My Fantasy

There it is...the repository of hopes and dreams...

No, not that kind of fantasy. I’m talking about daydreams here, the stuff that creeps into your head when you’re waiting at a red light and there’s nothing riveting on the radio to distract you from your thoughts.

Here’s one of mine and if you share one of yours in the comments, I might just send you a copy of my latest book, Return.

It’s no secret that I love to shop second-hand. I have ever since I was a kid, and the impulse only strengthened once I got my own car and could stop at any garage sale that caught my eye. So for nearly thirty years I’ve been hitting the mismatched racks and cluttered tables of thrifts. It’s hit or miss and always has been. Sometimes I lament the lack of cool vintage stuff that I found with ease years ago, but I’m really grateful for like-new kids clothes now, so the trade-offs seem worth it.

So, on to my fantasy.

I’m in a thrift store, medium-sized with good lighting and a clean floor (this is a fantasy, after all). I start going through the racks and nothing falls off the hangars as I pull and check labels. Nothing good, nothing good, until I hit a possible. Pull it out; a perfect pair of chinos, right size, no wear, quality manufacturer. The next hangar holds a great seersucker pair of trousers, and next is jeans I’m sure will fit just right.

I toss everything into the cart and keep going. The cart’s wheels all work properly and there’s no sticking or squeaking (see, I warned you it was a fantasy). Next is a red cashmere cardigan, then a couple of perfect white shirts, a black alpaca scarf, and at the end of the aisle, a narrow metal mesh belt, exactly what I’ve been in search of for the last year and a half.

The cart’s filling up and my heart is pounding. Should I keep looking or accept I’ve had the finds of a lifetime and head to the counter to pay up while my luck still holds? I’m not much of a gambler, so I make my way to the front only to be distracted by it; an English trench coat, just my size, zip-out lining still in place and nothing weird left in the pockets. Mine!

Now the fear hits me as I approach the display cases. Will I be able to find some cool piece of jewelry to cap off all my fabulous fashion? I peer through the glass at trays of plastic stretch bracelets and trashy necklaces from the state fair midway, sure I’ve used up my luck for the day. But no, I spy something, the edge of something enameled and gold-tone. I have to see it. Wonder of wonders, a staff person is actually there and ready to help and she pulls out what I ask to see with no trouble. Yes, it’s a vintage Trifari dragon necklace, bright green with angry red beaded eyes, without a scratch or sign of wear. It’s only five dollars and I immediately head into line, keeping my eye on the necklace as the clerk carries it to the person running the register.

Everything rings up correctly and I have enough money to pay (again, fantasy). I experience that thrill of discovery and possession that I imagine is hardwired in a hunter-gatherer’s psyche. Instead of finding the best berry patch or tender-fleshed mammoth, I’ve gotten some stylish clothes for ninety percent off retail. We modern human have to take our thrills where we can.

Next time, maybe I’ll tell you my food fantasy. Or maybe even one of those fantasies. Remember, leave a comment about your fantasy and your email for a chance to get a copy of my latest book.

An Early Christmas Gift

Before the holiday season gets in full swing, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a free read available on the Musa Publishing site. It's the prequel to my novel Return. Despite the beautiful Christmas cover, the story actually takes place in the spring, but since it's a free gift in December, it's appropriate.
So download it, read it, and if you want to find out what happens to Evelyn next, consider buying the rest of her and James Winchester's story.

http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=700&zenid=2c8ae8f6bd429506951c7f17f389ad2f

Let Them Bake Cake

In my upcoming book, Return, Evelyn Prentiss bakes a chocolate cake. There are a lot of reasons why she does this. The main one is she’s trying to get on the good side of someone she hopes will develop some glass plate negatives she bought at auction. She’s a good baker but has something prove after coming in second in the 4-H competition twenty years before.

While I was writing that scene, all I could think about was how many times I’d made the following classic recipe. I found it in a magazine when I was in high school and it’s always turned out well. Without further ado, Evelyn’s favorite chocolate cake.

Hershey’s Disappearing Cake

1/4 cup butter  

1/4 cup shortening  

2  cups sugar  

1  teaspoon vanilla  

2   eggs  

3/4 cup  cocoa  

1 3/4 cups flour  

3/4 teaspoon baking powder  

3/4 teaspoon baking soda  

1/8 teaspoon salt  

1 3/4 cups milk

 

 

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour 2-9 inch round or 13x9 cake pan. Cream butter and shortening, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Blend in eggs. Combine cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl and sift to mix well.

 

2.      Add milk and flour mixture alternately to batter. Blend well and pour into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans if using round pans. Frost with your favorite frosting.

My suggestion is to bake the cake on September 5, 2013 and share it with your family but save a slice. On September 6, go online and buy my book Return from Musa Publishing and give yourself a double treat of chocolate and romance.

http://www.musapublishing.com/

And Here's the Cover!

Isn't it gorgeous?
Musa Publishing will have it ready for purchase on September 9, 2013. As long I as I get the dedication and acknowledgement written in the next few days...
Here's the back cover blurb;

James Winchester is content with his predictable small town life. He lives alone, helps out at his family farm, and doesn’t miss an ice cream social. His life is so neat and ordered he could use one of his accounting spreadsheets to chart his upcoming years.

Evelyn Prentiss’s world is in chaos. She’s returned to her home town twenty years after leaving and the transition isn’t as smooth as she’d anticipated. Her home needs renovated, her parents are once again too hands-on, and she only has the summer months to settle in before she starts her new teaching job.

In an effort to be a good neighbor, James finds himself stopping by Evelyn’s house more and more to help with her endless to-do list. When a mystery from their past resurfaces and opens old wounds, the two find comfort in each other. And so much more.

Aww, I just love them!
Next blog post will be an excerpt...I think I have that selected already...