Keeping Up With Kacey (@KaceyHammell) #Writing #Life #Summertime

Good morning everyone! And Happy Sunday. Mid July and this year's summer in Ontario, Canada has had it's ups and downs. With more rain than we've had in years, beach days for many have been few and far between. While my hay fields are loving the long drinks of water they're getting, I'm not as enthusiastic about it. It has to be dry longer than a day or two in order to get the fields cut and baled. Basically it's a cut one day, let it lie for a full day to fully dry out and then bale it. But with sporadic days of sun then rain, it's been a struggle. Plus the time frame of hubby's work schedule and mine are also interfering.

Speaking of which, I started a full time job outside the house recently and it's cutting into my writing. I'm doing my best but it's difficult to have the energy after a long, fast paced day and a quite physical job. I've resigned myself to weekend writing. But things are progressing well and I am somewhat managing. My online presence is dismal, but it's unavoidable these days. I've never been so grateful to sleep at the end of a day. Being a stay-at-home mom for fifteen years, I was busy and my days were always full, but I appreciate the writing time a lot more now, as well as my sleep. I could stay up until two in the morning and be up at 5:30 and go all day without needing a nap. Now, I'm in bed by nine p.m. and getting up at five a.m. is hard as hell. But we all do what we must. Adjust and adapt has always been a way of life for me. 

But I have bought myself a new car. Being on the road more now for the job and needing something a lot newer for five days a week, I splurged a bit and have a shiny new toy. I love it. So, SO comfortable! I haven't decided yet, but I may be driving it to a book signing in Kalamazoo, Michigan in October. I haven't looked at all my travel options as yet (and it's like a ten hour drive), but I know I'll have something more comfortable than my previous car, and more reliable, should I decide to drive all that way. 

And in writing news, I signed a contract about a week ago. Another story coming out in the fall with Evernight Publishing. It is the sequel to Stirring Up Dirty, and the 2nd in the Stirred by Love series, called, Stirring Up Glory. I loved writing this story a lot. Drew and Glory, whom everyone met in book one finally come to a head with their past and their ire toward one another. It's pretty intense, but oh, so yummy, too. *g*  I'm steadily working on two WIPs currently. One is a wolf shifter, the other is a suspense. I'm having fun with all the characters. It's a new thing for me, working on 2 stories at once, but I'm managing. The suspense has a firm deadline that must be met, but the wolves are demanding a lot of attention to. And a writer should never ignore the voices in their head. *g*

I also have a new member of the family. Meet, Toby, my "grandson", who belongs to my oldest son and his girlfriend. They are both on their way to college/university in Sept, and have added a bundle of joy -- of the four-legged kind thankfully -- to their lives. Toby is a handful, so very energetic that his "Grandma" can't keep up, but a lot of joy too. Peaches (my cockapoo) has warmed up to him some, but she misses her peace and quiet days. LOL

Until next month, hope you're reading some great stories and enjoying the long summer days. 

   

www.kaceyhammell.com

When the bough breaks - Musings on deadlines and other mayhem

All was going well in my little world. Things seemed to be under control, and then… I looked at a calendar. Panic kicked in, along with the tearing of hair, flailing of limbs, and a fair bit of cursing. How did it get to be May already? I had ages left to finish this book. I had a month to prepare for a major software upgrade at work. There was a plan, dammit!

As you may have guessed, as so often happens, my plan didn’t survive contact with reality. I was out on a limb, and that sucker broke, sending me into freefall.

The software upgrade at my day job devolved into chaos and frustration as the work piled up and the promised technical support and training failed to appear. My desk currently looks a tsunami of paper hit it. There are teetering piles of documents, a plethora of sticky notes, and a desktop Zen garden that currently has a frowny face raked into the sand (I didn’t do it.)

As a result of the situation at work, my muse went AWOL. Not really a surprise, she’s a delicate creature prone to fits of whimsy at the best of times. I spend a fair amount of my time cajoling her out of hiding with cookies and long hours spent looking through stock photos staring at pictures of hot guys. (We romance authors like to call this ‘seeking inspiration.’)

My next book, Three of a Kind, will be finished on time with or without the help of my muse. (If she stays gone, that means more cookies for me!) To make it all work, a few things have gone out the window in the last few weeks. Housework went first, and then carefully planned meals. I’m eating take-out in front of my computer most nights, or dining on chips, dips and whatever unlikely combinations of food I can find in the cupboards. I’m even drinking Soylent these days. (No, it’s not made from people…Apparently, it’s vegan!)

So, my condo is a mess, my diet is that of a teenage boy, and my new motto for everything is “I’ll deal with that after the book is finished.” If this is adulting done right, then I would like a refund, please. This isn’t what I was promised in the brochure. Staying up late, eating what I wanted, when I wanted, and wearing pj’s while the sun is still up all sounded a lot more fun than they really are. On the plus side, there is wine. (and when this book is done, there will also be tequila!)

Despite the chaos, stress, and occasional deadline-induced nightmare (and here I thought those would stop after college.) I am grateful. I’m living my dream of being a writer and sharing my stories with the world. My life is messy, magical mayhem, and I wouldn’t change a thing. (Except maybe the nightmares where I show up naked and running late for imaginary appointments. Really, those could go.)

As for my muse, I indulged in a little procrasti-baking at nine o’clock last night and whipped up a batch of chocolate shortbread cookies. The fickle creature showed up by the time they were out of the oven. Now if only I could figure out a way to summon cleaning fairies, I’d be set. Do you think they’d show up for brownies?

Writing Deadlines, Cold Climes and Comfort Food @LDBlakeley #Recipes

Holy Smokes! How is it already February? I barely blinked and January is GONE. 2017 is shaping up to be one seriously busy year.

I think I now officially have nearly a half dozen WIPs on the go (that's a bit redundant, isn't it? Like saying ATM Machine. I digress.) And those are just the stories being actively written. My folder of plot bunnies and bullet-pointed story ideas is a whole ‘nother beast. And since I have a short story deadline creeping ever-steadily, I’ve decided to hunker down on this frosty February the First to get with the word making.

In the meantime, let me share with you a couple of my favourite warm-you-up from the inside recipes.

CARROT & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
It’s like a hug in a bowl. Seriously. Oh, and this recipe makes 4 hearty 1.75 cup servings. Why arse around with stingy portions, right? This is comfort food, after all.

Ingredients:
300g  carrots, chopped
400g butternut squash, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
10 mL (2 tsp.) curry powder (hot)
5 mL (1 tsp.) ground ginger
900 mL (1 tetra pack) reduced sodium chicken broth
250 mL (1 C) plain light Silk soy milk (I've made it with almond milk too & it's delish)

Directions:

• Add olive oil, carrots, squash, garlic, curry & ginger to pot with half of the broth (you can use veggie broth as well; I just happened to have chicken on hand)
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the squash & carrots are soft (15 – 20 minutes)
• Quite a bit of the broth will have evaporated by the time your veggies are cooked, so go ahead and pour the rest of the container into the pot
• Remove pot from heat & puree with a hand blender (or, you can let it cool a bit and pour it into a standard blender for the same results; I just find it to be far less hassle with the hand blender)
• Add in the soy milk et voila! Serve warm & topped with cracked black pepper

Calories: 129 | Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 268 mg | Carbs: 23 g | Fibre: 6 g | Protein: 7 g

CARAMEL PECAN APPLE CRISP

Believe it or not, this bad boy isn’t as decadent as you might think. I cobbled the recipe together based on a few others I’d seen and, with a few substitutions, managed to cut the calories and fat almost in half. Serves 12.

Ingredients:

Apple Filling

5 large Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

125 mL (½ C) Splenda

15 mL (1 tbsp.) whole wheat all-purpose flour

5 mL (1 tsp.) ground cinnamon

2.5 mL (½ tsp.) nutmeg

15 mL (1 tbsp.)  lemon juice

60 mL ( ¼ C) water

250 mL (1 C) Smuckers No Sugar Added Caramel Sundae Sauce

30 mL (2 tbsp.) chopped pecans

Crumble

350 mL (1½ C) whole wheat all-purpose flour

125 mL (½ C) Irresistibles brown sugar blend (or brown sugar Splenda)

250 mL (1 C) quick cooking oats

250 mL (1 C) applesauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a medium bowl, toss apples with Splenda, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water
• Spread apple mixture evenly into a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13") pan
• Drizzle caramel sauce, then sprinkle pecans over apple mixture
• In another bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar blend, oats, and applesauce
• Spoon mixture evenly over apples
• Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes (apple mixture will bubble and topping will be golden brown)

Calories: 230 | Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 46 mg | Carbs: 54 g | Fibre: 5 g | Protein: 3 g

Incidentally, Breyer’s Smooth & Dreamy Half-Fat Vanilla Bean ice cream goes beautifully with this (in case you were at all curious.)

Enjoy!

www.ldblakeley.com

An Authors Guide on How to Survive Writing in the Winter (Deadline Looming Version) @LaynaPimentel

Do you realize that the mound of snow at the end of my driveway is actually taller than me? Well, most people and things are actually taller than me, what can I say? LOL Welcome to Sault Ste. Marie! haha

Hi all! I'm baaaack! :)

So this girl has a super seekrit Regency novel due very soon with my editor, and with the temperatures consistently dropping, I can’t afford to be delayed by writing in a room that’s too cold. Not that we don’t have the heat on, but if you live in Ontario, you know our electricity bills have been soaring through the roof. Keeping room temps between 17 to 21 degrees is our typical range at home.

55k in 30 days is no small feat, not to mention writing a sexy historical romance. So with this month being my version of #nanowrimo here’s a few handy things that anyone writing, working on homework, or even gaming can do to keep those nimble fingers moving and warm.

•        Drink warm beverages. Whatever your choice is, keeping yourself hydrated with warm fluids is a must. Be it dirty bean water, tea, or even broth, it does a great job in keeping you alert and your phalanges warm.
•       Take a break and stretch it out. You’d be surprised how much you can improve your circulation and warm up with 15 minutes of stretching, or walking up and down your stairs. Physical activity is a bonus and good for you.
•       Dress appropriately. I mean if the room is 17 degrees and I’m not lucky enough to experience a hot flash while writing, I’m certainly not going to be sitting there in a tank top and shorts. 😂😂😂
•        Fingerless gloves anyone?

Did I miss anything? What tips would you add to keeping warm while working at your computer?

- About The Author -

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. She’s a bestselling author at All Romance eBooks and a multi-published author of historical, paranormal, and contemporary erotic romances. When she isn’t devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys hiking and researching ancient history, mythology, and weaponry. She lives in Northern Ontario with her husband and two daughters.

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