I was very close to my granny as a child, my mom’s mom. We spent a lot of time together and she taught me how to cook. I was said to be her favorite, probably because I’m a foodie:) Cooking was her love language. Family dinners, especially on holidays, are among my favorite memories. Her gift to me each birthday & holiday was a 3 layered German Chocolate Cake. I still remember my delight in going to the back closet on her rear porch which was actually a pantry that held cakes, pies, cookies, soaking/brining hams & turkeys, fudge & sugar cookies & all manner of Granny’s most delectable things.

This year for an April birthday I’m making her German Chocolate Cake. I’m sure it won’t taste the same without her. What I’d give to sit down with her at her round table on the back porch for coffee & cake & tell her how much she means to me. There are so many questions I wish I’d asked her that I never thought of till I grew up & realized what truly matters. Maybe that conversation will be held in heaven instead.

I just know there will be cake!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 package German’s Sweet Chocolate from Baker’s Chocolate

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2-1/2 cups Swans Down Cake Flour

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites, swiftly beaten

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Melt chocolate in boiling water, then cool. Cream butter & sugar together in a bowl till fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, & beat well after each. Add melted chocolate & vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together salt, baking soda, & flour. Add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate & butter mixture, beating well till smooth. Beat egg whites till soft peaks form & fold into batter. Divide mixture between cake pans & bake each at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

COCONUT PECAN FROSTING

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1/4 pound margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups coconut

1 cup pecans

DIRECTIONS:

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, oleo & vanilla in a saucepan & cook over medium heat till thickened. Stir frequently. Remove from heat, add coconut & pecans & beat till thick enough to spread. Frosting should make approximately 2 cups. Spread between cooled cake layers & on top of the assembled cake.

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We’re now well into 2025 & this is my busiest – & hopefully best – writing year yet. Not much time for relaxing though I’m dreaming of a bookish picnic reminiscent of my childhood Kentucky days. My current chilly, damp Pacific Northwest life keeps me near the fireplace till June. Such is the fate of a sun-loving, southern expat!

Since I’m often asked during podcasts & at book events what I’m working on next, here’s a brief update…

Novel 18 has a name! But you’ll have to wait till this summer’s cover reveal to discover it:) Revell kept my working title which I love & I’m in an entirely new setting. Releasing January 2026 to coincide with our nation’s 250th anniversary of independence.

Novella 2 appears in July of this year – Bleu Galant’s happy ending from The Seamstress of Acadie. Watch for a cover reveal soon. Newsletter subscribers see it first!

I’m currently switching gears & writing a novel set in 1798 Georgian London, the very end of my beloved 18th-century, but what I’m discovering through research is fascinating. I’d originally based the story on pirates & smugglers along the Thames but am now going another direction with all those who shaped history for the better during that time period. Quite a bit of mystery & suspense in this one. I hope you find it fascinating, too!

My publisher, Revell, has asked me to write a Christmas novella which will release in September 2027. I’ll follow that up with a full-length novel in February 2028. Thank you all for making that possible!

So, for future reading think the American Revolution, late Georgian-era London, a colonial American Christmas, & the founding of Savannah, Georgia, etc. 

HAPPY READING!

The post Books & such! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Time for a writing update! Good news should be shared!

✍️ I signed a new contract yesterday! The plan is to bring you a winter novel & a summer novella in future. Two books a year for several years to come!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Cover art & titling are underway for this finished January 2025 novel about a 1774 colonial American heiress & a Scots merchant. Can’t wait to share!

🧳 Traveling this week so your prayers are appreciated. One-handed travel is interesting! A few weeks ago our dogs took me on a walk & my wrist broke/emergency surgery. Healing is slower than I like but I’m learning all kinds of spiritual lessons. God is patient w/ this traveler!

📬 I usually save updates for my seasonal newsletter. If you’d like to subscribe, please sign up on my homepage.  Thank you!

The post Novel news! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

When I was traveling in the south the month of May, my sister-in-love, Nicia, served this salad & it’s so good I must share! Just combine fresh spinach, fresh blueberries & or strawberries, chèvre or feta cheese, pecans or sliced almonds, as much or as little as you like. For dressing, we use organic poppyseed, specifically Brianna’s. Some even add watermelon & grilled shrimp as shown here.

 Bon Appétit!

The post Nicia’s Summer Salad appeared first on Laura Frantz.

April is one of my favorite months & here’s just another wonderful reason! I’ve been so excited to join these other beloved authors who are dedicated to quality historical fiction. Win a signed copy of our 4 latest releases as well as a generous $100 Amazon gift card!

Mimi, Elizabeth, & Julie are always five star reads for me as they write with beauty & depth & are devoted to research & bringing quality stories to readers. We’re so happy you’re joining us to celebrate!

Giveaway is live from April 1st-14th, U.S. only

To enter, please follow the link below:

A LOVE STORY IN TIME GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Terms & Conditions at Mimi Matthews website

Thank you for celebrating with us!

The post A Love Story in Time Giveaway appeared first on Laura Frantz.

These are just a few faces of fellow travelers. We share a love of Scotland & Scottish ancestry & were amazed by all that we experienced while there. One of the highlights was the home of our 6th great-grandfather, George Hume, of Wedderburn Castle. Three of us on tour are his great-granddaughters, so to speak, & the estate he forfeited when he was exiled to Virginia in the 18th-century is incredibly beautiful today.

I found the Hume’s Lowland home especially poignant & moving given all they lost as a family during that very turbulent time as Jacobites. Their history is what inspired both A Bound Heart & my upcoming Scottish novel, The Rose & the Thistle.

Here’s a photo of me standing in the castle courtyard. A Hume descendant still lives there today. The grounds are so peaceful and private. How I wish I was still Lady Laura of Wedderburn Castle!

I’m overflowing with inspiration & especially excited to release this second Scottish novel next January. Soon I’ll share the cover via newsletter first then here in my journal. The design is stunning & captures the novel so very well.

Haste ye back!

The post Scotland in May! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

This time, Revell & I have created a book club box for book clubs, full of things to make fellow bibliophiles gleeful such as historic chocolate recipes, signed bookplates, discussion questions, & more! I’ll be sending out a special e-letter about how to access these limited edition boxes soon. Newsletter subscribers access first so please join my newsletter if you haven’t already!

These nautically-minded characters are ready to make a splash and land on your shelf!

Hurry up, January 4th, 2022!

The post Pre-release bling! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

SO happy to share novel eleven with you! Here are my cover thoughts from my newsletter…

I love the up-close image of Tessa Swan, our heroine. She has a simple beauty and strength. I asked that her hair be messy and those dangling strings of her cap be left untied. In the novel, our hero says her pale cap is the only ruffled thing about her. For the sake of accuracy, Revell’s design team hunted down a ruffled head covering which is quite 18th-century as is the linen fichu about her shoulders. Her indigo dress was also a very familiar color back then. Framed by the western Virginia wilderness setting, she is as authentic as the landscape around her. Since an Indian captivity theme is central to this story, that element is included with more Indian motifs to come on the back cover and possibly the spine, too.

Thank you, Revell!

PREORDER LINKS:

AMAZON   BARNES&NOBLE

The post An Uncommon Woman appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I’ve posted banana bread recipes before but not this clean-eating version. I’ve always been health conscious but these healthy ingredients take a simple recipe to another level. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do! I often freeze a batch then take them out to thaw as needed for breakfast so they always taste fresh. Here’s to healthy eating!

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick grass-fed butter
½ cup coconut sugar
¾ cup coconut flour
3 eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tsp. baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup walnuts or pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar till fluffy. Add mashed bananas to butter/sugar mixture and beat till well combined. Add vanilla & eggs and mix well. In another small bowl, combine flour with baking soda & salt. Mix flour mixture by hand into sugar mixture then stir in nuts. Lightly oil muffin tins with coconut oil or use paper muffin liners.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 regular muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.

ENJOY!

The post Best Banana Muffins appeared first on Laura Frantz.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups chicken stock (I use gluten-free stock)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup Arborio rice
1 Tbsp lemon juice and 3 Tbsp water
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, tips cut off, tough skins of the spears peeled, and the spears cut into thin rounds
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the stock in a small saucepan until it comes to a low simmer.

2. In a separate 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add the Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

3. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of hot stock at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed and the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes. Don’t go stir crazy:) All this stirring pays off in the end…

4. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, but only after the previous addition has been absorbed by the rice. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5 With the last ladle of stock, add the asparagus. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, until the risotto has absorbed the stock, but is still loose, and the asparagus are just cooked through.

6 Stir in the Parmesan, remaining butter, add salt, pepper: Turn off the heat and serve. Pairs well with a green salad, rotisserie chicken, pork tenderloin, or oven-roasted shrimp.

Enjoy!

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