Sometimes I’m surprised I can get any words written at all.
Yeah … I love every minute of it.
I mean, what else is the second (seriously hard) chair for?
Cramped working conditions
Category: writer wednesday
Writer Wednesday: C.A. Newsome and her Perfect Chocolate
Perfect Chocolate by C.A. Newsome
The main character of my Dog Park Mysteries is a starving artist. Lia’s idea of economy is to practice the best nutrition she can to stay healthy, something I’ve pursued most of my life. Her/my culinary endeavours frequently appear in the books.
I love this chocolate because it is so easy to make. It’s great brain and mood food, and much more satisfying than store bought. If you make the darker version, I find that one one of these is enough to satisfy. – Carol Ann Newsome
½ Cup Coconut Oil, melted
½ Cup Raw, Local Honey
¼ Tsp Sea Salt (Celtic or other unrefined salt, to taste)
2 Cups Raw Cacao Powder
30 Mini Paper Baking Cups
Optional: nuts and dried fruit of choice. This version contains dry-roasted, salted almonds and dried cherries.
- If your kitchen is chilly, set your coconut oil on a trivet over the pilot light on your stove until it turns liquid, then measure out ½ cup into a large mixing bowl.
- Use the same cup to measure out your honey, and add it to the oil along with the salt. (The oil residue keeps the honey from sticking.)
- Stir in the cacao powder, ¼ cup at a time. You should end up with a big ball of chocolate that clings to itself and has the consistency of dense frosting.
- Take a fork (I like to use a shrimp fork) and place a glob into each of the mini baking cups
- Optional: Press nuts and dried fruit into the top of each candy if desired.
- Place the cups in the refrigerator until they harden. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to eat them. You can set them on a cookie sheet for this step, then place in a plastic container after they set. Or you can do what I do and save those 6 ounce clamshells they pack berries in at the grocery store. Those are perfect for storing these.
Makes about 2 dozen.
Variation: for a darker chocolate, cut the honey to ¼ cup. You may have to “force” the cacao in. This chocolate will be stiffer.
Um, where is my coconut oil? I desperately need to be making this right now!! – MCD
Synopsis: Starving artist Lia Anderson makes a new friend at her seasonal job scoring academic proficiency tests. Desiree is a sassy, fun, pocket-sized sex-pot and owner of a larcenous beagle named Julia. Desiree also has a secret admirer who leaves her tiny figurines sculpted from twisted aluminum foil.
The friendship falls afoul when the pair discovers a secret connection in their past, a secret Lia’s detective boyfriend, Peter Dourson, kept from her.
When Desiree is murdered, Lia not only winds up with the woman’s kleptomaniac beagle, she also inherits her stalker. On the outs with her beau and with the police on the wrong track, Lia will have to rely on her wits and her friends if she wants to stay alive.
MCD note: Sneak Thief is the fourth book in the Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries. You can find all the books on Amazon, B&N, iTunes, and Kobo. Note for the Amazon links: simply change the .com to .ca or .co.uk to get redirected.
Author Bio C.A. “Carol Ann” Newsome is an author and painter living in Cincinnati, Ohio with her two rescues, a lab/chow mix and a mini schnauzer. They can be found every morning at the Mount Airy Dog Park, home of the Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries. Connect with Carol Ann on her website.
Writer Wednesday: Scott Fitzgerald Gray (Giveaway)
GIVEAWAY CLOSED. WINNER JANINE from KANSAS!
If you pay close enough attention to the acknowledgments at the back of my novels, or my rantings on Facebook and Twitter, you will recognize Scott Fitzgerald Gray‘s name. He is my editor. He has edited every single screenplay I deemed worthy of rewriting from the early-2000s through to every single novel or short or novella I’ve published.
That’s a a lot of editing. I imagine SFG now knows me via my writing almost as well as Michael does. So when I met him face-to-face for the first time last Saturday, I was really excited/anxious.
We had brunch. I made my Chewy Gooey Chocolate Cookies. But best of all – and the main point of this blog post – is that Scott brought me signed paperbacks. Yes, he is a writer as well as an editor. I’d be a little lost without him, so hopefully he never stops editing but I greedily snatch up every book he writes and beg him for more as well.
So without further ado, Scott left these two insanely pretty, autographed paperbacks for a blog giveaway! Yes! Thanks SFG!
I read Sidnye (Queen of the Universe) and LOVED it. (Here’s my review). SFG is meticulous with his plotting and he makes you work as a reader, but his stories pay off big time! Book Two is awaiting me on my Kindle app.
Synopsis of Book One: Life is complicated enough when you live full-time at boarding school because your parents are dead, and when the other students around you are mostly idiots, and when you’re doomed to spend the rest of your existence in cafeteria detention because you just can’t stop annoying the people in charge of your life. But that’s when you discover the headaches you’ve been having aren’t just a part of being thirteen and feeling the weight of the world hammering down on you. That’s when you realize the dreams you’ve been having are more than dreams, and the people you thought you were closest to are less concerned with caring about you than with keeping you from knowing the things they don’t want you to know…
Intrigued?!!
Interesting in winning these two gorgeous paperbacks?
Comment below to enter: “Gimmie some SFG!” Or some such. 😀
Easy peasy, though make sure to include your email address in the comment form.
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Scott Fitzgerald Gray is a specially constructed biogenetic simulacrum built around an array of experimental consciousness-sharing techniques — a product of the finest minds of Canadian science until the grant money ran out. Accidentally set loose during an unauthorized midnight rave at the lab, the S.F. Gray entity is currently at large amongst an unsuspecting populace, where his work as an author, screenwriter, editor, RPG designer, and story editor for feature film keeps him off the streets.
More info on Scott and his work (some of it even occasionally truthful) can be found by reading between the lines at insaneangel.com.
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GIVEAWAY CLOSES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2014 at 8 a.m. PDT. OPEN INTERNATIONALLY. EACH ENTRY WILL BE ASSIGNED A NUMBER. WINNER CHOSEN BY RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR.
Read-a-long with the author: Cupcakes (Etc) – Chapter Two
Okay! My thoughts on chapter two of Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic. I tweeted my fav quotes as I came upon them, but I’ll share a digest below as well.
WARNING: I assume there may be spoilers in the comments – because this is hopefully going to be a discussion – but I’ll try to keep my main post pretty spoiler free. Though, as the chapters progress, I’m sure that will change.
Side note: I’ve noticed as I do these blog posts that I’m obviously I’m fixating on Jade as I read rather than the plot, but that’s cool. Since this exercise is about getting me back in Jade’s head before I tackle Dowser 4 again, it’s good that she is grabbing my attention.
If you have thoughts/questions about the plot though, let me know 🙂
Okay, so … reading between the lines (at this point) Jade is surrounded by dysfunctional relationships. She has her head deep in the sand about it, though. On a personal note, Jade is a lot like me in this instance – loyal to a fault and willing to give and give …
Jade’s break-up with an ex-boyfriend is cast as a joke here, but this simple passage could really be read into if you were so inclined.
It had been an expensive lesson. Don’t break up with people when they’re in your home and holding onto fragile, expensive stuff.
The second section that stood out for me was a conversation between Rusty and Jade. She just has such an amusing way of distancing herself from things that utterly terrify her … sarcasm – and chocolate – are her coping mechanisms.
“I’d prefer to not be bitten at all, rather than just have my death avenged.”
“Right. Well, if he was crazy, there’d be bodies everywhere.”
Oh, that was comforting. Insane vampires were slaughtering fiends. Since I hadn’t noticed anyone dead, I must be first on his list.
I absolutely adore the entire scene in the club bathroom – is it okay to love a scene I’ve written so much? Jade is certainly nothing like the vampire expected her to be.
“I thought you weren’t going to bite me tonight,” I said, pleased that my voice sounded much calmer than my mind.
He tilted his head and gazed at my neck … actually, at my carotid artery. My pulse sped up; I was surprised it could get any higher.
“I wasn’t,” he murmured.
“Well, watching my blood move through my veins isn’t going to be helpful, then.”
And this:
Well, that was terribly flattering news. I’d always wanted to feel odd.
And add Sienna to the mix:
“And you were … what? Giving him a blow job in the bathroom stall?”
“Yes, Sienna. I was giving a vampire a blow job, because that’s all vamps really want from a girl.”
What are your thoughts on the second chapter?
Read-a-long with the author:
Chapter Two – above
Read-a-long with the author: Cupcakes (Etc) – Chapter One
N.B.: I’ve made this post sticky, so you can start with Chapter One here and follow the links at the bottom to the other chapters. If you scroll down, the posts appear newest first – opposite to the chapter order – as I post them.
Okay! I know I said I wouldn’t start reading Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic until today, but I cheated a little and read ahead yesterday so I could blog this morning. I tweeted my fav quotes as I came upon them, but I’ll share a digest below as well.
WARNING: I assume there may be spoilers in the comments – because this is hopefully going to be a discussion – but I’ll try to keep my main post pretty spoiler free. Though, as the chapters progress, I’m sure that will change.
I absolutely love the opening line for the book/series. I believe I’ve managed to nail genre and tone in a single line. This line came to me as I was writing the very first draft of Cupcakes (Etc), and served as a launching point for the entire book, which was super cool. Whereas the opening lines for Trinkets (Etc) and Treasures (Etc) had to be honed much more. Especially the opening of Trinkets, but more on that later 🙂
The vampire stood at the door to my bakery.
The next line that stood out to me as I was reading – for what must be the tenth or more time – is a long time favourite, and if you’ve ever received an email from me you already know I use this as my signature. Again, this line really encapsulates the tone I was going for with Jade – I adore writing Jade.
The customer looked familiar, like maybe he’d been in the bakery a few times before. The vampire, however, was new.
The next bit jumped out at me, and I’m not sure that it had ever really stood out before. Perhaps after writing three (and a half) books from Jade’s POV I really recognized this section as really, truly her. This is Jade in two sentences – an observation and a … well … ill-informed follow-up?
The vampire was gone.
I was nowhere stupid enough to step out onto the sidewalk to look for him … okay, maybe a quick peek.
I thought there was some great interaction between Sienna and Jade in this chapter as well, but I wasn’t compelled to highlight any of it. Some readers wonder about the relationship between the two sisters and why Jade reacts/acts as she does when it comes to her family. I would encourage them to look closer at these sections in the very first chapter. Sometimes, we’re guilty of reading for plot instead of character – I know that’s pretty much all I read for the first time I gobble up a book – but if you read between the lines here, I think Jade’s decisions/actions to come, and her loyal love for one of the ONLY family members she has, might become more clear.
What are your thoughts on the first chapter?
I’m going to pin this post and link the other chapters back to it … I hope …
Read-a-long with the author:
Chapter One – above
Writer Wednesday – Ella Medler
Let’s welcome author Ella Medler to Writer Wednesday on the blog!! I haven’t been doing these posts regularly for while, but when Ella mentioned her novella ‘Not Juliet’ to me I knew I had to tell you all about it … plus an excerpt and a new recipe – YAY!
Made by Ella Medler
Easy-make, flourless, low-fat macaroons
In a bowl big enough to make a salad put 4 egg whites.
Whip them until stiff, adding 4 spoonfuls of sugar as you go.
Add any flavorings (I like a dash of extra almond).
Now add in equal quantities shredded coconut and ground almonds (almond meal) until the mix reaches dropping consistency.
You want to be able to drop sloppy spoonfuls of this on a baking sheet.
Bake for about ten minutes – or until firm to touch.
Cool on a cooling rack.
Drizzle melted chocolate for a luxury finish.
Meghan’s note: make sure the egg whites are room temp. Also, I adore adding ground almonds to my macaroons – YUM!
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Not Juliet
Synopsis: Riella Smith, an unconventional Romany Princess, travels to Tuscany on the trail of her father’s challenger, to delay him and prevent unnecessary bloodshed and humiliation. What she expects is trouble from a fearsome rival. But life is rarely that easy. The trouble she finds is of a different kind. Soon, she faces the toughest decision of her life – again – though it should really be a no-brainer. All she has to do is choose between her people and a myth. After all, there’s no such thing as love at first sight.
Excerpt: Luca buried his face in her hair, trying to save his eyesight. Riella was lethal. She would have made a very successful cage fighter.
“I begged you to leave him alone. I begged you on my knees!”
“He knew it,” he shouted, trying to still her. “He gave up his life to protect yours.”
She still fought, but he could feel her tiring, grief weighing her down. Deep sobs erupted from her chest, replacing her will to fight.
“Come on.” He pulled her to her feet and towed her into the darkness, farther away from the fire and shootings.
They made it to the last trailer just as he heard the grenade launchers.
“Fuck. We need to run like you’ve never run before. Over to that line of trees. Ready?”
“No. Wait. I can barely stand up.”
“Tough. You can complain later. C’mon.”
Luca grabbed Riella’s hand tight in his hand and started for the trees. They ran for their lives, while behind them the campsite turned to churned mud and fire. Trailers and cars alike blew up, and the few people who hadn’t already taken cover ran away into the darkness.
As soon as they were hidden by the first line of trees, Riella pulled her hand out of his and dug her heels in. “Wait!”
“Riella, we’re not safe here. We need to get farther in.”
“I don’t give a shit! You stop and answer me one question, Luca Anziano, or you may as well kill me here and now.”
Luca stared at her for a split second. Dogged determination was shining in her eyes. Hell of a gene to inherit from her father. Why couldn’t she just have his color eyes, or same shape chin instead?
Riella stood, hands on hips, hair wild and twisting in the wind, outlined against the conflagration that had been her and her people’s home, like some avenging angel come to rid the world of its canker.
“Luca,” she panted, “when you told me you loved me… I just need to know… Were you lying to me?”
The metallic whizzing of several simultaneous barrels resonated over the crackling of the fire. Sprays of bullets showered the already destroyed site, catching any stragglers unawares.
“Who the hell sold him a metal storm? The guy’s nuts!”
“Answer me!”
“I’ll answer you on the go.”
Luca grabbed her in his arms and ran. The bullets kept coming and Riella was shouting something over the noise, but not loud enough for him to make out individual words. He ran, mind focused on one thing, and one thing only: to get her away from the danger, to make her safe.
The forest floor was uneven, and it would have been difficult terrain even without having to carry a struggling woman in his arms; with her added weight, Luca felt like he was wrenching each step through a vat full of treacle. His thigh muscles burned, his lungs were on fire, but now he could see the road, and parked to the side, the truck in which Karalius must have brought over his arsenal designed to teach Goliath’s people who’s boss.
Escape was in sight.
From in front, someone opened fire, and Luca stumbled. Before he could work out why, he hit the ground and knew no more.
∞
Bio: Ella Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.
To keep up to date with her current writing and future projects, visit her website at http://ellamedler.wordpress.com/
Writer Wednesday: Brandon Hale
Speaking of writer friends, my online writing group has published another anthology of short stories, The Bitten. The proceeds of The Bitten are going to (hopefully) help author Brandon Hale in his battle with cancer. The collected shorts are vampire or werewolf themed.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to contribute a short in a timely fashion as I was finishing Dowser 3 at the time. I’m saddened that I wasn’t able to offer my support ‘in writing,’ but I’m also so pleased that 28 members of my authors’ group wrote and donated a story specifically for Brandon!
I’ve spoken of Brandon’s fight on Facebook and twitter before, but I don’t know him personally. He is a massively positive presence in my online writers’ group (which I feel seriously blessed to be apart of). We’ve really been missing Brandon, who isn’t able to participate as much right now as he undergoes his treatment. The group is more subdued without him, even a bit tentative and lost. We miss Brandon’s humour and stalwartness, but he’s using it all in the fight of his life right now.
I – we – miss you, Brandon Hale! You have a hell of a battle going, but I know you will win the war! #vampsforbran
Grab Day Soldiers #1 for free and get hooked on the series!!
Other blog posts about Brandon Hale and The Bitten anthology:
N.B: I have NOT used any affiliate links in this post.
Writer Wednesday – D.B. McNicol
Let’s welcome author D.B. McNicol to Writer Wednesday on the blog!! Donna has another “mom” recipe to share with us – YAY! – along with her book, Not A Whisper. I’m thinking I just might be in the mood for a romantic suspense novel. What about you?
Made by D.B. McNicol
This is a recipe from childhood, something my mother concocted. My brothers and I loved it and we have all passed it on to our kids who grew up loving it as well. She called it “Goulash” but it’s not the dish that typically comes to mind. Quick, simple, tasty! – Donna
My Mother’s Goulash
1 pound ground beef
2 small or 1 large can of Italian Stewed Tomatoes
Optional: make yours from scratch for less sodium
1 cup pasta
1 small onion or dehydrated onion
Add pasta to pan of boiling water. Boil for two minutes. Stir, cover and set aside to cook.
Brown the ground beef mixing in the chopped onion or sprinkling with the dehydrated onion.
When beef is browned, drain off grease and add the stewed tomatoes. You can drain the liquid but I use it all since there are usually leftovers and this keeps them moist. Chop the tomatoes smaller.
Drain the pasta when done, add to the beef and tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 5 or so minutes.
Serve and top with grated cheese and/or Mrs. Dash Original.
Approximately 6 servings
NOTE: my mother always used sea shells, I often mix types of pasta and here in Ecuador we currently use vegetable pasta. When we heat the leftovers we add a dab of butter … almost better the second time around. – Donna
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Not A Whisper
Synopsis: When Cherie Marshall catches her fiancé and best friend in a compromising position, she cancels her upcoming wedding and jumps at the chance to escape to quiet Klondike, Pennsylvania to care for her elderly aunt. She thought her biggest issue would be adapting to life in the middle of a National Forest, so very different from her upbringing in the deserts of Arizona. But that was before she met State Trooper Fire Marshall Jamison “Jazz” Maddox at the scene of a mysterious fire. As they both become acquainted with the close-knit Klondike residents, things get complicated as Cherie and Jazz find themselves in the middle of a local crime wave where arson, kidnapping, embezzlement and a decades old murder are just the tip of the iceberg.
Early reader comments:
“What a great read. I didn’t see the end coming. Can’t wait until the next book is out. Fast paced, twists and turns and a little romance thrown in. WTG!!”
“Fantastic Donna! Best book I’ve read in a long time. Excited to hear more about these characters.”
“I’m about half way through and loving it. Very hard to put down, a great read!”
∞
Donna B. McNicol retired after 30+ years working in the IT industry. She spent many of those years writing technical documents and user instructions. In 1996 she began moonlighting in freelance writing; she spent the next ten years writing for such online sites as The Mining Company, Suite101, BellaOnline and About.com.
A year into widowhood, she decided to ride the 48 continental US states on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, solo. Over five months and several trips she managed to ride through 42 states, covering over 27,000 miles. In 2007 she started full-time RVing, traveling the USA. In 2008 she met her husband and they married in 2009.
In 2012, while traveling the country in their 41’ fifth wheel trailer (with room for their two motorcycles), she decided to give fiction writing a try. Her first book, “Home Again” was published in 2012, quickly followed by “Barely a Spark” and “Not a Whisper” in 2013. She has also written several short stories and flash fiction compilations as well as a children’s picture book.
She and her husband currently reside in Cuenca, Ecuador where she continues her writing.
Be sure get your free copy of the Klondike Kompanion and read the “Meet the Characters” interviews from the author’s website.
Writer Wednesday – Jeanette Raleigh
Let’s welcome author Jeanette Raleigh to Writer Wednesday on the blog!! Jeanette has recently expanded her novella, Moon Struck, into a longer novel. You can currently download the 1st book in the When Were & How! series for free via Smashwords or $0.99 via Amazon. If you do take a moment to read – the story looks like A LOT of fun – please leave the author an honest review at at your point of purchase.
Made by Jeanette Raleigh
This particular recipe reminds me of my high school English teacher. Even though he was known for being a tough grader, I loved his class. I sat at the front and paid very close attention. Even back then I wanted to be a writer. Every month or so our class would all decide to bring goodies on the same day for an impromptu party (without telling the teacher). He would go along with it, letting us have our treats before getting down to business. He LOVED my mom’s brownies. Thanks Mr. Miller – Jeanette
Yummy Rich Brownies
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp real vanilla
2 eggs
Qty 2 – 1 oz unsweetened chocolate – melted
½ cup flour
½ cup chopped walnuts
Cream first three ingredients. Beat in eggs. Add chocolate. Stir in flour & nuts.
Grease a 8” x 8” x 2” pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool.
Best if served with ice cream or whipped cream.
You know, I’m still sick and I in no way NEED brownies but I WANT brownies now! I’m so susceptible to these writer wednesday posts!! – Meg
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Moon Struck
Synopsis: When Jen falls in love with her boss, she doesn’t think she has a chance. After all, she is only a little weremouse. With a broken heart after Rob’s moon tryst spends a night at the office, Jen finds a magical way to become a wolf. But walking in someone else’s fur isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as Jen learns in Moon Struck.
∞
Jeanette Raleigh is an artist and author who has spent most of her life at some creative pursuit. Whether painting a castle or writing a novel, Jeanette enjoys the playful aspects of creation and strives to create worlds where others feel at home.
Writer Wednesday – Elizabeth Jasper
Let’s welcome author Elizabeth Jasper to Writer Wednesday on the blog!! When Liz told me she had two “mom” recipes to share with the blog I was thrilled. Mom recipes are always standouts. I’ve never made a brioche before but this sounds really amazing!!
Made by Elizabeth Jasper
Completely out of the blue, two of my daughters contacted me within 24 hours to ask for different recipes they remembered from when they were growing up. This reminded me of the kind of things I liked when I grew up; not much, as I remember, as it wasn’t that long after the Second World War and my mother’s generation had little in the way of ingredients because of rationing and had to cook simple meals with not very interesting ingredients. In my book, Meggie Blackthorn, the heroine, Meggie, is growing up in that same era, when ingredients were still scarce. In the narrative, I describe what sort of meals Meggie and her family were able to have; some great (her mum is a great cook) and some not (her grandmother is terrible). What a contrast to the range of ingredients available to me when my children were growing up. Here’s the first recipe – perfect to take on a summer picnic. – Liz
Salmon and Pesto Brioche
Serves 6
Ingredients
for brioche dough
8oz plain flour
1 packet easy-blend yeast
3 tbsp milk
3.5oz melted butter
1 tsp sugar
Half tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
10oz cold cooked salmon
3.5ozs pesto (bought or home made)
Egg to glaze
For pesto sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves (or parmesan)
2 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp finely grated pecorino cheese
salt & pepper
Method
Brioche dough
First make the brioche dough by putting all the ingredients into a bowl of a food processor and mixing well (about 2 – 3 mins). Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly into a ball.
Put into a greased polythene bag and leave to rise either in a warm place for 2 hrs or overnight in fridge. Knock back the dough and divide into 12 balls, knead each one lightly and then roll them out into circles about 4″ in diameter.
Place a small spoonful of pesto in the centre of each circle and then put on a piece of the cold salmon. Gather the edge of the dough, having dampened them lightly, and enclose the filling forming a ball.
Place these seam-side down on a baking sheet and leave to rise for about 15 minutes while the oven is heating to 450F (230C) or gas mark 8. Glaze with the beaten egg and cook for about 15 mins until golden brown. Allow to cool. These are best baked on the day of eating though much of the preparation can be done earlier.
Pesto Sauce
Pesto is a pungent Mediterranean sauce whose strongly aromatic flavours of basil and garlic are enhance by the rough texture of the pine nuts and cheese.
Process all ingredients except the cheese, which is stirred into the amalgam after blending.
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Meggie Blackthorn
Synopsis: Early 1960s – Newcastle, UK. When eleven-year-old Meggie’s feckless Dad doesn’t pay the coal man she takes matters into her own hands. With her younger brother, Jack, she sets off to find the free coal she knows can be found in the pit heaps opposite their village. When she and Jack return home from their adventure, she’s punished. Does she still love her dad? She’s not so sure and when she has to make a choice between going to live with her grandparents at their newsagent’s shop in Newcastle so she can go to the grammar school or staying in Shippon and going to the local secondary school she decides to leave home. She soon finds herself in an even bigger mess. Billy Fish and The Codmother are ripping off Meggie’s grandparents. With her new friend, paperboy Dave Spedding, she tries to help, but finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. Growing pains, a new school, dealing with Billy Fish’s threats against her grandparents and coping with long-hidden family secrets stretch Meggie’s resourcefulness and strength of character to the limit.
∞
About Elizabeth Jasper. Born and raised in the NE of England, I spent most of my working life in various capacities in prestigious UK universities, where I organised SummerSchools and Study Tours, as well as carrying out a variety of administrative functions. I liked working for a living – it paid the bills – but I love writing even more. These days I am fortunate enough to be able to write full-time and have completed five novels, all available on Amazon Kindle: The Golden Cuckoo (for children aged 9-12), Lying in Wait, A Bed of Knives and books One and Two in the ‘Meggie’ Series – Meggie Blackthorn (Book One) and Meggie Blue (Book Two). The third book in the series, Jack the Lad, will be published in 2014. All of my books are available in paperback format. My primary aim as a writer is to entertain and engage my readers. I write across genres in order to expand my characters beyond the stereotypes often found in genre books and no matter how dark the material, I hope I can raise a smile or two along the way. A tear is even better.