Dark Chocolate &Toffee Chip Cookies

Today was a day to bake cookies.  It's been a while since I've baked treats with my daughter, so we decided to bake chocolate chip cookies.  To spruce them up, I decided to combine Nestle Original Dark chocolate chips with Heath toffee pieces.  They are delicious!!!

Dark Chocolate & Toffee Chip Cookies:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• approx 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• approx 1 cup toffee pieces

(I'm not exact with my chocolate chips---I sprinkle in a portion of the bag until the cookies look nice and packed with delicious bits of chocolate! )

Preheat oven to 375

Combine ingredients.  I always melt my butter in the microwave before combining--makes it easier for my little one to help with stirring.  Drop by large tablespoon-fulls or use a cookie scoop like I do, it makes it so easy and the cookies come out nice and round most of the time.

Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for 11 minutes.  My oven has a hot spot, so I would put the cookie sheet in for 5 1/2 minutes and then flip the sheet for another 5 1/2  (it's not necessary unless your oven is crazy like mine!)

Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.  They will look mushy while hot, but trust me, after they cool for five minutes on cookie sheet and 10 on a wire cooling rack, they will be absolute perfection.

Enjoy!!!

Champagne Toast Teaser

Thanks to everyone who reviewed on Amazon.com!  I now have 75 reviews and am happy to share a teaser from Evan's book:

    “Evan, can you help me?” Kate asks. She’s standing on her tip-toes, her t-shirt rising up her back, exposing her midsection. I do my best not to stare as I walk towards her. She glances back at me over her shoulder before continuing her request, “Vince put the spare key to his office on the highest shelf of the bar and I can’t reach it.” Her hair smells like strawberries.

“No problem,” I say, easily reaching the key. Just for fun, I dangle it above Kate’s head. She smirks at me, narrowing her eyes as if to say, ‘okay, let’s play.’

Grinning from ear to ear, I ask, “Oh, I’m sorry, can you still not reach them?” Whenever I’m near this woman, all I want to do is tease her, tease her so badly she can hardly contain herself. But, the result is that I can hardly contain myself. Tiny beads of sweat are building along my hairline as I twist the keychain back and forth between my fingers. Kate swats at the key and gives me a fake dirty look. I know her well enough to know she’s not upset at all.

“Ev, c’mon,” Yeah, that’s another thing. She started calling me Ev. It drives me friggin wild. I can’t take it! Every time she says it, I want to throw her up against the bar and kiss her hard, really hard. I want to possess her, to make her mine, and yet when the fantasy is over I realize I can’t have her. Not yet.

“Alright,” I hand her the keychain and give her a crafty wink. She gives a satisfied smile. “What do you need it for anyway?” I ask.

“I don’t,” she raises an eyebrow at me before walking away to take orders from a large table of college students. My jaw hits the floor as she saunters away, looking back in her signature tease of a grin. This girl is going to be the end of me.

Evan, Evan, Evan

As many of you know, I am busy working on Book 2 of the "Love of my Life" series.  This book is Evan's story and I am having a lot of fun writing it....I love getting inside Evan's head as well as the head of Kate, the girl who broke his heart.

I have a few teasers that I would love to share, but here's the deal:  I will share them when I reach 75 reviews on Amazon for Bouquet Toss.  I have received so many fantastic emails, posts on my Facebook Author page and even here on the blog, telling me how much they loved the book.  These messages mean the WORLD to me!  In order for more people to know about Bouquet Toss, it takes recommendations and reviews on Amazon are a great way to spread the word!

As always, thank you for reading and I can't wait to share a tiny glimpse of the charming Evan and his book  :)

This is my Evan.  His real name is Ryan Guzman, but to me he'll always be Evan Maxwell!

RT Booklovers Convention

This week, I signed up to attend the R.T. Booklovers Convention in Kansas City Missouri, May 1-5.  There will be workshops for readers and writers, as well as several events:  book signings, e-book EXPOs and social events.  I can't wait!!!!

Here is a link to learn more information on the Convention! 

http://www.rtconvention.com/

Check it out!!  I'll be participating in the Indie Author E-book Expo on Thursday, May 2nd!! 

Just Because....

I could use a little Henry today...how about you?

(photo taken from Facebook:  Thank you Henry Cavill Fanpage  :)  )

The Girly Book Blog Hop!!

I am honored to participate in the Girly Book Blog Hop!!!  The focus of this blog hop is Sensational Secondary Characters.  So, without further ado, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Evan Maxwell from my novel, Bouquet Toss!

When Daphne visits a psychic to find out if Mayson (her first love who has reappeared in her life) is the one, the psychic does not tell her what she wants to hear...but, she does tell Daphne that an immense amount of happiness awaits her with a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes.  When Daphne is re-introduced to the charming Evan, she instantly wonders if he is the man who Kim the psychic was referring to.....Could Evan be the one for Daphne?

Evan is charming and sarcastic, funny and soulful.  He loves music and live shows and loves to tease his friends.  He's sexy, but conflicted, as he's had his heart broken in the past.  He's someone you want in your corner.  If you're going through a hard time, he'll have your back.  When reading reviews for Bouquet Toss, I was struck by how many women fell in love with the character of Evan.  His own story is currently in the works and should be released in the spring!

Synopsis of Bouquet Toss:
Ever since Daphne Harper graduated from college, all of her friends have fallen in love, become engaged and walked down the aisle. Be it a blessing or a curse, Daphne (a hopeless romantic and perpetual single girl) catches the bouquet at every single wedding she attends.

Daphne’s love life is a mess. Her first love, Mayson, haunts her heart and keeps her from pursuing happiness with any man who comes along. As she struggles to move on from the one who got away, Daphne wonders if she will ever break her curse and find her happily ever after.


Purchase Bouquet Toss on Amazon

 

In order to celebrate the Blog Hop, I'd like to give away one $10 e-gift card to Amazon.com.  Fall is my favorite season for reading.  You can curl up under a blanket, drink some hot cocoa and read a new book or two!  I'm also giving away two signed paperbacks of Bouquet Toss (US residents only).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by Brownie Bites!  Be sure to visit all of the fantastic blogs participating in the hop!! 

CASTING CONTEST!!

CASTING CONTEST!!!!! 

Tell me who you envision for the roles of the characters of Bouquet Toss!!!! I'm a junkie for casting characters in books with Hollywood actors/actresses.

For the next week, tell me who you envision for the roles of:
1-Daphne
2-Mayson
3-Morgan
4-Tanner

Next Thursday, Sept. 27th, I will choose a winner and a runner-up. The WINNER will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon and a signed copy of Bouquet Toss. The runner up will also receive a signed copy of Bouquet Toss.

The ONLY RULES are that you can't cast the same actors/actresses that I have selected...other than that, have fun, be creative and find some great actors! You can post them here in a comment, tag me in photos on my FB page, whatever you like----but, you must cast ALL 4 characters to win!!!

 

Actors/Actresses who are OFF-LIMITS:

Daphne:  Allison Wiliams

Mayson:  Travis Van Winkle

Morgan:  Anna Faris

Tanner:  Zachary Levi