C.C. Wood's Blog, page 6

Have you ever participated in a scavenger hunt before? How about a virtual one?

If this sounds interesting to you, you’re in for a treat! I’m one of the sponsors of the Night Owl Reviews A TEA PARTY & BOOKS Scavenger Hunt. The event lasts from February 16 to March 8.

During this event I’m going to help you find some great new books. Make sure to check my featured title out along the way.

The grand prize is a $100 Amazon Gift Card. The total prize pool is over $1000.  Enter Now at: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Tea-Books-2017

Last year, I had an idea for a character that wouldn’t leave me alone. Well, I should say characters because the entire group of them seemed to pop into my brain fully formed. The heroine, her hero, her best friends (both living and dead—if you’ve read Zoe’s books, you know who I’m referring to), and the hero’s two goofy sidekicks.

I tried ignoring them because I was working on NSFW #3 at the time and it had been over a year since I’d released a book in that series. I wanted to finish Tanya’s story before moving on to something else. *Side note* Good news if you’re waiting for that book—I’m nearly halfway done with the first draft now. It should be available in late February/early March. Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m kind of late.

But these characters wouldn’t shut up. They wouldn’t leave me alone. It seemed as though they were talking to me day and night. Yes, in the middle of the night they would wake me up, demanding my attention.

So…I caved and I wrote the book. Don’t Wake the Dead, is the first in The Wraith Files series of paranormal romance-slash-cozy mysteries.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Well, Don’t Wake the Dead and the second installment in the series, The Dead Come Calling, are now available in Kindle Unlimited. If you’re not sure a paranormal cozy mystery will be up your alley, you can read an excerpt from Don’t Wake the Dead below.

 

Excerpt from Don’t Wake the Dead:

As soon as I walked through the front door, Teri materialized in the living room.

“What are you doing back so early?” she asked. “You get fired or something?”

I dropped my purse on the floor and tried to hang my keys on the hook by the front door. I missed the hook and they hit the floor with a clatter. I left them there.

“Zoe?”

“Got it in one,” I answered. “I was fired.”

“Shit. Does this mean you’re gonna move out? It’s been kinda nice having someone to talk to after all these years.”

Sighing, I kicked off my shoes and stripped off my jacket. “No, I have some money saved and the mortgage is low enough that it’ll last me a while. Thanks to you.”

Teri grinned at me. “Hey, I can’t help it if everyone in town believes the rumors about this place.”

She didn’t know the half of it. The Kenna gossip mill insisted that six people had died in this house over the years and that it was haunted by a demon.

In reality, there had been two deaths here, but nothing like they thought. The first owner had died in her sleep at the ripe old age of ninety-five. Teri had been found hanging in the garage in an apparent suicide. She was adamant that wasn’t case, that she’d been murdered. In fact, she mentioned it a lot.

Whether it was true or not, it had happened thirty years ago, so there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“We should get drunk,” Teri stated.

“We can’t get drunk, Teri. You’re a ghost. Ghosts don’t drink.”

“I know. I fucking miss it too. That and smoking.” She paused. “And sex. God, do I miss sex. Do you know how difficult it is to have an orgasm when you don’t have a physical form?”

I clapped my hands over my ears. “TMI! Do not tell me things like that!”

She sneered at me. “Well who am I supposed to tell? My pickings are slim for friends. You’re my best friend by default.”

“Oh great, so even the ghosts in this town would rather be friends with someone other than me,” I quipped.

“Hey, that slutty girl likes you.”

I glared at her. “Jonelle isn’t slutty. She just isn’t ready to settle down.”

“She goes through men faster than a teenage boy goes through hand lotion.”

I grimaced at her analogy. “Ick.”

Teri nodded. “Yes. It’s also accurate.”

I shook my head and walked past her toward the kitchen. I didn’t intend to get drunk but a bottle of hard cider, or two, wouldn’t be unwelcome right now.

Even though Teri is technically a secondary character in this series, I have to admit that she’s one of my all-time favorites. Believe it or not, she’s also based on a woman I know and love. She’s adopted me into her family (unofficially) and she makes me laugh all the time…even when she’s kicking my ass in FitBit challenges. She’s also very much alive and constantly providing me inspiration for more of Teri’s exploits.

I’m looking forward to sharing more of Zoe’s adventures with her friends. I have a feeling they’re in for a wild ride!

If you’d like to read the book, you can find it here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon AU

Amazon CA

For many years, I made New Year’s resolutions. Most of which I didn’t keep.

Then, for the last few I haven’t made any at all because….well, why bother when I never followed through?

Still, it’s important to have ambitions and desires, right? Even if they’re not on a grand scale. Otherwise we stagnate. We never grow as people, personally or professionally. I don’t like the idea of never changing or learning new things.

So this year, as December 1st came, I began thinking about next year and what I wanted to accomplish. Instead of making resolutions, I decided to set goals. Not just goals, but to make a list not only of what I wanted to do but how to accomplish each task. That’s when I realized the way I’d been approaching my resolutions in the past had been all wrong. Instead of writing a laundry list of things to do and checking them off, I needed to look at what I wanted to achieve and ask myself how I could get there. What steps did I need to take? How could I break down something that seemed overwhelming and make it manageable?

To those of you who have already discovered this, please don’t judge me too harshly. I’ve always been a late bloomer.

As I set my goals for next year, I feel a new confidence about what I can do in the next 12 months rather than the usual knowledge that whatever resolutions I make will likely be fruitless and frustrating. I feel as though I can publish all the books I want to write this year, take better care of my health, and finally, finally clean my damn office!

Well, since I’ve gotten all that off my chest, you tell me—what goals would you like to accomplish in 2017?

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m always looking for quick and easy dinner recipes that I can throw together in 45 minutes or less. Dishes that are healthy and that I don’t have to babysit on the stove while they cook.

This is one of my favorite recipes to make when I’m in a hurry but I still want something hearty and comforting. It’s also easy clean up since everything is cooked on one sheet pan AND you can use whatever vegetables you prefer or have on hand. You can also change the amounts of each ingredient depending on how many people you’re feeding.

Don’t like Brussels sprouts? That’s fine! Use zucchini. Love asparagus? Add it! You can use any kind of potato you have. I love making this with sweet potatoes or the bags of fingerling potatoes (you know, the ones with red, purple, and yellow potatoes). YUM.

This is one of the most versatile recipes I’ve ever made. As long as I have a loop of smoked sausage in my fridge (which I usually do since my Lil Bit loves it), I can usually throw this together on any night…even if I’m almost out of groceries and I don’t want to go to the store that day.

Please feel free to comment and tell me how yours turns out!

 

Print


Roasted Smoked Turkey Sausage and Vegetables

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Smoked Turkey Sausage, 1 loop halved lengthwise and sliced


3 cups Brussels Sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, & halved


3 cups potatoes, cut into 1/8ths (I used purple potatoes and you can leave the skin on or peel, depending on your preference.)


1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes


1 yellow onion, large dice


1 bell pepper, large dice, any color you prefer


2 to 3 cloves garlic


2 Tbsp. olive oil


Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit while cutting up vegetables and sausage. Try to cut the vegetables approximately the same size so that they cook evenly and in the same amount of time. Mix sausage, vegetables, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large bowl until everything is evenly coated with the olive oil.


Spread mixture evenly on a large sheet pan. I like to put non-stick aluminum foil on the sheet pan before I use it. It makes clean up much easier.


Place pan in oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are done, stirring halfway through cooking time.


That's it! I love this recipe on weeknights when I'm short on time or when I don't feel like spending an hour making dinner. My 3 year old daughter loves it as well! You can serve this alone or with rice, crusty bread, or a side salad. We usually eat this by itself because it is very filling. It should serve between 4 and 6 people, unless you have teenagers...then you might want to make 2 batches!


You can also use whatever combination of ingredients you have on hand, such as zucchini, cauliflower, squash, asparagus, and sweet potatoes. I've even added large frozen shrimp to the mix before and it was delicious. The variations of this recipe are endless!






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http://www.ccwood.net/one-pan-weeknight-dinner/

Well, as many of you know, last weekend I was in Orlando, FL for the Wicked Girls Book Weekend. It was fan-freaking-tastic! I loved it, even though the ladies I shared a condo with didn't let me get any sleep. I'm pregnant, I need my sleep!

Anyway, I met some amazing women (some of them are authors, some bloggers, and some just love books as much as I do)and I have been inspired. Tara Sivec is awesome and even more inappropriate than me, which is hard to accomplish. Katie Ashley is a sweetheart and extremely funny. R.K. Lilley seems so sweet but I've read her books and that lady has a naughty mind even if you can't tell from talking to her! I also met Raine Miller and I so want to be her when I grow up (if I ever do) because she is AMAZING!

So, I met all these ladies, picked their brains, got some great advice, and some even better ideas. Now, I'm ready to get busy writing. Lately, I've been suffering a bit of a block, but it seems to be improving. I also have a great idea for my next book. What did you think I was going to tell? Now where's the fun in that! Yes, I know, I'm a tease.

So, now that you're all caught up on what I did this weekend, go read Friends with Benefits or Frenemies. LOL. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Smoochies!

Okay, so I've been hard at work on a new book. Unfortunately, the new book does not want to behave, so it has been banished to a dark closet and locked in. Maybe someday said book will be obedient enough for us to work together again.

Now that my frustration has diminished considerably, I have a list of projects ready for my attention. The first is Kaylie Masters' story. Her novella will come out in a few weeks. If you recall, Kaylie is the best friend of Blair Bolton, whose story was A Kiss for Christmas. She's wild, crazy, and she will say or do just about anything. I have a feeling I will be very entertained by Kaylie. I hope everyone else will be too.

Also, I have a project in mind, dedicated to my favorite ladies on the East Coast. You know who you are. So, there are a lot of things on plate right now, including grad school and growing a human being, so I will do my best to keep'em coming. Please be patient with me AND, if you read one of my novellas, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads and Amazon. It would be most appreciated by a hormonal, stressed, pregnant lady.

Smoochies!

It's that time of year again. All the shopping, the food, the parties, and, of course, Christmas novellas. Tomorrow, December 10, my new Christmas novella,A Kiss for Christmas, will be available on Amazon. It should be available on B&N within the week. I'm very excited about this novella and I hope everyone enjoys reading Blair's story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Merry Christmas!

The word of the day, the week, the month, well, the rest of this year, is NO! I did not say this word enough in the last six months and I've taken on way too many obligations for this school year. So, the new book is growing slowly. Very slowly. I'm six chapters in and I have many more left. So, instead of mid-October, the book won't be ready for Kindle, Nook, and maybe Smashwords, until the end of year. I'm hoping late November, but it depends on how many things interrupt my writing time. Like making money to pay my mortgage or handling responsibilities for the music teachers association (I am 2nd VP this year and I do not get paid enough, or at all). Still, that's life and I love my volunteer work and my day job. I just love writing a little more. I hope everyone else has a great weekend. Mine will be fun, just incredibly busy.
Send hooch and strip-o-grams (I prefer tall, dark, and buff). Both will be insipiration for some very steamy sex scenes.

I'm very excited to announce that Friends with Benefits and Frenemies are now available on NOOK. Please check it out!

Now, I have to head to bed and dream up hot guys.

The hubs and I have finally settled into our new house. The last month has been so crazy and busy that I've been neglecting the new book. Well, my nose is back to the grindstone. I'm planning to finish the first draft of Puppy Love by the end of the month, which means it should be out sometime in mid-October. Yay!

Also, Friends with Benefits and Frenemies should be available on NOOK sometime in the next week or two. As soon as I can get the formatting checked, they will also be available through Smashwords and, hopefully, other sites.

Okay, it's time for me to curl up on my pretty new red couch and write about puppies, falling in love, and hot men.