GIRL WITH PEN: Cooking with the Crazy Lady Authors

The Crazy Lady Authors aren't just cooking up plots in their books, they're also cooking up tasty vittles! Hey, we're 'crazy' about you, so we're 'dishing' our best recipes out in this awesome cookbook. It's the CLA's way of helping you serve up outstanding dinners in between reading any one of our published works. We know how easy it is to get lost in the pages. Before you know it, the hours have flown by and it's time for dinner. The hubby is hollering, the kids are complaining, and even the dog wants treats. We figure it's all our fault so why not help you maintain peace and harmony in your home by providing this amazing book of easy recipes to keep your clan well-fed? We do, however, stop short of coming to your house to cook it all up for you. We're writing our next novels, after all! Don't be greedy. Bon appetit!

USA Today Bestselling author, Melanie James spent 14 years as an IT systems administrator before tiring of the hustle and bustle of the technology world. She's doing what she loves, by writing paranormal comedy, steamy paranormal, and contemporary romance books. Melanie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Leadership and Development, with a minor in Women's Studies. She is working on her Master's Degree in Adult Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Melanie is married to a wonderful man who supports her dreams and goals. She has two children, three step-children, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and an adorable grand-baby.

As a child, Teri Riggs made up her own bedtime stories. When her children came along, Teri always tweaked the fairy tales she told her daughters, giving them a bit more punch and better endings when needed.

Now she spends her days turning her ideas into books. She lives in Marietta, GA with her husband.

Terri Hubbard Carle was born and raised in a small town called Kernersville NC. It is not so small anymore, but when I was growing up, everybody knew my whole family. I could not get by with anything! I was a little bitty girl with great big dreams and no direction. I got into more trouble than all my friends combined. I spent two whole years of my life grounded.

Kelly Cozzone was born in New Martinsville, WV. After spending 15 years in Myrtle Beach, SC, she finally made it back to her adopted hometown, Austin, TX.

When Kelly isn't writing the mystery stories she loves, she is following her beloved Texas Longhorns. An avid football fan, she spends her fall months rooting on her favorite teams.

In addition to being an author, Kelly writes for Examiner.com and shares her thoughts and stories that strike a chord in her on her blog. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women.

Kelly has been happily married to her husband for 20 years and has three children who are her life.

Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia...Canada's Ocean Playground!

Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she's reading or writing. Her dedication and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure.

Between two jobs, being a mom with a home always filled with teenagers and rather interesting stories; she is lucky to have one very patient and understanding man. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. She is a member of the RWA and an avid reader of Romance.

Ella Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn't allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books - whatever genre they may be - are action-driven. Well-developed, multi-layered characters are her forte.

Loves: freedom.

Hates: her inner censor.

Michele E. Gwynn is a freelance journalist in San Antonio. She writes for newspapers, magazines, and online websites like Examiner.com (under the categories of Film, Animal Rights, and Sex and Relationships), Alwayz Therro Magazine, FashionErotica Digital, and more. She also edits websites and books. Prior to her career in writing, Ms. Gwynn worked first as a referral coordinator, billing manager, then office manager for a dermatology practice.

Much of her career has been spent interviewing all manner of celebrities for Examiner.com, and hometown newspaper and magazines. Life has been kind, and these interviews can be found on her blog over at micheleegwynnauthor.com. She resides in the small town of Schertz, Texas on the northeast side of San Antonio with her four felines who so graciously allow her to reside in their home.

Jayne Hyatt is a novelist who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. A lifelong bookworm, she especially enjoys reading contemporary and historical romance, romantic suspense and mysteries. When she's not writing, or reading, she's very likely hanging out with her best friend, cooking up a storm, watching a movie, trying out a new restaurant, browsing in a used book store, or simply daydreaming. As she puts it: "I seem to spend a lot of time daydreaming about what my characters are up to when I'm not with them."

R.E. Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX where she prides herself on being a domestic engineer. Married to her high school sweetheart, together they are raising three children. She is an avid reader, a sometimes quilter, and now, a writer. Other hobbies include gardening and a love of music. A native 'mutt,' Hargrave has lived in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and California. She is fond of setting her stories~which range from the sweet to the paranormal to the erotic~on location in South Carolina and Texas, but its anybody's guess as to what the genre will be!

Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane Rinella's 150-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun's crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n' roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing.

Holly Barbo's world is shaped by her love of family, the beauty of the natural world and an irrepressible creative drive. She has always been curious and sees life through questions. These four characteristics color her writing voice and her stories frequently evolve from her asking "What if....?" Her tales tend to have non-urban settings with nature contributing to the plot, building discordant themes inside a seemingly peaceful refrain.

Holly weaves alternative worlds with threads from today.

Aubree Lane lives in the beautiful foothills of Northern California with her husband, two wonderful sons, and her super special peek-a-poo, named Tanner.

Her motto: Write Until Your Butt Hurts, And Your Eyes Are Crossed.

When not managing the pooper-scooper, you can find Aubree, also a certified water fitness instructor, leading her Menopausal Mermaids/Crustacean Cronies/Friends for Life, on their quest to become fit and fabulous.

Traveling to her tropical island get away, helps to infuse her creative juices periodically throughout the year.

Aubree and her husband enjoy the harvest of their seasonal garden and relaxing in the paradise they have created, called home.

Jami M Brumfield has a passion for the paranormal, supernatural, and mythological worlds for most of her life. She believes there is a kernel of truth in every story and loves playing detective to discover what that hidden truth is. She has written most of her life. She started with poems and short stories, then graduated to journalism working for online websites. It was only a natural progression that her love of writing and her passion for the unknown would combine. Her books are a product of that union.

Jami is a multi-genre author in the paranormal arena. She currently has eight series out and two more in the writing process. The Winters Saga series is a Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy Adventure with a touch of romance, Mystery Springs Series is an Adult Paranormal Romance with awesome Action and a Mythological twist, PBI (Paranormal Bureau of Investigation) Case Files series is a Paranormal Mystery series with Romantic Suspense, Ghost Connection series is a New Adult Paranormal Mystery series centered around a reluctant medium and her ghostly companions, Shifter Love Tales series is an adult paranormal romance with mythological twist, Paranormal Hypnotherapy Files series is an adult paranormal romance with a metaphysical twist, Vanished is a paranormal dystopian romance series, Magical Secrets Series centers around antique hunters Josie and Joshua Parker and the mysteries they solve from magical antiques they find, and Demon Love Tales an adult paranormal romance series.

Jennifer Theriot hails from the Great State of Texas. She is a career woman, working as CFO of a Texas based real estate investment firm. Working in her capacity as CFO, she felt something was missing and discovered her passion for writing novels--mostly at night and on weekends.

In her limited spare time Jennifer enjoys being outdoors; preferably somewhere on a beach curled up with a good book. Spending time with family and friends, watching a baseball game and enjoying a good bottle of wine are usually on her to-do lists. Jennifer is also 'MiMi' to three beautiful grandchildren and a mom to three grown children, all of whom she adores. Theriot is an admitted music junkie, loving every type of music, which takes up most of the memory on her iPhone. She listens to music from sun up to sun down and her love of music is reflected a great deal in her books.

Linda Lee Williams writes "contemporary romance with a paranormal twist." Her stories revolve around imperfect characters, their families and friends, and a host of life issues. Currently, she has four published novels and is part of a short-story anthology.

After moving to Denver from Chicago, Linda taught creative writing classes and formed a writers' group. An outdoor enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, biking, and birding. She loves critters of all kinds. During her journeys she's called Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and Colorado home. Wherever she roams, she finds inspiration in her surroundings.

Although born in New Orleans, Cherime MacFarlane am proud to call myself an Alaskan. I have lived here since 1977. I have seen -40 degrees, hauled water, made bear bacon and I live in a cabin. I have used a fishwheel to catch salmon coming up the Copper River. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and roadie. I have cut firewood on shares. I worked as a cocktail waitress during pipeline days in a small lodge on the Richardson Highway.

My second husband, a Scot from Glasgow, was the love of my life. When I write Scots dialect, I personally experienced hearing it from my in laws. When my husband got on the phone to Scotland, after 5 seconds I could barely understand a word.

We moved to Wasilla to get warm. It barely drops past -25 degrees here in the winter. I became a paralegal and worked for over 26 years for the same firm.

Alaska is my home. I never thought I would love it so much, I never want to leave. The beauty of Alaska is a draw I cannot resist. I love the people and the history. I have been captured by a place I came to under duress. Life does play some interesting tricks on one. My love and I were not apart more than 24 hours for 20 plus years. I never wanted to be anywhere but with him. He was a man to run the river with and was my biggest fan.