08 | November | 2015 | 38 Caliber Reviews

I met Jenny on Booklikes and when I thought about doing this event she was one of the first authors to spring to mind. She is funny, friendly, and generous, and I want to thank her for being so kind and helpful with this. I asked the authors involved to write something about books, writing, themselves, the holidays, or any combination of these things and this is Jenny’s contribution.

***Giveaway at the end of the post***

I love the holidays! I love that, juggled right, there’s extra time to read—and with yummy food. Food plays a big part in my books. Not on purpose, and not to advance the story, but just because I love food. My critique partner pointed out that reading my books makes her hungry!

(No joke, I had to stop fussing with her post and go grab a muffin and marinade the salmon.)

That said, in my latest science fiction romance, “Beyond Regeneration”, there isn’t too much attention given to food—that is, if you ignore things like the joy of eating fish and chips down at the beach, or enjoying freshly baked cheesecake in a cheerful café, or doing that dinner-dance of preparing food with someone you’re attracted to. Is there anything more guaranteed to test a developing relationship than sharing a kitchen?

[Note: I’m a non-kitchen sharer. If I’m cooking, I prefer to cook alone. This could be because some of the places I’ve lived have had small kitchens. It might also be that I’m a control freak…]

Since it’s the holidays, do you have favourite foods for this time of year? Foods that are for special occasions or mark a change of season?

Here in Australia, it’s heating up. Our summers get HOT. So a lot of foods for this time of year are cold: seafood, salads, ice-cream, sorbets, and all kinds of drinks. But you’re probably reading this somewhere cold, so you need…hot chocolate! Life is always better with chocolate.

My recipe for hot chocolate is simple. A mug of milk goes into a saucepan and I add a heaped teaspoon or two (or more) of cocoa, a dash of vanilla extract, a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, and sugar to taste. Stir as it warms. Marshmallows are a wonderful optional extra. Perfect for curling up with a book and indulging in some me-time.

And if you’re looking for a book, I’m giving away ten copies of “Beyond Regeneration”. Just leave a comment saying you’d like one, which e-format you’d prefer (mobi, epub or pdf) and a way for me to contact you (email or FB message or BookLikes message).