Good Friday Salmon Feast by Authors Lizzie T. Leaf and Emma J. Lane...

Author Lizzie T. Leaf loves smoked salmon and enjoys the sides of thinly sliced red onions, sour cream, and capers usually served with them. She came up with the idea of having it for breakfast, but turning into a smear. After trying several different smoked salmons the one she enjoyed the most in the smear version was honey smoked.

Photo courtesy of  Piviso Pixabay

SALMON SMEAR

1 cup honey smoked salmon, flaked
¼ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp. capers
Mini-bagels or slider buns
Honey mustard to taste (store bought is easier) 

MIX first four ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

SPREAD a large dollop of Smear on one side of the bread of your choice. Bagels are chewier, but slider buns are softer.

DRIZZLE mustard over the Smear. Dress it up with green onion tops and then cover with other piece of roll and enjoy.

Here is a little from Lizzie T. Leaf's latest spicy romantic release...

Following the Powers directive to unite soul mates, a Scottish Cailleach's magic will have repercussions in several realms.

Mixed-blood author Ian McCabe, grandson of Fae and gods, tries to deny his powers while hiding his true origins from the human world. When he discovers mortal, Emma Grant unconscious at his front door, his world starts to change.

Tour director Emma Grant leads a group of senior ladies through Scotland. The breakdown of their bus on a rural Scottish backroad has her sloshing through the rain and mud on foot. Her efforts to seek help results in a fall that knocks her unconscious. She awakens to find the man of her dreams staring into her eyes.

Both feel an instant attraction, but will his secrets and her distrust of men keep them apart.

Read the first chapter on Amazon.

To read excerpts from other books by Lizzie T. Leaf please click onto Amazon.

Lizzie T. Leaf loved books since she opened her first one. Her dream was to write them herself. Lost in the hectic day to day world of family, job, laundry and housework, writing became a distant memory. When the twinkling ember did spark, it was usually doused by someone demanding their share of her time.

Lizzie's life went full circle. The desire to put the stories that continued to play in her head on paper emerged stronger than ever, and at a time when there was someone who encouraged. Now she lives her dream.

Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog. Connect with Lizzie on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Author Emma J. Lane suggests the following meal may be served from ladies’ bridge to hefty dinner guests. Just increase the size of the proportions. Pop out this meal in a hurry and enjoy a cocktail with your company.

Red Salmon with Zesty Italian Dressing 
Succotash or substitute Broccoli or Asparagus 
Poached Pear Halves with Ricotta Cheese 
Green Salad 
Platter of Interesting Crackers 
Dinner roles with Jam and Butter 

SALMON

1 can red salmon, depending upon number of guests
Zesty Italian Dressing for drizzling

CLEAN bones and skin from salmon retaining pieces intact as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while finishing prep.

SUCCOTASH

Frozen lima beans 1 small can creamed corn
1 tbsp. butter

COOK beans until tender, 20 minutes from boil. Drain and mix in the corn and butter. Keep warm in a 210° F oven until ready to serve.

POACHED PEARS

½ fresh pear per guest (Increase to two halves for a dinner)
1 – 3 drops almond flavoring per pear half
1 tbsp. ricotta cheese per per half
Nutmeg
Sugar, optional

REMOVE core from pears. Turn flesh side down in two inches water in microwavable dish. Poach on high until tender, 2 – 3 minutes. Check for tenderness with a toothpick. Remove from oven, flip over and place in attractive dish, in custard cup, or on a bed of lettuce. Dribble almond flavoring on pears. Fill halves with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Sprinkle on sugar.

TO SERVE

ARRANGE salmon on dinner plate and drizzle salad dressing lightly over fish. Add serving of succotash or other desired green vegetable. Garnish with lettuce or parsley. Offer a platter of interesting crackers. Serve poached pear halves on the side or scooped onto the plate. Pass basket of dinner roles and jars of jam.

Sounds like a lot of fuss, but it goes fast. The meal is light on calories so with guilt free conscience, serve a piece of your favorite pie or cake with ice cream or whipped cream. Some guests will decide poached pears suit them as a dessert.

Here's a teaser from one of  Emma J. Lane's Regency books while you wait for your guests to arrive.

What happens when a strong heroine meets an arrogant, but handsome hero? Sparks fly. It's a Regency Romance Romp! 

Miss Amabel Hawkins acknowledges her unusual upbringing, but she thinks James Langley, the Duke of Westerton, might be a tad unbalanced when he protests her efforts to right his badly managed properties. The duke, who has been away on the king's business, demonstrates no respect for the beautiful but managing Miss Hawkins. Amabel has taken refuge at Westerton, fleeing from a forced marriage to a man who claims to be her relative in order to gain control of her young brother's estate.

The Duke arrives home to find his estate under the firm control of a beautiful but managing female. His suspicions are fueled by his recent task of spy-hunting and he wonders if Amabel Hawkins is just who she seems. While a dastardly spy lurks, a wicked man poses as her cousin threatening to take over the guardianship of her young brother. Amabel might be falling in love, but she knows for certain the duke would never approve of a meddlesome woman, and she decides to flee his estate. Will the duke finally realize the true value of the woman he loves or will his prejudice ruin his chances forever?

Amazon Buy Link

Emma Lane enjoys leaving her garden for a few hours to dip into the romance genre Regency era of history. Join her for a glimpse of a half selkie fairy as she teases a powerful duke and fights the curse of a lowly, evil warlock. Other Regency romances are available on Amazon and Wild Rose Press. As Janis Lane she writes a series of Cozy Mysteries for Soul Mate Publishing.

Look for information about writing and plants on her new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma's face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter.

In the Limelight with YA Fantasy Authors Lisa Fender and Toni Burns…

I want to thank and welcome authors (and sisters), Lisa Fender and Toni Burns for sharing their personal writing journey with us on my blog today. Their book, Fable – Book 1 of the Lorn Prophecy is available for purchase from Amazon, and other major on-line bookstores. 

BTW—I’ve read Lisa and Toni's fabulous fantasy and found Fable entertaining and well worth the investment. Plus, they have a kick-ass cover! Cheers, ladies!

So, how long have you two been writing, Lisa and Toni?

Lisa—We both started writing as kids, but life kind of got in the way. I started up again thanks to the encouragement of Lizzie T. Leaf. She and I met for coffee several times and she told me to “just go for it”. The first book I attempted was a murder mystery, but I couldn’t get into a psycho’s head. After ten chapters, I put it away. Then I got laid-off from work and decided I had no more excuses not to follow my dream. Fantasy was my love, so when I sat down to write about five years ago, I came up with the Djenrye world.

Toni—I joined my sister in her journey with Stevie about three years ago. With a background in administration/secretarial, she asked if I would help edit the book. Within a year we discovered that we wrote great together and the rest, they say, is history. A little side note—when Lisa and I write we are more like an old married couple than sisters. We tend to finish each other sentences and come up with words at the same time.

Lizzie T. Leaf is a wonderful author in her own right and it certainly seems like she gave you some great advice! Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write Fable—Book 1 of the Lorn Prophecy?

Lisa—Like I said, I love fantasy, but was pretty burnt out on the typical vampire, werewolf, fairy stuff others were writing. I came up with the idea of using a folktale character—a genie, but not that kind that comes out of a bottle. More along the idea of all myths having some truth behind them. So the Djen were born—a race of people whose powers can be misinterpreted into ‘fairytales’.

As concerns the heroine—she’s right out of my head and my experiences. Being adopted myself, I wondered what would happen if I found my birth mother. Would she be rich, beautiful, whatever…Stevie’s journey mirrors mine in that she is learning who she is and where her destiny lies.

Toni—I’m along for the ride.

Talk about writing what you know! What sets Fable—Book 1 of the Lorn Prophecy apart from other books in the same genre?

Toni—Fantasy stories have been around longer than the written word. Most are myths and hero’s journeys. In this way, The Lorn Prophecy is similar. The difference is in our creation of a whole new world that is connected to our mundane world (Terra-hun as the Djen call it).

Lisa—Djenrye is a world without pollution, commercially processed food, industrial machinery, or other forms of raping the land (mining, clear cutting, swath burning, etc.). The Djen use all that they take and have a respect for life and nature. They are a part of it, rather than thinking they have dominion over it.

Toni—It is a pristine world, but not without conflict. Otherwise, it would be a boring story. Right, sis?

Lisa—(chuckles) Oh yeah.

And a boring story it is NOT! As collaborative authors, what is your writing process?

Lisa—I start out with the outline of the story. I wrote Fable as a rough draft (the same with Fated and Lore—which we are working on now). Then, Toni and I go through the draft line by line, page by page, chapter by chapter and refine it based on our critique partners.

Toni—We have found that we work as a great sounding board with each other. Lisa will write something and I’ll ask, “what about this”. Then, she’ll play on my idea with “sounds good, but how about if we also”. Through this process of back and forth we come up with ideas complete unique to what either of us started with.

Interesting process, ladies. Sometimes I wish I had a sounding board! How long did it take for you

to start and finish Fable—Book 1 of the Lorn Prophecy?

Lisa—Four and a half long years.

Toni—The good news is that Fated only took about a year.

Lisa—We’re getting better all the time.

Toni—or improving with age. Tee heehee.

Lisa—something like that. (Smiles)

LOL, you two do work well with each other! Do you have any advice for other writers, Lisa and Toni?

Lisa—I teach a class for new writers at the Englewood Library. It drives me absolutely crazy to read self-published works and find that the authors have no knowledge of basic creative writing skills. It makes all self-published books suspect.

Toni—If you are going to self-publish, make it a professional product. Do what my sister and I did: take classes, work with critique partners—listen to them!—and hire a professional editor—and listen to his/her recommendations, too. Additionally, we were very blessed in meeting Springlea, owner of a small publishing company in Colorado called Grumpy Dragon. She was a wealth of information and help in showing us how to layout our books to give them a traditionally published appearance.

Lisa—Writing you do out of love and a desire. But, you have to treat it like a business if you want to do more than just share your stories with your family and friends.

Sage advice for sure! What’s next for Lisa Fender and Toni Burns the authors?

Lisa—We are refining my first draft of Lore (Book 2 of The Lorn Prophecy); I am writing Lineage (Book 2 of The Djenrye Chronicles); and we plan to create at least three books in The Lorn Prophecy series…

Toni—probably more, as long as the books are getting…

Lisa—and compendium novels (The Djenrye Chronicles) to come out between each of the main books.

Toni—And…as we write, we keep coming up with more ideas. Maybe we can dust off Lisa’s old murder mystery and put our Detective Wood in the middle of that one!

Lisa—ha, ha, ha, ha.

Sounds like you both will be busy for quite some time! Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series—If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?

Lisa—That is a really tough question. Maybe back to the time when women were warriors and leaders of their tribes. Perhaps the Bronze Age in the British Isles. I am a Goddess at heart!

Toni—Boadicea rocks! Lisa’s response would be close to my own. I am also a sucker for ancient Greek culture, where women could hold land and power.

You also have a chance to win a copy of Fable. Just leave a comment below with your email address or a way to reach you. We will do a drawing and pick one winner to get the book and some swag to go along with it!

A little taste from Fable – Book 1 of The Lorn Prophecy. I hope you enjoy and decide to give it a read!

Stevie Barrett lives an ordinary life in Golden, Colorado, where nothing remarkable ever happens. That is until right before her high school graduation, when Stevie’s life takes a bizarre turn. Her best friends, Jack and Alyssa, want to be supportive, but are confused by the events plaguing Stevie. 

Stevie’s mom is attacked by men with glowing gold eyes. A strange being spies on Stevie, hidden in shadow. She has waking visions of a people called the Djen and their archaic world. And when her and her BFFs don’t think it can get any weirder, Stevie heals a stranger with a touch. The abilities build until they are a tidal wave awakening within her and threaten her sense of reality. 

Her efforts to understand what is happening lead her and her friends to discover a group known as the Rebellion. These warriors from another dimension are hunting her. Their leader is a man bent on destroying Stevie and possessing her legacy. In order to stop him and save everyone she loves, Stevie and her friends must embark on a quest to find and return Tecton, one of the five Orbs—relics—of the other plane she comes to know as Djenrye. The journey will alter everything she believes, propelling her into another world and another life.

You can buy Fable and Fated at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fable-Lorn-Prophecy-Lisa-Fender-ebook/dp/B00CTN50P6/

http://www.amazon.com/Fated-Book-1-Djenrye-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00HYZFB3U/

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fable-lisa-fender/1117025964?ean=9781484143513

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fated-lisa-fender/1117678379?ean=9781494264642

The blog is http://www.lisafender.com

Facebook Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/fablebookI

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18130032-fable

With any of those you can reach us!

Lisa & Toni - Thanks again Sharon for having us on your blog! You are an awesome person, writer, and author. Not to mention, an honorary Djen!

My Writing Process Blog Tour…

This is a Blog Tour where writers and authors answer questions about their writing process. My friend Eva Scott shared all about her writing process last week on her blog HERE. She has written both contemporary (The Reluctant Wedding Planner, and The Marriage Makeover) and historical romance (The Last Gladiatrix).

What am I working on?

I have a completed manuscript of the second book in the series entitled, The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, but there’s the fun job of revising it into Jordan Jensen’s point of view. Hopefully, I’ll have a refurbed first draft sometime in the spring. I’ve also signed on with literary agency, Walden House (Books & Stuff) in December 2012 to take on another young adult series I’ve created about teens with psychic abilities called, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, so it seems that I’ll be one busy gal!

How does my work differ from others of its same genre?

Keyword: Atlantis. I wanted to create a book series for middle grade/young adults that had a different slant to the time travel genre. I love history. I also love myths and legends. There’s many time travel series out there, but nothing that has roots leading back to Atlantis—at least what I know about and have read. And since there’s no concrete evidence that Atlantis did exist, then that left the door (or arch) wide open to possibilities.

Why do I write what I do?

I have a confession. I didn’t start out writing middle grade or young adult. Nope. I lurked in the deep pool of the paranormal romance genre before I ever considered dipping my toes into the welcoming waters of middle-grade/young adult fiction. The idea to write in this genre actually came to me through a dream. In this dream, I saw seven arches, and there were seven people (five kids, two adults) with crystals in their hands, walking up to these arches. It definitely had an Indiana Jones feel to it. Then, boom. The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis was born.

How does my writing process work?

Cut a vein and write. Kidding. My writing process is always the same for every book. First, I start with the characters and build the story around them. The characters, my characters, must carry the story to completion, give readers closure. It’s a must. In order to do this, I begin writing out character tracking sheets (stats on characters appearances, clothing, likes and dislikes, etc.) which have served me well throughout the writing process. Then the fun begins. Research, research, and more research. When you’re writing time travel, you’ve got to know your facts to create the fiction. I love this part of the process too. Only when I have enough facts, and I feel my characters are fleshed out sufficiently, then I begin to start the novel. Sometimes I’m a panser (writing by the seat of my pants), sometimes a plotter (outline entire storyline)—it all depends on the tone of the book and where my imagination directs me.

Cheers for taking the time to stop by! Next stop on the Writing Process Blog Tour are the amazing, and often sensual authors LIZZIE T. LEAF and SAM CHEEVER on the lucky 13^th of January.

Here’s a little about Lizzie T. Leaf and Sam Cheever:

Award winning author, Lizzie T. Leaf started life in Kansas, continued her growing in North Carolina, and currently shivers through the winters in Colorado. 

Since discovering the fun of writing paranormal, she plays with creating vampires, faeries and other immortals. When she needs a touch of reality, her Contemporary Erotic Romances come into play.

If she’s not creating mischief for paranormal beings, or getting under the covers with her erotic heroes, she can be found exploring the other genres she wants to write.  She also is on the board of Heart of Denver Romance Writers.

Lizzie loves to read, spend time with her family and travel with her best friend husband during her free time.

Award winning Sam Cheever writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.

Books, Banter & Bites on my Dock…featuring Lizzie T. Leaf

Photo by Brianne Boulton

Welcome to my virtual dock in the wilds of Muskoka, where it’s always sunny and warm no matter what time of the year it is. Please pull up one of the dock chairs, sit your butt down, and be prepared to be entertained and enlightened. Today, I’ve got romance author, Lizzie T. Leaf stopping by for a visit. If you’ve never heard of this awesome author, here’s a little bio about her:

Award winning author, Lizzie T. Leaf, started life in Kansas, continued her growing years in North Carolina, and currently shivers through the winters in Colorado. She has numerous e-Books of varying lengths and her first print novel, Struck by Lightning, won dual 2007 Beacon awards. Not a bad track record for a gal who came out of the closet with the dream to write after she turned fifty. Her current works fall into two categories…erotic contemporary or paranormal romance. When not writing, traveling, reading, gardening and family consume her time.

Wow, Lizzie has traveled a long way to spend an evening with us on my dock today. And look, the sun’s just starting to set. Beautiful reds and mauves tonight! Insect repellent, Lizzie? No. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. Now before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a dram of single malt scotch to help you cope with any mosquito bites you do acquire tonight. Hmm – maybe I should make that a double. After our chat, I thought I’d give us a generous scoop of ice cream I scored from Kawartha Dairy this afternoon. I decided to go with Moose Tracks®, but if you want something different, here’s the list of all their ice cream flavors, and we’ll take a drive over after our chat since the store is open late. So, Lizzie, let’s get this party started!

Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write Emerging Magic?

Emerging Magic - 2nd book in the Magical Love series...the series is centered around a Scottish Cailleach and I love Scotland. Taking some of the mythology I learned about while touring around the country, the idea came to make the Cailleach (the old woman of seasons) into a matchmaker. Push her out of her comfort zone.

Scotland is definitely on my bucket list to visit. What sets Emerging Magic apart from other books in the same genre?

Beyond Magic and Emerging Magic bring together beings that may be unexpected. Nothing like mixing things up.

True, that! How long did it take for you to start and finish Emerging Magic?

Emerging Magic took about six months.

You’re a real writing machine, Lizzie. Do you have any advice for writers wanting to write in your genre?

Let your imagination explore all possibilities.

Now that would make for a great bumper sticker! What's next for Lizzie T. Leaf the author?

Banshee Magic in the Magical Love series is next on the schedule. For my other series, DEAD Viking and DEAD Santa are on tap for this year.

Sounds like you’ve got everything planned out, Lizzie! Oh here, let me top up your glass. Are you sure about the insect repellent? I think you’re being swarmed. No. I guess the scotch must have kicked in! Now, before you go, please let readers know where they can buy your book, and how to connect with you. Thanks for taking the time to share your novel and your wisdom with us on my dock this evening. Cheers and best wishes in ALL your publishing ventures, Lizzie.

 

Emerging Magic Buy Links: Amazon and Barnes & Noble   Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog  Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter