Cocktail Saturday: Mead Toddy

Mead or honey wine drove the Irish High Kings to victory thousands of years ago. Its popularity continued into medieval times, and today the delicious and deceptively potent beverage enjoys a remarkable resurgence. MEAD TODDY Ingredients: 1 bottle of Mead 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger Cinnamon sticks Directions: This toddy… Continue reading Cocktail Saturday: Mead Toddy

Vintage Friday: Medieval Gyngerbrede

Medieval gyngerbrede or gingerbread is more like candy than the modern cake with which we are familiar. It is one of the sweet treats mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: “They fette hym first the sweete wyn, and mede eek in a mazelyn, and roial spicerye of gyngebreed that was ful fyn, and lycorys, and eek comyn,… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Medieval Gyngerbrede

Writer Wednesday: Jean Adams

It is my privilege to welcome author Jean Adams, whose latest book is No Other Love. Jean is the founder of Romance Writers of New Zealand! I admire what she says about her heroine and hero: “They are soul mates, and their love for each other goes soul deep.” 1. What inspired you to write… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: Jean Adams

Mythic Monday: St. Agnes Eve

On St Agnes Eve, January 20th, a young girl can experience a dream vision of her future husband, so the lore tells us, if she follows a carefully prescribed ritual: Fast all day, and bathe before preparing for bed. Sprinkle water onto a sprig of rosemary and a sprig of thyme, and place the herbs… Continue reading Mythic Monday: St. Agnes Eve

Cocktail Saturday: Muleskinner

Carrying over yesterday’s western theme, let’s mosey on over to an Old West saloon and join the cowboys and old timers in Dodge City and Deadwood. The harsh conditions of the frontier did not permit many fripperies. There were no mint sprigs or pitchers of freshly squeezed fruit juice. Saloon goers slugged down warm beer… Continue reading Cocktail Saturday: Muleskinner

Vintage Friday: Get Rowdy 1959

Television in 1959 thrummed with exciting cowboys and private eyes, as well as comedic bumblers and the unfortunates trapped in the dim recesses of The Twilight Zone. In honor of my husband’s birthday on January 15, let’s look back at one of his favorite television shows from when he was a kid in 1959. Long… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Get Rowdy 1959

Secret Cravings Winter Wonderland Wingding

 Secret Cravings, will give away an IPAD 2, a Kindle Fire HDX, a $50 gift certificate, and a $25 gift certificate at the end of this two-week birthday party celebration. To participate, click on the purple link below that takes you to the SCP site, and follow the directions. Go to every SCP author link… Continue reading Secret Cravings Winter Wonderland Wingding

Torchy Tuesday: Ann-Margret

Torchy Tuesday highlights a torchy female this week in honor of my husband’s birthday tomorrow. Ann-Margret with the soft, sexy voice and flaming red hair was always his favorite star. He enjoyed her earlier movies, such as State Fair, Bye Bye Birdie, and Viva Las Vegas with Elvis, as well as her comeback movies, Carnal… Continue reading Torchy Tuesday: Ann-Margret

Mythic Monday: Praise the Plough

Plough Monday is the first Monday after January 6th or Twelfth Night. A centuries old agricultural celebration in England, it commemorated the day that farmers returned to work for the winter ploughing season after the holy days of Christmas. In some villages, particularly in northern and eastern England, a rowdy procession of young men dragged… Continue reading Mythic Monday: Praise the Plough

Blushing Excerpt

I’m a romance writer, and I reckon my own words shouldn’t make me blush. However, there is a certain scene in Guardian of the Deep that affects me that way. I shared it on the Time for Love site today, where the book is featured. A thousand thanks to all of you who voted for… Continue reading Blushing Excerpt