Happy New Year 2016 from J.Q. Rose

Happy New Year from J.Q. Rose

Wishing you a safe and happy New Year 2016!!!

No Bake Cookie Recipe and a Giveaway to End 2015

Hello and welcome to the last week of 2015. I'm sure you are still in the holiday spirit and having get-togethers to usher in the new year 2016. So in the spirit of the season, I have a gift for you and an easy treat to share for your next party. I must admit I offered this recipe when I was a guest at Joselyn Vaughn's blog this month. It received a lot of attention, so I thought I'd let my readers in on the goodies too.

My friend, sweet romance author, and critique partner Joselyn Vaughn invited authors to share their Christmas treats with her readers all month. Hop over to Joselyn's blog when you finish here to pick up more great recipes.

My daughter's easy recipe for No Bake Cookies in her handwriting vintage 1990.
Photo by J.Q. Rose

I pulled out my recipe box to find my favorite cookie recipe to share today. I found plenty of them, but one was a treasure. Folded within the recipe cards was a quick and easy recipe my daughters liked to make. I smiled when I opened the crunched up paper. The recipe was written by my daughter in her distinctive handwriting. Although it is faded and stained by years of lovingly stirring this no-bake cookie mixture together, it brought back wonderful memories of being together. You can bet I tucked this keepsake back in the box because the girls are all grown up now with children of their own.

This is a delicious no-fail chocolate recipe you can make on the stove top. The ingredients include peanut butter and oatmeal, so it’s got to be good for you, right? If you have kids/teens/ guests coming over, this is a cookie everyone will love. I typed out the recipe below for easy reading.

No-Bake Cookies Recipe

½ c. butter

2 c. sugar

¼ c. cocoa

½ c. milk

½ c. peanut butter

3 c. oatmeal

1 tsp. vanilla

Bring the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk to a boil in a large saucepan.

Boil mixture over medium heat for one and a half minutes. Remove from stove.

Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir well. Add oatmeal and stir.

Drop mixture by the teaspoonful on waxed paper. Cool until set and firm,

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Since it is the season for gift-giving, I have a gift for you--the e-book copy of my romantic suspense novel, Deadly Undertaking. A lucky commenter will win the e-book copy. Deadline to enter is Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at  11 pm EST.

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

A handsome detective, a shadow man, and a murder victim kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

Back of the Book: Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

Lauren Staab knew there would be dead bodies around when she returned home. After all, her family’s in the funeral business, Staab and Blood Funeral Home. Still, finding an extra body on the floor of the garage between the hearse and the flower car shocked her. Lauren’s plan to return to her hometown to help care for her mother and keep the books for the funeral home suddenly turns upside down in a struggle to prove she and her family are not guilty of murdering the man. But will the real killer return for her, her dad, her brother? Her mother’s secrets, a killer, a handsome policeman, and a shadow man muddle up her intention to have a simple life.

Welcome home, Lauren!

Buy Links:

Amazon http://amzn.to/1Lu6GxI

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1Gz1utF

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1H72tvV

Books We Love Bookstore http://store.payloadz.com/go/?id=2395820

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/deadly-undertaking

What's your favorite cookie? Do you like to bake cookies? Please leave your comment below. It will also enter you in to win the e-book. Good luck!!

About J.Q. Rose

 After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction. Her published mysteries are Sunshine Boulevard, Coda to Murder, and Deadly Undertaking. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She and her husband, Gardener Ted, spend winters in Florida and summers up north camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

Google+ google.com/+JQRose

J. Q.  Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/

Merry Christmas from J.Q. Rose, This is Christmas Performed by Kutless

Merry Christmas from J.Q. Rose
Photo from freedigitalphotos.net by digidreamgrafix

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the joy, wonder, love, and peace of the Christmas season and beyond.

Listen to my new favorite Christmas song by Kutless, This is Christmas. The words remind us that Christmas is truly about God's gift to the world, his son, Jesus. 

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

You Tube Video

This is Christmas by Kutless

Sweet Treat: Puppy Chow for People, Reviews for Deadly Undertaking

Christmas candle ring
Photo by J.Q. Rose

Hello and Welcome! Today, besides writing my blog for you, I am in the midst of planning a Christmas gift for our neighbors. Not any huge gift like a TV or cookware. No. We just exchange cookies or handmade gifts. I'm having fun putting together some treats. In fact, I had so much fun making up Puppy Chow, I decided to share the recipe with you. 

First of all, Puppy Chow is NOT for puppies. No. It's actually Puppy Chow for People. Er, no wait, that's not quite right either. It's a treat for people,but named Puppy Chow because...Hm, you know I don't really know why they call it puppy chow.

My daughters, granddaughter, and me!

My daughters and I made it when they were kids and now they make it with their kids. (I should probably throw in that sometimes Puppy Chow is also called Baby Poop, and I don't know why that name is used either.)

Heck, let me just give you the recipe, so you can make it. When you taste the sweetness and creamy flavor of peanut butter-chocolate,you won't care what the name is either.

Ingredients to make puppy chow for people

Puppy Chow for People

1 12 oz. box Crispix Cereal, Rice Chex, or Corn Chex

2 ½ - 3 cups of powdered sugar

12 oz. chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ c. margarine

 Melt peanut butter, margarine, and chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave on high for one minute. Stir. Heat for 30 seconds more.

Pour mixture over cereal in a large bowl. (This is the most difficult part of the recipe. Covering all the cereal with the thick chocolate is difficult. I gave up stirring it with a spoon. Instead I buttered my fingers and tossed it together. Be careful. It is hot. Later, a friend suggested wearing gloves and spray them with oil. Either way, I think the kids would have fun trying to mix it with their hands. Of course, watch out they don’t lick the sweet chocolate off their hands while stirring!! It is tempting.)

Put powdered sugar in a paper grocery bag and add cereal mix. Shake till well coated.

You may store in a tight container or plastic bag. 

I hope this treat will make your holiday get-togethers tastier. 

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Good News: Deadly Undertaking is receiving 4 and 5 star reviews. I do appreciate so much those who are reading the book,and I am thrilled when someone takes the time to leave a review. Reviews garner more attention from Amazon who will in turn, let readers know about the book. Check out what readers are saying:

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

A handsome detective, a shadow man, and a murder victim kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

AMAZON REVIEWS

***** Deadly Undertaking: http://amzn.to/1Lu6GxI “J.Q. Rose's Deadly Undertaking. What an exciting mystery with a thrilling ending!There is so much going on in this book: drugs, gambling, adultery, a mother with Alzheimer's, and a ghost... a mystery inside of a mystery. Susan B.

*****Up All Night Reading Needless to say, Deadly Undertaking was a major page-burner. I really did read all night and miss an appointment the next day. Well-drawn characters, suspense, humor (fortunately, my neighbors are either night owls or hard of hearing because I laugh loudly) combined with good editing—I was in heaven! Rochelle Weber, Roses and Thorns Reviews

**** What a fun read filled with tension and sexy pizazz. I just finished Deadly Undertaking. What a fun read, filled with tension and sexy pizazz. I enjoyed the interaction between the supernatural and love. They provide a lighter note to the darker themes of murder and a drug ring. The small town setting contributes a twist to the action and characters, as each one's dilemma evolves to a resolution. Amazon Customer

Click on the book cover below to get a sample of the book or purchase at amazon.

Holiday Season: Find Balance and Overcome Disappointment, This Week, Giveaway

Pink poinsettia

Photo by J.Q. Rose

I hope you've had a great kick-off to the holiday season. 

Madness and merriment abound this time of year. 

Just a Reminder: Balance the pressures and problems with love and joy.
Take time to breathe and experience each moment.

# # # #

Last week we had a great time with my DH's brother. He visited us here in Florida all the way from Illinois.  It was unfortunate that Illinois was having a delightful weather pattern that week! LOL. What fun is flying all the way to FL and not have the opportunity to rub it in to your neighbors up north at how gorgeous it is here and how awful the weather is up there? No, he didn't have that chance, but hey, the weather was nice here too, thank goodness.

How many times in your writing career have you had "dreams" of how well  your project will go, but it doesn't? How many times are you disappointed with your book sales? Face it. Disappointment happens to all of us. But, have you found that usually something good will come out of the experience, that you learn something about yourself and your plans? 

The holiday season can sometimes disappoint us too when that turkey is under-cooked, the family can't come home, the gifts you thought would be loved receive mediocre thanks or no thanks at all. I hope you won't be disappointed this season, but if you are discouraged, know that you can move on, and put the disillusionment behind you.

How do you deal with disappointment? Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

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This Week:

Wednesday, December 16--I'll be sharing a favorite cookie recipe at sweet romance author Joselyn Vaughn's Christmas Treats event. Stop by and find lots of delicious ideas at Joselyn's.

The Good Neighbors by J.Q. Rose
A holiday short story to make you giggle.

If you need an escape from the holiday madness, enjoy this short story. 

Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan, always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. 
Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

And to put a smile on your face, I'l send you the PDF copy FREE this week!! Just leave your email in the comment section or contact me directly at 
jqrose02 AT gmail DOT com

If you prefer a digital copy, the ebook is available at amazon. 

Click the book cover below for instant access.

New Release: Anna Simpson's White Light

       

The excitement is building toward the release date of my author friend's new cozy mystery. Find out all about Anna Simpson's White Light! 

Congratulations, Anna!!

White Light by Anna Simpson

Publisher: Three Worlds Press

Genre: Cozy

Release Date: December 22/2015

     

About The Book:

Emma never dreamed of being a super-sleuth. In her mind, she’s more Scooby Doo than Nancy Drew and when her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Perkins, drags her to an anniversary party to solve a mystery, she rolls her eyes, buys a box of chocolates and hops in the car.

What’s a party without an attack on its host—or more accurately on the host’s grandson, sparking an allergic reaction and moving the party to the hospital waiting room. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Emma and Mrs. Perkins, along with Great Aunt Alice (a spirit with boundary issues who keeps stepping into Emma’s body like a new dress and playing matchmaker), dive into an investigation that almost gets Emma killed along with the man they are trying to protect. With so many reasons to kill him and so much to be gained if he died, Emma and Mrs. Perkins must unravel the tenuous ties that point to every member of his family as potential killers.

Even if it means going back to the psych ward, Emma will protect her friend and this innocent man. What good is freedom if it's haunted with guilt?

Author Links:Facebook | Twitter | Blog

About the Author:

Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her family. Even though she's lived in several places in British Columbia, her free spirit wasn't able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown.

She is easy to find though, if you know the magic word -- emaginette. Do an internet search using it and you'll see what I mean. :-)

Reading E-Books on Mobile Phones: Is That in Your Present or Future?

Reading an e-book on a digital tablet
Photo by nenetus courtesy of freedigitaldownloads.net

E-books and e-reading devices, including phones, are sure to be under Christmas trees this year. Things are changing in our reading habits. 

The amazing news for the book world is the number of people reading books on their phones. The Wall Street Journal reports-- "In a Nielsen survey of 2,000 people this past December, about 54% of e-book buyers said they used smartphones to read their books at least some of the time. That’s up from 24% in 2012, according to a separate study commissioned by Nielsen."

The number of people who read primarily on phones has risen to 14% in the first quarter of 2015 from 9% in 2012.

Teenage girl reading on smart phone
Photo by Ambro courtesy of freedigitaldownloads.net

Why are people turning to their phones to read books? The use of Kindle and Nooks are down as well as tablet reading due to the convenience provided by books on the mobile phone. Mobile is the key word. Folks have the phone with them when waiting at the dentist's office, picking up the kids, lunch hour, and so many more situations.

How does this affect sales of books? E-book sales will increase especially since the sales of phones are increasing. In fact, sixty-four percent of American adults now own a smartphone, up from 35% in the spring of 2011, according to the Pew Research Center. More research suggests by 2019 over 80% of the U.S. population will be using smartphones.

The impact of this amazing technology is changing the publishing industry with apps for reading,  different ways of distributing books, and creating a book easily read on the device. To read this thought-provoking WSJ article by Jennifer Maloney, find it here.

Do you read books on your phone? Do you order your e-books from your phone? Or maybe I should be asking, "Do you read e-books??? I'm curious about the impact this will have on how we publish and market books. What do you think? Thanks!

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Need a gift suggestion? Order a reading device for your friend and include a gift card to buy books or load it up with some authors, new and famous, for her reading pleasure. 

Do you know if you order directly from the book publisher, 

• you can get special promotions available only on the publisher's site
• pre-order upcoming books at  reduced prices
• the author earns more royalty?

Check out the Twelve Days of Christmas promotion at MuseItUp Publishing.

Get in on the Holiday BOGO sale at Books We Love. Buy one, Get one free.

IWSG Blog Hop: Write What You Love by J.Q. Rose, The Good Neighbors

Welcome to  the Internet Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop.  .

What is IWSG? Founder of the  Insecure Writer’s Support Group and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month.  The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page. 

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Write What You Love by J.Q. Rose

When I read this statement by top-selling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, it was like  new insight hit me between the eyes. She wrote--"What my professor knew, what most writers learn, what readers know in their gut, is that what makes a book unique and different isn’t the plot or the subgenre. It’s not the romance or the harmonica.

It’s the writer himself. His perspective. His voice. His take on something that the writer—the writer—loves." --Blog post by Kristine Katheryn Rusch 

After finishing my third novel and getting it on its way into the readers' world, I floundered for a story I should write.  What was hot? What was selling? But Ms. Rusch makes the point to forget all that. Don't worry about what amazon is selling. Even they, with their huge book sales and algorithms, haven't cracked what readers really want.

The market used to be determined by the big publishers who told readers what was not hot and what you should be reading. Self-publishing has crushed that idea with quirky, zany, intellectual, boring-to-some books available for everyone. And isn't that opportunity delicious? 

So with this vast market open to write OUR stories we want to write, then we should. Write what we love. I understand that now and I'm fired up to re-visit characters who I loved telling their story.

Have you noticed a story is especially difficult for you to begin or finish? Could it be because you don't even like the story you're writing and you're just pushing through to completion? Have you noticed a book flows on the page when you really love the premise of your story? Please leave a comment below and let us hear from you.

# # # #

The Good Neighbors available at Amazon
Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan,
always help out the neighbors
 in their Florida retirement community when asked.
Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

I wrote a holiday story based on characters from my novella, Sunshine Boulevard. Jim and Gloria Hart are characters I enjoyed writing and placing them in quirky situations.

I hope you giggle. >>>>>>

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Shopping, Advent, Tiny Tidbits, Winners Announced

Advent Candles representing hope, love, joy, and peace
Photo by J.Q. Rose

Welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog. I hope you had a wonderful USA Thanksgiving--eating plenty of turkey and enjoying friends and family get-togethers. Football? Shopping? Games? How do you spend the day? 

Traditionally the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday and then a weekend of Small Business shopping and of course Cyber Monday. What a way to star the shopping season. 

On Sunday, December 29, 2015, followers of Christ open the season of Advent, a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ on Christmas Day, December 25. This special season in the Christian church includes prayer, devotions, joy, and anticipation during the four Sundays prior to Christmas, the birthday of Jesus.  During each Sunday of the Advent season, we focus on one of the four virtues Jesus brings us: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. A candle is lighted so all four candles are glowing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day when the white candle in the center representing Jesus Christ is lit.

The tradition of observing Advent was first begun during the time of the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. Through the ages, the symbols have changed. Some denominations believe the first candle represents expectation, and the next three represent hope, joy, and purity. Although there are different interpretations as to the meaning of the candles, they are all a reminder of our call to aspire to live as followers of Jesus. 

Does your family observe Advent by lighting candles at home or church? The Advent wreath is a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about. In the midst of the shopping and the busy-ness of the season, take time to remember the candles and the reason for the season.

* * *

Tiny Tidbits for Life and Writing

• Do you know the traditional flower of Christmas, the poinsettia,

  

  Poinsettia plant
  Photo by J.Q. Rose

  is not the red or colored leaves, but rather the small flowers in the center of the leaves? Take it from a former florist, you want to purchase a poinsettia that has buds or just beginning to open flowers for a fresh poinsettia plant that will last all season.
• If you are planning to donate to a charity this year, check for information on the charity at the Charity Navigator to make a wise decision for your donation.

This Week:

Deadly Undertaking
Available at all major online booksellers.

I am excited to learn that my mystery, Deadly Undertaking, was selected by Kobo to be included in the Kobo Cyber Monday promotion. 

I also received notice Deadly Undertaking has been chosen in the Overdrive Holiday Spectacular. Overdrive will be recommending this e-book, among many others, to libraries. 

Wednesday, December 2--Insecure Writers Support Blog Hop. Join lots of authors to discuss their insecurities. Fun and interesting way to meet new authors and make friends.

Congratulations to the Winners in the Deadly Undertaking Book Blog Tour!

Heather Brainerd, Susan Bernhardt, and Loni Townsend!

And to those who didn't win a prize, but left a comment or visited one of my hosts. I appreciate your participation and support. Please be sure to Follow the J.Q. Rose by email because I don't send newsletters every month or badger you with emails. If you do leave your email address in the box above, you will be updated on the blog posts here. And there WILL be more opportunities to win prizes too! Thank you!!

Happy Thanskgiving USA!

Happy Thanksgiving from J.Q. Rose

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

From J.Q. Rose

Blog Swap: Making Time to Write by Sara Jayne Townsend, Giveaways

Dead Cool by Sara Jayne Townsend
Who would resort to murder?
Kindle UK

Blog Swap Time! Do you enjoy getting two-for-one blogs? That's a blog swap. 

Today I'm swapping with mystery and horror author Sara Jayne Townsend. Sara, joining us from London, England, is my guest. She's sharing about making time to write. Now there's something many writers need to figure out! AND  Sara is generously offering a giveaway of a choice of either one of her Shara Summers books, Death Scene or Dead Cool,or the horror novel, The Whispering Death. The spooky book trailer is at the end of the page Take a peek, if you dare.  

Please leave a comment below to enter the drawing. Winner will be chosen after 6 pm EST on Wednesday, November 25. Good luck!

Since it is a blog swap, I'm at Sara's blog revealing my desire to raise awareness about issues in our modern society through my writing. Sounds like a heavy topic. I would like your opinion about authors using their stories to bring attention to their causes with subtle messages in books. You're invited to hop over to Sara Jayne Townsend's blog after you finish here. You can sign up for the Rafflecopter drawing while there or sign up below to win prizes during the Deadly Undertaking Book Blog Tour.  Deadline to enter is midnight November 25. Thank you. 

The Whispering Death by Sara Jayne Townsend
UK Kindle link
Death comes to us all; life is the name of the game and everyone has a role to play. 

MAKING TIME TO WRITE

By Sara Jayne Townsend

There’s a misconception that the writing life is a glamorous one. And that all writers are rich. If you’re JK Rowlings, that’s undoubtedly true. If you’re not – well, the reality is that the vast majority of writers don’t earn enough from writing to do it for a living and have to have a separate source of income.

For me, and many other writers, this means writing around the day job. I have a rather demanding day job that involves three hours a day of travelling to and from London. Finding the time to write around that requires discipline. I can’t afford the luxury of waiting for the muse to strike. I allocate time to writing, I sit down to do it, and if the muse is asleep I poke her with a big stick until she starts being productive.

I don’t use my commuting time to write, since my train is rather crowded and getting out the NetBook on the train would mean elbowing my fellow commuters and, more importantly, having someone read over my shoulder – off putting, to say the least. Nor do I generally write during lunch time. Sometimes I need that time to get away from the office. Sometimes I use it for personal tasks I don’t have time to do at home, or for writing blog posts or Tweets or other promotional material. Neither do I get much writing done in the evenings, since I’m generally too tired when I get home from work to focus.

So my writing routine these days is to get up at 5:30am twice a week and take the early train into London, where I sit in a coffee shop with my NetBook and write for an hour before going into the office. Getting up at such an ungodly hour doesn’t suit everyone, and I wouldn’t say I’m naturally a morning person, but there does seem to be an advantage to writing before my ‘internal editor’ is awake. I am quite productive at that time in the morning, especially with a first draft, as I am able to tap directly into my subconscious for the words, without that internal voice interrupting with, “that sentence is rubbish”. An indulgent breakfast muffin to munch on and a big cup of tea to drink as I wait for the NetBook to boot up gives me added incentive to get out of bed so early, and I can arrive at the day job feeling satisfied that I’ve achieved my word count for the day. And besides, the early train is much quieter, since most of my fellow commuters are still in bed at that time.

The trick to finding time to write is to work out what’s best for you and mark the time in your calendar. If you can’t face the idea of getting up early, maybe you can allocate some time in or lunch hour, or sit at the laptop after the kids are in bed instead of watching that TV show. But once you’ve worked out what’s best for you, put the time in your calendar and treat it with the same commitment as you would any other appointment.

The truth is, the writing life isn’t an easy one. Those of us who feel moved to do it, do it out of a sense of need rather than regard it as a pleasurable hobby. And the only way it happens is to apply backside to writing chair and get words written. If there was an easier way to do it, we’d all be best-selling writers.

About Sara 

 Sara Jayne Townsend is a UK-based writer of crime and horror, and someone tends to die a horrible death in all of her stories.  She was born in Cheshire in 1969, but spent most of the 1980s living in Canada after her family emigrated there.  She now lives in Surrey w

Author Sara Jayne Townsend

ith two cats and her guitarist husband Chris.  She co-founded the T Party Writers’ Group in 1994, and remains Chair Person.

She is the author of the series of mystery novels featuring Canadian actress and contemporary amateur sleuth Shara Summers, but her most recent release is a supernatural horror novel, entitled The Whispering Death, featuring a group of live action role players who unwittingly release an ancient evil during a game.

Connect with Sara and her writing online at

Sara's website   

Sara's blog  

Follow her on Twitter 

Join her Facebook Group, “Imaginary Friends” 

Video

Book Trailer for The Whispering Death by Kensington-Gore Publishing

Enter the Rafflecopter drawing to win prizes after the Deadly Undertaking Book Blog Tour is completed. Hurry. Deadline is Wednesday, 12 pm EST, November  25.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Swap: Author Conda V. Douglas is Potato Obsessed, Recipe, Giveaway

Mild West Mysteries, 13 Idaho Tales of Murder and Mayhem

Anthology of entertaining cozy mysteries by Conda V. Douglas

Hi and welcome to another fun blog swap! Author Conda Douglas and I are opening our blogs for each other to entertain readers. Conda brought along an e-book of her new release, MIld West Myteries, for a giveaway too!  Love this cover. 

Being from Idaho, Conda is "potato obsessed." You'll believe it after reading this fun article AND a surprising recipe made with potatoes. After copying down the recipe, hop on over to Conda's blog to giggle a bit about writing cliches.

Ski the Great Potato with Conda! by Conda V. Douglas

J.Q. thanks so much for having me on your blog.

Fifth generation Idaho native, Conda Douglas here, with a little bit about my beloved home state and how we are, well, potato possessed. Most of my writing takes place in Idaho. They say “write about what you know,” and boy do I know Idaho!

There’s also a potato cake recipe plus a way to enter to win a free copy of my newest release Mild West Mysteries, 13 Idaho Tales of Murder and Mayhem.

Yes, we are obsessed with potatoes. This comes out in different ways:

We make everything out of potatoes including desserts. Cake, cookies, donuts, ice cream and more, all of it surprisingly delicious!

We have potato guns that shoot—yes, you guessed it—potato bits.

We use potatoes to carve out temporary stamps for crafts. They really work! And potatoes are easier to carve than lots of other things.

We have “Spuddy Buddy” dolls, odd soft dolls like Raggedy Ann, only with a potato spud body.

We have “Tater Tot” T-shirts. Tater Tots are those uniquely formed hash brown bites. Unfortunately the single Tator Tot on the T-shirts resembles a gunny sack full of rocks and not a food item. We don’t care. We love our Tots!

“Ski the Great Potato” was a tourist campaign slogan, with Mr. Potato Head-like potatoes on skis skiing down mountains.

I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the spud of the idea about Idaho!

Speaking of delicious dessert recipes made with potatoes, here's a great one:

Idaho Potato Carmel Cake

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter (or coconut oil)

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, separated

½ cup milk (or coconut milk, can you tell I’m nutty about coconut?)

1 cup mashed potatoes (from one large Idaho baked or steamed russet potato) Make extra, after all, it’s potatoes.

1 cup (3 ½ ounces) grated chocolate (if you have trouble with dairy there are dairy free choices out there)

1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped nuts (I like pecans and make sure the nuts aren’t salted)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the pan. Mix the flour, baking powder, and spices in a bowl. Place butter and sugar in a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and potatoes. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter, and then gently fold in the remaining whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

And finally, if you leave a comment on this post you’ll be entered to win a Kindle eBook copy of my newest release, Mild West Mysteries: 13 Idaho Tales of Murder and Mayhem. Let me know what you know/like/hate/love about Idaho!

# # # 

 Mild West Mysteries by Conda V. Douglas
Thirteen cozy mystery short stories of the West as never seen before.

Back of the Book:

Mild West Mysteries abounds in thirteen cozy mystery short stories of the West as never seen before. 
Within these pages, you’ll discover award winning tales of weaponized fall vegetables, huckleberry wars with bears, a Sheriff from the 1800s whose biggest problem isn’t that he’s dead, dogs with bad karma, lethal jewelry, plus a bonus story with a recipe and much more. 
Every story is jam-packed full of the unique flavors of the people, land and customs of fifth-generation Idaho native Conda V. Douglas’ home. Bestseller Conda believes in writing about what you know, and boy does she know Idaho! 

For more information and to purchase click the Amazon Link image below.

About Conda

Award winning author Conda grew up in the ski resort of Sun Valley, Idaho. Her childhood was filled with authors and artists and other creative types. She grew up with goats in the kitchen, buffalo bones in the living room and rocks in the bathtub.Now her life is filled with her cat and dog and permanent boyfriend and writing.

Author Conda V. Douglas

 

She's traveled the world from Singapore to Russia (in winter!) and her own tiny office, writing all the while. She delights in writing her cozy Starke Dead creative woman mystery series with amateur detective jeweler Dora Starke. The more Dora discovers cursed jewelry, her aunt digging graves, and a rampant poisoner, the more fun Conda has--although sometimes Dora complains about her plight! The first in the series, Starke Naked Dead, won Third Place in Mystery in the Idaho Author Awards 2014. Next up, Starke Raving Dead, in which Dora's mad Aunt Maddie proves the aptness of her name.

When she's not writing Dora into her quirky and quixotic mysteries, Conda writes the popular tween fantasy Mall Fairies series. The fairy inspiration for her Mall Fairies came from the sparrows that live in the Boise Towne Square Mall in Boise, Idaho. When not rescuing fairies from humans, cats and themselves, Conda works on the last title in the Mall Fairy trilogy, The Mall Fairies: Destiny. 

To find out more about Conda and her publications visit:

Blog: http://condascreativecenter.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Conda_V

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/condadouglas

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Readers, you’re invited to enter the Rafflecopter drawing for prizes during the Deadly Undertaking  tour November 12-25. Win your choice of J.Q. Rose's e-books, fiction or non-fiction, a short story, or a 20 minute phone call from J.Q. Enter below.

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