So Many Links
I am behind on All the Things. See, last week I finished up the novella I worked on for five days in November. Then I gave myself the severe deadline of finishing the first revision pass before the end of the month. Oh boy. That was mean of me. It’s been a very intense rewrite of a very bloated, crappy rough draft. It still needs a lot more work but that first pass is done and now I can catch up on other things, like my blog.
HI, GUYS. Let’s get all caught up, shall we?
– I was interviewed on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast. You can watch the full video or download the audio alone. I talk about my experience with Harper Voyager, my writing background, Dragon Quest slimes, and the Holy Taco Church. As one does.
– Also on the subject of podcasts, at Skiffy and Fantasy Michael R. Underwood gave Clockwork Crown a shout-out as among his most anticipated reads of 2015. He’s at the 30 minute mark. The whole podcast is very interesting, the sort that’s dangerous for your book wish list.
– I’m REALLY EXCITED (CAPSLOCK!!!!) that I have an article on Tor.com: That Was Awesome: The Power of Voice in The Diabolical Miss Hyde. This is a new steampunk book out from Voyager in a few weeks. It’s really good, very intense, definitely on that borderline with horror.
– My recipe at the Holy Taco Church this month is a healthy one: Butternut Squash and Chickpea Tacos.
– Awesome Australian Pete Aldin interviewed me: On CLOCKWORK DAGGER, 5 Questions and 1 Statement.
I had a bunch of new poems come out this month as well!
– “When Death Rides Among Puppets” is in Eye to the Telescope
– “Time Traveler’s Diagnosis,” “Loophole,” “The Border Cowboy in Fairyland,” and “The Border Cowboy’s Smile” are in Star*line 38.1. Follow that link and you can read “Loophole,” which is very short.
I think that’s everything? Maybe? Anything else can wait for another post. A long to-do list awaits!
Read MoreBready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies
Dessert. Breakfast. Brunch. Hunger. These are all good times to whip up these Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies.
This is kinda like a cross between an apple crisp and a pie. The apples are mixed into batter and then topped with layers of caramel and sweetened crumbs.
I confess, I didn’t measure the amount of dulce de leche I used here. The measurement below is a total guess. Really, get a squeeze bottle or an open jar and drizzle. Don’t worry about covering the whole surface.
The edges here bake up solid and chewy. The middle passed the toothpick test for doneness, but once it was cut into, it was still a little gooey. That was fine. I knew it was baked through. It’s just a pie-like consistency in the middle.
Serve this cold straight out of the fridge. Maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Or warm it up a touch in the microwave. These blondies are versatile. They can take many paths to end up in your happy belly.
Modified from Foodie Crush
Bready or Not: Dulce de Leche Apple Blondies
Ingredients
For the blondies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 2/3 cups light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 medium apples peeled and diced (1 1/2-2 cups)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup dulce de leche or caramel topping
For the strudel
- 5 Tablespoons cold butter chopped
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 X 8 inch pan (or 9 X 9 inch) pan with aluminum foil so that it hangs over the sides. Apply non-stick spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar and salt in a medium size bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients. Add the apple pieces. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
- Whip out a squeeze bottle or jar of dulce de leche or caramel. Drizzle over the batter.
- Combine the strudel ingredients in another bowl and chop together until the butter is mostly down to pea-size chunks. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. Lift the bars out by the overhanging foil and cut into bars. The edges will be crisper and more solid, while the center may be messier and sticky with caramel. It's all good.
OM NOM NOM.
Book Giveaway(s)! And CLOCKWORK CROWN has a cover!
Hey, would you like to win a copy of The Clockwork Dagger? You can, over at Kings River Life! They choose a winner on January 31st. Check it out, and please spread the word.
Oh, but you already have Clockwork Dagger? Would you like to read Crown and get the early buzz going? The book is available through Edelweiss. If you’re registered there, submit your request and wait impatiently.
On the subject of Clockwork Crown, there’s this.
ISN’T IT PRETTY?! I’ll do a post soon where I talk more about the cover, but I am so excited about how it turned out. SQUEE.
Sunday Quote is permanently cold
Read More“Writing fiction is … an endless and always defeated effort to capture some quality of life without killing it.” ~Rose Wilder Lane
Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Breakfast Bites
I present to you a healthy, delicious breakfast option that just happens to taste like cookie dough. OH YEAH.
A while back I shared my recipe for Maple Energy Bites. Now it’s time to share the cookie dough version. It’s very simple. Throw ingredients in a high-powered blender. Form into bars or balls. Stash in the fridge. Eat.
You can use any kind of nut here, really, or a combination of nuts, but cashews will be the closest to cookie dough. They have that natural buttery taste. The dates add sweetness and also act as a binding agent. I add cinnamon, but you can sprinkle in whatever flavors you want and make it more like a spice cookie.
I usually eat two or three for breakfast. They are great before a work-out. They also will keep for upward of two weeks in a sealed container in the fridge.
Healthy cookie dough. This is totally a thing.
Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Breakfast Bites
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup dates chopped, medjool best
- 1 cup cashews
- big pinch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- water if needed
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients but the chocolate chips and water. Pour 1/3 or 1/2 the mix into a high-powered food processor or blender. Pulse. Stir it with a spoon or spatula--it will be thick and gum up the machine. Pour the blended mix out, then add in more of the nut-date blend until everything is mostly blended. It's okay to have some chunks. Add the mini chocolate chips.
- Squeeze the mash between your fingers. If it doesn't want to stick together, stir in water by 1/2 teaspoon until it's cohesive.
- You can shape them in two ways. Use a tablespoon scoop to form a ball, then compress them with your hands to tighten. Or, make bars. Place a sling of parchment paper in a bread pan. Pour the mash in. Compress as tightly as you can. Remove using the sling and cut to preferred size.
- Keep stored in covered dish or closed baggie in fridge. Makes about 9 tablespoon-sized balls or 7 bars. Will keep for upward of 2 weeks.
OM NOM NOM!
