Today I’m guest blogging with Casey Crow who is “sexy, sassy and southern” and I can vouch for that. She is all three as well as a wicked cool friend. Hop on by and say hello for a chance to win a digital copy of Solo Honeymoon. There IS a catch though, you have to tell me your favorite kind of cheesecake. http://www.caseycrow.com/blog/
Posted in Writing | Tags: casey crow, cheesecake, Jillian Chantal, Siren Book Strand, Solo Honeymoon
Jillian: Please welcome to my blog the fabulous Danielle Thorne- Danielle is a member of the Desert Breeze Publishing family with me. She is one of the cool kids and I’m thrilled she came by to visit us today. She has a just released Regency book called Josette. She also has a bit of a sweet tooth and is sharing a mint brownie recipe with us. I mean, really, who can resist a chocolate brownie laced with peppermint patties? Wow, I’m salivating just thinking about it. Thanks for coming by today, Danielle!
Danielle: Hi Jillian! Happy Holidays, and thank you for letting me stop by on the 2010 Goodie Tour and share some unique recipes with you. Today I have a mint lover’s dream dessert to share. I cut this out of magazine many years ago, and I love to use it for parties and dinners. It’s rich and super minty!
MINT SENSATIONAL BROWNIE RECIPE
3 sticks of melted butter
3 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of cocoa
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
24 chocolate-covered peppermint patties
Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan. In a large bowl, stir sugar, butter and vanilla. Add eggs. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Reserve two cups of batter. Spread remaining batter in greased pan and then layer the peppermint patties one half inch apart on top of the batter. Spread the reserved two cups of batter over the patties. Bake 50 minutes or until sides pull away from the pan. Cool completely. Cut into squares.
Sweet reads go great with sweet desserts, so if you’re looking for a sweet get away this month, check out my just released Regency romance, JOSETTE.
Josette Price sees her future in Beddingfield Park, while her brother, George, needlessly pursues a naval career. But dark, brooding Captain Carter rides into their lives with news that ruins everything: George has been lost at sea. Only Captain Carter and his delightfully spinsterish relatives can stop the Price sisters from making a choice that would be the greatest tragedy of all.
Available in Print or Ebook Edition at Amazon:
Read the first four chapters free!
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/31982
Have a sweet holiday!
Danielle Thorne
Find out more about Me!
www.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com
Posted in Writing | Tags: Brownie, Danielle Thorne, Desert Breeze Publishing, Josette, recipes, Regency Romance, York Peppermint Patties
Usually, every week, I have Wordless Wednesday but tomorrow, I’ll have a special guest. She’s another writer and she’s an awesome cook. I’ve invited her here to share a recipe with you and a little about herself and her writing. I hope you’ll come by and visit. Since we will be saying words on Wednesday, I’m going to celebrate Wordless Wednesday on Silent Saturday. Hope you’ll join me then.
I’m keeping my guest a secret til tomorrow! Pop back in and check her out.
Posted in Uncategorized
I’ve been wanting to blog about this for a few days but went out of town and when I got back, I was working on some edits and some work for the day job. This is the first chance I’ve gotten to bring this up.
I follow several editors and agents on Twitter. Mostly for information about what’s going on w/the industry but some of them are quite witty and others tweet about other things that interest me besides the publishing industry.
I was a little surprised when one of these people tweeted last week (and I’m paraphrasing here) that he/she didn’t like to invite people to hang out or socialize as it could lead to that person getting false hopes for representation or publication. In just a few seconds, another editor/agent chimed in- echoing the sentiment.
My first thought was that the level of arrogance was unreal. Spectacular even. I was stunned that these people thought they were so important that people would only want to be friendly to them if they thought it would lead to a contract. Then it dawned on me that it was really spectacularly sad. At least to me it was. They may think they’re too important to be friendly, but I think it’s tragic.
I would hate to go through my life thinking people only wanted to be around me for what I could give them. To think there was no way someone would want to socialize with me because I’m charming and fun to be around, but only because they want a publishing deal. Sad, sad, sad.
I’m not an award winning writer and may never be, but I am a pretty big deal in my day job. I’m a well known/respected lawyer with a lot of years of experience in a very specialized field. I’m always available to chat with people (even strangers) about legal issues. I wrote a training manual for the Florida Bar (under my real name) that’s in its 6th edition and I get calls from all over the state from lawyers with questions (some of them call even from outside a courtroom while in the middle of trial). I’ve also served as an expert witness numerous times.
I’ve never felt too good to talk to people- nor have I ever felt I was superior to them. We are all people deserving of respect. It doesn’t take anything away from me for me to share my knowledge. Nor does it make me feel that people only like me for what I can offer them.
I find those tweets I was privy to last week to be very disturbing. The publishing industry is tough and is small; just like the legal community. It’s sad that the same level of camaraderie can’t be reached. I’ve duked it out in court many a time, left the building and joined opposing counsel for lunch. Wonder why that’s so hard for agents and editors? We, the great unwashed, undeserving hoi polloi, just like to have fun sometimes sans ulterior motive.
I was too tired when I got home Friday evening to think about a Friday Fact- so, this Friday Fact is a Saturday Fact instead. Today’s fact is Hodad. Anyone know what a hodad is?? And no, a hodad is not the father of one of the women you might see on the streets of New Orleans (do you like how I slid in that New Orleans reference since I just got back from there?)
I thought this would be a good fact to bring up since I recently sold my book entitled Surfer Bride, to SirenBookStrand.
A Hodad is a wanna be surfer. Usually someone that hangs out at the beach and acts like they can surf when they actually have never been on a board, or maybe have been on one and can’t stand up on it or can’t ride very well. Being called a hodad is not a compliment.
If you’re a newbie, a true surfer soul will help you learn to surf well. If the surf crowd sees you over and over at the beach and you just hang about acting cool, they can spot you for a fake and you’re done for!! Luckily, the writers I have met are a lot more tolerant of newbies and will help in any way they can and won’t call you out as a fake!! LOL!
There are actually several beach bars in this country called Hodad’s. Wonder how many non-surfers get what it means? I bet not a lot. 
Posted in Friday Facts | Tags: beach, Friday Facts, hodad, New Orleans, Siren Book Strand, Surfer, Surfer Bride
My annual trip to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert is today. I have court this morning and then my 2 friends and I are off to New Orleans for the concert. It’ll be a wonderful time. I’m in the fan club so we aways get floor seats and great ones at that. The band is amazing and we love them. They have a huge fire, laser and light show. So cool- well, hot really- esp the fire. My one friend, Corona Mona, always wears her sunglasses. She’s so funny wearing them at night in an arena. I really think they need a warning on the doors for people with epilepsy. The strobe lights can be very intense. It’s a grand time.
One of my friends that has never been to a TSO concert always comments that I’m going to see Mannheim SteamRoller. UH-NO!! Totally different. TOTALLY!!!! Geez.
The other fun thing we’ll do is shop a bit on Friday. There’s this wonderful little bookstore in the Quarter that I love. The books are all turned this way and that and stacked to the ceilings. My claustrophobia kicks in a bit in the back but I love to putz around in there. This year, I’m on a quest for a new quote book. I am a quote hound and need some new material. Wish me luck!!
Friday Facts may be late- we’ll see!
Posted in Random thoughts | Tags: French Quarter, New Orleans, TransSiberian Orchestra
Posted in Wordless Wednesday | Tags: wordless Wednesday
December 6, 2010 was the coldest day of the year since February. It never got over 54 degrees and by the time I left work, it was 44. It’s 34 as I write this at 9:00 pm. on the 6th. It is supposed to get into the 20s tonight. BRRRR. Some of you may be saying, “big deal, Jillian, so what? We have 59 inches of snow where we are” or you may be saying, “so what? It’s raining yaks here and the abominable snowman just went in the closest bar for an Irish whisky to warm his innards.”
Well, to you folks, I say: It’s cold for Florida and I love fires. I’m not an arsonist but I can totally see the allure of the flames. The colors are so lovely. I’m completely in love with orange and watching the flicker of the various shades as they eat into the wood is mesmerizing. Even the cat is hypnotized. I love the “hook” on the one flame in this picture:
Love, love, love them!!! This Thursday is the concert in New Orleans. I have tickets along with my two buddies and we’re heading over as soon as I get done with court for the day job on Thursday morning. This will be my 7th time to see them. We’re staying at the Roosevelt on Baronne. It is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world. It is just gorgeous when they decorate the lobby (which stretches the width of a city block) as a winter wonderland. I’ve actually set the honeymoon of the hero and heroine of one of my novels here. I really adore the place. It makes me happy. Check out their website: http://www.therooseveltneworleans.com/
Speaking of adore, I absolutely adore Al Pitrelli of TSO. He’s a wicked cool musician. Now, the man is not classically handsome, but he has the most wonderful personality- it makes him so cute and adorable. AND yeah, I used adorable way too many times, but that’s who he is!! He also seems to make love to his guitar on stage. He can make that baby wail and it’s almost like he’s alone in the room. He’s brilliant. Here’s a picture from last year. He was in the ZONE!!! He’s been a master guitarist for many years. He played with Alice Cooper, Megadeth and Savatage, among many other bands. If you ever get to see him play, go. You won’t regret it.
Posted in Random thoughts | Tags: Al Pitrelli, Concert, New Orleans, Roosevelt Hotel, TransSiberian Orchestra
One of my specialties is Kahlua punch. I hostess a Christmas cookie exchange every year (not sure about this year yet- gotta decide asap). One of the main reasons people come is to imbibe this punch. I have to say, it’s spectacular and it goes quite well with cookies. I found the basics of the punch long ago in a Southern Living Christmas book and I altered it to make it my own.
On Saturday, December 4, I took this punch to the Gulf Coast Chapter, RWA Christmas party that our wonderful member, Rhoda Fort, hosted at her lovely home on a lake. Her home and back porch was a hit and so was my punch. I promised to share the recipe:
1 half gallon block of chocolate ice cream- place in bottom of punch bowl.
pour 1 750ml bottle of Kahlua, 5 shots of Irish Creme (I use St. Brendan’s), and a pint of half and half over the ice cream block.
pour a half gallon of 2% white milk over the whole thing and mix. Serve and soak up the compliments.
Gulf Coast Chapter RWA
Posted in Random thoughts | Tags: Christmas, GCCRWA, Gulf Coast, Kahlua punch, recipe, Southern Living
Jillian Chantal 