Sunday, January 31, 2010

POV and A New Recipe Using Chocolate

POV: Even more important, whose head do you want the reader to be in? See my earler posts on the subject of POV.

If you've seen my earlier recipe postings, you know chocolate is a favorite ingredient and easy is my favorite method.

Here is another easy and yummy cookie.

Crunch Bars

35 saltine crackers
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margerine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg (8 squares) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch pan in a single layer line the crackers on the bottom
Stirring constantly, cook butter and sugar in a saucepan on medium-high heat until butter is melted and mixture is well-blended. Bring to boil and then cook 3 minutes without stirring.
Spread on crackers.

Bake 5 to 7 minutes until topping is golden brown. Remove and immediately sprinkle with chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate is soft and then spread the chocolate to cover the first topping. Sprinkle with nuts. Cool and then break into pieces.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Recent News

POV check. Who sees? Who hears? Who smells? Who feels? Who tastes? And more subtle and more telling--Who reacts?

My second book for Avalon Books is on track for a June release. I received an e-mail preview of the cover and love it.

My December and January writing time got taken up by other things demanding a top spot on my to do lists. December was family and the holidays. Janurary was the planning for and making the trip to Hawaii. I hope to pick up the writing pace in February.

We lived on Oahu for three years. My husband, our daughter #3, and I enjoyed revisiting familiar places. We cruised past the two schools she attended, visited the house we lived in, visited the North Shore where the gigantic waves and surfers didn't disappoint. A shave ice refreshed another of her childhood memories. The taste of Zippy's zip pack sent us all back to the day. So much is the same as it was when we lived there. We had a great time and we each left another piece of our heart behind on the island. We would love to visit often, but the trip from the east coast is arduous. We left home at 7 am changed planes in Atlanta with only a little time on the ground, and then flew for ten hours. And the trip going wasn't near as bad as the return trip--which was an overnight flight--and sleeping in the cattle seat section on a plane is not easy.

Hawaii is not without the intractable problems one finds on the mainland, but Wakiki still glitters, the island of Oahu is still beautiful, and the Aloha spirit is still alive.

I'm grateful for being able to make the trip with our daughter and take the words below to heart.

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon