28August2008
School Started!
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(the oldest has decided he’s too old to have his picture taken on the first day of school :-) )
I can’t believe it’s fall already!
sigh, summer went too fast. And it was way too quiet around here yesterday as my youngest enter preschool! Going to be good for writing(he goes 3 days a week for half a day) as the house will be quiet with all three kids gone but…I do miss having them all around.
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25August2008
Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd
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BLURB:
A thousand years ago, Konstantine Varinski roamed the Russian steppes. Driven by his craving for power, he struck a terrible bargain. In return for the ability to change from a magnificent warrior to a predator that could hunt down his enemies and kill them, he promised his soul — and the souls of his decedents — to the devil.
Plain Ann Smith loves her handsome, dynamic boss, Jasha Wilde, but her daring plan to seduce him goes awry when she finds a black wolf warming itself before the fire. Before her horrified eyes, the wolf changes into the man she adores. She flees, he pursues, but they can’t escape their destinies.
For Jasha is the descendant of Konstantine Varinski and Ann is the woman fated to break the curse that binds his soul. To find heaven in each other’s arms, they have the devil to pay.
FORMAT: Paperback
REVIEW:
I searched this book out because I’d read an excerpt of her most recently published book in this series–I want to read it. :-) When I discovered it was part of a series I decided to start at the beginning and am so glad I did. I loved this story! I stayed up last night to finish reading it. Now to get the next one as soon as possible.
This is my first book I’ve read of Christina Dodd’s. I loved the paranormal elements to it, mixed with the action. Definitely going to have to try other books/series by her.
Cole
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23August2008
And the winner’s are…
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Criminee! Its Saturday already? Where did my week go? I was positive I still had a few more days left before Saturday. <shaking head> Crazy.
Well, I’d planned on having Rain answer a few questions for today’s give away but being I thought I still had more days before today…I had not asked them of her yet. :-) And there are a couple problems with this–I’m going to be gone all day for a football Jamboree(I didn’t want all of you having to wait all day just to find out who wins a free book), Rain likes to sleep in(she’s a night owl), and I have to leave before she gets up. So the long short of it is, I decided not to risk any limbs by waking her up to simply have her answer a few questions so I could post this first thing this morning. :-) I can after all ask her at a later date and still blog about it then.
*****UPDATE ADD IN: I wrote up this post first thing this morning…then closed thing down to go count the names–74 in all by the way–wrote them all down, cut them all out, had the kids draw and tried to log on to post. It wouldn’t let me on!!! :-( For some reason my server was down and I ended up having to wait until we got back from football to post this. SORRY EVERYONE! ********
I do have a surprise for all of you–Rain is going to add a FREE book to the pile! So instead of there being just two winners today, there are going to be three!!! How awesome is that?
Okay I have a secret to share—three is a good number around here. You see I have three kids and if I have three winners to pick that then means I can let all three kids reach into the bowl and pick a winning name. Everyone is happy! ;-) You wouldn’t believe the fighting, negotiating, and decision making that takes place otherwise. I have to have a drawing just to find out who gets to do the drawing!
So without further ado, the THREE WINNERS of Rain’s debuting story, The fire Still Burns are:
- Sheandeen(Nancy)
- Orchid-Hin
- Carine
YAY!!!! Congratulations!
***I need each of you to contact me at this addy– nicole @nicolereising.com(nospaces) so I can get you set up for your free book.
Thank you to everyone that participated. I love giving away books. If you didn’t win and would still like to read this awesome story, you can purchase it at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Check it out.
:-) Happy reading everyone!
Cole
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22August2008
Gingery Grilled Chicken and Peaches
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Two things—First, somehow I posted my blog yesterday everywhere but on my main site where I write it up. ??? No idea how that happened.
Second–LOOK AT THIS!
We have produce from OUR little garden! YAY! I’m a dancing! I had to slap a few fingers to get this picture–the boys wanted those tomatoes!
I would like to note that all recipes I ever post…they are not my own. I might alter things slightly to work with what I have on hand but essentially my brain does not work in the sense of figuring out new recipes. Besides, there are so many wonderful recipes out there to choose from!
We like to grill, even in the winter, but this recipe can be done inside as well. You just don’t have quite the same flavoring.
Ginger and rosemary give zing to mild-tasting chicken breasts.
- Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons granular sugar substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium ripe peaches, halved (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut into bite sized pieces, or mesclun mix (6 cups loosely packed)
- 1 cup French feta cheese or mild goat cheese, crumbled
- For dressing: Combine vinegar, ginger, rosemary, sugar substitute, pepper flakes and salt in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil in a steady stream until dressing thickens.
- Brush chicken with 1 tablespoons of dressing and let marinate for 1 hour. Set remaining dressing aside.
- Heat grill to medium-high after 50 minutes of marinating. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time, until just cooked through. Remove chicken from grill and place on a platter to rest.
- Place peaches, cut-side down, on grill for 5 minutes, until softened. Cut chicken on the diagonal into 1/3-inch thick slices. Cut each peach half into 4 slices.
**I’m too impatient to wait until the chicken is done to put on the peaches. Also, I’m not too sure that anyone else cares for warmed up peaches. shrug…oh well! ;-) Cold tastes yummy too.
- Toss greens with remaining dressing and divide on four plates. Top each salad with one-fourth of the chicken slices and one-fourth of the peach slices. Sprinkle with cheese.
We loved this recipe! I would like to note also that we don’t always have fresh peaches in the store, so we have used canned at times. Also my hubby would rather eat it all separate. I love it as a salad myself. But either way seems to work. :-) You might also see that I don’t have any cheese on the salad in this picture…we were out. But the flavors are so wonderful…that was alright.
Courtesy — Atkins
****Don’t Forget–-ALL comments this week count towards winning a free copy of Rain’s debuting novel, The Fire Still Burns through the new e-book publishing company, Sapphire Blue Publishing. (See this post to read the blurb, see the awesome cover and read an excerpt!) There will be 2 winners! The more you comment, the more times your name will go in the drawing to be held on Saturday!
Have a good one!
Cole
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22August2008
Concentration
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Can you tell what they are eating? Lemons!
And I can’t get them to eat casseroles. Go figure.
So, on my writing–concentration has been missing on these last three chapters that are in need of polishing. It’s been frustrating. I know where the story is to go. But I couldn’t concentrate to do what needed to be done. I needed to delete, revise, revamp, create. There were some really cool word combos…some really bad ones. But…none of it was happening. So in a fit of desperation I just decided, there has to be something wrong with those chapters, really, really wrong. Or I’d have started carving.
So I thought, I know where I need to go ultimately…maybe I should forget about what I have, start those chapters over, use a new pov, a new layout, a new scene…whatever…just something totally different.
So I did it. I put lots of white space after the last ‘good’ chapter and the mess following. Then stared at the page, closed my eyes, rejected several similar beginnings to what I already had, then finally got myself to think ‘new’ and whala! The words, the scenes began unfolding like magic! YAY!
I’m still not sure what was exactly wrong with what I had before…I just know that there was something as I couldn’t work on it.
I’m going into hiding and not coming out until the chapters are done.
Okay that’s not possible. :-) BUT I am going to write and write and write.
****Don’t Forget–-ALL comments this week count towards winning a free copy of Rain’s debuting novel, The Fire Still Burns through the new e-book publishing company, Sapphire Blue Publishing. (See this post to read the blurb, see the awesome cover and read an excerpt!) There will be 2 winners! The more you comment, the more times your name will go in the drawing to be held on Saturday!
Have a great day!
Cole
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