electric mist

banana nutbread recipe

2009-06-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I gave this recipe out to a friend, who loved it. *We* love it, too, and my mom gave me permission to post it here.

Jerry McGee's* banana nut bread recipe:

2 c. sugar
1/2 c butter (or oleo)
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda (put soda into milk & stir well)
1/2 c butter milk (I use regular milk and add about 1 tsp. vinegar, stir well & let sit a minute or two before I add the soda to it)
1 c. chopped pecans (I usually use Bergeron pecans, don't know if it matters)
3 ripe bananas (very ripe, soft but not too mushy - skin spotty brown)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 or 1 tsp cinnamon

Soften or melt butter in microwave, add sugar & mix til sugar is absorbed, then add eggs, mix well, add flour & milk (with baking soda in it), stir. Mash bananas thoroughly, add bananas, pecans, vanilla & cinnamon to other mixture, mix just until blended together.

Spray pans with Pam, bake at 325 degrees, approximately 1 hr.

This makes 6 of the breads the size I gave you (I use the silicone pan you gave me one year, has six pans in it with a rack included)
Fill pans about 1/3 to 1/2 full - divide batter evenly between the six pans.

If you use the individual small pans, I put them all on a baking sheet so it's easier to take them in & out of the oven.

Can put all the batter in a bundt pan to make a cake. Or you can put it in 2 regular loaf pans.

Of course the smaller the pan, the faster it cooks, For small pans should start checking it in about 45 minutes. Can take it out of the oven & stick a toothpick in the thickest parts to see if it's done. If the toothpick comes out sticky, needs to cook longer!

Good luck!

*She added that she'd found a recipe in a cookbook somewhere and altered it to suit her tastes. That's been years ago, so if someone comes across the original somewhere, let me know.

Charmed and Dangerous is out...

2009-06-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

...and in the stores now. But if you're looking for other great summer reads, I highly recommend all three of these:

See descriptions below!

Atlantis Unleashed:

Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath eleven thousand years ago to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Now those powerful forces are uniting. So are two souls who are all that stand between justice and the eternal darkness…

A warrior prince…Lord Justice made the ultimate sacrifice for his brother and paid for it with an unimaginable torture. Now he’s back, rescued from death, his sanity shaken, and his mission inescapable—the search for the lost Star of Artemis. But the beautiful human female whom he has sworn to protect is shadowed by an evil that could destroy them both…

A woman of science…The archaeological artifacts of Atlantis speak to Dr. Keely McDermott, sharing visions of life long ago. The ancient revelations have cast her into a world between past and present, between reality and illusion—and, when she meets the fierce Atlantean warrior assigned to guard her, between terror and temptation. Now as their two worlds collide, so too will danger and desire…

A quest for a lost star…Atlantis is unleashed.

KISS AND HELL:

Delaney Markham doesn’t just see dead people, she hears them too. And FYI—communicating with tortured souls all day can really wreak havoc on your love life. Sans boyfriend, Delaney makes the best of her gift by holding séances to make ends meet—that is until one incredibly annoying ghost just won’t go away.

Besides being sinfully hot—in a college professor sort of way—all signs point to Clyde Atwell being much more than the ordinary spirit. In fact, he’s a newbie demon whose first assignment is to take Delaney back down to hell with him. Yeah, like that’s going to happen on the first date. Order Kiss & Hell and visit Dakota’s website.

BLACK AND WHITE:

It’s the ultimate battle of good versus good.

They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradford, code name Iridium, and Joannie Greene, code name Jet, are mortal enemies. Jet is a by-the-book hero, using her Shadow power to protect the citizens of New Chicago. Iridium, with her mastery of light, runs the city’s underworld. For the past five years the two have played an elaborate, and frustrating, game of cat and mouse.

But now playtime’s over. Separately Jet and Iridium uncover clues that point to a looming evil, one that is entwined within the Academy. As Jet works with Bruce Hunter—a normal man with an extraordinary ability to make her weak in the knees—she becomes convinced that Iridium is involved in a scheme that will level the power structure of America itself. And Iridium, teaming with the mysterious vigilante called Taser, uncovers an insidious plot that’s been a decade in the making…a plot in which Jet is key.

They’re both right. And they’re both wrong. Because nothing is as simple as Black and White. Order Black and Whiteand visit Jackie Kessler’s website and visit Caitlin Kittredge’s website

I am just about...

2009-05-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

the world's worst at posting over here. Yeesh.

I post four times a month -- every other Sunday at Murderati (www.murderati.com) and every other Thursday at Murder She Writes (www.murdershewrites.com). I tend to send random stuff to Twitter (because hey, 140 characters, I can manage to do that fairly frequently).

Other than that, I am writing like crazy on the new book. Which means, I am *very* happy.

stand by me

2009-03-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Totally swiped this cool YouTube from Max.

test-screening

2009-03-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

We had a test-screening Friday night of the film, LA 308 that I helped to produce. (I am listed as producer, but we all split the duties.)

The screening went great. It was a wonderful small crowd, just the right size. Their responses were incredibly positive (and the score cards were very high!).

gut-check

2009-02-26T13:47:00.001-08:00

I blog about following our gut instincts (and a whole lot of example from TOP CHEF)... go HERE and come on by and comment.

the tao of publishing

2009-01-29T07:37:00.001-08:00

Everything you really need to know about publishing can be learned from a garage sale. Crazy, I know.

I've blogged about it HERE

History

2009-01-20T12:44:00.001-08:00

A great day, a beautiful speech, a new beginning. A lot of work to do. Here's to hope.

over on Murder She Writes

2009-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have blogged about willpower and distractions:

Go here.

Not Dead Yet

2009-01-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

Well, hi there. I know, I know, I kinda suck at this whole "show up to your own blog" thing. I am going to try something new here. New for me. Short, quickie blogs, random things going on in the day, with links to the longer subjects over on Murderati or Murder She Writes as they go up.

So, yeah. My big observation for today? It is extremely cool to get something in the mail that you weren't expecting but had wanted:

An ARC for Allison Brennan's SUDDEN DEATH.

Ha! I wanted to run tell the internet NEENER NEENER NEENER. Because I am so cool and mature. I cannot wait to read it.

Bite the Vote!

2008-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you, no matter who you're gonna vote for, that you go VOTE TODAY.

And then, when you're done, go to Michele Bardsley's site and BITE THE VOTE for a great contest and her very funny book!

BITE THE VOTE...

…ON SUPERNATURAL TUESDAY

Tired of the same old bloodsuckers? Cost of medical insurance so high, you wish you were immortal? Between death and taxes, you're leaning toward death?

Whether you're human or not, everyone has a voice in Broken Heart, Oklahoma. YOU can Bite the Vote and choose the candidates that have forever to keep their promises. Unlike *other* elections, voters who cast their online ballots will be entered to win an awesome prize package with goodies from Michele Bardsley, Dakota Cassidy, Renee George, Molly Harper, Mark Henry, Jackie Kessler, Richelle Mead, Jaye Wells, Toni McGee Causey and MORE! (Complete listing at voting site. One winner will be chosen.)

Bite the Vote at:

http://www.BrokenHeartOK.com

And don't forget to check out the newest novel in Michele Bardsley's Broken Heart vampire series: WAIT TILL YOUR VAMPIRE GETS HOME.

Read Chapter One:

http://tinyurl.com/58nzdq

Pre-Order:

http://tinyurl.com/5q4u6m

where I am...

2008-10-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Oops, keep forgetting to update over here.

Today, I am blogging over here at Murder She Writes -- Allison Brennan and I will be sharing Thursdays at MSW and Sundays at Murderati. Today's blog is a confession... and one of the best writing tools a writer can use. It's my first official day at MSW, so come on over and say 'hi' whydoncha?

I am also currently staying here:

That's the view from the window where I'm working. And just to the left of me is this view:
I know! I am suffering the hardships here, let me tell you. Meanwhile, I have about a billion people in my house right now doing stuff, (work stuff), so it's nice to have the quiet while I'm editing book 3. (I am actually working. You know, in between staring out the window, hiking around the place to take photos, sitting in front of the fireplace...)

updating Gustav #5

2008-09-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

The front tree that luckily fell away from the house.

Limbs in the yard. As you can see, no flooding.

That's our driveway.

That's the tree that broke in half in the back yard, falling on the neighbor's fence.

Still without electricity, but still have the computer and the router on the generator and, surprisingly, still have the DSL.

Gustav #4

2008-09-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Two trees broken in half, both fell away from the house. Neighbor's tree fell on his, on the corner of his house, but we couldn't see that corner well (watched the tree fall, hit and roll, so it may not have gone through the roof). Still gusting, big limp just missed Carl's truck.

Nothing on the house so far, so am feeling very lucky.

Gustav #3

2008-09-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Lost electricity--Carl got the power and the router running on the generator. There are gusts of wind up to about 80 mph, and we have a few limbs down, but so far, nothing bad.

updating Gustav #2

2008-09-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

I worked 'til 4 a.m last night; adrenaline and curiosity combined kept me from being sleepy, and I needed to hit a certain spot in the book before stopping anyway.

The hamburgers Carl grilled were excellent.

Not much rain and wind outside when I checked. It's windier this morning, short bursts followed by stillness, which is typical on these outer bands. Lots of small limbs and leaves all over the yard, nothing serious yet. Our electricity blinked off once and came back on, as did many here, but the news reports that 33K households are without electricity in this area.

I'm going back to writing.

blogging Gustav

2008-08-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Light rain, nearly ten p.m. Carl has decided to grill burgers. I'm writing [deadline in two weeks] and no one here is sleepy anyway. Large supply of eats and beer. Hoping the wind isn't as bad as Andrew [92, had multiple trees down].

2008-08-31T02:00:00.000-07:00

Gustav is on his way in and there are preparations going on all over Baton Rouge--some to evacuate, but most of us here are not in a flood plain and we are the places that a lot of our southern family and friends evacuate to. So we'll stick and ride it out.

My house is about a half a mile from the Mississippi River levee, something I never thought about pre-Katrina, and really, I don't think about it as a worry as much as it simply there, a giant earthen wall that quietly affects where or not my house is flooded. I'm sure pre-Katrina, everyone there felt about the same about their own levees.

We have seen a lot of PTSD type of symptoms in people normally very calm--nerves, to sitting down and wanting to cry. If you were one of those people stuck in a hospital, for instance, it can be very traumatizing to relive those days again... especially if you're working in another hospital.

For now, it seems like our family is pretty well taken care off. Everyone has food and supplies, fuel, generators (or a place to go which has them), lots of the basics, like batteries. Most everything outside that could be picked up by high winds and turned into a missile has been picked up and stored away.

I imagine we'll take photos as the storm progresses. I didn't get many photos of Andrew when it came through here in 92 -- it came up through almost the same route and when it hit Louisiana, it was a CAT 3, and it looks like Gustav will hit at a CAT 4. (I know it's going to increase to a 5, but there is speculation that it'll hit at a 4 because it'll slow down and cool off slightly those last few miles nearest the coast.) Fingers crossed for a miracle that it stalls out there and falls apart, instead of coming ashore.

I will also be Twittering. In the case of loss of electricity, we have a generator hooked up. If the DSL holds like it did last time during Katrina, I'll be updating sporadically here.

email snafu

2008-08-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

I knew I was having a few minor glitches with email over the last couple of months -- the city is four laning a couple of places around here and it seems like every time that happens, the server lines get severed by accident or have to be relocated or maybe just were snotty to the workers and the workers beat it with a shovel. I don't know, but just sometimes, I'll get a sudden burst of email... that turns out to be from a previous month. Happened again tonight, with some emails going as far back as early June. I answered every one (and these were such fun)... so if you wrote me in that time frame and you didn't hear back, I may never have gotten it. There is some gnome in the gunks rabidly clutching to it, shouting "mine, mine, all mine" and if we can get some tequila into him, he might turn it loose and give it to me... but it might be better in the meanwhile if you just re-send, because I really would love to hear from you.

There is going to be a real newsletter at the end of Sept. The first one this year, but a real one with prizes. Quite a few prizes, actually, as I keep finding cool things I want to include. So sign up on the front page of the site here. It's going to be no more than 2 newsletters a year IF THAT. As you can all see, I'm not exactly speedy getting these things done. But like I said, prizes and fun and very possibly, an excerpt of something from either book 3 or a short story I'm working on. Maybe. Did I mention prizes? Yeah, go sign up so you'll be eligible for those.

Third Strike

2008-08-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

How much is it killing me not to have Zoë Sharp's Third Charlie novel?

Seriously killing me.

I love this series, and Zoë's writing skills make me woozy with happiness when reading.

Here's the great PW review:

Third Strike Zoë Sharp. St. Martin’s Minotaur/Dunne, $24.95 (352p) ISBN 978-0-312-35897-6
At the outset of Sharp’s gripping third Charlie Fox thriller (after Second Shot), the British soldier-turned-bodyguard, now settled in New York City and working for an exclusive close-protection agency, is shocked to see an interview with her father on the morning TV news. A prominent U.K. orthopedic surgeon, he is under investigation after the death of one of his patients. Joined by fellow bodyguard and boyfriend Sean Meyer, she encounters some of the most ruthless criminals of her career as she seeks to exonerate her father. Sharp expertly captures the frenetic energy of New York without sacrificing her trademark British wit. Charlie is as tough as she is damaged, and readers will kill for the next installment. (Oct.)

goings on...

2008-08-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

I really mean to post stuff over here, meatier stuff, and then I poke my head up and realize, holy crap, weeks have gone by. I dust the place off (and seriously, the dust bunnies? could eat the dog), settle in, thinking I'm going to be all normal and regular blogging and then... weeks. Again.

I do blog every Sunday over on Murderati.

And I do mean to brag on my friends here.

So, lately, some good news: my awesome friend, Stephen Blackmoore just landed an agent, Allan Guthrie. Stephen is one of those writers who both is darkly twisted and very funny and his blog is a daily stop for me. Go give him some love.

And speaking of giving love, Jackie Kessler's terrific follow up in her Hell series has hit the bookstores: Hotter Than Hell.

From Publishers Weekly
In Kessler's newest, Daunuan, master seducer and incubus, returns badder than ever. Pan, the new king of lust, wants to appoint Daunuan his second in command, but Daunuan must first prove himself by seducing a woman destined for heaven, claiming her soul for hell. Daunuan thinks this will be an easy assignment, but he doesn't expect to fall in love with Virginia, his target, and be willing to give up hell to ensure that she doesn't get damned for all eternity. Complicating his mission is that someone in hell has it in for him and has sicced a crew of demons on him. Daunuan also cannot come to terms with his feelings for Jezebel, a succubus. The plot is sexy and bold, and the atypical ending—a happily ever after pairing is not in the cards—is satisfying, even if the unconventional conclusion may rub some readers the wrong way. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Jackie is a stellar writer. She takes risks, she's smart, she's funny, and she's also just an AMAZING person. If you ever even thought about paranormal romance, go pick up her books.

fantastic trip

2008-08-03T23:28:00.000-07:00

Back home, completely bleary-eyed and happy. I think this was one of the best conferences for me, personally, because I really knew so many more people from previous conferences and online blogs / groups, that it genuinely felt like hanging out with friends *and* learning stuff. Our panel was packed and our audience seriously rocked -- they asked great questions and lots of them, which just made everything fun and flowy.

More details up soon, but meanwhile, my friend Emilie saw this at Barnes & Noble -- it's a new promotion they're doing and they're including Bobbie Faye:

RWA / San Francisco

2008-07-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

I am nearly packed and will be in San Francisco for the week at the RWA conference. This is going to be an awesome week, and I know I'm going to see a lot of familiar faces.

(I'm also one of those people who will look straight at someone I know and if I see them out of context, I will not recognize them. I've even done this to my husband.. er... after we'd been married eight years. So all the faces are going to be a challenge, and I'm just telling everyone ahead of time, I am totally cheating and reading the name tags first.)

I hope to take photos and get 'em up next week. I would say I will get them posted here next week, but you all know that would be a total lie.

y'all take care,

-toni

gun expert...

2008-07-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

Gun expert Nancie Hays answers questions over on Murderati today (and on The Lipstick Chronicles yesterday). Both blogs are chock full of helpful Q & A's for writers. Check it out!