A Cake a Month: February

This barely adequate photo does not do this cake justice. I'm into month two of the "bake a cake a month" goal on my Day Zero Project list, and this is better than the last. I think this goal will probably kill me.

So, above is a thin slice of Epic Chocolate Stout Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Sour Cream Frosting (recipe here), which is just as epic as it sounds. Really. If you have the time and want to impress people (for the love of all that is good and chocolatey, if you make this, make this for a group of people), this will do it. It is rich, oh so rich you can only eat a small piece at a time.

Or maybe that's just me...Cheers!

Eggs and Kisses Bonus Recipe

I don't even know how to begin this post--today's the release of the last Yolks on You book! I've had so much fun writing about Kiko and Dom's mystery solving and watching how their relationship develops that it's hard to let them go. But alas, it was time to tie their storyline up in a nice little bow, and I think this is a good place to end the series.

I hope you've had as much fun reading about them as I've had writing about them! As usual, you can find an ecopy of Eggs and Kisses at the JMS Books site (they have reward points now!) or you can get a print copy. Find out what sorts of chaos they get themselves into over Valentine's Day!

The recipe this time is an easy way to make a sweet breakfast! I give you: Nutella Cherry Heart Pies!

Nutella Cherry Heart Pies

1 15 oz box pie crusts (two crusts)
1 21 oz can cherry pie filling
nutella
cold water
powdered sugar (for serving)

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Roll out crusts and cut into quarters (like cutting a pizza).

2. Place one quarter over another (see picture below) to make four pairs. If some are slightly bigger, place the bigger ones over the small ones.

3. To make the pies heart shaped, cut out a little triangle from the middle of the curved part of the crust, and cut each of the side corners off (see picture below).

4. Flip the top crust up and add nutella and cherry pie filling, leaving space at the edges for pressing the pies shut.

5. Dip your finger in the cold water and run it around the edges of the crust (this will help seal the pies). Flip the top crust down and pinch the edges shut with a fork. Poke a few holes in the top (so your pies won't explode in the oven!).

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and enjoy!

Easy to make (even if you can't cut hearts!) and definitely tasty enough to impress! (Plus, if you don't have a valentine, you have them all to yourself! I see no downside.)

Cheers!

A Cake a Month: January

You all probably know by now that I enjoy doing the Day Zero Project. I never get it all done, but I love having that list to prompt me to get up from the desk and do something else. This time around I'm baking a cake a month for a year--and figure I might as well tell you all about it!

That picture above is what happened when I attempted January's cake, Chocolate Candy Cane Swirl Bundt Cake (recipe here). I skipped the topping and just made the cake, and it was delicious! As a fan of all things mint, I can definitely say the peppermint swirl bit was the best! I've been pulling it out in the mornings with coffee, and it's a sweet way to get a little writing done. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm just finishing up the Yolks on You mysteries--but I'm cooking up something new, so stick around for that. And feel free to check out my various goals on Day Zero!

Cheers!

Yolks on You #5 Cover Reveal!

It's time to announce the fifth--and last--Yolks on You mystery! I don't know how to feel or what to say. I've had a great time writing Kiko and Dom, getting to know them and watching them solve mysteries in their weird little town, but here was the natural ending point, so end it must. I'm going to miss them!

Thanks for following along with them, and I hope you enjoy their last case. It's a sweet end to the series. So before I break down in tears as I wave good-bye to them, here's the cover:

And of course it's going to be arriving in time for Valentine's Day! You can pre-order Eggs and Kisses now and it'll be available on February 11th. Oh, and if you didn't already know this, JMS Books now has reward points! Just another egg-cellent reason to pick up a good book.

Cheers!

(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!  

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!
 

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!