Summer's Promise Book Cover reveal

The cover of Summer's Promise- Book IV of The Royal Teashop series is finally here!
I thought I would share it here.

Book 4 of The Rose April is up on pre-order!

This took longer than I thought it would. Buttt...the story arc has nicely wrapped up and all loose ends tied up. Can't wait to share it with everyone soon. It comes sometime in April, 2018 but you can pre-order it.

Celebratory drink: A mug of Darjeeling tea

A long due celebration

In one of the author groups that I am in, writers occasionally post a picture of their finished manuscript on their computers along with a drink of choice to mark finishing the first draft of their books. I have often been shy of doing this but I ALWAYS wanted to. One of the struggles that come with being an introvert, I guess *LOL*

This is not for a first draft celebration but a celebration of the first real publishing effort I am giving this series. I wrote it during a period of depression and despite receiving a five star from Readers' Favorite, I didn't think it was good enough.

Now that the clouds have shifted, I am making a fresh effort.

Drink of choice: Indian masala chai [I call it Yogi Chai in my books to make it sound more exotic than it really is. You can get the recipe here.]

The pieces of cake look weirdly shaped because they are homemade and I made a clumsy job of trying to cut them up and plate it in a chef-like fashion. *Hope Gordon Ramsay doesn't stumble upon this*
Also this pic gives a peek at my workstation. I DID make an effort to clean it up a bit for the photo!

Yogi Chai

Yogi Chai is the specialty and most served tea at Bramble Wood's Royal Tea Shop. So, here's a recipe for all you to enjoy.

The Yogi Chai is a variation of the popular Indian tea called chai. It is an infusion of spices with black tea and served with milk and sugar. In India, it is the equivalent of a pick-me-up because the hot, spicy tea rejuvenates you like nothing else. Just a few sips of it will bring back your lost vigor.

For a mug of this chai (about 10 oz) you will need:

Equal quantity of milk and water
Cardamom pods- 3
Cloves- 4
Cinnamon stick- 1/2 inch stick
Pepper corns- 2
Ginger- 1 inch, grated
Black tea (Assam tea works best)- 2-3 heaped teaspoons depending on how strong you want it
Sugar to taste

Method:

1) Put the milk and water into a saucepan.
2) Crush the whole dry spices lightly and add to the saucepan.
3) Grate the ginger and add the fresh herbs it to the mixture.
4) Add the tea and bring it to boil. Simmer for five minutes. The longer it stays on the stove, the stronger the flavor.
5) Take it off the flame and pour in your favorite mug through a sieve to catch all the bits.
6) Enjoy while hot!

Goes well with cakes and hot, fried snacks.

If this wayyyy too much bother, you can buy this ready to use mix. I use this too lol

Wagh Bakri Masala Chai. (Available on Amazon!)

My depression and my creativity

This is really weird but I never really realise I am depressed until I am out of it. 

Towards the end of last year I found myself regretting my choices and losing my way. A very dear friend betrayed my trust and proceeded to harm me. 

It took me a while to find my stance and recover my sanity. And in the meantime, my writing schedule was messed up. It is quite natural, I suppose for things to be messed when you are going through a rough emotional phase.

I usually wrote gothic fantasy stories in my Rose Chronicles series but during my depression,  my mind wanted something less dark and gloomy in terms of the atmosphere that I was writing in. Instead it began forming a story in a cheerful tea shop with an eccentric owner.

Long story short, it was the birth of my Royal Teashop series. It is essentially a young adult contemporary romance but leans heavily towards women's fiction as well. As with all my stories, this has strong focus on relationships. Some will make you feel good and warm and others would remind you of the reality we live in.

I am usually a person who loves to read fantasy (any kind). To my surprise, I planned a four book series that was set in a contemporary world. And to further increase my incredulity, I wrote the first three while the fourth is scheduled to be released this summer. 

Now while I was depressed, I had a wild idea of publishing the stories under a different pen name. And the impatient woman that I am, I went for it. I published the books under the name Ivy Ruthven. But here's the thing about depression. It doesn't allow you get the full picture. I was trying to hide this self of mine from my readers. 

Now that I no longer feel the need to hide under my blankets, I have republished the books under my actual pen name and I am proud to present these books to you. 

They all release this February and you can pre-order your copies for $0.99 until then. Here they are! 

And this post would be unfinished until I acknowledged the wonderful friends I have made in the writing community. They helped me get through my issues. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such giving and kind people.

And as for the readers of my Rose Chronicle series, fear not! I will bring you some more new books this year and more!

Maldorfinian Delicacies

I take great pleasure in introducing you to the culinary world of Maldorfina, the Carpathian realm protected by the Drakians and their Guardians. This is an attempt to design recipes that have been inspired by the kind of food they ate during their quests.

Often times, they would have to spend a few days in the formidable dark forests until they reached their destinations. During this time, they would depend on the hard rye bread, strips of dried meat and plum wine that they would carry with them in their saddles. However, it was deemed to be a poor meal by these noble lords.

Being skillful warriors, hunting came easy for them. The Carpathian forests teamed with wildlife such as rabbit and deer, offering them a chance to make delicious stews and barbecues over open campfire. Good availability of garlic, root vegetables and herbs in the woods aided them to have hearty meals while they were away from home. A good side effect of the blazing flames was that it kept wild animals and the nulan at bay.

The dishes described in this series are hearty, filling and full of flavor that will make you feel as energetic as our heroine, Lenara Gerrickson. I hope that you will enjoy each of the recipes and the ingredients that induced me to come up with them. Let me know if you would like more recipes like these from the world of The Rose Chronicles.

Today I am starting things off with a spicy chicken paprikash!

Chicken Paprikash

The Guardians often caught rabbit for their dinners. There were plenty of them in the woods and were quite easy to catch with proper traps. They provided a good source of meat as well as flavor to their soups or stews.

Since not all of us have access to rabbit meat in our supermarkets, I cooked this recipe with chicken. It makes an amazing winter warmer.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

800 g Chicken thighs and drumsticks

1 onions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

½ cup sour cream

2 tbsp olive oil

300 mL chicken stock

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsb plain flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

METHOD:

[1] Pat dry the pieces of chicken.

[2] Heat a deep saucepan and add olive oil. Add pieces of chicken to it, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Browning the meat will add flavor to the sauce later.

[3] Once the chicken has been browned on both the sides, transfer it to a plate.

[4] In the same pan, add onions and peppers. Stir them on a medium low flame. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until they caramelize.

[5] Add paprika and stir constantly to avoid scorching.

[6] Add the stock. Mix well and return the pieces of chicken into the pan along with all the juices. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low flame.

[7] While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sour cream and flour until smooth.

[8] When the chicken is cooked, take a spoon of the cooking liquid and add to the sour cream mixture, mixing well. Do this for a couple of times until the cream mixture gets heated up and then add it to the saucepan. Keep the flame at its lowest and stir well. When the sauce starts to thicken, switch off the flame.

By now, you will have a lovely, vibrant thick sauce with tender pieces of chicken that is falling off the bones. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and serve it with silky egg noodles or plain steamed rice.

Epic Vampire Novels and Vampire Hunting gear giveaway

I've always loved watching vampire movies. Back when I was young, they were mostly part of horror movies and were *actually* scary. Still, I loved them.

When Twilight came about, vampires were handsome teens in love with regular high school girls. I loved them then too.

Now, I read vampire books that have both horror and romance in them and everything in between. If you are like me, you'd love this giveaway. Enter and have the chance to win these awesome books and this really cool vampire hunting kit ;)

Click here to enter! And good luck!

Halloween Special Read

There are secrets to be unraveled as she rides out to investigate the mysterious murders occurring at Castle Szerdoben. Lenara and the Guardians must have their wits about themselves as they face a dangerous, faceless enemy that threatens to wipe them.

Enjoy this dark, suspenseful tale taking place in the deep shadows of the Carpathian realm of Maldorfina. A perfect read for a dose of horror on a chilly October night. 

Get the book here! FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

The complete Rose Chronicles

After a heck of brainstorming session with my Phoenix Prime colleagues, I decided to work some more on Graveyard Rose. 

I have been in the process of rewriting the first book and while doing so, realized the story would best fit as separate installments. Now that I am looking back at it, almost a year later after having written it, it feels more like a saga.

I spent a lot of time organizing my thoughts. Here's a road map of the books that are there and coming up.

Also, this graphics was done by me! Needless to say my Photoshop skills have also improved in leaps and bounds!

It's not always about winning

Last month I entered one of my recently written and unpublished novel on Kindle Scout, hoping that Kindle Press would publish it and I can win the $1500 of advance along with additional marketing from Amazon. Sounds like a great deal, doesn’t it?

Well, I did not win.

However, I’m beyond grateful towards everyone who nominated my entry and helped spread about my book. To see the orange “hot” tag on my book day after day was the best feeling ever.

You must be wondering when I would start ranting about why I lost or when I would start saying that losing it was the best thing to happen, or that winning a Kindle Scout doesn’t really matter in the long run. This post is not going to be about all the things. It’s about something that I discovered through this experience of putting my book up in front of everyone and waiting to hear the results since the day I applied.

Three years ago when I was frantically applying for doctoral programs, a rejection letter like this would depress me for days, leaving me incapable from working on more applications. But today, I don’t feel the hurt I used to feel. My book got rejected and somehow, this failure does not bother me at all. Instead, I am already planning what to do with the book, when to publish it and go through a final edit.

I suppose I’m starting to see the truth in what many successful people have said during interviews and in their biographies. When you love what you’re doing, outside opinions and perspectives stop mattering. It’s the doing that gives you joy. Everything else takes a backseat.

For me, writing and publishing my books give me great joy. It’s an even greater pleasure to see people reading my books and appreciating the story. It doesn’t bother me if someone tells me they don’t like my stuff because I’m not doing this to gain someone’s approval. I am writing because it gives me joy. It’s days of hard work, but at the end of the day I am left feeling satisfied and fulfilled. At the end of the day, that is what matters.

This experience has opened my eyes to my own feelings about what I am doing. Here’s hoping I’ll see more success for the book in the future.

Nominate Strands of Fate on Kindle Scout

You can now nominate the book on Kindle Scout. Just follow the link and hit "nominate". You will also get an exclusive peek at the first few chapters of the book.

Click here to nominate the book.

If my book wins, I will send you a copy. To receive it, make sure you're on my mailing list. For any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me :)
Happy voting (on my book :P)

Summertime

We are steadily progressing through May and before we know it, summer will strike. For many, it’s a much awaited time of the year but then, there are folks like me who cringe at the prospect of long days and very short nights.

I am a night owl. Nighttime holds a very special place in my routine. It’s the time when I can finally relax without having to answer to my boss’s calls or be annoyed by my loud neighbors. I can unhook my bra, throw it far away and lean into my pillows. Then, I pick up the book that’s been calling out to me the whole day. The moment when the book opens and the fragrance of its pages reach my nostrils, I know I am home.

Sometimes, the plot in the book is so good that it will keep me awake all night. Unless it’s summer. Summers barely give me a few hours to enjoy my books. By the time, I get into the good parts, the sun comes out and the birds begin to cry out. As if on cue, my annoying neighbors wake up to go for their walks and I can hear them arguing loudly about the declining state of our country. That is when I have to shut my book and wait for nighttime to come again, so I can go back to nirvana.

The weekends during summer are dedicated to walks in the park, barbecues in the backyard and may be to go on a vacation. Time for socializing increases, but my inner night owl hoots and shrieks to go back to my solitary bedroom where I can spend my free hours with my books, undisturbed and untroubled by norms of the society. It yearns to wear the most comfortable (ugliest, most faded) PJs and sip a warm cup of tea with cookies on the side.

So, while a majority of human kind will be enjoying their pool time activities, I’ll be staring out into the void with a frown on my face, waiting for autumn to come, to bring back the longer nights.

Men doing romance- How Ed Sheeran's songs changed my mindset

In between writing today, I headed over to YouTube (procrastination 101) and to my most pleasant surprise, there was a newly uploaded video on Ed Sheeran’s channel. It was titled ‘Galloway girl’ and it just took me back to the time I at university in Scotland. So, I hit play, the music starts and he goes “she played the fiddle in an Irish band and fell in love with an English man” and I was hooked.

I kept playing it on loop and the story in the whole video made me smile and cry at the same time. The places that he visits with the girl in a vibrant city like Galway or Dublin is filled with things that we have all done and perhaps, this is the reason it hit me so close to the heart. A night out with someone special. Even though you do something as mundane as hopping from pub to pub, you still feel excitement and joy because of the man or woman beside you.

As I sat sipping my tea, I thought back to his other popular songs like “Thinking Out Loud” and “Shape of You” and it hit me that these songs are all about love. It’s the kind of love that everyone has experienced at some point in their lives, whether you’re the romantic kind of girl or the girl who sweats it out at the gym or someone who just likes to have fun.

I am guilty of having a prejudice against romance books written by men. It came from a belief that men don’t really understand feelings, that they are not as deep as a woman’s but Ed Sheeran broke that perspective of mine today. All his songs are beautiful and make me feel so much love even though it is from the view point of a man.

So, from this day on I am going to be more open to reading romance novels written by men. I will make sure that it is the story description of the back that draws me to read the whole story instead of the name of the author.

Look ahead!

Sometimes in life, things don’t go our way and we can’t help but wonder if it’s just us.

For the past week, I have been trying to place an order on Fiverr to get an e-book cover done from an artist who assured me that she could do the kind of art that I really wanted, only for the price of five dollars. I even showed her examples of complicated beautiful designs and she insisted she could do one for me even better. She did not have a portfolio ready but I decided to trust her. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

So, I eagerly hit the order button but to my disappointment my payment was not getting cleared. I wrote back to Fiverr and PayPal and then finally made trips to the bank to understand what was wrong with my account and my card. The woman told me that she was already done with the cover and I started feeling even more frustrated.

 All of a sudden, she attached the cover that she had done for me, asking me what revisions I wanted for it. Even though I did not download the picture because I had not paid for it yet but just looking at the image from the thumbnail told me that it was a stock photo with the title of my book slapped on it.

At that moment, I thanked the universe for halting me in my steps from making a big mistake. Even though it’s just a matter of five dollars, I would not use such a cover for my books even if they were offered for free.

I politely told the woman what I thought of her design, apologized to her for wasting her time and left it there. I am not going back to her again or answering her queries because she is definitely not a book cover designer. Slapping on a title and author name on a stock photo does not make it a book cover.

So even though, it felt like life was against me, it was actually working for me. Oftentimes we cannot see it or even want to believe it but life always wants to work for us, with us. It doesn’t matter where you are in your journey at the moment, if you keep your focus and work hard, you will make it.

Fates Unsealed - New paranormal fantasy series on its way

A little known fact about our hero, Christopher is that is an awesome cook. I suppose his culinary skills are only portrayed in the first book, Graveyard Rose, where he cooks delicious, comforting meals for Lena.

I am a cook myself and love to potter around in my kitchen. Stews are my favourite dish in winter. I like to add a lot of herbs and spices to mine, so that it warms me even more. A chunk of bread to dip in the luscious sauce is all I need as an accompaniment to a bowl of stew. Well, I suppose I won’t mind a glass of rich red wine too!

So, without further ado, here’s my recipe for the beef stew that Christopher whips up for Lena she is recovering. It is closer to a ghoulash recipe, I suppose. Mind you, his tastes better than mine because he cooks his on an open flame and it adds an additional later of smokiness to the dish that you just won’t get from your regular home oven but trust me; it is one delicious meal!

Here’s the ingredient list.

·  1kg flank steak

·  1 tbsp vegetable oil

· 300 grams potatoes

· 100 grams carrots

· 4 sticks of celery

·  2 onions (sliced)

·  8 garlic cloves (minced) (I know it’s a lot but really does work)

·  2 tsp hot smoked paprika

·  1 tbsp paprika

·  1 beef stock cube

·  400g can of plum tomatoes

·  2 tbsp tomato purée

·  2 bay leaves

·  Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper

Here are the steps to follow.

·  Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the meat into rough chunks. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

·  Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the pieces of meat and fry until browned all over. Add the onions into the pan and cook with the beef until it softens. Add garlic.

·  Sprinkle paprika over the meat and add the stock cube. Add water, tomatoes, tomato purée and bay leaves. Season to taste and stir well. Add the cubed potatoes, carrots and celery sticks to the pot. Allow it to come to a boil and then cover with a lid and transfer it into the oven. Cook for an hour to two hours until the pieces of beef are tender and break apart when pushed with a fork.

© Ginny Clyde, 2017

Petals of Reminiscence- A short tale

Lena was wrapped in the heady scent of roses as soon as she entered her bedchambers. Her eyes went to the bouquet of wild yellow roses that sat by her bedside table but to her sudden consternation; the flowers were beginning to wilt. Bronze and rich golden petals lay around the blue vase that held these floral beauties.

The curtains fluttered as a cold breeze blew in through the windows. Suppressing the shudder that passed through her, she strode towards to the window to shut the glass panes away. Latching it tightly, she turned back to the roses. Every time she looked at them, a warm feeling spread through her heart, bringing in sweet memories of the man who had gifted them to her and the first words she remembered him uttering to her.

"She clings to life as tenaciously as the rose which grows from the cold, inhospitable graveyard soil," spoke the stranger at her side. "A graveyard rose!"

It was astounding to think that a stranger would read her soul so closely when people who had been closest to her had never looked below her societal facade of being the daughter of a noble house. He had given strength to her very spirit as she lay fighting her own death in the mountainous cave of Hijkarden.

With a start, she felt an intense need to preserve the roses that connoted so much to her. They were her first gift from Christopher, who had saved not only her life but her precious sister’s too. Without his aid a few nights ago, she would not have been able to get the nightshade berries that Bella needed for her life-sustaining potion. Christopher had come to mean so much to her in the recent weeks that she was afraid of losing her heart one more time.

In a moment of light headed romance, Lena leaned towards their open core and smelled their fragrance deeply. Eyes fluttering close, she remained ensconced in her momentary surrender to her heart’s desire. The need to preserve those blossoms intensified, bringing with it a wonderful and yet simple solution.

Opening her eyes, she slowly made her way towards the shelves that contained large tomes of history. Choosing the fattest of them all, she heaved it out of its resting place. It turned out to be an old Bible that had belonged to her grandmother. Her injured ribs made it difficult for her to carry the heavy book across the room towards the edge of her bed but she refused to call a servant. The maids were an impertinent lot and would not hesitate to ask her why she needed to haul a Bible in the middle of the afternoon. Besides, she was in no mood to chastise them or explain them why she needed it, for she doubted her own feelings.

Dropping the book on her bed, she took out a pair of scissors from the bottom drawer. Choosing the best rose among the withering blossoms, she picked it out from the vase. As she did so, some more petals dropped on the table top. She used the scissor to cut off the long, sturdy green stem. Placing it aside, she opened the Bible to its middle section. Picking up the rose, she caressed it one last time and placed it on the yellowing page of the tome.

“My feelings and remembrance shall always be preserved now; in this token of affection that he bestowed upon me, filling up the dry desert of my heart with blossoms of ...love,” she declared softly in the silence of her room. With a smile on her lips, she closed the tome.

© 2017 Ginny Clyde

Would you like to read the story behind this? Get it here!

Copyright © 2017 by Ginny Clyde