Kitchen Tested, Therapists Approved!

Recently, I was contacted by a fellow blogger and she asked me where I got the idea for my book. I can remember the moment instantly. I was at work of all places. Here, I must tell you that I work with a bunch of characters. They are gregarious, upbeat jokesters and I have been told by many outside sources that they are an attractive gaggle of people. I would agree. But the therapists are only half of the story.

I have always been intrigued by mythology in literature but had less of an affection when it was brought to the big screen. The idea of enormous weaponry and the outfits were just a bit too much for my 21st century ideals. I wanted to bring the powers of these gods and goddesses to a more refined state, much like the politicians we see in the government. Those that hold all the power and yield it carelessly to its people while wearing expensive suits and a killer smile. This kind of power can be just as dangerous as those that drive a sword through the flesh of another.

Okay. I rarely get all political but that is the parallel that I drew up for the bad guys. Now, enter the therapists, which I consider the heroes. I happened to be passing through the department where the therapists document. Four of the lady therapists were giggling, laughing and flitting about the department with big smiles and bigger personalities. They fed off each other and it was contagious. Bright-eyed and beautiful, their youthfulness was in full swing in the world in which we all live. Since they represent hope and encouragement in a time of great uncertainty for their residents, they could continue the same crossing over into the world of literature.

This is when I turned to my mentor, Stephen King. He said if you can come up with two unrelated ideas that intersect, you can turn it into a story. At this point, I had created the antagonist of mythological gods and brought them into the here and now where calling to one another was only a text away. I had the protagonists of helping humans trying to make the world a better place. Then the wheels start spinning.

I tried to take a different route and make the main character a young teenage male. This was risky, as being female, I have little insight into the psyche of the teenage male brain (thanks, Babe, for letting me into yours) but with the literature out there for the young adult protagonist being primarily female, I opted for the angst of an introverted seventeen year old male.

And that is how the Season's Series began. It's been up and down. It's been ready to throw the story in the burn barrel out back to performing little dances around the island in my kitchen because I received an email from someone that took a chance and picked up Spring's Beginning and Summer's Repose and had a reaction to it.

This week, I have been more prone to little dances around the island and I didn't even care that people on the sidewalk stopped to watch through the window. I just waved and they gave me the thumbs up. I would like to believe that they were giving me the thumbs up to continue this journey, and so I do. Sometimes you have to find the road, other times, in the most unexpected of moments of life, a stranger will give you a thumbs up and the path is clear.

Many of my terrible kitchen dancing is while I am baking and this is what happened when the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie was born. Two of my favorite ingredients combined definitely deserves a happy dance. As you can see above, some of the therapists felt the same.

(Oh!! I must tell you that two of the therapists from above appear on the cover of Summer's Repose. Thanks, Alayna and Leyna. You two were perfect. They are the two in the front!!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Oreos

1 cup butter, divided

1 1/2 cup + 4 TBSP creamy peanut butter

1 Cup powdered sugar

1 Cup chocolate chips, semi-swee

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (yes, it must be heavy whipping cream. Don't go all calorie conscious on me. It makes a difference

Instructions:

1.) Crush Oreos with a roller, blender or food processor

2.) Mix with 1/2 cup butter. Press into pan.

You can use a tart pan, pie dish, whatever you prefer.

Press down good. I find that using the base of a

glass works well. Freeze until firm.

3.) Mix 1 1/2 cup peanut butter with powdered sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Pour on top of firm crust and then freeze again.

4.) On saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate, 4 TBSPs butter, and heavy whipping cream. Stir until all chocolate is melted. Pour over peanut butter layer. And, yes, freeze again.

5.) Lastly, grab that pan of gluttonous love and devour.

No Baking for those that are opposed to turning on the oven.

See, Stephen King was right! A story can always be written if you take two unlikely characters and put them together. Try making this and see what story you will write. Maybe it will bring the kids to the table or it is the first to go at the work party. Maybe the story will be about a mother and daughter making this together or someone hiding in the closet, devouring it alone, not that I would know a thing about that. Just saying.