Jayne: The Early Years And a Recipe
Okay, this is for all of those people who want to know what books influenced me when I was growing up. I get this question a lot at signings so I decided that I might as well answer it right out here in public. Those of you who are bored by this discussion can skip directly to the latest recipe from the Frank Diet. Don't worry this one doesn't involve tofu. (Sheesh. Who knew tofu was so controversial?).
First those early, influential titles: I began the long road to romance writing with horse stories. Lots of horse stories. The most memorable titles were from the Walter Farley series featuring the Black Stallion. The bond between the main character and the horse resonated with my young brain. (I overlooked the fact that the kid hero was always a male and just inserted myself into the story instead. No problem). To this day, I remain convinced that there is a strong connection between horses, little girls and romance novels. I'm sure there's a dissertation topic in there somewhere.
The next series that captured my imagination and most of my allowance money was Nancy Drew. Nancy had it all: her very own roadster, a boyfriend, and she always solved the mystery. It was my first experience with romantic-suspense and I fell in love with the genre. I did feel, though, that the books would have benefited greatly by the addition of a few more intimate scenes between Nancy and the boyfriend. Be that as it may, the chief problem was that, although Walter Farley had been allowed into my very small town library, Nancy had been banned. Thus it came about that, while other young girls played volleyball at recess, I could be found skulking around the restrooms meeting my supplier. I don't know where Debbie came by that endless stream of new Nancy Drew books and I didn't ask. I just handed her my money and grabbed the latest title.
The third influence on my writing was Andre Norton's brand of science fiction. I loved the way so many of her characters enjoyed paranormal links with cats and other assorted creatures.
And there you have it, folks; the literary works that shaped my future. Sharp-eyed readers will be able to detect the influence of all of those books on my writing.
Now, as promised, another recipe from the Frank Diet.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS FRANK
Asparagus season has started here on the West Coast and that is very good news indeed in our household. I admit I used to steam asparagus but after I tried this technique I never went back. It also has the virtue of being amazingly simple. By the way, you can do the following brilliantly leaving out the black olives and grated cheese. Asparagus is pretty much perfect on its own.
1 lb of fresh asparagus (Preferably the big fat stalks if you can get them. The bigger around the better, I say).
Olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup of sliced black olives
1/4 grated parmesan cheese.
Wash asparagus and cut off the tough ends of the stalks. Dry the asparagus on paper towels. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dust with the sliced olives and grated cheese. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about seven minutes ( less if you use the skinny asparagus). Keep an eye on the suckers. You're going for fork tender.
See? No tofu, as promised.
Love,
Jayne
First those early, influential titles: I began the long road to romance writing with horse stories. Lots of horse stories. The most memorable titles were from the Walter Farley series featuring the Black Stallion. The bond between the main character and the horse resonated with my young brain. (I overlooked the fact that the kid hero was always a male and just inserted myself into the story instead. No problem). To this day, I remain convinced that there is a strong connection between horses, little girls and romance novels. I'm sure there's a dissertation topic in there somewhere.
The next series that captured my imagination and most of my allowance money was Nancy Drew. Nancy had it all: her very own roadster, a boyfriend, and she always solved the mystery. It was my first experience with romantic-suspense and I fell in love with the genre. I did feel, though, that the books would have benefited greatly by the addition of a few more intimate scenes between Nancy and the boyfriend. Be that as it may, the chief problem was that, although Walter Farley had been allowed into my very small town library, Nancy had been banned. Thus it came about that, while other young girls played volleyball at recess, I could be found skulking around the restrooms meeting my supplier. I don't know where Debbie came by that endless stream of new Nancy Drew books and I didn't ask. I just handed her my money and grabbed the latest title.
The third influence on my writing was Andre Norton's brand of science fiction. I loved the way so many of her characters enjoyed paranormal links with cats and other assorted creatures.
And there you have it, folks; the literary works that shaped my future. Sharp-eyed readers will be able to detect the influence of all of those books on my writing.
Now, as promised, another recipe from the Frank Diet.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS FRANK
Asparagus season has started here on the West Coast and that is very good news indeed in our household. I admit I used to steam asparagus but after I tried this technique I never went back. It also has the virtue of being amazingly simple. By the way, you can do the following brilliantly leaving out the black olives and grated cheese. Asparagus is pretty much perfect on its own.
1 lb of fresh asparagus (Preferably the big fat stalks if you can get them. The bigger around the better, I say).
Olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup of sliced black olives
1/4 grated parmesan cheese.
Wash asparagus and cut off the tough ends of the stalks. Dry the asparagus on paper towels. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dust with the sliced olives and grated cheese. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about seven minutes ( less if you use the skinny asparagus). Keep an eye on the suckers. You're going for fork tender.
See? No tofu, as promised.
Love,
Jayne
posted at 3:42 PM
