Snow in Pennsylvania

by Judy Ann Davis

This year, winter snowflakes arrived in Central Pennsylvania on November 15^th without giving advanced notice. If you didn’t get all your outdoor chores finished, like trimming the shrubs, storing or covering the patio furniture, or shoving the barbecue grill undercover, you’ll now have to wait for a sunny day and first melt. Luckily, at the Davis house, we were able to get most winterizing finished. 

I’m a fan of November. It’s the month when we celebrate the first Thanksgiving of the Pilgrims as well as offering our gratitude for all we have. We gather with our family and friends together, without the hassle of presents, and enjoy good food and friendship.

It’s the month when we can snuggle down and enjoy the many smells of the season from the cinnamon and sugar in an apple pie baking in the oven to luscious, rich scent of a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Squash of all varieties become a staple fall accompaniment to a pork or beef roast. Cooked, baked, and roasted root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, beets, and potatoes, stored for winter use, appear on our holiday tables. These are our comfort foods. And they remind us as the temperatures fall that winter is around the corner.

My favorite dessert during November and December is pie. Pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies show up on our table during the holidays. Here is my favorite recipe for pecan pie:

Pecan Pie

4 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

l cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons melted butter (or margarine)

2 ½ tablespoons dark rum

1 cup (about 7 ounces) shelled pecans

1.    Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, salt and butter, mixing just to blend. (Do not over beat.)  Stir in rum and pecans. Pour into a prepared, unbaked, 9-inch pastry shell.

2.    Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 40 minutes or until filling is golden brown and firm to the light touch. Serve at room temperature with a bowl of lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Do you have a favorite winter pie or dessert?

 If so, please share your seasonal choice in the comment box below. 

This month, I'm featuring my anthology of short stories:

UP ON THE ROOF AND OTHER STORIES

https://www.amazon.com/Roof-Other-Stories-Judy-Davis/dp/0999089609/ 

This is a collection of nineteen humorous and serious

short stories exploring the lives and relationships

of the young and old. 

These are clean, contemporary stories 

for an audience of all ages.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Ann-Davis/e/B006GXN502/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyAnnDavis4 
Twitter ID:  JudyAnnDavis4 
Blog Link: “A Writer’s Revelations” ~  http://judyanndavis.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.judyanndavis.com/
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4353662.Judy_Ann_Davis
Yahoo Groups:  wrppromo@yahoogroups.com and ahachat@yahoogroups.com and pennwriters@yahoogroups.com

The End of an Era - Royals of Solana

As excited as I am about the release of my latest novel, Crown of Solana, I’m also a little

heartbroken.

It’s the last novel in the Royals of Solana series, and the end of an era.

Five years of hard work, and countless arguments with these characters in my brain, and the culmination is finally here.

Crown of Solana releases May 19^th (for Kindle, May 22^nd everywhere else), the same weekend I’m attending Wanderlustin Dallas. I pray that readers love the ending and find the climax fulfilling.

For those who haven’t read the novels yet, I hope they are willing to pick up the first in the series, knowing that they don’t have to wait for the sequels to release.

This series has been down a very rocky road for me, including getting the rights back from the first publisher, to re-release with a new publisher. But the finale has never been released, and my anxiety is sky high as to how readers will take it.

Nevertheless, I’m thrilled these characters finally have their HEA’s.

I’ve moved on to a new series that has me completely enthralled, but I won’t be releasing the first one until at least three are ready to go (at least five in this series). Maybe in a box set, not sure.

Will any of you be attending Wanderlust in Dallas this year? If so, drop by and see me!

If not, I'll be at Fresh Fiction's Boas n' Tiaras in Dallas next.

Crown of Solana ~ One Ascends, One Falls http://books2read.com/u/3yPwQn

Following the brutal siege on their island country of Solana, Prince Andre and his sister, Princess Alanna face the monumental struggles of rebuilding their country. With the line of ascension unclear between the two remaining royals, the country is divided between who should inherit the throne. From all corners of the world, eager enemies surround the Royal Family. Defending the security of their countrymen grows harder still when the monarchy is threatened with dissolution, compromising the very identity of their culture.

When Gemma refuses Prince Andre's love because of her obsession with vengeance, the struggles of saving his country seem insurmountable. He resorts to old demons to cope, only to find they no longer mask his pain.

Meanwhile, Princess Alanna relies on Flynn's strong and solid demeanor to support her in her country's tumultuous upheaval. But her savior isn't accustomed to being arm-candy without a real purpose.

Despite the promises of love and a future in tropical paradise, royal life isn't as happily-ever-after as fairy tales depict. Especially not when scandals plague the palace amid diplomatic chaos. When old enemies charge into the breach, the royals stand to lose more than their crown and legacy.

~Royals of Solana ~

Royal life isn't all luxury, glamour, and celebrity status-- it's a target for relentless attacks from those who lust for power. The royals face vicious threats from both criminals and diplomats, all coveting the exotic prize that is their island nation. When the king and crown prince are brutally murdered during a cartel coup, Princess Alanna and exiled Prince Andre are forced on the run, desperate to save their own lives while trying to take back their country. Enemies emerge from all corners of the world, scrambling in the power vacuum. The last things the royal siblings need are limelight camera flashes, or steamy dalliances with common strangers. Except these strangers are impossible to ignore, and turn into would-be saviors.

Prince of Solana ~ #1 ~ http://books2read.com/u/3GMQGQ

Jewel of Solana ~ #2 ~ http://books2read.com/u/4XgOev

By the way, I found this nifty site called Books2Read.com that compiles all retailers for one novel into 1 link! Amazon Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, and more...all of them! A God-send!

Susan Sheehey writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance. Water plays a crucial element in all of her novels, and she's a strong advocate for Autism awareness and acceptance. Forced to give up Diet Coke, she now survives on gallons of French Vanilla coffee. She lives and laughs in Texas with her husband and two boys. Follow her on SusanSheehey.com, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, and Pinterest.