Happy December and Winter Holidays, everyone! I hope that this newsletter is finding everyone comfy, warm, well, and hopeful. I know that’s not realistic, all things considered, but one can still hope…
The day has come (and gone)! TALK TO ME is now available in ebook and paperback formats! Release day was yesterday and I hope all of you who pre-ordered copies, and bought copies as they became available, are enjoying them thoroughly! More on that below, in case you haven’t purchased your copy yet.
In this December/Christmas issue of CCB News, I’m going to write a little about my newest release, do an end-of-year book review of my 10 favorite 2024 reads, share some Christmas recipes (that are traditional in my household), reiterate news that’s important for every newsletter, and share some gossip I heard about some new businesses opening in Head Rock Harbor!
Let’s get to it!
TALK TO ME, as mentioned above, dropped yesterday! If you pre-ordered, the ebook showed up in your Kindle Friday morning. If you didn’t pre-order (What’s wrong with you? Really?), then you can now purchase an ebook or paperback copy!
In case you haven’t read the official blurb and don’t know much about the book. it’s a New Adult M/M Romance in a college setting. At the fictional Midway University, Josh Montag is starting his junior year. When his best friend Collin Gray points out that disgraced social media influencer, Theo Hendrix, has enrolled in classes at Midway, the story begins.
Theo was one half of the Two Gays from Blaze, a popular account he shared with his ex-boyfriend, Ben, on social media site, Peepers. Rumors of infedility on Theo’s part led to their split, and the dissolution of the account, along with Theo’s ostrcization at Blaze University. Moving to Midway University following these events, Theo hopes to rehabilitate his image and his social media influencer career, as well as recover from the trauma of everything.
Josh, completely unimpressed with all things having to do with the internet and social media, is somehow intrigued by Theo. When he notices the bullying and harassment Theo endures, he decides to extend an offer of friendship. After a few false starts, and a bit of miscommunication–as well as attempted sabotage from others–Theo and Josh become friends.
With the help of Josh’s elder gay friend at the Spice House senior assisted living facility, the two navigate the digital world, what’s real, what isn’t, and how to live life well, even when others wish to see you crash and burn.
TALK TO ME is a story about friendship, navigating betrayal, bullying, and harassment, searching out and demanding genuine human interaction, thinking for yourself, and living your best life, even when others try to stop you. I think you’ll all really enjoy this one–especially if you’ve been with me since I published Just a Dumb Surfer Dude over 6 years ago!
Christmas Recipes
There is one thing my family (especially my husband) pleads with me to make every year. Usually, this is a meal for between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but it works for any night during the winter holidays. I’m uncertain of the exact origin of this recipe (it’s not mine), I’ve seen tons of variations online, but this version was given to me by a friend. They don’t have any social media presence or I would tag them for credit–but I think it was passed along to them, too…so…
Creamy, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas!
Ingredients:
For the filling:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp Adobo seasoning
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 – 4 oz can of diced green chiles (mild or hot, your choice)
Season the chicken breasts liberally with the Adobo and bake at 350F until just done. It’s okay if there’s still a little pinkness to the chicken. It’s going into the oven a second time. (You can also use 2 cups of chicken shredded from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
Shred or cube the chicken once cooled down and mix with the pepperjack cheese and green chiles. Set aside.
For the Enchiladas:
8 large flour tortillas
chicken mixture
Lay out a tortilla and place 1/4 cup (or about an eighth total) of the chicken mixture in the middle, spread out along the width, leaving 1/2″ at each end. Roll the enchilada loosely and place seam side down in a nonstick 9x13x2 baking dish.
For Cheesy Topping:
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
1 – 4 oz can of diced green chiles (mild or hot, your choice)
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook roux for 2 minutes over medium heat to remove raw flour taste. Whisk in chicken stock slowly, cooking until beginning to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and diced green chiles. Pour over the enchiladas in the baking dish, and top with Monterrey Jack cheese. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. (I will put it on broil for the last 2 or 3 minutes to brown the top nicely)
Enjoy!
Rum Punch
Every year, my husband has to make a batch of this slushy, boozy beverage to enjoy throughout the season. It’s something he’ll have a small amount of every now and again, so one batch lasts him throughout December. I know it’s odd that a frozen, slushy beverage is something he enjoys at Christmas…but I never said he was normal. This is a recipe his mother gave him, and she cannot remember where she got it.
Ingredients:
1 – 750 ml white rum (he gets Bacardi)
52 oz Simply Lemonade
2 – 12 oz cans of frozen, pulp-free orange juice, defrosted (he gets Great Value brand because we don’t value our lives over here)
2 – 16 oz jars of stemless Maraschno cherries (Great Value again)
In a 4 quart (or bigger) bowl with a liquid-tight snap-on lid (this is important), simply pour all of the ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Snap on the lid and place in the freezer. Every 2-3 hours (except when sleeping, obviously), pull the bowl out of the freezer and mix it thoroughly (to make sure the cherries don’t settle in one place and so it doesn’t freeze unevenly–we want slushy, not completely frozen into a block). After 24-48 hours, you will have a nice, slushy treat to enjoy every evening before bed time!
Cherry Clafoutis
Lastly, Réveillon is observed in our household every Christmas Eve–and sometimes on New Year’s Eve (depending on whether or not we feel like it after having done it a week earlier). Réveillon is a long meal and, due to the meaning of the word, basically means that it lasts so long that in involves staying up until morning, having eaten throughout the night. We don’t necessarily follow that tradition here…but the dinner does go on for hours. This is because this is meant to be a luxurious, lazy meal, with lots of food/courses, wines/champagne, and desserts, lots of conversation and laughter, reminiscing, and enjoying the holiday season. In fact, in Provence, there is the tradition of serving 13 desserts at the end!
One thing I always make for the meal is cherry clafoutis. It’s a traditional French dessert made with tons of cherries and a pancake-like batter. It’s incredibly simple but also, somehow, incredibly luxurious. Instead of posting the recipe here, I’m going to make this easy on all of us and provide you with two links. A YouTube how-to video and the accompanying full recipe on the website it’s from. Enjoy!
See the full recipe here: https://tipbuzz.com/cherry-clafoutis/
I’ve heard a few rumors out of Head Rock Harbor recently. Some changes are coming to the little riverside town in East-Central Iowa.
Word is that Michael and Randall Cummings, a couple who recently moved to Head Rock Harbor from “back east,” have purchased Ona Evans’ old rundown place and are renovating it as their homestead. Furthermore, they bought The Downtown Theater, which has been shuttered for decades and the locals still refer to as “The Downtown.” Renovating it and rebranding it “Harbor Stage,” the couple hope to bring live entertainment to Head Rock Harbor in the near future. Unfortunately, it won’t be open in time for Pride.
Another whisper in my ear is that Jackson Harper finally decided to bite the bullet. With newly hired barista, Angel Gomez, at his side, Head Rock Harbor books is going to get a coffee bar! They’re still waffling over the name, but “Head Rock Harbor Books Coffee Bar” is to the point, don’t you think? Opening in time to coincide with Pride, Angel and the coffee bar are sure to be a hit with the locals–and tourists!
Favorite Books of 2024!
In no particular order, here are my 10 favorite reads of 2024! To be clear, these are books that I read in 2024, not books that were released in 2024. Some of these are newer, some older, but I read them all this year–and enjoyed them thoroughly. All of the 10 books below are 5-star reads, in my opinion. Hopefully, I’ve got a variety of genres here, so if you’re looking for a recommendation, one of these will strike your fancy. Some are indie books. Some are trad published. Some are hybrid. None of them are AI.
You’re welcome.
A Miss Fortune Mystery by Jana Deleon is a cozy(ish) mystery series I was turned onto this year. Louisiana Longshot is the first in the series. Fortune is a CIA agent placed in hiding after failing to assassinate a Middle Eastern bad guy. Taking on the identity of her CIA boss’s neice, Fortune finds herself in the fictional town of Sinful, Louisiana. Before long, she finds that ex-spies are hiding in Sinful, the town has a history of murders, and she may be in more danger in Sinful than she ever was in the Middle East. This series is a ton of fun, full of whacky characters, has great world-building, and the audiobooks are excellent. If you’re into the genre, you’ll love this one. Did I mention that there are nearly 30 books in the series??
Maria Bamford’s comedy makes me uncomfortable. And I love it. One of the lesser-known genius comics out there, Maria’s book about her battle with mania and depression is one that anyone struggling with mental health will connect with immediately. My favorite excerpt from the book was when a fellow patient in a rehab facility tells Maria that they recognize her, but promises to not tell anyone. Maria responds, “Oh, I’m in a county stamped gown and a pair of electric green gripper socks that are not my own. You tell whoever the fuck you want.” Absolutely dead. Listen to the audiobook for Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult. You won’t regret it!
Okay. A lot of people are bothered by books where the animal dies. So, if a story about a gay man losing his Dachsund to a brain tumor might bother you, avoid this one. I have subjects I don’t enjoy reading about, but death and dying (of anyone) is not one of them. So, when I was sobbing by the end of Lily and the Octopus, I was shocked. This is possibly one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read, but also one of the most devastating. However, it’s somehow hopeful in its ruminations on loss and grief. If you love a good cry, and won’t be overly bothered by dying animals, give this one a try. It’s surprisingly, absolutely gorgeous.
Maybe I’m biased since I’m friendly with Kyle Baxter in the social media sphere, but I truly had a great time with the audiobook for Bring Me Edelweiss. A M/M Romance by an actual gay man, this story had it all. Intrigue, romance, family, friendships, international travel, royalty…I didn’t want to have to pause or leave it for another day. I think I listened to the entire book within 3 days’ time. If you love a M/M Romance (especially those that are Own Voices), I highly recommend checking out this book and Kyle’s other work. You won’t regret it!
I have one-sided beef with Miss Pulitzer. However, I feel she got this one right. All the Light We Cannot See is a transcendent novel that is equally heartbreaking and uplifting. Telling the parallel, and then intersecting, stories of Marie-Laure (a blind French girl) and Werner (a German boy accepted into the military) during WWII, this is another novel that had me sobbing at the end. Knowing there was only one way for this novel to end didn’t make the ending any less devastating. Covering themes such as morality, honor, choice versus fate, and duty, this is a novel I simply could not put down.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is apparently a series, which I just now found out as of the writing of this newsletter. Vera Wong is a lonely old lady who owns a rundown tea shop and is overly invested in the life of her Gen-Z son to the point he has taken to avoiding her calls. When Vera finds a dead man in her tea shop, she steals evidence from the body, doesn’t bother telling the cops, and goes on a mission to solve the murder on her own, certain her choices are for the best. Over the course of the investigation, Vera meets a cast of characters that quickly become her chosen family. I just had a lot of fun and warm feelings listening to this one. If you’re into murders and mysteries and criminal investigations (and quirky characters), you’ll love it!
The Power by Naomi Alderman poses the question what would happen if a marginalized group (in this case, women) found the power to overcome their oppressors (obviously, men). The answer, though obvious, is nonetheless disturbing as you watch it unfurl in this harrowing, yet enlightening novel. Holding a reverse-Uno style mirror up to society, The Power will absolutely leave you with questions and thoughts. The parting line of the novel has stayed with me for months now. I can’t recommend it enough!
Another new cozy mystery series I was turned onto this year, Secrets and Scrabble, by Josh Lanyon was an absolute winner. The first book in the series, Murder at Pirate’s Cove, was a ton of fun! When Ellery Page inherits the mansion and bookshop owned by his great-great aunt in Pirate’s Cove on Buck Island, Rhode Island, he soon finds a body in the middle of his newly acquired shop. There are 8 books in the series so far–and I’ve devoured them all. With tons of murder and mystery, oodles of coziness, a growing cast of fun characters, and a M/M romance between Ellery and the police chief, this series is a no-brainer!
In Everything Sad is Untrue, Khosrou (whom everyone in his new homeland of Oklahoma, USA calls “Daniel”) is an immigrant fleeing his homeland of Iran with his mother and sister due to religious persecution. Telling stories of his life–that had me laughing as much as sobbing–Khosrou/”Daniel” takes on the role of Scheherazade, telling tales to delay the inevitable realization–that often, our memories are sometimes lies we tell ourselves. A heartbreakingly poignant, hopeful, sad, wistful, and delightful novel that I can’t recommend enough. Also, I’m not one to make a big deal over book covers (don’t judge a book by its…), but how gorgeous is this cover?
I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but I was surprised at how much I ended up loving Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love. For the first half of this novel about Oscar, who is being raised by his Swedish grandfather, FarFar, I felt it was a pretty typical young adult novel. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve written a few myself…
The realization that this novel is not just about the relationship Oscar finds with the (at first glance) insufferable Lou, or his time with his grandfather, but it’s a rumination on finding oneself, finding a place to plant your feet, standing up for your own dreams, and facing the inevitable loss that life brings.
Couldn’t put it down!
Were you aware that every book in my catalog is now back on Kindle Unlimited? If I’ve written it, it’s a book that’s included with Kindle Unlimited. If you have a subscription, you can read any of my books for no additional cost! All I ask is that you leave a review like you would with a book you purchased and read. Throw ya’ boy a bone!
Until next time, make sure you’re following me everywhere you can for all the latest Chase Connor Books news and nonsense!
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