Three-Ingredient "Pretend" Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Last weekend, in celebration of Rachel Harris' latest YA novel, THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING, I shared some real-life "pretend boyfriend" moments from my high school diaries. Today, I'm celebrating with an even more delectable Flirt Squad challenge.  
 
For the Love of Chocolate—Aly is a snackage fiend, bakes often, and stands by her break-up cure of Double Stuf Oreos. Share YOUR favorite recipes!

A challenge to share a delicious chocolate recipe? Yes, please!*


Of course, since we're celebrating THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING, I had to come up with a recipe that fit the theme of "pretending," right? No, I'm not going to try to pass a non-chocolate recipe off as my answer to the Love of Chocolate challenge. (There are plenty of mock chocolate recipes out there, I'm sure, but in my book, pretend chocolate is just plain wrong.) But I was watching Master Chef a couple of weeks ago, and I realized that, as much as I love cooking and baking and making delicious food, I could never win a cooking competition, because I don't do it "right." I'm the queen of shortcuts and cheater dishes, but I'm really good at "Pretending" to be a "Real Chef." (Of course I'm not implying that my cooking is any less real than a professional chef. But I will admit, if I went head-to-head with someone in one of those cooking challenges, I'd be docked all kinds of crazy points for not using the "proper" techniques.)

So today, I present to you my recipe for  

"Pretend" Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles. 

With only three ingredients (and an optional fourth ingredient), these melt-in-your-mouth candies take approximately two minutes to make, and they're both gluten-free and vegan.**

For three truffles, you will need:

1 Tbsp. baking cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. agave syrup (you can use 1 full tsp. if you prefer sweeter truffles)
(optional: 1 tsp. powdered sugar for dusting finished truffles)

Place cocoa powder and peanut butter in very small bowl or cup. 


 

Microwave 20 seconds to melt the peanut butter. Add agave syrup. Stir to combine all ingredients, until a soft dough forms. 





  
Let cool slightly (about 30 seconds or so). Divide into 3 portions and roll into balls. 


 

Roll each ball in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or a mix of both. Or simply enjoy as-is.

You can easily double (or triple ... or more) this recipe, if more than three truffles are desired. - These truffles aren't assembled using proper truffle techniques, and they don't even have the "right" ingredients (I think there's supposed to be some complicated process involving heavy cream?), but I wanted truffles one day, and most store-bought truffles contain the oil I'm allergic to, so I simply made my own with ingredients I had on hand. The resulting candy might not be a "real" truffle, but it's no less delicious than the real thing! Sometimes, pretending can be an awfully good thing.



*As you know, creating yummy chocolate desserts to celebrate books I love is kind of a hobby of mine. There were Dark Chocolate Maple Brownies to celebrate Anna Staniszewski's middle grade novel, THE DIRT DIARY ... Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse (as well as an Easy Vegan Chocolate Mousse) to celebrate Rachel Harris' adult contemporary romance, TASTE THE HEAT ... and a Giant Crock Pot Brownie Sundae to celebrate my own debut novel, TWELVE STEPS.

**(Note: These "Pretend" Truffles have REAL peanut butter in them, so if you have peanut allergies, these aren't for you. However, they may work just as well with almond butter, sunflower seed butter or cashew butter.)

When the Lines Between Fiction and Reality Blur

You've all probably heard me anxiously counting down to the release of Rachel Harris' latest YA novel, THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING. It's no secret that I love Rachel's writing, but this book is, hands-down, my favorite of her novels so far. Because I've totally been there, and I could identify with Aly more than any other fictional character that didn't spring forth from my own brain.

The official blurb:
According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

Rachel admitted to her street team, the Flirt Squad, that THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING was inspired by an actual conversation she had with a group of guy friends in high school, and she challenged us to write a blog post about a high school memory that would make an excellent book or movie.

As you know, my high school diaries are full of such memories. In fact, my own debut young adult novel, TWELVE STEPS, was inspired by many, many real-life moments in my own high school memories. I've already shared many of those memories with you all, and I guarantee that I'll be sharing more such memories in the future. (And can I say "memories" one more time in this paragraph?)

But this week, all I can think about is how my high school diaries could have easily inspired THIS book. (Is there any wonder that Rachel and I have said for months that our characters could have been friends?)

Like Aly, I was labeled a "commitment" instead of a "casual" in high school.

I had at least 5 different boys describe to me in great detail what our lives would be like one day when we grew up and got married. They knew how many kids we were going to have, where we would live (right down to how many bedrooms our future houses would have), even the kind of jobs we'd probably wind up with. (People always talk about the way girls start planning their wedding days from the time they're old enough to start toddling down a make-believe aisle. From the conversations I've had, I sometimes wonder if boys start dreaming of their future families at a similarly early age.)

Yet none of these boys who planned to marry me when we grew up wanted to try dating me when we were still in high school. (Years after we graduated, several of these boys admitted, "I wanted to ask you out, but I wasn't good enough for you back then.")

So I absolutely understand Aly's frustration with her label. And I totally get her determination to change her status from "automatic friend-zone" to "dating possibility."

I've always kind of rolled my eyes at the "we'll pretend we're a couple to make someone jealous" trope in books and movies. As much as I absolutely adore the plot device (some of my favorite books and movies of all time include the "let's pretend we're in love" story line), I've never really believed that such a thing could happen believably in real life.

Until I started looking back through my high school memories for this challenge.

* There was the guy friend who wanted to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. So I wore his leather jacket (the one he never let anyone touch - not even the aforementioned ex-girlfriend, when they were still dating) and we went for a walk past her house, when we knew she'd be outside to see us holding hands and looking all lovey-dovey. (Theirs was a very on-again-off-again relationship. And whenever he wanted her to take him back, all he had to do was pretend he was inches away from getting together with me.)

* There was the time the guy with a reputation for being the biggest flirt in our class started showing interest in me. And it looked like he might even ask me to the Prom. My best guy friend knew I kind of had a crush on this guy, but he decided that Mr. Flirt wasn't good enough for me. So he told everyone in our class that I was absolutely off-limits, and then he ramped up the friendly hugs, etc. until everyone thought we were a couple. I've gotta admit. I was kind of furious about this one, because I didn't even agree to the "let's pretend we're together" act, and I didn't even find out about it until suddenly every guy I was even slightly interested in stopped talking to me. (Not to mention the trouble it caused when his girlfriend found out everyone in school thought he broke up with her for me.)

* There was the time a guy at work was bugging me. So my guy friend offered to stop by when I was at work and pretend to be my boyfriend for a few days, until the co-worker got the hint and backed off. We spent hours planning the choreography. And the conversations we'd have. (How cutesy did the pet names have to be? How touchy-feely did we have to get to really sell the fiction? Of course, there would have to be a kiss or two ... but how passionate? Would a kiss on the cheek be enough? A peck on the lips? Or a full-blown make-out session right there in public?)

In the end, we didn't actually go through with it. Because I started worrying about what his girlfriend (!!! Yes, my friend had a girlfriend at the time - most of my guy friends had girlfriends, and surprisingly, their girlfriends never really liked me much - but she was out of town, so maybe we could have gotten away with it) ... I worried about what his girlfriend might say if she found out about our little charade when she got back. My friend kept assuring me that his girlfriend would be totally okay with it. She knew there wasn't anything REALLY going on with us, and she'd understand the need to get this creepy co-worker off my back.

But, yeah, my friend wasn't a teenage girl. And even though his girlfriend was extremely secure in their relationship, I can assure you, there's no way she would have been okay with it.

* And there was the first time a boy shattered my heart. I was devastated, but determined not to let the boy know he'd hurt me. So one of my dad's college students offered to show up at a state speech and debate tournament to flirt with me shamelessly in front of the boy. It probably would have worked too ... except this college guy got his signals crossed, and he came over to do his massive flirting act in front of the wrong boy. The boy I was trying to make jealous wasn't even around, but I couldn't say anything to the college guy, because then everyone would know his flirting was just an act!

None of my "let's pretend we're together" moments led to the real romance it always leads to in fiction. There were a couple of almosts ... Like the guy who asked me to go to a dance with him to show his ex-girlfriend he wasn't pining away for her (even though he totally was). We went out on several other dates after that, and we had a lot of fun together, but he kept thinking about the ex, and I couldn't actually imagine kissing him, so it fizzled before it really began. ... Or there was the guy who flirted with me in class, to make the guy I'd had a crush on forever jealous. (Crush guy didn't notice, and before long I'd developed a crush on flirt guy, who admitted he didn't think of me "that way.") ... Or the guy who was just a friend, but who everyone in our social circle thought should be my boyfriend. Every time they started pressuring us to get together, we'd go out on a few dates to get them off our backs, and then go back to being just friends again. (Ironically, this is the only boy I ever went out with more than once or twice. We had 2-3 dates per year all through high school. And there was never any real chemistry between us, but he was the most fun fake boyfriend ever.)

Even though it didn't work out in real life like it does in fiction, the "pretend boyfriend" trope was a staple of my high school life. Is it any wonder I love the plot device in books? And movies? And TV shows?

Numbers Don't Matter. YOU Matter.

I have been so worried and caught up in the numbers game lately. I absolutely cringe every time someone asks me "How is your book doing? How many copies have you sold so far?" (Seriously, guys. Don't ask things like this. I don't ask you how much money you made with your last paycheck.) Every time someone asks this question, I feel like I need to defend my worth. Like I'm only valuable if I'm doing BETTER than everyone else. (By the way, I'm fine. I've sold more copies of my book than some have and less than others. Just like every other author on the planet, throughout the entire history of books.)

This weekend, I hit a severe low, however, as I started letting the numbers game get to me. What if "fine" isn't good enough? What if people stop seeing me as worthwhile because I'm not THE BEST? And how do I even measure that status? I've had overwhelmingly-positive reviews, and I get emails and private messages regularly from readers who say they were touched by my book. Is that more or less important than hitting #1 on a Bestseller List?

And then, Saturday night, I went to the General Women's Broadcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This talk, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2nd counselor in the first presidency of the church) was exactly what I needed to hear:

Post by LDS Videos.

The entire talk is worth watching. (You can find the full talk here.) I especially needed to hear the part (right before the clip shown above) where he said, "God knows of your successes. Though they may seem small to you." - Because I matter to Him. Whether I've sold 1 book or 1 million, that's the only measurement that really matters. 

 And you matter too. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

On Juggling All the Things...

I admit that once again I've been MIA recently. And it feels like I'm apologizing for that a lot more often than I should. So once again, I'm stepping back to take stock of my very full plate. And maybe let something go. Because I'm really good at balancing all the things ... usually. But lately, I'm feeling a little too unsteady in this balancing act, and I'd hate to have it all come crashing down around me.

So please be patient with me. And I'll be back soon, ready to tackle the (more streamlined) world!

In the meantime ... I unveiled my redesigned website today, and I'm kind of ridiculously in love. (My amazing in-house artist, aka my awesome husband, illustrated the home page!)

I'm still working on some of the pages, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of the new look?

Don't Give Up! - Pitch Wars Lesson #2

In less than an hour, Brenda Drake will post the list of Pitch Wars mentor teams. As always, there were far more many amazing entries than there were available mentee slots. I personally had six entries that I wanted to choose for my team, and eight more that I knew I wasn't the right mentor for, but I still want to read when they hit bookstore shelves one day. And of the entries that didn't catch my attention, several others were hotly-discussed behind the scenes among other mentors.

The problem is, each mentor could only choose one mentee and one alternate. Which means only a handful of these amazing entries could be chosen. And I know I've said it before, but just in case you missed it the first hundred times or so, I'll say it again: You guys have talent!

Some of you are so close that I seriously expect to read your "I have an agent!" and "I have a book deal!" posts very soon. Others aren't quite there yet, but you're getting there, and as long as you keep moving forward, it will happen for you too. I didn't see a single entry where I would tell the author to give up. Please don't give up!!

Trust me, I know what it's like to pin your hopes on a contest, and I know how much it hurts when you don't make it in. I've been there. More than once. In fact, two years ago, I didn't make it in to Pitch Wars, and I nearly gave up on myself and my writing. I did give up on the manuscript I was working on at the time. But then I wrote something new. And if you've read my own "How My Book Became a Book" story, you know that new manuscript grew up to be my debut novel, TWELVE STEPS.

But there's more to the story.

Back when I was querying that first manuscript, I kept getting amazing personalized rejections. "I love the characters! I love the voice! The plot and pacing are perfect! But it's not for me." That's why I entered Pitch Wars in the first place. I needed to know what, exactly, was holding these agents back. What was it about my story that didn't work? So I picked my mentors very carefully. Not only did I look for mentors who wanted contemporary YA manuscripts, but those who promised feedback to everyone who applied to them. If I didn't get in, I reasoned, at least they'd tell me why.

Except it didn't work out that way.

I got an email from one of the three mentors I applied to, saying that she'd love to give me some feedback if I was interested. But even though I responded with a resounding "Yes, please!!" I never heard from her again. And I didn't get emails from the other two mentors at all. This was especially confusing, because I would talk to them from time to time on twitter, and all three made comments like, "You were so close! But I hope my feedback at least helped a little bit." (Feedback? What feedback??) I decided they must have tweeted some vague tips on the #PitchWars hashtag with my manuscript in mind, so I scoured the feed. I looked for any and all tips that might pertain to my manuscript in any way. And I applied that advice to TWELVE STEPS. Which went on to receive not one, but two offers of publication when I entered it into a couple of pitch contests the following spring.

But here's the part I didn't know until this week: Those mentors who never bothered to send me feedback? Yeah, they totally did. The emails must have disappeared somewhere in cyberspace, but yeah, those emails totally exist. How do I know? Well, when I mentioned in the Pitch Wars mentor private forum that I never received feedback that first year, one of the mentors I'd applied to went back into her "sent mail" archives and pulled up her notes. And two years late, I got to read her feedback on that first manuscript.

The best part?? Her feedback totally matched what I'd already figured out from scouring the tips on the hashtag. And because I didn't get the hand-holding I thought I needed more than anything else, I learned to trust my own gut. I learned to listen to that little voice that told me something wasn't quite right. And I learned to look for feedback on my own writing in the tips and critiques I saw given to others. In so many ways, I am who I am because I entered Pitch Wars and "lost."

Win or lose, you're stronger when you keep going.

Crock Pot Gourmet Recipe: 3-Ingredient, Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler

This time of year, I prefer a lighter, mostly vegetarian diet (meat and heavy starches weigh me down in the hotter months, and I just feel sluggish), but my family misses the comfort foods and treats we often enjoy in the winter. So when my friend gave me a big batch of slightly-squishy peaches, I decided to try a lighter twist on peach cobbler. With only 3 ingredients in the Crock Pot, it's super-simple to put together, and just as delicious as "the real thing!"

 

For a batch that fills a 5-quart Crock Pot, you will need:

* 12-16 corn tortillas (3-4 per layer)

* approximately 2 dozen peaches, pitted and sliced (perfect use for the peaches that are starting to get over-ripe, or you could probably use canned peaches, drained)

* 1/2 to 1 c. brown sugar, divided (if using canned peaches, you may want to use even less sugar)

Spray crock with non-stick cooking oil. Spread 1/4 of the sliced peaches in a layer on the bottom of the Crock Pot. Top with 3-4 tortillas. (I prefer to use 3 tortillas. If you position them like in the picture below, you can tear the middle one in half to cover the outside edges of the layer, avoiding a 4-way overlap, and a very thick layer of tortilla, in the center of the dish.)

Sprinkle with 1/4 of the brown sugar (I used approximately 3/4 c. total, but you can use more or less depending upon how sweet your peaches are, and how sweet you want the final cobbler to be).

Repeat layers 4 times, ending with a sprinkling of brown sugar.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours (or overnight if you want a delicious breakfast to wake up to!)

Serve warm or cold, either by itself, or with your favorite whipped cream / plain yogurt / ice cream.

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan!

It's Not a Competition (Just a Contest)!! Pitch Wars Lesson #1

As you know, I'm a Pitch Wars mentor for the second year in a row. For those of you who don't know about Pitch Wars, it's an annual contest hosted by Brenda Drake, where published/agented authors, editors, or interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions on how to make the manuscript shine, preparing them to submit their manuscripts to agents. There have been a LOT of success stories from previous Pitch Wars contests, and judging from the quality of writing I've seen so far this year, I expect even more successes this time around!

One of the torture trials fun things Brenda cooked up for us this year was a series of videos, where mentors had a chance to make fools of themselves introduce themselves to the Pitch Wars community. Of course, I jumped at the chance to participate, because I'm certifiably insane I believe we only really grow when we do things that scare us. Besides, I was afraid that, if I didn't, I'd be the only Pitch Wars mentor who didn't have a video. And so I sent Brenda the 30-second clip here to include in the mentor chat video.

I know. Amazing, right? Who wouldn't want a chance to be helped along by the best Pitch Wars mentor ever?? And do you see how effortless the whole process is? Yep. I'm awesome, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Yeah.

But here's my little secret:

It wasn't effortless at all.

I was shaking like crazy, stumbling over my words and feeling like a giant dork. And I almost didn't send my video in at all. Not because I didn't have faith in my abilities as a mentor, but because I kept thinking about all of the OTHER Pitch Wars mentors, and wondering how my video would stack up in comparison with theirs.

What if everyone else was more creative?

What if they were better looking?

What if I was the only one who looked like a dork, and everyone decided they'd rather miss out on the contest entirely than get stuck with that dorky mentor with a frog obsession? (Here's a fun game: How many frogs can you find hidden in my video clip?)

But here's another secret:

None of that stuff matters. Not really. Because Pitch Wars is a great contest, but it's not a competition. The whole point is to help each other get to the next level with our writing and our careers. To become better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. (Really, isn't that the whole point of life here on earth??)

And we can totally "win" Pitch Wars even if we're not the most popular mentor or one of the contestants selected for one of the coveted mentee slots. (Fun fact: I wrote TWELVE STEPS after I didn't make it in to Pitch Wars 2012, as a final goodbye to the characters I loved from my first manuscript, intending to shelve the whole thing when I finished writing. Less than a year later, I accepted an offer of publication for my debut novel!)

And when I went back to look at the rejected clips to construct the blooper reel today, I discovered that at least ten of the nearly-forty not-good-enough videos were actually much better than I originally thought. Now that I wasn't comparing them to the better-than-Hollywood-quality videos I imagined that all of my fellow mentors were creating, I couldn't even remember why I'd deemed these clips unworthy. 

When all is said and done, It doesn't matter if I'm the "most popular" mentor or if I receive less applications than anyone else.

It doesn't matter if the mentee I eventually select for my team is fought over by all of the YA mentors or I'm the only one head-over-heels in love with his/her manuscript.

Because it's really not a competition.

That's not what Pitch Wars is all about. (It's an amazing contest, but trust me, making it into Pitch Wars isn't your only shot at success. It's just one contest. There are a ton of other opportunities waiting just around the corner!)

I promise to do my best, and that's enough.

I guarantee that by the end of this year's contest, my mentee and I will both grow as writers.

And I'm willing to bet there will be plenty of Pitch Wars success stories among those who don't officially make it into the contest as well.

I'm a Pitch Wars Mentor Again!

I'm so excited to be a mentor for 
Pitch Wars again this year!
(looking for YA this time around)

Last year was so much fun! I got to mentor three fabulous middle grade writers as they polished and perfected their manuscripts, in addition to all of the other amazing writers I met through the process, who I still count among my dear friends. If for no other reason, the lasting connections we make are the best reason for participating in online pitch contests like Pitch Wars.

So why do you want me as your 

Pitch Wars Mentor?

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I write in all age categories of children’s literature, from Picture Books to Young Adult, so I can bring a unique perspective to the process that other mentors may not have.  My debut novel, a Young Adult contemporary romance called TWELVE STEPS, released on 25 March 2014, and reviews have been great so far. Last October, I caught my amazing agent, Jessica Sinsheimer's attention with my middle grade novel, LETTERS FROM HEAVEN, and I also write picture books. 

Want to learn more about me? I have a list of links to recent interviews on my About Me page. Also, in case you missed it, last March I got to participate in a great online panel about being an introvert vs. being an extrovert in the publishing world, with Elizabeth Flora Ross and two of my favorite literary agents, Jessica Sinsheimer and Connor Goldsmith. (Jessica is one of the agents for Pitch Wars again this year, so this video interview is a great way to get to know her as well!)

 Through contests like Pitch Wars and connections I've made on Twitter, I've also helped dozens of writers with polishing their queries and manuscripts, 

See? It's official. I'm awesome. ;)

and many of them have gone on to find success in the query trenches and in online pitch contests like this one. In fact, one of my critique partners had an extremely popular pitch in last September’s Pitch Madness contest, spurring a bidding war between agents, which later led to not only an agent success story, but a three book deal! Another critique partner just signed with an agent (and I have no doubt her fabulous book will be snapped up soon.) And just a few weeks ago, one of my other critique partners announced her own two-book deal.

Even Brenda Drake, the contest queen herself, thinks I'm pretty awesome. (See? I have proof!)

Now, I'm not necessarily saying that choosing you as your mentor will guarantee amazing things will happen to you ... I'll just let the results speak for themselves. *winks*

So now that we've established the fact that you want ME to be your Pitch Wars Mentor, you're probably wondering what types of manuscripts I'm looking for, right?

This year, I'm a mentor for Young Adult! 

Specifically, I'm hoping to find:

*  YA Contemporary Romance -- This is my absolute favorite (as you probably guessed, based on my own books). I love a good "fluff" book (sometimes, cotton candy is exactly what the doctor ordered, after all), but I also adore a book that can balance romance and bigger issues in a hopeful, upbeat way. A couple of my recent favorites are THE BREAK-UP ARTIST by Philip Siegel and the CAMP BOYFRIEND series by J.K. Rock.

* Retellings -- I'm a sucker for taking well-known stories, like fairy tales, folk tales or titles from classic literature and giving them a new, fresh twist. Some YA favorites recently are DON'T FALL by Rachel Schieffelbein and OLIVIA TWISTED by Vivi Barnes

* Science Fiction -- I've always loved Isaac Asimov. In fact, I try to read his "Nightfall" collection of short stories at least once every couple of years. And I absolutely loved CINDER by Marissa Meyer. I'd love to find something with a similar feel. (I'm a little burned out on dystopian books these days. If your sci-fi story has a dystopian feel to it, I may not be the mentor for you.)

* I’m an incurable optimist, so I prefer stories with an upbeat outlook. If you write super-dark, serious books, I’m probably not the mentor for you. To be clear, I don’t shy away from serious issues, but I love to laugh. And if you can make me laugh and cry in the same manuscript, you’re golden.

No matter what the genre or plot, I’m looking for strong characters, a great story, and a unique voice. If your YA manuscript fits the bill, you definitely want me as your mentor. :)

If I'm not the mentor for you, there are many other fabulous mentors to choose from. Even more than last year!

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More details about Pitch Wars here, and 
you can find a list of this year's participating agents here.

Book Review: CUPCAKE COUSINS by Kate Hannigan

CUPCAKE COUSINS by fellow OneFour KidLit author, Kate Hannigan, is an adorably fun middle grade novel, perfect for summer reading.

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Every summer, nine-year-old cousins Willow and Delia look forward to their vacation at Lake Michigan with their families: a whole week of catching fireflies, picking peaches in the orchards and boogie boarding in the lake together. But the best part is that they always get to take over the kitchen to cook up mouthwatering treats for everyone.

This year, the family vacation will be extra special, because Aunt Rosie is getting married, and everyone will be a part of the big day. Unfortunately, she wants Willow and Delia to wear ugly, pink dresses and be flower girls for the ceremony. And they're much too old for that. But if they can show everyone how amazing their cooking skills are, they're sure to convince Aunt Rosie to put them in charge of the wedding reception refreshments instead, right?

Willow and Delia are best friends who are nothing alike but perfectly matched. Willow is a big dreamer, great at coming up with fabulous and adventurous ideas. Delia is a planner who can find practical ways to make Willow's schemes happen. But even Willow's big ideas and Delia's logical plans might not be enough to overcome exploding blenders and a cranky new head chef.

I loved getting to know these adorable cupcake cousins. (They remind me so much of myself and my cousin/best friend, when we were younger!) And the recipes sprinkled throughout the story ... Yum!

Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes

A couple of weeks ago, author Rachel Harris challenged the members of her Flirt Squad to get healthy. This isn't about losing weight or dieting, or trying to fit some kind of arbitrary beauty standard, but about eating healthy foods and exercising, so we can feel good about ourselves. I promised to share some of my favorite healthy recipes with the group, so I've decided to share them with you as well.

Summertime is the best time for fresh produce and delicious, light meals. And if you don't have to heat up your house by turning on the oven, all the better, right? When the weather is warm and we want something fresh and flavorful, without cooking something elaborate, we really enjoy 

Stuffed Tomatoes.

This is a super-simple, healthy meal that is especially delicious this time of year, when garden-fresh tomatoes are plentiful. And it's easy to adapt to whatever ingredients you have on hand, so there's no need for an extra trip to the grocery store.

You will need:
1 head leaf lettuce (I like to use red leaf lettuce or romaine, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Or skip this ingredient if you don't have lettuce handy.)
6 large tomatoes
2 cans tuna fish (or diced chicken breast)
1-3 Tbsp. Miracle Whip, to taste (or mayonnaise, or plain yogurt)
1-2 tsp. mustard
1 c. chopped veggies/fruits (In the salad pictured above, I used celery, green apple, tomatoes, and green olives - other favorites include Craisins, grapes, onion, carrots, cucumbers, and zucchini.)
1/4 c. chopped nuts or seeds (This time, I used pine nuts. We also enjoy walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds sometimes.)
1/2 c. diced cheese (whatever flavor you prefer - I usually just use whatever I happen to have in the fridge)

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together tuna fish (I don't bother to drain mine. This way, I can use less Miracle Whip without having a dry tuna salad.), Miracle Whip, mustard, chopped veggies, nuts, and cheese.

Line 6 plates with lettuce leaves.

Cut each tomato into wedges, being careful not to cut all the way through, so the wedges are still connected.

Place a tomato into the center of each lettuce-lined plate and fan the wedges out to leave an open space in the center.

Divide tuna salad evenly between the tomatoes. Serve. (Prepare to have even your pickiest eaters asking for second helpings.)

Happy Book Birthday, ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE by Rachel Harris

 

  I am so excited to be a part of the Release Day Launch for Rachel Harris' ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE!! ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE is the third book in her Love and Games Series published by Entangled Bliss.

 

About ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE: One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she’s all about what’s happened in Vegas staying there. Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity…though there’s something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories…and rings on their fingers. Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn’t the hardest part—it’s reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can’t last. Tyler’s first love will always be music—and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.  

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 MY THOUGHTS:
This series just keeps getting better and better. The first book in the series, TASTE THE HEAT, totally took me by surprise. I fell in love with the Robicheaux clan and a certain sexy firefighter (before picking up this book, I didn't read many romances aimed at adults). Then, with book two, SEVEN DAY FIANCE, Rachel Harris managed to turn my two least favorite characters from book one into two of my very favorite fictional characters, giving me "butterflies and tingles from page one, clear 'til the end!"

And ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE is so much better, even, than the first two! (It's a good thing I don't give star ratings, because I'd have a hard time figuring out how to give more than five stars!)

I was so excited to finally get to read Sherry's story (which I've been waiting for since reading TASTE THE HEAT). She's adorable and vivacious, and absolutely genuine (I feel like she would be one of my best friends in real life). And I loved getting to know Tyler Blue, the absolutely swoon-worthy singer with a soft spot for family.

Sherry is in love with the idea of being in love. She's no stranger to sizzling romances, but they've all fizzled far too soon, and she's ready for something better. Convinced that she needs a new approach to love, she decides she needs someone boring and dependable. But before she gives up the fun life, there's nothing wrong with one last no-rules weekend in Vegas, right? Except she wasn't counting on waking up married to country music's biggest superstar.

What happens in Vegas doesn't always actually stay in Vegas.

Still, Tyler Blue is the best thing that could have happened to Sherry Robicheaux. Not only is he sexy and fun, with a voice that could make the coldest heart melt, but he's a great guy who loves his family more than anything. It's not often that I fall head-over-heels for a fictional character, but Tyler absolutely made my heart melt. *swoon*

If you haven't read the first two books in the series yet, that's okay. ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE totally works as a stand-alone novel. But once you get to know the Robicheaux clan, you'll want to read the rest. (And SEVEN DAY FIANCE is on sale right now for only 99 cents!!)




 EXCERPT:
From opposite the long table of food, the brunette gave him a blatant once over as he came to a stop in front of her, twirling a strand of purple hair around her fingertip. When she reached his lucky belt buckle, her sinful lips twitched.

 “If the words, ‘Come here often,’ leave your mouth, I swear I’ll laugh you straight back to roadie-ville.” Her words were harsh, but the smile that sprang free was playful, and Tyler found himself mesmerized by the familiar twang of her southern voice.

So much so that he’d almost missed what she said.

“Roadie-ville?”

 “Sorry, do you prefer techie?” Her cute nose wrinkled as she stuck her hands in her back jeans pocket. “I heard someone else say that earlier, but I swear that sounds like a computer nerd.” She looked him up and down again, this time her gaze lingering around his hips. Slightly south of the belt buckle. Hot damn. “I think roadie fits you better. Sounds sexier.”

Tyler scratched the side of his jaw. Was she messing with him? He’d heard a hell of a lot of come-ons since making it to Nashville and had been propositioned in every way possible. But this was a first. The woman stared back, smiling that damn seductive smile, and he realized she honestly had no clue who he was. For some reason, he was in no hurry to correct that just yet.

He couldn’t recall the last time he’d gone anywhere without being recognized, much less his own concert. But since the room was swarming with crew, Tyler could understand the confusion…if she weren’t a hardcore fan, and clearly, this woman wasn’t. Tyler swiped a hand over his mouth, hiding a smile.

“Sugar, you can call me anything you like,” he drawled, laying it on thick even to his own ears. Her pretty lips parted, and he grinned. “And what can I call you?”

Her smile twisted into a smirk. “Who said you could call me at all?”

 He laughed, shocked again, and for the first time in a long time, speechless.

She winked. “I’m Sherry.” When she said her name, she looked right into his eyes as if he should remember it, and he had no doubt that he would. The confidence pouring off her was sexy as hell. “And…you are?”

 “Tyler,” he replied, glad she’d gone with just her first name so he could do the same. The rest of the world simply referred to Tyler as Blue, the front man for the band bearing his last name. Even so, he stood back and waited for a sign of recognition.

It never came.

When it became obvious she really had no clue who he was, nor would she guess any time soon, Tyler felt a knot of tension release between his shoulder blades.

“So, Sherry, you planning to watch tonight’s show?”

She pulled a face. “I’m not much for country, other than the line dances. All those songs about trucks and trains and whiskey and dogs, though that last one I can forgive.” Her smile softened and Tyler moved closer, wanting to be nearer the genuine warmth of it. “No offense to your boss or anything,” she added with a slight grimace. “I heard he’s pretty hot…even if he is the man-whore of country music.”

A shocked laugh burst from his lips. “Excuse me?”

 She waved her comment away, as if she hadn’t just insulted him to his face—which, he guessed, she hadn’t really. At least not on purpose. “Just a theory I have. I’m sure he’s a perfectly adequate boss.”

Now, Tyler laughed for real. “Yeah, he’s…adequate.” Shaking his head, he propped his hip on the table. This was the most fun he’d had with a woman in months—and they both still had their clothes on.

 

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  About Rachel Harris: Award-winning and Bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls next door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books...and kissing. Lots of kissing. An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, and LOVES talking with readers.  

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Entangled Bliss Release Blast

The summer is warming up with two new releases from Bliss this month.  I'm super-excited about ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE by Rachel Harris, the 3rd book in her Love and Games series. I've loved each of the books in this series so far, but this one is definitely my favorite. This is a sweet, behind-closed-doors kind of romance, with plenty of sizzling, make-your-heart-race moments. The other new release is a Red-Hot Bliss book, HER SECRET, HIS SURPRISE by Paula Altenburg, which throws the bedroom door open, for those of you who prefer more, um, steamy scenes. 

Plus, SEVEN DAY FIANCE (book 2 in the Love and Games series) by Rachel Harris is on sale! If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? See below for more details. (I reviewed this one here.)

 

About Accidentally Married on Purpose:

One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love

Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she’s all about what happens in Vegas staying there.

Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity…though there’s something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories…and rings on their fingers.

Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn’t the hardest part—it’s reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can’t last. Tyler’s first love will always be music—and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.

 On sale for $.99 for One Week Only!

Add it to Goodreads

Follow the Accidentally Married on Purpose Blog Tour 

 Enter Rachel's giveaway

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About Her Secret, His Surprise:

Conflict of interest is an understatement…

Since being disowned by her strict father, Cass Stone has spent her adulthood trying to prove him wrong. Her drive has led to more success than her family ever thought she’d achieve, and life is looking great. Not even an incredible and mysterious one night stand that leaves her a single mom can trip her up...until the father of her baby stumbles back into her life, as sexy and unreliable as ever.

Logan Alexander hasn’t forgotten the night he spent with Cass two years ago, but he never expects to end up undercover as her assistant. His job saves lives—like it should have saved his brother—and he can’t afford complications. It’s difficult enough to maintain his cover as a carefree wanderer when he realizes his attraction to Cass hasn’t faded...and then he meets Cass’s daughter.

 On Sale for just $.99 for One Week Only!

Add it to Goodreads

Follow the Her Secret, His Surprise Blog Tour

Enter Paula's giveaway

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PLUS...

Pick up a copy of Seven Day Fiance this week only for just $.99!

About Seven Day Fiance:

One bad boy. One good girl. One unforgettable week.

Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning him at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little fiancé game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.

Pick up your copy of Seven Day Fiance before it goes back to full price! 

Add it to Goodreads

Crock Pot Gourmet: Giant Pancake

Several weeks ago, Jessica Sinsheimer tweeted this link with instructions on how to make a giant pancake cake in an electric rice cooker. I don't own an electric rice cooker,* but I've made similar cakes in my Crock Pot, so I promised to share the recipe on my blog. It's been a crazy-busy summer, and I have so many half-written blog posts piling up, but I'm finally getting around to actually posting the promised recipe!

Crock Pot Giant Pancake

3 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. old fashioned oats
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. powdered milk**
1/3 c. oil
4 eggs
3 1/2 c. water**

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, salt and powdered milk.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add oil, eggs and 1 c. water. Beat together the liquid ingredients slightly (to break the egg yolks), and then slowly expand your stirring strokes to begin stirring dry ingredients into the wet, drizzling in remaining water as you stir. (Adding all of the water at once makes it difficult to incorporate the egg properly, but you don't want to mix the batter too much, or you'll get tough pancakes, so don't be too slow about adding the water. If you don't want to worry about overmixing, you can beat the eggs, oil and water all together in a separate bowl and dump it all in at once, then stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. I just prefer the one-bowl method, because I hate washing dishes!)

Spray your 5-quart*** Crock Pot with non-stick cooking spray, coating the sides and bottom evenly.

Pour batter into the crock, make sure the lid is skewed slightly to let steam escape, and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Cooking times may vary depending upon your Crock Pot's settings.)

You can either cut and serve the cake directly from the Crock Pot (my preferred method, because it creates less dishes to wash), or you can flip the cake out onto a large tray or cookie sheet to slice and serve.

 Serve plain, or topped with your favorite syrup or fruit topping.

 For a slightly more savory dish (the pancake itself isn't too sweet to begin with), you can drizzle with melted peanut butter (or almond or cashew butter or Nutella - Okay, so the Nutella wouldn't make it savory).

*I also make rice in my slow cooker. No need to buy multiple devices when one is so good at multitasking!

** I prefer to use powdered milk in cooking, because it's less expensive, you don't notice a taste difference in cooked products, and I can add a little extra calcium to my recipes by adding more milk powder than you would normally add for that amount of reconstituted milk. But if you don't want to use powdered milk, you can omit the powdered milk and simply use 3 1/2 c. fluid milk instead of water.

*** You can make a smaller batch in a 3-quart Crock Pot. Just cut all ingredient quantities in half. It will most likely cook faster as well, so start checking on it after 1 3/4 to 2 hours.

VARIATIONS:
   -- Stir 1 c. dried cranberries in with the dry ingredients, and add 1 1/2 tsp. orange extract with the liquid ingredients. Before pouring batter into the Crock Pot, sprinkle 1/2 c. brown sugar into the bottom of the crock. If desired, you may also sprinkle 1/4 c. brown sugar on the top of the batter.
    -- Stir 1/2 c. cocoa powder in with the dry ingredients, and add 1/2 c. honey with the liquids for a sweeter treat.
    -- Use your imagination! What are your favorite pancake stir-ins? Add them to the batter before baking. (Leave a comment below to tell me your favorites!)

What's Your Superpower?

Emily Lloyd-Jones' debut novel, ILLUSIVE, releases next week (July 15th), and to celebrate, she's asked, If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

For me, it would definitely be the ability to fly. I've always wanted to experience that weightless, free-as-a-bird feeling of soaring through the clouds. I'd love to give gravity the slip and leave the cares of the world below me. Whenever I travel, if flying is an option, that's the one I'll choose, and I always want to sit by the window, so I can watch the clouds pass by below me and pretend I'm Supergirl.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? Why? Leave a comment below and let me know! Then, go check out ILLUSIVE (preorder links are below).

The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against he government that could cost them their lives.

Signed Copes at Gallery Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | BAM | IndieBound | Audible

Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California, working in a bookstore by day and writing by night.

 

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day to all of my American friends and readers! And to those of you in other parts of the world, Happy Summertime Friday! (There's always some reason to celebrate life, right?)

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, not because of the backyard BBQ or the watermelon-eating contests, or even the impressive fireworks displays, but because I love having a day set aside to celebrate our gratitude for freedom and liberty, and to remember all the brave men and women who fought (and still fight) for those freedoms. Please take a moment today, wherever you may be, to give thanks for the blessings in your life.

Side note:
As you may have noticed, my blogging efforts have slowed recently. (This happens every summer, as my children are out of school, and I'm spending more family together time with them.) I am still around, and I have a few recipes and book reviews ready to post in the upcoming weeks, but the pace will continue to be slow here on the blog probably until school is once again in full-swing in September.

In the meantime, you can still find me online. Most days, I'm on Twitter and Facebook. And I've had a couple of really fun interviews recently.

* The Debut Dish interview with That Artsy Reader Girl - I got to share a blog post with A.J. Pine (who I absolutely adore), and you still have 2 days to enter to win a copy of A.J.'s fun NA romance, IF ONLY, so go check it out!

* My Life in Movie Titles interview on the brand-new Breathless Ink blog - I got to share a little bit about myself and my book, and to celebrate some of my favorite movies in the process. This was one of the most fun interviews I've ever participated in. PLUS, you can win a copy of TWELVE STEPS and other great books!!