Liza Palmer is a spiffy writer- though I didn't like the heroine of her 2008 book “Seeing Me Naked,” I remember the writing well. Her book More Like Her is $1.99. (Yeah, I totally bought it. These deals are as dangerous for me as they are for you, I promise).
What really goes on behind those perfect white picket fences? In Frances’s mind, beautiful, successful, ecstatically married Emma Dunham is the height of female perfection. Frances, recently dumped with spectacular drama by her boyfriend, aspires to be just like Emma. So do her close friends and fellow teachers, Lisa and Jill. But Lisa’s too career-focused to find time for a family. And Jill’s recent unexpected pregnancy could have devastating consequences for her less-than-perfect marriage.
Yet sometimes the golden dream you fervently wish for turns out to be not at all what it seems—like Emma’s enviable suburban postcard life, which is about to be brutally cut short by a perfect husband turned killer. And in the shocking aftermath, three devastated friends are going to have to come to terms with their own secrets . . . and somehow learn to move forward after their dream is exposed as a lie.
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Austentatious is $2.99 digitally.
In this quirky, sexy novel set against the lively, music-filled backdrop of Austin, Texas, a young woman learns that romance can wreak havoc with even the best laid plans. . .
It started innocently enough. While browsing in one of Austin's funky little shops, Nicola James is intrigued by a blank vintage journal she finds hidden among a set of Jane Austen novels. Even though Nic is a straight-laced engineer, she's still a sucker for anything Austen-esque. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to disbelief once she starts writing in the journal–because somehow, it's writing her back. . .
Miss Nicola James will be sensible and indulge in a little romance. Those twelve tiny words hit Nic like a thunderbolt, as if her diary was channeling Austen herself! Itching for a bit of excitement, Nic decides to follow her “Fairy Jane's” advice. The result: a red-hot romance with a sexy Scottish musician who charms his way into Nic's heart in about five seconds flat.
Sean MacInnes is warm, funny, and happens to think Nic is the most desirable woman he's ever met. But a guy like Sean doesn't exactly fit into her Life Plan. With no one but Fairy Jane to guide her, Nic must choose between the life she thought she wanted–and the kind of happy ending she never saw coming. . ..
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This is a pre-order deal. This book is .99c as a pre-order, and will be released 2 April 2013. It's like giving a surprise present to yourself for $1. (Or am I the only one who forgets she's preordered something until it shows up for reading on release day?)
Mark Cutter has it all: a lucrative baseball career, fast cars, and faster women—and all thanks to his priceless good luck charm. At least, that's what he thinks before Lorelei Littleton shows up. Next thing he knows, he's waking up alone, the sexy brunette has vanished, and his good luck charm is gone. More than a little curious about the wicked-hot cat burglar and determined to get his property back, Mark's going to track down the thief and make her pay—big time.
Maybe Lorelei feels a tiny bit guilty for stealing Mark's good luck charm, but when it's worth $100,000 and the money could save her niece's life? She's not losing sleep over it … but him? Lorelei can't get the ballplayer with the bad attitude out of her head. And now he's come after her with more than just revenge in his eyes. Lorelei has a choice: turn over the charm and lose the money, or keep it and risk losing everything … including her heart.
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Cake pops are not my absolute favorite thing – I often find them too dry – but gosh they are adorable and I know so many people who love them, both the making part and the eating part. This cookbook from Bakerella, the blogger who pretty much put them on the map, is $2.99 digitally.
What's cuter than a cupcake? A cake pop, of course! Wildly popular blogger Bakerella (aka Angie Dudley) has turned cake pops into an international sensation! Cute little cakes on a stick from decorated balls to more ambitious shapes such as baby chicks, ice cream cones, and even cupcakes these adorable creations are the perfect alternative to cake at any party or get-together. Martha Stewart loved the cupcake pops so much she had Bakerella appear on her show to demonstrate making them.
Now Angie makes it easy and fun to recreate these amazing treats right at home with clear step-by-step instructions and photos of more than 40 featured projects, as well as clever tips for presentation, decorating, dipping, coloring and melting chocolate, and much more.
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Something about cake pops enrages me. I’m not sure what it is, though I suspect it has something to do with the effort to payoff ratio. A cake pop is basically a single bite of cake (maybe two bites, IDK), but you have to decorate each one individually. I repeat: you have to decorate each bite of cake individually. WTF is that nonsense? Is it a way to keep women in the kitchen, slaving masochistically away on dessert? Is it built-in portion control? Are the sticks to keep track of how many bites of cake you have eaten? Do they sit in a pile and stare at you in disapproval? STOP JUDGING ME, CAKE STICKS! You don’t know my story! Maybe I need an entire slice of cake, and not just an unsatisfying nibble! Yeah! Down with the instruments of patriarchal dessert-y oppression/body-shaming!
Damn, I may have some issues.
The More Like Her sale appears to be over already. Or at least it was a lot more expensive at Amazon.
Still on sale at B&N
For what it’s worth, there are a couple of different ways to make cake pops and Bakerella’s way is definitely not dry. She mixes icing with the crumbled up cake and forms it into shapes. She doesn’t use the cake pop mold that you can buy everywhere now. I can fully imagine those are dry since baking time would be hard to gauge if you’re not used to them.
I love making them and I’m looking forward to Easter because I’m making Easter Egg shaped ones. =)
But that’s just me.
>>>But her enthusiasm quickly turns to disbelief once she starts writing in the journal—because somehow, it’s writing her back. . .
Soon, there are creepy blood-written messages on the walls and petrified people all over the place.
I quite liked Seeing Me Naked, but More Like Her was just OK. I found the voice of the second grating at times, so if you had that trouble with Seeing Me Naked, I’m not sure i could recommend More Like Her.
I personally like cake pops. I buy ‘em at Starbucks. I don’t bake them myself.
Anyhow the ones are Starbucks are sparsely decorated. They have frosting and maybe sprinkles, or nuts or raspberry dust, etc. on them not elaborate designs. I agree with the idea that it’s time consuming to decorate customize cake pops as little owls or popcorn, but then my idea of cake decorating is to put frosting on, maybe a few strawberries or birthday cake candles. I am not one to make an exact replica of my copy of Little Women or sailboat or a computer or a car or any design more complicated than a cake. Not disagreeing with you just pointing out a cake could be as time consuming as cake pops. Now as to calorie count…
They are the worst! My adorable 4 year old daughter with giant blue eyes asked me in her sweet tiny voice to make cake pops to take to school for her birthday. I’m an avid baker AND cake eater, so I thought well, er, piece of cake!
It was a nightmare. They ended up being so hideous she asked me if I could just make her a pan of rice crispy treats. *mom fail* Plus, I was out the $20 for the freakin cake pop pan!
Luckily a sucker is born everyday and I passed that thing off to another mom with Pinterest P’s in her eyes. My cake pop days are over.
I view it in the same way I do most craft-type activities. The payoff is at least as much in the doing as it is in the finished product. For example, you aren’t going to spend hours and hours of your time, not to mention the cost of supplies, stitching a needlepoint pillow because it’s efficient and cost-effective. The simple route would be to buy a throw pillow on sale at Target. You needlepoint because the act of creating something brings you joy. The same thing could be said of refinishing furniture, doing art manicures, painting pictures, baking cake pops, or any number of activities. I’ve never actually made cake pops, but I do like baking elaborate desserts. For me (but maybe not for everyone) t’s relaxing and creative, not a form of domestic servitude.
Would you like my easy-peasy way to make cake pops? Buy a cake that you like, mash it up, add frosting or cream cheese if the texture is too dry, form the mess into balls (teehee, BALLS), ram a stick into them, then dip in chocolate. Now you have many pieces of your favorite cake instead of just one
I bought Austentatious because it was on sale, featured here and I liked the write up. Sadly I found this book a slog. The mental narration went on and on and it felt like herculean effort to trudge through all the angst and focus on the humour and clever characters. The premis did not deliver and I so wanted it to.