The Wittering Woman ...: lynn marie hulsman

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Thursday, 3 December 2015

Advent Calendar Day 3 #LynnMarieHulsman

Behind door number 3 is Lynn Marie Hulsman!

5 English Christmas Traditions I Wish We Had in America

Some elements of Christmas are the same the world over… feasting, exchanging gifts, spending time with family. One would think that England and America would share very similar celebrations. At the core, we do. But having been lucky enough to spend time in England many, many times over the course of my life, I’ve gotten a glimpse at what I didn’t even know I was missing. If I had my way, we would communally agree to incorporate the five following Christmas traditions into our lives, starting this year!

5. Potatoes Roasted in Goose Fat

OK, I realize this isn’t strictly a Christmas tradition, but they do go very well with a nice Christmas roast. Plus, you guys do tend to have a Dickensian goose as the centerpiece for your feat. You’d be hard pressed to find a goose in the U.S. unless you were at a British Ex-Pat’s table or dining with hipsters in Seattle or Brooklyn (organic free-range goose, if you please). We don’t have goose fat in the cold section of our supermarket, sadly. And we don’t have roasties the way you do. We don’t even have the word. I’m considering lobbying congress to change this sad fact.

4. The Queen’s Speech

Dating back to 1932, when widespread broadcasting was in its nascent days, the King’s Christmas Message, pulled the whole nation together in a unified moment. I love the quaintness of this tradition. With all of the personalization that is possible with music, video, and television in our modern era, I feel that there are few occasions in which everyone we know — neighbors, friends, and strangers who are fellow countrypeople — are doing the same thing at the same time. I wish we had a President’s speech.

3. Socks at the End of Your Beds

Sure, we have Christmas morning. We even have stockings that are hung from the mantel. But I love the idea of the socks at the end of the bed. It harkens back to a much simpler time, when the presents may have been a carved toy, some nuts, and an orange. It’s also a private moment to wake up to, before the mayhem of the commotion around the tree. Really, though, I wish we did it because I want to be like Harry Potter waking up in Hogwarts.

2. Mince Pies

Oh, for the love of all that is holy, why do Americans not have Mince Pies at Christmastime? It’s not that no one has ever heard of them. My grandmother craved them, and talked about “mincemeat” in a way that was very confusing to me as a young child. Of course, the word could be referring to the meat of the nuts. And we know that early versions did contain suet for fat and flavor. When I was a kid, all I could picture was raw hamburger. I never tasted a real mince pie until I went to England as an adult. The decadence of having more than one of the tiny ones is very Christmassy to me. An English friend and fellow author, Charlie Cochrane, recommended melting good English Stilton cheese on top. Heaven! I even adore the Starbucks version, with the stars on top. If anyone would like to invite me to their Gran’s someday so I could eat a stack of real, homemade ones, I’d be your friend forever. Just sayin’.

1. Christmas Crackers

As a society, we have adopted a lot of English traditions, from our university system to, well, speaking English. Why did the tradition of Christmas Crackers not make it over the pond? For those of you Americans not in the know, a Christmas Cracker is a wrapped tube with ribbons at both ends, and resembles a large foil-wrapped candy. When the ends are pulled, a bang or pop erupts. Inside, you’ll generally find a paper hat or crown, some trinkets, and a bad joke or pun written on paper like a fortune in a fortune cookie. What a great way to bring the generations together. Even the most reserved dinner guest will be lured into the holiday mood with the silliness of it all. Crackers are the ultimate ice-breaker, enjoyed by tiny tots and tipsy old folks alike. I’ve never had them in our house, but I spied some at a high-end kitchenware store, Sur La Table. This year, we’ll give it a whirl, and maybe put on our best English accents when we read out our jokes.

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Macys-Theres-only-Christmas-ebook/dp/B013HBY2CK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1448825328&sr=1-1&keywords=miracle+at+macy%27s

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013HBY2CK?keywords=A%20Miracle%20at%20Macy&qid=1448825358&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Website: http://www.lynnmariehulsman.com

Twitter: @lynnmariesays

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Lynn-Marie-Hulsman-Author-591579824213840/

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

Written Fireside - Changes - Part 2

I'm involved in another Written Fireside again.

Below is the link to part one, if you haven't read it yet... and check in each week to read the next parts.

Part 1 by Lori Connelly

Part 2 by Teresa Morgan

Part 3 by Lynn Marie Hulsman

Part 4 by Sue Fortin

Part 5 by Zara Stoneley

Part 6 by Aimée Duffy

Part 7 by Mandy Baggot

Part 8 by Linn B Halton

Part 9 by Erin Lawless

Written Fireside - Changes - Part 2

“Marie?”

“What are you doing here?” She tried to keep eye contact, but it was hard to concentrate faced with that familiar wall of solid, tanned muscle at touching distance. Thankfully, a towel tied around his waist kept him modest.

He laughed, deep, sending every nerve of hers tingling as if hot butterflies were trapped in her body. Stupid question, she knew exactly what he was going to say.

“I always dress like this, or maybe, Marie, it could be because I’m the life model.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Did she stay or run? She hadn’t paid yet, but if she bolted, how would that look to Zach? It had been so easy to walk out of Mr Simons’ office. Here, her feet were frozen, wanting answers – unlike the rest of her, which felt on fire.

As if time had slowed, they stared at each other, neither knowing what to say. The older woman organising the class broke their reverie.

“Zach, why don’t you take your place? And young lady, if you go pay, I’ll set up an easel for you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Marie said, shifting awkwardly aside to let Zach pass.

Did she really want to go through with this? Blowing twenty dollars on a life class when she’d just quit her job.

This was about being free, following her impulses... only now another passion of hers was about to bare all in front of her - and room full of people.

Once paid, and stood at her easel, she studied him, relieved he faced away from her. She couldn’t concentrate as she knew his body, they had discovered each other intimately that summer.

Two years on, he looked even more delicious...

Pencil poised, her eyes narrowed. Anger swelled inside. She shouldn’t think like this.

Remember he disappeared, and left you distraught, with not even a goodbye.

To be continued...

Part 3 will be Tuesday April 15th by Lynn Marie Hulsman

About the Authors:

Lori Connelly - Website Blog Facebook Twitter Google Plus Amazon Author Page Pinterest Goodreads Wattpad

Her books - The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge The Lawman of Silver Creek

Teresa F. Morgan - Website Facebook Twitter

Her books - Plus One is a Lucky Number Co-Author - Be My Valentine

Lynn Marie Hulsman - Website Facebook Twitter Blog

Her book - Christmas at Thornton Hall

Sue Fortin - Blog 2nd Blog Twitter

Her book - United States of Love

Zara Stoneley - Website Facebook Twitter Blog Amazon Author Page

Her book - Summer of Surrender Love is a Four Letter Word

Aimee Duffy - Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads

Harper Impulse Google Plus

Her books - Sinfully Summer What's a Girl to do? What a Girl Needs

Mandy Baggot - Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads

Harper Impulse Love A Happy Ending

Her books - Do You Remember? Made in Nashville

Linn B. Halton - Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads

Harper Impulse Google Plus Love A Happy Ending Pinterest

Her books - Angels Among Us series: Falling Forbidden Forever

Erin Lawless - Website Facebook Twitter

Her book - The Best Thing I Never Had

Tuesday, 31 December 2013

Blog Takeover: Lynn Marie Talks New Year's Resolutions and Frou-Frou Cocktails

I'm handing my blog over to Lynn Marie Hulsman, a fellow Harper Impulse Rom-Com author! She's talking New Year's resolutions. Take it away Lynn Marie!

I’m usually eager to make New Year’s resolutions. This year I’ll lose enough weight to fit into my high school jeans. In the next 12 months, I’ll organize my closets in so well they make Martha Stewart’s look like a hot mess. Even though I am not a medical doctor, this year I will find a cure for malaria. While it’s good to have goals, overshooting the mark can leave me feeling inadequate and defeated.

This year, I have a better resolution. In 2014, my plan is to support myself through gentle reassurance instead of force and criticism. I treat my best girlfriends this way, why not myself? Each time the “shoulds” start, I will remind myself that I’m OK as I am. At this weight, with my house the way it is, and with the achievements I already have in my quiver. I’ll conserve the energy I used to put into struggle to be a different person, and put it into something worthwhile like my writing.

As a kick-off to this new way of behaving, I’m going to do something I rarely do: Go to a lot of trouble for myself. I love fancy cocktails when I’m out at a bar or restaurant. At home, I usually settle for a simple glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This year, I’m going to push out the boat and treat myself to a Sparkly Peach and Cranberry Cocktail. I hope you’ll do the same!

Sparkly Peach and Cranberry Cocktails

Of course champagne is lovely for toasting the New Year, but why not kick off 2014 with something a notch more special? Here’s a cocktail that would be equally at home at a winter wedding or a black-tie event.

Perfect for holiday gatherings, the visual “wow” factor of this simple-to-make cocktail would have even Carrie Bradshaw tweeting a selfie with her gorgeous glass. The cunning combination of evergreen rosemary sprigs and the deep, wintry red of the cranberries will leave your guests gasping! But art is not the only trick these sparklies have up their sleeves: They taste sublime. One sip of the silky peach, offset by the tang of the cranberry, and rounded out by the aromatic Prosecco, and you’ll swear you’ve heard angels sing.

Makes 8 flutes

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1/2 cup / 118 ml peach nectar

2 750ml bottles Prosecco

8 thin sprigs fresh rosemary, each slightly taller than the bowls of your champagne flutes, washed and patted dry

Place the cranberries in a small, heatproof bowl, and cover them in boiling water. Soak the berries until cool, about 30 minutes. Drain, gently pat dry, and refrigerate until serving.

Divide the peach nectar evenly among eight Champagne flutes. Now, divide the cranberries evenly among the flutes. Pouring down the sides of the flutes, add the Prosecco.

Garnish each glass with a rosemary sprig, and serve.

Christmas at Thortnon Hall blurb:

When Juliet Hill unwittingly discovers a most-definitely-not-hers-rhinestone-studded lace thong in her high-flying lawyer boyfriend's apartment, this usually feisty chef is suddenly single and facing a very blue Christmas - with only a ready meal for one to keep her company!

So when she's personally requested to cater for the family at Thornton Hall three days before Christmas, it's not long before Juliet's standing at the (back) door of the impossibly grand ancestral pile.

The halls are decked, the guests are titled, those below the stairs are delightfully catty, and all-American Juliet sets to work cooking up a glorious British Christmas with all the trimmings.

But other flames are burning besides those on the stove... Sparks fly with Edward, the gorgeous ex-soldier turned resident chef, and are those sidelong looks Juliet's getting from her boss, the American tycoon Jasper Roth?

As the snow starts to fall on the idyllic Cotswolds countryside, so does the veneer of genteel high society and there are more than a few ancient skeletons rattling out of the Hall's numerous dark cupboards!

CHRISTMAS AT THORNTON HALL is a country house romance for the modern age, a must-read for fans of the scandals and drama of Downton Abbey and the charm and wit of Helen Fielding.

Lynn Marie Hulsman is a novelist in New York City, where she lives with her husband and two children. You can find more about her on the links below!

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter /

Thank you so much, Lynn Marie! Happy New Year everyone!

Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Written Fireside: His Way Home - Part 7

Written Fireside: His Way Home

If you've not read all the parts yet, click on the links below to catch up!

Part 1 by Lori Connelly on November 12th

Part 2 by Sarah Lefebve on November 19th

Part 3 by Zara Stoneley on November 26th

Part 4 by Lynn Marie Hulsman on December 3rd

Part 5 by Romy Sommer on December 10th

Part 6 by Jane Lark on December 17th

And now for my part. This is my third time participating in the round robin organised by Lori Connelly. Initially, I'm always anxious when it comes to my part, I worry I won't get it done in time - as I can't think about my part until the one before is up. But when it comes to it, I focus on writing, and it's great to be back doing that, especially when I feel that all I do is edit at the moment. Enjoy!

Part 7 by Teresa F Morgan

“A time window?” Matthew said in disbelief. “Old man, you've had a serious bump to the head.” He made towards Walter, to help him to the chair, but Walter batted him away, already looking stronger.

“Don’t call me old, boy!”

“Don’t call me boy.”

Beth rolled her eyes. These two were definitely related, their resemblance striking. Not only did they share the same piercing blue eyes and handsome features, they shared the same stubbornness. Walter was aged anywhere between seventy and eighty, Beth guessed. If his daughter, Matthew’s grandmother would be a hundred now, it didn’t make sense, unless there really was a time slip.

“We must go to Watchtower Hill,” Walter said, urgently. “I’m here to lead you to Alice. Then I can return... to my Rose.”

“There’s a snow storm coming!” Matthew said angrily. Beth took his arm, worried he was losing his temper and patience with the elderly man.

“We’ll get there in time,” Walter said firmly. “Beth, get that sled.”

Two hours later, all appropriately dressed and equipped to hike through snow and the cold, they trudged knee deep, towards Watchtower Hill. It was hard work, and tiring, gradually climbing. The wind was harsh, blowing a blizzard of icy snow that stung their faces, evident of a storm coming. Beth’s muscles ached with exhaustion; she dreaded what Walter felt, though between them, they’d pulled Walter some of the journey on the sled. Now, through the thicker woods they were all on foot.

“We’re nearly there,” Walter said, breathing heavily, pointing towards the ruined snow covered cabin.

To Beth’s surprise, Walter led them past the wrecked cabin, and a little further round, through a thick part of trees, and they found a smaller cabin, camouflaged with snow, almost like a cave in the hillside. Its only give-away was the smoke billowing out of the chimney. They could smell amongst the fresh pine of the trees burning logs.

“How many times I've walked these parts – I've never seen this other cabin,” Matthew said. Beth stumbled and he caught her, then kept hold of her hand. How had she doubted his love? Hesitantly, Walter pushed open the door. The three of them entered the small cabin and the warmth hit them, and inside there was an elderly woman, sitting in a rocking chair in front of a fire.

“Papa?” she said, hesitantly. “It can’t be you?”

“Alice.” Walter smiled. “You made it back.” Walter hugged his daughter, who looked similar in age, if not slightly older.

“I came straight back,” the old woman said.

“I know you did, and now you must tell Matthew what he needs to know. To protect the time slip, and the farm.”

She glanced at them, Matthew still holding Beth’s gloved hand, and frowned. “Who are they?”

“Matthew and Beth. He’s your grandson. ”

“But it can’t be.” She shook her head, anxiously ringing her elderly hands. “I left him at the farm with his father. He’s only twelve.”

Matthew knelt before her chair and took her hand tenderly. “Grandma, you've been gone twenty years.”

To be continued....

You'll have to wait until 2014 for the next part... here's the rest of the schedule:

Part 8 by Carmel Harrington on January 7th

Part 9 by Sue Fortin on January 14th