Ruby Frost

After almost 3 years of working on this book the day has finally arrived. Ruby Frost (book #4) of The Frost Series is finally out in print and as an ebook. I really hope people enjoy Bianca’s latest adventure into Everafter.

 

Bianca Frost is back in Everafter for another spellbinding adventure!

To defeat Baba Yaga she has to train with all four Fairy Queens; Titania, Mab, Eirwyn, and Blodeuwedd. The old crone is determined to steal Rose and David Frost’s baby so that Baba Yaga can train her in the dark arts and destroy good magic once and for all. Bianca, Ming, Maggie, Terrance, and Prince Ferdinand have to use all of their wits and resources in order to defeat this powerful, evil witch.

But at what cost?

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cake

What better way to celebrate Autumn than by baking this delicious treat! My mom always makes some Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cake on Thanksgiving and seriously, it’s so yummy it doesn’t stay on the table very long because everyone has eaten a slice. 😀 So I figured I’d share the recipe with you guys. Enjoy!

*If you don’t have a food processor, use the canned pumpkin option.

Prep: 45 minutes Bake: 60 minutes Cool: 30 minutes Oven: 350 degrees F.

Nonstick spray for baking

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into chunks (1 ½ cups)

1 1 ½-lb. pie pumpkin, shredded* or one 15-oz. can pumpkin

¾ cup butter, melted

6 eggs, slightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With the nonstick spray for baking, generously coat a 10-inch square tube pan without removable bottom or a 10-inch flute tube pan. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl set aside ½ cup of the flour. In a large bowl combine remaining flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. To the reserved ½ cup flour, stir in chocolate chunks; toss to coat.
3. In another bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Add chocolate mixture. Stir until combined. Pour batter into tube pan.
4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove cake from pan; cool 30 minutes.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Once you make our yummy treat snuggle up with a fun book!

Here’s a sneak peek at First Frost:

Bianca got out of her car and ran inside the house. She called for her mother as she searched for her upstairs in all of the rooms. Nothing. She quickly ran downstairs and was ready to go down to the basement when a strange turquoise light caught her eye. She looked out the kitchen window; she couldn’t believe what she saw. Her mother was throwing what Bianca could only describe as balls of turquoise fireballs at a woman wearing a black hood. Bianca couldn’t see the woman’s face, but she could see her pale hands and slender fingers.
Bianca tried to make sense of it all. She kept expecting to see a special effects crew to come out from behind the trees and tell her that it was all part of an elaborate prank. But no such thing happened. All she knew was that a strange turquoise flame was coming out of her mother’s hands.
She knew that her mother sometimes read old dusty books on witchcraft, but she didn’t know she had actual powers. She thought about all the little quirks her mother had. Things that Bianca thought were essentially Rose. Her mother talked to plants and trees. She would sometimes stare off into space as though she were looking at something in another world. Something only she could see. She read tarot cards to random people and would tell them things about his or her life as though she were reading an open book. Bianca always thought she just made really lucky guesses. She chose not to believe in this other world and everything it stood for. Magic represented a life out of the norm, and Bianca desperately wanted to be normal. Just like everyone else.
Bianca pulled herself out of her thoughts. As she looked at the blue and green flashes in the backyard, she quickly realized that this was something she couldn’t escape. Normal was no longer a part of her world. Normal was no longer an option for her.
Bianca didn’t know what to do. She was frozen in place. She was afraid to distract her mother for even a second. She ducked behind the screen door; at least this way she could still hear what they were saying to each other.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t come?” the witch shouted. “Oh, I knew you’d be back,” Rose replied.
Bianca slowly lifted her gaze and peeked above the screen. She saw her mother standing behind the shed on the left side of their backyard. The witch was still too far away for her to get a good look at her, but Bianca could tell that she was on the far right corner of their yard.
“Where’s the book?” the witch demanded.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rose replied with a smirk.
“Don’t be coy with me. You know very well what I’m talking about.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you.” Rose’s breathing was becoming more labored and she was drenched in sweat…obvious signs of exhaustion, but Bianca could tell by the look on her mother’s face that she wouldn’t give up.
“The wards in the museum are impressive. I couldn’t get past them. But maybe…she’ll know where the book is,” the witch said as she looked in Bianca’s direction and threw a sickly olive-colored fireball at the screen door.
Bianca shrieked and jumped out of the way. The screen door fell off its hinges and landed on the kitchen floor with a loud thud.
“Bianca!” Rose screamed.
© Liz DeJesus 2015

Kindle

Nook

Gravely Inanimated ~ A Review

Okay…so I’m a writer. Not really a reviewer. LOL So when I fall in love with a book the only things that usually come out of my mouth are ‘Oh my God, it was amazing. You have to read it.’ So please bare with me as I do my best to describe what Gravely Inanimated is about using my own words.

This novel was written by my new BFF and partner in crime (as far as festivals, fairs and conventions are concerned) Esther Wheelmaker.

Let me start by saying ‘Wow!’ This book completely took me by surprise (in a good way). The story is about Lucille Knight who is a young lady who’s still trying to figure out her place in the world, mainly in Victorian London. She worries about things like what to wear, have your father introduce you to a suitable suitor (whether you like it or not), tea time …oh and don’t get bitten by zombies on the way home.

This book was a mixture of Steampunk, Pride and Prejudice and Blade (except that it had zombies instead of vampires).

In the beginning of the story Lucy meets Aeron, when he saves her from a group of zombies from eating her brains. She’s a little stubborn at first but eventually once you realize why she’s the way she is, you warm up to her and root for her to fulfill her destiny.

Don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the book for anyone, but definitely give it a try. It’s a fun read that will keep you guessing til the very end.

Kindle

Nook

Learn more about Esther Wheelmaker and the Zombiepunk Series at her website http://www.zombiepunkseries.com/

Kind of a bestseller…

Okay…so a lot has happened since yesterday. I’ve been promoting my book’s sale like crazy over the past few days. On facebook, twitter, google +, tumblr…even a few well placed ads and one thing led to another and First Frost has soared all the way to the top.

How high?

I took screen shots. 🙂

 

I’m keeping my favorite author of all time Marissa Meyer company!! 😀

 

 

And here’s the cherry on top. 😀

 

I was a B&N Top 100 Bestseller: Nook Books!!!

That’s the highest I’ve ever gotten on B&N. 🙂 I’m over the moon over this! I still can’t believe this is all actually happening to me. I keep waiting to either wake up from a dream or discover that this is all an elaborate prank. But I’ve been hitting the refresh button obsessively and it’s all very real. 🙂 Although now comes the sucky part, where I get to watch my book go down the chart until poof! off it goes. Back into obscurity. But man, did I enjoy seeing my little book have that moment in the sun. A point where hundreds (possibly thousands) of people saw my book and my name. 🙂

I’m going to have stickers made where it’ll say B&N Nook Bestseller. Because now it’ll be true! 😀

 

Time for Dessert!

 

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake
Nonstick spray for baking 
3 cups all-purpose flour, reserve ½ cup in a small bowl
2¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups (6 oz.) bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into chunks 
1 1½-lb. pie pumpkin, shredded* or one 15-oz. can pumpkin 
¾ cup butter, melted
6 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously spray a 10-inch square tube pan without removable bottom or a 10-inch flute tube pan. Set aside. 

In a large bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

To the reserved ½ cup flour, stir in chocolate chunks; toss to coat. 

In another bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs. 

Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Add chocolate mixture. Stir until combined. Pour batter into tube pan. 

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove cake from pan; cool 30 minutes. 

Makes 12 to 16 servings. 
*If you don’t have a food processor, use the canned pumpkin option. 

While your delicious cake is baking is a perfect time to read a short intro for my latest release.

When joined together, Cinderella’s slippers grant the wearer her heart’s desire. But whose wish will be granted?

When Cinderella’s glass slipper is stolen, Queen Felicia sends her faithful steward Terrance to the real world to retrieve his love and witch-in-training, Bianca Frost. The power of the glass slipper in the wrong hands could ruin peace in Everafter. Bianca must gather every bit of magic she has learned in the past few weeks to find the slipper and protect her new love. Together, Bianca, Ming, Prince Ferdinand, and Terrance venture deep into the heart of Everafter to seek clues as to who has stolen the slipper and why. Along the way, they uncover what happened to the Seven Dwarves after Snow White married the prince, but also learn the awful risk of tampering with black magic and the high price that must be paid for magical aid, even when used for good.

Bianca and Terrance’s relationship is put to the test. Through the pain of suffering and loss, Bianca must determine if following her gallant boyfriend into his faraway world is in fact her heart’s desire. 

To read an excerpt from Glass Frost, please click HERE.

Learn more about Liz DeJesus on her website. 

Visit First Frost, the book that set this series in motion, on Facebook.

Baltimore Comic Con

Words cannot express how much fun I had this past weekend. It was incredible. I actually met my new BFF Esther Wheelmaker on facebook and I wasn’t exactly sure how we’d get along once we met in person and I’m happy to say that we got along so incredibly well. I can’t wait to go to more conferences and conventions with her. We’re even planning on having a book signing together sometime next month.

Stuff I had at my table:

1. Bookmarks
2. Stickers
3. Limited edition Glass Frost lip balms (strawberry flavored)
4. Business cards
5. And last but not least my two awesome books First Frost & Glass Frost. 

My badge for the weekend. 😀

My table and my super cute dress. 😀

Me and my new BFF Esther Wheelmaker. 

Darth Vader on Summer Vacation. 

Jem and Jerica from my favorite 80’s cartoon Jem.

Pinkie Pie tagged along and kept me company. I think she has pretty good taste in books, don’t you think so? 

I met my hero Terry Moore and he was so incredibly kind and gracious. He asked me to tell him about my book and was intrigued. I signed two of my books for him and he let me have one of his books from his table. And he SIGNED it for me!!! 😀

Highlight of my life! And I’m going to do just that. I shall WRITE…because Terry Moore told me to do so. 😀 

Had so much fun, will definitely be going back again next year. 😀

Check list for Comic Con

Oh yeah! I’m going to the Baltimore Comic Con on September 7th and 8th. Got everything ready. I’m so excited, I can’t wait!!!!!!! I’m even on the official list on their site!! Go take a look. 😀 

I’m also going to be there with another local author, Esther Wheelmaker. So check her out too! 

1. Super cute dress? CHECK!

2. Super cute headband? CHECK! (because I’m not going in costume but still wanna dress up a little bit)
 & 
tokidoki.it 

3. Books? CHECK! & CHECK! I have about 75 copies of First Frost and 100 copies of Glass Frost. 

4. Got my banner.

5. Got 2 boxes of bookmarks. 

6. Lip balms! Muahahahaha! Oh yeah, I got limited edition, lip balms with the cover of Glass Frost on them for Comic Con only! I went a little crazy and ordered 100 of them. I might end up only taking about 80 to Comic Con because I keep giving them to people. Friends and family mostly. Still pretty freakin’ cool if you ask me. I got them at ebeehoney.com. 😀

7. Business cards. 

8. Mini cards.

9. Stickers. 

10. A plan to find Stan Lee and Terry Moore and take a picture with either one of them. Although I’ll probably be more likely to find Terry Moore than Stan Lee. But he’s going to be at Comic Con. I’M GOING TO BE IN THE SAME BUILDING AS STAN LEE!!!!!!!!!!! Still can’t believe this is actually happening! 😀 

And to anyone that’s going to go to Comic Con Esther and I will be at table A 233. So be sure to look for us. 😀 

So excited! Can’t wait. I’m gonna go and happy dance some more.