Recently I ‘sat’ down with readers for a day in December and invited their questions. We talked Christmas and books! I’ll be doing these chats once a month on my Facebook author page and would love for you to join me next time in January. Here are a few fun questions from last time… Carey: I love to talk about …
Kentucky Christmas Cookies
I’ve eaten a lot of sugar cookies in my lifetime and these are, hands down, my favorite. I’ve been baking these for over 25 years now and this is the tried and true recipe. I don’t frost them as prettily as these shown here. Honestly, we eat them too fast. Here’s hoping you enjoy every bite, too! COOKIES Cream …
A book beneath the tree
There are so many reasons I love Christian fiction. This image by my publisher, Revell, captures it beautifully. UNWRAP HOPE & LOVE THIS HOLIDAY. So much of what the world offers fails in this, especially fiction. I recently asked readers on my Facebook author page why they read Christian books. The answers were truly eye-opening and remarkable! As an author …
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday…
I have rich memories of Kentucky Thanksgivings at my granny’s house. She’d cook for days beforehand, hardly taking her apron off till she went to bed. One magical happening was going onto the back porch and opening what she called the back closet. There, on many shelves where it was cool and fragrant, rested all the holiday dishes waiting to …
Novel Faces
Recently a reader asked where I draw inspiration for my characters. Such a thought-provoking question deserves a worthy answer! Here’s a collage of novel faces {I also have a Pinterest board devoted to the same} that inspires me to create the characters in my novels. You may recognize some! Clay Tygart; Seamus Ogilvy; James Sackett Tempe Tucker; Wren Ballantyne; Lael …
Chapter One…
So I’m about to begin another novel. Years ago, when the publishing door opened, I felt I’d be blessed to publish one book. Now, ten years later, I thought it might be fun to revisit those first lines of past novels if for no other reason than I don’t want to repeat an opening but start fresh. Here goes… The …
My Kentucky Kitchen Chili
Some chili recipes are just ho~hum. This isn’t one of them. Plus you can spice it up or down as you wish. I like to add a couple cans of drained hominy, white & yellow. Sometimes I even add a bit of dark chocolate and cinnamon. Just have fun with it. Great for potlucks or parties. And if you don’t …
Favorite Fall Cookies
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½-1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional FROSTING: ¼ cup butter, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 cups …
The Pages
I’m always in the garden when the pages arrive hence the floral décor! This is the first time I’ve seen the manuscript soon to become a real book, the last step before the novel goes to print. I carefully read through all 377 pages to make sure there are no flaws, nothing that is out of place, to the best …