Blog - Roxanne Rustand

Happy Thanksgiving…and a chance for prizes!

Posted on November 18, 2020 by RoxanneNovember 18, 2020

Best wishes to you all for a safe and happy holiday season!

How have you and yours been faring? I hope that you are doing well and that we can all get past this difficult time. I look forward to 2021 with great anticipation!

Did you receive my newsletter? It was sent out Wednesday, November 18th. If you haven’t subscribed, it’s so easy. Just look for the Subscribe button in the upper right corner of this website. I will always include a family favorite recipe, and also offer monthly prizes. In case you don’t wish to subscribe but would like to have a chance at those prizes 🙂 I am pasting a copy of it right here:

Goodness—Thanksgiving is nearly here! I adore our big family dinners at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. because we usually have twenty to twenty-five people here. I love to cook. And I love having everyone all together. It may seem silly, but just looking out our dining room window to a driveway filled with cars warms my heart.

Only this year, it will seem so different. One son and his family will celebrate at home in Wisconsin. Our other two adult kids and their families are just an hour away, but we’ve all wondered if we dare get together…and we’ve now decided against it. Maybe this will be a Zoom holiday…which makes me feel sad. Yet, surviving this pandemic to be around to enjoy holidays for years to come is far more important.

November has had bright note for me, though. After a lot of hard work, two more of my six sweet (clean & wholesome) “Coupled by Christmas” novellas are out this month: A LONDON CHRISTMAS and AN IRISH CHRISTMAS BLESSING. The final one, CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, will be released December 2^nd. All just $.99 each, and to check them out, CLICK HERE. I’ve based them on travels with my daughter or my husband, and writing them has almost been like reliving those trips. Happy memories!

The Coupled by Christmas novellas will be available at Amazon and all major online retailers at just 99 cents each until December 31^st, 2020. Here are the release dates:

October 8^th — The Mistletoe Puppy
October 15^th — A Montana Christmas
October 29^th — An Irish Christmas
November 4^th — A London Christmas
November 18^th — A Scottish Christmas
December 2^nd — Christmas in Paris

Keep reading for an easy holiday recipe that has been a family favorite for thirty years!

Now, I have this month’s question. Three responses will be featured in next month’s newsletter, and will receive an e-copy of one of the six 2020 novellas. How are you coping with the pandemic, now that the holidays are just around the corner? What will you change this year? What will you miss the most?

To submit an answer, CLICK HERE to go to my blog.

Here are three responses from last month’s newsletter:

Bobbie M: If I could go anywhere I would love to spend some time in Monterey, California. My late husband and I took a couple special vacations there and I’d like to relive the memories even though he’s gone. (He would be with me in spirit.) And someday maybe Italy to see the amazing architecture.

Irene M: If I could go anywhere it would be Egypt to see my grandchildren. I can only see them once per year and there is no traveling at this time, so I would like to see them.

Dianne K: I’ve always dreamed of going to Antarctica and ancient Egypt. Christmas in Antarctica, wow, that would be my first white Christmas and be rather spectacular!

Finally, I would like to leave you with a family favorite…

HOLIDAY BLONDIES

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Prep 9×13 pan with Pam or baking spray

½ cup melted butter (no substitute for real, salted butter!)
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp REAL vanilla
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup holiday M&Ms
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 cup toasted coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, beat until fluffier.
Combine flour, salt and baking powder, and stir into creamed mixture (don’t over mix.)
Stir in holiday M&Ms (saving ½ cup to sprinkle on top), and pecans if desired.

Bake approximately 30 minutes. Watch carefully! They should be somewhat moist in the center of the pan and will set up more while cooling. Best if nice and chewy, not overbaked and dry.
A favorite in our family for thirty years!

Roxanne

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? ….Roxanne Rustand

Posted on October 14, 2020 by RoxanneOctober 14, 2020

I’m so thrilled! The Mistletoe Puppy, released last week, is the first of my six-novella Christmas series titled “Coupled by Christmas.” And now the second, A Montana Christmas, is out this week! If you’d like to learn more about either, just click on the covers or CLICK HERE.

I loved to travel until the pandemic hit, and was able to do hands-on research for each of these novellas. I’d never even dreamed of traveling outside the USA until my husband started earning trips and travel vouchers during the final years of his career. Oh, how I wish I could go back to each of the locations again! It probably won’t happen, now that he has retired. But I can still reminisce! And I can “re-visit” those places when I sit down to write a book and immerse myself in locations that I love.

This brings me to my question of the month: If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would that be, and why? Just answer at the end of this blog.
Three replies will appear in my next Writerspace newsletter (and also here on my November blog post), and those three contributors will each be offered a free e-book.
No worries–I’ll include just a first name and last initial, unless a person wants to be completely anonymous. I will ask first.

Speaking of travel, I had such fun writing this Coupled by Christmas series. The novellas will be available at Amazon and all major online retailers at just 99 cents each through December, and can pre-ordered…so handy if you’re like me and tend to forget these things. Or most things!

If you’d like to learn more about any of them, or even order, just click on a title below. This week I learned how to create hyperlinks (which mean you can click on those titles to be taken somewhere ) and it’s so much fun!

Here are the release dates for the six Coupled by Christmas novellas (all still $0.99 each):
October 8^th – The Mistletoe Puppy
October 15^th – A Montana Christmas
October 29^th – An Irish Christmas
November 4^th – A London Christmas
November 18^th – A Scottish Christmas
December 2^nd – Christmas in Paris

By the way, the first novella on that list, The Mistletoe Puppy, is actually part of another, loosely connected series with six Sweet (clean & wholesome) romance authors. Each story in this “Puppies for Christmas” series is a completely “stand alone” story and unconnected, but they have do have two things in common: Puppies and Christmas! Do you love puppies? The holiday season? Just click the titles below, one by one, and you can learn more about the books. If you pre-order them, then you won’t miss one!
Oh, and the best part? They’re all 99 cents each! It’s a great way to try authors you might not know. Here’s the line-up:

October 1^st – Beneath Northern Lights by Lyn Cote
October 8^th – The Mistletoe Puppy by Roxanne Rustand
October 15^th – Christmas Redemption by Laura Scott
October 22^nd – Puppy Love and Jingle Bells by Merrillee Whren
October 29^th – Joy Comes to Bedford Falls by Susan Aylworth
November 5^th – A Christmas Puppy to Cherish by Josie Riviera

Our fall colors are turning brilliant shades here in the Upper Midwest, and this week our temperatures will be dropping into the 30’s at night and 50’s during the day. I love sweater and jacket weather! Our horses are all putting on their winter jammies (winter coats) now and our hummingbirds have gone south. Signs of the season! Wherever you are, I hope you are safe from the fires and hurricanes on our east and west coasts, and that you are enjoying a peaceful day.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you’ll come again!

Blessings,
Roxanne

The Mistletoe Puppy A Holiday Novella

Posted on September 26, 2020 by RoxanneOctober 7, 2020

Can there ever be a second chance at love, after Brad Callahan has faced great loss, and Kate Larrsen has faced too many troubled relationships in the past? Can a lonely little girl and a sweet golden retriever puppy bring them together by Christmas?

Kate Larssen works as a nurse at a clinic in Mistletoe Falls, a charming small town in northern Minnesota. She also established and manages the area’s only no-kill animal rescue, a cause dear to her warm and loving heart. After a series of romantic disappointments, she’s no longer interested in risking another. She has far more important things to focus on.

Brad Callahan is a former Minneapolis cop who recently moved north for his new job as a deputy. His wife died just before Christmas last year, and that grief is still too fresh to think about new relationships. He hopes Mistletoe Falls will be a place where Janie, his grieving six-year-old daughter, can grow up, and be part of a close-knit community. With few relatives left, he prays that this will happen.

Brad finds an abandoned golden retriever mix and her thirteen puppies and brings them to the animal shelter, where he meets Kate, the pretty manager. Always ready to take in homeless or abused animals and to help anyone in need, Kate worries about Brad’s sad, motherless child, and invites them both for Thanksgiving dinner. Though neither has any interest in commitment, Kate and Brad’s friendship grows as she tries to help fill the void in Janie’s life. Can a litter of adorable puppies and a lonely little girl bring them together by Christmas?

To purchase on Kindle

Or other online bookstores, click here

$0.99 through December 31, 2020

Merry Christmas,

Roxanne

Fall Weather and Blueberry scones

Posted on September 23, 2020 by RoxanneSeptember 23, 2020

I love to bake, and today’s cool, rainy weather seemed like a perfect time to make something warm and comforting, so I made a batch of blueberry scones. Coffee always tastes better in my Jane Austen mug. 🙂 I’ve probably read all of the sayings on it at least a hundred times, but they still make me smile.

BLUEBERRY SCONES
Blend and set aside:
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk*
Mix in a separate large bowl:
3 cups AP flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

Add
1/2 cup COLD regular (salted) butter–not margarine!
Cut butter into flour until you have large crumbles.

Then add the liquid mixture:
Work the egg & buttermilk mixture in with a fork, and add
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries.
The mixture will seem very dry and crumbly. Try to press it together a bit ( it is not going to be a smooth cohesive dough at all!) Don’t overwork it.
Pat into the scone pan (you might not believe it at first, but yes–it will all fit!) or into a 9 inch round cake pan. The crumbly dough is hard to work with, but will result in a nice bumpy top.
Sprinkle heavily with sugar (coarse, large grain sparkling sugar if you have it is so pretty!) and bake 375 degrees for 20-25 min, let cool in pan.

*NOTES: I have only used the liquid buttermilk for this recipe, not the buttermilk powder plus water, so I’m not sure how the powder would work

I make these in a Nordic Ware scone pan that has dividers for each scone, so they come out perfectly.

The Mistletoe Puppy, and a new holiday series

Posted on September 13, 2020 by RoxanneOctober 3, 2020

Hi!

First of all, I need to confess. I’ve been the biggest failure EVER when it comes to sending newsletters! It’s been several years, now. Since some folks on my mailing list might not remember why they signed up for my newsletters in the first place, I’ll be sending a quick note to everyone on that list, asking if they’d like to receive newsletters going forward. If you are new here and would like to sign up for my monthly newsletters, that’s easy. Just go to the home page of my website and click the sign-up button in the upper right corner. You’ll even receive a free cookbook and a free novel for doing so…and will also be entered in a drawing for a ruby, heart-shaped necklace, right along with my long-term subscribers! The winner will be announced on this blog in mid-December.

As for my newsletters, I look forward to writing breezy notes about life in the country, news about writer friends, new releases, contests where you might win books or other prizes–like that ruby heart necklace in time for Christmas–and I’ll be adding family recipes, too. Did I mention that I love to cook? 🙂 As always, your email address won’t ever be shared.

It’s a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I want to share news about my new Christmas novella series.

The Mistletoe Puppy is the first release in my “Coupled by Christmas” series, and it’s available for just 99 cents as an Amazon pre-order! It will be released October 8th.

Here is an easy link to buy it on Amazon: CLICK HERE

And for other retailers, CLICK HERE

The other five titles will be published between October and December of 2020. Here is the full list:
#1 The Mistletoe Puppy
#2 A Christmas in Montana
#3 An Irish Christmas Blessing
#4 A London Christmas
#5 A Scottish Christmas
#6 Christmas in Paris

Can there ever be a second chance at love, after Brad Callahan has faced great loss, and Kate Larrson has faced too many troubled relationships in the past? Can a lonely little girl and a sweet golden retriever puppy bring them together by Christmas?

Kate Larssen works as a nurse at a clinic in Mistletoe Falls, a charming small town in northern Minnesota. She also established and manages the area’s only no-kill animal rescue, a cause dear to her warm and loving heart. After a series of romantic disappointments, she’s no longer interested in risking another. She has far more important things to focus on.

Brad Callahan is a former Minneapolis cop who recently moved north for his new job as a deputy. His wife died just before Christmas last year, and that grief is still too fresh to think about new relationships. He hopes Mistletoe Falls will be a place where Janie, his grieving six-year-old daughter, can grow up, and be part of a close-knit community. With few relatives left, he prays that this will happen.

Brad finds an abandoned golden retriever mix and her thirteen puppies and brings them to the animal shelter, where he meets Kate, the pretty manager. Always ready to take in homeless or abused animals and to help anyone in need, Kate worries about Brad’s sad, motherless child, and invites them both for Thanksgiving dinner. Though neither has any interest in commitment, Kate and Brad’s friendship grows as she tries to help fill the void in Janie’s life. Can a litter of adorable puppies and a lonely little girl bring them together by Christmas?

Wishing you all my best, Roxanne

Showing horses and happy memories… Roxanne Rustand

Posted on June 6, 2017 by RoxanneSeptember 23, 2020

My newest Love Inspired novel, Falling for the Rancher, has just been released. I was so happy to see it at Walmart a few days ago!

And it was even more fun to see the similarity between our mare Patsy and the horse on the cover. Though the photo of her is from the side and doesn’t show it, she even had the same blaze! What do you think–is the similarity just wishful thinking on my part?

Ah, the memories…when I first saw this cover. The years of growing up on the back of my horse when I was little, the years of showing horses (first, at the little local shows, then on to the bigger WSCA, Tri-State and quarter horse show circuits in the Upper Midwest throughout high school and college. Happy days, whether I won or lost, for I was able to do what I loved more than anything.

I left college for a while to work for a horse trainer–Monte Forman, for any of you who were around “way back when” and might remember him–then I went back to finish a bachelor’s in dental hygiene and public health. Later, I got a master’s in nutrition and became a registered dietitian, and after my husband and I married, we began raising horses.

An AQHA palomino yearling in her photo above, Patsy was an equine airhead, but she did pretty well at halter in the quarter horse shows, and then later she became a good broodmare for us.

Falling for the Rancher touches on themes that mean a lot to me–overcoming heartache, forgiveness, and the deep importance of a forever family for children who have been orphaned or otherwise abandoned. I was adopted when I was three, and will forever be grateful for my wonderful adoptive family.

This novel is set in a fictitious small town in the beautiful St. Croix, Wisconsin area that I love, and the hero and heroine are both veterinarians–which meant I was able to incorporate lots of four-footed secondary characters!

Starting fresh!

Posted on February 17, 2017 by RoxanneSeptember 23, 2020

The world we live in seems to be evolving at such a fast pace these days–it’s hard to keep up. Do you find that to be true as well? The proliferation of technology advances and social media is mind boggling. And in the writing life–well, blink and you’ve missed so much.

I just didn’t have the heart for writing during the year after my sweet mom passed away, and during that time so much was happening with Facebook, Twitter and the still-growing array of other social media. By the time I got back in the saddle writing-wise, I was hopelessly behind and befuddled. I’d become newly aware of one thing and suddenly there were two more on the horizon!

In the meantime, the publishing world was rocked by the explosion of e-books that were taking off….and the way writers and readers connect is evolving as well. I’ve been trying to catch up ever since. You probably have known about memes for ages. I just learned about them–and what to do with them–couple weeks ago! Here’s one of mine–it’s rather like a online business card.

My super-patient webpage designer guided me into the latest wave of web page design a few years ago, but already, styles and content have changed, So, she and I have spent the last couple weeks talking about another revamp, then experimenting with ideas. And now, my website has been freshened up and revised. I would love to hear your comments and suggestions!

So…what do you think of technology today? Honestly, I never imagined seeing entire families eating out…but instead of conversing, each with the bright screen of a smart phone capturing their complete attention!

I am sooo excited!

Posted on February 11, 2017 by RoxanneSeptember 23, 2020

20140413_081104 New things are coming at www.roxannerustand.com! After having this style of website and blog for several years, I have been working with my lovely webmistress, Karen McCullough, who surely deserves an award for her patience as I’ve been sorting through the ideas I’d like to try next. This site will be down on Monday, while she implements those changes, and by Tuesday everything here should look completely different.

I can’t wait to see it, and hope you will stop by again to take a peek–and let me know what you think! Your feedback means a lot to me, and will help with the final tweaks!

I hope you are having a wonderful winter. Here in Iowa it has been gray and cloudy and sometimes drizzly…but hey, it’s easier to enjoy an occasional dreary day than shovel snow! 🙂

Roxanne

An Aspen Creek Christmas !

Posted on November 23, 2016 by RoxanneSeptember 23, 2020

aspencreekchristmas

Just a quick hello here, to let you know that I have a new book out in the stores right now. It’s also online at www.harlequin.com and amazon.com….perfect timing for an inexpensive stocking stuffer!

It’s the third book in my Aspen Creek Crossroads series–and the book I’ve been wanting to write for a long, long time

On another note, Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I hope you have a wonderful dinner, and a fabulous time with friends or family. This will be our second celebration–we had our first in Iowa on Sunday, with my husband’s brother and his family, plus our son Brian and his family, and enjoyed it so much.

And now, we have traveled way south to spend the long weekend with our daughter and her husband down in Pass Christian, along the Gulf, where it is now a beautiful, balmy 70 degrees. While we are gone, our other son and his family are spending their holiday vacation at our house, to have Thanksgiving with her parents. It got complicated this year and I wish we all could have been together, but it all worked out!

15137606_10154920961672334_6947877934459038626_o Best wishes to everyone–have a lovely holiday! Oh, and by the way, if you are in Cedar Rapids or nearby on December 9th, I’ll be at Barnes & Noble, starting at 6pm. I’d so love it if you would stop by to say hello!

Those who stop by and buy my book can enter their name into a drawing for one of THREE $10.00 Barnes & Noble gift cards, by simply adding their email address to my e-newsletter. One of those gift cards would well exceed the cost of the book. I rarely do booksigningss, and look forward to seeing some friends and readers there!

About the newsletter: I haven’t sent one out in yseveral years, but now plan to accasionally send it out a couple times a year to share recipes, news, and such. I would never, ever share those addresses, promise.

Take care, and God bless! Roxanne

It’s a Party!

Posted on August 22, 2016 by RoxanneSeptember 23, 2020

It’s been a while since I’ve been here…lots of traveling, some book deadlines and the usual life of life in the country with the horses, dogs, cats, and of course…my sweet hubby. 🙂

14067570_1057674064345780_7708453376600748160_n I’ll catch up more later—and include some wonderful recipes I want to share with you, too. But right now, I’ve got a book due VERY soon, and just wanted to drop by and tell you about a fun event on Facebook, featuring this year’s Sweet Romance anthology: Sweet Christmas Kisses III