February 12, 2014

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and most guys are probably rolling their eyes and moaning, “I just got through Christmas” or “Man, I screwed up with my last gift. I really need to give her something great. It’s too cold to sleep in the doghouse.”

Relax guys. I’ll tell you want woman. Romance.

Romance is not something you can buy in a store. It doesn’t cost a cent. The expensive flowers are great, and so are the chocolate and jewelry. They’re appreciated, but they’re not romance. And if they’re presented in a less than a romantic way, you’re dog meat.

Romance is when a guy shows the woman in his life how much he cares for her. Like, placing his hand on the small of her back as they walk side by side, brushing her hair back from her face, or leaving for work and rushing back in the door, again, for another kiss. Make her a cup of tea or rub her shoulders. Or surprise her with a candle lit bath.

I think the most romantic thing my DH has ever done for me is send me a postcard telling me he really loves me for no reason of all—not my birthday, not Valentine’s Day, not an any anniversary . It really doesn’t take much to make her heart swell.

Love isn't one-sided by any means. My DH loved to have his back rubbed too. He loved his favorite fresh baked pie. He loved that I sat beside him and watched a game--any sport. He loved that I would let the romantic in me shine not only on Valentine's Day but also every day.

So, for the ladies reading this blog, help the guys out and share what you’d consider romantic? And what plans do you have for your love?

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Autumn Jordon is a quiet nut who writes both contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her most recent story, PERFECT, remained in the top ten on Amazon in contemporary romance, romantic comedy and holiday romance for six weeks. Join her newsletter for the ltest news at www.autumnjordon.com

Holidays are a time for family and friends, but with all we have to do it seems there is little time left over to spend with the family and friends. Let me share my philosophy, which might help relieve the stress your feeling. Your family and friends will never know or notice what you didn’t get done. They will only see all that you did do.

So this year, I’m baking a limited amount of Christmas cookies and not the piles I normally do. There are always so many left over and I’m the one who tries to eat as many as I can before feeding the rest to the birds and deer. I don't need or have time to spend extra minutes on the treadmill.



Everyone will get one wrapped gift this year, so they get that feeling of opening a surprise package but the rest of the gifts are going into bags or are card gifts.

Christmas breakfast will be a crockpot filled with cream chipped beef which can be made the day before. Christmas dinner will not be the sit down dinner that Thanksgiving was, but trays of lasagna which I also will make the day before. I'm using throw away trays mind you. WINK And, desert will be cookies, chocolates, fruit and maybe a pie or two.

Am I being lazy. No. My whole family isn't able to get together very often. Life is too busy for us all. I don't want to spend it in the kitchen. I'd rather enjoy them. Memories are made when you're together, not over the internet.

So do you have any time-saving hints or recipes for this holiday?

November 15, 2013

This year, Thanksgiving is at your house and you’re beginning to wonder why you agreed to host the family event. Relax. I’ve got tips for you.

Why should you take my advice? Well, I’ve hosted Thanksgiving, among other events, for more than twenty years for small, large and huge groups. And, I’m not only an award-winning author, but also— a long time ago— an award-winning restaurant manager. So, I have some experience at preparing feasts for many. Organization is one of my talents.

It’s always good to have a plan, so let’s start.

First, you need to do is decide three things. What style of dining you want your party to be—buffet or sit down. The style will play a part in your menu. You certainly don’t want to serve soup at a buffet. Too many opportunities for spills.

Second, your guests. How many will be attending your celebration? This number will also determine what is the best style for your feast. If you really envision a sit down dinner, you’ll have to limit the guests, or have a second sitting and even a third sitting. Extra sittings is not my idea of a fun-filled day.

Third, the menu. Menus for Thanksgiving can range from the traditional Norman Rockwell’s portrayal of roast turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce to Wild Salmon and rice. Make the holiday your own by combining traditions of guests. If invited family or friends offer to make dishes, let them, but ask if they intend to cook or bake their dish before arriving. Seriously, I’ve had someone bring their unbaked dish to dinner, expecting room in my oven and time to bake it.

My last tip has nothing to do with the meal. Activities. You’ll have a household full and while dinner is part of the agenda, it’s not the whole day. And while I love enjoying watching football, not everyone does, so have other activities planned. My children and grandchildren love playing bingo. A game set can be purchased at a dollar store along with prizes. And while very few think of November as a time to fly a kite, it is great fun and exercise.

Now with your style, guests and menu decided, make a game plan.

Two weeks out from the holiday:
1) Confirm guests and time.
2) Review recipes and make shopping list for all dishes.
3) Anytime this week, check china, silverware, glassware and all serving dishes and platters, including salt and pepper shakers (wash & fill), butter dishes, gravy bowls, bread baskets, etc. Wash them and store them until ready to set your table.
If you’re planning to use paper or plasticware, buy it this week, especially if you’re thinking of holiday theme. You don’t have time to run from store to store searching for the last few packs on the shelves.
4) Check tablecloths, napkins, and any other decorative items, such as candles and candleholders. I’ve come for my candles only to remember they were used last storm or broken. Purchase wanted items now.
5) During this week, you could actually arrange your furniture and set your table to ensure enough elbow room. It’s better to have the space all planned now then to try to arrange it during the time you will be baking and cooking. Arrange for extra necessary table space or seating.

One week out from the holiday:

1) Double check your grocery list and head to the store. (It’s a good idea to buy extra plastic containers and Ziploc bags for guests to take leftovers home.)
2) Think about your cooking timeline. I have one oven and a lot to bake, so I start my timeline at 1 pm, since my family usually sits down then and I work my way backward. The star of my dinner is the turkey, which I know must come out of the oven by 11:45. It has to sit and can be kept warm. So, depending on the size of the bird is when the turkey must go in my oven. 11:45 works, because my stuffing and corn pudding needs to bake for an hour so it can go in the oven then, along with mash potatoes and yams or any other dishes that need to be warmed. (It’s a good idea, especially if you have limited space, to put all baking dishes in the oven beforehand to ensure they fit) At 12:45, those food items come out and rolls go in for the last fifteen minutes while all other food is put into dishes and placed on the table. During the last hour, veggies can be steamed or warmed.
3) Cleaning. Honestly, I do a light house cleaning before the holiday, because the house is going to need a deep clean after the crowd leaves.

Two days before the holiday:

1) Some dishes can be made now. I find stuffing and candy yams taste much better when made ahead.
2) If you possibly can, set your table.

3) Make ice if you don’t have an ice maker.

Day before holiday:

1) Other dishes can be made early. Ie: mash potatoes, pies, desserts, veggie trays.
2) I put my applesauce and cranberry sauces into bowls and refrigerate.
3) I’m in northeast PA and have been able to use my outside gas grill as an extra cold storage for items prepared ahead. Think out of the box when space is limited.

The holiday:
You’re organized and ready. Stay with your timeline and if something hiccups, don’t sweat it. Your friends and family only will know what you’ve done, not what wasn’t done.

Enjoy the day and as always thanks for stopping by!

Ps: if anyone has found a time saving tip that has worked for them, please share.

Monday was one of those rainy, dreary days but right before sunset the clouds pushed out and the sun poured through the valley. Its brilliance revealed a glorious rainbow. It was huge, arching the Lizard Creek Valley, spanning from mountain top to mountain top and vibrant with color.

Sitting in my living room, I watched it appear and wondered at the sight. I deliberated stopping what I was doing (watching a sitcom)

and running for my camera to snap a picture, but I foolishly decided to wait a minute more until a commercial aired. Before a minute passed the colors, which were more brilliant than I’ve ever witnessed in a rainbow before, faded away. The clouds moved back in, fog rose in the valley and soon the valley below and the mountains disappeared. I'd missed the moment and doing so sadden me.

It seems each year slips by faster than the last. Maybe because we’re busier. The world indeed is growing smaller and our circle of friends grows larger. Relationships take time to nurture. We have to give of ourselves in order to receive. That isn’t a bad thing. A truly rich man or woman has many friends.

However busy we are, it is important to remember to take time for ourselves and enjoy

the world the around us. If we don’t seize the moments, opportunitites, and events when they present themselves, they're forever gone.

My neighbor owns a blueberry farm. Great for me because I love, love, love blueberries. I can’t pick enough to satisfy my craving for them before the season, in our area, is over. The low bush blueberry flourishes in the forests of Maine, making Maine the largest producer of the fruit in the world. LOL, I might need to make a trip north.

A large portion of the calories in this food comes from sugars. One cup equals 84 calories. Yikes! I eat them like popcorn, so no wonder I’ve been fighting the scale.
The fruit does have awesome health benefits, however. Blueberries are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, and a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. Blueberries are packed with antioxidant power, which comes from high levels of anthocyanins, a type of plant compound.

Also, Research has shown that blueberries have improved insulin sensitivity in overweight men and women, and lower blood pressure levels in pre-diabetic men and women without raising blood sugar. The key may be the anthocyanins, which have been shown in several laboratory-based animal and cell studies to cause blood vessels to relax and increase production of nitric oxide that helps in maintaining normal blood pressure.

Berries also have anti-inflammatory effects and may be a memory-protecting food. Good news for me, because some days I wonder where I left my head.
The resveratrol found in blueberries may help prevent macular degeneration, a disease of the retina and the leading cause of blindness in people older than 65, according to vision researchers. Like the cranberry, blueberries might help prevent bladder infections by preventing bacteria from attaching to the walls of the bladder.
Who knew this little blue fruit could do all this.

One of my favorite recipes is a blueberry custard pie. It is yummy, but remember, if you do try it, like any other fruit pie, it contains sugar and should be enjoyed with that in mind.

AJ’s Awesome Blueberry Custard

Preheat oven to 400°.
Make a pie crust for a deep dish 9 inch pie pan.
Mix together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 egg yolks (set whites aside).
Then add 2 1/2 cups of blueberries.
Beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Fold 1/3 of stiffen whites into mixture at a time. (DO NOT MIX- FOLD)
Pour slowly into unbaked pie crust and place in oven. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes then turn down to 375°. Bake until top is nice and brown and when you insert a knife it comes out clean.


Enjoy!

Oh, my God. I don’t want to do ____. I want to just____. You fill in the blanks.

How many times have you said this to yourself? Once in a great while? Once a month? Once a week? Every day?

I admit I've said I don’t want to at least once a month, and no, it's not concerning cleaning the bathroom. Something pressing (we’ll call something IT)... IT always comes up and for some unknown reason I’m the only one in the universe that can handle IT. IT pulls me away from what I really long to do, like write, read or spend time with my family. IT can and will ruin your day, if you let it.

I don’t like days that are unproductive. I’m not talking about lazy days. They’re productive in their own way—recharging your body and soul. I’m talking about those days where it seems you get nothing done because if IT, including IT. So how do I make sure IT doesn't ruin my day?

I’m a big list person. Not the biggest. There are days I get wild and wing it. But most days, I will sit down and write a list of things I want to accomplish. I’m realistic in making the list. I know my limits. Most days there is maybe five or six wants-to-get-done. And if IT shows up, guess where IT goes? Right. At the top of the list.

I face IT head on, even though IT might be huge and ugly, and in bold letters IT is the first item of the day. I rolled up my sleeves and tackle IT first. When IT is done and out of the way, my energy level always seems to skyrocket and I whiz through the rest of the items on my list.

(WARNING LABEL) If IT is so big and can’t be accomplished one day, that’s okay. You know it up-front. IT might be the only thing on your list for a day or several. BUT, when IT is finally done, it’s done, and you then can focus on what you really want to do. It’s all about attitude.

Today is National Professional Secretaries Day. I know this because for twenty-two years I was a secretary. For eleven of those twenty-two years, I was a corporate secretary and had five secretaries under me. Let me tell you each one of those ladies earned their pay. Keeping the corporate world straight is a damn hard job. Each year, our boss thanked us for being meticulous in our duties by sending us bouquets of flowers and buying lunch. Even during tough times, he managed to send a thank you and we appreciated him for appreciating us.

I never knew when this tradition started, so I decided to look up its origin and share it with the PFS readers. The first National Secretaries Day was celebrated in 1952. Its founder was Mr. Harry Klemfuss, who handled the Dictaphone Corporation account for the Young & Rubicam advertising agency. He thought secretaries deserved recognition and wanted to encourage more people to enter the field. Mr. Klemfuss along with the National Secretaries Association (now called the International Association of Administrative Professionals) and a few office product manufacturers persuaded Charles Sawyer, then the secretary of commerce, to proclaim the first National Secretaries Week. Mr. Klemfuss passed on July 30, 2009. Let us also remember him today.

Today is Dyngus Day or Dingus Day. It's always observed on the Monday after Easter Sunday. The day is also called Wet Monday because it's Monday and... Hmmmmm. Why?


After the long Lenten holiday, Dyngus Day is the first day of renewed life. Historians point to the baptism of Polish Prince Mieszko I in 966 A.D. as the origin of this holiday. Baptism with water signifies cleansing, fertility, and purification. Okay, that is where the water comes in. Dyngus Day is a day of celebration and fun, even a little romantic fun.

Now, I have your attention. Read on...

One ritual, on this day, boys are to run after their loves, catch them and then wet them down. Yup, they're suppose to sprinkle or drench their woman folk with water. This custom is very popular in Poland, and in Polish communities in America, especially in Buffalo, New York.

Yes, guys, get out your squirt guns, buckets, or other containers of water. It’s not my idea of romance but who am I to say anything about a tradition that has thrived for hundreds of years.



The tradition also asserts that the guys can gently hit their lady love on the legs with pussy willows.

Ha! I knew there was a reason I didn’t plant pussy willows. But I guess any switch can be used. DRAT!



Now, for the revenge part of my blog and the tradition. Ladies, you get to strike back. On Tuesday, the folklore states that you throw dishes or crockery at your man. Pay back, right? WINK

So, ladies, are you going to share the information on this holiday with your love? Mistakenly, I did. Now, I'm watching my back.

The last day of March and it's going out like a soaky lamb here in NE Pennsylvania. It's been exceptionally warm and there is a lot in bloom, like my flowering pear tree.

March has been an exciting month for me. For those of you who don’t know, I jumped into the indie world this week. It took a lot of reading and researching but I did it. I’m pretty proud of myself.


Oh, the book is titled, ‘His Witness To Evil’. I just love my new cover. What do you think?



‘His Witness To Evil’ is on sale at Amazon. Here’s the link. http://www.amazon.com/His-Witness-To-Evil-ebook/dp/B007MBA1O0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332340994&sr=1-1 If you hop over there, please like & check off the tag boxes.

As of this morning it is up on B&N as a Nook book. I’m very excited about this new adventure, so I hope you'll take moment after you finish reading this post and read more at Amazon or B&N.

Here’s a blurb for ‘His Witness To Evil’.

Based on true events, awarding-winning author Autumn Jordon has penned a thrilling romantic suspense set in the backwoods and small towns of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stephanie Boyd’s ordinary world changes forever when she and her children witness a blood bath. To escape the wrath of the Russian Mafia, she has no choice but to help the FBI uncover the mafia’s mole inside the U.S. Treasury. While on the run with the handsome agent who is willing to die for them, Stephanie learns the meaning of self-sacrifice and love.

Agent John Dolton’s only break in solving the case that cost him everything is a couple of kids and a beautiful widow. But keeping them safe seems impossible when their every move is foreseen by their enemy. Within weeks, Stephanie and her children soften the loner’s heart and John allows himself to let go of his all-consuming sorrow. This time John vows not to fail to protect the family he comes to love.

True events?

I see your eyebrows raised. Yes, true events. Life is stranger than fiction.

The idea for the book came when a trailer containing US funds went missing from the lot of the trucking company I had worked for. It was stolen, just missed directed for an hour. Tractor-trailers are stolen every day, for the product being hauled.

Another element is also true and has been verified by the FBI director of the branch FBI office near my home. I can’t tell you what that is, because I would be giving away part of the suspense plot. You’ll just have to read ‘His Witness To Evil’ and try to figure it out.

So how is March leaving in your area?

Tuesday is the first day of spring. Signs of its arrival have been popping up and out for the past three weeks here in NE PA. It was reported that Punxsutawney Phil was not available for comment concerning Mother’s Nature thumbing her nose at him. HA ha-ha!

Spring brings many memories to my mind. One is my grandmother. As soon as the weather broke and the coal stove was dampened down and the windows open to let fresh air breeze through the house, it was time for spring cleaning. The furniture was moved back and the carpets rolled up and taken outside and hung over the wash line. It was the younger childrens job to bat the heck out of them. The carpets wouldn’t be brought back into the house until the last a spec of dust fell from the carpet's fibers.

While the carpets were handled, drapes, furniture cushions, and pillows found their way to the wash line too. The venetian blinds were stripped from the windows and put into huge tubs of sudsy water. Grandpa was called if any repairs had to be made. This was the time, before the real work began.

Once he was done, and his tools put away, the furniture was brushed and wiped down. (They didn’t have vacuum extensions during this time period. Grandme’s vacuum was huge and roared like a T-Rex.) Dust Bunnies were rounded up. The furniture was move to the center of the room. The walls were stripped of all adornments and then, came the hot soapy water. The walls wiped sown. Hot soapy pine water was used on all the wood work. And, hot vinegar water was use to scrub the windows. Newspaper was used to dry them and make them shine. Finally the floor was scrubbed.

Only after the room passed Grandme’s inspection was everything put back into place. Then it was onto the next room.

While the women worked inside the men were busy outside. The house was taken care of before the spring planting could begin.

Spring cleaning usually took a good four days, but by Sunday all the chores were done and we could relax and enjoy a Sunday dinner in a sparkling home.

So this week, like my grandmother and my mother, I’ll begin my spring cleaning. My job will be made easier by modern conveniences. I can’t wait to smell inside the freshness of SPRING.

Disclaimer: I’m not as old as this blog might make me seem, but this is my grandmother I’m blogging about. She had her ways and her tools and we helped doing the job her way.

Wednesday March 7, 2012

Okay, which way do I go?

Some umpteen years ago when I started on this bumpy journey of writing, I thought all I had to do was write a good book and then another and another and my career would be all rainbows and roses. I’m content to work at home and by myself. In fact, I love being home and setting my own hours. But, HA HA, it didn’t take me long to realize that writing a good book was only half the job of being a published author. At least it is in today’s world.

An author not only has to write, edit and sometimes publish their own work, but they also have to market themselves, almost 24/7/365. I don’t know about other writers (And I hope writers reading this throw their two cents in) but I find the task of ‘putting myself out there’ every single day draining. Not just tiring, but sapping my muse. And you must promo yourself every day, otherwise readers seem to move on.

But besides the fact of what readers do, working the social media is time consuming. It is for me because I’m the person who if a reader takes the time to connect with me, I want to return the favor and answer them. When you have thousands of people as friends, how can you do it? I’m the type of hostess that prepares for every guest’s needs. Maybe I’m wrong in thinking I have too. Maybe people don’t really expect you to answer. SHRUG
I can see why STARS need a whole staff whose job is to connect with their fans for them. SIGH

So tell me, if you’re a writer, how do you handle social networking?

And if you’re a reader, do expect the person your following to answer you ASAP, or at all?

A Fork, Knife and Elephant Means What?

They’re all elements in an old parable where a man feels overwhelmed at the daunting task of eating an elephant. I never heard this story until last July, at the RWA national conference. I think it was either Roxanne St. Clair or Harlen Coben and Lisa Jackson who brought the story up during their discussion.

Writing a book can be much like eating an elephant at one sitting, if we let it be.
First, know writing a quality novel takes thought, sweat and time. A great deal of all three. The project is something you’re not just going to dash off in a weekend. Not even a long weekend. So know your work will take you several months, or a year, or years to accomplish, depending on your time constrictions and ability to type.
It’s less intimidating if you think of a huge job as parts. So size up your project. Is it going to be a novella, a category romance, single title or a series of single titles? Once you know the word count you’re targeting, you can break the project into parts. If you want to write a single title at approximately 90,000 words over ten months, you’ll want to write at least 9000 words in a month or nearly 2400 words a week. Break that down to six days a week (I gave you a day off) and you’ll need to write 400 hundred words a day.

That big elephant isn’t looking too huge now, right?

Now, imagine writing ‘the end’. You did it! Dance. Yell out to the world, yippy. Have some bubbly and chocolate. That’s it. Hold that feeling close. The warm fuzzy memory will urge you on when you think you can’t possibly do this.

Having all the tools you need, will make the task easier. Think about it. Did you ever make a cake batter with all the ingredients at hand? It’s much easier than if you had to grab the flour from this cupboard, egg from the refrigerator and, dang, I’m out of milk and need to run to the store. So gather the tools you’ll need. Computer, document storage (you don’t want to lose your work), any research notes, storyboard, storyline, notecards, whiteboard, and other writer friends. Yes, I said friends. Friends will encourage you and listen to you when you vent, and they’ll also offer up ideas when you need them.

Not every writer writes a book in the same way, or a in a linear fashion. If you hate writing the end, write it first. If the middle seems like a swayback mare to you and you hate facing it, fast draft a few scenes.

Last bit of advice, start eating that elephant. The end is non-existent without the beginning.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2012

A heartfelt THANK YOU to Autumn Jordon and PFS for inviting me to be their guest today!


Winning Backstory: Not an Oxymoron

By Margie Lawson


You can write backstory that makes me smile.

You can write backstory that earns the coveted Margie margin note, NYT.

You can write backstory that boosts your novel onto bestseller lists.

Or you can write backstory that invites me to skim.

Are you in?

What is backstory? It’s history. It’s the events that led up to your story before the story opens. Often, motivation for your POV character’s decisions and actions are in the backstory.

Sometimes backstory is stagnant. Flat. Boring.

Readers lose interest in the book and put it down.

AACK! You want to write an unputdownable novel.

The best way to include the absolutely required backstory and keep your novel fast-paced, is to sprinkle it in your story.

With my EDITS System, backstory will jump out at you in big puddles of YELLOW.

Too much backstory grinds your story to a halt. Cliché alert!

Too much backstory grinds your story to a screeching halt. Bigger cliché alert!

Managing backstory is tricky. Writers always think the reader needs all the history the writer created in his/her mind.

Not true. The reader only needs what little information required to buy the story.



When you review a scene, analyze the backstory, ask yourself if the reader needs to have that information now. Or – if they need that information. Period.

One rule of thumb for managing backstory (cliché alert) is to withhold backstory until after chapter three. Those writers hypothesize that by then, your reader is hooked on your story and will tolerate some chunks of backstory.

Not my favorite plan.

Some authors hold off backstory in the first few chapters then start feeding the readers chunks of backstory. Sometimes pages of backstory.

Not my favorite plan.

Mark Sullivan (mystery/suspense/thriller writer) has a great plan for backstory management. Here’s his plan – which is my favorite plan.

He suggests writing down what you think the reader needs to know. Write a page or two of backstory. Not to be used in your book.

Grab a red pen – and go through your backstory points and circle what the reader absolutely has to know.

What they absolutely need to know.

Let go of things that you thought were important but don’t need to include. Just because you think it is interesting doesn’t mean the reader ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO KNOW IT.

Next, take those points you circled, that the reader absolutely needs to know, and picture them etched on a sheet of glass.

Got it?

You’re imagining those points imprinted on a rectangle of glass.

Imagine carrying that sheet of glass to a brick patio.

Imagine standing on a brick patio, holding that sheet of glass.

YOU KNOW WHAT’S COMING!

Drop that sheet of glass.

Watch it shatter.

Imagine picking up one thin shard of glass at a time – and slipping each sliver of backstory in your first 100 pages.

Repeat. You insert one sliver of backstory in those first 100 pages, one piece of backstory at a time.

Slip shards of backstory in natural-sounding dialogue or share it in a quick interactive way. You’ve got the first 100 pages of your book to fit in each sliver of backstory.

No info-dumps.

You’ll be so good at slipping in backstory that you’ll have a smooth, fast-paced read.

When I heard Mark Sullivan share this visual, it resonated with me. Great visual. Great
plan.

You may believe your genre or story or style needs more backstory as set up.

Okay. You may be right.

AND – I bet you can share the backstory in a compelling way.

When an author finesses backstory, it draws you in. Keeps the story moving. Makes the read more compelling.

When an author chunks back story, it stops the action. Stops the story. It tempts the reader to skim. And when someone is skimming, they’re not engaged in the scene. They’re no longer hooked.

Let’s dive into some examples of what works.

Example: From THE WOODS, by Harlan Coben. Prologue, first page, third paragraph:
I have never seen my father cry before—not when his own father died, not when my mother ran off and left us, not even when he first heard about my sister, Camille.
Analysis: What did Harlan Coben accomplish, and how?
He used the rhetorical device, anaphora, to share backstory. He gave the reader four hits of powerful backstory in one sentence. Four hits of powerful backstory in thirty-three words.
Read it out loud this time:
I have never seen my father cry before—not when his own father died, not when my mother ran off and left us, not even when he first heard about my sister, Camille.
Succinct. Informative. Fast-paced. Cadence-driven. Intriguing. Enticing.
No chunk of backstory that invites the reader to skim.
Plus - that one sentence introduces story questions.
 Why is his father crying?
 Why did his mother run off and leave them?
 What happened to his sister, Camille?
Smart to use a rhetorical device like anaphora to share backstory. Anaphora is one of the thirty rhetorical devices I cover in the Deep Editing course I teach in March.

Example: From STOP ME, by Brenda Novak, Chapter 1:

But Jasmine’s thoughts were so focused on what was in her lap, she couldn’t even raise her hand. She’d made that bracelet as a gift for her little sister. She remembered Kimberly’s delight when she’d unwrapped it on her eighth birthday, her last birthday before the tall man with the beard entered their house in Cleveland one sunny afternoon and took her away.

Analysis:

Look at that smooth passage. In just three sentences, Brenda Novak covered a lot of backstory.

 She showed how seeing her sister’s bracelet impacted Jasmine.
 She tapped emotion by sharing that the POV character made the bracelet for her little sister.
 She showed her sister’s joy.
 She slipped in her sister’s age
 She identified the city
 She shared that Jasmine’s sister was kidnapped

Plus, the cadence is strong. The words drive the reader through the paragraph from the first word to the last.

Example: DIVORCED, DESPERATE, AND DECEIVED, Christie Craig, Chapter 1, page 3:

“Did he bring her with him when he picked up Tommy?” Sue asked.

Kathy wished she could pretend she didn’t understand the question. Wished she’d never told them that Tom had married TOW, “The Other Woman.” But during the last Jack Daniel’s night—at which, quite unfairly, neither Sue nor Lacy could imbibe—Kathy had accidentally spilled her guts. Or at least she’d spilled a bit of them. The big secrets were still in the bag. And they could stay bagged. It would take more than a couple shots of Jack for her to hang out her dirty laundry. Even to her two closest friends.

Analysis:

Christie Craig shares her humor and her talent in this fast-paced addictive romance. This passage is a light read that carries a big hit of mysterious backstory. Kathy has secrets, big secrets, that she won’t divulge to her two best friends.

Hmm – makes you want to read more. Right?

Example: BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES, by Kristina McMorris,
Opening of Chapter 1, six paragraphs:

November 1941
Los Angeles, Calif.

At the sound of her brother's voice, flutters of joy turned to panic in Maddie Kern. "Cripes," she whispered, perched on her vanity seat. "What's he doing home?"

Jo Allister, her closest girlfriend and trusted lookout, cracked open the bedroom door. She peeked into the hall as TJ hollered again from downstairs.

"Maddie! You here?"

It was six o'clock on a Friday. He should have been at his campus job all night. If he knew who was about to pick her up for a date….

She didn't want to imagine what he would do.

Maddie scanned the room, seeking a solution amidst her tidy collection of belongings—framed family photos on the bureau, her posters of the New York Symphony, of Verdi's Aida at the Philharmonic. But even her violin case, which she'd defended from years of dings and scratches, seemed to shake its head from the corner and say, Six months of sneaking around and you're surprised this would happen?


Analysis: Kristina McMorris opens with tension, and slips in backstory in a short internalization and through setting. She uses the rhetorical device, personification, for the violin case to share this critical hit of backstory: Six months of sneaking around and you're surprised this would happen?

Kristina could have written a couple of typical feed-backstory-to-the-reader sentences about who Maddie was dating and why it would upset her brother if he knew. So glad she shared backstory in a more interesting way.

If you subscribe to RT, you’ll see Kristina McMorris’s smile on the cover of the March, 2012 issue. I bet you’ll enjoy the two-page article on Kristina and her WW II novels.

Example: THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD, by Darynda Jones – released, January 31, 2012

Third Grave Dead Ahead just hit #26 on the NYT Bestseller list! Kudos to Darynda Jones!

If you guessed that THIRD GRAVE was the third book in a series, you guessed right.

Here’s how Darynda shares some hints about her POV character in the third paragraph of page one.

My name is Charlotte Davidson. Charley to some, Charlotte the Harlot to others, but that was mostly in middle school. I came with a decent set of curves, a healthy respect for the male anatomy, and a slightly disturbing addiction to brown edibles. Other than that— and the fact that I’d also been born the grim reaper— I was about as normal as a surly girl with a private investigator’s license could be.

Darynda shared a lot of info with the reader in those 73 words on page one. Directly and indirectly.

On page six, Darynda introduced a main character. Here’s his intro and a quick hit of backstory.

Reyes Alexander Farrow— the part- human, part- supermodel son of Satan— materialized behind me, his powerful shoulders glistening as steam rose around him, giving the impression he’d just come from hell. He hadn’t, of course. He’d escaped from hell centuries ago and was currently furious with me for binding his incorporeal body to his physical one.

A compelling paragraph that shares backstory.

Darynda’s books are powered by humor and fresh writing. Strong deep editing fuel.

I’m proud to share that Brenda Novak, Christie Craig, Kristina McMorris, and Darynda Jones are all Margie-grads. :-))

Analyze your writing. Deep edit your scenes. Make your backstory carry style and power. Make your backstory boost your writing toward a contract or onto a best seller list!

It’s your turn now! Chime in.

Share your thoughts on these examples – or just say Hi!

POST A COMMENT – AND YOU MAY WIN a Lecture Packet or an online course by Margie Lawson or Tiffany Lawson Inman from Lawson Writer’s Academy!

I’ll draw the winning name tonight, 9:00PM Mountain Time. Check back and see if you’re the WINNER!
Please check out my deep editing courses, and other courses offered by Lawson Writer’s Academy. Thank you!

March courses include:

Using the Rule of Six for Plotting
Instructor: Shirley Jump

M&Ms for Characters: Milieu & Motivation
Instructor: Sharon Mignerey

Deep Editing: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices, and More
Instructor: Margie Lawson


Margie Lawson —psychotherapist, editor, and international presenter—developed innovative editing systems and deep editing techniques used by writers, from newbies to NYT Bestsellers. She teaches writers how to edit for psychological power, how to hook the reader viscerally, how to create a page-turner.

Thousands of writers have learned Margie’s psychologically-based deep editing material. In the last seven years, she presented over seventy full day Master Classes for writers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

For more information on Lawson Writer’s Academy, lecture packets, full day master classes, newsletter, and the 5-day Immersion Master Class sessions offered in her Colorado mountain-top home, visit: www.MargieLawson.com.



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It’s soon time to start my seedlings.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s January. Are you nuts?

No. I love flowers and want to enjoy them as soon as possible and as for all as possible, so I start my seeds in early February and transplant them outside in early May. But since I have a few weeks before I start, I decided to take on another plant project--my Poinsettia.

My DH and I received this poinsettia as a gift from the Cancer center of which he is a patient. I’ve never had one this big. It is absolutely gorgeous and I want to keep it year around, and hopefully enjoy it again next holiday season, so I did a little research.

Poinsettias (euphorbia pulcherrima) are actually desert plants and are native to Mexico and Central America. The Aztecs called them cuetlaxochitl. Poinsettias were introduced in the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and quickly caught on as a popular Christmas plant.

Poinsettias are not poisonous. However, the sap is a little caustic and may cause skin irritation, and certainly can cause indigestion if digested. So if you’re handling the plant, it would be a good idea to wear gloves.

You can keep your poinsettia in full foliage well into February if you place it where it will get at least six hours of bright indirect light and where it is out of drafts, both hot and cold—not near windows or heaters. The flower of the poinsettia is actually the yellow centers. The red or white are actually leaves. After the flowers start to drop off, gradually decrease watering the plant until the bracts all drop, then allow the plant to dry out completely (the poinsettia is a desert plant). Now, store the plant somewhere with a cooler temperature around 50 degrees. Remember we are trying to recreate a Mexican Winter, so a 50 degree basement or garage makes a fine location.

When the temperature in your area warms, around 50 degrees overnight, you should repot your plant, using the same pot with fresh soil and start to gradually water again. Remember, gradually is how you stopped watering. Also, start to fertilize every three weeks.

In mid-August, cut the plant back. Cutting back to three to five stems will produce a bushy plant with big flowers. Don’t prune your plant any later than September, if you wish it to bloom for the holidays. Bring plant inside when temperatures become too cool.

To get a poinsettia to reflower you have to keep it in total darkness at least 14 hours a day for eight to ten weeks in a cool place (55-65 degrees). If you start this procedure around October 1st, color should return to the bracts by mid-December. IMPORTANT; Any exposure to light will prevent flowering. Cover the plant using a light-proof bag or place it in a closet. Night time temperatures above 70-75°can decay the plant or prevent flowering.

Here are some tips for making your poinsettia last during the holiday season.

• Place the poinsettia in a sunny window.
• Do not let any part of plant touch cold window panes.
• Indoor temperatures, from 60 to 70°F, are ideal for long plant life.
• High temperatures will shorten the life of the colorful bracts.
• Water only when the soil is dry.
• Placing your poinsettia in a cool room 55 to 60°F at night, will extend blooming time.
• Do not fertilize when plant is in bloom.
• Avoid temperature fluctuations and warm or cold drafts.

There you have it, all that I’ve learned. Now, to put it to practice. We’ll see if I have the same beautiful poinsettia next Christmas season.

Imagine my surprise when a note popped up on my screen stating I was to blog here today. (INSERT A PICTURE OF A BLUSHING, WIDE EYED WRITER HERE) Then I came to the blog and saw Patrice's opening line and thought whew I'm not the only one. (Thank you, lady. I'll team up with you anyday.)

This week, I ordered my DH to find me penicls that have good erasers because my schedule seems to change from hour to hour and my daytimer is a mess. My gosh, it's only January 13th.

At times, life can be like one of those twirly, upside down roller coasters, which I hate BTW. Or bummer cars, which I love. You know what I mean. You’re going along at a nice steady pace, the sun is shining on you, the temperature is perfect and, well, everything is just grand. Then out of no where, CHOAS drops in your lap. Your plans along with your great intentions are thrown right out the window. Grrrblonk!

Sigh. What to do?

Shrug it off. Take a deep breath and start again. I mean what else can you do, right? Giving up is not option. (I got that line from a critique partner a few years back. Good one, huh?)

If you need to take a step back for a moment, do it. A hot bubble bath helps the BP. Or spend time with a good friend. Or read a great book. In other words, do something for yourself. If you don't take care of you, how can you take care of choas?

Okay, those my words of wisdom today.

Have a great weekend everyone and if you need a great book to read check out the ones written by these wonderful Fuzzy ladies. It's a collection of great ones.

www.autumnjordon.com

This time of year always gets to me, in a good way. It’s a whole season of excitement filled with family and friends and even strangers wishing you a wonderful life. I’m grateful for each and every one of them. Even though 2011 has been a challenging year for my family, in many ways, it has been a year of renewed strength, shared wisdom and open embraces. I will never forget this year. And now, that the time has pushed us to the end of the calendar where we say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012, I have the same itch coursing through my veins that I get ever year at this time. It’s time to set my New Year’s goals.

Yup, I’m a goal setter. I actually make a list (not more than ten goals). They range from personal growth, to professional objectives, to reading a classic novel I’ve never read before. I think hard about them before committing them to an index card which I insert into the sleeve of my Day-Timer and carry with me. It’s funny at the times when I thought I didn’t have another minute or energy to spare, I’d find that list and it made me realize the promise I made to myself and somehow I’d find the time to do fulfill the vow.

Looking back on my list, I’m satisfied that given the additional commitments I’ve shouldered in 2011, I did pretty darn good in meeting my goals. Could I have done better? Probably. I know at times, I’ve left life upset me to the point I didn’t feel like pushing myself, but, that is a lesson learned. So with 2012 staring me in the face and armed with new-found wisdom, I’m making my goal list for 2012 tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll kiss this year goodbye and start on a new leg of the journey called life. WINK

Holidays are a time for family and friends, but with all we have to do it seems there is little time left over to spend with the family and friends. Let me share my philosophy, which will help relieve the stress your feeling. Your family and friends will never know or notice what you didn’t get done. They will only see all that you did do.

So this year, I’m baking a limited amount of Christmas cookies and not the piles I normally do. There are always so many left over and I’m the one who tries to eat as many as I can before feeding the rest to the birds and deer. I don't need or have time to spend extra minutes on the treadmill.



Everyone will get one wrapped gift this year, so they get that feeling of opening a surprise package but the rest of the gifts are going into bags or are card gifts.

Christmas breakfast will be a crockpot filled with cream chipped beef which can be made the day before. Christmas dinner will not be the sit down dinner that Thanksgiving was, but trays of lasagna which I also will make the day before. I'm using throw away trays mind you. WINK And, desert will be cookies, chocolates, fruit amd maybe a pie or two.

Am I being lazy. No. My whole family isn't able to get together very often. Life is too busy for us all. I don't want to spend it in the kitchen. I'd rather enjoy them. Memories are made when you're together, not over the internet.

So do you have any time-saving hints or recipes for this holiday?

Murder can be real good.

Hi! As you can tell, I write romantic suspense. Welcome to The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers. We're glad you hopped over. This week we're participating in a fun blog hop. To visit the blog hop main page click HERE.

I'm giving away an e-copy of my novel 'Evil's Witness' to one lucky commenter. I'll announce my winner Friday at noon EST--just in time for the weekend.

To peak your interest in the story, I'm sharing both Steph's and John's backstory. These are the events that made them into the people they were when they met. Both were hurt. Both needed to learn that they could love again. I hope you enjoy.

Please visit me at www.autumnjordon.com

A look into John's past.

John Dolton crashed to his knees. The inferno in front of him consumed his life.

His heart pumped against his sterum with strong, wild vibes, but his brain felt starved for oxygen. How could that be?

Heat like tiny flesh straved piranhas gnawed at his skin. He gulped against the pain. Roasting air seared his lungs, expanding them until his chest felt as if were about to explode.

He didn’t care.

“Damn, John, snap out of it.”

He blinked and focued on the fingers clinking inches away from his nose.

“Come on, man. You’ve got to get back.” He heard his partner’s cry but Luke’s voice was diffused, coming at him from several directions.

Something looped under his arms and yanked him upward, lifting his dead weight off his knees—the ones that had given way when he’d seen his life gone.
The heels of his boots marked the tarmac with duel tracks as he was drugged away from the wreckage. He didn’t fight. He couldn't. Every muscle in his body had died. His gaze remained on the windows of what once was his SUV.

Staring beyond the flaming bizarre tongues licking at the vehicle’s roof, he saw his wife and little girl as he had left them only ten minutes ago. Happy. Laughing. Anticipating a long overdue family vacation.

“Why?” A screamed like that of a savage, wounded animal rivaled sirens.
He searched the faces staring at him. Wide-eyed, brow ceased, sad faces stared back.
Had the horrendous cry come from him?

Julie.

Katie.

He had to save them.

Adreline surged through his veins and John pulled from the force that pulled him back.

Luke’s grip tightened.

“Let me go. I've got to try.” John twisted and swung a fist at his partner’s jaw, but Luke ducted in time.

Pain ripped through John's shoulder as Luke grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

“They’re gone, John. You can’t save them.”

The agency’s emergency response team raced around the inferno, but John knew in his heart they were too late. He was too late. He had failed to keep Julie and Katie safe.

With the dousing of the flames, John caught a glimpse of the smothering arm lying on the sidewalk against the store front a moment before a fireman covered it with a white plastic sheet. A silver band encircled had the tiny wrist.

Julie.

John swore a fiery rod pieced his gut. He grabbed his ribs and a second later hurdledthe egg-muffin ate an hour ago.

“We’ll get them. I promise you.” Luke’s voice shook as he held John. “I swear. I will die before they get away with this.”

They?

John fell to the sidewalk. Cold laughter mingled with the taste of vomit in his mouth. Luke nor he knew who they were.

They had taken his reason to live. When he found them, they would wish this day had never happened too.


Stephanie's Story

Startled by a crash, Stephanie woke and fell from her couch to the floor. The boom reminded her of the episode last winter when a car skidded into their front porch taking out a corner post. Gripping the leather cushion, she sat up, swept her hair back from her face and stared into the dark corners of her living room. The red display of a digital clock on the entertainment center read three forty-two.

Another thump vibrated the floor seconds before the door which lead to the garage burst open. Light spilled across the carpet. Gene was home, finally.

“Damn kids.” His words were slurred and the alcohol he’d consumed over the last six hours while at his weekly poker game preceded him by about twenty feet.

More rattling.

“Stephanie, I’m caught. Get this damn thing off of me or I’ll—“

“Will you keep it down?” She scurried to her feet and hit the light switch to the high-hat lights above the fireplace. “The kids are sleeping. They have to get up for school in two hours.”

“This is my house and I’ll yell at them for leaving their freakin’ bikes lying in front of the door anytime I want.”

Em’s bike had been parked against the wall where it was supposed to be. Gene probably knocked it over making his not-to-steady way inside. However, arguing with him while he was in this state of mind was not going to do her any good. He’d only get more boisterous and eventually wake the kids just to scold them for something they didn’t do, and was his own fault. God, she was tired of Gene’s partying. He was married, a father of two. What example did he set for Bobbie? Would he ever grow up?

The sadness which filled her cemented the truth in place. No.

Gene fell forward and she grabbed him under his arms. As he struggled to free his foot from between the railings of Em’s bike, he leaned onto her and Stephanie’s nose became buried in his beer stained tee shirt. “My, God. How much did you have tonight? You didn’t drive home, did you?”

Em’s bike clattered against the garage’s concrete floor. “Damn straight I did. “

“You’re drunk.”

“So. “

Over his shoulder, she caught a glimpse of their wedding portrait and wondered where that happy, young couple went wrong.

Disgusted, she pushed Gene away. “So you’re a cop.”

“Yeah." He shrugged and then scratched his stomach, pulling his tee shirt up over the flat abs he worked hard to maintain since he quarterbacked for their high school football team. "Don't worry. The guys won't ticket me.”

She folded her arms across her chest in order to keep her hands from reaching out and strangling some sense into him. “What about hurting yourself, or God forbid, someone else?”

“I didn’t, okay.” He waved her away. Then with dithering steps, he made his way into the kitchen and flipped on the lights. “What’s to eat?” He called over his shoulder. “I’m starved. Rosie got pissed with Tony and threw the pizza we ordered at him. ”

Steph drew a breath as she raced after him hoping he wouldn’t reach the pots and pans before she could block him. His buddies probably ordered the pizza after midnight and the delivery guy woke Rosie’s seven-year-old twins. Poor Rosie.

She stepped between Gene and the stove just as he reached for the knob to turn it on. “Why don’t you go get a shower and I’ll—”

His frown turned wolfish as he grabbed and pulled her close, grinding his hips into hers. “You’re hoping I’ll fall asleep aren’t you?” He nuzzled her neck. “After I grab a couple eggs, I’ll be ready to take care of you, babe. Why don’t you whip them up for me?”

Not in the mood to be manhandled, she pulled away from his clutch. “Stop it, Gene. I’m not in the mood for your games. I’m going to bed.” Stephanie turned only to be stopped by the bite of his fingernails on her arm.

His eyes narrowed. “I said I’m hungry.”

“And I want a divorce.” She yanked her arm free. “See who gets what they want first.”


Blurb:

Elementary school nurse STEPHANIE BOYD’s ordinary world changes forever when she and her children witness a blood bath. To escape the wrath of the Russian Mafia, she has no choice but to help the FBI uncover the Mafia’s mole inside the U.S. Treasury. While on the run with the handsome agent who is willing to die for them, Stephanie learns the meaning of self-sacrifice and love.

Agent JOHN DOLTON’s only break in solving the case that cost him everything is a couple of kids and a beautiful widow. But keeping his witnesses safe seems impossible when their every move is foreseen by their enemy. Within weeks, Stephanie and her children soften the loner’s heart and John allows himself to let go of his all-consuming sorrow.

This time John vows not to fail to protect the family he loves.

Recently I did a book-signing in a small town near my home, Jim Thorpe, Pa. The town has been dubbed Little Switzerland of America because of the way it is nestled in between three mountains. Its original name, before being renamed after the great Olympic athlete, Jim Thorpe, was Mauch Chuck which means sleeping bear.

Many of you might recall the 1970 movie ‘The Molly Mcguires’, starring Richard Harris and Sean Connery. It was based on the stories of the Irish coal miners of this town and filming did occur in Mauch Chuck.

Now, I’ve been to Jim Thorpe many times. I’ve driven through it on my way north. I’ve even did lunch and some shopping there ( And believe me they have a lot of great shops and yummy places to eat), but I’ve never visited its most famous landmark until yesterday when my DH and I went back, celebrating our anniversary. The landmark, The Asa Packer Mansion.



Isn’t it beautiful? I wish I had a picture from the top of the mountain looking down on the charismatic town, showing casing this stately manor.

This beautiful Victorian landmark was built in 1861 by Asa Packer who was born in Mystic, Connecticut, and after working as a farmer in CT and as a carpenter in New York came to Mauch Chuck in 1833. Here he became the owner of a canal boat which carried coal to Philadelphia. Later, Packer established the firm of A. & R. W. Packer, which built canal-boats and locks for the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. In 1851 he gained the majority of stock for the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill & Susquehanna Railroad Companies and formed the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company.

Packer was also active in politics. In 1841 and 1842 he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 1843-1848, he was county judge of Carbon County under Governor David R. Porter. He served two terms as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1853. In 1868, he made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination. He got the party's nod for the 1869 Pennsylvania Governor's race, but lost the campaign to John W. Geary by 4,596 votes, one of the closest statewide races in Pennsylvania history.

In 1865 he gave $500,000 and 115 acres in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for a technical school. Lehigh University was chartered in 1866, and its main building, Packer Hall, was completed in 1869. For the first 26 years of Lehigh's existence, the university was tuition free. Way To Go ASA!



(View of mountains from the huge front porch)

Asa and Sarah Packer’s home is beyond amazingly beautiful. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. But if you go here http://www.asapackermansion.com you can peek at the dining room and sitting. Believe me, the pictures do not do justice to the splendor of the house.

What is really amazing about this home is Asa and Sarah’s daughter, Mary, upon her death had willed the estate to the town of Mauch Chuck as a memorial for her father. The town didn’t know what to do with it and boarded it up. For 44 years, the house remained sealed with all of its valuables inside and not once was it vandalized.


Next to the Asa Packer Mason, stands the Harry Packer house. Asa and Sarah had built the house as a place for his engineers and other guests to stay. It house was later given to their son Harry and his wife Gussie as a wedding present. It too, stood in disrepair for many years before being brought in the 1980’s and turned into a beautiful B&B. If the Harry Packer house looks familiar and you’ve been to Disney World, you’ll know why. Disney used the house as the design for their haunted house.


All this was in my backyard and I never knew the whole story. You can bet I’m going back to Mauch Chuck to learn more about the little town and its past. I hear they have ghost walks. Perfect for October.

For more pictures of my trips to Jim Thorpe visit Autumn Jordon's Fan Page on FaceBook and remember to like it. WINK Thanks.

My neighbor owns a blueberry farm. Great for me because I love, love, love blueberries. I can’t pick enough to satisfy my craving for them before the season, in our area, is over. The low bush blueberry flourishes in the forests of Maine, making Maine the largest producer of the fruit in the world. LOL, I might need to make a trip north.

A large portion of the calories in this food comes from sugars. One cup equals 84 calories. Yikes! I eat them like popcorn, so no wonder I’ve been fighting the scale.
The fruit does have awesome health benefits, however. Blueberries are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, and a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. Blueberries are packed with antioxidant power, which comes from high levels of anthocyanins, a type of plant compound.

Also, Research has shown that blueberries have improved insulin sensitivity in overweight men and women, and lower blood pressure levels in pre-diabetic men and women without raising blood sugar. The key may be the anthocyanins, which have been shown in several laboratory-based animal and cell studies to cause blood vessels to relax and increase production of nitric oxide that helps in maintaining normal blood pressure.

Berries also have anti-inflammatory effects and may be a memory-protecting food. Good news for me, because some days I wonder where I left my head.

The resveratrol found in blueberries may help prevent macular degeneration, a disease of the retina and the leading cause of blindness in people older than 65, according to vision researchers. Like the cranberry, blueberries might help prevent bladder infections by preventing bacteria from attaching to the walls of the bladder.

Who knew this little blue fruit could do all this.

One of my favorite recipes is a blueberry custard pie. It is yummy, but remember, if you do try it, like any other fruit pie, it contains sugar and should be enjoyed with that in mind.

AJ’s Awesome Blueberry Custard

Preheat oven to 400°.

Make a pie crust for a deep dish 9 inch pie pan.

Mix together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 egg yolks (set whites aside).

Then add 2 1/2 cups of blueberries.

Beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Fold 1/3 of stiffen whites into mixture at a time. (DO NOT MIX- FOLD)
Pour slowly into unbaked pie crust and place in oven. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes then turn oven down to 375°. Bake until top is nice and brown and when you insert a knife it comes out clean.




Enjoy!