Author: Linda

Day 5 – How do you see Colour?

Today is Day 5 of the Perfectly Reasonable Countdown! Margo loves colour so she has 5 fun facts about colour for you!

People see colour before anything else. Try reading these:

Green Yellow Red Orange Purple Blue

Your brain wants to read the colour before the word!

Colour Stats:

Blue is the most popular favourite colour.

Yellow is the most visible colour – hence yellow taxis, yellow fire trucks and school buses.

77% of flags have red in them.

People eat with their eyes.

In experiments where food is coloured, people will perceive the flavour they associate with the colour.

Blue – berry flavour

Yellow-Green – lemon lime

Butter has to be pale yellow

Can you imagine brown cheesies?

Blue is an appetite suppressant possibly since blue food is a rare occurrence except for blueberries and blue-purple potatoes. And blue M&Ms!

Pills used to be all white and round until the 60’s and 70s when capsules were invented. Coloured pills have the same effect on people – green pills for nausea and red pills for heartburn won’t work.

Colours have certain strong associations for people.

Red – love, danger, power, international colour for stop.

Blue – peace, cleanliness, nature sky and water, but not food!

Green – ecology, luck, mint, fertility

Yellow – happy, caution

Orange – dynamic energy

Pink for girls and blue for boys – although it used to be the opposite at the turn of the century. Red was considered a stronger color and so pink was for boys!

Colour is important for branding when companies are deciding on their logos and product packaging. People will consider whether the product will do what you expect from its appearance (a red sleep aid – say what?), will connect to it emotionally (yellow makes people happy, orange gives them energy), and the colour will distinguish the company from others (red and yellow for McDonalds).

There you have it – fun facts about colour. You’ll be thinking about colour next time you’re served blue potato chips on a plane 😀 Thanks Margo! Join me tomorrow – 4 very special people will share their volunteering experience!

August 14, 2015
Day 6 – Dinner for 6!

Today is Day 6 of the Perfectly Reasonable Countdown!

Hattie, the manager at Breaking Bread, a local soup kitchen, is here to share some of her most popular recipes. Hattie normally prepares meals for a crowd, but she’s pared them down to serve 6.

Chilled Roasted Peach Soup
4 ripe large peaches, peeled, halved and pitted (Freestone peaches are easier to pit)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 cups (500ml) peach nectar, plus extra if needed
1 star anise, cracked
1 vanilla bean, split
Juice of 3 oranges (~1 cup)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 pint (150g) strawberries, gently washed (optional)
2 springs fresh mint (optional)

Greek vanilla yogurt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F/ 200 °C. Lightly coat a baking sheet with butter. Place the peach halves; cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle peaches with 1/2 cup (70g) sugar and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until well roasted.

2. Transfer peaches to a food processor, along with any drippings from the baking sheet. Puree until smooth, stopping 2 or 3 times to scrape down the sides. Transfer to a large noncreative bowl and set aside.

3. In a small noncreative saucepan, combine peach nectar, remaining sugar and star anise over medium heat. Use the tip of a blunt knife to scrape the vanilla bean seeds into a mixture. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Let syrup infuse for about an hour in a warm place. Strain through a fine sieve into a noncreative bowl and add citrus juices.

4. Tasting as you go, slowly add the peach syrup to the peach puree until desired flavour is achieved (I add the whole thing and if a little too acidic, add a bit of Greek vanilla yogurt). If the soup is nicely flavored but too thick, thin it with a little plain peach juice. Cover and refrigerate until completely cod.

5. Serve in chilled soup plates or cups and garnish with the sliced strawberries and mint or Greek vanilla yogurt.

Roasted Whole Chicken

1 Whole chicken

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp ground pepper

1 tsp oregano leaves

Cut a whole chicken down the breastbone (separate the 2 breast parts) and place bone side down in a roasting pan. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice and brush on chicken. Mix the salt, pepper, and oregano and sprinkle on the chicken. Bake at 425 °F for 45 minutes (may vary depending on the size of the chicken) or until juices run clear.

Melon Salad with Thai Dressing

1 cantaloupe, balled (or cut into small pieces)

2 cups seedless grapes, halved

spinach or other lettuce

Dressing:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup lime juice

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp minced gingerroot (or 1 tsp powder)

2 Tbsp peanut butter

½ cup fresh coriander

1 Tbsp packed brown sugar

pinch hot pepper flakes

Combine dressing ingredients and blend with a hand-held blender. Pour over other ingredients.

Almond Butter Cookies

1 large egg

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup almond butter (usually found in the peanut butter section of the grocery store)

Beat egg and sugar in medium bowl until thick and pale. Add almond butter and beat until smooth. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Roll in balls using ~ 1 Tbsp of dough for each. Arrange ~2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 °F oven for 12-14 minutes until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

There you go – dinner for tonight all decided! Thank-you Hattie! Come back tomorrow – Margo will be sharing her love of colour!

Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter click here- Let’s e-talk – (or like my Author FB page) for a chance to win the Cards by Karen, earrings, a CPR keychain or a 4G USB Flash drive. I’ll announce the winners on Launch Day – August 19th. See you tomorrow!

August 13, 2015
Day 7 – Advice for Successful Interviews!
It’s Day 7 of the Perfectly Reasonable Countdown!

Hey Everyone – Margo and Trace here! We’ve certainly had our fair share of interviews and we thought we’d share 7 priceless pieces of advice for a successful interview. Don’t leave it to luck!!
1. Do your research. Know something about the company and if possible, the person who will be interviewing you. Check their social media sites – especially Linked in, Twitter and Facebook. Have a good understanding of why you want that company specifically. The casual info you learn from Twitter may help you understand the type of person you’ll be working with.
1. Prepare answers to the commonly asked questions and practice speaking them out loud. Get a friend to help. There are lots of internet sites but HERE‘s a link to a good one. And prepare for the zany questions too, like if you were a cartoon character who would you be and why? HERE‘s a link to more!
1. Bring a resume. Just in case they ask or have misplaced the one you already sent in.
1. Dress smartly – it’s a sign of respect and remember, generally you’ll be interviewed by someone older than you (and older people generally want conservative, neat, and a bit dressy). Skip the bright green collared polo and reach for the white or grey dress shirt +/- the tie.
1. Be early!! Arriving 10-15 minutes early is respectful.
1. Smile when you greet the interviewer and look them in the eye. Eye contact = confidence (even if you’re quaking inside).
1. Try to come up with 1-2 questions that you can ask them at the end of the interview when they ask if you have any questions. Avoid anything controversial or that might indicate that you’re only interested in a short-term position.
There you have it – interview with confidence!! Good luck with your next interview 😀

Join us tomorrow for Hattie’s recipes. Hattie is used to cooking for a crowd, and she’s got dinner for 6 all planned out for you! And don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter if you’d like to win some fantastic prizes – Cards by Karen, earrings, CPR keychain or a 4G USB flashdrive. Sign up HERE!
August 12, 2015
Day 8 – Margo’s Handy Painting Gadgets!

It’s Day 8 of the Perfectly Reasonable Countdown!

Hi Everyone, Margo here! I’ve been painting for a few years now and thought I’d share some of my favourite gadgets. You can certainly paint without these (well, maybe not the brushes!) but they’ll make your painting job a little easier!

Paint can opener – such a small gadget but waaaaaay better than using a screw driver.

Green tape – if you’re not the cleanest of painters or a steady hand is not your strength, you can tape off the edge where you want to paint. Use green painters tape though so you don’t peel the paint off the surface and remove the tape before the paint dries or you’ll pull off the new paint with the tape. If you have too much paint on your brush the paint may still bleed under the edge of the tape so blot your brush before you paint.

Pour guard – handy, if I remember to use it!

Brushes – I buy 2 types of brushes – an angled brush for edging and a stubby one to paint the baseboards. I like a two inch angled brush made out of —–, but I usually paint with latex paint, not oil paint.

Tray liner – makes clean up sooooo much easier. And they’re pretty cheap (get them at the dollar store.)

Plastic edger – a long strip of plastic that you wiggle under the baseboard to protect the floor – much faster than taping it all.

Tarp – if you have a choice between plastic and canvas, choose canvas. It’s less slippery and reusable. Buy a big one so you don’t have to move it around as much.

Saran wrap – if you don’t quite get the job done or if you need a quick touch up the next day, it’s handy not to have to wash the brush. Just wrap it in saran and keep it in the fridge overnight. Pretty much an essential for busy parents too – cause you know as soon as you open the can of paint and dip the brush in, something will come up that needs your attention!

There you have it – paint like a pro! Join me tomorrow to meet Trace. He’ll be passing along interviewing tips!

If you’d like a chance to win beautiful cards from Cards by Karen (they are gorgeous!!), uniquely designed and LOC handcrafted earrings, a CPR keychain or a 4G USB flash drive sign up for my newsletter – Let’s e-talk – (or like my Author Facebook page) and your name will be entered to win!

August 11, 2015
Day 9 – Cover Reveal!

It’s Day 9 of the Perfectly Reasonable Countdown!!

Drum roll please . . . .the long awaited cover for Perfectly Reasonable ~ thank you Rae Monet!!

And what is it all about you ask? Let me tell you . . .

Love what you do and do what you love. Sounds perfectly reasonable, but chances are, you’ll find your passion in the last place you look . . .

Margo MacMillan finished medical school, but in the process, her self-confidence and self-esteem took a beating. So for the sake of self-preservation, she’s stepped away from medicine to re-group. In the meantime, painting soothes her soul and pays the bills.

Trace Bennett set his sights on a medical degree and has to prepare the perfect medical school application. His big plan is to paint his condo for a little feng shui divine luck. When Margo shows up to paint, he realizes he’s found exactly what he’s looking for. He just has to convince Margo to share more than the art of medicine.

She’s got it. He wants it. It’s Perfectly Reasonable.

Book 2 in the Perfectly Series is all about Margo and Trace! But if you miss Mikaela, she’s part of the fun. Only 9 days away! Join me tomorrow – Margo will be sharing her 8 favourite painting gadgets. If there’s painting in your future, you’ll want to see what the pros use. See you tomorrow!

And don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter HERE (or like my Facebook Author page) if you’d like to win some fabulous prizes!

August 10, 2015
Perfectly Reasonable Countdown Begins!

The Perfectly Reasonable 10-Day Countdown begins!

It’s time for another party!! On August 19^th, Perfectly Reasonable, Book 2 in the Perfectly series will be available for download from www.amazon.com. Woohoo! Let’s have an e-party for the e-release!

Each day until August 19^th, we’ll go behind the scenes and you can meet Margo and Trace. They’ll share colour trivia, favourite painting gadgets, interview and resume tips, recipes from their favourite meal, and more!

There will be free stuff!! Because what’s a party without gifts? As a special thank you to my newsletter subscribers, I’ll be giving away one free e-copy of Perfectly Reasonable each day!

But that’s not all – I have the most beautiful cards from Cards by Karen (they are gorgeous!!), uniquely designed and LOC handcrafted earrings, CPR keychains and 4G USB flash drives! So join the party by subscribing to my newsletter – Let’s e-talk – and your name will be entered to win!

Thanks for dropping by today! I’ll be posting the daily topic on Facebook so like my Author page if you’d like the reminders. Tomorrow will be the big cover reveal! See you then. 😀

August 9, 2015
Making a Debut!

I’m making a debut on Romance Debuts – a blog making its debut featuring guess what? – yes! – debut authors!! (I had to squeak it in before Aug 19th :D) Thank you Cathy Brown. It’s all HERE

August 9, 2015
Perfectly Honest in the 1000 Islands!

Perfectly Honest is read around the world! 😀 It’s the perfect cottage read – quick and fun – just ask Liesa Cross relaxing with her cute little dog on MacDonald Island in the 1000 Islands! Thanks Liesa!!

August 3, 2015
Socializing at the RWA Nationals!

The best part of the RWA National Conference this year in NYC was meeting people and making new friends! I have to say – Soul Mate authors are a lot of fun!!

Debby Gilbert, Founder and Senior Editor of Soul Mate Publishing, graciously hosted a dinner of the Soul Mate authors at Ellen’s Stardust Diner.

Obviously, we were very excited to meet each other (omg you were on my blog!) and the volume of our chatter rivalled the entertaining singing of the waiters.

A group of us went on The Ride! This is a must for anyone new to NYC. The seats in a giant bus have been converted into 3 rows of stadium seating facing out the windows on one side of the bus. As you tour the city looking at the famous landmarks, there is a lively commentary with lots of singing and waving to the people out on the sidewalk. And no boring idling at the stop signs – there were rappers, ballet dancers, a UPS street dancer – really there is hidden talent everywhere in NYC!

Did you know that our very own SMP author, Susan B. James is also an actor?

And Annette Bower has been mentored by Lawrence Hill – yes THE Lawrence Hill? They are amazing woman and a ton of fun to hang out with!!

It was easy to meet people at the breakfast table or strike up a conversation while waiting for a workshop to start. For me this was the best part of the conference – I learned a lot about the business side of writing by talking to people from all over the world. And lo and behold – you don’t really appreciate their accents in an email!

And here is reason alone for attending RWA Nationals: I met Nora Roberts!!! I’m still pinching myself 😀

The conference was a lot of fun. I’ll share some of the stuff I learned in later posts, but if you do have the chance to attend the RWA Nationals in the future, I would highly recommend it – at least once!

July 29, 2015
Nationals in NYC

I’ve just returned from my very first writing conference – the RWA Nationals in New York City – what a blast! Over 2000 romance authors and industry professionals get together once a year for a week to network, share their craft and marketing strategies, and most of all – make new friends! I’ve been to quite a few medical conferences in my career and I have to say there are some very subtle but noticeable differences.

First off – the prep. There was a lot of prep for a writing conference. We were given a link to a video showing how and what to pack (colour coordination and rolling all your clothes is key), on how to use the elevator at the hotel (no buttons inside the elevator – you had to punch your floor in the box before you got on AND wait for it – remember which elevator you were assigned – because you know, no buttons in the elevator) and were given advice for socializing for introverts (say hi, ask where they’re from and what they write. Yes, we were given icebreaker question suggestions – these are my people). We were told to set goals and plan – but no worries we were also given an app for that! I think if doctors were told they had to plan this much for a conference, they would give up. Writers are a hardy lot.

Second off – the parking. Here in Kingston, at the conference centre, we park outdoors on a paved lot. Occasionally if it’s really busy, there might be overflow onto the adjacent grass. THIS is what the parking looked like in NYC. It’s like a vending machine for cars. I’ll take F5 – a new black Porsche. (And maybe if I bang on the machine, 2 cars might fall out?)

Third – the workshops. No signing up, feel free to change your mind, the presenters don’t mind if you walk out, workshops. Golden. This isn’t very common at medical conferences. We tend to stay put – physically anyway. I’ve plotted some very interesting novels at medical conferences 🙂

Fourth – the pitch sessions. What a great idea! At the Nationals, authors have a chance to pitch their ideas to editors and agents to see if they’re interested in publishing the story or representing the author to the publishing houses. I think this could really catch on in the medical world. One big room filled with scientists and those people who have the grant money. It’d be like speed dating. Before the researcher spends countless hours preparing a cumbersome proposal, they could take 10 minutes to pitch their ideas and see if there is any interest. Wouldn’t that be such a time saver? Writers know what they’re doing.

Despite the differences, I did notice one very striking similarity. The coffee consumption! 🙂 Stay tuned – I met some awesome Soul Mate authors and I’ll share the pics!

The best part of the RWA National Conference this year in NYC was meeting people and making new friends! I have to say – Soul Mate authors are a lot of fun!!

Debby Gilbert, Founder and Senior Editor of Soul Mate Publishing, graciously hosted a dinner of the Soul Mate authors at Ellen’s Stardust Diner.

Obviously, we were very excited to meet each other (omg you were on my blog!) and the volume of our chatter rivalled the entertaining singing of the waiters.

A group of us went on The Ride! This is a must for anyone new to NYC. The seats in a giant bus have been converted into 3 rows of stadium seating facing out the windows on one side of the bus. As you tour the city looking at the famous landmarks, there is a lively commentary with lots of singing and waving to the people out on the sidewalk. And no boring idling at the stop signs – there were rappers, ballet dancers, a UPS street dancer – really there is hidden talent everywhere in NYC!

Did you know that our very own SMP author, Susan B. James is also an actor?

And Annette Bower has been mentored by Lawrence Hill – yes THE Lawrence Hill? They are amazing woman and a ton of fun to hang out with!!

It was easy to meet people at the breakfast table or strike up a conversation while waiting for a workshop to start. For me this was the best part of the conference – I learned a lot about the business side of writing by talking to people from all over the world. And lo and behold – you don’t really appreciate their accents in an email!

And here is reason alone for attending RWA Nationals: I met Nora Roberts!!! I’m still pinching myself 😀

The conference was a lot of fun. I’ll share some of the stuff I learned in later posts, but if you do have the chance to attend the RWA Nationals in the future, I would highly recommend it – at least once!

July 27, 2015