The winner of Theresa Romain’s wonderful Christmas historical romance, Season for Temptation, is Linda. Congratulations! I’ll be in touch.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog. My guests next week will include historical romance writers Debbie Mazzuca and Alexandra Hawkins. Be sure to stop on by!
We have three winners today! The winner of Margo Maguire’s book is Mary Preston. The winner of Debbie Mazzuca’s book, Lord of the Isles is Michelle Harlar, and the winner of Laurel McKee’s book, Countess of Scandal, is Sharon Delacueva. Congratulations, ladies! I’ll be in touch.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by the blog. I’ll be taking a few days off the celebrate the Christmas holiday with my family, and to do some fine-tuning of my blog–hopefully eliminating those naughty spammers who keep clogging things up! I’ll be back next week with a guest post from historical romance author, Theresa Rhomain.
Have a merry and happy Christmas, everyone!
My mom used to spend the weeks before Christmas baking cookies by the dozen. She’d then store them in tins in our basement freezer, taking them out for holiday meals or when friends stopped by for a cup of coffee. I have so many wonderful memories of our house smelling like a baker’s dream, and I loved spending time in the kitchen helping my mom and liberally sampling the results of our work.
Here are two of my mom’s best cookie recipes.
Swedish Tea Balls
Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Stir in the water and then add the flour. Mix till blended then stir in the pecans. Roll into one inch balls. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes, at 300 degrees F. Cool before removing from sheet, then roll the balls in the frosting. Refrigerate or freeze until just ready to serve.
Frosting: 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar mixed with ½ cup of milk. Adjust with sugar or milk to get the consistency that is best for icing.
Oatmeal Macaroons
Combine first seven ingredients and mix. Add the sifted flour and baking soda to mix. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Drop by teaspoons on greased baking sheet. Press slightly with a fork coated in sugar, or the bottom of a small glass coated in sugar (just press the glass in a dish of sugar – enough will stick to do the trick). Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-13 minutes, checking to make sure the cookies don’t scorch on the bottom.
And what goes better with tea and cookies then a nice book to read? As it’s the holiday season, I’d like to give away some books to celebrate Christmas. The first of two is Countess of Scandal, a lovely historical romance by Laurel McKee. The second book is Lord of the Isles, a fab Scottish paranormal romance by Debbie Mazzuca. Just tell me what your favorite cookie recipe is to be eligible. Two people will each win a book!
Note!!! I’ve had to disable the comments temporarily because my blog is getting flooded with spam. My webmistress is working to correct the problem, and we should have comments back up shortly. Check back tonight or tomorrow, and thanks for your patience! And I WILL be awarding those two books by tomorrow evening!
The winner of Debbie Mazzuca’s fabulous new book, Warrior of the Isles is Chelsea B. Congratulations, Chelsea! I’ll be in touch to get your snail mail.
Thanks to all who stopped by the blog yesterday!
That’s my critique partner, Debbie Mazzuca, standing on the right and holding a copy of My Favorite Countess. I’m holding a copy of Debbie’s last release, a Highland paranormal romance called Warrior Of The Isles. In a very funny coincidence, we share the same editor and the same publication date so we celebrated yesterday by having lunch together and visiting our books in the bookstore. It was a wonderful day, made even better by the fact that I shared it with a dear friend who is also a very talented writer.
As Debbie’s critique partner, I’m lucky enough to read her books before just about anyone else. And I’m telling you, they are great. You like hunky highlanders and hot Fae warriors? Then Debbie is your gal. She writes strong, plot-driven stories with really cool heroes and strong, intelligent heroines. I love her blend of history, magic, adventure, which has a good dose of humor thrown into the mix. Debbie is just an awesome writer!
Here’s the blurb for Warrior Of The Isles:
BOUND BY DUTY
In a time of raids and ransoms, Aidan MacLeod is responsible for a formidable Scottish keep and all the people within. Yet the fearless Highland laird never forgets his charge to shield his young half-brother from the grave consequences of his tragic birth.
LINKED BY FATE
But an alluring stranger known only as Syrena could undo all of Aidan’s defenses. For Syrena has vowed to bring Aidan’s brother to a realm far from the Scotland of their understanding. To succeed, she is at Aiden’s mercy.
DIVIDED BY DESIRE
Ignoring his attraction to the beautiful Syrena is pointless. But if Aidan lets himself trust the enchanting woman who has so quickly captured his heart, he’ll be forced to risk everything he has sworn to protect…
Doesn’t that sound great? You know you want to read this book!
To celebrate the release of our books this week, I’ll be giving away one copy of Warrior Of The Isles. Simply comment and tell me what kind of hero you like best: Regency lord, cowboy, ruthless boss, sheikh, or whatever strikes your fancy. One person will win a copy of Debbie’s book!