Friday, December 30, 2016

(Hopefully) The Last 2016 Update

Soooo...you all know I try to keep it mostly positive around here. But obviously things are sometimes not going to be positive, and sadly this is one of those times. I'm going to try to make this short so we can all move on with our lives.

Probably most of you have heard that All Romance ebooks is closing--everything will be down by midnight on the 31st. Right now they aren't honoring their obligations to pay royalties, and in fact won't be paying authors anything for purchases made between now and then, so please don't buy anything of mine through there. Currently I'm published through JMS Books and Dreamspinner, so if you want anything you can get it through their sites, or places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.

If you have a library of anything, go get it before it's lost. You should still be able to download a copy. If you preordered anything (I don't think anything of mine is currently up for preorder, but still) through ARe, both JMS and Dreamspinner are honoring those, just shoot them an email with a copy of your receipt. JMS is: adminATjms-booksDOTcom Dreamspinner is: contactATdreamspinnerpressDOTcom

Additionally, I have taken down the links on my blog to my Torquere Press publications. They have gone under as well and I haven't received payment for some of them. I haven't gotten rights back yet so I can't direct you anywhere else to get them at the moment. For now please hold off on buying any of them if you see them. I'm a little bummed about this because this was the entirety of my F/F work at the moment, but these things happen.

Anyway I wish you all a peaceful end to the year. Next post should hopefully be more positive!

Cheers!  

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Egg the Halls Bonus Recipe

It's that time of the year already, and the Christmas-themed Yolks on You book is out! You can crack open Egg the Halls for a little escapism from the chaos, or you can wait for all that gift-return money to come in and treat yourself to the paperback. Kiko and Dom are certainly trying to dodge the stress of their holiday commitments in their preferred way--by getting tangled up in a mystery!

As usual I've got a bonus recipe for you--hot chocolate! This makes a brief appearance in the book and is so rich it's like drinking liquid truffles. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

7 cups milk
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste

1. In a large pot, bring milk to a boil, then reduce to simmer.

2. Add sweetened condensed milk and stir until dissolved.

3. Add chocolate chips and stir until dissolved.

4. Add cinnamon and cayenne and simmer 5-10 minutes.

I'm sipping my own mug of this as I type to you, and I'm still trying to determine if all this richness is worth it. Seriously, if it's too much feel free to add more milk and dilute it some. And if you're interested in more recipes from Egg the Halls, as always there are five more at the back of the book!

Cheers!
 

Monday, December 5, 2016

December Releases -- And Snow!

Look at that beautiful snowfall! After a very warm start to the winter we finally got a little here, and I'm hoping it'll stick around a while for that cozy holiday atmosphere. Hot chocolate just isn't the same without snow out the window, is it?

Now that I'm finally in the spirit of things, I figured I ought to mention what I have coming out this month--all holiday themed! What else is December for? First up is a short story I have coming out in Dreamspinner's Bah Humbug collection:

This isn't a particularly happy story, although the ending might make up for that. First New Year's After the Apocalypse is a near-future science fiction about a couple struggling to find love together after global chaos erupts. There's a lot of time-jumping as we follow Wade's journey across the country and he looks back on the past year, but in the end he comes home.

And of course next up is the fourth book in the Yolks on You series from JMS:

Because I can't stop writing about these two cute guys solving small town crimes! It's winter now in Mount Angus, and the family drama is happening all over town. If you know Kiko and Dom you know they can't say no to a request to help solve who egged a local business--especially if it gets them out of thinking about dealing with family visiting! You don't even have to wait until Christmas for this one: Egg the Halls will be out this weekend already! And I'll definitely be dropping by again to share at least one bonus recipe with you. Or you could get yourself a paperback copy if that's more your thing!

Sending you warm wishes from finally-snowy Wisconsin! Cheers!



Friday, November 18, 2016

Yolks on You #4 Cover Reveal!

I know I only just unveiled the last Yolks on You book, but I really couldn't pass up writing a Christmas holiday mystery for Kiko and Dom! After everything they've been through together during Halloween, I had to give them a chance to have a less-deadly mystery. Can their relationship--and detective skills--withstand the most wonderful time of the year?

I'm giving nothing away but the cover!

Already in the mood for Christmas? You can preorder Egg the Halls now, in ebook or print! Which reminds me I still have holiday shopping to do...

Cheers!

Monday, November 14, 2016

A New Day Zero


You see those ducks? I fed those ducks! Feeding the ducks was something I hadn't done in a long time and I wanted to do it again. So I stuck it on a list, collected up my old bread, and tracked a few down. It was a great little calm moment in time, and much needed. (P.S. I guess they like pretzel buns best? If you were wondering.)

So, you all probably know that once upon a time I hated lists and now I love them with all my being because it's hard enough to keep track of characters' lives while writing. I certainly can't keep track of my own! I like to participate in Day Zero because while it *is* yet another list, it's a positive list, and I really need to check things off that aren't chores. Plus, as with the above duck adventure, this gets me to prioritize taking a little break or me-time, which I find I tend to put off.

Recently my first-ever Day Zero list ended and I ended up completing 75 out of the 101 items on it. Going into the final stretch I was a little glum about failing to get to so many things I'd wanted, but gradually I warmed to the fact that despite not completing 101 goals, I did do 75 things that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have otherwise done. And that makes me happy. I have a lot of good memories from them--adopting pets, visiting nearby Crystal Cave, starting geocaching and realizing what an awesome hobby it is.

I've started up my next list now and am looking forward to seeing where it will take me. Feel free to have a look at it or even join me in my quest to use lists to make life and the world awesome. I think we all need to feel like we are doing things, and while we maybe can't get to all the things, it's important to encourage ourselves to get to what we can.

Cheers!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Deal with the Deviled Eggs Bonus Recipes


And it's here! The third book in the Yolks on You series, Deal with the Deviled Eggs, is out today. Perfect for a weekend Halloween read, or you could get the print copy for a treat! I am understandably excited about this, and I wanted to give you all a couple recipes not found in the back of the book to celebrate. They're full of pumpkin, of course.

First up...


Nutella and Pumpkin Cheesecake Filled Crescents

Ingredients:

1 8oz can crescents (a can of 8)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 teaspoons Nutella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to temperature on crescent package. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Lay out the crescents.

2. In a bowl, mix together pumpkin, cream cheese, and pie spice until combined and smooth.

3. Drop Nutella by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto crescents and spread.

4. Drop cream cheese mixture on top of crescents.

5. Starting at the large end, roll crescents up, pinching to seal as you go.

6. Bake according to package instructions.

Enjoy!

The next recipe is inspired by the desire for soups in autumn. There's just something about soups, and I wanted one with pumpkin that wasn't full of apples or anything too sweet. (You're great, apples, but I just ate crescents for breakfast.) I present to you...


Chipotle Beer Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon chipotle in adobo
1 cup corn
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup beer (I used a dunkel)
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
shredded cheese and sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Sprinkle chipotle chili powder on chicken breast and bake for 20 minutes or until done. Shred chicken and set aside.

2. In soup pot, saute garlic and onions in olive oil until onions are translucent.

3. Add paprika and adobo. Add corn.

4. Add broth, beer, and pumpkin. Stir until pumpkin dissolves. Add shredded chicken. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream. Serves 3-4. Enjoy!

Well I had a lot of fun today experimenting with pumpkin to celebrate. The crescents seem more a Dom type meal, not too complex, but the soup is definitely more Kiko's realm! For more recipes--and to find out whether Kiko and Dom can stop a murderer in time to enjoy Halloween night--go ahead and grab Deal with the Deviled Eggs!

Cheers!
 

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Yolks on You #3 Cover Reveal!

Very excited here to announce that the next Yolks on You mystery will be Halloween themed! Who doesn't like Halloween, right? Fair warning, though--this will be the scariest mystery Kiko and Dom will face yet. There will be multiple murders, a terrible roommate, and a deadly corn maze.

And so, without further description, the cover:

That pumpkin means business. You know what's really scary? You can already preorder Deal with the Deviled Eggs--even in print!--and get yourself a treat just in time for Halloween.

Cheers!

Monday, October 3, 2016

I Found Some Mushrooms

I found some mushrooms! Oh, and it flooded to some extent. We had a very rainy end to summer here, which did result in the rivers swelling. But really I'm excited to show you all pictures of the mushrooms I found in the park. I'm guessing all that rain was also great for the moist, dark places the mushrooms liked.

Behold!

This gorgeous mushroom! I have no idea what it is, but it is majestic and looks fantastical to me and that's all I care about. Maybe someday I'll get into researching everything about mushrooms and then have to write a novel about a mycologist, but today is not that day.


These are pretty cool too, a lot like the first though. The orange makes them seem dangerous. Or confident.

I loved how this one had a little stick. It seemed artistic.

This is what happened when I tried to be artistic. The undersides of mushroom caps are either not photogenic, or I am less adequate at pointing and clicking than I thought. I guess I'll leave the art to the forest.

These did not show up as red as they were. I was shocked at the variety of mushrooms all around. I've never seen so many in one place before.

And of course these. They might be my favorite. All in all, a fun day of nature-seeing. It really makes me realize just how little I know about the world, and how many fascinating things are all around.

Cheers!

 

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Inspiration as the Seasons Turn

Yes, that's hail! Not the largest hail that ever fell, true, but enough to make an impression. So this post is going to be random because it is storming and the seasons are switching over and it's all just making my brain go.

I originally intended to make some post about autumn beginning tomorrow, how you can buy my 4th of July Yolks on You book Egg Whites and Blue to grasp at the last strands of summer, and my feelings on the turning of the seasons, but...then last night it hailed, stormed, and there's been wild rain and lightning off and on all day. And if there's one type of weather that really invigorates me it's a good storm. I've been unable to sit still.

I decided to do a tarot reading because I was feeling energized and wanted to see what the next season had in store for me. I have a lot of feelings about this season in particular because the crispness is refreshing and it smells great, but then on the other hand it seems to be the prologue to winter, and winter is far. too. long. Which made me nervous for the results.

Really I shouldn't have been, although interestingly the autumn is affecting me. The cards tell me it is on my mind, and it reminds me of mortality. This probably is going to affect my actions going forward, as it appears there is a lot creative drive, although specifically drive, pushing me onward. There looks like a lot of motivation, a push to conquer that which holds me back. Which sounds pretty good to me. If the changing of the seasons means an increased desire to complete projects so as not to die having done nothing, I'm all for it. Bring on the changing trees!

Cheers!

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

End of Summer News


It's hard to believe it's the end of summer already! I have no idea how it passed so quickly. For me it was a haze of humidity and gnats frolicking in said humidity. Really, it was much more humid here than normal. I'm looking forward to a little less of that in the future. I've already spotted a few trees turning while out walking, so autumn is definitely on its way.
 
A quick update then...My copy of Love Is Proud just arrived. If you haven't gotten yours already, it's a big collection of stories through JMS Books to benefit Pulse victims and families. I very much look forward to reading it, but if you're not as physical-book oriented as I am, you can still support with an electronic copy.
 
My story, "The Defender of Ruldan," is going to be coming out in the Starstruck anthology from Dreamspinner. The cover doesn't really reflect my particular story, a second-world fantasy full of palace drama, but have a look at how nice it is anyway.
 

Everybody likes covers! How else are we supposed to judge a book, right?

Cheers!
 

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Egg Whites and Blue Free Recipes


As promised, I am back and celebrating the release of Egg Whites and Blue with free recipes! Just look at those festive crepes! They are wonderful to look at and delicious too. I made them with you in mind!

So a big theme in this next Yolks on You book is food. Kiko and Dom are celebrating the 4th, and there are food contests galore. Kiko enters in the burger competition, and Dom submits a pie, both of which can be found in recipe form in the back of the book. There are a lot of tasty ones this time around and I just had to give you another.

These crepes make an appearance when Dom is following Kiko's ex around the festival grounds, trying to catch him doing something that will give him away as the murderer. Being Dom, though, he has to stop and have a little breakfast. He just couldn't say no to these crepes! And having eaten them myself, I can't say I blame him.

Try them for yourself...no one can resist real whipped cream!


Red, White, and Blue Crepes

Ingredients:
 
sliced strawberries
blueberries

for the lemon whipped cream:

1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

for the whole wheat crepes:

4 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:
 
1. Whisk the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and lemon extract together in a bowl. Really beat it until it firms up and becomes delicious whipped cream. (Trust me it's worth the pain.)
 
2. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Once combined add the flour and continue beating until completely mixed. Try to get out the lumps, although because it's whole wheat it'll still be a little grainy.

3. Add crepe batter 1/3 cup at a time to the biggest nonstick skillet you have. Swirl to coat bottom of pan. Let sit on medium heat until bubbles appear through the crepe. Slide out of pan and onto plate.

4. Fill with your festive berries and whipped cream. Makes about 8-9 very large crepes.

Enjoy!

This next recipe doesn't actually appear in the book, but is a favorite drink around here and definitely counts as summery, so I'm sharing it with you too!


Lemonade Tea

Ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups lemon juice
2 fruit tea bags of choice (I use Tazo Passion)
water

Directions:

1. Boil water in kettle. In a 2 liter/2 quart pitcher, add lemon juice and sugar to taste.

2. Add tea bags and pour boiling water to fill the pitcher. Stir to dissolve sugar. Let sit until tea bags have steeped a desired amount of time.

3. Remove tea bags and place lemonade tea in refrigerator to cool. Enjoy!

And that's that! I hope you find these recipes deliciously summery and not overly complicated! And don't forget to check out the thrilling 4th of July Kiko and Dom have in Egg Whites and Blue. It's definitely a holiday to remember!

Cheers!


Friday, July 1, 2016

Everything Exciting at Once

I guess it's just that time of the year when all the exciting things happen at once! Like waking up and finding that part of your tree came down in the night...Luckily that happened over the weekend so there was enough time to clear it up.

But it otherwise seems like everything's happening at once. Shell Shocked came out in print yesterday, and tomorrow Egg Whites and Blue will be available, just in time for all your patriotic weekend celebrations!

And I'm planning on a bit of fun to celebrate! I was stumped for what to do at first, before I remembered that Egg Whites and Blue is all about cooking. So get ready for free recipes! In the spirit of Kiko's terrible ex Sander, I will be posting a couple delicious recipes tomorrow. These are bonus recipes not found in the back of the book otherwise and I'm super looking forward to making and sharing them with you.

So come back here to celebrate with me and snag yourself a couple of summery recipes!

Cheers!  

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Egg Whites and Blue Novel Announcement


So did everyone see the strawberry moon last night? I'm a bit like Kiko in that I get nerdy about those sorts of things. I'm also a bit like Dom in that I put off showing you all this great cover for the next Yolks on You mystery until now...So here it is in all its patriotic glory!

Yes, I know there was just a book out over Easter, but I can't help myself--I have too much fun writing these guys solving mysteries together. And the Fourth of July seemed like a great setting with so much heat and sweat and excitement. Of course there's a lot of cooking involved too, so you get to see Kiko grill some delicious burgers and Dom make a valiant attempt at a pie.

Obviously someone's cooking up murder, there's a pesky ex involved, and Kiko and Dom are still figuring out where their relationship stands. Just the kind of high spirits that make for a memorable holiday even before the fireworks come out. And don't worry--Mother is back, and there are even some presidential pigs you might spot.

If you want it--and you know you do--Egg Whites and Blue is available for preorder now and will be out right before the Fourth so you'll have just the book to pull out to avoid those awkward family conversations!

Cheers!

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Rainy Day + Bookmarks


Today has been a rainy day here, with off and on thunder and lightning. It seems we finally have our first good storm of the year! Personally I think it's the universe conspiring against me, trying to force me to stay inside and edit. It knows I have so much to edit. It knows I've been avoiding.

So I've been inside, frenziedly working on the recipes for the third Yolks on You book. It's so weird to try to make dishes with the flavors of a particular time of year when you're not actually in that time of year, but I think they turned out well, and even the ones I was less sure about got thumbs-up from my totally-certified taste-tester. Success!

And another excitement: I now have bookmarks for Shell Shocked! Don't they look great? I'm pleased how they turned out, and am eager to find them all new homes. Can't wait to stick one of these suckers into a physical copy of the book!

Cheers!

Sunday, May 15, 2016

What's in the Cards Next

So this is me right now. Or part of me! It's been a while since I did a reading, and little novice me ended up with something pretty good. Turns out the cards say I'm mostly on the right path with this writing thing, although my personal life could use a few tweaks...
 
But! My cards were awash in disks, and the good news is this: Shell Shocked is going to print! I'm so excited I will be using more exclamation marks than is strictly necessary. This is really happening! A real, live (okay, it won't be living), physical book you can hold in your hands is now available to purchase.
 
If you're the kind of person who likes to read print copies, go ahead and check out Shell Shocked for a belated basket stuffer. And start getting excited for the next in the series, Egg Whites and Blue, which will be making an appearance over 4th of July weekend. This one is going to be even better! Trust me--would the author lie to you?
 
I'm off to find a glass of wine to celebrate. Cheers!



Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Spring Update

Well, spring is officially here a bit early this year and I'm just waiting for my cherry trees to blossom. Excitement for all that is new is in the air, and with that in mind, I thought I'd mention what's in the cards for the next couple months.

Expect short stories. Expect science fiction. Expect women loving women. Doesn't that just make your nerdy little heart beat faster? I'll be coming out with two short stories from Torquere, one in their Theory of Love anthology, another in their Time of Your Life anthology. Both were fun to write--and hard to prevent myself from overdoing the worldbuilding! I do have a weakness for extensive worldbuilding...

"Unexpected Dilemmas" is a tale of love weathering catastrophe and appears in Theory of Love. "Orbits" is a story about a long-overdue happily-ever-after on a space station and will be in Time of Your Life. Happy reading!

Cheers!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A Short Vacation


Ah, vacation. Home to this gorgeous sunrise on the beach. How is it that a sunrise is infinitely more magical when away from it all? Just look at it.

That's the view from the beach at New Smyrna Beach, FL, which the internet tells me is the shark bite capitol of the world. I opted not to swim. I did go down to the beach to watch the sunrise every day, but alas the trip was short. I've been decently recharged with inspiration moving forward, though! There were certainly some items of note.

Such as Dummit's Tomb, right in the middle of a street. I can say with complete honesty that a grave in the middle of a street was a first for me.

Other fascinating ruins included this playground/cemetery combo.

And the sugar mill ruins. I can't be the only one who likes to track down interesting or old places, right? Little cold Wisconsin me was very excited to get to run around without a coat or even a hoodie enjoying these things in the lovely weather.

It was a nice few days, but now it's back to writing. I'm not sure yet how this gorgeous place will factor into future stories, but it would be a bit surprising if it didn't, wouldn't it?

Anyway, I ought to leave you with a little something sweet.

Cheers!


 
 


Monday, March 28, 2016

Release Party Recap


Yesterday was both Easter and the day my first novel, Shell Shocked, came out, so I had to celebrate. I baked a phallic cake and have a little recap for those who missed it on Twitter:


I started out strong with my supplies and a generous helping of Spumante + pomegranate juice, ready to bake the best penis cake the world had ever seen.


Then came the boring steps: mixing and pouring. It all fit in the mold, and I was feeling very good about my cake making skills.


While my cock cake was baking, I decided to give myself the fun I never had as a child. All $1 of it. Watching those dinosaurs hatch from little celebratory pill eggs was magical.


Unfortunately, the smell of burning alerted me to a cocktastrophe in progress. The cake was speedily removed and tended to, and then I ate the evidence.


While the cake went back in the oven to get nice and hard, I moved onto egg dyeing. I sadly had no red, so shades of green it was!


Finally the cake came...out of the oven. I set it to cool near my amazingly artistic eggs.

And there you have it! A cock cake and egg-themed release party. Yes, I did bite into this cock cake. Yes, it was pretty all right. Yes, I did drink all that Spumante.

Cheers!