Sorry about the alien invasion
It’s August 19th, and I’m part of a cooperative effort to blog about the end of the world. I’m doing a different take.
If the world ends in the next few weeks, do know that I’m deeply sorry.
You see, on February 8th, 2009 I blogged about a dream I had. To quote:
I dreamed that I sent out queries for Normal and a male agent responded right away to sign me, and in turn sold the rights quickly. I walked through a massive vault filled to the high ceiling with ARCS of all genres. I searched the shelf for the alphabetical placement of my last name – ah! I found the Cs! It should be right about –
The building shuddered, and a hundred books splatted to the floor like paper meteorites. I ran out of the vault and outside, where I found a full alien attack in progress.
Yeah, that’s my luck.
Yep. That’s how my subconscious works.
As with all prophecies, there are some contingencies involved. Normal brought me together with my agent (who is female), but did not sell. I’ve now had my ARCs for The Clockwork Dagger for a few months and thus far the world hasn’t ended. That I know of. But is the apocalypse caused by my having a book release, period?
There is one book that is coming out today, and even if it doesn’t cause the end of the world, it does describe 26 ways it can happen.
What do you get when you take twenty-six amazing writers, randomly assign them a letter of the alphabet and give them complete artistic freedom within a theme?
A is for Apocalypse contains twenty-six apocalyptic stories written by both well-known and up-and-coming writers. Monsters, meteors, floods, war–the causes of the apocalypses in these tales are as varied as the stories themselves.
This volume contains work by Ennis Drake, Beth Cato, Kenneth Schneyer, Damien Angelica Walters, K. L. Young, Marge Simon, Milo James Fowler, Simon Kewin, C.S. MacCath, Steve Bornstein and more!
There’s a release day party over on Facebook today!
This book would make great reading while you’re sitting in a bunker surrounded by canned food. Just sayin’.
And if The Clockwork Dagger doesn’t bring about our demise in the next while, it’d make good bunker-reading, too. Gremlins make everything better.
Read MoreSunday Quote says, “ONE MONTH!”
Read More“Dreaming in public is an important part of our job description.”
~William Gibson
Round Up of Awesome
There’s so much going on, let’s bust out the bullet points.
– I kinda took over page 99 of the September issue of RT Book Reviews Magazine. Not only did they review The Clockwork Dagger and give it four stars (YAY!), but they interviewed me and gave me a chance to talk about recipes. As I am wont to do.
– I was interviewed by Marina Lostetter AND shared my recipe for bacon toffee (aka Bacon Crack).
– I have a story in an anthology that comes out next week called A is for Apocalypse, and a reviewer had very nice things to say about my story specifically.
It’s impossible for me to pick a favourite in this collection, but I recommend beginning with Ms. Cato’s entry to anyone who likes skipping around.
– Folks are saying nice things about The Clockwork Dagger, too! Like here, with 5/5 stars! Also, I was delighted (to put it mildly) when two authors I greatly respect (but don’t know as friends, at all) gave the book a shout out, too–here and here.
Cool things are happening!
Read MoreBready or Not: Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Cookies for breakfast. Healthy cookies. No refined sugars. Vegan. Also gluten-free, if you use GF oats.
Even better: they taste delicious.
This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I customize it based on my mood and what I have on hand. I’ve made this with macadamia nut butter, cashew butter, and almond butter–and combinations thereof. I’ve used apple butter, pumpkin butter, and date butter. Equally awesome with all varieties. I love to use golden raisins, but you could throw anything in. If you don’t have pepitas? Do sunflower seeds or other chopped nuts, or omit.
These cookies are cushions of goodness… like old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, but denser and better. I whip up a batch and freeze 2/3 of it right away. It takes care of my breakfast for weeks.
I often have two cookies first thing in the morning before I exercise, and I might have one more if I’m hungry afterward. They give me the perfect amount of energy to start the day.
Did I mention they are also delicious?
Modified from a recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Bready or Not: Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats not whole or old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon heaping
- 1 cup nut butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 3/4 cup fruit butter apple butter, date butter, etc
- 1 cup dried fruit raisins, cranberries, etc
- 1/2 cup pepitas shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment or silpat baking mats, or use seasoned stoneware.
- Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl.
- Using a tablespoon or tablespoon scoop, drop dollops of dough onto cookie sheet. Note that it won't spread. Use fingers to gently tamp down top and press in stray oats on the sides; it will be a little sticky.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm. Cool for several minutes before transitioning them to a rack to finish cooling.
Makes about 28 cookies at tablespoon size. In a sealed container at room temperature, cookies will keep for at least a week. They can also be frozen without any change in taste or texture.
OM NOM NOM!
