#COOKING WITH CLORIS--HOLIDAY FAVORITES WITH GUEST AUTHOR BARBARA WHITE DAILLE

(Recipe and photo sources:  pillsbury.com)

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too! Learn more about Barbara and her books at her website. 

Hi! I’m happy to be visiting again and am twice as happy that I’m sharing another multiple Favorites post.

First—and no surprise, I’m sure—my favorite hasn’t changed from the last time I dropped in. Yes, I’m still all about the chocolate. :) 

And as the holiday season will soon be upon us, I’m now all about the fave chocolate cookie:  Peanut Blossoms, the cookies topped with a Hershey’s Kiss. Although really, holiday or not, it doesn’t matter. I can eat these little bites of perfection any day of the year. I will admit, though, they do make my holidays a little more festive.

In case you’d like to try the cookies yourselves, here’s a link to the easy-peasy recipe.

Second on my list today is my favorite holiday. Christmas is my number-one, for so many reasons. The family get-togethers, the food, the fun. The movies. The music. And most of all, the spirit of the season.

Now, I know in “real life” our troubles don’t all just magically disappear because we’re celebrating the holiday. But at Christmastime, I think we make a special effort. We focus on the good rather than the bad, the positive rather than the negative.

Maybe it’s just that we’re bombarded by holiday images everywhere we turn, and we choose to think about those uplifting images instead of dwelling on the often darker and depressing news. In any case, I think the combination of our focus and attitude during the holiday season does make our hearts seem lighter and life seem brighter.

It’s probably because I love the holidays so much that I came up with a story idea about a town that celebrates Christmas three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Snowflake Valley is a wonderful place to spend my writing time, especially as I’m doing my best to help my heroines—known as the three “bad-luck Barnett” sisters—find their true loves.

I must say I’ve had the most fun ever writing my new release, a Cinderella vs. Scrooge story about one of these sisters, a single mom who’s madly crushing on her boss!

One Week to Win Her Boss

a Snowflake Valley novel

Single mom Amber Barnett loves family, kids, Christmas…and unfortunately, her boss, confirmed bachelor Michael DeFranco. It's a crush she really needs to get over. Except, when she’s temporarily forced from her apartment, her only option is to stay at Michael’s private ski lodge, where she's the housekeeper. No problem. Her handsome boss rarely visits Snowflake Valley unexpectedly, plus he’s spending the holidays with his family. Or so she thinks…

A stormy Christmas Eve reunion leaves Michael seeking the solitude of his lodge, where he finds Amber in residence—and in trouble. Attempting to save her from her matchmaking family, he announces they’re a couple. His good deed backfires when they’re instantly included in each and every holiday event in town. So much for solitude. 

Only the more time he spends with the beautiful, cheery brunette, the more he yearns to make things real between them. But he and Amber want different things, and Michael could never be the family man she's looking for. 

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Note: For a limited time only Snowbound With Mr. Wrong, the first book in the Snowflake Valley series, is available for only .99 cents. 

FAVORITES, FAILURES & FRUSTRATIONS--GUEST AUTHOR BARBARA WHITE DAILLE

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. She’s here today to talk about one of her favorite things—chocolate—which she’s incorporated into her featured book. Learn more about Barbara and her books at her website. 

When I tried to narrow the focus of this post to one topic, I found it a challenge. So to ease my Frustration and keep me from being a Failure, I’m choosing a Favorite that covers all the bases!  In a word…

Chocolate.

I’ll confess, chocolate is my favorite food, snack, and indulgence, whether it’s included in cookies, cakes, ice cream, or served straight up.

Every year, July 7^th is World Chocolate Day, and this year the Guinness World Records website listed the “Top 10 World Records for Chocoholics.” Check out the post for some amazing statistics, including:

·               a $25,000 dessert (No, that’s not a typo. Twenty-five thousand dollars!)

·               a 4,506-lb. 3.9-oz. box of chocolates

·               a cup of hot chocolate measuring in at 880 gallons

That’s a lot a chocolate! Maybe even enough to satisfy my cravings. Find that post here.

For more fun facts and figures, do a search for “Guinness world records” and “chocolate.”

Since everywhere you look, you read that sugar is bad for you, I recently decided to experiment to see what would happen if I gave it up completely…for a while. Of course, cutting sugar also meant going cold turkey on giving up chocolate, as it was the main ingredient in 99% of the items in my “goody drawer” in our pantry.

The results of the experiment? A big surprise.

Other than a few days of suffering a withdrawal headache, I didn’t miss either sugar or chocolate—and even lost some weight!

As some people say, though, everything in moderation. The goal now is to watch how much I eat while still allowing myself my chocolate indulgence. Even more important is keeping an eye on the sugar in those servings.

To the right are a couple of things I’m trying to cut down on the sugar count. I haven’t yet used the baking chocolate, but the candy bar is surprisingly good. There’s a learning curve for your tastes buds, though, as the sugar content of each is much lower than in a standard serving. There are 3 grams of sugar in the candy bar, and 0 grams of sugar in the baking chocolate.

I would love to hear whether or not you’ve ever kicked the sugar cravings and what tips you can share with us!

A Rancher of Her Own (The Hitching Post Hotel #2)

A reason to stay

Ranch manager Pete Brannigan has no interest in playing tour guide to a city slicker like Jane Garland. But spending a few days with the headstrong photographer is a small price to pay for everything her grandfather has given the single dad. Though Pete's drawn to Jane's sharp wit and striking beauty, he won't hurt his young children by falling for another woman who puts her career before family. 

Jane's seen the world through her camera…and used it to shield her emotions. With Pete, she can finally let her guard down. If only he could do the same. Despite their powerful bond, Pete still can't trust Jane with his kids or his heart. But if he keeps pushing her away, he may ruin any chance their relationship has to develop.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR BARBARA WHITE DAILLE

Barbara White Daille writes short contemporary romance. Today she sits down with us for an interview. Learn more about Barbara and her books at her website and blog.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

I’d been writing fiction since I was about five, and in fourth grade I “published” my first short story—handwritten, with an illustrated cover. Seeing that made me know I wanted to write books, and I wrote my first novel—a mystery with a romantic subplot—when I was in the eighth grade.

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

Decades, really, because I’d been writing for so long. (See previous answer.)  But from the time I made the decision to focus on writing to the day I sold my first short story was almost exactly one year.

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Traditionally, in both print and e-book. I haven’t gone indie yet, but there may be a project or two in my future.

Where do you write?

In my home office, which is grander than it sounds. It’s a spare bedroom crowded with too many file cabinets and lots of books. Lots, because you can never have too many books!

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

Golden. Music and other noises distract me.

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

Nothing directly from real life, but when it comes to plots, often a headline in the news or something I read in a book or see on television will spark a what-if idea. With characters, I may pick up on an element or two from real people—a hobby, a hairstyle, a quirk, a favorite meal, almost anything—but usually these come from strangers I observe when I’m out in the world, not from people I know.

Describe your process for naming your character.

Brace yourself for this one!  :)  My characters don’t become real to me until I come up with their names. Or maybe better said, until they tell me. The names have to fit the characters’ personalities. They can’t sound too close to or (usually) have the same initials as someone else in the story. That “rule” can get broken when characters from one book show up in other books in the same series, although even then, I try hard not to overuse the same initial letters. First and last names must sound good together. And the heroine’s first name must go well with the hero’s last name because, after all, I write romance, and eventually those two will get together!

Real settings or fictional towns?

Fictional. They’re more fun, and I can put whatever I want wherever I want.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

I don’t know if you’d call it a quirk, but Jed Garland, the grandpa in my current series, believes he’s destined to be a matchmaker.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

Hmm…I don’t think I’m very quirky. Let’s say, I’m addicted to exclamation points! lol

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written), which one would it be? Why?

This could be a long list. But I’ll choose The Secret of the Old Clock, number one in the Nancy Drew mystery series. I first read that book when I was about nine, and Nancy became a role model for me—and for many young girls—in many ways. She was a feisty, independent heroine. She drove a sporty little car. She had a boyfriend. Finally, she solved mysteries, and things just couldn’t get any better than that! In case you can’t tell, I so wanted to be her when I grew up.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People who speed up on the highway, pass and pull in front of you, and then slow down.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Book, chocolate, and my husband.

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

You know, I’ve thought and thought and can’t come up with one. Every job I’ve had taught me something and/or helped me grow. For about three weeks, I did hold a job selling magazines over the phone. Never made a single sale, but I enjoyed chatting with people!

Ocean or mountains?

Ocean. 

City girl or country girl?

Meeting in the middle—small-town girl!

What’s on the horizon for you?

Thanks for asking. The next books in my Snowflake Valley series from Entangled Bliss will be out this fall and early next year. I love the “bad-luck Barnett sisters” who are the heroines of this series and can’t wait to share their stories with my readers! I’m also working on a handful of book ideas, all short contemporary romance and all the same home-and-family type of story I love to write.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

I sincerely hope my books bring my readers as much pleasure as I get from writing them! Also, all my books, even those in a series, are stand-alones, meaning the hero and heroine of each book reach their happy-ever-after by the end of their story. Oh…and FYI, my last name is pronounced Dale. :)

The Rancher’s Baby Proposal (The Hitching Post Hotel #6)

Her Secret Cowboy Crush

Ally Martinez has always been known as a fun and flirty kind of gal. But deep down she’s never forgotten the cowboy who left town. When her crush Reagan Chase comes home after a five-year absence, Ally knows this is her big chance. The guy I’ve always wanted. Only Reagan has something different in mind…

Still reeling from his last relationship, Reagan needs a babysitter for his month-old son. With Ally’s help, he can get his family’s ranch ready for sale and get out of Cowboy Creek. The problem? Ally is one seriously cute distraction. But Reagan will do whatever it takes to keep his heart safe. Even if it means losing the only place—and the only woman—he can call home.

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