A Cake a Month: October

Of course I went and made my October cake on the last day of the month...Sadly I didn't have any candy (yet...there's no need since trick-or-treaters don't drop by my neighborhood, but I can't promise I won't stay away from the bargain candy!) so the next best thing is a rich, pumpkiny cake, right?

And wow, is this rich! The recipe for this Pumpkin Praline Cake is super simple and definitely makes a treat of a cake. I was so happy I didn't overcook my cake this time (I have a bad habit of thinking it's never done!) and it really did turn out great. Just look at it, swimming in buttery sugary sauce! It's almost too sweet for me...but that's not going to stop me from devouring it!

Cheers!

New Reality Cover Reveal!

I think I mentioned earlier I have a lot coming out in this last bit of the year. There's a bit of variety, too, I hope! It's been difficult to write for months, something I've been finding is common with a lot of writers at the moment. But, I'm getting back into the writing flow, and want to share with you my next story coming out (after Sweeter Than Honey, of course!).

New Reality is a science fiction story about love a little later in life, even after great loss. I know I tend to come back to this theme now and then--there's just something about love at an unexpected time, about getting a reset or a new chance at finding someone. It's not exactly as fun or light as some of my other stories--Connell's long-term lover and partner just died unexpectedly, and Wystan's been completely isolated for almost two decades, so there's some healing to be done. There's the added difficulty that they're apart, but still these men find a way to be there for each other.

Anyway, I hope it's satisfying. It will be out on November 8 from Dreamspinner Press. And now, the cover!

Thanks for reading! Cheers!
 

Sweeter Than Honey Cover Reveal!

If you're like me you just can't quite let summer go yet...Well, I wrote a short, sweet story for that! Set at the end of summer, Sweeter Than Honey is about endings and sweet beginnings. There's a little bit of beekeeping, a little bit of reporting, and definitely a little fun with honey!

These characters were fun to write and I'd babble on about them but the story's short and I don't want to give too much away. It's a little break from my fantasy novels (the next one will be coming soon, I promise!), back to contemporary set in a little town. Look for it from JMS Books on October 21!

Ready for the cover?

Cheers!

A Cake a Month: September

I almost can't believe it's the last week of September already--in part because it's been so hot! It's been getting up to the 90s here in Wisconsin and not cooling much at night. Where's autumn? I don't know. I'm sure the frosty mornings are on the way, though.

I have a couple apple trees and they actually made apples this year. It's always a question whether they will or not, because the blossoms are so sensitive that a good cold snap in spring can ruin the entire thing. But I knew I had to make a cake with apples this year! I'm very happy I got to use apples from my tree, and of course when I stumbled across this German Riesling Apple Cake I just had to make it. Apples and wine? Yes, please!

My spouse thinks it's more like bars than a cake, and I can see that...The cake bottom is dense and the topping is a bit like pie or other fruit filling. It's definitely not overly sweet, I'd say it has a little tartness to it even. Did I mention almost a whole bottle of Riesling went into it? I made sure the rest of it had a good home!

Cheers!

A Cake a Month: All the Cakes!

If you were wondering what had happened with all my cake baking...no, I did not stop! I've been managing to keep up with a cake a month (whyyyy did I think this was a good idea? It's so. much. cake.) but not posting about it (oops). What can I say, this year's been difficult for everyone. Obviously why cake is necessary.

Above is April's cake, an almond pound cake I got from my Moosewood's Favorites cookbook, which has been one of my more-used cookbooks. This was delicious and dense and another favorite while writing with coffee in the morning!

For May I made this Red Velvet Earthquake cake! Wow on this one, it was good but a bit much for me personally. Almost too sweet. It was for a friend's birthday, though, and for that it worked well.

Okay, okay, yes, June's cake is *technically* a cheesecake...hey, it has cake in the name! This Bourbon Cheesecake with Boozy Chocolate for Two was just amazing. This is definitely a make-again kind of thing because it was delicious and not too much cheesecake and well, looking at it now makes me want it again...

Oh no, July cake, I am so sorry. Look at that poor, ugly cake. It's just...not one of my better cakes. This is not the fault of the recipe, it's mine and mine alone. The recipe is fine! I decided I wanted to turn it into a surprise cake. But not make enough for two round layers. So it ended up being one round cake I cut in half and...Well, it was an interesting cakesperience.

The recipe I used was Cellular Peptide Cake with Mint Frosting and the cake itself is tasty. But, uh, maybe if you're going to make it, follow the recipe better than I did and don't try to shove a bunch of mint M&M's inside it!

For August we're back to chocolate and whiskey and hmm now that I'm looking back on all my cakes this year I think I have a slight preference! When I first spotted the Double Chocolate Whiskey Cake with Whiskey Ganache, I apparently was convinced it was for one of your standard round cake pans and not a 10in spring form (I guess they're right when they tell you to read the recipe through before starting!) and so ended up with way too much cake...Seriously making a cake a month results in so. much. cake. I can't really stress that enough.

Anyway instead of dividing the batter into two round pans I put half in one and made a bunch of mini cakes in others. Then I threw a little birthday party for some toy dinosaurs I had, because it's just been a hard few months (I'm sure you know what I mean!) and I needed a little happiness in my day.

And that's where I'm at with cakes! Everyone needs a sweet diversion every now and then.

Cheers!

The World's Largest Penny and Update!

So it's again been a loooooong time and is it just me or is this summer going faster than ever? Well I went away for the weekend and noticed the World's Largest Penny was along the way and I just had to stop for it. Look at it! It's huge! It's made of concrete so not out of actual pennies, but it's nevertheless very neat.

There were pennies piled at the bottom too. The story is great. Dr. Kate, badass doctor of the northwoods, pushed to build a local hospital and apparently kids helped by getting penny donations. Hence the massive monument to the penny. I really love these sorts of interesting attractions and the stories behind them. I'm trying to get some inspiration out of it all!

On that note, a bit of a writing update. I've been working on a sequel to Flame and Snow and trying to figure out what to write next! I'm really tempted to go back to small town Wisconsin cozy mysteries and this penny only makes that worse. Otherwise I have a few shorter works that will be out towards the end of the year. I'll try to update more often!

Until then, Cheers!

Flame and Snow Cover Reveal!

Ahhh! It's been a long time and I'm sure no one wants to hear about my busy life--but!--I'm still writing! And I've got a new project coming out very soon. This one is totally different, too. No longer am I writing cozy mysteries! (I might go back someday though.) This new novel is a paranomal fantasy. Think shifters with magic powers in a second-world fantasy setting.

A little bit about it...It definitely has a strong fantasy flavor to it. I had a lot of fun describing the world and the places in it, and how the main characters related to it all. Because of course they're from the middle of nowhere, just trying to get by in their lives and not be discovered as shifters. Only...there's obviously a shifter nemesis with devious plots, and who could possibly stop him?

Probably the main characters. Probably. Check out the blurb:

Generations ago, shifters -- many with magic powers -- were accepted throughout Emylnor. But a war with the nearby dragon nation bred concern, and though Emylnor's forces beat back the invasion, the shifters retreated into hiding.

Akton is a weasel shifter who seems to have no magical talents. When he is hunted, Talfryn joins the fight, finally able to flex his salamander flame powers. But while they make a good team, the thrill quickly wears off when they uncover recruitment orders. A shifter named Basil is building an army.

Someone has to warn Queen Ylenia before Basil can launch Emylnor into another war. When Akton and Talfryn volunteer to deliver the information to her, they have no intention of getting deeply involved with the fight -- or each other. But to stop Basil, they need to learn to trust each other completely, and fast. Or all of Emylnor will burn ...

And now for the cover!

Perfect for a fantasy, right? You can preorder the ebook (which will be out on May 20th!) here, and the paperback (out on May 31) here.

Cheers!