Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with CYNTHIA WOOLF

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!!  Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors.

Introducing author, CYNTHIA WOOLF, and her favorite recipe for MONSTER COOKIES!

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  About the author, Cynthia Woolf….

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she’d attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter’s table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn’t looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

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BOOK PEEK – THE SWORDS OF GREGARA – JENALA by Cynthia Woolf

Jenala Delasa is alone and in trouble. Someone wants her kalcion mine. They’ll stop at nothing, even murder. Jenala needs help.

Santro Baltin is just what the beautiful red-head needs. He’s huge, a master swordsman, and has a heart big enough to give her the room she needs to heal. When it comes to Jenala’s enemy however, he has his own agenda.

To defeat the notorious Zlaten Vandalar, they have to work together, mind to mind, shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart.

EXCERPT – THE SWORDS OF GREGARA – JENALA by Cynthia Woolf

Swords clashed.  Jenala Delasa fought savagely for her life against the man who would dare try to get her kalcion mine.  And claim her.  The bastard Zlaten Vandalar.  The man she believed murdered her father six months ago.  He attacked her with the intention of kidnapping and raping her, giving her no choice but to be claimed under the law.  She’d fall on her own sword before she’d allow him to claim her.  No, he attacked her in the narrow alleyway with every intention of kidnapping and raping her.

A passerby, having heard the gray metal swords clanging off of each other, sparks flying, and her shouts of rage, rushed to watch the spectacle.  Jenala dared him a quick glance when he yelled and ran toward them.  Momentarily startled, she missed her jab.  Zlaten sidestepped, turned and flayed open her back from the left shoulder to the bottom of her ribcage on the right side.  Jenala fell to the ground.  Zlaten looked up at the stranger approaching and visibly paled.  He sneered at her as he ran a finger through her blood that dripped from the tip of his sword.  “You’re not fit now.  I’ll come when you’re healed then you’ll be mine.”   He looked up at the stranger getting closer, turned and ran.

The stranger came to her, her sword still tightly gripped in her right hand.  She dropped to her knees, never releasing her sword.  The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth from where she’d bitten her tongue.  She looked up with pain bleary eyes, expecting to see reproach or perhaps opportunity.  If this man decided to claim her as Zlaten had, she could not fight him off.  Instead she saw compassion.  He removed his shirt and took great care to wrap her back to staunch the flow of blood.  Jenala hissed at the contact, white flashing light blurred her vision.  She knew he tried his best to cause her as little pain as possible, but it didn’t matter Jenala didn’t know if she could handle the searing pain another moment.  He picked her up and carried her toward town.  The only person who could help was the town nupenian, who cared for animals.  The quack they had for a doctor would surely kill her and she wasn’t taking the chance.  Brenton could sew her up as well as the doctor could.

“Take me to the nupenian,” she said, her voice little more than a croak.

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BOOK PEEK  ~ THE SWORDS OF GREGARA – RIZA by Cynthia Woolf

EXCERPT  ~ THE SWORDS OF GREGARA – RIZA by Cynthia Woolf

“Ow!  Are you trying to kill me, Doc?”

The man was understandably nervous, but he had to allow her to set his leg.  She knew he was in a lot of pain.  The bone stuck out through the skin and he had lost a lot of blood, but he needed to relax so she could set the leg.

“I haven’t even started yet.  Stop being a baby.  Here we go.  You’ll feel a little pinch in your neck, then count backwards from one hundred.”

“Ouch!  Little pinch!”

“Count, now!”

“One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight, ninety-seven, ninety….”

“Finally.”  Riza worked quickly, not sure just how long he would stay out.  She opened his leg, surgically implanted two kalcion rods and several screws to secure them to the bones.  It would have been so much easier with a med-tech unit.  But there were none on Gregara.  They weren’t allowed.  There were many things on the other civilized planets that weren’t allowed here, like blasters, but for some reason blasters always seemed to make it through the customs process.  In Ruciem it seemed that as many people carried blasters as carried the traditional kalcion sword.

Most of the planet preferred to keep their customs, barbaric as they were.  They used swords, not blasters and preferred the body to heal itself without help from technology.  It made her work much more difficult.  A broken leg like this one could have been healed in a few hours in a med-tech unit.

She stitched everything closed.  Doing surgeries like this one allowed her to keep her skills sharp.  It may not be necessary, but this man would have the smallest stitches ever put on a leg repair.  Her skills as a plastic surgeon might not be usable here, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t keep her stitching up to par.

With her patient now awake and groggy, Riza went to talk to the next of kin.  There was only one man in the waiting room.  An extremely attractive man, if you liked handsome in a rugged sort of way.  He hadn’t shaved recently and his inky black hair was on the long side, tied back with a leather strap.  It suited him.

He stood as she approached.  Well over six feet tall, he towered over her own five feet, ten inch height.

“Mr. Remaul?” she said holding out her hand.

“Yes.”   His hand engulfed hers.

“I’m Riza Lamrona.”

“Doctor.  How is Tarin?”

“He’ll be fine, but he’s going to have to stay in bed for a week or so before he’s ready to travel.  I want to make sure the bones start to mend properly.  Can you arrange that?”

“Of course.  We have rooms at Wardson’s Bedstay.”

She nodded.  “I wish there was a hospital here.  A med-tech unit would be even better but….”

“I guess they don’t think they need one.”

“Well, he will heal fine, but it could be so much faster and better.  You’re not from around here, are you?”

“No.  I came from Alerkan a couple of years ago.  And you, where are you from?”

“I’m from many places.  Alerkan is one of them.”  Riza retreated to her work.  She didn’t want to make small talk.  Her secrets were too dangerous.  “Here are some pills to help with the pain.  Have Tarin take them.  Don’t let him try to ‘tough’ it out.  Sarina Wardson is used to my sending her patients to care for.  I’ll check on him in the morning.”

“What time do you want him here?”

“Oh, I’m staying with Sarina myself until I find a place of my own.  I’ll come by before I head to work.”

“Good.”

“Yes.  Um. Well.  It was nice to meet you.”  Riza wasn’t usually tongue-tied but she seemed to be with this man.

“You, too.  Perhaps, since you are staying at Wardson’s, I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”

“Unless I get an emergency call, you can count on it.”

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BOOK PEEK  ~ THE SWORDS OF GREGARA – HONORA by Cynthia Woolf

They stole her love, her life and want to steal the secrets secured in her mind. Secrets that could topple world governments and decimate quadrant security forever.  Now she’s on an epic quest to find out why and make those responsible pay.

Honora Reyestat gave up everything to become a member of the esteemed Gregarian Guard.  No family, no friends, no connections–nothing that can ever be used against her.  Captured and enslaved, she’s become a prized gladiator for her master.  Given the task of training a new slave, she recognizes a fellow Zolthor and the son of a tribal leader at that.  Her mission changes from discovery of the enemy’s tactics and secrets to returning Joridan to his people.

Drawn to this fierce woman as no other, Joridan Dolana tries to explain she is wrong.  He’s not Zolthor, he’s Centauri.  He was raised on Centauri with his sister.  Faced with proof of a father’s ultimate betrayal, he must choose between revenge and the protection of this woman who has sworn to never return his love.

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EXCERPT  ~ THE SWORDS OF GREGARA – HONORA by Cynthia Woolf

“Oww” a woman’s voice awash with pain reached his ears.

“You disappoint me, Honora.  You continue to try to escape me.  When will you learn?” asked a whiney voiced man.

The whip struck flesh.  Again the woman moaned but didn’t scream.  She didn’t scream.

When he woke again he was not alone but the man with the whip was gone.  Chained across the room from him, hung by her wrists, was a woman.  He could see the lash marks on her back. Lash upon lash, new over old.  They obstructed the beautiful tattoo of a dragon on her back.  The blood hard to see within the red of the dragon.

Crawling to her he released her hands from the chains holding her up.  She collapsed in a heap on the floor.  He crawled back to his side of the room as darkness overtook him once more.

*****

The dried blood on her back cracked with each movement, but she worked through the pain as she stretched.  Breathed deep and accepted the pain.  Her sword weighed heavier in her hand than usual.  More evidence of the lashing two nights ago.  She looked down at the unconscious man at her feet.  A new recruit.  A Zolthor,  like herself.  Another reason Perdor punished her for her attempted escape, her sixth try in as many months.

This last punishment was the worst.  Five lashes.  Not enough to incapacitate her but enough to make her remember.  Perdor wanted her to be able to train the new slave.  He wanted them to be a team, good enough to take on all contenders.  He’d be the only owner with two Zolthor fighting for him.  Not just one, but a team.  He was practically wetting himself in anticipation of the beras that he’ll win with a team of Zolthor fighters.

Again she looked down on the naked man.  Long brown lashes lay against his cheek.  A nice contrast to his golden blond hair.  What color eyes did they hide?  Blue?  Green?  Brown perhaps.  She’d find out soon enough.

He was a beautiful man.  Well formed.  Broad shoulders.  Trim waist.  Long muscular legs.  He looked like a warrior.  Would be a good fighter.  Maybe even a good lover as he appeared well endowed there as well.

He’d awakened from the drug induced sleep long enough to crawl over and release her from the chains.  For that she was grateful.  Her wrists didn’t hurt as much as usual because of him.  Using her blades was easier than it had been after her previous punishments.

Time to wake up the sleeping man and get him trained.  Time was short and she intended to make the most of it.  He would learn or he would die.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA AND HER SWORDS OF GREGARA SERIES:

Website:  www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog:  www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

I hope you enjoy the recipe Cynthia is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s.  Happy eating!

Karen

P.S.  We’re at 72 recipes and counting with this posting.  Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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MONSTER COOKIES

1 pound butter

1 dozen eggs

2 pounds brown sugar

4 cups white sugar

1 large package M&M

1 large package Reeses Pieces

1 large package chocolate chips

1 large package butterscotch chips

3 pounds peanut butter

8 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon white Karo syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

18 cups oatmeal

In extra large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, vanilla and sugars.  Move to extra large soup pot.  Add dry ingredients then add candies.  Drop by tablespoon full.  Makes 22 dozen cookies.  Dough freezes well and the recipe can easily be cut in half or quarters.

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**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Cynthia will give away a kindle  gift (or Nook or Smashwords coupon) of SWORDS OF GREGARA – HONORA to one lucky reader, as well as a $5 Starbucks gift to a second lucky reader!!  Comment on either her Monday Interview and/or Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs for a chance to win.  Winners will be randomly selected and announced Monday, January 21, 2013.  Thanks, Cynthia, for sharing your stories with us!