Blog posts by author Caroline James
I am always indebted to book bloggers and reviewers for the time and trouble they take to read and post and this one today from the lovely Amanda at Chocolate Pages, made my day.
I hope your day is delightful too and happy reading xx
New blog post coming soon…
via Let the Sleuthing Continue! Hattie Goes To Hollywood by Caroline James. #BookReview.
Happy Tuesday Everyone
The sun is shining here and #Lockdown continues. This is just to say that I hope you and your family are keeping well, staying safe and finding your way through this very difficult journey.
There are some amazing stories coming out of this crisis and our homegrown most wonderful news is that of Captain Tom Moore who celebrates his 100th birthday on 30th April and has raised over £27million to date for NHS charities, walking 100 laps of his garden. I’m sure you’ll have a tear in your eye when you watch and listen to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone‘ with Captain Tom & Michael Ball. God bless you, Sir.
PROMO BOOK
If you are reading during these days spent at home, I have a flash sale today. Hattie Goes to Hollywood is only 99p /$1.25 and you can download a copy here at Amazon:
RECIPE
I seem to be ‘comfort’ eating whilst stuck at home and if anyone fancies a very quick sweet treat that is so easy to make, grab these few ingredients and you’ll have a Swiss Roll on the table in no time.
2 eggs, 50g caster sugar, 50g self-raising flour*, 100g strawberry jam
Beat eggs & sugar until thick and pale. Fold in flour. Pour into tin 16x 28cm (greased & lined). Bake for 10 -12 mins. Turn out, spread jam, roll up. Eat & enjoy! *add 1 tsp baking powder if using plain flour
Wild garlic is still growing and makes the most wonderful pesto. If you want my recipe, drop me an email.
EXERCISE
The glorious spring weather has enabled me to get out during our one allowed exercise period each day and I’ve dragged my old bike out of the garage and enjoyed some lovely rides on deserted roads and lanes. I hope that you too can enjoy a walk or find something new to do whilst restricted.
CAROLINE’S BOOKS (FREE TO READ ON KINDLE UNLIMTED AND AMAZON PRIME)
Happy Easter Everyone
To everyone who is self-isolating and in lockdown, I send my love and also prayers for those who are suffering from Covid-19. These are dark days for all across the world and I hope that you are coping and keeping your spirits up.
Its Easter weekend – a celebratory time for being with family or friends for both religious and social events. We had a very special birthday and anniversary celebrations in our family and by the wonders of modern technology managed to all get together for an online ‘pub quiz’ and a bit of fun to lighten the loss of not being together.
CHOCOLATE
I made Easter chocolate bars this year for the family and sent them by mail. Unfortunately, I got a bit mixed up so many apologies to the singles who received family packs and vice versa. Does anyone else find that their brain is scrambled at the moment?
EXERCISE
I’ve been out on my bike for bursts of daily exercise. We live in a rural area and I am so grateful that I’m able to do this. The countryside is beautiful at this time of year and weirdly quiet with no planes, trains or vehicles.
GIVEAWAY
Many people in lockdown are enjoying a good read. My books are available on Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime if you want to have a FREE read. For those who enjoy AUDIBLE, I am giving away 10 copies of my new book Hattie Goes To Hollywood. You can enter on Facebook by going to the link below:
FREE AUDIBLE BOOK HATTIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
Or please email to be entered into the draw. Just say why you’d like to listen to the book.
caroline@carolinejamesauthor.co.uk
Winners will be announced and contacted by 20th April. Good luck!
BAKING
With more time at home, I’ve been baking and we enjoyed hot cross buns straight from the oven on Good Friday. It also reminded me of my childhood when Mum would come up the stairs early in the morning with a tray of warm, buttered buns and a pot of tea and my sisters and I would snuggle up in bed eating the sticky delights.
WRITING
I was ‘author of the day’ this week for an online site and if anyone is interested in my writing journey, have a look at the article here:
“Murder, mischief and shenanigans”
Please look after yourselves in these troubled times lovely friends and readers, as we travel through this difficult journey together.
Sending you my love and good wishes.
#StaySafe
With love
Caroline xx
Its Mother’s Day this weekend in the UK and like our friends across the world (who celebrate the day in May), today won’t be a day spent with family, friends or loved ones. The Coronavirus is affecting everyone and it is a very strange time for all of us, wherever we live.
#StayStrongTogether is a great hashtag on social media and little acts of kindness that are taking place are bringing us together as communities. Remember the elderly and the isolated during the weeks ahead and help out wherever you can; even a phone call can make a huge difference. All my talks, guest speaker events, book signings etc are now cancelled for the months ahead and I will use the spare time to make some calls, keep in touch and up my writing and also hope that my books will sell online.
BOOK
My new book Hattie Goes To Hollywood is on promotion this weekend, so if you are stuck inside grab yourself a feel-good read and escape for a few hours with super sleuth Hattie and the shenanigans of British village life in Hollywood – a little place nestling in the beautiful Lake District hills where murder and mystery abound. Hattie Goes To Hollywood is only 99p / $1.30 whilst on promo.
FUN
It’s the little things in life at the moment that are giving a lot of joy. I entered three pots of marmalade into the Dalemain UK Marmalade Festival which was to be held last weekend but was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. I’ve never entered before and more or less forgot about it. Imagine my pleasure when the post came yesterday and I learnt that I’d won a silver certificate and a merit! A big thank you to the judges.
RECIPE
BANANA BREAD
An easy and inexpensive recipe for you in this newsletter is my lovely Canadian daughter-in-law’s delicious banana bread. If you have bananas on the fruit dish that are dark and need eating, mash them together with a few store-cupboard ingredients and you will have a tasty treat for your tea today. A tip – don’t throw away dark or discoloured bananas, pop them in the freezer and use whenever you fancy making this recipe. You can cut down on the sugar content as freezing bananas seems to make them sweeter. Enjoy!
Ashley’s Banana Bread
4 mashed bananas / 2 eggs / 1 ¾ cups Self Raising Flour1 ½ cups white sugar / 1 ½ cups veg oil / ¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder / I teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients, mix well and pour batter into 2 loaf tins (greased & lined)
Bake at 170 C / 325 F until golden brown
Note: any cup size as long as uniform throughout
USA: If using plain flour double the baking powder
With the news getting more and more disheartening each day, I am sending this post hoping that you are all safe and healthy and steering clear of this terrible Coronavirus. My bookings for talks and guest speaking at events over the next few months are cancelled and these difficult times will affect us all.
If we do have to spend more time at home, it might be an opportunity to catch up on reading. I’ve just read a fabulous book by Jenny Éclair called Moving. It’s the first book I’ve read by this very clever comedienne and author and I will certainly read more. I love audiobooks and Liz Nugent’s Skin Deep had me gripped. What a great book to listen to, perfectly narrated, chilling at times with a lead character that you loathe but can’t help but follow.
AUDIBLE BOOK
I’m thrilled to tell you that my new novel Hattie Goes to Hollywood is now out as an Audiobook and you can download it here:
The narrator is Gill Mills. Gill is a former BBC broadcaster and journalist who now divides her time between family, narration and fiction writing. It was great fun working with Gill on the project and listening to my characters come to life is a strange but very rewarding experience. I hope that you enjoy this audible version, reviews have been brilliant and many listeners and readers are telling me that it is my best book to date.
COMPETITION
As a thank you, I have a competition this month to win a gorgeous cuddly ‘Drake’. Drake is Hattie’s pet duck in the book and follows her everywhere, even helping her to sleuth when needed. If you would like to win Drake please head over to my Facebook page:
If you’re not on Facebook – simply drop me a line (caroline@carolinejamesauthor.co.uk) telling me why you’d like Drake to come and live with you. The winner will be drawn at random on 22nd March (Mother’s Day in the UK) and announced in next month’s newsletter. Good luck!
RECIPES
I’m thinking of creating store cupboard recipes if we have to stay at home during the Coronavirus outbreak and if you have any that you’d like to share, please send them to me and I’ll publish the best here.
HATTIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
I want to say a very big thank you to everyone who has read my new book, Hattie Goes To Hollywood – the reviews are fabulous and make all the hard work worthwhile.
Hattie seems to have hit a popular note as a private investigator and I am writing the next book in the stand-alone series, which will be titled Hattie & the Heirloom. Hattie Goes to Hollywood is available at the special publication day price of £1.99 / $2.99 for a short while only and you can download a copy here:
It is also available in paperback from all retail outlets and the audiobook is coming soon.
FREE BOOK
As an extra thank you to you all, for the next five days, you can download my book:
Absolutely FREE!!
For several years I worked as an agent representing many celebrity chefs. These were wonderful times, being amongst talented and entertaining individuals, as I helped them carve out their media careers in the world of hospitality. The book is a fictitious novel that reflects that era of my life and I do hope you enjoy it. There’s an excerpt at the end of this newsletter.
BROWNIES
On the subject of chefs and food, here is my favourite chocolate brownie recipe, this is rich and delicious and very easy to make:
CAROLINE’S BEST EVER CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
INGREDIENTS:
350g dark chocolate / 250g butter / 100g plain flour / 1 teaspoon baking powder / 3 eggs / 250g dark muscovado sugar
Heat oven to gas 3 or 170c / Grease and line a tin 22cm square (or a small ‘tray bake’ tin)
METHOD
Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk eggs and sugar together until smooth, pale and fluffy. Fold chocolate and butter into mixture (use a metal spoon and ‘fold’ in a figure of 8 motion – this keeps as much air in the mix as possible, don’t ‘beat’ it.) Sieve flour and baking powder into mixture. Fold till blended then pour into the tin
Middle shelf of oven for 35 mins until surface is just set (will look slightly cracked on top). Remove and cool completely in the tin. Slice into squares. Store in a tin or container in the fridge.
BRIGHTON
Spring is in the air at last, after the wettest of winters. My garden has been awash for months and Fred (our Westie dog) almost needs wellies and a life jacket each time he goes out.
We had a wild weekend in Brighton (literally) during a Force Ten Storm called Storm Dennis. The seafront was deluged with huge waves and lashing wind and rain. Despite this, a visit to the Brighton Pavilion (a palace) was a real joy and a pleasure to wander around such opulent surroundings. Don’t miss it, if you ever find yourself in Brighton with time to spare.
COMPETITION
There’s a competition on my Facebook page for a Boomerville Bertie, the travelling bear from The Best Boomerville Hotel. Why not enter and be in with a chance to win Bertie in his own travelling bag and a signed copy of The Best Boomerville Hotel.
ENTER HERE TO WIN A BOOMERVILLE BERTIE BEAR
Until next time,
Stay safe and keep well,
With lots of love
Caroline
xx
Coffee Tea The Chef & Me – Excerpt
The foyer of Hargreaves Promotions was deserted, and Hilary cursed as she swept past Lottie’s cluttered desk. The girl was nowhere to be seen and the switchboard lights flickered like traffic lights as they remained unanswered. A curious sound emanated from Bob’s office, the drone was low-pitched and sounded painful. Hilary peered through the frosted glass on the panel door then thrust the door open.
“Good grief, Bob, have you been tangoed?” Hilary stared at her assistant in his vivid orange outfit. He was all beads, bangles and Buddha since he’d come back from Tibet and Hilary’s patience was wearing thin. “Where in God’s name did you get that suit?” she asked. “You look like a space hopper.”
Bob ignored his boss. He kept his eyes closed and fondled the prayer beads. “Go away, Hilary,” he said quietly. “It’s my lunch break.”
“No, it isn’t,” Hilary said. “It’s three o’clock in the afternoon and this place is like the Marie Celeste. Where’s Lottie?”
Bob tucked himself under the worn leather top of his mahogany desk and folded his arms. “She’s gone to get a panini,” he replied, “we’ve never stopped all day and I shall faint if I don’t get some carbs.”
Hilary stared at a book on Bob’s desk, My Spiritual Journey by the Dalai Lama, as Bob leaned forward and stroked the cover protectively.
“Goolanga,” Hilary muttered, “aren’t you a little old for all this Hari Krishna nonsense?”
“Don’t knock something you know nothing about,” Bob said and gazed fondly at his hero’s image.
“I know that my office has ground to a complete standstill the moment I step out for a quick meeting.” Hilary tapped her elegant 1950s suede shoe. “Go and answer the phones please, then make us both an espresso. I want to hear all about the literary festival in the Cotswolds’.” She turned to leave but called over her shoulder, “When you’re quite sure that your chakras are where they should be and you’re ready to do some work.”
Bob screwed his eyes up and let out a hiss between clenched teeth as he watched Hilary retreat. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Hilary’s quick meeting had been the best part of four hours. Bob stroked his beads and breathed through his nose and filled his lungs with air, then exhaled slowly. He’d give Hilary five minutes then brace himself for her interrogation.
He closed his eyes again and thought about the weekend. It had been awash with literary luvvies who’d flocked to the annual festival. Hilary had insisted that he chaperone one of their clients, Prunella Gray, who was appearing at the festival to talk about her recently published, best-selling, autobiography. The festival was held in Chipping Hodbury; a quintessentially English town in the heart of affluent middle England, where pretty limestone buildings, adorned with flowering window boxes, lined the high street. Prunella had Hilary to thank for her success, but thanks was a swear word to Prunella Gray and she’d been ruthless in her climb to the top. With a rampant appetite for vodka and known as the Poison Dwarf in culinary circles, Prunella was, in Bob’s opinion, an absolute bitch. He’d seen chefs freeze like snared prey and jack-knife away to avoid her at restaurant openings and media events. Her sweet little face peered out from a heavy dark fringe and reminded Bob of Bette Davis in the film, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.
But Baby Jane was alive and well and lived in a townhouse in Queen’s Park, London.
NEW BOOK
IS OUT TODAY!
Its publication day for Hattie Goes To Hollywood! Huge thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered their copy and is now has the novel winging its way to their e-reader or popping through the letterbox.
The launch of a new book is always very stressful for me. I know that I am supposed to feel elated that the work is done, the book is out in the public domain and publication day has arrived. But until the book has favourable reviews from valued readers who are kind enough to leave a review, I am always very nervous. I do hope that you enjoy the Hattie in her new role as a private investigator and watch this space because this is the first in the stand-alone book series and there is plenty more to come!
Hattie Goes To Hollywood is available online and in book shops and will be available as an audiobook very soon too.
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
“A big fat 5 stars!” Nikki Ashton, Best-selling author
A Cumbrian Village…
Three suicides…
A red-hot summer…
Join super-sleuth Hattie as tempers and temperatures rise in the Cumbrian village of Hollywood. With mischief and shenanigans aplenty, will Hattie discover the truth?
When recently bereaved Hattie Mulberry inherits her aunt’s dilapidated cottage in the village of Hollywood in Cumbria, she envisages a quiet life. But retired hotelier Hattie is bored and when her neighbour asks her to investigate a suspicious suicide, Hattie’s career takes a new direction and H&H Investigations is born. During the hottest summer for years, Hattie discovers there have been three recent suicides in Hollywood and she determines to find out why. Temperatures rise as she throws herself into village life and, with mischief and shenanigans aplenty, Hattie has her work cut out. But will she establish the truth?
PUBLISHING
I’m excited to whisper that I am working with a new company. The Publish Hub is run by authors to enable aspiring and established authors to get published. If writing a book is your dream, have a look at The Publish Hub.
RECIPE
Today is also Valentine’s Day and here’s a recipe for pineapple cake that is full of passion and very easy to make. Pineapple, I’m assured is an aphrodisiac. Enjoy!
CAROLINE’S PINEAPPLE CAKE
This cake oozes with love and passion and is sexy and sweet – perfect to nibble when snuggling down with a good book or someone…
Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter 250g caster sugar 250g ground almonds
50g self-raising flour 5 eggs 200g fresh pineapple, chopped
50g soft brown sugar
Method:
Heat the pineapple and brown sugar and stew gently till the sugar dissolved, allow to cool. Cream the butter and sugar together until white and fluffy. Beat the eggs well then slowly add to the butter mix. Carefully fold in the almonds and flour. Grease a non-stick baking tray and add half of the sponge mix. Spoon cooked pineapple over. Add the remainder of the sponge mix. Bake in an oven at 325F /160 C /gas mark 3 – until firm to touch and light brown in colour. Cut into squares and keep in an airtight container.
Have a perfect Valentine’s Day, I hope that you enjoy a special treat with your loved ones.
Wishing you very happy reading,
with love
Caroline xx
It’s nearly the end of January and longest month of the year has flown by. For me, January has been busy following a hectic end to 2019.
CELEBRATIONS
I am so happy to share something special. I got married! It was a Christmas wedding with close family and the day was for us, absolutely perfect. My lovely hubby and I tied the knot and started the new year as husband and wife. Second time round for us both, at a time in our lives when neither ever imagined being in a relationship, let alone being married. So, dear friends, never think it’s too late to begin again in whatever you do from work, relationships and adventures. My life has changed completely since I walked out of my previous life and began again, and remember, as my mum always said, ‘The time to be happy, is now.’
BOOK NEWS
Some big news for me is that I have a new book on the way! I’ve changed direction a little and decided to write a new series of mysteries. Hattie Goes To Hollywood is the first in the series and will be published on February 14th. You can pre-order at the pre-publication discounted price here:
The book will be available as an e-book, paperback and audio. Click the link below to hear me talking about the inspiration behind the book:
Caroline talks about Hattie Goes To Hollywood
When recently bereaved Hattie Mulberry inherits her aunt’s dilapidated cottage in the village of Hollywood in Cumbria, she envisages a quiet life. But retired hotelier Hattie is bored and when her neighbour asks her to investigate a suspicious suicide, Hattie’s career takes a new direction and H&H Investigations is born.
During the hottest summer on record, Hattie discovers there have been three recent suicides in Hollywood and she determines to find out why. Temperatures rise as she throws herself into village life and, with mischief and shenanigans aplenty, Hattie has her work cut out. But will she establish the truth?
Early reviews are super, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Hattie Goes To Hollywood will soar up the charts and inspire me to write many more in the series.
MARMALADE
Seville oranges are in season and I have been making marmalade. There are so many recipes for marmalade on the internet or in your favourite cookbook and I think that it is great to experiment and discover what tastes work for you. Test and try out different flavours. I added earl grey tea to a dark marmalade, and it is delicious. In a lime and lemon recipe, I included concentrated ginger cordial and it has a really warm, zesty bite. Have a look at this little video, where I talk about marmalade:
There is an annual marmalade awards event in the UK, at Dalemain House in Cumbria, each March. Details are below and entries come from all over the world.
If you want to try your hand at being an award-winning marmalade maker, get your entry in by 2nd February. It attracts many visitors to see all the marmalades, plus demonstrations and fun events over the weekend of 14th & 15th March.
COMING NEXT MONTH
A competition to win this gorgeous cuddly, ‘Drake the Duck,’ who features in Hattie Goes To Hollywood.
Until then, lovely readers and friends,
Stay safe, look after yourselves
&
Happy reading,
With love,
Caroline xx
“HE’S DOING WHAT?” Hattie said. She had a mouthful of shortbread and a mug of coffee in her hand and stopped in her tracks as she watched Jo stare at her mobile phone.
“Zach’s going into the jungle. He’s a contestant on Jungle Survival.”
“Oh my.” Hattie smiled and wiped a spray of crumbs off her chest.
“He’s at the airport with Bob; they’re about to board a plane.”
“Well I never.” Hattie put her mug on the desk and stared at her friend. “How do you feel about that?”
“Astonished.”
“It might do him good.”
“Or not.”
“Fancy a bracer?”
“Start pouring.”
Cradling mugs of coffee, laced with a good slug of brandy, Jo and Hattie sat in the conservatory and looked out at the garden beyond.
“It doesn’t seem five minutes since he was a little boy running all over this lawn with his brother,” Jo said as she stared across the neatly manicured grass.
“And now he’s running off to Australia.”
In the distance, a group of guests appeared from the meadow, where a clairvoyance course was being run in an old gypsy caravan. Originally horse-drawn, the caravan was Jo’s pride and joy, brightly painted with little wooden steps. It was a perfect setting for an intimate group.
“Another successful event,” Hattie said as she watched the beatific expressions of the participants as they drifted down the garden, confident that the spirits of their dead granny and Rover, the family pet, were beside them, whispering and woofing encouraging words from beyond.
“I wish I could see into Zach’s future,” Jo replied. “I hope he’s not making a terrible mistake.”
“Well, if he is, he’s picked the right place to make it. That show’s watched by millions. Perhaps we should run something similar here?” Hattie closed her eyes and began to plan out a jungle camp, set in the meadow. “The old ‘uns would love it! Prancing about like Bear Grylls, cooking over an open fire, sleeping under the stars. It has ‘winner’ all over it.”
“It has mass suicide all over it,” Jo replied, “hyperthermia and food poisoning.”
“Think of the low overheads. We could bring Wonder Boy in to teach them how to skin a rabbit or two, a bit of camp-fire bonhomie and all that stuff.”
“Hattie, will you please be serious. My son is currently on his way to the other side of the world, where he’ll be exposed to any amount of danger; he’s emotionally vulnerable and I’m worried about him.”
Hattie sat up and opened her eyes.
“Oh, get a grip,” she said. “Can you imagine what he’s getting paid for this stint? How can he possibly go wrong? They’ll have him stripped down to his six-pack before the opening credits have run. He won’t even need to open his mouth and the phone lines will be pulsating as fast as every female viewer’s heart. Your Zach has made his finest career move yet.” Hattie reached for Jo’s empty mug. “Get that grumpy expression off your face and let’s send him good luck wishes for his arrival in Australia.” She stood and glanced at the group in the garden. “Perhaps we can get that lot to send him a mystical sign.”
As Jo watched Hattie walk away, she felt cross. She knew that Hattie was right, but Jo had a niggling feeling that Zach’s trip wasn’t going to run as smoothly or as successfully as everyone expected. A mother had an instinct about her offspring, but in this case, Jo hoped that her instincts would be proved wrong.
BOOKS BY Caroline James
As November is upon us, it’s time for a blog post. I hope you all had a perfect summer and are settling down to the autumn months with good health and a happy heart.
I recently returned from being a Guest Speaker on a Fred Olsen cruise liner, Braemar. The cruise made history as Braemar is the longest ship ever to cruise through the very narrow Corinth Canal in Greece.
If you want to see how the Captain Glavic achieved this monumental event, have a look at this YouTube video Corinth Canal:
It was fabulous to have some lovely Mediterranean sunshine warming my bones and highlights for me were the old town in Ibiza, where we ate the best tapas I have ever tasted, sitting in the sunshine, in a little bar, beside the entrance to the old town of Ibiza.
I loved the colour and beauty of Ibiza Old Town. From the markets to the buildings and stunning views of Marjoca and Minorca.
Another highlight was beautiful Sicily, where we wandered through the fascinating buildings and churches in Trapani. I bought lots of souvenirs and some lovely keepsakes, and even purchased a huge wedge of aged parmesan for just a few euros.
Back on board, as we left Italy, we cruised past the island of Stromboli. It is a volcanic island and an incredible sight. Captain Glavic sailed the ship around the island so that we could see it puffing out volcanic smoke in the day and as it grew dark, lava spouted and lit up the sky. Even the crew came out to have a look.
Being a guest speaker on a cruise ship is a great privilege and I am grateful to Fred Olsen Cruise lines for the opportunity. Standing in front of such a large audience is daunting but I took a considerable amount of time to prepare my talks, which were itinerary driven, and I hope that the guests enjoyed them.
I’ve decided that I love cruising and hope to do many more.
The weather has taken an unexpected turn and the days are sunny and cold and a real delight. I’ve managed to get out and do some walking, one of my favourite things to do. These photos are from a walk in Lancashire, at Rivington Pike.
There is a fascinating area called the Japanese Gardens, where the ruins and follies of Lord Leverhume’s (the ‘soap’ magnate) terraced gardens sit high on a hillside below Rivington Pike.
In the early 20th century Lord Leverhulme created a weekend retreat where he could relax and entertain and it consisted of Japanese lakes, pagodas, archways and bridges and even a huge ballroom. There’s a man-made ravine and cascade and formal lawns and gardens which surrounded the residence he built. It all fell into disrepair from 1925 but now the Heritage Lottery Fund as given a £3.4 million funding for restoration and already you can see how the site has been revitalised. I love it there, whatever the weather.
As the nights get darker, I am snuggling down with a long reading list and am currently reading My Name is Eva by Suzanne Goldring and so far, I am finding it a gripping read.
I hope to have news soon of my next book which I am currently editing. It’s been a long time coming, so many apologies to fans of my novels. I promise to step up a gear in 2020.
We have a promotion on one of my novels this month: Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me and if you fancy a feel-good read for the autumn, download the book while this price is more or less a give-away offer.
The book has received great reviews and although stand-alone, is the first in a series. I hope you enjoy it.
I’ll end the blog with a recipe. My lovely daughter-in-law is Canadian and hails from Toronto. This is her recipe for a tray bake which we make for family parties. Enjoy!
Ashley’s Tray Bake
1/2 – 3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups crushed digestive biscuits
2 cans condensed milk
2 -1/2cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups of shredded coconut
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Preheat over to 350F. Coat 9×13” pan with non-stick cooking spray
Combine the biscuits with the butter. Press into bottom of pan. Layer evenly: chocolate chips/coconut/walnuts. Press firmly. Pour condensed milk over dish.
Bake for 25mins or until lightly brown.
Chill overnight. Cut into mini squares and serve.
Caroline James Author 