Everneath Book Launch! Go Brodi!

Brodi Ashton's book launch was January 24th. I am sorry that I am a week late with my pictures, but I have an excuse--we moved! Again! Yea! Most people move around the country or the world, we move within a 4 mile area. Anyway, another tale for another day, because this blog is all about my sister-in-law, The Amazing Brodi (sounds like she's a magician--well she is--with words!). It was actually one of the most exciting evenings I've ever had. I wish that said more, because I am a little boring, but I know it would have been exciting even for Evel Knievel.

The King's English in Salt Lake City hosted the launch at it's neighbor the 15th Street Gallery.  It was packed and quickly became standing room only. Brodi gave a wonderful and very funny presentation about the publishing process. She wrote about the launch on her blog here and here. She then moved over to The King's English and signed and signed and signed.

I've watched Brodi through this whole process and she's amazed me with her dedication, tenacity and writing ability. She is going to have an amazing career and she's earned it!

Waiting in the wings.

The King's English supplied the cake.

Brodi's family on both sides provided the food.
We love to bring food to any occasion.

The Book

The Crowd!

Yep, I waited in line to get a signature!
Yep, I look like and am a crazed stalker!
You go Brodi!

Vegas Valley Book Festival Paranormal Ball--Where we were all winners!

We had the best weekend! The Las Vegas Book Festival was amazing and the Paranormal Ball, well, who could resist that!  Even though the Paranormal Ball was the last thing we did at the festival--I just had to start this blog post there.

You cannot really read the sign they kneeling before, but daughter S and L are both pointing to where it says, "The Paranormal Ball, Hosted by Brodi Ashton, with other authors attending." There were many other authors there and I thought it was incredibly generous of them. There was probably about 60 people at the ball and about15 of those were authors--we were able to sit and chat with many and it was quite amazing. For a list of the authors attending and some of their books read on--they are listed below where I mention the panels we attended.

Here we are in costume--so, I have to explain the costumes because they are from Brodi's Book that doesn't come out until January. Daughter S is the main character from Everneath, Nikki. She is dressed to attend a rock concert of the Dead Elveses--a band in the book. Daughter L and I are band members of that evil band! Don't we just look like rockers! It was really silly--but fun! Daughter S drew our wonderful Dead Elveses t-shirts in our hotel room. (Sorry, daughter S that I chose the picture with your eyes closed--but it is the best picture of me and the blogger chooses!)

I have to admit that I felt like an over-the-hill cougar on the prowl in Vegas. Not exactly my favorite look.

Daughter L was very paranormal, she could play the guitar and hula hoop at the same time!

Here are my girls with the talented Brodi Ashton who was taking a break from her hosting duties.

Here is Brodi hosting and handing out books. They gave many books away and we won two!!!

Brodi may just kill me, but I had to put a picture of her dancing the Electric Slide. Now that is a host that takes her duties seriously!!! There was no way you could stand on the side--we all had to dance!

I thought our Utah authors--Bree Despain, Brodi Ashton and Emily Wing Smith looked incredible. They were angels, but I don't think I knew why their wings were black. It's a mystery.

Daughter S was recruited to help hand out books!

While the Paranormal Ball was decidedly fun the Vegas Valley Book Festival was quite amazing! They had several different things going at once. First of all it was just a great book festival--there were panels, book signings, poetry readings, face painting, singing and yummy food carts. Then there was a special Children's Book Festival with a fun play area and authors--and finally this year the Vegas Valley Book Festival added a YA section to the festivities.

The Young Adult section is where we spent most of our time. We went to a couple of panels that were amazing and we were able to ask questions and listen to distinguished authors.

Here's a taste of what we saw:

1st Panel: What's hot for teens in fantasy and paranormal fiction.

Rachel Caine (the Morganville Vampire series), James Dashner (the Maze Runner trilogy and 13th Reality series), Becca Fitzpatrick (the Hush, Hush trilogy), Sophie Jordan (the Firelight series) and Bree Despain (The Dark Divine). Veronica Wolff (The Watchers series), Tera Lynn Childs (Oh. My. Gods) and Rachel Hawkins (the Hex Hall series).

In this picture: A side view of Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Caine, Bree Despain, the very funny James Dashner, Sophie Jordan and Tera Lynn Childs.


I wish I had taken a picture that included the moderator Rachel Hawkins because she was quite hilarious and also Veronica Wolf because she was thoughtful and interesting and she just shot the breeze with us at the ball.


2nd Panel: Contemporary teen fiction: the dark and the light.

Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why), Daisy Whitney (The Mockingbirds), Liz Gallagher (The Opposite of Invisible), Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), Emily Wing Smith (The Way He Lived) and Lisa Schroeder (The Day After).

Pictured here: Lindsey Leavitt, Emily Wing Smith, and Daisy Whitney

3rd Panel: Blending Realistic Fiction With Fantasy.

Jay Asher (The Future of Us), Heather Davis (The Clearing), Cat Patrick (Forgotten), Lindsey Leavitt (the Princess for Hire series) and Suzanne Young (A Need So Beautiful). Daisy Whitney moderates. 


Sorry I didn't get a picture of that.


The amazing thing was there weren't a ton of people, so we could actually talk to the authors. We stood in line and received a free ARC of Bree Despain's next book The Savage Grace that doesn't come out until March 13. Then we were able to have her sign it too!

Thanks Bree!

Here is daughter L with Sophie Jordan getting her book signed.

I am not usually a embarrassing raving fan--but this was just too fun!

I'm off to the Paranormal Ball-Should I wear a paranormal shoe to ensnare the paranormal prince?

I am going to the Paranormal Ball this weekend at the Las Vegas Valley Book Festival! Yep, you heard me--the Paranormal Ball. Why, you ask? Because that's who I am--I am a paranormal ball aficionado. I've been to them all (okay this is the first)!

Actually I am probably very close to one of those beautiful people who might go to a Star Trek convention--actually a paranormal ball is a step up from that--so all you paranormals out there--I am NOT dissing you!

I actually have a very good reason to go--besides the dressing up. My sister-in-law Brodi Ashton is the host with the most at the "Vegas Valley Book Festival YA Paranormal Ball!"  Honestly, this is just something I have to go and see for myself.

I am quite excited--I get to take two of my daughters and head off to the bright lights of Vegas. We get to dance, meet some pretty amazing authors, support gifted family members and maybe even dress up! The problem is now--what to wear? I have one more day to decide.

If you want to read a very interesting and informative discussion on why a Princess Leia costume would not be appropriate at a paranormal ball please check out Brodi's Blog.  Just for your information in that post I am NOT sister-in-law 1! (No offense intended sister-in-law 1, but it still had to be said.)

Here are some options--I could be an angel:

Technically these are cherubs!

He's no Angel baby--
Except he is!

I could be a vampire:

But isn't that just so trendy!

Could anyone really do vampire any better?

There are so many choices--fairies of course are in the mix:

So cute and deceptively dangerous!

There are: devils, demons, witches, mermaids, nymphs, sirens and the list goes on and on and on.

I think I am confident enough to just be Angelina Jolie--Don't even try and tell me that there is nothing paranormal going on there! (That goes for Brad Pitt too.)

So do any of you have any ideas?

You will just have to tune in next week to see what the final decision is! If I return at all--who knows what could happen at a paranormal ball!

And the lucky Everneath ARC winner is. . . .

I really have to thank you all for making this week fun.  I had a great time and cannot wait to have more contests. I plan on giving out more books soon including Everneath when it's published in January 2012.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I had to use my University of Utah hat--it has never failed me.

To be fair I wrote the names on paper, checked to see if you commented on Brodi's and my blog and then underlined the name if you followed my blog too.  Then I cut them into exactly the same size strips and folded each in half.  I was trying to be unbiased and professional -- like those accountants they always introduce at the Academy Awards. 

And the winner is . . .

Donna K. Weaver!!! Yippeeee!!!

What's for lunch and Sunday dinner? & 2 days left to win an Everneath ARC!

To all you Everneath ARC hopefuls just today and tomorrow until midnight to enter!  The clock is tick, tick, ticking away.

Now on to Grandma Florence's cookbook!.

September begins in my grandmother's cookbook with a discussion of the school year looming in front of all those homemakers and what to make for those pesky lunch boxes.

"Nine months of lunches lie ahead--lunches to be carried to school! These lunches must contain all the nourishment of a good home 'sit down at the table' lunch.'" 

My sit down at the table lunches this summer have been mac and cheese, hot pockets and noodles prepared by my own dear children--so I am actually hoping school lunch is a bit more nutritious. In my defense I do supply fruit for them to snack on too--will that save me in the motherhood department!?  Will I still have nutrition services knocking at my door?

I love her suggestions--but if you are going make these sandwiches make sure you buy a meat grinder--because it is used alarmingly often:

Big Boy Sandwich:  Rye bread, butter, Swiss cheese, chopped mustard pickle.
Mock Ham Sandwich: Ground bologna, mixed with sweet relish and mayonnaise.
Meat Loaf Sandwich: Hamburger roll, meat loaf, sliced dill pickle, lettuce
Peppy Sandwich: (Don't you just love that name!) Whole wheat bread. Add 1/3 cup evaporated milk to 2/3 cup soft yellow cheese, cream well.  Add 1 cup shredded dried beef, 2 tablespoons drained horseradish. Makes 6 large sandwiches. (Where do I buy dried beef? Is it just beef jerky? Oh the mystery.)
Salad Sandwich: Whole wheat bread, grind 1/2 pound of bologna or cooked ham and 3 hard-cooked eggs, mix with 2 T chopped pimento, 1/2 cup drained sweet relish, 1/2 cup salad dressing. Makes 6 sandwiches.
Irish Sandwich: Put through meat grinder 1 1/2 cup corned beef, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 slice day old bread, 5 sweet pickles and mix with 2/3 cup salad dressing and 1/4 cup dry mustard, pepper, 1/4 cup shopped ripe olives, and about 1/4 cup salad dressing (I think that is Miracle Whip).
Deviled egg sandwich:  Whole wheat bread. Mix together 6 chopped hard-cooked eggs, 1 teaspoon grated onion, salt, pepper and about 1/4 cup salad dressing.
Ham and Peanut sandwich: Grind 1/2 pound of ham or bologna, add 1/4 cup finely chopped salted peanuts, 3 T drained sweet relish, about 1/2 cup salad dressing. (Ham and peanut, who would have thunk it.)
Beanie Sandwich:  Whole wheat bread, try mixing drained cooked navy beans, ground ham, grated raw carrots and salad dressing.

Although I find these recipes intriguing and kind of want to try them, (the same way I want to try nachos at the movie theater--did that sound snobby and rude?) the one thing the sandwich creations have in common is--my kids would not eat a single one of them! (Well, maybe my older kids would eat the Deviled Egg Sandwich, maybe.)

Later in the same chapter grandma moves onto safer ground--event meals, but most specifically, Sunday Dinners.  I found the recipe below old fashiony yummy!

Pork Chops on Rice

6 loin or rib pork chops cut 1 inch think (I just used the Costco boneless pork chops--I just love them!)
1 T fat
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 cup rice (okay so I did 2 because my family loves rice)
1/2 cup raisins (I used dried cherries--family still inexplicably hates raisins)
3 cups water (6 if you double the rice)
3 bouillon cubes (I did 5 for doubling --in the future I would only do half of the bouillon, it was too salty)
Dash of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups milk (3 if you double the rice)


Brown the chops in the fat, seasoning with salt and pepper.

The meat would have been prettier if I had just browned it a bit longer!

I wanted to make this a one pot meal so I used a pan I could put in the oven and wiped it out after browning the chops to prepare for the rice.

Add the rice to the water and bouillon cubes.

Bring to boil and stir, cover tightly, and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Add nutmeg and raisins (dried cherries)

Add milk, and season to taste.  

Pour into baking dish--In my case I just kept using the same pan.  Place seasoned chops on rice mixture.

Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking for about 15 minutes.

I let the meat rest for a minute and then sliced the pork to serve. You could serve the pork chops whole--they were very tender. This was an old fashioned dinner, but quite yummy. It was also definitely a guilty pleasure meal because the rice was creamy and trending towards mushy--but good mushy (if you can imagine that).

I loved the dried cherries, but I think the raisins would have been better. The sweetness of the fruit added a nice counterpoint to the salty rice (a little too salty--I will take out one of the bouillon cubes when I cook this int the future).  I paired it with broccoli and butter braised figs. Everyone loved the dinner.

By the way what was your favorite lunch to lug to school?

Everneath Contest--Because I care for you that much!

I know if you  have stopped by my blog over the past couple of months all you have seen or heard has been  crickets--my mind has been empty and my life has been distracting. I know--excuses, excuses.  I have to tell you that I have been thinking of you and trying to find a way to kick off the blog again, well this weekend an opportunity of a lifetime arose.

Last Friday my brother nonchalantly stops by my office at work and sets a book down on my desk.  Nothing unusual there because he is quite the avid reader and likes to share his favorites. I look over and see that it is an advanced reader copy (ARC for those of us in the know) of my sister-in-law, Brodi Ashton's book, Everneath.  I became really excited, because I had yet to read the fully edited, gone to the presses version and I thought he was letting me borrow it! (I've been in a family line waiting for the ARC for weeks.)

Then he said "This is yours."

I look up in disbelief--"Mine" I ask in a muted whisper, my voice stolen by unbelief.

"Yes, yours to do with what you will!"

(The above version of events is dramatized because in reality there was some embarrassing squealing.)

So, after reading it greedily and letting my daughters read it greedily it is now up for grabs to you--because I just have to share the joy!

Thumbs up from Daughter L

Not only am I excited that I know someone who has an agent, editor, and publishing powerhouse behind her book, but I am excited because it is a truly, truly, truly exceptional book. It is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. While that industry description says a lot it doesn't say nearly enough.  It is beautifully written (as good as any literary fiction), it has soul, wonderful characters, absorbing plot, consuming twists and turns and it makes you cry, smile and sigh.

I loved it from beginning to end and the first time I finished it (after I had that moment of sadness when you finish a book you love and know that you have to leave that wonderful world) the hair on the back of my neck stood up on end--yes, it was that good--it was as if I could see it being published and loved by millions.  I also was a little sad because now everyone would know what a great person Brodi was and I would have to share her.

So, I have this crazy good, signed by the author, book to give away.  It has already been read by some reviewers, so it has the slightly worn look of a beloved book shared by a few respectful readers.

Here's the deal--I am giving this ARC away--but not for free. You have to do three things:

1.  Make a comment on my blog--any comment on any of my posts in the past or until Friday the 23rd of September, 2011.

2. Make a comment on Brodi's blog.

3. Become a follower of my blog.  (If you are already a follower--then good for you and you are already a step ahead!)

Then I will put the names in a hat and choose!

Stay tuned because the countdown to release has just begun--other prizes coming soon!