Haystacks from Kimberly Lang

Kimberly sent this recipe in for today with this comment:

This has nothing to do with my book other than the fact I’ve also heard these called Haystacks. There are horses in my book so is hay in my book, so I chose a recipe that sounds like it fits.

 

 

No-Bake Cookies Or Haystacks:
In a large pot, mix together 2c sugar and ¼ c cocoa.
Add ½ c milk and 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter or margarine
Stir constantly as you bring it to a boil.  Remove from heat, cool slightly, then add:
½ c peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 c quick-cook oatmeal (uncooked)
¾ c raisins
Mix thoroughly and drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Cool in fridge.

Kimberly Lang Visits the Tulip Tree

We are very pleased to have Kimberly Lang visiting with us today.  Here are some comments by Kimberly about her new book to get us started.   I know everyone will be as excited as we all are to have her here and find out about her upcoming release! 

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for a recipe by Kimberly for Recipe Friday! 

And now lets see what Kimberly has to say:

This is my first official visit to the Tulip Tree. I sometimes appear in the comment tail, but a front page spot? ~preens~ 

Thanks for having me, y’all!

So, I’m officially here to talk about my new book, The Privileged and the Damned, out this month from Harlequin Presents.  I’m very excited that this book is on the shelves.  It’s the first book in my trilogy about the Marshall brothers, and I’m totally in love with these boys.

I’ve never set out to write a series of connected books before.  I did go back once to revisit a character from a previous book, but I didn’t plan to write the second book when I wrote the first.  This time, I went in with the idea of having the same characters appear in all three books.  It was a challenge for me to set up characters for two future books without having that overshadow the story in this book, and since I fell hard for the Marshall brothers, it was tough not having them take over the entire thing! I also had to set up an entire family, with a past and present and plans for the future, which is the closest to world-building I’ve ever come. Sometimes I felt like I was trying to do way too much within such a short book.

The Privileged and the Damned is Ethan’s story.  He’s the middle brother, a bit of a playboy who falls hard for Lily, a girl who works in his grandparents’ stable who has a secret past she’s trying to escape. This story is a little more emotionally complicated than I usually write, so it was another challenge to face.

There were many times when I looked at my computer and wondered aloud if I’d bitten off more than I could chew.

In the end, though, I’m really pleased with Ethan and Lily’s story.  In December, the oldest brother, Brady, meets his match in The Power and the Glory.  And early next year, the youngest brother, Finn, brings the whole series to a close with his story (which is still so recently finished I don’t have a title or release date yet).

So, my first foray into family sagas feels successful, and I hope that readers enjoy this family and these brothers as much as I did.

Are you a fan of the family saga? Do you like getting that deep into one setting and one group of people? What about the cameo appearances of characters in the other books?

You can pop over to my website (www.booksbykimberly.com) to read an excerpt of the first chapter of The Privileged and the Damned (which contains Ethan and Lily’s first meeting. And, honestly, that’s my favorite first meet I’ve ever written.) and find out more about the Marshall family.

Kimberly

Half Full or Half Empty?

A glass sits on a table half-filled with water. Is it half full or half empty? If I've learned anything, I've learned that the only way to decide which end brings the most potential, is by accepting what is going on in your life and then making a decision to move forward in the midst of life's trials.

This is something I dealt with last week when my FIL underwent quadruple bypass. The odds were against him from the very beginning. Fate had already seen him undergo quadruple bypass a year ago, and with favorable outcome. What the doctors did not know before going in this time, however, was that the repaired areas of my FIL's heart had rapidly declined. So as the doctor's performed surgery to repair those same four arteries, they also struggled to repair a Mitral Valve that they had decided against replacing last year. Added to that procedure, my FIL's Tricuspid Valve needed a tweak. And so, as the doctors worked diligently on these risky tasks, a 5-6 hour surgery ended up taking 11-12 hours.

My FIL wasn't expected to live through the night, but he did. He'd beaten the odds before, surviving a boulder to the chest, kicks by bulls, and a front end collision with a tracker-trailer on ice. The family knew he could do it! We all prayed for healing. Friends prayed for it. And through it all, the man I knew for 31 years fought like a fighter unwilling to throw in the towel against a more talented foe. As our visits were minimal in the SICU, each one of us applauded his stubborn streak, willed him to fight yet again. He tried. He assured us he heard our voices. But his body grew weaker and by day two, his kidneys had failed. The third morning, his liver function declined and jaundice set in. As LTC and I rushed to the hospital, we received the unwelcome call that my FIL's struggle had ended.

Is our glass half empty or half full? As I sit and look at my glass, I am filled with peace. You see, the doctors said without surgery, my FIL wouldn't have lasted more than 4-6 months. With the surgery, at least he'd had a chance. Courageous and brave, he took that chance, hoping it would give him more time.

How many times do you take a chance, oftentimes knowing the outcome of your decisions might not measure up to what you'd originally planned? As a writer I take that chance every day I sit at my computer, taking dication from the muse. I don't know how the book will turn out in the end, though I know it will come to happy fruition. I have no idea if it will gain an agent or editor's attention while writing it or if it will sell, but I write. I challenge myself, knowing that unpublished writers can wait hours, months, even years, surviving rejection after rejection before realizing success. Still, there is that chance that I can do it. If I learned one thing last week, I learned that I need to be more diligent on taking a chance and I need to better prioritize my time.

My glass is half full. I choose to believe it. My FIL based his decision to have surgery upon that very concept. No matter the outcome, how can I, given the opportunity, deny myself the chance to achieve my goals of becoming a published writer? How can you deny yourself any goal you strive for? Life is a gamble but if you play the cards right, your glass will overflow.

Thanks to the voices of members of my local writing chapter and especially my blog sisters here, I push on. What helps you push on?

Romance Novels - Unrealistic Expectations?

I was surfing the net, searching feverishly for a new blog topic, when I came across an article that had me doing a double-take – Romance fiction is being blamed for sexual health problems. What? I clicked on the sight of the “Guardian,” a United Kingdom publication, and began reading the story. According to a psychologist, Susan Quilliam, Mills and Boon books are responsible for a myriad of sexual health problems . Did it occur to anyone that these women who were the basis for this statement are seeing psychologists? What about the millions of women who aren’t having problems delineating between the real world and fiction? Please see: www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jul/07/mills-and-boon-sexual-health-problems

I don’t want to go into the details about what those various problems were but suffice it to say: romance books in general are being blamed for every little problem these women have with their sex lives. I laughed then I became incensed, then I laughed again. The gist of the problem, according to this Quilliam, is that many women are addicted to these books and the stories in these books create an unrealistic expectation of sex, dating and finding a man. This is fiction for Pete’s Sake! We write about people who only exist in our imaginations. Surely we cannot be blamed because some person decided her life wasn’t a romance novel. Heck, my life isn’t a romance novel! (If anyone out there is experiencing being abducted by a Sheik and whisked away to live in a palace with thousands of servants, clue me in on where to sign up –geez). So, I decided to look at who I could blame for all the problems in my life and I came up with a list:

I have nightmares at night sometimes which causes me to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning – I blame Stephen King and Dean Kootnz for writing horror stories.

I have nine horses on this farm which require way too much work – I blame Roy Rogers, Clint Eastwood, Gene Autry and John Wayne because they made too many Westerns which I watched as a kid. False advertisement that horses are just fun, no work involved.

I became a lawyer because I wanted to right the wrongs in this world. I was sadly mistakened that I could stop all the criminals. This led to unrealistic expectations that I was a super hero - I blame Woodward and Bernstein for writing “All the President’s Men.”

I have to keep my house clean which is just setting myself up for extreme disappointment - I blame June Cleaver and Donna Reed. ‘Nuff said that I can’t clean house in a shirt-waisted dress and high heels.

My cooking leaves a lot to be desired – I blame Julia Childs for writing all those cookbooks and making it sound easy to prepare Beef Wellington and pate de foie gras. She just set me up for failure.

My list could go on but by now I think you are getting the point. We can’t blame others for our choices and foibles in life. Readers of the romance genre are not stupid. They know the difference between fiction and real life. Reading, going to the movies, watching television and any type of entertainment is just that – entertainment. It isn’t real but it takes us from our world to a place where we are cowboys, superheroes, great cooks and expert lovers. What’s wrong with a little imagination and escapism? I am tired of people who blame others for their own problems.

Tell me your opinion on this new trend that blames romance writers for the world’s woes in the bedroom. And, feel free to add to my list about things which have caused problems in your life (Anyone out there afraid of police because of Barney Fyfe?)

A Little Wi-Fi with that Crow, Please

I will never have an e-reader. Ever.

Yeah, I said that. I meant it too. At the time. I was convinced if I knew my own mind on anything, it was this. I had good reasons. I said I liked holding the book, smelling the ink, writing in the margin if I wanted to. I wanted to flip back and re-read passages. I wanted the BOOK.

Well. See. Here's what happened. I was at the beach with my book club girls. (We really read. And discuss.) It was after breakfast, which I had cooked but had not cleaned up after because these women understand distribution of workload. I gathered my things into my vinyl hounds-tooth tote and headed down the pier. I knew my chair would be waiting for me under my umbrella because Dancing Queen and Heart Breaker Soul Shaker had set them up before the rest of us turned over the first time.

I spread out my towels and proceeded lounge, listening to the waves. No one was talking. Everyone was reading. I reached into my tote for my book. I had already talked Precious and Oldest Friend into bringing my pimento cheese, water, and little baby bottles of Riesling down in their coolers. (Yeah. I get people to do stuff for me. That will become important in a second.) Still, my tote was full of stuff so I had to ramble around a bit. Sunglasses, sunscreen, iPod, cell phone, reading glasses, bloody Mary in Crimson Tide National Championship Teva glass, Wheat Thins, and the new issue of Vanity Fair. I even had a garbage bag but no book.

No book. And I had just got settled. I cast my eyes toward the house. We were, maybe fifty yards from the back door but it was fifty yards I didn't want to walk. Beach brings out the lazy in me and I had already brushed my teeth and made cheese grits. That was enough activity until, at least, noon.

"So," I said. "The next time somebody goes to the house, please bring my book."

I knew it wouldn't be long. There were twelve of us and odds were high that there would be a bathroom break in someone's future very soon because at least six were already drinking beer.

"Yeah. Sure. Okay," were the sleepy answers I got. Lap, lap, lap, went the waves.

"What's the name of your book?" Godson's Mom asked. (She was sitting where I couldn't see her. That will become important in a second.)

"I dunno," I said. (I only know the name of what I'm reading about 32% of the time.) "It's blue and it's on the dining room table."

"Who wrote it?" She wanted to know. It was not an odd question. We are, after all, a book reading and drinking club. We always want to know what everybody is reading and drinking.

"Not sure, except for Kerrelyn Sparks. It's an anthology."

"What page are you on?" she asked.

"I don't know the name of the book, and you actually think there is some kind of chance I know what page I'm on?"

"Well, what's happening?"

That, I could tell her.

"Here," she said. And she handed me her e-reader. She had bought the book and found my place. Quickly. Very quickly.

After that, I didn't have a chance of sticking to my guns. I didn't even want to.

I now have one of the top two on the market. It doesn't matter which one. I don't know if I have the best one, but I believe I have the best one for me. I told my personal technology consultant (The Guy) what I wanted in an e-reader and he presented me with it on my birthday a few weeks after the beach trip.

What I love about my e-reader:

• The instant gratification. I can have the book right now.
• I can download my manuscripts on it and make notes electronically.
• I can look up the definition of words I don't know by barely moving my thumb.
• It will read to me. I don't really want it to, but I like the idea of it.
• I can download music to play while I read.
• The leather cover comes in Crimson Tide crimson. And it has a built in reading light that hides flush in the corner, but will jump out like a little peek-a-boo friend when I want it to.
• I choose books by, first, reading the blurb on the back. If I like that, I read the first page. If I make it to the second page, I will usually buy the book. I can do that because I can get a sample of anything.
• I can do a word search when I want to go back and read a passage, which is much easier than flipping around

What I don't love about my e-reader:

• The two word games that I got for free are addictive.
• I don't like that an e-book is sometimes more expensive than the print version. I'm sure there's a good reason like, needing to clear inventory, but I don't have to love it. I am not necessarily looking for a cheap book I don't mind paying the same, but I don't like paying more. Of course, I don't complain when the e-book cheaper so I guess it balances out.
  

I'll never give up print books altogether. I still enjoy the tactile experience, but I've come a long way.

What about you? E-book or print? Have you embraced something that you thought you never would?

Recipe Friday--From Russia With Love

I have been Behind the Palace Walls. Paige and Prince Alexei didn't know I was there with them, of course. This particular palace was in Russia and what a feast for the senses it was--deep snow, howling wolves, a nighttime sleigh ride, with blankets and kisses for warmth.

Bliss.

But before their sleigh ride, Alexei made sure that Paige had a wonderful authentic Russian meal, which was served in a cozy sumptuous library in front of the fire. After all, he didn't want her hunger to end that sleigh ride prematurely.

One of the dishes they had was a meat stuffed dumpling called pelmeni. I admit, I haven't tried to make this yet, but I intend to this weekend. If I can't have a sleigh and snow, I can have my own prince and this yummy sounding dish.

Thanks to USA Today bestselling author, Lynn Raye Harris for my ticket to this special place. You should visit too.

Before getting on with the recipe, I have to share this line of description. It makes me laugh every time!

". . .she wore a conservative black pantsuit with a high-collared white shirt. The suit fit well enough, but she looked like a penguin."

Russian Pelmeni

Pelmeni are very popular all over Russia. They are closely kin to "pot stickers," "pierogies," and other similar dumplings found in many cultures.

The Russian variety traditionally is made of flour, milk, one egg, and salt. The dough is rolled out fairly thin, and cut in circles approximately two inches in diameter. The filling is usually a mixture of minced pork, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Ingredients:

Dough:
3 c flour
warm boiled water
3 eggs
1 tsp salt (amount may vary to taste)
1 tsp sugar (optional)

Filling:
1 pound beef
I pound pork
1 onion
1/2 c beef broth
1 tsp salt
seasoning to taste

Method:

For making the dough: Sift the flour with the salt onto a smooth clean surface. Start adding the mixture of the liquids into the pile of flour in small amounts, trying to incorporate the liquid into as much flour as possible each time. After a while all the flour will be moistened; keep adding the liquid in small amounts, kneading the dough very vigorously after each time. The dough might seem soggy right after you add the mixture, but after you beat it for about minute, it takes in the moisture out, and more has to be added, actually. Keep adding the liquid until the dough becomes mixed throughout very evenly, soft enough to manage, but resilient to the touch, and very stretchy. I usually have 1 or 2 ounces left of the water mixture after the dough is done. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes.

For the filling: to save time, you can load all the ingredients into a good food processor with a meat-cutting blade, and ground them evenly, but not too finely. Add seasonings to taste. Now you are ready for the fun part.

To assemble pelmeni, first you have to make thinly rolled circles of dough. You may roll out large portions of dough and cut the circles out with a glass, or roll out the pieces of dough separately. The dough should be very thin, approximately 1/32 of an inch, and look translucent. While one person is making the circles, the others can be putting the filling by tablespoons onto the middle of each circle and sealing the meat tightly.

Fold the circle over in half, squeeze the edges together all the way around, and gradually pinch the edge down as you would on a pie crust, until it looks like a braid. To make the process go faster, you can use Pelmeni mold. When you are wrapping, please make sure there are no holes in the dough if there are holes, the meat tends to be hard after cooking. As you are making the pelmeni, put them onto a flour-dusted plate, and keep dusting between layers, so they don't stick together.

To cook the pelmeni, bring a large pot of salted water or broth (for better flavor) to a boil, and load you pelmeni into the pot. They will be ready when they float to the top. Take the pelmeni out with a strainer, and serve hot, drizzled in butter, with lemon juice, vinegar and sour cream in separate dishes to be used as a garnish. You could also add a small salad made of coarsely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in sour cream to add some refreshing color and a burst of vitamins. If you feel you have made too many pelmeni, feel free to freeze them before they are cooked; they keep in a freezer for a very long time.

Dog Days of Summer

Wikipedia defines Dog Days as coming from the "Latin,  diēs caniculārēs. They are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather."

 Dog Days was also a part of the Christian calendar and was included in both the lexicon of the King James version of the Bible. as well as several editions of the the Anglican Book of Common  Prayer.  I never thought about the church recognizing something that I always thought of as just an informal, almost slang term for the worst of summer. In fact, I guess I erroneously thought  of the phrase as a Southern one.  We have all those other dog phrases such as "that dog won't hunt" for something unbelievable and "going to see a man about a dog", which means you have something to do that you're not going to talk about.

Back to the Wikipedia definition--I especially liked the part about  Dog Days being "stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress."  That is how I feel during this hottest of weather.  I dread going outside and it seems much more difficult to accomplish anything even inside where I can use air conditioning to recreate conditions on the South Pole.




Maybe heart shaped watermelon would help but my question to you  is...

How do you deal with the Dog Days of summer?