Krenfleisch

So far over the almost 2 years I’ve been here in Germany, this is my favorite German dish. It’s pronounced crane fl-eye-sh. In my little area of Bavaria, they drop the n and call it cray fl-eye-sh.

Sorry that there are no amounts for the ingredients. This is my neighbor’s recipe and she taught it to me so this is from the notes I jotted while watching her like a hawk.

I hope you like it. If you’ve ever had it before, did you like it? If you haven’t tried it before, let me know when you do. I’m interested to hear your thoughts. Enjoy! Everyone have a great weekend.

Krenfleisch

Beef roast
Crisco or butter or lard (my neighbor used lard)
Salt
Pepper
Celery, chopped
Carrots, chopped
Onion, chopped
Bayleaf
Beef bouillon
Horseradish
Granny smith apple
Whipping cream

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown in the Crisco (or butter or lard).

Remove the meat from the pan and add the celery, carrots and onion. Saute the vegetables until they start to soften.

Add hot water, bayleaf and beef bouillon. Return the meat to the pan. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours.

Meanwhile, grate the horseradish (if using fresh) and the granny smith apple. (500g of grated horseradish makes enough for 4 people).

Remove the meat from the pan and strain the vegetables, returning the juice to the pan.
Add the horseradish/granny smith apple mixture to taste and whip.

Add the whipping cream to taste and whip. Serve as a gravy over the beef and your choice of dumplings or spaetzle.

NaNoWriMo

I’m taking the plunge this year and participating in NaNo. What’s this, you ask?

The complete abbreviation is NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month. Those that sign up are committing themselves to writing 50,000 words from November 1-30.

50k seems like a lot to write, especially in 30 days. It can be done. Millions have done it. The idea is to just write. No time to go back and edit stuff as you go, just spew those words out and get them down. December is soon enough for editing.

My goal is to break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. I know that I’m going away for Thanksgiving weekend. Add in some weekend days that I probably won’t have time to write and I’m figuring I have 20 good days to write in November. So, divide 50,000 by 20 and my daily word count goal is 2500 words.

This is a reasonable goal to me. On a good day, I can have this knocked out within 3 hours or less. Other days make take me longer, but it’s definitely a do-able goal. On the good days, I’ll probably also try to go past that mark because who knows what will happen the next day.

I think I’ve mentioned here that my hubby found an English writer’s group in Nuremburg for me. The rest of the group have joined in with me and we’re going to try doing write-ins at the bookstore where we meet. We’re kicking the month off with a scheduled write-in for Monday afternoon.

Write-ins are basically where a group of writers meet to write. I’ve never participated in one before so this is a new experience for me. I think it will be a lot of fun and helpful to keep the motivation going so that we all reach that 50k goal by November 30.

This week, I’m finishing up the prep work that I need so that I’m ready to start come Monday.

If you’re interested in signing up for NaNo, or just want more information, head over to the official website. If you join in the fun, look to add me as a writing buddy. My screen ID is Riley Quinn. Go figure, right?

Are you already signed up? Think you’ll sign up? Or do you just think we’re all crazy? :)

Going Overboard?

Is it possible to go too far in the quest to lose weight? Most definitely.

We’ve all been there. We’re so excited to start this new phase in our life, to get healthy, to get thinner, that we jump in with both feet. We’re stringent with our diet. We exercise for several hours each day. Then what happens?

We do great for a while, maybe a few weeks, maybe even a few months. We’re losing weight, feeling great. Then something happens. It could be that you get ill, you could have a killer week at work and just can’t get to the gym, or you could just be watching television and that cake the TV character is eating looks so darn good. You slide. With a vengeance.

No more watching your diet, no more exercise. Within a short amount of time, you’ve undone everything you’ve accomplished, especially the new-found confidence and pride in yourself. Sound familiar?

That’s one of the things I love about SparkPeople. They encourage you to take things slowly, incorporating one step at time until it becomes a habit and then adding the next step.
A conversation with an acquaintance really brought home to me how we deprive ourselves sometimes.

As many of you know, I’m an American living in Germany. I love learning about the people and culture here and enjoy experiencing it all firsthand. One part of that is the food. German food is more than schnitzel and bratwurst and it’s pretty tasty. Of course, I can’t forget the beer either.:)

A woman that is in my exercise class said that she won’t eat German food because she doesn’t know how to count the calories. I found that sad. She’s here, experiencing a new country. Many people would love to change places with her and she’s limiting herself. For no reason, in my opinion.

It’s true that most calorie counters don’t list German food. It makes it a bit more difficult, but not impossible to enjoy cultural dishes and still lose weight.

Options include finding a recipe online (easy) and figure it out. Punch the recipe into an online food calculator (like SparkPeople) and let them figure it out for you. I enjoy the food when I go out. I drink the beer. I just make allowances in my diet for the rest of the day. Or, if I happen to over my allotted daily calories, I get back on track the next day.

Am I losing the weight slower? Maybe. I think I have a better chance of keeping it off. I’m not looking for a diet to follow to lose weight quickly. I’m looking for a healthier lifestyle overall. That includes indulgences.

What do you think? Would you eat the food in Germany if you were on a diet?

Rewarding Yourself

A couple of weeks ago on Weightloss Wednesday, I talked about motivation.

Today’s topic, Rewarding Yourself, ties in with motivation.

I spent this past weekend in Austria. I signed up for a spa weekend as a reward for losing weight and finishing a manuscript. At the time of departure, I’d lost 17 pounds. This happened over a period of 2 months. I was quite pleased with myself.

After enjoying a Swedish massage and the thermal pools of the Aquadome, I decided that another weekend there was in order for reaching my 30 pound goal.

Then it dawned on me (I know, duh!) that having set rewards for your milestones are a great way to keep your motivation level high. And while big rewards like a spa weekend are nice, smaller rewards for smaller goals reached are important too.

So what would be a good reward? For me, I can think of lots of things. A new music CD, a movie night with the next must-see, a special night with just my guy and me, new makeup. These are all rewards that don’t have to cost a lot of money.

I think 5 pound increments are great milestone markers. I know I get excited every time I hit that next 5 pound mark. It would be even better if I knew I’d earned a new CD or book too. So I’m going to make up my own reward system. Every 5 pound milestone gets a small reward and 30 pounds gets a big reward.

I haven’t decided on my rewards yet, though. I’ll work on it over the next couple of weeks and then share with you.

What do you think of creating a reward system? Would you create one for yourself? Do you think it would help keep your motivation level high? Would it be enough to make you stay on track?

Reading Ease

A couple of weeks ago, I learned about something cool – Reading Ease.

Apparently, the top best-selling writers average better in several statistics than other writers. They use shorter sentences, shorter words, and a higher percentage of active voice. The analysis of this factors is what Jim Smith (Writer’s Little Helper) calls the Reading Ease Ideal.

This check can be done in Microsoft Word and according to Mr. Smith, the following numbers are the benchmark.

Words per sentence (avg): 15 max
Characters per word (avg): 4.5 max
Passive voice: 5% max
Flesch Reading Ease: 80% max
Flesch-Kincaid Level: 6 max

He suggests editing a scene at a time to achieve or surpass the above goals. He goes into more detail about how to use these numbers effectively, but this provides a good start.

How do you find these numbers? I have Word 2007. I can tell you where to go in this program. If you have a different version, go to help and type in “Flesch reading ease” and the directions should pop up.

Click on the Microsoft symbol button in the top left corner. At the very bottom of the menu that pops up is a Word Options button. Click that. On the left-hand menu, choose Proofing. In the menu that comes up in the right pane, the third group of options has a box for Show Readability Statistics. Check that and hit OK. Now the next time you run your spell check, these statistics will be displayed. Cool, right?

For fun, I ran the first chapter of Into the Pride through it. This is what it came up with:

Words per sentence (avg): 9.7
Characters per word (avg): 4.3
Passive voice: 0%
Flesch Reading Ease: 84.3%
Flesch-Kincaid Level: 3.9

Not too shabby, eh? That’s the rough first draft. So, if I edit it until the reading ease score hits 80% or below and keep the other numbers about the same, I’ve got a possible best-seller. Woohoo!

Seriously, though, it’s an interesting tool to use to help during your editing process.

For the record, the stats for this post are:

Words per sentence (avg): 10.8
Characters per word (avg): 4.3
Passive voice: 3%
Flesch Reading Ease: 77.1%
Flesch-Kincaid Level: 5.1

Have you used this tool? Are you going to? Hit me with some numbers.

Welcome back Nancy Lennea

Please welcome back Nancy Lennea. She’s got a couple of new books coming out and she’s here to tell us about Destiny’s Mountain.

What can you tell us about your new book?
I created a romantic suspense that incorporates scenery and location as an integral part of the plot. DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN also includes a hint of gothic mystery since I filled my story with stalkers, a murder, mountain rescues, ghostly voices, and sexy romance. It takes place in a quirky college town that is nestled between a river and mountains in northern New Hampshire.

What is your writing routine like? Do you find time to write every day?
I am fortunate in that writing is my current profession and it is up to me each day to get my b*tt in the chair. A few years ago, not the case. I worked outside the home as a 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Dispatcher when I began writing. I’d use a pencil and pad during breaks then rush home and type it into my computer. People at work helped with the story by editing, sharing ideas, and giving me the confidence to keep at it. Is it any wonder I have dedicated this book to them? After selling our NH home, we moved to North Carolina to be near family. My hubby goes to work and I write. It is my dream come true!

Last time you visited, you mentioned you believed in writing organizations. Still true?
Absolutely! I could not have done this—selling five manuscripts in a little over one year—without the organizations I have joined. Romance writers of America is the biggest. They supply their members with a varied system in order to help young writers, struggling published writers, and even old pros. My local chapter, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, has 137 members and a great mix of men and women, old and young, and we have fantastic, helpful, and fun monthly meetings. On Saturday Oct. 16th our own Sabrina Jeffries will speak along with her agent Pamela Ahearn during an all day workshop. Next month’s talk on November 13th (my birthday!) will feature the Borders Romance Book Buyer, Sue Grimshaw. (find out more at www.heartofcarolina.org) I also belong to a few on-line chapters. Even my two publishers have author loops where we can chat and ask questions and pat each other on the back. Belonging to writing organizations is worth it!

Describe the genre of this book. Is this the only genre you write in?
Due to the intrigue I have wrapped around my characters, I deemed DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN a romantic suspense. Romance is, first and foremost, the basis, but I didn’t want to make the path toward true love too easy for Jacob and Destiny. There are several—read, dozens—of dark moments. My previous release from Red Rose Publishing, SECRET LOVE MATCH, was a more simplified contemporary story about romance between two individuals who were not out to find love. My latest release from Whispers Publishing, DRAGON’S CURSE, is a historical paranormal set on an island off the coast of Scotland. Totally different! I write what comes to my head. I create a story when a certain character demands attention. Crazy, but it works for me.

Having recently achieved your goal to be a published writer, what’s next?
I signed that first contract with Red Rose Publishing in August of 2009. I signed with Whispers Publishing last March. Three books are out. UNWRAPPING CHRIS, a contemporary short story set on an army base, is due out in December from Whispers and I have sold another romantic suspense to Red Rose. I believe in the power of the electronic publishing world, but still enjoy the feel of a book in my hand. I hope to someday have a book in print. So, I’ll keep writing.

What are you working on right now?
My sister and I visited my parents down in Florida back in August and, while enjoying the pool, we started talking about a newly expanded art museum that reopened near our homes in North Carolina. We started throwing out ideas for a paranormal that will include some of the twenty-nine bronze statues by Auguste Rodin. I am working through that book and have come up with some amazing characters and enough of a story arc to create a trilogy. So, in between promoting my current releases and editing my upcoming sales, I will get it done and out to agents. Still looking for an agent.

BOOK BLURB

In a quirky college town surrounded by the mountains of New Hampshire new art history professor, Jacob Oliver, hikes a trail on a crisp September morning. He contemplates his life. Divorced and forced out of his job with the Boston Police due to a horrific accident, he spots a naked woman beneath a majestic waterfall. Escaping, he falls and reinjures his knee.

Destiny Blake hears a noise; someone is on her mountain. She finds a handsome man sitting in the mud. Love blooms and lust consumes them after she helps him to the safety of her cabin. Soon, assumptions pull them apart, leaving her vulnerable to the unwanted attentions of other men.

When Jacob decides he cannot live without her, he must save her from a madman who chases her up her mountain through the cold, snowy darkness of a November night. Ghostly voices push Jacob onward, and urge Destiny to fight back. Pain, hypothermia, and death threaten before the sun rises. Can Destiny and Jacob make it off Destiny's mountain...alive?

EXCERPT

With all the noise, Jacob barely caught her name. Branches cracked and leaves rustled, while small animals high-tailed it out of her way. Chattering squirrels raced up huge pines, and several rabbits hopped past him and his stump. He spied small flashes of tan skin and blonde braid, and his aching body immediately reacted.

God, this girl would make a dead man hard.

When she reappeared with a long branch, he couldn’t look away. She wore no makeup. She didn’t need any. Delicate gold earrings hung from dainty ears, and she had the deepest blue eyes imaginable.

He let his gaze slide down her body, and glimpsed squared shoulders and taut muscles under her mud-spattered, yellow shirt. Two taut nipples jutted out, the soft fabric barely concealing their beauty.

“She’s braless,” he sputtered.

“Did you say something?”

The young woman stopped in front of him. His cock went rigid as a tree trunk, adding a different sort of pain to the mix.

“No, just clearing my throat.”

There’s a time and place for a throbbing erection. This isn’t it.

He hadn’t even shared a regular conversation with this woman. He required her help, so he’d better not scare her away.

“Just breathe and relax,” he muttered. These irrational thoughts could turn into a problem. Air whistled past clenched teeth with an irregularity not caused by his injury.

 He turned away, but kept one eye on her while she peeled twigs and dry leaves off a five-foot-long tree branch.

No panty lines, either.

She must have jumped into her clothes to chase me down. Brave, or just plain stupid? What if I was a rapist or a serial killer?

His mind blanked out on the present situation with swift intensity. Jacob’s brain suddenly relived that long ago horrible night even though he didn’t want to remember the sobbing, near-dead woman he found lying in an alley…


A little bit about Nancy

Nancy grew up on New York’s Long Island then attended school in the beautiful mountains of New Hampshire. She worked during college in the dining hall while earning a degree in art education. She met her husband at college and they raised a family in nearby Rumney. She volunteered as an EMT/firefighter then worked for the State of New Hampshire as a 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Dispatcher. Nancy now writes full time, lives in North Carolina, and is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and Sisters-in-Crime. She also writes paranormal romance, such as DRAGON’S CURSE, as Nancy Lee Badger. Find out more at www.nancyleebadger.com.

DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN is available now from
Red Rose Publishing at www.RedRosePublishing.com.
The buy link is: http://bit.ly/a4NOHE
Visit my website at: www.nancylennea.com
Visit my blog at: www.nancylennea-inlove.blogspot.com

Have a great weekend everyone! I'm heading to Austria for the weekend so I'll have some pics next week.

A German Kirwa

A Kirwa (pronounced keer-va) is a local festival, usually in the fall. Each region has their own customs and traditions. Speichersdorf had their Kirwa last weekend. On Sunday, we walked down to the Landgasthof Imhof, a local restaurant. All the fun started there. On the previous Wednesday, the ‘grave’ of the Kirwa was put out.

This will stay out all week and was just taken down yesterday.

We started off with a parade. Two young girls (twins) pulled the cart, followed by a band playing traditional Bavarian music.

Then came the young couples. Each couple followed behind, the men carrying a krug of…you guessed it, beer.

The parade went around a loop in town and stopped in a clearing. Once there, the young couples formed a circle and the men put their krugs in the center of the circle.

Then they danced.

After a few dances, the men would take a drink and head back to their ladies for more dancing. Then they headed out and continued their parade.

They made a total of 3 stops, the last one ending where it all began, in the parking lot of the restaurant. They danced some more and then they formed a half circle. Here, the men took turns saying little poems of the happenings in the town over the past year. After each man spoke, the band would play.

After every man had said what they wanted to say, the entire procession posed for pictures.

Afterwards, it was time to move inside for…you guessed it, a beer.

Benefits of Exercise with Sarah Brown

Today, Sarah Brown is joining us. Who is this, you ask? I’ve mentioned her before, just not by name. She’s the instructor that kicks my butt on a regular basis. LOL

Seriously, she’s the awesome leader of the Sculpt & Burn class I’ve been going to for the past month or so. Exercise is great and has some wonderful benefits. Who better to share them with us than a professional? Sarah’s awesome and so interested in helping anyone become more active.

In addition to these great benefits, she’s agreed to answer any questions you might have. Just leave a comment and she’ll check back. As an incentive, there will be a giveaway. Yay!

Anyone leaving a comment will go in the drawing to win a copy of The Spark. I’ve talked about this book before and love it. Here’s your chance to check it out.

Everyone, please welcome Sarah Brown.

Hello there. My name is Sarah and I am a fitness fanatic. That may not be completely true, but after rewriting this first sentence over 10 times, I figured the AA greeting would have to suffice. 

I have always been passionate about exercise and certified to teach aerobics when I was 18. I have taught on and off for 12 years, run over 20 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and completed 2 triathlons. I also love playing tennis, attending any and all gym classes, mountain biking, skiing, yoga, Cross Fit and dancing in my kitchen. Do you think I’m crazy? You shouldn’t.

Let’s talk about exercise for a minute, shall we? It is UNBELIEVABLY good for you. Why?

*It improves your mood.  When you exercise your brain releases “happy” chemicals. This will leave you happier and more relaxed after a workout. Seriously, with the weather here in Germany, if I wasn’t exercising, I would have some serious seasonal depression!

*It prevents chronic disease.  Exercise has been known to help prevent heart disease, osteoporosis (a serious concern in my family), high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It can also prevent type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Wow.

*It helps you sleep better.  I am a serious insomniac. This side effect alone is worth it for me.

*Your energy will go through the roof.  The first few weeks may be tough and you may feel tired while your body is adjusting, but after this initial period, watch out! With all the great sleep you’ve been getting and those “happy” chemicals bouncing around your brain, you’ll become unstoppable.

*It will help you manage your weight. Need I say more? When you exercise, you burn calories. This means that (a) you will begin to slowly lose weight or (b) you can eat more. This is what I call a win-win.

*IT CAN BE - - - FUN.  Seriously.  I don’t care who you are, there is an exercise that you will enjoy. Zumba?  Biking? Walking with your family? Playing Frisbee? Dancing in your kitchen? Remember when you were a kid and you ran or biked everywhere? And you never wanted to slow down…ever. Before “it” became exercise, it was play.  Never forget that.  

If you are in love with your current exercise routine – great. If you’re getting bored with it – it’s time to switch it up. If you’ve been thinking about starting a program – now is the time. The above benefits are just the beginning. There is an activity or an instructor that is the perfect fit for you. Go ahead.
You deserve it.

Okay,  I’ll get off my soap box now, but THANK YOU for letting me stop by.  If you have any questions, or things you want to know more about, please don’t hesitate to comment!

Cheers,
Sarah

Rothenburg - Schneeballen

Schneeballen means snow balls in German. These yummy treats are a local favorite in Rothenburg.

Apparently back in the day, the people here came up with this ingenious way of using up excess dough before it went bad. Nowadays, it’s a tasty treat that every tourist tries while they’re here. They’ve also devised many yummilicious toppings to appeal to everyone’s tastes.

Of course, I had to try one. Before I did, though, the man at the shop we stopped at was nice enough to make them slowly so I could photograph each step.

He started by rolling the dough flat and then using a cutter that cut the dough into strips, leaving it attached at both ends.

Then he lifted the dough and kind of shook it out a bit.

He packed it into a metal ball full of holes and dropped it into a vat of oil.

Once fried, he opened the ball and deposited it on the table. At that point, it went through the process of being covered by various toppings, although we didn’t get to see that part. We did get to taste the finished product, however.

Behold, the caramel goodie that I chose.

It was crunchier than I expected. I thought it would be more like a funnel cake, but I was wrong. It was good, though. Definitely not something you could eat on a regular basis, especially if you’re watching your calorie intake.

Hubby chose a chocolate-covered ball.

They make them in all sizes and flavors, so you need to head over to check them out.

Ever had one of these? Want to? Maybe I’ll pick some up for a blog giveaway the next time I’m there.

Remember to stop by tomorrow. I’ve got a special guest joining us.

The Magic of Water

It’s Weightloss Wednesday again. Today, let’s talk about water.

Our bodies are mostly water. Hard to believe, right? It’s true. All of our systems need water to run more efficiently.

It’s also a great diet aid and fat reducer. Yes, water. It suppresses your appetite, reduces sodium buildup and helps maintain muscle tone. It reduces fat deposits by helping the body metabolize the fat stored within the body.

These are just a few great reasons for drinking water, but so many of us are dehydrated. Why is that?
Some say they don’t like the taste, they’d rather drink something else, they don’t want to go the bathroom a million times a day.

How much water do we really need? Most recommendations are 8 cups or 64 oz. per day. If you are a normal weight and don’t exercise or sweat much, this might be fine for you. It’s been said that the heavier you are, the more water your body needs. It goes without saying that if you sweat a lot or have an intense workout, you should up your intake.

In The Insulin Resistance Diet book, written by Cheryle R. Hart, MD and Mary Kay Grossman, RD, it’s recommended that for every 25 pounds you are overweight, add another cup up to a maximum of 12 8-oz cups daily.

That’s a lot of water. How to get it all in? There are lots of tips and tricks out that can help you meet your requirements. I’m going to list a few of mine.

1.    I like sparkling mineral water. Something about those bubbles makes it fun and tasty for me to drink. I buy it in 1.5 liter bottles and aim to drink 2 per day.

2.    Adding lemon or lime to water. This gives the water a zesty zing. It doesn’t add any calories and really jazzes up your water. Don’t want to cut up fruit every day? Try TrueLemon or TrueLime instead. It’s cold-pressed and crystallized fruit. You can buy it in packets or by the container. Tastes the same, I swear.

3.    Crystal Light. You can add those drink on the go packets to your water. It does add a few calories (5), but totally fools you into thinking you’re not drinking water. They have several tasty flavors. I like the cherry pomegranate and the lemonade ones the best.

There are tons more tips. I did a Google search on “tips for drinking more water” and got a bunch of hits.

I know, this is all well and good, but what about the trips to the bathroom? They can be a pain. But I’ve noticed that once I’ve been drinking more water, my body gets used to the extra intake and I don’t have to go as often. Perhaps building up to your full requirement is a good way to alleviate some of the bathroom breaks.

The bottom line – water is good for you, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Don’t forget about this great tool to help you on your quest.

While on Google, I came across this website that you might find useful. It’s a hydration calculator. You answer 9 questions relevant for that day and it tells you how much water you should drink.

Do you get enough water? Do you like it or do you employ tricks to meet your requirements? Share your thoughts, tips and tricks with us.

Rothenburg - The Wall

Last Monday, we picked my father-in-law up at the Frankfurt airport and headed straight for Rothenburg. It was a city that both hubby and I had wanted to visit, but hadn’t made it to yet. This was the perfect opportunity.

Rothenburg is a beautifully preserved medieval city. In the Middle Ages, it was the second-largest city in Germany.

During World War II, it was proclaimed to be “the most German of German towns” and German soldiers were sent to defend it. Bombs were dropped over Rothenburg in 1945, destroying 9 watchtowers and 2000 feet of the wall. The American army was ordered to not use artillery in taking the town. The German military commander gave up the town in order to preserve it, saving it from total destruction. After the war, the residents repaired the bombing damage.

The wall that surrounds the city is amazing. Donations from all over the world pour in to help maintain it and the names of those who donate are immortalized on the wall itself.

We walked part of the 1.4 km wall. Every 25 km or so, there was a cut-out. The cut-outs were just large enough for an archer to poke his bow (or gun) through when defending the city against enemies.

There were also smaller crevices in the wall that I’m guessing were used to hold candles during medieval times.

Looking out over the city from the wall was incredible. I could easily imagine those in Middle Ages looking out over their friends and neighbors, keeping watch while they slept.

I’m not a fan of historical romance, but I’ll admit that story ideas were flying as I walked the wall. Perhaps a fantasy set in a medieval-like setting or maybe even a time travel story. I took lots of pictures in case I decide to go ahead with one or both of those ideas.

Of course, another trip back wouldn’t be amiss, either. I foresee several trips back in my future.

The Rothenburg wall is our first stop. I’ve got more for you later this week so stop back.

Have you ever been to Rothenburg? Do you like medieval settings in books? What do you think so far?

MIA

I was missing in action most of last week. Sorry about that. My father-in-law flew in on Monday and we spent the week running around Germany, trying to fit as much in as possible. He left Friday morning so it was a short visit.

The upside to that is that I’ve got some great pictures and fun stuff to share with you this week. I hope the lapse was worth it. We visited Rothenburg, which has quickly become one of my favorite cities here. I already have plans to make several more trips there. We visited the Pottenstein castle. We also visited a few others, but they closed before we could get there so I only got pictures of the outside.

I’ve also got a story about a German game/variety show that we watched on Saturday. The Kirwa here in Speichersdorf is this weekend, so I’ll have that to share with you next week.

On the downside, I received a lovely note from Emmanuelle Morgen, passing on my manuscript. It was disappointing, but she was very nice. She couldn’t connect with it to ask for more, but pointed out that other agents may not feel the same. On the upside of that, I can now apply for PRO status within RWA.

At this point, I’m going to shelf Out of the Shadows and let it sit for a while. Then I’ll go back with fresh eyes and do another revision pass and another pass through the critique partners. THEN I’ll start querying in earnest.

I just love the characters, the book and the series too much to take the chance on sending out to a gaggle of agents without taking this time.

So how was your week? Your weekend? What’s on the agenda for this week?