Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Fall in Love Like a Romance Writer

Author Amelia Grey has compiled a collection of stories shared by romance authors we all know and read, including me.  She asked us to share the story of how we met and fell in love with our spouses.  Some of the stories are inspiring, some humorous, and some heartwarming.  It's a fun collection.  I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Visit Amelia's Site

Happy reading.  Remember to join me in chat Wednesday, January 26th at 9:00 PM Eastern Time  at Mo's Book Buzz on Wednesday, January 26th at 9:00 PM Eastern time. Once the chat room loads, type in a user name (password not needed) and select Mo's Book Buzz room from the drop-down menu.

Happy reading!

~Deb

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Chat with Deb

Deb Stover will discuss the Kindle release of her award-winning 1996 time-travel,  A Willing Spirit, and the forthcoming Some Like it Hotter ("Dirty Harry Meets Scarlett O'Hara") with readers at Mo's Book Buzz on Wednesday, January 26th at 9:00 PM Eastern time. Once the chat room loads, type in a user name (password not needed) and select Mo's Book Buzz room from the drop-down menu. 


One lucky reader will get to choose between a door prize of either the Kindle edition or the original mass market release of A Willing Spirit.  See you there! 


~Deb

Friday, January 14, 2011

Keep New Books Coming!

This is a topic of concern to all of us--readers, writers, booksellers, etc.  It must be shared if we want new books to read--and I do!

I'm proud of Romance Writers of America for taking a stand. Brava!

http://tinyurl.com/4tv9zen

Please help us fight online book theft. Scanning, uploading, sharing books without the specific consent of the copyright owner--that means the AUTHOR, in most cases--is blatantly illegal.  When a book is published, the author grants the publisher specific rights to publish.  Those are limited to certain markets and formats.  When an individual or company makes an illegal copy and shares it with the world--Torrent or whatever--that person and that company are both committing a crime.  Furthermore, every individual who downloads and/or uploads and/or shares that illegal copy is also committing a crime.

Most people I know would never consider buying or selling a stolen car.  Yet many don't think twice about downloading or uploading stolen books, music, software, or movies on the Internet.

It's all stolen property, whether it's a Rolls Royce or a Romance Novel.  Stolen is stolen...

Most authors can't afford to work for free. Can you?  How would you feel if you went to work every day, did a good job, and found out a lot of your hours were for naught?  They were "stolen" by individuals who believed they had a right to your time and effort simply because it was there and they could...?

Think about it.

If you want your favorite authors to keep writing, please help stop this madness. Thank you.

~Deb Stover
www.debstover.com

Monday, January 10, 2011

Snowy Morning

Not unusual for January in Colorado at 7,436 feet.  We're due more with blowing, so I poked my head out the door and snapped a few iPhone photos before it starts again.

Happy reading and writing, all!



~Deb
www.debstover.com

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year

I chatted up the meal I am preparing on Facebook, and several people asked for my dessert recipe.  I can't remember where I found this recipe, but I always make a few changes as I go to make it mine anyway.  My apologies to the originator.

Menu:
Hoppin' John (Black-eyed peas for good luck, you know)
Beef roast with garlic and onions
Cabbage wedges braising in the drippings left by the roast
baked potatoes for one person, another gets quinoa
I forgot to put the sourdough bread in the bread machine, but it was in the plans.  I think the Mimosas made me forget. :)

Having grown up in Kansas, I'm not familiar with Meyer Lemons, but now I am!  Yummy.

Meyer Lemon Cake

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola oil (I replaced this with 2 sticks of melted butter for personal preference)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest, divided
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and grease a tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs together with sugar until combined. Beat in 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon zest, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended.

3. Gradually beat in flour mixture then beat in sour cream. Pour batter into tube pan and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cake rest 15 minutes before inverting and frosting.

4. To make frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until well blended. Frost cake when fully cooled and store in refrigerator.

Happy 2011!


~Deb
www.debstover.com