Firstly, a biscuit (cookie) recipe that's been in my family since my grandmother's time, but with an added twist. I first did these back in May 2013 and posted them as part of an event to celebrate the first book birthday for my debut novel Keir. Because my male MC was nicknamed the Blue Demon, the biscuits (cookies) were themed to match, but you could use any colour (say red and green for Christmas). I'm going to be making these next week with my three little monsters.
Blue Star Biscuits (Cookies)
The basic sweet biscuit recipe for this has been in my family since before I was born, but I’ve added a twist to create the coloured centers. You will need:
4oz. butter
4oz. caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
8oz. plain flour
Boiled sweets
Oven temperature: 350°F
Lightly grease three baking trays. Cream the butter and sugar together, add the egg gradually and beat well. Sift the flour and fold into the creamed mixture. Knead lightly and roll out to the required thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters – for mine I used two different sizes of star and kept the middles too, but you could use any shape. Place on the trays and put a boiled sweet in the hole in the middle – you can crush these to make them melt quicker in the oven so the biscuit part doesn’t overcook. Bake toward the top of the oven for 15-20 minutes until pale brown (the sweet should melt and spread out in the center of the biscuit). Allow to cool before removing from the trays to allow the melted sweet to reset.
You could also make different shapes and use different coloured sweets to vary the design, even using them to make edible Christmas tree decorations if you make a hole in the biscuit before cooking to thread ribbon. You can also flavor the biscuit (because of the sweets I didn’t add any flavoring to these) by using the following:
2 level tsps. grated lemon rind
2 level tsps. mixed spice or cinnamon
2 tsps. Vanilla essence
2oz. dried fruit
2oz. glace cherries, chopped
Grated rind of one orange.
Enjoy!
Second is a free story, or rather eight stories. I am proud to be part of Tales from the SFR Brigade, a free digital anthology of out-of-this-world scifi romances that were a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick, scoring 4.5 stars!
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| WEBSITE | GOODREADS Available for FREE from... Amazon US | Amazon UK | ARe Smashwords | B&N | Kobo |
And for my last 'gift' of the year, I give you my sixth and final title for 2014, releasing TODAY - a futuristic urban fantasy short about redemption and forgiveness. And appropriate to the season, it's an angel story...although my MC Lucien is definitely not the kind of angel you'd want to put on your Christmas tree. :P
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| EXCERPT | GOODREADS Available from...Breathless Press Amazon US | Amazon UK |
Blurb:
How far would you fall
for love?
Centuries ago, guardian angel Lucien committed a terrible sin. He gave into his own desires and revealed himself to the mortal woman he'd been charged to protect. By kissing her, he condemned himself. Torn of his wings and his angelic powers, thrown down into the City Below, Lucien now serves Satan as an incubus who claims souls for his master from the City Above, and who feeds on the energy stolen from his mortal lovers. Dark, sexy and charming, he's been top of his league for decades uncounted.
Until His Infernal Highness decides to send Lucien looking for a lost angel. Lucien has no idea what he did to deserve such a punishment, and the touch of an angel could destroy him. Yet the challenge and the potential kudos of seducing one of his former heavenly kin leads him on.
But when he finds the angel, he learns he still has more to lose than his already forsaken soul.
Centuries ago, guardian angel Lucien committed a terrible sin. He gave into his own desires and revealed himself to the mortal woman he'd been charged to protect. By kissing her, he condemned himself. Torn of his wings and his angelic powers, thrown down into the City Below, Lucien now serves Satan as an incubus who claims souls for his master from the City Above, and who feeds on the energy stolen from his mortal lovers. Dark, sexy and charming, he's been top of his league for decades uncounted.
Until His Infernal Highness decides to send Lucien looking for a lost angel. Lucien has no idea what he did to deserve such a punishment, and the touch of an angel could destroy him. Yet the challenge and the potential kudos of seducing one of his former heavenly kin leads him on.
But when he finds the angel, he learns he still has more to lose than his already forsaken soul.
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2014 has been an amazing year, both personally and in my publishing life. I'm so pleased to have been able to share so much of it here at Romancing the Genres. Wishing my readers and my co-bloggers a very Merry Christmas, and may 2015 bring you as much joy as this year has to me.
3 comments:
Oh my, Pippa - you've been a gift to the BQ's with sharing ideas for guests, etc. I'm so glad 2014 has been amazing for you. May 2015 be more so for you and the rest of the Genre-istas!
Thanks, Judith, and it's been my pleasure. :)
Wow! Thanks you so much for the gifts, Pippa! Very genreous of you!
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