A new year brings with it new goals and for me a new release. You Me and Sweet Tea will be released on Tuesday :)
So right in the middle of total insanity, I got an email from Vivian Roycroft inviting me to participate in this hop :) So, here’s how it works. Each author answers five questions about his or her latest release and current WIP, and posts a delectable recipe pertaining thereto. Then each author invites five more authors to participate and links them all together, or in my case I invite as many as I can find who haven't already been asked by someone else :) But...before we get going I just want to say thanks to Cody Gary of Avon Romance for starting this round robin blog hop. 1) When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty? Not when I'm writing. Usually I get way too focused and I tend to forget about the world while trying. Now...AFTER or BEFORE I write? Yeah, I like to munch. Salty for me though. I've never been much of a sweet eater but open a bag of tater chips and I'm done for :) 2) Are you an outliner or someone who writes by the seat of their pants? And are they real pants or jammies? I'm a total panster. Upon occasion if I get stuck I have to sit and think about what might come next but other than that I just let the characters go and write what they tell me to. 3) When cooking, do you follow a recipe or do you wing it? I guess it depends on what I'm cooking. The stuff I cook on a regular basis I just get to it. but sometimes I want to try something new and I go (mostly) by the recipe. 4) What is next for you after this book? I have about a dozen more Redneck books slotted :) I hope :) You, Me and Sweet Tea is what I am currently working on and it is the second in the Redneck Fabulous series of Hick Lit stories :) 5) Last question... on a level of one being slightly naughty and ten being whoo-hoo steamy, how would you rate your book? Fried Pickles has no naughty at all. While I can't say that about some of my other published works I am happy to say that my mom, grandmother and great aunts can all read my Redneck books without fear of any pink parts poking in...pun intended :) Now for my favorite summer recipe.... Fried Yellow Squash. YUMM! I usually start by washing and then slicing my squash pretty thin. I keep them in a pan of water so they don't dry out. I mix up a little flour and some cornmeal and the add a bit of salt and pepper. I pull a few squash rounds out of the water and coat them in the meal and then drop them right into my fryer :) Typically I cook them until they are a dark golden brown so they stay nice and crunchy but even if they aren't...still some real good munchin'. I have not yet heard back from the authors I invited but will post their links as soon as I do :) Now for a bit about my story...Fried Pickles and the Fuzz Big Creek might be a stereotypical small town but even they have drama. Heather loves her little café, and her best customer is the county Sherriff. She’s been waiting months for him to ask her out…maybe she won’t have to wait much longer. Bronson feels at home in Big Creek even though he hasn’t been the Sherriff for long. Small towns have their perks and a pretty café owner who cooks like an angel certainly doesn’t hurt. Now, if he could only get over his nerves and drum up the gumption to ask her out. Throw in a gossip mill, a redneck festival and an ill timed attempt to help and you end up with some laughs, some ruffled feathers and a town that is….Redneck Fabulous. Excerpt: “You know me too well.” He glanced up from his chili and found her staring at him. His heart rate spiked. There was something very intimate about her knowing his habits and preferences. Like she was taking a special interest in him. Truth be told, she probably knew how every single patron she served liked their drinks and what sides they preferred, but it still made him feel special. “Good men aren’t hard to figure out.” Her blue eyes sparkled. “But like a five-pound bass, they’re hard to land.” Oh, man. Bronson swallowed hard. This was it. The perfect opportunity to ask her out to dinner. Or the picnic. Or anything. Say something, genius. “Um, Heather?” She tilted her head slightly to the left and edged closer to the counter. “Yes, Sheriff?” Man, she smelled good. Some kind of delicious cross between fresh flowers and apple pie. His heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t been so nervous since his senior year in high school when he had asked Jenny Perkins to the prom. “I was wondering if…” Heather placed her elbows on the counter and leaned a bit closer. The creamy skin of her neck seemed to beg him to discover if it was as soft as it looked. “Yes, Bronson?” He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “Wondering if maybe sometime… if maybe you’d like to…” The radio attached to his belt crackled. “Dispatch to Sheriff.” Just look at that gal, would ya? Cute....Sassy...Sexy. Rachel Van Dyken is EXACTLY what I see myself like when I close my eyes at night. She is a rocking author with a monster backlist that readers just can't get enough of...and what author in their right mind doesn't want that? While I have known Rachel for over a year now, we FINALLY got the chance to meet at RT in Kansas City this year. SCORE! Talk about a fan girl moment. Then it hit me...I was meeting Rachel. Not only that but she was going to SEE me. ME! In all my redneck glory. OY *head desk* For those of you who don't know me you just cannot understand my terror...and for those who do...well, you know it's justified :) I am a walking, talking, bonified stereotypical hick from the sticks. Fortunately Rachel saw beyond that, or she is a GREAT actress :) We had some laughs and my mind was calmed that I MIGHT not be so bad after all :) Of course them I saw pictures of myself at RT and was promptly reminded of who I really am :) Oh the difference a good picture can make :) Of course it helps when you are as pretty as Rachel to start with :) Any-who....All of us who know RVD are SUPER thrilled for her move to the big time :) And that is why we are tossing streamers and throwing a party for her WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!! So Be sure you check out her newest titles that have made such a splash with the big wigs and hob knobers in NYC. (sorry I don't have the images or links....my blog is giving me fits) AND stop by the other destinations in this tour to see what others have to say about the super fab Rachel Van Dyken :) 1. Rachel Van Dyken 2. Kim Bowman 3. Gunnar Grey 4. Ruth J. Hartman 5. Patricia Kiyono 6. Kay Springsteen 7. C.S. Moore 8. Joselyn Vaughn 9. Lynn Spangler 10. Jessie Andersen 11. Calico Daniels 12. Lisa Orchard 13. Wendy Knight 14. Brenda Maxfield 15. Moriah Densley 16. Meg Mims 17. Leah Sanders 18. Kristin Vayden 19. Jennifer Comeaux 20. Heather Gray 21. Catherine Bennett 22. Elaine Cantrell 23. Iris Blobel 24. Jennifer Rae Gravely 25. Kelly Martin 26. Jeff Salter 27. Lindi Peterson 28. Sherry Gloag 29. Tifferz And Her Sisterz Book Review 30. E.A. West 31. Christina Cole - Historical Romance 32. Karen King 33. Vivian Roycroft 34. Cheryl Kay 35. Calle J. Brookes Coming soon! So, here in Texas we have bugs. These ain't your grannies kind of creepy crawlies either. Snakes, scorpions, spiders OH MY!
Over the last several years I have tried nearly everything to keep the infestation INSIDE the home to a minimum. One of the things that I have had some success with if mothballs. Granted it takes a couple days to get used to the smell but chucking them in tight spots and under the house seems to work ...at least I think it does...in keeping some of the buggies at bay. I have ALSO heard that planting a whole bunch of garlic around will help to keep snakes away. Not sure about that one yet but I'm gonna give it a go this year and see if I can tell a difference :) What do YOU do to keep uninvited guests out of your home? So last year I got this great idea to buy one of those little pools with the inflatable ring at the top for the kids. BEST INVESTMENT EVER!
Now they are pestering, wanting to know when I'm gonna set it up. Somehow telling them that 50 degree pool water ain't the best option for spring isn't working :) Goodreads Book GiveawayFried Pickles and the Fuzzby Calico DanielsGiveaway ends April 21, 2013. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a little about Rose Gordon's next release :) Available for sale THIS Friday! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! I know that THIS redneck is super excited :) I'll be sharing my thoughts as soon as I'm done reading it...most likely after I get back fro RT :) Her lavender dress appeared to be well-taken care of. It didn't have any signs of wear or stitches where it had been mended, even if it was plain with no lace or frippery.
“Say, how is it that you managed to keep your dress so nice while traveling all the way here?” “I do own more than one gown.” He frowned. “I never suggested otherwise.” “Yes, you did. You asked how I managed to keep my dress so nice while traveling, thus implying it is the only gown I own.” He blinked at her. Beautiful, tart-tongued, mindful of her appearance and intelligent, she was a combination that could prove deadly to a gentleman's pride, to be sure. “You arrived with nothing more than that dress and bonnet and the papers in your hands. What was I supposed to think? That you'd already had all of your earthly possessions moved into Watson Estate last week?” She didn't so much as frown at his sarcastic remark. “Perhaps I should have done that.” She lifted her hand to stare down at her flawlessly manicured fingers. “Instead, my items are being delivered to your cottage right now, I expect.” Henry pulled the horses to a halt. “I beg your pardon.” She lowered one hand then brought the other up for inspection. “My things, they're being delivered to your cottage. Since it's you I'm marrying and not your brother, there's no reason to have them delivered to his house.” Henry tried not to grind his teeth but could help it no longer when she shrugged and dropped her hand as casual as could be. “Where are we going?” she asked, her hand clutching the fabric of her skirt as if it were a lifeline. “Back to the house,” Henry bit off. He steered their horses into a large patch of thick green grass and then turned them in a slow circle, heedless to how much it jostled Her Highness as she sat mounted atop Lightning as if she were a queen waiting to be presented before all of her subjects. “There's no need to rush back. I'm sure Brutus and Alfred have it well in hand.” He was bloody sure they did, but he didn't want her things in his house. He came to an abrupt halt. “Do you plan to spend your nights in my house—and in my bed—too?” “Absolutely not.” She lifted her chin a notch. “I am still a lady. I shall sleep at the main house until our wedding, but there was no sense in moving all of my things twice.” Or once. The next time he saw Elijah, he was going to box his ear for this. “Won't you need your clothes—” The rest of his sentence died on his tongue as a truly wicked thought formed in his mind. “Perhaps it's for the best your things are being moved to my lodgings and not Alex's house. As it would be, Alex and his wife, Caroline, are in London right now, leaving Watson Estate with a skeleton staff and no lady's maids. At least if you stay with me, I can help you dress each morning.” “If that's what you think you need to do.” I am one of the many who is a parent of a child with Autism. While for the most part the vast majority of days are good we do have bumps. Nearly EVERY day there is need for re-direction and reminders. Fixation is still around, but we roll with it :) Outbursts and anger still occur but less frequently than they used to as he learns to cope a little better. Some days are just bad days from the start and it's a struggle to maintain sanity from the word go but together we make it. A little worse for wear at the end of the day....but we make it :)
Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to understand why my son is a hero to me. It cannot be easy for him to live in a world where he sees things so differently than most of the rest of us. I know he gets flustered when he wants me to understand and I just don't. I know he gets angry when he is trying to tell me something and the words just won't come. I KNOW that when my mind starts to wander because he is telling me yet again for the tenth time THIS HOUR about a new game he wants or the new game he is playing or about Luke and Darth (whom I have no interest in watching.....ever) that he's telling me because it's important to HIM. That means that it's important to ME. My boy is my monkey. He's funny, smart and imaginative as all get out, and here is WHY he is my hero. His need to please holds no bounds. His desire to be friends with everyone warms my heart (even when the kids in public school were making him cry every night). While his sister irks him to the brink some days...he is kind and such a good big brother most. He sees the simple beauty in nearly everything and that just blows my mind :) While I have heard about these for years (even featured it in my newest book) I have to be honest and say that I don't really care for them :) Sad ? Maybe but I'm also not a big pickle eater :) HOWEVER, for those who are interested I did find something for you :) HERE Just in case you wanna give them a go :)
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CalicoI'm just a simple country girl, in mind, body and soul. Archives
March 2015
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