Guess the COLD Book!

My husband is always sending me research links. Sometimes they’re for the book I’m currently writing, or in the case of this one, for a book that is already published and the information in the article expands on an idea or location I’ve explored. Can you guess which book he was thinking of when he sent me this one?”

http://crosscut.com/2016/02/when-the-tsunami-hits-coastal-defenders-could-be-first-to-go/

Do you know which book my husband was thinking of?  Let me know in the comments!

My Family’s Easter Tradition – Bow Hunting Chocolate Bunnies!

Bow Hunting a Gelatin Filled Chocolate Bunny – A Grant Family Easter

Several years ago, quite by accident, my family started a new Easter tradition. When faced with divvying up a large chocolate Easter bunny, we decided to place the poor, innocent rabbit in front of a hay bale and grabbed the recurve bow, as one does. The person to strike the bunny was awarded first chocolate.

You will need:

• 2 large hollow chocolate Easter bunnies (the biggest ones you can find, and get 2 because 1 is never enough! 2 = twice the shooting fun)

• 3 6-oz packages of red gelatin (or enough to fill whatever size bunny you get)

• chocolate chips or chocolate candy melts (for repairs/glue)

• flexible candy for a blindfold (we find this more humane)

• Small funnel, preferably metal

• Container for bunny to stand in (I use a utensil holder because it has high, straight sides, good for bracing if bunny isn’t quite flat on the bottom, and for catching gelatin if it leaks)

• 2 mini-marshmallows to cork the holes in the bunnies

• Bow and arrows

To fill the bunny:
Make the gelatin and cool mixture to room temperature. Patience is vital here – if it’s even a little bit warm, it will melt the chocolate. Trust me, I know.

Use the metal funnel to drill a hole in the highest point on the bunny’s body (AKA the tip of the ear, unless you have a strange, earless bunny). If your funnel doesn’t have a sharp enough edge, you can start the hole with a corkscrew or knife.

Place the bunny in a container where it can stand. If it wobbles in the container, brace sides with a clean kitchen towel. (Note, save the bunny packaging to use as a stand for the bow hunt – see photos.) Insert the funnel and slowly pour in cooled red gelatin. Watch for leaks/melting chocolate. Chocolate may be thin in places and split. If this happens, pour the gelatin back in the bowl while you repair the bunny.

To repair a melting bunny: melt chocolate chips or candy melts in microwave until just soft. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool until it is just liquid enough to spread. Using a brush or rubber spatula, plug holes with melted chocolate.

Shine a light over the body while looking through the hole in the top. Light shining through indicates weak spots. Reinforce thin areas by painting with chocolate. (Note this can be done right after drilling hole, before attempting to fill with liquid gelatin mix. Or skip it, if you like to live on the wild side and find leaks the messy way.)

This is also a good time to blindfold the bunny by painting one side of candy blindfold with chocolate and gluing over the eyes. Refrigerate until chocolate patches harden.

Return bunny to container and fill with gelatin. Plug hole with marshmallow cork.

Refrigerate overnight with bunny standing in the container.

Cut bunny package to use as a stand for the bunny. Place bunny on stand. Shoot it with arrows. If arrows fail, try an atlatl (you have one, right?). Or a BB gun. Eating chocolate or gelatin after shooting with BBs is not recommended.

Happy Easter!

Underwater Archaeology in the News

There was big news yesterday for the U.S. Navy and underwater archaeology – a tugboat that went missing at sea in 1921 has been discovered.  It left port near San Francisco for Hawaii, with 56 souls aboard.  I can’t imagine how sad such an event was for the families of the sailors when the tugboat disappeared, but to find the wreck after 95 years is pretty amazing!

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-conestoga-ship-mystery-found-20160323-story.html

WOW!

I have to share this here, because I was so excited!
“Cold Evidence is exciting, intelligent, angst-y and sexy, with a depth of conflict and plot I found mesmerizing.” – Kathy Altman, USA TODAY Happy Ever After

I think this week’s blog title may be the most eclectic one yet.  It’s been a busy, interesting week, with a friend’s new release, Pi Day, the Ides of March, a popular yoga workout Facebook post, and St. Patrick’s Day – whew!  Oh, and I’ve been busy writing, of course.

What To Read Next

Finally!   I’ve been itching to get my hands on this book for months.

My friend Darcy Burke released The Forbidden Duke this week – fans of historical romance will want to read this one!  It’s the start of a new series called The Untouchables.

Spinster Miss Eleanor Lockhart is suddenly homeless and employment is her only option. Ruined after succumbing to a scoundrel’s excessive charm nearly a decade ago, she’s lucky to obtain a position as a paid companion and committed to behaving with the utmost propriety. She definitely shouldn’t be in the arms of a man capable of utterly destroying what little remains of her reputation…

Titus St. John, Duke of Kendal, is known as the Forbidden Duke, a mysterious, intimidating figure who enters Society just once each year at his stepmother’s ball. A decade ago, he was a devil-may-care rake until his idle roguery brought about the ruin of Eleanor Lockhart—and his resulting self-imposed isolation. Now she’s back, and she needs his help. But by “saving” her, he may just ruin her life all over again.

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/tfdamzfb
iBooks: http://smarturl.it/tfdibksfb
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/tfdkobofb
B&N: http://smarturl.it/tfdnookfb

PIE = HAPPINESS

My daughter left the pumpkin pie she made  to celebrate Pi day (with homegrown pumpkin, no less!) unguarded while she went to school.  I think we all know what happened………

In case you’re now craving pumpkin pie, I’ve included the classic Libby’s recipe below!

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

A Realistic Workout Plan

This week’s most popular Facebook post was my new yoga workout – I think this is a workout we can all maintain on a weekly basis!

I hope you had a great week  – be sure to say hello on Facebook or Twitter!

Huge Congrats to Author Erica Ridley!

This Week’s Most Popular Posts

The following Facebook post was the weekly winner by a landslide!

I thought it really captured Romantic Suspense – my favorite genre, of course!  And it definitely describes the perfect RS alpha male on any given day.

The next meme was posted last Saturday, and was the second most popular post.   I wish I could adopt it as my motto – although my family might protest when it was time to leave the house!

I hope you had a great week  – be sure to say hello on Facebook or Twitter!