Blog Archives
RITA Award Hall of Fame Edition
Some of you have seen the news elsewhere, but it did seem there should be an official announcement. How To Bake A Perfect Life won the RITA from Romance Writers of America last week, a third win in its category.
That means, my friends, that I was inducted into the Romance Writers Hall of Fame. It was one great night, let me tell you. Christopher Robin was there, and my best writing buddy Christie Ridgway, and my long-time editor Shauna Summers, who happens to be a great friend now, too. We share a love of food and books and music, and dinners with her are always the highlight of my conference.
And this …
The Garden of Happy Endings is now available!
It seems like it’s been a long wait for this novel about sisters, second chances, and a community garden, but it is finally here. Read more about it here: http://www.barbaraoneal.com/bookshelf/the-garden-of-happy-endings.
How to Bake a Perfect Life a RITA finalist!
I’m delighted to announce that my book, How to Bake a Perfect Life, is a RITA finalist for 2012. The winners will be announced July 28, 2012 in Anaheim, California. Read more about it: http://www.rwa.org/cs/2012_rita_and_gh_finalists
A Piece of Heaven on sale in digital format
Just noticed that the digital price for A Piece of Heaven has dropped to $4.99. Check it out at
Barnes and Noble Nook Store
Amazon Kindle Store
First Chapter
Filler from The Taos News: Full Moon FactsThe full moon is the phase of the Moon in which it is fully illuminated as seen from Earth, at the point when the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. The full moon reaches its highest elevation at midnight. High tides. Names for the August and September full moon: Full Red Moon, Full Green Corn Moon, Full Sturgeon Moon.
It was a good thing for …
The simple pleasure of tea
A reader wrote to me recently with these comments:
I just finished another of your books and I really enjoy them……In your stories the women drink a variety of teas…..I’d like to find a good breakfast tea to replace coffee in the morning, is there one that you would recommend? So many choices on the shelves its
confusing……
Although I didn’t realize the characters in my novels drink a lot of tea, it really is not surprising, since I am a serious tea drinker. Always have been. When the Englishman entered my life, that particular habit found a cozy spot and settled in for good. We always drink tea first thing …
Writers for the Red Cross…a chance to bid on book-club-in-a-box!
Time sensitive! Bids must be in by March 20! Writers for the Red Cross auctions are going on this month, and we can all see what an amazing job they are always doing, but even more so when something like an earthquake or tsunami wipes out cities.
Help raise funds and get a How to Bake a Perfect Life package for your book club. Go to http://www.writersfortheredcross.org/baking-a-perfect-life-in-a-box/#respond to make a bid on a package that includes: 5 signed copies of How to Bake a Perfect Life, a celebratory signed apron, a sourdough crock and starter yeast, a collection of colorful spatulas, and a handwritten collection of the author’s favorite bread recipes.
Gardens and Rhubarb
You may not know that I blog regularly in several other places. One of them is at The Lipstick Chronicles, every other Friday (alternating with such luminaries as Joshilyn Jackson and Diane Chamberlain). This morning, I have posted a story of my grandmother, a garden we grew, and my hatred of rhubarb. Don’t miss the recipe for rhubarb pie in the comments.
I also blog regularly on random topics at my long-time blog, A Writer Afoot, where I write about travel, gardens, food, books, writing….pretty much everything. Here is a recent post about the urban farm we’re putting the backyard this summer: An Organic Farm!
Also, I am aware of the slow speed of these pages. We’re …
The simplest of comfort foods
Chicken and Dumplings
I had an aggravating day yesterday and decided I wanted something soothing and delicious for supper. There was a whole chicken in the fridge, so I took it out, washed it, and threw it in a big pot. You can do the same.
1 whole chicken, washed and entrails removed
Water to cover
10 peppercorns
2-3 stalks of celery (I keep them in the freezer, cut up, for just this sort of moment)
1 medium red onion
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
2 tsp of thyme
1 tsp sage
2 tsp kosher salt
Put everything into a big pot and heat to boiling, then cover pot and turn the heat down to medium low. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for three or four …
