Grandma Wanner's Peanut Brittle

I know it's only October, but as the seasons change, I find myself thinking of the fun things we do during the holidays. 

Christmas traditions at our house include making candies and chocolates. Our family favorites are: Peanut Clusters, Peanut Brittle, English Toffee, Caramels and Pecan Turtles! 

Here are some photos of the Peanut Brittle making process from Christmas 2014.

Vocal Crush - Author Interview with Lisa Swinton

Today I have a special treat! Lisa Swinton, author of Vocal Crush, is joining me for an author interview so let's get to know a little more about her, shall we?

Sharee: When did you first know that you wanted to be an author?

Lisa: I didn't. I was invited by friends to join a new critique group they were starting. I had no aspirations to write a novel, but said I'd give it a try. That was about five years and three published books ago. 

Sharee: What is your favorite genre to read?

Lisa: Romance. Clean romance. 

Sharee: How has your mentor influenced you the most?

Lisa: Danyelle Ferguson (author or Sweet Confections) would be the one to blame for getting me into the writing business. And I'm extremely thankful to her for showing me the ropes. It was her idea to have me try and she encourages me along every path. And talks me down during panic attacks. She showed me the value of critique groups, online support, and the invaluable ways a conference could add to my abilities as a writer. 

Sharee: How did you come up with the ideas for your book?  

Lisa: Anything can be an inspiration. Characters I've played, song lyrics, movies, everyday life. It just depends on which one strikes me most at the moment. 

Sharee: What or where is your ideal writing environment?

Lisa: Bring on the beach. But, truthfully, I love my cozy office/desk tucked into a corner of our bedroom. It has lots of natural light, overlooks the street, and is generally a peaceful place. 

Welcome to the Vocal Crush Blog Tour!

Now for the fun!

Can you ever out run a broken heart?

Lexi Court spent seven years traveling the world, living the nomadic Broadway life, in an attempt to outrun the broken heart Nick Rivers gave her. Now, there’s nowhere left to go.

When she accepted a position as a high school drama teacher in Las Vegas, Lexi hoped to get over Nick, find a nice guy, and settle down. But what should be a quiet summer gets turned upside down when Lexi's best friend, Taffy, drafts her to be an emergency replacement coach on a televised vocal competition.

Feeling out of her league among the other three celebrity coaches, Lexi fights for the most promising contestants to be on her team. One note from a single voice shatters her summer. Nick unexpectedly auditions and joins Lexi's team. With her vocal crush on him raging as strong as ever, she has nowhere to run from Nick’s dreamy looks or siren voice.

Lexi has no doubt that Nick can win the competition. The question is does he want to win her heart as well or will he damage it beyond repair? 

GET IT ON AMAZON!

Get her other books.  Ring on Her Finger and Fallen Angel, are also discounted for a limited time. Grab those too!

Ring on Her Finger on Amazon

Fallen Angel on Amazon

Find me on Goodreads

Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY!!!

Rafflecopter giveaway

Finding Sheba by H. B. Moore

Finding Sheba 

By H. B. Moore

Dr. Lyon has discovered who attempted to assassinate his dearest friend, the Coptic pope. Only a handful of his colleagues would know the importance of the knowledge he had. Realizing the gravity of his situation, he had to let them know of the deception he'd discovered.

Learning who she can trust is the first item of business for Jade, the young apprentice. She travels across the world to join Lucas Morel, an Egyptologist who wants to know what happened to Dr. Lyon as bad as she does.

The young woman paused. She knelt next to one of the fallen; too big to be a woman although dressed as one. She lifted the wig, but her worst fears were realized. It was her father, the king of Sheba, murdered in an ambush. Grief and sadness turn to anger as she vows to find out who did this and find the king's ring - the ring of Sheba.

Heir to the throne, she is now Queen of Sheba. She must rely on her captain of the guard and maid servant to help her as this mantle falls upon her. After he saves her life, she is surprised and pleased at the feelings of her heart for him. Sadly, she tells herself it cannot be. She is the Queen and cannot marry for love. She must marry royalty. She travels to meet Solomon and her life takes a new course.

Omar is working deep undercover to find the clues that will lead to finding the Queen of Sheba's tomb. What he doesn't know is who's behind the accidents that keep happening to block the way.
Weaving the story through centuries

A letter from Alem's grandmother has a clue to aid him in finding the truth, but when he discovers an important artifact, he soon realizes there is no reward for doing so; only excruciating pain.

Mia is also working undercover, but she knows more than she can tell Omar. She is the best at what she does and will do what ever it takes to keep the Coptic Pope safe.

Jade and Lucas' paths cross Mia, Omar and Alem - also hoping to discover the burial place of Sheba. Realizing the danger they are in, they form an alliance.

Finding Sheba is a thrilling and suspenseful love story woven between past and present. Although it's a work of fiction, the story brought history to life as I accompanied Omar, Jade, Mia, Alem and Dr. Morel as they traveled through the desert to uncover the truth of what happened to the Queen of Sheba.

Hero of Blind Pig Island

Jimmy Olsen is a skilled storyteller who has the ability to place the reader in each adventure with an eye-witness view. In Hero of Blind Pig Island he gives you a taste of what island life is like. He puts words together in just the right combination to grab your attention from the beginning. His characters experience a wide range of emotion in every story. My favorites were Denise, The Hero of Blind Pig Island, and Reservado.

Denise tells the story of a young woman learning to scuba dive. As she struggles and overcomes, she moves on and becomes an instructor herself. In the end she is taken by the sea, but leaves behind a lasting impression with the man who was her mentor.

The Hero of Blind Pig Island takes the reader on an adventure with a young boy and his grandfather as they face danger to defend their favorite fishing spot from tourists that won't take no for an answer. His grandfather shows ingenuity and bravery as he devises a plan for them to deter the unwanted visitors.

Reservado puts us right in the middle of a stressful moment when their boat leaves Jack and Laura and the French tourists they were with to swim back to shore. In the course of the several mile swim an intense storm overtakes them. I found myself holding my breath with the rotten of every page and hoping that they would survive.

**Warning: Strong Language**

The Gates of Atlantis

We are excited to announce the amazing sale of THE GATES OF ATLANTIS COMPLETE COLLECTION on eBook. You can get this fantastic middle-grade series for just $0.99 (regularly $19.99). This sale price will available December 29^th through January 12^th. To help celebrate such a sale the Atlantis authors are giving away a Kindle to one lucky winner. 

Don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post!

About THE GATES OF ATLANTIS:

Centuries ago the great city of Atlantis had to be hidden from humans. Now magically buried in the depths of the ocean, it is the source of all magic. All is well in the magical world…until the leaders of Atlantis listen to the whims of a mad man.

A group of teens set out on their own unique quests to fight for the world they love. They face dangers they didn’t know existed. As they battle their way through mysterious tunnels and secrets of the ancient world, they find themselves in a race against time. One by one, the mad man will shut down the Gates of Atlantis and destroy the magic. Can these unlikely heroes stop him before it’s too late?

Book 1: BANSHEE AT THE GATE, by Wendy Knight: Half-human, half-banshee Seven loves her life with her awesome brother Haran and her dad while delivering souls safely to death...until Death comes calling for Haran.

Book 2: GUARDIANS OF THE GATES, by Laura D. Bastian: Mermaid Talia wants to be a Guardian. Exander wants to leave Atlantis and explore the upper world. An accident at one of the gates gives them both their chance, but they also make a startling discovery—someone is destroying the gates.

Book 3: SECRETS OF THE MINE, by Juli Caldwell: Adam believes in myths and magic. Clancy doesn’t. Two normal kids’ lives change when they embark on the adventure of a lifetime on the back of a sea kelpie...if only they can get away from the strange creatures that are determined to stop them.

Book 4: MAGICIANS OF THE DEEP, by Jaclyn Weist: A trip to Ireland changes Colin’s life when a bite from a mysterious fish awakens unlimited knowledge and dormant magical powers. He knows exactly how to save a magical world, but can he get there before it’s too late?

Book 5: MADNESS BEHIND THE THRONE, by J.R. Simmons: Phoibos, bullied and taunted by other kids, believes something is wrong with Atlantis. His charm with the nobility and skill as warrior as he grows make him believe nothing will stop his quest to purge Atlantis from everything he finds impure.

Book 6: BATTLE FOR ACROPOLIS, by Mikey Brooks: Talon keeps getting in trouble. It’s not his fault things around him randomly burst into flame, but he’s not sticking around to find out what happens next. When foster sister Hattie encourages him to run, they make a break for it, only to find an unexpected destiny awaiting them in Atlantis. They just have to get there first. When they do, they find a lot of help. Characters from all the previous books appear to help fight Phoibos. These unlikely heroes risk it all to save the magic and fight for Atlantis.

Where to get the series on eBook:

Kindle: http://goo.gl/tiku9j

Nook: http://goo.gl/dmXSXN

Kobo: http://goo.gl/HqGuhC

iTunes: http://goo.gl/sSeNxB

The GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will be selected to win a Kindle, 6" Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, Wi-Fi (Retail price of $79.99). A winner will be selected from those living within the continental United States. The winner will be announced January 13^th and they will be notified via email to provide a valid mailing address. Good luck to all the entries and thank you for helping us share the news about this awesome series.

a Rafflecopter giveaway