Submission guidelines for Sourcebooks***

I saw the guidelines for this publisher and thought others may also be interested. They have very specific guidelines and are only interested in agented writers unless they are writing in the romance genre. The full link is here:

http://www.sourcebooks.com/authors/submission-guidelines/50-romance-fiction-submission-guidelines.html

But if you can't read it, I am republishing most the good stuff here:

Quick Reference 90-120,000 words (actual digital) single title or single title series only we consider all subgenres we prefer email submissions in WORD always include a synopsis (including the ending) if you have a track record, please include your sales history (# of books sold to readers especially) what do you envision as your career arc? email submissions will be confirmed received within 21 days; no follow-up please (except agents) allow 8-12 weeks for response Our criteria: a heroine the reader can relate to a hero she can fall in love with a world gets created a "hook" that allows us to sell the book in 2-3 sentences the author has a career arc We consider agented as well as unagented submissions in all subgenres of Romance fiction, including: paranormal suspense contemporary erotic romance historical (prior to 1900 only) Queries should be emailed in a WORD file (agents may telephone) and should include: full author or agent contact info (name, address, phone number, email address) on every document brief bio of author including previous books published (including under pseudonyms), sales history (number of books sold to readers, not to publishers), awards and contest won title and word count of proposed book short (2-3 paragraph) synopsis a paragraph or two on further books planned in the series or otherwise author's vision for their career arc Submissions can be sent via mail or email WORD file (email is preferred) and should include: full author or agent contact info (name, address, phone number, email address) on every document author bio including previous books published (including under pseudonyms), sales history (number of books sold to readers, not to publishers), awards and contests won, list of other finished manuscripts or books in progress competitive analysis (list of titles that are comparative and/or competitive with yours) full synopsis, including actual digital word count and the ending a header or footer on each page that includes: book title, page number, author or agent name, phone number and email address minimum of 4 sample chapters (preferred for hard copy submissions), or complete manuscript in WORD (preferred for email submissions) Please send submissions to: romance@sourcebooks.com Leah Hultenschmidt Sourcebooks, Inc. 390 Fifth Ave. Suite 907 New York, NY 10018 Please allow 8-12 weeks for response. Regretfully, we are unable to confirm receipt of unagented hard copy submissions. If you require confirmation of receipt of a hard copy submission, please use a courier service such as Fedex or DHL or US Post Office Priority mail with delivery tracking or Express Mail. Receipt of email submissions will be acknowledged within 21 days via email. If you have any questions about our guidelines, please don't hesitate to email deb.werksman@sourcebooks.com Please allow 21 days for response. Thank you! We look forward to reading your book!

Happy New Year's from Missy Lyons!

Happy New Year's everyone!

It's time to end the year 2011, whether we are ready or not--and I am ready!!

I am finding myself looking back over the year and evaluating what I did well and what didn't work. I think 2011 kicked my butt and then turned around and did it again. My husband lost his eye this year and my babygirl underwent a her first surgery. My priorities changed and I began to deal with what was most important to me--family. I stopped writing for the first half of the year and then took it up again in Summer and Fall and I think my word count for the year ended up being around 80,000 words. Not bad for putting my writing on a back burner. It's been quite a ride. Now I can't wait for this year to end so I can take the reins back to my life and get this horse and pony show started. lol

In 2012 I already have two releases scheduled and plans to use my time more wisely. I have a few friends that have already written down a list of the books they plan to write. Me? I'm not so organized, but I will be writing.

What are your plans for the New Year?

Lots of love to you all and I hope all your hopes and dreams come true for 2012! Happy New Years!

Missy Lyons www.missylyons.com

Tonight I plan to break out the bubbly and celebrate until I can't party anymore and then I'll be sleeping it off tomorrow just like this guy. lol Enjoy your New Year's y'all!

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas y'all! I hope this Christmas season brings you much joy and laughter and is filled with many blessings. Regardless of what holiday you may celebrate, I wish you peace love and happiness.

Free Ebook from All Romance Ebooks Nov. 25-27

Cool Black Friday Freebie: 12 Hot Days of Christmas by Ravenous Romance normally $6.99 is FREE Nov. 25-27 at All Romance Ebooks. Treat yourself and help to fill up your ereader with a book to get you in the Christmas spirit. Click this link or cut and copy into your browser window and you can download an electronic ebook for your ereader or laptop. You will need to establish an account but the book is completely free. http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-the12hotdaysofchristmas-398888-139.html

Romance Novel Plot Generators

If you are a writer, sometimes you need to give your brain a push start. That's why I though a few people may enjoy this link to a pretty detailed romance plot generator I found. Unlike some of the earlier versions I have seen over the years this one has the ability to make it paranormal or GLBT. Check it out for some great fun and wonderfully inspirational ideas.

http://www.mellophant.com/node/87

Sexy Manlove Story by Mercedes Black

Another book in the series COLLEGE: THE GAY DAYS has just been released and is hot enough to melt the screen on your e-reader! A little about the book:

BUY THIS BOOK NOW AT ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

RAINBOW DELIGHT BY MERCEDES BLACK PRICE $2.99

The underground frat house known as the Rainbow brotherhood holds secret sex parties.

The members are handpicked from the brightest and most promising gay students. They have to be willing to do anything and everything to get in the exclusive club and prove their worth and if they become members they are guaranteed success in life from their connections.

Blake is a journalist for the student newspaper and he is surprised when he gets an exclusive invitation the rainbow party which is for the hopeful candidates. He doesn’t want to be in the group. Frat houses are for the popular kids not nerds like him. Blake is only showing up because he is hoping to do an exposé on the secretive brotherhood and share all their dirty little secrets with the world.

What he doesn’t expect is to be exposed himself or to find his acts of submission at the Sex party so rewarding.

********************************************************************************************

SNEAK PEAK:

“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of them?” Eric asked.

“No, I can’t say I have.” Blake shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter but that intense look in Eric’s eyes made him wonder if it did.

Eric’s jaw muscle twitched. It looked like it mattered to Eric a lot.

“The Rainbow Brotherhood is very secretive. Not many people do know what they are or where they meet. Heck, most the gay community has heard some kind of rumor about it, but I don’t think anyone knows what happens at those ceremonies who is not a member. Everyone who was ever a member has had big success in their life. It’s like getting a guaranteed ticket to the fast track.”

“If it’s so secretive, how do you know about it?”

“Last year, I got to talk privately with that Senator who spoke at the Liberty House Charity Dinner. It wasn’t like he knew I was working for the paper, but when he had a little too much to drink he started talking about the Rainbow House and how they helped him to get where he is today.”

“Okay.” Blake thought for a moment. Something about what Eric was telling him didn’t add up. “So a Senator was on the ranks. Big deal. Who cares?”

“You don’t understand how big this is, Blake. You have to do something brilliant to get the attention of the Rainbow House and if you get in, you can go anywhere when you graduate and do anything you want to. They have connections everywhere.” Eric’s eyes flashed a brilliant emerald green.

Blake was hit with a sudden brainstorm. How could something this big last so long in the underground where no one in the general public understood what the secret brotherhood was all about? It puzzled him and yet He gave Eric a bright smile. “I could go t this meeting and write an article about them for our paper.”

“You just got an exclusive invitation to the Rainbow Brotherhood. Is that what you want to do with it? Expose all their secrets?”

“Sure.” But the last thing Blake was feeling was sure under Eric’s intense scrutiny. It didn’t feel wrong to expose their secrets, but what did he really know about the Rainbow Brotherhood at all?

“They don’t officially exist.” Eric said lamely.

“I know.” Blake didn’t feel so hopeful this was going to be successful and after Eric shot down his other ideas he wasn’t sure Eric really liked this one either. “What do you think they are hiding with all the secrecy? Wouldn’t you like to know? Don’t you think every student has the right to know what goes on at these ceremonies?”

“I don’t know, Blake.” Eric shook his head and Blake could hear a slow drag in his voice like he was wavering on the fence post.

“Come on. I’ve wanted to do an article that has some meaning to it and this could be it. Just let me try, please?” Blake asked.

“Well, if you’re going to do this you’d need to get names, places, all the stuff that they do in their ceremonies that they have kept secret all these years.” Blake let his eyes slip down to watch Eric’s chest slowly rise and fall. There was no emotion on Eric’s face to give away what he was thinking. “If you could get pictures it would be even better.”

“I can do that.” Blake said eagerly. He had a small digital camera he could keep hidden.

“It could be dangerous, Blake.” Eric was dead serious, his voice solemn.

Blake swallowed back that bad feeling rising from the pit of his stomach.

“If you are found out, I won’t be there to help you and I am not sure I could. The brotherhood has kept their existence a secret for years. I don’t expect any of them to step up and just give you an interview or be happy if you tell the world all about them.”

“I know.” Blake nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll have to look and act the part, being another hopeful frat boy. I can do this if you’ll let me write the article.”

“You really want to do this?”

“If they didn’t have anything to hide it wouldn’t be a great big secret would it?”

Eric seemed to be considering it before making a reply. His right hand rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ”Okay. If that’s what you want. You write it up and I’ll print it.”

Blake felt elated. He was bubbling up inside and before he knew it, he hugged Eric close to him. Eric went stiff and he knew the other man must have felt awkward. Just as quickly he released him and took a step back.

Eric cleared his throat and pretended to be disinterested in the hug that just took place but Blake knew he wanted the story as bad as he did.

“Thank you.”Blake said, feeling slightly embarrassed about the physical contact.

“Don’t thank me yet, and when you are questioning if this was what you wanted to do, just try and remember I didn’t throw you into the fire. You jumped in all by yourself.”
*******************************************************************************************

Mercedes Black certainly hope you enjoyed that excerpt and if you did, feel free to support her writing by buying the full story at one of the following epublishers:

AVAILABLE NOW AT AMAZON FOR YOUR KINDLE

AVAILABLE NOW AT BARNES AND NOBLE FOR YOUR NOOK

AVAILABLE NOW AT ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

AVAILABLE NOW AT 1 PLACE FOR ROMANCE

AVAILABLE NOW AT SMASHWORDS

Enter to win a cool Halloween Gift basket

Drumroll please!!

It's finally here. I love the holidays and all the fun that goes with it! I signed up to be in an author sponsored contest and everyone is doing their own giveaway on their own website or blog or whatever they want to use.

Hoping not to disappoint I am offering up lots of cool swag, a few print books, cookies, Halloween stickers, and jewelry (hmmm...let's that stay a surprise! The costume jewelry's not pictured and inside the gift box but is for women.) Basically everything you see pictured (except the Fall leaves) is going to one lucky winner who can answer some trivia questions. The picture above shows all the nifty goodies you can get from me.

Most the answers can be found on my website, www.missylyons.com. To enter send me the answers to these questions:

1. Name three books written by Missy Lyons. 2. What am I in the middle of writing now. Hint: you can hang out with me on facebook and hear me talk about it as I write or look on my homepage of my website. 3. What is the book title that will be releasing next in December? Hint: you can find this info on the coming soon page for Whispers Publishing. 4. What do you want to see me write next? Do you crave cowboys and indians, exotic locations in the Caribbean, or an alien abduction? That's it, just name your fantasy.

When you find all the answers please send it to me through my facebook email Author missy lyons or my website which will forward it to me. If you decide to participate in an extra chance to win, please forward the link to me as well. Thank you!!

**This contest open to residents of the continental United States.

To those people who are international and would like to play, you can email me your email address and the answers to the questions and three lucky people will receive an ebook copy of my re-release Party for Three. For extra entries or a bonus chance to win:

1. Share this blog on your social networks, or blogs, or twitter, and tell me about it when you email me. 2. Comment on this blog. . 3. Publicly follow the blog, my facebook fan page, or my twitter account. 4.Buy any book by Missy Lyons and send me a copy of the receipt via email.

This Halloween I am participating in a very large author sponsored contest. Drea was nice enough to organize it and I think I've listed all the participating authors and places. There are some publishers, and some review sites. I love how fun this is going to be. If you want to win some goodies it's only between October 28-31, 2011 and be sure to register everywhere!

I have listed the people that I know have signed up here but there might be new ones that have signed up between now and then. So you can check Drea's site for the official list here:

http://dreabecraft.com/events-2/

Drea Becraft * Lee Brazil * Avril Ashton * Kellie Kamryn * Elizabeth Black * Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy * Lacie Nation * JoAnne Kenrick * Daisy Dunn * Cassandre Dayne * Jessica E Subject * Sara York * Wendy Smith * Anne Holly * Lucy Felthouse * Kiki Howell * Julie Lynn Hayes * J.S. Wayne * Robin Badillo * Karen Erickson * Cari Quinn * Mahalia Levey * Dawn's Reading Nook * Raine Delight * D.B. Moon * Kay Springsteen * Jillian Chantal * Cindy Jacks * Ashley Lucas * Rose Anderson * Eden Gleen * Beth Barany * D. Renee Bagby * S.L. Danielson * Ella Jade * Elizabeth Morgan * Rawiya & BL * Jean Joachim * Jambrea Jo Jones * Trinity Blacio * Debra Dennis * Natasha Blackthorne * S.J. Frost * Jaime Samms * Tabitha Shay * Sandra Sookoo * Kristyn Nicols * Roz Lee * Billi Jean * Dyanne Davis * Kharisma Rhayne * Erotic Diaries * Fiona McGier * Pender Mackie * Lily Sawyer * Roxanne Rhoads * Jodi Redford * Angel Martinez * Mary Absire * Sandy Sullivan * Kaily Hart * Dakota Trace * Lindsay Klug * Marie Rose Dufour * Stephanie Beck * Cara Bristol * B.A. Tortuga * Nicole Morgan * Missy Lyons * Secret Cravings Publishing * Marie Sexton * W. Lynn Chantale * Gabrielle Bisset * Karenna Colcroft * Lia Fairchild * Naughty Between The Stacks * Lelani Black * Wendi Zwaduk * Megan Slayers * Karen Marie Nutt * Kinley Baker * Paty Jager * Katherine Kingston * Beth D Carter * E. Jaime * Elizabeth Noble * Sarah Makela * Gracen Miller * Kerry Adrienne * Staci Brush * Cynthia Arsuaga * Kelly L Lee * Melisse Aires * L.K. Below * Selena Kitt * Ana Hart * Naughty Night Press * Kianna Alexander * Ami Blackwelder * Gabrielle Evans

Cool research trick

Books are great for fulfilling fantasies or getting out of this world's troubles and taking you away for a few minutes, or hours, or days. Books take me places that I have already been and would like to revisit, or have never been but can't afford to go. That's one of the reasons I love setting my books in exotic and strange locations. It's fun for me to explore and see the world but with a family and a strict school schedule I can't exactly take off at a moment's notice and go to Cancun or Brazil. Something wierd about me is I collect maps, travel guides and things that help me get the feel of a story together. I watch travel videos and do everything I can to submerse myself in that culture and the land I am writing my story in. This is if it happens to be a contemporary or set in a real life place. Sometimes I manage to get free stuff by emailing the chamber of commerce or touristry committees. This is a quick way to get an overview of the most exciting things happening in an area and some of the more interesting details of everyday life. I visit sites like this one and ask for travel planners or travel guides and usually get back a thick packet of lovely details in about 6-8 weeks. This is a site to get a travel planner from Alaska. I can just imagine several stories being set in the isolated mountains of Alaska, filled with native wildlife, and rugged good looking men. http://www.travelalaska.com/Planners/Planner.aspx?utm_source=2259&utm_medium=ad Maybe I will set my next book there, but for now I must finish this book in the Caribbean called Strictly Business. Yummy beach bodies and white sandy beaches with pristine blue waters fill the pages and I only have a few more weeks until I can call the first draft done. Yippee. :) Lots of love to you all. Come back soon for the contest I am running at the end of October. There will be links to hundreds of other authors who are all participating in a HUGE Halloween contest. If you enter them, you stand a good chance of winning something.

Really Good Gumbo recipe

I thought I would share this recipe I found on Angela James blog, Nice mommy, Evil Editor. She got it from friends on Twitter and adjusted it to her family's eating habits. I tried and liked it and thought you might too. I have been looking for a good gumbo recipe I could make at home. Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Ingredients •2 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cubed •Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning •1/4 cup vegetable oil •1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices •1/2 cup all-purpose flour •1/2 cup Tony Chachere Instant roux mix •2 tablespoons margarine •3 tablespoons butter •2 tsp ground pepper •1-2 tsp cayenne pepper •1 large onion, chopped •10 cloves garlic minced •1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped •1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce •1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish •5 cups hot water •2 Tbsp chicken base (combined with hot water, this creates chicken stock. You can substitute canned broth instead) •1 (14-ounce can) petite diced tomatoes •1 pound small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined Directions 1. Season the chicken with Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning (no set amount, be generous, about 2 Tbsp) 2. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook cubed chicken until browned. Do not cook all the way through. Remove chicken from pot w/slotted spoon and reserve in bowl to side. 3. Add the sausage to oil and cook until browned, then remove to same bowl as chicken. 4. Sprinkle the flour and Tony Chachere Roux mix over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let roux cool slightly. (Important note I learned in my reading: use margarine, not butter. Butter burns more easily and when you’re cooking something that needs to be cooked awhile, like roux, it’s easier if you don’t use butter.) Don’t panic if things seem to be sticking to the bottom of your dutch oven. This is totally normal. Once you add the butter, and then the hot water, most of this will integrate back into your dish for an amazing flavor! 5. Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt 3 tbsp butter with the roux. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper and cook for 10 minutes. 6. Add Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper and cayenne pepper, and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. 7. During this 10 minute cook period, heat the 5 cups of water in a tea kettle. 8. Slowly add 5 cups hot water and chicken paste, whisking constantly as you add.. 9. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. 10. Add tomatoes (if you want to add okra, this would be the place to add it. My family doesn’t like it so I omitted). Cover and simmer for 1 hour. 11. Add shrimp and another 1/4 bunch chopped parsley. Simmer 1/2 hour. 12. Start rice when you add shrimp. At the end of half hour, dish rice into a bowl and serve gumbo over rice. Enjoy! Notes: Paula’s original recipe called for celery (cooked celery = blech), okra (I omitted) and beef bouillon instead of chicken paste. Most gumbo recipes I saw used chicken stock, so I went with the chicken instead. And I always use paste, in place of broth/bouillon, because it’s easy and tasty.

Relationship quotes--just for fun

There are a lot of funny quotes about marriage. I found a ton online after looking up my favorite and thought you might enjoy a chuckle or two. My two favorites in this collection are the one by Bill Cosby and the one by Zig Ziglar.

Marriage Quotes
Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner. ~ Amy Bloom

My best chosen friend, companion, guide, to walk through life, linked hand-in-hand, two equal, loving friends, true husband and true wife. ~ Sir Charles Gavan Duffy

My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me. ~ Winston Churchill

You don't need to be on the save wavelength to succeed in marriage. You just need to be able to ride each other's waves. ~ Toni Sciarra Poynter

I love being married. It's so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. ~ Rita Rudner

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave. ~ Martin Luther

Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge. ~ Bill Cosby

The man who says his wife can't take a joke, forgets that she took him. ~ Oscar Wilde

If you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, you'll never end up with a nag. ~ Zig Ziglar

Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side. ~ Zig Ziglar

A husband is a guy who tells you when you've got on too much lipstick and helps you with your girdle when your hips stick. ~ Ogden Nash

For years my wedding ring has done its job. It has led me not into temptation. It has reminded my husband numerous times at parties that it's time to go home. It has been a source of relief to a dinner companion. It has been a status symbol in the maternity ward. ~ Erma Bombeck

To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job. ~ Simone De Beauvoir

What is a husband? He is the one who, with a touch, can bring back the starlight and glow of years long ago. At least he hopes he can - don't disappoint him. ~ Alan Beck

When a man and a woman have an overwhelming passion for each other, it seems to me, in spite of such obstacles dividing them as parents or husband, that they belong to each other in the name of Nature, and are lovers by Divine right, in spite of human convention or the laws. ~ Sebastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort

The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes. ~ Amy Grant

Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry. ~ Tom Mullen

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility. ~ Leo Tolstoy

It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Trudging through it

This may not be the most exciting blog but I am working again today and once again I don't feel like writing. Sometimes you just got trudge through it regardless of how you feel and that's me right now. I know other writers use tricks to keep up the momentum. Sometimes it is easier to write when you don't feel like it by bribing yourself if you make your goal with little rewards.

I know writers who use anything from ice cream to buying a new song for their ipod if they make their daily word count goal.

Today my goal is around 3000 words on what I call my never ending story (because it is just not ending for me). My mini reward is dessert, my favorite ice cream Moose Tracks. It has lots of chocolate, a few mini peanut butter cups and just tastes really good.

If I ever finish this novel, I may reward myself with these ultra cool steampunk goggles for a costume I am working on.

http://www.pyramidcollection.com/itemdy00.asp?ID=30,2161&GEN1=Steampunk&T1=P28270&dispRow=0&srccode=

Whatever works right? Besides Halloween is just right around the corner. Hopefully it will be just the boost I need to get this mansucript done. lol

Lots of Love,

Missy Lyons

www.missylyons.com

Halloween Blog Hop Oct. 28-31 Big Contest and lots of PRIZES!

This Halloween I will be participating in a very large author sponsored contest. Drea was nice enough to organize it and I think I've listed all the participating authors and places. There are some publishers, and some review sites. I love how fun this is going to be. If you want to win some goodies you need to come back between October 28-31, 2011. and be sure to register everywhere!

I have listed the people that I know have signed up here but there might be new ones that have signed up between now and then. So you can check Drea's site for the official list here:

http://dreabecraft.com/events-2/

Drea Becraft * Lee Brazil * Avril Ashton * Kellie Kamryn * Elizabeth Black * Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy * Lacie Nation * JoAnne Kenrick * Daisy Dunn * Cassandre Dayne * Jessica E Subject * Sara York * Wendy Smith * Anne Holly * Lucy Felthouse * Kiki Howell * Julie Lynn Hayes * J.S. Wayne * Robin Badillo * Karen Erickson * Cari Quinn * Mahalia Levey * Dawn's Reading Nook * Raine Delight * D.B. Moon * Kay Springsteen * Jillian Chantal * Cindy Jacks * Ashley Lucas * Rose Anderson * Eden Gleen * Beth Barany * D. Renee Bagby * S.L. Danielson * Ella Jade * Elizabeth Morgan * Rawiya & BL * Jean Joachim * Jambrea Jo Jones * Trinity Blacio * Debra Dennis * Natasha Blackthorne * S.J. Frost * Jaime Samms * Tabitha Shay * Sandra Sookoo * Kristyn Nicols * Roz Lee * Billi Jean * Dyanne Davis * Kharisma Rhayne * Erotic Diaries * Fiona McGier * Pender Mackie * Lily Sawyer * Roxanne Rhoads * Jodi Redford * Angel Martinez * Mary Absire * Sandy Sullivan * Kaily Hart * Dakota Trace * Lindsay Klug * Marie Rose Dufour * Stephanie Beck * Cara Bristol * B.A. Tortuga * Nicole Morgan * Missy Lyons * Secret Cravings Publishing * Marie Sexton * W. Lynn Chantale * Gabrielle Bisset * Karenna Colcroft * Lia Fairchild * Naughty Between The Stacks * Lelani Black * Wendi Zwaduk * Megan Slayers * Karen Marie Nutt * Kinley Baker * Paty Jager * Katherine Kingston * Beth D Carter * E. Jaime * Elizabeth Noble * Sarah Makela * Gracen Miller * Kerry Adrienne * Staci Brush * Cynthia Arsuaga * Kelly L Lee * Melisse Aires * L.K. Below * Selena Kitt * Ana Hart * Naughty Night Press * Kianna Alexander * Ami Blackwelder * Gabrielle Evans

Writers write--end of story

If you want to be a writer, you spend lots of time writing, even when you don't feel like it. End of story.

Most the time I am excited to sit down and try to write, to escape into the stories in my head is like taking a mini-vacation, but when you have a contract due and babies screaming and other things crying for your attention it can be difficult to make yourself want to spend time writing, or maybe the story is no longer quite as fun to write, but you promised the story would get done.

That's where I am today.

I just don't feel like writing, but I know I have to. I have a lot of pending important stuff in my personal life and yet I promised this story would get done and bills need paid. My freinds are counting on me, my publisher expects the story, and readers want to know when it will be done. So now I am not just writing the story for my own personal enjoyment but under a little stress.

It's not going to get any easier. The end of the year is looming with all the expectations and time crunches. The holidays are great but they absorb so much time, there is decorating to be done, candies and cookies to be made, presents and costumes to be made, and did I mention the hours of baking? I love the holidays but visitors are also my number one excuse to stop writing and the big rule of being self employed is you work if you want to make money. If I don't write, I don't make money. It's that simple.

So I must write, and I have several projects that have to be done. Strictly Business is at the top of my list. Howvere since it has taken me close to two years to get halfway done I have to ask myself why so long? Why did I stop writing? Can I ever get back into the story? I still love the story, but there is a little more pressure I am feeling and stress. The first two books are not only written, but published. Questions swirl in my head. My self confidence suffers. Will it be good enough? Will the story live up to the reader expectations? Failure would set me free from the stress but I would never know the answers if I don't try.

I have four stories in major need of getting done. I can only work on one, so I am choosing the one that has sat the longest, Strictly Business. The goal is to get 8 pages done today and end the scene around page 121. It's halfway done. There is no turning back now, only going forward, marching bravely into the future.

I am going to try something new today. I usually flop horribly when I tr to write multiple stories at one time. Very little gets done and I just hit a wall flipping between the stories. Names and eye colors change. The end result usually needs massive editing.

However, this time I am going to try to use the morning for SB and the afternoon for PI. Both those stories are the ones I need done first.

To be done

SB-M/F PI-M/M HH-M/M RD-M/M

So what are you all up to today? Is there writing in your future?

Fall is here

I love this season. Fall makes me crave tea and hot chocolate to watch nature color her gardens with rainbows. The leaves haven't changed color yet. We need the first blast of cold to make the trees begin to want to drop their leaves but it's just around the corner and one of my favorite things to do is to drive through the backroads of Tennessee and look at the forests of color. It is absolutely stunning and nowhere like this in the world I have seen.

Besides the leaves and the kids returning to school, Fall makes me crave comfort food and want to return to the kitchen. This is the time of the year I love to cook nice hot soups that keep your tummy full and your body warm. It is part of why I love Fall, but change is always beautiful to watch in nature.

Today's menu is Lentil Soup for dinner and my kids favorite macaroni cheese recipe for lunch. Pictures and recipes to follow, but for now enjoy the Fall trees.

Writing In Progress:

Strictly Business (8 pages today) Stud Service: Book 3

Susannah Gibson’s future is secure as an heiress to a Texas oil baron. A hefty trust fund has allowed her to live out her dreams and pursue every desire of her heart, but one. All that money got in the way of finding love. She and her three sisters had a collection of fortune hunters that could stretch the length of Texas, but she vowed not to settle for anything less than love.

Lots of love to you all,

Missy Lyons

www.missylyons.com

Party for Three--teaser excerpt

PARTY FOR THREE

Chapter One

"Why do they say you are over the hill when you turn forty?" Sherry's voice held a note of despair in it. A sense of worry accompanied her voice that knotted the pit of her stomach. It was something she couldn't shake with her own impending fortieth birthday coming up on Saturday. She didn't feel over the hill and yet that birthday always had a stigma attached to it, forty was the dreaded over the hill age. The black birthday. The halfway mark to death.
She never really cared before, and didn't feel old now, but her friends were not going to let her escape this birthday without celebrating in a way she would rather forget.
"I don't know. You are only as old as you feel." Karen picked up a cheesecake for her lunch tray in the cafeteria line.
"Well I feel like I am still in my twenties. Can I still tell people I am twenty when they ask me how old I am?" Sherry questioned.
"Only if you think you can get away with it."
"They won't believe me if I ever stop dying my hair jet black. I used to just highlight my hair for fun. Now it is to cover those stray gray hairs."
“We all get gray hairs eventually. I got my first gray hairs in my early twenties." Karen held a lock of her long brown hair between two fingers. "A gentleman should never ask you your age anyways."
“I hate getting old Karen. I don' want to get old. It's not fair, and I feel like it's hitting me all at once. Now that I am forty, it's official. I don't even want to go to my own over the hill party. Remind me why I am going again?"
"Because you love your friends enough to show up." Karen said with a smile.
"I didn't feel old before but Sean threatened to get me some black roses and all kinds of cheesy over the hill party supplies." Sherry let out a sigh but her voice was resigned. She knew she was still not going to miss the party.
“You shouldn't let Sean get to you too much when he teases you about your age."
"I guess not. After all, he will turn forty too one day."
Karen laughed. "Yeah in twenty years." Sean was the office know-it-all, straight out of college, too cute for his own good. He had a cocky grin that said he knew exactly how he made the women feel.
He was one of those men who could look at you and make you weak in the knees, and your hormones would go up a notch just looking at him. Maybe he wouldn't have that effect on everyone, but he had that affect on her. Sherry's heart always sped up a little when she snuck glances at him, but she was old enough to know it was only lust and such thoughts should not be entertained for long. He was far too young to consider seriously and far too immature to consider for anything more than a passing dalliance. So she had kept it friendly but she kept all of her hidden desires and feelings secret.
As if on cue, Sherry felt a pair of masculine hands grip her waist, pressing her to the side. Sean's voice interrupted their conversation. "You ladies weren't talking about me were you?"
Sherry's cheeks turned pink. He would have the nerve to interrupt a conversation about him. "Yes, we were just saying how I would much rather go to celebrate my birthday dancing in a nightclub or drinking." Anything but some cheesy party with black deathlike decorations mocking her age.
"Don't worry you can have drinks with me on the veranda and we'll dance to our own music, Sherry." Sean caught her eyes with his and then he teased her with a cocky grin, "As long as you can stay awake."


If you enjoyed this excerpt you can buy this book at most of your favorite ebook retailers. Including for the Amazon Kindle, for the Barnes and Noble Nook, at All Romance Ebooks, or at Smashwords.

Deadline for Melody of Love contest is fast approaching

http://www.mcrw.com/index.php/2010-melody-of-love-contest/

Our local Music City Rromance Writers group holds a contest for unpublished authors every year called the the Melody of love contest. The deadline to enter is September 1, but you can still do it.

Some of the more important details from the website:

2011 Melody of Love Contest

MCRW’s annual Melody of Love Contest for unpublished Romance Manuscripts is now accepting entries for the 2011 year. This is our 13th year for the contest and our first year to include a YA category, so if you know anyone who writes YA romance or YA with romantic elements, feel free to send them our way!

Receipt date of entries (25 pgs or less): September 1, 2011
Categories: Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal and YA
$22 MCRW member fee; $27 RWA member fee; $32 Non-RWA member fee
Final round judges:
– Historical: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency
– Contemporary: Latoya C. Smith, Grand Central Publishing
– Paranormal: Angela James, Carina Press
– YA: Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks Fire
Thank you for your interest in the Melody of Love. For more information about entry specifics, rules and fees, check out the links to the right. Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us with questions about the contest, although you may want to start with the coordinator.

Sincerely,

Jody Wallace (MCRW Contest Coordinator) – contest(at)mcrw.com
Kim Law (MCRW President)
Gretchen Stull (MCRW Vice President)
Tina Reid (MCRW Secretary)
Carolyn Shrembek (MCRW Treasurer)

Just One Bite short story contest for 2011

Last year was the first year of All Romance Ebook's short story contest called Just One Bite.

It was so successful, that the owners have decided to do it again so I am re-posting the call for submission in case any of my author friends or my readers want to give it a whirl. I just submitted my entry today but it only took a few days out of my schedule to write and edit.

For an established author this can be a great benefit to get your name out there and a free promotional opportunity. If you win, it's an honor to have been chosen out of 32 contest entries, but there are also some perks to being one of the top three. First Place gets $1000 in cash. Second Place wins an Ipad2, and third place gets to go on a $100 shopping spree at All Romance Ebooks.

Do I think I might win? I'll be honest with you, I don't think I will, the competition is pretty stiff with some of the best romance writers in the business participating, but I would be happy to be one of the 32 stories chosen. If I did manage to get up in the top 3 rounds I would definitely be following this story up with a sequel or seven... lol

But you better hurry up and write that short story! Your 2500-3000 word entry is due by September 1, 2011. I imagine the semi-finalists will be announced somewhere in the middle or late September. It will probably take quite a while to read through all those entries. :)

You can read the FAQ's and the details on the contest entry form here:


http://www.allromanceebooks.com/submissions_justonebite.html

Some highlights from their site:

Readers will vote for their favorite short stories during 5 rounds of voting with the field being narrowed at the end of each round. The first prize winning author will receive $1000 US. The second prize winning author will receive an iPad 2. The third prize winning author will receive a $100 eBook Bucks Gift Certificate redeemable either at AllRomance.com or OmniLit.com.

Submissions will be accepted between July 1 and September 1, 2011. Each title must be an original, never before published paranormal romance work between 2,500 and 3,000 words and will be marketed exclusively by All Romance/OmniLit. Authors can access the terms and submissions forms via this page. Authors need to complete all fields to the best of their ability at the time of submission. I'll be the Editor-In-Charge for the Contest and will lead the committee that will make the final decision on September 1 as to which submissions will be chosen as the Semi-Finalists. Stories selected as one of the 32 will be released for voting on October 1.

Authors should keep in mind that we will not be editing these manuscripts. They must have them edited PRIOR to submission.

We anticipate having more wonderful stories than we have slots for. If a story is not chosen as a Semi-Finalist, rights will be returned. Questions about the Contest can be directed to me at:

Please check out FAQ for additional information here: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/faq-178.html

Questions can be directed to me at:

cat.johnson@allromanceebooks.com

Thanks again for your interest!
Cat Johnson


Good luck everyone!

Writing an erotic love scene

Sometimes writing a love scene is easy but it can be hard to keep it original and fun to read. Think about it. How many times have you read something that came out stale and technically challenged. Put slot A into slot B and shabang. You didn't know you were writing a sex ed class when you started did you?

In order to make it sound a little more emotionally charged you have to add words that make an emotional attachment to the physical event and this also helps the reader want to continue reading

I have a notebook at home filled with words like:

greed, hunger, longing, ravenous, relish, thirst, urge, voracious, yearning.

This may not sound like they are even related to sex, more like eating, but it works and it works well. This adds a need to the sex drive and puts it on a deeper level.

I started the collection because I didn't want to sound boring but it all began with a thesaurus and synonym dictionary. How many times can you use excited in a sentence and keep it sounding original? Sometimes I use repetition to drill something into the readers head, but in most instances repetition is boring so a synonym dictionary is one of my most valuable assets in my weapon arsenal as a writer. I need it and use it daily.

If you have to access to the internet you can use an online dictionary/thesaurus/synonym dictionary for free. Just keep it open in a browser while you write.

Hope this helps you to write action packed and detailed love scenes that people love to read.

Keep on loving!
Missy Lyons
www.missylyons.com

Isuckitis is not a disease the doctor can diagnose

Isuckitis is real and it is dangerous to writers. When you are pounding out your first draft you can't stop and worry about the details. You can't stop writing until you get to the end.

There are dangers. That little editor in the back of your head is normally helpful, but today he is spitting out insults about what you just wrote. You heard the voice right? The one that says this is terrible stuff that will rot your brain.

Isuckitis is all your doubts and fears rolled up into a ball keeping you from the keyboard or urging you to press the delete key. It is worse than writers block because it doesn't just stop you from writing anything new, it makes you want to throw everything you just wrote into the trash.

I've been feeling this way a little lately. I had to try to get started writing again after a long stint of nothing. It's hard and I know what I am up against. My first draft is all about getting the words on the page and then I have something to work with. I need big numbers everyday to keep me going. Pages that can't be blank. Every one of those 300 pages has to be filled with words. So what do I do? I set my timer and start typing. I try to run as hard and fast as I can and jump over the wall when I run into it.

After you finally finish the first draft you can let your little internal editor out of it's cage and go to town. This is where you need his help to get the story just right. Until then you may want to put a gag in his mouth.

A writing contest database

I stumbled across a couple of websites that contains a lengthy database of writing contests and thought this could be a valuable tool to my writing friends. So I am sharing the links here:

http://www.stephiesmith.com/contests.html


and more great articles on entering contests here:

http://www.charlottedillon.com/RWA-Contests.html

Exclusive new excerpt from Heart of a Cowboy (M/M/M)

Have you read Heart of a Cowboy yet?


Well maybe it's time you should!

Dreamy cowboys, sexy Indians and alpha shifters and everything you want in a gay romance fill the pages.



Here's a quick blurb:


Derek is only working for a month to pay off his debt to Jessie, but not everyone likes his openly homosexual lifestyle. He knows what it feels like to be beaten to within an inch of his life so he doesn't give a rat's ass what people think.

The attraction between him and the hunky Indian Ishwar is instantly satisfying. He finds himself begging for more every second he is near him, but when he falls into the arms of a stranger, things only begin to heat up, until an unforeseen peril puts him in danger.

Derek must prove he has the heart of a cowboy, and it will take every ounce of love and strength in his heart to make it through this ordeal alive.

Buy Heart of a Cowboy now here:
http://www.bookstrand.com/node/808153

Now here's your exclusive excerpt never before seen from Heart of a Cowboy:
He could heal his body, but the soul it protected had also been wounded. There were cuts that ran deep in the man’s spirit.
What had happened to him?
Derek’s lips parted and Lucas felt an irresistible urge to kiss him. He leaned over Derek’s body, brushing his lips over the other man’s mouth in the lightest of touches. Derek’s eyes fluttered open and his mouth opened and closed like a fish, as if he wanted to protest what had just happened. Desire. Confusion. Fear. It was all there in his expression for anyone to read.
God help him. He wanted to kiss him again.
“I shouldn’t have done that.” Lucas suddenly pulled away. He felt disturbed that he had broken the trust he was given. It wasn’t like him to break his word, and a wolf was only as good as his word. “Sorry I kissed you.”
Derek sat up suddenly and rubbed his ribs. “I don’t know what you did but thank you. I don’t feel any pain anymore.”
“But you didn’t like having me touch you.”
“It’s not that.” Derek shook his head, turning his gaze to the floor.
“Then, what? You don’t like my kisses?”
“There’s someone else.”
“If it doesn’t feel right, then you don’t have to do anything. I feel something when I am with you that I can’t explain, but if you don’t feel that same attraction then I am not going to force myself on you.”
The worry lines on Derek’s face intensified. “I didn’t say I didn’t like you. I feel that attraction too.” He placed his hand on Lucas’s chest, the corners of his mouth dragged down by the frown. “It’s just…without him here it feels like I am cheating on him.”
“You two have a commitment?”
“No, but…” Derek closed his eyes, seemingly unsure of what to say next.
“But what?”
“Fuck, it could be something special. I didn’t ask for a commitment, but I don’t want to do something stupid to lose him.”
“So you have slept with this other man?” Why did he feel jealous? He shouldn’t care about him, much less feel the prongs of jealous anger rise up from deep within him.
“We barely even kissed. I won’t lie to you.” Derek’s words were low and throaty, filled with need and the restrained desire that he felt beneath the surface. “I want to fuck you. I want to be fucked by you. I want to feel you enter me from behind and drive your cock into my ass, loading it up with cum, but I feel guilty.”
“Then what’s the hang-up? It could be just this once—to get it out of our system.” It was a lie. Lucas knew it the moment he uttered the words, but he didn’t care. He wanted this man, even if he had to lie to get him. “You never have to see me again after tonight.”
“Just this once.” Derek’s voice was soft and dreamy as he moved in for the kiss. His lips smashed against Lucas. Swift. Passionate. Conveying everything he wanted—needed from the other man. Lucas answered with his own desire, lust driving his kiss, and he felt Derek’s hard body against his own. Rubbing his cock into the other man’s groin. Hungry for more.
His skin was soft as silk, but it covered muscles of steel.
Derek reached for Lucas’s groin and met his hard-on eagerly. He unleashed the monster from its confines in seconds. Lucas was good. He had him undressed before he realized what had happened. A wide grin spread over his face as his eyes dropped to stare at Lucas’s package wagging in the air. “Nice hardware, Ace.”
A feral growl escaped his chest as he leapt to cover Derek’s body with his own.
***
If you liked what you read here than you can purchase Heart of a Cowboy here:
http://www.bookstrand.com/node/808153

Thanks for reading! :)

Missy Lyons
http://www.missylyons.com
Heart of a Cowboy is all about manlove, sexy werewolf shifters, Indian shamans, and a young man who must prove he has the heart of a cowboy.

http://www.bookstrand.com/heart-of-a-cowboy

Steampunk

I am seeing a surge of interest in steampunk so I am researching on the web what it is and trying to see if it might be something I can write as well.

Besides the usual info, like watching the movie Wild wild West and reading wikipedia you may want to check out this excellent article here:

http://ageofsteam.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/how-do-i-write-a-steampunk-story-by-dru-pagliassotti/

They can call it what they they want but it is like an alternate universe or our history with an alternate future.

If you have written something or want to write something Steampunk let me know. I think I need to read something as well.

So you want to be a writer?

I think everyone has a story in their heart. Something they may have waited all their life to find the time to get down on paper. I've talked to many of these people at conferences and events like my booksignings where they ask my advice. It's the same every time and I have to wonder why they choose not to just sit down and do it.

My advice is the same every time. I have three simple rules to becoming a writer.

1. Read.

Don't think it comes easy. You need to study the books you read. The plot, the grammar, the spelling, and the style it's written in, but not just the obvious things. Look at the best sellers and try to figure out why people are hooked on those books. You need to understand what people want to read and study other books in the genre you wish to write.

2. Write--but more importantly Re-write.

Your book will never get written if you don't sit down and write it. Make time to pound on the keyboard and try to keep your writing time sacred, but when you finally finish that story don't stop there. Now the hard part is editing and rewriting your story to make it a great story.

3. Look for opportunities to publish what you write.

It does you no good to write and then bury your work in a closet. You need to try to put your work out where the general public can see it. Whether you get paid for what you write or not is not important (yet). This will enable you to get feedback and see what you need to improve to begin living your dream.

Being paid as a professional writer.


So, that's my basic advice. Whether you choose to follow it or not is another story, but becoming a writer is simple. You can do it.

New Release: Chains of Love

I am very pleased to present the newest release of Hot Tropica books, Chains of Love! If you love hawt men dressed in drag and werewolves who stalk the streets at night looking for their prey, then this is the book for you.



Chains of Love
by Mercedes Black
Published by Hot Tropica books
Price $5.99

Blurb:

Detective Colt Bacard is fighting against time to find a serial killer in Fort Lauderdale, and he is not ready to believe the superstitious nonsense that everyone else is spouting off. There's no such thing as vampires and there has got to be a simple explanation to the trademark holes in each of the victim’s neck.

He is willing to go deep undercover to find the serial killer. Even if that means he has to wear lipstick and high heels to do it.

Dressing as a female to help lure out the killer, he finds an honest to God werewolf whom he can't help but feel an attraction to.

Griffin knows better than to interfere when a human stumbles into his world, but the sexy detective has no idea of the danger he is in, or what his poking around and questions may unearth. When Colt threatens to arrest the leader of the pack of renegade vampire, Griffin is left with little choice except to take the man into protective custody. Colt doesn't go willingly, but it isn't long before his captive heart submits to his new master. Will their love be enough to face life threatening danger together?

Excerpt:
Chains of Love
by Mercedes Black

The scent filling the bathroom turned him on. Tonight he would become as close to a girl as he could without losing his manhood. He cupped his dick in his hands, smoothing around the outside, stroking it until it became harder and stiffer. He needed to come now, so he would not get a hard on while he was with a guy. White cum spurted from the tip of his cock and he leaned against the tile wall letting the hot water fall over his body, washing away any of the soap residue and the evidence of his cum.

He felt some of the tension leave his body, but knew instinctively it wasn’t going to be enough. He dried himself off and exited the shower. He tried on the clothes, and put on the makeup, first the eye shadow and mascara along with a bit of rouge for his cheeks, and finally a black lipstick. He smacked his lips together admiring his work in the mirror. He looked good, but with the wig of short black gothic styled hair, he looked even better.

He looked more like a girl, than most girls, soft and feminine. He practiced using another voice. It was a different tone and pitch than he usually used, mysteriously sexy. This was going to work.

And then, he just stripped his clothes and jacked off some more. It was only six o’clock so he had plenty of time before the official auction. He put in a favorite gay porn movie, watching the guys fuck each other and he masturbated fast and furious. He came a lot, hoping this would help him keep from getting a hard on if he got with another guy tonight. He came until his dick was limp and ached from the workout he gave it. If that didn’t work, he wasn’t sure what would.

He cleaned himself up once more, and then began dressing again. His thigh high nylons slipped on over each leg, and then he put his penis holder on and his sexy panties over the top.

No one was going to be able to tell he was a man.

He put the corset on, and slipped the 36C fake breasts in on each side. He looked down at his new breasts and grinned. This would have everyone bidding on him in this auction, every straight guy in the room. Then he carefully slipped into the low cut dress and put on the high heels. He looked back one last time at the mirror, admiring his handiwork.

He may have to try doing this on his own free time in the near future and not when he was just looking for a killer. The idea of fucking a straight boy who thought he was a woman was hot.

And nobody could tell him he didn’t look damn good as a woman.

****


Now available at Smashwords, ARE, Bookstrand, and most major ebook retailors.
Buy here:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-chainsoflove-513101-142.html

Homey Holidays by Scott Emmons

Found this slghtly humorous poem and I thought you might enjoy it.

Homey Holidays by Scott Emmons

I'll be home for Christmas

(I go there every year),

A place that's plain and peaceful

with a cheery atmosphere,

Where winter skies are silvery

and days are cold and sleety.

I'll be home for Christmas

'cause I can't afford Tahiti.

Homemade Gifts: Split Pea Soup in a Jar

borrowed from Grace Sandvigen

Split Pea Soup In A Jar

1 (2.75 ounce) package country gravy mix
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons imitation bacon bits
...2 teaspoons celery flakes
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 1/4 cups dried split green peas
1 bay leaf

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar.

In small bowl stir together bouillon granules, bacon bits, celery flakes, onion and parsley flakes. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add peas; place bay leaf on top. Seal with lid. Attach gift tag (below) and decorate jar as desired.

Attach the following instructions to a gift tag:

Holiday Split Pea Soup:

Empty contents of jar into large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 6 cups water; heat to boiling, stirring often. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender, stirring frequently to prevent peas from sticking. Remove bay leaf. Serve soup with dollop of sour cream and bacon bits, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Homemade Gifts: Tortilla Soup in a Jar mix

Ingredients for Jar:

1 cup converted long grain rice (like Uncle Ben's)
...2 to 2 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 (5-oz.) can chicken

Seasonings: Mix the following and place in a thin zipper sandwich bag:

2 tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. lemonade powder with sugar
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dried minced onion

Size of Jar: Quart

Place ingredients in jar in this order:

Place rice in jar first.

Place seasoning packet into jar next. Gently flatten bag so it is visible from all sides of jar.

Fill jar with tortilla chips.

Put lid on jar.

Attach can of chicken to top of jar. (Tape can to top of jar using clear tape. Cut a larger than normal circle of fabric so it will cover the can as well as the top part of the jar.)

Decorate jar with fabric.

Attach this recipe to jar.

Tortilla Soup:

Carefully empty tortilla chips from jar into a dish. Set aside.

Remove seasoning packet. Set aside.

Place rice in large pan. Add 10 cups water and 1 (10-oz.) can Rotel or other brans diced tomatoes with green chilies and seasonings from packet.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add tortilla chips. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 cups soup.See More

Homemade Gift ideas: Texas Two step Soup Mix

Texas Two-Step Soup Mix in a Jar
1 (1.61 ounce) package brown gravy mix (regular or no-fat)
2 tablespoons mild red chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
10 to 12 regular-size tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
1 to 1 1/4 cups uncooked small to medium-size pasta (such as wheels, shells, macaroni)

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar. In small bowl, stir together chili powder, oregano, cumin, onion and garlic salt. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add layers of tortilla chips and pasta to fill jar. Seal with lid. Attach gift tag (below) and decorate jar as desired.

Attach a gift tag with the following instructions:

Texas Two-Step Soup

Brown 1/2 pound ground beef in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add contents of jar and 7 cups water; heat to boiling. Stir in 1 (15 ounce) can corn with red and green bell peppers and 1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

Serve with crushed tortilla chips and shredded Monterey jack cheese, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Homemade Gift ideas: French Market Soup in a Jar

French Market Soup Mix in a Jar

1 lb Dried navy beans
1 lb Dried pinto beans
1 lb Dried great northern beans
1 lb Dried green split peas
1 lb Dried yellow split peas
1 lb Dried black-eyed peas
1 lb Dried lentils
1 lb Dried baby lima beans
1 lb Dried large lima beans
1 lb Dried black beans
1 lb Dried red beans
1 lb Dried soybeans
1 lb Barley pearls

Combine all beans. Dived into 14 (2-cup)gift packages; present with the following recipe for French Market Soup.

FRENCH MARKET SOUP RECIPE: 2 cups French Market
Soup mix 2 quarts water 1 ham hock 1 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 ( 16-oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsley chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 chili pepper, coarsely chopped 1/4 c. lemon juice

Sort and wash 2 cups bean mix; place in a Dutch oven. Cover
with water 2 inches above beans, and soak overnight. Drain beans; add 2
quarts water, ham hock, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil' reduce heat,
and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Add remaining
ingredients; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hock from
soup. Remove meat from bone, chop meat and return to soup. Yield 2
1/2 quarts.

Homemade Gift ideas: Curried Lentil Soup in a Jar

Yields: 2 jars soup mix

Total Time: 5 min
Ingredients
U.S. Metric Conversion chart
2 ( 1 quart) jars with tight-fitting lids
1 pound(s) red lentils
Salt
6 tablespoon(s) minced dried onion
2 tablespoon(s) curry powder
1 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
1 pound(s) green lentils
1/2 package(s) (5-ounce) dried apple rings, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoon(s) dried parsley leaves

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions

1.In bottom of each glass jar, place 8 ounces red lentils; top with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons dried onion, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 8 ounces green lentils, 1/2 cup apple pieces, and 1 tablespoon parsley, in that order. Seal jars and store at room temperature up to 1 month.
2.Prepare labels with cooking instructions; attach to jars. Add these cooking directions to each label before giving as a gift: Place lentil soup mix in 3-quart saucepan with 7 cups water. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 cups soup.

Cooking with Missy: Pumpkin Pie with Pecan topping

With the holidays getting closer and me seeing more and more delicious things come out at the bakery I have to improvise and make them at home or pay out through the nose shopping. I'd rather spend the money on gifts and use my time to make the food and it also gives me a chance to test out recipes for Thanksgiving and see if they make the cut for the family meal.

This pie will retail at close to $15 for a whole pie or $3.50 a slice at places like Cracker Barrel. So why not stay in and have a fun day with the kids cooking?

I had most the ingredients sitting in my cupboard so I didn't have to pick up any extra stuff from the grocery store this trip but I think you could do most of this for under $5 at Aldi's. It may cost a little more through some of the upscale grocery stores like Krogers or Publix, but also the spices and sugar will last through other recipes.

Pecan topped pumpkin pie

ingredients

1 recipe Deep-Dish Pie Pastry
1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1-1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream or one 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare Deep-Dish Pie Pastry. Mix pecans and brown sugar in small bowl; place 3/4 cup pecan mixture in bottom of pie shell. Reserve remaining pecan mixture for topping. Combine pumpkin, half-and-half, granulated sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in large bowl; mix well. Pour into prepared pie shell.
2.Bake for 50 minutes or until just set in center. Add butter to remaining pecan mixture; stir until moistened. Sprinkle pie filling with pecan mixture; bake for 10 minutes more or until topping bubbles around edges. Cool on wire rack.
3.Makes 8 slices
4.Deep-Dish Pie Pastry: In a medium bowl stir together 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 6 tablespoons shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with fork. Push moistened dough to the side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time until all the flour mixture is moistened (about 5 to 6 tablespoons cold water). Form into a ball. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 13-inch circle. Ease pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim and crimp edge, as desired. Set aside.

Pictures to follow later. :)

This recipe was borrowed from Better Homes and Gardens.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/recipes/pecan-topped-pumpkin-pie-538239/

Cooking with Missy: Basic Pie shell

Any good southern cook has this recipe memorized. You can use it in so many ways, with a fruit filling fresh from the garden to the standard family favorite of Chicken pot pie.

My grandmother taught me how to make the best crust with the flakiest lightest texture ever. The real trick to keeping your crust perfect is not over working the flour and using very cold ingredients. Chill your water in the freezer before you make this and it will turn out perfect every time. If the dough starts to get too warm, put the whole bowl in the fridge for a few minutes and then go back to rlling it out and cooking it.


Basic Pie shell recipe

Ingredients:
•1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup lard or vegetable shortening, or combination of shortening and butter, chilled
•3 tablespoons ice water


Preparation:

Sift together the flour and salt; sift again. Cut in the shortening or lard with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time (approximately 3 tablespoons in all), stirring the dough around the bowl with a fork. As soon as it is moist enough to gather into a ball, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Handle the dough as little as possible. Roll half of the pastry dough out on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. The pastry should be about 1 1/2 inches larger than the the pie plate. Repeat with the other half of dough for a double crust pie, or freeze the remaining dough for a future pie. Makes enough for a double crust for a 9- or 10-inch pie, or two single crusts.
If recipe calls for a pre-baked crust, prick the pie shell with a fork and bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 3 minutes; remove from the oven and prick some more if the crust is puffing up. Return to the oven and bake 5 minutes longer. Place on a wire rack to cool, then fill as recipe directs.

Cooking with Missy: Melts in Your Mouth BBQ Ribs Step 2

BBQ Ribs - Simple Super Soft Ribs [Recipe 003]
I cooked/baked some very simple ribs. My mother came up with this recipe and it is very versatile. You can definitely modify it to your liking.

Simple Super Soft Ribs
There are three main steps to making these ribs:
• Boiling the ribs
• Slathering the ribs in your choice of BBQ sauce
• Baking the ribs

Get some ribs and cut off most of the fat. Lightly cover the ribs in salt, coating all the meat. Repeat with pepper and garlic powder. Once this is done, put all the ribs in a large pot and fill it with water so that all the meat is covered. Add a little bit more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring the water to a boil and let it boil until the meat is soft. This make take 2 or more hours. Once the meat is soft enough, turn off the flame and let the ribs cool enough for handling. Preheat your oven to 375F.

Now, brush (more like dab since the meat can just disintigrate since it's so soft) your choice of BBQ sauce liberally all over the meat.

Arrange the BBQ coated ribs in a baking pan that can accomodate all the ribs placed side by side. Do not stack the ribs. At this point you can pour a little more BBQ sauce over the ribs. Cover the baking pan with foil completely.

Place the ribs in the oven and let them bake for about 30 minutes. At around 30 minutes check to see if the BBQ on the ribs has dried or not. If it has, brush on more BBQ sauce from the pan. Now remove the foil and turn off the oven. Let the ribs stay in the oven for 10-15 minutes allowing the BBQ sauce to dry a little. After the sauce has dried a little, you're done!

Enjoy!

Cooking with Missy: Kansas City Ribs

Yeah, you think I'm cheap? I am not sure you know the emenaing of the word... My grandmother lived through the Great Depression and she was a real tightwad. When she (generously) took us out to eat as children we weren't allowed to order drinks.

It's been a tradition to not tolerate waste. I have it ingrained in my brain so deep that I am afraid to throw out those little packets of ketchup. Not that I have a clue what to do with them besides put them on french fries.

So, I found this recipe for a great BBQ sauce that uses up a whole cup of ketchup. Yay! I finally found a use for those little packets

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutesYield: Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
•1 cup ketchup
•1/4 cup water
•1/4 cup vinegar
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•3 tablespoons olive oil
•2 tablespoons paprika
•1 tablespoon chili powder
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 teaspoon cayenne
Preparation:
Heat oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and sauté until brown. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

Cooking with Missy: Emeril comes to the rescue

Today we have a family gathering and I think it's a potluck kind of thing, but I was asked to bring something very specific. A Key Lime pie. Huh?

Did I mention I don't know how to make a key lime pie? I think maybe--maybe I have tried eating one once in my life. If that, but never--and I mean never--have I tried to make one before now.

So I went searching on the internet this morning for a recipe to help me in my mission. What I found was Emeril's Key Lime Pie. You all know Emeril? The Chef on Food Network that loves to add energy and excitement to his cooking. He's got live music on the show and he gets excited when he adds spices and something that adds pizazz to his cooking so he says "Bam" as he does it. I love to watch Emeril. Emeril makes cooking fun and he's a smart business man as well, owning several restaraunts in New Orleans that showcases his flair for Southern cooking as well as a few others around the world.

So when I saw he had worked on a recipe for Key Lime Pie I couldn't wait to try it. If anyone could save me from my cooking nightmare, Emeril could do it! Oh and it looks so yummy. The topping is a sweet and sour mixture that I hope will taste better than meringue.

So here goes:

Emeril's Key Lime Pie

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter) melted
2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk
1 cup key lime or regular lime juice
2 whole eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime zest

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into two 9-inch pie pans, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled.

Pictures of my finished product. Not so pretty, but the pies tasted yummy and got rave reviews from all the family.




If you want to see the more detailed recipe you can visit Food Network here and leave a comment:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/key-lime-pie-recipe/index.html

My first attempt at a cake from scratch

I usually either buy a cake from the bakery or use a mix from the grocery store when a birthday rolls around our house. Well, today I have more time than money so I thought I would try to make one from scratch.

The recipe I used is a plain yellow cake recipe and it turned out good enough that I thought I should share it.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x13 inch pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.