Looking for Nirvana

Hello, Friends!

I can't believe it's June and my birthday month is almost over! I must say, I've earned every shimmering silver stripe in my hair--and I'm wearing them like a BOSS! 

I periodically do live events--this year, I have two more and I will only be doing local events in 2020 (i.e., day trips). While ticketing is closed for Literary Love Savannah, you can still attend the public signing on Saturday, July 27, 2019. I'll also be live-and-in-person in Bucks County, PA for East Coast Authors Convention the first weekend in October. If you'll be attending any of these, drop me an email and we can make plans for coffee or a drink. 

Which brings me to my topic for this month: anxiety. 

I have social anxiety. I am perfectly happy to hole-up in my office and hold FB live chats or sit behind my monitor and chat with strangers. It doesn't take any effort, on my part. I can just DO it. But, when it comes to a live event, I don't have the familiar sounds or smells or a reliable Puck (one of my cats) to 'help' me through the physical symptoms. 

I'm likely the quiet one, paying attention to the conversation and getting a 'read' on everyone. I don't have a lot to say in a group setting. But, in smaller groups? Totally a different story. And, if you put me in my element--making stuff up, because YEAH! Cards Against Humanity, trivia games, word games, etc.,--it makes the anxiety a little less because I feel like I know what to expect. 

So, why the American Sign Language fingerspelling of LOVE? Watching ASL communication puts me at ease because it's something my daughters and niece do when they're together. I may not understand a lot--hardly any--but the patterns are familiar. 

I like to say that I write to exorcise my own demons, but that isn't 100 percent truthful, either. Writing isn't therapy, either. But, what writing does--when a piece is finished--is make me feel like I'm not alone with my anxiety. At least I have my characters, right?

Now, I realize that there are a lot of readers with anxiety, too. If you're at a book event and I'm there, too, just know I'm as uncomfortable as you are, but I employ the fake-it-to-make-it tactic. And, I've got you. Feel free to hang out with me. We don't have to talk, although I'll probably ask you about what you like to read because I can talk about that for HOURS. 

I turned 51 on my birthday. The field in which my f*cks are grown is barren. I don't have to pretend anymore--I can be my neurotic self. People can like me, not like me--whatever--because I'm not here to make everyone happy. At some point in our lives, we have to realize that making ourselves happy needs to come first. Then, everything else falls into place. 

Much love, 

Deelylah

Thanksgiving Menu - One new, One Old

Sharon Hamilton here.

I used to cook for 30-40 people every Thanksgiving. These days, our family is so scattered, we rarely do this, except for a big family gathering every 10 years or so. This year, we're going to my brother's house, but I'm making the turkey and the stuffing. I am also making Butternut Squash Soup, as soups are my specialty.

And then I was looking over some of my author friends' newsletters, and came up with a new cranberry sauce from Cat Johnson. I asked her permission to post it here. I finished making it today and boy is it yummy!!

So, from my household to yours, here are a couple of recipes that will enhance your Thanksgiving celebration. Love to all of you and may your families be safe, wherever they are. This will be the first time ever all 4 kids and their spouses, and all 6 grandkids will be here for Thanksgiving.

DRUNKEN CRANBERRY SAUCE

3# Fresh Cranberries (whole)

1 1/2 cups bourbon

1/2 cup orange juice

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Grated orange peel from one fresh medium orange

Rinse and pick through cranberries, discarding any berries that are split, soft or discolored.

Put cranberries into a medium bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups bourbon and 1/2 cup of orange juice. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

THE NEXT DAY...

Pour the marinated cranberries and all liquid into a medium saucepan and add all remaining ingredients.

Bring just to a slow boil, and then lower heat.

Simmer until mixture reduces and gels (about a half our), while stirring occasionally.

Cool and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

One large butternut squash

2 cups 1/2 and 1/2

1 cardboard carton Turkey Broth (large) or Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup butter

2 T flour

2 heavy shakes Nutmeg

2 heavy shakes Cinnamon

1/2 cup dry Sherry or Bourbon

(optional) large can peach or apricot halves

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Halve the butternut squash, remove seeds. Place on cookie sheet, baste with butter, lightly salt,  and bake @ 400 for 45 mins.

When cooked tender (should be like mashed potatoes), remove the yellow meat, place into blender. Discard rind.

Add Turkey or Vegetable broth, 1/2 and 1/2, flour and optional peaches or apricots, blend until smooth and creamy. Sometimes you have to split the liquid and the squash ingredients into 1/2 if your blender is small. Idea is to have a fully blended soup mix after blending. No lumps!

Return mixture to large soup pan, heat until begins to thicken, adding one cube butter. You can add more 1/2 and 1/2, or broth if you want it thinner. Add salt, shakes of Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste, and dry Sherry or Bourbon.

Serve with drizzle or dollop of Creme Fraiche, garnish rosemary and cranberry. Sprinkle with Pink sea salt.

This soup can be made ahead of time and is actually better the second day!  Enjoy!

Now all you need is my new book, Bachelor SEAL, which is available on all retailers.  This is Book 5 in the popular Sleeper SEALs Series built around the same theme. Enjoy!

Sleeper SEALs are former U.S. Navy SEALs recruited by a new CIA counter-terror division to conduct solo dark ops missions to combat terrorism on US soil.

Medically discharged from the Teams, notorious bachelor SEAL, Morgan Hansen, is approached to lead the biggest undercover operation of his career. For credibility, he is tasked with training and partnering with his ex, from a breakup that made news headlines and nearly ended is career.

Women’s empowerment guru, Halley Hansen, has built an empire around her live televised events and seminars. But her world-wide message for women has put her in the cross-hairs of some radical terrorist cells operating within the United States. The last person she wants to turn to or trusts is Morgan, her ex.

They bury their pain to work together for a cause bigger than the both of them. And if they don’t implode in the passion of their re-connection, they just might have a chance to save the women of the world.

June 19 is a Big Day in our Family

Yesterday was quite a celebration, and I got off to a late start today. But, my garden is watered, since it will be another close to 100 degrees.

I wrote this for my FB post of today, and will embellish it:

46 years ago today. Honeymooned all summer camping from the UK, throughout Europe, Italy, Yugoslavia, along the Riviera to Barcelona, where this was taken. Came home in September for Sonoma State classes. Broke. 

We did it all on $900, including $400 for two new Mario Monte bicycles we had handmade for us in a little village near Milan. The most we ever paid for a campsite was $1.55 in Spain at a place that had 7 swimming pools. Traveled with two German guys, a South African couple, an Aussie couple, two Irish guys who had to go to mass every day, and a married couple from the Netherlands for a couple of those weeks. 

Slept in a field of sunflowers in France and never stayed in a hotel one time. Cooked all but 3 meals. Those were the days when Americans were not well liked because they were stoned, sitting in fountains all over the place. With our Dutch plates, we let people think we were from Holland. 

Met a group of Navy SEALs and their wives traveling by MC before their next big deployment. DejaVu for me. Little did I know, but I loved talking to them and knew there was a presence about them. My husband had to point out who they were and how special they were. 

How innocent the world seemed then, but with our whole lives ahead of us, so much was possible. And so much of those dreams were realized. Our oldest daughter turns 40 today, born on our anniversary, another blessing. 

The whole trip had lots of memories, like my husband eating tuna fish sandwiches in Spain while we were watching a bull fight (none of the rest of us could stomach anything), the adventures getting lost, which turned out to be the only bad part about the time overseas. We finally reached that point where we just wanted to drive around a corner and see something we expected to see.

Now, 46 years later, I have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys. I have five grands, with a 6th on the way in October. That will make 3 boys and 3 girls, of course. Everything in perfect balance!

When I look back on those early married days, what a foretelling it was to meet the SEALs and their wives on that trip. It shows me how life is full of circles, and we are turning and coming back to our places of origin every day, every minute of the day. The colors are brightened, and the texture richer and richer. The tapestry of our lives is where we get the best of our stories as writers. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy June 19 to you as well!

Have you gotten your piece of Paradise yet? Just out this week, PARADISE - In Search of Love. Enjoy!

Paradise: In Search of Love

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rIs262
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2qcCkcU 
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2qOGMQV 
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2qHf2PD 
Amazon FR: http://amzn.to/2qckJSk 
Amazon DE: http://amzn.to/2rtUL1g 
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2rKSYS6 
iBooks: http://apple.co/2rL6aqc 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qcD7uo   

WRITING SHORT, WRITING WITH OTHER AUTHORS

BY SHARON HAMILTON

We are always looking for new ways to reach our readers. I've been doing a couple of new things this year. I enjoyed the boxed sets and anthologies I have been in. Went back to thinking I should just write in my cave and forget everything else, and now I'm out socializing and working with other authors again.

http://amzn.to/2m5gmYA

Our newest venture was doing a promotional set (20 authors, all heat levels) with a branded theme, selling for .99 each, set to lead up to the RT Convention in Atlanta. So, our theme was that we had to have something that took place in Atlanta. I wanted to write a SEAL story, so chose a place I actually knew a little about, the Georgia Aquarium, and had the Hero and Heroine meet there. Then they hooked up at Dante's bar, which also used to be an Atlanta hot spot, owned by a former Navy SEAL Dante Stephenson. The place was torn down some years ago, but I found some neat pictures of the interior. Yes, that's a real pirate ship in the middle of the bar.

I never met Dante, but I read enough about him and his Vietnam-era service, that I knew I'd love spending time with him. I made up everything, of course, just like I always do, including the bar area name: The Plank.

http://amzn.to/2m5gmYA

The plan is to release a new book every day from April 10 to the RT convention on May 5th. At the convention, there will be a regular country faire, complete with Georgia-themed items that won't get them bounced from the hotel. I cannot attend, at the last minute, but I'm supporting the group anyhow financially, and I did send 400 pieces of peach-section-scented soaps. If any of you go to RT, save me a bag. It will have only cost me $500. LOL.

http://amzn.to/2m5gmYA

In March, I wrote a novella in The Trident Legacy, a paranormal SEAL medic who just happens to be the halfling son of Poseidon, and he's immortal. His coupling with a human woman is dangerous for him. I plan on writing a full book with his story later in the summer, I enjoyed him so much! Working with veteran Medeival writer Kathryn LeVeque, was a real treat. It was her attempt to bring in some contemporary readers, and my attempt to connect to some of her historical readers, and I think we succeeded.

http://amzn.to/2lf8uVK

I also am writing in a group called Sleeper SEALs with 10 other authors. We'll be releasing 2 new books every month, the first to come in August. Mine is due to publish 10-31-17. Not quite sure why they gave me the scary time, but that's the way it goes. That premise is these SEALs are called back into service by the President himself, to take care of some national threat. These will all be full length novels. Mine is only available on preorder at iBooks, but will be available on Amazon and other places in August when we begin promoting them.

http://apple.co/2lI9a89

I also elected to take Nashville SEAL: Jameson, and put him into an anthology with some other authors, and give him a KU run. It's a cross-promotional idea that I've not tried before.

I'm also writing another novella called Paradise, which will be an older SEAL-turned-stockbroker. Just started that one and I already am in love with this guy who will get the wanderlust of his life!

Yesterday was my launch for the Magnolias & Moonlight series, so I apologize for being late. But the excuse was good, right?

What do you like to see as far as author collaborations? Or, as an author, which ones did you like doing the best?