The Vegan Kitchen

Ever since becoming vegan four months ago, I've found myself cooking and baking more than every before. And after being stuck in a hotel all summer, it's like I'm obsessed with getting back in the kitchen. All week I've been Tweeting my culinary creations, and now I'm going to share pictures.

First up was a loaf of this amazing No Knead Olive Bread from Macheesmo.

This bread was so amazing I actually made a second loaf to share with the extended family in Missouri this weekend. I could eat it every night. It could only improve if I learn how to slice it thinner.

The next night, I made up a Mediterranean pasta recipe to go with the leftover bread. The pasta was multi-colored artisanal pastas that looked hand-rolled. To the cooked pasta, I added garlic-sautéed kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of obsessed with kalamata olives. (Maybe because they're the only kind I like.) A couple weeks ago I made my very first attempt at gnocchi, based on a recipe from Vegalicious. And guess what? It was kalamata olive gnocchi! Despite some technical difficulties, it was delicious.

Next I made a batch of nummies from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This time I tried mint chocolate cupcakes with mint chocolate frosting.

They were, of course, amazing!

For another dinner, I made this delish Veggie Pot Pie from MegKat.com. I found this recipe when our friend Will was going to make his beyond yummy chicken pot pie and I was tempted to give up veganism for the night. Instead, I found this recipe so I wouldn't feel left out.

The verdict? This veggie pot pie was so good that, after all the meat-eaters at the table tried a bite, we all agreed that it was just as good as the chicken version. (Note: This time I used up all the leftover veggie's from the kabobs we had the night before. It was just as yummy as ever, even if the filling was a little more runny--runnier?--than I'd have liked.)

Finally, I whipped up even more tasty cupcakes the take to the family get together. I made plain chocolate cupcakes, filled them with peanut butter frosting, covered them with a chocolate ganache glaze, and them topped them with a little swirl of the peanut butter frosting.

The filling didn't work out too well--the frosting is amazing, but it was too stiff to squeeze out very much. There ended up only being a tiny bit inside the cupcakes when we bit in. Next time I'll use less confectioner's sugar and see if the frosting stays lighter and fluffier. I'm definitely not giving up on the filled cupcake.

Are you hungry yet? See, there are lots of tasty and mouthwatering things in a vegan's recipe book. Happy (and healthy) eating!

Hugs,
TLC

Phoebe Gets Some Fan Art

The lovely @joannaoj of Undecided Dreamer :D made this beautiful fan art of Amanda Bynes as Phoebe from Oh. My. Gods. (Amanda was my "ideal Phoebe" as I wrote the book, so this is perfect!)

Thank you Joanna!

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Foodie TV

Today at Books, Boys, Buzz... I'm blogging about my addiction to competitive food shows. Do you share my addiction?

Hugs,
TLC

Kan Du Lese Norsk?

(Can You Read Norwegian?)

Earlier this week I got one of the coolest packages of my career. It was a pretty innocuous white envelope from Penguin (the publishers of Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp) but on the inside...

These are my copies of the Norwegian book club edition of Oh. My. Gods. How insanely cool is that?!? (I think it's maybe more exciting than getting the first real copies of the US edition.)

The title, Phoebes guddommelige liv, means Phoebe's Divine Life. I love it!

And, just in case you can read Norwegian, here's the blurb:

Phoebe har framtidsplanene klare, men de faller i grus da moren kommer hjem og forteller at hun skal gifte seg med en mystisk fremmed, og at de skal flytte tvers over jordkloden – til Hellas!

I stedet for å gå på skole med bestevenninnene, blir Phoebe installert på skole på en hemmelig øy hvor den nye stefaren er rektor. Det viser seg at de nye klassekameratene langt fra er vanlige ungdommer; de er etterkommere av gamle greske guder!

Hvordan skal Phoebe komme seg tilbake til det normale livet?

You can check out the publisher's site to see all sorts of fun, girly things in Norwegian. They're even planning on translating the short stories from my website to help promote the book to their readers.

Hugs,
TLC

But Think of the Children

After all the drama and emotion of the Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest, today I was finally going to move on to cheerier topics. (Namely, pictures of the first foreign edition of one of my books!) But...

Over the past few days, I've receive a lot of support for my decision to withdraw from the festival as a stand against censorship. (On this blog, especially, because you guys rock!) Other places around the web, things have not always been so positive. One of the most common complaints--or accusations, if you will--is that by withdrawing, we authors are costing the teens more than we are benefiting them.

I have a huge problem with this argument.

When I was a freshman in college, my roommate was Korean. She came back to our room one day and complained that all the Midwestern boys at our NYC school were total Asiaphiles because they'd never been around many Asians growing up.

"That's so cool," I told her, secretly wishing some of those Midwestern boys would like me, instead.

"You don't get it," she said. "Liking someone because of their race is just as racist as disliking someone for the same reason."

Wow! That was a huge wakeup call for me. Until that moment, I'd thought racism was all about the negative, about treating someone as lesser because of the color of their skin. But treating someone better because of it is, if not as bad, then at least the other side of the same coin.

I feel the same way about censorship and the Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest debacle. Censorship is all about a precious few doing the thinking for the innocent masses. To say that teens should not be exposed to a particular author because of the content of her books is censorship, because the precious few are deciding what they think is best for the teens. To say that the authors should not have withdrawn from the festival in protest because teens will miss out is the other side of censorship, because the precious few are suggesting that they know what is best for the teens.

Yes, teens deserve an awesome book festival. But they also deserve a district leadership that respects them and treats them as actual, thinking human beings. And they deserve the opportunity to choose which books to read and which authors to support. And, most of all, they deserve to know that some things are more important than a single event.

To the people who say, "But think of the children," I say, "Let them think for themselves."

Hugs,
TLC

On the Topic of Freedom

When I was writing my withdrawal letter to Superintendent Sconzo yesterday, I looked up the source information for my quote from Ella Wheeler Wilcox. I was thrilled to discover it was from a longer poem on the topic. (I knew the quote from the opening of JFK, so I never knew the context.) I thought I should post the entire poem.

"Protest"

To sin by silence, when we should protest,
Makes cowards out of men. The human race
Has climbed on protest. Had no voice been raised
Against injustice, ignorance, and lust,
The inquisition yet would serve the law,
And guillotines decide our least disputes.
The few who dare, must speak and speak again
To right the wrongs of many. Speech, thank God,
No vested power in this great day and land
Can gag or throttle. Press and voice may cry
Loud disapproval of existing ills;
May criticise oppression and condemn
The lawlessness of wealth-protecting laws
That let the children and childbearers toil
To purchase ease for idle millionaires.
Therefore I do protest against the boast
Of independence in this mighty land.
Call no chain strong, which holds one rusted link.
Call no land free, that holds one fettered slave.
Until the manacled slim wrists of babes
Are loosed to toss in childish sport and glee,
Until the mother bears no burden, save
The precious one beneath her heart, until
God’s soil is rescued from the clutch of greed
And given back to labor, let no man
Call this the land of freedom.

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
from Poems of Purpose

Hugs,
TLC

source: Project Gutenberg

Because I Know Better is No Excuse

Maybe you've seen the hubbub on Twitter and Facebook and blogs, blogs, and more blogs. Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestseller extraordinaire and writer of tales that need to be written, has been uninvited from the 2011 Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest.

I was supposed to participate in that festival, too. (As were Melissa de la Cruz, Pete Hautman, and Matt de la Pena.) I say "was" because, as of this afternoon, I and the above authors have officially withdrawn.

My letter to the man who "uninvited" Ellen follows.

---

Superintendent Sconzo,

From the moment Ellen Hopkins first informed me that she had been "uninvited" from the Humble ISD Teen Lit Festival, my heart has been heavy with the thought that such a disappointing thing would happen in an area which I used to call home. One of the things I loved most about living in Houston was how open and welcoming and supportive her people are. I am saddened to learn this is not always the case.

The books Ms. Hopkins writes are not the kinds of books I write, there are no mermaids or goddesses or other elements of teenage fantasy. Her books reveal a truth about the lives of modern teens and the world in which they live, no matter how much we wish the truth were otherwise. To exclude her from an event because the topics of her books might trouble some attendees (or, more likely, their parents) does not make our world any more ideal. Covering teens' eyes and ears does not remove them from the realities of their world. And to suggest that you could do so is the epitome of conceit and naivety.

It is also, no matter which way you try to spin the situation, a blatant act of censorship. As an author and an American, I cannot give even tacit approval to this kind of suppression of free speech and free expression. The words of a most inspiring poem, "Protest" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox come time mind.

To sin by silence, when we should protest,
Makes cowards out of men.

I feel I have no option but to withdraw from the 2011 Humble ISD Teen Lit Festival.

My apologies to the students, teachers, and librarians of Humble ISD. I regret that the actions of a small-minded few will have repercussions on so many, but I cannot sin by silence when I should protest.

Sincerely,
Tera Lynn Childs

---

I really feel bad for the students in this situation. All they wanted was the chance to meet some great writers (trust me, Ellen Hopkins, Melissa de la Cruz, Pete Hautman, and Matt de la Pena are great writers) and maybe get some signed books. Instead, they're missing out because a few adults think they know better.

That's the problem with censorship, especially the kind that goes along with books. It's usually couched in a fog of protection. As if keeping you from certain content is for your own good, and it's really better this way. I'm especially appalled when this is applied to teen readers. Not only are teens generally way smarter and more mature and more experienced than we think, teen readers in particular are among the smartest people I know. It's just insulting for adults in power (or those seeking power) to try to carry out their agenda waving the Because-They're-Children and Because-We-Know-Better banners.

I couldn't just sit by and be a part of this, and neither should you.

If you live in the Houston area and were planning to attend the Humble ISD Teen Lit Fest next year, you should write a letter to Superintendent Sconzo and tell him what you think about his actions. (I just happen to have his email address here --> guy.sconzo@humble.k12.tx.us) And I'm guessing you're not going to say, "Thanks for doing the thinking for me. My brain sure needed a rest."

Hugs,
TLC

Buzzing About Normalcy

Or lack thereof. Check out my post today at Books, Boys, Buzz... "And Just When Life Got Back to Normal..." wherein I talk about revisions, moving, and broken toes.

Hugs,
TLC

It's Ghosts vs. Mermaids in a Fight to the (Un)death

While Rosemary Clement-Moore and I were at the RWA conference in Orlando last month, the topics of our books (and our paranormal elements) came up more than once. During one such conversation, we pondered who would win a battle between ghosts (Rosemary's creature of choice) and mermaids (mine, obviously).

Now we each have our opinions, but there is no way we can decide something so vital on our own. So we are enlisting your help!

---

THE ULTIMATE SUPERNATURAL SMACKDOWN

In a paranormal fight of epic proportion, Tera Lynn Childs (Forgive My Fins) and Rosemary Clement-Moore (The Splendor Falls) are hosting a throwdown between two of the fantasy world's most elusive creatures: GHOSTS and MERMAIDS.

Now it's time for you to choose sides in the battle, and reap the rewards. Your challenge is thus:

Write a 500 word essay declaring whether you will align with ghosts or mermaids and why. You can debate the relative merits of either creature (mermaids are corporeal but ghosts can move through walls) or explain how you think the battle will go down or just flat out say why you prefer one over the other. You can even write a flash fiction piece that makes your preference crystal clear.

To submit your essay for consideration, either email your entry to one of the hosts (tlc@teralynnchilds.com or rosemary@readrosemary.com) or Twitter reply them (@teralynnchilds or @rclementmoore) with the #ghostsvsmermaids hashtag and a link to where you have it posted.

Ah, but what about the rewards? The hosts will choose three winners from each side (making six winners in all) to win a signed book and swag pack.

Deadline: September 1, 2010

Let the battle begin!

---

I expect lots of entries from the Splash Team--and you know which side you should be on! Now, get writing and good luck.

Hugs,
TLC

Exciting Things Happen Today

The summer of crazy is now officially over! I am back in Oklahoma (for the time being) and settled down for a little bit. Of course, the general crazy of a writing career never quite goes away. I've only been back a couple of days and there are suddenly very exciting things happening on the internet.

Bitten By Books

Today I'm doing an online event at the fabulous Bitten By Books site. There will be a posted interview and I'll be answering questions throughout the day. (There's also a big giveaway with a $50 bookstore gift card and 3 copies of Forgive My Fins, but you should come to chat with me and not just to win awesome things.) Everything starts at noon Central time and runs until midnight. If you go RSVP for the event now, you'll get an extra 25 entries in the contest!

Supernatural Underground

It's my day to blog on the HarperCollins paranormal loop's group blog, and today I'm talking about the lighter side of paranormal fiction. (Which, if you hadn't guessed from reading my books, I pretty much what I write.) There is a very important question at the end. Read and respond if you have the time.

WriteOnCon

When my hilarious friend Jamie asked me to participate in her amazing online writing conference, I said, "Absolutely!" (After making sure it wasn't a joke. With Jamie, you never know.) Anyway, I did a short video about creating character collages and it's set to post tonight sometime. Please go check it out.

That's all for now! See you around the web.

Hugs,
TLC

The Summer of Crazy is Ending

After spending six long weeks in Las Vegas, then flying across the country for a fabulous RWA conference in Orlando, and now back again to Las Vegas ... I am about to go ... well, not home exactly, but back to Oklahoma for a bit. Until October anyway.

Despite the absolutely disgusting humidity, Orlando was a blast. I got to hang out with a whole slew of fab authors (like the Buzz girls, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Lauren Strasnick, Diana Peterfreund, Caridad Ferrer, Serena Robar, Marianne Mancusi, Ally Carter, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Kelley Armstrong, and Meg Cabot).

I got to sell a bunch of Forgive My Fins for charity and give away a bunch more to conference attendees. (All while having my enviably turquoise-tipped hair.) And I got a free one day pass to Disney and spent my last day in Orlando hanging out at Animal Kingdom. Okay, it was only a few hours, but it felt like a whole day. Fun!

As the summer winds down (yes, I know, there's still most of August yet to go) I have a couple of reminders and an announcement to tease.

1. The second exclusive Splash Team chat will be tomorrow night at 7pm ET/4pm PT. If you are on the Splash Team and don't know how to access the chat, email me.
2. There are only THREE SPOTS left on the Splash Team. After that there will be a waiting list for next year's team, so hurry and sign up now if you're interested.
3. I have been given the go ahead from my agent to do something very fun and awesome on the blog. It will involve regular posting and has nothing to do with either the Oh. My. Gods. or Forgive My Fins books. Look for a real announcement later this month.

So the moral of the blog post is: get involved and stay tuned. More soon.

Hugs,
TLC