5 Ways to Jump Start the Muse
Here are five sure fire cures for when you're stuck on a scene, or maybe facing the dreaded blank screen with no end in sight.
1- Get away from the computer. Staring at the blank screen is frustrating and defeating, even when accompanied by chocolate.
2- Read something that has NOTHING to do with the work you're doing - a newspaper, comic books. I personally have an affinity for GROO the Wanderer, Sergio Aragones's best!
3 - Go play with your pet if you have one. I go out and play football with my dogs. I can't throw, they can't catch, so we suit each other well. 
4 - Indulge your passion.... David and I write romances.... need I say more?
5 - Go do something nice for a neighbor or colleague. This really works wonders. A kind word or deed improves everyone's mood!
Pit bulls and poodles
Recently there was a story here in New Mexico about a pit bull attacking and killing the elderly father of its owner. The dog apparently was a pet who had NOT been used as a fighting dog.
There has been no explanation for the attack, and I won't try to explain the dog's behavior, but there's something I feel needs to be said. I don't care if you own a pit bull or a toy poodle. Every animal needs to be trained. Even if you see the dog as the equivalent of your kid, you still have to set rules and then stick by them.
For example, a dog cannot be allowed to growl at its master. No excuse is acceptable. If he has something in its mouth, be it a ball, a bone, or your shoe, the animal has to release on command. YOU are the animal's master, not the other way around. It's when people forget that, that trouble ensues. YOU are its pack leader.
There are training methods that, although highly effective, I would never use. Believe it or not, I'm a big softie. I tend to take on animals that have been abused, neglected, and are terrified of humans. That's my specialty, if you will. Asthma still limits the breeds I can take on, but as odd as it sounds, I can have pit bulls and poodles.
My first pit, an abandoned dog, had the IQ of a doggie Einstein. When he wanted something, he problem-solved. David was the Alpha here, and Clousseau understood that. Me? Well, he accepted me as the Alpha female, and he was a good ole boy who knew he haaaaad to do what `She Who Must Be Obeyed' told him to do. Read - Big Doggie Sigh. He knew the rules. Sit, stay, and most important of all 'come' are required here. He never, ever, attacked - not us nor any other creature.
My second pit came from the pound. Near as we can figure, she'd been hit by a car because one of her back legs had been knocked from the hip socket. She couldn't walk, and she was in pain, but she never protested when David picked her up. We put her between us on the front seat, and she went from the pound to our vet. Surgery followed.
Chloe had her own way of doing things, but she lived a good long life, and we never had any problems with her. She learned her commands and was a very reliable dog.
Are there dogs you can't retrain? Probably. I know there are dogs I personally wouldn't even attempt to train. To paraphrase Dirty Harry, I know my limitations.
What I'm certain about is this: if you set firm requirements you and your dog will be a lot happier. There's a natural order that really must be kept and if you honor that, harmony results.
Southwest Pizza
This is hands down our favorite pizza at the Casa de Thurlo! We wanted it to share it with all of you!
Southwest Pizza
(Thin crust Thurlo style)
Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick olive oil, then position the required number of flour tortillas - flat.
Top each tortilla with the following: 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves (stems removed) 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms, 1/8 cup chopped green onions, oregano flakes or pizza seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add two slices of Monterey Jack cheese, cut into strips and arranged crisscross atop the goodies. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup shredded cheese (we prefer a Mexican blend). Bake in 400 degree oven for 11 minutes or until cheese is well melted. Quarter immediately and serve with your favorite beverage. We prefer Mexican Cokes. Optional ingredients include sliced cherry tomatoes, sauteed ground beef, thinly sliced pepperoni, and defrosted, chopped green chile.
Comfort and the working writer
I put in long hours at the office. These days in particular, when more is demanded of an author - everything from social media to making sure a certain number of pages get written every day - little things matter. To the uninitiated, my office may seem like a maze - a ball of confusion to quote an old song. Yet upon closer inspection you'll see that I've surrounded myself with the things I love. In front, at eye level, is my collection of stuffed animals. They make me smile - as do my figurines of Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, my favorite Disney characters.
On the floor are two of my ever present canine companions. A third is usually on the daybed next to my desk where I work on editing. These all make the day go by pleasantly even when I get stuck on a scene and it seems hopeless, or when I realize that the deadline wasn't June 30 it was May! (which by the way, is nervous breakdown time.)
All in all, after years of working as a writer, I've realized that it's the little things that matter most. As an author, it's way too easy for me to keep my gaze so firmly fixed on the goal - completing the manuscript, making a bestseller list, etc - that I can easily lose track of all the good things that come to me on a daily basis, but all any of us really have is the present. That's why I've made a deal with myself to make the most out of each hour by finding something that'll make me smile.
The fact that you're reading this makes me smile. So thanks! And stop by again.
How do you handle all the demands in your life?
FLAN CARAMELISADO
This is hands down my all-time favorite dessert. Try it and see if you agree. It's easy to fix, and it just rocks!
FLAN CARAMELISADO
David had never had flan until I introduced him to my favorite `custard', and now its his dessert of choice whenever we dine out. Here is the recipe.
Stir 3/4 cup sugar under low heat in a heavy skillet until liquid, a light brown. Take it slow - don't burn the sugar. Pour into a one quart casserole, coating the bottom and sides evenly. (If you have one, a non-stick single loaf (bread) pan works even better than a casserole). Set aside to cool.
Beat four eggs, then add one can sweetened condensed milk, one cup water, and a teaspoon of vanilla, mixing well.
Pour mixture over caramel-lined casserole or loaf pan, then place into a larger pan containing about an inch of hot water. Bake in a 350 degree oven 60-70 minutes or until a table knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely - 2 hours or more, then loosen flan around the edges with a spatula. Place a serving dish over the casserole or pan and invert. Pour the melted caramel over the flan, and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Try to restrain yourself with one serving at a time.
The harder pieces of caramelized sugar that are left make a truly decadent candy! Nothing's wasted.
4 THINGS THAT MATTER
After a disaster of a day where not even Alvin and the Chipmunks singing YOU HAD A BAD DAY could cheer me up, I decided to focus on the things that really mattered to me and the following list was born.
1- David and I have a good life. After forty-two years of marriage we still love each other enough to want to work and have fun together. So number one on the list is my husband and our multi-layered partnership.
2- Writing books - No book is 'just a book' to me. They all matter. I've put a piece of my heart into everything I've ever written. In my favorite show, LOST GIRL, there's a character who uses his own blood to write on the pages of a special book, and that sacrifice makes whatever he writes become real. To me, writing is a bit like that. You bleed for your craft. When your characters feel pain or joy, you have to feel those yourself, or your readers won't either.
3- My friends - each hold a special place in my heart. They're there through good times and bad. There's no faster way to cheer up than lunch and girl talk.
4 - Our poodles. They're as different from each other as can be, but life at the Casa de Thurlo wouldn't be the same without them. Gabriel holds a particularly special place in my life. He had a very rough past, ended up in rescue, then finally came to us here from South Carolina. He's constantly by my side. If I'm working long, long hours, he's always lying next to me, a touch away. He keeps me sane when nothing's going right. He's proof that there is a Happily-Ever-After.
What matters to you?
NAVAJO TACOS – THURLO STYLE
THIS IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE ONE DISH MEALS
The nice thing about this recipe is you can experiment by adding or subtracting various ingredients and amounts depending on your tastes and available supplies. But you'll always need the fry bread - the foundation for all the goodies.
Cook a nice pot of pinto beans ahead of time - or, go ahead and buy a tasty brand of canned - have it hot and ready. Saute about a pound of hamburger, coarse ground if you can find it. Or skip the hamburger.
Shred about two cups of cheddar cheese, chop up one or two large tomatoes and several green onions. Have shredded lettuce ready. Prepare some good salsa, or buy your favorite and warm it up. We also add green Hatch chile - thawed from fresh frozen, which has much better flavor than canned. Mild, medium, or hot, depending on your courage.
Fry Bread - Visualize Navajo sopaipillas. Mix together about 2 1/2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and a dash of salt. Cut in 1 1/2 tablespoons shortening, then add warm water a tablespoon at a time and work into a smooth, elastic dough, not sticky. Divide dough into pieces about the size of a tennis ball, then roll out each into a large circle about a quarter inch thick. Fry in two-three inch deep hot shortening or oil (we prefer canola) until puffy and golden on both sides, then drain on paper towels. (Or use your favorite sopaipilla recipe - done large)
Assemble the Navajo taco one serving at a time by first placing a freshly cooked fry bread on a plate. Ladle on hot pinto beans, then add chunks of tomatos, sliced onion, and hamburger. Cover with salsa. Spoon on the green chile, then garnish with sliced lettuce and shredded cheese. If you're feeling adventurous, put the cheese further down in the stack and let it melt in. Forget about the calories for at least one meal and enjoy this enormous feast!
5 Ways to Beat the Blahs
5 sure fire cures for the Blahs
Like everyone else I get the blahs every once in a while. That's not a problem, but indulging them can interfere with my life and my writing, so I've found ways to make them go away fast!
1- First it's something silly, but I defy you to feel sad after hearing Alvin and the Chipmunks sing - You Had a Bad Day. It's cute. Yes, really. Check it out on YouTube.
2- My guilty passion (chocolate doesn't count - that an inalienable right) is watching Lost Girl. Everything works on that show - from the characters' dialog to the action. It's a nice hour of pure escapism. Dyson makes the show, btw. Brilliant way to redefine sexy that's not just based on looks.
3- A car ride down Corrales. There are mini horses, breathtaking jumbo sized horses (shire and Belgium), and camels! I love animals, and you can find almost anything here in our little village. Most of the time people don't care if you stop and pet their animals, too, so it's a nice way to spend an afternoon. Nothing beats fresh air, sunshine, and lots of animals. But watch out for the guinea hens hogging the road down by the yarn shop. They wait until the last second - then try to cross the road. Almost got one Tuesday.
4- A HUGE bowl of buttered popcorn and an old movie. Not black and white old, but something funny like Galaxy Quest, Jumping Jack Flash with Whoopi Goldberg. Or our all time favorite feel good movie - Blind Side.
5 - Last but not least - my sure fire cure. We get our three poodles a doggie rawhide, David and I get our favorite champagne (Korbel's SEC -which is harder to find than gold) a huge bowl of macademia nuts and we all crawl up on the bed and watch the shopping channel. (I didn't say this was David's way to beat the blahs-- but it sure is mine!!)
What's yours?
DECADENT STUFF
Although I love Pacific Rose apples and Cuties (tangerines), when I'm having a truly bad, down-in-the-dumps day, the naughty side of me always screams 'Go Decadent!!' That's the time to pull out the stops.
This is one of my favorite recipes:
NEW MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup of pwd. sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of chopped pecan or walnuts (I prefer walnuts, David would rather have pecans)
Preheat over to 350 Beat butter, 1/4 cup pwd sugar and vanilla in bowl until fluffy. Slowly add flour, nuts, beating at low speed until it's all blended. Shape into one inch balls. Place 2 inches apart in ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until the bottom of cookies are lightly browned -- 14 - 15 minutes depending on your oven.
Cool six minutes then roll warm cookies in remaining pwd sugar until evenly coated. Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature. Makes approx. 2 dozen cookies.
These go really great with coffee.
UNCERTAINTY = A WRITER’S LIFE
Publishing today is a maze of uncertainty. Challenges abound. Yet I've never met a writer who pulled away because of that. In fact, it's the uncertainty of never knowing what's around the bend that makes the biz what it is. There's an undeniable sense of excitement in not knowing whether you're going to get the contract you wanted, or fall flat on your face.
Mind you, the falling flat on your face is never fun, but most of us who are in this business know that dreams die hard. For the newbies, the hope that you'll be discovered is always there. Yet dreams are never static, so let me assure you that as soon as one goal is reached, a new one emerges.
For us, it's the dream that we'll see our Ella Clah on TV someday. CBS optioned her at one point, so maybe they'll rediscover the script someday. Our vampire series is also currently under option to a production company so maybe that'll hit the theaters. You just never know.
And that's the point - what a terrific business this is! You never know what will happen next. No wonder it's addictive.
Most of you are aware of how often we use law enforcement professionals in our novels. They work well as heroes/heroines in both romances and mysteries, but what draws me to those characters is the one constant their professions and ours have - uncertainty.
As an author, I've experienced both incredible highs and abysmal lows. The trick is to remember both are fleeting. Possibilities are ever unfolding and inexhaustible.
That's why I wouldn't trade what we do for the world.