Finished--sort of...

Last night I finished THE BEAST OF BLACKBIRCH MANOR. Sort of. I know it will return to me after the editor goes over it and then I will have more to fix. A book is never done until it is released. But it was a good feeling to type "The End." :^)

Today is the last day of my spring break, so I was happy to put the book aside and go gallivanting with hubby to the Columbus Farmers Market. Hubby is a frequent visitor to Columbus but this was the first time I went with him. He has flea market friends. There's the nut lady, Dottie. She is such a sweet lady and she gives away free samples. Today she was handing out dried pineapple and prunes. She said the prunes were good for osteoporosis. Hmmm.

She also had candied ginger. She said it is good for the stomach and if we were going on a cruise we should take it along. We are not going on a cruise, but both hubby and I were instantly addicted to the candied ginger, so we bought it.

Then we went to the spice dealer. He told us that cream of tartar is good for cleaning silverware. Hmmm. (I think it's really for aluminum.) It doesn't matter to me--I use it to make playdough.

There's a large restaurant apparently owned by Mennonites. We had subs for lunch with Lebanon Bologna.

I saw the perfect hall chair in a small furniture store. I did not buy it--yet--but I am seriously thinking about it. I've wanted one for a long time, but I never found one that fit all my specifications--until now.

So I may go back to the Columbus Farmers Market.

On the way home we stopped at the Book Garden--a used bookstore in Cream Ridge. It is an awesome place and one of our favorite used bookstores. I bought two history books. I am thinking of writing another historical. :^)

My Spring Break

I have spent the past week immersed in writing, but I ventured out several times. On Tuesday, hubby and I went to the local library to have the AARP expert help us with our taxes. We had to wait our turn, so I wandered around the stacks and found a few books with clothing styles of the 1890s. I have borrowed the same books from the library previously, but this time I was looking specifically for an evening gown for my heroine to wear and a tuxedo for the hero. I photocopied pictures from the books of the outfits I liked. You can see the heroine's gown here.

On Thursday, hubby I went to the Stitch 'n Sew Centre in Lakewood. I had heard that it is a terrific store with a wealth of fabrics and other sewing supplies. Walking into the store, hubby and I were overwhelmed. There was too much! I checked out the pattern books for costumes of the 1890's while hubby browsed the aisles looking for fabric that would make a good grill cloth for one of his accordions. He wound up buying nothing, and I only bought two spools of thread. But it was worth a visit. The array of fabrics is mind-boggling.

Last night, hubby and I attended the annual gala of the Monmouth Festival of the Arts. Hubby gorged himself on Swedish meatballs along with a variety of other hors d'oeuvres. He judges art shows by the quantity and quality of the food. :^) I enjoyed looking at the artwork and chatting with people.

On the drive home after the arts festival, several more ideas for the book rushed into my brain. So as soon as I got home, I hurried back to the computer and started writing again.

Sometimes, taking a break is a good thing.

One Pot Meal

We always combine our St. Patrick's Day celebration with Daughter #3's birthday. I make my Irish soda bread, and then boil corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes--all in one pot. I love the simplicity of it. No fuss. One pot to clean.

For dessert we have ice cream cake--purchased, of course--so that's no work for me.

This is one of my favorite parties because it involves so little effort. The soda bread takes a bit of time, but it is worth it because nothing tastes quite as good as homemade soda bread fresh from the oven. My daughters have told me they have bought soda bread and it is never as good as mine. :^)

One of our guests told me I should sell it.

But I don't know if I would want to make soda bread everyday. I think it wouldn't be so special to me anymore.

EPICon 2007

Here I am in Virginia Beach! EPICon, the annual conference for EPIC members, was held within driving distance of New Jersey this year so hubby and I packed up our suitcases and cruised down Route 13 to Virginia. On the way we discovered that the Delmarva pennisula is very flat--which could make for a boring drive save for the fact that there are a number of large antique stores along the way. Our drive to Virginia Beach took longer than we anticipated due to a few of those antique stores. :^)

The conference was held at the Surfside Inn. We had a lovely room facing the beach with a private balcony. Friday morning we were greeted by the dawn. On the way to breakfast, I met Janet Lane Walters--who is also a New Concepts Publishing author. She gave me a hug, but I think she was just so glad to see me because I had signed up for the first shift in the bookstore. :^)
The keynote speaker was Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her talk was terrific! Hubby and I shared a table with Lorna and Larry Collins as well as P. June Diehl. The conference was considerably smaller than the one run by the New Jersey Romance Writers--but that made it easy to get to know a lot of other writers.
Hubby went to a few talks with me and our favorite was TJ Glenn's "Bruise and Consequence: How to Build a Better Beating." My heroines are always getting into some kind of trouble so I figured I ought to know how to get them out of it. To keep a good reference handy, I bought Teel's book, Them's Fightin' Words!

The highlight of the conference was the EPPIE banquet. I sat next to Jane Toombs--a lovely lady and a prolific author. I am hoping that some of her talent rubbed off on me. Jeff Strand was the emcee--and he was hilarious. There were so many categories this year, but Jeff held everyone's attention with his over-the-top writer's humor.









I did not take photos of all the winners. However, I had to take a picture of my fellow Awe-Struck author, Sherry Derr-Wille. She was the winner in the inspirational category this year for her book, The Outlaw's Daughter.













Another winner was Linda Bleser for her book East of Eden.












By the way, the above photos can be viewed larger just by clicking on them!

It was a great conference. Next year it will be in Portland, Oregon! Start saving now. :^)

New Contract!

This week New Concepts Publishing gave me a contract for THE BEAST OF BLACKBIRCH MANOR! I do not know yet when the book will be released, but I am having fun filling out the questionnaire for the book cover.

I would like the manor to look like Grey Towers.

I would like the heroine to look like Sienna Miller.

And the Beast? Well, if he wasn't so hairy, he would definitely look like Pierce Brosnan. :^)

I'm a Guest Blogger

Here’s the link:

http://ravenvampire.club.blogspot.com

Check it out!

Ice Storm

Yesterday, the Andromeda bushes in our yard looked lovely with a coating of ice--and so did all the trees. But the limbs were too heavy and many soon came crashing down--pulling down power lines. We had no power for 27 hours. We used up almost all of the firewood we had trying to keep warm. We did not get much sleep. Hubby kept an eye on the fire for the first half of the night, and I took the second shift.


It was dangerous to be outside. The tulip tree seed pods were the size of golf balls and every time the wind blew, the ice encrusted seed pods came crashing down. One large limb broke a window on our trusty minivan--but we're thankful that is all that was broken. We were so happy to see the power company trucks arrive to fix the power lines. This was certainly a memorable Valentine's Day!

Ocean Grove's Chocolate Weekend

Yesterday we went to Ocean Grove for their annual Chocolate Lover's Weekend. Hubby thinks of it as trick or treat for grownups. There is lots of free food. We went to the Manchester Inn first because they have the biggest selection. We both had some soup, but while we were sipping our soup a waiter came around several times with chocolate covered delicacies for us to try. We sampled chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate covered bananas, and white chocolate covered popcorn.

From there, we went to the Ocean View Inn and the Ocean Plaza where I took the photo of hubby and the chocolate fountain. The Carriage House had chocolate cheesecakes, and the Henry Richard Inn had tortellini soup--which I heard was wonderful but by that time I had sampled so much that I did not have any room left in my tummy.

It was chilly in Ocean Grove, but the sky was blue and the weather was considerably warmer than it had been most of the week. I love the beach in the winter when the tourists are gone. It is so much more peaceful. Even the pigeons were unperturbed as we walked by. They continued to huddle together on one sunny rooftop atop a gingerbread covered cottage. There are some new houses being built in Ocean Grove, but the new ones are not as fancy as the older homes. Obviously, the pigeons like the older homes, too.

A Celebration

Saturday, hubby and I attended a Fortieth Anniversary celebration for our friends A & C at our church. We've known A & C since we moved to this town. They had six boys and then adopted a girl. They were always active in the church and handed us the job of running the Pre-Cana program--which we did for many years.

After the ceremony where A & C renewed their vows, everyone went downstairs to the cafeteria where there was plenty of food. A & C could have fed an army! Hubby and I ate way too much.

In these times when so many young people simply live together, and so many young couples who do get married get divorced, it was wonderful to celebrate a successful marriage. A & C have had some very hard times, but they weathered the storms.

Another Move

Here's photo of hubby putting Daughter #2's bed together. Yesterday, she moved from one part of Brooklyn to another--using Mom & Dad's moving service. We packed her bed and a desk Grandma had found (most definitely an antique) into the minivan and headed north. It is incredible how much stuff Daughter #2 has accumulated in only a year and a half. She had picked up a chair in someone's trash and refinished it. She had picked up a shelf in someone else's trash. She had acquired an extra computer, too. (I don't think she got that in someone's trash.)

We had to make three trips from one apartment to the other. Fortunately, the BQE was not too busy yesterday--though it was a bit slow on the last trip because we caught the tail end of rush hour. Still, we were very lucky in getting good parking spots. I got an aerobic workout climbing up and down the three flights of stairs to collect her belongings from her old apartment, but I was glad that the new one is on the first floor. Her room has a window that faces a wall but the apartment has a nice feature with a spiral staircase which leads up to the kitchen and living room area.

Here's how the room looked with Daughter #2's possessions in it. She has quite a bit of organizing to do. But she does have plans. She wants to paint the room and she has a friend who is willing to sew up some curtains for her. So I guess, she is standing there envisioning how it will all look in the future.

She treated hubby and I to supper at a small, but nice Chinese restaurant. It was a very long day and we were tired by the time we returned home. We hope Daughter #2 will be happy in her new place.

Once upon a time...

Hubby and I went on a cruise for our very first anniversary. That was BC--before children. We did not have a fancy room, but we had six meals a day and plenty of entertainment. When we went back to our room at night, we found our cabin boy, Giovanni, had placed my nightie on my bed. He pleated in little folds at the waist. I was quite surprised.

Make Them Cry

Yesterday the New Jersey Romance Writers had a terrific program, "Emotion: Underwriting for Tearjerking" presented by Alicia Rasley. Ms. Rasley is an amazing speaker. She was able to elicit tears from EVERYONE listening to her talk. She told us all a very moving story--but she did not cry while telling it. I know I could not have done that. I would have gotten all choked up.

I'm such a softy.

Of all my books, the one that stands out as a tearjerker is "Heaven's Blue". So as I was driving home after the meeting, I started devising ways to make my current book into a five-hankie masterpiece.

But don't worry, there will be a happy ending. :^)

It's Snowing!

Today it finally snowed. Not much--but this week the weather has felt a lot more like winter is supposed to feel.

So I played around and made another banner for Irons In The Fire. If you are feeling cold, you should read this book. It may help warm you up. :^)

"...a truly engrossing, mystical tale...IRONS IN THE FIRE is a fabulous read," said Susan Mobley in Romantic Times Book Reviews.



Click on the banner to order your copy now!

Rainy Day Activity

Today was a rainy day. On days like today, hubby likes to browse through antique stores. He is always searching for old sheet music or old accordions. Lately, I've been looking for a nice Victorian hall chair. Daughter #1 joined us as we roamed through a few antique stores this afternoon. However, it was an unsuccessful shopping trip. We came home with nothing. :^(

Nevertheless, we did pick up one of those free papers with a list of some antique stores we have never visited. So perhaps on the next rainy day we'll get lucky.

Special Bread

While I was out taking a CPR/AED course on Saturday, one of our neighbors left a call. When I returned home, hubby told me about the message. He explained it as something that sounds like a chain letter--only it involves bread. Sort of.

My neighbor needed someone to agree to take a portion of her Padre Pio bread starter. Supposedly, this bread comes from the Vatican. Also, my family gets blessings from the bread. My family could use a few extra blessings so I agreed.

Today I came home to a container of dough which I have to take care of for the next ten days. There are very specific directions. I had to put the dough into a glass bowl. I must stir it only with a wooden spoon. At the end of the ten days--after having added milk, flour, and sugar a few times--I have to divide the dough into four portions and give it away to three other people who have never had the opportunity to do this until now. Then I get to bake a loaf of bread to share with my family.

I was just a teeny-tiny bit skeptical about whether or not the starter came from the Vatican. So I looked it up online and found this.

Nevertheless, it is a nice gesture and I'm looking forward to eating the bread.

The Holidays Are Over

We packed away the ornaments and the tree today. Yesterday, we took all the lights off the bushes outside. As much as I enjoy the lights at this dark time of year, all in all Christmas involves too much extra work.

I enjoy the parties and the get-togethers, but I think everything would be a lot easier if Christmas was more like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July--skip the gifts and eat picnic-style food. Grilled burgers, hot dogs, potato salad--and watermelon, served on a red and green tablecloth.

Tomorrow, I'll take down the Christmas cards which I hung all over the family room. Then I'll go through my list and see who has been naughty and who has been nice. Usually, if I don't receive a card from someone for two years, I scratch them off my list--unless they're a relative. Then I'll send them Christmas greetings via e-mail.

This year, hubby did not send a card to an old friend of his since he had not received one from the friend last year. Then a few days after Christmas, his friend called wondering why he had not gotten a card. Oy. Some people expect too much.

Hopefully, I can get back into my usual routine now--and finish the book.

Worksaving Device?

My sister gave me a Roomba--the robotic vacuuming device that is supposed to clean all by itself. She had received it as a gift, but after trying it out for a while, she decided it wasn't for her. She said her house is too big and the thing had gotten itself lost a few times.

I tried it out in the upstairs hall. I watched it for a while to be sure it would not fall down the stairs. It came to the edge several times and turned around so I figured it would be fine by itself. I left it and went off into another room. Then I heard a crash. Roomba had fallen down the steps.

Nevertheless, after a charge it seemed to have suffered no ill effects from the fall. So the next day I put it in the dining room. It whirled around for quite a while until it had depleted all its energy. It had collected some dirt--though I am sure our regular vacuum which has far more suction would have done a more thorough job. Still, the rug looked neater--and some small crumbs had been picked up.

Today I put it in our little library. Again it ran around for a while until it ran out of power. Again, it picked up some dirt. I should do an experiment and see how much the regular vacuum would pick up after Roomba has finished.

But it is a nice gadget.

When the cook is upset...

Mistakes happen.

Every year on Christmas Eve I make Cape Cod Cranberry Pie. It's easy. It's quick and it is delicious. I make biscuits and ham, too, along with vegetables. But the pie is the big flourish at the end of the meal.

However, this year I was upset. And the pie was a disaster. I had a good reason for being emotionally distraught. My mother went into the hospital (again) on Saturday. The reason she wound up in the hospital was the same this time as last time--her medication.

So in a bad state of mind, I began to mix up my pie--just as I've done every Christmas Eve. When I was finished, I knew something was wrong because the crust did not spread out as it usually does. But I stuck the pie in the oven anyway.

It came out looking rather strange.

In wasn't until it was time to serve the pie that I realized what I had forgotten to add to the crust.

Sugar.

Oops.

I sliced up the pie and practically drowned each piece in whipped cream. It was edible, but not at all as scrumptious as it should have been.

The Last Holiday Gig

Today I joined hubby in entertaining at an adult day care center. I led the sing-along which consisted mostly of holiday songs. Nevertheless, hubby came prepared to play a few requests--which was a good thing because there was one woman who had grown up on the Italian Riviera--the most beautiful place in the world, she claimed. Especially for her, hubby played a medley of Italian songs.

Then when hubby began to play Ave Maria, one man in the audience got up and sang it beautifully. His Latin was better than mine. :^)

Our audience was very appreciative and a few of them did get up to dance, too. It was a lovely afternoon!

Amazon Connect

I signed up for the Amazon Connect program for authors. So far, my three Awe-Struck books are included. So when anyone goes to the description page for the books, I'll be there at the bottom of the page, chatting about my books. Readers can make comments.

This is supposed to be good for business. :^)

I have a lot of company in this endeavor. There are plenty of other writers hooked up to Amazon's Connect program. It is interesting to read what they have written about their books.

Check it out if you have the chance!