There's a Tremor in the Force

Pre-pre-Christmas Eve-updates...

1. *BEWARE OF SPOILERS...PROCEED WITH CAUTION* I went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens with the whole family. First time the whole family had attended a movie in YEARS. Overall assessment...disappointed. Could they not come up with some original storylines? Most of the film felt like a rehash of old plot from the original Star Wars movie, including the big climatic battle scene. *yawn* I've seen that before. Also, I don't believe for one hairy second that a child of Leia and Han would turn to the Dark Side. Hell to the no. And since we never got to see this character before, I was not invested in him at all. Huge misstep. I also thought the older characters were not well utilized in this film.

On the bright side, REY IS FABULOUS! So is Finn...the best part of the plot was the premise that a Stormtrooper defects to the other side. Now THAT was a good plot twist. Both Rey and Finn were fantastic characters and promise to do great things in the future. Let's just hope the writers can come up with some original storylines for the next movie! #MAYTHEFORCEBEWITHYOU


2.

I'm not sure who I feel most sorry for...Steve Harvey who accidentally announced the wrong winner for Miss Universe 2015. Miss Colombia who accidentally won, and then had the crown ripped off her lovely head. Or Miss Philippines, who was confused as hell after she was told she lost, then she won, then...WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

What a freakin' mess!

On the bright side, MISS PHILIPPINES WON! #FILIPINOPOWER


3. A TASTE OF HEAVEN is now on sale! Voted a "2015 MUST READ ROMANCE NOVEL" at About.com. Only #99CENTS!

Purchase here...
Amazon 
B/N
Kobo


4. I discovered a new erotica series about handymen. Hee hee! Robin Stone is a debut author with three new books...about a handyman, a deliveryman, and a landscaper. Schwing! I read DELIVERY MAN last night and was really impressed. Not only is it well-written, but it also had a cute little story and some sweetness and emotion thrown in with the CRAZY HOT SEX! And I was amused by the "timed deliveries." If you ever had a UPS-guy-fantasy, then this is the book for you! #HANDYMANFORTHEWIN

5. The Penny Watson Great Big Holiday Give-Away is still going on through December 25. Please leave a comment to win...or shoot me an email to enter.

Leave a comment on any one of these 5 posts...

Penny Watson's Great Big Holiday Give-Away

Jen Porter's Fabulous Holiday Cupcakes

Penelope's Etsy Favorites

Introducing Happy Heart Reads

The Naughty Side of Christmas


Don't miss the debut spanky elf erotica by Miss Pepper Minty...ELLIE'S SPECIAL CHRISTMAS TREAT. #THENAUGHTYLISTISFUN

DOWNLOAD HERE!

That's all folks.

Happy Holidays,
Penny

Introducing Happy Heart Reads!

Welcome back to the GREAT BIG HOLIDAY GIVE-AWAY!
This is post #4: INTRODUCING HAPPY HEART READS
Leave a comment after the post to enter the contest, or shoot me an email.

♥︎

You know how some days you just can't handle getting on-line because there is so much negativity?

Depressing news and traumatic images and stuff that make you want to fling yourself off a bridge?

Yeah, I know.

Well, Laura K. Curtis, Lexxi Callahan, and I were feeling the same way. We wished there was somewhere to go that would be a mood-lifter, a happy safe place with positive news and images and stories. So, we decided to make up our own website...

HAPPY HEART READS
www.happyheartreads.com

Coming January 2016

What is it?

A website that promotes feel good romance...

Books that make us happy...

Puppy pictures!

And kittens, of course...

Awesome movies...

Fabulous trips and travel adventures...

Delicious food...

Inspiring music...

(No comments please. Yes, I'm 49-years-old and I love One Direction.)

 

Exciting events...

 

And every Friday afternoon, we'll be hosting HAPPY HOUR which will include a gift card give-away. Be sure to stop by and share happy positive news!

We are looking for guest posts from EVERYONE!

Authors, bloggers, readers, reviewers, 
your grandmother's favorite cookie recipe,
your garden pictures, a favorite Julie Garwood book, ANYTHING!


 We'll be announcing the grand opening of HAPPY HEART READS soon.

Stay tuned.

Penny, Lexxi, and Laura

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT TO ENTER THE GIVE-AWAY!
You can also shoot me an email.
Let us know if there are any features 
you would like to see on the new website.
For a complete list of prizes, see the original post.
THANKS!

Penelope's Etsy Favorites!

Welcome back to the GREAT BIG HOLIDAY GIVE-AWAY!
Who's ready to shop? ETSY is the place to go--for holiday shopping, birthdays, any occasion.
Here are some of my favorite items!

Don't forget to leave a comment at the end of the post in order to enter the give-away,
or shoot me an email.
Tell me your favorite place to shop!

1

Vintage Floral Tattoo Sleeve Hoodie by Ahpeele

2

Silver Leaf Earrings by ConstantBaubling

3

Seek Magic Art Print by Katie Daisy

4

Little Winter Christmas Mouse by feltingdreams

5

Over the Rainbow Soap by Be Greatful Shop

6

Little Dog Big Kisses Necklace by Crafting 4 Cause

7

Set of 2 Turkish Towels by Loovee

8
Dachshund Ornament by cockTHEshutter

9
Glass Coasters by Avolie Glass

10
Sunflower Note Card by Flanders Field

HAPPY SHOPPING TO ALL!

Love,
Penny

Leave a comment to enter the give-away,
or shoot me an email.
Tell me your favorite spot to shop!
Be sure to include email and location.
For complete list of prizes, see the original post.
Stay tuned for the next post, INTRODUCING HAPPY HEART READS!
Coming at 2:00 pm.

Jen Porter's Fabulous Holiday Cupcakes

Welcome back to Penny Watson's GREAT BIG HOLIDAY GIVE-AWAY! This is post #2, Jen Porter's Fabulous Holiday Cupcakes. Jen (from Romance Novel News) made some incredible holiday cupcakes recently, and I begged her for the recipes. In typical Jen fashion, these cupcakes have a smidge of naughty. *wink* Enjoy! 

Don't forget to leave your name and location in the comments section to enter the give-away. Or shoot me an email. And tell us your favorite holiday sweet treat!

THANK YOU, JEN!

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Holiday Cupcakes!

I adore cupcakes. They are very festive and give the baker the ability to be creative in terms of decoration. I like to add different flavors to the cupcake batter and/or make different types of frosting. One of my recent discoveries is Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes. I admit that I resisted trying Guinness cake for years, afraid that the taste of beer would ruin the cake. But there is no beer flavor, just chocolatey goodness.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes (quantity 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• ½ cup of cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp of salt
• 1 & ½ tsp of baking soda
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup of light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter - softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup of sour cream
• 1 bottle (12 oz) of Guinness or other stout beer

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake baking pans (with butter or cupcake liners).
• Mix the following dry ingredients together in a bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer), mix the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat together until all are incorporated together.
• Add 1 egg and beat until evenly mixed. Don’t forget to scrape down the edges of the bowl.
• Add the 2nd egg and the vanilla extract. Beat until incorporated.
• Add the sour cream and beat together.
• With the mixer still running, SLOWLY add in the Guinness.
• Sift the above mentioned dry ingredients (the flour, cocoa powder & baking soda) into the batter until everything is evenly mixed. Be sure there are no pockets of flour on the sides or on the bottom of the bowl.
• Put ¼ cup of batter into each cup in the cupcake pans. You should get about 24.
• Cook on the middle rack of the fully-heated oven for 20-25 mins. You will know they are done if you insert a toothpick into the cupcake and it comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 4oz stick of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar

Instructions:

• In a stand mixer (or hand mixer), mix the cream cheese, butter and confectioner’s sugar. Beat these until light and fluffy.
• If you are adding anything else to the frosting, mix in now (more information to come).

That is the basic recipe for the cupcakes and for the cream cheese frosting, but you can add so much more.

One of my favorite things to do is to add chocolate chips to the cake batter (dark chocolate works best because these cupcakes are dark). This is really good with Bailey’s cream cheese frosting. For this just add some Bailey’s into the frosting after you’ve got it mixed completely. The amount is completely up to you. Taste it to get a sense of what works for you. Once frosted, decorate with more chocolate chips or even dust some cocoa powder over them.

Do you like mint chocolate? Cut up some mint chocolates and add them to the cake batter. Instead of Baileys in the frosting, try peppermint schnapps or if you prefer something non-alcoholic substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla extract in the recipe. Green food coloring can give the frosting a festive look as can sprinkling some of those mint chocolate pieces over the tops of the cupcakes.

Grand Marnier also adds a great flavor to the cream cheese frosting. I didn’t add anything to the cake batter with these but did top these cupcakes with strawberries.

I am sure there are many more great combinations too!

❊ ❊ ❊

Holy Cupcake! These look amazing. Huge thanks to Jen Porter for these tasty recipes.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in the give-away today--or shoot me an email. Leave your email and location (US, overseas, etc). And let us know your favorite holiday sweet treat!
For complete list of prizes, see original post here.

Stay tuned for the next post, coming up at 12 pm.

Post #3: Penelope's ETSY Favorites, a shopping guide! 

Review and Give-Away for THE HEART OF A DUKE by Victoria Morgan (A Stephanie Kay Review!)

It's release day for THE HEART OF A DUKE! Yippeeee! Victoria Morgan has enjoyed a stellar debut year...her first novel FOR THE LOVE OF A SOLDIER won first place for BEST FIRST BOOK in the Golden Leaf Contest at NJRWA. It was also nominated for Best First Historical at RT Book Reviews. THE HEART OF A DUKE is Morgan's follow-up novel with Berkley.

Stephanie Kay will be reviewing this lovely book today. And I'm giving away a free copy to one lucky commenter. Please leave a comment after the review to be entered in the give-away, and let me know your email address. 

Take it away, Stephanie!

❊❊❊

A Review of The Heart of a Duke by Victoria Morgan

❊Review by Stephanie Kay❊

Have you ever read a debut author and when you finished the book, it felt like you were reading a book written by an author who had been published for years? Well that is how I felt when I read Victoria Morgan’s first book, For the Love of a Soldier. If you haven’t read it, you definitely should. She just won the NJRWA Golden Leaf award for best debut novel and is nominated for an RT award for best first historical. She should totally win!

But I’m not here to review her debut novel…I just like any opportunity to promote it, since I LOVED it!

Back to her second book, The Heart of a Duke. Which I also LOVED.  This book is another example of a great historical romance. The plot is well developed, and filled with mystery and suspense. I loved the sharp and witty dialogue. The pacing is fast and I found myself sucked in by the opening scene.

Mistaken identities and kissing. How can you go wrong with that?

Lady Julia, headstrong and stubborn heroine (my favorite type) is tired of waiting for her betrothed, the Duke of Bedford to marry her. She finds him alone one day and taking matters into her own hands, she kisses him. Only it turns out to be his twin brother, Daniel. Our hero. He is adorable, protective, and enjoys taunting her. I love the combination of teasing and sexual tension that carries through the entire novel. Daniel is determined to protect Julia from his villainous brother, and she is determined to protect him at the same time.

What I love about Victoria’s characters is how well written they are. They come alive on the page. I feel like I’m reading about real people, not just characters in a book. But it is not just the hero and heroine that come alive, but her secondary characters as well. I really hope that a few of them get their own story next. Preferably Brett (Daniel’s business partner) and Emily (Julia’s sister).

I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable historical romance with a happy ending that will make you smile. Victoria Morgan is a new author to watch and I can’t wait for the next book.

The holidays can be stressful, so take a break from all that cookie baking and present wrapping to read this book! (Apparently exclamation points mean yelling, so I’m ordering you to read this book ☺)

Grade: A

❊❊❊

Stephanie, thank you so much for this great review!!!! (note the exclamation points, Stephanie's favorite punctuation). It sounds like another winner from Victoria Morgan!

Please leave a comment to enter the give-away. Contest open until Friday December 6.

Ciao!

Penny

THE SEA QUEEN'S DAUGHTER by Ellis Drake: Review and Give-Away

I discovered the delightful writing voice of Ellis Drake when she sent me a beta read for The Lonely Hipster (which is not yet published, but hopefully soon). It was a quirky, funny, unexpected mystery.

As soon as I finished it, I purchased The Fornarina Affair, a mystery set in Rome that combined a bunch of my favorite topics...Italy, art history, and romance. I am a sucker for books that create a lush, inviting setting and make it part of the fabric of the story itself. Drake clearly has a love of all things Italian, and that came shining through in this novella.

Her latest work, The Sea Queen's Daughter, is another charming novella. This time she has taken "The Little Mermaid" and given it a fascinating twist. This version of the well-known tale is set in Venice, and is a colorful romantic fantasy. The opening chapter is magical, a scene from a masked Carnevale party set on a boat in Venice.

"The woman looked over her shoulder and turned to him, almost as if he willed it. Her mask was unlike anything he'd ever seen, sparkling blue in the candlelight, with an archaic smile and dark blue eyes. Her alabaster neck and shoulders were exposed, baring a necklace that looked like it had been taken from the sea: bits of rounded glass, shell, coral, and tiny fins attached to a slim, barnacle-covered rope."

This first chapter sets the mood for the rest of the piece. There are humorous secondary characters with witty dialogue, there is a beautiful and mysterious woman wearing a glass mask, there is a charming hero instantly smitten, and there are lush, fantastical details of life in Venice and of the sea. This is a very quick, fast-paced story, but it still manages to include some wonderful world-building details. I love how Serena can transform into different types of sea creatures, including a shark, an octopus, and a heroic dolphin. The violent Sea Queen, the horrifying ritual that ties poor Serena to an underwater prison, and the threat of Venice sinking forever into the ocean, create a nice suspenseful storyline.

Drake somehow manages to mix a contemporary feel for dialogue and humor with an apprecation for antiquities, tradition, and history. It's a cool combination, and I am really digging her voice.

To celebrate the release of this story, I am giving away a gorgeous set of Venetian glass earrings (from Etsy of course!) to one lucky commenter, as well as a copy of The Sea Queen's Daughter.

Authentic Venetian glass beads, handmade of Moretti glass, with 24K gold foil, silver foil, and aventurina (copper particles). From VickieJoesJewels, Etsy.

Please leave a comment and you'll be entered to win. I would love to hear about your favorite spots in Italy, or your favorite Italian food, or if you ever took a gondola ride in Venice, or if you ever pretended to be Ariel in The Little Mermaid when you swam in the neighborhood pool.

I'm swimming! I'm swimming!

Comment for a chance to win!

ETA: GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL OCT 1st!

Ciao,
Penelope