Blog Archives
Amber Kallyn’s stop on the Autumn Harvest Hoppity & Give@way
What do you love about Autumn and Fall? What does it remind you of? What about reading? Do you think it’s a good subject to read? Tell us your favorite Autumn stories! Well, we authors are ready to share our favorite Autumn stories and why we love snuggling in the cold. *wink* Starting on Friday and ending on Nov 12th, over 200 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about those sexy men we know and love.
And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.
But that’s not all….
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Autumn.
The weather, at least here in the Arizona desert, is finally turning cooler. We don’t have specific times of year that we can point to as four seasons. It’s either Hot, or cool, LOL.
But finally the worst of the summer heat is over. I can comfortably sit outside, reading.
Holidays are coming up.
The time flies, but it’s a blast. And by the time winter gets here, it’ll be time for a nice break from the action.
Plus there’s pumpkin pie, cookies, cupcakes, lattes, breads…. YUM!
So what’s your favorite part of Autumn?
My Giveaway:
I’ll pick one commenter to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card. Please make sure you leave your information so I can reach you if you win.
And good luck 
And don’t forget to check out the other authors in the Hop for great goodies and more chances to win one of the grand prizes 
St Patrick’s Day Fun and Food
St Patrick’s Day. When I think of this holiday, I think ‘Irish’ and ‘Green’.
We also think Corned beef and cabbage : )
I cook this every year around St Patrick’s Day (and any other time I can get away with it, LOL). So today I thought I’d share my take on the recipe.
CROCKPOT CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
1 (3 to 4 lb.) corned beef brisket
1 large head cabbage (preferably savoy)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 pound carrots, peeled
6 large potatoes
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. black pepper, ground
Wash brisket. Using a small sharp knife, cut tiny X slits in the meat and insert garlic cloves pieces.
Place the meat in a large Crock-Pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil on high setting. Boil for 10 minutes, skimming off the grey foam that rises to the surface using a wire skimmer or large spoon.
Reduce heat to lower setting and allow to simmer (not boil) for 5 hours, adding water as needed to keep covered.
Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Quarter the cabbage, dice potatoes and carrots.
During last few hours, add vegetables and continue to cook until vegetables are tender.
Giveaway
Since I love giving stuff away On this hop, I’ll be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card (winner will be drawn on Sunday) plus all commenters are entered into the Hop’s grand prize drawings.
Just answer the question in the comments: What comes to mind when you think of St Patrick’s day, and do you have any traditional ways to celebrate?
And don’t forget to visit the other wonderful authors in this hop, and see what goodies they’re giving away…
…We’re having a Blog Hop to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and wearing green! Over 120 authors are going to be telling anything they can about being Irish, celebrating the day, wearing green, drinking green beer… pretty much anything!
Each author will be giving away a prize. Like a swag pack, gift cards, ebooks, print books, and so much more.
PLUS We have TWO Grand Prizes for TWO different winners! *gasp*
Grand Prize 1: Winner’s Choice of a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
Grand Prize 2: Winner’s Choice of a $90 Amazon or Barnes&Noble Gift Card
Isn’t that exciting? LOL. So you as a reader – what do you have to do? Well, come on over to these websites on Friday March 16th and comment on as many as you want. The grand prize winners will be chosen at random from the commenters – meaning you can comment on EACH blog – meaning 120 entries to the grand prize.
CLICK HERE to see the other hoppers
And good luck ya’ll
Leap Year Hop and Give@way!
To me, Leap Year is special.
It only comes around every four years, which means, in my family, it’s call for a celebration.
Then again, who needs cause to spend time and have fun with the kids, LOL.
It’s also a time of renewal, as springtime comes around. The days are longer, warmer, we can spend time outdoors for the two weeks before the hot, Arizona summer kicks in and forces us back inside, LOL.
To enter my drawing, which is a e-copy of Dragos 1: Burned, just answer the following question in the comments:
What does Leap Year mean to you?
***Make sure you leave your email address so I can contact the winner***
Also, don’t forget to check out the other blogs in the tour. Next stop is Barbara Edwards where you can win more goodies.
Enjoy the pictures of what I think of when I think Leap Year.
Isn’t this one just me? :LOL
And, because this is me, after all 
Holiday Bloghop Winners
Thank you all for sharing such wonderful, inspiring holiday memories with me. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and added to those memories. My kids have kept me busy, opening toys (and putting some together, LOL) as well as shopping for new fish
We’ve played games, watched movies, laughed and cuddled a bunch.
Now, on to the goodies ~
I used Random.org to choose the 3 winners:
Susan Ricci
Cheryl Lynne
books4me2
Congrats
Please email me with your choice of one of my ebooks (PDF format). Click here to see the choices.
The Grand Prize winner of a Kindle Fire and a $20 Amazon gift card will be chosen within the week and the winner will be emailed directly.
Happy Holidays Ya’ll
Yummy Mondays ~ Say hi to our Soldiers
In honor’s of Memorial Day, I’m doing a giveaway here.
And, for your viewing pleasure:
Because it’s too cute to resist : )
Who needs to be served???
Mmm, dark chocolate.
Too HOT to handle.
Tired after a long day. Bet he’d wake up for a HUGE thank you, LOL.
And again, Thank You, to all the soldiers * men and women* who have laid down everything they had to give ~ including their lives ~ for our freedom. And also, thank you to all the sexy men who have served not only our country, but the camera, LOL
~ Amber
Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day
Monday Updates
I hope your Memorial Day and the weekend has been awesome
Just a reminder to check out my post about keeping those who’ve served in our minds and hearts. Plus, I’m calling this time of year my Blogversary, so you can win some neat stuff, including a free e-book. Check it out.
I got a great review (my first) for Dragos 4: Inflamed by The Romance Studio: 4 stars. “I love the way Kallyn brought them all back together for an all out magic war at the end. The characters are strong and determined, and while the magic flares up all around them, there is no coincidence to what they can do or not do. Kallyn has clearly defined their strengths and limitations throughout the series. That definition makes for a very honest magical read. Very well done. Summer is coming, so heat up your world with the Dragos family of fire-breathing dragons.” Read in Full here.
And, All Romance E-Books is giving a 50% e-book rebate sale this whole weekend. If you buy an ebook, like, say, one of mine, you’ll get 50% of the price back Books for free, WOOT! Who can beat that?
In deference to the holiday, I’ll be doing a post later about sexy and yummy men in uniform.
Thank you and Anniversary Give Away ~ Who wants a free Ebook?
I remember doing a Thank you post last year. Which means I’ve been blogging for a year now.
So first, and most importantly, I want to thank everyone we’ll be remembering this Monday. Memorial Day is a great event. I have family who’ve served. Gladly and with all their heart.
My uncle (married to my favorite Aunt) ended up being deployed just a few months after their marriage. It was a tough time for my Aunt. Even though I was still pretty much a kid, I remember how much she hurt. They talked on the phone and sent letters as often as they could, but it was still a difficult, worrisome time. Yet they loved each other, and their love stayed strong even through the year of separation.
When my uncle came back, they continued on with their lives. Today, after hardships and other trials, they still love each other very much. They have a family now, and I’m so proud of them for pushing through the tough times.
In fact, they are one of the couples I think about while writing… At least, the non-spicy parts, LOL. They let their love conquer all adversity, from deployment to biological factors when trying to start a family. In recent years, with the depression, they’ve faced layoffs and foreclosure, yet their marriage is still as strong today as it was when they said those magic words, “I do”.
They are my example that no matter what, love really can last.
And my Uncle is my example when I think of everything our military gives up in order to keep us free.
So Thank you to those wonderful men and women who put their own lives on hold to protect us.
Thank you to all who give their lives for me and everyone who calls themselves an American.
Whether you believe in war or not, Thank you to all who go out and sacrifice so the rest of us don’t have to.
Politics have nothing to do with Memorial Day. Only thanks does.
And now, for the giveaway.
For everyone who responds to this email by Monday night at 11:59pm (PST) I will enter for a GRAND PRIZE drawing of your choice of one of my Dragos e-books.
I will also enter 3 people to win a complete set of Dragos Romance Trading Cards.
So tell me, why are you thankful for our veterans? Who do you remember the most on these days, and what does it mean to you?
(And remember to leave me a way to contact you for your prize, LOL)
Changes and Resolutions
2010 rocked. I hope 2011 will bring even more great things to everyone.
I plan to keep doing what I’ve been doing all along — writing, learning, working on my degree. Not to mention being a mom
So, to start, I’m doing Editpalooza through Savvy Authors
For the month of January, I’ll be working with a dedicated critique partner and an editor to get one of my novels into shape. It’s currently in pretty horrible first draft form. Lesson 1 was a complete read through from page 1 to The End. Oh, man, is it in bad shape.
So, for the next two weeks, I’ll be concentrating on rewriting the darn thing. It’s bound to be interesting.
Then, I’m going to start submitting to NY Agents once more. Let’s hope this time around I’m a bit luckier, LOL.
What do you have on your resolution list?
Day after Sleepiness
Hope ya’ll had a great Thanksgiving.
Mine was wonderful. Today, we’re just hanging out, playing games with the kids and eating plenty of yummy leftovers.
See ya next week.
Pumpkin, Chocolate and Cheesecake
Any or all of the above is good all year long. But the closer we get to Thanksgiving, the more there seems to be around.
I love pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cheesecake rocks. But above all, I’m a chocolate freak.
This year, as my family’s traditional Pie Lady, I decided to combine all three loves.
I’m making a Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake in addition to Pecan, Fruit, Pumpkin, and Chocolate Mousse. I found the recipe online, but like everything else I cook, I changed it up to make it my own.
Ingredients:
1 Graham Cracker Pie Shell (Bought or homemade)
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half or 3/4 cup light cream
chopped chocolate
1 Tub Cool Whip
Prep Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2 In medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg; beat on low speed until smooth.
3 Spread cream cheese mixture in the crust.
4 Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate.
5 In a bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar and spice.
6 Stir in 4 eggs.
7 Gradually stir in half and half.
8 Slowly pour pumpkin mixture onto the chocolate layer.
9 Bake 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
10 Refrigerate to cool
11 Add layer of Cool Whip
12 Top with more chopped chocolate
I’ll let you know how it turns out, since this first one is for home
