December 2012
Volume XIX
Dear friends:
I can’t believe it’s time for the holidays already! It’s going to be a good December — we have our very first live tree since we moved to Nashville. It’s a 9 footer and the house smells terrific. I’m decorating like a fool and loving every minute of it.
I hope you’re all set for prezzies, but in case you’re looking for that last minute gift, EDGE OF BLACK makes a super present. Signed copies are available from the following stores: Parnassus Books, Mysteries & More, and Reading Rock Books, and if you want it personalized for that special someone, just ask. I’m happy to drop in to the stores and do that for you.
With EDGE OF BLACK still hot off the presses, I have some more new work for you this month. STORM SEASON, an ebook original novella written with my friends Alex Kava and Erica Spindler, will be out just after Christmas. In it you’ll find a Taylor Jackson short story called WHITEOUT. It was a blast to write, and I can’t wait for you to read it.
 To celebrate, we have dropped the price of our first novella together, SLICES OF NIGHT, to $1.49 — the perfect holiday gift for your favorite ebook fanatic.
From three of today’s most acclaimed thriller writers, SLICES OF NIGHT offers readers a sneak peek into the lives of three very different investigators, in three very different settings, as they hunt for a killer who’s able to disappear into the night.
Tours
I have several events in December and would love to see you. Come and say hello, chat me up, and support your local bookstores to boot.
December 3, 6:30 pm
Parnassus Books
3900 Hillsboro Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee
Reading and Signing of EDGE OF BLACK
December 7, 5-7 pm
Reading Rock Books Open House
122 North Main Street
Dickson, Tennessee
“Christmas in Downtown Dickson”
December 15, 4-5 pm
Barnes & Noble @ Vanderbilt University
2501 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee
Reading and Signing EDGE OF BLACK
December 18, 7 pm
East Side Story Presents East Side Storytellin’
Rumours East
1112 Woodland Street
East Nashville, Tennessee
Featuring a reading by J.T. Ellison and live music from Crackerboots
(FREE but call for reservations 615.262.5346)
Books I Recommend
I attended a great little literary festival in Dahlonega, Georgia last month, and there met several new to me writers who are simply fantastic. Friendships were formed, inside jokes established, and I came home with a huge stack of books. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the stories behind the authors and I think you will to. Here they are — read and enjoy!
Kimberly Brock — THE RIVER WITCH
Cherie Priest — BONESHAKER
Delilah S. Dawson — WICKED AS THEY COME
A.J. Hartley — MACBETH, a novel
Greg Loomis — THE BONAPARTE SECRET
Contest
The December contest is a whopper — a full signed set of Taylor Jackson novels. All 7 of them. So get yourself signed up right away!
December Recipe
Since I didn’t share a November recipe, I’m going to give you one of my holiday favorites, one we have on both Thanksgiving and Christmas — Cornbread Sausage Stuffing. It’s absolutely divine, makes fantastic leftovers, and you can make it with turkey sausage for a low cal version. This is a variation of Julia Child’s Sausage, Sage and Cornbread stuffing — my family finds that version overpowering, so this is a little less intense.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lowfat Jimmy Dean Sausage (or Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage crumbled)
- 1 large onion
- 4 celery stalks
- 1 package Martha White Buttermilk cornbread mix
- 2 cups French bread crumb (½ large baguette in a Cuisinart works perfectly)
- 1 egg
- 1½ teaspoon dried sage
- a little more than ½ stick butter
- ¾ cup organic chicken broth (Emeril’s is perfect)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Brown sausage, add onion and celery
Sauté until golden
Add breadcrumbs and cornbread
Add egg and butter, mix well, then cook down
Stir in sage (if using turkey sausage, increase sage to 1 ¾ teaspoon)
Add chicken broth slowly
Spread in a lasagna pan, cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until brown
Easy peasy, and absolutely delicious!
Social Butterfly
With the holidays and a no longer creeping up on me but poised to smack me over the head deadline, things have been quiet on the blog — it will stay that way for a bit, too, so bear with me if I forget a Friday here or there. But you can always catch me on Facebook and Twitter.
I’ll see you again toward the end of the month when STORM SEASON is ready for release. In the meantime, have a blessed holiday season and read a book.
I leave you with this: “Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” — Joyce Carol Oates
Merry Everything to you and yours!
xoxo,
 |
|
|
