www.susannebellamy.com
  • Home
  • Books by Susanne Bellamy
  • PRINT BOOKSTORE
  • Under the Dark Moon
  • About Susanne
  • Editing Services
  • All the World's a Page
  • Data Protection Information
  • Subscribers Only

Christmas Bell(e)s are ringing!

11/24/2014

6 Comments

 
Picture
A Christmas to Remember
Christmas began with my dad’s birthday on 19th December and ended with my mum’s birthday on 7th January. In between, on Christmas Day, they celebrated their wedding anniversary. I wrote about that recently (One Snowy Christmas Day in London), and how special Christmas was because of it.

But this post is to celebrate the release of a Christmas anthology, A Season to Remember (click here) with three wonderful friends and fellow authors, Eva Scott, Noelle Clark, and Elizabeth Ellen Carter. It’s celebrating a Christmas memory and sharing a favourite recipe. 

It’s forty years since Cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin in the north of Australia on Christmas Day, 1974. The devastation was terrible and poignant images from that day included this one. 

My special memory of that year is of my wonderful eldest sister, Marie-Ann.  In the aftermath of that disaster, she put together a dozen boxes of ‘little luxuries’ for women and children who had lost everything. Marie was not well off, but she was a generous and caring woman. Her kind heart led her to act for the benefit of people she would never meet but whose lives she could make a little better. She embodied the true spirit of Christmas, of what real giving is, and I miss her deeply.



Picture
Stained-glass Window Cake 
(This was my dad's favourite - birthday or Christmas!) 

Ingredients 
  • 600 gmixed glacé fruit
  • 200 g(1 cup) red and green glacé cherries
  • 55 g(¼ cup) glacé ginger
  • 80 g(½ cup) brazil nuts
  • 50 g(½ cup) walnuts
  • 80 g(½ cup) blanched almonds
  • 50 gunsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 165 g(¾ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
  • 3eggs
  • 2 tbspGrand Marnier (see Note)
  • 35 g(¼ cup) plain flour, sifted
  • 75 g(½ cup) self-raising flour, sifted

Cook's notes: Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 150°C. Combine fruits, ginger and nuts in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add liqueur and beat until just combined. Stir in flours until well combined. Pour batter over fruit mixture and stir gently until fruit is coated; don’t over-mix.

Grease and line the base and sides of an 11 cm x 21.5 cm loaf pan, extending paper 6cm beyond long edges of pan. Spoon batter into pan, press down firmly and bake for 1 hour. Cover with foil. Bake for a further 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Note
• Substitute orange juice.

Photography by John Laurie.



6 Comments

Long Way to Tipperary

11/21/2014

3 Comments

 
Roadside castle ruins, Co. Tipperary
Rock of Cashel
Welcome, Noelle Clark! Congratulations on the release of Honor’s Debt! So glad you are able to drop in and share some Irish goodness with us.  

Q. Can you give us five (more if you like!) reasons why you set this story in Ireland?

1.     I’m working through the list of locations I’ve fallen in love with to set my books in. Ireland was up there in the top three.

2.     I love the unique take on life of the Irish people. Deeply religious, hugely superstitious, fun loving, friendly.

3.     I was keen to get to know a particular village in County Tipperary. The fictitious village is called Timpelaire, modelled on the real place my great-grandparents lived. That farm is still owned and worked by cousins. What better way to get to know someone or somewhere than to write a story about it?

4.     I love the ancient history, the abundance of ruined churches, cathedrals, and castles. I love the ice-age Burren, and the ancient megalithic Dolmens that dot the countryside. The Dolmens date back to the Neolithic period (4000 to 2500 BC), a testament to the age of this little green island.

5.     I love the Irish craic!

Q. I know you have travelled in Ireland. What is so appealing about the country?

·      It’s so green!! Even after a good drenching, Australia (where I live anyway) never looks that luminous.

·      The Irish accent, their humour, their proclivity to superstition and proverbs.

·      I think Australians and Irish share a similar humour and outlook. Not surprising given how many Aussies have Irish blood.

·      I’ve been a fan of Irish traditional music all my life.

Q. Did you kiss the Blarney Stone? What ‘tourist’ things did you do that you were able to incorporate into Honor’s Debt?

·      Sadly I didn’t get to Blarney Castle. But many have said I already possess the gift of the blarney. ;-)

·      The Rock of Cashel. I loved visiting that intriguing place that sits atop a huge lump of rock in the middle of the quaint little town of Cashel.

·      Doolin, a little village of colourful cottages on the west coast cliffs, famous for its music.

·      The majestic and mighty Cliffs of Moher.

·      I could go on but I’ll stop there.  

Q. This is the first book in a trilogy. Who can we expect to meet in the next book?

·      Honor Quirk will be there, but she’s in more of a cameo role this time. Three years have passed since we last spoke to Honor and those years have been exquisitely happy.

·      Liam Cullen, the eldest of the Cullen siblings, takes the starring role. All other members of the family have found happiness except him. Book two will be Liam’s journey.

·      Bryan, Derm and Cherry, Mrs. Cullen, Tom. Even sexy Sean returns for a visit.

Q. I recall reading a wonderful post about Irish whiskey (see, I even remember how they spell it there!) http://www.noelleclark.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/the-people-who-put-e-in-whiskey.html

What is your favourite tipple?

A.     My drink of preference is white wine, either a Chardonnay or a Sauv Blanc. However, on occasions I’ve enjoyed a Jameson’s whiskey with ginger ale; and the occasional G and T. 

Q. Quick round: Your favourite ____ in Ireland. Ready?

a.     County            -           Tipperary
b.     Place               -           Doolin, Co. Clare
c.      Song                -           Fields of Athenry http://youtu.be/NLZRWNdGCUc
d.     Pub                 -           The Ritz, Lisdoonvarna
e.     Memory          -           Listening to Irish music in pubs everywhere
f.      Irish movie     -           Sorry, can’t choose one. Secret of Roan Inish; PS I Love you; Ryan’s Daughter. Many more.

A ruined farmhouse near Lisdoonvarna, C. Clare
The Ritz, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare
Poulnabrone Dolmen at the Burren, Co. Clare
 Honor’s Debt     -     Book 1 of the Robinhill Farm Series

On a quest to make amends for a long-ago indiscretion, Honor unexpectedly discovers the one thing she’s been missing in her life.

Honor Quirk arrives in Ireland excited—and a bit anxious—about meeting up with the estranged family of her late great-grandmother. The welcome from the residents of Robinhill Farm, Dermot and Bryan, is confusing and far from comforting. One is warm, the other aggressive. The outwardly antagonistic Bryan makes it very clear he doesn't want her there, branding her a gold digger. 

Dermot, on the other hand, is delighted to meet her.

But Honor is no pushover and stands up to Bryan, letting him know that his bad attitude and trail of baggage have nothing to do with her. Despite their confrontational and hostile relationship, an undeniable attraction to each other creeps insidiously into the house on Robinhill Farm. They both desperately try to stifle the sparks, but living under the same roof makes it impossible. Unable to cope with the turmoil of living with Bryan, Honor runs away, straight into the arms of a charming newfound friend, Sean, who offers her a home—and love.

Shattered, Bryan finally takes control of his irrational belief that all women are evil, and fights to bring back the woman he loves. But is it too late?

Secret Cravings Publishing   http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=978 

Amazon     http://www.amazon.com/Honors-Debt-Robinhill-Farm-Book-ebook/dp/B00P9G3QF6/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415219200&sr=1-17&keywords=Honor%27s+Debt

B and N  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/honors-debt-noelle-clark/1120690761?ean=2940046390445

Kobo  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/honor-s-debt

3 Comments

When You Least Expect It ... "Love Will Find You" - Iris Blobel

11/21/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Love Will Find You - Iris Blobel 
Q & A and Excerpt 

Can their new love survive the scrutiny of the public eye?

After his father’s heart attack, Australian Football League player Tyson Gaspaldi takes his parents on holiday to a small place at the New South Wales coast.

One morning, following a surfing session, he comes across a crying woman on the beach. Everything about her intrigues him, and he can’t walk away. She’s not only sexy and humble, but, as he soon finds out, vulnerable as well.

It’s only been a few months since Katie Cassidy lost her sister in a car accident.

Still overwhelmed by the loss, a chance encounter on the beach with an attractive stranger awakens unexpected emotions inside her. She’s instantly drawn to his caring nature, but also his looks.

However, Tyson’s past quickly catches up with them, causing Katie’s childhood demons to return, and the road to romance becomes anything but smooth.

Q & A: 
1. What was the attraction of writing a sports star hero? 

It wasn’t really an “attraction”, but something that “happened”. We went on holidays, and I knew I wanted to write something with this place in mind. It was during the AFL Grand Final weeks – with AFL in the paper and on telly all the time, Tyson was suddenly an AFL player. It was a steep learning curve J. When I fell in love with Tyson’s friends, the choice to add Baseball and Soccer came kind of naturally as a fan of both sports.

2.  Celebrities are considered public property by the media. What are your thoughts on their right to privacy? 

Ohhh, tricky questions. I believe, leave them alone and respect their privacy, but then again, there are celebrities out there who just crave media attention – it’s in their blood. In all fairness, I did a bit of “celebrity spotting” while living in London. We also ran into Cameron Ling a few years back at the beach, and we did ask him for a photo with our daughter who was a big fan at the time. It meant a lot to her, and he was really good about it.

3. Your stories often focus on families. What do they add to a storyline?

Family is very important for me, especially as I feel the “loss” of having my family on the other side of the world. I grew up in a small family, but we have a close bond. We fight, we are angry, and we don’t talk every week, but we’re there for each other when one of us needs someone. Yes, family for me is VERY  important.

4. What's your favourite setting and why? 

I love the beach, so whenever we spent a holiday near a beach, new characters literally scream at me to write their story. But I also like Tassie – my favourite setting!

5. What do you hope readers will take away from this story?  

I’d love to say something deep and meaningful, but really, bottom line is, I’d like to readers to be able to disengage from life for a little while and simply enjoy a little romance.

6. Where does this story fit in your body of work?  

“Love Will Find You” is the first in the Australian Sports Stars series. I’ve just finished Oliver’s story and hope to get started on Markus’ book. Having said that, I’ve just returned from a beautiful place in South Australia and have about twenty hand-written pages here of a new story, possibly a series as well.

7. What is next for you? 

I need more hours in the day. I’ve started another Beginnings book, but I’m not sure whether it’s going to be a short story or a novel(la). There’s the Australian Sports Stars series, and as mentioned afore, the new book which is still “on paper”.

Excerpt:

Prologue  

Tyson held the Brownlow Medal in his hand, but celebrating was the last thing on his mind. His fake smile was as much a lie as the last message he’d sent to Katie the day before. As a result, it was his mother who sat in the crowd amongst his teammates, his friends, the footy world, reporters, and whoever else was important—and not Katie. His gaze wandered around the ballroom, with all the round tables neatly positioned in nice rows. Each table was beautifully set with dinnerware, menus, and a floral arrangement. The TV screens on either side of him showed a close-up of the stage, and as he tried to protect his eyes against the bright lights, he watched them all, making toasts, their glasses filled with the best champagne, applauding his achievement.

The crowd settled and awaited a speech. His speech. Nervousness crept up in him as he stared into the audience. His throat burned as the acid in his stomach churned.

The Brownlow Medal was awarded to the best and fairest football player of the season, yet he didn’t think there was anything fair about the way he’d treated his girl.

Tyson Gaspaldi took a deep breath, unfolded his little note, and cleared his throat. The first word he focused on was her name, Katie. He blinked to refocus and thanked his mother as well as his family. It came effortlessly once he was past the initial hurdle and in only a few minutes he finished, held up his medal, and walked behind the stage.

Why had he said the things he had? Why didn’t he just answer her question?

A short time later, Tyson joined his friends and his mother at the table again.

“Congratulations, darling.” His mother took his face into her hands and gave Ty a kiss on his cheek. Only a few years ago, he would have been embarrassed by such open emotions in front of a crowd, but since his father’s death earlier in the year, he welcomed every sign of affection by his mother.

“Thanks, Mum.”

“Dad would be so proud of you.” Caroline Gaspaldi took a step back and gazed at him. Pride radiated from her eyes. “Look at you. You should wear a suit more often.”

His friends around the table gave him a quick clap on the shoulder and congratulated him before sitting down to proceed with the evening. Ty noticed his phone buzzing and with a flick of his finger, he scrolled down his messages. He stopped at Katie’s message from earlier in the day.

I don’t believe u!

With a heavy sigh, he switched off the screen, ignoring all the other new messages and the phone into his pocket. He took the beer in front of him and tried to concentrate on what the guy on stage was saying. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a woman at the other table. She looked incredible in her shimmering silver evening gown. The décolleté of her dress revealed tanned skin upon which a delicate necklace hung. Her curly brown hair was pinned up in a ponytail which made her look very sexy. When she smiled at him, he winked at her in return.

“What are you doing, Ty?” his mother whispered into his ear.

Author:

Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London, as well as Canada where she met her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper only emerged a few years back, but now her laptop is a constant companion. Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her beautiful two daughters as well as their dog. Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.

Buy Links:

Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/Love-Will-Find-Australian-Sports-ebook/dp/B00NMYIVDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412333131&sr=8-1&keywords=love+will+find+you%2C+iris+blobel

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Will-Find-Australian-Sports-ebook/dp/B00NMYIVDE/ref=la_B00KCJOA28_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412331685&sr=1-2

Kobo Books: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/love-will-find-you

Barnes & Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-will-find-you-iris-blobel/1120428127?ean=9781500920227

Where to Find Me:

My Blog: www.iris-b.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/irisblobel

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel

Twitter: @_iris_b

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/iblobel/

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/107759085454255573026/posts




2 Comments

Three Ships - Elizabeth Ellen Carter

11/16/2014

11 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Memories of Christmas

There are members of every family who are the sun around whom the world revolves.

I was fortunate enough to have twin suns in my universe - my grandfather and my mother.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/493542
No matter how far we would journey in the year, the extended family's orbit would always return to one point for Christmas - aunts, uncles, cousins - all at different seasons of their lives, would descend on someone's family home for Christmas, arriving late in the morning armed with platters of food and gifts. Oh so many gifts that the Christmas tree was an island of tinsel and green in a sea of multicoloured wrapping paper.

 Unwrapping was a production, with everyone admiring the gift or engaging in good-natured ribbing as the recipient took their time unwrapping their present. Then then was lunch, a dining table filled with treats - chicken, ham, salads, fruit mince pies and snacks. Lunch would turn into afternoon tea, and then into dinner, with leftovers for those who had walked off the excess.

 At my mother's home, it would be a walk down to the Nerang River and the park where the 19th century Maid of Sker paddle steamer sat, now on land, never again to ply the river, a silent reminder that years ebb and flow. Nothing stays the same.

Suns too dim and fade, their light is eventually extinguished. The gravity of their influence weakens in their absence - new spouses and in-laws create new solar systems. The light from old galaxy winks out. The world is never the same again.

The Season comes around anew each year with remembrance of that first Christmas, where the bright star in the sky invites the orphans and the dispossessed to be part of a universal family and that they are loved.

 
Excerpt Three Ships:

Laura’s father watched her shoulder the long coil of rope.

“I’m not happy, dear girl. I should be the one going down there, not you.”

She gave a pointed look at his injured foot. The way down to the beach was not sheer but it was no gentle slope either and the footing would be treacherous. “Well, needs must,” she replied firmly. “I'll be back quickly.”

His response was a grimace. He secured the trailing end of the coiled rope to Acorn's saddle.

“Watch your step, Laura,” he admonished.

Trailing the rope out as she went, Laura picked her way down the side of the hill with care where the low-growing grass was slick. She grew up here and knew the cliffs well enough to treat them with respect. The saltiness from exploding waves filled her nostrils. She could even taste it on the back of her throat.

The beach filled and emptied as the waves churned in.

She scrambled over one rock, then around another to reach the man. The hem of her skirt darkened in the splashing water.

Still a few feet away, she called out.

“Sailor! Sailor, ahoy!”

The man remained still.

Laura looked back up the thirty feet to where her father peered back, concerned. He called to her but his words were ripped away by the wind.

Her only choice was to approach the man.

The sailor’s shirt was torn and shredded, the sodden fabric dark and clinging to the contours of his back. His black hair whipped in the wind like the damp grass around the chickens.

She touched his cheek. His skin was cold.

It might already be too late!

Laura drew a deep breath and grasped his shoulders.

“Come on sailor, time to wake up,” she said hopefully, shaking him.

The man obliged her with a groan; Laura matched it with a sigh of relief.

“Help is here,” she said.

The man raised himself to his elbows and looked blearily at her. It was hard to determine his age. He seemed much younger than her father but older than Dickie Wells.

“Where are you hurt? Your back? Your legs?”

The man sat up gingerly, shaking his head at each question.

“We’re going to haul you out,” she said.

The man looked her up and down and flashed her a quick smile, his pale blue eyes twinkling with sudden merriment.
“My guardian angel...” he rasped, interrupted by a hacking cough. “Where is the rest of your heavenly choir?”


Glazed Little Orange Cookies with Cinnamon and Cloves

Ingredients

Cookie dough

2 cup (280 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
2 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon whole milk
zest of 2 medium oranges

Glaze

2 cups (250 g) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier (optional, substitute orange juice in place) 

Directions

1. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder in medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a balloon whisk, vigorously stir the dry ingredients together until well blended and uniform in color. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, oil, milk and zest. Using a large spatula, stir until a rough dough. Switch to your hands and start to knead the dough until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. About 20 minutes into the rest period, preheat the oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with a silpat or a piece of parchment paper. Once the oven has preheated and the 30 minutes are up, pull out roughly a quarter of the dough and roll it into a rope somewhere between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch in thickness. Flatten it slightly with your hands until it’s about an inch wide and cut the dough diagonally like a diamond about 1 1/2 inch long. Basically you want the dough to be the size of a gnocchi dumpling. Place on the lined baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until one of the middle cookies are dry to the touch and feels done. Let rest on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature (about an hour or more) before glazing.

Picture
3. When you’re ready to glaze, sift the confectioners’ sugar into a clean large bowl and add the orange juice and Cointreau (if using). Stir until the glaze is made. Gently add one cookie to the bowl and toss with the glaze and place back on the wire rack. If the glaze is too thin, it will run off the cookie and you need to add more sugar. If the glaze is too thick you might risk breaking the cookie in the bowl as the glaze won’t properly coat the cookie, just thin with 1/2 teaspoon of water, orange juice or cointreau continuing until the glaze is the proper consistency. Once there, add the remaining cookies and toss gently with your hands. Pull the cookies out, one at time and place on the wire rack. Let the glaze harden overnight, for at least 12 hours (longer if your kitchen is humid) and serve.

Makes about 60 small cookies.

11 Comments

The Things You Learn... 

11/11/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture


Incy Black has most graciously presented me with a ONE LOVELY BLOG award. 

Of course, rules are part of the acceptance process:

•    Display the Award logo
•    Thank, and link back to the nominator
•    List 7 facts about oneself
•    Nominate 7 fellow bloggers to carry forward the relay (don't forget to let them know)



Seven Bold Facts

1.     I will NEVER go bungee-jumping but I want to do a tandem parachute jump. Or at least, go hot-air ballooning at sunrise. With champagne. And a hot man (my special one!)

2.     I’m psyching myself up to move fully into my second career. It’s a big step, and a little nerve-wracking, but it excites me so much!

3.     My favourite word is ‘facetious’ – it uses all five vowels, in order, and goes beautifully with ‘fellow’. (I also love alliteration. Used sparingly.)

4.     I fell in love with Italy when I was seven and the ship on which we were travelling to England berthed in Naples. It took me until 2012 to return but I got there!   

5.     I have three works about to be published: two Christmas novellas in two different anthologies (A Season to Remember and one soon-to-be-titled) and the third book in The Emerald Quest: Winning the Heiress’s Heart (13 Jan 2015).  I’ve published three works so far: White ginger, One Night in Sorrento, Engaging the Enemy.

6.     I have a burning desire to write the biography of someone like—oh, say, Carlos Marin. Naturally, I’d have to travel with Il Divo on tour to get a real insight. ;)    

7.     When I die, (if I must) it will be dancing the tango when I’m 115 and I won’t look a day over—115! I’ll be very proud of every wrinkle by then. ;)

Now, mission complete, I nominate the following bloggers: Anna Campbell, Juanita Kees, Elizabeth Ellen Carter, Annie Seaton, Mel Beckman


4 Comments

CHRISTMAS EVA!

11/9/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture


Eva Scott is the author of the third novella, "All that Glitters", set on Queensland's Gold Coast. 
Picture
Picture
My earliest memories of Christmas are of getting up on a hot sunny morning in Melbourne to discover that Santa had indeed visited in the night. The evidence was strewn all over the table – a half-eaten piece of carrot cake (apparently his favourite) and an empty bottle of VB beer.  He always left quite a mess but it was thrilling to think he’d sat at the family dining table while I’d been sleeping.

Now I have a little three year old boy who has spoken to Santa on the phone (his grandfather from Western Australia) and discussed what he wants for Christmas and the sort of behaviour required to get it. He never divulges the content of these conversations. They are private and he’s very clear about that.

We all grow up so soon to face the realities of a world where magic doesn’t exist. How nice to believe just for a moment that it might!

PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM

1 Cooked Leg Ham

1 x 400g Can Pineapple Juice

¼ Cup of Sherry

500g Brown Sugar

Dijon Mustard (to use as a rub)

Cloves

1.     Preheat the oven to 190C

2.     Place the pineapple juice, sherry and brown sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium setting until a syrup forms.

3.     Remove the skin from the ham and rub the Dijon mustard over the leg to give it a yellow colouring.

4.     Stud the ham at intervals with the cloves – don’t overdo it! A little clove goes a long way.

5.     Place the ham in a large baking tin

6.     Pour the syrup around the ham (not over it)

7.     Cook on the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 minutes

8.     Baste frequently with the syrup and continue to cook for a further 60 minutes.

9.     Delicious served hot or cold!


Picture
2 Comments

ELIZABETH ELLEN CARTER and WARRIOR'S SURRENDER

11/4/2014

2 Comments

 



What do these stars have in common?

They are the chosen - EE Carter's choice to play the starring roles in her new release: Warrior's Surrender! 
ALL THE WORLD’S A PAGE

Starring: Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Elizabeth writes wonderful stories set in both near and distant times. With an eye for detail she has been posting fascinating blogs about life in the period of her newest book, Warrior’s Surrender.

Welcome and thanks for treading the boards with us today!  Thank you so much for having me. I’m honoured to be a guest.

1.      Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing? I’m a big people watcher. I love talking to people. It’s true, everyone has a story!

2.      Please share one of your favourite moments of inspiration with us. One bit of inspiration that made its way into Warrior’s Surrender was a bit scary. Last year my husband Duncan had a stroke (now nearly fully recovered), for the first time I was confronted by the fact that he might have died and in turn how that fear grips us and shapes how we see the world around us. There are a couple of scenes in Warrior’s Surrender where I explore that.

3.      How did you come up with the idea of Warrior’s Surrender? Quite early on it is obvious that the Warrior who is surrendering is actually the heroine, Lady Alfreya of Tyrswick. She has had to fight constantly for many years. Can she surrender to love and to trust?

4.      How do you come up with your characters’ names? Names have meanings so I chose these ones carefully, Alfreya was named for her father Alfred, Sebastian because of its French origins – a Bastion, a fortress, one who gives strength, Drefan, which is a Saxon name appropriately meaning ‘Trouble’ – very, very appropriate for him

5.      Who would you cast for a movie/TV series as your main characters if given the chance? Ohhh, I love this question, I’m going to do a blog post on this. My dream cast is:

Hero Sebastian de la Croix: Ian Somerhalder

Heroine Alfreya of Tyrswick: Julianne Hough

Villain Lord Drefan: Simon Baker

Heroine’s Man-at-Arms Larcwide: Kevin Sorbo

Heroine’s maid/companion: Margot Robbie

6.      If you could pick a soundtrack to match your main character’s life, what would it be? Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar.

7.      What is your favourite book of all time that you can reread a hundred times, and it still feels like the first time? I can’t pick one! But I’m currently re-reading I, Claudius and Claudius The God by Robert Graves. I read it 20 years ago and I’m so enjoying re-reading it now.

8.      If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be? I have an idea for a techno-supernatural-thriller series that I would like to write that explores the battle of good versus evil in which our hero, a former FBI agent is haunted by the fact that can ‘see’ evil. Helping him keep grounded, but gradually drawn into his world is his new wife, a lawyer, who is driven to forge her own identity away from her powerful Senator father.

9.      How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one? Okay, now don’t hate me, but I have a wonderful husband who offers to write synopses and blurbs. We brainstormed Warrior’s Surrender and it didn’t take long to do at all.

10.  What are you working on now? Toby Jackson, Sir James Mitchell’s friend in Moonstone Obsession is to get his own happily ever after in Moonstone Promise, a short story I’m writing for an Etopia Press Valentine’s Day anthology. I’m hoping in the first half of 2015 Moonstone Conspiracy, the sequel to Moonstone Obsession, and featuring my favourite villain, Lady Abigail Houghall will be released. Then there is the release of the Christmas anthology on the 28th of November called A Season To Remember. December I’m hoping to take a break for writing and get stuck into research and plotting for a full length historical romance set in 3rd Century AD Rome, tentatively titled Dark Heart. So, in answer to your question... not much at all. ;)

 

11.  Would you like to share an excerpt from your writing or a photo or music link that inspires you? I would love to share an excerpt from Warrior’s Surrender!

 

The final display of the afternoon was an archery competition, and here too Frey discovered the competitors equally skilled. Like the others watching, she was nearly hoarse from cheering when Sebastian raised his hand just before the last event of the day.

Rhys, still on horseback, joined him, and the two men conferred in the middle of the field.

As the conference continued for a minute, the crowd became impatient and started stamping their feet just as the two knights appeared to come to an agreement.

All eyes were on Sebastian as he rode over to the crier and spoke to him.

Then the knight lifted his head in the direction of the tourney tent. Even from this distance, Frey felt certain Sebastian looked directly at her, and she could not make her eyes leave his. So consumed, she missed the crier’s announcement and the reaction of the crowd until nudged by Rosalind.

“Are you really?”

“Am I really what?” Frey asked distractedly, her eyes still on Sebastian as he approached the stand.

Rosalind laughed. “Weren’t you paying attention? The crier has just said you would be representing Tyrswick against Rhys’s champion squire.”

“I’m going to be doing what?” she responded, turning to Rosalind. “Where did you get the ridiculous notion that I—”

“Unless you believe you are too out of practice, princess….”

Frey looked up. Sebastian sat there on his horse, a smile playing around his sensual mouth and merriment dancing in his green eyes. She couldn’t speak.

“Perhaps that day with the wolves was a lucky amateur shot.”

“Lucky? You think luck saved your life, Baron?” Frey demanded, standing up from her seat.

The crowd, apparently under the belief she had agreed, roared their approval.

Sebastian held out his hand to her.

“Show me how lucky I am, princess.”

12.  Please share your favourite cocktail, recipe or celebration photo.

Duncan and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this year.

Picture
2 Comments

A Joyous Noelle Clark

11/3/2014

10 Comments

 
Picture

The fresh, spicy scent of a young she-oak filled our home for a week before Christmas Day arrived. It was a trigger, setting in motion a flurry of school holiday fun. We strung all the Christmas cards we received around the lounge room; made tree decorations from paper, glue, and glitter; and collected pine cones from the back yard which we painted and sprinkled glitter over.

Mum spent half a day making her famous boiled fruit cake. She sweated in the December heat, the oven of our old wood stove making the temperature climb to well over a hundred degrees. After the cake had baked for a couple of hours, Mum would let it cool on a rack, then pour extra rum over the top of it.

The aroma of the spices, fruit, butter, nuts, flour – and a dash of Bundaberg Rum – was enough for us all to ignore the heat and concentrate on decorating our tree and house for the big day.

Mum’s boiled fruit cake was the best ever.

We never had alcohol at Christmas dinner that I remember, except for a small bottle of brandy that my Great Aunt would produce from her handbag and share with Mum and Dad. But my tipple of choice these days is a chilled glass of champagne to celebrate the day.

Merry Christmas!


Recipe for Boiled Fruit Cake

1 cup water

620g (4 cups) mixed dried fruit

250g (1 cup) white sugar

190g butter

250g (2 cups) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon mixed spice

2 eggs, beaten


Directions

  • Let the dried mixed fruit soak in some alcohol (rum, sherry, port etc) for an hour.

  • Preheat the oven to 150 C. Grease a square tin and line with baking paper or alfoil.

  • Combine the water, mixed fruit, sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then cook gently for about 10 minutes.

  • Sift the flour, baking soda and mixed spice into a large bowl. Pour in the boiled fruit mixture and stir until well blended.

  • Mix in the eggs. Pour into the greased loaf pan.

  • Bake in preheated oven for 90 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.


Picture
Picture
Our FREE Christmas anthology: A SEASON TO REMEMBER is on its way to you - 28 November 2015 

Authors: 
Elizabeth Ellen Carter 
Noelle Clark 
Eva Scott 
Susanne Bellamy 

10 Comments

    Author

    Story elements surround us every day, from new places to a favourite piece of music or an odd moment witnessed in passing that becomes a scene in our work. On this weekly post, fellow authors will share some of what inspires their stories and their lives. Sit back and make yourself comfortable with the drink of your choice as the curtain rises. 

    Archives

    June 2020
    April 2020
    November 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    Contemporary Romance
    Devika Fernando
    #motorbikes #queenofspeed #GWGibson #romance
    Multi-cultural Romance
    Seduced In Spain
    Susanne Bellamy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.