If you didn't have a chance to see it live, check out the piece NBC did on The Today Show Friday about romance novels and featuring the National Conference.
Go to http://today.msnbc.msn.com/ and scroll right on "videos for today" until you reach "Romance novel sales bloom." If you look hard enough you'll see our own Bandita Donna MacMeans at the Literacy Signing. She's wearing her wide-brimmed designer hat!
RWA raised a whopping $58,000 for the event. Yay!
Additionally, our own Bandita KJ Howe garnered a first-place award in short contemporary for her manuscript THE MATADOR in the Daphne du Maurier Award for unpublished writers. She received the honor during the Mystery/Suspense Chapter of RWA's Death by Chocolate award celebration Wednesday night.
Congrats, Kim!
Also, what an honor for Pamela Bolton-Holifield, aka Doglady, who also won first place in the Daphne historical category. I met Pam at breakfast one morning and she's as much a delight in person as she is on the loop.
Congratulations, Doglady, aka Louisa Cornell!
Be sure to stay tuned for more announcements of upcoming awards and honors.
23 comments:
Is it true!
Yes...cool...
Now i'll read!
Now we have him still downunder...
Now I and the CB'c will ply him with food and drink!
Cheers Carol
Congratulations, Carol! This is definitely the time to snag the rooster while the Banditas are away in San Francisco playing with that other chook -- the Imposter!
And be sure to check back later for more news about other honors and awards the Banditas and Bandita Buddies have received.
Well done Carol he won't want to leave Australia soon!!
What types of drinks are you going to ply him with today Carol and has PJ got some more wonderful treats for him as well?
Congrats Kim and Louisa well done a big cheer for you both.
Thanks for the info Jo I am really enjoying all the information from the conference I watched the piece from the Today show and saw Donna and the famous hat looking good Donna.
Ladies in SF be careful with the cloned GR you have I am sure he has built in spying devices. LOL
Have Fun
Helen
Jo
That is Fantastic news for KJ and Louisa...
Hopefully very soon we readers will be able to see their books in our bookshelves...
Congrats KJ and Louisa (big Hugs)
Yes Helen has done a great job...and just sent him up north to me here in Brisbane...
I'm going to take him up to the school to visit with the 5 hens up there...They have missed him so much!!! I sure I'll be able to report back that we have the REAL GR...if anyone can tell it will be those feathered ladies...
Meanwhile just he is celebrating his return to Brissy with a beer!
4xxxx
(I'm having another Pomegranate Margarita)
DH is having a beer too!
Hey the V-8 supercars are on again this weekend...that and the ladies will keep him occupied...
Cheers Carol
http://www.v8supercar.com.au/photogallery/photoevent.asp?ssn=2008&ind=M&cat=EVNT&pid=254
Congratulations to Kim and Louisa
on their awards! We are all so happy for them!
Pat Cochran
Congratulations to all the wonderful writers hooray!! I saw photos of the Banditas on Author Talk this morning, looking longingly at that packet of Tim Tams ladies...
Carol, keep him here, we'll put an aussie accent on him yet...
Hi all,
It's confirmed by the 5 lady hens in this vicinity that I am hosting the real GR. Yes Helen you were right!
The drinks for today are chosen to go with the Aussie menu of Damper and soup of stews and casserols.
Vegetable soup for the GR and pumpkin for me and DH can't stand the stuff so he's having leftover ... (you may guess but don't say c.....n legs and mushroom casserole.
Pre dinner drink of a glass of Port (Brown Bro.)
I'll check with the Lads about what we can have for afters!
Aussie Damper
Damper is a scone/bread mixture which was made originally by
cooking the dough in a campfire in the bush by stockmen, drovers
in the early days .
2 cups of SR(self raising) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
¾ a cup milk or water
(enough to make a medium or soft dough)
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
Rub the butter into the flour. Knead. Mould into a round shape.
Bake in hot oven approx 35-40 min(or in ashes if you are cooking it in a fire.)
Eat while hot… spread with butter(! - don’t forget your anti-cholesterol pill later)
Great with soups, stews and whatever you are desperate for!
Or if you just want to eat it spread with butter and your favourite Jam (jelly for usa)
PJ, no doubt will have blueberry jam on hand!
A sweet variety can be made adding more sugar/treacle/honey (your choice) and add dried sultanas or mixed dried fruits
Cheers Carol
sorry ladies re the typo's
should read as...
Aussie menu of Damper and Soup or Stews and Casseroles
Natalie, he's slurring his words a bit...too much 4xxxx!
Cheers Carol
Here is a larger mixture!
Australian Damper Bread
This is a traditional bread baked in the coals of an open fire or in a Dutch Oven (huge lidded cast iron pot) but nowadays we bake it in a normal oven. Of course there are as many variations as there are days in the years but the basic recipe is as follow:-
Ingredients
4 cups self-raising flour
3/4 - 1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
Method
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the sugar.
Rub in the butter with your (clean) hands until a fine breadcrumb texture is achieved.
For a well in the top of the flour, pour in the milk and water, and mix well with a knife until the dough come clean from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and silky, like a baby's bottom.
Shape into a mounded loaf, (some people cut a deep cross in the top) and bake in a preheated oven, 200 c / 400 F, for 25 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180 c / 375 f and cook a further 10 - 15 minutes until done. The loaf should be a light golden brown colour and sound hollow when tapped.
If you are "game" try cooking it on a camp fire; nothing beats that extra smoky flavour, especially using Australian Eucalyptus wood to give it that special something. If you are cooking in an oven at home, try putting a few Gum Leaves in the over to smoke as your are cooking the bread.
Damper is very similar to Irish Soda Bread, and probably developed from recipes brought over by Irish immigrants/convicts.
Variations of the basic recipe are seemingly endless, but you could try substituting other liquids, such as beer for a darker colour/flavour, or varying the ratio of milk to water, and so on. Try adding more sugar and butter and some dried fruits for a dessert damper. Basically use your imagination.
If you are cooking on an open fire you could try wrapping the dough in aluminium foil before you place it in the coals, or even try wrapping the dough around a stick and cooking suspended over the flames.
Good Baking!
http://www.aussieslang.com/features/australian-damper-bread-recipe.asp
The Cabana boys are going to serve Aussie Beer!
If it's not your drink of choice...hey wack some lemonade in it ...Thats a Shandy!
Amazing Australian Drinks
Drinking has always been an important part of Australian life, ever since the First Fleet landed.
Beer used to be the most popular drink for a long time, but in recent years wine has grown hugely in popularity. Aussie wine is now exported all over the world and has won many awards in international competitions.
An Australian National University study of 7000 people found that those who drink in moderation have better verbal skills, memory and speed of thinking than those drinking a lot or not at all.
In the non alcoholic department Australia started off as a tea drinking nation but somewhere in the seventies coffee overtook tea as the most consumed hot drink.
http://www.amazingaustralia.com.au/drinks.htm
The Shandy (also radler or panaché) is beer flavoured with lemonade or another soft drink or soda water. Lemonade-based shandies are more common in Europe, and ginger ale is more commonly used in North America and the Caribbean. (The American reader should be advised that 'lemonade' in Europe is akin to 7-Up in the US; it bears almost no resemblance to American lemonade.) The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste, normally half-and-half, although shandy sold canned or bottled is typically much weaker, around one part beer to ten parts lemonade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shandy
Cheers carol
Congrats Kim and Louisa! Let's hope there will be much more...
And congrats Carol, he really likes it downunder (but beware when Jennifer comes back, LOL)
I've seen many pictures from San Francisco and they all seem to have fun (and wonderful shoes and tired feet!).Will be great to hear all about it later...
The news video is great publicity for the conference! Everyone there looks to be having a great time!
I am looking forward to seeing lots of photo's!
Cheers Carol
Carol I am glad he has had some fun with the Lady Hens and they have confirmed my thoghts that we have the real GR here in Australia.
I love damper Carol I haven't made it in years I love it with lots of butter and golden syrup yum and I love a beer here and there I usually drink tooheys extra dry but am happy to have 4xxxx and some damper I will go with the pumpkin soup as well it is lovely soup weather.
The family have all just left after a birthday dinner for my eldest daughter.
Have Fun
Helen
Helen,
Lashings of butter amd golden syrup on the Damper is definately one of my favourites.
We actually did have the aforementioned menu for our dinner! I thought I'd better try out the recipe to make sure it wasn't a dud.
I have seen some photo's from my daughter who is at the conference... really having a fantastic time, She came 3rd in the competetion she was in, a section of the Beau Monde.
This is a great website, terrific fun ladies and I love their books too. At the moment just need more time to read them!
Happy birthday to your daughter and you...(I always say it was your birth day too...cos you birth'd her *g*)
Cheers Carol
Congrats on the GR, Carol. And congrats to Kim, Pamela and Lousia. I can't wait to hear the news from tonight!!
Keep that good news coming! A special hug for Louisa--she also won the hot and paranormal category of the Royal Ascot, and we are so, so proud of her! :)
Carol, your Aussie scones sound delicious! I'm tempted to build a fire in the back yard just so I can cook them that way!
Carol
Huge congrats to your Daughter I bet she is stoked well done.
This is a great place to be I agree so many people to talk to and they do write awesome books, I have made lots of friends here and love visiting everyday.
Dinner was nice I like it when they all here together we have so much fun together although Rebecca is one of my daughters who is pregnant and is suffering from morning sickness so I have to ask her what she wants me to cook so as I can get her to eat something she tends to eat a lot of vegemite on toast at the moment that seems to be all she can handle but she did eat lots of vegies and some meat last night and took birthday cake home to eat later.
Have Fun
Helen
Hooray for Pam and Louisa! And what exciting news! :) Having fun with the GR, Carol? ;)
HUMONGOUS congratulations to all the Banditas, but especially to Doglady! That's so wonderful!!!
Thank you all so very much!! I am still a bit gobsmacked over it all! The best part was sharing it with the Banditas who never missed the opportunity to congratulate me. And it was a special treat to share the Daphne ceremonies with KJ!!!! We had a grand time and upheld the honor of the Banditas by NOT tripping over our shoes as we crossed the stage! KJ is certain I was stalking her as we kept showing up at the same places at the same time. Actually I was just stalking her shoes!! Very Classy!! Huge congrats, KJ!!!
I'll add my congrats to Louisa who I NEVER GOT TO MEET!!! Grrrrr...
KJ always looked stunning no matter where I saw her. I'm thrilled with her Daphne win!
(The Matador....hmmm..I wondered about that red cape..., LOL)
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