Nov 25, 2019 | Authors Dish, Blog, November 2019, Tarina Deaton
Welcome newbies and seasoned readers to Authors Dish. Thanksgiving will be here Thursday and Authors are still dishin’ their favorites.
I am grateful for readers, authors, and everyone who make it possible to sink into my cozy chair and enjoy a new book adventure each and every day.
It’s time to find out what inspires your favorite Authors and discover how they enjoy the holidays, prepare their homes, set their tables and give thanks to those important in their lives.
Whether you’re celebrating at home or traveling far away, enjoy every minute of the season. We’d love to know how you enjoy your holidays, tell us below!
Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we plan to share plenty of reasons to be thankful so be sure to check the blog often. Wanna dish? Drop me a message.
Today in the cafe is Author Tarina Deaton
Author Tarina Deaton
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Eating. lol. We don’t have a lot of Thanksgiving traditions. Being a military family, it was always hard to have the big family gatherings. But family is also what you make it, so I always try to invite single service members over for dinner and make sure they aren’t alone during the holiday.
2. How do you decorate your table and home? I am not a big decorator. I hang a seasonal wreath and that’s about it. Besides, too many decorations on the table take up space that could be used for FOOD!
3. My favorite hostess gift is… Wine or dessert.
4. It’s time to pack up the leftovers, what do you do with all the food? Share it, use it for other yummy dishes or toss it?
If we have single Airmen over, I always try to send some home with them, but otherwise I have left overs for the next few days.
5. Black Friday shopping – on line fun, up early with a cup of java and a long list, or last minute shopper and don’t care about the sales? My sister dragged me Black Friday shopping one time and I swore I’d never do it again. There really isn’t anything I want bad enough to deal with the crowds. I much prefer to wait for Cyber Monday.
6. I am thankful for…
So many things. My children, my parents and siblings, the opportunity to give my children the experience of traveling the world, good health, and (of course) all my readers.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday and get to spend it with the people you love!
Bio:
Tarina is an award winning author who has spent her entire life in and around the military – first as a dependent and then as an enlisted Air Force member. Her debut novel, Stitched Up Heart, released in September 2016 and hit the number one spot on Amazon’s Top 100 Free Military Romance. She uses her life as inspiration for many of her stories, because truth is stranger (and funnier) than fiction.
Tarina is still active duty and a single mom of six-year-old twins. Her favorite hobby is sleep. She has delusions of retiring from the military and being a stay-at-home mom.
Check out Tarina’s backlist after you’ve put all your dishes in the oven or while you’re cooking!
Click on the link here for fun and FREE printables to keep you organized this fall season.
Jul 2, 2019 | Blog, Cathy Maxwell, July 2019, Tarina Deaton, Tonya Burrows
Welcome newbies and seasoned travel veterans to Authors Dish. With only three weeks until #RWA2019 I’m searching for what authors and industry professionals always include in their suitcases, what they stash in their conference bag to avoid hunger pains and the things they forget once and hopefully never again. While some of the authors contributing are not attending, we love that they want to contribute and hope their words of wisdom help to ease any anxiety you might have getting all the things in your suitcase.
May this inspire you to plan, make your lists, and triple check so you are prepared for just about anything. If you’re heading to RWA2019 I’d love to say hi. Comment below so we can be sure to meet up in NYC.
Hopefully you won’t find yourself waking up in the middle of the night panicked that you now need the very thing you forgot to pack. Or, finding out moments before you have a meeting or fun place to go, you ran out of or forgot something essential.
Stay tuned as we’ll have plenty of tips and tricks in the upcoming weeks so check the blog daily.
Today in the cafe are New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Cathy Maxwell, Author Tarina Deaton, and Author Tonya Burrows.
Rae: What five things do you have to pack when attending a conference?
Cathy Maxwell:
Sneaks and flats, swag, something dressy for publisher parties, lavender oil for a restful night’s sleep, and all the buttons that I’ve collected over the years of attending RWA to wear on my name badge.
Tarina Deaton:
Comfortable shoes. A notebook for notes. My plot bunny notebook (I never leave home without it). Business cards. Extra space (for all the goodies I take home).
Tonya Burrows:
1. Comfortable shoes. (Very important!)
2. Swag and/or books depending on the conference and if I’m attending a signing. If there’s not a signing, then business cards.
3. Leggings. After a week of dressing up, by the last day I’m ready to go back to my regularly scheduled writer wardrobe.
4. Water bottle. (Hydrate, people. Seriously. You’ll thank me for this one.)
5. Alcohol. Hotel bar drinks are expensive!
Rae: What is your snack attack must haves in your day bag?
Cathy: Fruit. I keep a bag of clementines or a banana in my room.
Tarina: I’m really bad about remembering to put snacks in my bag, but it would probably be wasabi almonds because I like to crunch on things.
Tonya: I usually pack protein bars and keep a filled water bottle on hand at all times. Between all the drinking and walking, I tend to get dehydrated at conference and then I end up waking up in the middle of the night with leg cramps. No fun.
Rae:What’s the one thing you forget to pack and swear to remember next time?
Cathy: A cork screw! (And I bet I’m not the only author who has forgotten one.)
Tarina: This is only my second big conference I’m attending as an author, but the one thing I forgot last time was business cards. I had to run out to Walmart and get the printable ones so I’d at least have SOMETHING.
Tonya: I’ve been doing this conference thing for seven years now, so I’ve got packing down to an art. But at my very first RWA in 2012, I didn’t even think to pack a small sewing kit and of course the strap on my RITA dress broke. Luckily, one of my new friends came to my rescue, but I went out and bought one as soon as I got home. It lives in my suitcase now, along with a small first aid kit and a bag of safety pins. I hardly ever use it, but I’ll have it when I need it.
Rae: Thank you so much authors! Readers, what’s the ONE thing you always forget and swear to include next time when you travel? How do you make sure that you remember ;).
I’ll be keeping a running list and will post it a week before RWA2019 so that hopefully no one needs to make a quick run to the lobby market or drug store around the corner. I’ll see you soon for new authors and more ideas!
Cathy Maxwell: Cathy Maxwell is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty historical romance novels. She never minds spending hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” To her, it remains the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness. To discover more about Cathy and her books, visit www.cathymaxwell.com
Tarina Deaton:Tarina is an award winning author who has spent her entire life in and around the military – first as a dependent and then as an enlisted Air Force member. Her debut novel, Stitched Up Heart, released in September 2016 and hit the number one spot on Amazon’s Top 100 Free Military Romance. She uses her life as inspiration for many of her stories, because truth is stranger (and funnier) than fiction.
Tarina is still active duty and a single mom of six-year-old twins. Her favorite hobby is sleep. She has delusions of retiring from the military and being a stay-at-home mom.
Tonya Burrows: Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance at age 13 and hasn’t put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. As of now, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with The Boyfriend, a diva schnoodle, a plucky pug-mix, and #writercat.
When she’s not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can usually be found kayaking, hiking, or road tripping across the country. She also enjoys painting and B grade disaster movies.
If you would like to know more about Tonya, visit her website at www.tonyaburrows.com. She’s also on Twitter @tonyaburrows and Facebook www.facebook.com/tonyaburrowsauthor
In case you missed our other posts here’s the recap so far:
7-1-19: Authros Dish RWA 2019 – USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Covington, Author Kelly Maher, and Author Cate Taylor
6-30-19 USA Today Bestselling Author Naima Simone, Author Nancy Northcott, and Author Gail Z. Martin / Morgan Brice
6-29-19 Authors Dish RWA 2019 with USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Ferrell, Author Jeanne Adams, and Author Olivia Hardin
Dec 24, 2018 | Blog, December 2018, Suzanne Ferrell, Tarina Deaton, Terry Spear
Welcome to Authors Dish about the holidays. Today in the cafe I’m serving hot drinks, warm treats, and lots of tasty ideas.
Today in the cafe are USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Ferrell, USA Today Bestselling Author Terry Spear, and Tarina Deaton who are sharing their favorite recipe and holiday tradition.
Rae: What’s your favorite winter holiday recipe?
Suzanne Ferrell: This cheeseball recipe I got from a co-worker back before I graduated Nursing School. I’ve made it every year since so 39 years and both my daughters have the recipe and make it for Christmas parties they are invited to. It takes 3 ingredients. One tub of Kaukauna cheese, 8 oz of cream cheese. Mix thoroughly, chill. Form into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. That’s it!
Terry Spear: my daughter’s green bean casserole. 
Tarina Deaton: Every year we have an argument whether this is a side dish or a dessert because it’s so decadent. It’s that perfect combination of sweet and tart:
Cranberry Apple Casserole
3 cups chopped, peeled tart apples
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Topping:
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine apples, cranberries, sugar & flour. Pour into greased baking dish.
In a bowl, mix topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over apple/cranberry mixture.
Rae: What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Suzanne Ferrell: Singing Christmas carols. I used to love going caroling and when my kids were teens we’d host a caroling party.
Terry Spear: Favorite holiday tradition is spending the time with family–having Christmas Eve dinner, watching a Christmas movie, and then in the morning, having cinnamon rolls, coffee or tea, and opening presents, taking pictures, watching another Christmas movie, having a special Christmas dinner.
Tarina Deaton: It’s probably decorating the tree. I’m one of those people that waits until after Thanksgiving so we spend Friday morning pulling everything out and decorating. For me it’s about the excitement my kids feel in anticipation of Christmas.
Rae: Thank you so much authors!
Comment below and tell us what your favorite recipe and traditions are. We’d love to know! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
** Author Bios **
Suzanne Ferrell: USA Today Bestselling author Suzanne discovered romance novels in her aunt’s hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she’d be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories.
Currently there are two main series she’s actively writing in: The Westen Series, a contemporary small town series based in a fictional Ohio town where “things aren’t always what they seem”, and features Close To Home, Close To The Edge and Close To The Fire. The second series is the Romantic Suspense books KIDNAPPED, HUNTED, SEIZED and VANISHED, featuring the Edgars family as they fight for justice, even if it means stepping slightly outside the rulebook.
KIDNAPPED and HUNTED were both Golden Heart finalist, and SEIZED, book #3 in the Edgars Family Novels, was a finalist in the novella category of the OKRWA’s National Reader’s Choice Awards contest.
Suzanne’s sexy stories, whether they be her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense or the small town romantic suspense stories they’ll keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved.
You can Find Suz at:
Website: https://suzanneferrell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanneferrell.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuzFerrell
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/suzferrell/
Tarina Deaton: Tarina has spent her entire life in and around the military – first as a dependent and then as an enlisted Air Force member.
In 2015, a friend challenged her to complete NaNoWriMo. She dusted off one of the many stories she’d started over the years, threw it in the trash, and started all over.
Her debut novel, Stitched Up Heart, released in September 2016. She draws heavily from her own military experience when crafting stories and characters.
Tarina is still active duty and a single mom of six-year-old twins. Her favorite hobby is sleep. She has delusions of retiring from the military and being a stay-at-home mom.
Terry Spear: Bestselling and award-winning author Terry Spear has written over sixty paranormal romance novels and four medieval Highland historical romances. Her first werewolf romance, Heart of the Wolf, was named a 2008 Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and her subsequent titles have garnered high praise and hit the USA Today bestseller list. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry lives in Spring, Texas, where she is working on her next wolf, jaguar, cougar, and bear shifter romances, continuing with her Highland medieval romances, and having fun with her young adult novels. When she’s not writing, she’s photographing everything that catches her eye, making teddy bears, and playing with her Havanese puppies and grand-baby.
For more information, please visit www.terryspear.com, or follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear. She is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear. And on WordPress at: Terry Spear’s Shifters Terry Spear’s Shifters
Sep 26, 2018 | Blog, Cover Reveal, September 2018, Tarina Deaton
Imperfect Heart (Combat Hearts Book 4) from Tarina Deaton is coming October 9th and I have the new cover!
Official Blurb:
It’s not a mid-life crisis if you’re finally doing something you love, right?
Separating from the Air Force after thirteen years may seem drastic to some, but Zoe Acevedo is finally doing something for herself. Opening an independent bookstore in Haven Springs, North Carolina is a major undertaking, but Zoe has a plan and a list. What she doesn’t have is time for distractions like her interfering family, her cheating ex, or the sexy neighbor who always manages to find her in the most awkward situations.
As a Haven Springs police officer, Tim Larken has dedicated his life to protecting and serving. He learned the hard way that the damsel in distress doesn’t always want to be saved, but somehow he manages to help his curvy new neighbor out of one tight spot after another.
Their attraction is undeniable, but when true disaster strikes will that be enough for two Imperfect Hearts to heal together?
This is the final book in the Combat Hearts series. Guaranteed HEA.
Pick your e-retailer, get your copy
Apple ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ B&N ~ Nook
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Thank you in advance for your continued support.
Tarina has spent her entire life in and around the military – first as a dependent and then as an enlisted Air Force member.
In 2015, a friend challenged her to complete NaNoWriMo. She dusted off one of the many stories she had started over the years, threw it in the trash, and started all over.
Her debut novel, Stitched Up Heart, released in September 2016. She draws heavily from her own military experience to create authentic characters and personal challenges.
Tarina is still active duty and a single mom of four-year-old twins. Her favorite hobby is sleep. She has delusions of retiring from the military and being a stay-at-home mom.
www.tarinadeaton.com/books
