I'm tickled to have Melissa Snark drop by today. She's sharing a recipe for Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake as well as information about her newest release.
Hello!
My name is Melissa Snark, and I'm a fantasy and romance author. If I
could have a moment of your time, I'd like to ask for your help as a
reader. Please consider nominating my Norse folklore fantasy novel
Battle
Cry
on Kindle Scout.
Amazon's
new publishing program is called Kindle
Scout,
an innovative platform that provides readers with a sneak peek at
unreleased books as well as the opportunity to have a say in what
gets chosen. The timing of Scout
was
amazing. The announcement came just as I neared completion of my
novel. The terms being offered are attractive. As a publisher, Amazon
has as much clout as one of the traditional publishers. This simply
seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass on, so I submitted
Battle
Cry for
consideration.
Per
the FAQ: How
does Kindle Scout benefit readers?
Kindle
Scout readers get to preview new, never-before-published books and
influence which ones are made available to millions of readers on
Amazon. In
addition, any time a reader's nomination gets published, they will
receive a free copy.
I
appreciate your support! To nominate Battle
Cry,
you only need to be logged into your Amazon account. You can head
over to the Kindle Scout website and view Battle
Cry's profile page. If you like what you see, please consider
voting for Battle
Cry.
Thank you so much!
BATTLE
CRY
Book
#2 in the Loki's Wolves series
Melissa
Snark
Genre:
Norse folklore fantasy
Number
of pages: 375 approx.
Word
Count: 95,000
Cover
Artist: Farah Evers
Tags:
#Fantasy #Amreading #Kindle @MelissaSnark
Logline:
One man dares defy Fate.
Survival
demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness.
Men
revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious Hunter
King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the
daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets
off a chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the
lives of both wolves and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake
seeks
the truth at any cost.
After
losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to
get on with building a new life in Sierra Pines, California. A
vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization aren't going to make that
easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction between her and the
Hunter King's second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil plague
Victoria.
When
the Norse Fates predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties
as a priestess of Freya come into conflict with her responsibilities
as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they tell her she will do it to save her
unborn child, she's not so sure they are wrong.
Sawyer
Barrett has been trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn't know
whether he loves her or hates her. Desperate to end the war, he's
willing to take chances with everything–except his heart. The
hunter harbors a deadly secret he can't reveal without risking the
ceasefire and his life.
At
Sawyer's urging, Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the
while, an ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters
alike. If the embittered rivalry between hunters and wolves doesn't
end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria's pack... or for their
world.
Attribution:
Norns weaving destiny,
by Arthur Rackham (1912). Public domain.
Short
excerpt (PG):
Shade
enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and
oppressive, closing in from all sides. "Your daughter will not
grow to adulthood in Midgard."
Victoria's
heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a
horrified gust. The bowl dropped from her hands and flew to protect
her abdomen. "What do you mean?"
"Your
daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday,"
Skuld said. "The one you trust most, a member of your own pack,
will give the child over to your greatest enemy."
A
growl trembled in Victoria's throat, and her entire body shook under
the dual assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from
within her own pack filled her with disbelief to the core of her
being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution,
refusing to dwell on it. "How am I to prevent this?"
"We
speak of what will come to pass," Verðandi said in a
sympathetic tone.
"Your
predictions are not carved in stone," Victoria said. Arguing
with Fate was a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their
prophecy.
The
old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes.
"Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved
into the spiritual fabric of the world."
Stubborn
determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught
her there was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free
will. Life consisted of a wide range of possibilities between the two
extremes. She refused to allow her daughter to die at three years of
age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay gods.
Whatever
it took.
"Do
you wish to save your child?" Skuld asked.
Victoria
answered without thought. "Yes. I'll do anything. Tell me.
Please."
"The
final days are upon us," Verðandi said.
Skuld
took over speaking. "To save your daughter, you will side with
Loki against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the
binding of the great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing
the beast that kills Odin."
Victoria's
stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. "When the
gods imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We
have served them loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from
the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we remained faithful. I will
never cut Fenrir's bonds. To do so would end the world we live in and
doom us all."
Skuld's
gaze held steady. "You will."
Victoria
snarled her denial. "No. I will never become the servant of the
Trickster or willingly take part in bringing about Odin's death."
Skuld
turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in
its socket like a liquid marble. "To save your daughter, you
will."
Fast
Facts About Melissa Snark:
-
Melissa
Snark is published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author
with five unique titles: A CAT'S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO
FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and HUNGER MOON.
Her
Loki's Wolves series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and
BATTLE CRY.
She
lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children
and a glaring of cats.
She
is a professional cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs
about books and writing on The
Snarkology.
Connect
with Melissa Snark:
Email:
melissasnark at gmail.com
And now the recipe!
Thanksgiving
is just around the corner, so I'd love to share a delicious dessert
with you. This cake is a yummy treat that will fill your entire home
with the tempting aroma of cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy it after your
evening meal... or as a tempting breakfast pastry.
Cinnamon
Swirl Cake
Ingredients:
Batter:
Topping:
1
cup butter, softened
1
cup brown sugar
2
Tablespoons flour
2
Tablespoons cinnamon
Directions:
In
a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Mix milk, eggs,
and vanilla. Stir thoroughly.
Pouring
slowly, stir wet mixture into dry ingredients.
Slowly
add butter, stirring until batter is mixed.
Pour
into a greased 9x13 pan.
For
the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Sprinkle
evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.
Bake
at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes.
Allow
cake to cool for 15 minutes before glazing.
Glaze:
2
cups powdered sugar
5
Tablespoons milk
1
teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Combine
ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined.
While
the cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top.
