Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Fresh Pick | HOMEMADE by Clodagh McKenna
Fresh Pick / March 15, 2012

May 2011 On Sale: May 16, 2011 224 pages ISBN: 1906868468 EAN: 9781906868468 Hardcover $24.95  Add to Wish List Non-Fiction Cooking / Food, Cookbooks, Self-Help Buy at Amazon.com Cook a wee taste of Ireland Homemade by Clodagh McKenna Irresistible Homemade Recipes for Every Occasion An inspiring compendium of recipes and advice, Homemade is packed full of ideas for every occasion, from stocking your pantry year-round to relaxed Sunday dinners and entertaining friends and family. Alongside this are household tips and helpful hints on everything from setting your table to selecting the perfect cheeseboard, a guide to wine and cheeses, a chapter on edible gifts, and tips and recipes for canning. Acclaimed cook, writer and TV presenter, Clodagh McKenna has built her reputation on championing local artisans, cooking with the seasons and respecting the traditional ways of doing things. Here she cooks from the heart with stunning recipes for lazy brunches, heavenly afternoon teas, simple dinner parties, delicious lunches and cozy fireside suppers. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, organizing and decorating your home or preparing for holidays and special occasions, Clodagh sets out to show how easy “homemade” really is and why just taking the time to do something as simple…

Paige Cuccaro | My Muse Wears Headphones
Author Guest / March 15, 2012

I know a lot of readers enjoy going over the music playlist a writer listens to while writing a particular story. One of my favorite writers, Laurell K. Hamilton often talks about what music she’s blasting as she’s writing a scene.  I’ve tried this…It doesn’t work for me. See, the problem for me is that if I blast music, or even play it very very softly, I’ll start singing along. (And who wants that, right?) I mean, I like to think I have at least a little bit of skill, but I’ll admit I don’t have the kind of coordination it takes to sing while trying to follow the scene playing out in my head and search for the best way to put it to paper. More often than not, I end up typing out the lyrics. I do, however, use sound to block out other distractions. And I am SOOO easily distracted. I’m talkin’ borderline ADD—oh look, a chicken! Conversations between family members, movement too close to my desk, the random floating fuzz…whatever, it all bumps me out of my writer’s head. And since I can’t use music—or at least music with y’know, lyrics, I use mundane sound. White…