Celebrate Mother's Day The Cowboy Way by Connie Vines #Sunday Snippets

Today's world is one of online purchases, mass produced greeting cards, and restaurants.

There was a time when life was simpler.  Moments were savored, celebrations heartfelt and home made.

A time when a cowboy came home with a bouquet of r remember of fresh flowers that he had picked off of the side of the roads.  He did that several times a week.  His wife loved it.  She felt special because he had taken the time to stop to pick them and there’s nothing like having fresh flowers around your house to liven it up.  

This is also a wonderful tradition to begin in a family--for a father to pass on down to his son, or his daughter.

Or if your cowboy knows his way around the kitchen or a camp fire, breakfast will be on the Mother's Day horizon.

Cowboy Hash Skillet
Recipe type: Breakfast
Prep time:  15 mins Cook time:  25 mins Total time:  40 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes, washed and cut into ½ inch cubes (it's up to you if you want to peel them, I didn't because it gives it a more rustic look)
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 lb. chorizo sausage, casings removed
4 large eggs (one egg for each skillet hash)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large skillet, cook the potatoes with 2 tbsp. of olive oil for 5-7 minutes until they start to get soft and the outsides are starting to brown. Then add in the green pepper, red pepper, and small onion. Cook until they're soft.

Add in the chorizo and cook until the meat is thoroughly cooked through and veggies are completely soft, about 10 more minutes. Make sure to mix and stir all the ingredients together so they get coated with the spicy chorizo. Salt and pepper, to taste.

While the chorizo is cooking with the veggies, cook an egg sunny side up or however you like it. I cooked mine sunny side up because I liked the runny yolk atop of the hash. Set aside.

Once all the veggies and chorizos are done cooking, plate them in a large bowl or individual skillets (if you have them). Top the hash with your eggs.

Enjoy!


 Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Hop over to each of my friend's blogs and see what they have to say.

Janet Waldron

Ginger Simpson

Trisha McGill

"All Great Writers Begin with a Good Leather Binder and a Respectable Title." by Connie Vines #Sunday Snippets

"All great writers begin with a good leather binder and a respectable title," Johnny Deppp (speaking as J.M. Berrie) said to Peter in the film "Finding Neverland".

When I teach workshops, or am a guest speaker at local literary events, I am often asked, "Have you ever met a real-life character?

Living in SoCal, and due to the nature of my work, I do come in contact with actors, writers, public speakers, and others involved in the entertainment industry.  However, the person who was 'bigger than life' was not someone involved in the entertainment industry.  This person is someone who provided inspiration for the Lynx Maddox, the hero in the first book in my Rodeo Romance Series.

I often 'freelance' when I am working on a novel for better insight into a character, to learn a particular skill or obtain inside knowledge (slang, general impressions, etc.) that only someone living that life-style would know.  Sometimes all it takes is a conversation with the owner of a small town Nebraska cafe.  I might be invited into her kitchen where a family recipe is divulged, or local gossip is shared.  Another time, I'll serve on committee and strike up conversation with a person whose humanitarian work takes her to Romania.

In this particular case, I was attending school and working as a part-time 'appointment only' fragrance consultant in a exclusive perfumery.

Enter: one cowboy. 

From outward appearances he was of average height, a bit on the lean side (but well toned), dark-haired, green-eyed, early-to-mid thirties; just an average man.  However, there was an unmistakable 'aura' of energy when he entered the room.  His drawl resonated, his expressions were intense (but not threatening): a lifted eyebrow, a smile pulling a the corner of his mouth.  After a couple of minutes, I discovered he wasn't average at all--I'm not talking about wealth, personal fashion sense, or anything tangible--he just claimed all your attention without really doing anything.  I found this completely amazing.  (And no, it wasn't love at first sight! He was shopping for his wife's birthday gift and purchased a designer fragrance and art glass).

I wondered what it would be like to have a hero who's personality was 'a force of nature'.  And, so, Lynx Maddox was born!
.
Connie

Sunday Snippets By Connie Vines #SundaySnippets #0621

Today is Father’s Day. 

According to Wikipedia, Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. 

Even though my own father passed away over a decade ago, his paternal bond and code of honor still influences my life and my life choices.

Do paternal ties influence your ‘heroes’ as you write?  I believe so.  My father was a third generation Texan.  He competed in local rodeos while attending high school (thus the ‘cowboy code’) and later, he enlisted in the military (duty, honor).  I believe that the heroes of my novels reflect this same code. 

Who was the ‘paternal’ figure who had a positive influence in your life? Father, brother, uncle, teacher, spiritual adviser?

Perhaps a super hero had a positive influence on your life.  Or, maybe, it was a slow-talking, upstanding man.  A man who reminded you of a Texas cowboy.

Here is a snippet from “Lynx” Rodeo Romance Book 1, published by BWL (Books We Love).  “Lynx” is available in paperback and eBook.

**

Did he love her?

Rachel glanced across the table at Lynx. His earnest smile and green eyes were working their magic.  She could feel her uncertainty and shyness slipping away. Ina another few moments, she’d be begging Lynx to kiss her.

The truth was, being involved with Lynx scared her. Realizing that she loved Lynx made her nervous enough. But ‘commitment,’ even a hint of long-term relationship, made her clutch the table for a reality check.

His brand of charm and passion was well-nigh irresistible. He was a rodeo man.  He was  from Texas. And she love him, deeply, passionately. Desperately.

He made her yearn for things she’d only dreamed about having—things she desperately wanted but never hoped to touch.

When he looked at her, Rachel felt the pull. He wanted something from her, something she wasn’t certain she had to give. Lynx looked beyond who she was and saw who she could become. . .

**

I hope you enjoyed my snip from "Lynx".

Please stop by and visit the authors who are participating in this week's Blog Hop!
(We hope to see the list grow!)  Sharing is encouraged--see social media buttons below.

http://mizging.blogspot.com (Ginger Simpson)
http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGil)
http://romancingscifi.blogspot.com/ (Vijaya Schartz)
http://www.jamiehill.biz/ (Jamie Hill)

Purchase links:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/connie-vines
http://www.amazon.com/Connie-Vines/e/B004C7W6PE
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/connie-vines/id624802082?mt=11

My publisher's author page:
http://www.bookswelove.net/authors/vines-connie/

Round Robin Blog Fest--Book Giveaways and Contests

1 

     #Round Robin Blog Fest

I would like to thank Rhobin Courtright for the invitation to participate in this month's blog fest.  The topic: book giveaways and contests.

    

    

  How effective do you think book giveaways or contests are?

The key: forethought (know your audience). Careful planning, media blitzing, and a gimmick are the elements of a very successful contest. By gimmick, I mean a creative approach, one that is not a usual contest pitch.  Am I going to give you any never fail rule/a road map to success?

No--I wish it was only that easy.

You can Google names of media savvy authors.  Or Google my name and look at my website (novelsbyconnievines.com) read my interviews, my archived contest info (the links are still on Google/ Bing, some are available on my web site).  This is not a do-what-you-see-others-do, it more of fact gathering tour.  You know your story/series, and you are the best judge of what will appeal to your fan base. 

After all, what is a successfully contest for me, may not spell success for you. If you write historical novels featuring a lineage page (I do enjoy researching genealogy but. . .) your readers would probably adore winning a book of Sonnets.  While my fan base (me included) are happy with a Starbucks gift card and an autographed copy of my latest eBook.

Be creative. Have fun.  If you don’t enjoy your contest, no one else will either.

    Do you think all the free books through Amazon and the library offered to prime members affect your efforts?

I believe the free reads and lending through Amazon (for prime members) has a positive effect on my efforts in promotion.  I’m willing to try a new author or genre because of the free read offers.  I have purchase 6 books this month as of this Amazon feature.  Amazon distributes a large list of books that are free, the lending library allows Prime users to read one book of their choice monthly at no additional cost to their membership 

However, on the down side, giving way books seems to brink out "rather vicious" reviews.  Which really puzzles me, especially when it's apparent the reviewer didn't finish the book/or read more than a page or two.  We all have our preferences.  Please be mindful of cyber manners--there is no reason post a hateful review.  Everyone that's pride in his/her work.  And every writer is mindful of our readership.  

Ginger goes into more depth on her blog post. You man wish to stop by her site also.

In order to compete with freebies, my publisher. Books We Love Ltd., lowered the prices of our books to try to be more competitive.  

And more good news: Jude Pittman, president, of Books We Love Ltd., with whom I'm published, released this statement as part of a press release:

Of course, any great author would be oppressed without an extensive distribution network for their work. To that end, Books We Love Ltd. has just signed a deal to distribute their books in print in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Red Tuque will also be handling a portion of the distribution in Canada, with both distributors releasing a combined twenty-five titles this coming fall.

 “This print distribution is a big step for our authors, returning their work to its original format. Of course, we’ve not forgotten about eBooks and currently have over four-hundred titles exclusively available through Amazon Kindle. With each book priced at $4.99 or under, getting some of literature’s forgotten heroes into your hands has never been cheaper,” Pittman adds.

Exciting times. . . and great adventures! 

 What are the best promotions you've participated in?

I find that interviews generate the most exposure for me. Contests run as a group (with your publisher, online reader/writer group etc.) is second. Guest blogging (see I’m here!), and all of my combined online presence, is third.  I am visible in my community. I judge local and national writing contests, offer workshops and guest speaking engagement.  As for book signings—in the past this was a wonderful way to ‘meet and greet’ readers.  Signing 75 books during a 3-hour event was the norm, now author appearances aren't always sure-fired way to draw readers.  The Internet has replaced monthly newsletters that were sent via USPS. While downloadable bookmarks, e-authorgraphs, and facebook and google+ stream (the new fan club base) are all part of author branding.

The online shopping experience, or read a book at your local library and purchase it for your book shelf, seems to be the new norm. I believe to survive in this very competitive field, contests, giveaways, and series readership is a must. 

After all, a loyal readership is the key to success.  Write that ‘must read’ story that your readers will love and keep your name out there! 

Next on your Round Robin tour: Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca

Happy Reading, 

Connie

Participating in July’s Round Robin event: Ginger Simpson at http://mizging.blogspot.com Margaret Fieland at http://margaretfieland.com/my_blog Connie Vines at http://connievines.blogspot.com/ Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca Rhobin Courtright at http://rhobinleecourtright.com

Round Robin Blog for December 2013. Topic: What Have I Learned From Writing?

This month’s topic: What have I learned from writing?  And what are my goals for 2014 and further into the future?

I believe by writing I have learned more about myself.  This is especially true when I write fiction.  Just as I learn much of the inner workings of the authors I read, people will be learning about me (which is rather an uncomfortable feeling) when my thoughts are put onto paper or screen.  Of course, this is not one hundred percent the case all of the time.  However, just like an actor, my writings are filtered though my points of reference and life experiences, and this is what, I believe, makes up a writers’ ‘voice’.  Therefore, morals, ethics, and thoughts are exposed for all to see.  This gives me a unique way to focus in and draw upon my emotions/experiences, which helps me intensify an emotional scene.  Yet it also gives me an opportunity to go to the opposite end of the spectrum and develop a character with an entirely different point of reference and, therefore, a very different motivational focus. 

I have, or I should say: I am still learning to budget my time.  Not only do I have a full time job but also like everyone else, I have family obligations and commitments.  Once you are a writer, you are always exceptionally busy.  I actively serve as a board member for a writer’s group; I judge writing contests at local, national, and international levels.  I meeting monthly with another writer to brainstorm, I guest blog, well you get the picture. . .and I write. Constantly. I have a Sony recorder, a voice app on my iPad and iPhone—which I seldom employ.  Why?  Because the act of putting pen to paper activates the brain into a free-flow mode.  I scribble in notebooks, scraps of paper, index cards that I toss in a basket on my desk.  Then when I’m ready to plot my novel, I sort, paper clip into some semblance of order, and get down to the business of writing.

What are my goals for 2014 and beyond?

My Zombie novella is almost complete.  My Zombie stories are minus blood and gore (think: “Warm Bodies” with a focus on ‘warm and fuzzy’).

I currently have an anthology in the works.  One of the stories has a television production focus.  I had a wonderful time conducting fieldwork.  Living in southern California, Hollywood, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Sea World are within easy driving distance.  I am also blessed with friends in the industry,  who were kind enough to answers my questions.

I have a YA/Tween series and an audio novel in the works for this upcoming year.  I plan to enjoy life  and continue to develop my craft as a writer.  Why do I write--because it is so much fun.  When I am not writing, as my family knows, I am miserable (or at the very least, cranky).

Connie Vines

A big “thank you” goes out to Robin for including me in this month’s blog.

http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/

When I Grow up I Want a Pony

        After a few inquisitives nuzzles at my pockets to make certainall the carrots pilfered from the garden were gone, Tulsa rested her chin on mybare shoulder. The bristles under her muzzle were thick and warm, tickling my skin.

   I watched her nostrils twitch, and her breath was white in thecold mountain air. She gave a soft whinny, patting her long lashes fringing herdark expressive eyes. I glanced over the wooden fence and out into the distance.

#

     I have found women and horses have a connection that most cannotexplain. It often begins when we are little girls and grows and grows. I recallan old quote, "The falling hooves are my heartbeat and free my soul tofly."
     Yes, this explains the way a girl, or woman, feels when sherides her horse.
     And sometimes, in the stillness of a warm afternoon, I willrecall those sun soaked days and long for the comfort of Tulsa's warm breathupon my neck. Or the soft nickers she made when she watched me toss alfalfainto her stall each morning.
     I remember. And I smile.

     Thank you for blogging with me.  Cassandra G, Ontario Canada was the winner of my Coffee TimeRomance Contest!

     Watch for Brede, Romance Book 2.

      Happy Reading,

      Connie Vines