Guest Post: Polka Dot Cake - One. Author - Nothing...

Author Marci Boudreaux

Something can be said for Pinterest. I have learned so much from that site about gardening, decorating, and fashion. So when it came time to plan my daughter’s birthday party, I pulled up my Birthday board and took a gander.

Oh, polka dot cake…my daughter loves polka dots. So much so, that I painted her room pink with purple polka dots just last summer.

Now, anyone who has ever tried something off of Pinterest knows that, generally, it’s not going to go as smoothly as assumed. Well…let me tell you about the polka dot cake.
 
The first sign of trouble was when I read the directions and I didn’t have the required cake ball pan. Well. I have a mini muffin pan, I can improvise. I’m good at that…as you’ll soon see.

So I took out my three cake mixes, stirred one together, and split the batter. So far so good.

Then I dyed the batter. Well…my colors didn’t come out nearly as vibrant, but that’s okay. We can go with dingy pastel shades. So I made the mini muffins.

Then I mixed up the other two batters and layered the first bit on the bottom of the pan. And suddenly, like a light bulb going off, I realized my polka dots would look like…well, mini muffins. So I gently pried the muffin tops off and decided that was close enough. (These are a bunch of eight year olds, really, they’re just happy there’s cake, right?)

I cover my make-shift muffin polka dots with the rest of the batter and…wait…my muffin-dots are rising. I push them down and hurry up and put the cakes in the oven. Because we all know, the quicker you get it in the oven, the faster we can pretend that everything is resolved and all will work out.

Twenty five minutes later, the timer dings and I tentatively open the oven door to find…more muffins?

  Oh, yes, perhaps I overfilled the pans just a touch in my attempt to cover my muffin-dots. The cake had grown up and over the cake pans, making giant, yet thin muffins.

Hmmm. These are supposed to layer, right? How can I layer muffins? I considered this for a long time. I even had an in-depth discussion over the phone with my husband who obviously didn’t care in the least about the ins and outs of layering cakes that looked like muffins.

Finally, it was decided. I’m just going to decorate one cake. There are only a few girls anyway, so I chose the better looking of the two and slathered it in white frosting. I did this because we had picked out lovely glitter infused purple icing (the package said it was pink, that stuff was purple) to put on lovely little polka dots and polka dot sprinkles to go with the awesome polka (muffin) dots inside.

So the icing is set and I get out the purple-not-pink decorative icing and start putting on the polka dots. But even icing doesn’t play nice when it is going on a Pinterest cake. It smeared, it smudged, it taunted me at every turn. I’m fairly certain I heard some of those TV bakers laughing at me as I tried to mimic their squeeze, push, and pull technique for making dots.

Well, at this point all the warm and fuzzy Betty Homemaker feelings were gone. I grabbed the biggest meanest looking spatula I could find and I smeared that damned icing, not giving a crap what it looked like. Damn it, it’s just a cake. They only want it for the sugar buzz anyway.

Then I stood back and I smiled because, despite all the trouble, I had just made a beautiful white and purple-not-pink tie-dye looking mini muffin-dot cake.

And it was lovely.

I set it aside, ready for the glittery candle to be placed, headed straight for my laptop, and deleted that damned polka dot cake recipe from my birthday board. But, I’ll share it with you, just in case you want to give it a try.

Polka Dot Cake

2 boxed white cake mixes (plus the oil, water and eggs to make them according to the package) You favorite frosting (I used my butter cream recipe, doubled, which you can get by clicking HERE.) Sprinkles or candy to decorate the cake.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Make one of the cakes according to package directions.

Divide batter evenly into smaller bowls based on the number of colors you want to use (I did 4). Color the batter using color gels (I love the Wilton brand in particular because it gives such a vivid color)

Following the directions for your particular cake pop maker, make cake balls using each of the colors.

While cake balls are cooling, preheat oven to 350F, and make the second cake mix according to package.

Spray 3 – 6″ round pans with non-stick spray and set a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each one (to keep your layers pretty!)

Spread a thin layer of batter in the bottom of each pan, place cake balls on top in any pattern you choose and divide remaining batter over the top of the balls so they are completely covered.

Bake layers for about 30 minutes. You can use the toothpick test (I recommend it!) but be careful to hit cake and not cake balls…you can kind of tell where they are- they bump up just a bit.

When cooked all the way through, tip over on a cake rack to cool completely.

Trim, if needed, to flatten layers and use frosting to stack all three layers and cover the entire cake with frosting. Decorate as desired.

To see what the Polka Dot Cake should look like, please click HERE.

Here's a little from Unforgettable You, my latest contemporary romance, for your reading pleasure while you sit back with a glass of chilled wine and forget you ever thought of baking.

Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.

Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.

The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.

To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Books, Banter & Bites on my Dock…featuring Marci Boudreaux



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 busy romance author, Marci Boudreaux stopping by for a visit. If you’ve never heard of this awesome author, here’s her mini bio:

Marci Boudreaux lives with her husband and two daughters. With

an abundance of pets and freelance writing and editing jobs, she somehow manages to find time to write contemporary romance and sometimes, just sometimes, a bit of erotica under pen Emilia Mancini.

Romance is her preferred reading and writing genre because nothing feels better than falling in love with someone new and her husband doesn't like when she does that in real life.

Marci is currently preparing to begin work on her Masters in Publishing because she still has time to sleep.

Okay, I’ve got the campfire all set up for us after our big girl banter, Marci, so let’s begin with a glass of sweet red wine I scored from Muskoka Lakes Winery. Are you sure you don’t want to wear a bug jacket like I’m wearing? I bought extras for our guests from Canadian Tire (my hubby’s favorite store) just in case the mosquitoes get out of control. Then again, wine works too. LOL! Oh, and I made a batch of your famous Mama’s Sweet Revenge Peach Cobbler to nibble on around the fire. If anyone is interested in trying out this sublime recipe, please click HERE and scroll to the bottom.  So, while the cobbler’s cooling, and we’re sipping and enjoying the sunset, let’s talk about your book, Unforgettable You…

Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write Unforgettable You?

Unforgettable You was a great distraction for me. It was the first full length novel I'd written in several years. I was a full time student, editor on the college newspaper, a reporter writing for several magazines, not to mention a wife and mom to two kiddos. I needed something to do to relax. I had also just published a novella as Emilia Mancini so I was inspired to get to writing. It is a great escape for me and I needed that. As for inspiration....ha!...I don't even remember.

Women definitely need distractions! What sets Unforgettable You apart from other books in the same genre?

What I love about this book is it isn't just about the hero and heroine falling in love. The heroine, Carrie Gable, is the primary caregiver for her dead husband's mother, Doreen, who had Alzheimer's. Carrie and Doreen have a bond that is incredibly moving, Carrie takes incredible care of her and we get to see that. I think that is unique for a contemporary romance.

How long did it take for you to start and finish Unforgettable You?

 
With all I had going on, it probably took six months or longer. I spent a lot of time in the newspaper office romancing these two characters.

Six months is pretty speedy for someone as busy as you are. Kudos! Do you have any advice for writers wanting to write in your genre?

 

Romance is kind of a tough genre to find a way to stand out. There are so many amazing writers who share love stories and in so many ways. I think the best advice is to write what you want and don't try to conform to what to what others say you should write. If everyone conforms, no one will stand out.

Fantastic advice, and so true! What's next for Marci Boudreaux the author?

I have just released The Messenger through Secret Cravings Publishing. This is a book I wrote about 10 years ago. I pulled it off the shelf and reworked it, which was a horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE process. The bones were there but the meat was rotten. Grin. The story is about Evelyn Thomas, a reporter fresh out of college working for her father's newspaper. No one at the paper takes her seriously so when she stumbles on a chance to prove herself she jumps at it. Unfortunately for her and for her co-worker Wes Reilly, he's already on the story. Neither one is willing to give it up and end up having to work together to breath the story.
 
It's a romance, so you get one guess where that takes them. Yup, the bedroom.

 

Sounds like you’re not going to slow down anytime soon, Marci! Oh here, let me top up your wine glass. Are you sure about the bug jacket? I think you’re being swarmed. No. I guess the wine must have kicked in after all! 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, Marci.

Unforgettable You Buy Links: Musa Publishing and Amazon
 
Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website and blog

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter

Here comes Peter Cotton-tail...

I've coerced my author friend and fellow Wench of Words Marci Boudreaux to devulge her secret recipe she  loves to serve over the Easter holiday. Actually it wasn't that hard. Turns out she works for carrots -- 24 'carrot' gold that is. Cheers and Happy Easter! Take it away, Marci... 

Easter has always been a time in my family for big meals and family gatherings. Now that I live far from where I grew up, our family consists of two ever-growing girls, my husband, and me. Big feasts don’t go over well with just four people. I still like to make a ham and way more side dishes and desserts than we will ever eat, but with four of us, the tradition has gone out the window and our holiday meals tend to go more toward the fun side.

This year, we’ve added Easter Bunny Butt to the menu.

Yes, you read that right. We’re eating the Easter Bunny’s Butt. Why? Because it’s so darn cute!

I actually found this recipe on the Box Tops for Education website (yes, I’m that mom). When it came time to offer up a holiday recipe to the girls, I just knew they’d love making this and they did.

It was relatively easy (although we used carrot cake and I don’t recommend that, it crumbled like crazy! I had to freeze it before frosting) and the girls, ages 7 and 11, did most of the work.

It was delicious too!

So, if you are still looking for the perfect dessert to take to your Easter gathering. Consider taking a little slice of Easter Bunny Butt heaven.

Easter Bunny Butt Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 container vanilla frosting
Red food coloring
3-4 cups shredded coconut
Green food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

Grease 1 ½ quart ovenproof bowl with shortening (do not use cooking spray) then dust with flour. Lightly grease 3 muffin cups in regular-size muffin pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour cake batter in 3 muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Pour remaining batter into pre-greased bowl. Bake cupcakes 15 to 20 minutes, bowl 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool enough to handle. Remove cakes from muffin cups and bowl. Place pieces on cooling racks. Cool completely—about 1 hour. Cut off rounded tops of cakes. Cut two cupcakes into triangle shapes for the feet. Place bowl cake on tray cut side down and cover with 1/3 cup frosting over cake. Use toothpicks to adhere cupcakes to bowl cake for feet and bunny tail. Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of cake to seal in crumbs. Freeze cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting. Spread remaining frosting over cake. Sprinkle with coconut; press gently to adhere. Mix 1 cup coconut and 3 drops green food color until evenly tinted. Surround bunny with tinted coconut. Mix a small amount of red food coloring and icing. Add to the bottom of the bunny feet.

Here's a little from Unforgettable You for your reading pleasure while you wait for the Easter Bunny Butt Cake to cool.

Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.

Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.

The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.

To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Marci Clark…a.k.a. Marci Boudreaux

Today, I’m featuring a fellow Wench of Words and fabulous romance author, who likes push the boundaries and change up her writing styles from time to time. Whether she writes as Marci Clark or Marci Boudreaux or Emilia Mancini, this Wench knows who she is, and what she wants! And I’m excited and honored to share her enthusiasm. Take it away, Marci...


Me, Myself and I
By Marci Clark

One question I am asked quite frequently is why I use various names instead of just sticking with one. I think my reasoning reflects that of many author’s so I thought I’d share.

When my first book, The Rebound, was purchased, it was completely unexpected; it was awesome, but unexpected. I was a non-traditional student (that’s nice speak for old person in college) and working as a journalist/editor, yet I’d just sold an erotic novella. Did I really want my fellow students, most of whom were a dozen or more years my junior, reading a sex book with my name on it?  If someone liked my article in the magazine I write for and decided to look me up to see my other work, did I really want them to immediately find The Rebound and forever associate my journalistic work with sex?

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t in the least bit embarrassed. In fact, I was and am very proud of my first release. The problem was what others would think about it and how it would impact my career, volunteer work, and the work my husband does.

So I thought long and hard as I stared at the pseudonym line on my contract. Before the papers were signed Emilia Mancini, my erotic writing sidekick, was born. 

When Musa contracted Unforgettable You, a sweet romance, I again had to decide if the name I was making as a journalist was going to be tied to my fiction writing or if I was going to give Emilia credit for this one as well. I considered several pros and cons, including the fact that I’d already started building an identity for Emilia and that my lifelong dream was to see my name on the cover of the book. While Emilia was me, it just isn’t the same as seeing my name on there.

In the end I decided to use my maiden name, Marci Boudreaux, for romance.

This would serve several purposes; fulfilling that dream of seeing my name on a cover, letting people know it was not an erotic work like what Emilia would write, and keeping my day job separate from it all. 

I put everything in its own little box on the professional shelf; erotica, romance, and day job. I have three names, three genres, three personas that have completely different reasons for existing.

I also have three work e-mails, Facebooks (plus two author pages), Twitters, websites, and three different sets of people I network with. It is confusing, insane, and sometimes overwhelming, but it helps me keep my head on what I’m doing without worrying who is going to see it.

My alter egos and I can all be tied together because, in the end, we are all public figures in different areas. We’re all proud of the other’s work and more than happy to tell anyone who will listen. We all help each other out when we can.

I cross promote my authors so if you see Marci you will probably find Emilia not far behind and vice versa, but you will know what you are getting into depending on the primary persona.  The real me, however, is a bit more hidden in the shadows, never completely in the dark and always happy to take credit for the hard work of the other two.

To read an excerpt from Marci Boudreaux’s latest release Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Marci Boudreaux

I’m excited to feature fellow Wench of Words, Marci Boudreaux, a fabulous romance author, on my blog today! Like the title of her book suggests, this author cranks out words that are unforgettable. Take it away, Marci…

ROMANCE AS IT’S MEANT TO BE Is the buzz about Marci Boudreaux's new release Unforgettable You. Here's a little for your reading pleasure.

When life throws a widowed innkeeper and a world-famous movie star together they share an unexpected romance. But is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

BLURB:

Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law, Doreen, in the woman’s home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a handful of Hollywood’s most elite actors at the manor. Despite her resentment of the demands being placed upon her, she can’t help but be taken in by actor Will Walker.

Will, in a last-ditch effort to save his career, has agreed to a project he has no interest in. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to Carrie. Long nights spent talking about the paths their lives have taken make him realize he’d rather have a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. aren’t as willing to let him go.

With the temptation of stardom pulling Will in one direction and the need to care for Doreen tugging Carrie in another, the couple struggle to hold onto the happiness they were missing until finding each other.

EXCERPT:

“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.

Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”

“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”

“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she looked at the menu. She glanced at the clock again. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”

“This is a lot for one person to handle.”

“I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

“Carrie.” He coaxed gently. Turning from the menu, she seemed to plea with her eyes.

“What do you want me to say, Will?”

“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”

“How the hell do you think I’m doing?” He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes.

“Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”

“Falling apart is not an option right now.”

“Well, burying it isn’t either.”

Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back, putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink to fill with water.

Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What I’m thinking?” she asked. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”

“The disease—”

“I know,” she said turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”

He saw fresh tears shimmering in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer where she’d hidden the knobs for the stove to prevent Mama from turning on the heat.

She tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, Carrie slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that,” she said as the tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks.

“Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her causing her shoulders to shake and he soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.

BUY LINK

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.