Authors in Bloom Blog Hop


Happy Hopping Everyone!
I love to participate in these blog hops, because even though I'm a writer, I'm also a reader and get to learn about new books I haven't heard about before. I also get to know some of you readers better too. Win/Win

The giveaway for visiting my blog is two lucky commenters will get their choice of any one of my ebooks.  Just say which one you'd want in the comments.
Snippets of each can be found on the Kindle Preview page of this blog.
Don't feel like commenting? You can also enter by simply Liking my Facebook Author page at 
https://www.facebook.com/clover.autrey 

My recipe comes from the cafeteria at Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth. The Crazy Reid. Have no idea where the name comes from. It was my favorite dish they had on their menu so I started making it at home.

The Crazy Reid

Boil some penne pasta or rice and set aside.

In a fry pan add garlic salt to a few Tablespoons of butter and heat.
Add cubed or sliced chicken pieces and cook. (I like to precook my chicken, but you don't have to).
When it's done, lower the heat and add fresh tomatoes, cut up
And a few handfuls of fresh spinach on top and cover with a lid or another fry pan upside down to let the tomatoes and spinach steam a bit.
Meanwhile heat up either Mariano or Alfredo sauce. (I get mine from a jar, but you can make it from scratch if you prefer. I prefer the Alfredo.)

Pour the chicken/spinach mixture and the sauce over the top of the penne or rice and top it all off with fresh Parmesan cheese.  It's delicious. I have leftovers from when I took this picture last night. My mouth is watering so think I'll go get me some. Bon appetit.




Please remember to leave a comment. Good luck and have fun hopping around this week!


if we were a movie

if we were a movie
If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram (Power of the Matchmaker #3)
Music meets Movies in this sweet college romance from the bestselling author of Cinder  and Ella.
NYU freshman Nate Anderson is a triplet who is desperate to escape his wild and crazy brothers. After they screw things up for him one too many times, Nate flees his housing situation and takes the first available room for rent as far from his brothers as he can get.
Enter his new roommate Jordan–a quirky LA girl who believes that everything in life has already been done in the movies. In this heartfelt tale of love, friendship and family, Nate learns how to deal with his new adult life using Hollywood films as a guide.
* Content – Please note this is a New Adult title – I consider this book to be clean but there is implied content (not on the pages of the book but sex is implied), mild innuendo and mild language.

 amazon: http://tinyurl.com/gsw4ypb
iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/zd5e25s
nook: http://tinyurl.com/ztcbsd6
kobo: http://tinyurl.com/hx3gpvp



What readers are saying about If We Were a Movie:

"WOW! This book is great! The concept is so inventive, and the writing is brilliant."

"I thought Cinder & Ella jerked with my emotions too much but this one might have
it beat."

"I finished reading If We Were a Movie yesterday. I loved it! I fell hard for Nate. Jordan was amazing! And Pearl's timing was perfect! "

"Amazing concept with movies as chapters, and fantastic storyline." 

"I loved this story and was humming along to the songs from the book whilst reading. I can see this book becoming the movie it was written to be."

"If We Were a Movie made me want to binge watch movies, listen to old playlists, and re-read it all at once."

Kelly Oram picture
Displaying Kelly Oram.jpgDisplaying Kelly Oram.jpgDisplaying Kelly Oram.jpgAbout Kelly  
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.


Connect with Kelly on social media:
Website: http://www.kellyoram.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkellyoram 

Cowtown Critiquers Christmas

I love my critique partners. They have literally rescued my characters out of plotting wells I let them fall into...or helped me shovel crap onto ones that needed it. I so admire these ladies and their intelligence and creativity. And they are so fun to be around. When I can't make it to one of our monthly plotting sessions at The Cotton Patch (we're the noisy laughing ones at the long table in the back who never leave--our poor waitress) I really miss them and can't wait for the next month when I can be with them. 

 Seriously. Even when my personal life feels as bleak as wading through a quagmire with leeches in a dark jungle with vines slapping my face, a few hours laughing with the cowtown critiquers strengthens my lungs to get back at it and keep swinging that machete.  

 We usually exchange small gifts at Christmas time. This year I wanted to add a personal touch and thanks to Pinterest (Best ideas ever. I want to do everything and I don't even like crafts.) I saw these personalized frames that would be perfect. So I had each of my critique partners write down what they love about writing or reading. Printed it off, and voilà! 
personalized picture frames
Turned out pretty nice if I say so myself. Below are the quotes they each gave me.
"I write because it's who I am. I've been writing so long, I can't imagine not putting words to the page. It would be like a chunk of me is missing. Writing is just me. Besides, it's the only way to keep the voices in my head subdued."  C.A. Szarek
"I write because there are too many stories floating around in my head. Sending a story out into the world makes room for the next book and the next, and the next…"  Michele Welsh

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
― Mark Twain, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain

"I read to escape, to ride the roller coaster, to marvel at the journey. I write to humble myself, to embrace the challenge, to throw caution to the wind and soar."                    Gina Lee Nelson 
 

"I love to read because I love to learn new things, not just facts and figures, but words and ideas. I love to feel the highest highs and the lowest lows and to be moved to tears, laughter, or breathlessness. I love to be able to experience other times or other worlds through the eyes of characters that I have come to love and who resonate with me." 
Jen FitzGerald

It Happens Sometimes

I ran into an old friend I haven't seen in at least a decade, if not more. We had kids close in age. We each had kids with health issues, but you know how it goes, you just push on, keep them healthy and happy and do whatever needs to be done. Live life the best you can.

We moved out of the area first and then they moved. So it was an unexpected surprise and pleasure to run into them.

We hug. We exchange pleasantries. So good to see you. You look great. How is everyone? Then she asks, "Is everyone healthy?"

And that tiny part of my heart that is still hiding, still whimpering, tucks farther away and I hear myself answer, "No, we lost Chase five years ago."  Even as I say it, my mind is reeling. How can it be five years? It still hurts so bad.

She nods gravely. Her expression is different than the usual wince of sympathy. It's calm. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. It's not a club we wanted to be in."

It takes a few seconds for that to sink past the focus of trying to push it all down and keep my emotions from bubbling out "What?"

"We lost Spencer two years ago. Tumor in the brain. They gave him eight months. I'm sorry, I thought you knew. His wife was pregnant. He wanted to live long enough to see the baby born."

"Did he?" I ask with a little hesitation.

"Yes." She smiles and I look past her shoulder at her family, at her daughter-in-law, sitting behind her. And I understand her expression now. The calmness, the understanding. It's the difference of having gone down to all the depths of hurt and loss that would take lifetimes to express them all unless you've been through it. Funny how all that hurt can be conveyed in one look. That club no one wants to belong to.

I remember Spencer well. He was a light. A smart funny kind kid who took every obstacle by the horns and rode it through. I'm glad he had a child, that they have a little piece of him in another person.

Our exchange was brief. I was already tearing up, even though I knew I could get it under control in a few minutes. Even though there was so much I wanted to say, most of it wouldn't have gotten past the lump in my throat anyway. But there really wasn't anymore we needed to say anyway. We get it. We're members of the same club.

My Book Cave

Here's a cool new site that lists books according to violence and/or heat level. So if you like certain things and don't want to read about other things, this is a good list to sign up for and find the promotions on books you like reading. 
My Book Cave - Free & Discounted Ebooks
MBC Blast ad 1
Movie-like Book Ratings for Books?
Have you ever started reading a book, only to be shocked at the content? Or have you ever read a book that bored you to tears with its lack of heat or action? Well, someone has finally created a site for you, taking the guesswork out of finding a good read that hits your comfort level. The best thing is that the books are always discounted and there is no cost to subscribe.
My Book Cave is the company behind this ingenious idea. The concept is simple.
Just sign up for the genres and ratings you want to see, choose your heat, violence, and swearing comfort level, then My Book Cave delivers ebook deals to your inbox. Rating include All Audiences, Mild, Mild+, Moderate, Moderate+, and Adult.
And right now, My Book Cave is having a huge giveaway with two ereaders and three cash gift cards. Just for signing up, you’re entered to win one of the ereaders. Visit My Book Cave to sign up or check out their blog for the rest of the prizes.
Happy reading!

Happy reading!
MBC Blast ad 2

P.S. If you’re an author and have a fantastic book you’d like to feature for free on My Book Cave, go on over.  I did. They’re always looking for great books.



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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/18/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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