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Hello Chickens!  Have you thawed out yet?  I almost have feeling back in my toes.  Polar vortex, who knew?

Time for a brief update on the goings-on.  Firstly, want to thank everyone for their warm thoughts and reviews of Out to Lunch.  It is so gratifying to know that people are loving it as much as I love having written it.  If you have read it, and loved it, I hope you'll help me out by posting a review on Amazon or Goodreads (and be sure to friend me while you are there), recommend it on your Facebook or Twitter, pin it on Pinterest, and for sure, just tell your best pals to pick up a copy!   Social media and word of mouth are all the difference for a writer like me, and know that I am eternally grateful to all of you for helping me out.  If you have a blog, and want to do an interview with me, just holler!

This is even more important because my lovely publisher just signed me for two more books!  This is in addition to next year's digital cookbook and novel, so I'm one super employed Polymath over here!

The new novel is called Recipe for Disaster, and merges two of my favorite things, cooking and home improvement!  That's right, for those of you who loved Room for Improvement, my current heroine is a house flipper whose life gets turned upside down, and is forced to figure it all out while living in the ruin of a house she's currently renovating.  While there she comes across the journal of the home's original cook, and uses it to teach herself how to cook, and how to live.  It is fun and funny with some great twists and turns.  And it is almost finished.  ALMOST.  Its due to my editor Feb. 1, which is why you are likely to not hear a whole lot from me until then...

But while you are missing me, I have a favor to ask.  Since the upcoming cookbook (more on that in February) will include some of the "lost recipes" from previous novels, I hope you will take this time to perhaps revisit some of my older books (or visit, if you've skipped one along the way) and let me know if there are dishes mentioned that didn't get recipes included that you want!  I've already had a request for the Mea Culpa Muffins from Good Enough to Eat, and that one will go in for sure, so go back to those books and tell me what you want to know how to make for yourselves.  When I'm back in February I'll be pulling together the full list of recipes, as well as having a very fun contest for naming the cookbook, the prize is going to be a combination of some fun kitchen gadgets, signed books, AND....I'll name a character after you (or after someone of your choice) in the next novel!

Pantry dishes continue with success, so far just riffs on the previous meat/bean/grain stewlike soup, not anything new to share there, but it is going well.

And finally, the renovation update is...not much.  We are awaiting permits, which means all we can do is continue to work on the HVAC system, and pictures of ductwork is not exactly sexy.  But it does continue to move along slowly but surely, and you can bet you'll hear from me when the new furnaces go in!

And finally, for those who want to come see me and get a book signed:

Wednesday Jan 15, 5:30 pm:  The Standard Club  tickets and information here  TICKETS

Thursday Jan 16, 6pm:  Boelter Superstore, Milwaukee, WI  reading, signing, cooking demo  Free Event  All my Wisconsin peeps, please come say hi, bring your pals, its going to be a fabulously fun night!

In the meantime, I'm back to the grind to finish up the new book, and hope you'll come say hi over at Twitter or Facebook for the next couple of weeks while I don't have time to post here.

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath