2015 Reading Challenge Blog Post
The books I read this year so far:
Author Archives: rachelauthorbarnard
Author Goals and Accomplishments from 2016 and Future Goals for 2017
Goals list of 2016:
- At One’s Beast available in King County Libraries
- I didn’t submit this book to the library becuase I decided to revise and republish version 2!
- Donuts in an Empty Field (For the Love of Donuts Book 1) published
- Yes!!! Check it out HERE
- Start my retirement fund
- Yes! I started an IRA and put money in it!
- Create a food/board game
- No, totally forgot about this one….
- Watch a roller derby
- Yess!! I even got to dress up, see it here
- Finish Flora’s Last Chance for Magic and submit to publishers
- Yes and no. I finished writing, editing, proofing, and getting a cover, but I’ve only submitted the book to one agent
- Re-revise My Dad the Prepper and send it out to new publishers
- Yes! I revised this book and sent it out to new publishers and I’ve already received several rejections (I’m up to 11 so far on this project)
- Make a box set case for upcoming series For the Love of Donuts using this website
- Forgot about this one too because I only have one book so far in the series!
- Publish the anthology “Stories from Seattle” with all proceeds to go to my favorite goat rescue PSGR
- Tabled this because nobody knew about submissions, but I did submit to a Hot MC biker chick anthology 😉
- Finish my brother’s recipe book so he can publish it
- Tabled this one as he lost interest in completing this project
- Publish Cafe Connections (Aster & Tilde book 1) on 10/31/16
- HA ha ha. I have so far to go on editing for this! I want Aster & Tilde books 1 and 2 (editing and rewrites) to be my project for Nano 2017
- Get professional author photos
- Nope. I have enough amateur photos for now…
- Learn a special dance or solo
- Sigh. Tabled. But I did choose the perfect song to learn once I get around to it!
- Bask in a sea of donuts
- No. Tabled this one as well because I haven’t sourced these donuts yet.
2017 Goals!!! Writing and Beyond:
Writing:
- Publish Seize the Donut (for the Love of Donuts Book 2) on National Donut Day – June 2nd, 2017
- Edit my short stories – Celebrity Dreamscapes, Smart Fraud, The Man Who Never Slept
- Send out my short stories for publication!
- Version 2 of At One’s Beast (edit, revise, re-release)
- Find an agent for Flora’s Last Chance for Magic
- Find a publisher or artist for my children’s picture book
- Write and art for children’s picture book about pole dance
- Write a children’s picture book about dad catch phrases or dad puns
- Revise Aster & Tilde
- Write Aster & Tilde book 2 and plan out the series
- Review 1 Indie book a week
- Go to Emerald City Writer’s Conference again
- Start editing Dollars to Donuts (for the Love of Donuts book 3)
- Publish Nichole’s Book of Awesome Things (for the Love of Donuts accompaniment 2) for release with Seize the Donut
- Create a coloring book of donuts (for the Love of Donuts accompaniment 3) for release in the winter
- Create an audio book of my poetry book
- YouTube video 1x/month
- Get 500 Instagram followers
- Reach 250 Facebook likes on author page
- Reach 250 Facebook friends
- Reach 250 Twitter followers
- Get to 2000 newsletter subscribers
Physical:
- Mile in 10 minutes
- 50 push-ups in one go
- Inversions other side solid
- Shoulder mount
- Level up inversions at Divine
- Dance performance
- 200 pole classes lifetime
- 10 pull ups
Rachel’s Recipes throughout the year! Pie, Jello Shots, Lemon Souffle and more!
Bread recipe from Zojirushi – made in a bread machine
Wheat Bread – Zojirushi
Ingredients for BB-PAC model:
1-7/8 cups water (450mL)
4-3/4 cups whole wheat flour (570g)
4 Tbsp. sugar (46g)
1 Tbsp. molasses (20g)
2 Tbsp. dry milk (8g)
2 tsp. salt (11.2g)
4 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten (32g)
2 Tbsp. butter (28g)
2 tsp. active dry yeast (5.6g)
Blueberry muffin
I used THIS recipe and modified it so: half the amount of sugar, half wheat and half white flour, and none of the crumble on top. So good!
Apple pie
Pie Crust from Martha Stewart – Recipe HERE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
DIRECTIONS
- To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
- Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
- Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
- Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.
Pie filling from Grandma Ople – Recipe HERE
- 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
- Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
- Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.
Note – I used half the amount of sugar, half the amount of butter and substituted apple juice for the water when I made my second pie for a *healthier* version
Zucchini Tots
INGREDIENTS:
- cooking spray
- 1 packed cup grated zucchini
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 medium onion, minced
- 1/4 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel until you have 1 packed cup. Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini, there will be a lot of water. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning halfway though cooking until golden. Makes 16.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Yield: 3 servings, Serving Size: 5 tots
Lemon souffle
LEMON SOUFFLÉS
Serves 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
You’ll Need
– 8 large lemons
– 3 eggs, separated
– ½ cup sugar, divided
– 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
– Confectioners’ sugar
How To
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsuis). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Slice the stem ends from the lemons so they can sit level. Cut off the tip end of each lemon, parallel with the bottom and roughly ⅓ of the way down. Reserve the tops.
- Hold each lemon firmly and use a serrated knife to cut out the pulp. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh into a sieve placed over a bowl. Squeeze the juice from the pulp and reserve for later. Place the hollowed-out lemons on the sheet pan.
- In a heat-proof bowl, combine the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup reserved lemon juice, and flour. Whisk until pale yellow. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and continue to whisk for about 8 minutes, until very thick. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer for about 10 minutes, until cooled, while scraping down the sides. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg whites with the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Beat with the electric mixer on low speed until frothy. Slowly increase the mixer speed until the meringue is shiny and hold soft peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk about ⅓ of the meringue into the yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining meringue gently. Fill the lemon shells to just below the rim.
- Bake for approximately 14 to 17 minutes, until the tops are golden and have risen about 1 inch above the shell.
- Serve immediately, garnished with confectioners’ sugar and the reserved lemon tops.
Salad in a jar
Burger cupcakes
Recipe can be found HERE
Butterbeer jello shots, recipe can be found HERE
Ingredients
1 cup creme soda
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup vanilla vodka
2/3 cup butterscotch schnapps
Colored large crystal sugar, for garnish, if desired
Directions
- Pour soda in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two.
- Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Stir in the vodka and schnapps.
- Pour into little jello containers or pan
Recipes I still want to try!
Pumpkin pie overnight oats with chia
http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2016/08/pumpkin-pie-overnight-oats/
Gnocchi with mushrooms, basil and parm
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/toasted-gnocchi-with-mushrooms-basil-and-parmesan/
Tiramisu mille-crepes
Plum cake
http://www.dinnerwasdelicious.com/plum-cake/
Zzuchnni parmeasn
https://www.alexandracooks.com/2016/08/05/zucchini-parmesan/
No bake nutella cheesecake
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/no-bake-nutella-cheesecake-recipe/
Creamy brussel sprout cheese dip
http://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-brussels-sprout-shallot-dip/
Passion fruit flan
http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/homemade-red-bean-buns/
Coconut crème puffs
Book Review: The Sometimes Burglar by Winifred Morris
The Sometimes Burglarby Winifred Morris
A Romantic Comedy Novella published by Eastside Gal Publishing (12/27/16)
Summary:
“Most people would never guess I’m sometimes an ethical burglar.” (Kindle Location 211).
Emma’s a research psychologist who burgles to pay back her student debt, but sometimes she mails back the sentimental items. She’s sometimes an ethical burglar. She never bungles a burglary, but she has a hard time dating because she’s the nerdy, smart woman. The one time she keeps evidence from a job, she gets caught up in something far worse than petty theft, but at least she’ll get to talk with a handsome lawyer!
Keywords:
Burglary, Evidence, Incriminating Evidence, Student, Psychology, Humorous, Romance, Lawyer, Laptop, Technology, Dirty Politician
My Review:
With wit and humor, Winnifred Morris has written another entertaining story. Her main character is an oxymoron: an ethical burglar. Emma is so much more than these two characteristics. She’s a bit dissociative from everyday emotions, making her a fascinating character. Emma wants to understand humanity in order to fix social problems. As a reader I want to understand Emma.
When her gay friend Merlin leaves Emma alone with a new problem to solve, she’ll thrust herself headlong into the challenge because it doesn’t occur to her that she could get in over her head. Cue sexy lawyer and Emma will get so far involved that she won’t be able to back out. I loved how it never even occurred to her that she needed help. She involved the lawyer because she could, not because she needed to.
Though this story is under 40k words, it still felt like a full novel with fleshed out characters and plot, intrigue and complexity.
I received an ARC of this story.
This novel was published by Eastside Gal Publishing on December 27th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75
Links for more information:
Book Review: The Seeker’s Keys (The Treemakers, #3) by Christina L. Rozelle
The Seeker’s Keys (The Treemakers, #3) by Christina L. Rozelle
A Dystopian/Sci-Fi Adventure Novel published by A Spark in the Dark Press (12/03/16)
Summary:
Joy Montgomery, along with her band of children, are nearly at their journey’s end. All they need to do is find a set of keys to unlock the wall and get to paradise, but one man stands in their way: Lord Daumier. Will the clues left behind by Joy’s father: Zephyr the Magnificent, be enough to find the keys or will Daumier beat them to the punch and destroy everything that is good in the world?
Keywords:
Children, Orphans, Survival, Death, Exploration, Dystopian World, Polluted Air, Evil Intentions, AI, Motherliness, Help, Underground, Paradise, Fighting, Strength, Resilience, Spirit, Refuge, Power-Hungry, Keys, the Wall
My Review:
After a long break from reading books one and two, this book was a bit difficult to settle into as there were numerous characters that I couldn’t quite remember and past events that were distant memories, but I slowly got back into the book as the plot was strong and led the book. Relationships between characters, though numerous, were reiterated and expanded upon. Because there were so many subplots carried over from the previous books in the trilogy, this third and last book was longer in order to resolve all of them. Every plot line was resolved by the end in some way or another! What a feat!
I loved the little details of all the places in this world and very much enjoyed that Rozelle’s world was multi-dimensional and multi-faceted. Her dystopian didn’t center on one measly place, but focused on jungles and cities and ships and tunnels and basements and labs and many, many more locations. Her world felt like an entire world, above-ground and below.
This book featured multiple POV and though I enjoyed getting a well rounded story (as not all the characters were together all the time), I sometimes got lost in who was narrating the story. I appreciated that the multiple POV was used to move the plot along, but I didn’t feel like it added to each separate character that much. Many of the characters blended together and I wished there hadn’t been so many. This was one of the reasons I set the book down so many times and it took me a long time to finish.
The only other detail I would have changed was to have less moments of preaching/uplifting speeches from one character to another or from the narrator to the reader. It felt like I was in an advertisement for the book at some points and I glossed over most of these parts.
All in all it was a great series with an interesting dystopian story that was fully fleshed out.
This novel was published by A Spark in the Dark Press on December 3rd, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 3.75
Links for more information:
2016 Physical Activity – Dance/Volleyball/Running/Bootcamp
2015 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown
How do you work out?
This year I did volleyball, pole dancing classes, the Thriller Dance for the second year, stretch and flex classes, pole silks, hoop classes, acro yoga, Boudoir classes, a pilates class, and bootcamp.
Pole Dancing Stats:
- I took 109 classes this year at 7 different pole studios (some were during my writer retreat/vacation in St. Pete, FL)
- I spent $2252.25 on all my pole and flex classes for the year (that’s $20.66 per class!)
- I took 7 advanced spin classes
- I took 49 Inversions classes
- I took 30 stretch classes
- The classes ranged in price from $10-$32 each
- I spent 201 hours in all of the classes combined and 160 hours in pole-only classes
My favorite photos:
Volleyball Stats:
- I went to volleyball (outdoor in Bellevue Downtown Park) 8 times this year
Running Stats:
- I ran 2.5 total miles
- I ran a mile in 11:02 at the fastest
Boot-camp Stats:
- I went to 10 Boot-camp classes, starting November and love the instructor and the other bootcampers!
The Thriller!
- I only had time to go to one workshop prior to the Flashmob!
- Check out the Youtube video HERE
Fitness stats:
- I did 5 pull-ups/chin-ups
- I can do 20 push-ups in a row
- I ran a mile in 11:02
- I can hand over hand climb to the top of the pole
- I can touch my toes
All About the Donuts: Local Donut Shop Review – Mighty-O Donuts in Seattle
Mighty-O Donuts
Seattle, WA
My Live Video Review on Youtube is HERE
1400 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 547-0335
Review criteria:
Most popular donut at the shop: “Maple Bar”
Signature shop donut: Perhaps the French Toast
Most popular US donut: glazed (cake donut)
2nd most popular US donut: Boston Creme (Not Available)
Donut Hole: Not Available
What I tried:
Glazed, lemon poppy seed, maple bar, French toast, peppermint, chocolate raspberry
~$13.40
What to expect:
This corner store is next to easy street parking and has high ceilings and a high counter. The donuts are displayed like a fancy catering event’s dessert table. All the donuts are beautifully frosted and not heavy in their cake filling.
My favorite:
I liked the peppermint the best, but I think I would have liked any donut with their chocolate cake interior. The frosting is perfectly balanced with the amount of cake and isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, but fully flavored.
Book Review: Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy Book 1) by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy Book 1) by Tia Silverthorne Bach
A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Novel published by Tia Silverthorne Bach (6/5/13)
Summary:
After an attack on her family while camping, Reagan is still trying to recover weeks later. With her brother gone and her own physical recovery, it’s hard for her to even think about normal. Reagan didn’t at first remember much from the attack, but slowly her nightmares of that night flesh out into dreams that might tell her what really happened, unless it’s all in her head.
Keywords:
Paranormal, Attack, Camping, Friendship, Teen Sex, Teen Drinking, Dreams, Nightmares, Psychiatrist, Healing, Scars, PTSD, School, Romance, Werewolf, Witches, Wiccan, Family Strain
My Review:
I really liked how complete Reagan felt as a character. Her complete backstory and personality were fleshed out and I really felt like I understood her as a person. However, this fullness appears to take away from the plot. A plot that is not apparent throughout the entire book. Also, I never quite knew what Reagan wanted, what her goal was.
Some of the storylines were simply dropped by the end of the novel and the promise of more books in the series doesn’t make me want to read on, it makes me wish I hadn’t picked up this incomplete book in the first place.
Unlike Reagan, her friends didn’t feel very fleshed out and felt more like buffers to the story, just adding padding.
The romance element with Rafe was way too instalove and left me feeling anxious for Reagan’s lack of consent or control with that relationship.
This novel was published by Tia Silverthorne Bach on June 5th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75
Links for more information:
Book Review: Evolution (Evolution Series Book 1) by Kelly Carrero
Evolution (Evolution Series Book 1) by Kelly Carrero
A YA Sci-Fi Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (04/29/12)
Summary:
Jade is your average 17-year old high schooler with the hot boyfriend and good grades. She is perfectly normal, that is, until she gets into a serious car accident and magically heals in front of her own eyes. What is this super power and what’s going on? Jade’s boyfriend, Aiden, is more than meets the eye and together they will have to figure out what happened to Jade’s best friend when she disappears.
Keywords:
High School, Super Power, Female Protagonist, The Special One, Seventeen, Kidnapping, Australia, Relationship, Broken Home, Reveal, Secrets
My Review:
If you want a fast easy read with the female special chosen one, a bit of romance, and continuous action, then this is your novel. This book featured a nice blend of action and mystery but was altogether too short for me to fully get into the plot or the characters. The book kept me intrigued and kept me turning pages, but the plot was a little too much like all the other Chosen One tropes with a teen superhero that has evolved – suddenly – beyond normal human capacity. In essence, despite the action, the book was a bit boring because it presented nothing new.
The main character, Jade, was frustrating because she couldn’t guess what was laid plainly for the reader.
A lot of the world building was left out of the novel. What do the characters look like? I didn’t even realize we were in Australia, other than the spelling of “sceptical” multiple times to indicate we weren’t in North America. This book and its world building could have benefitted from being longer and taking more time to go into depth into the si-fi/fantasy element and the background/personalities of the characters. The ending also left something to be desired. Overall it was a fun read, but I won’t be reading any more from this author.
This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on April 29th, 2012 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50
Links for more information:
Book Review: Beauty and the Bridesmaid by Lisa Souza
Beauty and the Bridesmaid by Lisa Souza
A Contemporary Romance Novel published by Wet Coast Media, LLC (5/30/14)
Summary:
Nothing is going on in Dot’s life. After atteneding her mother’s fourth wedding and meeting the image consultant Kennedy J, who promises to do her for free, Dot takes the plunge. A strict exercise and diet as well as hypnotism regime turns into weight loss and plastic surgery and an entire wardrobe and personal makeover. After her transformation is complete, Dot meets Jmiller and they date. Everything seems to be going well, until John introduces Dot to his best friend, who happens to also be Dot’s former high school bully.
Keywords:
Bridesmaid, Plastic Surgery, Self-Confidence, Nutrition, Diet, Exercise, Cynicism, Boyfriend, Tragedy, Bully, Transformation, Technology, QA, Weight Loss, Extreme Makeover
My Review:
I love makeover stories; however, for a woman to put herself through hell and back just to be ‘attractive’ according to societal standards does grate on the back of my mind. But this story was told as if it was reality and I’m sure there are plenty of women who feel society’s pressure to be pretty and thin and who do something about it, maybe not as extreme as Dot to achieve her end result. I really did like how her transformation was complete and encompassed good living style according to nutrition and exercise and putting effort into her wardrobe.
The twist near the end caught me by surprise. No spoilers! But this twist made me pull back from liking the book as well as I was up until that point. It was a disappointing turn.
This book was humorous and Dot’s perspective was told realistically and with all the details I would want with a character such as herself. I also really appreciated the full experience of going through Dot’s transformation and I understood how hard and painful all the steps were according to her story, fictional though it was.
This novel was published by Wet Coast Media, LLC on May 30th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50
Links for more information:
Rachel Author Barnard 