Launch Party for The Volatile Amazon!

My pal and awesome critique partner Sandy James is celebrating the launch of Book 4 of her Alliance of the Amazons series! I actually critiqued this one, and the heroine, Sarita, is a feisty little woman, and her man Ian is a hot Scottish hunk! I think you'll enjoy it!

Meet Sandy James!

Sandy lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis with her husband of thirty years and is a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband own a small stable of harness racehorses and enjoy spending time at the two Indiana racetracks.
She is published through Forever Yours, Carina Press, and BookStrand, as well as self-published. She has been an Amazon Bestseller and has won numerous awards, including two HOLT Medallions.
Look for a new contemporary romance series--Ladies Who Lunch--from Grand Central Forever Yours beginning in February 2014! The first book--The Bottom Line--and the second--Signed, Sealed, Delivered--are now available for pre-order!
Please visit her website at www.sandy-james.com for more information or find her on Twitter (twitter@sandyjamesbooks)or Facebook (www.facebook.com/sandyjamesbooks)
Represented by Browne and Miller Literary.

Book four of Alliance of the Amazons

Sarita Neeraj has never felt like a real Amazon. Compared to the obvious strengths of her sisters, her Water powers seem small as her stature. She's determined to prove herself--unfortunately, all that gets her is captured by an enemy.

Ian serves a twisted goddess, preferring this to an empty afterlife. He's taken Sarita hostage to coax the other Amazons from their safe haven. But in his ancient Scottish castle, the passion and love Ian finds for Sarita resurrect his honor, until he chafes at the dark will of his mistress. 

Sarita has finally found happiness--but before she can enjoy it, she's "rescued" by her furious sisters. To save Ian from destruction at the hands of the Amazons, Sarita must risk wielding magick that could change her very nature. Only then can she prove the Water Amazon is the strongest of the four--and save them all from destruction.

Meet Earth, Fire, and Air in The Reluctant
Amazon, The Impetuous Amazon, and The Brazen Amazon.

As September wanes...

I don't know about you, but fall cleanup and home improvement are about to kill me. On top of staining a lot of trim and then finishing it with two coats of polyurethane for the next round of new windows, I've had a headache for the past two days. I'm guessing the two are somehow related.

Saturday began with a trip to the recycling center and Walmart with Sam while Budley was off on a twenty-mile hike with the Boy Scouts. And yes, you read that right. Anyway, when I got home, I made Indian Paneer cheese and then spent the afternoon trying to get the green stuff off our ten-year-old deck with something called Deck Wash that you're supposed to be able to spray on the deck to dissolve the green goo and then rinse it off--with no scrubbing!  Ha!!! They LIE!!!!

I used a lawn/garden sprayer with the result that the Deck Wash, which smells like it's mostly ammonia, dried so fast it didn't have time to work on the green stuff. It worked great in the places where I spilled it. Anyway, after I'd gone up to the barn for my big push broom to do some scrubbing, I realized the applicator of choice was my trusty watering can. Of course, by that time, the deck was wet (it's supposed to be dry when you start this process) and I was out of Deck Wash. I also need to get out the hedge trimmer and trim back some of the plants growing around the deck. *sigh* Looks like the morning glories will have to be sacrificed to save the deck.

I used to put Water Seal on the deck every year and ignored the algae. Last year, I didn't even get the sealant on it. I bought some--there are three big cans of it sitting right there in the hall near the door to the deck--I just never used it. For some reason, during the past month or so I've been trying to catch up with all the chores I've let slide while trying to work full-time and write the rest of the time. Not sure why I've decided to take the plunge now, but like I said, it's about to do me in. I had to come inside and lay down on a towel on the bed under the ceiling fan in my undies to rest, cool off, and dry off...twice.

No, wait. The second time I did that was after getting out the rototiller and tilling up a spot to plant garlic. And then I cleaned the barn and fed the horses. THEN I came back and cooled off for the second time.

After that, I downed a gin and tonic with lots of ice and made spaghetti.

By the way, if you're looking for a really awesome pasta sauce, I highly recommend Gia Russa's Puttanesca. It is truly heaven in a jar. I put a link there in case you can't find it in the grocery. Some places carry it, but most of them around here don't. I brown a pound of Italian sausage and simmer it with the sauce for a bit. Here's a picture of the, um, empty jar so you'll know what to look for. Sorry. I wasn't thinking about blogging at the time...

The paneer, which is the Indian version of cottage cheese, turned out fairly well. Here's the LINK to the recipe I used.

I'd never made cheese before. It's pretty cool how the milk curdles when you add the lemon juice. Sam thought so too! Wish I'd taken more pictures. The cheese was supposed to be pressed for two hours, which is about how long I was working on the deck.

Budley called at about seven pm when he reached the final stop on the hike to tell me that he had a blister on his foot the size of Texas and wanted to know why I let him do such a crazy thing. I told him I wasn't aware that I had any say in the matter. Then I told him my deck story. I think his day tops mine. At least I don't have any blisters. 

Now that all that stuff is done and I'm cooled off, rested, and reasonably sober, I'm thinking that when I finally get the deck ready for the sealant, I should try drinking a gin and tonic before I start. Might make the process go more smoothly--either that or I just won't care.

Happy Release Day (and birthday) Nan Reinhardt!

I spent yesterday helping my lovely critique partner Nan Reinhardt upload her first self-pubbed books to Amazon. In return, she treated me to a terrific lunch and sent me this nifty promo file, so I guess you could call today's blog a guest post. I had the pleasure if critiquing both of these books, and if you're looking for a story about a heroine who has a bit of life under her belt, these books are for YOU!
Both volumes are now live on Amazon!

Meet Nan Reinhardt!
 

Nan Reinhardt is a writer of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is also a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. She's been an antiques dealer, a bank teller, a stay-at-home mom, a secretary, and for the last 17 years, she's earned her living as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader.
But writing is Nan's first and most enduring passion. She can't remember a time in her life when she wasn't writing--she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver's license!) and a member of Herman's Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan's audience! She's still writing romance, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, menopausal woman who believes that love never ages, women only grow more interesting, and everybody needs a little sexy romance.
Visit Nan's website: www.nanreinhardt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornanreinhardt
Twitter: @NanReinhardt
Talk to Nan at: nanleigh1@gmail.com

Once More From the Top 

The Women of Willow Bay #1

What do you do when the one that got away...comes back?

Carrie Halligan never regretted the choice she made sixteen years ago to raise her son Jack by herself in Willow Bay, Michigan. A successful photographer by day, at night Carrie satisfies her musical passions by playing piano at a hotel bar, maintaining a balance that works for her and Jack. Walking away from Maestro Liam Reilly without telling him she was pregnant with his child may have been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but it was definitely the right thing.

When Liam shows up in town to perform a benefit concert with the local symphony, however, Carrie’s carefully crafted life spins out of control. After sending Jack to summer camp, she realizes she can’t keep Liam in the dark forever. Telling the truth to the man she once loved more than life itself isn’t near as hard as spending time in his presence and realizing that the years haven’t diminished his power over her heart. Will her lie be too much to get past, or will the spark of passion between them overcome everything?

Sex and the Widow Miles 

The Women of Willow Bay #2

His life ended. Hers didn't.

Model-thin, beautiful, and aging gracefully, Julie Miles was looking forward to retirement with her husband, Dr. Charlie Miles, in their idyllic Willow Bay, Michigan home. But when Charlie dies of a heart attack, simply getting out of bed becomes a daily struggle. Desperate for a change of scene, she leaves her home to stay in her friend Carrie’s unoccupied Chicago apartment.

Her handsome and young new neighbor, Will Brody, seems to enjoy his assignment to keep an eye on her, and Jules can’t help but be flattered. She embraces life—and sex—again, until the discovery of a dark secret shatters her world once more. She knows her feelings for Will are more than casual, and he’s made it clear he wants her, but how can she ever trust a man again when her perfect life turned out to be a lie? Determined to get to the bottom of it all, Jules goes in search of the truth and discovers that there’s always a second chance to find real love.

Break time...

I've been taking a break from blogging to get more home improvement stuff done, and so far, there are no major disasters to report. I stained and varnished the woodwork for the next window replacement in the GARAGE as opposed to my bedroom. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to stain and varnish the windows themselves after they're installed in the living room. It's a good thing that carpet is also slated for replacement, or I'd be a lot more concerned. I learned a few things the last time, chief among them not to try to do everything in one day. These things go best if you do them in stages allowing recovery time in between.

While on my "break," I actually read a couple of books. I read The Soldier by Grace Burrowes

and Luscious by Amanda Usen,

both of which were quite good. Be careful reading them, though. Grace's book will make you want to bake apple tarts and Amanda's will have you craving pasta and wine--among other things. Speaking of apples, you might want to check out my pal Mellanie Szereto's apple pie recipe. http://www.mellanieszereto.blogspot.com/2013/09/apple-pie-season-is-here.html

I'm still waiting on edits for the erotic contemporary series so I can decide whether to accept the offer or not. No news on the cover of Rebel yet, either. Apparently they thought I meant that it was the color of the background clashing with Onca's red hair rather than the fuchsia lettering. Hopefully the clarification helps, but you never know.

Right now, I'm counting the hours until tonight's premier of The Voice. I didn't realize how much of a break it gave me to watch that show until after last season's finale when I could find absolutely no excuse for sitting in front of the TV in my recliner. I need some Adam and  Blake banter to perk me up and make me smile.

Just wanted to share...

Thanks to everyone whose vote made this possible!

I would've had the cover of Rebel to share with you, but I wasn't crazy about the color they chose for the final version, so I'll wait and see what they send me next.

I've been working on the first book in my romantic suspense series while waiting to hear back from my editor on the contemporary cowboy erotic romance--at least I think that's what you'd call it. The title I gave it was Boots and Spurs and Cowboys, Oh My! which is too long, of course. I also sent her a partial manuscript that might work well with it, and that one doesn't even have a title. I just refer to it by the heroine's first name, Lauren. Honestly, as seldom as my books have kept the title I gave them, I don't know why I bother! Part of the process, I suppose.

But enough about that! Only five more days until the new season of The Voice begins!

Do you really think this would work???

This pic had 152 shares on Facebook. I figure that makes it fair game.

If so, I'm getting one, and then I'm getting lost.

Tasty Tuesday White Chicken Chili!

Here it is, as promised! I first posted this recipe in January 2009. Still tasty after all those years…

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

4 cups water

4 tsp instant chicken broth                                   

2 cans Great Northern Beans

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup chopped sweet pepper

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 large onion

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cayenne

1 cup uncooked pasta shells or macaroni

1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

In a large soup pot, sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients except for sour cream, pasta, and cheese. Put chicken breasts in whole. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to simmer for about an hour until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and shred it using two forks. Return chicken to pot and add pasta. Cook for another fifteen minutes. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Then add the sour cream or yogurt, stir, serve, and enjoy! If you like, you can add only one cup of cheese to the pot and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, more grated cheese, and a sprinkling of chives to make it look pretty, but I usually don't bother. I just throw it all in there and chow down!

Weekend wrap up!

Unbridled wound up getting 7976 free downloads world-wide--just 24 shy of 8000. I didn't really have any specific expectations, but that seems fairly respectable. The sales on the other books are trickling in, and I've even had a few actual sales of Unbridled. I'm trying to be patient.

I had a fabulous time on Saturday. First we went to a child psychiatry seminar in which Sam's first psychologist interviewed him along with me and Budley. Needless to say, Sam had everyone in stitches while Budley and I kept getting too choked up to talk. It's a tough thing to have an autistic child, particularly the higher-functioning type that no one really knows what to do with because in many ways, parents are on their own. Sam has reached so many milestones that no one ever thought he would reach, and I'm not sure whether being told his limitations early on made a difference or not. The thing is, nobody ever told Sam he couldn't do anything. We only helped him to find a way to do the things he wanted to do--and several other things he didn't see any point in learning.

Reading has always been the toughest task for him, but I'm beginning to see a glimmer of interest. He seems to have finally realized how many doors are closed to him because he can't read well. Maybe it'll be enough to motivate him to try harder. I certainly hope so.

After that, I went to the IRWA meeting and gave a little workshop on writing blurbs--you know, those catchy little mini-synopses on the back of a book or in the description on Amazon? I hope I was able to convey my method to the rest of my chapter mates. It's hard to explain, but basically it boils down to less is more.

I spent most of Sunday in the yard planting grass seed (the weatherman promised rain today) and mums, leveling the geothermal loop some more (still not done!) and did some mowing. At the moment, I'm just plain tired, and I'm about to enjoy the first batch of white chicken chili of the season. Perhaps I'll post the recipe tomorrow...

Try to be patient.