Sunday Quote is frazzled after release week
Read More“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
~ Terry Pratchett
Breath of Earth excerpt, links, and interviews
Release week. It is always crazy, but this week has been especially so with WorldCon, travel woes getting home, a migraine, and family visit. I’ve been preparing for this for months (thank goodness!) and now that work is suddenly visible in the form of guest blogs and interviews all over the place.
Excerpt:
– A bit of banter between Ingrid and Cy is featured at USA Today’s Happily Ever After.
Reviews that made me squeal:
– NPR.org reviewed Breath of Earth, saying: “Cato’s exhaustive research of the time and place gives the book texture and grit, and she hasn’t whitewashed what was a very problematic chapter of America’s history… It may take place in an alternate universe over a hundred years ago, but it deals with the issues of xenophobia, racism, sexism and anti-immigrant hatred set against a backdrop of perpetual war, a situation that feels familiar today. Rather than taking a soapbox stand, Breath of Earth makes its points as a witty, charming adventure yarn — one that’s only as escapist as you want to be.”
– The B&N Scifi & Fantasy Blog: “While the set-pieces are often spectacular and fantastic, the world- building is the real show-stopping effort. This is not just a dirigible ride for the fun of it (though it is fun), but a journey with meaning and purpose.”
Nice mentions:
– Included in The Verge’s list of best science fiction and fantasy books coming out in August.
– Highlighted by among B&N Bookseller’s Picks: The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of August 2016.
– Included on Goodread’s 7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today.
Interviews:
– Beth Cato faced her fears to level up with third novel, ‘Breath of Earth’ in the Arizona Republic; interview with Michael Senft
– Lock Up Your Batmans: Interview with Beth Cato at Smashed Picket Fences
– MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape interview on Breath of Earth
– Tuesdays with Lexie: Beth Cato
– A Breath of Earth by Beth Cato: interview with Ingrid Carmichael
– Beth Cato talks changing history and more in ‘Breath of Earth’ with Hypable
– Breath of Earth author Beth Cato talks historic San Fran earthquakes and … foxes? with Sara Dobie Bauer
Guest blogs:
– John Scalzi’s Big Idea: Breath of Earth
– My Favorite Bit: Breath of Earth, with Mary Robinette Kowal
– Kitsune and the Game of Kitsune-Ken for T. Frohock’s Folklore Thursday
– 5 Things Beth Cato Learned By Her Third Book at Dan Koboldt’s site
– Unlikely Influences: What Beth Cato Learned About Magic by Living Through Earthquakes
– Rewriting the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake at Alternate History Weekly Update
– Geomancy in Breath of Earth at Mighty Thor JRS’s SFF Blog
– Researching the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
– Book Bites with Fran Wilde – Shokupan (Milk Loaf Bread) from Beth Cato
– Katherine Harbour’s The Awesomeness of… series with: The Awesomeness of Home
– Cookies and a Book: Earl Grey Shortbread and Breath of Earth with Beth Cato
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Bready or Not: Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze
CAKE + PIE MONTH continues with another dose of maple–this time in the glaze atop this tender cinnamon-filled bundt cake!
If you don’t have maple flavor around, worry not. This cake will be just fine if you use vanilla extract instead. You could always add more cinnamon into the glaze, too, just for a spicy boost.
I love using sour cream in cake batter like this. It creates such a tender, moist texture. You can always substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, too.
I spied the original version of this recipe in the Arizona Republic one morning. I knew I had to make it… but I also knew it needed some modifications. How could it be called a cinnamon coffee cake if it only had one teaspoon of cinnamon? Nope, nope. And of course, I had to give it a maple glaze.
If you’re getting burned out on maple (*cough*blasphemy*cough*), worry not. Next week, I finish off Cake + Pie Month with Cardamom Coffee Pound Cake! Unlike this week’s recipe, the pound cake actually includes coffee in the batter and in the glaze.
But, you know, I think this week’s recipe has a mighty fine glaze as it is.
Modified from Sour Cream Cinnamon Coffee Cake in the Arizona Republic, March 16, 2016.
Bready or Not: Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze:
- 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1 Tablespoon milk or half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor or substitute vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use nonstick spray with flour to thoroughly coat a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan, or use extra butter and a liberal dusting of flour. Discard any excess flour.
- In a large bowl, beat together the 1 cup butter and the sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and sour cream.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly combine the two bowls; don't overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread so the top is even.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick deeply inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on wire rack, then flip the cake out of the pan to completely cool on the rack.
- When the cake is completely cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and maple flavor (or vanilla extract). Add more milk, if needed, for desired textured. Set cake on a serving plate and dribble glaze all over top of cake.
- OM NOM NOM!
BREATH OF EARTH is out today!
Today is the day! Breath of Earth is officially out in the world. YAAAAAY!
Alt history. Steampunk. Magical creatures. Cataclysmic earthquakes. This book has it ALL. (FYI: If you want to join the Fenris Fan Club, contact Lexie Dunne. She’s president.)
You can buy the book anywhere. If you request it from your local bookstore, that’s awesome because they might get extra copies. All the usual places around the internet are stocking it, too! Trade paperback and ebook, whatever suits your fancy.
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Powell’s
- Books-A-Million
- Poisoned Pen (the place to get signed copies!)
- Changing Hands
- Mysterious Galaxy
Thank you for your support. Really and truly. I hope you enjoy the book!
#SFWAPro
Read MoreBreath of Earth signing at Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ tonight at 7PM
Breath of Earth is officially out tomorrow, but if you’re in Scottsdale tonight at Poisoned Pen Book Store, you can get your copy a day early and get it signed, too! They’ll have my Clockwork Dagger books as well–or you can bring copies you already own. I’ll be happy to sign them.
Rumor has it there might be cookies available.
You can find out more details about the event here. If you live far away, you can even order signed copies and they’ll ship’em right out!
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