The paperback is how much!?!?!

I was checking my books at Amazon the other day, updating some of the information, when something jumped out at me. The cost of a paperback of COOKIE THERAPY was $2,000+ That's not right! When I first opened the link to the selling page, the OEM price wasn't even listed. It only showed me the crazy, expensive options. 

The paperback sells for $9.99. 

What the heck? So I glanced at a couple other books. $809?? Again I say, What the heck?

Now, I know this information is wrong, but I also know that Amazon frequently shows after-market products. As an author, it's terrifying to think that someone looking for a paperback of one of my books thinks they have to pay a thousand dollars for one. It's hard enough to reach an audience when you're competitively priced. When these gougers show up on a search page, I want to ask Amazon how they think that's a good way to sell product.

So, public service announcement. Please know that for those of my books that are available in paperback, they are all under $15. If you can't find them, drop me a line. You can also buy them directly from me by filling out this form.

And as the Bartles & James guys used to say, thank you for your support.

My Christmas gift to you. The Q-TIP principle

We're living in difficult times when, some days, hope and happiness can be a struggle. On those days, I'm reminded of one of the most helpful seminars I took during my working career, the Q-TIP principle. Q-TIP stands for Quit Taking It Personally.

There are so many examples of this that I can share, beginning with a coworker who thought everything that happened somehow revolved around her. Instead of celebrating someone else's successes, she could only see how she'd been slighted as a result, which was never the case. She took EVERYTHING personally.

Years ago, I was asked to videotape "insights" at a family reunion. I'm an introvert by nature, even at a family reunion. I'm a "one-on-one" type of person, so approaching everyone, even family, wasn't necessarily inside my comfort zone, but hey, it was family. So I did. At the end of the day, I said something along the lines of "I think I got everyone." I hadn't. What I should have said, maybe, was "did I get everyone?" The one person I missed was one of the people I've always been closest to. That person was offended. I wasn't keeping a tally of the 50 or so people I'd been circulating among, and that one person thought I'd intentionally overlooked them. Rather than saying, "Hey, you missed me," that person said "I'd like to say something," and proceeded to add not one taped comment, but two (and maybe three, I don't remember now--I was mortified by what they said. On tape). I didn't know how to respond. How could that person think I'd intentionally overlooked them? Our relationship hasn't been the same since. I feel bad about that, and I don't know how to fix it. It wasn't intentional, it wasn't personal, and yet that person had taken it as such.

I make mistakes.

I sent out a Christmas letter and apparently missed stuffing one of the envelopes. Got a call from my sister-in-law who asked how come her sister got a letter and she didn't. Heck if I know! But the point here is she asked about it rather than choosing to be offended that she'd been overlooked. I MEANT to send her a letter, but obviously I goofed. I hate it when that happens! She DIDN'T take it personally (for which I am grateful).

I recently got some good news, but in this day of COVID, I was momentarily taken aback about how it was presented. I'm not one to speak up, so I "suffered in silence" and reminded myself this wasn't about me. I talked to someone else who had been present at the time and took the most round about way I could to ask if this wasn't "odd." The interpretation from that person helped me put things in perspective, along with the Q-TIP principle. With an "outside" view of what happened, I stopped taking it personally. I can rejoin the celebration.

We have a lot of things to fret about in the world these days without adding hurt feelings to the mix, feelings that most likely weren't intentionally trod upon. Sometimes people are having a bad day and they lash out - it has nothing to do with you, but with their bad day. As my mother once told me, sometimes people don't react the way you want them to or expect them to. Sometimes people make mistakes (*raises hand*). All right, sometimes it is intentional, so the question you need to ask yourself is "why would they intentionally do that?" If the answer is, "I don't know," then chances are good that whatever happened wasn't meant to offend.

We could go deep into the psychology of all of this, the triggers and catalysts and all of that, but at the end of the day, our response is what matters. In a world where some people are only seeing how everything affects them (WEAR A MASK), my advice is to remember the Q-TIP principle. Quit taking it personally. We're all in this life together, and if we have some empathy for what other people are going through, we stand a better chance of holding onto hope and happiness.

Ho Ho Ho: Another Holiday Recipe

My Christmas present for you today.

I took French classes, starting in high school. That included French Christmas carols and French recipes. Among my favorites was one for a Bûche de Noël. I loved baking, a skill handed down from my mother, and she was always game for a new recipe.

A bûche is pretty on the table and decadent to eat. I decorated mine with gumdrop leaves and berries (some people use cranberries and mint leaves) and meringue mushrooms. So, if you need a project and want something delicious to eat, here's my recipe for you today.

What's your favorite food "centerpiece?"

Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake)

THE CAKE

Cooking spray
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 c. granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar or unsweetened cocoa to roll the cake

creamy rum FILLING

1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup milk
2 egg yoks, slightly beaten
2 tbsp. rum

RICH FUDGE FROSTING

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. corn oil margarine 

GARNISH OPTIONS

Chocolate curls

Cranberries

Small rosemary sprigs

Meringue mushrooms

G

umdrops 

Mint leaves

This ingredient shopping module is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on their web site.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment or waxed paper and grease with cooking spray. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs whites at high speed until soft peaks forms. Beating constantly, add 4 tablespoons of the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. 
3. In small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until well mixed. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat about 4 minutes or until thick and light in color. With mixer at low speed beat in cocoa and vanilla until well mixed. Gently fold cocoa mixture into egg whites until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until cake springs back lightly when touched.
4. Immediately turn cake out onto cloth dusted with confectioners' sugar or unsweetened cocoa. Remove parchment or waxed paper. Roll cake from short side in cloth. Cool on wire rack.
5. Make filling: In a 1 quart saucepan, stir together sugar and corn starch. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Stir in egg yolks. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in rum until well blended. Turn into medium bowl. Cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Cool slightly (no longer than 1 hour). Gently fold in whipped cream. 

1. Make frosting: In top of a double boiler over simmering water, stir together chocolate chips, water, corn syrup and margarine. Stirring constantly, cook about 5 minutes or until melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Fill bottom of double boiler with ice. With wooden spoon, beat chocolate mixture over ice for about 5 minutes or until mixture is spreadable consistency. Remove from ice.

1. Diagonally slice about a 1-1/2 inch portion off each end of the cake. Reserve about 1/3 cup frosting for the cut portions and spread cake with remaining frosting. Using a fork, make ridges in cake to resemble bark. Place reserved pieces of cake against frosted log to resemble knots. Frost knots with reserved frosting and chill.

Meringue Mushrooms

3/4 cup sugar 
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Unsweetened cocoa
1 square (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate

1. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or brown paper. In small saucepan, bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites at high speak until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Still in vanilla. Beating constantly, pour in hot syrup in a thin steady stream. Continue beating until mixture becomes stiff and glossy.
2. To form mushroom stems, fit a large pastry bag with 1/2 inch plain, round tip. Fill with 1/3 of meringue mixture. Holding pastry bag vertically over baking sheet, push out meringue slowly while raising the bag straight up. Form stems about 1 inch high, with base slightly wider. Cut the meringue away from the tube with a small knife. To form mushroom caps, fill pastry bag with remaining 2/3 meringue. Press out rounds. 1 inch apart on sheet, 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inches high. Sharply twist bag to avoid leaving a peak on top. If desired, sprinkle lightly with unsweetened cocoa. Bake at 250 for 1 hour. 
3. Turn oven off. Open door and leave meringues in over 1 hour to dry. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate. 
4. With a small, sharp knife, make a small hole in the flat side of each meringue round. Dip stem end in melted chocolate. Insert in cap. Store mushroom in airtight container.
5. 
   

   

   You can find more of the French traditions I learned about in
   WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING
   

   
   

Confessions of a Cookieholic 🍪

 It’s Christmas. Cookies are as much a part of the holiday as trees and snowmen and Santa for me. After all, Santa is a cookieholic, too. Think of all the plates of cookies he gets every Christmas Eve.

As for the confession, it all started last December. When someone is taken from you so quickly, you realize how short life is. My mantra? Life is short. Eat the cookie. And with all the Christmas cookies to choose from... well, that was only the beginning. Then, 2020 hit. Who knew? 

Hi. My name is Karla, and I'm a cookieholic.

Which brings us to today. Cookie baking season. I'm back on the wagon again.

This will be the first year I don’t make several batches of cookies. In fact, one of the only years I don’t make my signature cookie, because I spent too many days of 2020 “eating the cookies.” It isn't safe to give the cookies away this year because, well, 2020. And I certainly shouldn’t eat several more batches when its just the Big Guy and me. I’ve resolved to make one batch for him (he likes pecan fingers), because it isn’t Christmas without some Christmas cookies. 

For the rest of you, I’m sharing my recipe for pinwheels, my signature cookie, with hopes they bring you some holiday cheer!

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

And now I have to get back to writing so you have that new Hillendale book in the spring! 

Pinwheels 

Tasty, and pretty on the plate
Yield: 8 dozen

1-¾ cup flour

1-½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

1 egg yolk

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons milk

1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted

Combine flour, soda and salt and set aside.  Cream butter, adding sugar gradually.  Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and the milk.

Divide dough into equal portions.  Add chocolate to one portion.  Refrigerate dough until easy to handle.

Roll each portion separately 1/8 inch thick between sheets of waxed paper so that they are the same size. If the dough is still sticky, return to refrigerator until it peels easily off the wax paper.  Remove one layer of wax paper from each portion of the dough and lay the dough on top of the other portion.  Remove the top layer of wax paper and roll the dough together. Wrap the rolled dough in the bottom layer of wax paper and refrigerate overnight.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Find more cookies at www.karlabrandenburg.com/cookies

or www.pinterest.com/klblang/cookies

Food Traditions - old and new

When I was writing MIST ON THE MEADOW, I tapped into my German heritage which, like Christmas traditions, has become diluted with the number of years my ancestors have spent on this side of the ocean. Traditions have to change as circumstances, and locations, change. The main character, Marissa, is a baker, and she carries forward a traditional German dish for Christmas. 

For years, my family has made cinnamon dinner rolls at the holidays. I went in search of a additional German traditions to add to my story. The result was Ofenschlupfer.  Ofenschlupfer literally means "sneaking into the oven." So if you are looking for an easy German dessert recipe, sneak this yummy treat into your oven.

Do you have any traditions that you hold onto? New traditions to accommodate the progression of time?

Prosit!

 

Recipe For Ofenschlupfer

(Apple Bread Pudding)

1-2 golden delicious apples
4 slices of bread (Can use 4 Hawaiian rolls, sliced into thirds)
2 Tbls butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
2-1/2 cups milk, scalded

Heat oven to 350 F. Toast bread slices lightly. Spread slices with butter (margarine).   Peel apples, cut in fine slices and toss with brown sugar and cinnamon. Arrange bread slices buttered side up in a 1-1/2 quart buttered casserole dish.  Top with apple mixture and raisins.  Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Slowly stir in milk.  Pour over bread. 

Place casserole dish into a square pan, 9x9x2, on oven rack. Pour very hot water (1 inch deep) into square pan. Bake until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, 65-70 minutes. Remove casserole dish from pan of hot water.  Serve warm or cool  6-8 servings.

Enjoy this easy bread pudding recipe on its own or with a thick creamy vanilla sauce.

You’ve got a friend

Sometimes you just need a friend. 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and things are a bit different this year. These are some very difficult times that we are living in right now. I am doing a Friend Check-in. Showing support for other people who might be struggling. We can’t connect in person, so let’s connect virtually. Leave a blog comment or a Facebook comment, however you got to this page. I promise to reply, because after all, we're all in this together.

I also promised you a sneak peek at the next cover. I think you'll like the story, and I included the original legend in the acknowledgments. What's it about?

The Legend People of canyon country are protected by the indigenous Tribes, but that protection prevents Nascha from finding out what happened to her missing mother. When another of the Legend People shows up in Nascha’s canyon on a quest to beg leniency from the ruling Coyote, Nascha is given the opportunity to get the answers she seeks. On their way to the Coyote’s canyon, they get caught in the downdraft from a plane that carries them off course to Illinois. Now they must enlist the help of the pilot to get back to Utah.

Pilot Devin Sike mistakes the mysterious woman who follows him at the airport for a Native American Princess. Lost, she asks him to transport her back to Utah—a request he’s disinclined to accommodate—until she triggers an echo in his heart, a pinger beacon that synchronizes when she touches him. The more he finds out about her, the more determined he is to come to terms with his own lost heritage.

Their journey enlightens them both to a destiny neither expected.

What do you think?

Yes, you can preorder it

 

Finally, I want to take a moment to be thankful for everything I have, and not feel victimized by current circumstances. While I may not be with family, which makes me sad, I am thankful for the family I have. We can still connect, even if not in person. I'm thankful for children, for grandchildren, for sisters and cousins and friends.

Wishing you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Characteristics that shape a story

I've been in sort of a funk the past few months - heck, most of this year! Recently, however, I saw a headline that poked my inner muse.

When authors talk about what inspires them, you get a wealth of answers. The real answer? "Everything." The headline that caught my eyes this time was, unfortunately, one of the many obituaries that have been in the news. We've lost a lot of people this year, and often when we see "who died today," we remember them by a distinguishing characteristic. Sean Connery, for instance: "Bond. James Bond." with a hint of a lisp and one cocked eyebrow. 

One recent death gave me a brilliant idea for a character. I guess that means there will be another book to follow Hillendale 4!

What am I talking about? 

I don't want to give away something I haven't written yet, so I'll use COOKIE THERAPHY as an example. When I started writing it, I went with a characteristic for my main character. Elizabeth Lambert is a klutz. I started with an accident - minor, but you know how klutzes can be (speaking as one myself). I knew who the hero was, because I had to redeem a previous series character who had transgressed. Two compelling characters (or at least they were in my mind!). I had no idea when I started (this is called pantsing - flying by the seat of your pants) what her story was until I started writing, and right there, in Chapter 1, I found her backstory. A minor incident that triggers a hidden trauma. 

“That’s okay, I’ll buy the box.” She grabbed one from the stack and snapped it open—she needed a cookie now. While she headed to the checkout, Elizabeth took out a cookie, but when she tried to close the box, the plastic edge sliced her left palm. She dropped the box and clutched her hand to her chest.

What else could go wrong?

Blood oozed through Elizabeth’s fingers and she blinked to fight off the cloud of gray that threatened her vision. She squeezed her eyes closed while panic took over, screams echoing in her head, blood everywhere, people running, ducking under desks.

 A case of being inspired by a characteristic. 

I'm hoping to do a cover reveal for you next week, so you can see how nature has inspired me, and if I want to use the mysterious characteristic that inspired my NEXT book, I guess I'd better finish writing Hillendale 4!

What unique characteristics have you seen in your favorite book friends?

Virtual Vacations

I've been reviewing pictures of Bryce Canyon and Antelope Canyon and Zion National Park in honor of my upcoming release. Since a large part of the country is still "safer at home," I thought I'd invite you along on a virtual tour of canyon country through the pictures I took.

The swirls and slots of Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon

Hoodoos and grottoes in the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

The brilliants colors of Bryce Canyon

Where the river begins in...

Zion National Park

Yep, that's me. Dwarfed beside the mountains

Impressive country we live in, no?

Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic

 What was your favorite subject in school?

For me, it was (no surprises) English. For the most part, I was a good student, although I hated history/social studies. Not a fan of science, either, although I took the time to learn and got me a well-rounded education. Even in the subjects I wasn't fond of, I learned a lot. For instance, I remember vividly a social studies class where we were given a project, to pick stocks from the market and choose a country to represent. Then we had to figure out how to build our country's economy, which became a lesson on international trade (even if "international" meant the kid sitting next to me representing that country). And despite being bored to tears, I still remember learning about Charlemagne and foreign history. 

Reading opened up new avenues of learning for me. I found more entertaining ways to absorb history. Most importantly, I understood the value of learning from the past in order to shape our future.

George Santayana is popularly known for aphorisms, such as "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and "Only the dead have seen the end of war." His words are especially important to me today. 

As much as I disliked learning about history in school, never understood the value of learning about all those dead people from the past that I had no connection with, we are all connected. Omitting "inconvenient" or "boring" lessons of the past creates a gap of ignorance that condemns us to relive painful moments a second time to reinforce the knowledge we are lacking.

However you learn, knowledge is a valuable tool. Whether you're reading from a textbook or reading for entertainment, I've found that books provide a wealth of information that fills in the gaps.

"The More You Know...."

It's not as easy as it looks

 I've been at this job for almost 20 years professionally, and I can't tell you how many people over the years have commented on how easy writing must be. You just sit down and write a story and voila! You're done. Nope. Not quite that simple.

Taking a story from a point of inspiration to a finished product takes lots of hours and hard work, and for the most part, I love that work. Imagine reading the same story over and over and over and over until you know every word almost by heart. By the time I've reached the end, before the editing starts, I've already read the book probably a dozen times. I read to get a "running start" on the day. I read to check for what I've already written. I read to see if it makes sense. I read to ground myself in a character. The test of whether or not I take it to market is whether, after reading it a dozen times, I'm still invested in the story. 

For the most part, I have a good handle on structure, on character goals, on motivation, on conflict, on plot. When I discover myself getting lost along the writing path, I stop to consider what I've missed. Is the story moving forward? Are the characters developing and growing along their character arc? Generally, when I get stuck, it's because I'm writing words and not writing a story. As long as I'm invested in the people I've created, I can find the story, fix it, and move ahead.

Sometimes the stories are easy to write. They flow easily (despite the inevitable muddle in the middle), although there are some that require a lot more thought and craft. So why am I writing this post today?

I've been teasing my next book for several weeks now, a book I wrote while touring canyon country. I'd set it aside after I wrote the first draft (ten years ago!) and left it there. One of my friends asks me about it every so often. She'd read it and said she really liked it. So here I am, resurrecting it. Ten years ago, my skills weren't as mature as they are now, so I've spent a large amount of time correcting "the basics." Picking up a rough copy was HARD WORK, but I persisted. The story was there, it just wasn't "clean." When I finished, I sent it to my editor, and after "sweet sixteen" books together, she sent me the first really tough comments I've ever had from her (or at least that I remember). Don't get me wrong - tough comments are good. They tell me I'm not done putting the work in. After twenty years, I've learned to put the work in during the writing process rather than trying to fix a completed project. 

So back to work, fixing the problems that remain. I'm grateful to my critique partners and my editor for sticking with me on an ugly, older, unrefined manuscript. The good news is that I'm close to a marketable product, but I'm here to tell you - this writing gig isn't as easy as it looks.

And now, in case you're looking for a Halloween treat, have I mentioned that one of my bundles is on sale through the end of the month? Four ghost stories from The Epitaph Series, the McCormick collection, are available for just $1.99. Grab it while it's hot!

Buy it here

Christmas books, already?

 I've been getting notifications for dozens of Christmas books! It isn't even Halloween! I suppose people want to start stockpiling for the weeks ahead, but for me, it's still TOO EARLY.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest...

The autumn leaves are just about done. The colors this year have been outstanding! Brilliant crimsons and sunny yellows and burnt orange. Kind of like taking pictures of snow in the winter, I can't seem to stop taking pictures of the pretty colored trees on my walks when I get out and about. I suppose some of that is because the colors aren't as vivid every year. Sometimes the leaves just die and fall, or sometimes the colors aren't as uniform, so you get more half-and-half trees. Like with the snow. I take pictures because "look how pretty," or "look how deep it's getting." Every snowfall is different (even when it's the same) and every autumn is different.

{clever segue coming up}

And THIS autumn, I've written something a little different (even when it's still kind of the same). Years ago, I wrote a book while traveling through canyon country, but I thought it was too far from what my readers normally expect from me and shelved it. With all this hanging around at home stuff, I pulled it out off the shelf and decided to share it. After all, one of my favorite authors used to change things up regularly, from historical to contemporary and sometimes a little spooky. I'm hoping my readers are willing to take the ride with me. I'm expecting edits for CANYON LEGACY from my editor today. I'm also revisiting my friends in Hillendale and writing the fourth installment in that series.

While you're waiting, if you're looking for a Christmas book, I have two options to consider, one "sweet" - the Hallmark variety of book (WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING) and one steeped in legend with a psychic twist (MIST ON THE MEADOW) - in case you needed a recommendation. 😉

ARC and Beta copies

I often forget when I read an ARC or beta copy that its prepub and uncorrected. I’m not alone. As I’m reading for a friend, I’m seeing the errors. I know my ARC readers always send me the errors they find. How distracting is that? 

 Beta readers can expect more errors, simply by the fact the author is looking for feedback on what works and what doesn't. Technically, its still in development (although it should be darn close to done). The author is the alpha reader by virtue of creating it, and they're looking for a second opinion, or beta reader.

There there's the ARC. I know I've released a couple of books to ARC readers that were uncorrected, and I heard about it. An ARC should be one step away from a final version. That doesn't necessarily mean perfect, but the errors should be minimal, if any. This is the version that is in queue for publication. I've read uncorrected ARCs by other authors, too, but I've also received feedback on uncorrected ARCs of mine that the remaining errors turned readers off. For that reason, I've stopped sending "uncorrected" ARCs. The last couple I've sent out were "one proof" away from final (which means they'd been through multiple sets of eyes to spot those pesky errors that don't want to be caught). Even at that stage of production, there are bound to be errors, and I thank my readers for pointing them out to me. 

As a reader, how annoyed are you with errors when reading an advance reader copy or beta reading for the purpose of providing feedback to the author? Do you accept that those mistakes will likely be cleaned up before the book is finalized?