Candy Weds - brought to you by Betty Crocker

Source: bettycrocker.com via Nancy on Pinterest

Gluten-free Monday

Caramel Maple Pears

gluten-free recipe of the week  - this one is from Betty Crocker and one of many on my "Gluten-free Yum!" Pinterest board.

Ingredients:

6

yellow- or red-skinned pears, cored from bottom leaving stems attached

1

cup caramel ice cream topping

1/3

cup real maple syrup

Grated lemon peel

• 1Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pears upright in cooker. (If all pears do not fit in bottom of cooker, place remaining pears suspended between 2 others in cooker.)
• 2In small bowl, mix ice cream topping and syrup; pour over pears.
• 3Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes.
• 4Remove pears from cooker; place upright on serving plate or in individual dessert dishes. Spoon about 1/4 cup topping mixture over each pear; sprinkle with lemon peel.

Writer's Tip #1

This year I will debut two new series with a third series to debut in 2014.
What does this mean? It means I have to write 4 books in 2013.

Which leads me to Writer's Tip Number One:

DO NOT PANIC

Writer's block is a form of panic. Procrastination is a form of panic. Some people use panic to motivate them. Not me. I like to avoid panic.

Let's break it down. If you write a page a day you can write a book in a year. The secret is sometimes that one page turns into 2 or 3 or 4 because you get going and don't want to stop

In order to write four books this year I need only write 5 pages a day - every day. So as often as you've heard this - it is totally true. Sit your bum in a chair and write your one page a day every day. It becomes habit  - like brushing your teeth and taking a shower.

No, this does not mean revise a page a day - but move the story forward one page a day.

How can you panic over one page? Write one page - and see what happens

Cheers, Nancy

The Next Big Thing Hop

Welcome to The Next Big Thing Blog Hop!

What is a blog hop? It’s a virtual event that helps readers discover new authors. The first author tags five others whose work he or she admires, who each tag five more, who each tag five more, and so on. These memes float around the internet every few years, and this particular event has been so big, covering so many genres and amazing authors, that I'm thrilled to participate.

Before I get to the questions, I’d like to thank Sparkle Abby, a fabulous (pair of) author, who tagged me for this. Their Pampered Pets Mysteries are great reads and super fun. check them out at: http://www.sparkleabbey.com/blog/

 

The way this hop works, I (and the authors I’ve chosen) will each answer (on our respective blogs) the same 10 (predetermined) questions ranging from our current works in progress to our writing processes and beyond.  We hope you’ll enjoy learning about our work. Please feel free to comment and ask questions.

Okay, ready?  Here is our Next Big Thing!  My Baker's Treat Series debut book, Gluten For Punishment, comes out May 7th, 2013. This year will be a busy year for me since I have sold two more series! So Look for book sin the Spring and the Fall of 2013 and more in 2014.

1: What is the working title of your book(s)?

 "Gluten For Punishment", May 7th, 2013. 

"All Fudged UP", a Candy Coated Mystery, Fall of 2013

"Her Hand In Murder," a Perfect Proposal Mystery, 2014

2: Where did the ideas come from for the book?

I've been gluten free for five years and taught myself how to bake that way. When I was posting my baked goods on Facebook, mystery author, Joelle Charbonneau, Skating Mystery Series and Glee Club Mystery series suggested I write a mystery featuring my glutenfree recipes. I did and it was a hit! I expanded on my love of cooking by writing a fudgeshop mystery and that took off. Recently I was able to co-create and write a Perfect Proposal series based on a Chicago event planner who plans the perfect marriage proposals. (Something my romance readers should enjoy.)

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I would choose Amy Adams to play Toni Holmes in the Baker's Treat Series and Emma Stone to play Allie McMurphy in the Candy Coated series. Zooey Deschanel would make a great Pepper Pomeroy in the Perfect Proposal Series.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Toni Holmes is a crime solving gluten free baker in a wheat filled world.
Allie McMurphy is a candy maker with a sweet bichon-poo who uncovers murder on Mackinac Island.
Pepper Pomeroy plans individual, grand marriage proposals that tend to end in murder.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Baker's Treat Mystery series is a Berkley Prime Crime series.
Candy Coated Mystery series is a Kensington Killer Cozy series.
Perfect Proposal Mystery Series is a Berkley Prime Crime series.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

You all know I write fast. So first drafts are usually six weeks - it's the rewrites where the fun begins.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

"A mouthwatering debut with a plucky protagonist. Clever, original, and appealing with gluten-free recipes to die for."~ Carolyn Hart 

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? -covered in Question number 2... ;)

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Check out excerpts and more at www.nancyjparra.com.

Next week I'll post five more authors to check out!!

Coming soon - gluten-free recipe Mondays!

I'm back with great new stuff!

Hi All,

It's been a long while since I've posted and so much has happened!

I've sold three mystery series!

I've updated my website!

I'm writing.

Coming soon: Gluten Free Mondays -featuring a recipe from my Gluten Free Yum! Pinterest Board.

Candy Wednesdays - featuring easy homemade candy recipes - (all the taste with less work)

Writing Saturdays - for guest writers, writing tips, FAQ's and more.

Cheers!!