Saturday, December 9, 2023

Historical Romance Cookie Hop


 First my tidbit... Mistletoe

 The mysterious KisStory of Mistletoe


Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that produces small white berries and grows almost exclusively in trees. Our KisStory begins in the 1st century A.D. The consensus among experts is that the use of Mistletoe in ritual form started with the Celtic Druids. This ancient civilization lived on the British Isles in what is now Ireland and Scotland. The Mistletoe became a sacred symbol of vitality and fertility after the Druids saw it blooming in the trees during the harsh winters. It later become a central focus of the Ritual of Oak and Mistletoe (in which the Druid Grand Master climbs the sacred oak tree and removes the mistletoe with a golden sickle and distributes it to the people) that led the Romans to call call the Druids barbarians. 

The kissing tradition as we know it appears to have started in 18th century England where it first became widely used as a Christmas decoration. The tradition spread quickly throughout the world. Beginning as a custom among the lower classes, it made its way to all classes, becoming a universal holiday ritual.

In the Norse mythology, the mistletoe plant was a sign of love and peace. The goddess Frigg lost her son, the god Baldur, to an arrow make of mistletoe. After his death, she vowed whoever stood beneath the mistletoe would be offered a kiss and forever be protected. 

The tradition continues. A person is allowed to request a kiss from a person standing beneath a sprig or bouquet of mistletoe. If the kiss is refused, bad luck will befall the person who said no.

Blatant promotion! FREE BOOK  My holiday story in Druid Knight Tales 1, Mistletoe and Magic, is available for free if you join my newsletter.

http://bit.ly/RuthsNewsletterSignUp

Now... to cookies and a treat!

I found this recipe and absolutely fell in love with it. Reindeer Paw (ok - a bear paw, but I took poetic license) cookies with thanks to Rebecca. You can find her full article here.  


Reindeer Paw Cookies 

Reindeer Paw Cookies are made with Peanut Butter Cookie dough and topped with a chocolate wafer and plain chocolate chips to form a bear paw treat.

Prep Time: 15minutes mins

Cook Time:  8minutes mins

Ingredients

½ Cup Butter Softened

½ Cup Peanut Butter

1 Egg Large

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¾ Cup Granulated Sugar *Divided

½ Cup Brown Sugar

1 ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour 150g

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

48 Ghiradelli Candy Wafer

½ Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream Softened Butter and Peanut Butter in a large Stand Mixer or use a Hand Mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. Add ½ cup Sugar and Brown Sugar with Vanilla Extract together.
  4. Cream Egg into butter and sugar mixture.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix Flour, Baking Soda, and Baking Powder.
  6. Add Flour Mixture to Butter Mixture and mix to combine.
  7. Use a Small Cookie Scoop size #60. Roll cookie dough in reserved sugar to coat and place on baking sheet 2 inches apart.
  8. Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Do Not Overbake.
  9. Remove from oven and immediately place chocolate wafer and chocolate chips on hot cookies. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet.
  10. Move cookies to the cooling rack to fully cool. Store in a sealed container for up to a week. Best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.

Notes

This recipe will make approximately 48 cookies in a small size #60 cookie scoop or approximately 30-32 Medium size #50 cookie scoop cookies.

* * * * *

BONUS RECIPE
        
        I make these every year, and there is never anything left over.

       NUTS – Sugared and Spiced Nuts

Ingredients

1 pound whole blanched almonds  

1 pound pecan halves (could use cashews, walnuts, or other nuts if you want) (fyi – 2 C nuts =  ½ lb.)

¼ tsp salt (can use ½ - 1 if you want more salt)

4 egg whites

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 C sugar

½ pound sweet butter, melted

Directions 

  1. Preheat to 350
  2. In a very large, shallow baking pan, combine nuts and salt.  For a full recipe, it may be best to use 2 baking pans with sides. 
  3. Roast nuts for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Cool
  4. Reduce heat to 325 
  5. Beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. 
  6. Add cinnamon to the sugar and gradually beat into the egg whites. 
  7. Continue to beat till the mixture is the consistency of soft meringue. 
  8. Pour the butter over the nuts.
  9. Fold them into the meringue. 
  10. Spread the combined mixture on the pan in which you toasted the nuts. 
  11. Bake 325 for about ½ hour.  
  12. Place in the center of the stove. (don’t bake too close to the bottom heat as the butter may burn) 
  13. Turn the nuts over at least 2 times.  The white disappears. 
  14. Let nuts cool and store them in tightly covered jars or cans or baggies.  

Historical Romance Authors Cookie Hop Link List 2023

Heather McCollum

https://www.heathermccollum.com/kitchen/

Alanna Lucas

https://alannalucas.com/

Allison B. Hanson

https://allisonbhanson.wordpress.com/

Anna St.Claire

https://www.annastclaire.com/contests

Tara Kingston

https://www.facebook.com/TaraKingstonAuthor

Celeste Barclay 

Www.celestebarclay.com 

Michelle McLean

https://michellemcleanbooks.com

Katherine Bone

https://www.katherinebone.com/

Kathryn Le Veque

https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlevequenovels

Terri Brisbin

https://terribrisbin.com/news/2023/12/09/its-the-holiday-historical-cookie-sweets-hop-2023-grab-your-biscotti/ 

Melanie Rose Clarke

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1159564541120841

Brenna Ash

www.brennaash.com/parlor

Gina Conkle

https://ginaconkle.com/

Deb Marlowe

https://www.debmarlowe.com/historical-holiday-cookie-hop.html

E. Elizabeth Watson

https://eelizabethwatson.com/holiday-hops/

Jane Charles

https://www.janecharlesauthor.com/christmas-fun

Amy Jarecki

https://amyjarecki.com/historical-romance-holiday-cookie-hop-2023/

Collette Cameron

https://facebook.com/collettecameronauthor

Lauren & Devon Royal

https://www.laurenroyal.com/3.0/contest/

Maeve Greyson

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaeveGreyson

Aurrora St. James

https://www.aurrorastjames.com/contests 

C.H. Admirand

https://www.facebook.com/CHAdmirandAuthor 

Emily Royal

https://www.facebook.com/eroyalauthor 

Margaux Thorne

https://www.facebook.com/groups/6874808775895296/

Jennifer Seasons

https://www.facebook.com/people/Jennifer-Seasons-Romance/100089138023579/

Aubrey Wynne

https://www.aubreywynne.com

Elizabeth Ellen Carter

https://elizabethellencarter.com/dreaming-of-white-christmas-traditional-australian-treat/

Sara Adrien

www.saraadrien.com

Eliza Knight

https://elizaknight.com/news/

Ruth A. Casie

https://ruthacasie.blogspot.com/2023/12/historical-romance-cookie-hop.html

After you collect the names of all 30 recipes, e-mail the list of authors with their treats to Heather@HeatherMcCollum.com with the subject line: Historical Romance Authors are Sweet. One winner will be chosen on Wednesday, 13 December and announced on the FB event page and on my website: https://www.heathermccollum.com/ .

Friday, October 27, 2023

Trick or Treat Hop - October 27 - 31 - Win $150 Amazon Gift Card

 TRICK OR TREAT HALLOWEEN HOP


October 27 - 31

Join 30 historical romance authors as they celebrate Halloween with an awesome four-day event! Not only do you have the opportunity for the Halloween Hop's $150 gift card, but I will be giving two readers a digital copy of my story, The Maxwell Ghost. 

Find Ruth's Halloween Candy


Somewhere on this awesome cover design of The Lady and Her Secret
which was released on Oct 11, is my candy. Can you find it? 

What do I do now?

Carefully follow these directions for the Halloween Hop. 

Hop to each historical romance author’s link below and find their Halloween candy. Using the Halloween candy/Author form (grab your form here - https://fb.me/e/2QZxHg1XM match the candy to the author by:

1) Drawing a line between them (you may want to print & tape pages together) or

2) Writing the author’s name next to their candy or

3) Write the candy next to the author’s name.

When you have all 30 candy matches, either e-mail a picture of the form/list or send an e-mail with the author’s name list with their matching candy to Heather@HeatherMcCollum.com by 11:59 PM on October 31, 2022.

Submitting your list will enter you into the $150 gift card giveaway! A randomly drawn winner will be picked out of all the entries. The grand prize winner will be announced by noon on November 1. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.

While you are hopping to collect candy, don’t forget to like, follow, or sign up for the author’s newsletter to keep up to date on their new releases and author wanderings.

I am giving away, 2 digital copies of The Maxwell Ghost. The winners will be randomly selected from the comments left here.

The Maxwell Ghost


Their destinies are intertwined with hidden passions and
a love that will last for eternity.

Traitors, deception, murders, and ghosts run rampant at Caerlaverock Castle. Jamie Collins and Laura Reynolds, long-time friends, find their destinies intertwined with hidden passions, but all is in jeopardy when Laura becomes the murderer’s next target. Jamie will find he needs some ghostly assistance to save Laura and declare his love.

No magic here...it's a love that lasts an eternity

Two people will be randomly selected from comments here or on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/RuthACasie/ ) for a chance to win a digital copy of The Maxwell Ghost.

I will be hopping around to announce the winners on my Facebook page on November 1.


Thanks for hopping! Wishing you a lovely and safe Halloween.

**No purchase or sign-up up necessary to enter. Participation is completely voluntary. Your e-mail address will not be shared or added to any lists unless you specifically sign up for a newsletter list. The winner must be at least 18 years of age and have an e-mail address to accept gift card.**

 Historical Romance Trick-or-Treat Hop

Link List

Alanna Lucas

www.alannalucas.com

Alexa Aston

https://alexaaston.com/

Allison B. Hanson

https://allisonbhanson.wordpress.com/

Amy Jarecki

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246831395899469

Anna Markland

https://www.annamarkland.com/post/trick-or-treat-hop

Anna St. Claire

https://www.annastclaire.com/contests

Aviva Orr

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAvivaOrr/

Brenna Ash

https://www.brennaash.com/parlor

Deb Marlowe

https://www.debmarlowe.com/

E. Elizabeth Watson

https://eelizabethwatson.com/holiday-hops/

Eliana Piers

http://www.facebook.com/groups/ElianasBeauMondeReaderGroup

Elizabeth Rose

http://www.elizabethrosenovels.com

Gina Conkle

https://ginaconkle.com/

Heather McCollum

https://www.heathermccollum.com/fun-for-readers/

Jane Charles

https://www.janecharlesauthor.com/holiday-books

Jennifer Seasons

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089138023579

Jessica A. Clements

https://www.facebook.com/JessicaAClements

Karla Kratovil

https://www.karlakratovil.com/

Katherine Bone

https://www.katherinebone.com

Katherine Grant

https://www.katherinegrantromance.com/halloween-hop/

Kathryn Le Veque

https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlevequenovels

Lana Williams

https://www.facebook.com/LanaWilliamsBooks

Lori Ann Bailey

https://loriannbailey.com/

Maeve Greyson

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaeveGreyson

Margaux Thorne

https://www.facebook.com/groups/6874808775895296

Melanie Rose Clark

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1159564541120841

Ruth A. Casie

https://ruthacasie.blogspot.com/2023/10/trick-or-treat-hop-october-27-31-win.html

Sandra Sookoo

https://www.facebook.com/sandrasookooauthor

Tara Kingston

https://www.facebook.com/TaraKingstonAuthor

Terri Brisbin

https://www.terribrisbin.com




Wednesday, September 27, 2023

The Grand Mistletoe Assembly - A Charity Anthology

 




You just MUST read this anthology! The Grand Mistletoe Assembly

Can the festival ball of the Season bring six couples together in time for the holidays? A collection of Regency romances with star-crossed lovers, fast-paced plots and timeless connections...

Cuddling under mistletoe, fine lace, snowy linen, and true love to be found in the flickering light of a hundred gas lamps. Pearler House is bedecked for the holidays and everyone is attending the event of a lifetime. Experience the joy of the season with six all-new tales of passion. Some are sweet, some are spicy, all will capture your heart.

Buy Link: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/mdnou7ruyi

Sara Adrein, whose story Captured at the Ball is in the anthology, is my guest today. Here is what she has to say about Regency romance.

What draws you to Regency Romance and what do you enjoy most about writing it?

I absolutely adore the Regency era! It's such a fascinating time when everyone dressed elegantly, displayed impeccable manners, and the art and architecture were simply breathtaking. And who could resist the charm of afternoon tea and delightful finger foods? Romance has always held a special place in my heart, as it profoundly shapes our lives, futures, and family dynamics. That's why my books go beyond just focusing on the couple – they weave in the stories of family members too, making each tale an all-encompassing journey of love and relationships. Sometimes I wish out present had a bit more of the Regency era; if only we could pick and choose!

 How is your story in the anthology connected to the series. Can you tell us a little about the characters and how they come together?

Absolutely! In my latest captivating tale, we meet Sofia, a daring Russian spy sent to London on a mission to bring down Eve Pearler, the elegant Jewish matriarch from my much-loved "Infiltrating the Ton" series. Eve is not only a sophisticated lady but also an integral member of her family's jeweler business, expertly navigating relationships within the Ton. Enter the disgruntled Prussian Baron von List, who is determined to topple the entire Jewish businesses from the "Diamond Dynasty" series. This thrilling adventure reunites many familiar characters from previous books but in a whole new light, as it serves as the prequel to the upcoming "Check Mates" series. So, whether you're a fan of my other works or a newcomer, you can either savor this story as a standalone or delight in the intricate connections and overlaps woven into the plot.

 Was there something funny, crazy, or otherwise memorable in creating this anthology as you worked with the other authors and editors? Anecdotes are fun, please share!

Oh, what a delightful experience it's been working on this anthology! When you bring together six passionate Romance authors and discuss the steam level for the stories, let's just say things got as heated as a whistling teakettle! But in all seriousness, this journey has been nothing short of amazing. We've forged new friendships, embarked on exciting collaborations, and ultimately, created a fantastic book that we cannot wait to share with our beloved readers this season. With join effort and lots of creativity, we created a world of enchanting tales and unforgettable moments that we are all very proud of.

In a genre brimming with passionate love stories and grand adventures, how do you maintain originality in your writing and keep readers on the edge of their seats? Are there any specific themes or tropes you particularly enjoy exploring in your Regency Romance novels?

I must say, my favorite trope in historical fiction has to be the arranged marriage – it perfectly captures the essence of how matches were made for Jews two hundred years ago. There's something incredibly heartfelt and intriguing about falling in love with someone you're already married to, as if Cupid himself provided a target for your affection. While I often describe my work as Regency Romance with a Jewish twist, it could honestly feature any unique angle. London has long been a melting pot of diverse cultures and religions, and today's readers are fascinated by the idea of Jews discreetly mingling within the Ton. My research has uncovered plenty of evidence to support this notion, and I've also drawn inspiration from my personal experiences. I hope that readers will continue to embrace the rich tapestry of stories that bring these fascinating characters and cultures to life in my hot and heart-melting stories.

 

You can find Sara here:
Email: author.sara.adrien@gmail.com
Website: www.SaraAdrien.com
Facebook: Sara Adrien
Instagram: authorsaraadrien
BookBub: Bookbub
Goodreads: Goodreads
Trailer for the story: https://youtu.be/b2TENzpRdVs


Saturday, September 23, 2023

 




Love, mystery, and the magic of Halloween intertwine in 'The Lady and Her Secret.' Don't miss this captivating Regency tale. 🍁🗝️ 

#HalloweenMagic #RomanticStory #RegencyRomance

PreOrder https://tinyurl.com/TLAHSecret

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Historical Romance Authors Easter Egg Hunt


 There is an Easter Egg hidden in the picture above. Find my hidden Easter egg in the picture above and you're on your way to winning the Grand Prize.

Return to the event page https://fb.me/e/2mAACgHR5 and hop on over to the next author OR the links below. Here is the link to Author/Egg Matching Worksheet in a google doc. The eggs are all mixed up, so your egg are NOT next to the correct author. They are mixed up so you can write the egg number next to author's name. When you're done, either e-mail Heather McCollum a list of authors with egg numbers or pictures of your sheets with lines marching the eggs to the correct author.  

I have my own game for you, for added fun... 

  • Follow this link to a jigsaw puzzle 
  • Put the puzzle together.
  • Count the number of Easter egg cookies on the sign.
  • Enter the number of cookies you found in the comments below. 

The prize...

Four correct answers will be randomly selected and each winner will receive a $5 Amazon gift card.

Have fun and a wonderful holiday!



Name


Link where Readers will Hop

Alanna Lucas

https://alannalucas.com/ 

Brenna Ash

https://brennaash.com/about/

C.H. Admirand

https://www.facebook.com/CHAdmirandAuthor 

Collette Cameron

https://facebook.com/collettecameronauthor

Deb Marlowe

https://www.debmarlowe.com/historical-mysteries.html

E. Elizabeth Watson

https://eelizabethwatson.com/happy-easter/

Elizabeth Rose

http://elizabethrosenovels.com

Eliza Knight

https://elizaknight.com/news/

Emily Royal

https://www.facebook.com/eroyalauthor

Glynnis Campbell

https://www.glynnis.net/monthly-giveaway

Heather McCollum

https://www.heathermccollum.com/fun-for-readers/

Jessica Clements

https://www.facebook.com/JessicaAClementsNavarro

Katherine Bone

https://www.katherinebone.com/

Katherine Grant

https://www.katherinegrantromance.com/easter-egg/

Kathryn Le Veque

https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlevequenovels

Lauren Royal

http://royall.ink/Contest

Lori Ann Bailey

https://loriannbailey.com/

Madeline Martin

https://www.facebook.com/MadelineMartinAuthor/

Maeve Greyson

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaeveGreyson

Margaux Thorne

www.Margauxthorne.com

Mary Lancaster

https://www.facebook.com/MaryLancasterNovelist/ 

Melanie Rose Clarke

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1159564541120841

Nicole Locke

https://www.nicolelocke.com

Rachel Ann Smith

https://www.facebook.com/rachelannsmit11

Ruth A. Casie

https://ruthacasie.blogspot.com/   YOU'RE HERE!

Sandra Sookoo

https://www.facebook.com/sandrasookooauthor/

Terri Brisbin

www.terribrisbin.com 

Tina Gabrielle

https://www.facebook.com/TinaGabrielle

Tracy Brogan

www.tracybrogan.com

Tracy Sumner

https://www.tracy-sumner.com/newsletter/