Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Girly Book Blog Hop!!



I am honored to participate in the Girly Book Blog Hop!!!  The focus of this blog hop is Sensational Secondary Characters.  So, without further ado, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Evan Maxwell from my novel, Bouquet Toss!


When Daphne visits a psychic to find out if Mayson (her first love who has reappeared in her life) is the one, the psychic does not tell her what she wants to hear...but, she does tell Daphne that an immense amount of happiness awaits her with a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes.  When Daphne is re-introduced to the charming Evan, she instantly wonders if he is the man who Kim the psychic was referring to.....Could Evan be the one for Daphne?

Evan is charming and sarcastic, funny and soulful.  He loves music and live shows and loves to tease his friends.  He's sexy, but conflicted, as he's had his heart broken in the past.  He's someone you want in your corner.  If you're going through a hard time, he'll have your back.  When reading reviews for Bouquet Toss, I was struck by how many women fell in love with the character of Evan.  His own story is currently in the works and should be released in the spring!


Synopsis of Bouquet Toss:
Ever since Daphne Harper graduated from college, all of her friends have fallen in love, become engaged and walked down the aisle. Be it a blessing or a curse, Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at every single wedding she attends.

Daphne’s love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse and find her happily ever after.



Purchase Bouquet Toss on Amazon

 
In order to celebrate the Blog Hop, I'd like to give away one $10 e-gift card to Amazon.com.  Fall is my favorite season for reading.  You can curl up under a blanket, drink some hot cocoa and read a new book or two!  I'm also giving away two signed paperbacks of Bouquet Toss (US residents only).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by Brownie Bites!  Be sure to visit all of the fantastic blogs participating in the hop!! 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

CASTING CONTEST!!

CASTING CONTEST!!!!! 

Tell me who you envision for the roles of the characters of Bouquet Toss!!!! I'm a junkie for casting characters in books with Hollywood actors/actresses.

For the next week, tell me who you envision for the roles of:
1-Daphne
2-Mayson
3-Morgan
4-Tanner

Next Thursday, Sept. 27th, I will choose a winner and a runner-up. The WINNER will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon and a signed copy of Bouquet Toss. The runner up will also receive a signed copy of Bouquet Toss.

The ONLY RULES are that you can't cast the same actors/actresses that I have selected...other than that, have fun, be creative and find some great actors! You can post them here in a comment, tag me in photos on my FB page, whatever you like----but, you must cast ALL 4 characters to win!!!

 
Actors/Actresses who are OFF-LIMITS:
Daphne:  Allison Wiliams
Mayson:  Travis Van Winkle
Morgan:  Anna Faris
Tanner:  Zachary Levi

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Casting Session: Mayson Holt

I guess he's there, deep in my subconscious, shooing other men away, keeping me single and alone.....

 
When I think of Mayson Holt, the man who broke Daphne's heart back in college, this is the man I picture...sandy hair, green eyes and a cocky grin.
 
This actor's name is Travis Van Winkle....he is quite the hottie!

 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

And The Winner Is.....

So, I was very scientific with how I selected the winner of the free signed paperback.  I asked my son to pick a number between 1 and 10. 

And the winner is:

Danielle Hindel!!!

Congratulations, Danielle!  Please send me your mailing address and when I receive my paperbacks next week, one will be on its way to you!!

Thanks everyone for your great comments!!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Oreo Brownie Truffles for Janna

Bouquet Toss was released early on Wednesday!! Such an exciting day----overwhelming in many ways.  So, how did I decide to spend that day?  Baking, of course!

Someone very, very special to me is just 3 weeks away from welcoming a baby boy into her family.  So,  I felt it was necessary to send her some cake truffles.  But, instead of cake, I wanted to try making brownie truffles with oreo bits mixed in.  Delicious.

My peanut decided to help me.  She's 3 1/2 and an incredible helper!  Here is the recipe for Oreo Brownie Truffles!!

First, choose your favorite Brownie mix in a box.  I love making things from scratch, but this is a very detailed recipe and if you made the brownies from scratch, it would take a very long time.  So, I use boxed and bake according to the instructions.  When you finish, let them cool.  While they are cooling, you can either open up a can of frosting from the store, or you can make homemade frosting.  Peanut and I prefer homemade, so we decided to make homemade frosting:


Ingredients:  4 cups powdered sugar, 2 sticks butter (gasp!), 2 tbsp milk, 2 tsp vanilla
 

Mix all ingredients until well blended into a thick frosting.....YUM!
 
 
When brownies have cooled, you are going to break them up and place in a large bowl. Using two forks, crumble the brownies up.  Next, grab several oreos (about one "sleeve" should do) and break them up into small pieces (you can put them in a ziploc and pound with a can) and add to the crumbled brownies.

Next, plop the frosting into the mixture and stir until everything is moistened.  YOU WILL have leftover frosting if you make the homemade.  You can freeze it if you like....or you can give your kids a few oreos and let them dip in the frosting so they won't be buggin' ya to eat the truffles! See? I'm always thinking!  :)


Next, you're going to roll into small balls.  I use a cookie dough scooper to get the right size (i like my truffles to be somewhat uniform in their appearance.)  But, after I scoop them, I still ROLL them in my hands so that they will be smooth.


Final step:  Melt white chocolate almond bark in microwave according to package instructions...and then let your brownie balls go for a nice swim.  Use two spoons to dunk and flip the balls until they are coated. Then place each truffle on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sprinkles of your choice immediately after dunking so chocolate doesn't harden.  Once it hardens, sprinkles will no longer stick.

Put in refrigerator to set the chocolate for about 15 minutes.  Place each truffle into a mini-muffin paper and place in packaging of your choice.  I like cookie tins  :)

And there you have it!!  Janna, Peanut and I hope that you and your family will love these brownie truffles.  They were made with SO much love!  We are so excited for you and can't wait to hear of Max's arrival!!!  Love you!!!
 
 
 
Today is a big day for my friend, Janna and me.  Today will be the very first time that we  get to see Henry Cavill on the big screen.  His movie "The Cold Light of Day" opens tonight!!!  And, I just found out that Janna and I will both be seeing Henry on the big screen at almost the exact same time...so, even though we'll be in different states, we'll be watching our beloved Henry together!!!!!
 
 
 
 
In honor of Mr. Cavill (and Janna), I will be giving away a signed copy of Bouquet Toss through the blog.  All you have to do is make a comment below telling me about any sweet treats that you enjoy baking, or that you would like to learn how to bake  OR tell me about your celebrity crush...you all know who mine is!!! I will pick someone randomly from the comments and announce the winner on Monday!!!
 
Love,
Brownie

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Casting Session: Daphne Harper


I love to cast characters in the books I read....so it shouldn't be surprising that I've already selected the cast for "Bouquet Toss."  Please, meet my choice for Daphne Harper.  Her name is Allison Williams and she is currently starring in the HBO show "Girls."  She is beautiful and funny and the perfect choice for Daphne!