I love easy and yummy recipes and found another featuring chocolate chips in the newspaper the other day that I thought I would share.
Baked Somemores
You will want to use some of the non-stick cooking spray on a 10 X 15 cookie sheet, the old kind with the rimmed sides, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and 1/3 cup sugar. Pat this mixture on the bottom of the sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the marshmellows on top. I haven't tried this but I would be inclined to put the oven on broil and toast the marshmellows a bit to get the flavor you get when roasting them over an open fire. Top the marshmellows with 12 oz broken up (6-8) chocolate bars or chocolate chips and bake 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and cool than take a pizza cutter and cut into desired size squares. Makes 35-40.
I am immersing this thought into my mind, "Let God sort it out." Whenever I want to holler not fair or why me over things I have no control over, I remind myself to let God sort it out.
Best wishes from my book to yours,
Susan
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Whoohee
Whoohee, because life is grand regardless of every pitfall and every bit of bad news or lack of good news.
What happened today that was so great? Millions of things. But most of all, I'm healthy, my family is healthy and we can laugh.
So many people on this earth are living through and perservering in spite of overwhelming devastation and tragedy. My woes, such as they are, pale in comparison.
I am reading the best book I've read in a long time. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Kristan Higgins. It's been in my pile of "to be read" for a long time. I'm glad I plucked it out. It is funny and sweet, quirky and at the same time sane. It is a story of falling in love in the very best way. I'll be sad to leave these characters when it ends.
I send best wishes from my book to yours.
Susan
What happened today that was so great? Millions of things. But most of all, I'm healthy, my family is healthy and we can laugh.
So many people on this earth are living through and perservering in spite of overwhelming devastation and tragedy. My woes, such as they are, pale in comparison.
I am reading the best book I've read in a long time. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Kristan Higgins. It's been in my pile of "to be read" for a long time. I'm glad I plucked it out. It is funny and sweet, quirky and at the same time sane. It is a story of falling in love in the very best way. I'll be sad to leave these characters when it ends.
I send best wishes from my book to yours.
Susan
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Good Vibes
Things have been moving forward in a very positive direction. Hoorah. Many opporutnities have opened up for me in the month of August.
My website can be found by doing the usual www + susanralph + com. It is currently residing somewhere in the dark recesses of the listings if you search on susan ralph. You will find an e-mail contact address there.
If you would like to have a chance to win a copy of my new book, drop into http://www.romconinc.com/ on August 12. To find me on that date, move your curosr to the blog box and then click on contemporary in the drop down box. My question of the day is who played or plays an important part in making you the person you are. I would love to read your answers.
Hope to see you there.
Susan
My website can be found by doing the usual www + susanralph + com. It is currently residing somewhere in the dark recesses of the listings if you search on susan ralph. You will find an e-mail contact address there.
If you would like to have a chance to win a copy of my new book, drop into http://www.romconinc.com/ on August 12. To find me on that date, move your curosr to the blog box and then click on contemporary in the drop down box. My question of the day is who played or plays an important part in making you the person you are. I would love to read your answers.
Hope to see you there.
Susan
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Second Book
It is great to have a second book out. Unlike BROMPTON MANOR, a Regency historical, STARTING FROM SCRATCH is a contemporary chick-lit style story.
The love interest has a big role, he is a great guy--my kind of guy--but the story is about the heroine taking charge of her life and following her dream without losing the people she loves and who love her.
The past week was a wonderful time in Orlando where I attended the Romance Writer's annual conference. Like always, the conference was filled with wonderful people , great workshops, and inspiring speakers. But this year, I thought the conference hotel, The Swan and Dolphin, was superior to any of the previous conference hotels I have been to and this was my ninth conference.
And now I am back home and picking up my writing. Hoping all of the inspiration I got from being among fellow writers for a week will spur me to make a larger effort.
May you all find inspiration for the tasks you are faced with in a mother's group, a social club, church, working for a cause you believe in, or from a boss with excellent management skills and a heart of gold.
The love interest has a big role, he is a great guy--my kind of guy--but the story is about the heroine taking charge of her life and following her dream without losing the people she loves and who love her.
The past week was a wonderful time in Orlando where I attended the Romance Writer's annual conference. Like always, the conference was filled with wonderful people , great workshops, and inspiring speakers. But this year, I thought the conference hotel, The Swan and Dolphin, was superior to any of the previous conference hotels I have been to and this was my ninth conference.
And now I am back home and picking up my writing. Hoping all of the inspiration I got from being among fellow writers for a week will spur me to make a larger effort.
May you all find inspiration for the tasks you are faced with in a mother's group, a social club, church, working for a cause you believe in, or from a boss with excellent management skills and a heart of gold.
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.
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
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
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Fiction Writing - More on POV
Used well, point of view helps the writer draw a full picture of the point of view character. Because, not only does a POV character act and speak as do non-pov characters, the POV character--unlike the other characters--thinks and feels.
This alone allows the reader to make an emotional connection to the point of view character.
And that fact means the point of view character is the dominant character in the book if you are writing single point of view or one of the dominant characters if you are using multiple point of view characters. One thing to remember is, in most cases, when you write the thoughts and feelings of any character you elevate their importance in the reader's mind.
In romance fiction, if the writer uses two point of view characters--the protagonist and the love interest--the reader learns the internal thinking and the impact of words and actions on both characters. And in romance, when a reader falls in love with and roots for both the protagonist (male or female) and the love interest (male or female) character , it spices up the romance part of the story.
I have been writing first person single point of view lately. Why? I have no idea. It is more of a challenge. But I do write short--no 100,000 word manuscripts yet--and less word count makes it easier.
This alone allows the reader to make an emotional connection to the point of view character.
And that fact means the point of view character is the dominant character in the book if you are writing single point of view or one of the dominant characters if you are using multiple point of view characters. One thing to remember is, in most cases, when you write the thoughts and feelings of any character you elevate their importance in the reader's mind.
In romance fiction, if the writer uses two point of view characters--the protagonist and the love interest--the reader learns the internal thinking and the impact of words and actions on both characters. And in romance, when a reader falls in love with and roots for both the protagonist (male or female) and the love interest (male or female) character , it spices up the romance part of the story.
I have been writing first person single point of view lately. Why? I have no idea. It is more of a challenge. But I do write short--no 100,000 word manuscripts yet--and less word count makes it easier.
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