Ok, I know this is a craft/book/baking blog, but I just had to do a Friday the 13th post! You may be superstitious. You may not be. I on the whole am not, but some unlucky things have happened to me today:
1) Reckoning didn't come. Again. Didn't really expect it to, seems to have gotten lost. But still. Unlucky. :(
2) I normally spend my sister's swimming lesson sitting at the side and playing paper games with a 6 year old and an 8 year old. (I really should get paid for this...) Today I was contemplating bringing my book, because I got so desperate waiting I'm starting again from Strange Angels. I wanted to read, but decided against bringing it, because knowing them they wouldn't have let me anyway. What do you know? They weren't there! Grrr! Had to sit there for half an hour with nothing to do :(
3) Trampolining club was cancelled and it seems I was the only one who didn't know this. So I showed up anyway. Damn it :(
4) raspberry muffins spilled over in the oven. That was fun to clean up :(
5) Friend wasn't in school :(
6) don't know if this one really counts but I'll include it anyway. Only got 1 email today. 1. I feel so unpopular!! :(
Yep. My day sucked. I wonder if you're reading this thinking "omg, that's nothing compared to my crap life!" I feel for you. Everyone's day was awful. But never fear, my loyal minions, for I shall make something good happen for you! Here's the raspberry muffin recipe:
preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a muffin tin with cases.
Sift the flours, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the caster sugar and raspberries and mix carefully. Try not to crush the raspberries, it will make the mixture look greyish.
Beat the egg and milk together and add the vanilla.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg/milk mixture and the oil. Mix together, again being careful not to crush the raspberries.
Spoon into the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden brown.
Cool in tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Best eaten within 1-2 days.
Any berries will work with this recipe, or dried fruit can also be used. Just keep the weight of the fruit the same :)
That's all for now guys! Haunted cupcakes are coming probably on Sunday. Also stay tuned for another upcoming blog tour! Yay! With the possibility of a give away...oooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooo...
The title kind of gives you a clue as to what this post is about.
Its about armadillos!!!
Ha! Gotcha! No seriously, its about parodies. A parody I made up the other day pretty much on the spot. Its about Defiance, fourth book in the thrilling Strange Angels series. Yes I'm obsessed. So is Aerocopter. This should really be on her blog, considering the theme and title of her's. Maybe she will post it. I dunno. Back to the point.
The tune I chose is actually really random. Anyone watch Comedy Central? (best. channel. ever.) Well, their very own Steven Seller, find him on YouTube here, writes the catchiest tunes for the Friends campaign. They will be in your head ALL DAY LONG. And that is how this came to be the tune for my parody.
I'm not weird!!! Here's the lyrics: (WARNING - FULL OF SPOILERS! DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE ACTUAL BOOK!)
Hey buddy
Yeah?
Come take a glance
At what?
At book 4 of the Strange Angels series
Defiance?
Dru broke into Sergej's mansion
She rescued Graves!!!
Then she ran through the nosferat Sergej
With an old lamp
Chris is so camp
And from then on the entire house stank
From the
Rotting
Sucker
Bodies
Everyone that you thought Dru could trust is a damn traitor
There are lots of twists ahead
Even evil Anna's being nice
'Cause she's got to pay the price
Blood will suffice
Let's all applaud her
'Cause Dru says "screw the Order"
And runs away with Graves and Ash.
It's a masterpiece, I know! :) I really love this series (haven't forgotten about Dreaming Anastasia, Joy, don't worry! Taking part in the next 2 blog tours - you haven't gotten rid of me yet! ;D) Me and Aerocopter, a.k.a. Ellie have been reading the series, and so far I've always been a book ahead of her. Until now! I've just finished Defiance and am waiting for Reckoning to arrive. It's approaching on 5 days since I ordered it! MUST. KNOW. WHAT. HAPPENS!
Don't mind me, just venting. I want to know what happens, but I also want to be patient and wait till the books comes...
*war goes on inside head*
Screw it! I'm gonna read the first chapter on Amazon! Patience is for boring people. Bye everyone!
Hey everyone! Today is a very special day, because there's only...
1 MONTH TO GO BEFORE THE RELEASE OF ANASTASIA FOREVER!!!!!
OMG, I am soooooo excited! Because even though I've already read the story and it rocks, I'm excited for the official day and that all you little people get to read it! Yay you! And to celebrate, as promised, are the cupcakes :)
I've only made book 1 so far, because I thought it would be more exciting to have them one by one... It increases the suspense factor ;)
Making the cupcakes went surprising well, except for the fact that I over-judged the icing...by a lot...
I had this much left. Oh dear. Anyone want some blue icing???
Haunted to follow shortly!
And another blog tour coming up! Yay! Got to go now, bye guys!
Yes, I know that it's not a holiday in the UK. I'm not stupid! But the USA has always been very close to my heart, as I used to live there (5 amazing years! Boy, I can't tell ya how much I miss Wendy's. Don't even get me started on IHOP) and I have loads of family and friends there that that we visit often, stretching from Los Angeles to Philadelphia :)
Plus, it's an excuse to celebrate! ;D PAR-TAY!!!!!
I would have made celebratory cupcakes. I really would have, but I'm currently planning my huge batch of Dreaming Anastasia promo cupcakes (a grand total of 40! My mouth is watering just thinking about them) because as you all probably know by now, I'm a very proud member of Joy's very own street team! And if you didn't, what rock have you been living under??? :)
The cupcake plan is pretty much foolproof - except that I'm the only member of my family that likes frosting. Oh. Nothing like 40 cupcakes to give you a cardiac arrest! So this is where the cake bribery I was talking about in an earlier post comes in. Read the book, get a cupcake. The cake is not a lie. Again, Portal reference? Anyone?
So this crazy cupcake fest is taking place on Friday, (one month till the release of much-awaited ANASTASIA FOREVER!) and I promise I will get pics up by Saturday at the latest! I'm so excited!
Also thought I'd quickly say, for my book worm readers, I'm halfway through Jealousy, book 3 of Lili St Crow's epic Strange Angels series, and loving every word! I really recommend this book guys! But only read it once you're done with Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted and in a little over a month Anastasia Forever. Also wanted to say, still firmly Graves over Christophe. I love Graves! <3
And for my polymer clay readers, I promise pics are coming soon enough! I'm still working on the signature Dreaming Anastasia polymer clay version of the lacquer box. It's going better than I thought it would at least!
So, until Friday, my little ones! :) ChiCharms xoxoxo
(and Aerocopter, if you're reading this, you should be reading Betrayals! NOSFERATU!)
Ok, I stole the title from my friend's blog (sorry Ellie!) but they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. And I do absolutely <3 this blog!!! It is dedicated to one of my favourite books, miraculously not Dreaming Anastasia - it's Strange Angels, by the wonderful Lili St. Crow!
I would tell you guys about the plot, but she's done such a great job already that I don't have that much that I can say. So I'll say this: Dru (don't ask her what that's short for, she may rearrange your face) travels the country with her Dad, a hunter for things that go bump in the night. She's an only child, so it's been just the two of them ever since her Mom died when she was 5. They make a great team, and go on all their missions together. Well, almost always, sometimes she would stay with her Grandmama when it was too risky. At 16 now, she feels she can handle anything the supernatural crew throw at her.
But recently her Dad's been refusing to take her along, and when he doesn't come home one night, she know's something's up. Someone, or something, has turned him into a zombie, and (poor Dru!!!) she's forced to shoot him.
Orphaned, in a new town and alone, Dru finds an unlikely friend in the Half-asian goth outcast called Graves. Graves doesn't pry at her home life, but he does buy her food and give her a place to stay. She (and the reader) can't help but like him, so when he's bitten by a werwulf, she feels she has to help( she can't leave him, he bought her a burger! And he's her only friend in this new town). It is kind of her fault, that wulf was probably sent by the same person who killed and reanimated her father. However, new wulves can be totally unpredictable, and unstoppable when they crave their first meal of raw meat...
I'll say no more, but if you think that sounds good, (and trust me, it gets way better!!!) then please please pretty please with a hunk of raw meat on top visit Ellie's blog:
http://www.strange-angels.com/ an entire website dedicated to this awesome series (yes, 5 books in total) while you're there take the "how Dru are you" test - it's fun!
Thanks for reading guys! I'll leave you with the same sentence I've finished all my posts with: DON'T FORGET TO READ DREAMING ANASTASIA! And Strange Angels too! xxx :D
Well, someone, not mentioning names (*cough* Sophie) dared me to do a post about chihuahuas. So I am. God only knows what this will do to my page views. :) So let's get this chihuahua-themed party started...
1) it ticks me off to NO END when people spell "chihuahuas" as "chiwawas!" Seriously people! It's not THAT hard! :( Bet you wouldn't like it if all the chihuahuas kept using the spelling "peepull" for "people" now would you? (That said, if you found a dog that could write at all then spelling may not be that important to you. Unless you're an English teacher.)
2) the chihuahua is the smallest dog in the world. Some (fine, many) people say they look like rats - I disagree. To me they look like fennec foxes. Anyone else see the resemblance?
3) chihuahuas originated from Mexico. At least, that's what the most common theory is. There has been some speculation, but I won't go into that here.
4) chihuahuas were bred as companion dogs, making them the perfect pets for many households. However, due to their size people think they are good for young children, when in fact it is the opposite. Chihuahuas are more delicate than, say, a Labrador, and young children are not gentle enough, they could hurt the dog.
5) there are many myths about the chihuahua. They are not yappy, unless you keep them cooped up all day. Take them for a walk and play with them often and they'll be fine. They are also not nippy. Most people think that the chihuahua is a very snappy demon-dog. This is not the case. If a dog is snappy, it is more often than not the trainer's fault. It's small dog syndrome. Because of their tiny size, the owner does not think it is necessary to, for example, not allow the chi to jump, when if he had a german shepherd he would discipline it, for it could knock someone over. This is sub-consciously saying to the chihuahua "go ahead. Do whatever you want. You're the pack leader." Most owners don't even realise they're doing this. Listen to Cesar Millan, people! That guy is amazing. A miracle worker, even.
I don't personally myself have a chihuahua. Oh, but I'm working on it. >:) I have done loads of research though. Anyone have a chihuahua? You do? I'm insanely jealous!!! Please post me a pic or tell me about him/her! I'd also love any chi owning tips or anecdotes anyone has to give! Thanks guys!
And don't forget to read Joy Prebles's Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted and Anastasia Forever when it comes out August 7th! Pretty please? ;)
Well, we've had a post about crafting, and we've had a post about reading, so therefore it's time for a post about... BAKING!
Which I haven't been doing that much of recently, but I do have a recipe (of my invention) for you guys:
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
you will need:
a bowl
a 12-hole muffin pan
12 cupcake cases
a sieve
an electric mixer (or failing that, a wooden spoon.)
2 table spoons
a scale
ingredients:
100g self-raising flour
100g caster sugar
100g butter
2 eggs
3 tbsp cocoa powder (which will make them REALLY chocolatey. If you don't like stuff that rich, just use 2)
50g white chocolate chips (failing that milk or dark chocolate chips)
a few tbsp milk, if necessary
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream the butter and the sugar using the electric mixer or the wooden spoon, then add the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and the cocoa powder. When all has been combined, stir in the chocolate chips. You're looking for a stiff dropping consistency. (for those who don't know, this means if you take a spoonful of mixture and hit the spoon against the side of your bowl, the mixture should drop off fairly easily.) If the mixture is too thick (which it probably will be, if you added all three tablespoons of cocoa powder) add milk, a table spoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Using 2 table spoons divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the cakes are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the biggest cakes. If it comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, they are ready.
What me and my best friend did when we made these was crumbled 2 cupcakes into a bowl with vanilla ice cream... soooooo gooooood!!!!! We ate that while watching "Grave Encounters" which is a really good horror movie. (Anyone seen it? Don't you just love Matt??? :D)
Ok guys, until next time and don't forget to read Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted and Anastasia Forever by Joy Preble! :)
p.s. next post will be about... I dunno. Comment if you have a preference! :P see ya!
Hey guys! It's the moment we've all been waiting for!!! (well, me anyway. and Holly!) An interview with the one and only... JOY PREBLE, author of DREAMING ANASTASIA, HAUNTED, ANASTASIA FOREVER and soon to be released THE SWEET DEAD LIFE:
1) Have you always had a love of writing?
Yes. I was writing stories and poems and even plays when I was six or seven years old. In 2nd grade I wrote a Thanksgiving play (not a holiday over in England, I know!) and begged my teacher to let me perform with my friends. It was a terrible play. All the Pilgrims had the names of my friends. So there were Pilgrims named Julie and Amy, which are not exactly 1600's names. But Mrs. Bernsohn let me do it. And I've been writing ever since.
2) What inspired you to write about the Romanovs?
I have been fascinated by the tragedy of the Romanov assassination and by Anastasia's story since about 7th grade. And every few years, there'd be some other historical or fictional account -- even that cartoon movie in the 90's-- that would pique my interest again. The day I created the character of Anne (her voice came to me first), she basically popped into my imagination with this same interest. And then I decided there needed to be a hot, mysterious guy. After that, the idea that he would tell her that she was somehow linked to this Russian mystery just flowed. And the rest is history.
3) Are your characters based on real people, and if so, who?
Like most writers, my characters are based on characteristics of many, many people. But no one in the series is an exact match for someone specific. Cause, you know, that's a good way to get sued! Or lose your friends. No sense telling your bestie that she was the basis for the crazy mermaid or the evil villain. That said, I did name Lily the rusalka after my Aunt Lily who has passed away but who had a lot of tragedy in her life.
4) What originally interested you in Russian folklore?
My maternal grandmother was from Russia. So I was always interested at least a little bit in the stories she told. But mostly I think it came as a side effect of my Romanov fascination. And once I started reading extensively as I was writing the DREAMING ANASTASIA series, I kept finding all these great metaphors in the Russian fairy tales. No one who goes into Baba Yaga's forest returns the same as they entered. The forest is a vehicle for change, for transformation. And for the most part, the tales all end, "And they lived as happily as they could." I LOVE this. It's so un-Disney. And so much more the way of real life.
5) Was Dreaming Anastasia always intended to be a trilogy?
In my head, yes. And in the original proposal. But Sourcebooks acquired the series one book at a time. Mostly because when DREAMING was acquired, Sourcebooks had not even started their YA imprint yet. It was still developing. So it's been a twisty road. But unlike the Russian fairy tales, it's had a wonderfully happy ending!
6) Which Dreaming Anastasia character is most like you and why?
I always say that there are pieces of me in many characters. The part of me that wanders on wrong paths some time and appreciates 2nd chances-- well that's Ethan, and Anne, too to some extent. She resists her destiny for a long time in this series. But I actually think I'm closes to Tess -- funny and loyal and using humor to deflect in scary situations. Mostly, readers love Tess. But when they don't, I always think, well, I bet you won't like me much, either! Tess is probably closest to my heart. But I never envisioned her as a main character. Unfortunately, she's better as the side kick.
7) Which character is your favourite and why?
See above. :) And thank you for spelling favorite with a u!
8) If you could be any Dreaming Anastasia character, who would you pick and why?
See above. :) Although I have a soft spot for Baba Yaga.... But the whole eating people thing-- well, that's kind of a turn off, wouldn't you say?
9) You have an upcoming book, The Sweet Dead Life, scheduled to be released May 2013, anything you can tell us about that?
Oh how I love this book! It's coming out from Soho Press in May 14th and I can hardly wait! Basically, 14 year old Jenna is having the worst 8th grade year yet. Her mom won't get out of bed. Her dad's been gone since she was 9. Her 16 year old brother Casey tries to hold the family together by working two jobs-- difficult since he's stoned all the time. Even worse, Jenna is sick. And when Casey races her to the hospital one day in their hunk of junk Prius, well, let's just say that when the car crashes, no one is the same after that. Especially Casey. Who returns as what Jenna refers to as an A-word (not that she knows this right away) to help Jenna solve the family mystery, including who the heck has been poisoning her! TSDL takes place in Texas and it's funny and bittersweet and the most fun I've ever had writing.
10) Anything else you'd like to say?
Read ANASTASIA FOREVER when it comes out on August 7th. Hannah can tell you how good it is!
Yes I can! That book is, in a word, legendary! (that's a quote from book 1, btw!) It truly is the best book I've ever read, equal only to it's "older sisters". And that's coming from me, I read quite a lot. Read it. Do it. Here's the book trailer:
Everyone like!!! And comment! Please? *puppy dog face* You can also find the trailers for the two earlier books on YouTube. :)
And because it's just too painful to wait until August 7th to find out what happens to Anne, Ethan, Viktor and the rest of the gang, the first three chapters are here:
Today (as you may have guessed) I'm posting about my favourite book! Dreaming Anastasia, by the amazingly talented Joy Preble, is about Anastasia Romanov, a 16 year old girl called Anne, a century old super-hot teenager by the name of Ethan (I <3 him! :D) and a Russian witch called Baba Yaga.
Shall I elaborate? (yeah, thought so) Here's the book blurb:
Anastasia Romanov
The daughter of the last Tsar of Russia
is believed to be dead by the world, but she is alive, and when she sleeps, she dreams...
Anne Michaelson
Doesn't know much about Russian history; she's
more worried about getting into a good college. But then the dreams start...
In her dreams Anne is somewhere else. She is someone else. The dreams seem as real as her waking life, and they terrify her. Then a stranger offers to explain to explain them - a boy who by all appearances is her age. He claims he has been waiting for someone who can help save Anastasia. And through him, Anne sees: you don't need to be imprisoned to be trapped.
I don't want to give much away, so I'll just say a teensy bit. Strange things keep happening to Anne, at first it was just the dreams, always the same, always in a hut in the forest. Always about a girl with light brown hair, blue eyes and a straight nose. Anne can feel her sorrow and loneliness, so vivid that it stays with her all day. Also always about an old woman, with iron teeth, detachable hands and skulls twinkling in her pupils.
But now it's even more. Her hand glowing blue. The painting she saw that moved. The old woman from her dreams, materialising on the streets of Chicago that only she could see. And of course, the boy. The one she first saw at the ballet with her bff Tess. The one who mysteriously turned up at school. The one she's convinced is stalking her.
The one who's offering the answers, if she'll only go with him so he can explain...
That's all I'm gonna say, but if you like the sound of that, then you can read the sample for free here:
Also Haunted, book 2 of the Dreaming Anastasia trilogy is out now, and here's the best part:
BOOK 3, ANASTASIA FOREVER, COMES OUT IN AUGUST!!! YAY!
I'm on the street team, so I'm basically helping Ms. Preble (along with the other street team members, a.k.a minions) to spread the word and publicize the book! Help us by telling you friends! Go on! I'll give you free cake! (anyone get the Portal reference there?) Joy was awesome enough to give me an advance reading copy of book 3 for my street team efforts, so I have read it and I assure you, IT IS WICKED!!! (anyone who's read Dreaming Anastasia already will get that Tess quote)
There you can see the book trailers for all three amazing novels, and hear all her random news! What more could a crazed fan want?
Until next time guys! Are YOU on the street team too? Have you read the book? Are you going to now? Leave a comment!
P.S. Next post will be an interview with Joy!!! Are you as excited as I am?!?! Stay tuned, my loyal minions. Watch this space...
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Hey guys! :) I wanted to tell you about one of my favourite hobbies
today - polymer clay!!! I love making charms and miniatures out of Fimo, Premo
and Sculpey (mostly. I do use a few other brands, but rarely.) Mostly, I like
making food charms and miniatures, as well as signature stuff from books/films
(like Hunger Games Mockingjay), and chibis! Especially book character chibis
(which combines two of my fave hobbies!)
Please check them out! I’ll post some pics of my creations in a
future post, but for now that’s all! Stay tuned for my next post, all about my favourite
book :D
