Road Trip Time Fall in Love with New England Conference

I’m off to the Fall in Love with New England Conference and I am so looking forward to it! There are going to be lots of fun games, panels and a book signing for readers and just as many wonderful opportunities for authors to connect with the readers and with each other.

Whether you’re an author or a reader, please take a moment to check it out by clicking here and if you’re going, please let me know so we can spend some time together! The book signing on Saturday is open to the general public and I’ll have some goodies if you come by.

I’m also getting to do this road trip two fabulous writing friends. I plan to pick their brains for some plot advice and on the way, we’re stopping in Salem. I’ve never been there and plan on really soaking up the sights. I’ll try to share pictures with you over the next few days if time allows. If not, look for the photos next week!

Fall In Love With New England

#WriteWed A Road Trip & Fall in Love with New England Conference #AmReading #AmWriting

Good morning! It’s Wednesday which means it’s time for some behind the scenes talk about writing inspiration! For me, meeting readers and getting to spend time with them as well as meeting other authors and hanging with them is a prime source of inspiration.

My trip to San Diego for the Romance Writers of America conference filled me with lots of energy and new ideas.

I know my trip to the Fall in Love with New England Conference will be just as awesome! There are going to be lots of fun games, panels and a book signing for readers and just as many wonderful opportunities for authors to connect with the readers and with each other.

Whether you’re an author or a reader, please take a moment to check it out by clicking here and if you’re going, please let me know so we can spend some time together! Authors – there are still some author spots available, so if you’re interested, please contact the conference chair.

As for me, I also get to do a road trip two fabulous writing friends. That means lots of talk about our stories, what’s happening in the publishing world and even better, my first ever trip to Salem! So excited about that.

Anyway, if you get a chance, check out the conference and I hope I will see some of you there.

Fall In Love With New England

#TuesdayMotivation Inspiration & Fun at #RWA16

I had lots and lots of fun at the RWA Conference this year, but I was also inspired and motivated to get to work on both old and new projects and to try new things to improve my career. I always feel more energized after the conference and this year was no different, maybe possibly better. I managed to do my first keynote speech and a workshop on juggling careers and life. I spent time with dear friends and made new ones. All in all, a fabulous time.

So today, I’m sharing some photos from the conference and I hope you enjoy them!

Sourcebooks Book Signing Authors:

Sourcebooks Dinner:

You can see lots more photos at my Facebook Fan Page! My page is open for public viewing, so no problem with seeing the photos there.

#WriteWed We’d Rather Be #Writing #Recipes

RatherBeWritingI want to thank my friend Lois Winston for rounding up a group of author friends to share time saving recipes and other tips to help you stay organized.

My recipe in the book combines a number of very healthy elements and you can change it up in a variety of ways with whatever you may have handy. Plus, you can use it as a side dish or make it a hearty meal by pairing it with some nice crusty bread. I like to fry an egg and put it over the dish to make it a main meal.

If you like this recipe, please check out the others in We’d Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors Share Timesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips. It’s a total bargain at only #99cents!

Swiss Chard with Chorizo and Cannellini Beans

Ingredients

2 pounds Swiss Chard chopped
1 cup cured chorizos chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can (14 ounces give or take) white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Preparation

Place olive oil in skillet and heat the oil. Add chorizo and cook on medium heat.

While chorizo is cooking, wash Swiss Chard, dry, and remove larger tougher stems. Chop.

When chorizo is browned, remove from heat and add onion, garlic and Swiss Chard. Wilt the chard and let any juice from the greens evaporate a bit.

Add beans and toss to heat. Add the cooked chorizo to the greens and beans. Salt and pepper to taste. You may want to give it another drizzle of olive oil at the end. Total prep time is about 20-30 minutes and the above will serve two people as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

Variations

Instead of the chorizo, try bacon, prosciutto, kielbasa or ham.

Instead of the Swiss Chard, substitute spinach, mustard greens, kale or escarole.

To bulk up the dish as a main meal, cube potatoes or sweet potatoes and cook along with the chorizo. Remove before adding the greens so the cubes will stay crunchy and then add back after you’ve warmed the beans.

Feeling in a soup kind of mood? Heat chicken broth, place the chorizo, greens and beans in a bowl and add a few ladles of broth to the bowl.

Voila, a dish that can have a myriad of variations! We call dishes like this refrigerator-cleaners in our house, but we also call them something else: Tasty! I hope you enjoyed this recipe from We’d Rather Be Writing: 88 Authors Share Timesaving Dinner Recipes and Other Tips.
SwissChardRecipe

#ThrowbackThursday Authors & Inns Tour

Many years ago I was invited to participate in an Authors & Inns tour along the Jersey Shore. My husband and I got to stay at the fabulous Beacon House Inn in Sea Girt, NJ as part of the event and we just fell in love with this part of the shore.

That’s what prompted our decision to move to this area and what eventually led to our daughter locating her surf and skate shop in nearby Ocean Grove.

Here is a picture of the authors who participated in the event. This picture was taken in the Beacon House Inn. The inn dates back to 1879 and if I remember correctly, this staircase came from an older home in the Philadelphia area that the original family once owned.
authorsandinns

#Giveaways & The Care and Feeding of Authors

Wow! February 1 is almost here! That means it’s today is the last day for entering the Breakfast with Caridad contest!

I’ll be picking 5 lucky readers to have breakfast with me on March 17 as part of the Liberty States Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference. How can you enter? just e-mail your registration confirmation with the subject BKFST WITH CARIDAD to cpsromance at att dot net before February 1.

As for #giveaways, I’ve picked a winner for the SHAMELESS BLOG HOP! Congrats to THROUGHTHEHAZE who has won a $10 Itunes card as well as an ARC for THE CLAIMED (Book 2 in the SIN HUNTER series, coming out in May 2012).

Now it’s time for today’s Tuesday Tip, something I haven’t done in a while. Today’s Tips are actually for readers because I hear so often, “How can we help you?”

Well, I think most authors should understand that with today’s economy, a lot of people can’t run out and buy your book right away. But there are lots of ways that readers can support authors that they like and here’s how:

1. Drop them a note and let them know. I absolutely love hearing from you guys and chatting with you is one of the best things that’s happened to me.

2. If an author has a release out, let your friends know by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3. If you have read the book, leave a review on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads or any of the other sites which permit reviews.

4. Blog tours are lots of fun, but they’re even more fun when people take a moment to leave comments. I really appreciate all of you who take the time to visit with me and do that!

5. If you get a newsletter and think you have a friend who would like it, forward it to them.

So there you go, five easy things you can do to help with the care and feeding of your friendly neighborhood author.

Fun Friday – RT Convention Photos!

As you may recall, I was hard at work last week at the RT BookReviews Convention. Met lots of friends and fellow authors. I want to thank all of you who came to visit during the conference and at the book fair. It was awesome to get to meet you face-to-face.

It was also great to premiere the next book in the SINS series – STRONGER THAN SIN! I’ve got the covers and some excerpts for you.

STRONGER THAN SIN a paranormal romance by Caridad Pineiro Back Cover STRONGER THAN SIN

If you haven’t been to RT, it’s quite an event. Dozens of wonderful panels as well as some great balls and mixers. It’s in Los Angeles next year and I’m already excited about going.

Wanted to share some photos with you from the convention! If you can’t see the slideshow below, you can also click on this link to my Facebook page or cut and paste this link into your browser.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058425&id=1130005412&l=d1363d1735