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:
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.
Boy, am I behind. Since receiving runner up in the "Favorite contemporary" category for SLEEPING WITH ELVIS, I've attended two major conferences and just realized I hadn't updated my blog.
