The writings and ramblings of Colette Saucier

Welcome to the Thursday Thirteen for December 13th, 2012! This week, I offer a recipe of my own creation, which just happens to have 13 ingredients.  A few years ago (before all of the current turmoil), my daughter and I vacationed in Tunisia for a week, and I went absolutely mad for the couscous they prepared there. When I returned to the States, I went on a mission to recreate the couscous I had eaten there; and after multiple attempts, I finally got the flavour just right! Enjoy~             Colette's Tunisian Couscous Olive oil 1 Onion, chopped into large pieces 6 chicken thighs 4 tbsp. Tomato paste 2 large potatoes 1 cup baby carrots 1 tbsp. harissa   (can substitute other chili paste or chili powder) ½ tbsp. cinnamon ½ tbsp. cumin ½ tbsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 c. uncooked couscous (quick-cooking)  In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté onion in olive oil until slightly soft.  Add chicken thigh...

Welcome to the Hump Day Hook Hop for 12/12/12! With this blog hop, each author posts one paragraph from a WIP or finished book for all to see. Then, it would be really cool if you could visit all the writers participating and comment on their paragraph! This excerpt is from my current work in progress, Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth , the sequel to Pulse and Prejudice , the vampire adaptation of Jane Austen's classic love story.  Several familiar faces in this excerpt.... A blood-curdling scream echoed through the house and reverberated off the panes in the windows.   Darcy and Bingley exchanged wide-eyed looks while Mary Bennet turned from her book and glanced up at the ceiling.   As the screams died down, a frowning Mr. Bennet walked into the parlor wiping his glasses with a cloth and looked between the visibly shaken gentlemen. “Fret not,” he said, forcing his features to relax, but his eyes were edged in anxiety.   “I have long said that women are the...

Friends of The League of British Artists ,  in conjunction with  DarcyandLizzy.Com are giving away copies of their books for Christmas - INCLUDING Pulse and Prejudice ! The contest will run until December 23rd , at which time all the entrants names will be entered into a drawing. The first name drawn will be given their choice of book; the next given their choice and so forth until we have given away all of the available print books or E-books. Enter by leaving a comment HERE with your email address and preference for print or eBook. This is your chance to win any of these wonderful books: About Pulse and Prejudice When the haughty and wealthy Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives in the rural county of Hertfordshire, he finds he cannot control his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet – a horrifying thought because, as she is too far below his social standing to ignite his heart, he fears she must appeal to the dark impulses he struggles to ...

for December 9th, 2012 The following excerpt is from Pulse and Prejudice , the paranormal adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, which tells the story of Mr. Darcy, vampire . In this scene, Darcy - in pursuit of the evil vampire Wickham - confronts Mrs. Younge who has long been under Wickham's control. As Mrs. Younge approached the opening of an alley, Darcy crossed the street in an instant and had pulled her into the dark passage before she could gasp, let alone scream. “Mr. Darcy!” she cried, her shock turning quickly to fear as she tried to pull out of the firm grip he held on her arm. “Do not scream,” he warned her in a low but threatening tone. “I will not harm you; I only want Wickham.” “I told you, I have not seen him - I do not know where he is.” Darcy grabbed the collar of her dress and pulled it down from her throat to reveal two tiny puncture wounds, and then she did gasp. Please find more information, reviews, and excerpts at  www.pulseandprejudice.com . ...

Welcome to the Thursday Thirteen for December 6, 2012! Here are 13 useless items (out of hundreds) I own. I did not include small kitchen appliances as that could be a future Thursday 13 on its own. 1. Manual Coffee Grinder - I don't even use my electric coffee grinder. 2. Cassette Tapes - We literally have well over a hundred of these, but no player. 3. Absinthe Spoons - I purchased a set of 6 of these when I got a bottle of absinthe when it first came out. I had no idea it tasted like liquorice.  I hate liquorice. And I hate absinthe. 4. Tortilla Keeper - This is meant to keep tortillas warm at the table while assembling Mexican fare. This purchase assured that I would never make fajitas or soft tacos again. 5. Bagel slicer - Likewise, once purchased, we never had unsliced bagels again. 6. Random Unidentifiable Keys 7. Salt Cellar - Hey - Did you know they have salt shakers now?? 8. Magic Wand from Ollivanders - This would not have been usel...