Star-Crossed Romance presents Jacqueline Seewald

Hi everyone! Happy Memorial Day to all. Remember to take a moment at 3 PM to reflect on our fallen heroes who gave their all so that we could be free.

Star-Crossed Romance presents guest Jacqueline Seewald today. Jacqueline is talking about combining mystery and paranormal and why it makes sense for her.

Check it out

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-jacqueline-seewald.html

Have a Blessed Day!

How to Celebrate Memorial Day

I just found these ideas on how to celebrate Memorial Day.

How should you mark Memorial Day?  The folks at US Memorial Day offer some tips;

• by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
• by visiting memorials.
• by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
• by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
• by participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance“: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
• by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

For the families and friends of those who died in service to America, every single day is Memorial Day, as they are forced to carry on without a loved one. The least we can do is pause at 3pm on Monday for a Moment of Remembrance.

What do you think? How will your family show their respect to our fallen warriors?

Remember The Heroes on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is the start of BBQ season at my house (if it stops raining...well, actually, I've been known to BBQ in the rain AND the snow. I'm kind of weird, lol) But I always like to try new recipes for special days and Memorial Day is a very special day.



Memorial Day Comments - Photobucket


On that day, we're remembering those brave warriors who've given so much for our freedom, for our liberty, for our lives here in the United States. My darling husband is a veteran as was my brother. While they both came home whole (Thank you, Lord), they both suffered emotional scars for a long while afterwards.



Memorial Day Comments - Photobucket


So I encourage every one of us to take a minute on Monday and bow your head in remembrance of our fallen heroes. If you know a veteran, take a moment to say Thank You for Your Service. Then invite them to your BBQ.

I know they'll appreciate the gesture.



Bacon-Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers (from a Taste of Home)

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/3 cup bacon bits
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 romaine leaves
• 1 medium tomato, sliced

Directions

• Shape beef into eight thin patties. Combine the cream cheese, blue cheese and bacon bits; spoon onto the center of four patties. Top with remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal. Combine the salt, garlic powder and pepper; sprinkle over patties.
• Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Stir in water and mustard.
• Serve burgers on buns with mayonnaise, romaine, tomato and mushroom mixture. Yield: 4 servings.

Betty Crocker S'mores Brownies

  

1 box (1 lb 2.4 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme

       Premium brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

2 cups miniature marshmallows

4 graham crackers, broken into small pieces

2 Hershey's® milk chocolate candy bars, broken into

      1-inch squares

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make brownies as directed. After removing pan from oven, set oven to broil.

2. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and graham crackers over warm brownies. Broil about 4 to 5 inches from heat 30 to 60 seconds or until marshmallows are golden brown. (Watch carefully marshmallows and graham crackers will brown quickly.) Sprinkle with chocolate candy. To serve warm, cool about 30 minutes. For brownies, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

 Use a plastic knife to cut brownies .

Wrap up brownies individually in waxed paper or foil for picnics or tailgating.

  

1 Serving (1 Brownie) Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 60), Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 130mg; Total Carbohydrate 37g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 26g), Protein 2g; Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0.00%; Vitamin C 0.00%; Calcium 0.00%; Iron 8.00%; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat; Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2; *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Today's Star-Crossed Romance guest - Lisa Renee Jones

Today, at Star-Crossed Romance, we're hosting author Lisa Renee Jones who'll be talking a bit about the research she did for her new book, The Legend of Michael. Her publisher, Sourcebooks, has offered our readers two copies of this fabulous book so make sure you stop by to see how you can enter the drawing.

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-lisa-renee-jones.html

and you can see my review at http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-legend-of-michael.html

You don't want to miss this one!

Yummy Dark Chocolate Bark Recipe

I don't know who Dana is or where I found the recipe but don't they look absolutely yummy? And look at this -- it actually has health benefits! What more can you ask?


Dana’s Dark Chocolate Bark
Makes 24 pieces
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
16 ounces dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown rice cereal

Hazelnuts
In addition to being one of the most antioxidant-rich nuts, hazelnuts are high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E and iron. If you’re a fan of chocolate–hazelnut spreads like Nutella, this candy won’t disappoint.


Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate contains numerous antioxidants, including theobromine, which combats inflammation and is good for your blood pressure. The darker the chocolate, the more of these these cell-protecting compounds you get. Check labels on chocolate bars for the percentage of cocoa content — the higher the number, the darker the chocolate. For the best balance of flavor, I use a combination of 73% dark chocolate along with a few ounces of semisweet chocolate. Buy good quality chocolate bars and chop them into small pieces for quick melting.


Vanilla Extract & Ground Cinnamon
Vanilla and cinnamon add depth and flavor without additional calories. It also never hurts to sprinkle on the cinnamon for some more antioxidants.


Brown Rice Cereal
For a crispy crunch and some texture, mix in some rice cereal. Use the whole-grain version — it has a slightly nutty flavor that’s perfect with the chocolate. Look for it in most large grocery stores; Erewhon is the brand I see most often.

RECIPE DIRECTIONS:
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat sheet and set aside. Toast hazelnuts in a dry pan until warmed and fragrant. Let the nuts cool, then chop and set chopped pieces aside.
In a double boiler, slowly melt chocolate, stirring gently with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon; add brown rice cereal and mix gently. Pour mixture onto lined baking sheet and smooth out evenly into a rectangular shape (it doesn’t have to be perfect).
Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and set aside for 1 to 2 hours (or 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge) until chocolate hardens. Break into pieces and serve.


Variation: Flavor your chocolate with just the vanilla, omit the brown rice cereal and top with 1/3 cup slivered almonds and 1/3 cup dried cherries and chopped dried apricots.


Tip: Wrap bark in decorative cellophane bags and them tuck into Easter baskets. You can store the bark in the freezer for up to a month.


Nutrition Info (per piece)


Hazelnut Crisp:
Calories: 120; Total Fat: 8 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Total Carbohydrate: 11 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Sodium: 28 milligrams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Fiber: 2 grams

Cherry, Almond & Apricot:
Calories: 110; Total Fat: 7 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Total Carbohydrate: 11 grams; Protein: 1 gram; Sodium: 12 milligrams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Fiber: 2 grams

Make a Day Special

Well, yes, it's rainy again here in sunless Michigan. And it's cold. The ground is still too wet to put my garden in (and it's pretty darn cold!) But...I refuse to let it get me down. The company I hired to rototill the garden says they need three days of dry, warm and sunny weather. I suggested they might have to settle for dry since the warm and sunny part is a real rarity in spring time Michigan, lol.

This morning we're scheduled to have the A/C guy out to check the system but I doubt he'll make it because it's, well, cold, outside and he needs at least a 60 deg temp to make the A/C work. I won't be surprised if we have to reschedule that.

We're also expecting a roofer to come out to give us an estimate on a roof repair/replacement. He said he can do that even if it rains. Since it's cloudy outside and looks as if it could rain at any moment, that's a good thing. We haven't had roof work done in a long, long time and I think we have a minor leak so it's overdue.

But that's regular got-to-take-care-of-it business. I have a review to write for a book I thought was absolutely fantastic and a contest to set up for members of my newsletter group. Plus I still have some work to do on Altered Destiny so I can put it up for sale.

Later today, my bff, D, and I are going to one of those Taste Of Home traveling cooking schools. That bit of fun will make the day even more special. More special, you ask?

Yes. Every day is only as special as you make it. I appreciate the fact that the Hubs and I were able to work hard enough to buy a home, that we have enough health to create a garden to grow some of our own food, and that I have a job I love and family and friends to share my life with. That does, indeed, make any day special.

Readers: What words bug you?

I was at B&N the other day and eavesdropping on two readers close by. I didn't catch the titles of the books in their hands but we were in the romance section soooo...

Funniest thing was, they weren't talking about the hunky hero's eyes or shoulders or devastating looks. They were talking about words the author used to describe a) body parts and b) sex acts. Because we're PG 13, I can't say the words they used but I'm pretty sure you know or have heard of them. Female parts that start with c or p. Male parts that start with p or d (neither of which are absolutely vulgar in total but in certain applications, yeah.)

But this raised a question in my mind. As readers, are there words you hate seeing in a romance novel? Would you rather see euphemisms? How about sex acts that you hate or find icky? Do you put the book down? (Everybody has different tastes when it comes to sex and no one here is saying what is taboo or icky or, for that matter, what is totally fine and acceptable.)

The point is...certain words have connotations for all of us that can either apply to all English speakers or to only a select few. I'm interested in finding out what they are.

Leave a comment with your most hated words (keep it clean though even if you have to use initials and dashes. We don't want to be kicked out of blogger, lol)

On Star-Crossed Romance - Deborah Cooke

Good morning all! Star-Crossed Romance is hosting one of my favorite authors today - Deborah Cooke, whose Dragonfire shapeshifter series is simply one of the best! Today Deborah is talking about making imaginary characters/creatures real.

Stop by and say hi!

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-deborah-cooke.html

What's Your Writing Gender?

Okay, that's an awkward title, isn't it? But it's pretty descriptive for this little 'app' I found online. The Gender Genie takes a sample of your writing and then decided is the writer is male or female. No, I don't know how it works but I have some suspicions. According to the page, 'Inspired by an article and a test in The New York Times Magazine, the Gender Genie uses a simplified version of an algorithm developed by Moshe Koppel, Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and Shlomo Argamon, Illinois Institute of Technology, to predict the gender of an author. Read more at BookBlog, The New York Times, and The Guardian.'

Okay. The first time I used it, I pasted 700+ words into the box.

Results: .
Words: 754

(NOTE: The genie works best on texts of more than 500 words.)

Female Score: 1045
Male Score: 855

The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: female!

Those 700+ words were the opening scene of my novel Heartstone, delivered in the heroine's POV. She's feeling anxiety due to her new store opening and her overall insecurity PLUS she has what she calls an 'episode', a sort of psychotic event she thinks is a sign of her impending mental breakdown. So there's a wealth of emotion but not a whole lot of physical action in a rather short space.

So...I moved to a section where there was a bit more action but still a lot of emotion. Plus, most of it is in the Hero's POV. (My logic says certain words, word/sentence constructions would be typical of male or female language. My logic has been known to be wrong, LOL)

Results:
Words: 2759

(NOTE: The genie works best on texts of more than 500 words.)

Female Score: 4218
Male Score: 3465

The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: female!

Mmm. same results and pretty much the same percentage. So it's clearly word choice that's the key. I'd like to see the algorithm but it would probably laugh at me while I scratched my head trying to figure it out, LOL

Try it yourself:  http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php

Oh, I also entered the above into the box since it will not only do fiction but blogs and non-fiction.

Results:

Words: 334

(NOTE: The genie works best on texts of more than 500 words.)

Female Score: 196
Male Score: 557

The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!

Now there weren't really enough words for a truly representative sample but this time my score was definitely 'male'. I'd say the primary difference between this and my fiction would lie in the use of adjectives and adverbs. I suppose I will have to go read the articles and the algorithm to figure it out.

But that's a job for another day ;-)

Star-Crossed Romance presents Barbara Edwards

Today, Barbara Edwards is discussing the Tarot. Stop by and join the discussion.

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-barbara-edwards.html

Winner! Heartstone Birthday Contest

My alien kitten, Wookie, played with all the names I'd put in her 'prize' box but when she finally fished one out...ta da!

We have a winner!

Joy I. of Mesa, Az

Joy, I'll get your signed copy of Heartstone out to you this week!

Thanks to all who entered!