October: Knight Angels Book/Blog Tour!

 October is the release month of the new Knight Angels book! Book of Revenge is touring the blog-o-sphere with character interviews, Excerpts, Reviews, and Scenes! Each day I will post a link of where to go, all you have to do is follow and comment, if you so desire.

Lets all thank Kari for putting the whole thing together (clapping).

Want a book? CLICK HERE

http://www.crimsonoakpublishing.com/

A Little Love ♥ A Little Luck ♣

Here is a new review of my book Knight Angels in case you haven’t seen it!

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Then you should, ya know, go read it! And improve my luck of becoming a best seller!

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Windowpane Memoirs Review

visit her site

 

If by any chance you ever had your doubts against self published books, Knight Angels Book of Love will make you forget them. Knight Angels narrates the story of: Jane, Emily, Wes, Max, Greg, Erik and Sarah. This circle of friends and family is bound by supernatural forces and the secrets among them. The chapters are narrated in different POVs where each character’s “voice” shines for their singularity and contrast. Even though the Angel Theme has been recently explored in young literature, Knight Angels breaks the stereotype not only on narration format, but also in the story’s structural format that results a little bit darker than what’s being considered commercial at such moment. What’s interesting about the story is that it is composed by a supernatural world where human characters are key pieces in the story. Angelology in the story is not that complex, but more conventional. However, regarding the mystery where the forces of heaven, earth and hell collapse, it’s certainly elaborated. Abra Ebner is an author not afraid to explore taboo topics like drugs, sexuality, hate, among others and I consider this respectable. It’s worth pointing that her storytelling skills are excellent. Story’s romances are certainly different and maybe one of them a little controversial. Knight Angel Book of Love is the first chapter of a promising series where as a reader you’ll be able to look with different eyes self published material and where the supernatural world is not only inhabited by angels or demons, but much more … and way beyond.

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Check out other stellar reviews on Goodreads, and let the fans speak for themselves…

Whiskey Demi Glace` and a diet…

Well, fishing weekend was great! The first day was rather windy, and the motor in our bass boat stopped working while we were out on the lake, but hanging out in the cabin drinking wine and watching movies was not bad at all! Not to mention the whiskey demi glace` on steak and the cream clams with a salad…

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needless to say this week is all about salad and rice cakes… maybe some edimame to splurge.

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to celebrate diet week, I’m going to give you a favorite diet dinner recipe!

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Citrus-Herb Game Hen

Courtesy Giada DeLaurentis

Ingredients

• 2 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) Cornish game hens
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons orange zest, from 2 medium oranges
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 lemons
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Marsala wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the game hens and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, shallots, orange zest, lemon zest, thyme, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the zest mixture over the skins of the game hens. Place the remainder of the zest mixture under the skin and into the cavities of the hens. Using kitchen twine, truss the legs together. Place the hens in a shallow 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberries. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear. Remove the game hens and set aside. Place the flour in a small saucepan. Whisk in the pan juices. Bring the juices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

To serve, remove the kitchen twine and place the hens on 2 serving plates. Drizzle with the citrus-herb sauce.

Cook’s Note: Reserve 1/4 cup of the citrus-herb sauce for the Crouton Salad.

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Crouton Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 (8-ounces) loaf rosemary bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes* see Cook’s Note
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 cups packed arugula
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 cup Citrus-Herb Sauce, see Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen recipe
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a medium salad bowl, mix together the cooled croutons, arugula, and pine nuts. Add the Citrus-Herb Sauce. Toss well until all ingredients are coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

*Cook’s Note: You can also use olive bread or any plain rustic loaf in place of the rosemary bread.

Cabin Fever

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Yeah. Cabin Fever.

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Everytime I finish a book, this is me. I run out of things to do, and I’m so used to being inside, that the thought of even approaching my door seems daunting

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and the car is getting an oil change, so I have no car.

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I feel like I need an adventure! And not just any adventure, but Indiana Jones, James bond, go on a vacation, adventure.

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But I don’t have my car.

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So a walk around the neighborhood in the rain will have to do.

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Knight Angels now Available on Kindle and Amazon. Barnes and Noble. And others to come… (nook, sony e-reader, iPad…)

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FIND HERE

my read shelf:

Knight Angels Website

Teaser Tuesday: Talking Characters, Literally…

So, I decided to go ahead and talk Feather Book Series characters today. Why not throw in a few fun pics of what I see as Elle, Edgar, Sam, and Margriete, shall we?

 

Estella

 

Estella, Estella… What a sad little soul, ha ha.

And yes, Julianne Hough is the closest thing I can think of!! This is fun (or is it funny?)

 

 

Edgar

Poor dark Edgar…

 

And yes, James McAvoy (I just love him!)

 

 

 

 

Sam

 

Yep, Sam. Cool, calm and collected, Sam…

 

No one better than Brian Greenberg

 

 

 

Margriete

 

The Best Friend…

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Manic Monday: Another Year Older? That’s a Good Reason to be Manic…

  

Happy Birthday?

  

I’m finally at that age where you start realizing that you really are getting older. At first you don’t see it coming… You aren’t getting wrinkles yet, you can still live off three hours of sleep, your metabolism manages to rebound after a long weekend, and life still surprises you…

 

Well, life will always surprise me, but that whole metabolism thing is definitely out the window. Two words: Rice Cakes…

 

So long Girl Scout cookies,

 

Tagalongs,

 

mint chocolate wafers,

 

and especially those coconut things…

 

Nice try, but cupcakes are nothing more than a beautiful reminder of what once was my waist-line… Oh well, right? I guess I have other things to look forward to: Social Security, Depends, and of course Ensure for my future toothless grin.

  

But…

  

Then again…

 

I’m only 26!

 

So I guess that means there’s still a beer in order. And if I play my card right, maybe a New York Times Bestselling Book…

 

Happy Birthday, Me; and may all my dreams come true!

 

(and thank goodness for my future Botox… someday…)

Check out my new series Knight Angels

www.knightangels.com

Family Friday: Brother and Pulled Pork

 

My Brother Finally Visits

My brother is in town. Yep, Chris. He hasn’t seen my house in three years and it’s changed by leaps and bounds. The first time he came he was sleeping on the bare subfloor in a sleeping bag. Now, we have a real guest room for him. He brought his girlfriend, Jennifer, who I really like. She’s a flight attendant and my brother is a pilot – so cliche!

Growing up my brother and I were good friends, and my husband (whom we’ve known since we were five) was my brother’s bully, lol. Basically it’s an interesting situation when the whole family gets together, and the look on Stewy’s face above is what you see…

Fun, fun!

Pulled Pork

 

 

So, I pulled the tension together with a little pulled pork! I love pulled Pork, and I like to serve it on those little hawaiian sweet rools like a ‘mini-burger’

I use store-bought coleslaw, and follow this recipe by ‘Eating Well’ and I also make it in a crock pot and let it cook all day, basically, the only thing I do use is the ingredients 🙂

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


2 medium yellow onions, diced


2 tablespoons chili powder


1 tablespoon cumin


2 teaspoons paprika


1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


12 ounces beer, preferably lager (1 1/2 cups)


3/4 cup ketchup


3/4 cup cider vinegar


1/2 cup whole-grain mustard


2 tablespoons tomato paste (see Ingredient notes)


1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce


1 5-pound bone-in Boston butt (see Ingredient notes)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and very soft, about 20 minutes.

Increase heat to high; add chili powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add beer, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, tomato paste, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, trim all visible fat from the pork.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the pork, spooning sauce over it. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the pork over, cover, and bake for 1 1/2 hours more. Uncover and bake until a fork inserted into the meat turns easily, 1 to 2 hours more.

Transfer the pork to a large bowl and cover with foil. Pour the sauce into a large measuring cup or glass bowl and refrigerate until the fat and sauce begin to separate, 15 minutes. Skim off the fat. Return the sauce to the pan and heat over medium-high until hot, about 4 minutes.

Remove the bone and any remaining pieces of fat from the meat. The bone should easily slip away from the tender meat. Pull the pork apart into long shreds using two forks. Add the hot sauce to the meat; stir to combine. Serve hot.

Fantastic Friday: Mailmen and New Book Covers

I am still anxiously awaiting my edited manuscript. I have positioned myself in the chir that looks out the window at the mailbox…

I wish there was some dance you could do to make the mailman come faster…

What really makes me anxious is the fact that the mailman never comes at the same time every day. What I’f I’m in the shower?? Most of the time I have to sign for my manuscript, and that alone makes me anxious…

What I need to do is track him down…

Maybe that’s a bit too manic??

 

Well, anyways. I have things to distract me ’till then, like planning for the Alice in Wonderland party tonight. My friend and I are throwing one. It’s just a small get together, but that doesn’t stop us from making it great! We’re making cupcakes, and I bought peeps in every color. I’m also making Cougar Gold Cheese dip. If you’ve never had Couger Gold, then shame on you!!! It’s only the best cheese in the world, and I’m not kidding.

Absolutely worth ordering online and having shipped to your house. You don’t know what you’re missing!!!

Winning Cover

 

So, after a few days of voting and commenting, I’ve come to a decision. It was a hard decision to make because most of you chose something different, and you all had a good reason why!!! The conclusion I came to is that I will be using the first three covers throughout the series since all were loved. I felt that based on the story, this cover should go first:

It’s soft and sweet, and a little bit mysterious. This embodies the mood of the characters at this point of the story. They’re somber and isolated – locked in worlds of their own. For now, this cover embodies the essence of what I want to convey about Knight Angels.

Thirsty Thursday: Champagne, Croutons, and The Walrus

French Champagne that isn’t French?

 

I know what you’re thinking – Champagne is only Champagne when it comes from the Champagne region of France…

 

Well that’s true, but when considering this sparkling wine, it’s fun to pretend.

 

 

This sparkling wine comes from Karma Canyon Vinyards on the shores of Lake Chelan (up the street from my parents house, too!) The unique way they make the sparkling wine is facinating. They ferment it in the bottles on these racks, seen in the image above. This is a classic French tecnique, or so they tell me…

 

 

The winemaker is also trained in France, making it even better! And more French-ish. It was sweet, light, and super bubbly! So bubbly in fact, that I could only fill the glass halfway before it ‘boiled’ over.

 

 

I had this with my homemade croutons last night, so good! (recipe below)

 

Home-made Herb Croutons!

So I’ve had this loaf of bread kickin’ around my kitchen for a while now… Stale, old, perfect.

My husband and I enjoy going to this local pub where they make the most amazing and simple salad of cucumber, croutons, marinated onions and ranch dressing. I wanted to recreate that at home (especially since that simple salad cost a not so simple $6)

It’s really easy to do, and you can make a whole pile for the week!

INGREDIENTS

 

One Loaf Italian, Peasant, or Ciabatta Bread

 

Four to Five Tablespoons Olive Oil

 

1tsp. Italian Seasoning

 

1tsp. Dried Basil Seasoning

 

1/2tsp. Garlic Powder

 

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cube the bread into one inch chunks and put in a large bowl. Drizzle with two tablespoons of the oil and toss. Drizzle the rest and toss again. sprinkle with sesonings and toss a third time until all the bread looks evently coated with seasoning and oil. Pour bread onto a baking sheet and season with a little salt and pepper. Place in a 400 degree oven. Toast for 6 minutes then remove and toss bread. Toast for another 6-8 minutes depending on the crunch you want. I like a medium chewy crunch so I do 6.

Add to your favorite salad or eat right off the pan! Either way, it’s perfect!

looking for some mome-made Marinated Onions? That’s easy as well.

Slice one red onion and put in a ziplock bag. cover with a cup and a half of red wine vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, salt and pepper, and seal bag. Let sit for at least 30 minutes but it’s best if left overnight… YUM!!!

 

 

The Walrus and The Carpenter

Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

  

The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright–

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,

Because she thought the sun

Had got no business to be there

After the day was done–

“It’s very rude of him,” she said,

“To come and spoil the fun!”

The sea was wet as wet could be,

The sands were dry as dry.

You could not see a cloud, because

No cloud was in the sky:

No birds were flying overhead–

There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Were walking close at hand;

They wept like anything to see

Such quantities of sand:

“If this were only cleared away,”

They said, “it would be grand!”

“If seven maids with seven mops

Swept it for half a year.

Do you suppose,” the Walrus said,

“That they could get it clear?”

“I doubt it,” said the Carpenter,

And shed a bitter tear.

“O Oysters, come and walk with us!”

The Walrus did beseech.

“A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,

Along the briny beach:

We cannot do with more than four,

To give a hand to each.”

The eldest Oyster looked at him,

But never a word he said:

The eldest Oyster winked his eye,

And shook his heavy head–

Meaning to say he did not choose

To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,

All eager for the treat:

Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,

Their shoes were clean and neat–

And this was odd, because, you know,

They hadn’t any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,

And yet another four;

And thick and fast they came at last,

And more, and more, and more–

All hopping through the frothy waves,

And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter

Walked on a mile or so,

And then they rested on a rock

Conveniently low:

And all the little Oysters stood

And waited in a row.

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,

“To talk of many things:

Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–

Of cabbages–and kings–

And why the sea is boiling hot–

And whether pigs have wings.”

“But wait a bit,” the Oysters cried,

“Before we have our chat;

For some of us are out of breath,

And all of us are fat!”

“No hurry!” said the Carpenter.

They thanked him much for that.

“A loaf of bread,” the Walrus said,

“Is what we chiefly need:

Pepper and vinegar besides

Are very good indeed–

Now if you’re ready, Oysters dear,

We can begin to feed.”

“But not on us!” the Oysters cried,

Turning a little blue.

“After such kindness, that would be

A dismal thing to do!”

“The night is fine,” the Walrus said.

“Do you admire the view?

“It was so kind of you to come!

And you are very nice!”

The Carpenter said nothing but

“Cut us another slice:

I wish you were not quite so deaf–

I’ve had to ask you twice!”

“It seems a shame,” the Walrus said,

“To play them such a trick,

After we’ve brought them out so far,

And made them trot so quick!”

The Carpenter said nothing but

“The butter’s spread too thick!”

“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:

“I deeply sympathize.”

With sobs and tears he sorted out

Those of the largest size,

Holding his pocket-handkerchief

Before his streaming eyes.

“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,

“You’ve had a pleasant run!

Shall we be trotting home again?’

But answer came there none–

And this was scarcely odd, because

They’d eaten every one.

Wacky Wednesday: Official Eclipse Movie Trailers!

So of course there are a ton of fan made trailers out there, but I beleive the official one has officially been leaked! Lol.

Then there is the little ten second one, which you may think as I did – worthless, ten seconds?

Wait until you watch it and I guarantee you’ll change your mind!

My editor found it, and now I’m finding it for you 🙂 Enjoy!

Just a little something different for Wacky Wednesday!