Happy Holidays

Ethan Day's Gay Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow - December 12th, I will be over at Ethan Day's loop, participating in Ethan Day's Gay Day - Check it out!

Sunday, September 26th is Gay Day at my Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

The following authors will be generously offering giveaways you can enter to win:

SLOAN PARKER - BREATHE

SJ FROST – FINDING A DREAM

ANDREW GREY – A TASTE OF LOVE

AKM MILES – SOMETHING FOR SANTA

ZA MAXFIELD –I HEARD HIM EXCLAIM

J.P. BOWIE – A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS (2 Copies!)

ALLY BLUE – OLEANDER HOUSE & SHENANDOAH

JAMBREA JO JONES – STEAMY REUNION or WISHING ON A STAR

WILLA OKATI – TOMCAT JONES or BUDDY HOLIDAY or KARMA CHAMELEON

TRINA LANE – CAPTURING PERFECTION or MASTER ME ANTHOOLOGY (MF BDSM)

LEX VALENTINE – HONORABLE SILENCE ANTHOLOGY

SIMONE ANDERSON – KNIGHT OF PLEASURE

DEVON RHODES – MAKING HIS LIST

ALIX BEKINS – RELATIONSHIPS 201

ETHAN DAY – LIFE IN FUSION

CLARE LONDON –POP UPS

The amazing Authors below will be popping in and out to chat & post excerpts from their latest books:

ZA MAXFIELD – VIGIL

ETHAN DAY – SNO HO

SLOAN PARKER - MORE

SJ FROST – KEYS TO LOVE

CLARE LONDON – 72 HOURS

AKM MILES – COLD WINTERS

DEVON RHODES – PRIDE & JOEY

LEX VALENTINE – SUNSTROKED

JP BOWIE – SENSE & SENSUALITY

ANDREW GREY – CORE TRAINING

SIMONE ANDERSON – FINDING LOVE

JAIME SAMMS –THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

ALIX BEKINS – AN ACADEMIC DILEMMA

G.H. WORTH – GRANITE: A ROCKY START

ALLY BLUE – WHAT HIDES INSIDE & TWILIGHT

The day will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST in the Ethan Day Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

I hope everyone will stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has a happy one with friends, family, and loved ones.

I am thankful for my daughter, for my friends, and for my family. I am thankful for the service members and their families. I am thankful for my health and for school. I am thankful to be able to write. I am thankful for my readers.

Simone.

The Middle School Years

I love reading Bronwyn's Riding With Boys installments. Before this year, Bug was picked up and dropped off my me to school and no car-pooling. This year there is some car-pooling, but there is also sleepovers and hours on the phone. Sadly, there are no insightful, witting comments by Bug and her friends. There is, however, a lot of melodrama, and as I was subjected to it, I absolutely must share.

Last weekend Bug and her BFF T spent hours on the phone talking about two particular boys - N and C. Bug likes C and T likes N. Bug and T just had to go to the basketball game on Monday because C and N were playing. (I'm thinking is a bad re-run where the band geeks are nuts over the athletes). Tuesday, Bug tells me that C only likes her as a friend, but that T and N are now going out, because N likes T. Thursday I hear rumblings about T and N, but fail to pay to much attention to it. However later that night Bug has found both C and N on Facebook and must share with T.

Yesterday was a class field trip. Bug and T and their friend S ride with me to the museum. Much fun is had while we are there. All three girls interested in the science parts especially the planes and weather exhibits. On the way home...

T has broken up N (on Thursday - that was the rumbling part) because she now likes D. But she's okay with it because Bug kinda likes N now. (Confused yet?) There is no word on Bug and N, yet. Then T and Bug get into a fight resulting copious amounts of tears because Bug wouldn't give T a potato chip (now, T did fail to share her chips with Bug), which required the mediation of not one but two friends. By the time we get back to school everyone is friends again and talking about the next home game.

I'm Telling!!!!

Look What I Got!!!






The cover for the hot cowboy anthology I'm. My contribution is Roping His Man, it comes out January of 2011 and look at the other great writer's in it too.

Halloween and More

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween. It is probably one of my favorite holidays of the year. Normally I take Bug trick-or-treating around a near by neighborhood, but this year she became a tween and I wasn't sure I was going to let her. I let her. But, she went with a friend of hers and her friends siblings. So, I got to sit home and watch TV and work on a cross-stitch afghan instead. I don't buy candy ahead of time because it would just get eaten, and by the time the details were worked out, there was no candy shopping happening, which ended up working out since a) there are no trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood and b) Bug came back with a huge amount of candy. I'm not sure we'll eat it all.

Now that it's November 1st, it almost feels like the new year or at least the right time to make some decisions and changes. Maybe its the upcoming holidays and all of the joy and stress that come with them. I'm committing myself to two things - writing at least 2000 words a day and losing weight. I saw the coolest dress recently and I want to wear for one of the 3 conferences I'm hoping to attend next year.

Oh, and over at Writers Evolution, we're talking about character lookalikes.

Simone.

National Coming Out Day

Today is National Coming Out Day here in the US! I may be straight, but its a bloody shame that people and states a like haven't figured out that love is love and it's love that makes any marriage work. Hopefully in the not to distant future there will be tolerance, acceptance and true equality.

Celebrate Love!!

Bringing Light To Bullying

Tyler Clementi, an 18 year-old Rutgers University student took his own life recently because of bullying and teasing. His death is one of the latest to make the news where bullying by classmates led to a suicide.

Bullying, teasing and the deaths that result from it has become a pandemic. School administrators are finally starting to being called out and forced to deal with a problem that has plagued kids for decades. But unlike the past, it can not and should not be ignored or swept away.

I too was bullied and teased from first grade through my senior year in high school, not because of my orientation, but because I was breathing. I too thought of suicide or at the very least running away, but in the didn't.

Someone else mentioned they also were told to ignore it - which never worked. I'm not sure I know anyone that it's worked for.

There is nothing worse than the pain you feel when you are going through it. And at 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, the only thing you want is for that pain to end. And it doesn't matter how.

One of the best things I did was join the military and then go to college. The best revenge against bullies is to live. Not just to live but to thrive. To live life to its fullest, to chase whatever dream you have and succeed at it.

While the pain of those years will never completely go away, it helps to form the strong person you will become. And then it ceases to matter. You are able to do things others can't or won't, because of your strength.

It does get better.

I have traveled through out the world where many of those who bullied me never left the city.

It does get better. And it's worth striving for.

KatieBabs Blog has a stirring post on bullying and getting better. For every comment left on the post up to 500, she is donating a dollar to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and to the Trevor Project.

http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/2010/10/it-gets-better-my-500-pledge.html

Returning Soon...

After an extended absence, I promise to be updating my blog again regularly.

Next Monday will see the return of Monday Minute Fiction.

This week over at Writer's Evolution, we are talking about creative outlets.

Monday Minute Fiction - Sharing

This week at Writer's Evolution we're talking about purple prose.

Join me every Monday for Monday Minute Fiction

(This story belongs to Simone Anderson and may not be copied or reposted without permission)


Troy made his way through the crowded sidewalk greeting friends along the way to the street corner where he saw his long time partner, Matt, reclining against the sidewalk, paying closer attention to the attractive woman straddling his legs and looking in his jeans than the parade passing them by. Stopping beside the couple, he watched them for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Get your hands off! He belongs to me,” Troy said firmly, crossing his arms.

“Troy!” The woman yelled as the pair jumped apart and struggled to their feet.

“You’re back! You said you were coming back at the end of the week? You should have called. We’d have picked you up at the airport.” They rushed toward him, stopping short.

“I’m gone a mere nine months and you’re letting a woman play with your cock?” Troy let his gaze travel over the pair slowly. He liked Matt in denim and shirtless. He’d spent every night of the past nine months dreaming about burying his cock in Matt’s ass and almost as much time thinking about Emma curvasious body. “I don’t like to share.”

“You said you’d share him with me. You said I could play with him all I wanted,” Emma said pouting.

“I’m home now,” Troy replied, trying to hold back a smile. He’d spent the last nine months working with a great medical team in some of the worst circumstances, an experience that was professionally and personally rewarding, but now he was ready for something personal just for him. Someones. He wanted both Matt and Emma now.

“You weren’t here and I was lonely,” Matt said cupping Troy’s cock through his slacks.

Troy moaned. Emma’s pout turned into a smile.

“God, I missed you two. I can’t wait to get home and fuck you both senseless followed by long slow lovemaking.” Troy smiled and pulled the couple into his arms. He’d missed this, just being with the two people who mattered most in his life.

“Too bad the house is an hour away and the office is closed,” Emma supplied frowning.

Troy released his grip, stepped back and removed a key from his pocket dangling it in front of them. “I took the liberty of getting us a room downtown tonight. I don’t want to miss the fireworks,” Troy said suggestively. He’d planned to make love to his partners all night long. Nine months in a field hospital surrounded by colleagues, friends, and gunmen had left him wanting the comforting touch of Emma and Matt.

He waited while Matt retrieved his shirt, before Troy grabbed their hands and led the way to the hotel.

The doors of the elevator closed and Matt and Emma turned toward him, tugging his shirt up and undoing his pants. The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. The trio slid apart. Troy allowed a smile to cross his face as he left the elevator ignoring the couple waiting to get in.

Opening the door he held it while Matt and Emma entered the suite dominated by a king size bed. They grabbed him and pulled him onto the bed. He kissed first Matt and then Emma, before he succumbed to their ministrations. Relinquishing control to their frenzied exploration, he looked forward to the long night ahead and making love to both of them. His homecoming was nothing like he planned, but full of the spontaneous energy both of his life partners radiated.

For More Monday Minute read Brynn Paulin's The Inspection and Ashley Ladd's Incognito

Monday Minute Fiction - For Life

This week over at Writers Evolution we're talking about genre fiction vs. literary fiction.

Welcome to Monday Minute Fiction, a short bit of fiction to begin the week.

(This story is copyrighted by Simone Anderson and may not be duplicated without permission.)

David fingered the photograph of his sister and her fiancé, her fingers lightly covering his lips, and sighed. She’d sent a wedding announcement and an invitation to dinner. His gaze darted around the apartment and returned to the last line on the page.

“Bring Hogan, we can’t wait to meet him.”

There was only one problem. There was no Hogan, or more precisely there was no Hogan and him. He’d only seen Hogan from a distance after bumping into him three months earlier when he’d stopped at a different coffee shop for his morning coffee. He’d returned over and over in hopes of seeing the dark haired man again. David stopped there routinely, seeing Hogan every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, eventually learning his name through the barista.

This morning he’d finally gotten up enough nerve to introduce himself and was close enough to smell the man’s cologne when a flock of giggling teen age girls entered the shop causing him to fall into the man’s hard body and strong arms. He’d felt himself turn beat red, mumbled an excuse and fled. Knocking at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

David peered through the peep hole at a head of dark brown hair. His heart skipped a beat. Hogan? No, the man has no idea you’re even alive. Answer the door. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he took a deep breath, unlocked and opened the door. Green eyes peered out at him. David opened his mouth to speak and closed it again when nothing came out.


“David Kirkwood?”

David swallowed trying to process the reality of the man of his dreams standing in front of him. Hogan. Hogan was here.

“Are you David Kirkwood?”

Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded.

Hogan smiled. “Good, I’m glad I have the right place then.”

“What are you doing here? How did you find me? How do you know my name?” David finally blurted out.

“Ah, you can talk. I was beginning to wonder,” Hogan said, smiling again. “You dropped your wallet,” he said holding up a battered brown wallet.

“My wallet!” David patted his pockets. How had he not realized he’d lost it? Because he’d been fantasizing about Hogan all day, he thought answering his own question. “How —the girls—when I bumped—bumped into you.” David felt his cheeks flush and took the billfold.

“You are adorable when you blush,” Hogan said, setting a hand against his cheek. David pressed his hand into it. “I’m glad you did. I wouldn’t have known you were hard for me otherwise.”

David squeezed his eyes closed hoping when he opened them, his embarrassment would be ended and Hogan would be standing there. A large hand cupped his cock and balls through his slacks, squeezing gently. He opened his eyes and found Hogan standing right in front of him.

“Hogan,” David moaned. “Please.”

“What do you want?”

“You, only you. Always only you.” David knew the truth of the words as he said them. He’d fallen for Hogan the first time he’d seen him.

“Be sure. I’ve wanted you too long for you to be unsure,” Hogan said releasing him.

David nodded and gestured for Hogan to come in. “I’m sure.”

“Condoms?”

“In the bedroom,” David replied locking the door behind them and heading for the bedroom. “If you wanted me for so long, why didn’t you say something? Or at least make it easier for me to approach you?”

Hogan stopped and pinned David against the wall, covering David’s mouth with his. David moaned. Hogan’s tongue pushed in, exploring and tasting, retreating slightly to allow David the same privilege. David inhaled the sweet, earthy scent he always associated with Hogan and groaned as Hogan slipped a hand inside his pants and wrapped his fingers around his cock and rubbed before releasing him and pulling him into the bedroom. David quickly removed his clothes, dug out the lube and condoms from the nightstand and moved to the center of the bed. He watched as Hogan took off his clothes, revealing a lithe, muscled body.

“I wanted, needed you to choose me, to come to me. You always looked embarrassed when I caught you checking me out,” Hogan replied. “I wanted to be sure you were the one for me. I needed to be sure you were ready.”

“What are you saying?” David asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

“I am fae, I want you for myself for all times.”

David nodded. He was friends with several of the otherkin, the fae like elves and some humans mated for life. Unlike the others, if he agreed to this, neither partner would ever be allowed to have sex with another being, even if the other was to die.

“Be sure David,” Hogan said from the side of the bed. “You have condoms, we can merely have fun for the night.”

“But then I’d never see you again.”

Hogan nodded, “That would be the best.”

“I doubt that.” David scrambled to his knees, tossed the condoms on the floor, and kissed Hogan, praying he made the right decision. “I want this. I want you. For life.”

David allowed Hogan to push him back onto the bed, relishing the contact as they explored and learned each other's bodies. For life. David had found what he’d envied in his sister’s relationship, his soul mate for life.

“Sex will be a regular occurrence,” Hogan said kissing him. “I may never let you out of bed.”

“You talk too much. Kiss me,” David said threading his hands through Hogan’s hair.

“Demanding aren’t you?”

“Kiss me, while you take me, please.”

For More Monday Minute Fiction - See Brynn Paulin's Just A Kiss

Ethan Day's Gay Day!!!!

Sunday, March 28th is Gay Day at my Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

The following authors will be generously offering giveaways you can enter to win:

Ava March – Has generously offered up an e-book from her Backlist

Neil Plakcy – Mahu Men

JP Bowie - Slaves to Love – Coming Soon

Sloan Parker – More

SJ Frost – No Fear

Devon Rhodes – A Detour Home

Clare London – Home Sweet Home

Charlie Cochrane – A Goodie Bag sent to anywhere in the known Universe!

Sophia Titheniel – Damon’s: Speed Dating

Simone Anderson – A Knight of Pleasure

Trina Lane – Taking the Chance

TC Blue – The One That Got Away

Amanda Young - You’ll Have to Show up to Find Out! : )

Willa Okati – And Call Me in the Morning

The amazing Authors below will be popping in and out to chat & post excerpts from their latest books:

G.A. Hauser – It Takes A Man

Ava March – From Afar

Willa Okati – Because It’s True

Lynn Lorenz – Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Carol Lynne – Bodyguards in Love #3: I Love Rock n Roll

Sophia Titheniel – Sadie’s Kiss

Amanda Young – Daywalker Legacy

Charlie Cochrane – All That Jazz in the anthology Encore Encore

Viki Lyn – Ryan’s Harbor

AKM Miles – Too Keen

The day will begin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST in the Ethan Day Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST we’ll be hosting another LIVE Chat which is pretty much a free for all, anything-goes-chat that’ll inevitably have you uttering the phrase, “What the f**k?” : )

***You will need to have Downloaded Skype in order to take part in the Live Chat.***

Once you’ve downloaded the FREE software, simply add me as a contact: ethandayonline -- and I'll be able to add you to the chat room!

I hope everyone will stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun

Knight Of Pleasure Out Today!

Knight of Pleasure - Book One of the Smugglers' Cove Books is being released from Total-E-Bound Today!!!!


The Blurb:

Wounded in Iraq, Dean Hudson is forced to give up his dream of a career in the Marine Corps. Nearly recovered from the physical wounds that left him scarred, he resigns himself to a life alone, and begins to deal with the emotional and mental scars the war left behind while he tries to rebuild a life. Having kept his homosexuality a secret for so long, he doesn't expect to find love or acceptance in the arms of a knight.

On the weekends, successful brewery co-owner, Dom Ethan Moreland dons armour and a sword and fights other knights. The adrenaline rush and stress relief provided by the atmosphere of the renaissance faire also serve as a constant reminder of the love he still hasn't found and can't remember having.

When Dean meets Ethan dressed as a knight, he never dreams that he will find happiness and love on his knees while submitting to Ethan.


Excerpt:

Dean nodded and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wanting to bolt. The crowded open area of the faire set his nerves on edge, and he longed for peace and quiet and solitude. Jennie wriggled out of his lap, and he waited for her to climb down to the bench in front of them to join her two brothers before he edged away from Carla.

Dean rubbed his sweating palms on his jeans, thankful the breezy day spared him the awkwardness of explaining why he wasn’t wearing shorts. He hadn’t worn shorts since before his last deployment, when his body and life were changed forever. It was a day like any other, but one he would never forget the day of his last patrol. Two years later, he was looking at an uncertain future as a disabled vet who couldn’t stand on his own two feet without the aid of a cane.

He watched the maroon-clad knight, Ethan, round on his opponent, swing his sword and drive the man to his knees. Kicking him in the chest, he raised his hands in celebration as the man toppled backwards. Half of the crowd cheered. The other half booed. An armour-less man dressed in a black and white tunic bearing the colours and crest of the entertainment troop rushed forward to help the defeated knight to his feet.

One after another, the armoured men dropped to one knee, heads bowed in the direction of a short, round, blonde-haired woman, who despite her smile, looked as though she’d just tasted something disgusting. Ethan stuck his sword into the dirt, removed his helmet then knelt on one knee.

Dean inhaled sharply. Long, light-brown hair was tied at the nape of the man’s neck, and beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face. His angular jaw gave way to the subtle lines hidden beneath armour.

"Ethan’s gay, by the way, and single,” Carla whispered in his ear. “I thought you might like him.”

“You told me in one of the letters you sent me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to play matchmaker,” Dean said good-naturedly, hugging his sister.

“Why shouldn’t I want my brother to find true love?”

He wasn’t sure about true love, but Dean wondered what it would be like to get fucked by Ethan. The single photograph Carla had sent him of Ethan was decidedly less sexy than the sight on the field in front of him. Dean started. How long had it been since he’d thought about another guy? Too long, he chastised himself. There was no guarantee that Ethan was single, and Dean had to meet a player he liked. He strongly suspected Ethan was a top, which suited him fine. Dean had topped before, but he preferred bottoming. So had Brad, his ex, so he’d ended up topping more often than not, wanting to make his lover happy. It hadn’t been enough to keep Brad from cheating on him.

Dean remembered the day he’d come home early and found Brad in their bed, technically Dean’s bed, with one of the company clerks. Dean shook his head, pulling himself from his memories, surprised to find all of the armoured men standing in the centre of the ring. The combatants squared off. Dean winced when Ethan was hit first in the leg by one person followed closely on the back of the helmet by the knight in the green and yellow tunic.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to him. You’ll like him.” Carla giggled.

Dean smiled and nodded trying to keep his excitement at bay.

“Ethan! Lord Blackmoore!” Carla called out, drawing the attention of several knights.

“You fought wonderfully, as always,” Carla said, hugging Ethan.

“Ethan, this is my brother Dean Hudson,” Carla said, reaching for Dean. “Dean, this is one of my best friends, Ethan Moreland, also known as Lord Blackmoore, one of the Knights of Steel.”

“Nice to meet you, Dean. Welcome home.” Ethan held out his hand.

Dean moved his cane to the other hand and shook hands with Ethan, who ran his thumb over Dean’s knuckles. Desire ran rampant through Dean’s body, pooling in his groin at the contact. “Nice to meet you too,” Dean replied, wishing he knew Ethan well enough to move the errant strand of light brown hair that fell across one dark eye.

“You’re being summoned my lord,” Carla said, turning from them towards the arena where the other knights had gathered.

“You will be staying for a while right?” Ethan asked, looking from Dean to Carla and back again.

Dean saw the plea in sister’s eyes, pushed aside his growing discomfort and nodded. He wanted today to be special for her. On top of working, raising her kids and trying to have a life, she’d been looking after him since he’d returned home.

“It was nice to meet you,” Dean said, half hoping he’d get to know Ethan better.

“My pleasure, Dean. My pleasure,” Ethan answered, running two knuckles along Dean jaw line. Dean thought he saw a look of possession in Ethan’s eyes before the man turned and left them.

“Come on. Let’s go see more of the faire,” Carla began as soon as Ethan was out of hearing distance. She hooked an arm through his and pulled him away from the arena. “So, what do you think?”

“They do this for fun?” Dean looked around at the vast array of costumes ranging from elegant to gaudy. He leaned heavily on his cane, carefully picking his way over the rough terrain.

Creativity Prompt

I Have To What...

Up to this point, I've enjoyed a comfy Tuesday blog spot over at Writers Evolution, but things have changed, so me being the rookie, I'll be blogging on Monday. Oye. So now I have to be awake and coherent and somewhat intelligent sounding on Mondays. This should be interesting. This week, we are talking about our favorite characters from our books.

Promptly

Writing Prompt:

Describe the sounds of winter.

Thursday's Creativity Prompt

Kitchen Gadgets

I love to cook, but normally the few kitchen gadgets I have -- I don't have the large gourmet kitchen with lots of gadgets - I have a really tiny kitchen with a lot of multi-taskers -- normally kitchen gadgets do not make their way into my office area. That is no longer the case. At least for one gadget.

I was having an issue staying focused on my writing, so I decided to try something I think I heard in passing from somewhere. I don't remember where, when, or who said it though. Anyway, I decided to set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes and write until it went off. When it went off, I added my word count total and the time passed into a spreadsheet and then went to get a drink, change laundry around, etc and then restart the timer and get back to work. I was able to write 3k words in a matter of a couple of hours that way. And because I was curious to see if it was a fluke, I tried it again, for a shorter period of time, and it worked out great!!!

Music + Kitchen Gadgets = Lots of progress

If It's Tuesday --

I am over at Writer's Evolution and this week we are talking about manuscripts in hiding.

Adventures In Cooking - Something New This Week

Since I can't remember what I made this past week that was new, I'll share a couple of recipes that I am going to make this coming week. I found both recipes on Allrecipes

Chorizo And Lentil Stew

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3/4 pound bulk beef chorizo sausage
• 5 ribs celery, sliced
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 3 cups water or chicken broth
  
• 1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
  

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until it turns golden brown, about 45 seconds. Add the chorizo sausage; cook and stir until the sausage is crumbly and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in celery, and cook until the celery softens, about 4 minutes more.
2. Pour off any excess grease from the sausage, then add the lentils and water. Season with turmeric, curry powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

** I'm going to make it twice - once with curry and once with paprika instead of the curry powder, because some of my friends/family don't like curry and will use chicken broth instead of water. I'm using beef chorizo, which is harder to find in my area, because my family doesn't generally eat pork.

I'm going to serve this with a loaf of homemade bread recipe that I have found on the same site.

Jo's Rosemary Bread

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's Spices)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press Start.

I make this by hand, because I don't own a bread machine. Here are the instructions that I use to make this brso I started by proofing the yeast in the water for about 5 minutes, then added one cup of the flour, the sugar, salt, and oil and mixed in my stand mixer on pretty high speed until it was a thick creamy batter (looking almost like pancake batter), 3-4 minutes or so. Then switched attachments to the bread hook and began adding flour gradually, along with the herbs and pepper. Knead just until all dough pulls away from the bowl, then finish kneading by hand (about 5 minutes or so). I let this rise is a greased bowl for one hour, then punched down, formed into an oval loaf and let rise another hour. I brushed with olive oil and coarse sea salt before baking, and I also spritzed this with water about 3 times during baking (it gives it that crunchy outer crust, but it still stays soft in the middle). I baked this about 20 minutes at 375 then turned the heat up to 425 for about 10 more minutes.

Adventures In Cooking -- The Curry Express

I actually like to cook and bake. Tonight, I made Honey Baked Chicken and served it with Curried Rice Pilaf. I find them easy to make, but I don't know if everyone else would agree. :) I know my sister in law wouldn't. Well one of them wouldn't. I used a sweet curry powder from Penzey's Spices, if you don't like a strong curry taste, cut it in half.

Honey Baked Chicken

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into large pieces
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup prepared Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Curry

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
2. Place chicken in shallow baking dish.
3. Combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder in bowl and pour over chicken.
4. Cover with foil (shiny side down) and bake for 55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Baste every 15 mintues with juices.

Curried Rice Pilaf
1/2 Cup Green Onions, chopped, divided
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 Cup Butter, soften
1 1/2 Cup Jasmine Long Grain Rice
3 tsp Curry Powder
1 - 32 oz carton Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
1/2 Cup Almonds, chopped, toasted

1. In a large skillet, saute 1/4 Cup onions and garlic in butter until tender.
2. Stir in rice and curry powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned
3. In a md saucepan, heat broth and salt. Pour over rice mixture and stir.
4. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Stir in raisins, almonds, and remaining onions


Both dishes were good. Next time, I'm going to use cornstarch and milk to thicken the sauce for the chicken and serve it with either plain rice or a different rice pilaf with pine nuts and raisins or dried apricots. Just to see what happens.

Enjoy.

Smugglers' Cove - Knight Of Pleasure

I got the cover for my new book! Knight Of Pleasure, the first in the Smugglers' Cove Series, due out from Total-e-Bound on March 15th!

Soap Box Issues

Find out what the writer's at Writers Evolution have strong opinions about and the one topic they all agree on.

Starting the New Year Off

- so far I've not made my 500 word a day goal. I've come close - sort of... I wrote. That's all I can really ask for right now. I've been spending time with my brother, who has 5 kids, add Bug to the mix and it's loud and chaotic with 2 or 3 crying and screaming at once. I'm used to very little noise, so the adjustment is not going well. I'm low on caffeine too, which doesn't help. Add to that the fact that my knee doesn't want to work right, and it's shaping up to be a lousy 2010. Maybe I'll wait and celebrate the Lunar New Year instead. Start 201o off better.

Gaia's Heart - Island Hope