December Specials!

Heads up, dearies — my monthly FREE newsletter, Liz’s Hot News, will feature coupon deals on novels and short stories plus special treats. Sign up before the December issue release date, Dec 1 to get in on the fun.

Psst! You can unsubscribe at any time! 

Now, for a taste of the holidays, a recipe for my favorite cake and to-die-for icing:

Applesauce Cake

2 ½ cups flour

1 ¾ cups sugar, or 1 cup sugar and ¾ cup honey

1 ½ teaspoon soda

1 ½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon allspice

1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce

½ cup hot water (⅓ c if using honey)

½ cup shortening

2 eggs at room temperature

Optional: 1 cup raisins and ½ cup chopped English walnuts

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour baking pan, either 13x9x2 or 2 round layers 8 or 9×1½ inches.

Measure wet ingredients into bowl and mix thoroughly. If eggs or water are cold, the shortening won’t blend well.  Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended, then increase mixer speed and beat three minutes. Pour into pans.

Bake oblong 60-65 minutes, layers 50-55 minutes, until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

When cake has cooled, frost with Penuche Icing.

 

Penuche Icing (Yumm!)

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

¼ cup milk

2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir over low heat 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, then remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.

Stir in confectioners’ sugar then beat with mixer until fully smooth and of spreading consistency. If frosting becomes too stiff, heat slightly while stirring.

♥ ♥ Chance to Win! ♥ ♥

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Like all cheesy promotional contests, this one requires you to do something in return for your chance to win a stunning prize. For your effort, you could win a $20 gift certificate at Amazon.com. Please, no applause. I feel bad enough as it is. I should be giving away much more, like maybe $50. Or $100.

I would if I could.

I’m giving away $20 to some lucky winner because I’d love to have more followers for my blog. Alternatively, I’d love to have more fans reading my free monthly newsletter. Both would be perfect, so rush right down and sign up today.

Why do I have a blog and a newsletter? I’m a writer. I write every day. Some of my words are in my blog and some are in the newsletter, but most of those thousands of fascinating combinations of letters are in my books and short stories which you wouldn’t know about unless you read my blog or newsletter. See?

I want you to know about my stories because I know they’re good. I know that once you read some of it, you’ll come back for more. You’ll tell your friends and relatives–well, at least those who like racy romance–about me and my stories and next thing you know, I’ll be rich and famous. And I’ll be encouraged to write more stories for you.

Now that I’ve clearly established my ulterior motives for giving away $20, I’ll sweeten the pot by making my most popular novel available for ONE DAY at half price. That’s right, all 380 steamy ebook pages of 5-star Jarrod Bancroft: The Novel only $2.50 all day Valentine’s Day. (You’ll note that I’ve added a convenient link so you can jump right in there to order your copy. It’s available at this price only through this one outlet, NOT Amazon.com) That’s a lot of smut for the price of a cheap cup of coffee.

By the way, you’ll probably really like my newsletter this month. I’ve given FIVE ideas/links for FREE Valentine’s Day gifts for your sweetheart, from food to foot massage.  The teaser short story posted here on my blog (Feb 4) is an offshoot of Jarrod’s story, and the opening paragraphs of that story are also in the newsletter. Also my regular feature “Did you know” talks about the different ways authors approach their work–carefully plotting the action before starting to write or flying by the seat of the pants. I know you’ve been dying for that.

As a Valentine bonus, I’ve written a short story about Jarrod that will post to my blog on February 4. See how nice I treat you?

Wouldn’t you love to have my clever, useful newsletter pop into your email each month? Wouldn’t you love to see my occasional scintillating blog posts arrive to amuse you in random moments? I thought so.

So click the “Follow” button over there in the left margin and you’ll get my blog posts. Or click on my newsletter Liz’s Hot News link to sign up. I promise you won’t regret it. And really, why not? If I ever annoy you, you only have to click “unsubscribe” and it’s all over for us.

Once you’ve signed up (OK, if you’re really short on patience here, you only have to do one of those two things.) then your name will be entered in the drawing I’ll hold on February 14.

[If you choose to follow my blog to qualify for your chance to win rather than signing up for my newsletter, you’ll need to provide me a way to know how to contact you. You can send me a private message on Facebook or you can leave a comment here. If you sign up for the newsletter, I’ll have your email.]

Go ahead and visit my Facebook page and find the pinned post with most of the same information you’ve already read here. I know, I know, it sounds redundant. But if really want to make my day, please “Like” my page, “Share” the post about this drawing with all your friends, and “Comment” to say you’ve done your part.

There. I hope you feel better. I know I do. Thank you. Really. Thank you very much.

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New Year, New Start

hot news Jan 16

And a new chance to win a fabulous Surprise Gift Box including my latest novel, Caerwin and the Roman DogSecond place wins a paperback copy of the novel.

How to enter —

1.  Like and share this post on your Facebook page.

2. Like my Facebook page.

3. Subscribe to Liz’s Hot News monthly newsletter. FREE stuff, excerpts, pre-release deals, and much more. Sign up at http://eepurl.com/bHOyS9

4. Comment below saying you’ve shared, liked, and subscribed. This is important!

Entries close January 9. Winners chosen by random drawing and will be announced January 11. The contest is solely my responsibility.

Liz’s Hot News

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Just in time for the holidays!  Your own special gift! A winner will be chosen by random drawing from all subscribers to my new newsletter, Liz’s Hot News! Signup period ends at midnight December 13 for this drawing, so share the info with your friends today. Gift certificate, goodies, and more!

This monthly newsletter will feature new releases, reviews, special events, writer tips, useful links, contests, and more. It’s a quick and easy signup and it’s free. Please join the fun by signing up today at http://eepurl.com/bHOyS9