Introducing “The Deepest Poison”
I’m ecstatic to announce that the Clockwork Dagger series doesn’t end with two books. I have a new deal with Harper Voyager Impulse for a series of short works set in the same world. The first is a 7,000-word short story that comes out on April 28th and is already available to preorder at Amazon,
So, what is the story about?
Octavia Leander, a young healer with incredible powers, has found her place among Miss Percival’s medicians-in-training. Called to the frontlines of a never-ending war between Caskentia and the immoral Wasters, the two women must uncover the source of a devastating illness that is killing thousands of soldiers. But when Octavia’s natural talents far outshine her teacher’s, jealousy threatens to destroy their relationship—as time runs out to save the encampment.
Fans of Beth Cato’s debut, The Clockwork Dagger, will love this journey into Octavia’s past—as well as an exclusive excerpt from the sequel, The Clockwork Crown!
Please preorder the ebook! I’ll be talking a lot more about this story as the end of April nears.
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Pancakes for One
One day my husband sighed most pitifully. “You know what I miss?” he said. “Pancakes. You never make pancakes anymore.”
“That’s because I can’t eat piles of bready things oozing in syrup,” I said. “But let me see if I can find a good recipe that will work for just you.”
In the end, I had to work some kitchen magic. I found a good recipe, cut the amounts in half, and played with the ingredients. I was pleased that it used sour cream as the base because I know it makes a rich, tender dough in breads. Almondmilk worked just fine, too. It actually made for a somewhat healthy stack of pancakes… which he then, of course, drowned in pure maple syrup.
My husband loves Snickerdoodle cookies and many other Snickerdoodle-like things. He vows that these live up to the name. They are Snickerdoodle goodness in pancake form.
This small stack is perfect for a hungry adult or to feed a couple kids.
Modified from Snickerdoodle Pancakes at No. 2 Pencil.
Bready or Not: Snickerdoodle Pancakes for One
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/2 cup sour cream or vanilla or plain yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3 + Tablespoons milk almondmilk works great
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, and then combine everything. If the batter is really thick, slowly add milk to get the right consistency.
- Heat up a nonstick griddle or pan. Use 1/4 cup to scoop up batter onto the surface. When the edges of a pancake are set with little bubbles creating craters on top, it's time to flip to cook the other side.
- Makes a small stack of medium-sized pancakes. Serve with whatever fixings you like!
OM NOM NOM!
Those little bubbles popping on top mean I should set down the camera and flip this baby over.
Recipe Tweaks
I had to update the recipe plug-in on BethCato.com. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth (because I accidentally blew up my site for a while) I managed to get everything working again. The recipes do look a little different now and there will likely be some formatting glitches, but the content seems to be okay.
If you encounter any major problems with the recipes, please let me know!
The Perfect Valentine’s Weekend
Some people expect a fancy dinner out and wining and dining for Valentine’s Day. I’m a lot cheaper more practical.
See, the VNSA Book Sale is going on this weekend. If you’re in the Phoenix area, it’s a must see. It’s an entire fairgrounds building filled with tables of books. Our first year, we went on opening day and waited two hours to even get inside and then it was so crowded it was hard to even look around. I learned the secret after that: go on Sunday. Almost all the books are 1/2 off, meaning they are probably a buck or two. Sure, the selection is picked over, but the crowds are sparser so you can actually get a clear view of the books.
I asked my husband for this to be my Valentine’s date. He smiled and said, “Of course.”
Yes, Sunday is the 15th, the day after Valentine’s. It’s fine by me. I get to treasure hunt for cheap books. A great charity gets extra funds. I get a nice lunch out with my family. Everyone wins.
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