Jan 31, 2024 | 2024, Authors Dish, Blog, January 2024, Jeanne Adams, Mariah Ankenman, Samantha Chase
Welcome to Authors Dish – a time to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones as they share a little bit about themselves. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.
If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
Today we are officially one month into 2024 and with that …. hopefully a month with a planner that is well used, filled with amazing adventures, goals, and tasks. If you’re a booklover than I’m sure you have those stacks of books waiting to fill our shelves with a goal to read them all. Are you ready for a little author fun?
Today we’ve got NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Samantha Chase, Bestselling Author Mariah Ankenman and Author Jeanne Adams ready to dish!
1. With the new year underway, do you have a “word” of the year or do you set monthly goals?
Samantha: You know, I never got into the “word” thing and I don’t know why. I had to pick a word of the year for this retreat I’m getting ready to go on (and it gave my great anxiety to have to do it), but my word is CONFIDENCE. As for setting goals, it’s a little like making a New Year’s Resolution every month and I can honestly say that I don’t. I know that I have things I have to do, but life seems to really get in the way sometimes – especially these last few years – and I always seem to end up feeling defeated because I didn’t reach my monthly goal. So now, no goals.
Mariah: I don’t really have a word of the year unless you count “panic” lol, just kidding. I’m more of a task person than a goal person. I set out achievable tasks I need to accomplish then get a ton of satisfaction crossing them off the list when they’re done.
Jeanne: I do pick a word of the year – this year is FOCUS! Grins. I’ve had a lot going on in the last few years and finally a lot of that is resolved so now…I get to FOCUS!
2. If you’re a snow lover what is your favorite thing to do outside in the winter months? If you prefer the sunny beaches and warm sand …. where would you rather be?
Samantha: Ooo…I wouldn’t say I’m a snow lover, but I certainly love a good snowy day! I love the quietness of a day when the snow is coming down and just love watching it. I’m not a winter sports person, but I used to LOVE to get on a sled and go down a big hill when I was younger!
And I think I’ve mentioned it before that I do also love the beach, but only in the off-season when it’s cooler! Lol!
Mariah: I love the snow! It gives me an excuse to sit inside and read under a cozy blanket. I used to ski, before it got too pricey. I love a quiet walk in the snowy woods, but my kids prefer making snow forts and sledding. Once I set up my aerial hoop in the snow. It was freezing but I got some really fun photos and video.
Jeanne: I AM a snow lover!! I love to watch it snow from inside the house and make soup and chili and other hearty things. Grins. I do like to have a good snowball fight, however, and I like to ski.
3. It’s January and we’re all thinking about staying organized and setting our goals, what are the top five things you’ve found to help motivate you and keep you on task?
Samantha: Nothing! Lol! My attention span is like a squirrel in traffic – it’s all over the place! Staying organized is hard for me because it never lasts long. My office slowly starts to fill with papers and notes and other random stuff (like snack wrappers!) and I find that I need to work with no chaos around me. I’ve taken to writing more in our bonus room because it’s neat and peaceful. As for keeping me on task? Seriously, nothing does except fear of a looming deadline.
Mariah:
1.My desk calendar where I can write everything down.
2. Coffee
3. Chatting with my agent about the years plan
4. Coffee
5. More coffee!
Jeanne: Getting that new planner set up and ready to go is my number one thing to motivate me and keep me on task. I use a combination Bullet Journal and Sarra Cannon’s HB90 calendar method to keep me on track. Number two is to set aside sacrosanct time on Sundays to plan my week – as Stephen Covey would urge – to put the “big rocks” (writing, family, etc) in first before the days fill up with minutia
Number three would be to add stickers and color! (it helps me!) Four is look at the calendar every night before I go to bed. And last but not least at #5 is plan BIG, stretch goals, Beyond goals and Good goals – the three tiers lets my brain know that Good is good enough, but there’s bigger levels if I have time and energy to streeeeeeetch!
4. If you could create a winter drink what would you call it and what would be in it?
Samantha: I am not an adventurous drinker at all. I’m relatively boring. It’s either water, Coca-Cola, or hot cocoa. No flavors, just the basics. So maybe just a really rich, chocolatey cocoa called Simply Yummy. Lol!
Mariah: I actually made a winter cocktail called the Coco Mint Martini a few years back. It’s peppermint vodka, irish cream, and chocolate syrup poured into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass and top with whipped cream. It’s delicious!
Jeanne: If I could create a winter drink….hmmm…Probably some kind of hot coffee toddy with Kahlua and my fav coffee and cream. I’d probably call it something goofy like a Ski Lift (caffeine..get it?)
5. Do you have a winter bucket list?
Samantha: To stay warm. It was really cold last week here in NC, but today, I had to put the A/C on because it was 75 degrees in the house!
Mariah: Not really a bucket list, but we’re going to see the Ice Castles in Cripple Creek next month. We haven’t been in years and I’m so excited to go again.
Jeanne: Always! It only really works if it actually snows, however. As in, curl up with a good book and watch it snow. Pile on extra blankets and read in bed. Make Snow Creme. Build a Snow Fort and have a Snowball fight. You get the idea!
6.You just found out a snowstorm is headed your way and you need to run to one store to pick up provisions to last for three days. Where are you shopping and what are you putting in your cart?
Samantha: I love knowing we’re going to be snowed in! When that happens (whether it’s snow or a hurricane) I love to bake. I don’t know why, but if there’s a storm coming, there will be cake, cupcakes, brownies, and cookies. But when it’s cold out, I’m going to make a batch of turkey chili, a batch of creamy corn chowder, and a big pot of sauce with meatballs and sausage. We may be cold, but we won’t starve! The Italian in me will not allow that to happen 😊.
Mariah: Bread, soup, canned food, water, cheese, firewood, sidewalk salt, coffee, vodka, batteries.
Jeanne: Thankfully, I can get books online if I run out of reading I already have, right? For me, it’s the local grocery to be sure I have eggs, sourdough bread, the makings for chili and chicken soup, coffee and Diet Coke. I’m good!
Click here for a link to ALL of Samantha’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Mariah’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Jeanne’s Books on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance for your continued support.
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Website
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website http://mariahankenman.com/ follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.
Jeanne Adams is an award-winning author of more than 20 thrilling suspense, wicked Urban Fantasy, paranormal romantic suspense, and dramatic space adventures which have been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. Both traditionally and independently published, Jeanne is a sought-after speaker for her Body Disposal for Writers Worldbuilding for Writers, Plotting for Pantzers, and her workshop on Fight Scenes in Fiction.
Jeanne helped create the Nora Roberts Writing Institute at Hagerstown Community College; served on the Board of Directors for Romance Writers of America; was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine; and is a showrunner on ConTinual, the online Con that Never Ends. She’s currently completing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and has won numerous awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. Jeanne lives in DC with her sports-mad husband and sons, as well as three large, boisterous dogs. Find links to her latest work on her website or through most online purchasing platforms!
Find her at:
www.JeanneAdams.com
Twitter: @JeanneAdams
Facebook: JeanneAdamsAuthor
Instagram: @JPAGryphon
Pinterest: JeanneAdams (Especially her Writerly Things board!)
Dec 22, 2023 | Authors Dish, Blog, December 2023, Jeanne Adams, Mariah Ankenman, Samantha Chase
Welcome to Authors Dish – a time to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones as they share a little bit about themselves. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.
If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
To everyone celebrating Christmas I hope your house is filled with laughter, friends, family, pantries are full, your table filled, and friendships forged. May we all have plenty of books to keep us company and friends to share them with. As Christmas Eve approaches and the new year is almost here we’ve got NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Samantha Chase, Bestselling Author Mariah Ankenman and Author Jeanne Adams ready to dish!
1. What’s your favorite winter holiday recipe? (If you’re willing to share )
Samantha: Funny story – I don’t use recipes! I’ve been cooking since I was five and just cook from the heart. True, we tend to stick to the basics, but sadly, no recipes.
Mariah: Swirled Mint fudge. It’s so tasty and simple:
1 bad of milk chocolate chips
1 cup of white chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon of mint extract
Green Food coloring
8×8 pan lined with parchment paper
Put the chocolate chips into two microwavable bowls and add condensed milk to both bowls (slightly more for the milk chocolate chips). Alternate microwaving the chocolate chips for 30 seconds each (or less, keep an eye on how fast they melt) Stir until smooth. Add the peppermint and food coloring to the white chocolate chips and stir. Add milk chocolate to pan and spread out evenly. Place spoonful’s of the mint chocolate in the corners and middle then swirl with the back of your spoon to desired effect. Place in fridge until solid (usually a few hours). Take out and cut into bite sized pieces. Enjoy!
Jeanne: (Don’t really have one)
2. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Samantha: We used to always go and pick out our tree together with our boys. This is the first year that’s not going to happen and I’m extremely devastated by it ☹ We used to make it a little competition and it was such a fun way to spend a Saturday.
Mariah: Seeing all the lights on the houses around town and singing carols.
Jeanne: I’m an early December birthday, so one of our traditions is to go the weekend closest to my birthday to a wonderful brunch, then go get our tree, then spend the evening decorating it and telling stories on one another. Grins.
3. Is your home all “dressed up” for the winter season?
Samantha: – – YES!! Always!! Three trees, lots of light, a Christmas village, stockings on the mantle…I love it!
Mariah: Oh yes, absolutely! We have a blow up frosty and lights outside and the inside is filled with holiday cheer and my wintertime village which I love setting up.
Jeanne: Once the Amazing Adams Family Halloween décor comes down, our house gets dressed right back up in its winter finery! We celebrate alllll the winter holidays because I believe you can’t get enough celebrating at the Yuletide!
4. Do you exchange gifts or gather for a destination event (or gather at a destination)?
Samantha: We have been gathering here at our house for almost 30 years – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – and exchange gifts. We’ve talked about going somewhere instead and making it an event, but my boys both said they’d much rather be at home with us.
Mariah: We exchange gifts multiple times because we usually have our own Christmas, then one with my in-laws, then one with my family. There’s so many of us it’s impossible to get us all together at one time, lol.
Jeanne: We blessedly stay HOME for the holidays! Yay! And yes, we exchange gifts – “something to read, something you need and something you want” are the gifting rules around our house.:>
5. Do you have a new year goals list you are finalizing?
Samantha: To take better care of my health. I’ve made great strides this year and want to continue into the next. I’ll be traveling a LOT in 2024 for book events, and want to be my best.
Mariah:I do. I have some unfinished projects I’m hoping to finish this year..
Jeanne: I so! I consider my options all fourth quarter, but I spend the week between Christmas and New Years considering what I want to get done personally and professionally, and for and with my family in the new year. Not so much resolutions as plans and ideas. Then I start assigning them a timeline… I love me a good plan!
6. If I were to visit your hometown, where should I go to see the holiday spirit at its finest?
Samantha: That same farm that does wonderful things in the fall, does a wonderful job making it a festive wonderland in December!
Mariah: Christmas in Color light show. There’re a few locations in the Denver area. It’s the best! Beautiful lights, holiday music, and the best part is it’s a drive thru show so you get to stay warm and toasty in your car while enjoying holiday cheer.
Jeanne: Oh! Downtown DC is dressed to the nines for the holidays! The national Menorah is lit, the national Christmas tree, stores and shops are decorated, it’s a glory. Nothing like DC during the holiday season!.
Click here for a link to ALL of Samantha’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Mariah’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Jeanne’s Books on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance for your continued support.
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Website
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website http://mariahankenman.com/ follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.
Jeanne Adams is an award-winning author of more than 20 thrilling suspense, wicked Urban Fantasy, paranormal romantic suspense, and dramatic space adventures which have been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. Both traditionally and independently published, Jeanne is a sought-after speaker for her Body Disposal for Writers Worldbuilding for Writers, Plotting for Pantzers, and her workshop on Fight Scenes in Fiction.
Jeanne helped create the Nora Roberts Writing Institute at Hagerstown Community College; served on the Board of Directors for Romance Writers of America; was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine; and is a showrunner on ConTinual, the online Con that Never Ends. She’s currently completing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and has won numerous awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. Jeanne lives in DC with her sports-mad husband and sons, as well as three large, boisterous dogs. Find links to her latest work on her website or through most online purchasing platforms!
Find her at:
www.JeanneAdams.com
Twitter: @JeanneAdams
Facebook: JeanneAdamsAuthor
Instagram: @JPAGryphon
Pinterest: JeanneAdams (Especially her Writerly Things board!)
Nov 23, 2023 | Authors Dish, Blog, Jeanne Adams, Mariah Ankenman, November 2023, Samantha Chase
Welcome to Authors Dish – a time to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones as they share a little bit about themselves. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.
If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
To everyone this fall season I hope your pantries are full, your table filled, and friendships forged. May we all give thanks to those in our lives who make ours a little better. As November winds down, the holiday season countdown begins, and the festivities begin we’ve got NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Samantha Chase, Bestselling Author Mariah Ankenman and Author Jeanne Adams ready to dish!
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving Tradition?
Samantha: I don’t think we ever had a Thanksgiving tradition ☹ For so many years we ended up someplace different every year and it was either small and quiet or loud and boisterous. But basically, it’s just about being together with family or friends.
Mariah: The food for sure!
Jeanne: My fav Thanksgiving tradition is to have friends over who don’t have a family to get to on the holiday. Another fav is to, over dessert, have everyone say what they were Thankful for from the previous year and what they’re looking forward to in the next.
2. Do you cater your feast or cook from scratch or just contribute a side dish?
Samantha: I do ALL of the cooking and I love it. It’s my favorite meal in the world to cook! Not everything is from scratch, but at least half of it is.
Mariah: My spouse and I generally host these days and mostly cook from scratch, but a few things come from a can or box.
Jeanne: These days, I’m cooking it from scratch! Love doing that, so it’s no hardship!
3. What is your “must have” dish on the table?
Samantha: Mashed potatoes. One year we went to my husband’s aunt’s house for Thanksgiving. We had just moved 500 miles away from our parents and close family and it was our first holiday away from home. And while the dinner was fine, there were no mashed potatoes and it totally threw me! Lol!
Mariah: Mashed potatoes!
Jeanne: A big ol’ Turkey, of course! But my boys won’t consider it Thanksgiving unless there’s sweet potato casserole and pineapple casserole on the table. Hubby wants mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. I love it all!
4. So many pies … are you team Pecan, Pumpkin or Apple? A la mode, whip cream, or pass on the toppings?
Samantha: I am not a pie person at all – unless it’s a chocolate or Oreo pie! – but there is always an apple pie at the holidays. Always. My mother-in-law used to make them and now my mom makes them.
Mariah: I’m not a huge dessert person, but I do love a delicious pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.
Jeanne: I am totally team Pumpkin! However, not everyone in my household are pumpkin fans (what is wrong with them???) so I’ve always got apple and sometimes cherry too. I’m the only fan of pecan, and sometimes it’s too much with pumpkin too, so I seldom make it anymore.
5. What is your favorite holiday movie, album to put on, or book to read?
Samantha: Favorite holiday movie is “Scrooged” with Bill Murray and “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Those are my musts for the holiday season.
Mariah: Garfield Christmas and Muppet Christmas Carol are lifelong favorites. I also do a Christmas book advent calendar with the kiddos. We unwrap a Christmas book every night to read. Some are old ones, but I usually buy one or two news ones every year.
Jeanne: I always re-read a wonderful historical that’s a Christmas story. I’ll have to dig it out and get the name to share. It’s out of print but it’s charming. I love all the Halloween movies, of course, but Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie, as well as A Wonderful Life and the original cartoon Grinch.
6. Holiday shopping … do you start early or wait for all the seasonal sales? Do you get up early and fight the crowds or sit in your pjs browsing the web?
Samantha: I used to get up early and do the Black Friday shopping with friends for a lot of years. Now I tend to sit in my pjs and shop online from September through December until I have everything.
Mariah: Crowded stores? No thank you! I’m an online shopper for the most part.
Jeanne: I browse from my chair in my Pjs! Grins. I do some shopping early if I see something that strikes me as being perfect for someone, but I refuse to fight the crowds.
7. As we get ready to shop and fill the e-readers, bookshelves and wish lists …. Do you have any upcoming releases?
Samantha: Such a silly question! Of course I do!!
– A MERRY MONTGOMERY CHRISTMAS – coming November 14 th
– IRRESISTIBLE LOVE (Wylder Love book one) – coming January 30 th , 2024
– TEASING YOU (Donovans of Sweetbriar Ridge book two) – coming March 26 th , 2024
– WANTING YOU (Donovans of Sweetbriar Ridge book three) – coming May 21, 2024
– INDESCRIBABLE LOVE (Wylder Love book two) – coming July 16 th , 2024
– UNDENIABLE LOVE (Wylder Love book three) – coming September 17 th , 2024
Mariah: Nothing with buy links yet, but my entire backlist is available.
Jeanne: I do! I have a wonderfully fun story coming out in an anthology November 28! The Anthology is headlined by NYTimes and USA Today bestselling author Mercedes Lackey and is set in her award wining world of Valdemar. I was so lucky and so excited to be invited to be a part of the 17 th anthology in this world The book is called Anything With Nothing.
Click here for a link to ALL of Samantha’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Mariah’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Jeanne’s Books on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance for your continued support.
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Website
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website http://mariahankenman.com/ follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.
Jeanne Adams is an award-winning author of more than 20 thrilling suspense, wicked Urban Fantasy, paranormal romantic suspense, and dramatic space adventures which have been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. Both traditionally and independently published, Jeanne is a sought-after speaker for her Body Disposal for Writers Worldbuilding for Writers, Plotting for Pantzers, and her workshop on Fight Scenes in Fiction.
Jeanne helped create the Nora Roberts Writing Institute at Hagerstown Community College; served on the Board of Directors for Romance Writers of America; was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine; and is a showrunner on ConTinual, the online Con that Never Ends. She’s currently completing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and has won numerous awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. Jeanne lives in DC with her sports-mad husband and sons, as well as three large, boisterous dogs. Find links to her latest work on her website or through most online purchasing platforms!
Find her at:
www.JeanneAdams.com
Twitter: @JeanneAdams
Facebook: JeanneAdamsAuthor
Instagram: @JPAGryphon
Pinterest: JeanneAdams (Especially her Writerly Things board!)
Oct 31, 2023 | Blog, Jeanne Adams, Mariah Ankenman, October 2023, Samantha Chase
Welcome to Authors Dish – a time to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones as they share a little bit about themselves. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.a
If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
As October comes to a close, we’ve got NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Samantha Chase, Bestselling Author Mariah Ankenman and Author Jeanne Adams ready to dish!
1. October means we are officially into the Fall with everything “spiced” and spooky. What’s your seasonal speed? (Pumpkin Everything, Maple Lover, or Skip the Spice … I’m all about the tinsel and Peppermint)
Mariah: Pumpkin and Apple cinnamon are my jam! I’ve even done both as vodka infusions, yummy!
Samantha: Definitely not a spiced or spooky girl. Not a fan of either. I’m just patiently waiting for the tinsel and peppermint too!!
Jeanne: I am allllll about the pumpkin, people! Don’t particularly like pumpkin spice, but love pumpkin anything else. I love fall! I love Halloween! Never met a spooky scary skeleton I didn’t love.
2. Growing up certain houses were known for their “treats” and we never missed those doorbells. What do you pass out for the kiddos?
Mariah: We have a candy bowl with a variety of chocolate/gummy/sucker candy and a bowl with toys for kiddos who can’t have sweets or don’t want them. I love handing out treats at Halloween and I always let kids take a treat from both baskets if they want.
Samantha: I know I’ll catch a LOT of grief for this, but I am so NOT a lover of Halloween. We don’t decorate and I buy just the basics. It’s all brand name and the good stuff, but it’s fun sized and everyone gets a handful.
Jeanne: I pass out the good stuff! I have Hersheys and good chocolates, as well as Skittles and fruity things. I keep a separate non-peanut basket for a few neighbor kids I know with peanut allergies. (Well packaged to prevent cross contamination!) and some things that are certified gluten free too.
3. Do you toss a few extra bags of your favorite candy into the cart for snacking during the season?
Mariah: Heck yeah I do!
Jeanne: I always have to buy an extra bag for the kids close to Halloween because my household will have “snacked” on the big candy bowl!
4. What is your idea of a perfect fall day activity or adventure? Where are you and who are you with?
Mariah: Me and the fam heading off to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins to carve while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Samantha: Perfect fall day would be driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway and seeing all the beautiful colors of the leaves changing. Of course my hubby would be right there beside me and then
we’d stay at some quiet little hotel with a great view.
Jeanne: Perfect Fall day activity or adventure is decorating for Halloween with my hubby and kids! Or going to a festival or a fall pumpkin patch to get pumpkins to carve. LOVE carving those pumpkins!!
5. Do you have a Fall bucket list and what is on it?
Mariah: We always have to make it to the Pumpkin Festival in town. I also love horror movies, so I make sure to watch as many as possible during spooky season. We also host an annual Halloween party for all our friends which is always a ghoulish good time.
Samantha: Don’t laugh, but…we always go to the beach in the fall. My husband fishes, I write, the weather is gorgeous, and it’s peaceful. I look forward to it every year.
Jeanne: My Fall bucket list is to go to Keene, NH to their pumpkin festival. 1000s of carved Jack-o-lanterns!
6. If I were to visit your hometown, is there an orchard or farm I should visit for the best fall produce, corn mazes, and fun?
Mariah: Yes! Check out the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield for their pumpkin festival and corn maze. The best in the Denver area!
Samantha: Not really my hometown, but we’ve lived here for almost 30 years and there is a cute little farm about ten miles up the road that has all of those things.
Jeanne: There are several! But my fav is Butler’s Orchard in Maryland (not far from where I am in DC) is amazing! They have pony rides and face painters and pumpkins and apples and cider…well, if it’s fall and fun, it’s at Butlers!
Click here for a link to ALL of Samantha’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Mariah’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Jeanne’s Books on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance for your continued support.
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Website
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website http://mariahankenman.com/ follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.
Jeanne Adams is an award-winning author of more than 20 thrilling suspense, wicked Urban Fantasy, paranormal romantic suspense, and dramatic space adventures which have been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. Both traditionally and independently published, Jeanne is a sought-after speaker for her Body Disposal for Writers Worldbuilding for Writers, Plotting for Pantzers, and her workshop on Fight Scenes in Fiction.
Jeanne helped create the Nora Roberts Writing Institute at Hagerstown Community College; served on the Board of Directors for Romance Writers of America; was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine; and is a showrunner on ConTinual, the online Con that Never Ends. She’s currently completing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and has won numerous awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. Jeanne lives in DC with her sports-mad husband and sons, as well as three large, boisterous dogs. Find links to her latest work on her website or through most online purchasing platforms!
Find her at:
www.JeanneAdams.com
Twitter: @JeanneAdams
Facebook: JeanneAdamsAuthor
Instagram: @JPAGryphon
Pinterest: JeanneAdams (Especially her Writerly Things board!)
Sep 26, 2023 | Authors Dish, Blog, Jeanne Adams, September 2023
Authors Dish will once again be on the blog, a chance to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.a
Readers …. the fun is back. The response has been overwhelming, the authors are ready, and we are here for it. If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
Now, to kick it off, today we’ve got Author Jeanne Adams today.
1. You’ve been tasked with naming the next “it” nail polish. What color is it? A shiny Candy Apple Red What’s it called? Apple Spice
2. What are the top three things on your bucket list? Go to the Winter/Christmas Market in Edinburgh; Meet Gerard Butler; Hit the USA Today Bestseller list
3. What signature dish does everyone ask you to bring? Sweet Potato Casserole
4. What song sums up your life? Currently? Nickleback’s Burn it to the Ground
5. In some stores there is Christmas merchandise out, what word would you use to describe what we are seeing? Ridiculous! I’m all for Halloween!
6. It’s back-to-school season, what does that look like in your house? Has your nest grown and flown? (Just happy the kids are back in school. You’re in the cave -don’t care. It’s the best time of year ‘cuz the kids are back in school, or No idea I’m in my bat cave and haven’t seen sunlight for days.) It’s the best time of the year! Hahah! With everyone in school, more time to write!
Jeanne Adams is an award-winning author of more than 20 thrilling suspense, wicked Urban Fantasy, paranormal romantic suspense, and dramatic space adventures which have been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. Both traditionally and independently published, Jeanne is a sought-after speaker for her Body Disposal for Writers Worldbuilding for Writers, Plotting for Pantzers, and her workshop on Fight Scenes in Fiction.
Jeanne helped create the Nora Roberts Writing Institute at Hagerstown Community College; served on the Board of Directors for Romance Writers of America; was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine; and is a showrunner on ConTinual, the online Con that Never Ends.She’s currently completing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and has won numerous awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. Jeanne lives in DC with her sports-mad husband and sons, as well as three large, boisterous dogs. Find links to her latest work on her website or through most online purchasing platforms!Find her at:
Blog: www.JeanneAdams.com
Twitter: @JeanneAdams
Facebook: JeanneAdamsAuthor
Instagram: @JPAGryphon
Pinterest: JeanneAdams (Especially her Writerly Things board!)
Oct 30, 2020 | Blog, Caren Crane, Coffee With, Giveaway, Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Nancy Northcott, October 2020
Rae: Thank you so much for joining me here at the blog. Before we start please grab a cuppa and fill it up. I’m having a cinnamon coconut almond milk latte.
What’s in your mug?
Jeanne: My usual – a grande mocha latte with extra whipped cream! (I love whipped cream)
Morgan/Gail: Coffee with cream and sweetener. I do own a latte machine, and I frequently play barista for hubby and me.
Caren: Coffee with heavy cream and coconut oil. My favorite!
Nancy: Cafe latte with a caramel shot.
Rae: With Covid impacting all of us I’m thrilled to have you all together. Don’t worry readers, we’re all socially distant, masked, and plenty of holiday scented hand sanitizer to go around.
Jeanne: I know we’re all happy to be here, talking about Trick or Treat at Caynham Castle during this fabulous spooky season.
Rae: Trick or Treat at Caynahm Castle brings us ghosts and romance, a fabulous location and another collaborative anthology dear authors. What was it like working together on this spooky edition?
Jeanne: After last year’s Christmas at Caynham Castle, we’d had so much fun with the English castle on the Welsh Marches we decided to return to Caynham Castle and Halloween was such a fun holiday, we decided to run with that.
Morgan/Gail: Lots of fun! We had such a good time doing the Christmas collection we decided that we needed to do another book, and now that we’ve done Trick or Treat, we’re looking ahead to a New Year’s edition!
Rae: How did you get in the mood while crafting your stories? Did you bake favorite treats? Listen to specific music? Drink themed beverages? Or, did you go all out and decorate your house to set the mood?
Jeanne: For me, I put on iHeart Radio’s Halloween radio. I didn’t bake, but I must confess I bought Halloween candy! (Caramels, omgosh, the caramels…) I didn’t drink themed beverages, but I considered buying some cider. As for decorating the house…you know me, Rae, it’s Halloween Town at my house from October 1 on!
Morgan/Gail: I’m always in the mood for Halloween! This time I knew my way around the castle, and the characters are ones I’ve written before, so the fun was putting them into a new location and creating some old connections for them.
Caren: Once I lit my “Stay Out Of the Forest” scented candle, which smells like pine. I suppose that could be considered inspirational.
Nancy: I drank tea, that perennial British favorite.
Rae: What can readers expect in this Anthology?
Jeanne: Readers can expect my usual paranormal suspense thrills and chills! The Christmas at Caynham Castle story, The Ghost of Christmas Past was a ghost story (Obviously! Ha!) and my story in Trick or Treat at Caynham Castle extends the discovery of a hidden passage and a secret room from Christmas of 2019 into Halloween 2020! The hero, a photographer, and the heroine, and archaeologist, team up to uncover the secrets in the secret room…but there’s magic and murder afoot! Can they solve it before Halloween?
Morgan/Gail: Readers can expect to return to the familiar people and places of the Christmas collection, but with some new faces, new relationships, and a bit more spooky stuff!
Caren: A combination of some spooky paranormal, some legends and a bit of thrilling action.
Nancy: Spies with a second chance at love, action-adventure, and international intrigue.
Rae: While crafting your stories did you chat often or just once to kick off the story and then race to the finish?
Jeanne: A mixture of both, I guess. I frequently chatted with or emailed Caren, Nancy and Gail just to be sure we weren’t overlapping stories or having characters in the same place at the same time. The collaboration in these anthologies has been one of the most fun aspects!
Morgan/Gail: Ha! We burned up the internet comparing notes, asking questions, and checking details.
Caren: We asked some questions to clarify a few things about the setting, but mostly worked on our own. Gail finished long before the rest of us, so she got to set the stage for the Halloween ball!
Nancy: We checked details with each other by email to be sure we were consistent, but we didn’t confer a lot.
Rae: Is this the end for your beloved characters or will they return in the next Caynham holiday Anthology?
Jeanne: Oh, they’ll be back! We’re already discussing which holiday to do next!
Morgan/Gail: We’re planning a New Year’s Eve edition for 2022…..
Caren: The characters in Murky Waters will definitely show up again. The story involves the characters from my Christmas story set at Caynham Castle, so I don’t imagine any of my characters will go into hiding!
Nancy: This story wraps things up for Dana and Blaine. The next visit to Caynham Castle will involve a different couple.
Rae: As with all chats in the cafe, it wouldn’t be complete without a few tasty tidbits. Thank you so much for hanging out and I can’t wait to chat again!
Jeanne: How fun! Gotta love some tidbits! I look forward to reading them!
Rae: Thank you Jeanne. Readers stay tuned. Over the next few days these fabulous Authors will share those tidbits.
Be sure to check back soon.
ONE winner will be randomly selected to receive an/e-copy from Amazon of Trick or Treat at Caynham Castle.
To enter, answer the following question below by commenting on the blog.
What is your least favorite candy and what to you is the spookiest sound that gives you shivers?
Contest runs 10/30/20 – 11/02/20 at 11:59 PM
Be sure to follow Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Caren Crane, and Nancy Northcott on all social media platforms and Books I Love A Latte for more giveaways and fun!
Winner will be randomly selected and will be contacted. If winner doesn’t claim prize within 24 hours a new winner will be drawn.
** For all giveaway rules read here.
To learn more about each author click on their picture to check out their website.
Jeanne Adams
Morgan Brice
Caren Crane
Nancy Northcott
