Friday, November 18, 2016

Last Friday Recipe of the Month From Author Ann Everett; Fresh Apple Cake



Yeah, I know, it's not really the last Friday of the Month, but hey, this is a recipe you'll want to have before, during and after Thanksgiving.  
So you can thank Ann Everett right now for FRESH APPLE CAKE. It sounds perfect

The recipe and why you love making it:

Hi, L.A., thanks for having me on your blog. This recipe comes from Sweet ThangsSouthern Sweets from Two Sassy Sisters, which is based on the fictional bakery in my Tizzy/Ridge Trilogy. (The stories have a little mystery, a bit of steamy romance, and a kick of humor) Sisters, Pattiecake McAlister and Sugarpie Monroe own the place and many scenes happen there.

Now, before you roll your eyes at the cheesy sister names, let me explain. The two characters are based on my real-life sister and me…and that’s what our grandchildren call us. When I decided to write the series, I wanted to include us in the book. So with names like Pattiecake and Sugarpie…I figured we could be bakers…or pole dancers! 

This cake is one of my favorites, because other than apples, you’ll probably have most of the ingredients on hand. It’s a perfect choice for young cooks because other than a Bundt or Tube pan, you don’t need any special tools. Not even a mixer! Just combine everything together and stir by hand.

It’s moist, keeps well, and since it’s made with fresh fruit…you can tell yourself it’s good for you!!

Fresh Apple Cake (with caramel sauce)


Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1¼ cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups finely grated Granny Smith apples (or some other good baking apple)
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients by hand until combined. Batter will be very thick.
Pour into greased and floured 10-cup Bundt pan. 
Bake for 1 hour.
Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack and cool completely.
Garnish with caramel sauce, if desired.
  
Blurb:
In Ann Everett’s Tizzy/Ridge Romance Trilogy, fictional characters Pattiecake McAlister and Sugarpie Monroe cook up delicious confections at Sweet Thangs Bakery. These recipes are from the kitchens of real life sisters, Pattie Ball and Carol Mayfield.
Inside this book, they share more than 130 homemade recipes, including luscious cakes, yummy cookies, sweet salads, delectable pies, scrumptious candy, and delightful drinks, perfect for special occasions or gift giving.
  
Buy: 
Amazon | Kobo 

Bio:
Award winning and Amazon Best-Selling author, Ann Everett embraces her small town upbringing and thinks Texans are some of the funniest people on earth. When speaking at conferences and to writing groups, businesses, book clubs, and non-profit organizations, she incorporates her special brand of wit, making her programs on marketing, self-publishing, and the benefits of laughter, informative and fun.

She lives on a small lake in Northeast Texas, where she writes, bakes, and fights her addiction to Diet Dr. Peppers.

Find Ann: 
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest  




Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Take Five and Meet Jill Haymaker And Her New Christmas Novella


Today I'm excited to bring you Jill Haymaker, who is a repeat guest, 
and has a brand new Christmas novella to tell us about. 
I love Christmas stories. Love them!!

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Jill Haymaker. Tell us, what inspired you to write your book, Colorado Cowboy Christmas?


Hi, L.A., thanks for hosting me again, it's always wonderful to be here. I’ve always loved Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year and the best time for romance. I love my small fictional town of Peakview, Colorado so what better place to have a holiday romance? This is my first novella. I know how busy everyone is this time of year so I wanted to write a shorter story that people would have time to read.
 If you were not a writer, what vocation would you pursue?
Well, my “real” job is an attorney. I started writing to escape the nastiness and conflict that I have to deal with. Currently, I spend about 50% of my time writing and 50% practicing law. I hope for it to be 100% writing someday.

Do you prefer to read in the same genre you write in, or do you avoid reading that genre?  Why?

I write romance and that is what I read the majority of the time. I just love happily ever after. I see so much unhappiness in my day job, that I love to start a book knowing that everything is going to work out in the end whether I’m writing the story or reading it. We can’t have too much love in this world.

How do you create internal and external conflict in your characters?  I find conflict often the hardest to create when I start planning a book.

Conflict is always hard for me. I just want everyone to get along and be happy, but that doesn’t make for a very interesting story. I’m a pantser, so I try to find conflict as I go along. Being an introvert, and shying away from confrontation, I find it easier to create internal rather than external conflict.

If you could live during any era of history, which one would you choose?

If I had to choose an era other than today, I think I would choose the 1950’s. Life seemed simpler when I was a small child. Families had more time to spend just being together without the distractions of the digital age. We all knew our neighbors. Everyone took weekends off from work.


Give us a brief summary of Colorado Cowboy Christmas.
Cynthia Welch has made a name for herself as one of Chicago’s top divorce attorneys at the expense of her personal life. Burnt out, she heads to Peaktop Guest Ranch for a couple of months of solitude over the holidays.

AJ Coulter, a cowboy from Wyoming, has been a loner and a drifter ever since his divorce and his teenage daughters leaving for college. He finds a temporary job at Peaktop Ranch as the head wrangler.

When their paths cross, Cynthia begins to question her life in Chicago, and AJ struggles to find a way to keep her in Colorado. Can the spirit of Christmas bring these two people from very different worlds together and help them find their way to true love?



Buy Links: 
  
Bio: 
Jill Haymaker was born and raised in Indiana and Ohio. After high school, she attended Bowling Green State University before moving to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1975. Jill has made her home in Fort Collins ever since except for three years in the 1990’s when she left to attend law school at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has practiced family law in Fort Collins for the past 20 years. She has three grown children, a son and two daughters. She also has three granddaughters.

Jill has always had a passion for writing. Colorado Sunset was her first full length romance novel her Peakview, Colorado series. The second through fourth books in the series, Breakfast for Two, Colorado Cabin in the Pines and Colorado Wrangler are also available at Amazon.com. Colorado Cowboy Christmas is her first Christmas Novella. She also has had several short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul, the most recent in the book The Joy of Less, on sale April 19, 2016.

When not practicing law or writing, Jill enjoys The Colorado mountains, horseback riding, gardening, long walks with her Shetland Sheepdog, Laddie, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She enjoys their numerous sporting events. She is also an avid football fan and can be found on autumn weekends cheering on the Broncos, the CSU Rams, and the Huskers. She has a passion for working with high school youth- she is a youth group leader at her church, coaches a high school mock trial team and is a volunteer at cross country and track meets.


Find Jill: