Hi! And thanks so much to Roxanne for having me! Today I’d
like to talk about one of my favorite topics…food.
Now, I can’t call myself a foodie, because I don’t enjoy
cooking. However, I do enjoy eating. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I’m
not snobby or picky, which sometimes foodies are, but I do enjoy good food.
I based my latest novel, Sarai’s Fortune, in New York City.
I’ve visited several times, and was able to draw on that personal experience, but
it has been a while since my last visit, so I also did a lot of virtual travel
thanks to Google. I could talk about all the great museums, the historical buildings,
the theater district, the park, and all the incredible things to do in NYC. But
I thought it might be more fun to talk about the food!
The Big Apple is known for having great restaurants. It’s
also known for some specific kinds of foods. Here are a few of my favs:
New York Style Pizza
I’ve always thought of New York pizza as very wide/flat
pieces with large, then pepperoni slices, but research has told me that’s not
entirely the story. Pizza as we and the world know it and love it was invented
in New York at Lombardi's.
Eggs Benedict
One of my favorite breakfast dishes, it is poached egg and
Canadian bacon on an English muffin covered with a very French hollandaise
sauce. It was the creation of the legendary Oscar of the Waldorf and first
served at the Waldorf Hotel in the 1890s, supposedly with a shaved truffle on
top.
New York Style
Cheesecake
This cheesecake is the type most of us know today, but was
made particularly famous by Junior’s in downtown Brooklyn. The difference was
cream cheese. As I understand it, Junior’s is still there, and still making
cheesecake!
Manhattan Clam
Chowder
Now, I consider clam chowder to be an entirely east coast
thing. Clam chowder is usually cream and even potato (I don’t eat it a lot – so
you traditionalists feel free to pipe up). Manhattan Clam Chowder (which was
originally called Coney Island Clam Chowder) is more Italian with a red tomato
broth. It can even lean toward Cajun depending on the spices and veggies added.
Hamburgers and Hotdogs
That’s right. This is an entirely NYC invention that is now
an American tradition. Apparently it originated as a food for German sailors,
which was interesting.
Hotdogs, meanwhile, were a different invention, but also
originating in NYC – Coney Island of course. And I say Nathan’s still makes the
best hotdogs.
Cupcakes – Magnolia
Bakery
I admit it…I’m a cupcake nut! And every time I hear about
cupcakes I hear about Magnolia Bakery in NYC. Next time I’m there I will definitely
be giving this place a try.
http://www.magnoliabakery.com/
I hope you enjoyed my trip down foods of New York City.
Maybe next time you’re there, you’ll try out one of the originals of those
items. I know I will!
Sarai’s Fortune
Shadowcat Nation
Book 2
Abigail Owen
Genre: paranormal romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Number of pages: 246
Word Count: 60,000
Book Description:
Zac Montclair's first priority is to protect his people. With the escalating war between factions of shifters over land and resources, he has agreed to an alliance between his polar bears and the Shadowcat Nation of cougar shifters. But the treaty comes with a condition…he must accept one of their Seers into his Timik and put her under his personal protection.
Sarai Bouchard doesn't need her supernatural gift to know that Kyle Carstairs's obsession with controlling her ability will eventually result in her misery and demise. Her power is essential to her people's survival, so when Kyle goes rogue, she's sent to Zac Montclair to keep her safe. However, her visions reveal that while staying will lead to their becoming lovers, it also leads to his death. Leaving Zac will result in her own.
Excerpt
Book 2:
Sarai concentrated on precise,
sharp movements with as much power as she could muster. She’d only been working
out for ten minutes or so. She’d started the day similarly yesterday. She cooked breakfast, eating with the
guys. She dragged George and Scott on more sightseeing trips. Today she’d
decided to explore a small portion of Central Park. She didn’t try to lose them
this time. When they’d got home, they’d hit the gym.
Now, Sarai tuned out Scott and
George—who were sparring across the way from her—to focus on her own drills.
“How about you try that out on a
man who moves and reacts.”
Sarai spun on her heel to find
Zac standing behind her. He was wearing running pants and a tight tank top,
which meant she didn’t need to use her imagination to picture the muscles of
his arms and chest. They were on display. Her own personal show. Sarai
swallowed.
Then she computed what he’d said.
How was she going to get out of this? The truth was she couldn’t spar. Her
visions messed her up. But that was a secret she had no intention of sharing
with three people.
“Not really a good idea.”
He stared at her for a long
moment. Then he glanced over her shoulder at George and Scott who’d stopped to
listen. “I’ve got this, fellas. Why don’t you go back up to the apartment?”
There was no doubt in her mind
that was a command, not a suggestion. Clearly the guys thought so too. She
watched them leave the room with wide eyes.
As the door closed behind them,
Zac’s hands landed on her shoulders, turning her to face them. “Okay, kuluk. It’s
just you and me now. What are you not saying?”
Sarai had never felt this
vulnerable in her life. Or this scared. This man got to her in a way no one
else ever had. How was she supposed to resist that?
“Why is this so important to
you?”
He moved his hands from her
shoulders to frame her face, his fingers threading through the dark blond
strands of her hair. “Keeping you safe is important to me. I need to know how
much you can defend yourself if you have to. It will help me determine just
what I need to prepare for. No surprises. Okay?”
Sarai took a deep breath. He
couldn’t have meant it that way. Just the thought of being important to this
big, strong man connected with the frightened, lonely little girl who’d spent
her life just trying to survive. But she couldn’t think that way. She had to
leave him, and that knowledge made her want to cry.
Seeing her hesitation, he brushed
her cheeks softly with the pads of his thumbs. “Let me help you with this
burden,” he murmured softly, his voice a hypnotic, deep rumble.
Sarai bit her lip. Sharing this
with him really wasn’t that big a deal. She knew she could trust him.
On a deep inhale, she gave a tiny
nod and started talking before she could change her mind. “Okay.”
He gave her one of those rare
little half-smiles, making her suddenly very glad she had agreed to capitulate.
Thankfully, he released her and stepped back, giving her room to breathe.
About the Author:
Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.
Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
Website/Blog: http://abigailowen.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AOwenBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/abbyowen/
1 comments:
Thanks so much for hosting me Roxanne!! :)
Post a Comment