May 22, 2006

What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular classic books at What Should I Read Next?

May 22, 2006

Tonight. 8 pm EST. Your local FOX channel. My sis as the flirtatious homeland security gal.

Be there or be square.

May 20, 2006

I’m such a sucker for teacher stories, and this one is fabulous! I snapped it up when it first hit the bookstores at the beginning of the month and read it the same day.

LEARNING CURVE
Terry McLaughlin’s debut novel
Harlequin Superromance
May 2006

What it’s about:

High school history teacher Joe Wisniewski may be in a rut, but he dug it himself and he’s not planning on getting out anytime soon. The last thing he wants is to mentor a starry-eyed newcomer, so when he gets an unexpected assignment—Emily Sullivan, a student teacher with a steamroller smile and dynamite legs—he digs in deeper and ducks for cover.

Emily has looked up to the legendary “Wiz” for a long time. In her opinion, the man is coasting these days, and she’s sure a little change in his routine is exactly what he needs. The question is: Will Emily get Joe fired up or just plain fired?

What others are saying:

“…a skillfully developed story with wonderful characters and excellent dialogue…” 4 Stars from Romantic Times

“…sassy, sexy and riotous entertainment…” 5 Stars from CataRomance

“…snappy, entertaining, compelling…richly drawn characters and laugh out loud dialogue…” National Bestselling Author Roxanne St. Claire

To learn more about Terry, visit her website.

May 18, 2006

My dear friend Diana Peterfreund, debut author of what is sure to be one of the summer’s hottest reads, is giving away ARCs (advance review copies–and with the old cover on them) of her novel Secret Society Girl!

So if you’ve been dying to get a sneak peek at this fabulous, funny, witty, suspenseful novel about an Ivy League student, Amy Haskell, who is the first woman invited to join one of those secret societies (eg, the infamous Skull & Bones), get thee over to Diana’s blog pronto and toss your name in the hat!

There are two ways to win, and since I’m not giving away my copy, you’d best check out her blog for details on how to win.

Or visit her at BEA this Sunday, where she’s signing 30 copies in person!

May 17, 2006

This is about the sixth day straight of clouds and rain. Where is the sunshine we’re supposed to get in May?

When I first woke up this morning, the sky was blue with puffy white clouds. It looked like such a promising day! But within a half hour, the sky gave way to grey clouds and a hidden sun.

I’m ready for sunshine and picnics, so in honor of the potential of the grilling season to soon be upon us, I’m going to share my famous recipe for hamburgers on the grill. I adapted it from my favorite meatloaf recipe.

Ready? Here goes:

Colleen’s Best Burger Recipe
1.5 pounds hamburger
two slices of bread, crumbled (or stick’em in the food processor to crumble)
1/4 c. catsup
1 cup total: chopped red peppers, carrots, spinach, green onions, garlic (or any combination thereof)–if you have time, cook them first in a sautee pan
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T cumin
1 egg
1 t cayenne pepper

Take all ingredients and mix in a large bowl.

Form into patties and grill as desired. Serve with whatever condiments you like; I’m particularly fond of jalapeno peppers, green olives, and Swiss cheese.

N.B.: These burgers are more delicate than most; they fall apart easier and are harder to turn, so take care.

Let me know how it goes. And let me know if you have any other best-burger tricks!