Thursday, December 21, 2017

CHRISTMAS WITH LOVED ONES HOME!

Welcome Harlequin Kimani author, Carolyn Hector, a member of the blog Smart Girls Read Romance (smart guys do, too). Remember to leave a comment to be entered in the Kindle Fire 7 Giveaway on Christmas Eve!  

What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

Living in NYC. We lived on the 7th floor.

What is your favorite adult Christmas memory?

My favorite Christmas memory is sort of a Gift of the Magi story. My husband and I are big 80s fans. This was probably about 20 years ago. I finally found a DVR copy of the classic breakdancing movie,
Breakin'. I rushed home to meet the mailman and while I was waiting, my husband came home. We were both shocked to see each other. It turns out he had a blank VCR tape and he'd come home after searching the TVGuide (paper copy now...this is how old we are) and found out that Breakin' was coming on television and was coming home to record it and surprise me at Christmas.

Is there a Christmas son that's your favorite?

A. Secular -- I have two--1. "Winter Wonderland" and 2. "Baby It's Cold Outside"-pretty much any version. Sure, it sounds like the stalker song... but I just love it! I have a book (not yet published) with the title.

B. Religious "O' Holy Night" by Clay Aiken

Tell us about your family's Christmas traditions.

Despite our children being teenagers, my husband enjoys waiting to wrap the presents. So, what we do is go out on Christmas Eve, pick up some hot salty fries from McDonald's and then we drive from neighborhood to neighborhood looking at all the lights. We stay out as late as possible.

What about Christmas do you most enjoy?

There's something about the act of giving. I personally think I am the gift-whisperer. I love searching year 'round for the ultimate gift for a person. I love the look of surprise when a recipient feels touched.

Is there something about this holiday that drives you crazy?

It drives me nuts to see parents practically going broke to buy their kids EVERYTHING they want for Christmas.

What do you hope for this Christmas?

With my oldest child 21, I suspect any day now she's going to want to move out. I want just a few more Christmases with her in my home rather than coming to visit.

Do you have a treasured Christmas food? If so, would you care to share the recipe?

We've made it a tradition to try one new thing each holiday season. This year, I'm going to (1) not eat all the doughnuts! I plan on saving the last few (because I can never throw away the last doughnut) from here until Christmas Eve-Day and (2) not waste any doughnuts by reviving them with the following recipe. Just, as you go along snagging doughnuts here and there (office parties, y'all, not random places) and place them in the freezer in a storage bag.

Doughnut Bread Pudding 

1 dozen stale Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts (any glazed doughnuts will do)'
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk 
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of nutmeg

Chocolate Sauce
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
Cut each doughnut into 5 or 6 pieces and place in a greased 9x13-inch or slightly smaller baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract and nutmeg.
Pour over doughnuts. Press doughnuts into liquid to moisten. Let sit 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place uncovered baking dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes.
To make sauce, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate chips in a small bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 15 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Serve bread pudding warm.


9Do you have a Christmas book you’d like to share?






The ultimate prize this Christmas...

Former beauty queen Waverly Lavere can barely show her face in public after an embarrassing meme goes viral. But now fate and a misdelivered pizza have brought her dreams back to life. Gorgeous bad boy turned business mogul Dominic Crowne wants to sponsor Waverly in a pageant scheduled for Christmas Eve. Waverly vows to keep their arrangement purely professional--but soon their arrangement quickly takes a sensual turn...

Dominic knows that his golden touch can fix almost anything--including Waverly's tilted tiara. Against his own will, Dominic is mesmerized with his stunning new client. He's falling for the pageant princess and the vulnerable yet sexy woman within. But when Waverly's ultimate goal finally comes within reach, can he help her achieve professional redemption and find his Princess Charming under the mistletoe?






Having your story read out loud as a teen by your brother in Julia Child's voice might scare some folks from ever sharing their work. Carolyn Hector rose above her fear. She currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida where there is never a dull moment of school functions, politics, football, southern charm and sizzling heat to help fuel her knack for putting a romantic spin on everything she comes across.




4 comments:

Mary Preston said...

We always enjoy looking at the lights throughout the town too.

Caroline Clemmons said...

Carolyn, thank you for sharing with readers today. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Kathy Davis said...

A friend of mine loves bread pudding, and he says that he's spent half his life looking for the perfect recipe. Such a dramatic statement. ha I'm sharing your recipe with him. Thanks, and merry Christmas!

Carnola said...

Hello Carolyn, I love how you and your husband were thinking alike that's so sweet. I love the summary of your book it sounds like a great read.