Click the invitation above to join our Facebook party. On December 2, 20 of the Romance Writers Weekly members will be offering great Christmas goodies, including print and e-books. Sign up for your chance to win! This week on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're sharing our favourite holiday recipes. If you joined me from Gemma Brocato, welcome! Canadian Thanksgiving happens in October, so the holiday I'm gearing up for is Christmas. Now, I'm not much of a baker. But at Christmas I usually find the time to make traditional family recipes. One of our favourites is butter tarts. These treats are classically Canadian, with a wide variations. My grandmother's recipe is simple and sweet. You'll need your own pastry recipe for the shells, or you can buy pre-made (guess which one I go for?). Recipe makes 12 to 15 tarts. 1/3 cup butter 1 egg 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons milk 1 tsp vanilla ½ cup raisins (optional – see note below) Soften butter to room temperature to make it easier to blend. Combine first 5 ingredients using a hand blender. If everyone in your house likes raisins, you can add them to the mixture now. If not, add a few raisins to some of the tart shells and leave others empty, then pour the mixture on top. (For a more adult version, soak the raisins overnight in rum before using.) Fill each tart shell 2/3's full. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until the edge of the tart shell is golden brown. I usually triple the batch and freeze half so they don't all disappear in a day or two. Now on to another Canadian. Let's see what Kim Handysides' favourite holiday recipe is!
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Welcome to the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop! We're back to the traditional three question routine, discussing characters and how we deal with them. If you've joined me from Sarah Hegger, welcome!
How much free reign do you give your characters during a story? I usually have a pretty good idea of who my characters are before I start to write their story. But something always comes up that I haven't planned for. In those situations, I just let my fingers go, and see where the characters take me. But like any good parent, I also have to make sure they keep their eyes on the ultimate goal. Short cuts and side roads are interesting—but we still have to get to the end together. While I'll listen to my characters, I also have to keep them on the right track. Have your characters ever done something so out of the blue that not only changed your story, but changed the tone and maybe even the genre you were originally going for? (Like your contemporary romance turned into a spicy paranormal) Um, no. And that god for that, because I think that would make my head explode. Having a contemporary romance all of a sudden have paranormal plot lines would probably mean major revising to all the work already done, and I just couldn't stand that. I have minimal opportunities to write each day, and the thought of basically being back at square one after weeks of work would make me cry. Do you have one character in your head that is sort of boss over all the rest? Or do you decide who to work on and when? I think it's really important to decide who is my dominant character. I write in third person, with the point of view swinging between the hero and heroine. But the story can't be equal. One of those characters has to be the driving force behind the story, regardless of what viewpoint I am writing. As for who to work on and when, I believe the characters grow together. Not at the same pace, and not at the same points in the story, but both of them have to arc toward the people they will be when their relationship is fulfilled. Interested in how other authors answer those questions? Keep moving on our blog hop. Leslie Hachtel is next! Welcome back to the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop! This week, Sarah Hegger has challenged us to name our three favorite book boyfriends and why. My only problem with this assignment – only three? If you joined me from Andrea Mansue, welcome. As soon as I read this week's blog topic, I immediately thought of Gilbert Blythe. The romantic lead in the Anne of Green Gables series has everything a red-blooded Canadian girl could want – intelligence, good looks, loyalty. While I know it was fated that he end up with Anne, I was certainly willing to take her place if she didn't realize what a wonderful man he was. And he becomes a doctor - what's not to love? Then there's my ongoing crush on Aragorn, from Lord of the Rings. Even before Viggo Mortensen played him in the movies, the dark, brooding Ranger was definitely on my book boyfriend list. His mysterious reveal at The Prancing Pony, his skill with a sword, and his long-denied love for Arwen had my heart fluttering. The last of my top three is Steven Scott, from High Stakes by Dick Francis. I've always enjoyed thrillers and mysteries, and the novels with a strong romance subplot always were my favourites. Steven is a modern day toy maker, whose made millions and now own race horses. And he's British, so he has an accent! Like almost all Dick Francis heroes, he finds himself involved in dirty dealings through no fault of his own, and must use his guts, smarts and strength to survive. Definitely someone you could count on to look after you for the rest of your life. Time for you to share! Who are your top three book boyfriends? Why not think about it as you continue along our blog hop. Next up, J.J. Devine! |