WEDNESDAY MORNING CHILL

Reflection of an Eagle Spirit

The hero of Eagle Dance is a Native American eagle shifter. 

Dyami has a spiritual guide within his soul 

and has been blessed with the ability to change from man to animal at will. 

The man often reflects strong attributes of the animal.

Native wisdom also honors the eagle for their opportunistic ways. It's not that they're skilled hunters (they are), but the go about gaining their needs in ways that are most efficient. This is a lesson for conserving resources. Work smarter, not harder.

The eagle reminds us to be victorious, brave and strong. We are do be these things with humility. Honor, respect and dignity are very important to those who have an eagle spirit.

Meditate for a moment. 

Does the great spirit send you an eagle?

Dyami Schafer, a Native American from a Michigan Chippewa tribe, leads a lonely life due to his large size and unusual appearance. When his nesting instinct sets in, he turns to Madame Eve and her 1Night Stand dating service to help him find his spirit mate. Or at least a woman who accepts him as an eagle shifter.

Amanda Collins never stopped loving the Chippewa boy she knew from her childhood. Maybe a night with a Native American man will help her forget the past and let her move on with her life.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a step into the past before dancing into the future. With the help of Madame Eve, will the Spirit of the Eagle carry Dyami and Amanda?

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Who Reads Romance?

 During any given period, women who read romance novels have a tendency to have twice as many lovers as those who don’t. People who read romance have sex 70% more often than those who don't.

The Romance Reader

In 2017, RWA commissioned

"The Romance Book Buyer 2017: A Study by NPD Book for Romance Writers of America."

A portion of the results can be found below. 

Who is the romance reader?

·        Female: 82%

·        Male: 18%

·        Average age of the romance reader: 35–39 years old

·        Ethnicity:

• 73% White/Caucasian
•  12% Black/African American
• 7% Latino/Hispanic
• 4% Asian/Asian American.

·        Sexual orientation:

• 86% heterosexual or straight
• 9%  bisexual, pansexual, or other bi+ identity
• 2% gay or lesbian.

Reading Habits

·        Most frequent readers are younger, aged 34 and below.

·        92% of survey respondents are print readers

·        64% are e-book readers

·        35% are audiobook users.

·        Tablets and smartphones are the most-used devices to read e-books.

·        Half of romance readers read romantic suspense,

• followed by erotic
• historical as the most popular genres.

·        Younger readers read more Young Adult, Erotic, and

• Paranormal Romance and less Contemporary Romance than older readers.

Acquiring Romance Books

·        Top responses for how romance readers acquire romance novels:

• borrow from a library
• purchase in brick-and-mortar bookstores
• acquire them from friends/relatives
• purchase in print via an online store
• purchase them as an e-book via an online store.

·        A higher percentage of readers buy from bricks-and-mortar stores than online,

• and 15% use a subscription service.

·        One-third of readers searched for new authors in the past six months.

·        Content is listed as a more important purchase influence than recommendations.

Further Insights

The future of romance is the younger emerging readership.

These younger readers are:

·        diverse in sexual orientation and in ethnicity

·        more male

·        frequent readers

·        listening to audiobooks

·        reading e-books on smartphones

·        consuming YA, erotic, and paranormal romance

·        shopping at a greater number of online retailers

·        extremely engaged on social media and willing to experiment with new authors

---

Source and Methodology

Source: The Romance Book Buyer 2017: A Study by NPD Book for Romance Writers of America
Methodology

·        Sample of 2,000 romance book readers

·        Survey fielded in December 2017

·        Quota for gender and age

• based on nationally representative sample of book buyers
• who said they were likely to read a romance book in the future

·        Screener question:

• Do you read romance fiction novels?
• This would include books where
• (1) there is a central love story and        
• (2) the end of the story is positive.

Permission is granted by Romance Writers of America to link to this page

and/or use portions of the statistics with proper citation.

Do not reprint or copy this information in its entirety. 
^†Source: NPD Books Romance Landscape:

A Study by NPD Book for Romance Writers of America.

 

Friday Night Fish

The only thing Flyboy Jr asked, was to have the pike he caught for dinner while he was home on the weekend.

Of course, Flyboy was happy to fulfill the request and added in some trout. After tast-testing spices, the guys decided on Blackened Seasoning.

I tossed some brussel sprouts, carrot pieces and roma tomato quarters with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, & parsley then placed them on a stoneware pan to roast in a hot oven.

I love cooking with my honey.

While cooking up some rice pilaf, i thoght about which wine I "needed" with dinner.  I wanted something warm since the temp outside is still cold but i wanted it to compliment the meal. I selected 2018 Late Haervest Riesling from Chanteau Chantal. I picked up a couple bottles the last time we visted Flyboy Jr in Traverse City. I like how the sweetness of pear and apricot works with the spicy dish.

How do you like my favorite wine stopper?

Grandma's Irish Soda Bread

Grandma wasn't kidding when she said she believed we had a wee bit of Irish in us. Turned out, my DNA evaluation showed proof of the family tale. Gram with her gift of storytelling and cooking drew family members together. Nothing was better than Gram's bread. The smell of warm bread embodies LOVE.

Gram had a sweet tooth and loved breads. She would often toss a few raisins into her Irish Soda Bread, shhhh.... don't tell anyone. We all love Gram's breads and she would serve Irish Soda Bread with "Boiled Dinner". Corned beef (or ham, depending on the guests) with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onion and cabbage. The bread would be used to sop up the delicious, savory broth. I preferred my slice of warm bread with  butter.

Any leftover Irish Soda Bread was turned into French toast the next morning.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times. Form the dough into a ball and then press into the prepared pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. The dough should reach the edges of the pan, but may spring back slightly.
4. Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about 1/4 of an inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside down.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, covered, then remove the top pan and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more or until the crust is dark golden brown.

A little Irish Soda Bread history:

I want to give you just a few interesting facts about Irish Soda Bread.  Don’t worry I won’t bore you it’s only a few!

• The cross that is slashed into the dough before baking was made to ward off devils and protect the house.  It also helps the center of the bread bake all the way through, so it’s very important not to skip that step!
• During the mid 1800s the Irish were making so much soda bread that baking soda almost doubled in price!
• Soda bread was served as an inexpensive way to put bread on the table.
• Real soda bread should only contain 4 ingredients: flour, buttermilk, salt, and of course baking soda.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patty's!

 I did an Ancestory.com DNA thing and participate in a DNA research project funded by the Smithsonian. During the research, I found out I have a wee bit of Irish in my blood. This is my first St. Patty's Day with that info. Yay! Kiss me, I'm Irish!

Have a wonderful day, friends and be sure to find a little romance.

Maple Syrup for Your Honey

It's almost Maple Syrup Season! Nothing beats a romantic morning with your honey than pure maple syrup over a batch of hot French toast or pancakes.

According to Michigan Farmers' Market Association, there are different grades of Michigan farmers market fresh maple syrup. While they are all delicious, different grades are best for different purposes. 

Grade A maple syrup is lighter and more delicately flavored, making it perfect for topping your pancakes or other treats. 

Grade B Michigan Maple Syrup 

Grade B maple syrup is stronger in caramel flavor and great for baking. This is a darker syrup with a more robust flavor and scent. 

Visit the the Made In Michigan Store for products

Follow these food safety tips to enjoy your farmers market fresh maple syrup:

• Store pure maple syrup in the refrigerator – even if the bottle has not been opened.
• Pure maple syrup in glass or tin containers may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Use syrup stored in plastic containers within three to six months.

Monday Mojo - Dry Skin? Try this!

Winter leads to suffering dry skin. Here is an interesting "treatment" I found.

  Sperm is good for the skin

The proteins in sperm have a tightening effect on the skin. When sperm is left to dry, the evaporation of the water in it leaves behind protein which can help to reduce wrinkles. While this may be an excellent anti-aging treatment, the obvious downside is that you have to walk around with sperm on your face.

I think I'll continue using Olay.

Love Knot is FREE for Read an Ebook Week

I'm participating in READ AN EBOOK WEEK to promote more reading! Whether it be holding a printed book or a kindle, it counts as reading. The first week of March has been set aside for publishers and authors to promote the advantages of reading digitally and encourage readers to give it a try.

I'm offering a sexy St. Patty's Day romance for FREE!

Mimi Cates is an artist who lives over the coffee shop she owns. Content with her life, she won't allow herself to become to close with her sexy, wanderlust neighbor, despite what her heart tells her.

Irishman, Robbie Mac Donnell never wanted to stay in one place very long. His job as a scientist allowed him to travel the world without ever making permanent ties to anyone. However, when he finds the perfect person and the perfect place to settle down, he's not sure if she'll believe him.

****

“Well... you're a sight for sore eyes!” Mimi grinned as the sight of her long-lost friend thrilled her senses.

Dressed in black jeans, black boots and black tank under a plaid shirt with hunky muscles peeking out; hot enough to make any woman with a pulse drool. His reddish blonde hair fashioned in the usual mess as if he just crawled out of bed. Dark brows arched over beautiful green eyes and those lips...so kissable.

Without saying a word, Robbie placed a box he carried as well as a highly polished apple onto the table and walked towards her. His hand slipped under her hair to cup the base of her head, while his other arm circled around her. When his lips came down on hers, Mimi had to grab onto him to keep from falling over in surprise.

Not a sweet kiss of friendship but an obvious promise of decadent pleasure. With a tilt of his head, Robbie took the kiss deeper. The scent of milled soap and masculinity made her heady. She could barely remember the last time he kissed her, not that she complained at the moment. Robbie slowly pulled away, tugging at her lip with his teeth as he did.

“Ah... welcome home?” She choked on the words.

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May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.