Christmas
Peril (Two stories in one—I have one story and Debby Giusti has the
other.)
Love
Inspired Suspense, December 2009
Christmas
bells ring with danger in these suspenseful holiday stories.
Merry
Mayhem by Margaret Daley
When
single mom Annie Coleman unexpectedly arrives in Christmas, Oklahoma,
police chief Caleb Jackson suspects she's hiding secrets. He'll be
watching her closely. And his protection is just what Annie and her
daughter need, as danger has followed them to their new home.
My
recipe this time is great for the holiday season. I have fixed this and
taken it to Christmas parties. It has been a big hit.
Cheese
Ball
2 large packages of cream cheese
¼ cup chopped green pepper
8 oz. can crushed pineapple-drained
2 T finely chopped onions
1 t seasoned salt
¼ cup thin sliced ham cut in small pieces
1 cup pecans-finely chopped
Squeeze all juice that you can from the
pineapple. Combine all the ingredients except the pecans and mold into a
ball shape. Roll the ball in the pecans. Refrigerate.
Writing tip:
Always be open to learning new things and
ways to improve your writing. I recently read a wonderful book on body
language that was fascinating. As a writer it will help me show emotions
in my story in different ways. This book reminds me a lot of the TV show
called Lie to Me. So much of our communication is non-verbal. This book
goes through different emotions and how we show it non-verbally. Very
interesting. The book is called The Definitive Book of Body Language by
Allan and Barbara Pease.
Win free
books:
If you want a chance to win a free book in
a drawing once a week, visit my blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
to enter
the drawing. I host different authors and their books. I also take part in
another two blogs where we give away the four Love Inspired Suspense books
at one and four Love Inspired books at the other each month to one winner.
All you have to do is leave a comment on one of the post during the month.
Check it out at:
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com
If you want a chance to win one of my
books from my backlist, please visit my web site which I update monthly
and sign my guestbook. Also, I post excerpts from my new books coming out.
My web site is
http://www.margaretdaley.com.
Upcoming books:
Cowboy Protector, Love Inspired Suspense,
March 2010
Gold in the Fire/Light in the Storm, Love
Inspired Classic, March 2010
Love Lessons, Love Inspired, April 2010
Books still available through online
stores and local bookstores:
The Power of Love/The Courage to Dream,
Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
Forsaken Canyon, Love Inspired Suspense,
October 2008
A Texas Thanksgiving, Love Inspired,
November 2008
What Sarah Saw, Love Inspired Suspense,
January 2009
Poisoned Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense,
March 2009
A Family for Tory/A Mother for Cindy, Love
Inspired Classic, June 2009
Second Chance Family, Love Inspired, July
2009
Together for the Holidays, Love Inspired,
November 2009
Merry Mayhem in the Christmas Peril
analogy (with Debby Giusti), Love Inspired Suspense, December 2009
May the Lord be with you during the
holiday season. Christmas can be stressful. I hope you will take time for
yourself and savor the moments you have with your family. As I’m writing
and preparing this letter, each one of you is in my prayers. May God be
with you through the new year of 2010. I only wish the best for you and
your family.
Merry Christmas,
Margaret Daley
Daley’s News
Fall 2009
I can’t believe
fall will be here in a couple of weeks. I did a blog recently about
Christmas being just around the corner. It will be here before we know it,
and I haven’t bought anything. Usually by now, I have most of my presents
because I was teaching and knew my time after school started would be
limited. I’m retired (Yay!!!) and don’t have to get anything until the
last minute with tons of others out there shopping. With grandkids that’s
important because they keep changing their mind with what they want.
In a few days I’m
attending the American Christian Fiction Writers’ annual conference in
Denver. This year I’m teaching a continuing education class called How to
Construct a Novel. Please pray that my PowerPoint works. Until you get to
a place, you never know if you have the right hook ups for the PowerPoint
to work. Forsaken Canyon is up for the ACFW’s Book of the Year
Award in short romantic suspense. The winner will be announced at the
conference. After the conference I’m going to a writing retreat in the
mountains outside of Denver.
I have two books
coming out at the end of the year. In November I have the fifth book in my
Fostered by Love series (Love Inspired) called Together for the
Holidays.
Back blurb for
Together for the Holidays:
A single mother
with a traumatic past, Lisa Morgan only wants to raise her son with love
and values. But lately the boy is struggling. When his basketball coach
becomes a reluctant role model, Lisa is relieved. Until she learns that
David Russell is also a cop. She’s not ready to share her past—or her
heart. And neither is the world-weary detective. Yet as Christmas comes
closer, the true meaning of the holidays brings them together in ways they
never dared dream.
Also in November
http://www.eharlequin.com will be featuring an
eight-part story of mine called Shattered Trust. It is about David
Russell’s police partner.
The other book
this year is a Love Inspired Suspense out in December called Christmas
Peril. There are two stories in the book. My story is called Merry
Mayhem and Debby Giusti’s is called Yule Die.
My recipe for
this newsletter is one of my favorite soups. We will be getting into
cooler weather, which means soup time. My husband and I eat a lot of soups
during the colder months. Make a batch on the weekend, and it lasts most
of the week. This recipe makes a lot and freezes well. I often half it and
put part of it in the freezer.
Chicken Cheese
Soup
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
and 1 package of chicken breasts—cooked with seasonings and diced up into
smaller pieces (I usually use a large package of boneless chicken breasts
rather than the whole chicken—easier to cut up—no deboning)
4 cups of chicken
broth (I use the water after cooking the chicken)
1 ½ cups of
chopped carrots (I love carrots but my husband doesn’t so I substitute
broccoli for carrots and it works well)
1 cup of chopped
celery
1 large onion
diced
½ cup of chopped
green pepper (I use a whole one which is usually more than ½ cup)
2 cups of milk
with 4 tablespoons of flour mixed in it
1 pound of
Velveeta cheese
2 cans of cream
of chicken soup
Add vegetables to
the broth and cook about 10 minutes. Then add the cans of soup and milk.
Pepper (black) to taste. Add Velveeta and heat slowly until it melts. Stir
often. Add chicken. Then cook until flavors have blended and the
vegetables have cooked.
Writing Tip:
Use a spreadsheet
to keep track of your scenes in your story. I have one where I can note
the reasons I wrote the scene. If I don’t have at least three reasons to
have that scene in the book, it is deleted or rewritten to give it three
or more reasons to be included. When you edit you sometimes have to be
merciless with your own words. Not always easy.
Win free books:
If you want
a chance to win a free book in a drawing once a week, visit my blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com to enter the drawing. I
host different authors and their books. I also take
part in another two blogs where we give away the four Love Inspired
Suspense books at one and four Love Inspired books at the other each month
to one winner. All you have to do is leave a comment on one of the post
during the month. Check it out at:
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com
If you want a chance to win one of my books from my
backlist, please visit my web site which I update monthly and sign my
guestbook. Also, I post excerpts from my new books coming out. My web site
is
http://www.margaretdaley.com .
Upcoming books:
-
Together for
the Holidays, Love Inspired, November 2009
-
Merry Mayhem
in the Christmas Peril analogy (with Debby Giusti), Love Inspired
Suspense, December 2009
-
Books still
available through online stores and local bookstores:
-
Family Ever
After, Love Inspired, May 2008
-
The Power of
Love/The Courage to Dream, Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
-
Forsaken
Canyon, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2008
-
A Texas
Thanksgiving, Love Inspired, November 2008
-
What Sarah
Saw, Love Inspired Suspense, January 2009
-
Poisoned
Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2009
-
A Family for
Tory/A Mother for Cindy, Love Inspired Classic, June 2009
-
Second
Chance Family, Love Inspired, July 2009
May God be with
you,
Margaret Daley
Daley Newsletter
Summer 2009
Dear Readers,
Right now I’m
waiting for my son and his family to come for Father’s Day. Since my last
newsletter I have a new granddaughter who will be three months July 5th.
It will be a zoo
around here in a few minutes with the arrival of my son and his family.
Actually not just crazy and fun, but the oldest two girls love to use my
stuffed animals and animal figurines and set up a zoo. They like to give
tours of the various animals from hippos to flamingoes. Yes, I have a lot
of flamingoes and even one that is six feet long. She’s called Flo and was
given to me by a friend who knew I love flamingoes and have a lot in my
office. I think flamingoes go with my hot pink walls in my office. I even
have a Christmas tree decorated year round with flamingoes in the corner
of my office.
It is beastly
here in Oklahoma for June. The temperature is already reaching close to
one hundred, and we aren’t even through with June. Ugh! I hate to see what
July and August are going to be like.
I got a bit of
good news recently. Family Ever After won the Holt Medallion in
short inspirational category (Forsaken Canyon was a finalist, too).
Also I will have a novella posted at eHarlequin (http://www.eharlequin.com)
in November (a tie in to my story coming out in November and the Fostered
by Love series).
This summer I
have two books for you to enjoy reading. The first is a June Love Inspired
Classic (on the shelves right now) called A Family for Tory/A Mother
for Cindy. Both are favorites of my earlier books. The Love Inspired
Classic is a series that reprints older stories. There are two stories in
one book.
Then in July I
have a Love Inspired book called Second Chance Family. It should be
on the shelves by the end of this month. This is Whitney’s story. She is
Noah’s sister from Family Ever After. Second Chance Family is the
fourth book in my Fostered by Love series.
The blurb for
Second Chance Family:
Dedicated teacher
assistance Whitney Maxwell gave up her dream of a family years ago. But
she’s about to get a lesson in faith and family from an unexpected
source—a brave little boy named Jason. Jason and his dad are dealing with
his autism the best they can, but Dr. Shane McCoy can’t put his tragic
past behind him. As Whitney and Shane work together to help his son, could
these two lost souls open their hearts to love again and become a lasting
family?
Recipe:
This recipe could
be used for the Fourth of July using cherries or strawberries and
blueberries.
Brimeyer Delight
(low sugar dessert)
Ingredients:
1-prepared loaf
angel food cake
2-packages sugar
free vanilla pudding (Jello)
1-container light
cool whip (8 oz)
1- can light pie
filling—cherry, strawberry (whatever you want)
Fresh fruit for
topping
Cut up angel food
loaf into squares about 11/2 to 2 inch cubes. Line the bottom of a 9x13
inch cake pan with the cut cubes. Prepare the pudding using the directions
for pie on the box, then pour and spread over the cake cubes. Open can of
fruit pie and dribble spoon portions onto the pudding layer, then gently
spread with spoon over entire pudding layer. Open cool whip and beat to
smooth consistency and then spread over fruit pie gently. Slice fruit into
halves and decorate the top cool whip layer. Chill before eating (at least
until the pudding is set). Cut, serve and enjoy.
Writing tip:
Someone asked me
this week what was my one piece of advice for people who want to write and
become published. I said: Talent is only part of being a published writer.
Also important in becoming a published author is persistence, networking
in the book industry and good timing (being in the right place at the
right time).
Win free books:
If you want a
chance to win a free book in a drawing once a week, visit my blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com to enter the
drawing. I host different authors and their books. I also take part in
another two blogs where we give away the four Love Inspired Suspense books
at one and four Love Inspired books at the other each month to one winner.
All you have to do is leave a comment on one of the post during the month.
Check it out at:
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com
If you want a chance to win one of my books from my
backlist, please visit my web site which I update monthly and sign my
guestbook. Also, I post excerpts from my new books coming out. The excerpt
for Second Chance Family is up at my web site as well as the
trailer for the book. My web site is
http://www.margaretdaley.com .
Upcoming books:
-
Together for
the Holidays, Love Inspired, November 2009
-
Merry Mayhem
in the Christmas Peril analogy (with Debby Giusti), Love Inspired
Suspense, December 2009
-
Books still
available through online stores and local bookstores:
-
Heart of the
Family, Love Inspired, December 2007
-
Family Ever
After, Love Inspired, May 2008
-
The Power of
Love/The Courage to Dream, Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
-
Forsaken
Canyon, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2008
-
A Texas
Thanksgiving, Love Inspired, November 2008
-
What Sarah
Saw, Love Inspired Suspense, January 2009
-
Poisoned
Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2009
May God be with
you,
Margaret Daley
Daley’s News for Spring 2009
Dear Readers,
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for
spring. I love this time of year when all the trees and flowers are
blooming. What a riot of colors! And the temperature is so nice, too. I
think a perfect temperature is around 75 degrees. Add in a little sunshine
and you’ve got a great day.
This spring a new grandchild will be born
in a few weeks. My son and his wife think it will be a little girl; at
least that is what the doctor is telling them. I can’t wait! That will
make four grandchildren. My family is expanding.
New with me in my writing career is that I
just sold four more books to Steeple Hill—one Love Inspired Suspense and
three Love Inspired books. I finished writing my book for the continuity
series for the Love Inspired Suspense line for 2010. My book will be the
third one called Cowboy Protector. My hero is yummy.
I also found out the other day that
Forsaken Canyon is a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in
the series romantic suspense category.
I have a book out this month called
Poisoned Secrets, a Love Inspired Suspense. It should be in the stores
right now.
The blurb for Poisoned Secrets:
Maggie Ridgeway has spent years searching for her birth mother. And now,
thanks to an anonymous tip, she's finally found her. Taking the apartment
across the hall from her mother's family, Maggie is determined not to
leave until she gets some questions answered. Who is her father? Why did
her parents abandon her? And what item in her new apartment is provoking
multiple
burglaries? After an interrupted break-in leaves Maggie unconscious, the
building's owner, Kane McDowell, promises to protect her. But then he
learns who she really is. When the past is unveiled, the shocking
disclosures could tear Maggie and Kane apart.
You can see a trailer about Poisoned
Secrets at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2p6JiGduy0.
Check it out.
The recipe for this newsletter is something a little different. I really
enjoyed this dish when a friend fixed it last year for a Christmas potluck
dinner. I hope you enjoy it, too.
Pineapple Au Gratin
2-20 oz. cans of pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoon flour
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup butter cracker crumbs
½ cup melted butter or margarine
Combine pineapple, sugar, flour and cheese
in a bowl; mix well. Spoon into a greased (can use Pam) 1 & ½ quart baking
dish. Top with cracker crumbs; drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees
for 25 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.
Writing tip:
Three components of a scene are having a
goal, conflict (which is the drama) and a disaster. A disaster doesn’t
mean something like an earthquake or someone getting shot. It can mean
simply discovering your best friend lied to you or you are having doubts
about a certain character but something that shifts the direction either a
lot or a little into your next scene.
Win free books:
If you want a chance to win a free book in
a drawing once a week, visit my blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
to enter the drawing. I host different authors and
their books. I also take part in another two blogs where we give away the
four Love Inspired Suspense books at one and four Love Inspired books at
the other each month to one winner. All you have to do is leave a comment
on one of the post during the month. Check it out at:
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com
If you want a chance to win one of my
books from my backlist, please visit my web site which I update monthly
and sign my guestbook. Also, I post excerpts from my new books coming out.
The excerpt for Poisoned Secrets is up at my web site. My web site is
http://www.margaretdaley.com .
Upcoming books:
-
Poisoned Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense,
March 2009
-
A Mother for Cindy/A Family for Tory, Love
Inspired Classic, June 2009
-
Second Chance Family, Love Inspired, July
2009
-
Books still available through online stores
and local bookstores:
-
Buried Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense,
October 2007
-
Heart of the Family, Love Inspired,
December 2007
-
Don’t Look Back, Love Inspired Suspense,
March 2008
-
Family Ever After, Love Inspired, May 2008
-
The Power of Love/The Courage to Dream,
Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
-
Forsaken Canyon, Love Inspired Suspense,
October 2008
-
A Texas Thanksgiving, Love Inspired,
November 2008
-
What Sarah Saw, Love Inspired Suspense,
January 2009
May God be with you,
Margaret Daley
Daley’s News
Winter 2008
I can’t believe
another year has passed, but here it is near the end of 2008. In a few
weeks we will be greeting the New Year 2009. This past year has been a
year of change. Since I retired from teaching after twenty-seven years, I
have gone from working full-time as a teacher with writing as a second job
to writing full-time this year. I thought I would miss teaching, but I
haven’t.
I have to confess
I was listening to Christmas music before the holiday season began. I love
Christmas music. And there is a station that began playing it before
Thanksgiving all day long. My favorite album is Celine Dion’s. I think
I’ve listened to it so much I figure any day I will wear it out.
The next year
shall be interesting. My son’s wife is expecting their fourth baby—we’re
told it’s a girl. The new little girl should be here around the first of
April. My son will be in a house full of females (5 of them!). The picture
below is my youngest granddaughter in her ladybug costume. My husband was
holding her, and he was getting her to growl like a tiger.
Next year I will
have a January Love Inspired Suspense book coming out. It is called What
Sarah Saw, the first book in the continuity series called Without a Trace.
The back blurb of What Sarah Saw is:
The only witness
when a single mother mysteriously vanishes is her three-year-old daughter,
Sarah. FBI agent Sam Pierce needs to question little Sarah. Yet child
psychologist Jocelyn Gold will barely let him near the girl. Or herself.
The tragic conclusion to a kidnapping case broke Sam and Jocelyn apart the
year before, and their hearts still haven’t healed. But for the child’s
sake—and her mother’s—they must join forces to uncover just what Sarah
saw.
I also will have
another Love Inspired Suspense in March called Poisoned Secrets, then one
(a Christmas story) in December still untitled. In addition to the
romantic suspense stories, I also have two more books in the Fostered by
Love series—Whitney’s story in July called Second Chance Family and Lisa’s
story in November (another Christmas story). In June Steeple Hill is
reissuing two of my older stories—A Mother for Cindy and A Family for
Tory--in a Love Inspired Classic.
My recipe for
this newsletter is Cornbread Salad, a delicious recipe for the holidays or
for that matter anytime.
Ingredients:
1 recipe of
cornbread
1 envelope ranch
dressing mix
1 cup (8 oz.)
sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cans (16 oz.
each) pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cups shredded
cheddar cheese
10 slices bacon,
fried very crispy, and crumbled
2 cans whole
kernel corn, drained
½ cup each of
chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper, green onions and several
chopped tomatoes
Preparation:
Make up the
cornbread, cool. Stir together salad dressing mix, sour cream and
mayonnaise until blended, then set aside. Combine tomatoes, bell peppers
and onions. Toss gently. Crumble ½ the cornbread into a large bowl. Top
with half each of beans, tomato mixture, cheese, bacon, corn and dressing
mixture. Repeat layer. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. When ready to
serve, stir together.
Writing Tip:
The most
important element of a story is the characters. If you don’t have
believable, likeable ones for the reader to care about, it won’t make much
difference what the plot is. So make sure you nail down who your hero and
heroine are in your story. Know them inside and out so when you write they
let you know what they would do in each incident.
Win free books:
If you want a
chance to win a free book in a drawing once a week, visit my blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
to enter the drawing. I host different authors and their books. I also
take part in another two blogs where we give away the four Love Inspired
Suspense books at one and four Love Inspired books at the other each month
to one winner. All you have to do is leave a comment on one of the post
during the month. Check it out at:
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com
If you want a
chance to win one of my books from my backlist, please visit my web site
which I update monthly and sign my guestbook. Also, I post excerpts from
my new books coming out. The excerpt for What Sarah Saw is up at my web
site. Also the link to the free download to the novella prequel, When
Night Falls, to the book What Sarah Saw is up at my web site. If you can’t
get the download that way, email me and I’ll send you the pdf file for the
novella. It’s a suspense/mystery.
My web site is
http://www.margaretdaley.com .
Upcoming books:
What Sarah Saw,
Love Inspired Suspense, January 2009
Poisoned Secrets,
Love Inspired Suspense, March 2009
A Mother for
Cindy/A Family for Tory, Love Inspired Classic, June 2009
Second Chance
Family, Love Inspired, July 2009
Books still
available through online stores and local bookstores:
Buried Secrets,
Love Inspired Suspense, October 2007
Heart of the
Family, Love Inspired, December 2007
Don’t Look Back,
Love Inspired Suspense, March 2008
Family Ever
After, Love Inspired, May 2008
The Power of
Love/The Courage to Dream, Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
Forsaken Canyon,
Love Inspired Suspense, October 2008
A Texas
Thanksgiving, Love Inspired, November 2008
May God be with
you,
Margaret Daley
Daley’s News
Fall 2008
Time is flying by. It’s nearly fall and the weather is getting nice here.
The temperature tomorrow is great—a high of 72. I put my top down today on
my car to enjoy the beautiful temperature and weather!
This fall I’m doing another maternity leave in a Special Education class.
This time it will be at the high school where I taught for twenty-two
years. I can’t believe I’m tackling Geometry. Eek! What was I thinking!?
At least I will be in the classroom next to the one I taught in. They say
you can’t go home. I guess I’ll find out that in two weeks.
Next week I will be attending the American Christian Fiction Writers’
annual conference in Minneapolis where I will be teaching a class on
writing the inspirational romance. On Saturday there will be a big
booksigning at the Mall of America with over a hundred Christian writers.
I will be participating in it and speaking on a panel at the mall during
the booksigning. If you live in the area and attend this wonderful
opportunity to see some great writers, please stop by my table and say hi.
I would love to see you. Below is some information on it.
Who: 126 Christian novelists
What: Mega Booksigning and Author Panels
When: from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, September 20, 2008.
Where: the Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
Best Buy Rotunda, Bloomingdale Rotunda, and the connecting hallways
Why: Because we love books and readers
For more information check:
http://www.acfw.com/publicbooksigning.shtml
I am a finalist in two categories of the Book of the Year Contest (ACFW’s
big awards). Vanished is a finalist in the short contemporary suspense
category and Heart of the Family is a finalist in the short contemporary
romance category. There will be a big celebration Saturday night at the
conference to announce the winners.
This fall I have two books coming out. The first one is Forsaken Canyon,
an October release for Love Inspired Suspense. It should be out the second
week in October. Forsaken Canyon is the sequel to Buried Secrets, Hawke
Lonechief’s story.
“I’ll arrest you.” So threatens the tribal chief of police if Kit Sinclair
dares enter Desolation Canyon alone. Hawke Lonechief insists it’s too
dangerous. He lost his wife to the treacherous canyon. He knows the
ancient ruins Kit seeks aren’t worth her life. But Kit is sure all that
hiking and searching will help put her traumatic past behind her. When she
risks Hawke’s wrath by going alone, he finally agrees to lead her. On his
terms. Impossible.
Because someone else is following their every move. Watching them grow
closer to danger with every step…
My second book this fall is a Love Inspired out in November called, A
Texas Thanksgiving (part of the Homecoming Heroes series—saving children
and finding love deep in the heart of Texas).
How a cowboy cooks Thanksgiving dinner:
A frozen turkey dinner is just fine for former soldier and widower Evan
Paterson. But his five-year-old daughter deserves better. So when she
invites her best friend and her single mother to the Double P ranch for
the holiday meal, Evan agrees. But not to a fix-up. Social worker Julia
Saunders knows as much about heartache as he does, but Evan isn’t ready to
love again. Until a duo of pint-sized matchmakers show two stubborn
grown-ups what being thankful truly means.
The recipe I’ve chosen this time is great to take to big breakfasts or to
have for the holidays when friends and/or family are staying with you. (I
wouldn’t say it is for someone on a diet.)
Breakfast Casserole
16 slices bread (day old is best)
1 pound of mild cheddar cheese, grated
1-2 packages of diced ham (1-2 cups)
2 cups milk
8 eggs
1 stick butter (or less)
Butter casserole dish. Trim crust from the bread then cut it into cubes.
Place ½ in bottom of the dish. Add half of the grated cheese and ½ of the
ham. Repeat bread, cheese and ham. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Add
melted butter and milk. Pour over ingredients in casserole. Cover and
refrigerator overnight. Bake 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. If the middle
shakes, it may need to cook a little longer.
Writer’s tip:
I am reading the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I am in the middle of
the forty-day program. It is great by the way! You might be wondering why
I’m talking about it in the writer’s tip section. As I’ve been reading,
I’ve seen wonderful information to deepen a character’s faith journey in
inspirational stories. This book talks about all aspects of faith and how
we can strengthen ours, which means we can use it to strengthen a
character’s, too.
This also leads me to another observation: as a writer we never know where
an inspiration or a writer’s tip will come from. When I started this book,
I wasn’t (I’m still not) reading it because I want to further my craft.
That was just a bonus I’ve received as I’m going through it.
Win free books:
If you want a chance to win a free book in a drawing once a week, visit my
blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
to enter the drawing. I host different authors and their books. I also
take part in another blog where we give away the four Love Inspired
Suspense books each month to one winner. All you have to do is leave a
comment on one of the post during the month. Check it out at
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com
.
If you want a chance to win one of my books from my backlist, please visit
my web site which I update monthly and sign my guestbook. Also, I post
excerpts from my new books coming out. The excerpt for Forsaken Canyon is
up and A Texas Thanksgiving will be up soon. My web site is
http://www.margaretdaley.com
.
Upcoming books:
Forsaken Canyon, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2008
A Texas Thanksgiving, Love Inspired, November 2008
What Sarah Saw, Love Inspired Suspense, January 2009
Books still available through online stores and local bookstores:
Buried Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2007
Heart of the Family, Love Inspired, December 2007
Don’t Look Back, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2008
Family Ever After, Love Inspired, May 2008
The Power of Love/The Courage to Dream, Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
May God be with you,
Margaret Daley
Daley’s News
Summer 2008
This has been an interesting spring. First I retired, then I went back to
work for two months as a substitute teacher for a first grade special ed
class. They were adorable, but I don’t want to go back full-time. I got
used to working my own hours to write. In April and May I had to squeeze
in my writing time. It’s not as easy when you get older.
Besides I have three granddaughters I really enjoy being with. My youngest
(soon to be eleven months) is about ready to walk. And boy, do you have to
really watch her. She puts EVERYTHING into her mouth. I love how she waves
good-bye with her hand pointing toward her rather than toward the person
leaving. And talk about babbling. We really want her to talk now but give
it a couple of years and we’ll want her to be quiet.
This summer I plan on going on vacation with my husband. I learned if I
wanted him to rest and relax I had to get him out of town. Otherwise he
would go to work (he owns his own business). So I’m forcing myself to go
to a beach and have fun in the sun. Ha!
Also my national writer’s convention is in San Francisco this year and
I’ve never been to that city. I can’t wait to see the Redwood Forest. Now
if only an earthquake doesn’t happen while I’m in the city.
This summer I have a Love Inspired Classic out in July. It is the reprint
of my first book, The Power of Love, and my fourth one, The Courage to
Dream. The Power of Love is the book that the Lord had me write. It
started me writing inspirational romances back eight years ago. I call the
book a “God thing.”
I was excited to find out that Buried Secrets was the winner in the Golden
Quill and Winter Rose Contests. I had so much fun writing Buried Secrets,
and its sequel, Forsaken Canyon, will be out in October of this year.
My recipe this quarter is a salad. I love to eat salads, especially when
it is hot and you can get so much of the ingredients fresh (in season). I
got this out of USA Weekend. It is only 630 calories and it is very good
for you. This will supply most of your needed fruit and vegetables for the
day.
Jean’s Super Salad with Ginger-Citrus Dressing (adapted)
2 cups of greens (dark ones are the best like spinach or Romaine)
Add ½ cup of any of the following vegetables (3 or 4): red or green
onions, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers (green, red or
orange), celery, red or green cabbage, corn, cucumber, avocado, artichoke
hearts, peas (green, chick, snow or snap) and beans (kidney, white or
black)
Add ½ cup of any fruit (2 or 3): apple, orange (or canned mandarin ones),
strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, red or purple
grapes, and mango
2 Tbs. of nuts (almonds or walnuts are the best nutritiously) but you can
also use pecans and peanuts
¼ cup of feta cheese (you can use other chesses, too)
1 hard-boiled egg
Optional: herbs like basil, lemongrass, parsley
Dressing: Whisk the following ingredients together.
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
¾ tsp. ground cumin
If you don’t want to make your own dressing, I use light raspberry
vinaigrette (Kraft) and it is delicious.
Writer Tip:
It is important to grab your reader in the first few pages of a story.
Start in the middle of the scene and be careful not to put too much
back-story in the first chapter—only what is absolutely important for the
reader to understand what is going on.
If you want a chance to win a free book in a drawing once a week, visit my
blog at:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
to enter the drawing. I host different authors and their books.
Also if you want a chance to win one of my books from my backlist, please
visit my web site which I update monthly and sign my guestbook. Also, I
post excerpts from my new books coming out.
Upcoming books:
The Power of Love/The Courage to Dream, Love Inspired Classic, July 2008
Forsaken Canyon, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2008
A Texas Thanksgiving, Love Inspired, November 2008
What Sarah Saw, Love Inspired Suspense, January 2009
Books still available through online stores and local bookstores:
Buried Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2007
Heart of the Family, Love Inspired, December 2007
Don’t Look Back, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2008
Family Every After, Love Inspired, May 2008
May God be with you,
Margaret Daley
Daley’s News
Spring 2008
This is my favorite time of
year when all the plants bloom after a long winter’s sleep. I’ve even been
able to put the top down on my car and drive with the wind blowing through
my hair. What a feeling of being free! Another thing I love to do is go
for a walk—with my granddaughters. The other day we walked to the pond
with me pushing the stroller. One of my granddaughters talked me into
pushing the stroller around the big pond where there wasn’t a path, so
they could feed the ducks and geese, which of course, were on that side of
the pond. Now picture me struggling with a stroller over the grass on a
hill that is at a sixty-degree angle. I think I wrenched my knee on that
hike, but they had a great time and loved feeding the birds. What are some
things you enjoy doing in the springtime?
As you all know I retired in
December from teaching so I could write full-time. Well, things have
changed a little bit. I will be finishing the school year out as a special
education teacher in a kindergarten/first grade because a teacher went on
maternity leave. I couldn’t say no even though I probably should have.
Once a teacher always a teacher, I guess, although this will be only
temporary.
My newest granddaughter is
now almost eight months old and crawling everywhere. I forgot how fast a
child could get into things. Turn your back and she is turning knobs on
the television. She has four teeth and getting more. And she has to be in
the middle of everything.
This month I have a Love
Inspired Suspense out called Don’t Look Back. It is the third book in the
Reunion Revelation continuity. Have you ever been to a class reunion? What
was it like? It probably wasn’t like this one!
In May 2008 I have my third
book in the Fostered by Love series out. It is a Love Inspired called
Family Ever After. Three foster kids fell into Noah Maxwell’s lap and
turned his life upside down. The successful businessman knew nothing about
children, so he hired single mom Cara Winters to help care for his new
brood. Cara sensed that despite Noah’s confident façade, old wounds
troubled him. But he refused to discuss his past pain, despite her desire
to help him heal. Perhaps her love could inspire Noah to relinquish his
independence and give Cara and the children the fairy-tale ending they all
deserved.
This quarter’s recipe is:
Hearty Cabbage Soup (I know
it’s nearly spring but this is the best soup!)
1 pound lean ground beef
½ large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup diced celery
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1-28 oz can of tomatoes
2-5 ½ ounce cans tomato
paste
2 cups raw, diced potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
4 cups beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika
6-7 cups coarsely chopped
cabbage
Sauté beef, onion, garlic,
celery and pepper in oil. Add remaining ingredients except cabbage.
Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add cabbage. Simmer for 1 hour more,
adding more water, up to 3 cups, if necessary. Yield 6-8 servings.
(Because my husband doesn’t
care for cooked carrots, I substitute broccoli in for the carrots and it
taste great that way, too.)
My writing tip is to watch
your pacing in your story. A mistake a lot of writers (myself included)
have made, especially at the start of their career, is to put too much
back story up front at the beginning of their stories. We want the reader
to know everything right away. It is better to sprinkle your back story
throughout your story and give your reader hints. You want to open with a
dramatic start that pulls your readers into your story so they don’t want
to put it down until they are through with the book.
Visit my web site and sign
my guest book for a chance to win a free autograph book in a monthly
drawing. Also, on my blog I usually feature a different author every week
and there is a drawing for one of her books at the end of the week. The
links to my web site and blog are at the bottom.
My blog:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com/
May God bless you,
Margaret Daley
Don’t Look Back, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2008
Family Ever After, Love Inspired, May 2008 (3rd
in Fostered by Love series)
Heart of the Family, Love Inspired, December 2007 (2nd
in Fostered by Love series)
Buried Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense,
October 2007
Daley's News
Winter 2007
Merry Christmas!!!
I love saying that. It
reminds me why we celebrate Christmas—the birth of Jesus, our Savior. In
all the hustle and bustle of the season, take a moment to thank God for
the gift of His Son for our salvation. This is the season for hope and
love—for giving and sharing because that is what Christ stands for. He is
our hope. He gave His life for us. You can’t ask for anything better than
that.
So tell everyone Merry
Christmas and think of Jesus coming into this world all those years ago. I
love to hear my granddaughter say, “We celebrate Jesus’ birthday on
Christmas.”
This is a time to
get with family and friends and share our love of Christ. What does
Christmas mean to you?
Daley's News
Autumn 2007
School is back in session and I have some good classes this year. This
year I'm also teaching besides English 11 a writing course for students
with disabilities who want to go to college. Freshman English is a killer
for a lot of students. We are writing different types of essays and some
creative stories. It's a great class with students who are really
interested in learning.
I just returned from the American Christian Fiction Writers' conference in
Dallas. I had a great time. The worship services were wonderful and so
inspiring. I came back home renewed. Now that's my kind of conference.
I have received two honors for my books in the past few months. At ACFW
they announced their Book of the Year Contest winners and my Love Inspired
Suspense, Hearts on the Line, won in the short suspense category. I was
actually speechless at the ceremony and could think of little to say. Also
in July, Faith, Hope, Love, a chapter of Romance Writers of America,
announced their winners, and When Dreams Come True won the short
contemporary category. I was thrilled with both awards!
Recently I sold four more books to Steeple Hill-two Love Inspired and two
Love Inspired Suspense books. This should keep me busy writing through
2008. I will have Hawke Lonechief's story out next October in a book
called Forsaken Canyon. He is the tribal police chief in Buried Secrets.
I have two books out this fall-Buried Secrets in October. It is a Love
Inspired Suspense and is the twin brother's story (from Heart of the
Amazon). He has his own adventure and boy does he!
Buried Secrets
Hidden treasure?
Fresh from her grandfather's funeral, Maggie Somers was shocked to find
his home-all she had left of him-ransacked. What wasn't so shocking was
that a Collier stood among the wreckage. Maggie had grown up hearing all
about the Collier clan-liars and thieves who couldn't be trusted. Yet Zach
Collier asked Maggie to have faith in him, to put their feud and their
families' to rest. His grandfather had also recently passed away. Zach was
sure the man-like Maggie's grandfather-had been murdered for something
hidden among his possessions. Something Zach and Maggie had to uncover
before they became targets.
In December I have the second book in the Fostered by Love series that
started with Once Upon a Family in April. Heart of the Family is Jacob's
story.
Heart of the Family
A Christmas Conundrum
Women, Dr. Jacob Hartman knew, were a mystery. Take the first time he met
social worker Hannah Smith at the Stone Refuge home for foster children.
The woman stared him down as if he'd come at her with castor oil. Why? His
past was full of heavy-duty heartache, but he was positive they'd never
met. And as a former foster child himself, Jacob was deeply touched by how
much she cared about the kids at the home, how loving she was-to everyone
but him. Which was where, he figured, the mistletoe came in!
Fostered by Love: A family guided them to faith, but only love could heal
their hearts.
This recipe is a great dessert for large groups. I hate to admit I can pig
out on it.
Oreo Cake
1 cup flour
1 stick of butter
2 cups crushed Oreos
Melt butter then mix together and press in bottom of pan. Then put in oven
and bake at 350 degrees until light brown.
1 8 ounces cream cheese
2 8 ounces Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix together and spread over crust.
3 cups of milk
1 package instant vanilla pudding (small box)
1 package instant chocolate fudge pudding (small box)
Mix together and pour on top. Then put another carton of Cool Whip on top
and crush Oreo cookies over the Cool Whip and chill.
Tip for writers:
When I edit a manuscript, I layer my story, which means I go back in and
expand the story. I put in more emotion, more description and more of the
five senses. While writing my first draft, I'm mainly concern with get my
story down and having it make sense. Does the plot work? Is my conflict
developed? Are the characters' motivation and goals developed and fully
explored?
After I finish the first draft, I worry about the small details. Do I
overuse a certain word? Is a person sitting when he should be standing?
What am I missing? Editing can be a great way to fine tune your story.
Visit my web site and sign my guest book for a chance to win a free
autograph book in a monthly drawing. Also, on my blog I usual feature
different author every week and there is a drawing for one of their books
at the end of the week. The links to my web site and blog are at the
bottom.
My web site:
http://www.margaretdaleycom
My blog:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com
May God bless you,
Margaret Daley
Buried Secrets, Love Inspired Suspense, October 2007
Family for Keeps/Sadie's Hero, Love Inspired Classic, August 2007
Vanished, Love Inspired Suspense, May 2007
Once Upon a Family, Love Inspired, April 2007 (First in the Fostering by
Love series)
Daley’s News
Summer 2007
It’s summer and I’m
working as hard as I do during the school year. All through the school
year I kept putting off projects and housework that needed to be done. I’m
now spring cleaning and trying to declutter my house. I’m a pack rat so
this isn’t an easy job for me to do, but when things keep piling up, it’s
time to get rid of some of them. I have actually done pretty well. I even
did some housecleaning in my classroom before leaving for the summer.
So what does summer mean
to you? To me it means a little breathing room and hopefully more time to
spend with my family. This summer in August my son’s first child will be
born. I can’t wait to greet my new granddaughter. May the Lord watch over
you and keep you safe this summer, especially when you are traveling.
Also, in August I have my
first Love Inspired Classic coming out. It is the re-release of Sadie’s
Hero and Family for Keeps (in one book). The other big news is that I have
been selected to participate in the Love Inspired continuity series for
2008 called Homecoming Heroes. My book will be number 5 and out in
November 2008. My hero is an ex-soldier turned rancher and my heroine is
a social worker. The series is set in Prairie Springs, Texas, centered
around a fictitious Fort Bonnell (modeled after Fort Hood).
You can still get my
spring books: So Dark the Night (Love Inspired Suspense, March 2007), Once
Upon a Family (Love Inspired, April 2007), and Vanished (Love Inspired
Suspense, May 2007). Coming in the fall I will have another Love Inspired
Suspense book out in October called Buried Secrets.
My recipe is one I’ve made
in the summer, especially when it’s too hot to heat up something to eat.
What’s nice about this recipe is that it stays in the refrigerator well
for several days. It actually gets better if it sits overnight in the
refrigerator.
Bean and Cabbage Salad
1 can of drained red
kidney beans
1 can of drained garbanzo
beans
½ head of cabbage, cut
into cube pieces
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
Oil and vinegar (1/4 to
1/2 cup of each—mix to your preference)
Place beans, cabbage,
onion and green pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Pour a mixture of oil
and vinegar over the mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then toss
lightly. Cover and chill for at least 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Writing Tip:
Some writer friends and I
had a discussion about how we write a book. Some people have to plot the
whole story before they start while others just write (usually called
writing by the seat of the pants). I lean more toward writing by the seat
of the pants. I find when I plot too much I lose the enthusiasm of my
story. I like for my characters to show me what will happen, especially
the more I know them. To me that is the fun part of writing, seeing what
my characters have planned. I do have to plan more for a romantic suspense
story because of the suspense element, but I still leave a lot of surprise
for myself as I write.
Whatever way you write a
story, the main thing is that you need to know your characters whether you
plot thoroughly or you write by the seat of the pants. If you don’t, it
will be harder even if you have a well-plotted story. The key is the
characters. Your plot is simply what happens to those characters, so make
them have good goals, motivations and conflicts.
Visit my web site and sign
my guest book for a chance to win a free autograph book in a monthly
drawing. Also, on my blog I usual feature different author every week and
there is a drawing for one of their books at the end of the week. The
links to my web site and blog are at the bottom.
My web site:
http://www.margaretdaley.com
My blog:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com/
May God bless you,
Margaret Daley
Vanished, Love Inspired
Suspense, May 2007
Once Upon a Family, Love
Inspired, April 2007 (First in the Fostering by Love series)
So Dark the Night, Love
Inspired Suspense, March 2007
Heart of the Amazon, Love
Inspired Suspense, January 2007
Tidings of Joy, Love
Inspired, October 2006
Daley’s News
Spring 2007
I am so glad that spring
has come to Oklahoma after having a harsh, cold winter. We had one week
where I was stuck in the house because of several inches of ice that fell.
The temperature didn’t get above freezing so it took a while to melt. I
got a good case of cabin fever. I am a warm weather gal.
Spring is such a beautiful
time of year. I’m looking out my office window right now and I see my
crabapple tree in full bloom with these amazing pink flowers. Surprisingly
my pansies made it through the cold winter and are thriving. After the
last few gray months, the colors God has used to paint the landscape is
breathtaking.
This spring I heard that
Tidings of Joy is a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in
the inspirational category and that When Dreams Come True was the Reader
Choice for Best Inspirational at eharlequin.com.
I have three books out over
the next several months. The first one is a Love Inspired Suspense called
So Dark the Night, March 2007. On a tragic night, photographer Emma St.
James lost not only her vision, but her memory. The police believed she’d
witnessed her beloved brother’s murder, but her mind refused to remember.
She was lost and alone, until a stranger reached out with a touch she
couldn’t see.
Rev. Colin Fitzpatrick
would never forget the moment he saw Emma’s lovely face just seconds
before she ran out in front of his car. She’d been fleeing something—or
someone—but she was his responsibility now. But with the killers
desperate to find Emma, it would take divine intervention to keep them
both alive.
My April 2007 Love Inspired
is the first in a new series called Fostered by Love about three foster
brothers. This book got Top Pick and 4 ½ from Romantic Times. A family
guided them to faith, but only love could heal their hearts.
As the local high school
principal, Peter Stone knew troubled student Sean Williams needed his
expert assistance. And as a Christian, Peter knew God was leading him to
help. Yet it was the boy’s mother who captured Peter’s notice.
Laura, a widow caring for
her four children and ailing aunt, had no time for romance or religion.
Somehow, despite her protests, Laura found herself and her brood frequent
visitors to Peter’s ranch and the church he attended. Soon in seemed her
family was meant to complete Peter’s life.
Then in May 2007 Vanished,
a Love Inspired Suspense, will hit the shelves. It is the sequel to So
Dark the Night. As a detective in Chicago, J.T. Logan had put away a lot
of criminals—and had made a lot of enemies. However, the last thing the
widowed father and current small-town sheriff expected was crime in his
own backyard. Until his young daughter was kidnapped.
FBI agent
Madison Spencer found herself working with J.T. again, on a case painfully
different from their previous one. She could only watch as he struggled to
remain coldly professional while his heart was in anguish. And what of her
own heart? Romance should be the furthest thing from their minds. All she
could do was hope—and pray—for them all.
Breakfast Casserole
16 slices of break (day old
is best)
1 pound of cheese (mild
cheddar—grated)
1-2 packages of ham—diced
(1-2 cups)
2 cups milk
8 eggs
1 stick of butter (or less)
Butter the casserole dish.
Trim the crust from the bread and cube the bread slices. Place half in the
bottom of the dish. Add half of the grated cheese and half of the ham.
Repeat bread, cheese and ham.
In a
separate bowl beat the eggs. Add melted butter and milk. Pour over the
ingredients in the casserole dish. Cover with more ham if you like
(optional). Cover and refrigerator overnight. Bake 350 degrees for 20-30
minutes. If the middle shakes, it may need to cook longer.
This is a
great recipe for a brunch or when you have to take a breakfast item for a
group function. You can expand the recipe by using one loaf of bread cubed
and 12 eggs with half a cup additional milk. Bake for 50 minutes and you
also may want to add more ham and cheese to the dish.
Tidbits from
a seasoned writer:
1. Listen to your inner voice when you are
writing a story. I have found it is usually dead on.
2.
Join a writer’s group if possible in your
town or online. Fellow writers can help you with information and
suggestions. Also, it’s nice to know you aren’t the only one struggling
with a particular problem.
3.
Remember this business is subjective. One
person’s opinion is just that—her opinion.
4. Brainstorming is fun.
If you do it with a friend, think outside as well as inside the box. Let
your mind go and think of all the possibilities in a situation or
storyline.
5. Write what you love.
Don’t try to fit into a genre if you don’t care for it. It will show in
your writing.
6. Don’t force a story. Step back and let
your subconscious work on it. I’ve often awakened in the morning with a
solution to a plot problem.
7. Read what you want to
write. Know the market.
8. Above everything else,
have fun. When the fun goes out of writing, it can show in your story.
For more
tips visit my blog or web site. The links are below.
Blog:
http://margaretdaley.blogspot.com/
Web site:
http://www.margaretdaley.com
May God
bless each and everyone of you,
Margaret Daley
SO DARK THE
NIGHT, Love Inspired Suspense, March 2007
ONCE UPON A FAMILY, Love
Inspired, April 2007
VANISHED, Love Inspired
Suspense, May 2007
http://www.margaretdaley.com--enter
my monthly contest for a chance to win an autographed book
Daley’s
News
Spring 2006
I heard an explanation of why time flies as you get older (which I
think it does) and it made sense. When you are six, one year is a sixth of
your life, so it seems like a long time when a year goes by. But when you
are forty, one year is a fortieth of it, so the older you become the
faster the years go by. I can’t believe it is spring already. Part of the
reason is because we didn’t have much of a winter here. We had two light
snows and our January set a record for the warmest one so far. All our
trees and flowers are coming out weeks early. There was even a day in
February that it reached 92! That is a summer temperature.
Another year of school will be completed in two months. I’m really
looking forward to the summer and some time to write full-time. But mostly
I’m looking forward to my son getting married. He is engaged to a
wonderful woman who has two little adorable girls, 3 and 5. They have set
an August date.
This next twelve months will also be exciting for me in my writing
career. I will have my first Love Inspired Suspense out in June
2006--Hearts on the Line. I’ve seen the cover, and it is gorgeous. The
last book in my Ladies of Sweetwater Lake series will be coming out in
October 2006--Tidings of Joy. This one is Tanya’s story. Then I will have
two more Love Inspired Suspense books out in early 2007. Heart of the
Amazon will be in January and So Dark the Night in March.
This month I have the fourth book in the Sweetwater series out.
Dancing Word reviewer, Vickie McDonough, says, “When Dreams Come True is a
true emotional ride--I thoroughly enjoyed When Dreams Come True. Your
heart will ache for Zoey, Dane, and the children. Margaret Daley does a
superb job making her characters come alive. There is a faith message that
shows God is in control, even when bad things happen to good people. Toss
in a little mystery or two, and you have a compelling story of a second
chance at love.”
At the Steeple Hill’s web site on eHarlequin my book, When Dreams
Come True, is one of the books being discussed during March. If you have
read it--and even if you haven’t yet--please stop by and say hi. I have a
link to the site in this newsletter.
eHarlequin.com Community - When Dreams Come True by
Margaret Daley
Recipe:
My recipe for this newsletter is Spaghetti Pie. A friend gave me this
one after I had it at a luncheon. It was great! It is a wonderful dish to
take to a potluck dinner or for a party.
Spaghetti Pie
10-12 ounces spaghetti, cooked
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 large (24 ounce) carton of cottage cheese
1 onion--chopped
2 cans tomato soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 package spaghetti sauce mix
1 large can mushrooms (optional)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic salt to taste
Brown 1 1/2 lb. ground beef and onion. Drain fat. Add soups, ketchup,
spaghetti sauce mix, mushrooms, sugar and garlic salt. Simmer briefly.
Cook spaghetti. Drain. Mix eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter into cooked
spaghetti. Place into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Pour cottage cheese
on top. Add the meat mixture on top of the cottage cheese. Bake 350
degrees for 20-30 minutes. Top with mozzarella and return to oven to melt.
Serves 12.
Writer’s tip:
I attended a workshop about opening hooks last weekend. It made me
stop and think about what attracts me to a book. Why do I keep reading a
story? The opening is so important to a story. If you start with too much
back story, you will lose your reader. In today’s market you need to grab
your reader. You don’t have a lot of time to set up your characters before
you plunge them into conflict.
Not only is the opening hook important, but the end of each of your
chapters. You want your reader to keep turning the page and not to put
your book down at the end of a chapter. In a romantic suspense that is an
easier task then in a regular romance. I often leave my characters hanging
in a romantic suspense--once literally at a waterfall. In a regular
romance like my Love Inspired books I like to end some chapters in the
middle of an important part of a scene.
Look at the opening hooks of books that you love. Analyze what you
liked about that hook. Why did you read further?
May God bless each and everyone of you,
Margaret Daley
WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE, Love Inspired, March 2006
THE CINDERELLA PLAN, Love Inspired, October 2005
http://www.margaretdaley--enter my monthly contest for a chance to win an
autographed book
Daley News
Winter 2005
Dear Readers,
I can’t believe the holidays are here again! Wasn’t it just a few months
ago we were celebrating Christmas? Oh, well, it really is true that time
flies, especially as you get older. I put up early (we’re talking the
first of November) my Christmas village that I have been collecting for
years because my husband thinks it should be up for at least two months.
On Thanksgiving after we have stuffed ourselves with turkey and stuffing,
we decorate the house with all the decorations, again collected over the
years. So many of them have a special meaning to me. Some my son made for
me when he
was young. I love those!
This is such a good time to reflect on the past year. What went right.
What went wrong. With the New Year nearing and those pesky little
resolutions we’re supposed to make, I always figure I need to count my
blessings then come up with ways to change those things that didn’t quite
work out like I thought they should. I’ll tell you a little secret. I gave
up on making a New Year resolution years ago. Never worked for me.
Besides, trying to make things better in your life shouldn’t be a one time
a year project. I’m an on going one.
As Christmas approaches, we need to remember why we celebrate this time of
year.
The birth of Christ changed everything for us. God sent us His only son to
bear our
sins and lead us to the Lord. “And she will bring forth a Son, and you
shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
(Matthew 1:21) What a gift!
So as you are wrapping your presents, remember that precious gift the Lord
gave us.
This March, 2006 my next book in the Ladies of Sweetwater Lake series will
be out. WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE is Zoey’s story. In October, 2006 Tanya’s
story, TIDINGS OF JOY, will be out. This book will be the last one in the
series. If you visit my web site (www.margaretdaley.com), you can read the
first chapter of WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE. Here is a link to it.
When her DEA agent husband’s plane went down, Zoey Witherspoon thought her
life was over. But with two kids to care for, and another on the way, she
moved back home to Sweetwater to be closer to friends and family. Two
years later, her world was turned upside down: her husband was alive!
Amnesia-stricken Dane wasn’t exactly the same
person he’d been, but neither was Zoey. She refused to return to the
fractured marriage they’d shared--workaholic Dane had never been
around--yet moving forward was a scary prospect. Would a second chance at
happiness make all her dreams come true?
Then coming in June, I will have my first Love Inspired Suspense called
HEARTS ON THE LINE, the last book in the Faith at the Crossroads Series.
It will start in January with Valerie Hansen’s Her Brother’s Keeper. I am
excited about the romantic suspense line offered by Love Inspired. I am
writing my fourth Love Inspired Suspense right now and having to do a lot
of research concerning child abductions, a parent’s worst nightmare.
Also on my web site is a link to my blog. My students in high school
talked about writing in their blogs so I had to try it. This is from a
person who never kept a journal. It has been an interesting year doing my
blog. Check it out. Here is a link to my blog.
A bit of good news was GOLD IN THE FIRE (the first book of the Ladies of
Sweetwater Lake) was a finalist in the contemporary romance category in
the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Best Book of the Year contest this
fall. I came in second and I’m pretty pleased with that!
Some of my past Love Inspired books are:
THE POWER OF LOVE, March 2002
A FAMILY FOR KEEPS, August 2002
SADIE’S HERO, November 2002
THE COURAGE TO DREAM, April 2003
WHAT THE HEART KNOWS, January 2004
A FAMILY FOR TORY, March 2004
GOLD IN THE FIRE, October 2004
A MOTHER FOR CINDY, January 2005
LIGHT IN THE STORM, April 2005
THE CINDERELLA PLAN, October 2005
My recipe is a delicious cake that is perfect for large gatherings and for
the
holidays. I hope you enjoy.
Pumpkin Pie Cake
1 large can (29 oz.) or 2 (16 oz.) cans of pumpkin
1 (13 oz.) can of evaporated milk
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (depending on pumpkin amount)
Beat together above ingredients. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle 1 box yellow cake mix over top. Dribble 1 1/2 to 2 sticks melted
butter or margarine over the top. Top with lots of chopped pecans. Bake 50
minutes at 350 degrees until crispy. Serve hot or cold. Top with cool
whip.
Writer’s Tip: I’ve said this before but it is important enough to repeat.
Networking can be so vital to a writer. Not only in helping a writer get
published but also in researching a subject. Through a speaker at one of
our local RWA chapter meetings I was given a name of a woman police
captain who is in homicide and a hostage negotiator. My heroine in my June
Love Inspired Suspense is a homicide detective who is on the hostage
negotiating team in my book. To get a woman’s perspective of the job was
invaluable, not to mention the information concerning the job itself.
Another networking opportunity led me to a former FBI agent who has helped
me in researching child abductions for my fourth Love Inspired Suspense.
The information she directed me to was great and detailed. It will add a
richness to my story that I don’t know I would have found on my own. So as
a writer keep your eyes and ears open for an opportunity to network
whether it’s to promote your writing or to gather information for a book.
May God bless each and everyone of you and have a merry Christmas,
Margaret Daley
THE CINDERELLA PLAN, Love Inspired, October 2005
WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE, Love Inspired, March 2006
http://www.margaretdaley.com--enter my monthly contest to win a free
autographed book
Daley
News
Spring 2005
Dear Readers,
Spring is bursting out all over! I love spring. It is my favorite season
and I am so glad it has arrived. I know we will still have some cold days
but the trees are blooming and the flowers are coming out. Color is back
in the landscape. I have had a busy three months since my last newsletter.
I’m working on the fourth book I’ve been contracted to write. I have one
more after this. This book is the fourth one in the Ladies of Sweetwater
Series--Zoey’s story. It will be out next April 2006 and is called When
Dreams Come True. After this book I will be working on Hearts on the Line,
the 6th book in the Love Inspired Suspense continuity. It will start next
January and end with my book in June 2006. My heroine is a homicide
detective who is on the hostage negotiation team. I’ve enjoyed researching
this book.
This is a special religious season, too. Lent and Easter is the most
important time during the year for Christians. We are reminded why Christ
did for us. He gave us the most precious gift. “For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It can’t get
any better than that!
My third book in the Sweetwater series is coming out in April 2005. It is
called Light in the Storm and is Beth’s story.
Freedom! After raising her three siblings, high school teacher Beth
Coleman was finally, at thirty-eight, responsible for herself alone. With
her nurturing nature, she'd loved caring for her family, but now she could
travel, see the world. Her only decision? Where to do. Yet as Beth
pondered South America as her first stop, a troubled teen walked into her
classroom, and with her, a single dad--a handsome, kind, caring man to
boot. Though Beth tried to deny it, Samuel Morgan and his ready-made
family began to win her heart. South America awaited, but so did
Samuel...and the new family she wondered if she was willing to risk
losing.
"Margaret Daley tells the heartwarming tale of love winning out over doubt
in Light in the Storm (4 stars). Readers will root for Samuel and Beth to
discover their true feelings for each other." Romantic Times, reviewed by
Melissa Parcel
Gold in the Fire was named the Best Love Inspired 2004 for the Cataromance
web site. A Family for Tory is a finalist in the inspirational category
for the Laurie. I won’t know if it won until the end of April. On May 21st
I will be speaking and signing my book at the Oklahoma Book Festival in
Oklahoma City.
Some of my past Love Inspired books are:
THE POWER OF LOVE, March 2002
A FAMILY FOR KEEPS, August 2002
SADIE’S HERO, November 2002
THE COURAGE TO DREAM, April 2003
WHAT THE HEART KNOWS, January 2004
A FAMILY FOR TORY, March 2004
GOLD IN THE FIRE, October 2004
A MOTHER FOR CINDY, January 2005
My writing tip is to be true to your heart. Don’t write something unless
you care about it. It will show in your work. If the type of book isn’t
what you enjoy then don’t write it just because that type is selling right
now. The same with your characters. You need to care about them in order
to get that across to your readers. I once tried to write in a genre that
I wasn’t really into and found I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t enjoying myself
and it showed in the writing. If I can’t connect with the story, how would
I expect my readers to? Be true to yourself and good luck with your
writing project.
My recipe for the spring is full of antioxidants to help fight cancer. I’m
on a health kick this month and hope you enjoy this. One serving is about
40 calories.
Sweet and Sour Coleslaw
4 cups of chopped coleslaw
1 red (you can use yellow or green) bell pepper, chopped
1 batch of green onions, chopped
1 can of cooked corn
1/2 cup of white vinegar
1/3 cup Splenda (no calorie sweetener)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toss all the ingredients together and refrigerate for a few hours, then
serve. This recipe keeps well for several days.
May God bless each and everyone of you,
Margaret Daley
LIGHT IN THE STORM, Love Inspired, April 2005
THE CINDERELLA PLAN, Love Inspired, October 2005
http://www.margaretdaley.com--enter my monthly contest to win a free
autograph book
Daley
News
Winter 2004
Dear Readers:
I can’t believe the year is almost over and the holidays are here again.
I dragged out all my boxes of decorations I’ve accumulated over the years
and just finished putting them up. What is so special about this is the
memories associated with a certain ornament or holiday decoration. So
many of them my son made for me through the years and I will always
cherish those.
My students at school keep reminding me what the holiday season is all
about. I am so blessed to be able to teach students with special needs
and to see how they approach life’s difficulties. Teaching high school
students I believe has kept me young at heart (now if only I was that way
in body).
This has been an exciting year for me. I sold five books to Steeple
Hill’s Love Inspired line as well as Love Inspired Suspense. Starting in
July 2005 Love Inspired will add two books a month that are romantic
suspense. I have several romantic suspense books coming out in the year
2006.
My next book is a January 2005 release (I still can’t get over how fast
2004 flew by) from Love Inspired called A MOTHER FOR CINDY. It is the
second book in my Ladies of Sweetwater Lake series. This story is about
Jesse Bradshaw and Nick Blackburn.
Young widow Jesse Bradshaw was content to be a loving mother to her son, a
devoted granddaughter, a doll maker and the keeper of a gaggle of pets.
She couldn’t imagine having anything more in her already crowded
life--until jaded Nick Blackburn and his daughter moved next door. Cindy
needed a mother’s love, something the wealthy businessman couldn’t provide
for his precious child. Jesse tried to use her matchmaking skills to find
a suitable wife for the workaholic widower, but what would she do when she
realized she was Nick’s perfect match?
My recipe for the holidays is something that you can take to a party and
looks festive as well as delicious tasting.
Strawberry Surprise
2 cups pretzels
3/4 cup butter melted
1 tablespoon sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
12 ounces Cool Whip
6 ounces strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
16 ounces frozen strawberries
Make crust: Crush the pretzels in a plastic bag. Combine pretzels, butter
and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees.
Layer one: Whip together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and Cool Whip. After
crust has cooled, put first layer down.
Layer two: Melt jello in boiling water. Put frozen strawberries into
jello. Set for no more than 10 minutes then pour on top of layer one.
Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.
And speaking of the holidays, I hope each and everyone of you have a
wonderful one and may 2005 bring you and your family happiness and
prosperity. At this time of year I think of this verse from 1 John.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This is the beauty and power of
Christmas--the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we keep Him in our
hearts and minds throughout the coming year.
My tip for writers receiving this newsletter is read Debra Dixon’s book
called Goals, Motivation and Conflict. It is very interesting and sums up
well how to weave those elements into your writing. Your characters need
goals, motivations and conflicts to propel your plot forward. When you
have those elements in place plotting your book is so much easier. It
took me a while to realize how important the characters are to a book. If
you know your characters well, your plot will flow.
May God bless each and everyone of you,
Margaret Daley
A MOTHER FOR CINDY, Love Inspired, January 2005
LIGHT IN THE STORM, Love Inspired, April 2005
THE CINDERELLA PLAN, Love Inspired, October 2005
http://www.margaretdaley.com--enter my monthly contest to win a free
autograph book
Daley News
Fall 2004
Dear Readers:
I am back at school teaching English to students with learning
disabilities. This is a new teaching assignment for me and I am really
enjoying my high school students. There are some challenges, but then
what job doesn’t challenge us from time to time.
I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe summer. Maybe some of you, like
me, are looking forward to the cooler weather. My idea of perfect weather
is anywhere between 72-78 degrees with a light breeze and sunshine. I
have to admit, though, this summer in Oklahoma has been much milder than
in years past.
We have been fortunate with our weather whereas the people living in
Florida have had to deal with four hurricanes which has got to be a record
for a season. As I’m writing this they are facing Jeanne and the
destruction it will bring to their state. Please Lord watch over the
people in the path of the hurricanes and protect them and deliver them to
safety. Be with them in their time of need and guide them with your love.
Help them to rebuild and put their lives back together.
This fall I have an October book for Love Inspired called GOLD IN THE
FIRE. It has the best cover I have gotten to date. If you get a chance
visit my web site (www.margaretdaley.com) and take a look at it. The
cover reflects the book’s subject matter well. GOLD IN THE FIRE is the
first book in the Ladies of Sweetwater Lake Series (Like a wedding ring,
this circle of friends is never ending).
As a firefighter, Joshua Markham in GOLD IN THE FIRE, was used to taking
risks. So when unexplained fires started disrupting the quiet town of
Sweetwater, he was prepared to stop them--whatever it took.
What he wasn’t prepared for was Darcy O’Brien, the beautiful woman he
found trying to save horses as her family’s barn smoldered. After a
recent relationship filled with heartache, Joshua wasn’t ready for the
protective feelings Darcy and her young son evoked in him.
Joshua wasn’t willing to take risks when it came to love. But he was a
man of faith. Could it be mere coincidence that he’d pulled this
remarkable woman from a burning barn...and into his life?
Some of my past Love Inspired books are:
THE POWER OF LOVE, March 2002
A FAMILY FOR KEEPS, August 2002
SADIE’S HERO, November 2002
THE COURAGE TO DREAM, April 2003
WHAT THE HEART KNOWS, January 2004
A FAMILY FOR TORY, March 2004
My tip for writers is to focus on knowing your main characters well. In
order to make a character three dimensional you must get inside his head
and tap into his emotions, then convey them to the reader. And I don’t
just mean broad feelings but the small ones as well. The reader needs to
see your character’s reactions and feelings throughout the book in scene
after scene.
Here is the recipe I really enjoy as the weather gets colder. In Oklahoma
it hasn’t gotten very cool yet, but a person can only wish. What I love
about this recipe is that you can freeze part of it for use later. It
will make a big batch of soup that can last over several meals.
Taco Soup
Two pounds of ground round (extra lean is the best)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cans of stewed tomatoes, plus the liquid
2 cans pinto beans, plus the liquid
1 can of kidney beans, plus the liquid
1 can yellow hominy, plus the liquid
1 4 ounce can green chiles, chopped
2 packages of taco seasoning (some people only use 1)
1 package Ranch style dressing mix
1 cup water or more as desired
Brown the meat and onion together. Drain any fat. Add the rest of the
ingredients and simmer for thirty minutes. Serve with grated cheddar
cheese and tortilla chips on top.
May God bless each and everyone of you,
Margaret Daley
GOLD IN THE FIRE, Love Inspired, October 2004
A MOTHER FOR CINDY, Love Inspired, January 2005
LIGHT IN THE STORM, Love Inspired, April 2005
THE CINDERELLA PLAN, Love Inspired, October 2005
http://www.margaretdaley.com--enter my monthly contest to win a free
autograph book
These verses from Psalm 95 are appropriate as we head into fall and
Thanksgiving:
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and show ourselves glad
in him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above
all gods.
Daley
News
Summer 2004
Dear Readers:
School is out for me until the middle of August. I hope to
accomplish a lot of writing this summer while I am not teaching special
education at a local high school. I recently sold four books. The first
one is the fourth book in a continuity series called Tiny Blessings for
Love Inspired. My book is called THE CINDERELLA PLAN coming out in
October 2005. It takes place over a one month period. Guess which
month? You’re right--October. It is about what can happen when
matchmaking teens conspire.
Besides THE CINDERELLA PLAN, I have sold three more books. One is
the fourth book in my Love Inspired’s Ladies of Sweetwater Series that
starts this fall with GOLD IN THE FIRE, October 2004. The fourth book is
titled WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE. That’s my title. I often don’t get to keep
my title for the book so I’m not sure what it will be called when it is
finally published in spring 2006.
My second and third books are coming out in Steeple Hill’s new
Romantic Suspense line that starts next July 2005. I don’t have dates yet
for when these books will be published. Steeple Hill hasn’t even
announced yet what the line will be called. I’ve heard it being called
Valor but nothing definite at the time of writing this newsletter. Valor
is the working title for the line by the editors, but from what is being
said, it will not be the title of the line. Any thoughts on Steeple Hill
Mystery or Steeple Hill Suspense?
As we head into summer and time of vacations, I want to offer a
prayer for each of you. Dear Lord, watch over us as we travel.
Protect us from harm and from overextending ourselves when we should slow
down and take life easy. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all you have
done for us and will continue to do in the future. Amen
Remember in these fast, hectic times to stop and smell the roses as
the cliché goes. God made a beautiful world out there for us to enjoy.
Don’t let stress take over your life and keep you from fully enjoying
life. I’m learning that the hard way. It’s so easy to fill our lives
with stuff that “has” to be done.
My tip for writers who are receiving this newsletter:
Please don’t give up. Persistence is so important in this business of
writing. When I had sold over twenty books, I hit a dry spell that lasted
over eight years. I didn’t sell a book but I kept writing. I was given a
second chance and just recently sold my 43rd book.
Some of the following are titles of my Love Inspired books that were
changed:
FAMILY TO KEEP was titled THROUGH THE TEARS OF LAUGHTER.
COURAGE TO DREAM was titled MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM.
A MOTHER FOR CINDY was titled PERFECT MATCH.
GOLD IN THE FIRE was titled MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.
WHAT THE HEART KNOWS was titled HEART OF THE MATTER.
SADIE’S HERO was titled A MATTER OF FAITH.
Here is a recipe I love to make during the summer months because I don’t
have to use a stove and heat up the kitchen on those hot days.
Bean Salad
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of green beans
1 can of chick peas
several stalks of celery-diced
1 red onion-diced
Mix all the ingredients together then put oil and vinegar in to taste (the
mixture should be what you like--I usually have more vinegar to oil).
Season with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash.
With this recipe you can substitute different beans or spices. This salad
is better if it sits a day in the refrigerator and it last for a while.
May God bless each and everyone of you,
Margaret Daley
A FAMILY FOR TORY, Love Inspired, March 2004
GOLD IN THE FIRE, Love Inspired, October 2004
A MOTHER FOR CINDY, Love Inspired, January 2005
LIGHT IN THE STORM, Love Inspired, April 2005
http://www.margaretdaley.com--enter my monthly contest to win a free
autograph book
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye
may
abound in hope, through the
power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13
