Death by Chocolate Cake--Oh My!!

I made this for my hubby's birthday today. It's his favorite. Around our house, we call this "Sin Cake" because we always over-indulge!

Death by Chocolate Cake

4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 package dark chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hines dark chocolate is what I use.)
1 sm. package instant chocolate pudding mix (cheap kind is ok)
1  ½-2  cups semisweet chocolate chips (save other ½ cup for glaze) If you have mini-chips those work even better but regular are fine and dandy.)

Mix all ingredients together and beat for about fifty strokes.  Pour into a greased and floured Bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes. Check with a toothpick every 5 mintes after 40 and don't overcook. A few crumbs on toothpick are okay. Turn the the cake out onto a plate after a minute of cooling.

This cake is tender, moists, and dark and rich, a sinful tempation that gets better as it cools. The next day it is killer good.

Three ways to frost

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat plain.

Glaze:
½ cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup  milk or cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
½  teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk or cream, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a small pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils. Pour this over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Frosting:
Put two cups of powdered in a bowl and slowly add the above glaze, stirring well until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.

I also sometimes sprinkle chopped pecans over the icing.

Back from RWA And Mickey Mouse land-Photos!!

Back from the Romance Writers of America's national conference in Anaheim, California, land of unending sunshine and Mickey Mouse! I didn't win the RITA but had such a great time being a five time finalist. Schmoozing with fellow finalists at that RITA reception and signing books for readers at a charity booksigning were big highlights for me. Here are a couple of photos from the conference.

Love Inspired Authors. That's me in the front in the brown with red hair.

At the RITA Award ceremony with double finalist, Christine Rimmer. We had a table together with her editor and mine and several Golden Heart finalists. A great group of writers.

Fellow finalist Irene Hannon, Debbie Clopton who writes those funny Mule Hollow boooks, and me in the jacket. We had a blast at the Harlequin Party. Who wouldn't with lots of fun oldies music for the fleet of foot, an ice cream bar complete with bananas foster,  a crepes bar, a dessert bar, and a decorate your own cupcake bar!!

The conference included lots of emphasis on the new trailblazers in fiction publishing--ebooks. So tell me, do you own an ereader? If so, what kind?

BOOKSIGNING JULY 22 ANAHEIM, CA.

RWA huge booksigning of over 400 authors including names like Nora Roberts. I'll be there too signing my Rita finalist book THE CHRISTMAS CHILD and a rerelease of two reader favorites in The Brothers Bond series. All money goes to literacy charities. Come see me. I will be at seat 105 right by the cashier! Anaheim Convention Center near Disney, Wed. July 22 at 5:00 until 7.

THE BROTHERS' BOND, RERELEASED AT LAST!

After years of being asked by you, my wonderful readers, about the Brothers'  Bond books, Love Inspired has rereleased two of them, Books 1 and 3, in a duo. It's available now and if you haven't read these, I hope you will. They are my absolute favorite and won all kinds of awards. Most importantly, I received so much reader mail about these three brothers who were separated as boys and reunited as men. Enjoy!!

Order here. Also read an excerpt.

Here's what one reviewer had to say:

This is a great book; Linda Goodnight is probably the BEST author of the Love Inspired line of books. She really has a talent for making the charaters "3D" and interesting. You feel Drew's pain in this story, as well as the sweetness he discovers can be had in life. But don't stop with this book. Read all three of the books in Linda Goodnight's "The Brothers' Bond" series.

The Barefoot Bride rereleased!

Look what I saw at Walmart!   My very first book, a novella called "The Barefoot Bride" has been rereleased in a collection with 8 other historical romances. This is still one of my favorite books and I hope you'll like it too.

Here's what a reader on Goodreads had to say:

"The Barefoot Bride" by Linda Goodnight made me cry. I would have LOVED to read this in a full length novel."

Perfect, East to Peel, Hard Boiled Egg Recipe

Happy Ressurrection Day!

What's cooking at your house for Easter dinner? For us, we always have lots of eggs, some for the kids to color and others for me to devil and or to eat plain!  For years I struggled to boil eggs properly. They were either gooey in the yolk or green around the edges. Ugh. Worse, pealing them was a nightmare. I ended up with ripped, pitiful egglet things. But finally, at long last, and after many, many unpalatable eggs, I stumbled upon the perfect, pealable recipe for hard boiled eggs.

Here ya go!

1. Put eggs in a saucepan and add water-just enough to cover them--this is important!  It doesn't matter how many eggs. However many you want. The recipe is the same.

2. Put the pan on the burner and turn the heat to high. Again it doesn't matter if your stove is not like my stove. It still works.

3. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

4. When the time goes off, turn off heat, cover the pan of eggs (still in the water), and set the timer for another 10 minutes.

5. When the timer goes off this time, drain the water and cover with cold water. Immediately--I mean, right this minute--start peeling the eggs. DO NOT WAIT.  Crack the egg all the way around the shell and then lightly roll it on the countertop. Then start at the fat end and peel. The shell will come off in big pieces without tearing up the goody part. I promise. I've done it dozens of times and it really, truly works!

6. Once all the eggs are peeled, you can store them in a covered container in the fridge for plain eating or you can devil some for dinner.

Just for fun, cut one in half and notice how perfectly cooked the yolk is. Is that beautiful or what?

THE LAST BRIDGE HOME

Available February 1, 2012, anywhere books are sold.
This is book 5, the last book in the Redemption River series. Romantic Times Magazine gave it 4 1/2 stars. I hope you will too!

Where the Wildflowers Bloom Review

I just finished Ann Shorey’s new book, Where Wildflowers Bloom, a gentle, smoothly crafted prairie romance from Revell perfect for reading on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The heroine, Faith, longs to follow the Oregon Trail and leave behind the sad memories of the loss of her brother and father in the Civil War. Though, at times, I was frustrated with Faith’s immaturity, the other characters, especially the hero, were endearing. Additionally, I appreciated the author’s subtle hand in addressing the prejudice against women prevalent at that time. I was also impressed with Shorey’s knack for strong setting. With precise wording and well-laid details, she brought the 1860’s and a Missouri small town to life. Read an excerpt at http://www.annshorey.com/novels.html

Susan Mallery Cooks: Linda Goodnight's Light Chocolate Peanut Butter Ch...

Susan Mallery Cooks: Linda Goodnight's Light Chocolate Peanut Butter Ch...: Linda Goodnight is the author of heartwarming, inspirational romance novels, including her latest, THE CHRISTMAS CHILD . Linda has won the...

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD

Available October 1 - Book 4 in the Redemption River series.  Preorder:  at Amazon.com

REDEMPTION RIVER  series in order of release:

Finding Her Way Home - book 1 - still available on Amazon
The Wedding Garden - book 2 - on Amazon now
A Place to Belong - book 3 -  on Amazon now
The Christmas Child - book 4 -  Oct. 1, 2011
The Last Bridge Home - book 5 -  winter of 2012

Thank you to reader "Rose" for asking!

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD

Coming October 1!  THE CHRISTMAS CHILD, book four in the Redemption River series.

 I hope you'll love this heartwarming story of  a battle-weary cop, a lost mute boy, and the small town that cared.

ACFW Carol Awards

I'm thrilled to announce that THE WEDDING GARDEN is once again a contest finalist! This time, it is one of three finalists for the Carol, American Christian Fiction Writers' top award, a huge  honor.

CONTESTS GALORE - Win a Kindle and other great stuff

Want to win a Kindle with wi-fi, a $50 Amazon gift card, and twenty-plus free romances from some of Harlequin's top authors, including me? Go to the contest page inside Susan Mallery’s Members Only area from June 22 through July 1 to enter. If you’re not a member yet, you can join for free. The winner will be chosen at random on July 1. Good luck! www.susanmallery.com/members/contest.php'

Let me know if you win. Good luck!

Win a $100 gift card!

Love Inspired authors

Romance Writers of America charity booksigning

June 28 in New York City.

We've come up with an idea to make this massive signing of more than 400 authors even more fun for our Love Inspired readers. Stop by any Love Inspired author's table and pick up a post card with full details. Basically, all you do is visit the table of any Love Inspired author. They're arranged in alphabetical order. At each one, pick up your free trading card and any other free goodies they have. (Buying a book is optional). When you're all done, visit the table of Lenora Worth, Missy Tippens or Janet Tronstad. Those ladies will count your cards. At evenings' end, the visitor with the most cards wins the $100 Amazon gift card!

Little Inspy Trading Cards are fun!

NEW BOOK!

THE NANNY'S HOMECOMING, book one in an exciting new series with 5 other fabulous authors, hits the stands June 21. Order now from Amazon

ANOTHER AWARD FINAL!

THE WEDDING GARDEN, book 2 of the "Redemption River" series, has finaled for the Booksellers' Best Award. I'm so proud of that little book, like a mama when the teacher says her child is smart!

Thank you, everyone, who loves Sloan's story, too.

THE BROTHERS' BOND--AT LAST!

Many, many of you have written in search of one or more of the Brothers' Bond series. Today, I received great news. Love Inspired will re-release two of the books as a 2-in-1 classic in January 2012. A SEASON FOR GRACE and THE HEART OF GRACE will be yours for the reading!

Thank you for asking....It's a relief to finally have an answer for you.

DOUBLE RITA AWARD Finalist!!

Books one and two in the Redemption River series are both finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award Woo-hoo! 

FINDING HER WAY HOME

THE WEDDING GARDEN

God's blessings never cease to amaze me!

A PLACE TO BELONG - NEW BOOK

Apparently, my latest Redemption River novel has made an early appearance on the shelves. Here's the cover. I hope you like the book better than I like the cover! :-)

Snow Ice Cream

Snow Ice Cream
1 honking big bowl (3 qts.) of clean snow (dry snow works best)

1 cup sugar

2-3 heaping Tablespoons of cocoa

1 Tsp. vanilla

Milk (usually about one cup or so). Can also use evaporated milk, half and half, or cream.



In small bowl mix cocoa and sugar together. Sprinkle this over the snow and mix in lightly and quickly with a fork, breaking up lumps, until the color is chocolate enough for you. I like mine to look German chocolate at this point because the cocoa will intensify. Now, add the vanilla and then gradually add the milk a little at a time, mixing lightly with the fork, until the mixture is thick, slightly moist, and mounds up.

Taste and adjust the sugar and cocoa if needed. If too much chocolate, add more snow!
Now pig out. Your tongue will freeze, but happily so. Put what you aren’t eating immediately into the freezer.