Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Mystery Box winner is...

Terry P--You won the mystery box. Email me @ loriwilde@aol.com to claim your prize.

The Crash at Crush

Wednesday is usually paranormal Texas history on my blog. However, today's story is not paranormal, just crazy!


George Crush had an idea to promote the railroad.

He thought it would be fun to have two speeding trains crash head-on as a publicity stunt.




Over 30,000 people showed up!


When the trains collided, there was a horrible explosion. Two people were killed and many were injured.




Not the best of ideas.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Release Day! Buy a book, get a book free! One week only.

Big release day. First, The Christmas Chronicles: Raylene comes out today.



Come join a meeting of the First Love Cookie Club!

“On Christmas Eve, if you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your own true love, he will be your destiny.”

It’s Christmas time at the Horny Toad Tavern, located in the heart of Twilight, TX. Elvis is on the jukebox, the lights twinkle outside…and inside, Raylene Pringle is wondering if it’s going to be another “Blue Christmas” without her true love, Earl.

But things are about to change—because ‘tis the season for unexpected romance and a surprise mother/daughter reunion…reminding Raylene that you should never disbelieve the legend of the kismet cookies!


Also my dear friend Piper Maitland (aka Michael Lee West) has her first vampire book out today.

http://www.pipermaitland.com/


http://www.amazon.com/Acquainted-Night-Piper-Maitland/dp/042524363X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322584662&sr=8-1

To celebrate both releases, I have a special giveaway. If you buy Piper's book this week, I will send you a copy of either The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Carrie or The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Raylene. So it's buy one, get one free! To claim your free book just email me @ loriwilde@aol.com and tell me that you bought Piper's book and which one of my books you'd like to receive. Happy Reading.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Tea

I love to drink tea. I cannot go a day without drinking it.

I like it hot.




I like it cold.




I like it in many different flavors.




When I was little, I loved to have tea parties and invite my favorite dolls.





I've never given much thought of where tea comes from or of its importance in history. But today for some reason I decided to investigate it a little.




So how about you? How do you like your tea?

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Clone Does Black Friday

The Clone insisted on going out at midnight to get in on those Black Friday deals. I told her she was nuts. Especially when she decided to take along the baby clones. She stood in line for hours at Best Buys, but managed to make a couple of new friends.


After waiting hours and hours, she finally got in, but everything that was on her list was gone. Disappointed, in the wee hours of the morning, she headed over to Game Stop.


To keep the baby clones occupied, she put them to playing Xbox.



But then they got into a big fight and The Clone got thrown out of Game Stop. She came home empty handed and swore never to go out again on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

I just had to say, "I told you so."

What about you? Are you braving the stores on Black Friday? Did you score any bargains?

Thursday, November 24, 2011

And the winner of the second Kindle Touch is...

Liz Venturi! Liz, email me loriwilde(at)aol.com to claim your prize.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Mystery Box

I have a mystery box to giveaway.


It contains books, chocolate and a gift card among other surprises. If you want in on the mystery gift box giveaway, just post a comment telling me why you like surprises. I'll draw a name next Tuesday when we have another fabulous giveaway.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Surprise! Two Kindle Touch given away instead of one.

I decided to give away two Kindle Touches. Today's winner is Donna Cooper. Donna, email me @ loriwilde@aol.com to claim your prize.

This contest is a bit different because it's a real contest. I'm going to pick the entry with the most memorable Thanksgiving story.

When my middle brother was a toddler we had a mischievous white Pekinese name Honey. My brother had just started talking and for the most part, he didn't say much.



Thanksgiving was my mother's favorite holiday and she went all out. While we kids were glued to the TV watching the Macy's Day parade, mom cooked and cooked and cooked. Around three in the afternoon, she set the Thanksgiving table.


Then she sent us kids to our rooms to get dressed. She believed everyone should wear their Sunday best on Thanksgiving. (I still uphold that tradition.) And she hopped into the shower herself.

Suddenly, from the kitchen, we heard a shriek and we all came running. My mom dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel.

There's my baby brother standing in the kitchen with his hands on his hips, a frown on his face, glowering at Honey, who is up on the table dragging a whole twenty-five pound turkey off the platter. Pointing a chubby finger, he hollered, "No! Hiney Dog, No!




My mother, of course, was appalled that Thanksgiving had been spoiled. In a dramatic gesture, my father tossed the turkey out in the yard and banished Honey to the garage. We sat around the table glummly eating the vegetables and cornbread stuffing, my little brother in his high chair. Green beans were his favorite vegetable, but my mother always served asparagus for Thanksgiving. He put the asparagus in his mouth, made a horrible face and flung the offending vegetable across the room.

"What's wrong," my mother asked.

In complete toddler earnestness he exclaimed, "Dirty green bean!"

Too bad Honey was banished. She loved aspargus.

So my most memorable Thanksgiving was the year my little brother learned to express himself. It might also explain why A Christmas Story is my favorite holiday movie. I can identify with the family's ruined holiday dinner.

What about you? Any memorable Thanksgiving memories? I'll chose another Kindle winner on Thanksgiving, so come on, tell me your favorite Thanksgiving memory.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

Who's out shopping? I went out to battle the stores today. Yipes! It's already started. The grocery store was packed.


It was one of those days where I had to remind myself not to get frustrated by the crowds and long lines. After all, this is a season of thanksgiving.


Today I am thankful for people who don't block the grocery store aisles.


Don't forget that tomorrow is the Kindle giveaway. If you haven't posted a comment yet, there's still time to do it!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Clones are on Strike

Taking a lead from occupy Wall Street, the Clone and her clonies have decided to go on strike. Unfair practices, they claim. They have to do the hard stuff while I get to have fun writing. Ha! They have no idea how hard writing is. So we made a switch. They're trying to write my book. (Let's just aee how long that lasts) And I'm cleaning the house.



I'm taking out the trash.



Mopping the floors.



Washing the dishes.

And dusting the furniture.


Okay, I just remembered what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. That I don't have to clean this hard every day. (P.S. Angry Clone just hollered from the office, "What the hell's a gerund? Nerdy Clone laughed and explained it. Glam Clone said, "Darling, who cares?" and Sleepy Clone said, "Shh, I'm trying to catch a nap here.")

How about you? What are you doing this Sunday?

Friday, November 18, 2011

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Wedding Cookies

Christmas desserts are a tradition in many homes, but none is as special to the people of Twilight as cookies. Wedding Cookies are one of the townspeople’s favorite. I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Be careful, if you bake these; you may find yourself in a wedding of your own.  May your Christmas wishes and dreams of love come true.

Happy Baking.


Wedding Cookies 
Ingredients:
2 cups flour, sifted
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick of butter, softened
1 tablespoon ice water
1 cup powdered sugar for coating

Directions:
Mix together flour, sugar, and nuts. Add vanilla. Cut in butter. If too crumbly, add water, so that the dough sticks together. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350’ for 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack and dredge in powdered sugar until well coated.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Black Hope Horror

This story in my paranormal Texas history series is really scary! Residents of a Houston suburb tell of terrifying events after learning their houses were built on top of an old slave graveyard. The video is in three parts.



Scary huh? So what would you do? Would you have moved or stayed in the house? I would definitely move!!!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Giveaways Galore on Release Day.

Today is the release of THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CHRONICLES: CARRIE. It's currently available on ebook only.

The story is a return to Twilight, Texas and features Carrie MacGregor, the younger sister of Flynn MacGregor from The Sweethearts' Knitting Club. It's only $1.99, so I hope you'll grab your copy today.




The winner of the Kindle Fire is Britt Volpei. Email me at Loriwilde@aol.com to claim your Kindle Fire, Britt.

If you didn't win, don't despair. This week, I'm giving away a  Kindle Touch. So if you want in on next week's drawing for a Kindle Touch post here. 
Have a great Tuesday and spread the word about the Kindle giveaways!


Monday, November 14, 2011

Friday, November 11, 2011

The Clone's in Charge

I'm off to Fresh Fiction's Readers and Ritas event in Dallas. The Clone is in charge. You guys tell me if she slacks off okay? While I'm away, she's supposed to:

Wash the dishes...

Vacuum the floors...

Polish the furniture...

And scrub the toilets.




You guys keep an eye on her and tell me if she slacks off while I'm gone, okay?


Have a great weekend everyone. Go ahead, curl up with a book. I'll be back on Sunday.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

I'm madly in love...

with spaghetti squash. I can't believe it took me until the mid-point of my life to discover this amazing vegetable. I have low carb cooking to thank for opening my eyes. Honestly, I think it tastes better than pasta. The only problem is getting access to that spaghetti like goodness inside this lovely gourd.


You can nuke it, but you better poke deep holes in it if you don't want an explosion. You can put it in the slow cooker and let 'er rip. You can try to cut it in half and bake it for 30-40 minutes, but you better have a sharp knife. You can bake it whole, but that takes an hour. Or you can boil it, but you need a pot big enough to cover the squash.

Here's a delicious recipe I made last night.


I got the recipe from http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/recipes/global-flavors/spaghetti-squash-chicken-parmesan.aspx



prep time:20 min
start to finish:1 hr 45 min
makes:4 servings
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lb), cut in half
1/2 cup rice flour, Gold Medal® unbleached or Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups spaghetti sauce

1. Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish and pierce in several places with fork. Pour buttermilk over chicken, turning to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Place squash, cut sides up, in microwaveable dish. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave on High 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Using a fork, scrape flesh from squash. Keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray.

4. In shallow dish, combine flour, 1/4 cup of cheese, and the garlic powder. Remove chicken from buttermilk, reserving buttermilk. Coat both sides of chicken with the flour mixture; dip in reserved buttermilk. Coat chicken again with flour mixture. Place in sprayed baking dish. Spoon about 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce onto each chicken breast and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 160°F and the juices run clear.

6. Meanwhile, heat remaining spaghetti sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat. Serve with the chicken and spaghetti squash.

1 Serving: Calories 430 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol75mg; Sodium 810mg; Total Carbohydrate 50g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 20g); Protein 32Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 25%; Iron 15Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch2 Other Carbohydrate0Vegetable3 1/2 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3



Do you have any new food finds? Tell me about them.



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Ghost Lights

Welcome to another installment of paranormal Texas history.

For years, people near the town of Marfa have been reporting sightings of strange lights in the night sky. These lights appear as glowing balls on the horizon.





So what you think may cause these lights to appear? Leave a comment with your ideas. I love to hear from you.

Thanks!
Lori

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Win a Kindle Fire!

Big giveaway today folks! In honor of my upcoming ebooks, The Christmas Cookie Chronicles, from Avon Impulse, I'm giving away a Kindle Fire.



From now until the release of The Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Carrie on Nov. 15th, post a comment telling me why you're fired up about ebooks. The winner will be drawn randomly from all comments on Nov. 15th.

If you can't post to the blog for some reason, post your comment on my Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Wilde/126384860719020

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Need your input. You could win a $50.00 gift card

We're looking for an exciting tagline for the new category romance line Indulgence that I'm editing for Entangled Publishing. Here's the message we want to get across.

These are cutting edge stories
















With strong Alpha heroes.


Whether the billionaire next door


Solider of fortune


CEO

Or ranch owner



Modern women juggling work and romance in the new millennium








Whether she's climbing the corporate ladder or taking to the skies.


Whether she'd vulnerable with room to grow


Tough as nails


Or endearingly goofy



She'll get her sexy man




And enduring love...



Now here's the hard part. How to put all those qualities into one compelling sentence. That's where you come in. Help us come up with a strong tagline.

If we use your suggestion, you'll win a $50.00 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble, your choice.

If for some reason you can't comment on the blog (try logging in as anonymous), then post your suggestions on my facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Wilde/126384860719020

Saturday, November 5, 2011

And the winner of the $25.00 Amazon gift card is...



Tiffany Drew. Tiffany, email me at Loriwilde@aol.com to claim your prize. You have ten days to claim it. Otherwise, I'll chose another name.

Everyone,

Tuesday is going to be official giveaway Tuesday. Look for books, gift cards, Kindles, and surprises to be given away leading up to Christmas. Drop by every Tuesday and comment for a chance to win.

Have a great weekend.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Multiplicity

Unbelievable! The Clone has really done it now! She felt that I had been working her too hard, so she decided to make more clones. This is starting to get out of hand!

She gathered all the necessary clone making supplies.



Yikes, does this mean I'm a grandmother....or aunt....or what?






Before long, the young clones began to develop their own little personalities. Here is clone 1. She's a bit of a brain-i-ack.


Clone 2 has developed into a glamor girl! Such drama.


Clone 3 has anger issues.


And clone 4 is a bit lazy. She likes to sleep a lot! I wonder how productive she is going to be?



Ah, our little clones. How fast they grow up.










Do you think the clones should have a name? Or is it best to just leave their names as numbers? If you think of any names, please share them with me in a comment.

Of course, I've heard the name  Ima  Dubble for a clone. Heehee