Monthly Archives: October 2014

Meet Lewis from Christmas Delights

Meet my Characters Blog Hop~Meet Lewis from “Christmas Delights.”

Hi everyone! I was invited to participate in this blog hop by Heather Heyford. You can read Heather’s post here: http://heatherheyford.com/?page_id=1419

First, a bit of info about Heather Heyford:
Campbell crop lo (1) Author Bio:
Born in the Northeast, Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England. (“Ya’ll want some scones?”) While in Europe, Heather was forced by her cruel parents to spend Saturdays in the leopard vinyl back seat of their Peugeot, motoring from one medieval pile to the next for the lame purpose of ‘learning something.’ What she soon learned was how to allay the boredom by stashing a Cosmo under the seat. Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic. The first book in her Napa Wine Heiresses series from Kensington Publishing, A Taste of Chardonnay, is available in print and digital. For Kindle or in print: http://amzn.to/1u3zFhF Nook: http://bit.ly/1u3zIKq
For iPad, download iBooks app or go to the iTunes store on-line. Or go to HeatherHeyford.com

Thanks, Heather, for the invitation!

Now, I’m supposed to choose one character from a work-in-progress or a recently published book and answer seven easy questions. Here goes!

What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
Lewis Noble. He is fictional, although he’s been living in my head for so long he seems real. His first appearance was in The Marquess of Cake, the first in the Redcakes series, set in 1886. Now, he finally gets his own story.

When and where is the story set?
Christmas Delights is set in London and Pevensey, England over the 1889-1890 winter holiday. This is my 12 Days of Christmas/holiday house party story.

What should we know about him/her?
Lewis is a sexy, absent-minded inventor. He’s a humble and brilliant man. Back in 1886, he was living in his uncle’s home and mostly working for the man, inventing improved equipment for the family’s baking businesses. He loves all machinery though, and is mostly focused on horseless carriages these days. He has a teenaged ward, Eddy Jackson, who we met in One Taste of Scandal, who acts as his apprentice.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?
He thinks he’s in love with his cousin, the Marchioness of Hatbrook, who married another man a few years before the start of his book. This lost, perfect love keeps him from searching for a lasting happiness with a woman. Did he really love her, or is the ideal of her a useful convenience?

What is the personal goal of the character?
He wants to perfect whatever piece of machinery he’s tinkering with. During the book, he’s working on a submarine with his friend, the Earl of Bullen, during the holidays.
Is there a working title for this novel and can we read more about it?
The working title was Castle in the Sea, but it was changed to Christmas Delights.

Here is the blurb:

The sweetest gift is the hardest to unwrap…

Lady Victoria Allen-Hill never dreamed she’d be a widow at twenty-one—let alone a virgin. Her father insists that she attend a matchmaking house party in the snow-covered seaside town of Pevensey in hopes she’ll find a suitable husband. But for Victoria, it’s an opportunity to indulge in a passionate affair—and the handsome inventor she meets at the Christmas Eve masquerade ball may be just the man for the job…

Lewis Noble is the cousin of London’s famed Redcake sisters, so it almost stands to reason that he’s just as irresistible as one of their sugar-iced pastries. Lewis catches the eye of every woman at the party—but Victoria is the only one who catches his. He won’t be tied down in her father’s business, but watching other men court her amid a flurry of engagements ignites a jealousy he’s never felt before. A dose of honesty may be just the thing to mend their broken hearts—for many holidays to come…

You can access all of the buy links here:
https://heatherhiestand.com/books/christmas-delights/

Follow the blog hop! Next up is J.A. Kazimer on October 27th!
j.a. kazimer J.A. Kazimer is a writer living in Denver, CO. Books include The Junkie Tales, The Body Dwellers, CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale, Holy Socks & Dirtier Demons, Dope Sick: A Love Story, SHANK, Froggy Style: A F***ed Up Fairy Tale, The Assassin’s Heart, and the forthcoming Deadly Ever After series from Kensington Books – The Fairyland Murders. You can find her online at jakazimer.com.

New #recipe: Pumpkin Spice Apple Cake

Yes, yes, we’re addicted to pumpkin spice! Here’s a fun recipe to try, with loads of flavor.

apple cake

        2 Cups Diced Apples. I always leave the peel on for extra nutrition.

 

      1/2 Cup White Sugar
        1 Cup  Flour (or use a generous cup of gluten-free baking mix and skip the baking soda)

 

          1 teaspoon Baking Soda
          2 tablespoons Pumpkin spice coffee syrup (I used Torani)

 

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

      1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
      1/4 Cup Applesauce
      2 Eggs Beaten
      1 teaspoon Vanilla
        1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch pan. Cooking time:  approx. 45 minutes.

Mix applesauce, eggs, syrup and vanilla. Mix chopped apples with sugar and add to first mixture. Stir the dry ingredients together and fold in, then add walnuts.

Makes a dark, shiny cake perfect with a dollop of whipped cream!