Christina Hollis: Dreadline Fever, and A Winter Warmer!

DD's new (actually 400+ years old!) house

I hope you had a lovely start to the New Year. I've been busy working on an assignment since the semester ended just before Christmas. The deadline is tomorrow, which is why I'm typing this  blog with one hand while making dinner with the other!

I've only cooked about one or two meals per week since term ended on 20th December. Each Sunday I did a big roast as usual, and I also cooked lunch on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The rest of the time my family took turns, so I could concentrate on writing my essays. 

Now everyone has gone back to work. DD has the added stress of masterminding the move into her new home, so I'm back on cooking duties. Tonight we're having one of our favourites—vegetable casserole.

We're not vegetarians by any means but vegetable casserole is one of the cheapest, easiest and most filling things in the world to make, although it takes a while to prepare everything and it takes an hour or two to cook. It's a recipe I invented so there are

Pic by Loubos Houska via Pixabay

no weights and measures. That's what makes it so easy! All you do is peel and/or trim some carrots, potatoes, onions, and any other similar "hard" veg you have to hand such as celery, swede, turnip or sweet potato. Cut everything into slices about as thick as a coin. Put all the sliced veg into a big casserole dish and add enough stock (made from a cube if you don't make your own) to almost cover it. Cook in a low oven (about 160 degrees) for a couple of hours, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir once or twice, and season before serving. If you have room in your oven you can put in a milk pudding and a rich fruit cake at the same time, as they benefit from long slow cooking. 

I serve vegetable casserole either with home-made bread or cheese scones. If there's anything left over, I liquidise it, add some chilli powder or garam masala,  and reheat it next day as soup. 

What's your favourite warming winter recipe?

Christina Hollis has written six historical novels, eighteen contemporary novels, sold nearly three million books, and her work has been translated into twenty different languages. When she isn’t working on getting her MA from the University of Gloucestershire, Christina is cooking, gardening, or walking her dog.

You can catch up with her at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and see a full list of her published books at christinahollis.com

In Like a Lion, Out Like a. . . Lion?

It's that old adage that is espoused every year at this time - March roars in  like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, I'm guessing no one told Mother Nature about this because this month has been the craziest for those of us in the Northeast. Four....count 'em....four Nor'easters formed and stormed up the Atlantic coast bringing strong winds, heavy rain then snows, flooding, icing and other assorted weather conditions. Almost like clockwork, they formed and moved each week, usually on Monday or Tuesday, all through March. Last week - during our heaviest snow event -- even Jim Cantore of the Weather channel was in my area - and you know that means it was bad around here! LOL!

Thank goodness, March ends today and we can be done with those!

Holy April Fools joke, Batman! Another storm is on its way tomorrow into Monday (and vague rumors of another next week)!! Don't misunderstand - I'm the one who loves snow and snowstorms. I love watching it snow....love the quiet and the muted sounds....love the way the white stuff covers everything making it look pristine.

I love sitting at my desk with that view next to me.

But I know I'm crazy and everyone else I know was soooo over snow by the second storm. 

I think I'm the only one who also likes winter in general. I love cold weather and the lack of the allergens that will fill our air soon, making it impossible to breathe or stop sneezing.  I like feeling the need to put on a coat and gloves....and love it when it's cold enough for a hat or ear muffs. As I said, I know I'm the crazy one in this!


Don't lose hope yet if you don't like winter and wintry weather -- Spring has been making valiant efforts to break through. My crocuses and daffodils have been up for almost a month. The trees are budding and I've seen robins around here for weeks. Our temperatures have already reached the 70s several times and the smell of Spring is in the air now.

Maybe that's why I enjoy March? There is a possibility of all sorts of weather all month long - and snow can sneak in and brighten me up any time. Sigh....

So, how about you? Yearning for Spring or still wishing for Winter? Are you more of a hot weather Summer person? Or do you like the mix of Fall? What's your favorite kind of weather or season of the year? Post a comment or photo to share yours and I'll pick one person who comments who will receive one of my books and a wee giftie! 

I'm very excited to announce that CLAIMING HIS HIGHLAND BRIDE will be available in retail stores in a special edition in July! I hope you'll look for it and support our Harlequin Historical line in print!

Baby It's Cold Outside by Jenny Gardiner

There’s a pond in the woods back behind our house. A few times over the nearly 20 years we’ve lived here, in Central Virginia, winter has been cold enough for the pond to freeze over. On those times when our kids were little, we had such fun venturing out on the ice and sliding around, defying the strength of the frozen water, trusting that no one would fall through.

One frigid wintry morning years ago, we were scrambling to get everyone dressed, fed, lunches packed and out the door for school, when our young puppy somehow slipped outside and made off for the woods behind our house. The kids bolted after her and found her on the ice—then not frozen through, so her hind leg had slipped into it. Thankfully we were able to rescue her and get the kids to school not too late, with just a bit of early-morning drama!

During this bitterly January cold snap, my husband persuaded me to trek over to the pond to venture out onto the ice. The older I get the more of a weenie I become, so I was somewhat reluctant to go (and was rather comfortable with a cozy fire in the fireplace!), but I also didn’t want him to fall into the ice with no one to save him so we bundled out and headed out to the pond. As you all well know, it’s been a crazy cold winter, and sure enough, that ice was solid. My husband was convinced it was a foot thick. Not totally sure about that, but after a little persuasion I joined him to slip and slide around on it a bit. The far side of the pond doesn’t freeze as much—it’s dammed up and connected to the nearby creek—so we could hear loud cracks and pops coming from that end of things, and could even feel the crackles reverberating beneath our feet. It gave me a healthy respect to not mess too much with Mother Nature!

Well, if you’re like me and opting to stay curled up inside in semi-hibernation mode, I’ve got good news—a new book for you to read! My novel Falling for Mr. Maybe is finally available! Hope you’ll get a chance to check it out and in the meantime, stay warm!

Great news! Red Hot Romeo is free! A hot Italian, a gorgeous supermodel, and fabulous wines…what’s not to love?!

You can check out the first book in the Royal Romeo series for free here:

Kindle: bit.ly/RedHotRomeo
iBooks: http://bit.ly/RHRom
Nook: http://bit.ly/RHRNook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboRHR
Google Play: http://bit.ly/RHRgoogle

Check out my Falling for Mr. Wrong series! Falling for Mr. Wrong,  Falling for Mr. Maybe, and Falling for Mr. No Way in Hell is now available for pre-order.

Lastly, don't forget, book one of the It's Reigning Men series, Something in the Heir, is free here!

I hope you'll have a chance to check out my Royal Romeos series, which is a spin-off of my wildly popular It's Reigning Men series--please do check them out!

Happy reading!

    

  

  

     

Christina Hollis: Be Prepared!

A light dusting before the blizzard

Winter hit hard here before Christmas, with a blizzard. We're surrounded by woodland, and the sound of boughs snapping under the weight of snow echoed around our valley like gunfire.  A particularly loud bang gave us all a 4am start, as some power lines came down. They snaked around in the darkness in a shower of sparks until the supply was shut off. After that, we were without electricity for eighteen hours. 

Disasters can strike in town as well as country, so before something unexpected happens in your neck of the woods, here's my top tips for managing when modern life unravels...

HEAT: The pump for our gas central heating runs on electricity, so a log burner provides extra warmth. Dancing flames lift the spirits, too. Curling up in front of the fire with a good book when the various screens and devices aren't working makes the past seem very close. While we have an electric oven, our hob is gas. In the event of a power cut we can light that manually, to boil a kettle for tea and coffee, fill hot water bottles or make meals that don’t need an oven.  We have carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms, and check their battery levels regularly. We also keep a fire blanket handy!

Come home to a real fire...

LIGHT: I use a head torch for cooking, or checking round outside. It leaves my hands free, which is always a good thing. Unlike ordinary torches, LED lights die suddenly instead of fading away like a traditional torch. Make sure you’ve got plenty of spare batteries. 

Cold candles burn for longer than those stored at room temperature.  Make sure you secure them in a jam jar or saucer before lighting. Keep them well away from anything that might catch fire. Keep a supply of matches or a lighter in a dry place, and make sure everyone in the house knows where they are. 

SAFETY: Make sure you've got a basic first aid kit with over-the-counter remedies, plasters, dressings and bandages. Keep paths clear and spread rock salt to keep them safe. Make a list of emergency numbers, and personal contact details. Print out and laminate several copies. Keep one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom and one in your car. 

Get the right tools for the job. Proper snow shovels are much lighter and easier to use than garden spades when you have snow to shift. Keep one in your car (and it's a good idea if that has winter tyres fitted).

SUPPLIES: Each autumn we make up a winter box, filled with things like toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, tea, coffee, dried milk, tinned goods and dried food like pasta. While researching Women’s Lives in Bristol, I discovered the story of an emergency box just like ours, which came to the rescue of people trapped in a church during the great air-raid the city suffered in November 1940. 

Severe weather rarely cuts anywhere in England off for more than a few days, so we'd rather sit it out in the warm than risk an accident. I had one of those in snow a few years ago, and I don't want another one! Stocking up with the basics means we don't run out if we're snowed in. It's all stored in a cool, dry place. We don’t rely on being able to use frozen or chilled foods. In a power cut, we keep the freezer shut and avoid opening the fridge. Milk and other dairy products live outside the back door, in a big insulated box.

COMMUNICATION: Mobile signals aren't good round here, so we’ve kept our landline. Wherever you live, a mobile's no good if it’s flat. Make sure all your devices are fully charged while you have power. Keep a good supply of batteries for radios. If you're going on a journey, make sure your car is serviced, and the fuel tank is filled. Blankets, a torch, first aid kit and cereal bars don’t take up much room on the back seat, and could make all the difference during a long cold wait for roadside assistance. 

If you'd like to keep up with my writing life, and the goings-on here at Tottering Towers (Gloucestershire's least stately home), just drop me a line at christinahollis(at)hotmail(dot)co.uk with "newsletter" in the subject line—and putting an @ and a dot instead of the words in my email address, of course!

Christina Hollis has been writing all her life. With many magazine articles, six historical novels and eighteen contemporary novels to her credit, she has sold nearly three million books and her work has been translated into twenty different languages. When she isn’t writing, Christina is cooking, gardening, or walking her dog. Her next book, Women’s Lives in Bristol, 1850-1950 is part of Pen and Sword Books’ major 2018 series Struggle and Suffrage commemorating the vote being given to the first women in England. Follow Christina on Facebook at http://bit.ly/FacebookAuthorPageCH for more details.

This Winter Things Are Getting Hot! by Jenny Gardiner

Hi there! Happy New Year to all! I hope you’ve been slogging through this January with not too much hardship…Each day I look to the sky at sunset and smile, knowing the days are getting longer.

Our weather hasn’t been terribly cold, but we’ve been socked in with a lot of rain, which is indeed dreary. But I compensate by making a nice fire in the fireplace, which is my daily accompaniment while I write (working on Blue Collar Romeo—book four of the Royal Romeos series). Unfortunately the hardship in our household this winter is that our beloved 14-1/2 year old Labrador Sassy has been struggling. Which means caring for Sassy has taken up a lot of time and is of course taking a huge emotional toll. It’s so heartbreaking when these babies who give you their undying love reach this point in life. So we’re savoring each day we have with her and take heart on those days when she seems to rebound a bit. I’m now pureeing canned dog food (blech) and sit with her each small meal and encourage her to eat while I mix it with chicken broth to help hydrate her. You just want your pets to live for a thousand years!

So we’re in the new year now, and that means the Chinese New Year is soon! Which I get excited about because I’m the year of the Tiger and I like tigers (so glad I wasn’t the Year of the Rat, right?!). But I’ve been anxiously awaiting the end of this past Chinese lunar year because at my favorite Chinese restaurant they have this huge poster of the forecast for that year for each animal and, well, let’s just say the Tigers were screwed. Nothing good was going to happen all year and a lot of bad things were suggested. Which meant that every time I’d swing in there for carryout at lunch (far too often, mind you) I’d look up at that darned poster and grimace, then fret about looming bad fortune. I’ve been waiting for them to change that poster all year! Of course when the new one gets hung up, if Tigers are doomed yet again I’m going to have to find a new Chinese carryout because I can’t deal with impending doom for another year.

At the end of this month my daughter who’s been living in Australia returns home! So excited for her and her boyfriend to move back to the States! Which means I need to get writing because I’ll be diverted from my writing deadlines catching up with them and making lots of home-cooked meals upon their return for a while!

Hope you get to enjoy some pleasant, brief snowfalls before warm weather, sunshine and blooming trees return!

 Check out my Royal Romeos series, which is a spin-off of my wildly successful It's Reigning Men series--I hope you'll be able to check them out!

  

Winter is coming...

Winter is coming, the clocks have gone back and now the nights are longer I have a yearning for a new hobby. Something to get excited about.

I used to sew but my eyes really aren’t good enough these days and I do sometimes get out the knitting needles but I have arthritis in my thumbs and I can’t keep it up for long. I know – I’m falling to bits.

I do read. A lot. Sometimes obsessively when I’m glomming a new author, but it’s a bit antisocial.

It’s all the dh’s fault. We went to the Tank Museum at Bovingdon back in the summer – it’s huge, they even loaned tanks to the makers of the film Fury — and now he’s having the best fun imaginable building model tanks and then turning them into rusty wrecks for his battle dioramas. Or maybe it’s the browsing on the internet for a gazillion shades of paint, 1:35 scale barbed wire, flora and the thousand and one bits of essential stuff that I envy.

If I had a hobby I could do that…

So I’m looking for ideas, inspiration. How do you fill the long winter evenings when the television is rubbish? I want a hobby that I can seriously shop for!

Meanwhile, here’s what I can do for you. If you’re looking for something free to download to your ebook, Old Desires is free at Smashwords – where you can download for any device, including the Kindle — iBooks, Barnes and  Noble and Amazon will catch up in a few days.

And this basket of goodies including three books of the winners choice, a must-have Rosie tote bag, a pair of snowflake socks to keep your toes warm while you’re reading, a Lindt chocolate Santa sleigh, an ice cream cosmetic bag, an ice lolly keyring and a tartan heart to hang on the tree will be going to one of my newsletter subscribers at the end of November. You have to be in it to win it so if you’re not already signed up to my newsletter do it now on my website

The Weather Outside is Frightful. . . .

Winter arrived here in southern NJ this week and the temps took a windy, frigid tumble. The windchimes outside my former office window have been clanging like a school bell this week, wobbling to and fro, for hours and hours. Luckily, my bedroom is on the other side of the house or I'd get no rest. . . ! 

And, as Thanksgiving approaches, there are some other cold weather traditions I enjoy....

Hot chocolate!  The cold seems to awaken my need for hot chocolate. I associate it with snow and shoveling snow and kids playing in the snow and the first flurries send me running to check on my supplies -- either packaged or the fresh ingredients. 

Chai tea!  I drink tea all the time, and it's mostly always plain black tea, no flavorings, with fat-free milk and sweetener in it. But, when Autumn and Winter arrive, I need chai tea, with its rich flavors of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and even some pepper. I like to sip it, hot, and inhale the wonderful aroma of it.

Coffee! I know, I know, I don't drink coffee. I love the scent of it and the taste but coffee does not like me... So, I wait for a family gathering -- usually Thanksgiving, but this time a baby shower -- and I allow myself one cup, mixed with lots of milk and real sugar. I sip it and savor it, making appreciative noises (that drew my hubby's attention and curiosity) and know that I will pay the price to enjoy it. And I did, all through the night AND the next day -- but it was sooooo worth it. 

And finally, the ultimate sign that winter is approaching in my area? The arrival (and too-quick departure) of the WaWa turkey bowl! 

What, you ask, is a WaWa turkey bowl? Well, WaWa is a middle-Atlantic and Florida regional convenience store that makes incredible food, sandwiches, coffees and specialty drinks and . . . turkey bowls. They only arrive for a limited time -- and are a teasing hint of your homemade Thanksgiving dinner. Hot turkey in gravy served over mashed potatoes or stuffing or some of both. A dash of cranberry sauce can be added by why mess up the perfection of turkey, gravy and potatoes/stuffing? 

This year, an inside source told me of a pending end to the turkey bowl supply! They won't even last until Thanksgiving and connoisseurs of the dish are already mourning its loss. . . until next year....when it will come back when the cold weather returns. 

So, how about you? Do you have certain favorite foods or beverages you turn to when the weather turns bad? Please post and let me know....with turkey bowls disappearing, I'm going to be needing a new one very soon...! 

While awaiting the release of RISING FIRE in March 2015, Terri is working on the second in her new fantasy series - Novels of the Stone Circles - RAGING SEA. She's also going to have her next Harlequin Historical - the first in the new A HIGHLAND FEUDING series - coming out in April 2015! Please visit her website for more info about her books and upcoming events...! 

Summer is Coming! No! Winter is Coming!

 
Tomorrow brings the longest day of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. . . the solstice arrives at 6:51am on Saturday morning. At Stonehenge and other neolithic sites, many will gather to greet the sun as it is reaches it farthest point in the northern sky. 


   So, if tomorrow brings Summer, why am I thinking Winter?  

Well, I'm looking ahead six months, to the Christmas/Holiday season because I'm planning to publish a Christmas novella connected to my MacKendimen Clan series! As the days grow longer and brighter, I'm thinking about the dark, short days of winter. Swirling snow storms in the mountains of the Highlands instead of scorching sands of summer's beaches. Christmas and holiday traditions rather than lazy days, reading in the sunshine. 

    As a reader in the print publishing world, I could always depend on wonderful collections of themed novellas or short stories for each new season -- Christmas/Holiday, Valentine's Day, Spring/June Brides, Halloween, etc. They were really convenient because I could read one in a sitting and when busy with the various holiday tasks. And there were/are themes-within-themes, too, like Regency Christmas, Western, vampires and more. 
  
  Now, with digital publishing, novellas and short stories aren't restricted to collections. Novellas and shorts are stand-alones and lots more seem to be available now all through the year. Some introduce readers to connected series. Some fill-in-the-blanks between longer length releases. And some authors are publishing multi-author collections, too. 

    How about you? Do you like to read novellas and anthologies? Do you watch for collections or just read the stand-alones? Or both? What's your favorite?  

    Post a comment and I'll choose someone to  receive a print or digital copy of a recent collection -- Royal Weddings bundle - 7 stories about historical royal weddings -- or Royal Weddings Through The Ages - a special print edition of the collection. 

Terri is working on her new historical fantasy series - Warriors of Desting - for NAL and her new Highlanders series - The Feuding - for Harlequin Historicals. Visit her website for lots more info!