Michele Dunaway's Blog

Facebook part 2

2009-06-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

I said I'd given an update on Facebook, once I was on it for a while. I've discovered that unlike Twitter, which I remember to do about once a day, if that, I really enjoy Facebook. I'm on it two ways. One is my personal page, and the other is a page where anyone can be my fan, which is at this URL: http://tinyurl.com/r8hkd7

On my fan page I've got pictures of my book covers from other countries and a bunch of pictures not on my website. I talk about my books. On my personal page, I don't have that many pics and mostly I keep up with people and post stuff that might be relevant or interesting.

I'm having tons of fun with Facebook. Remember that statement that being friends with your exes is a bit strange? Well, I'm friends with my high school boyfriend and my first college boyfriend, and it's been cool to catch up with what's going on in their lives. I've found most of my college pals from UMSL.

Mostly, it's been a great way for me to keep track of my former students, a bunch of romance writer friends from all over the country and my journalism buddies. I'm up to date with all my best friends from high school. I'm up over 110 friends and if I added everyone I knew, I'd probably go insane, even though I have my feeds set up on lists. But I like to read everything. While I don't play mafia wards, do pillow fights, or take half those quizzes, it is rather fun to read everyone else's results. I'm enjoying viewing pics of my former student Ryan and his wife's trip to Alaska. I keep track of Peter, who is serving in Iraq.

The only downside is that Facebook is such a time suck. Being home for the summer, I check it several times a day for someone is always posting something and often chats pop up from people I haven't talked to in years, and we gab for a few minutes.

But what's been really fun is that I just wrote my first Facebook chat into Under Doctor's Orders, my latest Harlequin American Romance. Chandy talks to her brother Chase (hero in Bachelor CEO, coming in July) and then when he types something she doesn't like, she says she has to go and disconnects. I loved it. Texting and Facebook will play a role in this story, for that's the reality of how people communicate these days.

For example, I haven't talked to my best friend Susan, who only lives here in town, since she got back Friday night from her week-long adventure being at mom and me boy scout camp. But from Facebook I know she survived the bugs, the extreme heat, the torrential downpours, life in a tent and is now at home--which is quiet since her husband gave her a break and took her boys to his mother's for the weekend. I'll call her later in the week--and let her enjoy the silence and a nap in her own bed.

Facebook & Twitter

2009-06-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

Feel free to be my fan on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/r8hkd7 and at Twitter at www.twitter.com/micheledunaway

New title

2009-06-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

My February 2010 release has officially been titled. It's now called BABY IN THE BOARDROOM.

New sale

2009-05-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Michele announces that she's sold another book to Harlequin American Romance. Tentatively titled Under Doctor's Orders, it will be published in 2010.

Facebook

2009-05-10T08:24:00.001-07:00

I have recently discovered Facebook. I’ve been on it since 2006, when my daughter made me a page. But I never did anything with said page. That changed this week, when I finally got my yahoo email working again and my Facebook password changed. Suddenly, I was online.

Then I had decisions to make. Exactly what type of a page did I want? As writers, we put ourselves out there all the time, such as through our websites and blogging. I have followers on twitter that I don’t know; people who read about what I’m doing that day. I read over 150 emails a day in regards to my job and writing. So I decided to keep my Facebook page invite only and my profile private.

I figured it just made sense. When I looked at who had friend requests waiting for me, I discovered it was friends and former students and a few writer buddies. Then I looked at to whom I was sending friend invites. This could be my window to all those people whom I never seem to get a chance to talk as much as I’d like because life is so busy. I’m either teaching, writing or being a mom. While I love picking up the phone and hearing someone’s voice, there aren’t very many extra minutes in the day, and my friends are equally as busy. Now I can read my wall.

I’ve already reconnected with my best friends from high school who I get to see every so often and who send me all those fun emails. I miss them, and dedicated my March book to them. I’ve found former students. I haven’t befriended my prom date or ex boyfriends since that seems creepy, although my daughter tells me it’s quite common. As to making another Facebook page for my books and fans—that’s something to think about for another day.

So I’m in the modern world, but keeping it close. If you want to follow me, catch me on www.twitter.com/micheledunaway. Or keep reading my posts right here on this blog or twice a month at www.harauthors.blogspot.com or visit me on the forums at eharlequin. That’s me out there. Facebook’s me “in there”, my tiny window into what once was my world, and I’m liking it.

RT's Review of Twins for the Teacher

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

4 Stars

TWINS FOR THE TEACHER (4) by Michele Dunaway: A wary elementary school teacher, a sexy widower and sweetly rowdy twins make this a warmhearted family romance with adorable characters and a realistic plot. Widower Hank Friesen manages a new resort and enrolls his children in the local elementary school. While he's not looking for romance, he becomes enchanted with teacher Jolie Tomlinson. Jolie, still cautious after her bitter divorce and her own personal tragedy, finds herself falling for the kids and their very sexy daddy, but can she put her past behind her? —Pat Cooper

Rebecca Savage's Review of Twins for the Teacher

2009-04-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Michele Dunaway has captured the spirit of the classroom teacher and all her worries. Jolie has to deal with a principal who should tell her students, their parents, the faculty and staff to mind their own business, but instead the principal is a busy-body and worries about the wrong things in life, both personal and professional.

On top of that, Jolie has had a tragic past. She’s in her thirties, and Hank is in his forties, also a tragic past. They’ve moved on, or so they believe, but they’re only surviving, until they find each other. They realize they’ve been simply existing, and they want more. They want to come out of the darkness of their past sufferings.

Jolie is a teacher and wants to be a mother. Hank is a father and wants to be a husband, again. Can they put their past behind them and take their friendship to the next level? They think they can, but then the dark moment hits them right between the eyes, especially Jolie. But if anybody can fix it and make it better, it’s Hank Friesen, but does he want to…after what Jolie let happen to his son…

Michele does a great job with the book, these characters, and the setting and plot. Her book is a charming, easy read, and I found it quite relaxing, even if I am a teacher and at time I wanted to pummel the principalJ

Yes, I know

2009-04-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been months since I blogged. I've been mostly over at the harauthors.blogspot.com and that's kept me busy. I had a trip to Phoenix, and that took tons of my time as I took my students. I promise to do better!

New Cover

2009-03-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover for July's Bachelor CEO!

Interview with Michele Dunaway

2009-03-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

In celebration of her 20th book, Harlequin American's Twins for the Teacher, enjoy 20 questions with Michele Dunaway You can find the original interview at www.harauthors.blogspot.com on the March 12 date.

1) How did you make your first sale and how long have you been published? In 1999, I attended the RWA conference at the end of July in Chicago and had an editor appointment with the new American line editor, Melissa Jeglinski, who said “send it.” She bought Temporarily Yours four weeks later. She told me she hadn’t bought a new author in several years, and she brought three new authors into the Harlequin family as a result of RWA. Retitled A Little Office Romance, my first book came out in Oct. 2000. So yes, I’m one of those lucky ones you hear about who sold on the first try. This month’s Twins for the Teacher is my 20th book. I am working on revisions for #22.

2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out? Follow your own voice. It’s seen me through a great many things.3) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? I have one that immediately comes to mind, but it’s hard to explain. In a nutshell, my senior year of college I lost a guy whom I thought was my ideal because of a bunch of flukes and twists of fate—such as dating his best friend—who’d I met in another city two hours away while on vacation at the lake. I had no idea these two knew each other. Eke. It was a mess. But my friend Karen told me a few years ago that had I been "together forever" with either of them, I’d never be a writer or published. And she’s right. I’d be a soccer mom, probably not even teaching. I did base one of my characters on Rick , so he’s a ghost now as, once I write my characters, they disappear from inside my head. It’s like I have to give those voices life…and then they leave. I can’t even remember which book certain characters are in, and often can’t even remember the characters’ names once the book is out on the shelves. As for writing, I dread the day the voices in my head stop talking.

4) Describe your writing space. I built the house where I live in 2003, and when I went searching for floor plans, I wanted a first floor office. I’m in what the builders call a living room. It’s open to the foyer and dining room and has a great view of outside. I’m on five acres.

5) Are you a cat or dog person? Cats all the way. I have five strictly indoor, one indoor/outdoor, and one feral outdoor who adopted us. I had a dream the other day that I found and rescued a bunch of stray kittens, but luckily it was only a dream. I’m a sucker for kittens.

6) What comes first: the plot or the characters? The characters. As I said, I suddenly hear them and see them in my head, and their story comes next. And they never do what I want them to. I thought it was just me, until some NYT best selling writers admitted talking to their characters and even interviewing them. Then I felt much more normal.

7) What is your work schedule like when you are writing? I write in big spurts. I will go days and weeks without writing anything new. Then when I sit down to write a book, I’ll work 12-14 hours straight and write every day. Even if I can only do six hours when I get home from work, I’ll write.

8) Do you re-read your books once they're in print? I did for the first four books but really don’t anymore. I did reread Hart’s Victory because it’s my all time favorite—I wrote it for my daughter. I admit to getting a rush reading line edits, when I go “Wow, this is good. Who wrote this?” and realize it’s me.

9) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing? Harlequin Presents. I’ve been reading those since high school and always wanted to write one. My all time favorite remains Sandra Marton’s The Sexiest Man Alive. I laughed straight through it. I also loved Nora Roberts’ McGregor Brides and Grooms, which inspired my Grandpa Joe character. As for Presents, an author friend sent me a Harlequin newsletter from Australia and there I was with greats like Penny Jordan. When my Harlequin Americans are out in Australia and New Zealand, I’m out as a Mills & Boon Sexy author. So in a way I made it.

10) What did you do career-wise before becoming an author? I’m still doing the day job. I teach high school English and journalism and love it. Advising the newspaper and yearbook keeps me on top of the pulse of kids today, which keeps me young. I think. I'll be a featured speaker at the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association in Phoenix this April.

11) How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it? My first book A Little Office Romance was crazy and funny and different. The heroine was between jobs, so she’s “hired” by her best friend Chelsea to break up her brother Alex and his girlfriend. Julia’s playing Alex’s temporary secretary—and she’s in a disguise until he jumps into the pool on a business trip to save her (she fell in) and comes up only with her wig. That type of plot is too far fetched now. Also, I did a princess continuity for my third book. Ditto to that.

12) If you were stranded on a deserted Island what kind of hero would you want with you--A Cowboy, a Viking Warrior, a CEO, a Forensics investigator, a Chef or an Accountant…and why? This is a trick question. Is the island fully stocked and equipped with a year worth of provisions and comfort? Because I write the CEO books for Harlequin American (Bachelor CEO—the July Men Made in America coming in just a few months) so I’d want the CEO since those are my favorite types of heroes. However, if this was an episode of Survivor, he probably wouldn’t last a day, unlike a few of the other guys up there. Unless the CEO was Chase…who is my hero in Bachelor CEO. He competes in triathalons and loves camping. He might stand a chance.

13) What did you want to be when you grew up? Exactly what I am right now. Seriously. I am truly blessed.

14) What was the hardest part of writing your book? The middle. It’s like going up hill. I hate middles. I’m so happy when I’m on the downward slope.

15) Describe your ideal dream date: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Too bad he doesn't know I'm his dream date.

16) What helps inspire you when you write? Do you have any ‘rituals’ (like music, candles, a favorite scent) that helps you find your writing zone? No. I’m rather boring. I often don’t even play music. When I do the same CD plays on repeat for hours. I hardly hear it.

17) Have you ever made a crank phone call? Once in high school I called a guy (he was a senior and I was a junior) and pretended I’d met him at the party that weekend (which I wasn’t at). We talked for 15 minutes before I hung up. It’s amazing how you can convince guys of anything. My friends were impressed—they thought the phone call would be like 30 seconds. He even wanted to see me again.

18) What is your dream car? Porsche 928S In high school I used to have cars hanging in my locker instead of magazine pics of guys. Let me tell you how many random guys came up to my locker to admire the sports cars. I wasn’t a dummy. Who wants to look at their competition? So girls—get the Jonas brothers out of your locker! Same with Edward!

19) If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you? Can I mention Dale Jr. again? I’m so glad NASCAR’s back. Whoo Hoo. Go #88 and #99.

20) Wow. Is this question 20? Yes! Thanks for reading this! Be sure to drop by http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on March 19. Susan Vaughn interviewed me, and I shared my first sale story there.

Interview Schedule

2009-03-09T20:19:00.001-07:00

Don’t miss the series of online interviews I’m doing this month!

Check out 20 Questions with Michele Dunaway at www.harauthors.blogspot.com on March 12.

March 18 Susan Vaughn will post an interview at http://toberead.wordpress.com/ and you can check out ten things I’ve learned through writing 20 books at my agent’s blog March 19 http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

Then you can catch me again at www.harauthors.blogspot.com on March 20.

Watch this blog—Bachelor CEO cover will be going up soon!

Twins for the Teacher Review

2009-02-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

Twins for the Teacher
By Michele Dunaway
Harlequin American
March 10, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780373752553

Reviewed by Christy Janisse

This is a milestone book for Michele Dunaway in a milestone year for Harlequin. Twins for the Teacher is Michele’s 20th book and Harlequin is celebrating 60 years. Congratulations to Michele as well as her publisher. Not only for the momentous books/years but for publishing such a terrific book!

Twins for Teacher is Michele’s best book yet. Normally I’m not the type of person who loves stories set with ready made families. However, Michele’s talent shines through with the way she has woven this tale.

The back cover blurb will give you a taste of the fantastic story:

Getting involved with her students' father is a definite no-no, but elementary school teacher Jolie Tomlinson is finding it hard to resist sexy widower Hank Friesen.
And she's falling in love with his ten-year-old twins, too!
Hank moved to Missouri to make a fresh start, but he never imagined that life as a single dad would be such a struggle. Good thing Jolie's on hand to ease the transition. It's been five years since his wife's death, and no woman has been able to hold his interest—until now.
It could be a second chance for both of them. But first Jolie will have to tell Hank about her past—if she ever wants them to have a future.

The characters in Michele’s book are real life, three dimensional and I totally fell in love with each and everyone. This is a sweet love story, a tale of triumph over the past, and fantastic family merging that will have you flipping pages quickly and wishing it wasn’t over at the end.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-07T20:41:00.001-08:00

Okay, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. I have to admit, I’m a party pooper. There are no decorations in my house, and except for the cards my kids buy to give their friends, we don’t do anything special. In fact, I try to avoid the holiday and have found that by doing so, it works out better.

You might find this weird, given that I’m a romance writer. As I write this, I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever even used Valentine’s Day in a book. Maybe, but if so, it’s a blur. Not like the ones I did for Christmas, like Unwrapping Mr. Wright and The Christmas Date. Those are crystal clear.

Since I’ve spent all but nine years of my life single, most of my Valentine’s days have been as a singleton. They’re filled with all sorts of mishaps. There’s Steve who sent me flowers, and the florist never delivered them. So here’s poor Steve waiting for me to call all gushing…and that didn’t happen. He finally asked me, all disappointed, a day or two later what I thought of his gift. I had no idea what he was talking about. Oops.

Then there was the Valentine’s Day that I was supposed to go to dinner. Gene scheduled dinner at eight at this really posh restaurant, but I was chaperoning a school dance that night. I told him that, reminded him, and basically I ended up double booked as the dance didn’t end until nine and once I got there, I found I couldn’t leave early as I’d hoped. We ended up eating at ten-thirty—crammed in a table near the restaurant kitchen door. Oops. Thank goodness he didn’t mind and forgave me, although it wasn’t the evening he’d planned.

You have to admit, Valentine’s Day is a lot of pressure, especially for the guys. A romance hero would get it right, but somehow, in my life it doesn’t work out that way. My favorite Valentine’s Days was spent with my friend Jenny. Here we were, two dateless losers. I was young, next-to-broke and not about to be paid for another week, and really, we had not much to do. So she suggested Bingo. She was going with her mom and grandmother, and invited me along. I was down to my last $25 and here we were in our 20s—everyone else was at least 50. The hall was full of intense bingo players, and we sat with Jenny’s mom and grandmother and their bingo friends. They tossed bingo markers my way, and we were off. Except for playing in grade school, and one time watching my parents in eighth grade, I had no idea what “real” bingo was like.

It was wild. It went fast. We had a pile of “bring your own” snacks on the table, and plastic cups filled with beer or soda from the bar. The women around me were watching a minimum of ten cards. I had three—all I could afford and all I could manage. And then it happened. I had all but I-27 for bingo. The woman next to me leaned over and put a clear square tile over the number. “The minute you hear that, you yell,” she said.

Two numbers later, I was shouting BINGO! I won $100, which was a lot of money and a very nice way to tide me over to payday. That was a very good Valentine’s Day indeed—and I’ve never played Bingo since.

This year I’m spending Valentine’s Day in the back row of the FHHS auditorium, where the drama club is doing a 7 PM showing of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. My thirteen year old daughter is meeting friends, and since where I work is 45 minutes from my house, I’ll simply hang out with the other teachers present while she goes and pretends not to know me. Sounds perfect to me.

So now it’s your turn. What’s your best memory of Valentine’s Day? How are you spending it? Do tell….

Happy 2009!

2008-12-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

Everyone have a wonderful start to the new year!

Twins for the Teacher!

2008-12-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here's my new cover for my 20th book, out in March 2009!

New Title

2008-10-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

We've settled on a title for my July 2009 Harlequin American Romance. Unless something changes, it's going to be called BACHELOR CEO.

Up next is Twins for the Teacher, my 20th novel. I hope to post the cover soon!

Michele

Back cover copy for My March Release

2008-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

My March 2009 release marks my 20th book for Harlequin. Another American, this one is called Twins for the Teacher. Here's the back cover blurb:

Will She Break Her Golden Rule?

Getting involved with her students’ father is a definite no-no, but elementary school teacher Jolie Tomlison’s finding it hard to resist sexy widower Hank Friesen.

And she’s falling in love with his ten-year-old twins, too!

Hank moved to Missouri to make a fresh start, but he never imagined that life as a single dad would be such a struggle. Good thing Jolie’s on hand to ease the transition. It’s been five years since his wife’s death, and no woman has been able to hold his interest—until now.
It could be a second chance for both of them. But first Jolie will have to tell Hank about her past—if she ever wants them to have a future.

Another Tailspin review

2008-08-24T12:59:00.001-07:00

Tailspin
By Michele Dunaway
September 2008
Harlequin NASCAR
ISBN: 978-0-373-21794-6

Reviewed by Christy Janisse

Irony is a funny thing. When I received Michele’s newest release, Tailspin, I was dealing with my husband’s truck accident.

What does that have to do with this new book? That is exactly how Michele opens the book and brings the main protagonists together. Immediate connection. Brilliant! Something that almost everyone has had to deal with at one point or another.

Terri Whalen lives, breathes and loves NASCAR. Almost as much as she loved her beloved truck – which she built with her dad. When the vehicle is destroyed by a construction crew at her friend’s wedding, her life takes a new course – in the way of Max Harper.

Max Harper is a divorce working his way up on the fast track of his company and raising his young daughter. While learning the ropes in each department of his company, he encounters a furious Terri. The image he forms of her over the phone is immediately shattered when he meets her to give her the check for her totaled vehicle.

But it doesn’t end with the check. Max’s company sponsors a NASCAR driver, and as fate would have it, the two cross paths on neutral ground – and the chemistry is a flammable as the pit row fuel canisters.

However, neither Max nor Terri want a relationship. Max because of being stung by a narcissistic ex-wife, and Terri because of the thought of a ready made family.
So they agree to keep it light and take things one day at a time. That is until the ex-wife shows up with plans to reunite her family.

Michele has written a wonderful story full of family, friends, in-depth NASCAR experiences and characters you will love. This is a can’t put it down until the last page read! Don’t miss out on the action and the love!

Review Time

2008-08-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Tailspin-Michele Dunaway
Tailspin
Michele Dunaway
Harlequin NASCAR, Sep 2008
ISBN: 9780373217946

The asphalt company was at fault for wrecking her truck. Rocksolid Insurance offers to provide Charlotte based personal trainer Terri Whelan with the market value of her vehicle; she rejects their offer; demanding they fix her customized special NASCAR race fan truck that she and her dad upgraded. A beleaguered customer service employee forwards Terri’s call to Max Harper, a Rising Stars program trainee; he accepts the call because he believes a real customer complaint would prove more beneficial in his training than the tapes he has been given. He agrees to look into her demands.

Terri meets Max and his twelve year old daughter Mandy over a commercial the adults are both indirectly involved in. Terri and Max are attracted to one another, but his first interest remains rightfully so his tweener. Besides Mandy’s mom, Los Angeles drama queen Lola knows that what Lola wants Lola gets and she wants Terri gone; not that she wants Max back.

This entertaining contemporary romance stars two likable lead protagonists, a strong positive support cast, and a mom who offers no redeeming values. The lead couple is a wonderful pairing from their first telephonic encounter. However his ex-wife trying to destroy their relationship fails to come out of the starting gate let alone make it around the oval to the finish line. Still overall TAILSPIN is a fun second chance at love for him and first time for her tale.

Harriet Klausner

The Cupcake Recipe

2008-04-30T05:19:00.001-07:00

It’s been a month of fun! If you missed the cupcake recipe, it's below. (And scroll further to see all my upcoming covers.)

So for the last recipe, I’m going to give you an egg-less cupcake recipe that I use. Yep, there are no eggs in these and they are quick and easy to make. This recipe comes directly from Hershey, my all-time favorite company as they make chocolate, my diet staple. I make these and don’t even frost them. You can using the brownie frosting recipe (on my agent’s blog) but I like them just dusted with powdered sugar or left plain.

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt.
1 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375. Line muffin cups (2 ½ inches in diameter) with paper baking cups (I have also used silicon just fine and had them stand alone on a cookie sheet). In medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla, beat with a metal whisk just until batter is smooth and ingredients are well blended. Do not over whisk. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

And for one last really awesome cookbook that I couldn’t live without, find the Hershey’s 100th Anniversary: 100 Years of Hershey Favorites at http://www.amazon.com/Hersheys-100th-Anniversary-Years-Favorites/dp/0785331646

So that’s it! I hope you have fun this month baking with Rachel and that you enjoyed both The Marriage Recipe and the romance. I don’t have any more Harlequin American novels out until January 2009, but don’t forget my two NASCAR books. Out of Line debuts in June.
Michele

The Brownie Recipe

2008-04-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is baking. I love to cook. I have a full set of All Clad pots hanging from the rack in my ceiling. A trip to Williams Sonoma is a trip to nirvana. I always find a pan I must add to my collection. My brother is a chef, and he wishes he had my kitchen, which I sadly don’t use as much as I should.

So what does this have to do with writing? My latest book is about a pastry chef who has to return to her hometown and enlist the help of the boy next door to help her save her recipes. It still amazes me that I made an intellectual property case sexy. I’ll thank a good friend, a media lawyer who once worked with Oprah, for the great media law class I took as part of my MA degree!

When I created Rachel’s character, I had an excuse to cook. As a mother of two with a full time teaching job (who also is on a permanent diet—aren’t most of us?) I don’t dig out the recipe book as much as I used to. I’m not sure why, especially since I’m a firm believer that anything you bake yourself does not go straight to your hips—and it’s all those ingredients with words I can’t pronounce that cause weight gain.

So since I was researching, I pulled out my cookbooks. I made pumpkin bread, cupcakes, cookies, and some of my old favorites like chocolate cake! I also got to think back to college, when I would bake constantly—for the way to a guy’s heart was through his stomach—and my brownies and chocolate chip cookies were legendary.

In the spirit of cooking, since I can’t send you any cookies virtually, here is my brownie recipe:

Four tablespoons butter, melted
One cup sugar
One teaspoon vanilla
Two eggs
One-half cup flour
One-third cup Hershey’s Cocoa
One-fourth teaspoon baking powder
One-fourth of a teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch square pan. In medium bowl, stir butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Add eggs, and with a wooden spoon beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture, beat until well blended. Spread batter into a pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until brownies begin to pull away from the pan. Cool completely in pan. While cooling, make frosting. To make frosting, in a small mixer bowl beat 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey, one-half teaspoon vanilla until blended. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup milk; beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Add additional milk, one half teaspoon at a time, if needed. Spread over cool brownies and cut brownies into squares. (PS—you can add nuts and/or chocolate chips to the batter before baking).

Enjoy the brownies and the romance!

Michele Dunaway

Rachel's recipe #3

2008-04-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of the first post celebrating the release of The Marriage Recipe, I am giving you another yummy recipe that both Rachel and I use, one for sugar cookies. Trust me, these are the world’s greatest and easiest sugar cookies.

By the way, if you go to http://freshfiction.com/blog/ tomorrow, April 21, I am blogging about what food reveals about characters.

This recipe is modified from Just a Matter of Thyme, which is at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Just-Matter-Thyme-Collection-Satisfying/dp/0740765345 (and while you’re there, don’t forget to pick up The Marriage Recipe if you haven’t already).

Sugar Cookies
Main bowl
1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Side bowl
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Using a mixer (stand preferred), cream together 2 sticks butter, 1-cup-powdered sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup cooking oil until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat after each. Add 1-teaspoon vanilla. Set asideIn the side bowl, using a fork or sifter, blend together the flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.Add the ingredients in the side bowl to the main bowl a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then turn mixer to high speed and beat until light and fluffy. Using two teaspoons, spoon out quarter-sized dabs of dough and drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Take a glass, wet the bottom and dip it in a bowl filled with one-quarter inch of sugar. Press each dough blob lightly with the glass (once it has sugar on it, you do not need to rewet each time, just dip in sugar first before each cookie). Feel free to sprinkle on sprinkles or extra sugar at this time once cookies are flat. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until the sides are a light golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Tailspin Cover!

2008-04-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here is my new cover for September!

Rachel's Recipe #2

2008-04-14T05:14:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dump all of the following into a large stainless steel bowl of a stand mixer:

3 and one-half cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and one-half teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup oil (not olive)
1 16-ounce can of pumpkin
two-thirds of a cup of water
4 eggs

Mix together until blended. Be sure to get the stuff at the bottom. Pour into a greased angel food cake pan (the one with the hole in the center but not a bundt pan) and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted comes out clean. (Times may vary; check in 5 minute intervals after 45 minutes.) You may also pour into small or large greased muffin cups, but start checking for doneness after 20 minutes.

Rachel's Recipes part 1

2008-04-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

As you know, the heroine in The Marriage Recipe is a pastry chef. Thus, to entice you to read (and to cook!), today I’m going to whet your appetite with one of Rachel’s favorite recipes. In fact, all month I will be blogging about food. If you follow me around (sort of like a virtual pub crawl), you'll pick up four recipes and one blog on characters and food. I will be at http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on April 14 with the next installment.

So back to that recipe.

Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis tradition and favorite. There are two ways to make it—with the evaporated milk, flour, etc., or the just-as-good cheat/shortcut version using cream cheese. Here is how you make that second gooey butter cake (the easy version).

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter—melted

Blend these together until smooth (it will be thick). Press into the bottom of a 9x13 greased (Pam is fine) cake pan.

8 ounces softened cream cheese (use the bar, not the spread stuff and do not use fat free)
2 eggs beaten
2 cups powdered sugar

Blend softened cream cheese, the 2 eggs and the powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Don’t worry if there are a few cream cheese lumps. Spread this mixture over the first mixture pressed into he pan. Bake for 325 for 40-45 minutes until the cake edges are light brown. There may be a few brown patches on the cream cheese mixture—if there are, you are also done. Do not let the cream cheese mixture get more than a few or it’s overdone The middle will sink a little upon cooling. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. It gets tastier being one day old—so making it the night before is actually recommended.