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What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
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Coffee - French press or coffee maker?

Captain's Log, Stardate 11.25.2009

I’m over at the Love Inspired Authors blog today talking about my hubby’s favorite beverage:

Camy here! My husband loooooooooves his coffee, and this weekend he did an experiment.


Click here to read the rest!
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L. S. King said…
It's true - coffee makers usually have a temp too low to brew a good cup of coffee. French press is the way to go, bringing the water to just under a boil before pouring it in.

As to the flavor difference, buy green coffee beans and roast them yourself. Green coffee beans stay fresh for a long time, but after roasting they begin immediately to go stale.
Wed Nov 25, 01:01:00 AM 2009
Camy Tang said…
Actually, he DOES roast his own beans! And I can definitely taste the difference between freshly (and properly) roasted beans versus beans that are too old. He usually roasts espresso beans because he uses his espresso maker more than making coffee, but he roasted coffee beans this past weekend when I chucked--er, convinced him to toss the bad beans.
Camy
Wed Nov 25, 03:30:00 AM 2009
Reihaisha said…
If I feel like being luxurious on days, I pull out the french press. The thing about coffee makers is that they need to be cleaned regularly to get rid of the grit that detracts from the flavor. When was the last time he cleaned his?

During the week I have a coffee maker I have a small expreso maker somewhere in the basement from my catering days and I think I will pull it out and see if it still works.

Being at work at 5 AM, I will probaby stick with the coffee maker until I switch shifts.
Wed Nov 25, 04:22:00 AM 2009
Camy Tang said…
Yeah, that's the reason Captain Caffeine uses his coffeemaker/French Press--in the afternoons and evenings, he's tired and doesn't want to fire up his espresso maker so he uses other means to make a quick cup of coffee.
Camy
Wed Nov 25, 12:13:00 PM 2009
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