Archive for the “For Fun” CategoryYou know you love it, the extra crispy fried chicken not unlike what you might get at KFC (what do they do to that chicken that it makes your mouth water?) or if you are in Denver, The White Fence Farm… Here is a recipe for a fried chicken that will have you salivating. Poke around the site. There are tons of recipes for all sorts of tastes. It’s day three on my Ten Days of Christmas and LENA AUSTIN is working magic in the kitchen with devilish desserts for your holiday table. We have a wonderful representation from Australia, England, and across the USA. Please join us for a world of different recipes at http://www.sloanetaylor.com/blog. December is a great month. TEDDI TURNS ON is an EPPIE finalist and Red Roses for Authors, a wonderful review site in England, chose another of my books to receive their annual Christmas Award. And it’s my birthday month. To celebrate all this amazing success, each day I’m giving away a free download to one person in a simple contest. The winner gets to select the book of their choice from my releases. All you need to do is email me sloanetaylor @ comcast.net, no spaces, on the day you wish to enter the contest. Type BOOKS in the subject line and the title you’d like in the body of your email. Told you it was easy! You can enter daily. I’ll draw a winner each day and announce them on my blog. The winner for December 16 is DIANA who chose FRENCH TART. Her book has been sent. Below is the calendar for our Holiday Celebration.
Also, if you like bookmarks and postcards send your snail mail address to me, sloanetaylor @ comcast.net, no spaces, with FREEBIE in the subject line. I’ll be happy to send you a packet no matter where in the world you live. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! (Posted on Melissa’s behalf - Maura) This month the newest installment in my Dog Wild series, Forget Me Knot, was released. Naturally, I am thrilled. So picture how confused I was, when I received an email from a reader asking all sorts of questions, the first of which was “why dogs?” Now, I do know that a lot of people are either dog or cat people, but I have both, and the inspiration for the series came from a combination of old stories my Italian grandmother told me and from my own goofy canines. Not long after bringing home BooRegard, the world’s most cowardly bully of a Basset, I started jotting notes on things he did that made me laugh so hard it hurt. Trust me, the list is long and I have plenty of material to work with yet. He was the original “peek-a-boo” puppy, hiding under the sofa and howling in terror at each new visitor. At that time I was really into exercising to get rid of the weight I put on after quitting smoking, so Boo, Maximus (the Chihuahua inspiration for Mars) and I would go for our daily walk. I guess it was just a sign as to how well acclimated I had become to their odd walking patterns that I never thought twice about the complex dance steps of jog-jog-stop-hula hoop-spin-change hands-walk-repeat. It took having a friend who also wanted to lose weight join me on my daily four mile walk. He didn’t stand a chance against the Boo. With a gay trumpet, the hound was on his way jogging (as per our normal jaunt) then slid to a sudden stop as “Jim” slid on gravel and tripped pell-mell for the next ten feet. Jim changed hands, Boo saw it as the signal for spin around time and started racing in circles. In all, the walk took almost two hours and I know I got more exercise from laughing than walking because my stomach ached and my legs were fine, but Jim gave me the best line - “Walking that dog is like having a seizure on roller skates.” Thus, Dog Wild was born. Dogs share a lot with their wild cousins the wolf; loyalty, dominance, affection, love, and the willingness to die for one another, to protect the “family”. Not long after the auto accident which left me with permanent central brain damage, I was talking with someone about an unwanted puppy. He had to be the ugliest baby I’d ever seen. Fully half the size of his female sibs, this naked little pup had funny scar-like marks on his left side but his skinny, wrinkly body scooted about with great joy, almond-shaped eyes sparkling. He was a completely naked Chinese Crested that no one wanted. Before leaving on the second visit, I overheard a comment on how the pup might have to be drowned and that was that, he came home and was dubbed Fidget. (Named for the peg-legged bat with the broken wing from the Great Mouse Detective.) My menagerie was complete. At the time I had three cats, three dogs and three horses – life couldn’t get better. But families grow and shrink, in this case we’re now up to countless cats (with two barns, I dare you to count and get the same number twice) six horses and sadly, back to two dogs. My little Fidget seemed to feel a little under the weather yesterday afternoon, by the time we returned from the barn he was cold to touch and suffering full-blown seizures. I tried everything I could think of from my own seizure management sheets – a warm shower to ease the muscles, something between the teeth to keep him from choking – but it didn’t matter, by 8:30 last night he passed away. Despite all the tears I’ve shed (and am shedding now typing this) I have to agree with my husband: through me Fidget got a second chance at life and it was great. He was happy and loved. How does this particular personal incident bear on the Dog Wild series? There is a running theme in every story – second chances. Lupercus has a second chance at discovering a mate in the original tale and in book two four people get second chances. Whether on accident or purpose, I’ve built them into nearly each story I’ve worked on since my “second birthday” AKA the auto accident. This sequel is for all of the folks who wanted a story for Lupercus sad-eyed brother, Frank Horne. While the main love story is wolf in nature, featuring the growly, taciturn clan-alpha Madden “Red” Silvestri and his mysterious helpmate there is another love story, just as powerful, for Frank and the prickly Flora Daniels. (Side note, if you read Forget Me Knot: Dog Wild 2 and look up the definition of helpmate on Wikipedia, you’ll get a well earned chuckle. Some days the synapses work better than others.) As for the next story…I am trying very hard to bring out book three and four at the same time (or close to it), just as was done with books 1&2. The third is called Trickster’s Folly and has a May-December romance and book four is Fang Tower which, if things go as hoped, will slide off into a side series with vampires and fearsome things that go bump in the night. After that is (tentatively titled) book five, Blind Justice, for Quint Campanella. But it all depends on what you, the readers want, and of course, the dogs. Check out the video for “Virgin Special” Ever fallen for a Virgin? Fall for one now at Aspen Mountain Press. I remember laughing whenever I heard an author complain that they had been asked “Where do you get your ideas?” I was still laughing…until it happened to me. The truth is there is no simple answer to this. Writers get their ideas from anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes something so simple as a phrase or a title can do it. Perhaps that’s why the Del Fantasma series available at Aspen Mountain Press has proved so inspiring. Set around a bar run by a vampire called Cody Warren, the inspiration for each story comes from the title of a drink. The authors currently working with AMP have produced some fabulous stories using just a couple of words as a springboard for their muses. These stories are part of a series but can be equally read individually, although they should perhaps all come with a warning on the cover as they are highly addictive. Read one and I almost guarantee you will want to read another! “Virgin Special” released last week and is my latest offering for the series. It’s also my first m/m/f novel for AMP as well as my first vampire paranormal. So where does one come up with the idea for a very special kind of virgin? While holidaying in the Caribbean many years ago, I came across a little cocktail book that I still possess to this day. Wanting to write another book for the ‘Del’ line, I flicked through the pages seeking inspiration, and it definitely found me. Then, as many authors do, I started playing the old ‘what if’ game. What IF my main character was not only heartbroken but a virgin? What IF Cody set him up with two vampires equally heartbroken? In that moment Virgin Special came into being. I’m afraid that aside from reading my novel, the only Virgin Special I can invite you to try is the cocktail. Here’s the recipe. I have to admit I’ve not tried it and I’m trying to imagine how it tastes, but the book describes it as: “A very pleasant and refreshing summer drink.” If it’s like most things I drank in the Caribbean it’ll taste deceptively fruity or watery, and then it will suddenly knock your socks off! Virgin Special Cocktail Ever Fallen for a Virgin? Fall for one now at Aspen Mountain Press. Sharon Maria Bidwell
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09
2008
 
Easy Contest Offered by Sloane TaylorPosted by: Publisher in For Fun, Tips and Tricks, Aspen Mountain PressI’m a well traveled author who couldn’t live without a tote on my shoulder. We have such a bag, sporting the beautiful “TEDDI TURNS ON” cover, for you to win in an easy contest. Second and Third Prize winners get a great Goodie Bag. This contest runs September 7 until October 6. Winners will be announced October 7! To play, go to www.phoenixrisingpr 1. What does Sloane Taylor’s disclaimer read? 2. What is the heroine’s name in TEDDI TURNS ON? 3. Who are Sloane Taylor’s publishers? 4. What is the featured recipe for August 2008? 5. What is Sloane Taylor’s first Travel tip? Go to www.sloanetaylor. Email your answers to phoenix@phoenixrisi Happy searching! Sloane Taylor
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07
2008
Aspen Mountain Press is TWO Years Old!Posted by: Publisher in For Fun, Aspen Mountain Press, Book NewsTo celebrate our birthday, Aspen Mountain Press is sending one lucky winner* a picnic basket lunch (retail value of $100) to create the deli sandwich of your dreams from Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Choose from Sherman’s Sure Choice Reuben - Black Angus lean corned beef, rye; Binny’s Brooklyn Reuben - Pastrami, pumpernickel; Georgia Reuben - Roasted turkey, rye. Also included Zingerman’s homemade redskin potato salad, cole slaw and Russian dressing. Emmentaler Swiss cheese, garlicky pickles and magic brownies. To be included in the drawing all you have to do is purchase a book at Aspen Mountain Press. The more books you buy between July 1st and July 31st, the more times you will automatically be entered! According to Oprah, “Zingerman’s sandwiches are an ‘11 on a scale of 1 to 5.’” Don’t miss out on a terrific opportunity to sample some of the best deli food the mid-west has to offer along with some awesome stories of adventure, mystery, and passion. Remember, each story purchased is an automatic entry into the drawing! *See website for additional details. Greeting card manufacturers have decided Valentine’s Day is the most romantic holiday of the year. Okay, I’ll almost give them that, but there’s 364 other days that shouldn’t be ignored. Below is an easy menu that will satisfy all your hunger on any day of the year. Think Tom Jones, the old movie not the actor, and the eating scene. Go for it. These cold winter nights might just heat up for you!
Warm Belgian Endive and Pine Nut Salad1 tbs. Dijon mustard In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk in olive oil slowly until you have an almost creamy consistency. Taste and season with pepper. Set aside. Cut endive heads crosswise into rings. Remove the hard end of the stems and discard. Rinse in a colander, shaking to separate the slices into rings. Set aside to drain. In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts. Stir constantly so that they do not burn. Once the pine nuts are golden, throw in the endive rings. When it has warmed just slightly, pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Reduce the heat if the endive is wilting too quickly. You want to maintain some crispness and texture. If you have guests to impress, throw in the parsley. The sharp green flecks will brighten the dish and enhance the flavor, but the salad is in no way lacking without. Serve immediately. It is best served directly from the pan to the plate. If is put in a bowl, the dressing will settle at the bottom and be difficult to toss again without damaging the endive. Almost Homemade Pizza1 (12 inch) pre-baked Italian bread pizza crust. I prefer Boboli Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the crust package. Lay the crust onto a baking sheet of appropriate size. Spread the sauce over the crust. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Lay your other sausage etc. on top. Cover the pie with the remaining mozzarella then grate some fresh Parmesan or Romano over that. Bake according to the crust package directions or until the sausage is no longer pink and the cheese is melted. The pizza makes a great leftover lunch, but the salad will turn bitter and limp. Don’t forget the candles, lots of them. Every woman likes to set the mood. Also, omitting forks can be most sensual when you feed your partner small bites. Have a great Valentine’s Day. Sloane Taylor ~ Sweet as Honey…Hotter than Hell Today on the Aspen Mountain Press community loop at yahoo, we are celebrating NOT watching the Super Bowl. What will we do instead? Why share excerpts, recipes, chat and give out prizes. Come one, come all, and let’s have some fun! |
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