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Fiction, Food, and Foolishness
Burn One,Take it Through Garden, and Pin a Rose on it
BURN ONE, TAKE IT THROUGH THE GARDEN AND PIN A ROSE ON IT!
Wonder what the heck we’re talking about? Well, May is National Hamburger Month. A staple at cookouts and greasy spoon cafes all across the nation, and the Diner lingo title to this blog is the way they used to be ordered.
“Burn one” refers to dropping the burger on the grill. “Taking it through the garden” means topping it with lettuce and tomato, and to finish it off, you pin a rose (onion), the most fragrant of flowers, on it!
Man, that diner slang just adds some fun to the order! Of course, in recent years the Fast Food King has been elevated to a ‘gourmet’ status. The origin is unclear, but burgers have been around for a long time. A recipe for a hamburger appears in a cookbook written in the 1700s, and in the 1800s, emigrants ate them on their way to America.
In 1896, the Chicago Daily Tribune mentioned a place called The Sandwich Car that offered a Hamburger steak sandwich ‘cooked while you waited on the gasoline range for a nickel.’
ANN: Hey, back in 1967, I bought hamburgers at McDonald’s in Austin, Texas for nineteen cents! Only a fourteen-cent price increase from 1896!!
J. Wellington “Whimpy,” Popeye the Sailor Man’s friend, helped hamburger popularity when he appeared in the cartoon as a hefty Lover of Hamburgers in 1930. His soft spoken and cowardly personality was in direct contrast to his willingness to do whatever it took to get one, or a billion, for free.
They come in all sizes, consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat; usually beef, pan-fried, grilled, smoked or flame broiled, served on a sliced bun with lettuce, tomato, red, white or grilled onions, pickles, bacon, cheese. Sliced avocados, peppers, mushrooms, along with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, or relish.
SUSAN: The best burger I ever ate? October 3, 1969. On the way to Corpus Christi, my husband and I stopped at a little café. We’d only been married a few hours, and after being too busy and too nervous to eat all day, we were starving. Boy, did it taste good.
If burgers are your favorite fast food, then you’re in good company. Bruce Springsteen loves a good diner burger. Venus Williams prefers one from Mickey D’s, while Katy Perry fancies In-N-Out-Burgers.
SUSAN: My favorite is a well-done pattie on a toasted bun, mustard on one side, and mayonnaise on the other, grilled onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. Sometimes thin-sliced avocados. Sometimes melted cheese.
ANN: Just so you know, to order that well-done burger in diner lingo, the waitress would shout, “One Hockey Puck.” My favorite thing about a burger is the sauce I put on it. I mix 3 parts mayo with 1-part mustard, add lots of ground black pepper, and slather it on both buns. I love to add grilled mushrooms and onions, along with lettuce and some good ol’ East Texas maters!
For more information about Susan: https://www.susanroyal.com
GABBIN’ ABOUT BOOKS AND BOOBS
Two Gals Gabbin’
About books, movies, cooking, and advice
Decorating, shopping, and finding the best price
Life, love and raising kids
Along with do-hickeys, what-cha-ma-call-its, and thing-a-ma-jigs
We’re just two Texas gals
Straight from the sticks
The only thing we won’t gab about
Is religion and politics!
Since, we, the Gabbin’ Gals are writers, we have to mention some of the book/reading related holidays coming up this week. We’ve included links and a little bit of gab for you to check out! Also, be sure and read all the way to the end for a giveaway!
April 21, 2020
National Library Day
www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek
April 22, 2020
National Bookmobile Day
www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek/national-bookmobile-day
***Please note: This post was written and scheduled prior to the stay-at-home order, so these event are cancelled, but we thought they were still worth mentioning. There’s always next year!!
Susan shares memories of what the bookmobile meant to her as a child.
I’ll never forget my childhood visits to the bookmobile. Dispatched every other week from the central library in downtown San Antonio, Texas, the unassuming airstream trailer sat at the local shopping center for the day. Inside, books filled floor to ceiling shelves. An attendant sat at a small table on one end, reading, of course.
The place beckoned me with as much excitement and anticipation as a picnic or a day at the pool because it represented adventure, escape, and fantasy.
I journeyed far away from that little trailer sitting in the parking lot under the hot Texas sun. My travels took me far north, sledding down an icy hill, building a snowman, or making snow angels. I sailed to tropical islands, ate pineapple, and slept in a hammock. I rode across the plains in a Conestoga Wagon and hunted buffalo with the Indians. Met King Arthur and Excalibur. But my favorite childhood trips were the ones where I visited magical places that only existed in the author’s dreams.
Those days are long gone, but I’ve never stopped experiencing that rush of excitement I get when I pick up a book and start a new journey.
April 23, 2020
World Book Night
https://worldbooknight.org/
April 25, 2020
Eeyore’s Birthday!
http://eeyores.org/
This one we just had to gab about!
Eeyore’s Birthday Party, Austin, Texas. Eeyore turns 57!! It’s a fun-filled day for kids, benefitting non-profits, but what we found interesting was in the FAQ section where one of the inquires was: Can I go Topless?
WHAT????
Well, you may be surprised by the answer:
Yes. Texas is one of 36 states that does not forbid toplessness. Austin also doesn’t disallow it. Many attendees choose to paint their breasts in celebration of Eeyore’s birthday. You might be inspired to the do the same. We offer face painting at the event if you find your painting skills are lacking. We also sell pasties for those of us that are more modest.
Check out last year’s photos here: https://imageevent.com/cbusch/eeyoresbirthday2019
Eeyore is a character in the Winnie-the-Pooh book series, written by A. A. Milne. He is characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, old gray donkey who suffers from anhedonia, which is the inability to feel pleasure.
So, Susan, would you go topless at Eeyore’s birthday? Or choose the more modest route of pasties?
Susan: I don’t know about you, but I have to wonder about someone sending a query whether or not they could celebrate Eeyore’s birthday topless. I could just hear Eeyore saying, “Ohhhh-kayyy.” It has to be someone young and/or perky. Or maybe they commented on the wrong thread. It’s not something I’d consider under any circumstances. As hot as it gets by the end of April in Texas, I’d get a serious sunburn!
Ann: I wouldn’t worry so much about sunburn. I’d worry that after the body painter finished, I’d have two sad basset hounds draped to my waist!!
Find out more about Susan here: https://www.susanaroyal.com
READERS, would you consider going topless at Eeyore’s party? Give us your opinions. We’d love to hear them, and one lucky commenter will win two eBooks of your choice—one from Susan, and one from Ann or her alter ego, Emma Ames.
Until next time, stay safe—stay well.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Laura Haley-McNeil shares her new release and experience as a Hollywood “extra.” I loved reading about her brush with stardom! I hope you do—and—you’ll check out her new contemporary romance, Call it Love, which releases today. To stay up to date with everything going on in Laura’s life, be sure and follow her on social media.
Lights! Camera! Action!
When my book Call It Love, Book 3 of the Beaumont Brides Series, started to germinate in my head, I knew I wanted to create a Hollywood romance for my two characters―Addison and Spencer. It was the perfect book for me to write. Because I’m a Southern California girl, I actually had a little bit of experience with the film industry.
The studios are always looking for background actors, and I learned about these opportunities by word of mouth. Many of the background actors were serious actors and hung out at the studios. They learned about the casting calls first and scooped up the openings that provided face time and could lead to something else. For someone like me who has no acting experience, these gigs were a great way to pad an income.
The jobs can vary in length from a day to much longer. The gig paid more than most high school jobs, and the studio supplied delicious, catered meals. When I would hear about the call, I’d try to find out what to wear that day―did they need bikini clad girls (my mother would never permit it), girls in dresses, winter clothes? Whatever they needed, I’d fit the call.
When we arrived, and if we were selected for a scene, we had to register. We were paid at the end of the day so they needed our information to make sure the checks were processed correctly. Once on the set, everything was locked. They were paying us to work, not leave then return when filming had been completed to pick up the paycheck.
And what was the day like? It could be pretty boring. We waited around for our scenes to be setup. We had to listen to directions and watch cues to make sure we performed correctly. The stars could make mistakes, but we couldn’t. We’d walk across the set or dance or pretend like we were afraid or angry. We had to be quiet. The sound was dubbed in later.
A kiss isn’t just a kiss …
Struggling actress Addison Duvall hustles background acting jobs at the Hollywood studios in hopes for her big break. When she’s cast as the stand in for the lead actress in a blockbuster spy film, she can’t believe her luck. The surprises rush in―her first test shot is with Hollywood heartthrob Spencer Kingsley. Her even bigger surprise is when the director yells, “Action!” and Spencer presses his lips to hers in a kiss.
Behind Spencer’s Hollywood façade hides the secret pain no one suspects. He’s the first to take a risk except when it comes to his heart. He can’t deny he and Addison have chemistry―chemistry onscreen and off―and he’s tempted to lower his guard. She seems real, not like the women he usually meets.
Once Addison’s star rises, so do Spencer’s doubts. She’s no different than the others looking for the connection to catapult their careers. He won’t let another woman damage his heart. His decision made, Spencer wishes her success. But it’s already too late. How does he heal this Addison shaped hole in his heart? Should he risk more heartbreak for another chance at love?
Wherever Love Finds You, Book 1
When Love Whispers, Book 2
Call It Love, Book 3
If you love sweet romance, download a sample or buy Call It Love now.
Chapter One
Addison Duvall stood apart from the cast and crew crowded across the Hollywood soundstage and ended the call on her cell phone. She dropped her head back against the concrete wall and closed her eyes, but that did little to still the emotions rising in her chest.
Her agent, Donny White, had just told her she didn’t get the part on the sitcom that she was sure she had. The director was looking for someone tanner, blonder, shorter. She could be all those things if given a chance. She could go to a tanning salon, dye her dark hair, and slouch.
Donny laughed and told her he’d scheduled her for another audition. “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll get you something,” he said. But he said that every time they talked.
Sometimes she wondered if she should’ve accepted the teaching job she’d been offered and stayed in Colorado―even if it was January and freezing.
Conversations on the set silenced. Addison’s eyes flew open, and she clutched her copy of the screenplay for When We Say Goodbye to her chest. She’d been hired as the stand-in for Irene Wayne, the female lead in this top-budget spy film, and she didn’t want to miss her cue.
A tall, powerfully built man stepped onto the set. Spencer Kingsley, the film’s star, was the grandson of Hollywood great Mirabelle La Marr Kingsley and the hottest actor in town. His parents would’ve been acting legends had a tragic accident not claimed their lives.
Addison’s heart beat rapidly. She might be Irene’s stand-in, but this was the closest she’d ever get to Spencer Kingsley. When Irene’s scenes were shot, she’d be with Spencer in nearly every scene. Lucky girl.
A native of California, Laura Haley-McNeil spent her youth studying ballet and piano, though her favorite pastime was curling up with a good book. Without a clue as to how to write a book, she knew one day she would.
After college, she segued into the corporate world, but she never forgot her love for the arts and served on the board of two community orchestras. Finally realizing that the book she’d dreamt of writing wouldn’t write itself, she planted herself in front of her computer. She now immerses herself in the lives and loves of her characters in her romantic suspense and her contemporary romance novels. Many years later, she lived her own romantic novel when she married her piano teacher, the love of her life.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LauraHaleyMcNeil/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/laurarmcneil
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lauramcneil/
Website:
https://laurahaleymcneil.com
Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/lchm4115/
BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-haley-mcneil?list=author_books
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Haley-McNeil/e/B008S3WD10
Audio narrator Sandra W. Parker
Today, I am so pleased to feature an interview with Sandra W. Parker, audio narrator of Emma Ames’ Sweet Thangs Mystery series. The first two audio books are finished, and the third will soon be in production. I love how Sandra captured the ‘voices’ of the characters. The covers are shown below along with a url where you can hear a sample. I also have some free codes you can use to download a copy of your choice of audio books. If you’d like one, please leave a comment here on the website, and I’ll send you a code.
https://adbl.co/369sONS https://tinyurl.com/sl3uayy
How did you get started in the voice-over business?
I saw an invitation to see if I have the chops for voice-over from the Such A Voice website. I had been a performer for many years in community theater and a soloist in the church choir, so this looked like a good fit for me. I worked with a private voice coach and attended many workshops and conferences on the business end and started auditioning. My first break came several months after that with an offer to narrate and produce an audiobook via the ACX platform.
Do you work out of a home studio?
I have a home studio which I designed with some help from some sound engineers.
Have any photos you’d like to share?
Sandra’s workspace
What’s your favorite genre to narrate?
Hmmmm….I really don’t have a favorite. I would say a well written story, both fiction and non-fiction. However, I like Historical fiction and autobiographies.
As an author, I rarely meet a person who doesn’t want to write a book. Have you ever wanted to write one? If so, what genre would it be?
I have thought about it, with the encouragement of my son. I would write about my life as “an accidental teacher”.
What time of day do you work best?
I am a morning person! I run out of gas around 3:30. Probably comes from 20 years of teaching.
Just in the past few years, books published each month, have gone from 50,000 to over 80,000. This means, authors, especially self-published authors, have a ton of competition. Has the voice-over business seen a similar growth?
Oh my yes!!!! The good news is how accepting the industry is now of home studios. In fact, many companies that I contract with require a home studio.
Now for some fun questions
If a famous restaurant named a sandwich after you, what would it be called?
The Sandrich. It would have sprouts, avocado and pimento cheese on it and be on some kind of artisan bread.
In the Sweet Thangs Mysteries, you’re narrating, my character, Rayann, is afraid of everything from skunks to garden gnomes. What unusual thing/things are you afraid of if any? I’m not talking spiders or snakes, etc.
Bridges!!!!!! They fall!!!!!! I have discovered that this phobia is not that uncommon; not like the goofy things Rayann is afraid of! She has a healthy respect for skunks, but I still scratch my head over the gnome thing. Kinda like her fear of clowns.
If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island, other than food and water, what two items would you want to have with you?
Duct tape and very sharp knife.
According to world news, it won’t be too far in the future until regular folks can travel into space. Would you want to go?
NO THANK YOU!!!!!!
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
I would live in the mountains of Colorado. I love the seasons: ski in the winter and golf in the summer. The weather is spectacular!
What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
My children, mostly. I wonder how they are doing; what they are doing; if they are happy. (they are all grown)
In the animal world, would you be a sheep or a wolf? Why?
I would rather be a wolf. I do not have the herd mentality of sheep.
People always ask me what book I’m reading. I think they expect authors to only be writers, not readers. But the truth is, you can’t be a writer if you don’t read. So, I’m generally reading at least 10 unpublished works from fellow writers, and one published book for my own enjoyment. I know you have to read the books you narrate, but do you read other books…or, do you listen to other audiobooks? If so, who is your favorite author?
I do love to read for fun. I love the books that Dorothea Benton Frank writes. I also listen to audiobooks for inspiration. My problem with listening to audiobooks is that I also hear the small mistakes that are missed in editing; mispronunciation and such as that.
Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life and why?
Probably my dad. He was a man of virtue, but was also funny and quirky. He also was a performer, as was my mom. Dad said to take what life gives you and don’t overthink it! Just go with it! I really think he was trying to teach me perseverance.
Thank you, Sandra! I’ve loved learning about your process!
COVID19 Produces Bestsellers
The other day, I heard someone say there are two kinds of people. Writers, and those who want to be writers!
I agree. I rarely meet anyone who doesn’t say, “I’ve always wanted to write a book.”
My advice is always the same. “What’s stopping you?”
“Time,” they reply. “I just don’t have the time.”
Well, guess what? Because of COVID19 confinement most of us have lots of TIME on our hands. So why not put the seat of your pants on the seat of a chair and give it a whirl? Besides, in this difficult situation, we need to find things that inspire and encourage us. And, a little bit of humor doesn’t hurt.
If the thought of writing an entire novel causes you to break out in a cold sweat… and hopefully, that is the cause, then start small. Why not record some funny moments from your past. My son spent last week transferring recordings from video to digital and enjoyed every moment of the trip down memory lane when his kids were toddlers. I’ve actually used some of their shenanigans in my books!
Or, perhaps this is a good time to start a journal or write a short story.
That’s how I started. I never intended to publish anything but during a visit to my hometown, I encountered a landscaper in the cemetery who made me laugh at just about everything he said. I wanted to put that experience on paper before I forgot it. But what began as a short story, quickly turned into 25,000 words and I wasn’t finished! That led to my first novel.
I’m wondering, how many bestsellers will emerge from the COVID19 pandemic? There’s bound to be a few. Who knows? You could be one of them.
How Bad is My Eyesight?
HOW BAD IS MY EYESIGHT?
The last time I visited the DPS to renew my driver’s license, the clerk encouraged me to read the eye chart without my glasses. When I refused, she attempted to convince me so I might get the restriction removed.
News Flash. I don’t need a restriction to tell me I’m restricted! My eyeglasses are the first thing I put on in the morning, and the last thing I take off at night. Trying to read without them is a waste of time.
However, there is one thing other than sleeping when I don’t wear them. In the shower. Normally, that’s no big deal. I have everything arranged on the tub’s ledge that I need, and I see well enough without my specs to identify each bottle.
So, the other day, I’m washing my hair and reach for the **shampoo… which my husband has just replaced. He is so thoughtful to put it in the exact spot it belongs. But, when I put it on, it doesn’t lather like it usually does. I immediately blame the company for changing the formula. I rinse and add more for a second time and it still doesn’t produce suds.
I rinse again, lean my head around the curtain and grab my glasses. He’d bought conditioner instead of shampoo! I removed my glasses again, and decided to use his which lathered okay and smelled great.
Later, when I mentioned his mistake and that I’d used his tangerine shampoo instead, he looked at me like I was crazy, and said, “That isn’t shampoo. It’s body wash!”
As I said, I can identify each bottle—I just can’t read the print!! My restriction is clear!!
**Shampoo Recommendation
If you’re looking for a good shampoo that won’t break your piggy bank, you should give this one a try. I’ll put it up against any brand.
Ann Everett, Best Selling Author
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{I hope you enjoy this sweet, short-story romance!}