Kaylin’s March 2011 Newsletter

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ~ Charles Dickens

Hello Readers and Fellow Authors:

Ah…March madness is upon us, and what a crazy month it is!  Anticipation ushers us forward, the past holds us back. Only during this time of year can you bask in the sun’s glorious warmth, applaud pink buds beneath new leaves, then cringe as they’re crushed by a blanket of new-fallen snow.

In this same vein, life often mimics nature. It drops us into pitfalls as we tread along worn paths. It leaves us stuck in ruts, running in endless circles, accomplishing little in a broad span of time. But if we chose to disregard ill-gotten practices and, instead, blaze new roads – fueling our journey with imagination and positive energy – we can alter our destiny. We can regain control of our lives and find slivers of sunshine beneath even the darkest clouds.

So be brave! Individuals, who once tip-toed around you, will soon recognize your ambition, your intuitiveness, your well-earned praise. They in turn will seek out your guidance and the source of your fresh, ingenious beam.


Quote of the Day: (From a great Irishman)

I often sit back and think, “I wish I’d done that”, and find out later that I already have. ~ Richard Harris


Ah…but hold on! It’s not too late to enter Kaylin’s “Luck of the Irish” Contest…

…or to win a free Kindle with no strings attached!! Simply send your favorite Irish joke, limerick or poem (extra points for originality) to kaylin.kaylinmcfarren.com before March 16th. The winning entry will be selected on St. Paddy’s Day, and this lucky soul – whoever they might be – will receive a free Kindle valued at $189… The perfect wireless reading device to download and enjoy your copy of Flaherty’s Crossing. So what are you waiting for? Submit your entry today!


Kaylin’s Recommended Reads for March:

  • The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett - When her magician husband dies unexpectedly of an aneurysm, 40-year-old Sabine discovers that he had a family and a tumultuous past that he never shared with her.
  • Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell - As World War II comes to an end, the members of three different cultures in Northern Italy—Catholics, Jews, and the occupying Germans—must make difficult choices in order to survive.
  • My Dream of You by Nuala O’Faolain - Kathleen, a travel writer, has long been estranged from her family and native Ireland; now nearing 50, mourning the death of a close friend, she returns to Ireland to make peace with her family and research a 150-year-old mystery.

Kaylin’s Recipe of the Month: Irish Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 5 carrots, sliced
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
  • 4 potatoes, quartered
  • 3 cups baking mix
  • 1 1/3 cups milk

Directions

  1. In large, heavy pot, combine soup, water, chicken, celery, onion, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours.
  2. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook another 30 minutes.
  3. Remove chicken from pot, shred it, and return to pot. Add peas and cook only 5 minutes longer.
  4. Add dumplings. To make dumplings: Mix baking mix and milk until a soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto BOILING stew. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

So remember Stay positive, give happiness away, and be sure to recommend Flaherty’s Crossing to everyone you know!

Have a great month and a happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Kaylin

Kaylin’s February 2011 Newsletter

“The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within.” – William C. Bryant

Hello Readers and Fellow Authors: 

With the new year officially in full swing, aside from the blistering, knee-rattling cold, what does February hold in store for us? Here are some fun and interesting holiday facts.

February 1st – National Freedom Day: This day commemorates the signing of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865 by President Lincoln.

February 2nd – Groundhog Day: Each year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, folks gather round to see if the groundhog will see it’s shadow and if he does, there will be 42 more days of winter! Brrrr…

February 3rd – Chinese New Year: Red clothing wards away evil spirits and bad fortune. New clothing symbolizes starting the year anew. According to 2011 Year of the Rabbit predictions, many opportunities for communication gaffes are in the offing. Now if we could only understand what this means…

February 14th – Valentine’s Day: The U.S. greeting card association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making this day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. And be sure to note, out of all the valentines sent, women purchase approximately 85 percent. So now we know who the romantics of the world are…

February 21st – President’s Day: This day is set aside to observe and honor Washington’s Birthday, the first U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln,and other US Presidents. For most, this is just another day off…

Out of all these holidays, Valentine’s Day is, of course, the most celebrated. But does anyone know its true history? The holiday of Saint Valentines Day was originally a day to celebrate two Saint Valentines: Valentine of Rome, and Valentine of Terni – both martyred in the early second and third centuries. Distinction between these two saints no longer exists, but many stories exist explaining the original saint. One such story explains that Valentine (no proof as to which one) was arrested and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II, who tried to get Valentine to convert to roman paganism. Valentine refused and tried to convert the emperor to Christianity. He was then executed, but not before healing his captor’s blind daughter.

No romantic association originally existed, but according to modern created legends, Roman Emperor Claudius II made a law stating that all men must remain single. Valentine performed marriage ceremonies for couples secretly anyway. He was eventually discovered and arrested. But before he was killed, he wrote the first valentine to his captor’s daughter and his true love, who he had healed. It was signed, “From your Valentine.”

In Ancient Rome, a holiday called Lupercalia was celebrated from February 13th- February 15th, promoting fertility. Some believe that Valentine’s Day began as a Christianized version of Lupercalia. In 1400, Paris established the “High Court of Love” on February 14th to protect women. This is believed to be when Valentines day began to be celebrated as a loving day. Interesting?!?

Quote of the Day: (One of my favorites)

“The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough.” ~ George Moore

Contest Time! So what’s Kaylin got up her sleeve this month?

A chance to win a Free Kindle!! Send your favorite Irish joke, limerick or poem to kaylin@kaylinmcfarren.com and on March 17th (St. Paddy’s Day), the winning entry will receive a free Kindle valued at $189… the perfect wireless reading device to download and enjoy your copy of Flaherty’s Crossing.

Kaylin’s Recommended Reads for February:

* A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines – When a Cajun farmer is murdered outside the home of an elderly black plantation worker, several other aging black men of the plantation and the white woman who owns it rally around, each claiming to be guilty of the murder.

* Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer – A young Jewish American travels to the Ukraine in the hope of finding the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis.

* The Good Husband by Gail Godwin – Now in her 60s and dying of ovarian cancer, English professor Magda Danvers and her husband befriend another couple, whose marriage is also beset by adversity. Although the subject sounds depressing, this is an uplifting story.

Kaylin’s Recipe of the Month: Fresh Lobster Salad

Ingredients (4 Servings)

* 1 pound cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place the lobster chunks into a medium bowl, and pour the melted butter over. Toss to coat, then stir in mayonnaise and season with black pepper. Cover and chill for 20 minutes before serving.

2. Serve on toasted rolls or croissants. You won’t be disappointed!

Note: A delicious treat anytime! A simple lobster salad with butter and just a hint of mayonnaise so that you can still taste the sweet lobster meat. Yum!

So remember … Stay positive, give happiness away, and be sure to recommend Flaherty’s Crossing to everyone you know!

Have a great month!

Kaylin

Want a Free Kindle??

Send your favorite Irish joke, limerick or poem to kaylin@kaylinmcfarren.com and on March 17th (St. Paddy’s Day), the winning entry will receive a free Kindle valued at $189… the perfect wireless reading device to download and enjoy your copy of Flaherty’s Crossing.
www.kaylinmcfarren.com

Ten Indications of a New Year Hangover :P

1. You get it into your head that chirping birds are the Devil’s pets.
2. Trying to gain control of the situation, you continue to tell your room to “Stay still.”
3. Looking at yourself in the mirror induces the same reaction as drinking a glass of fresh paint.
4. The bathroom reminds you of the fairground cry, “Step right up and give it whirl!”
5. You’d rather chew tacks than be exposed to sunlight.
6. You set aside an entire afternoon to spend some quality time with your toilet.
7. You replace the traditional praying on your knees with the more feasible praying in a fetal position.
8. Your catch phrase is, “Never again.”
9. You could purchase a new fridge on the proceeds from recycling the bottles around your bed.
10. Your new response to “Good morning,” is “Be quiet!”

New Year’s Lecture

On New Year’s Eve, Daniel was in no shape to drive, so he sensibly left his van in the car park and walked home.  As he was wobbling along, he was stopped by a policeman.  ‘What are you doing out here at four o’clock in the morning?’ asked the police officer.

‘I’m on my way to a lecture,’ answered Roger.

‘And who on earth, in their right mind, is going to give a lecture at this time on New Year’s Eve?’ enquired the constable sarcastically.

‘My wife,’ slurred Daniel grimly.

 

…Have a good one!!

Kaylin :)

Kaylin’s January 2011 Newsletter


We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman 


Hello Readers and Fellow Authors:


With the New Year unfolding its fresh virgin leaves, it’s time to seriously consider (or in some cases, reconsider) that ambitious resolution you announced to your friends while heavily intoxicated or blinded by hope. Some individuals think choosing a resolution is much easier than attempting to keep it, but actually the goal you set at the beginning of the year has as much to do with your success as anything else in your life. That’s why it’s wise to choose a New Year’s resolution you might actually fulfill. Keeping this in mind, here’s a simple plan that might come in handy — if not in 2011, then definitely in the years to come.

The four steps to choosing a successful resolution:

  1. Choose a two-word resolution – Quit smoking; lose weight; go green, etc.
  2. Include numbers and dates – Save $2,400 by December 31st; lose 25 lbs. by August 1st, etc.
  3. Define how you’re going to accomplish your resolution – Put $200 in a savings account every month; walk 40 minutes every night with my husband, etc.
  4. Add why you want to achieve your goal – So that I can take that Hawaiian vacation; to fit into that cute size 8 dress…and so on.

You don’t want to create your New Year’s resolution in an effort to please someone else (because my boyfriend thinks I will look better; because my dad wants me to buy a house, etc.). Your resolution should be strictly for you, and adding a “because I” statement to your resolution will be the best way for you to articulate your personal motivation. So stay focused and follow through. You’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish!


Quote of the Day:

I do think New Year’s resolutions can’t technically be expected to begin on New Year’s Day, don’t you?  Since, because it’s an extension of New Year’s Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system.  Also dieting on New Year’s Day isn’t a good idea as you can’t eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover.  I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second.”  ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones’s Diary


So what’s on Kaylin’s Horizon?

I’m currently involved with final editing on my latest creation — an action, adventure romance titled Severed Threads.  This fun, engrossing romp takes a group of unusual characters into treacherous waters, searching for a Chinese Emperor’s lost merchant ship and the priceless treasure in her hold. Here’s the synopsis, which just might perk your interest:

Believing herself responsible for her father’s fatal diving accident, Rachel Lyons has withdrawn from the world and assumed a safe position at a foundation office. When called upon by a museum director to assist her former love interest with the recovery of a priceless artifact from a sunken galleon, she has no intention of cooperating – until her brother is kidnapped by a drug-dealing gangster. In order to save him and gain control over her own life, Rachel must not only overcome her greatest fears, but also relive the circumstances that lead to her father’s death.
Would you like to read more? Visit my website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com and enjoy a tantalizing excerpt!


Kaylin’s Recommended Reads for January:

  • Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane – The political upheavals in Northern Ireland are the backdrop to the life of the young narrator, who tries to puzzle out the nature of love, the effects of violence, and the secrets his family carries.
  • Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough – A marvelously readable biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt, from his birth through his marriage to Edith Carow and his unsuccessful run for mayor of New York. Winner of the National Book Award.
  • Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes – In her memoir, the author describes how her work observing and interacting with gorillas has helped her to cope with her form of autism — Asperger’s Syndrome.


Kaylin’s Recipe of the Month: Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

 

 

Yield -  4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Frank’s® RedHot® Sauce
  • 1/2 (17.3 ounce) package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.
  2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10×14-inch rectangle.
  3. With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve and enjoy!


So remember Stay positive. Give happiness away and be sure to recommend Flaherty’s Crossing to everyone you know!
Have a great month!

Kaylin

The Christmas Angel

It was Christmas eve, and Santa was really busy making his list and checking it twice, when there came a knock at the door. His wife comes in. “Honey, where do you want me to put your boots and gloves?” Well, Santa is very busy and so he’s slightly annoyed by this trivial question, so he snaps at her, “Put them by the front door, and stop bothering me. I’m trying to get some work done.”

He starts back to work, but a few minutes later an elf barges in. “Santa, we got all the toys wrapped, what should we do with them?” Santa snaps, “Stick ‘em in the sleigh! Can’t you see I’m trying to get ready? I don’t want any more interruptions!”

But sure enough, as soon as he starts back to work, there is another interruption. An angel, standing at the door, says, “Santa, I have your Christmas tree. Where would you like me to put it?”

And this is where we get the tradition of placing an angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Sending this tribute from my heart to yours with wishes for a wonderful Christmas and an amazing New Year! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYZRxq3jCJo&feature=related

Kaylin’s December 2010 Newsletter

“It’s never to late to become the person  

you have always wanted to be.” - Anne Sweeney

Hello Readers and Fellow Authors:
As you’re all aware, the tradition of giving presents comes from the three wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus. When I was a kid, gifts were more modest than they are now; but even then, people were complaining about the commercialization of Christmas. Over the years, we’ve grown accustom to Black Friday sales and preseason decorations that bypass Thanksgiving altogether. Some of us are disheartened by this practice, but we need to recognize, with the sad state of our economy, Christmas sales have become the backbone of many businesses. Without this added revenue, stores would close permanently and many jobs would be lost. So the next time your find yourself grumbling over filled parking lots, harried shoppers, and long department store lines, try to hold onto the true meaning of Christmas in your heart and remember the faces of loved ones who will be opening and relishing your gifts on December 25th.

Quote of the Day:
“Most of our stress and suffering come not from events, but from our thoughts. Refrain from negative thoughts and stress subsides.”  – Martha Beck

Another review for Flaherty’s Crossing:

“Kate Flaherty is at a crossroads in her young life. Her father is on his deathbed and she has many unresolved issues related to the early death of her mother and her father’s subsequent emotional distance. When she has a car accident, it stimulates images that both disturb and threaten to stir up those same unresolved issues.

Kate’s marriage is, likewise, in a shambles but both she and her husband appear open to reconciliation. When Kate is injured, her husband becomes involved and available – just what Kate was needing in her own hours of soul-searching related to her father’s death.

Although the conflict resolutions are, at times, a bit predictable and simplistic, “Flaherty’s Crossing” is an easy read that should appeal to many readers of suspense and romance. The main characters are very well developed.” – Readers Favorite, Haweville, KY

Upcoming Flaherty’s Crossing Book Signing Events:

December 4th, 2010 – 5:30pm – 9pm, Festival of the Trees Gala,  Oregon Convention Center, Hall A, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland

December 7th, 2010 ; 7pm – 9pm, Writer’s Faire – Book Sale and Signing, The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Avenue, Portland


Kaylin’s Recommended Reads for December:

  • Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg - When Ruth Thomas is diagnosed with rapidly metastasizing breast cancer, her best friend Ann Stanley shares doctor’s visits, funeral plans, and long talks about men, children, sex, the past, and the future. A memorable, absorbing read.
  • Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler - This inspiring journey through the greatest stories ever told will forever change the reader’s view on some of history’s most storied events.
  • The Long Walk Home by Will North A lyrical and tender love story of grief and hope set in the mountains of North Wales which leaves the main characters questioning issues of morality and fidelity.


A favorite holiday song:

The Greatest Gift Of All – Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
Dawn is slowly breaking
Our friends have all gone home
You and I are waiting
For Santa Claus to come
There’s a present by the tree
Stockings on the wall
Knowing you’re in love with me
Is the greatest gift of all 

The fire is slowly fading
Chill is in the air
All the gifts are waiting
For children ev’rywhere
Through the window, I can see
Snow begin to fall
Knowing you’re in love with me
Is the greatest gift of all

Just before I go to sleep
I hear a church bell ring
Merry Christmas, ev’ryone
Is the song it sings
So I say a silent prayer
For creatures great and small
Peace on earth, goodwill to man
Is the greatest gift of all

Peace on earth, goodwill to man
Is the greatest gift of all


Kaylin’s Recipe of the Month: Candy Cane Swirl (Cocktail)

Ingredients

1 oz. SKYY® Infusions Raspberry
3 oz. Red Cranberry juice
0.5 oz. Grenadine
0.5 oz. Grenadine
Lemon Lime soda

Directions

Rim martini glass with crushed candy cane. Combine SKYY Vodka, Peppermint Schnapps, Cranberry Juice and Grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Top with Lemon Lime Soda and garnish with small peppermint candy cane.

The Candy Cane Swirl is designed to add a simple, yet festive element to your larger holiday parties, utilizing familiar ingredients easily mixed in larger quantities. A vibrant red cocktail with a whimsical candy cane garnish, the Candy Cane Swirl is sure to be a crowd pleaser.


So remember Stay positive. Give happiness away and be sure to recommend Flaherty’s Crossing to everyone you know!

Have a great month!

Kaylin

Kaylin’s November 2010 E-Newsletter

November 2010 E-NEWSLETTER 

“Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast.”
- Sara Coleridge -

Hello Readers and Fellow Authors:

During the upcoming holidays, here’s something to ponder. Often in life, while pursuing our dreams, we face uncertain moments that bring ceaseless sufferings; people will try to convince us to quit. At times like these you can choose to be weak and fall, by listening to what they say to you, or you can choose to be strong and walk tall towards your dream by ignoring them. Remember, no one writes our destiny but us. Let people advise you but never let anyone decide for you. And above all things you may do, think or choose in life – always be wise, for in wisdom, morals and strength are found.

Upcoming “Flaherty’s Crossing” Book Signing Events: (Be sure to add these to your calendar!)

November 14th, 2010; 1 – 3pm
Sunset Fred Meyers, 22075 NW Imbrie Drive, Hillsboro, OR
November 18th, 2010; 1 – 3pm
Providence Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St., Portland, Oregon

November 20th, 2010; 1 – 3pm
Gresham Fred Meyers, 2497 SE Burnside Rd, Gresham, OR


Kaylin’s Recommended Reads for November:  

  • Before You Know Kindness by Christopher Bohjalian – A timely and topical issue is raised when ardent animal rights activist Spencer McCullough is accidentally shot by his 12-year-old daughter, testing the values of all involved.
  • Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin – David, an American expatriate in Paris, attempts to repress his homosexuality by proposing to Hella Lincoln, but finds that he is unable to continue to live a lie when he meets Giovanni, an Italian bartender.
  • Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – After a nasty divorce, Gilbert, a journalist, spends a year traveling, rediscovering love (and food) in Rome, quieting her mind outside Mumbai, and mastering a balancing act of pleasure and grace in Bali.


“A tingling, misty marvel blew hither in the night and now the little peach-trees are clasped in frozen light. Upon the apple-branches an icy film is caught with trailing threads of gossamer in pearly patterns wrought. The autumn sun, in wonder, is gaily peering through this silver-tissued network across the frosty blue. The weather-vane is fire-tipped, the honeysuckle shows a dazzling icy splendor and crystal is the rose.” 

- Evaleen Stein, November Morning


Kaylin’s Recipe of the Month: Sausage, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing 

This Thanksgiving stuffing is fantastic! It is very flavorful and fresh-tasting. This recipe will stuff a 10-pound turkey (which serves six) plus extra. I replaced the usual pork sausage with much healthier turkey sausage. Other dried fruits may also be used in place of cranberries.


Ingredients:
 

  • 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
  • 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
  • 1 pound ground turkey sausage
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped celery
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup turkey stock
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
 

Directions:

     

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
  2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
  3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.
  4.  


So remember Stay positive. Give happiness away and be sure to recommend Flaherty’s Crossing to everyone you know!
 

Have a great month!

Kaylin

www.kaylinmcfarren.com




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