Holiday Newsletter from Sizzle In The Snow Authors

I'm way behind on posting the Sizzle In The Snow newsletter due to my recent travels to California (twice). All eight authors are submitting wonderful holiday songs, recipes, memories, DIY projects, and more. Since the posts are lengthy and I'm attempting to catch up, I'll just share a portion of the last two newsletters. Enjoy the excerpts, Christmas songs, recipes, and memories. Follow us on Twitter at #sizzleinthesnow and watch for our eight-author Facebook Launch party in November!


Eight Authors. Eight Christmas Romances.

This Christmas season, Soul Mate Publishing and editor, Char Chaffin, presents Sizzle in The Snow: A Soul Mate Christmas Collection, an anthology available November 25th on Amazon and Soul Mate Publishing. The featured authors and their stories include:

• Beth Carter http://bethcarter.com/, Santa Baby
• Amy Deason https://amydeason.wordpress.com/, Second Chances: A Christmas Story
• Crystal Firsdon http://crystalfirsdon.com/, ‘Twas the Crazy Night Before Christmas
• CD Hersh https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/, Kissing Santa
• Kim Hotzon http://kimhotzon.com/, The Snow Bird
• Ryan Jo Summers http://www.ryanjosummers.com/, Tamed by Christmas
• Tina Susedik http://www.tinasusedik.com/, Operation Santa
• Cheryl Yeko http://www.cherylyeko.com/, Christmas Eve Surprise

A Christmas Song for You from the King himself!

Title: Blue Christmas

Song Link:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=elvis+presley+singing+blue+christmas&FORM=VIRE13#view=detail&mid=4B63C16C2001EFAE289E4B63C16C2001EFAE289E

A sneak peek of one of the eight stories . . .

By author Crystal Firsdon in her novelette 'Twas The Crazy Night Before Christmas!

Clara lay flat on her back, dead silent. A rock dug into her shoulder and she fought the urge to wiggle out of the way. The dirt beneath her was dry and chilly while a small pool of sweat puddled between her breasts. The stranger she’d met only a half hour earlier lay directly on top of her, propped up on his elbows on either side of her head, covering her body head to toe in a protective shield. Her hands were pinned between their chests and, no matter how hard she tried to still them, trembled.

He kept as much of his weight off her as he could, but their bodies still clung to one another. He lowered his head an inch and whispered, “Relax.”

Clara nodded. “What did you say your name was?” she whispered back. He’d never told her his name, just grabbed her from the store and ran like hell.

“Shhh.” His breath in her ear sent shivers down the side of her neck, and if they weren’t being chased by a couple of thugs with guns, she’d take time to enjoy the feeling.

She took a slow, deep breath but it forced their bodies tighter together, and dear God, she enjoyed it.

Which made her an idiot.

Maybe she should slide out from under him if the adrenaline rush affected her thoughts like that.

A Yummy Recipe by Author Cheryl Yeko

Rum or Bourbon Balls – Great For Christmas!

1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup White Sugar

3 Tablespoons Corn Syrup

1/2 Cup Rum OR Bourbon

2 ½ Cups Crushed Vanilla Wafers

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar

Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe medium bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then continue to heat at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Blend in rum. Add crushed vanilla wafers and chopped nuts. Mix until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

Roll the chilled chocolate mixture into bite-size balls. Roll balls in a mixture of ground nuts and confectioner’s sugar, or just plain confectioner’s sugar. Store in a covered container for a week before serving to blend the flavors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sweet holiday memory by author Kim Hotzon 

There is one special Christmas memory that I’ll never forget.  As a teenager, I woke on Christmas morning to an announcement from my younger brother, who was only 3 at the time. “Santa built a house!” His wide-eyed exuberance brought me running to the front window. I wiped my bleary eyes as he pointed at the driveway. “See? Santa built you a house!” He jumped up and down in his excitement.  Gazing at the driveway, I was too stunned to speak.

What I learned later that morning, as my dad handed me a set of keys duct-taped twenty layers deep, was that he had re-commissioned an old car donated by the church, turning it into a shiny, fabulous set of wheels for his teen-aged daughter. He’d spent months, along with a family friend, detailing and overhauling the car, getting it ready in time for Christmas. I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams receiving a car on Christmas morning. Naturally, I squealed, standing in my housecoat on the driveway, as I ripped off the cardboard from a hundred boxes covering the car. The entire ‘box’ was wrapped up in a giant, red bow. To my brother’s eyes, it certainly looked like a house, though I had to explain to him that it was in fact a car. I was humbled, surprised, and delighted by the realization that others would go to such lengths to make that car into something special for me. My dad provided a lesson in giving from the heart that resonated deeply. The only condition given to me? I had to save up for car insurance!

How about a mocktail to kick off the holidays? This version is by author Ryan Jo Summers.

Pear Tree Mocktail

 

1 C ice

1/3 c pear juice
2 Tablespoons simple syrup *
2 Tablespoons lemon & lime juice  **
4 fresh mint leaves and 1 mint sprig for garnish

*Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves. Yield will be the same amount of water used.

** lemon and lime juice is equal parts freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice to add acidity. 

Preparation: Put pear juice, simple syrup, lemon and lime juice, and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker and shake until well blended, about ten seconds. Pour with ice into sniffer or tumbler. Garnish with sprig of mint. Superfine sugar is a nice garnish for the rim of the glass and dissolves easily.

Stay tuned for more over the coming days.

A Hopeless Romantic

On this Valentine's Day Eve, I'm feeling a bit romantic and somewhat sappy and sad because I won't be with my sweetie on the most romantic day of the year. He's going on a long boating trip so I'm on my own. I'll be fine. I have plenty to do and even plan to go out, though, I don't want to appear desperate and sit at a bar wearing a red dress. Okay, maybe I'll wear black. :)

My love for Valentine's Day and all things romance goes way back to elementary school when we would take shoe boxes and decorate them with red and pink tissue paper, little hearts, and "x's" and "o's." Then, my mom or dad would cut a slit through the top (so my schoolmates could drop Valentines inside) at our school party. It was an exciting time--picking out the Valentines I wanted to give to my friends, signing them using my best penmanship, deciding whether I should write "Love, Beth" on a few special cards(!) and then waiting with great anticipation to see which Valentines I'd receive in return.

As an adult, I took a small group communication class in college. Once, we all took a handwritten test called the "Abigail River Story." The professor asked us to read the story and rank the characters from our least to most favorite. I was the ONLY student in class who preferred one character, Abigail. At the end of class, the professor told us what each character symbolized--money, sex, family, and power. Guess what Abigail represented? Hopeless romantic. Yep, that's me. This might explain why I love writing happily ever afters!

What are your fondest Valentine's Day memories? Are you also a romantic? Happy Valentine's Day!

Flash Fiction with Romance Writers Weekly

It's time for the RWW Tuesday weekly blog hop! Hopefully, you found your way from Author Sarah Hegger's blog http://sarahhegger.com/sarah-hegger. This week, Author Mishka Jenkins https://awriterslifeformeblog.wordpress.com/challenged us to write a 400-word flash fiction love letter with these three words: Sweet, pumpkin and brush. Be sure to check fellow RWW writers' blogs. Many went the humorous route, but I get sentimental around the holidays. Here's my offering:

Dear Grandma,

I miss you. We were incredibly close and I spent most of my childhood weekends with you and Grandpa, but I wish I could have more of your time. I’d give anything to see you again. I'd love to brush your hair and hear your sweet voice.

When I was a child, I remember the times you said, "Move over fat lady" when I purposely slept on the edge of the bed just to hear those words. Again and again. I giggled every time like it was the first time. I loved how you called me (and your other grandchildren) "Sugar Plum." You were the most unselfish, patient person I've ever met.

I remember many weekends when you tied a rope to the door and held the other end for an hour straight while I jumped endlessly. Never once did you complain or say your arm hurt. You made me feel all grown up when you took me to your hairdresser to get my hair done. I fondly remember when you and Grandpa would drive in the wee hours to arrive at our home by 5 a.m.  on Christmas morning so you’d be there to see our happy expressions. I loved going to the Five and Dime and getting an armload of comic books once a month. That was a thrill thanks to Archie, Veronica, and YOU.

When I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia as a teen, it bothered you, so you learned how to make a delicious sugar-free pumpkin pie. Banana nut bread, too. I remember you brought it still warm in the baggy with a paper towel on top to absorb the moisture. You worked hard as a cook at hospitals, schools, and later as the head cook at a senior citizen center. You made everything from scratch, which is unheard of today. You said the two most popular days were fried chicken day and meatloaf day and recalled people lined up around the block. I’m not surprised. Your fried chicken was the best I’ve ever tasted. I wish I had your recipe. I wish even more that I had you.

If every woman were half the Grandma you were, the world would be a happier place. Thank you for the life lessons you taught me. Thank you for not being afraid and holding me when my sister and I had a horrible case of chicken pox. Thank you for letting us bang pans on the floor on New Year's Eve and never complaining about the noise or having to wash them afterward. Most of all, thank you for being the best grandmother ever. I wish we had had more time. I miss and love you.

Love,

Sugar Plum xoxo 

So, I went over by 53 words. Also, Grandma's fave color, by far, was PINK. This is the closest I could get to pink while still being readable. Tell me about your grandma, then head over to author J.J. Devine http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com/ramblings-of-a-writer

Cooking Up Memories

If you have a special bride in your future, I think you'll enjoy this unique gift. One of the gifts I gave my daughter for her upcoming wedding, was a customized recipe box. I scoured the Etsy site and found one with a bicycle for two image, which is what Amy and Chris have on their wedding site. It has their names and wedding date on the top, so Chris will never have the excuse that he forgot their anniversary date. Bonus! :)

I also ordered personalized recipe cards "For the Kitchen of Amy and Chris." They had sets of pink and blue with different graphics on each--wedding dress, engagement ring, wedding cake, bouquet, heart, and so on. I sent the recipe cards along with the bridal shower invitation to family and friends on both sides. Amy seemed pleased with the gift and everyone brought recipes to the shower. And since her fiancé's family is Italian, she landed some great Italian recipes!

I wanted to add a few more recipes before I shipped the box off to Amy. While going through my special recipe "folder" (meaning post-its, napkins, yellowed envelopes, the back of grocery lists and bank receipts--all with recipes scribbled on them), I noticed several things:

• I don't cook as much as I did when I was younger.
• I had forgotten about many of my recipes.
• I need to make some of these dishes. My hubby would love it!
• Going through old recipes is nostalgic--truly, a blast from the past.
• I got completely lost while reading recipes from my mom and grandmother. I loved seeing their handwriting, which is a precious keepsake in itself.
• I grinned and chuckled when I saw recipes that Amy had scribbled and drawn on as a child.
• I loved finding recipes that had spills on them. I knew those were the good ones.

I'd encourage everyone to give sentimental gifts like this. I'm sure Amy will cherish the recipes, and it was a fun project for everyone. (The picture here is right after they got engaged!)

Finally, (and you knew I had to talk about writing!), I'm introducing a chef/caterer in the sequel to THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, so I'll be able to use some of the recipes for the meals she prepares. Maybe I'll even include some recipes in my book. Don't you love novels that have a few recipes in them? What's your favorite recipe or special bridal gift?

Fair Memories

The fair is in town which brings back nostalgic memories for me. As kids, we always looked forward to the fair. It was a big summer event right before the start of school. My parents would take my sister and me (my brother wasn't yet born) and we'd excitedly head to the fair. My Dad always wanted to visit the livestock first. BOR. ING. As a child, I complained and complained. "Mom, I want to go on the rides." Dad would be off staring at the cattle and I stood there like a brat with my arms crossed. After about thirty minutes and a few more complaints from me, my mother would say, "Jay, the kids want to go on the rides." He'd relinquish the animals and we'd head to the rides. Dad was great about going on the rides with us. Mom stood by, smiled and waved. He and I rode the roller coaster together and sometimes ended up in the front seat--exciting and thrilling. We'd ride the ferris wheel, merry-go-round, tilt-a-whirl, and go to the Duck Pond where there were sure-fire prizes. Then, we'd get hungry and go to the pork chop place (can never remember the name) because it was air-conditioned, albeit very small and crowded. Dad also knew the owner and would chat with him. I was always in a hurry to get out of there and back to the fun. After dinner, we'd play some of the games and Dad and I would shoot the water guns trying to raise the ball in the tube. Once I threw a ring around a Coke bottle atop a big square block. Amazingly, the ring went around the square block and I won a huge stuffed animal. We'd play games until it turned dark and then eat something very unhealthy like cotton candy, snow cones that dripped down our shirt or funnel cakes. It was grand. Toward the end of the evening, we'd look at the prize-winning produce since Dad is a great gardener. We also meandered around the entries of showcased art, photography and baked goods since my mom is a wonderful cook. We always visited the conservation booth to see more animals--usually a fox, deer and snakes. I haven't been to the fair in years but have a longing to go this week. I think I'll ask my dad if he wants to go and let him look at the livestock first for as long as he wants. I won't complain at all. Hopefully, Mom will join us too. How about you? What are your memories of the fair?