Live to Love on the Edge Blog

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Special Saturday – Lisa Jackson Guest Blog

LEFT TO DIE August 2008 from Lisa JacksonOn Wednesday, August 26th, I’m having a special guest blog by Lisa Jackson. She’ll be giving us a super sexy excerpt from her latest release, LEFT TO DIE. In addition, I’ll be picking two lucky winners to receive a copy of LEFT TO DIE, T-Shirt and notepad from everyone who leaves a comment before midnight EST on August 26th. The two lucky winners will also receive a box of books and a CALLING vampire novel t-shirt.

Plus — anyone who leaves the name of my next release (hint — it’s in December) as part of their blog comment will also get an autographed copy of HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE.

Also remember, anyone who places this FURY CALLS widget on their website/myspace/facebook is eligible to receive a FREE CALLING t-shirt. Just load the widget and e-mail me a link to where I can find the widget. T-shirts will be available while supplies last.

Here’s the FURY CALLS Countdown widget. Just click on GET THIS WIDGET to get the code!

Get this widget!

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Fun Friday – Maturing Gracefully

Copyright RCA Used on Fair Use ProvisionsHad to share this with you! What supposedly happened with Julie Andrews turned 69. Turns out it’s not true but it was still so funny I had to pass it on.

FYI — I love Julie Andrews. Two of my most favorite movies are Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. My mom actually took us to see The Sound of Music one Easter when it played at Radio City Music Hall. I had chills on my arms as I watched the movie, especially at the end when they start to cross the mountains in order to escape the Nazis. I remember turning to mom and saying something like, “Just like us. We had to run away, too.”

Anyway . . .

Julie Andrews Turns 69 (Source of Story unknown)

To commemorate her birthday, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan ‘s Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was ‘My Favorite Things’ from the legendary movie ‘Sound Of Music’. Here are the lyrics she used:

(Sing It!) – If you sing it, its especially hysterical!!!

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I’ve had,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores. Please share Ms. Andrews’ clever wit and humor with others who would appreciate it

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Thoughtful Thursday – A Prayer for Christina

Copyright DRG Used under Fair Use ProvisionsI was sad to hear of Christina Applegate’s cancer news and that she had opted to undergo a double mastectomy at the age of 36. She’s cancer free now, but let’s say a prayer that she heals quickly and stays healthy!

Most everyone may remember Christina as Kelly Bundy, but I came to really respect her when she took the lead role in SWEET CHARITY. Christina broke an ankle during the Boston run, I believe, and then when it looked like the show was going to close, Christina stepped up to the plate to keep the show going.

Since “Charity” is my nickname, we went to see her in the show and she was great. We really really loved the show and so did others since Christina was nominated for a 2005 Emmy for her role. More recently, Christina was nominated for a Golden Globe for the ABC show “Samantha Who?”.

Here’s the promo for SWEET CHARITY featuring Christina!


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Grandma’s Bread Pudding

Image released into the public domain by Jason Perlow at WikipediaMy abuelita Nieves was a fabulous cook! She could take any combination of ingredients and make them taste great. Even something as simple as fried eggs and rice (one of my favorite quick meals).

One of her best dishes was an amazing bread pudding. I always loved it and try to make it whenever I can. The basic dish is simple to make and once you get the hang of it, you can try a number of variations, such as substituting brioche for the regular bread or cinnamon-raisin bread for a super cinnamony/raisiny version.

So here’s my Grandma Nieves’s recipe for Bread Pudding! I hope you enjoy it!

Basic Ingredients:

For the baking process: Large loaf baking pan or round quart and a half dish. Corningware is great since you can make the caramel in it and then add the pudding ingredients thereby using only one pan! You’ll also need a large baking dish to use for the bain marie and enough hot water to fill large baking pan halfway up the sides.

For the caramel: 1 cup plain white sugar

For the bread pudding:

3 whole eggs
3 cups whole milk
1 can Condensed Milk (Not evaporated, but Sweetened Condensed Milk. Magnolia or Eagle Brand are favorites!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Raisins (about a 1/4 cup soaked in water or an alcohol like rum for a kick)
A loaf of stale Italian bread (no seeds)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a large baking pan in the oven with hot, but not boiling water about half way up the side of the pan. This will make what is called a Bain Marie. The Bain Marie will help keep the bread pudding from drying out and will allow it to cook evenly.

Me and my grandma!Step 2:Make a caramel much like you did for the Cuban Flan.
Start with 1/2 cup of sugar and dissolve it in 1/2 cup to 1 cup water. Make sure the sugar is fully dissolved before you begin to heat it (if you have any sugar left, it will form crystals and be gritty). Once the sugar is dissolved, set the pan with the sugar over medium heat in a heavy medium/small saucepan or preferably, an ovenproof dish. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the sugar water is reduced (it should get thicker as it cooks). Grandma liked it light, but you can let it get golden and keep on going until it is a dark brown. (Again, be very careful!! Cooked sugar is very hot and can burn the skin if it spatters.)

Step 3: Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Mix in condensed milk, regular milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Break Italian bread into chunks and place in bowl to soak. Let soak for at least half and hour and then mix with hands to make sure there are no dry spots in the bread pieces. It’s okay if the bread pieces get really really small or even disappear. This bread pudding version doesn’t have large chunks of bread. Once it’s mixed, add the raisins and give one final mix.

Step 4: Place bread pudding mixture into the caramelized pan. Place the pan in the hot boiling water (bain marie) and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 45 minutes or until the pudding is set and a knife placed in the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread pudding on the counter for about half an hour before placing into the fridge to chill.

I always loved eating the bread pudding with a drizzle of condensed milk over the top (have you guessed that Cubans love condensed milk yet?)

Hope you try this out!

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Guilty Pleasures Monday – Aaron Eckhart

I have to confess that the first time I saw him, I was not sure if I found him handsome, but the more and more I see him, the more I find him attractive.

I just caught him over the weekend in NO RESERVATIONS which didn’t do all that well at the box office. I remember the movie being billed as kind of a romantic comedy and even the posters and covers for the movie (shown below) make it seem lighthearted and it was anything but that.

Copyright Warner Bros. Used under Fair Use Provisions

Could be why it didn’t do well. No one wants to go see a romantic comedy and have it be a serious movie. BUT — I liked the movie. It was quite touching in parts and Aaron was downright sexy. I wanted to see more of him and Catherine, but the director kept on closing the door every time that it was starting to get romantic. NOT!!! Especially if it’s supposed to a romance. But again, I would recommend it.

Here’s an interview with him about his role in THE DARK KNIGHT, the latest Batman movie:

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Fun Friday – Seeing Double

It happens often. You go to the bookstore and see a cover that looks familiar, but the title is different. Turns out, it’s a different book with a very similar cover. I had that happen recently with the JEWEL OF MEDINA (that we discussed the other day)(shown below) and another book titled SISTER TERESA. At first glance the women on the covers looked very similar to me.

SISTER by Barbara Mujica

Of course seeing them side-by-side now makes me realize they don’t look that much alike, but now I dare you. Actually, double dog dare you to say that the two covers which follow don’t look alike!

Are you ready? Click to see more! Continue reading “Fun Friday – Seeing Double”

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Thoughtful Thursday – Literary Segregation

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Word Clip ArtLast year I conducted a poll on multicultural fiction. I had a number of published authors (about 40) from diverse backgrounds offer their opinions on the state of mutlicultural fiction in publishing.

One of the topics on which I polled authors was Literary Segregation, namely, the practice of shelving books based on the author’s ethnicity or race or on the content of the book. This is something that happens in a number of book stores. I can’t speak as to whether it happens at many libraries as in general, I have not seen it done in my local libraries, but if you are aware of the practice at such locations, please chime in.

The vast majority of the writers were not in favor of this practice. Many felt that it reduced their sales and limited their opportunities for cultivating new readers who were not multicultural. During a recent discussion at the RWA National Conference, this issue arose once more and the consensus of the group that participated was again that this practice hurt diversity authors.

What do you think about this kind of segregation? Do you go to such sections in bookstores and/or libraries?

There seem to be many bookstores with African-American sections. Do you see similar sections for Latino books?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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