I’m here in Southern California and enjoying the delicious local cuisine.  The fresh, authentic Mexican food is a real delight, but not always so great for the waistline.  So, my friend, Kathy, and I decided to do a little homemade meal for ourselves.  We made carnitas, black beans, and Mexican rice.  I apologize that there are no pictures…we ate it all up too fast!  But here are the recipes for your own yummy feast.

This one isn’t ours, but it’s pretty dog-gone close!

Carnitas  means “little meats” and is a type of braised or roasted (often after first being simmered) pork, which is traditionally made using the Boston butt (how appropriate for me – LOL!) cut of pork.  And actually, it’s not “butt” at all, rather, it’s part of the shoulder.  I picked up this beautiful two and a half pound roast at the store for only $10.  What a deal!  And here’s what my friend, Kathy did to it…

Pork butt
1 can of regular Coca-Cola
1 orange, sliced
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

It’s the simplest recipe evah!  Place the pork butt fat side UP in a crock pot.  Pour the soda over it and then sprinkle liberally with the spices.  Add orange slices on top and squeeze the rest of the orange juice over the meat.  And voila!  There you have it.  Now…slow cook it on low for 15-24 hours.  If you can resist the smell, it will be a treasure worth waiting for.  When done, remove the meat fromt he cooker and place in large serving dish.  Remove the loose fat with a spoon or fork and then use the same utensils to pull the meat apart.  It will be steaming hot, tender, moist, juicy, and delicious.

What to serve with it?  Well…what better than black beans and rice?

My black bean recipe is a variation of one I got from a Cuban restaurant in Miami and the recipe on the back of the Goya black bean can.  Here are your ingredients:

2 cans black beans (frijoles negro)
1-1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 a large white onion, diced fine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or if you don’t have any mix red wine and white vinegar)
olive oil
Saźon (my secret ingredient!)

Dice the onion and sautee in about a tablespoon of olive oil until they begin to look translucent. Salt and pepper to taste while they’re cooking. Pour cans of black beans (liquid included) into the cooked onions and stir well. Add a cup-cup-and-a-half of water to the mixture, as well as the red wine vinegar. Then add the secret ingredient…the Saźon.

Saźon is a Latin/Cuban seasoning that adds pure magic to your dish and can be found in pretty much any grocery store. Get the “natural and complete” and then put two packets of it into the beans. Let them cook on a low-medium simmer for 20-25 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

Next, let’s turn to the rice, which is a simple recipe given to me by my friend, Rachel.

2 cups rice
4 cups chicken stock (good one like College or Swanson’s)
2 tablespoons of butter, margarine, whichever you prefer
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder (more if you’d like)
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)

Pour the chicken stock in a saute pan. Add the rice, salt, and butter and stir. Bring to a rapid boil, while stirring. Then, cover tightly, lower heat to a simmer, and let it cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT lift the lid to check on it. At the end of 15 minutes, your rice will be cooked and fluffy. Stir to make sure it’s not sticking to the pan and then add one can of Rotel (or petite diced tomatoes), cumin, and chili pepper. Stir together well and there you have it.

Again…not mine, but exactly what it looked like before going into my belly!

There you have it…my SoCal delight. I hope you’ll try this and let me know how it turned out for you.

In my paranormal research, I have been to the RMS Queen Mary several times.  It’s an awesome old ship from the glory days of the cruising industry.  In addition to sailing the seas entertaining passengers, the Queen Mary also served as a troop carrier in WWII.  She has a storied past in our nation’s history.

In 1968, the City of Long Beach California won a bid to have the Queen Mary permanently moored as a hotel in their harbor.  Today, one of the main tourist pulls for the Queen Mary is that of hosting paranormal investigators, teams, and conferences.  The Queen is known in the parnormal arena as a very “active” site and groups from all over pour their hard-earned dollars into the ship’s coffers on a regular basis.

Just like we did last weekend.

Only to be treated very poorly by the staff and security of the Queen Mary.

My boyfriend, paranormal investigator, Patrick Burns, wrote a detailed blog on what happened to us last weekend.  Please read our account and seriously reconsider taking your paranormal group to this location until the management changes their policies.

This week’s question comes not only from a couple of fans, but a former co-worker of mine who just informed me that he’s finished with his manuscript. So…you’ve finished your book…and now what?

This is a common question for people who aren’t eyeball-level involved in the publishing industry. When you’ve reached “The End,” what do you do next?

First of all, take your right hand, curl it up over your shoulder and pat yourself on the back. Congratulations! It’s an awesome feeling, isn’t it? So many people “talk” about writing, but not everyone does it. Celebrate the fact that you completed the manuscript.

Only once the book is complete, edited, and polished, do you start thinking about the next stage. The first and foremost thing is to complete the book. I can’t stress this enough.

Once you think your manuscript is in the best possible shape, then my suggestion is to query agents. When I was at this stage, I got some very good advice from a fellow writer. She said, “When my car needs repairs, I go to the mechanic. When my teeth need cleaning, I go to the dentist. When I have a manuscript that’s ready to sell, I go get an agent.” This resonated with me deeply…go to the people whose job it is to know the industry, its inner workings, and the right editor to send projects to.

Truthfully, it’s very hard in this day and age to be discovered directly by a publishing from the slush pile. Agents are your voice and representation into the publishing world. Then comes the next $10,000 question…”How do I find an agent?”

First off, repeat these words…”Google is your friends.” Seriously, put in a search for literary agents for the genre you’re writing and you’ll get a ton of hits worth looking at.

Secondly, join a national writing group in your area like Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, etc., depending on the genre you’re writing. These writing organizations are excellent at getting industry information, agent and editor tips, critique partners, and generally, just to meet other writers and share the thrill/frustration/joys/triumphs/disappointments, etc. Networking with other authors can lead to many beneficial contacts, leads, and recommendations.

Third…and here’s a little trick…look at the acknowledgment page in your favorite author’s book. If you feel that your voice or story is similar to this person, perhaps you want to query their agent. Pretty much every writer I know thanks their agent in their books. (And if they don’t…they’re just silly!)

And the last bit of advice, go to Publishers Marketplace and get a membership for access to information about what agents are representing what genres and authors and who is selling what. This is a great, online, comprehensive way to see what agents are looking for and what they are selling.

With any agent query, I must BEG of you to not only follow their submission guidelines to a “T” but only query them with your COMPLETED story. Don’t test the waters of an idea by pitching it to an agent. You haven’t written it. It doesn’t exist. It’s vaporware. Do not query anyone until your manuscript is completed as it’s only a waste of time for you and for them. (Climbing off soap box on that issue.)

I hope this information is useful to you. Be prepared for criticism and rejection…it’s all part of the business. You really have to grow a thick skin — goodness knows I did — but the rewards are awesome if you can make that click with the right agent for you.

Now get back to work writing! = )

Today’s toss-up Tuesday, I’m reading (Nooking) a book recommended by my niece, Sarah.  It’s called THE CARRIE DIARIES which is about SEX AND THE CITY’s Carrie Bradshaw when she was in high school.  It’s great to get a different look at the iconic character and to see her struggling with the same teen issues that we’ve all been through and young girls still go through today.

The author, Candace Bushnell, has a sequel to the book coming out in April 2011, and I smell a whole new franchise for her.

Have you read the book? What did you think?

This is truly a manic Monday.  I’ve lost a contact.  My deposit got stuck in the ATM machine when the power went out.  And my allergies are off the chains.  Calgon, take me away!  LOL!!

I’ve had a lot of e-mail lately from fans wanting to get signed/autographed copies of my books for Christmas and will I do it.  The answer is…YES!

Here’s how we do it…

1.  E-mail me through my contact page here on the website.
2.  Tell me which book (or books, including CHRISTMAS MIRACLES) you would like to purchase.
3.  Tell me the name of the person(s) I’m signing it for
4.  Give me your shipping address
5.  Give me your PayPayl e-mail address for invoicing

I can take orders up through Monday, December 20th, in order to get books to people – and while my supplies last.

Thanks so much!
Marley = )