All Jammed Up

Hey, friends, Suze here. It’s June, and you know what that means in New England–fiddleheads, asparagus, and strawberries.

You don’t know what a fiddlehead is? It’s an edible fern still in its curled-up stage, and, yes, it looks like the scroll-y end of a violin. The season is super short–like about 10 days or so because they have zero shelf life and must be picked locally, one by one. They taste something like a cross between asparagus, green beans, and broccoli. Lightly steamed and tossed with a bit of butter or olive oil and perhaps a bit of lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar, they’re delicious. And all the more delectable because they’re so fleeting. Wait one day too long and they’re a full-flown fern!

But enough about vegetables. Let’s talk about strawberries. How I love those bright red June jewels, sensual and juicy. I love them right out of the garden, their flavor intensified by the warmth of the sun. I love them sliced and tossed with just a bit of sugar, or a drizzle of real maple syrup or honey, to bring out their natural juice and sweetness, or unsweetened and topped with thick, creamy vanilla Greek yogurt. Sigh. If I didn’t have a whole flat of berries in my refrigerator, I’d want to go to the pick-your-own farm right now!

One of my favorite things to do with strawberries (and other berries too) is to make jam. If you’ve never canned anything, it might seem a little daunting, but I’m here to tell you that homemade strawberry jam is the perfect way to start your canning career. With just a bit of advance organization, it’s super easy! One taste of freshly made strawberry jam on a whole grain English muffin and you will never, ever go back to any jam you buy in the store, I guarantee. And if you make a batch or two now, you can give jars away as holiday gifts. This is a perfect recipe for sharing with friends, family and neighbors.

So here’s how to do it:

Buy your jars. I like the eight-ounce crystal quilted jelly jars made by Ball because they’re so pretty! Here in New England you can buy the jars at most grocery stores, as well as farm supply stores such as Agway and Tractor Supply. I think I’ve seen them at Walmart too. The jars themselves are reusable pretty much indefinitely as long as they aren’t chipped or cracked, so when you give away your jam, be sure to ask for your jars back eventually.

The jars will come with a two-piece lid: a metal ring and a round, flat metal top with a special coating on the underside. The metal rings can also be reused unless they are rusty, but you will need to buy new tops every time (you can buy them separately).

Buy your pectin. Pectin is a natural fruit-based gelling agent (it’s abundant in apples, for example). It comes in different forms, such as a liquid, but I prefer Sure-Jel Lower Sugar Recipe (the kind in the pink box). I have not always had good luck with other brands, but Sure-Jel has never failed me, so I stick with it. This is usually found right next to the canning jars, or sometimes near Jell-O and instant pudding in the grocery store.

Buy your berries. Get your fruit from a local farm if you possibly can. You’re supporting your neighbors and small business as well as getting a quality product. Organic is always best! You can either buy the berries already picked and pay a couple of bucks more, or get some exercise and pick them yourself. You will need about six heaping quarts of berries, or about six pounds. (Get another couple of quarts to eat fresh). To correctly pick a berry, hold the stem between your index and middle fingers and pull gently. The berry will pop off along with its little green top. Leaving the top intact keeps the fruit fresher longer.

Which berries to pick? You want them to be firm and bright red–not orangey-red or greenish-white, which means they’re underripe. Not purple-red and mushy, which means they’re overripe. The best way to judge ripeness is to taste one. It should be firm, sweet but slightly tart. If it’s extra sweet and squishy, pass it by. If you’re really not sure, err on the side of less ripe than overripe for the best tasting jam.

Take them home–do not wash until just before you’re ready to use them!–and put them in your fridge for up to a day or two.

Prepare your jars. Run the jars, lids and rings through your dishwasher while you prepare the berries (below). Keep the jars hot in the dishwasher.

Prepare your berries. Fill up your colander with berries and give them a quick rinse under cold running water, draining well. Hull the strawberries by circling the pointy tip of a paring knife around the green top, then discard the tops. Quarter the fruit and place in a bowl. Every once in a while, squish the berries with a potato masher. You want juice and bits of berry to equal six cups. When you get to six cups, you’re done and can eat the rest.

OK, I promise, the time-consuming part is done! Now with a bit of organization, you will have jam cooling on your counter in about thirty minutes.

Set up the following on the counter right next to your stove:

• Newspaper or paper grocery bags to reduce mess (cover the counter)
• A plus/minus one cup ladle
• A long-handled large spoon, wooden or metal
• A canning funnel, if you have one. Not strictly necessary, but these wide-bottom funnels are inexpensive (get them where you buy your jars or order online if you’ve got the time) and make filling the jars easier. If you don’t have one, don’t sweat it. You can just carefully ladle your jam into the jars.
• A clean, lint-free dishcloth (the microfiber ones work well)
• Your jars, still hot from the dishwasher
• Your metal rings
• Your flat metal lids, sitting in a pan or bowl of very hot water
• A bowl containing 3-3/4 cups of granulated (white) sugar
• A bowl containing 1/4 cup of granulated (white sugar) mixed with the contents of your box of pectin (Sure-Jel)

Now you’re cooking! These last steps go fast, and you can’t stop in the middle of the process, so make sure you won’t be interrupted.

Place your six cups of mashed berries/juice in a very large saucepan (I use my mother-in-law’s old copper-bottomed Revereware dutch oven), along with the sugar-pectin mixture. Give it a good stir and turn up the heat to high. Continue to stir until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. What that means is that as you continue to stir, the mixture continues to boil. If you stir and the boiling bubbles subside, it’s not there yet.

When you get to the full rolling boil (usually takes about five minutes on my stove), carefully add the rest of the sugar (the 3-3/4 cups) and stir. BE CAREFUL! Working with anything this hot requires caution. Stir the mixture gently until it comes back to a full rolling boil (usually less than five minutes). Now check your watch or the kitchen clock, and boil and stir for exactly one minute, then shut off the burner.

Immediately ladle the hot mixture into one of your jars, leaving about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of space between the level of the fruit and the lip of the jar. Do not fill all the way to the top, and do not leave too much space. Using the lint-free cloth dipped in water and rung out, wipe the lip of the jar. It must be perfectly clean (water droplets are okay) in order to seal. Now place a flat metal lid (shake the water off) on the jar, and screw the metal ring onto that. Immediately turn the jar upside down on the newspaper.

Working quickly, repeat the process until your jars are filled. If you have not quite enough to fill the last jar properly, don’t worry. You will just keep that jar in your fridge and use it first (it’ll probably be gone that same day!). Wait five minutes, then turn your jars right side up and allow them to cool, undisturbed and out of any drafts. Eventually you will hear a satisfying “pop” as the jars seal. In a couple of hours, check your seals by pressing down on the flat metal lid. If there is any play in the lid, your jar may not have sealed and you should put it in the fridge rather than on the pantry shelf.

Caveat: The instructions inside the Sure-Jel package call for you to process the jars in a boiling water bath. This involves setting a rack inside a very large stock pot, filling with water, and boiling the filled, sealed jars of jam for ten or fifteen minutes. Honestly, I don’t do this. The turning-the-jars-upside-down method is an older technique that I’ve been using for years. Strawberries, and other fruits, have a high acid content that naturally inhibits growth of any nasty stuff.

You should make the decision whether to do further processing based on your comfort level. If you’re really worried, you could always just keep your jars in the fridge. They will last a long time.

And that’s it! Ever wanted to try canning? Once you get the hang of it, it’s not scary or intimidating, and the results are so worth it. Let me know if you have any questions about the process. If you’re not interested in canning, tell me about your local farm stand or your favorite place to buy fresh fruits and veggies.

Recipe Repost

Happy Thursday, Scribe peeps. Suze here. I’m working on the second book in my mystery series (more about that coming soon!) and I’m a bit short on time, so I thought I’d bring back a classic post from a while back. Like a fine leftover, I hope you enjoy it even more the second time around!

When is a fiction book not just a fiction book?  How about when it contains recipes, or knitting patterns, or the directions for some other craft project mentioned somewhere within the story?

There are lots of  fiction books out there that do this.  It’s very prevalent in cozy mysteries, many of which feature a sleuth who has some special skill or occupation that assists her in solving the crime.  There are mysteries based on/in catering, knitting, embroidery, gardening, a coffee house, a cookie store, an apple orchard, and even a cheese shop.

And it isn’t just mysteries.  Debbie Macomber, who is an avid knitter, sometimes includes patterns at the end of her romances.

Bonus material like this can be a lot of fun, and might help an author sell more books.  But these things must be done . . . delicately . . . as the Wicked Witch might say.   I’m reading a mystery right now where there are numerous references to a particular dish.  It’s clearly a clue, but that recipe is inexplicably not included with other recipes at the end of the book.  (I admit it.  I peeked.)   There’s another series where it seems the author really wants to write a cookbook — it’s long on recipes (some of which are quite yummy), but the story is a bit thin.

Lots of authors do manage to make the process seamless.  Personally, I’m waiting for some bonus material to appear in a police procedural (“How to Tap a Phone Line”), or paranormal (“Summoning Entities for Fun and Profit”) or steamy romance (Instructions for  . . . use your imagination!).

What about you?  Do you love or hate the extras?  Do you ever actually make the food or craft?  Here’s a little takeaway for you — the recipe for Tomato Cocktail, via my mother-in-law’s recipe box:

King Family Tomato Cocktail – makes about 1 quart

1 heaping quart of ripe, juicy tomatoes, roughly chopped (support your local farmstand, please!)

2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

1 small onion (or half a large onion), roughly chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 whole cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place everything into a pot and simmer 40 minutes. Let cool, then run it through a food mill to extract the skins, seeds and cloves. If you don’t have a food mill (mine is straight out of the 1950s, inherited from my mom-in-law), you can strain the whole mixture into a bowl through a colander, pushing the juice through with the back of a spoon, or just fish out the cloves and run everything through a blender or food processor (you’ll get more texture this way). Chill, stir, and enjoy. You might enjoy it more if you add some vodka, Worcestershire, and hot sauce! I like to make a double or triple batch in the summer and freeze in zippie bags for the winter. This also makes a delicious hot tomato soup to go with your grilled cheese.

Candy Crush–Cereal Killer Cookies

Hey, all, Suze here. As some of you may know, I write mysteries. Culinary cozy mysteries. I can’t talk much about my own current project just yet, but I can talk about other writers in the genre. So I’ve decided to start a new feature here at the Scribes.  Once a month or so I will introduce you to a cozy mystery author and prepare a recipe (or craft project) from one of her books. Sound like fun?

Book 17, coming in August

I’m starting off with one of my all-time faves, the Queen of the Culinary Cozies, Diane Mott Davidson. (Click here for a Wiki link) Diane’s series stars an espresso-swilling Colorado caterer named Gertrude “Goldy” Bear Schultz. Like her fairy tale namesake Goldilocks, she just can’t seem to keep her nose out of the business of the inhabitants of the upscale mountain town of Aspen Meadow. In each book she is called upon to cater an affair for the town’s snooty rich contingent, somebody gets killed, and Goldy finds a reason to get involved–even though her husband, Tom, a big yummy hunk of a local cop, repeatedly tells her to stay out of it. With the help of her zaftig moneybags BFF, Marla, and her assistant, aspiring chef Julian, Goldy always solves the mystery and delivers some of the most luscious recipes out there. Here’s one, from The Cereal Murders, book 3 in this long-running series:

Cereal Killer Cookies

2¼ cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 6-ounce packages almond brickle chips (Bits O’ Brickle or Heath Toffee chips)
1 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the oats with the brickle chips. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. In a food processor mix the sugars until blended, then gradually add butter. Continue to process until creamy and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and process until blended. Add the flour mixture and process just until combined. Pour this mixture over the oats and brickle chips and stir until well combined. Using a 2-tablespoon measure, measure out scoops of dough and place at least 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on racks.
Makes 4 to 5 dozen

Suze’s Notes: The one tablespoon of vanilla is not a mistake. For me, this recipe made four dozen chewy cookies, plus one, not counting the raw cookie dough I ate. I used a silicone baking mat and left the cookies in for about 9 minutes because I was using the convection feature on my oven. I took them out when they were browned around the edges but still slightly gooey in the center, then left them on the cookie tray to set up before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

This recipe is a delicious twist on the classic oatmeal scotchie. Even the non-oatmeal-cookie-loving Crown Prince of Hardydom conceded that they were “pretty good,” as he grabbed another off the plate. Consensus around the Hardy house is that this recipe is a keeper!

Have you tried any new recipes lately? Do you have a series you’d like to see me feature?

Immortality and Mortality by Vivienne Ylang

Hello, hello, hello Scribey people!  Vivienne Ylang here.   Like J Monkeys, I’m a big hat wearer.  Not physical head coverings so much as the multiple-responsibilities kinds of hats.  It’s a constant struggle for me, and I have to admit, one that I have been losing.

One of the reasons I write (other than to flush these extra folks out of my head) is a quest for immortality.  I’m not seeking fame or fortune (although they’d be nice) so much as a place in history.  That’s what I’m working toward, even though I’m not there yet.  So when my other responsibilities (and as a wife and mother there are dozens of them!) take up my time and energy, my personal dreams of immortality get shoved to the way side.  I know this is a common problem for moms.  We put everyone else first and ourselves last.

So while I’m aware that I’m short-changing myself creatively, I’m also short-changing my self when it comes to my health.  My mortality is rearing it’s ugly head.  Not in any particular way, but over the last few years, I’ve taken a good look at myself in the mirror and been unhappy with the reflection.  I’m sedentary (I loathe exercise) and overweight (there’s a different “O” word that I should really be using, but I can’t manage to type it.)  Shudder. 

Weight isn’t a new struggle for me and over my lifetime, I’ve tried every diet out there.  I never manage to stick to them for very long.  Four years ago, I was quite successful with a very extreme diet (daily shots of HCG and 500 calories per day – under doctor supervision) and I kept the 40 pounds off for more than 2 years, but a change in stressors at home had me hitting Dairy Queen daily.  Ice cream is my heroin.  Well, sweets in general.  And pastries.  You get the idea

I know a lot of folks struggle in these same ways, and being writers we like to share our experiences, so I thought I’d share mine this past week.  I was watching Dr. Oz last week and I was really struck by a couple of folks he had on talking about various cleanses.  Three day cleanses as it turned out.  I may have trouble sticking to a diet program, but surely I can manage three days!  I convinced my long-suffering husband to do them with me.  God bless that man – he’s awesome!

We (ok, I) chose to do the Clean Gut cleanse designed by Dr. Alejandro Junger and the Juice Cleanse by Joe Cross.  At the same time, my long-time bestie had suggested the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis.  So I’ve been reading these books and I’m now in the midst of these two cleanses.  My goal for this week is to start to get off sugar and junk food.  It’s terrible for me and I’m definitely addicted to it. 

So, the Clean Gut cleanse was pretty easy.  Just a smoothie for breakfast, a fistful of supplements meant to fix the problems in my dirty (?) gut and sensible meals the rest of the day.  It wasn’t too hard, except for the smoothie.  My son called it the salad-smoothie.  It shouldn’t have been too awful – a banana, blueberries, spinach, almond milk, some  protein powder and vinegar.  The vinegar gave it a definite tang.  But it was the protein powder that caused the problem.  You had to drink this thing fast.  Within 90 seconds of completion in the Magic Bullet it turned from something pourable into a pudding.  A green, lumpy, sandy, tangy pudding.  I was not a fan.

But I choked it down and at the end of 3 days, here are my results: I lost 4.5 pounds and 3.5 inches.  In three days!  Hubby was up a pound and didn’t lose any inches, but they are redistributed to muscly areas, like arms and legs.  His hips and waist were down.  All in all, not bad for so short a time.  The best part is that we both noticed an increase in energy – the 2pm sluggishness (or in my case, nap) was gone.  I’m usually plagued with wicked nasty acid reflux at night, hitting the pepto chewables three or more times a week.  Not the last few days.  

Yesterday we made juice.  I mean, for like four hours.  It took forever but now my fridge is full of 5 different juices for each of us over the next three days, vacuumed with my Foodsaver to preserve freshness.  Isn’t that pretty?  I particularly like the rainbow one.  So far, I’ve drank the breakfast juice – apple, carrot and ginger.  It was very gingery, but way better than the salad smoothie.  I’ll post the final results in the reply on Saturday am.

In addition to doing these cleanses to address the mortality issue, I’ve also worked hard this week to find 15 minutes each day to write.  I was successful on Monday, not so much Tuesday or Wednesday, but I’m signing off here and heading back the world of Sometimes right now. (It’s Thursday am.)

When it comes to secrets, what’s yours?  How do you stay in shape?  Is longevity important to you?

Topped Chef–Interview with Author Lucy Burdette

 

Hey, everyone, Suze here. This week I’m thrilled that mystery author Lucy Burdette is back to chat with us. I’m even more that she has a new book coming out in just a few days. Topped Chef, Book 3 in the wonderful Key West Food Critic series, releases on May 7. Here’s what Lucy has to say:

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a clinical psychologist and the author of eleven mysteries (eight of them written as Roberta Isleib.) I love to eat, talk, and write food, and I spend part of the year in Key West. Throw in a couple of cats, and all that combines very nicely in the Key West food critic mystery series.

Tell us about your latest book, Topped Chef.

Topped Chef is the third book in the Key West series–which I am having an absolute ball writing! In this installment, Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow is tapped as a judge on a reality TV  cooking show. But when another judge turns up murdered, she must figure  out who’s taking the contest too seriously before she becomes the next  victim.

If you were casting a movie, who would play the characters in your Key West Food Critic series?

I am dreadful at casting movies and if this dream of one of my books becoming a film ever comes true, I will leave the details to the professionals. That said, I would love to cast Amy Adams as Hayley, and Meryl Streep as her mother! There is a drag queen character in this book too–for that I would suggest using the actual person, Randy Thompson. He’s a fabulous performer!

How do you market your books? Do you have any marketing advice for our readers?

Oh sigh, this is so hard because you can get sucked into the vortex of marketing and forget to write. I use Facebook (www.facebook.com/lucyburdette), Twitter in a half-hearted way (www.twitter.com/lucyburdette), Pinterest for generating book ideas and collecting food photos (www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib), and I blog with two wonderful groups of writers, Mystery Lovers Kitchen (www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Jungle Red Writers (www.jungleredwriters.com). When I’m approaching a book launch, I do as many guest posts as I can to spread the word. I try pitching magazines and radio shows. And since there is nothing better than talking with real readers in person, I schedule appearances at book stores, libraries, and conferences. And I also have a website: www.lucyburdette.com

Do you see what I mean about that vortex??

My advice is to pick a few of the many promotional options–the ones that suit your personality–and ignore the rest. And start early. And have fun at it! And try to give something to the readers–they won’t come back if your posts and updates are all about you and your newest release.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a little of both. I have to turn in a synopsis to my editor at NAL as part of my contract. But it usually turns out that when I begin writing, the book takes all kinds of U-turns in unexpected directions–which can be exhilarating, but also scary. In the book I’m writing now (or should be), the plot is kicking my butt.

How long does it take you to turn out a draft of a book? Is it an easy–or agonizing–process?

For this series, I have about nine months in between books. The first draft is always agonizing. While rewrites to me are fun!

What made you want to write cozy mysteries? Who are some of your favorite authors?

I’ve always read mysteries and I don’t like gore and violence so this genre is a natural for me. My first culinary mystery idol was Diane Mott Davidson. You might be able to imagine how thrilled I was to land a blurb from her about AN APPETITE FOR MURDER: “What fun! Lucy Burdette writes evocatively about Key West and food–a winning combination. I can’t wait for the next entry in this charming series.” DMD  Wow!

When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to spend your time?

I’m a huge reader, of women’s fiction as well as mysteries. I enjoy cooking, my pets, spending time with my family, and enough exercise to overcome the effects of all that good food.

How do you battle the Doubt Monster? We define the Doubt Monster as: the nagging feeling that your prose is terrible, your plot is silly, your characters are insipid, and no one in her right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.

My best advice on that came from my writing pal Hallie Ephron: Hold your nose and write. You can’t fix something that isn’t written! And I love my writer friends who understand how hard this work is–they are always available with a crying towel if needed…

What’s next for you? What are you working on now?

I’m in the middle of MURDER WITH GANACHE, the fourth Key West food critic mystery, which will be out in February 2014. The deadline is barreling down upon me! thanks so much for inviting me to visit! And best of luck with your writing Suze !

Thanks, Lucy! Lucy’s on her way to Malice Domestic today, but she’ll pop in from time to time and answer your questions.

You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish

Hey, Scribelings. Suze here. It’s been a little crazy chez Hardy lately, and I’ve been super busy getting ready for a trip to St. Louis. Yup, I’m going to see the Mississippi for the first time. In fact, next week I’ll be posting from somewhere near the Arch. So stop back and see if, after too many free samples at the Anheuser-Busch brewery, I’ve managed to smuggle an adorable Clydesdale foal–or even better one of those hot St. Louis Cardinal baseball players–into my luggage.

Now that spring is here, my To-Do list and corresponding Honey-Do list have grown. Near the top of that list is “eat healthier and get some exercise.” As writers and readers you know we spend a lot of time with our butts in our chairs (unless you’re one of those coordinated people who can use a cool treadmill desk). So today I thought I’d give you a yummy, no-cook recipe for warm spring and summer days. It’s nice as a lunch on its own or as a side dish with grilled anything. Enjoy while I get back to my packing and planning!

Suze’s Bean and Tuna Salad

• 3 medium or 2 large stalks celery, washed, dried, and chopped
• 1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again
• 1 can (5 oz) water-packed tuna, drained (save the tuna water for the cat!)
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried dill, or a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

Stir celery, beans, and tuna together. In a separate small bowl, mix Old Bay Seasoning, dill and lemon juice or vinegar. While continuing to whisk, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Pour dressing over bean mixture and toss gently. Add freshly cracked black pepper to taste. You can add salt if you want to, but I find it usually doesn’t need it. Tastes best at room temperature.

Serve in a hollowed-out ripe tomato, or on  a bed of romaine lettuce. Instead of tuna, you can also use cooked, cubed chicken or cooked, chopped shrimp.

What’s your favorite go-to recipe when time is short and the weather is warm? If you don’t cook, what are you reading now? I’ll need something to take on the plane.

Big Fat Faddy’s

Hiddey Ho, Scribblers!  J Monkeys here.  Is there a special food in your life?  One that’s hard to come by? One that on those occasions when it is available, you find that you suspend normal food rules and just gorge yourself?  I do.

Now, I’m an ice cream and pastry girl.  You can keep your salty snacks and rich foods, I love me the ice cream.  Ben & Jerry and I are unusually close.  It’s nice that they sell their frozen gold in those pint sized single serving containers.  Has anyone ever gotten four helpings out of a pint of Chubby Hubby?  That’s just laughable!  In fact, I’ll be taking a tour of the B&J factory on my birthday – how cool is that?!

I also love pie.  Fruit pies, in particular, but pumpkin (I guess it’s technically a fruit – got seeds inside and all), chocolate cream, pecan, coconut cream…mmm, mm, mmmmm!  My favorite uncle used to say that his favorite kind of pie was whatever one sat in front of him.

And I’m often moved to consume all kinds of pastry.  Surprisingly, I don’t love cake.  I like frosting…but the cake’s gotta be something special for me to bother with it.

But my most treasured treat is one where the supply is spotty and inconveniently located: Faddy’s donuts.  Faddy’s has an apple cider donut that is piping hot, covered in cinnamon-sugar, crispy on the outside and cakey on the inside.  OMG – I gotta tell ya, it’s even better than a Krispy Kreme (also very hard to come by in my neck of the woods.)

But, Faddy’s has an outdoor donut-makin’ truck in front of Cabela’s in East Hartford, CT.  That’s a 30 minute drive for me, completely out of the way of my normal haunts.  My family likes to browse at Cabela’s but not more than a couple of times a year.  And the truck isn’t always there, or always open.  For example, my hubby (not chubby!) and I were at Cabela’s a couple of weeks ago but Faddy’s wasn’t open.  It was cold, rainy and a Tuesday morning which is probably why the outdoor truck wasn’t operating at full donut speed.  We somehow managed to live with our disappointment. 

But today (Oh Happy Day!) my hubby went back to Cabela’s after work (somewhat more convenient than going from home) because they had failed to remove the anti-theft tag from his new coat.  Joy of Joy’s – he brought home a dozen Faddy’s (still warm!) and a now tag-free coat. 

We waited until the kids were safely in bed and then devoured a half a dozen each.  Delicious – although now I feel a little bit…full.  Don’t think too badly of us for not sharing – one of my sons is allergic to wheat.  He can’t eat one and it wouldn’t be fair to give one to his twin. 

Now – I just learned (when Googling for this post) that Faddy’s is opening some kind of donut and ice cream shoppe in Bloomfield Ct.   Here’s the link – if you are in the area, it definitely worth a stop. 

What does this have to do with writing, you ask.  Not much – although now that I think about it, you might want to know what kinds of foods your characters like, things like that. 

Today’s Secret: Faddy’s – not a secret any more!  Donut delight!

Today’s Question: do you have a food like this?  One that you can only get sometimes?  Suz told me about some kind of fresh Upstate NY cheese curd that has to be tried while still on the farm for the full effect…

Yummy Love: Interview with Author Kimberly Kincaid

Hello, Scribes Fans. Do you like food? Do you like love? Then I have the perfect author for you. Kimberly combines the two in her delicious foodie romances. LOVE ON THE LINE is available right now for a great price. But before you run out and buy your copy check out Kimberly’s great interview. 

1. How do you battle the doubt monster? Doubt Monster: the nagging feeling while writing, that your prose is terrible, you plot is silly, your characters are insipid and no-one in their right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.
Oh, Doubty and I go way back! I edit. A lot. And I do it as I write. Watching my drafts go from fumbling to fantastic (and they all start out fumbling) is really self-affirming. And it helps banish that doubt. I also have amazing critique partners who tell me straight-up what needs help.
2. Why Foodie romance? What drew you to it?

Honestly, I love to eat. I come from a big Italian family, and I married into a big Italian family. We have lots of food traditions, and I live by the mantra that “food is love”. It wasn’t a stretch for me to make my characters feel the same way.

3. What is the most surprising thing that has happened in your writing career?

I am continually surprised by the journey. But I think the thing that threw me the most was selling my Pine Mountain foodie series twelve hours before I left for Nationals last year. I can honestly say I was SO not expecting that phone call. It changed the whole trip for me!

4. What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?
Probably shrivel up, really. No, let’s see. I am a certified fitness instructor, so I’d likely be in mind-body wellness. As much as I love food, it takes some serious grace-under-pressure mettle to be a chef. I could never do it!
5. They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere. What is yours? What is it about? What makes it terrible? Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?
I can’t leave a story undone. Ever. So I actually have two totally completed, absolutely terrible books under my bed! My first manuscript ever, and my third (my second is the one that snagged my agent!) They’re terribly written—it was before I knew anything about craft or pacing or plotting or…well, anything. But I love them both because they remind me how to write because I love it.
6. Who are your favorite authors?
I hope there’s a lot of room on this list. Aside from my critique partners (Tracy Brogan, Jennifer McQuiston, Alyssa Alexander, Robin Covington and Avery Flynn), I adore Amanda Usen (fellow foodie author!), Susan Donovan, Bella Andre, Kieran Kramer, JR Ward, Kristen Callihan, Julie James, Louisa Edwards…honestly, I could go on all day!
7. What was your biggest mis-step in your writing career so far?
Probably that when I started writing, I queried too fast. I didn’t get the process of editing (and editing, and editing some more) before sending my manuscript out to agents. But I learned quickly!
8. Do you have a word related pet peeve?
The word “um” rattles me when spoken. And I could do without the word “whatever” for the rest of my life.
9. What is your junk food of choice?
I am going to totally out myself. Fritos. They are my crack. The big scoop-shaped ones, with a giant bowl of chili? I could eat that every day and die happy.
10. What’s the most dangerous or risky thing that you’ve done?
Despite being very outgoing, I am very cautious. I don’t like risks! No jumping out of airplanes for this girl. No bungee jumping. No tightrope walking. Just not for me!
11. What is your guilty pleasure? {Remember: this is a ‘G’ rated blog! }
Reading in the bathtub. I do it weekly. I just sit and soak and read til I turn pruny. It’s awesome.
12. What’s next for you? Upcoming projects? Life events? Anything you would like to share or brag about?
I have a companion novella to Love On The Line coming out in the early summer (title TBD, but it’s Jason’s story). I also have an anthology coming out in October with Kensington to kick off my Pine Mountain foodie series, called The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap. Then the full novels will follow starting in early 2014. I’ll also be at RT in May and RWA Nationals in July. Come over and say hi!

Thanks for stopping by, Kimberly! If you want to learn more about her you can find her at these places:

www.kimberlykincaid.com

http://www.amazon.com/Love-On-The-Line-ebook/dp/B00BL77PKO/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_H542

www.facebook.com/Kimberly.kincaid1

And on Twitter @kimberlykincaid

And if you still haven’t gotten your copy of LOVE ON THE LINE here’s an excerpt to convince you to run out and get one.

As soon as Noah got behind her, the smell of coconuts and warm sand filled his senses, delivering a crystal clear image to his brain. His heart slammed in his ribcage, and without thinking, he cupped Violet’s elbow and swung her around, so tight to his body that he felt her gasp as much as heard it.
“You were in my hospital room yesterday. Before I woke up.”
“I…I—”
But he barreled on, the memory as bright and vivid as if it had just happened a minute ago. “Your hair was braided, on your shoulders, and you were wearing a…a bracelet that sounded like wind chimes. You said the doctor was coming. It was you.”
The fan of her gold-tipped lashes fluttered wide, and the warm puff of her breath heated his cheek as she nodded. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I was looking for Jason, but I didn’t think you’d wake up.”
Noah shook his head to quell her apology. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, his resolve locking into place, and Violet went utterly still against him.
“It doesn’t?”
“No. You’re the first thing I’ve been able to remember since I got shot in the first place. In fact, you’re the only thing I can remember since I got shot.”

 Kimberly will be stopping by to answer all your questions. Please say hi!

Why Don’t You Cooperate?

Hi, all. Suze here. Welcome!

A couple of weeks ago, I learned a new word! And I’m about to use it in a sentence.

If you want to succeed in the writing business, don’t be afraid of cooperatition.

What’s cooperatition, you ask? Well, clearly it’s an amalgam of cooperation and competition. I’m crossing the border into Jennifer Fusco/Market or Die territory, here. The theory is that if two individuals/businesses are providing the same or substantially similar services, if they work together both will benefit–even if they are in competition with each other for the same customers. Ever hear the expression A rising tide lifts all ships? Same principle. Need a movie reference to understand it better? How about Miracle on 34th Street, when Mr. Macy and Mr. Gimbel send customers to each other’s store if their own doesn’t carry a requested item? Good will abounds and sales go through the roof. As Charlie Sheen might say: Winning!

Make no mistake: Writers are in competition with each other. But it’s much more subtle than, say, the rivalry between Pepsi and Coke or Microsoft and Apple. Writers compete with each other for spots on a publisher’s roster, for the attention of an agent, and for readers who have only so much time and so much money to spend on books.

But readers are the most wonderful kind of repeat consumers. They don’t buy/read just one book a year. And if readers see that an author promotes other authors and behaves professionally and enthusiastically toward them, they will think better of the writer for being a decent person who loves her craft. Theoretically, that translates into sales. As a consumer, I don’t buy products from jerks if I can possibly help it. And that goes for books and authors too!

Here are some ideas for practicing cooperatition with other authors with whom you share a readership (or potential readership):

1. Partner with someone. Example: Kristan Higgins and Jill Shalvis and their Facebook Man Wars. If you’re not familiar with Man Wars, check out these two authors on Facebook–once a week or so they choose a theme (men in uniform, Australian guys), post pictures of the hottest possible guys, and write funny, sexy captions. And they’re usually zinging each other in a friendly way. This technique promotes their brand (romance and hot guys) and engages readers with new content all day long–with nary a sales promotion in sight.
2. Promote other authors–especially those with products similar to yours.  Offer congratulations on Facebook and Twitter when a colleague hits a bestseller list or releases a new book. Leave positive reviews on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads. Hopefully, they’ll do the same for you. Even if they don’t, you’ve still put a lot of Macy’s/Gimbel’s-style goodwill out into the universe–and the universe tends to notice things like that.
3. Assemble a group of authors into a partnership that is about more than sales. Example: Jungle Red Writers bills itself as “The View. With bodies.” These mystery/crime fiction authors often talk about timely topics in a panel-type format. I think it’s brilliant! Yes, their books are mentioned, and links abound, but there is plenty of non-sales content as well. Another example: Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. These writers of culinary mysteries post new recipes every day–again, promoting their brand and providing new content for readers. And if readers like one author’s books, they’ll probably like–and buy–the others.

What do you think about cooperatition? Do you have any ideas to add to the list above? We’d love to hear about it!

How to Choose a Writer’s Conference

PJ here, happy to be on the East coast and back in my own bed…ahhhh. After doing this writing thing for a while, I’ve been to quite a few writer’s conferences, and I wanted to share my experience on how to choose the “right” conference for you. If you belong to RWA or a similar writer’s organization, you probably get inundated with lots of options. Here are a few things to think about.

Location/Accommodations: Check out the hotel venue and make sure the location is some place you’d like to stay for a few days. A bad night’s sleep, disappointing food, or poor quality hospitality can really put a damper on your stay. It’s worth visiting the hotel’s website and checking out their reviews. Make plans for car rental and recreational activities ahead of time so you don’t get there with hopes of visiting a locale on your “down time” only to find that you can’t get a car rental on short notice or the place you want to visit is closed. Although you are going for business, one of the perks of traveling is enjoying the sights along the way. Also, check to see what is around your hotel. Are there local restaurants and shopping within walking distance? Is there a gym? An indoor pool? Are you next to a train yard, airport, or in a bad section of the city? Some of these things may not be important to you, but if they are, make sure you know what you are paying for ahead of time. Scope out your hotel and surrounding area on Google maps.

Price: Is it affordable and worth the money for what you are getting? Are meals included? Are the speakers well known and knowledgeable? Is it worth your time, money, and effort? Remember to consider your loss of income while you’re away from your day job, and factor in any accrued costs such as wardrobe, entertainment, and additional travel fees (taxis, trains, buses etc.). Remember to save all receipts for tax purposes.

Focus of conference: Does the conference offer workshops that will help you further your career goals? If you are a newer writer, make sure there are craft workshops geared to what you’d like to learn. If you are seeking publication, are there opportunities to meet with agents and editors to pitch your story? Agent and editor panels offer a great opportunity to ask questions, find out what they are looking for, and hear the latest about the industry from publishing professionals. If you are a published author, do they offer promotion, marketing, and business oriented workshops? Interested in self-pubbing? Do they offer the most updated information available in this rapidly growing and changing aspect of the industry? If you are participating in a book signing, how successful have previous years been and how many readers can you expect to see? Shipping books is expensive, so ask for clear answers about realistic expectations. My experience is that print books don’t sell all that well at conferences and I rarely recoup the cost of shipping. I can see e-books being the way to go for future signings.

Networking: Conferences are a wonderful place to meet like-minded individuals and make professional contacts that you might never have the chance to meet otherwise. Don’t stalk the agents and editors but research them and know who you’d like to make a connection with. Make the effort to sit next to them at lunch or dinner (or in the bar). Be ready to talk intelligently about your work. Be prepared with a SHORT pitch of your WIP. Create a one or two sentence summary (log line) of what your story is about. The most common question asked at conferences is “What do you write?” The second most common question is “What is your story about?” Have an answer memorized and ready, and confidently smile as you give them your brief spiel. Don’t monopolize their time, but use the time wisely. If you get tongue tied and start rambling or their eyes begin to glaze over, stop talking and ask them a question about something unrelated. Where are you from? Are you a writer, too? Do you love baseball, zumba, pole dancing? Something that will put you at ease and take the heat off of you until you can collect yourself and get comfortable enough not to sound like an idiot. These are just people, but they are professionals and are there to FIND YOU! Respect their time, but don’t let your fear stop you from putting yourself out there.

Quality Speakers: I cannot stress this enough. Do some research on the speakers. What are their publishing/professional credentials? Just because they are there, doesn’t mean they are interesting, entertaining, or an expert in their field. Have they done this workshop before? How many times? Ask around to other writers and check out the websites of your presenters. If they don’t have a professional website that is engaging and informative, it might be an indicator that they aren’t all that well organized.

Organization: If you’ve ever participated in organizing a conference, you know about the gazillion moving parts and the army of people it takes to put on a seamless production. Of course there are always things that go wrong or details that get missed, but overall, organizers want it to be a good experience for everyone and they want attendees to return year after year to support the effort. If they don’t return e-mails, or answer your questions clearly up front, chances are the conference won’t be much better organized than the individuals running it. Conferences are generally a way for organizations to make money to support writers and their endeavors, so organizers (who are all volunteers, so be patient and kind to these people) are invested in making your conference experience successful. If there are suggestions you have for improvements, be sure to share them with conference organizers.

Image courtesy of Petr Kratochvil http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=3421&picture=apples-and-pears

And last but not least, Food: You might have to contact the conference organizers for this information, but it’s worth asking about the menu ahead of time. If you have dietary restrictions or just want to make sure that some healthy selections are available, it’s worth the added effort to ensure that your needs are known ahead of time. You also have the option of doing a bit of shopping when you get settled in and stocking your hotel room refrigerator (make sure one is available in your room when you book your reservation) with fruit, yogurt, water, etc. so you can avoid the breakfast buffets that offer all those yummy bagels, pastries, muffins, and such. Will there be adequate chocolate selection at breaks? Just sayin’.

Unlocked Secret: Do your research, guys. There are enough choices for quality conferences around the country and your educational dollars are valuable, so make them count and get the most of your experience.

I hope to see you all at the RWA National convention in Atlanta this summer. It’s shaping up to be a fabulous time!

Any other tips for our readers to help them find a quality conference? What has been your favorite conference experience? Any funny experiences you’d like to share from the “trenches”?