A few weeks ago I wrote an article about an anthology of Christmas romance stories put together by 21 authors of the group Exquisite Quills.
Exquisite Christmas: 21 romance authors share stories and recipes is an ideal Christmas gift and the perfect book to dip into over the holidays. With around forty heartwarming stories and lots of recipes it’s a fabulous book to curl up with by the fire and lose yourself in.
I’m very proud to have been part of this project, especially as all the authors were a delight to work with. One of those authors is here today to introduce her own stories and share an extra recipe.
Welcome, Beverley. It’s lovely to talk to you again. Please introduce yourself, and thanks so much for dropping in!
* * *
I’m a Canadian author and I live in the Okanagan valley in British Columbia. I write romantic suspense. For the anthology I wrote two stories. Christmas Traditions is about a young couple who move to a small town just before Christmas. She left family, friends and their Christmas traditions behind and is feeling lonely.
The second story is The Christmas Risk. A small town doctor in Montana is doing Christmas Eve home visits and gets caught in a blizzard. With the possibility she might not make it home she realizes the important things in her life.
Here’s my recipe for Christmas Quick Bread
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups (225gsm) flour (plain flour)
¾ cup (140gsm) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (UK – just under half a pint)
1/4 cup salad oil (4 tbls vegetable oil)
1 egg
1 cup (165 gsm) crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup (80 gsm) maraschino cherries (cut in quarters)
1/3 cup (55 gsm) blanched slivered almonds
Additional almonds and cherries for topping.
Directions:
You will need a large mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, a 9”x5” (22 x 12cm approx) loaf pan, and a cooling rack.
- Preheat oven to 350° F (170° C / gas mark 4)
- Grease and flour loaf pan.
- Blend dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Combine milk, oil, and egg in a small bowl. Beat slightly.
- Add milk mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until moistened.
- Stir in pineapple, cherries, and almonds.
- Pour batter in a greased 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan.
- Let rest for 20 minutes.
- Bake 65-70 minutes. When golden and sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom, turn out on cooling rack.
To decorate top, pierce a cherry with an almond and press into cake. Continue with the remaining cherries and almonds.
Makes 12-14 1/2-inch slices.
I am so proud to be part of the wonderful anthology. Rose Anderson, a great author, suggested it to one of my groups. She handled everything for us. The authors wrote a holiday story, sometimes two stories along with a recipe. They’ve all been edited and Rose did our beautiful cover, which I love.
I also love the stories in the book. Each is so different. They’re romantic and positive. And trust me, the recipes are yummy. I’ve read all of them and tried several. This book would make a great Christmas gift.
Get one or yourself and maybe a couple for gifts. Here are the buy links:
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / B&N / iBooks
Merry Christmas and enjoy the book!
* * *
Merry Christmas, Beverley, and thanks so much for the delicious recipe. I loved your stories and I agree that there is such a great variety in the anthology, and yet all the stories are romantic, positive and uplifting.
If you’ve enjoyed Beverley’s post, or have any questions or comments at all, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
Helena Fairfax 
Leave a Reply