Go-to-Gay: The "tricks" vs. the treats

Today our Go-to-Gay, Keith Stewart, is here to get us into a Halloween mood by telling us what he hopes to see in his trick-or-treat bag and what he'll be re-distributing to fellow trick-or-treaters. (Admit it...we all "re-gift" the candies we don't like.)





The Candy Man

Halloween season is here. Finally. It is the celebration that really kicks off the Holiday Season. We get the ball rolling with scary stories, dressing up in costumes, and eating tons of candy. How could one improve on that? It is just about perfect.

However, you have be careful. As adults, we can’t just blow our entire caloric budget on any willy-nilly piece of trick-or-treat candy. I mean, a few careless bite-sized Baby Ruth’s and you have filled up on nothing but a minor-league, not-ready-for-prime-time piece of candy.

Don’t worry, I am not going to start harping on nutritional value. I hate those people who post pictures of how many minutes of exercise you must do in order to burn off each fun-sized chocolate bar. “Fun-sized calories don’t count, Karen. It’s Halloween. Look it up.”

Instead, I am going to rank my favorite and least favorite Halloween candy for you. That way, if you are unsure what to splurge on this year, you can check the list and see if what you are about to gorge on is worthy or not. Let’s get started.

KEITH'S LEAST FAVORITE HALLOWEEN CANDY

Candy Corn

Why is this still a thing? No. Just no. Never have I seen anyone sit down and eat a bag of this, and if I ever do, I think I will gouge my eyes out.

Whoppers

In my opinion, malted milk balls are made by the Devil. It is a cruel joke he plays on people, luring them in with the promise of a chocolate candy. Then, he smacks them in the face with the taste of crap and texture of chalk. NOT TODAY, DEVIL, NOT TODAY.

Jelly Beans

Look, I get it. I do. Jelly beans are good, and they have their place in the candy world. JUST NOT AT HALLOWEEN. There is nothing more disappointing to a trick-or-treater than seeing a baggie of these dropped into their goodie bag.

Circus Peanuts

I don’t know why I am still having to talk about these things, but they are still being sold, so here we are. They are so, so, so bad. They even look disgusting. If you find one of these in your trick-or-treat bag, you have been tricked. Big time.

Any Off-Brand, No Label, Wrapped in Foil Candy

These candies always taste like the leftovers from the candy factory. They have an artificial flavor, and usually have random bits and pieces of dirt and grime clinging to the foil. Always a disappointment to see this handed out on Halloween. Always.

Honorable Mentions in Least Favorites: Smarties, Tootsie Rolls, Dum-Dum Suckers

KEITH’S FAVORITE HALLOWEEN CANDY

First off, let me say that I am not selecting the big boys of candy in my favorites. Snickers, Hershey’s, Reese’s, Three Musketeers. We all love them. They are always a favorite, but I wanted to pick some of my favorites that were not so popular.

Peanut Butter Chews

Courtesy of Grocery.com

I love these! I don’t even think they have a real brand name of any sort. The only time you can find them is Halloween, which makes them even more valuable. If you are a fan of peanut butter, this is your chew candy.

Bit-O-Honey

Oh, Bit-O-Honey, how much do I love, thee? Let me count the ways: 1. You taste like no other candy out there. 2. Chewy, but not sticky enough to pull out my teeth. 3. Honey. What else needs said?

Anything Homemade

Popcorn balls, candy apples, caramel apples, Rice Krispy treats. Any of the old-time treats that used to be given out during Halloween are heaven sent. You just can’t get any better than that.

Honorable Mentions in Favorites: Nerds, Sweet Tarts, Twizzlers

I hope this helps you navigate the tricky waters of Halloween binge eating. Do you agree with the list? Disagree? Let me know!

Keith Stewart is the author of Bernadette Peters Hates Me – True Tales of a Delusional Man. A native of Appalachia, he splits his time between his hometown of Hyden and nearby Lexington, Kentucky. His blog is www.astrongmanscupoftea.com. You can find him on Twitter at @Shiglyogly and Facebook at @AMSCOT (A Strong Man’s Cup of Tea). He is a regular contributor to HumorOutcasts.com and the GoodMenProject.com. He lives with his husband, Andy, and their two dogs, Duke and Dudley.

Book Review: Ella's Ice Cream Summer

By Sara Steven

Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.

Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.

There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

One of the biggest things I’ve always appreciated about Sue Watson’s novels, is the way she manages to always write characters I can completely identify with. Even if my current situation doesn’t parallel, it never matters, because I’ve been there. I’ve felt as though I’ve hit rock-bottom, just as Ella has. I’ve been on the brink of a complete and total change in my life, where the future is full of uncertainties, and it’s what has me drawn to characters just like Ella. You want to see what her outcome will be, good or bad.

Another thing I appreciate: forward motion. Even through the fear, Ella sets out to try her hand at finding her own niche within the realm of her family’s ice cream business. She has no clue what she’s doing, other than the few recipes she can remember from her youth, but she tries her hand at it, anyway. There’s no stagnation for any of Watson’s characters, even the secondary ones. Everything moved at a nice pace, blending beautifully with the other story line that’s intricately woven into Ella’s chance at starting over again. A story line full of skeletons in the closet.

Ella made me feel as though life really is too short. That it’s okay to go for your dreams, no matter the opinions of others. To listen to that inner voice that guides you, drowning out the negativity that often crops up when embarking on something unknown. Ella's Ice Cream Summer is a motivational read for anyone who needs a pick-me up, or needs to be reminded that passions can exist for anyone, no matter their age or status in life.

And, as always, this wouldn’t be a Watson novel without a delicious dose of food! Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts, and I couldn’t get through reading this without a fix from Dairy Queen and Coldstone. I’d love to discover a place that has unique flavors, the kind that Ella offers- and there’s even an ice cream recipe mentioned in the book. Certainly something I can easily make with my boys, possibly the start of our own special ice cream tradition.

Thanks to Bookouture for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Sue Watson:

Book Review and Giveaway: The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner but the women of The Chocolate Lovers' Club have more to worry about than present shopping . . .

Lucy loves running Chocolate Heaven but she hasn't spent time with her boyfriend, Aiden, in weeks. And then her ex-fiance turns up and things become even more complicated.

Nadia hasn't let herself get close to a man in a long time, yet she can't help feeling drawn to Jacob. Will he be her last chance for a happy ending?

Chantal and her husband, Ted, are besotted with their baby daughter Lana - but she's not sure that's enough to base a marriage on.

Autumn is dealing with a tragedy that has hit too close to home. But when she doesn't get the support she needs from her fiance, will she look elsewhere for comfort?

Can friendship overcome all in . . . The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Becky Gulc:

I came to this book having read and enjoyed several of Carole's recent books, but having never read any of the "Chocolate Lovers" books before. I did wonder if i would enjoy this one as much as the previous ones because of this, would I be missing essential information, would I bond with the characters?

Well I can wholeheartedly see why Carole's readers love this series so much and were excited about there being more from these characters. These are fantastic characters who are all different but united in their love of chocolate and the chocolate lovers' club and the strong friendships this enables. All of their stories were very distinct and each very intriguing in their own right. Even though I had a particular soft spot for Autumn (who is very giving, but has a sadness about her you want to be resolved), I was equally engaged with each character's stories and dilemmas, of which there are many. This is so important when each chapter switches between the characters. Each character's story was strong and there were certainly plenty of comical, cringeworthy as well as 'nooooo!' moments which kept me gripped. A lot of the time I really couldn't guess how things would turn out.

Throughout the book there were references to past events/relationships and behaviours, which made me feel up to speed with the histories of the characters and how they might have changed since the first novel. However, this was cleverly done as to not spoil the previous novels. I'm sure I'd still enjoy reading them now, even if I knew what the outcomes were.

I thought the book completely delivered in its festiveness as well as how it makes you salivate with references to chocolate. I wish i could eat as much yummy chocolate as these women do!

There will be a further "Chocolate Lovers" novel coming in January, and whilst I was satisfied with the conclusions in this novel, it also left me intrigued as to how things would develop for each one of the characters in the future.

If you haven't read any of this series before, you could start with this one. It certainly fits as a stand-alone book. Although I enjoyed it so much, I'd definitely recommend going back to the beginning and enjoy all of the series and the friendships of these fantastic ladies.


Melissa Amster:

I have read the first two books of the "Chocolate Lovers" series in the past and really enjoyed both, so I was more than eager to read The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas. (I made an exception, as I don't normally read Christmas-themed novels.) I can say with confidence that it didn't disappoint one bit!

It was so great to be reunited with Lucy, Chantel, Nadia, and Autumn after several years apart. It was good that Carole put in reminders of what had happened in the past, as I forgot some of the story lines. (I did remember others though.) Having said that, this book can be read independently of the others, even though I encourage you to read the first two because they're just THAT fabulous! Since I did read the previous two, I would say that there are some spoilers in this one, especially with Nadia's situation.

Each woman had her own interesting circumstance and some good romantic story lines fit into the novel, as well. They were all sympathetic characters and I found myself wanting to give them a big hug at various points of the story. The "Chocolate Lovers" series reminds me of the "Traveling Pants" series by Ann Brashares, but this time with adults and chocolate to bond everyone together.

The only part I could have done without is a scene that is similar to one in Dumb and Dumber, but that's all I'll say for now.

Overall, this was another wonderful installment and it has some suspense leading into the next novel in the series, which comes out really soon.

I've finally come up with a movie cast, at least for the four "Chocolate Lovers."
Lucy: Emilia Clarke
Chantel: Kate Winslet
Nadia: Parminder Nagra
Autumn: Emily Blunt

Thanks to Sphere and Carole Matthews (respectively) for the book in exchange for an honest review. We have one copy for a lucky reader anywhere in the world, courtesy of Carole.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Worldwide. Giveaway ends December 6th at midnight EST.

More "Chocolate Lovers" novels:

Going bananas for Kristina McMorris...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Kristina McMorris back at CLC to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, The Edge of Lost. She has one signed copy for a lucky US reader!

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author published by Kensington Books, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins. Her novels have garnered more than twenty national literary awards, as well as a nomination for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA's RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction.

Since her debut, Letters from Home, released in 2011, Kristina's published works have expanded to include the novels Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, The Pieces We Keep, as well as her current novel, in addition to her novellas in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Rights to her books have been sold to numerous foreign publishers, Readers Digest, Doubleday, the Literary Guild, and more.

Kristina lives with her husband and two sons in Oregon, where she is still sleep deprived but eagerly working on her next novel. You can find her at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Synopsis of The Edge of Lost:
On a cold night in October 1937, searchlights cut through the darkness around Alcatraz. A prison guard's only daughter—one of the youngest civilians who lives on the island—has gone missing. Tending the warden's greenhouse, convicted bank robber Tommy Capello waits anxiously. Only he knows the truth about the little girl's whereabouts, and that both of their lives depend on the search's outcome.

Almost two decades earlier and thousands of miles away, a young boy named Shanley Keagan ekes out a living as an aspiring vaudevillian in Dublin pubs. Talented and shrewd, Shan dreams of shedding his dingy existence and finding his real father in America. The chance finally comes to cross the Atlantic, but when tragedy strikes, Shan must summon all his ingenuity to forge a new life in a volatile and foreign world.

Skillfully weaving these two stories, Kristina McMorris delivers a compelling novel that moves from Ireland to New York to San Francisco Bay. As her finely crafted characters discover the true nature of loyalty, sacrifice, and betrayal, they are forced to confront the lies we tell—and believe—in order to survive. (Courtesy of Kristina's website.)

Visiting an escapee cell at Alcatraz for research.

Favorite holiday for dessert/candy and favorite dessert/candy from that holiday: 
 Every year for Thanksgiving, I love making Pineapple Cream Cheese Pie, a delicious recipe passed down from my grandmother.

Favorite book involving dessert/candy?
The Giving Tree (Apples count as a dessert, don't they?)

Favorite dessert to have at a restaurant: 
Tiramisu

Favorite cheesecake flavor:
Salted Caramel

Dark, white, or milk chocolate?
Dark (preferably with almonds)

If you could invent a new dessert, what are three must-have ingredients and what would it be called? 
A pie layered with both chocolate cream and banana cream atop a graham cracker crust, making it.... a Choco-nana Cream Pie!

Thanks to Kristina for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. Also enter Book Mama Blog's giveaway, which includes an extra special prize.


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US only. Giveaway ends November 29th at midnight EST.

Stacey Wiedower's movie snacks...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Stacey Wiedower back at CLC today, this time to feature her sophomore novel, Now a Major Motion Picture. She was here in January to talk about her favorite things. Now she's talking about desserts and candy with us. She also has an e-book of Now a Major Motion Picture to share with a lucky reader anywhere in the world!

Visit Stacey at her website, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Synopsis of Now a Major Motion Picture:
Eight years after her fiancé’s betrayal rips her world apart, Amelia Wright is at the pinnacle of career success. Using heartbreak as her muse, she’s authored Shattered, a best-selling dystopian series that’s headed for the big screen. Though she writes under a pen name, she’s secretly scared Noah Bradley, her ex-fiancé, will recognize himself in her work, and, worse yet, realize she's never moved on.

But in a world of Instagram and iPhones, Amelia quickly learns it isn’t easy to hide in plain sight—especially after a paparazzo steals a shot of Amelia in a steamy encounter with the star of her upcoming movie. At the height of the tabloid frenzy, Amelia uncovers a secret about Noah’s betrayal and finds herself faced with a choice. Will she move forward with her new life of Louboutins, limos, and bullying paparazzi, or succumb to the pull of a past she thought she’d finally written off? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite ice cream flavor: Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey

Favorite sweet drink:
Hot chocolate with Bailey's Irish Cream, topped with whipped cream

Favorite movie involving dessert or candy:
Serendipity ... it has scenes in the NY restaurant Serendipity 3. Plus it's a great love story!

Favorite kind of muffin:
Classic blueberry

Favorite dessert that someone else bakes for you:
My mom's Congress tarts. They're basically little English tarts filled with jam and topped with cake.

Favorite pairing of salty and sweet:
The "Garrett Mix" popcorn from Garrett Popcorn Shops in Chicago. It's a combo of cheese popcorn and caramel corn, and when you get it hot straight from the store ... holy wow, it's heaven.

Thanks to Stacey for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.


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Open worldwide. Giveaway ends November 23rd at midnight EST.

Chick Lit Cheerleader: The Sweet Life

Earlier this year, Chick Lit Cheerleader Jen Tucker did a review of Lauren Clark's novel Pie Girls. Who knew that Jen was a Pie Girl herself?!? (Anyone...anyone....?) She's here today to talk about sweets and share a special recipe with all of us.

We now leave you in Jen's capable hands, so get your aprons on and start your ovens!

The REAL Pie Girl!

I want to let you in on a little secret. I love desserts. No, really. The kind of love that would make a grade school playground bully ask me if I wanted to marry them. My answer would be a resounding “Yes! Yes, I want to marry chocolate cake along with its sibling, vanilla cake drenched in buttercream frosting, least we forget their cousin, cupcakes!” I could go on and on…

When dining out, I’m the girl who flips to the back of the menu first. I need to know my dessert choices so I can plan my meal accordingly. A warm slice of apple pie will require more tummy room than chocolate mousse. One choice requires me to stick with a salad while the other allows me to dive head first into a petite filet and mashed potatoes yet still have plenty of room for something sweet after. As you can see, it’s all about priorities.

My dad has taught me many important life truths: to be kind to others, always do my best no matter the task before me, and that ice cream always fills in the cracks. If you nosh on an overkill plate of spaghetti and meatballs, after you’ve filled up on bread sticks, never fear! There’s still room for dessert because ice cream is here! It fills in the nooks and crannies in your belly. I’m sure this hypothesis is true because my dad is an engineer and it sounds super science-y, right?

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it would be nice if I shared a dessert recipe with you. I’m in charge of desserts at our family gatherings. I’m not sure if that’s because the consensus is I rock at creating confectionary treats, or if they think I would flunk turkey stuffing.

But I digress…

Apple pie is my husband’s favorite. He’s a pretty tough cookie (See what I did there? Desserts? Cookies?) when it comes to apple pie. I’d dare say his palate for baked apples reaches snobbish levels. For you, my dear CLC-ers, here’s my apple pie recipe. It’s a hodgepodge of different recipes I’ve tried over the years, taking a little of this and a whole lot of that to make, what Mike deems, the best apple pie, of all apple pies, that were ever apple pies.
Enjoy!

Crumble Top Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 Refrigerated pie crust (follow package instructions to thaw)

FILLING:
4 cups tart apples, peeled, cut into small chunks (I prefer Granny Smith)
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup cold butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate.
• Place pastry into pie plate.
• Trim pastry to 1/2 inches beyond edge of plate then flute, or pinch, edges. Poke the bottom of the crust in several places with a fork.
• Combine apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Pour onto crust.
• In a separate bowl, mix together flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.
• Bake 50-60 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 8 servings.

Jen Tucker is the author of the funny and true stories, The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out and The Day I Lost My Shaker of Salt. In September 2012, she had her children's book, Little Pumpkin published as an e-book. She also blogs monthly for Survival for Blondes. She currently lives in Indiana with her husband, three kids and two dogs. You can find her at Twitter, Facebook, her blog and on her website. And in case you missed them. check out her previous Chick Lit Cheerleader posts here.

Tegan Wren's sweet tooth...plus a book giveaway

When you hear the word "inconceivable," do you think of The Princess Bride? Well, Tegan Wren is about to change the meaning of that word (like it even means what we think it means?) through her debut novel about a royal couple trying to produce an heir, aptly titled Inconceivable!, which was published yesterday. She even has a signed copy to share with a lucky reader in the US or Canada.

Guided by her love of the creative process, Tegan grew up acting in theater productions and writing poetry, short stories, and plays. She turned her eye to writing about real life when she worked as a journalist, producing reports for various radio and television stations in medium and large markets in the Midwest and also filing some stories for a major national news network. She spent several years writing online content, which ranged from creating descriptions of toilets for a retail website to composing a blog post about visiting Maui.

Tegan has had the opportunity to travel overseas, and uses those adventures to inform her writing. She also draws inspiration from her own struggles and life experiences. She and her husband, Patrick, struggled with infertility for five years before becoming parents through adoption.

She's here today to tempt our taste buds by talking about all kinds of sweet treats. Visit her at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Synopsis of Inconceivable!:
A popular, young royal couple can’t produce an heir? INCONCEIVABLE!

When Ozarks native Hatty goes “whole hog” during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn’t what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he’s affable, witty, and isn’t put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be short lived, but a force stronger than fate—Hatty’s newspaper editor—assigns her to cover the royals. After spending time together, she and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines instead of writing them.


But challenges loom that are even more complicated than figuring out how to mesh Hatty’s journalism career with life at Belvoir Palace. Hatty and John soon find themselves embroiled in an unusual sex scandal: they can’t produce an heir. Tabloids dub Hatty a “Barren-ess,” and the royals become irate. Hatty politely tells them to shove it. But beneath her confident exterior, she struggles to cope with a heartbreak that invades her most intimate moments with John. Pressured to choose between invasive medical procedures and abandoning John’s claim to the throne, the couple feels trapped until a trip to Ethiopia shows them happy endings sometimes arrive long after saying “I do.”

Go-to candy:
Snickers...caramel, nuts, and chocolate. What more do you want?

Favorite song that mentions dessert/candy?
"I Want Candy" (Kevin Shields Remix from Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette)

Favorite dessert to bake: 
Homemade brownies...So much better than anything you can produce using a pre-made mix!

Favorite kind of donut: 
Plain Glazed from Krispy Kreme. It's hard to improve on the simple perfection of the plain glazed donut.

Dark, white, or milk chocolate? 
Though I do enjoy dark chocolate, my favorite is milk chocolate. I like white chocolate only in small portions. The best chocolate I've ever had came from Pierre Marcolini, a specialty shop based in Brussels (with locations in Paris). That's why I just had to mention this favorite shop of mine in INCONCEIVABLE!

If you could invent a new dessert, what are three must-have ingredients and what would it be called? 
Biscoff spread, caramel, and Nutella. As for the name...how about NuttyCaraBiscoff? I'm thinking you could use these ingredients to whip up brownies. Excuse me while I go make this a real thing!

Thanks to Tegan for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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US/Canada only. Giveaway ends November 22nd at midnight EST.

Sara Benincasa's sugar high...plus a book giveaway

The first time I went to Washington D.C., I was the "chaperone" of a four year-old and an infant. We had such a great time there (or at least I know I did) that my family and I moved out to the area less than a year later. Having said that, I really enjoy when books take place in The District. :) Today's guest, Sara Benincasa, has delivered up what sounds like a fun and hilarious visit to the Capitol in her latest novel, D.C. Trip. Also, she's really friendly based on our e-mail banter over the past few weeks. She has a lot to say about dessert and candy, so prepare for a sugar rush!

Sara Benincasa is an award-winning comedian and author of Great and Agorafabulous!: Dispatches From My Bedroom (William Morrow/HarperCollins), a book based on her critically acclaimed solo show about panic attacks and agoraphobia. Visit Sara at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thanks to Adaptive Studios, we have THREE copies of D.C. Trip to send anywhere in the world!

Synopsis of D.C. Trip:
An honest and irreverent journey of sexual confusion, bar shots, drag queens, and pot cookies in the Rose Garden. Alicia Deats is a new teacher chaperoning her very first high school trip to Washington DC, and nothing could be more terrifying than a class full of horny, backstabbing, boundary-pushing teenagers under her watch. Alicia believes in positive reinforcement and trust to keep her students out of trouble, but best friend high school sophomores Gertie, Sivan, and Rachel have a different idea: they plan to take full advantage of the un-parented freedom that a trip to DC offers.

Check out the book trailer. And speaking of trailers, D.C. Trip is being adapted as a movie!




Go-to candy:
Kit-Kat. In any mood. Often in the bath. Frozen is the best.

Favorite holiday for dessert/candy and favorite dessert/candy from that holiday:
I'd say Christmas is a really solid holiday for variety of desserts AND candies. My favorite dessert is my friend G.'s Christmas cookies. She makes at least three hundred each year to give to friends. She is also a hairdresser at Bang'z in Somerville, NJ and she is great and she has been doing my hair for thirty years.

Favorite movie involving dessert/candy?
At a certain point in Amelie, she talks about how delightful she finds it to crack the surface of a creme brûlée. I love that so very much.

Favorite dessert to bake:
Give me some Pillsbury crescent -- you know, the ones with the dough that is pre-cut and you roll it up? Okay, so gimmee that. I'm gonna put some cinnamon on the dough and some sugar and then roll it up and brush the surface with a tiny bit of olive oil and throw on some more cinnamon and sugar. BOOM! Cinnamon rolls. That's as fancy as I get.

Favorite cheesecake flavor:
I'm obsessed with Cheesecake Factory and I tweet at them so much. They're very patient with me. They finally sent me a selfie stick to be like, "If you love us so much, TAKE A PHOTO OF IT SARA." So I took a bunch. I tend to go with their S'mores flavor but I'm open to anything they do.

Favorite pairing of salty and sweet:
Salted crack caramel ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery in Brooklyn, NY. It is awesome. Runner-up: salted caramel ice cream from Fort Grace in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Thanks to Sara for chatting with us and Adaptive Studios for sharing her book with our readers.

~Introduction by Melissa Amster

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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Open worldwide. Giveaway ends November 16th at midnight EST.

Hilary Grossman has something to devour...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to introduce Hilary Grossman. Melissa A has gotten to know her through ChickLitChat HQ on Facebook and is excited to feature her at CLC. Her debut novel, Dangled Carat, came out in 2014 and is still bringing in five-star ratings on Amazon. It's a true story about her journey to marriage. Hilary recently published her sophomore novel, Plan Bea, about a woman who has to help plan her mom's wedding, which turns her world around and makes her question everything she believed about her life. Aside from being an author, Hilary is the Chief Financial Officer of an alcoholic beverage company. 

Visit Hilary at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Today, Hilary is here to talk about her favorite sweet treats and share some fun facts along with her answers. She has TWO e-books of Dangled Carat for some lucky readers anywhere in the world! She also has TWO copies of Plan Bea to give away over at Goodreads (worldwide, ends 11/16).

Favorite ice cream flavor:
Tough question! I have so many favorites. If I had to pick one, I’d have to go for cookie dough. But I also love java chip, mint chocolate chip and Heath Bar crunch too (pretty much anything that has chocolate or candy mixed in).

Fun fact – I waitressed at Friendly’s for about eight years. On a daily basis, I made so many ice cream sundaes and cones that ice cream started to repulse me. However after a month after leaving the restaurant, I happily devoured ice cream again.

Go-to candy:
M&M’s - preferably the peanut butter ones! M&M’s bring me back to my childhood. Growing up, I have such fond memories of hanging out in my den, sitting next to my mom on the couch, watching TV and sharing a bag of M&M’s.

Fun fact – I always eat the shells of the M&M’s first – it took many years of practice to master




Favorite book involving dessert/candy?
Thirty-Three Going on Girlfriend by Becky Monson - I especially loved the part where Julia goes on the cake baking show…

Fun Fact – My first answer was Hershey’s Chocolate Lovers Cookbook.

Favorite dessert to bake:
Macadamia nut chocolate chip cookies – I pretty much make a batch ever week in the winter.

Fun Fact – I have been playing around with my recipe to reduce the amount of sugar and carbs in my cookies so I don’t feel so guilty eating so many. I now use two-thirds almond flour one-third regular flour and half the sugar the recipe calls for and the cookies are still sweet and delicious!

Favorite kind of pie:
Truth be told, I’m not a huge pie lover. I don’t like consistency of the fruit nor to I like the syrup. But I do love key lime pie and lemon meringue pies.

Fun Fact – When I was in college I was determined to make a lemon meringue pie. I found a “simple” recipe. And after twenty-five attempts I gave up. Yeah, I am stubborn.

Favorite pairing of salty and sweet:
I LOVE chocolate covered pretzels, especially the pretzel rods that also have candy pieces, like mini M&M’s dipped into the chocolate.

Fun Fact - I had dinner at a friend’s house a couple of weeks ago and she served the most amazing dish that pairs sweet and salty. She made a sweet potato dish topped with crushed pretzel rods and chopped pecans. I struggled not to eat the entire dish – AMAZING!

Thanks to Hilary for chatting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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Worldwide. Giveaway ends November 10th at midnight EST.

Dana Bate bakes a delicious treat...plus a book giveaway

We're so glad to have Dana Bate back at CLC for a third visit! She recently published her third novel, Too Many Cooks, in the US and to celebrate, Kensington has THREE copies for some lucky readers in the US and/or Canada!

Since Dana's last visit, I had the opportunity to interview her for the Jewish Food Experience. Then the rugelach recipe she shared was selected as a favorite by a local synagogue's sisterhood! She's here today to talk about food as well, and is helping us kick off our "Something Sweet" month!

To learn more about Dana and her books, visit her at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Synopsis of Too Many Cooks:
When Kelly Madigan is offered a job abroad right after reading a letter from her late mother urging her to take more risks, she sees it as a sign. Kelly's new ghostwriting assignment means moving to London to work for Natasha Spencer--movie star, lifestyle guru, and wife of a promising English politician. As it turns out, Natasha is also selfish, mercurial, and unwilling to let any actual food past her perfect lips.

Still, in between testing dozens of kale burgers and developing the perfect chocolate mousse, Kelly is having adventures. Some are glamorous; others, like her attraction to her boss's neglected husband, are veering out of control. Kelly knows there's no foolproof recipe for a happy life. But how will she know if she's gone too far in reaching for what she wants? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite holiday for dessert or candy and favorite dessert or candy from that holiday: 
Thanksgiving...and pie. Any kind of pie. PIE PIE PIE.

Favorite sweet drink: 
Red Jacket strawberry apple juice. Addictive.

Favorite movie involving dessert or candy? 
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! (Waitress is also a great one. Because...PIE.)

Favorite dessert to have at a restaurant: 
Something warm and fruity with ice cream on top (ex: warm apple crumble with a melty scoop of vanilla ice cream).

Favorite kind of muffin: 
The millet muffin from Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia. I love it so much I even worked a version into my second book.

If you could invent a new dessert, what are three must-have ingredients and what would it be called?
For me, a perfect dessert -- the kind of indulgence I dream about -- needs a balance of salty/sweet, creamy/crunchy, and rich/light. There are infinite ingredients that could achieve that balance, but combining toasted/salted nuts, whipped cream, and brown butter with other baking ingredients will almost always result in deliciousness. As for a name...I'm terrible at that kind of thing. Maybe "X-Rated" because it would be that sinfully delicious.

Thanks to Dana for making our mouths water and to Kensington for sharing her latest book with our readers!

~Introduction by Melissa Amster

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US/Canada only. Giveaway ends November 8th at midnight EST.