1 … 54 55 56 57 58 … 61

13 Nuts and Seeds

Published August 24, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

I’m trying to eat healthier, here. Nuts can be a nutritious snack. Although many nuts are high in fat and calories, they also have protein, fiber and other important nutrients. Here are thirteen nuts to enjoy from this helpful website:

1. Almonds.  1 ounce (23 whole nuts) of raw almonds contains 6.02 grams protein, 163 calories and 3.5 grams of dietary fiber.

2. Brazil Nuts. 1 ounce (6 whole nuts) contains 4.06 grams of protein, 186 calories and 2.1 grams of fiber.

3. Cashews.  One ounce of raw, unsalted cashew nuts contains 5.17 grams of protein, 157 calories and 0.94 grams of fiber.

4. Chestnuts. Never had these, only sung about them at Christmas. Ten (10) roasted kernels  with no salt added  contain 2.66 grams protein, 206 calories and 4.3 grams fiber. (Note: chestnuts must be boiled or roasted before eating due to the high levels of tannic acid.)

5. Coconut. Is this a nut? I guess it is, just really, really large. One cup of raw, shredded coconut contains 2.66 grams of protein, 283 calories and 7.2 grams of dietary fiber.

6. Hazelnuts. One ounce (21 whole kernels) of hazelnuts contains 4.24 grams of protein, 178 calories and 2.7 grams of dietary fiber.

7. Macadamia nuts.  One once (10-12 kernels) of raw macadamia nuts contains 2.24 grams protein, 204 calories and 2.4 grams fiber.

8. Peanuts.  One ounce of dry roasted peanuts contains 6.71 grams of protein, 166 calories and 2.3 grams of dietary fiber.

9. Pecans. One ounce (19 halves) of raw pecans contains 2.6 grams protein, 196 calories and 2.7 grams fiber.

10. Pine nuts.  One ounce of pine nuts (167 kernels) contains 3.88 grams of protein, 191 calories and 1.0 grams of dietary fiber.

11. Pistachios.  One ounce of dry roasted pistachio nuts (no salt) (49 kernels) contains 6.05 grams of protein, 162 calories and 2.9 grams of dietary fiber.

12. Sunflower Seeds.  One ounce of sunflower seed kernels, dry-roasted without salt contains 5.48 grams of protein, 165 calories and 3.1 grams of dietary fiber.

13. Walnuts.  1 ounce (14 halves) English walnuts contains 4.32 mg protein, 185 calories and 1.9 mg fiber.

 

Which of these do you like to munch on?

Posted in Thursday Thirteen | 8 Comments

T13 / 13 Facts About the After the Crash World

Published August 17, 2011 | By Maddy Barone
My attention has been pretty well fixed on the world I’ve created for my After the Crash series for about 2 years now.I told myself that after I submitted Book 3, Tracking Tami, that I would take a two week break from writing. I submitted the manuscript on Saturday, August 13, and I haven’t actually written anything since then. But I can’t seem to let go entirely. I’ve been thinking about the man that Sky has become since he left the Pack to go work in Omaha. I’ve been considering Sherry’s fear of Stag, the wolf who has claimed her as his mate. I’ve wondered how Quill has coped with knowing that his mate is married to another man. Here are some facts about the world I’ve created.

 

1. The Clan is made up of descendants of Native Americans who left the reservation in South Dakota to live as their ancestors did before the reservation days. They left to isolate and protect themselves from the plagues decimating the population.

 

2. The Woman Killer Plague flares up again in the late spring of 2065.

 

3. Jelly’s full name is He Eats Jelly.

 

4. By the time Quill returns to the Pack after working in Omaha for a few years, Taye and Carla are the parents of two sons.

 

5. Glory gives birth to the Clan’s first girl baby in 30 years in January, 2066.

 

6. Shadow is delighted and terrified to be the father of a daughter. He wishes they would have had a few sons first so he’d have some help protecting the precious girl. But she’ll have plenty of male cousins to watch out for her.

 

7. Sherry Rowe is the illegitimate daughter of an African American soldier who was stationed Korea, and a Korean woman. Sherry lived with her mother in Korea until her mother died when Sherry was six. She was sent to live with her father in America, with the children he’d had by his legal American wife. Sherry never fit in with either family.

 

8. Unlike most of the unmarried or mated men in the Clan and Pack, Tracker is not a virgin.

 

9. Glory’s high school enemy Heather has become the high priestess of a cult that worships sex. I wonder if she regrets it?

 

10. Sky has been a naughty boy while living in Omaha, the new Sin City.  It all started out innocently enough, but if Taye knew what his cousin has been up to he might not let Sky claim Rose as his mate.

 

11. By 2073, Omaha has some electricity as well as a municipal waterworks.

 

12. Shadow’s brother Jimmy White Elk dies in a bar room brawl and his widow leaves her three teenaged sons with the Clan when she remarries. She is much happier with her townie husband, but visits her sons several times a year, and they often stay for months in the winter.

 

13. Co-pilot Connie Mondale breaks her vow to never marry.
Posted in After the Crash, Thursday Thirteen, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Paperback Copy of Sleeping With the Wolf

Published August 16, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

I have had my first book, Sleeping With the Wolf, put into print through CreateSpace. It is available through Amazon, or I believe you could ask your local bookstore to order it for you. Book 2, Wolf’s Glory, should be available by August 29. You know, I really love the ease of digital books. But as an author I have to admit that it is fun to hold my book in my hands. Here is a picture of me, Tina Holland and Laura Ficek (two lovely ladies from my critique group) and I’m the short dark haired one holding the book 🙂

I’m also offering two copies in a giveaway on GoodReads, so if you’re a member there, go enter the giveaway. If you’re not a member you might like to look into it. It’s a fun placefor book lovers.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Sleeping With the Wolf by Maddy Barone

Sleeping With the Wolf

by Maddy Barone

Giveaway ends August 31, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Posted in After the Crash, Promos, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

3rd Draft of Tracking Tami Done!

Published August 10, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

Tracking Tami, third book in the After the Crash series, is just about ready to submit. After I received the manuscript back from the beta readers I knew I had some fixes in the timeline to make. That’s the hairy thing about writing a series where so many stories overlap. If Glory is at the Plane Women’s House in Book 2 on a particular day, she’d better be there in Book 3. And if she’s supposed to be in bed with Shadow at the den at the end of Book 2 she better not be in Kearney at the same time in Book 3. And if the hero in Book 3 is supposed to be off killing the bad guys at a distant location during a certain week, he better not show up at the Plane Womens’ House during that same week. Oy! I ended up adding a whole chapter and expending the story by about 5,000 words. But I think I have it all figured out now, and I can honestly say I think it’s a good book. I suppose authors always say that. But I have soft spot for Tracker. Of course, it’s possible that readers  won’t like it. Then I worry that the publisher will reject it or ask for major changes. Maybe the book will bomb! Do all authors fret like this when they turn in a story? I hope so! I’d hate to be the only one. 🙂

I will be strong and confident.  I will re-read the story one last time to verify things, then submit it by Saturday. And there will be great rejoicing.

yay for finishing!!!

Posted in After the Crash, Writing | 1 Comment

Win a free download of Wolf’s Glory!

Published August 7, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

That’s right! Anyone who leaves a comment on any post on my blog before 7:00pm central time will be entered to win a free download of Wolf’s Glory. The winner will be announced here shortly after 7:00.

I don’t know what is up with my blog comments. There are there. You just have scroll your mouse over them to see them. They are in stealth mode 🙂

Good Luck!

Posted in Promos | Leave a comment

I’m at Shelley Munro’s Blog Today! Win Wolf’s Glory!

Published August 5, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

Hey, everyone, I’m over at Shelley Munro’s Blog today, showing how you can made a fascinator hat. Sheeley (as you probably already know) is the best selling author of the Middlemarch Mates series and the Talking Dog series. I’ve read several of the Middlemarch Mates books and I love her characters and her world. If you haven’t read them yet, start with Scarlet Woman. Shelley’s also running a contest to give away a couple of fantastic bundles of ebooks, including Sleeping With the Wolf.  To learn more about the contest, click here.

 

I’ve decided to run a little contest of my own.  Leave a comment on my blog between now and August 7 at 7:00pm, Central Time, for a chance to win a free download of Wolf’s Glory. While you’re at it, why not sign up for my newsletter? Newsletter recipients receive excerpts of upcoming stories before anyone else and are eligible for special contests for Advanced Reader Copies.

 

Posted in Promos | 5 Comments

Writing Updates as of July 30, 2011

Published July 30, 2011 | By Maddy Barone


What have I been doing in July? (Besides sweating, that is. Because as of today, July is the 5th hottest on record, and if tomorrow hits 90 as they expect, it will creep up to the 4th hottest July) I’ve been fighting with my blog. I can’t see comments unless I use my mouse to highlight them. I don’t know what to do about that. I’ve sent an emil to someone who might be able to fix it, so here’s hoping she can. Back to updates! Here’s a brief rundown of my writing activities.

 

 

1. I finished the 2nd draft of Tracking Tami and turned it over to the beta readers. I’ve received feedback from one, and she pointed out some areas that will need a little more work.  I’ll wait until I receive the other one back before I begin making changes.  I still plan to have this ready to be turned in by August 13.

 

2. I made minor revisions to Sleeping With the Wolf and Wolf’s Glory in preparation for getting them into print. The cover artist, Lyn Taylor, gave me permission to use her lovely cover art. April Martinez is formatting them for me as I am a complete idiot when it comes to that sort of thing.  She sent me a proof of Chapter One of Sleeping With the Wolf so I could see how I liked it or wanted any changes made. I liked it a lot. So I’m hoping to have those available in a few weeks. We’ll see how long it takes. :)

 


3. I’ve been ordering some promotional material and swag to send my street team. See the pretty Romance Trading Cards for Wolf’s Glory? I still have room for 3 or 4 more people. so if you’d like to receive a package of Romance Trading Cards and magnets, etc please sign up in the top right corner for my newsletter and include your mailing address. I have people in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, so yes, I do ship overseas. :) . I’m planning to mail the first swag packages out around the end of August.

 

4. I’ve been mulling over Rose and Sky’s story.  They were both so young when his wolf claimed her. How have they changed in the past seven years?  Is Rose an Alpha like Glory or a sweet shy thing like her best friend Ellie? How has growing up as the darling princess of an overprotective wolf pack formed her character? What does she want for her future? Is Sky a bossy Alpha like Shadow? Can he be a tender lover like Taye? Why on earth has he stayed away for seven years? What has he learned about the world outside the Pack and the Clan while he’s been in the new Sin City of Omaha? How will the Princess and the Wolf come to love each other so utterly that they can’t live without each other?  I know some of the answers to these questions, but some are still waiting for me to figure out. Sometimes this is the fun part of writing for me. I still need a title. Since Rose is seen by townies as the “princess” of the wolves, I thought of “The Wolf’s Princess” or “Princess of the Wolves” or “The Wolf and the Princess” but I just don’t know. Any suggestions?

Posted in After the Crash, Writing | 2 Comments

13 Things I could Nibble on

Published July 27, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

I am officially dieting. Again. I’m tired of looking like a flabby apple on legs. I decided to diet on Monday,  AFTER I did my grocery shopping on Friday, so not everything in my house is good for a dieting person. And some of these I’ve had for  while but jsut haven’t eaten yet. So far I’ve kept my calories between 1300 and 1700 a day, and I’ve done some excercise. Need to do more excercise.  So here are thirteen things (some better choices for a dieter than others) I have to snack on:

 

1. Jordan Almonds. I love these candies.  I thought these might be okay, as they take me a while to eat since I suck on them until there’s only a thin candy coating around the almond before crunching them up. However, while it might take me an hour to eat the allotted 13 pieces in a serving, that is 190 calories and a lot of carbs.

 

2. Sweet Bing cherries. I also love fresh cherries.

 

3. Gourmet Aussie black Liqorice. Another candy favorite that has way too many calories and carbs.

 

4. Cucumber sticks. Almost no calories in these and I like them.

 

5. Carrot coins. You know those crinkle cut carrot slices.

 

6. Peanut M&Ms.

 

7. Pretzel sticks. With a little ranch dressing these are nice.

 

8. Chips & salsa. The chips aren’t probably the best thing for me, but not the worst either.

 

9. Apples. Some new variety that I don’t remember the name of now.

 

10. Honey roasted sunflower seeds. Lots of fat, but it’s good fat, right?

 

11. Cinnamon Raisin bread. Nummy toasted. Lots of carbs.

 

12. German Chocolate cake. Still in the box, it needs to be made. I have company coming for supper on Friday. Maybe they’ll eat most of it so I don’t have to feel guilty?

 

13. Green pepper. Not really a snack, I bought these for the salad I’m making on Friday. But if there are left overs, a strip of green pepper is tasty.

 

What healthy snacks do you enjoy?

Posted in Thursday Thirteen | 10 Comments

How Do I Write a Story?

Published July 21, 2011 | By Maddy Barone

People sometimes ask me “How do you write a story? Do you write in chronological order? How many drafts do you write? Where do you get your ideas? How long does it take? How do you do it?”

Let me start by saying every writer will have different answers to these types of questions. And there are no right or wrong answers. What I am going to say pertains to me and the way I write. Your mileage, and that of every other writer, may vary.

 

1. Where do you get your ideas?  Well, I don’t know. That’s not very informative, is it? Sometimes an idea will just spring into my head. For example, I was idly wondering how Rose will react to a certain thing that Sky does (I’m trying to not give spoilers here) and her reaction sprang into my head and made me laugh. Because I was totally not expecting that, but it fits perfectly. Or sometimes I’ll watch a movie and something in a scene or a character will make me think: “That’s cool!” and I’ll branch off of it.

 

2. Do you write in chronological order? Yes, almost always. The exceptions are when the idea for a scene come to me and I’ll quick jot it down, usually in brief outline. However, there is an exception to that, too, like the proposal scene in Tracking Tami. I ended up writing it in detail because it seemed so clear in my head and I didn’t want to forget it.

 

3. How many drafts do you write? As many as I think I need. For instance,  I wrote four drafts of Sleeping With the Wolf before submitting it.  The first draft I wrote for some friends at work. They really liked it and said I should submit it somewhere. I ended up doing quite a bit of chopping and re-arranging, as I had written one story that told both Carla & Taye’s and Lisa & Eddie’s stories in one manuscript. The second draft was pretty choppy and uneven. The third draft I thought was pretty good so I had some other friends do a read through and give me their take on it. The fourth draft incorporated their suggestions. Of course, the editor at Liquid Silver had me do further revisions, which produced a story I’m proud of.

 

4. How long does it take? Too long. Actually I wrote my first draft of the story of Sleeping With the Wolf/Eddie’s Prize (Originally titled Carla & Lisa, Prize Brides) in only about 2 months, but I wasn’t trying to write super well. Wolf’s Glory took me seven months. Tracking Tami took me five months (and it’s not really done. I’ll have one more draft to do before I turn it in)

 

5. How do you do it? Well, that’s a pretty vague question. Here’s my rather lengthy answer:

     A. I get home from work, pour a mountain dew or a cup of coffee and sit down and type. Sometimes I’m on fire with a great scene I’m dying to get down. Sometimes I’m just slogging along on something that I know I’ll have to re-write. I sometimes tell myself I have to write until I finish a scene. Sometimes I have a word count that I shoot for.

     B. After I finish a first draft I try to leave it alone for a couple of weeks while I either work on something else or knit or haul out my spinning wheel to spin. The point of that is when I come back to the story it will be fresh. When I’m writing a story, I’m so involved that I never leave it. The scenes and characters are always with me. I’m so close that I can’t see it clearly. When I put it away for a while and then come back I’ll see it with fresh eyes and I can tell (hopefully) where a scene isn’t working or a character isn’t behaving like himself.

      C. I write the second draft to correct things and add more to fill in gaps. Then I send it to some friends (a lot of writers call them betas, because they are the second set of eyes to read the story). They read it and then send it back with comments like “Why does your hero do this?” and “Chapter 12 seems kind of boring. Nothing really happens”  and “The whole scene where the heroine does X needs more showing and less telling” etc.

     D. I write the third draft, taking into account the betas’ suggestions. I call this the polishing draft. When I think it’s as good as I can make it I am ready to submit it. And that is a whole other blog post!

Posted in Writing | 1 Comment
1 … 54 55 56 57 58 … 61

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories