Ireland, Day 3 photos

 

Day 3 was not a great day so I've decided to post some nice photos instead of telling all our woes of trying-and failing-to drive on Ireland's VERY narrow roads.

 

Above is Bunratty Castle, an imposing medieval castle that is open for viewing but the price is steep!

Note the established date! This pub is at Bunratty. We had a passable meal here. The inside is cooly ancient and you could feel the age and history.

Muckross Abbey, a medieval abby I loved. Can you see me up there peering out the window? The abbey is said to be haunted and has tombs dating back to the 1300s. The cemetary is still used today. The ambiance here is amazing. We visited at dusk and I could have lingered here for hours.

 Muckross Abbey, a fuller view. It's really huge, so hard to get in one photo. Enormous fireplaces are still intact. This is one of the places, during the time when Christianity was being stomped out, that the monks "kept the light" of faith burning. Cromwell burned, raided and sent the friars into hiding, but they never gave up.

Lovely County Kerry.

 Wouldn't you love to follow this road forever? The lane into Killarney National Park

 

 

Every where in Ireland we saw rock walls like this. It's a very rocky land so walls were built with found rock. The rocks are just stacked on top of each other without mortor. Many have endured for hundreds of years!

 Nothing like a tasty banafee pie to end a stressful day. This was at Molly D'Arcy's pub outside Killarney and near our B&B. A very good Irish band was playing so we stayed to listen to the music and enjoy our tea and pie. I don't know what was in that pie but it was scrumptious. This is my daughter, Sundy, my traveling buddy.

The outside of Friar's Glen B&B, my favorite, favorite place to stay in Ireland. Mary and John made us feel at home and went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable after a rather trying day. They even drove us to the pub, provided a flashlight and umbrella and booked tours for us. Wonderful people. And the breakfast alone was worth the price!

Ireland trip, Day 2

This was my favorite, favorite day, so the post is long! Enjoy the photos.

Day Two – May 23, 2013

The Most Perfect Day

Amazingly I awoke energized and rested without a hint of jet lag even though I didn’t sleep for more than twenty four hours the day before! After a filling breakfast cooked by Marion of Coolin House, the Galway Tour bus picked us up outside the bed and breakfast about nine and whisked us off toward the Connemara. This was the Ireland I had come to see. I absolutely loved this area along Ireland’s windy, chilly west. It is a remote land where miles and miles of rock fence square off the lush green land like a quilt. Sheep were thick in the lush, rolling fields and we saw few houses in this mostly treeless environment. Occasionally sheep dotted the winding roads, ambling along the very scant shoulder with lambs as they nipped what must be the best grass. Our tour bus slowed for them, making note that the ewes become road smart quickly but the lambs were new and not quite as savvy. It was a charming sight, worth slowing for. And I was aggravated at myself for not getting a photo!

Dotting the sides of the roads everywhere were the ruins of small rock houses that we learned are the remains of peasant homes from the potato famine, or as the Irish call it, the great hunger.

Fourteen or fifteen family members would live in these small dwellings, sleeping on the floor or on shelves built into the walls. (Thus, the term “left on the shelf too long” used to describe spinsters. Families were eager for them to marry and move out to make space for someone else!) The houses, like the miles of rock fence, were made of found, stacked stones without mortar. How they remain with nothing to hold them is a mystery to me. The houses include a giant fireplace at one end and usually few or no windows because at the time the government charged a “window tax” that poor families could not afford.

Another interesting sight was the peat, or turf, bogs. According to our driver, sometime in Ireland’s ancient past the Connemara was covered in forest which died and “melted” into the ground, thus forming large wetlands filled with peat. The damp peat can be cut like bricks from the earth, stacked and dried, and used for fuel. Many in the Irish west still use turf as their main fuel and struggle against the government which wants to stop peat farming and preserve the disappearing bogs. We passed a peat farmer or two. One grinned and waved for us to come and help him. We enjoyed his friendliness.

Our driver and other Irishmen we spoke with expressed ongoing concern about their country and the struggling economy and sometimes about their frustration with the government. One quoted 40% unemployment, with the major industry being tourism. This is obvious everywhere as the beauty of Ireland becomes more and more commercialized, thus detracting from what makes it special to begin with. Yet who I am to complain? I was a tourist. The Irish also fret about the continuing exit of Ireland’s young people to other countries. And still, all these years later, the resentment toward their 800 year English oppressor runs deep. This part surprised me, but we heard that undercurrent over and over again while in Ireland.

But back to the Connemara where tourism has not overshadowed the wild and natural state of the world’s greenest land. We saw a number of antiquities along the way, including Ross Errilly Friary, a 1351 Franciscan friary and the best preserved monastery in Ireland. To be so old, it is amazingly intact and gives a feel of what life must have been like for those “keepers of the Christian light”.

We stopped at Cong, which was my favorite village of the many we visited.

A beautiful little town, surviving on tourism without being spoiled, Cong was where John Wayne filmed a movie years ago and is credited with beginning Ireland’s tourist trade. There is a museum, which I didn’t visit and a pub that was featured in the movie. Instead of having tea, Sundy and I explored this quaint, charming village that boasts a very old cross in the middle of main street. The tiny row of old shops are squeezed close to one another and painted in colorful hues. A river runs through Cong next to Cong Abbey, a fabulous old medieval ruin where were we told the last high king of Ireland, Rory O’Connor is buried.

I saw no sign to that effect so I don’t know if it’s true or not. I loved it, as I did every abbey or friary we visited! I also enjoyed the swans floating on the river inlet nearby. The entire town has a quiet, park-like beauty. I could see myself living here and would have stayed here a day or two if I had known how much I would love it.

Later on the tour, we saw a little cemetery that turned out to be a children’s cemetery with a sad story.

It seems the Catholic faith, at one time, did not allow anyone who had not been baptized to be buried in consecrated ground with their families. So this pretty little, rock-walled plot of land contains the remains of dozens of children who died before they could be baptized.

A stop by a lake revealed an enchanting Irish superstition I had never heard of - a fairy tree. We were told that people make a wish to the fairies and tie a ribbon on this particular tree. Indeed, the small, wind-bent tree was covered in ribbons of various colors. Our tour guide and others we talked to said that many Irish still take their fairies seriously.

The countryside in the Connemara area is so incredibly beautiful that I was, by now, in sensory overload. My eyes simply couldn’t take everything in quickly enough. Suddenly, we rounded a bend and there spread before us like something out of a magical kingdom was Kylemore Abbey. Set on a lake with the mountain behind, Kylemore is a magnificent manor house built by a man for his beloved wife in the mid 1800s. When she died suddenly, the heartbroken husband built a miniature cathedral a short distance from the house in her honor. It’s such a romantic story that the romance writer in me was captivated. Sundy and I visited the church and spent some time in prayer. There was a quiet reverence and a precious spirit about the place.

There is a charge to see the house and the walled Victorian gardens. The gardens were not quite in full bloom but still very pretty and tidy. For the price of entry, you can actually only visit one floor of the manor house which has some 100 rooms! Because we were on the bus tour, we got a sizable discount on admission—I think it was 8 Euros-and I didn’t regret the expense. High on the hill behind the house is a giant statue of Jesus that can be seen from some distant. We opted not to climb up due to time and the cold wind.

I took dozens of photos because this was, by far, the favorite stop of my entire trip. I’m trying to figure out how to set a book here or at least in the Connemara area. Though the weather was cold and windy and we wore every layer we brought with us, the sun shone and the sky was a breathless blue. Rhododendron quite literally lines the estate like a great green and fuchsia wall. The plants were just beginning to bloom but were so very pretty. I can’t imagine how gorgeous they are in full flower.

Finally, after more stops to view pretty valleys and lakes and vast fields, our tour was over. At our request, our driver dropped us back in Salthill at Lohan’s pub for a dinner of my favorite Irish food-beef and Guinness stew. I had never tried it before and was a little uncertain until I tasted. Oh, my! Yummy. A thick, rich gravy of tender beef tips and mushrooms was topped with a generous helping of mashed potatoes. Brown bread was served on the side. Country eaters like us were in food heaven and now I have to figure out how to make this at home.

Happily filled, we walked back to Coolin House, freshened up, Skyped home to the family from our iPad, and then walked the 10 minutes or so to the Galway Bay Hotel and Trad on the Prom. The venue for the show of traditional Irish music and dance is small and all the chairs set flat so a short person would want to get there early and sit in front. My daughter is under five feet tall and had we not been in the front row she would not have seen much. As it was, the show was very entertaining with a good mix of terrifically performed music and some good Irish dance. Two of the musicians with the same last name were outstanding, each one playing many traditional instruments. I think the woman played 22!  I could listen to the penny whistle, the boudhran, and the pipes all night. Some of the dancers were ho-hum but a pair of brothers proved exceptional. All in all, a good show.

Afterward, we strolled along the promenade-a walkway along Galway Bay-back to our lodging. A full moon shone over the glistening, silvery waters. A few hearty souls—or crazies-were swimming in the cold water while we huddled close inside our layered sweater, jacket, coat and gloves. The walk is safe and pretty and only a few minutes away from the residential area where we stayed. Again, we’d spent a lovely day in Ireland without a bit of rain.

 

 

Ireland trip, day 1

In May, I took the trip of a lifetime to Ireland. I hope you enjoy my journal entries and photos.

Day one, May 22, 2013

JFK to Shannon to Galwaywhere we the bed and breakfast asilvery Galway Bay andk to the bed and breakfast and collapsed for the night.

ing palces until w

Sundy and I arrived from JFK into Shannon airport at 6 a.m., a little groggy from only a few catnaps on Aerlingus, but raring to go. As we flew in over Ireland, my eyes teared up a bit. Everything was so rural and green and the sun was shining in welcome. At last, I was here.

By the way, Aerlingus was great. We sat on the side where only two seats were and enjoyed the extra room. We also enjoyed the free television in the seat-back in front of us where we could choose movies or TV, games or music to keep us occupied. Aerlingus also believes in keeping you fed, unlike American planes that dole out a peanut or two. The pilot landed us beautifully with hardly a bump.

Getting through the immigration line was fast and easy at Shannon. Since the airport is very small, everything is accessible and easy to maneuver. We found the ATM which only gave out 150 Euros at a time. But there are two machines which worked out okay. A money exchange booth is also present, for a fee, course. Once we had some Euros, we headed outside, breathed the fresh air, and boarded a bus for Galway. We discovered immediately that we enjoy bus rides through the gorgeous countryside. No stress of finding out way or inability to gaze out the window. We loved driving through quaint, often colorful and always tidy villages and seeing the landscapes which are simply picture postcards everywhere you look.

Arriving in Galway, we walked two blocks up to Eyre (pronounced “air”) Square, a park surrounded by lots of small shops. A walk around found the Meteor shop where we met Dave, a delightful young man who gave us an introduction to the Irish warmth and friendliness we encountered numerous times. Dave worked very hard to fix up our phone and with 10 Euros the Blackberry was up and running at 35 cents per local call minute and 15 cents for international. Cheaper to call across the ocean. Isn’t that weirdly interesting?

Off we went, only a few blocks walk, to meet Galway Tours for an afternoon exploring the Cliffs of Moher and a number of antiquities and more stunning scenery. Among other things, we saw Dunguire Castle, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, an ancient tomb. That's it in the photo. It dates back several thousand years before Christ.  

 

We also visited the Burren, a strange, barren landscape of limestone that didn’t do much for me. The air was chilly to us and we were wishing for more clothes!

In mid-afternoon, the bus stopped in Doolin, a small village with a pub and a few stores. Not hungry, we walked around the village and explored a bit. The weather was quite cold here and windy but sunny. Sundy and I were tired but pushing through, loving every minute, and so glad to be on a bus instead of driving!

We reached the Cliffs of Moher and walked up a long flight of stairs to the top of a rise where we could look down at the sea and the cliffs. Magnificent, stunning, breathtaking! Down below we could see seabirds flying above the waves crashing against the cliffs. They looked as small as butterflies. The wind was the strongest we encountered on our trip, so strong that it pushed at our backs and made us have to hold on to keep from falling. And did I mention it was cold?! No rain, though, for which we were grateful.

 Our tour price included the visitor’s center but if it hadn’t we would not have paid to go in. It’s just photos and videos of the more spectacular outside! A waste of money. There is also a climbing tower for another charge but the steps are steep and narrow. I guess the biggest disappointment is the way the area has become commercial, losing its wild beauty. But nonetheless, I am glad I saw this magnificent handiwork of God.

After the tour, Galway Tours trusty (and extremely knowledgable) driver, Ken, dropped us at our bed and breakfast, Coolin House in Salthill. Here we met Marion who showed us to very clean, very small room with a larger bathroom. It was nicely adequate but not fancy. No washcloths or toiletries but we weren’t expecting either.

After a few moments of unwinding, we were off to find food. Now, remember, we have not slept in a very long time and we are growing weary, but still pressing on. The Salthill area was bare of pubs and easy eating places—no fast food joints here or anywhere in Ireland that we visited. Thank goodness. As we walked, searching, we met a pair of Irish girls who directed us to Lohan’s Pub—3-4 minute’s walk, they said. We learned that an Irish minute is much longer than an American one but finally found Lohan’s after about 20 minutes and had a nice bowl of hot soup to warm our chilled Okie blood. Refreshed, we walked along the promenade beside the silvery waters of Galway Bay before heading back to the bed and breakfast where we collapsed for the night.

Day one in Ireland was fabulous!

Chocolate Oreo Cake

Chocolate Oreo Cake

1 package dark chocolate cake mix (I use Duncan Hines dark.)
1 sm. package instant chocolate pudding mix (cheap kind is ok)

4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix cake mix and dry pudding in a bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, water, and oil and beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into Bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 40. Don’t let it overcook. Use the toothpick test or when the sides pull away from the pan. A few crumbs on the toothpick are okay.

Cool completely—several hours is best. Then carefully cut the cake in two layers. I use a long knife that will go all the way through.

Frosting:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups thawed Cool Whip

12 Oreo (or Twist and Shout) Cookies, coarsely crushed

With mixer beat cream cheese and sugar together. Then fold Cool Whip into the cream cheese. Finally add the crushed cookies and stir in gently.

Frost the bottom layer with a small amount of frosting. Maybe a cup or so. Top with second layer. Then use the rest of the frosting to ice top, sides, and inner ring of cake.

I like to add a few remaining cookies on top for looks.

This is not a pretty cake, but it’s really moist, dense and delicious. I’ve also seen similar cakes decorated with cookie crumbs or drizzled with melted chocolate to make it prettier. If you think of another way, let me know!

One tip, lower fat products don’t seem to work as well

.

Snow Ice Cream - back by popular demand!

Snow Ice Cream

(All ingredients are approximates)

1 lg. (3 quart bowl) of clean, dry snow

1 cup of sugar

2 ½ TBS. Cocoa

1 tsp. real vanilla extract

½ cup of Milnot or other evaporated milk – can also use cream, half and half, or plain old milk.

¼ cup of milk (approx.)

Mix cocoa and sugar together in a separate bowl, then sprinkle over the top of the snow and mix in lightly with a fork. Once the snow is chocolate colored, slowly add the vanilla and milks, mixing with fork after each addition. Continue until you reach a nice thick ice cream consistency. Put in freezer for a few minutes. Then eat and enjoy!

  Mine looks like this but I "borrowed" this photo.
 

Valentine Snack for Parties

I saw this basic idea on Pinterest and loved it. Today I made them for my daughter's class and the kids chose these over the cookies and candies!  They scarfed them down!

They are so  easy to make and not really any more expensive than cookie and cupcakes. I figured it up and these cost about $5.00 total to make.

To make 24:

24 grapes
12 fresh strawberries
6 string cheese
24 mini cupcake holders

Decap and slice strawberries in half. Make a small notch in the top to make it look like a heart. (so cute!)

cut each string cheese into 4 pieces.

Now put one of each item--a strawberry heart, a grape and a string cheese piece into the cupcake holders and you are done!

I had the mini cupcake holders on hand but you could buy the holiday specific kind if you prefer.
You can also use other fruit, berries, or types of cheese but the strawberry is really perfect for Valentine's Day.

Party snack

Anniversary!

Today's my anniversary--sort of. Thirteen years ago today on my mom's birthday I got the call from Allison Lyons at Silhouette Romance to buy my first book, FOR HER CHILD.  All these years later and nearly 45 books in  print, Allison is still my editor.  We've both grown, swtiched lines, and moved forward, but always together. We've shared many highs along the way with very few lows-- Award Ceremonies, Booksellers' Conventions, Conferences, and lots of yummy dinners and Starbucks drinks!

Thanks for everything, Allison, and happy anniversary!

This is us at the RITA Awards last summer.
(I look a little rough but my cute little editor is gorgeous!!)

NEW BOOK-Rancher's Refuge

RANCHER'S REFUGE

 

Released December 18, 2012, book one of the new Whisper Falls series from Love Inspired.

Available anywhere books are sold. The above link takes you to Amazon.com.

Cornbread dressing!

Thanksgiving dinner conjures up memories of heavenly smells,  family, laughter, and a belly so full we all have to watch a little football before we can play Scrabble or move outside to play cornhole. I LOVE Thanksgiving when all my enormous family crowds into my small house for a day. Pure heaven.

My favorite, favorite, favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving--and Lord knows I have many-is cornbread dressing with cranberry sauce, slathered in turkey gravy. Oh, yeah!! So, I'm always on the lookout for tasty new dressing recipes. Down here in Oklahoma, we call it dressing but if you call it stuffing, that's okay. It tastes great either way.

This is a new recipe I'm trying this year.  It comes from Paula Deen's website. Thanks, Miss Paula!
 

Bacon and Pecan Stuffing or Dressing

Save some of the bacon drippings to rub into the turkey skin for extra crispiness and flavor. (Linda's note: or be naughty like me and dump it in the dressing.)

Makes about 7 ½ cups, enough for a 12-pound turkey

4 cups (firmly packed) diced day-old firm home-style bread (crust and all)
4 cups day old skillet cornbread, crumbled
8 slices bacon, diced
1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup toasted and roughly broken pecans
½ cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons crumbled, dried sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons crumbled, dried thyme
About 1 to 1½ cups turkey broth, made from neck and giblets
Salt and whole black pepper in a peppermill
Whole nutmeg in a grater
2-3 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

Position racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 225 degrees F. Spread the bread and cornbread on large, rimmed baking sheets and bake until almost dry. Meanwhile, sauté the bacon in large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until browned. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings, add the onion and celery, and sauté, tossing, until golden but not browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Toss together the bread and pecans in large mixing bowl until mixed. Add the onion, celery, and herbs and moisten well with broth, but don’t make soggy. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, toss to mix, and if made ahead, cover and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for thirty minutes before proceeding.

If using this to stuff the turkey, put it in the skillet in which onions cooked (or use 2 if you don’t have one large enough). Turn on the heat to medium heat and heat thoroughly, tossing. Spoon it loosely into the turkey while hot. Truss it as usual and roast the bird at once. Do not stuff it ahead and let it sit or refrigerate it.

If baking it separately as dressing, position a rack in the center of oven and preheat it to 350° F. (I put it in the oven when the turkey comes out, so that it bakes while the bird rests.) Lightly butter a 9" by 13" baking pan or dish that will hold all the dressing in a single 1-inch-deep layer. Pour in the dressing and pat flat. Dot the top with butter and bake until the center is set and the top golden brown, about 45 minutes.

 

 

Hurricane Sandy Stories

While taking food to people stranded in one of high-rise buildings today, we met a lady on one of the top floors who stays there to take care of a 100 years old bedridden woman. She was so discouraged and scared they won't make it till power and heat is back and felt she was getting sick and getting fever. She was also so worried about the lady she was taking care of and was running out of supplies for her (diapers, paper towels, gloves, ensure drinks as she can't eat, etc), had her covered with 4 blankets and candles around to keep her warm.

After we gave her food and lots of big hugs, we comforted her, assured that she is not by herself, she is on our list and will be checked on every day till power is back on. I offered to pray for her, she was so happy! I prayed for peace, strength and healing over her. After we came back to our base center, thankfully we were able to find all the necessary supplies, even the last bottles of Ensure drink were waiting for us! We went back to deliver and she was like a new person, said her fever left right after we left (we checked, her forehead wasn't warm any more), she felt so much better, felt strength from God, so grateful to God for providing with all those necessities! She definitely didn't feel they won't make it any more! It was awesome!

Thank you to all the organizers working on this full time and all the people, places, organizations donating food, water, supplies and all the volunteers! You are saving lives!
Lilia, MSNY Volunteer

>>
On Saturday morning, I headed to 10th Street and D Avenue to serve with several MSNY fellow church members. Volunteers and hurricane victims lined the park, a now make-shift hurricane relief center. The multi-organizational effort gave water, food, and a hot meal to the victims. For 5 days prior this lower region of Manhattan had been in the dark, and some homes flooded by Sandy's disastrous influence.

While at the relief site, I found my way to the Mercy Chef kitchen, where for the next 4 hours, serving hundreds of victims their first hot meal in days. Volunteers sang God Bless America and I'm Proud to Be An American as they passed out hot meals, sounding a needed message of hope and healing.

One particular meal served stood out to me. A Volunteer ran in and said she needed 5 meals for a mother and her four children-- they hadn't eaten in some time and were hungry. My heart sunk, wondering how many others that we were serving had empty stomachs and truly hadn't had a hot meal in days. Seeing the church and the American people come together, rally around this tragedy, and extend their hand of help in a time of great need, is what the church is for and the American spirit is all about. I am proud to be an American and even prouder to be a part of church that loves and serves.

Sundy Goodnight, MSNYvolunteer

 

A few of the donations to MSNY

 

Hurricane Sandy Relief

 

 

My daughter lives in Manhattan, New York where she works for a nonprofit. She is also on the church staff of Morning Star New York (MSNY). As such, her church joined other volunteers to serve the enormous needs of those most harmed by the recent Hurricane Sandy.  Saturday MSNY had volunteers in numerous areas of the city, including lower Manhattan which remains without power. Many people had not had a healthy, hot meal since the storm. Volunteers set up in one of the concrete parks where they prepared and served 2000 meals--until they ran out of food.

 

Here are some photos from my daughter's camera.

 

 

 

Sundy in the scarf with other volunteers getting ready to serve lunch!

Volunteers helping hurricane victims get much needed items like food, water, and baby formula.

Much needed water being given thanks to a multi-organizational effort. Msny, Trinity Grace, the National Guard, Salvation Army, Mercy Chefs and others helping with volunteer efforts

 

Many New Yorkers  out of electricity for days were fed a hot meal today.  

 

 

www.msny.org  has a relief donation page if you're interested.

CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS-ereader

So excited!  Today my first ebook only released on Amazon.com. CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS is a joint venture with bestselling, award winning historical romance author, Mary Connealy. If you haven't read any of Mary's work, you are in for a treat. Her writing is funny and warm and just beautiful!  I absolutley love "The Christmas Candle", her contribution to our duo, and think you will too.

 Even though I don't have an ereader, I discovered I can download ebooks to my computer or to my phone! Did you know that? If you didn't, check out Amazon's free reading apps here.  Barnes and Noble also has a free app for the Nook--I have that one too!  You can download now and read later when you're in the mood for Christmas.

Our publisher did a beautiful job on the cover, don't you agree?

Order Here and read excerpt

 

I hope you'll give us a try and let me know what you think. Better yet, post a review on one of the sites. As always, my friends, thank you for supporting Christian fiction.

 

Linda Goodnight

 

 



What lies do you believe? This question was asked in a Susan Mae Warren writers' workshop I recently attended. We all have lies in our lives that color our behavior and how we perceive ourselves and our world.  

My character in "The Christmas Child" believed he was unredeemable.  In the  yet untitled book I just finished, coming next July, Haley believes, "People you love always leave."  Common, but equally troubling lies  include,  "I'm ugly,  I not smart,  No one likes me." 

 I'm digging deep into my characters today looking for their inner "lies" .  So I pose to you:  What lies about yourself do you believe? Or if that's too personal,  What lies do you see in others that they believe?



Books currently on the shelves:   A SEASON FOR GRACE classic duo

Available for pre-order NOW!   A SNOWGLOBE CHRISMAS 

I had a hankering for Orange Julius. Do you remember the creamy drink? At one time you could buy it in shopping malls. I think the business is still around, though I haven't bought one in years. So today I found this recipe on line and tried it. Oh, my. Creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and tangy orange--a Dreamsicle in a cup (remember those?).

Homemade Orange Julius

 

6 oz. frozen orange juice

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

10-12 ice cubes  (I used more like 15 or 16)

 

Put the first five ingredients in the blender and blend a few seconds. Then, running the blender on "ice crush", add the ice a few cubes at a time until well blended.

Now, take a new novel-preferrably mine-and a pretty glass fill with Orange Julius, kick back in the recliner and enjoy!

Available now:
A SEASON FOR GRACE, classic duo  (click link to order)

Coming in October:
A SNOWGLOBE CHRISTMAS - Pre-order

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."