. Also, I’ve started the next book in the Brides Along the Chisholm Trail series, The Marshal’s Bride.
The Marshal’s Bride
Book 2, Brides Along the Chisholm Trail (2017)
Indian
Territory, OK
Abigale “Abby”
Johnson, comes to Dodge City after answering an advertisement for a bride. Abby hadn’t expected that a lawman
of the Wild West would ignite something in her she’d thought died along with
her husband. Now that they are married, he wants to take her into the
Indian Territory.
Gabe Hawkins,
deputy marshal in Dodge City, never expected to fall in love until he laid his
eyes on Abigale Johnson. There’s a fire deep inside the matronly woman and Gabe
aims to find what lies further beneath Abby’s facade. When an opportunity for a
piece of land in Oklahoma presents itself, Gabe grabs it and Abby to start a
new life away from law enforcement.
Settling in Indian
Territory of Oklahoma the last thing Gabe expected was to pin a badge back on
after attempts at farming fails, that’s exactly what he does in order to
protect his family in a lawless town. With the failure of crops and learning her new husband may have been in the raid that killed her first husband, Abby takes in a orphaned girl and becomes a cook at the local eatery against Gabe’s wishes. When a gang of cattle rustlers
roll into town and take over the eatery, Abby wishes she’d listened to her
husband. Instead she finds herself a hostage and Gabe is trying to find a
way to get her out alive.
Featured Author: Eric Price
The Birth of a Character: Meet Yara
I sort of wrote Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud by
accident. I took a course on writing, and for the final assignment I had to
write the first chapter of a novel. I had an idea for a contemporary novel
about a girl adjusting to a new school her senior year. Like that hasn’t been
written before?
Anyway, I took a
second course to learn how to write a novel. The first assignment was to submit
two or three proposals for books I’d like to write, and explain which one I
thought I should pursue. Not wanting to waste the work I did on the first
course, I presented it and told the instructor I’d like to write it as my
course project. I also submitted an idea for a time travel book where a boy gets
to go back and change the worst event of his life, but in the end he’d realize
that event made him who he was. And since I could submit three proposals, I
quickly threw together an idea for a fantasy novel. I didn’t spend much time on
it, and it was full of typos. (I went back and looked at the proposal not too
long ago. It was bad.)
After I submitted
my proposals, the fantasy world started building in my mind. Before I got the
assignment back from my instructor, I had resolved that I would explain to her I
had to write the fantasy. When I finally received her feedback, the instructor
told me she thought any of the choices would work for a novel, but she strongly
encouraged me to develop the fantasy story.
So that’s what I
did. Jump ahead a couple years. The book is finished and sitting on my
computer. I kept thinking I wanted to go through it again to make it better
before submitting it to publishers, yet I never worked on it. My wife finally
persuaded me to submit Unveiling to
publishers to see if they had any interest. So I picked four publishers to test
the water. While I waited, I started thinking about another story taking place
in the same world, and I wondered how I could tie it into Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud. I got rejected by two publishers,
never heard back from one, and the final publisher I tried also rejected it,
but they gave me suggestions and told me if I took their suggestions into
account, they’d take another look at it.
I jumped on this
opportunity. I rewrote the complete book, making the changes suggested by the
publisher and incorporating a new character I wanted to use as the main
character of my second book. My intent was to introduce Yara at the beginning
of the book and bring her back at the end to remind readers of her. But she quickly
became one of my favorite characters, and she stuck around for most of Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud.
Now, she has a
book of her own. The Squire and the Slave
Master has a darker tone than its predecessor mostly because it deals with
more adult themes. It’s still well within the scope of young adult, but
probably more appropriate for the teenage crowd than the pre-teens.
After the events
of Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud,
Yara’s life has grown mundane. Her nerves are worn thin from trying to learn
her father’s blacksmith business and her parents badgering her about what she
wants to do with her life.
Following a
particularly unpleasant argument with her father, relief comes in the form of a
messenger from the castle bringing the king’s request. She's to join a
collaborative mission between the Central and Western Domains of Wittatun to
stop a recently discovered slave operation in a land to the west.
It's imperative
she keep secret not only her magical abilities from any possible traitors, but
also her gender. The people of the Western Domain have a superstition
prohibiting girls from sailing.
But a chill wind
carries the distinct odor of sabotage. Can one girl survive to destroy an evil
rooted much deeper than mere slavery?
She sprinted and
threw herself into his arms. “Owen! How are you?” She pulled away to look at
him. “What’s this on your face? Dirt?”
“Yeah, it’s dirt.
I thought I should match you.”
Her face grew
warm. How much filth must cover her? She hadn’t cared to take time to freshen
herself for a messenger, but she would have had she known his identity. It must
have something to do with their time apart—they used to spend almost every day
together—but as the official heir to the throne, each time she saw him, he
somehow looked different in her eyes. More noble. More royal.
He smiled and
wiped at a smudge on her cheek. “Did I hear you say something about getting
married?”
“Oh no! Father
loves trying my nerves. I don’t want to talk about it. Why are you here?” And
how much of the conversation did you hear?
Top
10 Turkey Tips:
Whether
you're tackling a Thanksgiving turkey for the first or hundredth time, our top
10 tips will ensure your big bird is the best it can be.
1. Thawing a frozen turkey requires patience. The
safest method is to thaw turkey in the refrigerator. Be sure to plan ahead — it
takes approximately 3 days for a 20 pound turkey to fully defrost.
2. For crisper skin, unwrap the turkey the day
before roasting and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Cooking times will differ depending on whether
your bird was purchased fresh or frozen. Plan on 20 minutes per pound in a 350
degree F oven for a defrosted turkey and 10 to 15 minutes per pound for fresh.
4. A turkey will cook more evenly if it is not
densely stuffed. Consider adding flavor by loosely filling the cavity with
aromatic vegetables — carrots, celery, onion or garlic work nicely — or by
carefully tucking fresh herbs underneath the breast skin. For the stuffing
lovers, cook the dressing in a casserole dish on the side.
5 For even roasting, truss your turkey.
6. Before roasting, coat the outside of the
turkey with vegetable or olive oil, season with salt and pepper and tightly
cover the breast with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning (it will be
removed in step 7).
7. Don't be a peeping tom (no pun intended)! Once
you get the turkey in the oven, resist the temptation to open the oven door and
admire your handiwork. When the oven temperature fluctuates, you're only
increasing the likelihood of a dry bird. About 45 minutes before you think the
turkey is done, remove the foil from the breast to allow it to brown.
8. Remove the turkey from the oven when the
deepest spot between the leg and the breast reads 180 degrees F on an instant-read
thermometer. Check the internal temperature of the stuffing as well; it should
be at least 165 degrees.
9. Tent the bird with foil and let rest for about
15 minutes before carving. If you need more time to make gravy, heat up side
dishes, etc., you can let the turkey set for up to an hour without losing too
much heat.
10. Remember to carve your turkey with a very sharp
or electric knife.
For more Thanksgiving tips and ideas:
·
Yumsugar
·
HGTV
Recipe
of the Month:
Maple Butternut Squash Bake
1 medium butternut squash,
peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (5 to 6 cups)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups Cascadian Farm™ organic
maple brown sugar granola (from 17-oz box), crushed
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart casserole
with cooking spray.
2. In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, place squash and
enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook
uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Stir in syrup, softened
butter, milk and salt. Mash with potato masher or electric mixer until smooth.
Spoon mixture into casserole.
3. In medium bowl, mix granola, brown sugar, pecans and
melted butter. Sprinkle over squash mixture.
4. Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly
heated and topping is golden brown.
Upcoming
Appearances:
© 3rd
Saturday of Month: OKRWA Monthly Meeting, OKC Museum of Art
© November 5, 2016: Falling Leaves at Chickasha Public
Library
© July
14-17,2017: A Weekend With The Authors,
Nashville, TN
Coming
Next Month: Christmas Traditions, and featured author Susan
Royal, time-travel/fantasy author.
With
much gratitude, until next time…keep reading.
Maxine
Spark
your imagination and entice your mind
Be
adventurous in your own home
Take
a journey into a new world and be inspired
Enjoy
the pleasures of reading ~~
It
does the mind and body good.
Clipart Provided by Microsoft Word
Thanksgiving Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter found on YouTube
Thanksgiving Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter found on YouTube
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