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Dear Friends and Readers
Ho-ho-ho! Can you believe it’s already December? I, for one, have no idea where 2007 went – it flew by in a flash! But I wanted to take a break from baking cookies and decking halls to send out a holiday newsletter and thank you all for your wonderful support throughout the year! I am touched and amazed by how many of you have taken the time to contact me and let me know you enjoyed one or more of my books, and for me, that’s what writing is all about – making a connection with other people. So to any and everyone who wrote me a letter or bought one of my books or even just stopped by my website, I send you sincere thanks from the bottom of my heart.
What's New
After a crazy busy summer, I’m happy to report I’ve had a fairly quiet fall – but I do have a little new news to share. Swept Away was recently published in Spain, with Tempt Me Tonight soon to follow. And The Red Diary is going to be published in both Spain and Germany. These aren’t my first foreign editions since all of my Harlequin titles were published in numerous countries across the globe, but this is still super exciting news for me!
Meanwhile, my website has just been updated, so please check out the new info about upcoming books. And the current contest ends at the end of December, so if you haven’t yet entered, please do. And please check back after the first of the year to enter the next one.
What's Next
2008 promises to be another fun and action-packed year! My first release will be a little different than usual: Avon will be publishing my short story romance, YOU SEND ME, as an e-book to be sold exclusively on their website! The story will likely be released in the spring, although I don’t have a date yet, so please check back in a few months! And what’s especially fun about this story is that it’s a prequel to LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER, my next big, sexy, emotional romance from Avon.
LETTERS TO A SECRET LOVER will come out in June, and to describe the book … think Carrie Bradshaw meets Grizzly Adams – but trust me, my hero, Rob, is way hotter than Grizzly ever was. ; ) I’m extremely excited about this book and hope you will be, too! And I wish I could show you the gorgeous cover, but so far I only have a hard copy, nothing on the computer. Please check back as I plan to post the cover as soon as I can. I hope you will agree that it’s absolutely stunning!
Also in June of next year, I will have a short story in a very special anthology (published by Berkley) called THE POWER OF LOVE, along with Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, and nine other authors. What’s special about the book is that all the participating authors have agreed to donate our royalties to a battered women’s shelter in Cincinnati, near where I live. And in keeping with that, every story in the book is, in some way, about empowering women. I’ve known most of the authors in this book for years, so to share a book with friends is equally as special, just in a different way.
Fun Stuff
Okay, the bad news is – no shoes this time around. I know you’re disappointed (I can hear the moans and groans from here ; ) ) – but I’m afraid my winter footwear just isn’t as fun as my summertime shoes. The good news, though, is that I have plenty of other fun stuff to share.
First, it is with great pride that I show you my first quilt! Every stitch was done by hand – an homage to my Appalachian roots. I’m actually finishing up my second quilt right now, but I’m just now getting around to taking a picture of the first.
And speaking of my Appalachian roots, I thought Christmastime would be the perfect occasion to share with you my family’s favorite cookie recipe, which has been passed down through several generations, originating in Appalachia. My family doesn’t have too many holiday traditions, but we do have a long history of making these cookies. And a nice perk about these cookies: they keep REALLY well. You can keep them for many weeks and as long as they’re in an airtight container, they’ll still taste great.
Appalachian Butter Cookies
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 ½ cups confectioner sugar
1 egg
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
Cream together butter, sugar, egg, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Mix until well-blended. Cover and chill dough for 8 hours or overnight. Roll out until very thin, cut out cookies, and bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes just until set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then finish cooling on cooling rack. Alternative – if you don’t want to go to the trouble of rolling and cutting, you can also roll dough into a log and slice off round cookies. This actually creates a very different, much thicker, heavier cookie than the cut-out method.
These cookies are great plain (and good dunked in milk), but at the holidays, we cut out in holiday shapes and add icing:
Confectioner Sugar Glaze
1 cup confectioner sugar
¼ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk
In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Add additional milk as needed one tsp at a time until icing reaches drizzling consistency. Add food color if desired and frost cookies. If icing begins to stiffen while working, add more milk in very small amounts.
And on a totally non-traditional note, here are links to a few of my favorite free online holiday games.
Enjoy!
For a Good Cause
This is a fun and easy way to send a holiday greeting to a soldier overseas. I originally mentioned this in last year’s Christmas newsletter and looks like it’s still going strong, so please take a minute out of your day to say thanks at LetsSayThanks.com
And when you’re finished with that, here’s another fun (and slightly addictive) way to help those in need: FreeRice.com
Stuff Those Stockings
As a friendly reminder, TEMPT ME TONIGHT and SWEPT AWAY, as well as IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS, are all still available, and I’ve always thought books make wonderful stocking stuffers. : )
Until next time, may your days be merry and bright, and may this holiday season hold everything you’re wishing for! Thank you again for your interest in my books!
Toni
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December
,
2007
'Tis the Season
Looking for a last minute gift? Give a copy of Tempt me Tonight or Swept Away, and help keep your friends warm all winter.
What I'm Reading
The Harlot’s Daughter by Blythe Gifford ~ Blythe is a friend of mine and a wonderful writer of Medieval romances. Check her out!
What I'm Watching
Love Actually ~ Engaging and brilliantly written holiday movie, and if that’s not enough for you, there’s Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, too!
What I'm Listening To
Bluegrass and White Snow by Patty Lovelace ~ Despite my switch to the iPod, this is on my CD player and is an all time favorite Christmas album.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz ~ Wildly catchy, jazzy version of this song.
Stay a Little Longer, Santa by Shemekia Copeland ~ Very cute, bluesy, sexy, and amusing Christmas ditty – check it out.
Hard Sun by Eddie Vedder ~ This is my song of the moment – loved it within seconds. It’s from the soundtrack for Into the Wild.
Hide Your Love Away by Eddie Vedder ~ What can I say? The above got me in an Eddie Vedder mood – and this is my fave Beatles song, but the Beatles version can’t be bought on iTunes ; )
The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson ~ A smooth, stylish, romantic tune with a little humor mixed in – love it
Pass It On
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